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 Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 6:17 am
As it was, her progress was slow and her distractions many. She'd never been to the woods before, at least not all by herself. Usually Ezriel or her sisters were present, but today they had all gone off on their own. Her mother had disappeared again and Ezriel hadn't wanted to play, so it was up to Numielle to go off on her own. She had invited her sisters but, as usual, they weren't exactly the most receptive to her affections and invitations.
Well, maybe she'd find Nimue this way? Numi had to think that if she wore a mask and if she disappeared she'd wanted to go exactly the way her own little legs had carried her. They were related, after all, so maybe Nimue did the same thing? As it was, the black and blue eyes filly kept a look out for white fur and black hair and wings. . . . Well, as best as she could.
With her spiked tail constantly getting tangled, and so many new things to look at like all the Mr. Trees surrounding her and little birds and even a rogue rabbit, Numielle frequently forgot her mission and had long forgotten the way back home. But being lost didn't frighten the little one, oh no. With the high afternoon sun still pouring its lightly warmly between the foliage, and the cool shadows of the woods keeping her cool, Numielle was more than content to keep up with her explorations.
Besides - she had music to keep her company even when all alone! And thought she didn't know many songs, she had no trouble making up her own or singing the ones she often heard Nimue sing.
"Hush lil' foaly don't say a word. . .
Nimue's gonna catch you a mocking bird.
And if that mocking bird dun sing. . .
A big bad kalona'll eat that thing.
And when that kalona takes a bite
You'd better turn 'round and hide out of sight!" Her song continued, though it grew a bit quieter and occasionally turned to humming as her little spiked tail got wrapped around a few overly affectionate ferns. Her tail was so popular today~!
So once again, the little filly paused in her journey, pulling her tail and attempting to get it untangled from the bushes. It was a half-hearted gesture though, the little filly was enjoying her song too much to feel a pressing need to rescue her tail.
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Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 7:31 am
Perhaps these woods were cursed by playful spirits. Meddling creatures who found entertainment solely in activities that involved misleading one soquili so that they might encounter another. It seemed to be a common occurance and had it been his father, there would have been little doubt that he would be reasonably exasperated by yet another visitor to the forests. However, Penance was not in quite the same boat as the dark stalion and his outlook on life was somewhat different - not yet marred by the cruel realities that existed in the world he saw all encounters as further opportunity to 'meet and greet'.
Thus, it was with little fear or discomfort to him when he caught the faint 'song' upon the wind. Unable to pick up the precise words, he failed to note the otherwise remotely disturbing song choice. Perhaps in later years when his skills were honed he would have the pleasure of hearing it again and then he could make his observations but for now... Well, he remained completely oblivious to the rather sinister depth of the song itself - all he had chosen to note was the very soft voice singing it.
The tone seemed otherwise carefree, it held little threat and from his position in the ferns he rather found it quite pleasant. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite enough to force him to move just yet. The heat led to very sloth like behaviour on his part, his black fur aiding him very little against the rising heat regardless of the gentle breeze rippling through the trees. It was not a good day to go exploring, he now completely understood why his father slept in and kept his head firmly shoved into the ferns to block out the light...even when his mother was wide awake and chattering away to Moppet.
It was too warm!
Perfect day his tiny little behind!
He grunted somewhat and rolled onto his back lazily. His wings folded lightly against his sides as he kicked his cloven hooves into the air and examined them for a brief period of time - or he examined them as well as he could given his peripheral vision. All was in order and save for the rather undesirable level of heat he was content - to say the day couldn't have been any better was a lie. It was only when the song became decidedly softer that he roleld back onto his tummy and pricked his ears. Completely disregarding the numerous leaves in his hair or the foliage lining his wings, he couldn't help but wonder why the bird had stopped singing.
Well it hadn't stopped but he didn't like straining to hear something that much.
"Mmph," he mumbled as though he had been inconvenienced, pulling himself to his feet with a quick shake of his head. A few little flexes of his wings and he was ready to go, clambering over the undergrowth with little effort. Apparently being born here, living here and having a very tiny tail had it's benefits! Regardless his progress was slow given his size and he was most definitely not quiet as he thrust himself over his obstacles - in any case there would have been absolutely no doubt about his approach.
...She would know he was coming.
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Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 8:40 am
Her song did stop as soon as two little white ears pricked with the sound of movement. Tangled tail forgotten, black and blue eyes lit up in delight at the prospect of a strangers approach - or was it perhaps Nimue? Her mother wasn't always the most graceful, and with her burly wings Numielle had to believe that she had just as much trouble pushing her way through the woods as she had! If her tail wasn't getting snared and tangled, her little wings and feathers would!
Turning towards the source, she tried her best to wag her tail in pleasure but was reminded that the affectionate ferns hadn't just wanted to pet her tail, but keep it. The tangle she had tried to undue had only gotten worse and her little spikes weren't yet sharp enough to do much damage or cut themselves loose. Ah, but who cared if her tail was stuck for the umpteenth time, she had a visitor!
Or would quite soon.
A pair of her wings flapped happily in delight, and she strained to see who was out there. "Hello?" She voiced out, her words just as gentle as her song. "I hear you!" Often lost within a bit of a daydream, innocence spreading through her at its finest, Numielle offered a little giggle. She wanted to prance in a circle to express her joy, but could only turn so far without her tail pulling. "And in case you din' know I was here, I'm here too! Right here!" She stated proudly, giving her wings another awkward flap.
Excitement radiated through her as she was to meet yet another somebody. Oh, she hoped whoever it was would be her friend and maybe help her untangle her tail! Were woods soquili different than the ones on the plains? Would this be a unicorn like her sisters or have spikes like herself? Would they have wings or fangs or wear pretty jewelry? Maybe a kalona? Or a regular? Or . . . or. . . . a BEAR!
Oooooh, she always wanted to meet a big bad bear so she could snuggle it! And take it home. And parade it around like a fluffy pet! Bears would make a wonderful companion as far as Numielle was concerned. A shame she'd never seen one before - perhaps this was her lucky day?
Giggling a bit, she threw back her slightly curled mane and let her black eyes search out the shadows. Her wings were half-spread in excitement and the very, very tip of her tail swished as best as it could despite being held hostage. The little ones excitement was radiating off of her and with such joy she waited. . .
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Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 10:27 am
Well he wasn't a bear but had he known of her fascination with them he would have requested his 'uncle' come along. Giruvegan was of course a bear, could be ferocious when he needed to be but generally speaking acted in exactly the same way that both Penance and his father did. He was a Sloth bear in name and in nature, there was nothing better than rubbing his tummy and chewing idly on a piece of grass as the day went on and the heat passed by. No doubt if strangers had seen the trio lounging about within the woods...all stereotypes would literally explode in the faces of those who had once judged those with 'leathered wings' to be evil.
...They were all 'lazy' and utterly harmless.
Sort of.
"Helloooo? I hear you! .... I'm here too! Right here!"
He had to note that the words were incredibly vague and that 'here' could be any number of locations. However, his ears did flick forward and his head cocked to the side as he attempted to discern exactly where the voice had come from. Unfortunately this was another skill he needed to hone and grow acustomed to...he had the senses for it but lacked the prowess and thus, he struggled. It was only when he came to a halt and listened again for another call that he heard it, a soft giggle. It then dawned on him that the thing he was approaching was a girl - a real girl, those things that looked like his mother! Well his mother didn't bite but Moppet had warned him (albeit teasingly) that some of them did. It should have come at no surprise that he was strangely wary from that point on and his pace slowed considerably as he approached the 'thing'.
The 'thing' turned out to be no other than a mini-mommy...Well, a 'mare' but he hadn't yet been capable of connecting the word filly and mare together. To him she was simply a tiny version of his mother, granted she had wings and the strangest looking tail but by the manner in which she was trying to flounce about she seemed harmless and just a little - stuck?
"Uuuh...hm," he sounded a lot like his father as he seemed to assess the situation. His expression was 'serious', or as serious as it could be for a foal and his brow was raised in an odd manner. Having never encountered a girl before he wasn't really aware of how to approach her. Lunging at her and bumping heads (like he did with his brother) didn't seem like it would work that well, especially when her horn poked the wrong way.
"You look like you're stuck," he offered up at last, somewhat blunt as he approached the situation warily and eyed the filly's tail. He hadn't yet had the opportunity to gaze over her entire form yet but he would mostly be shocked to the core when he did.
"Guess the spirits want to play, huh?"
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Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 10:08 pm
It took awhile, but finally the approaching form made itself known! The what had not been a bear (alas) but had turned out to be a foal similar to herself! But where she was pale furred and donned in feathered wings and a blood stained horn, this little foal was quite the opposite! He was made up of shadows, with only a few pale bits on his mane. And his eyes glowed! Oooooooh - where hers were more like dull coal his radiated with a soft golden light! How most unfortuante hers weren't like that. . . . Glowing eyes would be the greatest, or so Numielle believed. And such wings! She'd never seen something quite so sharp and naked; where were the feathers? There were a few bunched near the base of his pinions, but overall were in quite the sad state.... Furthermore he was missing a pair.
How unusual!
Thankfully though, aside from curiously observing Penance, any jealousies over his looks were quickly washed to the wayside as he approached. He didn't look at all like the winged unicorn Bright - in fact, he didn't have a horn at all! "You're not a bear!" she finally announced with another little giggle, pawing at the ground and tossing her mane over the side of her neck. It was growing and beginning to curl, but it was still too short to do much of anything but stick up every which way. Bright smile placed firmly upon her features, the silly little one dipped her head, "but I'm not a bear either, so that makes us even!"
Now, what was it he had said?
Watching the wary eyed foal, Numielle glanced from Penance to her tail and back and again. She gave the little thing another tug before sheepishly dipping her head. "Yeah, my tail gets lots of attention. . . The trees and ferns like to catch it, and sometimes they dun like to let go." Now was one of those times.
"But I don't mind," she added happily, not wanting Penance to think her a whiner. "I don't. . . I don't really have anywhere to go." And wasn't that the truth. She wasn't needed home for a long time yet, and even so, Nimue wasn't there and goodness knew where Ezriel had gone to find her. Her sisters wandered alone enough, so Numielle could definitely follow suit. . .
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Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 9:25 am
He wasn't missing a pair! Like his grandfather she just had an extra pair! Had he been capable of reading her mind he would have disputed this assumption. He would have been further 'enraged' by her declaration that his wings were naked. His wings weren't naked, they looked lamost like his father's and he was terribly proud of them. So what if his didn't have wave upon wave of feathers but at least he didn't molt or risk ripping wave upon wave of pinions through clumsy behaviour. That being said, the more her observed the filly the more he became aware of just how odd she was. Perhaps in his adult life he would have declared her to be beautiful but really... He wasn't even sure what that meant.
She had spikes, horns, a really long tail...
Therefore it made her wierd.
He'd never seen creatures quite like her before. However the more he looked at her the more he came to the conclusion that she had greater similarity towards his grandfather than anything else. The four wings and the horn were almost like him but the spiked tail were not. It was only a slight difference though, so did that make her an Angeni like him? He'd never seen a baby Angeni before, he didn't even think they were real!
"No, I'm not a bear," he replied at last with an uncertain shake of his head, wagging his bushy tail from side to side. There were tell-tale signs that Moppet had already gotten to it given a very small braid within it but alas, his hair remained untouched. "But I could get one?" he offered after a few months, lifting his gaze to the canopy as he attempted to recall where he had last seen the snoring bear. Admittedly he wasn't really sure if his father would be thrilled with him leading a new friend to the Grove.
But Moppet had always argued it would be nice to have visitors...
It was quite the puzzle and yet he made himself listen to the filly as she explained her polite before rolling his eyes. A ruffle of his own wings and he picked his way towards the foal to admire the grasp the ferns had on her tail. Couldn't she even lift it up or something, maybe wrap it round her own leg...or would that hurt her?
"It is a wierd looking tail," he agreed at last as he pressed his hoof down on the fern to provide it with an escape route. "The spirits up here like wierd stuff, but I don't really believe you when you say you got nowhere to go..."
He wasn't aware of what broken families were like, his father was grumpy and sloth like on occasions but Penance's family was big in comparison to some. He had grandparents, parents, siblings and an aunt, a family member wasn't terribly difficult to find!
"There's always places to explore and of course you got home, right?" he lifted his other hoof and set it on another fern more firmly, peering at the creaking stalks curiously. "Who are you anyway, we don't get wierd ones like you much around here." He enquired, unaware that such names were the reason his father had been so troubled as a foal. Then again when they had been said to him they were malicious, when they came from Penance's mouth...he was just being honest.
She was wierd!
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Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 5:37 pm
Numielle's ears pricked forward in delight as she stared at Penance, her black and blue gaze going wide as plates. Wait a minute. . . . hold the phones. Had he just said he knew how to get a bear? Her little rump wriggled a bit in her excitement, her tail still happily tangled, and she almost pranced from hoof to hoof as joy soared throughout her. "No way - - -!" She breathed softly, voice laced with awe. "You mean a real bear? Like a fuzzy wuzzy furry cute'n'cuddly bear!?!? With a stubby tail 'n' all!?" Her excitement caused her to giggle again, half wanting to prance up and nuzzle Penance for his absolute wonderfulness in knowing how to get a bear!
He had to be the coolest naked-winged soquili she had ever encountered. So what if he was the only naked winged soquili she had met. That didn't take him down from the peg of complete and utter awesomeness!
Numielle wanted desperately to meet a bear; she was positively sure that she would be the happiest filly in the world if such a thing could come true. Oh how the spirits must have indulged her for who else could worry about bears only to find a little funny foal that knew how to get 'em! Mayb he had a whole cave full of bears somewhere, all his own; his own army of walking pillows of fluff!
Ooooooh - why couldn't she have an army of cuddles? Well, at least she had a new goal to achieve.
Ah, but such fun thoughts of fuzzy bears were quickly replaced as she glanced behind her to study the little black foal. He stepped down on one of the roots and allowed Numielle a little freedom. With a small shake of her tail, and a little tug that followed with a little 'ouch!' she stumbled awkwardly forward. Her wings shot open, flapping just as awkwardly as she kept herself from plowing her nose too deep in to the ground and looking like a silly filly.
Jerking upright, she happily turned behind and pranced up to Penance, attempting to nuzzle his neck and cheek in her joy. "Oooh! You saved me!" She announced happily, giggling. He had freeeeeeeed her! He was her hero. . . well. . . sort of. Glancing up at him, the little one tilted her head as she finally remembered what he had called her tail. . .
Weird?
Did she have a weird tail? Turning round, and almost in a half circle, the young one stared at her tail. It was fluffy like her momma but spikey like her papa's. . . . So did that make her weird? "I'm not weird. . . " She objected softly, ears pinning back as she glanced down at her hooves, sneaking a look at his own.
His weren't cloven either. . . . .
Hmmm. There was something she was missing, some great knowledge that she was still too young to know. In honesty she had only ever bene with her family so she didn't know that she was different than all the rest. With Penance pointing out this fact her mind was slowly trying to wrap itself around the logic. . .. and it wasn't working.
She wasn't weird! She looked like a perfect mix of her parents!
"Think you're just silly," she laughed, optimism renewed. "You dun look anything like me so you must be the weird one, silly face." She gave him another nuzzle for good measure, or at least attempted to. Giving herself a little shake, almost falling over in the process thanks to her wings, Numielle giggled. "I do have a home sometimes but it moves. . . and it's not in here! I'm lookin' for my Momma, actually," she added with a little shrug. Her eyes went wide and she stared at him, "You haven't seen her, have you? She forgets a lot and . . . and . . is awfully pretty!"
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Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 4:10 pm
Penance did not have an army of bears, he had once bear that amounted to an army in his own special way...but that was it. The forest in this area were more well known for horror and ghost stories than furry armies. These tales had been born thanks to his father's activities long ago, but as of yet the foal remained oblivious to that fact. In time his father would explain his heritage to both Penance and Azuell, however given their age he deemed them too young to be informed of the full and dark tale of where they heralded from. Regardless, Penance had always found the ghost stories rather entertaining given he knew that not one of them was true.
Those moans and howls?
Well they were most likely to be Giruvegan wailing at the lack of suitable food or rolling over in his sleep through discomfort. Either that or it could have been his father doing the exact same thing - Moppet liked to fondly refer to it as 'snoring' but it was a little too loud and 'groan like' to be such a thing. Thus, for he most part the woodland creatures referred to it as moaning and had all come to the conclusion that the majority of the 'dark family' were nocturnal.
Not strictly true - they were all just a tiny bit sloth like.
Nevertheless, he could barely maintain any form of composure as the bear flounced about so quickly and nuzzled him not once, but two times! Accustomed only to the nuzzles of his mother and the nudges from his father, he'd never had one the same size as him give him a cuddle. It felt wierd and a part of him wanted to recoil and yell 'cooties' at the top of his lungs. Unfortunately, another side of him found it quite pleasant and the little foal found a blush rising on his nose as he pawed at the ground somewhat self consciously. He'd always been in the company of his brother, had always gotten up to trouble and landed himself in bad situations... But when that happened the pair giggled and kept going, they didn't nuzzle or coo! Ah, if only Penance was aware that in later life this bashfulness would grow considerably worse - hormones could be a troubling thing.
For the time being the spirits favoured and spared him though, as a mere foal he was simply shy due to the expression of affection. It was new to him and he could only release a giggle of his own - he had saved her. He was a hero! He pulled himself up as tall as he could, puffing out his chest as he attempted to strut in a similar fashion to his father. Unfortunately this did not go according to plan, not quite as graceful as his father, his spindly legs soon stumbled uncertainly over a hidden branch and he toppled further. It was his time to unfurl his wings and hop about in a similar fashion to a rabbit, he wasn't able to recover though and shortly fell on his rump (another habit that would stick with him for life).
It was only when he was firmly 'sat' on the ground, wings still unfurled and expression bemused that he turned his twinkling eyes on the filly. In relation to her question, he hadn't seen anyone except her and the forest creatures hadn't warned him of anything. If there had been strangers his mother or father would have come to retrieve him. However, her reference to him being wierd made his ears pin back slightly - how was he wierd when he looked like his dad?
She was the one with the spikey tail and wierd eyes!
"What are you talkin' about?" he demanded. "I look just like my daddy!" He announced proudly, puffing up his chest again though the affect was lost from where he sat in a heap. "And he is the most strongest stallion I know!"
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Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2008 4:19 pm
Numielle gave her freed tail a few careful swishes, looking behind her to make sure the spiked bits weren't going to get snatched by any stray leaves. She managed to curl it lightly around one of her hind legs like she had been tought, though a few small scratches were present where her excitement often caused her to forget of spikes. The little filly was easily excitable and more than a little forgetful, so pain was often the final reminder that her fuzzy tail wasn't so cuddly and soft.
As Penance pranced happily, the little filly turned her coal eyes back upon him. He looked so proud and happy, the emotions were all but contagious! Her own wings flapped delightedly and her rump wriggled a bit as she watched him prance around - were all boys this much fun? He was the only boy she knew, outside of her Papa of course, and she'd never seen Ezriel walk so funny! Ah, but all joy came to a screeching halt as Penance stumbled; his leather wings shot open and Numielle's first reaction was to hide her nose in her wings.
Oh no! Wincing, she heard him fall hard on the ground and only then looked to see how her buddy faired. He sat on his rump, wings unfurled, and looked quite the sight. "Oh noes!" she breathed, eyes going wide as she bolted forward. All sorts of fussing, she walked once around him before shoving her head against his own, her wings half spread in concern. "Are you okay? You aren't hurt or nothin', are you?" She poked at him a bit, not entirely sure his fall hadn't bruised him anywhere. . . .
He was her friend, thank you very much, her absolute best friend and nobody hurt them! Especially her first and most favorite!
Still snuggled against him (it was something the poor foal was going to have to get accustomed to - Numielle loved contact and cuddles) before she looked at his glowing eyes. Ooooh - they were shiny and all sorts of sparkly! A shame hers didn't glow. . . . "I look just like my Momma!" She retorted softly, "Except my face isn't made up of bone and. . . . and her tail dun have spikes." Wait.
If she he wasn't weird because he looked just like his Daddy, but she didn't look EXACTLY like her mother. . . . uh oh.
Black eyes went wide as plates and she flopped down on her rump in shock. Oh noes. . . . "I . . . . . I must be weird!" She gasped, stunned by this new revelation. If one wasn't weird because they had to be clones of her parents than out of all of them only Minuet was the most normal. . . she looke exactly like Ezriel. . . .
Oh dear. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear! Turning her head, she hid her face in her wings in shame. "I'm sorry for calling you weird. . . ." Oh the remorse and guilt she felt for wrongfully calling her bestest friend such a name!
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Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 5:54 am
All right, so it hadn't been one of his finest moments and had his brother been in the vicinity he would never have lived it down. However, as fate would have it his brother was in other parts of the forest leaving only the little filly as his companion. In that regard he could only hope that he remained safe and that he wouldn't be reminded of it in years to come. He wasn't sure why he wouldn't want to be reminded of it...but when 'mares' came on the scene one might assume he would have no desire to be humiliated!
Nevertheless as the filly squealed and came over to inspect the damage (of which their was none) his ears perked and he almost became bashful. Only accustomed to the affections and attention of his mother and the occasional nudge from his father, the touch of another was somewhat foreign to him. Yet, as he sat in the heap and nosed the little filly back he couldn't help but find he rather enjoyed the connection, it almost seemed to make a meeting more than just something in idle passing.
Ooooh, maybe it was like Moppet said - it was a promise to meet again!
Ah, he loved his Grandmother dearly but everythign she said was often a puzzle, it was rare that he could be granted the opportunity to solve one of her puzzling remarks. Although he had to admit that it was a good one to solve, he was beginning to think he would rather enjoy friends. People to play with and talk to other than his family...they could tell him stories of what they had seen and vice versa.
Oooh, and the adventures they could have!
Nevertheless as the tiny filly seemed to muse over his declaration about not being wierd he became aware of the change in tone. She seemed almost worried, or troubled. Just because he had said she was 'wierd'? He hadn't meant it in a bad way! When he called people wierd he meant they were interesting - his brother was wierd, his grandpappy was wierd...that wasn't a bad thing. He soon jumped to his hooves and gave his wings an uncertain ruffle.
"No no!" he shook his head as she apologised and hopped forward, nudging at the filly who had mirrored his position mere seconds ago. He wasn't as gentle when it came to expressing affections, having been a rough playmate of his brother...but he would try. "You aren't wierd, I dun really look much like my mommy at all, just my daddy," he pointed out, trying to ease and lighten up the mood. "My brother looks like my mommy though, he's pale like her and has no wings but I'm dark and has wings..."
"It's not a bad thing, it makes you special!" He drew back again and canted his head to the side, messy forelock falling over his eyes briefly. "At least that's what my family say and you look really, really special." He nodded emphatically at this.
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Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 1:36 pm
Numielle kept her head firmly planted in her wings, still thoroughly embarrassed by her misunderstanding. Numielle had never thought of herself as weird considering her family was made up of spikes and wings and horns. She had never encountered anything different, especially with how clingy she was. . . So to find one of her very first encounters was with Penance, and to be told that she was weird rocked Numi's world hard.
She didn't want to be weird.
Like many filly's in the world she wanted nothing more than to be lovely and loved and accepted and cherished and otherwise live a happy foal hood. Perhaps it was the personality of her once holy mother that spurned such a need for acceptance. Perhaps her sweetness was a fluke, a gift (or curse) from the heavens above that gave her as much good as the evil and hurt that lined her families genes. There was a lot of darkness in her lineage and history, but Numielle was very much so ostracized by such a thing.
Thankfully though, before she had good enough sense to let her coal and blue gaze burn with tears, she felt a rough touch nuzzle against her. Lowering one of her dark wings, she looked over at Penance and found him offering her all sorts of reassurances. Wait a minute, hold on, was he now saying that she wasn't weird? Well, she was weird but not bad-weird. . . more like a good sort of strange? So she was really, really weird but that meant she was really, really special too?
Oh no . . . . now she was confused.
Biting her lip, Numielle couldn't resist the affection. With a little swish of her tail, she turned to bury her nose against his fluffy locks of mane, heaving a small sigh in the process. Now Numielle didn't know what she was - was she weird or was she special or . . . or . . . .
Whatever. Maybe it didn't matter. Her family didn't often speak of others and Numielle had only ever met Penance so maybe it didn't matter. Just because his family called others weird and hers didn't. . . oh wait. . .she was on to some sort of revelation . . . . . Maybe. . .maybe just because their families were different and said different things didn't mean that it was bad!
Just that they were different.
Her fear began to wane and Numielle couldn't stop the smile from crossing her features. If her little nose could flush it would have and her mood absolutely beamed. She was special. Really, really, really special. . . "Oooooh," she breathed, the lightbulb finally clicking on for a moment. "I always thought weird was bad and . . .and. . . and I didn't wanna be bad." She spoke in a whisper, almost worried that just speaking such negativity would catch up with her.
She didn't know anybody who wanted to be bad. Nope, nope, nope. "But maybe, sometimes, instead of calling me weird you can just call me special instead? Cause I wanna be special, oh yes, yes I do!" She almost sounded desperate for such assurances and in a way she was. With a mother whom didn't remember who you were and a father who was often out and about searching for said mare, it wasn't easy coming across affections or assurances. And her poor sisters seemed a bit broken enough.
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Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 5:34 am
Her recovery hadn't been as immediate as Penance had hoped for. It had taken Numielle a little while to mull over his words and even his nuzzle hadn't been enough. He had never realised up until this point how hard it would be to satisfy a female, and the gods only knew how more complex that would become in later life. No wonder his father had chosen his mother, no matter how many rants he had she was always there to smile and giggle at him. The more he thought about it, the more he realised how special his mother was to make his father so sheepish and bemused.
...Ah, but to follow in his footsteps.
Penance could do little more than smile sheepishly in response to her revelations. They were slow as she stumbled upon her words and it took all his childish patience not to interrupt. Every now and then he would flex his wings and give a shake of his bushy tail but he would not interrupt. He would learn in time that this was a very good quality to possess... especially if he were to encounter very talkative and angry females. Unfortunately it would take him a number of years to realised that the mares of this world were not as lovely as his mother, nor as optimistic or affectionate as Numielle. On the contrary, there were some that would try to twist and manipulate him - and there would be others that screamed and shouted at him in horror. Granted there would be a few lovely creatures out there but when had fate ever not played with his family?
Taking all this into consideration the colt gave a small sigh and tilted his head to the side. Observing the shifting expressions of the filly who mulled over a number of thoughts. It was at times like these that he often wished he could read minds. His father had always told both his brother and he that in time, they would learn to recognise 'signs' in a person. Penance didn't completely understand this, but then again said colt wasn't aware of how old his father really was either! Ah yes, in time both Penance and Azuell would no doubt learn how to 'read' a soquili just as their father could. It was both a gift and a curse, but when used right could prove invaluable (apparently).
That being said, it wasn't long before the filly had ceased in her talking and had turned an almost pleading gaze on the colt. To say it made him fidget and feel somewhat uncomfortable was an understatement. At one point she had seemed completely delighted, but now her voice had changed entirely and he wasn't sure what to say. It was one of those moments when the tiny colt wanted nothing more than to wail to his parents for assistance. However, he was a 'big boy' and he should have the maturity to take care of this himself, right?
...Right?
"Um..." it was the sign of a genius, the first words ever uttered by every uncertain male (of every species) across the globe as they stared at a female. Regardless of their age, they were always stumped as to how to respond on an immediate basis. It often took a few more minutes after uttering this magic word to figure out the best response...by which time it was usually too late to make a difference. It should have been no surprise that the cogs of his mind whirred at a rapid rate until at last it clicked -
Oh he was an idiot.
A shame such a little quirk would continue with him into later life!
"I can do that," he offered at last, giving a small nod of his head and offering another of his sheepish smiles to the filly. If he had been born with hands he probably would have rubbed the back of his neck and averted his gaze again. However he didn't given that eye contact was something that had been stressed in his family - eye contact was important, it showed honesty!
"If it'll make you smile again, I can definitely do that," he assured unaware that this phrase alone would haunt him for quite a while. Ah, if the spirits weren't giggling and plotting by now, even his father would say they were losing their touch.
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Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 6:14 pm
He agreed to call her special.
The little filly's wings fluttered as her black and blue eyes lit with a radiant sort of delight. She had never been called special before and to now have her very first best friend in the entire universe say he'd call her special . . . well. . . it was just too cool for her to not be happy about it! Spinning round in a circle, her spiked tail wagging haphazardly behind her, the little unicorn gave a knicker of delight. If stars could shine in her eyes they would have been sparkling as she swooned over Penance's promise.
No, she didn't know how to swoon or what it was, but this was as close as the little filly could get.
"You'd do that just for me?" She hadn't really thought he'd call her special because, quite frankly, she'd never been special before. In fact, her famly was hardly aware of her existance much less thought of her as anything too great so to find a friend so willing to dub her as such made her smile.
Special.
Facing the shadowed foal, the young filly trotted towards and nuzzled him for the umpteenth time. Resting her head on his shoulders, she giggled a bit, trying not to prance from hoof to hoof as she stood there. "I'll smile just for you if it makes you happy! Even if you don't call me special," she hastily assured, attempting to nod but refusing to leave her immediate contact.
Oh, how Numielle adored contact. It was something the little filly just couldn't get enough of and Penance, unfortunately, was going to have to deal with it until they parted ways.
Heaving a little sigh, the little unicorn eventually let him go and retreated a step or two. Black eyes focused only upon him, Numielle gave a little grin before looking around the woods. She honestly hadn't a clue where she was nor if her parents were anywhere near. Nimue could fly so she could truly be anywhere and Ezriel was big and bulky and left a trail behind him. There were no trails nor no black feathers to give Numielle any clue on where her parents might be. . . .
Did this mean she was well and truly lost?
Maybe.
She'd worry about that after Penance left. Which, if she were lucky, wouldn't be for awhile yet. "You're my bestest-best friend in the whole wide world, you know," she proclaimed with pride, chest puffing out at the announcement. "And I've never had a friend before!"
Amazing how she finally found her frist one - and he thought she was special too! This day just couldn't get any better.
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Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2008 9:47 am
Swooning, now there was a word that a certain colt was muse over in his adolescent years. For the time being though, this particular foal was in the same position as Numielle and knew little of such things. He was a 'simple' boy and as such, his thought processes weren't exactly complex. No doubt in years to come he would show much more intelligence but given his age, his naivity was excusable. That being said, it was this naivity that enabled him to accept her requests and her contact so easily...
Smiling as her expression transformed into a far more desirable one, he couldn't help but savour that little flutter of delight in his own belly. He was used to hearing creatures giggle and he was accustomed to playing games with them. However, this was the very first time he had ever had to cheer someone up. The very fact she had taken his words so well and was in good spirits again made him feel better. Therefore it should have been no surprise that he would nod at her almost rhetorical question. Of course he would call her special, she was pretty when she smiled and it made him feel good when she expressed such emotions.
"Just for you," he confirmed, bobbing his head in a small nod as he danced around the filly. It wasn't that he was trying to avoid her but he was avoiding the spikes on her tail. She was somewhat clumsy and inconsiderate of the danger it presented but Penance was quick on his hooves and could dodge it well. Of course he wasn't about to inform her that she was a bad friend or that she wasn't watching what she was doing - instead he would show how good he was by making sure she didn't hurt him.
A little dodge here and there wouldn't hurt, right?
Nevertheless as she rested her head against his shoulder he did become very still and shifted his glowing gaze down towards the mare. She wasn't much bigger than him, but a part of him hoped to be as tall as his father so that if this should happen again...then he would be a better head rest. He wans't to know that his father took pleasure in the contact, the scent and a number of other things but Penance (even at this age) wouldn't object to a cuddle from his new friend!
"You are special to me," he added as she withdrew. Wagging his own tail, he offered a fanged smile and canted his head to the side, "And I will keep saying that," he was toppling and stumbling over his words as much as she was. That being said it would be a promise he would keep even into adulthood, no doubt (for his first outside friend) he would give the world to see a smile (especially one so pretty). Hell if she asked him to learn to juggle he would probably attempt as much even if it was fundamentally impossible.
That being said as she made reference to him being her 'first' friend he did feel somewhat confused. She had already mentioned her family...her siblings so how was that possible? Penance and Azuell were the best of friends, why was it that Numielle wasn't as close to her siblings as he was to his? Ah, the naivity in the colt was evident as he struggled to comprehend how such a thing was possible. If anything he found it a little sad if this was the case and her siblings weren't her friends.
"Well, if that's the case...then I am honoured to be your very first friend!" He declared with a genuine smile, providing her with a small bow in the process. If anything it was true, to be considered the very first friend anyone ever had...that was a very special thing. He would treasure it, even if she were later to point out that her siblings were her first friends at a later date!
"Does that mean I get anything special?" he added almost as an after thought, flexing his wings subconciously as he drew near the filly again and grinned.
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Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 4:00 pm
The little filly would have never expected her day to turn out so lovely! Had she thought that searching for her lost mother would have resulted in an absolute bestest best friend the little angeni-corn might very well have giggled, blushed and said 'nuh-uh!'. It wasn't that she didn't believe in best-friends but the bloody-horned filly had never thought that she might find one! Her family wasn't exactly close with a mother that didn't know who you were or sisters that were fairly detached. As it was, aside from Ezriel's occassional reassurances, Numielle lived a bit of a solo life. She was far from independant but she had no choice in the matter - when ones family was away or distant one was forced to make do.
Searching for her mother had been a good thing for Numielle. It had kept the slightly scatterbrained filly out of trouble and had kept her busy enough so she didn't bother her sisters or father. So she had no idea where her little cloven hooves had taken her, nor did she have any idea how to get back to her home, but such was life. She'd figure it out one way or another. Eventually Ezriel would find her and guide her home or one of her sisters might stumble across her path. Things always worked out for the best, as far as Numielle was concerned, and this afternoon was no different.
Worse came to worse, at least she could say she had a friend! Ennuiel or Minuet couldn't say that!
And he thought she was special too. . . . The little filly couldn't help but sigh softly at the thought. Special. . . now that was a nice term! Much more pleasant than weird, even if that's truly what the black colt meant.
Black and blue eyes glittered with delight as Penance said her friendship was a honour! She had never honoured anything much less understood how to give someone such a thing, but it seemed Penny wasn't the only one who felt special. A bright smile crossed her features as her spiked tail wagged behind her, and the little filly tossed some red hair out of her eyes. "And I'm honoured your my very first friend too! You could've said no!" She admitted, black eyes going wide at the thought. How horrible would that have been, to have her best-friend say he didn't want to be her best-friend! Oh, the thought was almost too much to bear so Numi swiftly reminded herself that such wasn't the case.
They were going to best-friends until the sun refused to shine, no if's, and's or but's about it!
"And cause you're my bestest-best friend, that means that you're super special too! Very, very, very much! And , , and . . . for being my friend it means that I'd do anything for you! Yep, yep, yep! Even if you want me to do something super scary I'd do it since you're my buddy! And we'll be Penny and Numi, the specialist friends ever!" Giggled followed her words as she nodded her head in agreement, happy with the nicknames. Why shouldn't he be called Penny? It was a good name, a nice name, and something the little filly instantly took a shine to.
Poor Penance. Little did he know he was stuck with Numielle as a shadow for as long as he would have her. She would seek him out even if she got lost and got seperated from her family; friends were important and there was no way she'd jeapordize such a thing. His friendship meant the world to her and warmed her little heart. She mightn't be the brightest filly on the black but she certainly could be loyal.
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