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 Posted: Thu May 21, 2009 12:55 pm
Temper tore strips of flesh from the body of the carcass he had found. He had gone two days without meat and it was driving him mad with hunger. He didn't think to hunt or kill, but part of him wanted to keep his 'need' private. His father seemed so content to chew on bushes and grasses, and while Temper idolized the huge stallion, in every way, he couldn't stomach the horrible things his father (and the rest of the herd) ate.
So he'd managed to track down another corpse. When he'd caught the first whiff, he wasn't sure if he should believe his nose. But he'd danced off, pretending to chase bugs, and quickly ran to the source of the smell. This corpse was older than the first he'd dined on (until his belly was round and full), but no less tasty. The blood had been drained from the body, and thus, the meat had taken on a more gamey flavour. The corpse was that of...well, it wasn't much larger than he, really, but it wasn't a Kirin, he was pretty sure (whatever had killed it had done a number on it's head and neck). He figured it was a regular stupid deer, so though it had cleft hooves, it didn't have body armor.
Parts of the meat were dried in the sun, but the kill couldn't be more than a day old - the flies that were buzzing around it had not infected the deeper meats. Luckily, the days were still cool enough this Verdant that rot had not set in, either. Using his horn to slash through the thick skin of the corpse, he tucked in to the tough meats of the leg that the predator had left.
Chewing thoughtfully on a stringy bit of tendon, Temper looked up at the sky and wondered with it would be like to eat FRESH meat. Kirin weren't really equipped to kill, in his mind. Well, his horn could maybe gore something...but it would have to be nearly his size or he'd be running with his head between his legs.
He could possibly jump on something with his hooves, they were sharp, he supposed.
Taking another mouthful of meat to chew on, Temper stamped his hoof. Could that really...kill something?
It felt weird to think about killing. He'd killed bugs, sure...dined from carasses...but to kill something soft and squishy like himself?
He wasn't sure.
He licked at his bloody muzzle and flicked his tail at the flies that were gathering in droves now.
Of course, all this thinking was distracting him from the promise he'd made himself to just take a few bites if he found something and run back to the herd.
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Posted: Thu May 21, 2009 6:59 pm
The herd had grown so large in what seemed to be a short amount of time. Even after picking up and moving on again, Tuyet found himself dragging the back or the sidelines. It wasn't unusual for him to seek a greater solitude at the outskirts of the group and yet, with so many new bodies clopping along in rhythm, he let himself drift further and further from the central figures.
It wasn't that he disliked the herd's new additions. No, that was far from it. Observation was he passion, ingrained in his personality. It felt nicer, to him, to walk along where he could see everyone, near or far, with a soft smile on his face. No, he certainly didn't dislike it. This was his family and he cared greatly for them. It would be hard, he was sure, when they all grew old enough and began seeking their own ways in life. Whether they left the herd or not would be their prerogative, but he would see and accept their choice with his usual soft expression.
By now, with everyone stopped to rest a while, Tuyet began to grow antsy. He was used to waiting, even before he was a member of a herd. Used to stopping to drink and nibble a few leaves, maybe even a berry or two if the season was right. But he wasn't hungry now, wasn't thirsty, just a restless old man whose wanderlust had yet to be completely sated for the day.
Bowing his head, he sniffed at the ground a while with a sort of tenacious curiosity. Eventually wandering from the halted group--though not without assuring he'd be back in a short while--he moved along through a few bushes, still sniffing, ever the bored detective.
Time passed without his knowledge, but now he was sure he should probably head back. By now they would certainly be ready to move again. Wouldn't it be true that the aging younglings, with all their energy, would want to move, too? Lifting his head, me made move to turn, but stopped as something particularly sour met his nose. He squinted, turning back into the slight shift of air that had brought the scent to his attention. It was not unfamiliar at all, but rather, something he had smelled many times in his life. It made his eyes water a bit.
Snorting, the male clopped a bit, stepping back, then forward in debate. The smell was surprisingly strong, not far away at all. He felt urged to scout it's location. If he could have the herd avoid it, they would be less likely to run into something unpleasant. Another snort and he stalked forward, careful and wary. He was hardly afraid of a lone predator, nor had he any hard feelings against them, but encountering a group would likely be an unfortunate event.
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Posted: Sat May 23, 2009 9:49 am
Temper heard a rustling in the bushes behind him. He flicked an ear towards them, his initial thought being that a squirrel was running by. Jerking his head to the side, he tore a large chuck of meat from the thigh, and set to gnawing on it with his new-grown sheering back-teeth. Soooooooooo Tasty.
Again, the rustle happened, this time much closer. Temper stood, the chunk of rotting meat hanging from his mouth, and turned towards the source.
The sight of the quiet stallion shocked Temper to the core. He gasped, then gagged. Coughing, the foal dropped the piece of meat in terror. For just a fraction of a moment, Temper had thought that the stallion was his father - simply based on size and coat-color.
"Uh-Uncle Tuyet!" Temper's tongue flicked out to lick at the drying blood on his muzzle. He caught himself at it too late. His stomach rumbled, still unsated. He whined low in his throat, but hung his head, not sure what his herd member would do or say.
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Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 7:51 pm
Unexpectant was the perfect word. As Tuyet stepped through the last line of foliage hiding the colt and his deed, the smell hit him squarely in the face. This was hardly a concern, however, when bright eyes found a familiar face crouched and guilty at the corpse buffet. Remaining silent and unmoved, he stared down. Despite the time that passed, his mind clicked slowly, stuck between the initial confusion and surprise.
"Temper." He finally spoke out, sounding a bit reserved with his return greeting. Eyes watched the bloodied maw for a much longer time than elsewhere. They left the young one only after the second silence didn't chase the away his look of shame.
The ever-observant gaze moved along to the prey, whose smell and size was enough to alert Tuyet to the obvious. The wheels in his head began to turn again at their normal, contemplative pace. He truly had to consider the situation, less he say something rash and inappropriate. Even the aged had their moments of ignorance, after all, and even the young had their feelings. All in all, he was certain Temper had not taken down this large creature on his own. It was simply illogical.
"Temper, you-" He hesitated, thinking greatly about what he wanted to say. He did not hate meat-eaters as some did, but he had not expected to see a colt of his herd like this. No one had taught the boy Pryrin preferences... Had he simply been born with them? Now that he pondered it, had Temper ever seemed satisfied grazing with his siblings?
"How long have you hidden this?" he finally questioned.
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Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 6:22 am
Temper felt certain that his uncle was very upset. Nervously he avoided his uncle's eyes and also tried not to look at the carcass. The smell of it still made him hunger terribly. He waited for the accusation, the anger to come pouring out of his uncle. But instead all he got was a simple question.
Temper glanced up briefly, then sighed shakily. "Since...since mom stopped making milk all the time."
He swallowed, his throat still tasting the meat. "I don't like grass, Uncle Tuyet," he whined. "I don't know...I don't know why everyone else likes it so much." He wrinkled his nose. "It's gross."
He furrowed his brow and looked at his uncle's face, wondering what the other stallion would do. At least he hadn't done what Temper had worried about - yelled at him or driven him off. His father might still do that, though. Temper wasn't sure he could stand that.
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Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 4:02 pm
It was almost difficult to keep steady as he awaited the answer. A pang of something like guilt hit the older male. Temper looked so forlorn. He felt strangely sorry for discovering the secret. Still, something told Tuyet that the younger wouldn't have been able to hide it forever. There was still time before he had to take his own path in life. Certainly one of the other members of the herd would have noticed his lack of a happy tail wag when it came to nibbling foliage.
Upon hearing the answer, his brows furrowed. It had been a while since Iris had stopped producing milk for the foals. Slowly but surely they had taken to eying the grown-ups and eating the leaves as they did until their mother's milk completely dried up.
Ears flicked back as he returned to the present. The continued strain in Temper's voice was enough to warrant a deep sigh from his throat. "You don't... Well, you don't have to like grass." He finally stated outright, sounding rather set. "It's not your fault if meat tastes better to you than leaves." There was enough assurance that he hadn't just turned his nose up at plants without trying them. So-
"But I don't think-" He paused, bending to the younger as a gentle smile settled on his maw. "-it's good to hide important things like this. What if you hadn't gotten enough to eat?"
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Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 10:32 pm
Temper was a little stunned at the question. He really had tried to eat plants but they made him feel so unwell afterwards. He knew he was smaller than his siblings, and he knew he had to eat to grow, but...
"It's hard, Uncle Tuyet." He whispered miserably. "My tummy hurts when I eat plants. I try to, but it..." He cleared his throat, trying not to cry in his frustration. "Last time I found meat, I ate until I couldn't anymore. I was good for a while. I'm just hungry again. I WANT to eat, I just...I don't know what to do..."
Finally something his uncle said clicked in his brain. He swallowed past the lump in his throat and looked up. "Wait - do other Kirin eat meat, too?" He'd thought he was sick or perverted to turn away from plants as he had. If...somehow he was okay or normal, maybe his father wouldn't hate him after all.
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 9:42 pm
"Pryrin." His answer was automatic and quick, but not at all harsh. It was a matter of fact, really, that Kirin were different. Temper certainly deserved to know that he was not alone in his preferences. "Pryrin are what we call Kirindae who would rather eat meat." He didn't have the heart to say that not everyone would be accepting of a carnivore, vegetarians especially.
Lifting himself back to full height, he looked around momentarily, as if searching for something that wasn't there. "If plants don't agree with your stomach, there's nothing that can be done. You didn't ask for such a thing and it's alright. We still have to make sure you get enough to eat." The smile remained. "So please, eat your fill now." He knew they would have to go back and explain to the others. He couldn't hide it from family. Regardless, he would stand by the young male. He hoped the herd would be as accepting of their own.
"Don't be afraid to eat in front of me."
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 11:05 pm
It was a little nerve wracking to bow his head to the corpse again, for all he'd worked so hard to hide his hunger before, but he took one long sniff of the dead flesh and his mouth immediately watered. His whole family ate together, and the guards were always watching. This thought was a comfort - Tuyet would watch over him just as he always did, and this time Temper would be eating for real, not just for show.
He buried his muzzle into the belly of the carcass, seeking out any leftover soft organs. The last time he'd had meat, he'd found the soft meats quite delectable. Whatever had killed the beast had already laid open most of it's gut, but...ahh, yes...the little yummy sacs near the spine were still there. He pulled them free and chewed on them happily.
He set to thinking about the word Pryrin. He was certian he'd heard it before, though not in a positive or negative way, really. Had his mother said it? One of the mares had, he was certain. Perhaps one of them had noticed that he hated eating grass and only nibbled for show? But how could they tell?
Maybe they noticed his habit of choking up half his meal. He swallowed, and glanced up at the large stallion. "Uncle Tuyet - no one else in the herd is a Pryrin, right? So why am I?"
He didn't wait to take his next bite - he hadn't figured he'd been able to remain long when he had first left and hunger drove him back to feeding. He felt that the leg meats weren't worth it if he had to hurry. They took too long to chew. How he longed for a good chunk of time to really get to gnawing on them, though. Instead he opted for connective tissue and muscles around the spine - they were much easier to eat quickly.
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Posted: Wed Jun 03, 2009 10:40 am
It was a very different feeling, guarding over someone as they chewed on the carcass of a long-dead something-or-other. He had certainly seen many dead things in his life, but rarely could he risk getting close to a meat-eater while they were feeding. That didn't change the sense of responsibility he felt, however. His gaze still scanned the area, every once in a while checking the boy's progress, before glancing around again. It was a good thing, at least, that nothing else seemed to scent the meal.
Hearing the question, Tuyet let his eyes wander down again. There was a long moment of silence from him as he watched. He didn't really know and it was difficult to have no answer to offer.
"I'm not sure," he finally revealed in quite the low tone, shifting his weight. "It could be there are Pryrin in your family history somewhere." With herd of Pryrin roaming about, he thought maybe the tendencies could be inherited. It wouldn't be completely implausible.
"Or..." he hesitated, though just momentarily. "Maybe it is just something that happens. I'm not exactly sure how favoring meat comes about." The stallion's brows furrowed as he looked to be thinking deeper on the matter. It was unusual, but then, most of nature was.
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Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2009 6:35 am
Pryrin in his family history? Well, definately not on his father's side. With the amount of gusto the huge rainbow stallion tore apart grass and bushes, there was no way Temper could ever see him eating meat.
Even so, once he'd picked off all the soft meats he could find, Temper began to feel guilty again. He was more full than he had been for a very long time, and while he felt he could cram a few more mouthfuls down, thoughts of his father eating plants as though they somehow tasted incredible bothered Temper a great deal. Even though it made him feel so nice to have a belly full of meat again, it felt shameful still that he was Pryrin.
But still, a single question remained - how did a Kirin hunt? Or were they like crows - always picking at the dead?
He didn't know how to ask his uncle about this, and simply looked worried. Finally, he sighed and said, "Do you have to tell Father?"
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Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 3:40 pm
The question hung in the air for a long moment, while Tuyet mulled deeply over it. Originally, 'yes' had popped into his head right away. Even before the question he had been pondering silently about the best way to tell the rest of the herd, while still keeping up with the conversation. He was certain he wouldn't be able to keep such a huge sort of secret from the rest.
However, when the concern was finally voiced, he hesitated. Temper's appearance got to him now as it had the whole time. The look of worry and guilt, even Tuyet could not remember feeling such an obvious pang in his many years. Bowing his head, he frowned, much more in thought than disappointment.
"Do you wish to keep it a secret?" he finally inquired, voice coming low and personally uncertain. Clearing his throat, he willed away the slight quiver and continued. "I don't know if that's a good idea."
Rising back to full height, he stalked to the side, walking only a few steps before turning and walking back. "Do you think he will be upset with you?" The question came in all seriousness, as shown on his face.
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Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2009 6:35 am
Temper didn't know how to voice his concern about the rainbow Stallion looking at him with anything but love and acceptance. He was terrified to the core that Enfys would turn from him, choose not to love him anymore. But there was also still his need to be accepted for all that he was, and if Tuyet said that meat-eating Kirin were common...really, that meant that his father may just shrug.
Maybe he might even teach Temper to hunt - a prospect that Temper could only look forward to.
"I don't think he'll be upset...you said that Pryrins were common, right?" He smiled hopefully, dark dead blood staining his muzzle in places.
Really, the thought of his father treating him extra special due to his unique diet was something he really didn't want to lose - more time with dad was something to fight for with 3 other brothers vying for attention.
He trotted up to Tuyet, signaling he was ready to leave. He was smiling now, full of hope and trust that his father would see him as something awesome and special.
((lol - you think we can drag Enfys' player in here - Elfstar, I think?))
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Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 5:06 pm
The look of hope on his face was enough to perk Tuyet up, if only a little. Yes, Pryrin were fairly common. That much was true. He could only hope that Enfys would be as accepting. They had known each other for a while, but he wasn't sure he'd ever heard the younger stallion's take on their meat-eating counterparts.
"I don't think he'll be upset, either," he finally said, turning his head down to view the colt. It was his greatest wish that their leader would be accepting of his own blood. "Ready to go, then?" He already knew the answer, however, and had turned back to the bushes and the path beyond.
"I'm sure everyone is waiting for us. We've been gone a long time." He let out a soft laugh, realizing now how easy it was to lose track of time. Still, he was happy for this opportunity, though it had come as a surprise. He was glad to offer his support.
((Yep, that's Elfy. I think you talked about an RP with Enfys, Temper, and Kesh? We can call this the end of our RP, if you'd like, and you can have that one with Elfy. I'd also be willing to have Tuyet there for all or part of the RP if you'd like. |3))
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Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2009 9:51 am
((oh - my bad, I forgot that I had considered this one over. XP I didn't want to wangle the whole herd into this RP, just have us "go home". I hope that's okay with you, Sae. ))
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