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 Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 7:15 am
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Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 7:25 am
He sent a silent prayer up to the spirits as he crept out of the forest. Breaching the edge and wading through the long grasses, he requested that this afternoon he was not plagued with stupidity. Not a day had went by since he had began his studies when at least one Soquili said something stupid to him. The last few encounters had resulted in them either pulling his hair or deliberately splashing him with mud to gain his attention. To say he found it infuriating was an understatement and it had taken all his self control not to lash out in response to their childish behaviour.
Alas, this afternoon he could do nothing more than request a small amount of respite. He understood that every soquili must be tested but he needed a rest. He needed the opportunity to groom, recover his composure and gather further notes on individuals and places. He just needed one day to transform himself back into the soquili he was proud of. He was a Soquili who believed that personal presentation was exceptionally important and as of late this had been all but destroyed. He had spent days struggling to get the mud out of his hair and had quickly given up as soquili after soquili chose to continually wreck his appearance.
...Was there no one who understood that some creatures desired to look need and tidy? He was a scholar; not a ruffian, and as a result he had no inclination towards scraps and fights. Diplomacy had always been his greatest strength (or so he believed), combined with his etiquette and otherwise neutral stance. He wasn't a creature that most would flee from and he was perfectly approachable but every bloody soquili seemed to be idiots!
Perhaps this was why his father preferred being part of a herd that resided on the slopes. There was at least a semblance of intelligence in the creatures who fought for their own survival. Down here it appeared the influence of the two leggers at turned them all into dumb animals. Ah, but it was with a soft sigh that the panda-like stallion made his way towards the river. His steps were somewhat erratic as he drifted from left to right, weaving back and forth as he permitted himself to mull over his own thoughts.
He would give it ten minutes.
If no soquili wrecked his coat in that ten minutes then he would clean it properly - that sounded reasonable enough.
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Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 7:43 am
Meena found herself alone this day, by choice more than anything. At least that was what she'd told herself. She needed to think on the revelation that she'd had about her current state of mind, after she'd realised that she had plunged headlong into a mood so low that meant she had become jaded about anyone who was remotely positive towards her.
Her meandering path took her within hearing distance of the river, and so she veered towards it, it was as good a diversion as any, given that she had no fixed destination.
Being alone meant time for self reflection, so when the river came into view and she saw somebody standing by it she flicked her eyes skywards, before moving forwards. She stood a distance from the intriguingly marked and coloured stallion, noting the mud splatterings on his coat, and the overall slightly dishevelled look.
Meena cleared her throat out of politeness to alert him of her presence before she took a drink.
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Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 7:56 am
Cough, Ahem.
Raniero refrained from releasing a groan as mere seconds had passed since his decision to wait 'ten minutes' before he dealt with his appearance. Unfortunately it was sod's law that the day he decided to wait, would be the day that another would catch him looking completely ridiculous. All sense of composure was last at this point and he slumped his shoulders. There was absolutely no point in denying that he looked like an utter wreck from this point forward - the respite he had prayed for had not been granted.
Thus it was with a wary expression on his face that he shifted his amber eyes towards the mare. He didn't intend to look quite so uncomfortable with her company, but the prospect of recognising her existence while he looked like this was a little... Well, there wasn't really anyway to describe it if he was entirely honest. That being said as he took her presence into consideration he was afforded the opportunity to inspect her.
Hawkish eyes took note of the lack of spark in her form, this could have been due to being groggy or something else. Rarely one to jump to conclusions he merely accepted it as a feature and glanced at her coat. It wasn't dishevelled, on the contrary it was rather clean and led him to believe that maybe he might be safe. Safe in relation to being able to get clean, not in regards to his health.
Never one to forget his manners though the stallion did nod his head in response after some delay and returned his gaze to his own reflection. Given that he was down stream from the mare his bathing would cause her no issues, or so logic told him. Aware of this, he tentatively stepped into the water and allowed the liquid to soften the dried mud on his coat. If she started a water fight when he was cleaning then he would kill her.
...Sort of.
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Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 8:09 am
Was silence golden? Meena wasn't sure, and as she stood again after quenching her thirst, catching the nod in return to her small noise. She'd obviously caught him at entirely the wrong moment, and she could have slipped away, but was it polite to do, or more to stay an introduce oneself?
She moved along the bank a little ways, closer but not so much as to intrude, and watched as he walked into the water. He had little to worry in regards to her initiating anything of a playful nature; she didn't know the stallion and therefore couldn't even to begin to guess if he was into games of that sort, and she was also not in the correct mood for that.
So Meena stood on the bank, waiting for him to leave the water, shaking her mane gently so that it lay in a neater fashion.
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Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 2:30 am
It would have been a interesting question to pose to the stallion who prided himself on etiquette. Raised in a very specific way, he would have found the question to be a peculiar (yet valid) point to raise. No one had ever really discussed such a matter with him after all - then again he had never really needed to discuss it. It was only as of late that he had been soaked, spattered with mud, had his hair pulled and a list of other grotesque acts of misconduct. Prior to those encounters and his foul streak of luck he had always looked reasonably respectable and hadn't needed to evade the public eye.
Urgh, he was growing to hate the public more by the minute.
That being said, he wasn't permitted to hide from the public by his father. While his father was aware of the stupidity of others he had always informed his son that it would prove his worth (and strength of character) if he could at the very least, endure the presence of such behaviour. It would make 'good practice' for when the stallion opted to return home and to take the seat of power his father had prepared him for. At least if he so chose to take up such a position he would be capable of punishing those who disrespected him!
He grunted at the thought of this and very abruptly pushed his head under the water. Waiting for a few moments, he then withdrew it again and opened his eyes. Not one to shake and soak another, he simply permitted the water to drip down his mane and to loosen further pieces of mud from his hair. It was going to take quite some time to remove it all. Just as well he wasn't a human or he would be a prune by the end of it.
...But was silence really polite?
He prevented himself frmo fidgetting at this thought and afforded himself a quick glance towards the mare. She had made attempts to come closer, in doing so he could see how tidy she was in comparison. It begged the question as to whether or not she would follow suit and wreck his attempts. He was going to vote 'no' given that she had yet to make any form of contact (either verbal or physical)...something that would have occured already if it had been such a Soquili.
"If you have need of me to move, you are more than welcome to ask," he spoke at last, swishing his dampened tail against his flank. He hadn't remembered that a wet tail was a heavy tail though and has a consequence it was more like a whip than a subconcious slap. He couldn't even surprise that flinch.
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Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 6:02 am
It was better to be thought stupid, then to open ones mouth and prove them right. Wasn't that the saying? Meena supposed she would have to speak at some point, though she was enoying the novelty of not talking endlessly about oneself, and the fact that she was getting an unabashed stare in. A rare thought popped into her head..something along the lines of how good looking the stallion was, and even more so as he was washing himself clean.
'Actually I was debating whether to introduce myself, or give you your peace. Introducing myself when you were in the middle of washing seemed badly timed, but I wasn't sure if it was more polite to slip away without saying anything.'
Meena somehow managed to keep her composure and not make a smile, or let out any kind of small laugh, despite him now looking a lot like a large, soggy rodent after he'd dunked himself in the water.
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Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 6:23 am
Oh so she did have manners. It caused the stallion to raise a brow in mild surprise, this wasn't to say he didn't appreciate the revelations though. Apparently his prayers had been answered in some form or another. He sent a silent word of apology for doubting the spirits and now fully aware of the manners she possessed...she was deemed worthy enough to associate with. She had failed to point out he looked like a wreck and had been torn between appropriate manners in the given situation. That alone marked her as someone who required at least a little respect and recognition. Not that her staring hadn't gone unnoticed but he would let it slide given how he appeared.
His respite had come.
Sort of.
"With all due respect, I would have to point out that encountering me in the last few days would have been ill timed," he offered a bemused smile and swapped his weight from one side to the other. His weight resting against the current, he found balance and comfort in that position while his head remained turned in her direction. Drowned rat or not, bathing for this long was a necessary evil even if he did have to socialise in the process. He could make this work even if it was completely out of sorts for him!
"However I would assume that it would be rude of me to expect you to dismiss yourself based on my presence," he mused after a few moments. Mulling over the circumstances for their encounter, he had already noted that she had come to drink and therefore it was incredibly rude of him to expect her to wait...especially if it was going to take this long to remove the damn mud from his coat. No, it was much politer to look horrible and permit her to ease her thirst.
He could handle discomfort, he was a man and therefore he could take it!
"Though your thoughtfulness towards my situation is received with gratitude, m'lady," he fell silent at this and turned his body round to face her more fully, permitting himself the opportunity to observe her more closely. According to the thin nature of her coat she was most definitely not a mountain dweller...his stereotype from his previous musings was quickly dismissed.
"And you are?"
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Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 6:48 am
'I might say the same about myself,' Meena replied, her expression settling into one that was amiable. Days, a week or so ago she might have been much ruder, downright snippy at having come across this stallion when she thought that she needed to be alone. Now, well he was a diversion to her thoughts.
How best to comment on his current appearance? She would seem to be skirting the issue entirely, or maybe he would be sensitive about her sparing his feelings?
'But you are bathing, that I think is one of the times where it's okay to ask for privacy?' Meena decided against saying anything.
'So I think it would be fine to have that expectation, and if you wish it, I will go away.'
She kind of hoped he wouldn't though, he was very..level headed, and it was soothing to be around someone who wasn't an extreme.
'Meena,' she said, pulled from her thoughts enough to give her name with an accompanying and elegant bow. She always appreciated that her mother had instilled manners in her and her siblings, no more so than now.
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Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 7:07 am
"Meena," he repeated, imprinting the name into his mind for future use. Never one to forget a name or a face, the panda marked stallion took pride in being able to recall vast amounts of information, including names. While there were many who struggled with this, he could only assume that it had been years of conditioning and studying that had ensured he excelled at such things. Admittedly his skills in 'combat' had suffered as a consequence but he was fairly certain that somewhere down the line he could find some 'muscle' if he absolutely needed it.
Nevertheless, as she displayed further etiquette his brow did raise a little higher. Having rarely encountered another who would actually bow in greeting, he was somewhat surprised. It caused his composure to shift ever so slightly, caught on the back hoof he would take a further few seconds to recover. He was swift enough so as not to cause offence but his nod was ever so slightly delayed. He could feign ignorance and declare that his mind was somewhat active and thus he was partially distracted.
"While it is a pleasure to meet you, I apologise for my lack of decency," he was of course referring to his appearance and the bedraggled/drowned rat-esque look he had adopted. He failed to see how any Soquili could possibly enjoy this look unless they were a few months old and driving their parents to despair. The ticklish sensation on his exposed fur, combined with the itching of that beneath the water were incredibly uncomfortable. "One could say that I do not always resemble a drowned rat -" apparently he would safe her the awkward questions and observations by making them himself.
As he had said before, he could take the humiliation.
"I am known as Raniero and might I add that privacy is irrelevant and otherwise inappropriate to request in a public area - no?"
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Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 7:28 am
Meena would have been pleased to know she had surprised this most mannered of stallions, but she tended to display etiquette when she was in the mood to, and always had since being taught.
'Likewise, I am sure,' Meena replied, in reference to being pleased to meet him. Of his appearance, well finally she decided to speak of it, careful to be as nice as possible. Again, a week ago and she would have been most cutting about how he looked. It seemed to be a well timed meeting.
'I am sure you don't, I can see well enough past your current appearance to know that you normally look very well.'
She canted her head, smiling at his name and then saying;
'Really? But we all have our own comfort zone, and what do you call it, personal space? Isn't always proper to ask if you're interrupting or if they don't mind you being there?'
Meena supposed she could be wrong about that, but a public area didn't mean that you could just assume that a Soquili would want you around.
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Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 7:46 am
Apparently they'd both received some sort of respite. While he wasn't entirely aware of her abrasive personality it was just as well he remained in the dark. He'd met too many abrasive soquili, too many children and his patience was already wearing thin. To encounter another would be a terrible thing and would surely push him to the point of snapping. While the stallion was indeed a 'reserved' individual even he could lose his temper - it took a lot but then again the most reserved were also the most deadly when annoyed.
Perhaps it was a good thing he wasn't human, or he would have started hurling books at people!
Nevertheless as she spoke again he took note of her points. All she had said was completely valid though it was a tad naive. Logic dictated that personal space did indeed exist and manners did declare that one should be aware of it. However, the stallion had long since come to the conclusion that the Kawani lands defied all logic entirely on purpose. Whatever spirits played here enjoyed causing havoc - a quality he didn't appreciate.
"Arguably yes, all individuals are entitled to their personal space," the stallion agreed, pulling himself out of the water and onto the riverside. Ensuring he was a reasonable distance from the mare he gave himself a shake and promptly 'exploded'. His coat poofed out and made him looked substantially larger than he was - ah, no wonder he preferred not to get involved in such games, he looked like a prat!
"But one might also take note of how few individuals take logic or etiquette into account during their meetings," he sighed softly and glanced up at the skyline expectantly. It was still too early for the sun to dry his coat at any sufficient rate. "The majority of individuals simply prefer to thrust their company upon one another without little regard."
"Perhaps I have simply adapted to such quirks," he mused somewhat snidely, clearly lacking in approval for those who had caused him to look so terribly untidy.
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Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 11:19 am
Meena bit hard on her lip; she would not laugh, she would not laugh. She couldn't help it though, and a strangled giggle escaped her lips as he shook himself once he'd left the river. He had gone so - poufy! She managed to compose herself and looked apologetic.
'Ahem..well, then, it's an entitlement that one should fight for, don't you think?' she asked, her gaze on his face, and not on the dandelion head that he had turned into.
'But I suppose you are right. Everyone seems to want to know your ins and outs, where you're from, your family.' Meena flicked her tail, the beads on the braids tapping against one another.
'Yes? So by that measure does that mean you are simply putting up with my company then until I choose to leave?' she raised an eyebrow questioningly. She didn't want to be standing here if he was only making the merest polite gestures.
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Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 11:51 pm
It was not his fault that he had inherited his father's rebellious coat! There was a reason he took care of his appearance and this was one of them. He didn't enjoy looking like an idiot, fatter than he really was and otherwise the clown to all on lookers. He was a scholar and as a consequence, often demanded that he be taken seriously because of his intelligence. Looking like this simply meant that he was delayed in his studies for even longer than he could possibly have warranted. He didn't even have a good excuse, his only excuse was that if he looekd like this than foals and mares alike would mistake him for a teddy bear and never leave his bloody side.
Urgh, his life was so unfair.
Releasing an almost disgruntled sigh as the mare held back her laughter, he would have much preferred if she had spared him. He could handle complete humiliation better than 'partial' any day. Her snorting, surpressed giggling and twinkling eyes did nothing for the ego that had already been battered and raked over the coals in the last few weeks. What had he done to deserve this? All he had ever done was explore, observe and study the behaviour of others - it wasn't as if he had even hurt anyone!
Nevertheless, self pity and general concern for appearances aside...he was made aware of the hiccup he had made in regards to his present company. He should have caught his words before then, but partially distracted by his o-so-seductive appearance, he hadn't really considered how his words might be perceived to another. She was correct in the prying, the unrelenting questions but when she assumed that he was merely tolerating her...
Well he sort of was.
But not entirely!
There was something about the mare that indicated she was entitled to more respect and attention than the majority of Soquili he had become acquainted with. He hadn't been in her presence long, but the very fact she had demonstrated manners and some form of self control were bizarre. She hadn't even squealed at his 'adorable' appearance and cuddled up to him as though she had known him for an eternity. On the contrary, she had given him the respect he was due and was trying hard to hold back her amusement.
"You can laugh," he replied at last, his own brow raising at her snerking. In a manner of speaking he found her attempts to surpress it to be highly entertaining - that and laughter wasn't something he heard a great deal. Generally speaking when he did it was a high pitch and gave him a headache which was a royal pain in the a** for any scholar.
"However I did not mean for you to take my statement as such," he confessed, fwishing his tail from side to side in the hopes of airing it out more rapidly. "On the contrary there are those in existence who deserve recognition and my respect...I suspect that now would be one of those times."
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Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 6:43 am
Meena might have called Raniero cute, and buried her nose in his dandelion fuzz, but she simply hadn't known him long enough. Though possibly the latter was stretching it, she'd have probably just called him cute. In fact despite having just met him, that word was itching to be said, to tease him about his appearance. But she choked it back, her eyebrow still raised as she waited for his answer to her question.
She let out a small chuckle when he gave his permission and shook her head.
'You've no idea how hard that was. You look. Puffy.' There, that couldn't be construed as a word that meant adorable, or sweet, and hopefully he wouldn't take it as being 'fat' or anything else. He really couldn't help that his fur did that.
She gave a small cough at his grudging admission.
'Goodness, that seemed almost painful for you to say! But, thank you, and I would have to admit myself that I find your own demeanour soothing. I don't have the patience for extremes right now, although my mood is better than it has been for months.'
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