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 Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 10:05 am
Quote: As the foot hills turn into mountains the scrubby trees give was to scraggly bushes and rocks. The sun shines down through dusty air that glitters with reflected motes of minerals. A soft sigh of a breeze blows through the air managing to keep the heat from being oppressive. A track worn by goats traveling to and from water allows for easy passage. A cave stands open, promising cooler air away from the sun, but unknown dangers may lurk in its depths.  Dulph plodded slowly along the path, towards the cave. Not sure if it was the one he had slept in earlier, but knowing that a good cave can offer safety to a lone Usdia. Never having been part of a herd, being too strange for others to associate with, Biddulphia always made sure to watch his own back. The safest course was to keep his back to a wall when he found he must sleep. So he sought out the cave and hoped it held nothing that might be dangerous.
Dulph sighed as he walked, he was accustomed to solitude, but occasionally he found himself wondering what it would be to socialize with another. Putting that thought behind him, knowing that the possibility was too remote to consider and that dwelling on it would only be cause for melancholy, Biddulphia returned to his contemplations of number. Numbers, after all, were quite comforting. They could be depended upon to remain steady, always answering with certainty and logic. No number would ever turn away from him for his oddities.
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Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2010 9:20 am
She'd just touched down on Kawani soil after a considerable amount of time away. Solstice had estimated that they had been absent from her homelands for approximately three years. It was enough time for her to mature considerably and no longer the young filly, she had matured into a full fledged mare. Admittedly, she was still petite in comparison to the 'big folk' but her confidence and self assurance ensured that she never mulled over her tiny stature. Solstice had long ago admitted she was his equal and he was huge so that settled that little issue.
Nevertheless it had been her decision to come home. She knew her partner in crime could have wandered endlessly without ever tweaking on to homesickness but a small part of her did have to wonder. How were her parents, her brother and her sister? Had they done anything interesting while she was away? Was she an auntie? There were so many questions that she had pondered over for the months leading up to her return and eventually she'd requested that they turn round.
Solstice had been amiable as always.
They had parted ways on the border so that he could return to his own home for a small reunion and made arrangements to meet up in a month or so. This left Fran to explore her homeland properly now that she could, as well as track down her family. She knew roughly where things were but given she had been born in winter, a lot had changed during the switching of the seasons! In essence she was relying on her hooves for this, a home pidgeon in their own right, they had a way of finding the way.
This morning she was wandering the foothills, traversing the lower regions on her way to the forest that hugged the eastern side of the slopes. It was a considerable distance to walk but she did have some memories of this location and knew she was on the right track. Alas, she had grown aware from the moment she stepped onto the slopes that company would be limited and she had been forced to admit that she was unlikely to have any company. It was a touch lonely, but she knew if she persevered she'd get home.
Taking a deep breath, she opted to occupy her mind with other activities rather than dwelling on her lack of company. She was in the mountains after all, she was alone, that meant she could do anything she wanted. For a tone deaf mare like herself, this was wonderful news.
In short, she began to sing.
Badly.
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Posted: Sun Jul 18, 2010 12:42 pm
As a strange sound broke the relative silence of the foothills, Dulph stopped still in his tracks, listening. He was shortly able to determine the sound was not a bird or other animal that he was accustomed to, it must, indeed, be another Soquili.
His head turned slightly so his right ear pointed directly at the sound, his left ear swiveling to also catch sounds from that direction, Biddulphia analyzed. Music is, after all, merely an equation, each note a number in the process. And this equation he found quite fascinating.
Dulph had never heard notes arraigned in this way before. Where most who sang seemed intent upon the equation, desiring the music to be pleasing to the ear, this singer seemed more determined upon the function of the equation. Wondering what the singer was attempting to quantify, Biddulphia relegated each note to a number, each pause and duration part of the overall problem.
Truly fascinating, it was possible the singer was attempting to solve for the speed of the wind. A rather arbitrary and ambiguous equation, given that the wind had a tendency to change without notice. Such an exercise must truly be the work of an enlightened mind, who else would have the time to entertain such contemplations.
Determining that he might learn much from such an individual, Dulph focused his eyes again on the world around him and started towards the singer. Hoping only that such a one would be sufficiently enlightened to overlook his strange appearance and manners.
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Posted: Fri Jul 23, 2010 11:17 am
Had she been privvy to the thoughts of others, she would have been more than just a touch bemused. The very assumption that she could possible be enlightened would have been hilarious. Suffice to say, the Usdia mare had long since grown accustomed to all, save her partner in crime, when they stared at her in astonishment. Much of what came from her lips, much of her musings... Well, it would have been difficult to claim that they were anything but bizarre. Her family had always declared she was an oddball, but at the very least she was harmless.
Nevertheless it was perhaps unfortunate that she did indeed lack a talent for telepathy and as a consequence she remained oblivious to the approaching stranger's interest in her er, skill? Continuing in much the same unconcerned fashion as before, she picked her way here and there, hopping, bounding and occasionally scrambling over obstacles that got in her way. Her movements could have been mistaken for a goat's to the untrained eye, but for one with keen sight she would obviously be a usdia.
"In a trail of fire I know we will be freeee again!" she sang loudly, opening her mouth wide just so the passing animals could cringe a touch more. "In the end we will be ooooonnne---un!" she sucked in a breath and skittered a long a little more, her pale coat glimmering against the morning sunlight. Every now and then the rays would hit upon her flanks, revealing the brown dapples on her rump. Her shortened mane continued to bob around enthusiastically in a complimentary fashion to the shake of her head.
All and all, she was in a good mood.
"In a trail of fire I'll buuuurn before you bury meeee!" she hollered and paused to suck in another breath. It was in this very brief moment that she heard the faint patter of hoofbeats and her ears swivelled round in response to the offending sound. She was fairly certain that hadn't been there when she'd set out, had it?
"Hello?" her song was quickly dismissed as she began to look around her. First she peered over her shoulders, then down the hill and then up the hill. She saw nothing and raised a brow, however, rather than call out again she chose something more unusual as a solution to her problem. She began to spin in a circle just in case something was hidden within her pripheral vision.
She'd known raccoons to do that during hide and seek as a baby, it could happen again!
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Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2010 10:51 am
The sudden end of the music, coupled with the 'hello' gave Biddulphia a bit of a pause. He had interrupted the other's equation. He hoped the interruption would not cause problems for the other.
Picking his way around a rather large boulder, Duph spoke, "Greetings." His voice somewhat metallic, very dry and monotone, it was just another part of him that others found off-putting.
Looking up at the path ahead of him, Biddulphia could just see the other Usdia's feet and legs, her head and shoulders hidden by an outcropping of rock. As he watched, he saw the other spinning in place. Her movements kicked up dust and gravel and made it difficult for him to tell what he was faced with.
Perhaps this stranger would charge if startled, perhaps the spinning was part of the earlier equation, perhaps he had erred in seeking out the singer. The desire to know overcame his since of self-preservation and he took another step so that he could see the other Soquili. Dulph stood still, once the other was fully in his view. He had thoughts racing through his mind, but had learned to contain them, somewhat. And for the moment, he would do so, more from a desire to interrupt the other as little as possible than from a will to be liked.
Biddulphia stood on the path, framed by rocks and shining in the sun, a haze of dust in the air making his appearance almost seem softened. He watched the other spin, watching until her eyes would alight upon him, braced for the look of horror and revulsion that would change her features. In the breath before she saw him, Dulph could see that she was quite visually appealing. He knew hope was irrational, but still, perhaps she would indeed be enlightened enough to accept his company for a brief while, it would be good to have a conversation with someone other than himself.
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Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2010 11:09 am
It was perhaps the oddest 'voice' she had ever heard. She had heard accents before, varying tones and pitches, but she'd never encountered anything quite like that. She came to an abrupt halt, initially facing away from him as she drew to a stop. Realising that there was nothing in front of her, she quickly spun round the right way and was greeted with the sight of well... She wasn't really sure what he was. She could see that he was the shape of a Usdia but he seemed to shiny, almost like the jewels those crazy humans had worn in the southern lands.
...More interestingly, he appeared to be glowing!
"Ooooh, now don't you look weird!" she announced merrily. She hadn't intended to be insulting, but since childhood she had always been blunt to a fault. Negotiation and diplomacy had been Solstice job, she'd been around for sass and the er, intimidation factor. Still, it would have been clear from her bemused expression and body language that she was far from horrified or repulsed by his appearance. She'd seen weirder things and what horrified her was truly disgusting, a glowy-shiny Usdia didn't really fall into that category for her.
"Is that a real glow or is it tribal paint?" she enquired. "Oooh and how'd you get your voice to do that twangy thing, that's pretty cool," she added as an afterthought. However, she did seem to recall her manners and promptly shook her head, silently chastising herself. "If this is your land I'm sorry for invading, was just on my way home - been a long time since I was around."
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Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2010 12:22 pm
Dulph listened to the other, astounded at the curiosity instead of distaste. Perhaps equally uncertain what to make of the other, Biddulphia noted her words as she spoke them and waited for her to pause before replying.
His voice unvaried, metallic and monotone, "Yes, I believe I look weird. My runic tracks are indeed producing a faint light, or glow, they are not paint. I am unsure of the designation 'twangy thing' and yet my voice is my own and not subject to change or temperature. This is not my land, I have no land. Yet, I do not believe this land is the purview of any individual, and thus you have no need to apologize for invading." He thinks for a moment, but is fairly certain he was not intended to respond to her comments regarding her home.
Dulph, not certain how to respond to someone who didn't immediately respond in a negative manner, merely stands staring at the other Usdia, taking in her appearance and mannerisms, waiting for her to ask more questions or tell him to leave.
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Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2010 9:12 am
So his voice was just like that? She knew some soquili put on strange voices to seem more interesting or to play a game but she'd never met one with a genuinely peculiar voice. Her expression became one of bemusement as she regarded him for a few moments, digesting each piece of information the Usdia had provided her with. Eventually the information settled and she lifted a brow at the revelation that he both sounded strange and glowed. Now she didn't know about anyone else but she found that pretty cool.
She wasn't even being eccentric about it either!
"Well that's neat," she offered at last, her brows lifting considerably as her expression lightened. Opting to bridge the gap between herself and the male, she crossed the distance between them and canted her head from side to side as she inspected what he had called "runic tracks". She'd seen some peculiar things in her time but this was a new one for her - sure she knew some soquili glowed but they didn't seem to have it running through their skin like that.
"You must come from a pretty interesting place then, do all your folks glow or just you?" she persisted. She didn't even seem remotely concerned about her previous topic, either disregarding or accepting his reassurances that she wasn't invading upon his territory uninvited. Instead, she seemed significantly more interested in figuring out exactly what he was.
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Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2010 10:22 am
Shocked that this other approached him with such open curiosity and candor, Biddulphia stood his ground, but was a bit non-pulsed. If his skin could quiver, it likely would, but it was not possible. Perhaps the glow brightened slightly, but in the daylight, it would be difficult to discern.
Dulph wondered that she called him 'neat', not having been particularly orderly in her presence, but decided not to question her in regards to the comment. Taking a moment to process her question, Biddulphia tries to form an answer.
"My early memories are corrupted, I do not recall having ever met another like myself. I seem to come from no place in particular, but my glow often causes others to request my departure." He hoped that was the answer she was looking for, he truly could not comprehend this mare.
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Posted: Thu Aug 05, 2010 2:57 am
Oh, so he suffered from amnesia then? That was a touch unfortunate but she was no doctor and wouldn't even begin to attempt the recovery of such memories. It wasn't for her to do so and to be honest, there could be memories in there he would rather forget - permanently. Once upon a time the tiny mare had wanted to try solving the worlds problems, to be a hero, to be respected and seen as 'equal' by the taller soquili but in the company of Solstice she had come to realise that not everything was possible.
...In short, she had opted to gain the respect of her 'tall folk' rather than to barge in on other soquili's life. However, it would have been safe to assume that Solstice was exempt from much of this given she frequently barged into his life. Not that he minded, that was simply part of the package when she had a travelling partner.
Nevertheless even Fran took note of his discomfort. He may not have quivered but the manner in which his body still moved slightly gave him away. She could really detect the increased glow in the daylight, but his stance had adjusted slightly and she conceded that prehaps she was invading on personal space a touch. She'd already come to the conclusion he was 'foreign' but it was only as he spoke again that she realised, perhaps, that he hadn't been provided with ample company. Why was it always the 'different' ones who had that problem? She'd only met some foul soquili a few times and some of them had looked perfectly normal!
"Oh, really?" she puzzled over his words for a moment and then shrugged her shoulders dismissively. Clearly she didn't find the glow to be disturbing, "There are plenty of soquili around here that glow," she explained at last and offered a wry smile. "Some more than others, but they do still light up the evening when the sky darkens," she amended. "You haven't given me any reason to tell you to go away either so I don't see why you would - that is of course, unless you fully intend to eat me in which case I may have to make my exit as soon as possible," she pointed out teasingly.
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Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2010 7:26 am
Biddulphia blinked, which for him, was rather expressive. "I have no intention of consuming you. Even should that be something which you seek, I would not oblige you in that respect. Is this something you encounter often? And, perhaps, might I request that you refrain from eating me?"
This mare was quite different. If she came from a place in which reasoning beings consumed each other, perhaps it was a place so different that his appearance would not cause his outcast. Though, truly, Dulph was unconvinced that, even should he manage to integrate himself into such a society, he would enjoy the company of cannibals.
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Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2010 10:00 am
"You don't look very edible," Francesca replied with an expression that no one could mistake for anything other than genuine honesty. She was never one to lie or hide her view on something and perhaps that would turn out to be of great use to some individual one day. "Besides I can't say I find the thought of meat very appetising," she wrinkled her nose at the thought and then promptly shook her head to dismiss this idea. It was utterly ridiculous that any Usdia should dine on meat, they weren't made for it!
"But there are soquili around that can eat other soquili, big Kalona and cursed Skinwalker are very dangerous in that respect," she explained. Her brow creased for a short moment before she opted to continue. "They're not something I encounter all the time though, only in certain regions... So long as you keep your nose out of those places you're fine," she sounded reassuring enough or rather, she sounded reassuring to her own ears if nothing else.
"Rest assured I won't be eating you any time soon, I'm a bigger fan of pinecones than I am of well...soquili," she pointed out with a wry smile.
"Name's Francesca by the way!" she suddenly appeared to recall her manners. "But everyone calls me 'Fran', you got a name too or am I gonna have to make one up?"
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Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 4:59 am
Another blink at this 'Fran' before a slight nod. "I am named Biddulphia. Often I am called Dulph for brevity. I do not believe I have previously met either a Kalona or Skinwalker, though I have met Soquili who were violent. I had never thought to wonder if my consumption was part of their plans."
Taking a moment to think, Dulph tries to figure out what he should say to this mare. After all, not only was socializing rare for him, but to have someone so completely ready to accept him as he was still managed to confuse him.
"I could lead you to a patch of pine trees with low hanging cones, if you are hungry. Though I prefer the berries in the bushes near the brook a little further into the woods for my own meals when the bushes carry them." Biddulphia wondered at himself for making this offer, feeling a stirring of hope within himself. Hope and something else, foreign to him. But he chose not to explore that feeling nor try to name it. For now, the hope was enough.
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Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 5:40 am
"Dulph?" she repeated and then gave a nod, storing the name away in her head for reference. She occasionally had problems with names, either confusing them with someone or something else. However, Dulph was so unique in his appearance that it would be highly unlikely she would confuse him with anyone! "I'll keep that in mind then, way easier to say than that normal one of yours," she mused and promptly shook her head. Evidently the mare wasn't a fan of long names and one might find that she had a penchant for providing nicknames or cutting names down to one syllable if it could be done.
Hence why 'Solstice' became 'Sol'.
Nevertheless with the introductions aside she could return to more important matters. No one could mistake the utter delight in her eyes, or the parting of her lips as he made reference to food. More importantly he had made reference to her favourite food. Excitement bubbled up in the tiny mare's chest and she hopped from hoof to hoof in an appreciative fashion. He knew where they were, she hadn't tasted pinecones in what seemed like forever and he knew where they were! What type of an idiot would reject that offer?
"Oh oh oh!" she could barely contain her excitement despite how simple a pleasure it might have been. "You know where they are? Ooooh, if we pick some up then we can shuffle on down to your berry trees and have some lunch, that way we can both get something we like," she continued. Her nod was emphatic, particularly encouraging and her rump gave a little wiggle in expectation that she would be moving shortly.
"Mmm," she quickly jumped back to one of the previous topics. "I wouldn't worry so much about the Kalona though, Skinwalkers are definitely dangerous but sometimes Kalona aren't mean. It's important not to judge a book by it's cover, you know?" she shrugged loosely in the hopes that she was reassuring and tilted her head to the side expectantly. If he knew the way to a good meal then she would gladly follow him.
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Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 6:12 am
Biddulphia, still bemused, nods, "I can certainly see the merit in refraining from judgment. I will retain your wisdom." Turning, he starts back in the direction from which he had been coming.
Noting her excitement when he offered pine cones, figures that might be a safe topic. "It would seem that the pine trees are more prevalent at the edge of the forest and the mountains, being a heartier tree. The nuts may be a bit green yet, however, I feel confident we may find some that are mature enough to eat."
Having exhausted what he knew of pine cones, Biddulphia thought to answer her other, unspoken question. "I find Dulph and acceptable alternate of my name. One might also accurately call me Scum, if desired. It also is a simpler appellation."
That said, Dulph found he had nothing further to speak on, and fell silent, leading Fran towards the promised pine trees.
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