Vanilla and Pumpkins PRP (Nightmare & Lumriel)

[[+Katch+]]

[Taken from an AIM RP between XBlind-DarknessX and myself]



A seemingly sinister breeze breathed down Lumriel's neck, sending shivers down her spine. Her wings were folded tightly by her sides, as though acting as shields from harm. How had she allowed herself to be talked into exploring this graveyard? She respected and loved her brother but why had he told her to go here. Perhaps it was just because he wanted to be brave and heroic, sweeping in to save her when she became too fearful to go any further. Her eyes narrowed and her steps became more deliberate she wouldn't allow him to make a victim out of her once again. She would show him that she may be a lady but she also had the ability to overcome her fears and be just as brave as he.

Trees with claw like branches reached toward her, threatening to catch at her flesh and hold her in place. Mist coated the ground, hiding her footing from her, making it easier for her to trip. Luckily she was not as clumsy as her mother otherwise she would have probably ended up laying facedown somewhere. Her heart began to thump against her ribs as the area became darker; she kept repeating to herself that no harm would come to her. After all, what would possibly be lurking in a place so full of sorrow and death?  

[[+Katch+]]

Nightmare was clopping around his graveyard, as he normally did every single day of his strange existence. Days and nights melted into one another, time didn't matter to the odd spook, but today, he was tending to his garden. His precious garden of beautiful pumpkins, which seemed to be the only color in the desolate world he lived in, populated only by rats and carrion crows. Nightmare exhaled a breath, which hissed ominously through his green tinged fangs, his skeletal burning hooves casting a green flickering light over the area, a eerie mist constantly followed him. The only sound in the area, the creaking and groaning of his armor as he brought wate to his pumpkins, taking a leaf full of dew carefully over to dump over the thankful patch...He worked diligently, happy to keep SOMETHING alive in this place...when suddenly, he stopped....his noise wrinkled, his ears perked...."vanilla...?" he had definitely scented it...it was faint...but...there was no such delicate flower in this barren wasteland...could he have been mistaken? ...no...He put his leaf down. “An investigation....wouldn't hurt...."  

[[+Katch+]]

"C'mon Lumriel, you aren't helpless." She stated to herself gently. There was no way she was going to be the damsel in this situation, she had faced fears before and had positive outcomes arise from them. Her friend Necropolis whom she met as a foal was proof enough of that. Perhaps rather than constantly repeating that she walked in a gray wasteland devoid of light or laughter she should find positives about it. Her emerald eyes glanced this way and that, taking in every small detail she could find. Though the trees were barren and depressed in appearance they held a type of whimsical wisdom, how much had they seen in their seemingly long lives? How often had they watched loved ones come to grieve over those they lost? Suddenly she began to feel sympathy for the towering terrors, perhaps they looked so sad because the only thing they had seen was sorrow. Her head tilted upward as she looked skyward, even the sun was blotted out by a sickly looking cloud cover looming over the area. As she lowered her head she caught sight of her folded wings, they gave off an eerie white light. Stopping she turned her head to observe the rest of her body, her light color caused her to glow in this dank light. A small smile painted her countenance; she could bring light to these sorrowful trees, even if it were false.
Her thoughts claimed her mind until her hoof was grabbed by a root poking up from the ground and she found herself immobilized. She attempted to back out but her foot had somehow managed to enter a hole that would not allow her to be free. Her breathing became ragged as a slight fear took hold, how long would she be stuck here before her brother figured out what she was up to? He had told her to come here but he had not joined her, it could be quite some time before he found her. Her muscles tensed and she began pushing and pulling on her leg, attempting to wiggle her foot from the hold. After a moment a dull pain from the unnatural struggle began to warm her leg. Her ears folded back as she realized the spot in which she had placed herself, no one was around to help.  

[[+Katch+]]

The smell was getting closer, vanilla; it was for certain this time. While Nightmare had never been outside much in his unlife, he had been very interested in the growing of beautiful things, vanilla being one of them, though it was so exotic it could not and would not grow in this part of the world....He clopped forward, using his nose as his guide, he would get to the bottom of it for sure...perhaps, a miracle growing? maybe he would take back a cutting if he could...He slunk out of a line of trees, looking here and there..." clossseee....maybe..." It was then that he heard a noise...a sort of scuffling, like a small animal scrabbling at wood...but this was not anything small, he realized as he listened...and not only that, the smell seemed to be coming in the direction of the noise..."curious..." he murmured and moving forward, he turned a corner and nearly gasped...it was neither a small animal or vanilla as he had expected...it was a mare! He peered down the small hill, she appeared to be caught by a snag of tree troots...a worried crease formed on his brow, hidden by his helm...his burning green eyes flared and mist creeped down the hill like an ominous carpet, heralding his arrival....he took a step forward, his skeletal hooves burning into the leafy carpet " missss....do you neeed ...help?" he nearly whispered the words, though his voice was deep and low, which carried easily in the nearly silent wood.  

[[+Katch+]]

Things could have been worse; at least she still stood and had no visable wounds to her knowledge. Even so, being stuck with no escape made her innards twist uncomfortably. Every little sound caused her head to jerk in one direction or the other, keeping an eye out for figures building in the shadows. Just because this place was a place for those who had passed on didn't mean that living evils did not lurk here. Her mind began whirring as images of Kalonas and Skinwalkers blurred her vision. She began pulling painfully once again, gasping at the sharp jabs but ignoring them. Not only was she fearful but she still wanted to prove to her brother that she could take care of herself. Inwardly she heard herself laughing, she could take care of herself but having someone to help her now wouldn't be such a bad thing. As though in response to her thoughts a voice reached across the foggy air to her ears. Inhaling deeply she turned her head slowly until she was peering at the source of the question. An eerie green emanated from eyes, maw and feet, his dark color made him hard to see so she squinted. Though fear pierced her gut she remembered how appearances often were decieving, besides, if he wanted to kill her he could easily do it without hopes of her escape. Uneasily she put a small smile upon her face. "P-please...My foot." She managed to choke out. She attempted to ignore the feeling of her heart slamming into her ribs and the sensation of her muscles locking up. Her eyes went to his feet where flames burned at bone, adding a little glow to the darkness.  

[[+Katch+]]

Nightmare picked his way down the slope, his hooves making a silght hissing sound as they met the wet ground. The smell of vanilla was definitely coming from her, and as he got closer he could tell why, as the plant was strung about her neck and tied in her curled mane. " Ahhh...." he exhaled slowly, and stopped before her, looking at her for a second, then to her foot caugint in the merciless grip of the tree. "oh dear.... how did you get...yourself into thisss?" He murmured, not expecting an answer as he inspected the trap, he glanced at her, she was a very attractive mare, now that he thought about it...he felt his cheeks color and he steeled himself, now was not the time to think that...she needed his help, and no matter how awkward he was around girls, he needed to do something for her. He spoke, trying to keep his voice in a soothing baritone " miss...i am going to get closer and free you by burning free the root from the rest of it...please...do not move...my hooves are dangerous..." he hissed softly and moved down the root till he found where it connected, the tree, now long dead did not have a need for such a root anyway...He raised a hoof and with a grunt he smashed his skeletal hoof down upon the root, the thing burning under his coldfire and snapping sharply under the weight of him. " There...i think that should work" he pushed at the root till it rolled off of her trapped foot...He straightened himself, his armor creaking in protest. " ....Can you stand...?  

[[+Katch+]]

As he drew nearer her gut twisted and churned, perhaps it was the atmosphere coupled with the situation but she was very uneasy. Though she passed no judgment on this stallion before getting to know him she couldn't help but to feel frightened. She didn't know whether he was truly going to help her or if he was just coming up with an excuse to get closer to her throat. Shaking her head she cursed herself for how horrid she was being, this stallion had taken his own time to stop and save her. She watched as he looked over the root and felt herself easing just a tinge; he was obviously genuinely interested in the trap and not her blood. As she looked upon him she couldn't help but to fixate on his dark skin which was covered by armor, he had a look to him that had her heart beating a little faster and not from fear. Was she honestly checking this stallion out while she was hopelessly trapped? Yes. "I expect my families clumsiness had something to do with it." She whispered, her cheeks rouging from embarrassment. Just as she had begun to think she was free from the family clumsy curse her she was, proving it to be false. Her ears pricked as he mentioned his hooves being dangerous, her eyes slowly moved down his leg until resting upon the green flames once again. Rather than the original fear she felt curiosity began to grip her, did it hurt? Just as she had wondered if Necro had been in pain she now wondered if this stallion were hurting as well. Her attention was drawn to the root as his foot came down and smoldered away her captor. Removing her foot she lowered her head to inspect it, luckily her armor had saved her from any scratches, she suspected it hurt only because of the increased movement and her stupidity whilst pulling at it. Lifting her head she shifted her weight so she put pressure on the hoof, though she winced she figured she would at least be able to stand on her own. "I believe I can stand, but I also didn't believe I would ever be trapped by a root." She stated with humor in her tone. "Thank you very much kind sir, without you I probably would have been sitting here counting the ways of my demise." Clearing her throat and attempting to rid herself of the remaining nerves she looked him in his smoldering green eyes and smiled. He was not here to harm her, she could feel it. "My name is Lumriel." She added softly.  

[[+Katch+]]

After he made sure she could stand on it properly he looked at her, seemingly forced yet again to notice her delicate beauty, which was almost literally shining in contrast to the decrepit place she had found herself in. He blinked and mumbled something, before clearing his throat and trying again, attempting to hide how awkward he was " ahh...you are welcome misss...." he said, trying at a smile, but getting a sort of eerie grin instead, as the green light he emitted shone on his pointed fangs. " Ehm...well at least it was just a pesky root....there are things in these woodsss, that are far more...unpleasant." He flicked his long tail behind him, shaking free some leaves and brambles that had gotten caught on his trek through the foliage. " Lumriel....." he rolled the name out slowly, his deep voice, though rich, was always ominously so. " that is a very...nice name" he flicked one of his ears forward and kept the flame of his hooves down to a mere flicker, the light dancing off the trees around them. “My name....is Nightmare...Night for short...if you wish, most find my name...becoming?" he exhaled a breath, seeming to sigh. “How did you come to be here...Lumriel? It seems someone as pretty as you would not be in such a place...so bleak and lifelessssss..." He found a bit of humor, a rolling laugh at his lips " and you smell like vanilla...which is very uncommon here indeed...it is how i found you..."  

[[+Katch+]]

Suddenly the dark sorrow that had been pressing upon her chest eariler began to ease if only a little so she may breathe more freely. She concluded that it was due to the fact that she was no longer by herself wandering in an unfamiliar place, far from her home and the protection of Aneurin. She had always depended on her brother for so much, even when she was fearful of speaking to others she would hide behind him, wishing the fear would drain from her. Now, as she looked upon the seemingly ominous stallion before her, she realized she wasn't wishing for her courageous brother to break through the darkness and save her. It was odd how she suddenly felt safer alongside this soquili which many would figure for a villain. She couldn't help but to return his smile, though it was unusual and obviously malpracticed she found it attractive upon him. Even the flash of fangs didn't seem to bother her as it did when she first laid eyes upon him. "I suppose I should count my blessings that you came along to free me before I found myself in real trouble." Her eyes swept her surroundings and a shiver racked her body, what could have found her if he had not? The thought caused her to squeeze her eyes shut and turn from the unknown back to her rescuer. Her eyelids slowly lifted when she heard him speak her name, she liked the way it sounded in his voice. It was a voice that spoke of power as well as pain, he was something she hadn't ever encountered before. She cocked her head as he introduced himself. "Becoming? I wonder how so? I quite like the name." She felt her cheeks heating as he called her pretty, never before had she heard someone aside from her family members call her pretty. "Truthfully, my brother wanted me to come here so he could prove to me how helpless I am on my own. It is kind of a joke we have had going since we were young, he just wants me to push myself." Stepping a little closer to him, to create a more appropriate space between them she smiled. "This place is frightening at first, but I imagine it has some beauty to it, be it dark or light. I believe the same when speaking of others as well." A soft laugh emanated from her maw at the mention of her scent. "Do I? I haven't ever noticed. I am glad then, it would have been a very different story had you not found me."  

[[+Katch+]]

Nightmare made a small chuckling sound, though it sounded weird coming from him. “Indeed...well i am glad i found you...." He looked around, while he was certainly used to the darkness he also knew there were things that lurked in the darkness other than himself. And they certainly weren't as nice. He blinked and looked back down at her as she started to speak. " Your brother...thought this would be a good idea?" a tinge of anger laced his voice " joke or not...it is nowhere easy for a lady, or anybeast for that matter...to tred" He huffed a bit, a curl of green mist escaping from his lips " just...as you said, it is a good thing it was i who found you...i understand wanting to prove yourself..." he flicked a ear, finding it easier to talk to her now, his normal awkwardness melting as he felt comfortable, as if with a friend. " heh....and yesssss...i suspect it is from your necklace of vanilla beans and the bloom in your hair...that's quite nice..." he shuffled a hoof over a wet leaf, wincing a little when it hissed a lot louder than he thought it would. " Excuse me...but we should go elsewhere, the woods at this time...aren't a decent place to get acquainted...i have a place...well, i have a garden...of sorts...if you'd like to follow...?" he allowed the flames of his hooves to lick up further, lighting the area in a firefly green glow.  

[[+Katch+]]

"He will certainly get an earful from me, if our father doesn't get to him first." She watched as a puff of green hued mist danced from his lips, twisting and swirling as it floated upon the air and finally disappeared. There was a sort of magical beauty to the way it danced away and vanished into the darkness. "I wouldn't have wanted it any other way." She found herself saying before actually thinking on the words, where did that come from? Shaking her head she cleared her throat and lifted her chin but couldn't help looking down at her necklace as he mentioned the vine that wound around her neck. Often when looking in the waters around her home she found herself gazing at the flower tied in her hair. It was a piece of her noble father that she wouldn't trade for anything, a sign of beauty and purity as he always stated. "That would make sense; I thank you for complementing it." She bowed her head gracefully as she had been taught by her grandfather. The hiss caused her to jump ever so slightly but laugh none the less. "Forgive me, I wasn't expecting that." She smiled tenderly. "A garden? I would love to accompany you."  

[[+Katch+]]

" Oh?...it sounds like your father is a strong stallion then, to deal with such a mischievous brother..." He smiled and flicked an ear, a little embarrassed and glad for the helm that hid his face, for his cheeks would certainly be a couple shades of red by now! “you’re very welcome...miss Lumriel...and i apologize..." he paused a second and then flicked his tail " for the hiss...it is hard for me to work around my...speech sometimes...it is the fangs i believe..." he glanced at her, his eyes bright in the darkness " i hope my appearance...does not bother you, sometimes...when i find folk like you here, they run." He started forward, back up the hill he had come down, beckoning her to follow " yes, a garden...my pumpkin patch really..." a bright expression lit his face and he turned to glance at her as he walked forward, having no reason to be worried about his footing, as he knew every inch of these woods by now. " Do you like gardens miss Lumriel?"  

[[+Katch+]]

A gleam lit in her eyes as her father came into the conversation. "My entire family is strong, my father used to fight Kalonas and Skinwalkers but now my mother won't let him for fear of harm coming his way." She looked off into the distance as the image of her mother and father, looking at each other with an undying love, painted her thoughts. "They have their hands full with my brother but we all know he will grow into an honorable stallion worthy of many things. His courage is only the beginning." She said quietly. "Oh no, please don't apologize! I quite like the way you speak, I was commenting on the hiss your feet created upon the ground." She laughed nervously. "I'm not used to flaming hooves." Her smile faded slightly as he commented on his appearance, melting into a look of sincerity. "I don't mind your appearance at all Night. In fact, I think it beautiful in an unusual way. I haven't come across another like you, you are unique." As he began walking up the hill she followed, setting each foot down tentatively, hoping she doesn't fall or get her foot caught once more. When she looked up after he spoke she realized she had come quite close to him while walking, her shoulder mere inches from his side. She hadn't felt comfortable with someone this quickly, she was confused why she felt so at ease with this odd stallion whom she had just come to meet. "Pumpkin?" She repeated with a smile. "I have never heard of such a thing, though, I do like the sound of them." She faltered a moment after stepping on a loose rock but she caught herself with ease. "I love gardens, plants always fascinate me." She laughed quietly in memory. "My grandfather says I am like a delicate blossom."  

[[+Katch+]]

Nightmare smiled a little as she talked about her father, her stubborn brother and the love of her mother. " still...it must be nice to have a family" he murmured, picking his way through the trees and making sure she was following right along, not wanting her to find herself victim to another vicious root. He flicked an ear back so he could hear her clearly " o-oh...i did not realize..." he gave a half hearted chuckle " flaming hooves...indeed...sometimes i have to get used to them, and i have lived this way my entire...life...if you may call it that." He came to a part in the trees and made sure she was beside him to continue, not wanting either of them to be caught unawares in the open. He flushed yet again, not being used to females or compliments; it was a double whammy to his normally sheltered self conscience. " Er...thank...you..." he sputtered, trying to sound a little less like a lovestruck foal. " i have been told there aren't others like me, in the outside world...i've never been out myself, to see." He too, had realized they had become rather close, but in this environment, he reasoned, it was a good thing to stick together. He made his way towards what looked like a gated cemetery for two leggers, the door to the thing having long broken off. " Yes" he said, amused " a pumpkin...it is a type of gourd fruit...not sweet, more like a squishy nut..." he chuckled " hard to describe really, but you'll see." He whickered softly “well your grandfather seems like a sensible fellow...as you are indeed that." he glanced at flickering shadows in the treetops, crows, cranky that he had brought a guest. He gave them a glare and a few, too cowardly to deal with the fear he emanated, took off. " Here we are..." he said, coming to the gate, watch your feet..." he warned, as there were rocks and bits of gate still strewn about the entrance. He turned his head and motioned with a hoof at a large area of the graveyard covered in a very large viney sort of plant, and peeking out between the large leaves of the thing were bright orange pumpkins, each the size of a basket, sometimes bigger. “There they are, see? Those orange things there..."  

[[+Katch+]]

"Do you have a family?" She found herself asking before really thinking about the situation, perhaps he commented in such a manner because he didn't have one. She instantly hoped she hadn't managed to hit a soft spot within this kind stallion. The last thing she wanted to do was to make him sad, she liked seeing him smile, it brought a warmth to her heart. As he spoke of his hooves she looked down at them, admiring their beauty yet at the same time questioning them. "Do they hurt you?" She enquired in a near whisper. Whenever she thought of another in pain tears would p***k her eyes, she was sensitive to things like that though she didn't know why. Her grandmother always told her that was why she had been labeled the maiden in the family. She caught the influx in his voice as the word life arose; this was a matter she would not press, not unless he wanted her to know. "What keeps you from going out Night? I'm sure you would enjoy the sights if you took a walk even just a short way from here." Her attention was momentarily diverted as they approached a sight she hadn't ever seen before. Though her father had told her about those who walked upon two legs she never really took it under consideration. Trotting a bit she stopped when she was abreast with him, trying not to show her nerves concerning the unfamiliar sight. She attempted to take her mind from her unease by listening to him describe to her what a pumpkin was. "D-do you eat them?" She asked, shaking off her nerves once they passed beneath the structure. "Well, I haven't tripped yet." She giggled. As her gaze followed his point she took note of the orange spheres hidden beneath the foliage, though the graveyard was dark and desolate the brightly colored pumpkins seemed to add some life. She took a few steps forward and paused, looking over her shoulder as if asking if she may get closer to one of the pumpkins, she didn't want to intrude after all. "They are quite colorful, beautiful."