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 Posted: Sat Nov 22, 2008 5:57 pm
 It was starting to get cold, and Imriel wasn't too sure he relished that idea. He was so used to warm weather, and this cold was shocking, so shocking that he could still not make up his mind over whether he liked it or not. On one hand, the falling leaves created piles there were great fun to play in. On the other hand (or hoof, was it was) it was so blasted cold!
Unusually grumpy, the orange stallion slammed his hooves into the earth, snorting as he tried to put warmth into his body. He had been running for a while now, slowly pumping his sluggish blood throughout his body, but even the warmth of the exertion could not last against a rather bitter wind.
Finally Imriel had to admit that he was engaged in a futile task. It looked as though a storm was brewing, and he had to seek shelter. It didn't look like he was too far from a series of caves. They would be gold, but they would at least provide shelter. Imriel could already see smaller animals scurrying for the relative shelter offered. Well, no time like the present! Snorting once more, Imriel sought shelter, staring miserably outwards.
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Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 12:03 pm
 Yazmina had no desire to be caught outside, not with a storm coming in. Certainly not in the sky. She'd spotted the caves some time ago, and though she had a place to go for shelter ordinarily, it was far away and the sky didn't look like it was going to be patient enough for her to get home. Besides which, stone was comforting to her. It reminded her a little of growing up with her family. She knew that though it might be chilly inside, given the weather, it would be dry and warm up eventually. So she headed that way at the trot, and picked a cave at random. She didn't realize Imriel had chosen the same one until she ducked inside and gave herself a shake, feathers, mane and tail all spreading a bit. When she stopped, she startled with a yelp that echoed through the cave, then blushed. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were here."
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Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 1:07 pm
At the noise of another entering the cave, Imriel looked up. He doubted that whoever it was was hostile, and it would be nice to spend a few hours with someone, if the storm lasted that long. It was certainly better then spending time in here himself, lost in his own thoughts and misery. Why did being wet and cold effect him so?
When the other soquili shook herself off, resulting in a spray of water, Imriel was surprised but not too displeased. He had to remind himself that he couldn't possibly get any more wet or cold then he was then, and that he wouldn't dry out anyway. Not while this weather continued. And it was company, remember? Company was worth it, or so he kept reminding himself.
"It's not a problem. I think this rain storm caught everyone by surprise. I know I ran in here without checking if the cave was occupied first." Imriel realized that he had in fact blundered in without consideration, his own complaints filling the silence. Thank heavens there had been no others in there to hear him, or he would have been shamed at his behavior. Hadn't his mother taught him better than that? But Yei's advice seemed to do no good in the midst of a storm. These were special circumstances, after all.
An easy smile began to spread across Imriel's face, despite his unhappiness at the weather. Now might not be the time for tricks, but he could certainly make friends. "I'm Imriel. I'm glad you came in here." She did have a becoming smile, though much of Imriel balked at that. Now was hardly the time to flirt.
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Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 7:15 pm
She really did feel badly about intruding, especially knowing she'd shaken herself and more than likely spattered water on him as well. "The rain did come down rather suddenly," she agreed. "When I first saw the clouds, I thought I might make it back to the teepee, but they moved too quickly to go that far. I really am sorry," she added more quietly. "You didn't need another shower, I'm sure."
Apologies aside, she could still be friendly and she smiled in return. "I'm Yazmina. It's nice to meet you, Imriel. It's nice not to have to wait out the storm alone."
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Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 9:32 am
Imriel blinked owlishly at the mare as she continued apologizing. He said it was okay, didn't he? Or had he not said that? Now he couldn't remember. Either way, what was done was done and there was little anyone could do to go back and change it. Oh well.
"It's okay, really. I was caught unprepared as well, and I don't have wings that would weigh me down when wet." Imriel couldn't imagine how unpleasant that would be, to have water trickle down between feathers and make the added appendages that much more heavy. He felt bad for his winged siblings then, with all their added burden. No, it was much better not to have wings, at least when the weather was like this. He had his own feathers to contend with, and those were enough of a hassle.
Managing a smile at the mare, Imriel nodded his head in agreement. "I would much rather weigh this out with company then have to stand here alone. I would probably fall asleep and end up freezing in place." The idea of a giant Imriel-popsicle made the stallion laugh, though it must have looked strange to Yazmina. Imriel was often laughing at jokes only he could hear.
"But come, sine we're stuck here, tell me about yourself. Where did you come from? Who do you live with?" Though Imriel was distantly aware that not everyone lived with such a large family as his, he found that impossible to imagine. How could the other soquili get by without that network of support? No, that was just impossible. Everyone had to have a large network, or where were they in life?
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Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 1:20 pm
She apologized because. Well. Just because, really. Because she thought she should. But she'd stopped now. Enough was enough, even for her. She refolded her wings so that the tips crossed her back. "I wouldn't trade them. My wings," she clarified. "But when it's very wet or very hot, they can sometimes be a nuisance. Most of the time, though, they're like a hoof or a tail. Just a part of me."
Her ears did twitch a bit when he laughed at the thought of freezing. It didn't sound like it would be much fun to her. "The nice part, if there is one, about freezing in a cave like this, is that eventually it would warm up again. You'd thaw out," she said helpfully and maybe teasing a little too. "And you'd have a good story to tell."
"Oh. Well. I came from the mountains." She couldn't point out a direction, not while they were in here. "My family lives there, but I decided to get out and explore and when I found these lands, I thought I'd stay a while. I live with a few others. Diego, Dia and Blossomforth. They're all very friendly. Well. Dia's mostly friendly, most days." She smiled. "What about you? Do you have family here?"
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Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2008 7:47 pm
Ah, his favorite subject! Imriel loved his family and would gladly chat about them for hours. He hoped Yazmina was in it for the long run, and that this rain would last until he could tell about all his siblings.
"I live in a large herd. the Islagiatt herd. It covers a great deal of land, and there are herd members that not even I have met. I'm primarily with my family- my mother Yei is sort of the leader of us all. Then there's my father, Grencia. He has wings. My twin has the wings, but I don't. I have his sparkles though." Imriel waggled his rump to demonstrate his most prized feature.
"I think Ambroise is my oldest brother. He can be rather dour, but I love him all the same. My other brother is Althalus. He just had children himself, not too long after I was born. Then there's Killian, and Adarna. I've never met her. I don't think she's on herd lands too often." Pausing to recall the rest of his vast family, the orange stallion continued onwards.
"Then there's Xhev, another sister. We've only got two sisters in the entire family. Then came me and my twin, Illario. Lastly is Fenghuang. He's so fun! We get in a lot of trouble. That's all of us, I think. There are mates and aunts and uncles and so many others I've just never met before." Shrugging, Imriel tried not to take advantage of his vast family, but it was difficult. He was so used to the constant chaos.
"I guess it's a lot more than you're used to, huh? But I like it."
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Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2008 8:51 pm
Yazmina probably would have asked if she wasn't really interested, just to be polite, but that wasn't the case now. She liked hearing about other families. She missed her own, often. Her new herd was friendly enough and provided company of course, but she missed her parents and her cousins and other relatives. She listened intently, ears perked toward him, nodding encouragement for more information.
"No wonder you wanted someone to wait out the storm with you. You must not be used to being alone much or ever." She smiled at him. "It is more than I'm used to here, but it sounds wonderful. You're lucky to have so many so close to you, I think."
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Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 11:23 am
Imriel smiled wistfully. "It's difficult to ever be alone in my family. Most of the time that's a very good thing, but I must confess that getting away from it all requires something extra." Ah, alone time. Imriel rarely craved it, but when he did, it was elusive and difficult to obtain. He truly had to travel if he ever wanted some sort of space to think. Luckily enough, this wasn't very often.
"I am indeed very blessed. I don't think I would enjoy living in a small family, though I suppose if I was born into it.... Well, it would be all that I'm used to, wouldn't it?" Still grinning, Imriel examined Yazmina once more, covertly this time. He still wasn't used to looking at mares like that, though he certainly was experiencing the hormones lately. Ah well. He was still quite young.
"It can be very overwhelming." Nodding as Yazmina spoke, Imriel considered his next words. "But yes, I'm glad to have companionship here. I don't see very many soquili like you- horns and wings! Can you do magic?" He sounded childlike, wistful. He very rarely regretted not having those extra add-ons, but that did not mean he couldn't wonder what it was like.
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Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 11:38 am
"And I don't know what I would do in a family as large as yours," she told him, smiling. "Even at home, I don't think anyone I knew had so many brothers and sisters. One or two, most certainly, but more than that?" She thought about that for a moment, rifling through her memories of her relatives, then shook her head. "None that I can recall."
She shifted her weight a bit, wings resettling and tail tip hooking around one pastern. It was true, she hadn't seen many alicorns around these lands. She certainly seemed to attract attention. "At home, I'm nothing special," she pointed out lightly. "My mother, my father, they all have horns and wings. As for magic, I can do a little healing. Nothing like what I'm told the unicorns can do, but a little, yes. I hope not to have to use it often, here."
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Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 11:54 am
"But here you are special! There are so few like you." Imriel tried to imagine a whole herd of alicorns, but found even his limitless imagination was unable to picture such a magical thing. It would be just like his foalhood dreams. Very young foalhood dreams. He wouldn't tell anyone about those- those were girl dreams, after all. Only girls pictured magic things like that, right? He'd have to covertly ask his sisters some time.
"A little healing is better then nothing, though I hope you don't have to use it very often too. Maybe just for minor scratches you obtain, or for rescuing small forest animals." That sent Imriel off into another fantasy, this one of Yazmina and a grateful hoard of singing forest critters. The stallion's head was a very strange, scary place to be unless you were Imriel himself.
"My parents have been very lucky. They had four children each time. I suppose they could still have more, though they should wait until we grow a little older. My siblings and I are a handful. Imriel grinned ruefully, pawing at the ground once or twice in embarrassment. They didn't mean to be... They just were, he swore! It was hard to mature when there didn't seem to be much of a point.
"If I ever want children one day, I'm not sure I would want four at once. That seems like an awful lot. Though I do think I want foals. I mean, we were pretty cute." Again that cocky grin that seemed to be so characteristic of his line.
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Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 12:11 pm
She blushed a bit, not for any good reason. Maybe it was because there were so few of her kind, or maybe it was being called special. Hard to say for certain. She had none of Imriel's cockiness, though, that much was clear. "With so many Soquili here, I am surprised that there aren't more of us," she confessed.
"For minor hurts," she agreed, brightening and bobbing her head. "Though, with any luck, there will not be many of those, either. Can you imagine?" she asked abruptly. "Among the unicorn herds, there must not be any injuries at all, or none that last long."
She laughed at the idea of Imriel and his siblings being a handful. "I think four foals at once, even the best and most obedient foals ever born, would be a handful. Even two at a time seems like it might be a little much, sometimes." Oh yes, she'd thought about it in great detail herself. "But I think that being cute is at least one of the reasons why foals continue to come into the world. And with such a large family, surely you'd have help."
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Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 12:24 pm
"Well, we weren't wholly at once," Imriel confessed. "We were staggered somewhat. But there was a point where we were all foals." He smiled at the memory. Those were good days, though he did enjoy being an adult. There was just more you could get away with as a foal. And he had attracted so much attention! Though he had to admit that he attracted plenty of attention now. Once a strange looking colt, always a strange looking colt.
"Oh, aye, I would have help. I don't think I could imagine trying to raise foals without help. We were always a fairly independent lot as well. I love my mother. I think I stuck the longest at her side, though I'm not sure. It was hard to tear myself away, though once I did, there was no stopping me." Laughing, Imriel's green eyes sparkled with his customary mischief.
"There's a reason to have foals besides them being cute?" He was joking again, eyes still dancing merrily. He sobered up quickly though, contemplating back to the idea of a vast herd of alicorns and unicorns.
"We have a unicorn mare in our herd, but she lives in a different part of our territory. She can heal injuries, I think. I've never seen her, but I imagine she's quite beautiful. There's something about a horn that gives any soquili a regal look." The compliment was subtle enough that Imriel almost hoped it would go over Yazmina's head. He wasn't quite sure whether or not she would take it well, or too seriously, or not seriously enough. "I can't imagine there would be many injuries though, no. I think I would have been a far less banged up foal." Imriel laughed again, that hearty sound that fell so frequently from his laugh. "I was precocious enough to always have scrapes and scratches."
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Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 1:11 pm
Yazmina did quick math. Then her eyes widened. "All of you, all eight of you, were foals at once at some point?" And all siblings. That just blew her mind. She would think that a mare with four foals at once wouldn't want more than that, but then, every mare was different. She, however, wouldn't dare.
But there was the fact that he came from a large herd, with plenty of others to help out. It must not have been so bad if he had such good memories of growing up. "Your mother must be extremely patient. And love her children very much. Which was as good a reason as any to have more foals. She laughed at his question, though. "Of course there are other reasons. To have a family at all, for one. And it ...makes me happy to see new little ones." She blushed again.
The color deepened a little at the compliment. She heard it, yes, but she was determined not to let it fluster her too badly. And she was not going to comment on it! "Colts play hard," she said instead. "I think, unless there was a herd of unicorns nearby, that a colt without a scrape somewhere might make me worry that there was something wrong with him."
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Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 5:12 pm
Imriel chuckled, though it was clear that his laughter wasn't meant to be mocking. "Well, all of us were foals once, but no, not all eight of us were foals at once. I meant only the last four of us were, though I think my sister was almost grown when my youngest brother was born, and I had a twin. So it's not too extraordinary- I've seen mares have three at once. That strikes me as a lot."
"My mother was extremely patient. She still is. She's the most patient, loving soquili I've ever met." Well, Imriel was still a bit of a momma's boy, and it was clear in the way he warmed to the subject. His mother was simply the center of his universe, and would probably be the only mare there for a long time. He loved his father too, but his father was more of a remote figure to him- Grencia was loving and warm, but the idolization Imriel held his father to put him on another level entirely, one that mere earthly mortals couldn't aspire to.
Again Imriel laughed, this time at Yazmina's observations. It was very, very true. "I still play hard. There's no reason not to stop!" He probably played a bit too hard for most people, but his herd did have a degree of battle focus that many did not. They were all trained to some degree of combat, sparring coming out from play or vice versa. That said, Imriel wasn't the best at it, but he could probably hold his own for long enough to flee. There was no reason not to be sensible.
"I think the rain is starting to let off a bit. When it stops, would you like to graze a bit? The grass is nice here, which is why I came in the first place." Almost shy, those words, but tinged with the essence of Imriel still.
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