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 Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2008 6:00 pm
 Well, this was the moment of truth. Inali dared not actually enter herd lands. She was no longer welcome there, and for good reason. But if she stood on the borders, if she waited and hoped... Perhaps he would appear. The world worked in funny ways sometimes, and the red mare could only hope it would be one of those days. Of course, in the end, it wasn't. A day went by and she didn't see the dark unicorn. Still she waited, eating the sparse grass and drinking from a rather brackish stream, not daring to cross the borders.
After three days, she was about ready to give up. What were the odds he would ever come here? And if he did come, what were the odds that he would listen to her attempts at apology? She had been rude, her temper flaring at his words, instead of discussing them civilly as she would have liked to do had she been in her right mind. Toujours did have a rather interesting viewpoint, after all, even if Inali found it fundamentally flawed.
"Bah, what's the point?" She tried not to be bitter, but it was hard for Inali. What was the point of coming all this way to make amends if Toujours never showed up? How on earth could she even get word to him? She didn't have a familiar as other soquili did, or she would have sent a message ahead to him, scouting him out one way or the other. Ah well. At least she had tried. Perhaps she would try again, at some point in the future. No, she would try again. Something in Inali's soul would not lie right until she had apologized to the dark unicorn with the smoldering eyes, and she herself would not sit still until that happened.
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Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2008 6:17 pm
As luck would have it... for some anyways.. Toujours had been indulging himself in a rather illicit half-cat-nap. For starters, he had left the territory in the hopes of dodging the ever present and often prying questions of his former pupils. Secondly... he had rather hoped that the change in scenery might alleviate some of the nightmares he had been falling prey too recently. They were rather bothersome, and he had acquired a fine set of bags under his eyes to stand as a testament to many sleepless nights... Then there was the brewing discord he felt between a few of his herdmates. Seresai and her father and begun to grow distant.. though not quite as distant as he feared they would should Amarinne ever bear the handsome white wind stallion a son. Sadly, he could not mention this to Seresai, since despite the growing rift, she had yet to become aware of it. Really, what HAD he been teaching that girl if she couldn't recognize that much? Whatever the case, the situation as it stood had brought him here. To a hill. It was a nice hill, with long grasses not unlike the last one he had been lounging on the last time the red and silver mare had stumbled across him, but this time it had a rather splendid old tree at the top.
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Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2008 7:00 pm
Bah again. Inali needed a nap. It was a warm day, and the sun shining directly on her coat always made her a bit uncomfortably warm. Glancing about her surroundings, she was quick to spot a tree on a gentle slope. The shade it offered was tantalizing enough to drag Inali up the hill, though she was rather weary. Standing still for so long every day left one rather stiff in the joints. Was she getting so old already? No, she was plenty young enough still! This was just from a lack of movement.
As luck (or perhaps the opposite of it) would have it, the object of Inali's search was also partaking in the shade of the tree at the top of the hill. He looked about as weary as she did. It seemed a shame to wake him. If she turned around and crept away now, maybe he wouldn't notice... No. She hadn't traveled for such a distance and waited for so long just to turn tail and flee the moment the inevitable confrontation occurred.
"Uhh... I'm sorry to disturb you Toujours." She recalled his name only too well. It was burned into her memory now, the need for apology building and building each and every day until it boiled over in this moment. The words spilled from Inali's mouth quickly. Ah, word vomit. It's a lovely thing, is it not?
"Er... I've traveled from home. I didn't want to enter your herd lands. I'm forbidden to. So I've waited here on the border for a few days. I had to see you. I had to give you an apology for my past behavior. I was simply atrocious. Not at all my usual self. I'm trying so hard to improve upon it, but I can't heal my own wounds without first apologizing to those I wounded in turn." It came out in a big rush, leaving Inali panting slightly, silver eyes wide and somewhat frightened looking. It had never occurred to her before, but unicorn horns were awfully sharp... No, he wouldn't. Would he?
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Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2008 7:14 pm
Perhaps had she suddenly morphed into the snarling visage of a kalona.. he might have been tempted to rise from his current spot and spear her... but as it was.. (and given their last meeting) Toujours was not so charitable that he so much as looked up in startlement.
No, he looked up out of sheer pique.... having just managed to drift into some semblance of sleep.
...Only too see THAT mare; the annoyingly pretty red one with the foul outlook on life and poisonous tongue. And now she was chattering at him.
Unable to suppress a groan that erupted during her words, he stubbornly remained flat in the grass. Of all the shoddy luck... and she had to be apologizing too... what was next? Would that foul beast from his nightmares drive up next with a cute pair of pink usdia and call them friends?
"Why.. ever.. should I believe any of that Miss?" he asked crossly, not even bothering to mention her name, despite the fact that he remembered it quite clearly. He wasn't one to forget a face or a name after all.. since knowledge of such things was power in these parts.
"Seems you're out of pity party options so you have decided to jump on a new bandwagon.. for the One God's sake why don't you come up with your own ideas?" He continued, quite at peace with how very grouchy he was being.
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Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2008 7:33 pm
What on earth?... All Inali had wanted to do was apologize. Her words had been genuine, words from the heart! And he thought she was lying? At one moment Inali was offended, her anger rising... but it could not be sustained. No, at that moment the red mare collapsed in on herself, deflating.
"I... I travelled all this way... I waited for nearly a week... It rained once but I stood there and waited to see if you would come... And now you don't even believe me." A lower lip began to tremble. It was almost like kicking a puppy, though doubtless Toujours did not feel that way.
Her silver eyes growing luminous, Inali broke down and cried. "But I really meant it. I just wanted to apologize for my behavior. I really meant it. I know I was horrible and you probably don't believe me but I do mean it!" But what was the point? Obviously Toujours wasn't going to accept her apology. Had she been that cruel? Oh dear gods, she had. She had messed up this badly, and it made Inali cry even harder. What was the point now? She just had to turn around, head home...
"I'm sorry I took up your time." Sniffling, Inali dipped her head towards Toujours. "But I really did mean it."
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Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2008 8:21 pm
Well s**t.
Even in his beyond foul mood at being disturbed, Toujours had the decency to LOOK chagrined when he realized his error, figuring that maybe she was being as sincere as she possibly could be...
... and maybe he should keep his own venomous tongue firmly behind his teeth for the moment.
Resigned, he climbed heavily to his feet, closing the remaining distance between them and paused only for a moment, considering the best way to deal with the situation, then opting for the approach he had initially thought up. Reaching forward with his muzzle, he whuffed gently, not quite touching her, and murmured a quiet apology. "My apologies Inali, for doubting and not hearing you out. Please continue."
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Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2008 7:29 pm
Inali heaved a small sigh or relief. He would listen to her- at least for the time being. It was all she could ask for, given the circumstances and her prior behavior towards the stallion. It seemed like a miracle that he would even listen to her now, though perhaps her tears had something to do with it. It was all so frustrating, and Inali felt embarrassed that she had cried, but what could she do?
"I just... I was going through a difficult time in my life. I know that doesn't excuse my behavior, but now that things seem to have settled a bit, I'd like to extend my apologies to everyone I offended. I picked you first, since it seemed I made the most grave offense to you." Parts of that were a lie- Inali's life had not settled, though she had some control over it now. Or rather, it had settled, but not in a direction she would have ever picked, or liked, to be honest.
"I also wanted you to know that I'm not normally like that. Horrible and shrewish, that is. Well, I'm possibly always a bit of a shrew, but I try not to be horrible, and to maintain an open mind." Smiling weakly, Inali could just hope that the dark stallion would know that her words came from her her heart. If he didn't accept her apology now, she could understand, but at least he was willing to listen. It was a step in the right direction.
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Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2008 4:24 pm
He only stood quietly throughout her recital, thinking of quite a few things he COULD say, but opting that silence was.. for the moment anyway, the best policy. He hadn't much respect for a creature that could lose their temper so easily and saw such awful things, but he had at least the common decency to hear them out whenever such a person realized the error of their ways and apologies.
Really, he found this whole 'social' thing quite silly, but he at least knew the rules.
Likewise, he had a ready response for when she did finish.
"I'll not pass judgment on how you 'normally' are Miss Inali, and I will accept your apology." He said officiously, with a polite bow of his head. "And I do wish you luck on your.. adventures... but really.. I should not have been first on your list. " He paused, dropping a little of his stiff manner so as to appear almost mischievous. "As I recall from our last conversation, you have a stallion out there somewhere living with a mare he loves that were the direct recipients of great deal of Karmic ill will from you. Might I suggest seeking them out as soon as possible?"
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Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2008 8:04 pm
There were some things Inali was not yet ready to do, and that was one of them. She wasn't sure if she would ever be ready to cross that threshold. After all, she had never actually said anything to the duo that would indicate her true feelings. There was no need to break her heart again, something that she was sure would happen.
"No... Not yet. There are still a few more things I have to do and I have to discover about myself before I can get to that stage." Ambroise was next on her list, and from there, who knew? Likely she would have to spend some time alone with herself again, gathering thoughts and trying to redefine what she had so long considered Inali.
"I have one of your herd to contend with first. Ambroise. I wronged him as well. I may as well cover the herd while I'm at it. After that, who knows? I don't suppose anyone does. Not even any higher powers. I think I've slipped beyond their knowing." Managing a weak smile to show that she didn't mean offense, Inali pawed nervously still. Something about Toujours was somewhat unsettling. He was just so strange! But he was listening to her openly and without judgement, for which she was incredibly grateful.
"I'd like to get more stability in my life before taking that large step. I don't want to break again." Where that stability would come from, Inali did not know.
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Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 5:42 pm
Toujours snorted, mostly to cover that he had only heard of Ambroise... and could offer little advice on that subject, but also as a direct result of her final words and her feelings about speaking to the stallion she had been in love with.
For all the good grace the One God could give, when would this girl figure it out?
"Miss Inali, please do not tell me you have come to apologize, yet you haven't quite figured out where you stand.. and thus can not fully apologize for all that you said and done too offend?" he asked, exasperated. Good grief. "You've no business going about asking for forgiveness from others when you haven't even forgiven yourself.. for without that... should you meet someone who si NOT forgiving... you will find yourself in a hole deeper then any you have ever encountered!"
And dammit if he shouldn't practice his own teachings, but he'd dwell on that later...
"That stability comes from within Inali, and wandering about will do little except add considerable muscle to your hind end... and if I may be frank.. such wandering hasn't done you much good in the past if what I met a few moons ago was the result." He paused then, considering...
"Might I suggest meditating under a waterfall?"
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Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 11:38 am
Inali paused to consider Toujour's words. Not the advice, all of which she knew deep down. She could be pigheaded, but she did know. It was just so hard to face that part of herself and give herself absolution that she felt she didn't deserve. No, not those words. The practical advice.
"That sounds like a good idea. Thank you." It wasn't that Inali wasn't prone to introspection- she was. She just wasn't used to the idea of actively retrospecting, instead of it just coming upon her in dark moments and then completely overwhelming her. Maybe if she actively confronted it, sought that inner peace in her... Did she even have that? It sounded wonderful either way. The water could be both physically and spiritually cleansing. The idea was enough to make Inali grin broadly at the prospect.
"Yes, I believe I"ll be doing that tonight. Do you have a place in mind, or should I just wander until I find one?" Inali had seen waterfalls only very rarely, and could not now recall where they had been. They had mostly been small, piddly things that she would never fit under. But a spiritual stallion like Toujours surely must know where exactly to find them.
"I uh... I very much appreciate your help. Really. Thank you for making me think." She blushed unexpectedly, no longer sure of herself. It seemed that Inali had rather belatedly recalled that TJ was indeed a stallion.
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Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2008 11:14 am
Had Toujours known she had forgotten his gender, he would have likely been beyond mortally offended.. but as it was he had rendered himself oblivious to blushes and smiles.. so her reddened cheeks went by completely unnoticed by the dark unicorn.
Her thanks.. well he supposed he could appreciate and accept them, but really the suggestion had not been one of complete honesty. The last time he had requested a female take a soak beneath a waterfall... Seresai had nearly drowned when she inadvertently spread her wings and the pressure of the falls had hurt the fragile bones... meanwhile Wildfire had outright refused to get her hair wet.
Bothersome pupils.
So as a result, the idea of a female and a waterfall had morphed into something of a potent threat in his mind.. so he was surprised that she took the suggestion to heart so readily.
"I know of several locations.. one of which is not to far from here. Would you like me to direct you?"
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Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 10:00 am
Had Inali known that Toujours suggestion was not entirely serious, perhaps she would have been offended and moved off. Alas, she had not picked on that subtle hint, and managed to completely miss his surprise that she had taken the suggestion at all. To her it seemed perfectly reasonable, especially given what she could glean of Toujour's nature. He seemed the type to indulge in meditation, though she didn't know him well enough to know for sure.
"If you could direct me, I would be very grateful." Hopefully it was off herd lands, but not too far. Inali didn't think she could manage to journey that distance again- not after waiting for so damn long, her joints rusting in place.
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