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 Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2008 2:17 pm
Rare were the moments when the stallions granted himself a respite - he rarely saw the point in granting himself the opportuntiy to relax and unwind. His research took precedence over all things and as such, a little stress here and there could be dealt with and dismissed. Alas it had been his decision to pause and regather both thoughts and composure following a number of rather exhausting encounters that had tested both his patience and acting skills - he had succeeded on all accounts bar one, in which he had been forced to shatter the illusions of a particular Wind stallion simply to avoid the constant propositioning. Entertaining and comical as it might have been to some, Raniero was completely and utterly shattered.
Therefore it should have been unsurprising that the stallion now savoured the opportunity to bathe in the lakes. The sun had barely crept out from beneath the slopes and as such, the majority of individuals were asleep. False appearance and trinkets cast aside, this morning was a moment in which he returned to his true form and took very little interest in his appearance. A respite was just that, a respite...and as such he would not be one to trouble himself on how feminine or masculine he might look. His major concern at this point in time was his aching muscles and he bathed comfortably and one of the smaller pools of water.
Sinking into the deeper area, it was with a small groan that he slumped underneath the surface and then, bleary eyed stuffed his nose upwards to breach the top - if only to breathe. The overall appearance would have loodek utterly ridiculous, a stallion submerged in the depths with only the top of his muzzle visible so that he might be able to breathe. Aha but it was so very therapeutic to lurk beneath the water where sound and sight were distorted - it truly was a foreign world in the depths. That being said, it was highly unlikely that this particular stallion would be granted much respite even though he had set aside time for it...Such was his luck.
He was never allowed time to himself, somebody always interrupted him.
Admittedly he didn't mind certain individuals and their attentions but as the spirits would have it, they usually cursed him with company that radiated with stupidity. If that was the case, he was going to feign dead here and now, and pretend he was a corpse in the water until they went away. The plan was almost foolproof depending on the level of stupidity involved...
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Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 12:05 pm
'What the..?' Marut had been napping on one of the banks, looking across the water when she wasn't asleep. Apparently she'd missed whatever had befallen the creature that seemed to be having problems in the Lake and she got quickly to her hooves, her leg muscles twinging from changing position so abruptly.
She strode into the Lake, treading water, her mane slicked back and her tail behind her like a black water snake. The whatever it was grew bigger, the shadow underwater was large, and as she neared the part that was above the water she realised that it was a Soquili. When she was right up to it, she planned on bumping her nose against his or her's nose, to see if they were okay.
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Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 12:23 pm
"Oh hell..."
He knew those legs and his amber eyes shifted somewhat uneasily as he watched them wade tirelessly through the water. Pushing against gravel and the water logged plants, hooves clattered against one another and the ground before coming to a halt directly beside him. Unsurprisingly he remained completely still, peering at the familiar markings for a while as he attempted to decide whether or not it was really worth it to come back up. He could pretend to be dead a little longer but he suspected that at such a close proximity the flaring of his nostrils was fairly easy to see.
"Marut..." He gave an inward sigh as he recalled the encounter with the mare. One of only a handful of individuals who had ever seen him lose composure. Admittedly she had found his entire existence to be amusing and as such... Well, if he was entirely honest he really didn't want to deal with such things today. This afternoon was his vacation, his respite so why had the spirits thrust this company on him?
Such musings were to be abruptly interrupted however as muzzle came in contact with muzzle and he froze. The only mare who had ever been permitted to do that and it was unsurprising that he shied at such contact. Alas, not one to lose composure for long he relented and with a gasp pushed himself up from the depths and resurfaced. Soaked to the skin and hair almost completely shrouding his face from view, only the vibrant amber eyes could be seen between the gaps in the strands.
"Must you do that?" he enquired in a rather startled and exasperated manner. So much for happy reunions and warm greetings, eh?
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Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 12:44 pm
Marut had not yet recognised Raniero, and wouldn't until he emerged, and she heard his first dulcet tones. The relief that he wasn't drowned, or drowning flooded her, and she gave a warm smile, without humour, just from happiness.
'Raniero!' she said, still treading water.
'And hello to you to, I was actually worried you might be in trouble. So I must.' she pushed upwards, bobbing and flicking a rat-tail of mane from her head.
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Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 1:00 pm
The stallion raised a brow at the rather elated greeting he received. He found it rather out of place given that both had parted on rather grim terms. That being said, her unexpected response was one that gave him a brief start. Very few creatures were ever pleased to see him and he could safely say the feelings were returned. If it wasn't his family he simply didn't want to hear from them again unless they had something of interest. Given that the majority of Soquili never had something to contribute to his studies he was perhaps rather abrasive on the occasions that he did encounter them again.
Alas, he hadn't really had the opportunity to do that today...
More to the point he was rather stunned at the concept that anyone would have assumed that he would drown or flounder in such shallow water! Perhaps if he had been another individual he would have been flattered or warmed by such concern but instead he shook his head. He could understand that certain creatures would gladly sacrifice themselves to protect or help another but he was not one of them - this wasn't to say he assumed she would be of a similar mindset. But he had at the very least hoped that she would use logic and realise!
He tossed his hair away from his eyes and after a few blinks to rid his gaze of water he fixed the amber orbs upon her bobbing form. Another shake of his head and he pushed himself to more shallow waters, choosing to find secure footing rather than lose his composure bobbing up and down like a piece of seaweed. If he had been equipped with arms he would have folded them and continued to eye the mare with a critical gaze. Alas, instead he simply stared.
"Marut," he returned after a few moments. "Logic would state I was no in trouble given my nose was above the water and there were no signs of struggle - you should have known better," he pointed out. However something within him gave his rump a kick and with a soft sigh he lowered his brow. "Though I suspect I should thank you for the concern, though it was unwarranted."
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Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 1:11 pm
Marut noticed that he wasn't all done up like a female, which she was glad for because it made her laugh, and she was even sort of smiling at the mere memory of it. She supposed that he might still be as annoyed as when they'd last left each other, but for her part she was always happy to see those she'd met, especially a stallion that had made such a strange impression on her.
'Cold water causes muscle cramp, and when your whole body seizes up it's hard to move.'
Okay so it wasn't very chilly today in the Lake, but a long enough time would do it.
'You're welcome.' she said, turning around. She stopped, and turned again.
'Are you..bathing?'
Curiosity had hooked her again, and she had to be nosey, even if he might not like it.
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Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 1:24 pm
His brow really did raise at this point, her final words deemed to be completely and utterly ridiculous. If he was submerged up to his head in water then what else would he be doing other than bathing? He had no desire to end his life, didn't sink into a deep pit of depression and contemplate suicide. He was no Kelpi either and as such he had no great need to soak his 'scales' in water now and again to provide them with moisture. He would have splutter had he lacked control, he would have gawked as well but instead he simply maintained his silence.
Did he call her stupid?
No he probably shouldn't. He was on vacation after all and as such he wasn't in the process of studying anyone. He would never be able to avoid being over analytical but he could surpress the urge to chastise people over the silly comments they mate. A part of him sincerely hoped she had asked a rhetorical question...Nevertheless she soon made reference to muscle cramp and another of health issues he was well aware of. His decision to bathe had been to relax his muscles and he had been more than content where he was.
Unfortunately by this point he simply couldn't contain himself and with a disgruntled sigh he shook his head slowly. "I am no duck, Marut - nor am I a Kelpi. What else would I be doing in a lake?" he enquired in an almost rhetorical fashion. "As to muscle cramp I am aware of what occurs when one stays in the water too long, Marut."
"You should have gathered as much from our previous encounter," he pointed out coolly, offering a 'kind' reminder of his regard for careful planning and strategy.
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Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 1:38 pm
Sometimes Marut wondered if he realised that he too said some silly things. She wasn't in the least bit psychic, couldn't read his mind, and so could only hazard a guess. She supposed he was bathing, but if he'd been performing some strange experiment for his research, then she once again would have ruined it, and this time have to apologise properly.
'I don't know, something that only you could see a reason behind?' she gave a small shiver, and moved to keep herself warm.
'Yes I remember what you were like then.' she grinned, pushing the water forwards with both her front legs and making a small wave rush towards him.
'So I've interrupted you again. Guess I'm a big nuisance huh?'
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Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 1:49 pm
There was logic behind her train of thought and it wasn't necessarily something that Raniero immediately considered. Given his unusual methods of acquiring information he could have been conducting some form of bizarre research. Very few were capable of knowing what went on in his head and yet...she could have been scarily accurate at some point in time. None knew he was on vacation and he suspected that the majority of his acquaintances didn't believe he understood the concept of rest and relaxation!
A smirk did flutter on to his lips as she made reference to his odd research methods and he did concede that she made a valid point. It wasn't accurate to the current time or place, but had he been researching Kelpi or Mer-soquili one could picture him doing something so foolish. In fact one might be so bold as to envision this particular stallion with a long reed in his mouth acting as a snorkle as he swam in to the depths - an utterly ridiculous image in itself but completely plausible to him. He rarely gave any individual any form of le-way and yet her reference to such things was granted.
It was a first.
Nevertheless he did take note of her shiver and with a somewhat soft sigh he waded out of the water, dismissing the lapping waves as they brushed along his sides. When he had finally reached the shore and shaken the majority of the water from his form, he glanced over his shoulder and pursed his lips. He wasn't entirely aware of how to read her tone of voice just yet. Given the nature of their previous encounter he hadn't been granted the opportunity to fully observe her and as such her tone could have been genuine or jesting.
...Perhaps even both?
"Spot the mare without a winter coat," he mused calmly, flicking his tail against his flank as his smirk deepened. "Get out of the water and roll in the grass, you will warm up soon after," he ordered in the same tone, seemingly unphased by his own damp coat. That being said he was a stallion who heralded from the mountain and as such a slight 'cold' was nothing new to him.
"Nuisance indeed," he murmured and continued to walk away from the lakes edge to the longer grasses.
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Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 2:04 pm
Raniero snorkelling. Luckily he hadn't, because Marut might have drowned herself from laughing. She did sometimes wish she had the ability to know what others thought, especially Raniero. It might help.
Marut hurriedly followed Raniero, not knowing if he had simply got tired of trying to bathe in company, or if he'd actually noticed her shivering. She got her answer when he spoke.
'Y-yes.' she chattered, stamping her hooves on the ground, and shaking herself like a large dog. Mane and tail hung in soft, and wet waves now, and she lowered her head, bending at the knees and rolling down and on the grass. She rolled for a while, feeling the blood rush back properly into her legs, and looked at Raniero from where she lay.
'Oh I am then.' she laughed, getting up, and walking over to him.
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Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 2:14 pm
Her mane and tail were certainly long enough for the droplets of water to reach him and as such, he was soon soaked again. It seemed the raised brow would not be lowering anytime soon as he remained stationary. Water now sliding down his silky mane, he did little more than continue to observe her as she coaxed heat back into her limbs. Really for a mare who revelled in physical exertion and activity he expected her to know better. More to the point, he failed to see the logic behind remaining in a location when one was evidently uncomfortable. If she was cold why didn't she simply move away from the water?
He promptly shook his head and dismissed such thoughts, he was not going to sink into his research again. He was on vacation and as a result for the rest of the day his studies didn't take precedence. As far as he was concerned he could 'recall' his meeting when he was in the correct mindset and document what information and quirks he could recall at a later date. Somewhere his father would be celebrating at his ability to seperate work from pleasure...even if it was in a somewhat peculiar and unconventional way....
This aside, as she continued to roll about he did tilt his head to the side and afforded himself the opportunity to nod admiringly. Evidently there were benefits to constant physical exertion if her legs were anything to go by. However his gaze swiftly returned to his face as began to slow in her rolls and righted herself. Now covered in the grass tips she had torn beneath her form, she looked just as bedraggled as ever. Admittedly her sodden form was significantly more 'messy' than their former encounter - perhaps her mane would smooth as it dried.
"The majority of living creatures are a nuisance," he pointed out matter-of-factly. "Creatures who insist on poking their snouts in to business that is none of their concern - though a part of me has made the assumption that your intervention this afternoon was made more so out of some form of concern than anything else." Swishing his tail lightly against his leg, he straightened his head and gave his shoulders a roll to ease the tension around his neck.
"I trust you feel better?"
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Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2008 1:52 pm
Marut hadn't moved because Raniero hadn't, it was as simple as that. Having parted on bad terms..well he'd gone off in a mood and she'd just shrugged about it, she had been determined that if she ever did run into him again the meeting would go better. Hopefully. Though because she had no idea what thing might put his back up, she had decided to err on the extremely cautious.
She shook herself again, a small shower of grass and leaves falling around her as she did so, stretching her legs one after the other, and looked at him through her mane.
'Warmer yes. And it was,' she watched him, wondering what she could say now that wouldn't keep her in the nuisance category. Although in ways he was like her brothers, in others he was a species all on his own. Marut still had a slightly masochistic streak that meant she would liked to be friendly with him.
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Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2008 2:05 pm
A glutton for punishment indeed... Childish curiosity often brought such things on when in foalhood but one could never truly lose that aspect of themselves. Such curiosity and intrigue helped an individual learn from their experiences and helped them to avoid danger. That being said, some individuals were more reckless and inconsiderate to their own forms than others. In Marut's case it appeared that she very much fell on the side of abuse, perhaps an unspoken optimism and certainly an admirable level of determination were required for success. Very few could resist such attentions and even Raniero would admit to having caved once or twice to it - his brother was a prime example of such things.
Alas, he simply nodded at her response and was satisfied by her words. Now that she no longer shivered he was not compelled by etiquette and manners to ensure that she was comfortable. One of her age and stature should be more than capable of finding her own comforts. She may not have been particularly sensible but they were primodial instincts and he was fairly certain those weren't broken - she had discovered he was male after all. Then again this was a female who had followed him for pure entertainment and had ultimately ruined the initial stages of his research because she had tried and failed (miserably) to be male.
...Maybe instincts weren't there.
He shook his head at such thoughts and chastised himself for the already creaking cogs in his mind. This was his vacation and as such said coils could remain stiff and stationary until the following day. She was reckless, she was foolish and he simply couldn't fathom her thought processes at this moment in time but she did have nice legs. He conceded that this would be her saving grace for this afternoon even if he had only looked at them twice and had no intention of looking at them again.
Unfortunately the stallion had never been a great individual for idle conversation. Never seeking out the limelight he had been an observer and only spoke when spoken to unless in the company of like minded individuals. Given they were rare, he was usually silent...now he was silent. It should have come at no surprise that he remained unphased by this though and as he flicked his tail against his flank and rolled his shoulders he stole a glance at the mare who for once hadn't budged.
What was she playing at...?
"Please tell me you are not playing 'Stop, Stop, Go'..." he murmured, his tone that of only minor exasperation. She wasn't paralysed, he knew that much but he wasn't about to devour her either so why now (of all times) had she chosen to stand bolt straight. Couldn't she have done that around the damn bard?
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Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2008 2:14 pm
Marut though she was intelligent in her own way, when she did happen to think on it. It was different to his, widely different, and although she wasn't always sure of the reasons behind what he did, especially in regards to his research, she did try to understand. Well, when she wasn't being amused by how he looked.
'No?' she let out a theatrical sigh.
'I managed to do it again didn't I? I thought that standing here quietly, not laughing, or being silly would mean I didn't annoy you. Sadly I failed.' she jutted out her lower lip, and then chuckled at how she thought she looked.
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Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2008 2:44 pm
"What...?"
Now he was incredulous. In their previous encounter she seemed to radiate with confidence. She had seemed completely secure in her own skin and was more than happy to satisfy her own desires. Admittedly all those desires had been for the purpose of entertainment. She had found his feminine appearance hilarious and had been further entertained to see it in practice. She had left him soon after and from that point on his guise had been a success but still - since when had his interests and his opinion mattered? The last time it hadn't.
He shook his head slowly and carefully reined his thoughts in. He wasn't an individual who panicked and sure enough his thoughts calmed rapidly as he nudged at each in turn. Perhaps she was a mare who simply gave off the illusion of being confident. However when it came to certain events and circumstances she wasn't quite as she seemed. Again it was a fact to be mulled over at a later date but for the time being...what in the world was he meant to say to that?
"It takes a great deal to annoy me, there is a difference between that and exasperation..." he pointed out quietly. He wasn't an individual who embraced dishonesty and as such he was going to metaphorically shoot himself in the hoof and her assumption in the head. Abrasive as such a reply might have been, it was at the very least blunt enough to not be misunderstood.
"Oddly enough I fail to see why you would concern yourself with my opinion given that you stamped it to pieces in our previous encounter," he mused more so to himself, however this didn't make it any less audible. His brow rose slightly at such a thought and then it was dismissed as quickly as it had appeared. The past was the past, he couldn't change it but he could adapt to potential risks.
"Do not change who your are to accomodate the grievances and displeasures of another individual - especially if it is what makes you stand apart from the rest," he offered at last, his tone softer than most were generally accustomed to. That being said while he was genuine in such a statement he had allowed it to remain vague enough to be interpreted as she saw fit.
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