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 Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 1:26 pm
 Kei decided it was a good change of pace to do some night running. The early morning and anytime after the normal dinner hour was the best time for him to be out and about. The sun wasn't beating down on his dark coat making him extremely uncomfortable instead it was rather nice with a cool breeze every now and then. His body blended in with alot of his surroundings but his markings seemed to stand out some. Well that and his white mane and tail, but he didn't pay attention to that. He was simply enjoying running in the coolness of night.
The moon was high and it made anything it touched light up and gave everything a soft glow. Klei's strides were long and he stomped the ground hard. The goggles on his head caught the moons reflection and it turned lighter in color with little moons in them. He was originally in an open field but he decided to run alongside a stream(which would eventually hit the ocean but he wasn't aiming for that). Running along the stream for some time he chose to take a small break. As he slowed to a walk his tail eventually caught up with him. It then dragged itself along the ground as Klei slowed even more, eventually stopping.
Turning his head back Klei watched as his tail dragged on the ground and sighed with annoyance. "Now you're going to get brown and knotted!" he shouted, as if he expected some kind of reaction out of it, and shook his head. He didn't care what his mane and tail looked like as much as some other Soquili but he did find it annoying and bothersome when it became to knotted or turned a color other then white. Flicking his tail to try and keep it out of dirts way he watched it flail in the air only to land back on the ground again. "Why bother..."
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Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 2:28 pm
 "Because your mane and tail is lovely. It would be a shame for it to get so dirty." Inali had been watching the dark stallion pound across the meadow for some time, admiring his bright colors against his mostly dark hide, and his white mane and tail. She even liked the human device on his head, though she wasn't entirely sure what they were. They were pretty though, reflecting the moonlight as they did.
"I'm Inali. I'm sorry if it seems rude that I was watching. I couldn't help it. You run quite fast." A desire came over her then, something the red mare wanted to squelch. That would be so rude to do during a first meeting! But then... Her competitive side was flaring up, and an impish grin overcame her face. The moonlight seemed to both darken and lighten her, highlighting where her red shown brightest, and darkening the black areas that the red seemed to descend into. Her own mane and tail, fractionally darker than Klei's, seemed to take on a life of its own in the silver moonlight. It fair glowed.
"I know we've just met, but after watching you run, I can't help but ask. Would you like to race? I haven't had any good competition in a while. You look like you won't be too easy to beat." A grin quirked at the corner of Inali's mouth, almost breaking into a laugh. It got easier every day to re-integrate herself into soquili society, and to not be so damned depressed all the time. A race seemed like a grand idea right now. How much fun would that be?
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Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 1:02 pm
The sound of something other then the silence of night filled the air. The sudden spoken words of someone he didn't recognize startled him. With a quick jolt he flung himself to the side, turning his head to see who or what it was. He looked at the mare who seemed to be following him unnoticed. "Wha-?" He rhetorically asked, out of breath. Klei had heard everything she said but he reacted more on her randomly appearing out of no where then her words.
"Oh. Klei." He answered back, bluntly introducing himself, after she gave her own name. He took what she said as a compliment which made up a little bit for the fact how she was following him. "Thanks."
As time when by he noticed that she looked a bit different then when she first made herself noticeable. Besides her coloration the moon altered, making some parts of her brighter then others, she seemed to be thinking about something. The smile she had confirmed Klei's suspicion that something was up.
"A race?" Klei questioned back. What a random first meeting request. He didn't know how respond to what what she said. Was it a compliment? or was it more sarcastic then not? Though the randomness of it all would lead him to think there was some ulterior motive. The entire meeting actually turned out to be rather random which confused Klei a bit. Here he was going out for a run in the cool night air and all of a sudden this mare appears saying she was following him, asking him if he wants to race. All with an interesting grin on her face.
Klei stared back at Inali not quite knowing how to respond. "Sure? If you know what you're getting yourself into that is." Klei answered back assuring her that he won't be taken down easily with a grin and eyebrow raise.
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Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 1:12 pm
Inali knew her behavior might be construed as a little bit strange, but she really didn't mind being perceived as such. Everything else was just /boring/, wasn't it? And Inali never wanted to be boring. That would be the death of her, she thought.
"I know it sounds strange, but it amused me to see someone enjoying the night so much. So few do." Those that took advantage of the moonlight had the more power to them, for they knew the advantages that the soft, silver light held over that of the bright day, and that they encounters you had at night were often so different from those held during the day. It pleased Inali, to meet another soquili who presumably enjoyed the night as much as she did. And one that played as she did was just another bonus.
"Another strange request, I know. But I haven't had any competition in a good, long while." The interesting grin stayed on Inali's face as she grew to anticipate the challenge, mood escalating into one of positive delight. Far too long it had been. Far, far too long. Her healing process finally seemed to be getting some results, for the red mare hadn't felt her blood stir in such a way that wasn't in anger for quite some time. This was good, this was very good.
She also liked that Klei had accepted her challenge, as strange and seemingly random as it was. She raised her own eyebrow at his. "Oh, good. I think I know what I'm getting myself into. I'm getting myself into winning." Well, no one said the mare wasn't stubborn, and once the idea of winning had been placed in her mind, it became difficult to dislodge. Oh yes, she anticipated winning this race, and enjoying her victory. Maybe then she would bother to actually get to know the loudly marked stallion, who she had to admit was quite handsome.
"Are you read? Get set... Go!" Inali didn't bother to see if Klei actually was ready- she shot off like a bright, red rocket, galloping into the night. "First around the perimeter of the meadow twice wins!" That way the race would be long and hard. Exertion made friends, didn't it?
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Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2008 12:44 pm
Klei kept his eyebrow raised at her claim of winning. Klei finds himself calling that same claim when racing others but found it funny how she replied in that fashion. "Oh?" Klei got out before she went into counting.
At the sound of her marks Klei's body became tense. Growing a bit annoyed at how she just went into the race without a bit of a warning he figured she was just that eager to run. Klei wasn't exactly in the best of positions to start off the race since Inali just ended up running pass him. To point out the obvious he was facing the opposite direction. But on the 'go' all four of his legs tightened and pressed against the ground. With a single, powerful, thrust he angled to the side and sprung himself in the direction Inali went. Lucky for him he was able to quickly react and maneuver himself to get back on track.
Now that he was in the correct direction Klei used his front hooves to pull himself forward into a few short and quick strides. After the few short strides, used for the sole purpose of regaining his footing, he went into longer ones. The length of his legs were enough to carry him the distance he lost and needed to regain.
"You really want to tire yourself out don't you?" Klei shouted from a decent distance behind Inali. He had no problem with her details of the race he just wondered why she wanted it to be so long. The meadow they were in wasn't the smallest of meadows so Klei was beginning to wonder how long it would last. One lap around the meadow galloping would be tiring enough let alone two laps at full out racing speed.
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Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 11:10 am
"I just want to win," Inali shot back. She knew she probably would tire before the first lap was done, but she was enjoying herself now, and found that she didn't care. There was a simple joy to feeling a deep burn as your muscles worked, feeling sweat on your hide, drying in the crisp night air. It was better to have this joy with a companion, albeit one Inali hardly knew, and one who likely thought her quite insane. It was worth it.
Though she had a head start, and though she was quite quick, Inali never had much stamina. Her lead, gained through something that wasn't exactly cheating, but not exactly honest, was diminishing quickly. The dark stallion was catching up on her, and she realized the futility of making the race twice the length of the meadow. She was tiring at only halfway there. By once around, she would probably be limping. By twice around, she would need a team of soquili to drag her across the finishing line.
Silver eyes staring straight ahead, Inali did not notice if Klei had passed her. He likely had. Instead, she drew up short, panting, only about half of the meadow covered. "Can we... Can we just say I won?" It was difficult to speak with so little breath in her lungs, but Inali wasn't going to admit to defeat either. She was far too hard-headed for that. "I think we should just go back to getting to know one another." Still panting, but recovering her breath, the red mare quirked an eye brow, head still held down in a tired stance. Well, this was a remarkably stupid thing to do, but that seemed to be a her life- a series of remarkably stupid things.
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Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 5:36 pm
"I guess that's a normal reply." Klei mumbled back as he continued to run. He noticed the mare in front of him seemed to be running a bit differently then before. He laughed to himself because he was assuming he was getting tired. Klei might have had the advantage before the race even started. He had no idea how long she had been following him prior to their meeting but he had been running for some time. So he was able to fully loosen his muscles to be able to race without putting strain on himself and tiring quickly.
He grew closer to the red mare, who came from nowhere, with each stride and began wondering how long the race really would go on for. Klei just ran past Inali as she spoke. Even though, at this point, he sped past her he was able to catch everything she said. He slowed and ran back towards her. He heard her heavy breathing and knew that she wouldn't have been able to do another lap let alone finish. "I'm surprised you went as far as you did." Klei plainly added. His breathing wasn't nearly has heavy as hers but he did have abnormal breathing. He did after all go from a complete stop to a full out sprint.
Klei looked at Inali with his head slightly tilted. He was surprised she was still standing by how she looked and sounded. Her breathing was still strained but his own returned to normal shortly after he stopped. More that he was able to steady his heart which controlled his breath intake, leading to a more relaxed breathing. His muscles were still tight from running so in order to help loosen them without leaving and running around he resorted to trotting in place.
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Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 2:12 pm
Breath finally regained, Inali quirked an eyebrow up at Klei's words. "I'm stronger than I look, but not as strong as I think I am half the time." The admission came out reluctantly, ruefully. Inali did not like admitting to her own faults, or acknowledging that she even had any. Her private mind would allow only perfection, and when she didn't meet that standard it produced frustration as she was experiencing now. Maybe if she trained enough, she would make a full circuit of the meadow... then a circuit and a half... And then, finally, she would make two laps.
"And now I suppose you think I'm frightfully strange. I wasn't watching you all that long, don't worry. But I just enjoy feeling the earth beneath me, and the stars above me. Don't you?" Aware that she probably came off as completely insane, Inali mentally shrugged. What could you do? She was just being herself, and if Klei didn't like it, then he could find another mare to run with. Inali doubted he would ever meet one half as beautiful as herself. Well, no one said she was modest. Or sane.
"Besides, it's a wonderful night. It's so crisp out. Soon the leaves will start falling and then the rain will start and everyone will just be bogged down. It sometimes floods where I live, near the beach." Ah, she had a wonderful home! Her jumble of sticks, enough to shield her from the wet but do little else, stood in a small forest that reached straight to the very shores. Inali let the waves lull her to sleep. But when it rained too much, the freshwater creeks that drained into the sea near her home would flood, often flooding the red mare out. That was not so pleasant. But the sea made up for it, in the end.
"I suppose I should start over though, in a way that's more sane. I'm Inali, and I am the most stubborn mare you will ever meet." Well, she acknowledged that fault, and from the tone of Inali's voice, she was rather proud of it.
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Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 6:55 pm
"It takes alot to get me to think someone as 'frightfully strange'" Klei replied almost as soon as Inali mentioned it. He was a bit pleased that she wasn't watching him long. Even if someone was hiding in the shadows watching him knowing they were there without him knowing was a tad creepy. Not knowing whether they were there in a flattering way or a stalkerish way makes him uneasy. "Mmm..." Looking down by his own hooves he continued, "I never really ran at night for a reason other then to run. So any particular feelings for it I never really had." Klei plainly answered back. It's true though. The closest he had for a reason of enjoyment at a certain time of the day was when it was hot during the earlier hours; in which he chose to run at night when it's much cooler and he was more comfortable.
"That I can agree with you on." Klei nodded as he looked up. "It's best out when it's crisp. I don't mind the fall so I'm looking forward to seeing leaves on the ground. It's much better then summer in my opinion. And winter is only better." He couldn't wait for the temperature to drop. He wanted this heat gone and he wanted it gone now.
"You live near the beach?" His ears perked, "You must get nice breezes throughout the day being so close to the water." Klei had completely ignored the part about the rain. He tried to ignore the rain as much as he could since he didn't particularly enjoy it much.
"That's pretty blunt of you." Klei replied back with another raise of his brow. "I guess I might as well introduce myself again then." he moaned. "I'm Klei." Short introductions were happy introductions in Klei's book. He had no subtitle for his introcution.
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