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 Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2009 1:40 pm
Zeke shivered a bit, for it was colder today than most. The depths of winter were approaching, and the young stallion knew that traveling at this time of season wouldn't be very pleasant. He flexed his wings slightly, pulling them tighter to his body to conserve heat, and grinned. He wouldn't let a little snow and cold stop him! He could take it, and would leave his home to see the world. Today. No, tomorrow. Today he had to finish planning out his adventure. Where should he go? How to even choose? Every direction he turned seemed as exciting as the last, for each direction would lead him to an entirely different place, with different horses to meet and things to see. Should he just pick a direction at random and set out?
He began walking along, and absently flicked some snow off his long tail. Of course, he couldn't go on his adventure alone. That would be boring! He would have no one to tell about what he saw, to ooh and ah over the new sights and smells. But who would he take? Not his parents, that's for sure. His father would take over and insist on direction where they went, and his mother would never leave their home. Certainly not one of his brothers, either. His older sibling was a stick in the mud and his younger brother didn't seem to like him much. Unfortunately, Zeke didn't know too many Soquili. So, he decided, his first task was to find a companion for his grand adventure!
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Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2009 2:28 pm
Had Gaspard known what was running through the mind of the stallion approaching, he would have turned tail and headed off in the opposite direction. It wasn't that he disliked travel, just that he had done rather a lot of it, and the last thing he wanted to do was uproot himself and possibly his sister again for the purpose of traipsing around the countryside. He felt he'd seen a great deal of the world and had no desire to revisit many of those places.
So, it was a good thing he had no idea what the dark stallion was thinking.
Plodding his way along the riverside, head lifted to keep an eye about the surroundings, he noticed the other Soquili. Dark but accented with a bright pattern around his face, the stallion certainly stood out - especially when contrasted with his own snowy white coat. Even more noticeable were the wings, a dark grey with tipped with purple and gold; certainly something one didn't see every day. It seemed he was running into a lot of winged Soquili, and though he'd seen his fair share of them on his travels, it was still a little surprising to find multiples in a small community.
Blinking, his dark eyes tracing the patterns on the other, he decided it would be best to sidestep and allow him to pass. Chances were the stallion had somewhere to go, and though Gaspard himself wasn't in any rush, he wasn't going to stop and attempt to engage the Soquili in conversation. After all, they were headed in opposite directions.
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Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2009 2:56 pm
Distracted momentarily from his plotting by the sound of approaching hoofbeats, Zeke glanced around. At first he didn't notice anything, quick as his glance was, but then he spotted a stallion not far ahead of him. He had almost missed him, so white was his coat and so perfectly did it blend in with the landscape! Interesting...he thought, for the other horse seemed quiet, somehow, but not submissive. Zeke noticed how the stallion studied him curiously, without a hint of shyness. Suddenly the white stallion seemed to dismiss him, for he looked away and moved to the side a bit to let him pass. Zeke would have none of that! He wanted to see who this mysterious stallion was.
The young stallion had not met many others outside of his family, and he was highly curious about any new Soquili he came across. Adventure plans or no, he still wanted to meet as many horses as possible! One could not see the world without seeing those within it, after all. This one certainly seemed interesting, although he did not stand out much. Zeke shrugged mentally. His own dark colouring may stand out against the landscape at present, but it was perfect for sneaking through the night! This one's colouring was perfect for blending in during the day, at least in the winter. Zeke wondered if this new stallion did a lot of sneaking. Well, only one way to find out!
The wind Soquili angled his walk slightly to pass close to the white horse, and relaxed into a friendly stance: ears forward, tail up, wings relaxed and loose. He slowed as he neared the other stallion, turned his head slightly, and tried to make eye contact.
"A beatufitul evening for a walk, don't you think? he asked, inviting the white horse to chat, for he did not seem to be in any great hurry to get where he was going.
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Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2009 3:08 pm
Gaspard blinked, a bit surprised at the stallion's sudden address. Though his posture was certainly relaxed and friendly, lending no reason for Gaspard to be wary, he still found himself wondering about his intentions. After all, he'd clearly stepped aside to let the stallion pass, which most had taken in the past as an indication that he was not seeking socialization. While that was true, he wasn't averse to it, and so he slowed his walk, ears pricking toward the other male.
It wasn't difficult to catch and maintain eye contact, as that was how Gaspard preferred to interact with others, though there was obvious curiosity in his eyes. He found he was more relaxed around stallions than mares, so his usual social ineptitude would not be quite as glaringly obvious as it typically was.
In fact, though he spoke in a calm, low voice, for Gaspard, the tone was downright friendly. "It is. I've been enjoying the countryside."
Antisocial by necessity rather than desire, it was a little baffling to Gaspard to have been approached by several others in his brief stay in the area, though not entirely unwelcome. Perhaps it was a signal he had finally found a place to settle, at least for a time.
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Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 12:38 pm
Well then. The white stallion seemed a bit hesitant to reply, and spoke low and quietly. Not the most enthusiastic Soquili Zeke had ever met, that's for sure! The dark stallion flicked an ear, slightly baffled at meeting someone so quiet. He supposed, however, that not all horses were as talkative as he and his family, and decided to find out more about this strange new stallion.
"Do you enjoy the countryside often?" Zeke asked, curious despite his mission to go on an adventure. "I mean, are you from around here?" He paused, and suddenly realized that that might have come out a bit rude. His wings twitched in worry, and he hurriedly corrected himself. "That is, if you don't mind my asking!"
The wind Soq hoped that he hadn't offended the other stallion or anything. This one seemed quite a bit older than Zeke's handful of years, and either was used to young horses and their thoughtlessness, or would be annoyed by it. Zeke was confident that is the former though, for sure. He was a likeable Soquili, wasn't he? His family all liked him, and he rarely fought with his brothers. So he was sure that this new stallion would like him as well. Zeke puffed out his chest slightly and grinned encouragingly at the other horse.
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Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 7:54 pm
Again, he found himself blinking. For all his assertive nature and friendly attitude, it seemed that the other stallion was nearly as self-conscious about first meetings as Gaspard himself could be. From his own experience, he knew how crucial first impressions could be, as well as the jangle of nerves that resulted from the sinking feeling that you were doing it wrong.
Feeling a little more friendly toward the other, if only because of the connection in his thoughts, Gaspard canted his head and pawed the ground once. "I do enjoy the countryside often. I'm not from around here, and no, I don't mind."
In his voice, there was almost the hint of a smile - rare for Gaspard, as he rarely felt at ease enough to relax into casual conversation. Something about the stallion appealed to him, however, and inspired him to further the conversation - definitely a rarity, as he often found himself at a loss for words when it came to small talk.
Tail swishing, he added, "I'm Gaspard." Though his tone was still quiet and a little soft, he bobbed his head toward the stallion, the gesture inviting in and of itself. "May I ask your name?"
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Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 3:55 pm
Zeke sensed something almost relaxed and friendly in the other stallion's bearing, and grinned more widely. Ha! He knew he wouldn't have offended the older Soquili! There was nothing wrong being a little curious, and questions were the best way to make conversation, after all.
"Gaspard, eh?" he said, testing out the name. He nodded once and stomped a hoof decisively. "Cool name! I'm Zeke."
The young stallion casually walked a few paces forward, and turned around to move in step with Gaspard along the lakeside. He figured that, since there was nothing he really had to be doing at the moment, he could walk with the white stallion for a while. No sense in standing still in the middle of winter!
"So where are you from? Have you been in these parts long? I've lived her my whole life, so I could show you around if you like." Zeke angled his ears towards Gaspard, a friendly gesture made in order to best hear the other's reply.
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Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2009 1:26 pm
Things were going well, better than he had expected. When Zeke turned and began to walk beside him, Gaspard canted his head toward the other stallion, dark eyes intent on his face. He really was a friendly sort, and the easy confidence with which he dealt with social situations was something that impressed Gaspard. He'd never been good at it himself, and envied those who seemed to take to them naturally.
Matching his pace easily, he replied, "Originally, from France. I've traveled extensively, but I arrived here with my sister about a season ago... I like it very much here."
At the offer, Gaspard smiled a little. "I've seen some of this place, but I wouldn't mind having a tour. I'm sure there are many things I've yet to find."
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Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2009 3:38 pm
Zeke flicked his tail and said, "France, eh? That's cool. I've never been beyond the borders of this land, much less to another continent!"
The young stallion found himself highly interested in this quiet stranger from another land, and wanted to learn more. He was glad that the white stallion was open to spending more time with him, since he had the feeling that he could learn a lot of neat things from this foreign Soquili. The other stallion was quiet and slow to speak, but he didn't seem cold or distant. In fact, he seemed downright friendly, in his own way.
"Well, my friend, I can certainly give you a tour!" Zeke announced, "I know everything there is to know about these parts, seeing as I grew up here." He cocked an eye at Gaspard and grinned, then went on. "Let's see if we can find some interesting Soquili to meet, hm?"
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Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2009 9:49 pm
As he had nothing else to occupy his time, it sounded like a fine idea to Gaspard. Not only that, but he had been in the area for over a season, and had no real connections to speak of. He was seeing less and less of Corine, which made him begin to wonder if she was forming attachments here that he didn't know about. The thought didn't bother him, just made him wonder how long they were going to stay.
If it was for any great length of time, he would need to start making friends. Zeke seemed like a good candidate for that; friendly and outgoing, he would hopefully help Gaspard overcome is own social ineptitude and make some friends as well.
"That sounds wonderful." Already in a lighter mood, he asked, "Are you part of a herd?"
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Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 9:27 am
"Just my family," Zeke replied, in an offhand way. "Mum, Dad, and my two brothers. Don't know how my parents ever got together, really." Zeke chuckled, thinking of his parents. "Mum's a bit timid. For the longest time she wouldn't let my dad teach us how to fly, because she was worried that we would hurt ourselves." The dark stallion snorted and tossed his mane a bit. "Like I would ever get hurt flying. I taught myself how to fly long before Mother approved of it, and the worst that's ever happened was a few bumps and scrapes!"
He was silent for a bit, as they walked along, then continued. "My dad's the adventurous one. I'm a lot like him, I think. I wonder what it was about Mum that made him decide to finally settle down and raise a family. I know I'm certainly ready for that sort of thing!" Zeke shuddered a bit. "Don't get me wrong, foals are cute and everything. But to look after them 24/7? Nope, not me." He grinned. "They sure can be fun, though."
"Last but not least, there are my two brothers. I love em to death, but we're not all that close. We're too different, I think. Canon's all intellectual and pensive and stuff, and Ayita's always done his own thing. I think he feels left out or something, because he's the only one out of the three of us that doesn't have wings." Zeke cocked an eye at Gaspard. "Is it really that bad, not having wings? I don't know what I would do if I couldn't fly, but what about someone who has never been able to? I don't think it would be that bad, but if you're the only sibling that's permanently grounded..." Zeke shrugged, and continued walking.
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Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 1:03 pm
Before he could respond to one thing out of Zeke's mouth, the stallion would move along to another topic. It didn't bother Gaspard, it just made him a little uncertain with how to respond. Did he comment on the first topic he could recall? Or the most recently spoken of? Somehow, he doubted Zeke would mind if he glossed over a few things, even if they were the ones that interested him the most.
Such as the topic of parents. He had no idea how his own had managed to settle, either, if it could even be called settling. His father, very quiet and withdrawn, seemed like the last person his mother would choose to gravitate toward. Not because he was unworthy in any sense, but because she had a very lively, flirtatious nature. He assumed, as his own father had as well, that she would gravitate toward a more flashy, daring stallion.
And, whether they all wanted to admit it or not, she had. Fidelity wasn't his mother's strong suit. Somehow, they managed to make it work, though.
Was his father happy? That was anyone's guess, really. Gaspard didn't think he could survive a partnership like that, but his father was a different sort of stallion, and he seemed to need others... less.
As Zeke's voice dwindled into silence, Gaspard's attention sharpened, and he glanced over. It wasn't that he hadn't been listening, only that he'd been listening with one ear. So, he knew what had been said, and could respond well enough to it.
Flying? Well... "I think that, all things considered, it would be worse for one who was born with the gift of flying and had it taken away. Someone who has never known that joy can long for it, but won't ever understand the true feeling of flying, and so can't miss it."
Ears flicking back a little, he added, "Though if you are the only one in a family of winged ones... I imagine it would be very hard." He shook his head, mane fanning out around him. "My family is all grounded. It would make traveling easier if I were able to fly, but I am very content to have my hooves planted on the ground."
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