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 Posted: Sun Dec 07, 2008 2:37 pm
There was a ripple in the water, as something stirred beneath the surface. For a few minutes all was still, until a large head broke the surface, looking quite peculiar. Zephyiote's mane dripped in her face, her peacock feathers looking rather peculiar as they hung limp against her neck. She snorted, plumes of smoke curling up from her nostrils. She felt the jellyfish brushing against her, but she paid them no heed. They were sweet, gentle, docile creatures. Incapable of hurting anyone, after losing their ability to sting.
Zephyiote paddled around for another minute or two, before hauling herself up on the grass, and plucking a jellyfish off of herself, to gently place it back in the water. Such an act of kindness and tranquility seemed contradictory from her normal behavior. She yawned and stretched, her tail swishing slowly. A nap seemed nice. Up here, alone. What more could she ask for?
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Posted: Sun Dec 07, 2008 3:40 pm
High above the waters, the winds were blowing in all directions to offer a flights' worth to all those with wings. It was like a playground and tempted like a youngling on first flight, a young female had taken full advantage. Feathers ruffled by the speed of which she was flying, she looped and dived while weaving in and out of the clouds; a few birds joined the young dragoness in her play for a few moments before they darted off to somewhere unknown.
Pausing, Mya watched until their color faded against the warm blue of the sky before she moved onwards. Wings spread to their fulled, she hovered on the thermals to admire the waters below her. They glimmered like a sapphire of the highest purity, a gem that all would share but none could take for themselves. If only they told her what it was like below the surface-
Hm?
Mya arched her neck and peered down curiously as someone broke the surface.
A Merdrac?
No, too long...
A Pan'lun? Maybe...But rarely had she seen one of them, and those she had did not possess wings. Dropping down a bit as the Pan'un pulled herself ashore, Mya admired the colorings of her scales and...where those peacock feathers?
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Posted: Sun Dec 07, 2008 7:27 pm
Zephyiote's ears twitched slightly, as she picked up on the slightest of noises above her, at the same time she scented another painter. Warily she raised her head, pinpointing quickly the location of the other creature in the sky. All those eyes were, after all, good for something. Her tail tip swished warily, like an agitated cat, but that was reflex. Zephyiote had come to shun company after their treatment of her. Not to say she hadn't met some nice painters. But they were a lot rarer than she would have liked. But what could she expect, considering she looked like something out of a Frankenstein film. Patched together pieces of all sorts of painters. And other things as well. Most painters didn't have feathers quite like hers. As far as she was aware, she was the only painter who bore those kinds of feathers, though surely other painters resembled peacocks in coloration.
The corners of her lips twitched, threatening a growl, but she refrained. Who said this other painter was even going to come near? Zephyiote, while hostile, was actually very much into politeness and respect, in due course. She had no business being nasty to someone who was minding their own business. Zephyiote put up with a bit of staring. She WAS quite a sight to behold. Perhaps this other painter was just curious? Zephyiote could understand curiousity. One of a Pan'Lun scientist's most distinctive and desirable traits was curiousity. Zephyiote was like that. She liked to learn and to know about everything.
Zephyiote's eyesight was keen for obvious reasons, and she couldn't help but remark on the rather splended build of this particular femme. Her horns were of both exquisite shape and color, and were in delicious co-ordination with the rest of her colors. But the best was her necklace. Zephyiote sat up a littel straighter, staring intently at the gem around her neck. Zephyiote had somewhat of a necklace fetish, you could say. Her necklace was the most important thing in the world to her, and she often equated this same feeling about others, even if it wasn't quite correct. Zephyiote decided she didn't mind having this other painter hovering overhead, because she had a nice necklace. It was strange, Zephyiote knew, but she was too curious about the gem to care about common sense.
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Posted: Sun Dec 07, 2008 7:46 pm
Mya noticed the irritated signals the other was sending off so she quickly backed away to give the Pan'lun some space, but not enough so others would think she was fleeing. Keeping to air, the Avaidracus kindly bowed her head to the one sitting on the sands.
It would do no good to come off rude, especially at first meetings.
"Please forgive me." Mya flapped her wings to maintain her altitude but was careful not to throw sand into the air. It seemed this Pan'lun possess more than one set of eyes so she had to be wary incase the winds started to blow in another direction. "I did not mean to stare like a young fool, but seeing one like yourself is not common on Hal'ia. Your markings are quite beautiful." She smiled in a friendly manner when her attention brought forth the fact the Zephyiote was focused on her pendant.
Laughing to herself, Mya gently tapped the gem with her foreclaw as the dull surface glimmered in the light. "If I may ask permission to land and sit, I will gladly let you take a look at this in exchange, Lady Pan'Lun."
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Posted: Sun Dec 07, 2008 7:56 pm
Zephyiote twitched a little when she was complimented. To say she was horrible at taking them was a gross understatement. But she shook that off for now, and took delight in the fact that at least this painter had manners. Too many these days were just a crude bunch of mindless zombies. In Zephyiote's opinion anyway. She flashed the other paint a smile, and stood up, taking a few steps over. A secondary clear eyelid slid in place over her eyes, reminiscent of a crocodile, so that the sand would not irritate her.
"Be my guest," Zephyiote said, giving a little nod of her head. Zephyiote rolled her shoulders a little, and stretched out her wings to the fullest, loving the feeling, before neatly folding them back in place. She cared not what other Pan'Lun thought. She knew her wings were beautiful. Even if their torn and slightly ragged appearence did not convey that outright.
Zephyiote, a craftsmen in her own right, took particularly keen interest in well colored gems, metals, and materials. She didn't have as much time for craft as she would like, due to her research, but that didn't mean she wasn't fond of such things. The pendant reminded her of the ocean right outside of painter canyon. A dark seafoam sort of color. Sheer delight. "Forgive my forwardness, but I must ask, where did you acquire such a delightful object?"
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Posted: Sun Dec 07, 2008 8:11 pm
"Thank you, Miss." Carefully setting down on the sands, Mya too stretched her tired wings before refolding them against her body. Manuvering the braided cord of the pendant so it would not accidently snap, she pulled off and laided it on the sands so it was within easy reach of the other Painter.
"My pendant? Well..." How long had it been since she was given the trinket? A few years, maybe more or less? She closed her eyes at the memories and smiled before opening them again. The sapphire in question glimmered softly, a dark spot of color against the lighter sands. The silver encasing it was slightly tarnished with age, and the braided leather that made up the cord were dull and un-matching.
Yet, to Mya, it was more precious than the most expertly crafted jewelry.
"It was a gift. My mate had found the gem a few years before while he was out hunting." She tilted her head and thought back. "I believe he said it found it at the bottom of Sandpaint Canyon? Im not very sure though."
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Posted: Sun Dec 07, 2008 8:27 pm
Zephyiote watched for any clues as to whether touching the object in question was permissable, but when it was placed on the ground within reached, she took that as the go-ahead. With careful, loving hands, Zephyiote picked up the necklace, cradling it within her palm as if this too was her own necklace, and mattered the world to her. She leaned in close to it, all four eyes mounted on her head observing it with scrutiny. After a few moments of silence, her eyes could be seen to go quite round indeed, and she reached up the other hand, running a claw ever so carefully over the surface of the saphire, and then tapping it lightly, listening for the softest resonation. When she handed it back to the cream painter, she was in awe.
"That is...the most perfect gem I have ever laid eyes on. There is absolutely no fault about it, other than perhaps being a bit worn and dirty. It is the purest of composition, and density. It is structually quite sound, and is not likely to shatter, unless under the most extreme stress. I could only compare the quality to this," Zephyiote gestured to the small gem on her own necklace cord. "But these are entirely different materials, so judging is impossible." Zephyiote shook her head. "Your mate has quite an eye, I must say." Zephyiote nodded, emphasizing her point. "Polished and cleaned up, that gem would surely be the epitome of all beauty ever put on a string."
Zephyiote thought it amusing that indeed the gem had been found around where she mused it might. Maybe it was luck. Or maybe she was recalling something about that particular kind of sapphire from her studies. She wouldn't bother about that too much. That was for later, when she didn't have company.
She extended a hand in greeting, and nodded politely once again. "Pardon my lack of manners. I forgot introductions. I am Zephyiote." She smiled a little, the corners of her mouth turning up in a grin. She really did enjoy pleasant company. No matter how much of a loner she made herself out to be.
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Posted: Sun Dec 07, 2008 8:49 pm
Mya watched as Zephyiote exaimed the gem, chuckling as her eyes grew wide with awe. That and the excited explanation about the scientific aspects of the sapphire made the Pan'lun look like a hatchling who had done something right for the first time. Gently re-taking the necklace, Mya replaced it around her neck and smiled as the comforting weight rested against her chest.
"If comparison is difficult, it would be best to find another very similar or exactly like it." She shook her head. "I do not know if this sapphire is native to the Canyon, it's possible he may have found it after it got washed in by the river. Such is the luck of chance." Mya cocked her head and admired the small stone hanging around her companions' own neck. "Even if what you say about it be true, I wouldn't have minded if all he had found was a piece of sand or river stone." Even if she did clean it, it would have gotten dirty again. Besides, wasn't the meaning behind the stone more important than the stone itself?
"Oh!" Introductions? She perked up. How could have she forgotten the most basic of manners? "I should apologize for my lack of!" A sheepish smile made it's appearance as Mya bowed her head. "It's a pleasure to formally make your aquaintance, Zephyiote. I am Mya."
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Posted: Sun Dec 07, 2008 9:04 pm
"It is a pleasure to meet you Mya. Your mate is surely a very luck man," She said with a smile. She could appreciate sentimentality as well as anyone. The bandage around her arm had always been there. Though it served no purpose, because she wasn't injured, she kept it there because it, as well as her necklace, were the only things she had that she had when she was found at the entrance to the Painter Temple those fateful seven years ago. Before that, her memory was blank, so she kept these two things slose to her, with the hope that one day the mystery of her origin would be solved.
"Indeed, phsyically it would be difficult to find one like it. Though pschologically it would be impossible, so I suppose it matters not. The worth of something to one self often exceeds that of its tangible stature." Zephyiote flicked her tail, but it was good naturedly this time. None of the witheld aggression from before. Mya was polite and unobtrusive. That was all Zephyiote asked for.
Zephyiote stood and took a few steps closer to the water, letting it lap at her feet, and staring at it intently. "I do n ot suppose you like to swim?" she ventured suddenly, turning her head over her shoulder to look at Mya.
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Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 6:37 pm
Mya could not help but blush at the small compliment. It's true they had been together for a while now but she had never considered that meeting just luck....
More like...they were bound together by a red string.
Nodding at the realistic explanation of search and find, Mya stretched out her wings again to keep them from falling asleep on her. "That is pretty much the reality of everything in our world." She stared up at the cloudless sky. "It can take us a lifetime to find someone or something. Our minds tell us it's nigh impossible and our will often forces us to give up or replace it within something of easier limitations." She then looked down at her forepaws. "But when we do finally find it, we treasure it with all of our hearts, our bodies and our souls. So....in a way, finding it in the end is truely worth it." She gave a sheepish laugh and stood, shaking out the sand clinging to her feathers and scales. "I apologize, I must have sounded like a preachy Sage Painter."
"Swim?" She looked up to see her companion staring at her from the waters' edge. "Well...I do, but I mostly stay within the shallows. My wings tend to take on water. It's very hard for me to go deep when I'm trying to keep up with that sort of weight."
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Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 8:12 pm
Zephyiote lay down in the water, immersing herself to her shoulders. She closed her eyes and thrummed in contentment. "Do not worry about sounding preachy. You should hear some of the stuff people have the nerve to say to me." Zephyiote shook her head in disgust, recalling a few unpleasant memories.
Zephyiote was glad that in this case her wings were of the leather variety, and not feathered. "Hm, you have a valid point. I suppose feathers are quite cumbersome and hefty when wet." Zephyiote had those two peacock feathers, but they were nothing compared to the rest of her, and didn't hinder her when wet. Whole wings of soaking feathers though...that was something else. Zephyiote had only met one other painter with feathers, a Pan'Avia. So she was still curious about the whole idea.
"Does it take a lot of time to preen? I spend at least an hour a day on my mane, but that is probably nothing compared to all the maintenance you have to do."
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Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2008 3:13 pm
Mya, too, tossed her head in disgust. "Some being have foul tounges. If they do not apperciate how someone looks then they should just keep dark words to themselves." She just could not stand it when others pointed out something different from themselves.
"Indeed they do." She smiled and laided there on the sands while Zephyiote went into the water. "Thankfully, they dry quickly, especially on warm days like today, so it's nothing that bothers me too much." She was about to lay her head down when the Pan'luns' question caused Mya to perk up again. "Preening? Well, compared to your hour, it can easily take three or four times that length." She laughed. "But it's not difficult and, sometimes, Rowen helps me."
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Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2008 5:28 pm
}~{I was thinking they could go catch some lunch, or whatnot >.<}}~{
Zephyiote was thankful she was not feathered. The thought of spending that much time preening was most daunting indeed. Zephyiote cherished her time, even if she did not always spend it wisely. Rowen? Was that the name of her mate? Perhaps. She never did actually say his name.
Zephyiote stood up after a moment, looking back to Mya and smiling slightly sheepishly. "I apologize, but I am quite hungry. I fancy I should like to go catch something. Would you care to join me?" Zephyiote clambered out of the water, prancing jovially to the rim of the crater, standing on tip toe, leaned forward, to look over the edge.
"It really is a beautiful day for flying," she commented, as a breeze stirred, ruffling her mane. She spread her wings slightly, in anticipation of catching the breeze. "It would not take long to catch a young buck or what have you. Especially with the two of us."
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Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2008 11:13 pm
"Hm...." Mya had been thinking about it and now that Zephyiote had brought up the subject, she realized that she was, indeed, quite hungry. Mya had forgone breakfast earlier due to the lack of proper sleep. Eagerly, she nodded and stood. "Yes, I would love to join you."
Perking up at the breeze, she smiled and unfolded her own wings to let the cool winds blow through the dark feathers. "Indeed it is. And the deer have been in abundance as of late. A buck would be a prize for one's stomach, no?"
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Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 6:05 am
"Mmm..." Zephyiote agreed, closing the eyes on her head. The wind...felt so pleasurable. So strong. It flickered around her, an illusive dancer, but she knew she could capture it. All she had to do was unfurl her wings...and the sky would be hers. She leaned forward just a little more, then a little more, until she was leaning far out over the edge. And then she let go.
Her eyes opened, and those clear, secondary eyelids clicked in place, to protect all her eyes from any debris in the air. Rather than plummet, she twisted so that she was in a dive. There really was no scare. She didn't need her wings to fly. She could still fly in the traditional Pan'Lun method. She just thought wings were more fun. As soon as she unfurled them just a little, the wind caught them, and yanked them open. Instantly she was ascending, her momentum carrying her up, up...
The clouds were level with her. She would zip through them for fun occasionally, when she felt the need to be wet. Everything looked miniscule from up here. And the sense of wonder and power it induced in her...couldn't be gained any other way. Once, twice she beat her wings powerfully, and again she rose. Above the clouds, which looked like froth upon the sea shore. Her expansive red leather clutching at the sky with long, claw tipped fingers. But this was not all a pleasure flight. She had business to attend to. She turned around, zipping back at a slight decline, to maximize speed. Once she got back to the area around Crater Lake, and Mya, she waited, making lazy circles in the air.
Her ears were already picking up disturbances in the woods below, the sounds of hooves upon grass. Why, it was a veritable feast down there! She very much looked forward to catching herself something. Hunger was never far away when one was flying.
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