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 Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2010 3:51 am
Meeting Grencia was one of those memories so fresh in her mind, that she could remember it like it happened yesterday - if she hadn't met him, none of the other important events in her life could have happened. Meeting her mentor, Ambroise, for example; he possessed what Yei had described as a personality akin to a 'plank of wood' and often pushed her to her limits and beyond in training. She often hated the stallion as a filly, very much a child's reaction to a harsh teacher; now that she was older, she saw the harsh training as a way to "make up" for lost time. Unlike the other Soquili going through training, she wasn't born and raised in the herd, after all. She frowned lightly, sure there were herd secrets not taught to her because of this very reason...
Tripping over a tree root, Brioso stumbled forward as she tried to keep her balance, snapping her out of her thoughts. Her frown deepened as she halted and surveyed her surroundings. Having been deep in her thoughts, she did not pay attention to where she was going and had ended up in unfamiliar territory... She was sure she was still near Islagiatt territories since she couldn't have strayed too far away, but where exactly...? It was getting late; amber colored sky was visible from the spaces between the leaves, indicating that the sun was setting.
Ugh, she better not get into trouble for this...
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Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2010 10:13 am
His life had been one of humble and modest existence following his encounter with his grandsons. The instant in which the chaotic spirit had fled his body, taking most of his fury with it had born both discontent and complete and utter relief. To be free once more was positively glorious, but; to be on the brink of death, vulnerable and to be defeated had not been something he had appreciated. It hadn't sat with him well and nor had the immediate events that had occured after it. He would have been quite content to drift off into the depths of hell and yet the intervention of a young mare had prevented that.
Ironically, he'd had to repent for his sins.
Sort of.
It hadn't been terribly successful as the stallion had regretted nothing and when most declared he was at fault, he could firmly remind them that he had not been in absolute control. While his meglomaniac tendencies had subsided just a touch the ego was still there and a strength bolstered by age and experience had ensured he was just as problematic and infuriating as ever. Well, one might say this wasn't quite accurate for the stallion was no longer one to seek out and conquer, he had selected his pastures, adopted his consort as he saw fit (she didn't really have a choice) and had lived a surprisingly quiet existence despite being within such close range of Islagiatt.
Alas if there was one thing that the mighty stallion still possessed it was a very low tolerance for stupidity of any kind - it was enough to send him storming off in the opposite direction to avoid conflict. Arrogance and childish naivity were worse still; but, there was nothing mroe dangerous that a determined 'hero'. The archetypal archnemesis, the antagonist of all things 'good' this decidedly neutral soquili was inclined to provide them with ample home truths. There was no such thing as 'heroes' and risking your life for the sake of a name was utterly ridiculous, after all, no one would remember you if you died anyway.
Memories? Memories faded...
Alas he was not the most territorial of creatures and provided the soquili remained largely undisturbed he refrained from interrupting any individual that might drift within close proximity. That being said, there were occasions when certain creatures felt the need to investigate and should they do that, who and what he was would become evident very quickly.
Given this particular mare had been taught by Islagiatt his physical description would have come up at least once. No doubt his strengths and weaponry would have been discussed by those who had encountered him. However one question still remained, was his head still wanted for a price or had he become exactly what the heroes aspired to be? Had he become a name in the history books, later to be shadowed and obscured by the next 'villain' to disrupt the peace...?
Frankly he didn't care, that required effort.
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Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 12:51 pm
She had no idea how she managed to miss the stallion standing just a short distance away - he was hard to miss, after all! While she wasn't exactly the best example of an average-sized mare, she was sure that if they were standing side by side, he would be towering over her... She frowned at the thought, throwing the stranger a wary glance before deciding to just observe the stranger. His sheer size was already an intimidating trait, but there was something else about him that frightened her - his presence, perhaps?
Her frown only deepened when she realized that he had already noticed her. Seeing that he wasn't doing anything, she took a cautious step forward, fueled more by curiosity than anything - she had never seen the stallion around before despite having stayed in Islagiatt for a prolonged period of time... Although she had heard others speaking of someone fitting his description when she first arrived. Personally, at that time, she had always thought that it was just another story to scare foals from straying too far away from herd territories.
She halted, wondering if she should just turn tail; being lost and getting reprimanded will surely be the better option when compared to making contact with a supposedly - potentially - dangerous being! However, she couldn't help but stare at the stranger; what exactly did he do for others to describe him like a monster?
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Posted: Sat Sep 04, 2010 12:40 am
A child, it was a conclusion that was drawn almost instantly. Her behaviour spoke volumes about her state of mind and his gaze swivelled towards her with a little more interest. It would have been impossible to discern what he was looking at, his eyes glowed with such an intensity that it obscured his pupils but anyone with some form of instinct would know - he was looking right at her. As of yet he had chosen to remain where he was, assessing the little filly, scarcely out of foalhood, who had chosen to grace his lands. Admittedly he didn't have extensive lands in this region, or at least not anymore but the fact still remained that they were his.
...How peculiar.
Nevertheless he had experienced much more unusual moments in his life and a curious mare was not so much an oddity as an amusement. Had he not already selected a consort he would have pondered over the opportunity to acquire another conquest. It was a fine thing in life to have one you could trust absolutely, one that granted you great strength, but to this day he still found it incredibly disturbing that his selected consort was capable of getting under his skin. Suffice to say he was not a male that dealt with being a subordinate well and while he exercised his rights to be the dominant one in his relationship with Anemone, it still wasn't enough.
She had satiated his hunger, quelled his rage and 'domesticated' him to a degree but she could never truly change his nature. He was a hunter in a manner of speaking, one who sought knowledge and power. Superiority over other soquili was key to his existence and while he had been thwarted once by his grandchildren (a miscalculation on his part) he had lived and learned. This placed the mare in a most precarious position, at the mercy of a stallion who was at this present moment in time, seriously considering what he should do with her.
Should he play with her, chase her off or ignore her?
Chasing her off would be terribly boring and cowardly unless it was done in the right way. Ignoring her was no better than scaring her off and toying with her? Well toying certainly required a level of effort that he often reserved for his mate, he couldn't guarantee that his techniques would be as well practised anymore. Of course, he also had to consider the reason for the mares unbridled curiosity - perhaps he could play that to his advantage. There were so many variables that he could do nothing more than take a calculated risk; in short, he opted to start with the basics and work his way through them as he unravelled the nature of the one that stood before him.
"Hesitation is a sign of cowardice where I come from," he spoke softly, his tenored voice purring in his throat.
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Posted: Sat Sep 04, 2010 11:14 am
He spoke! She hid her surprise fairly well, raising an eyebrow at his comment.
"To me, hesitation just means that I'm not rushing into things," She almost added 'again', but stopped herself just in time. She then paused, frowning lightly, unable to come up with a wittier reply. While she had long grown out of the theory 'if I can't see him, he can't see me', in situations like this, she couldn't help but wish that it was true... While he appeared amiable enough on the surface, Brioso couldn't help but recall all the rumors she had heard. She did notice that they became significantly less frequent as she transited into adulthood, but the fact of the matter was that they once existed and it bothered her enough for her to stay where she was instead of moving forward.
"Am I trespassing?" She added as an afterthought, wondering if anyone would claim land so close to Islagiatt; she had only ever met travelers in the land around the herd's territories, after all.
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Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 1:20 pm
"There is a difference between hesitation and sound judgement," Kiyoshi corrected the mare, a small yet darkened smile creeping onto his lips. It was an unavoidable expression of satisfaction as the male positively revelled in being right. The sense of superiority was rather like a drug to him and suckered him in every time. If he had taken the time to perserve his mastery over his own emotions then he wouldn't have shown this, however, a few years in the presence of his consort had made him particularly rusty. Alas, he had no intention on becoming a master manipulator anymore. He had enjoyed his time in the sun but now he preferred more indirect routes to success - now he waited patiently for the moment in which his consort bore him children and he could teach them. He would guide them from the shadows and reveal to the world what true power was - some might have said it was a rather ambitious goal considering his previous successes but unlike many he truly did learn from experience!
"Hesitation reveals a level of uncertainty," he pointed out softly and tilted his head to one side. The ethereal tendrils that often rippled about his waist seemed to take on a life of their own, coiling and seeping about his legs and slowly across the tips of the grass that lay at his hooves. It was slow progress, but every now and then a flicker on teal, ghostly light could be seen weaving through the long blades towards the mare. He of course hadn't moved a muscle with the exception of his smile and few would have realised that he had completely control over the wisps. It was a technique of course, she'd already revealed her uncertainty and now he wanted to test her resolve. How much more would she hesitate before she bolted? He had yet to grow irritated by her attempted quips, her mouth hadn't been smart enough for that just yet.
"Sound judgement is merely a decision to halt your progress while you assess your circumstances," he continued. He refrained from explaining this further, he was no tutor and would certainly not educate her in that respect. No, his intentions were decidedly less pleasant - he wanted to see her quiver, hesitate and more importantly he wanted to see her doubt. In short, he had come to a decision on how best he wished to handle his visitor and inthe absence of his consort it was most unpleasant. She was an experiment, she was a subject to be used to gauge how rusty he really was. By the end of it he would be able to tell what he was lacking or he would completely crush her... either would be fine, he wasn't against educational experiences.
"However I will confirm you are trespassing," he agreed with a lift of his own brow.
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Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 6:01 am
"Hesitation can sometimes help make a better decision, although I understand that doing something without hesitation is often the better approach since it'll probably reap better results," The mare replied, the tone of her voice suggesting that it was spoken in the context of her own life. With her tendency to rush blindly into all sorts of situations without accessing it first, any hesitation gets her to actually slow down and think before doing anything - sure, this means that she's either too hot-headed or too hesitant at any one point in time, but there would be plenty of time to work on that in the future... There are plenty of other things to worry about first.
For example, how the stallion was starting to make her uncomfortable.
While she wasn't the smartest around, it didn't feel good to be talked to in that manner despite their difference in age - or rather, she assumed that he is rather old, judging from his appearance and demeanor. She couldn't help but feel like he was talking down to her, testing her... But for what? Could it just be her imagination?
"Ah, I apologize for that, I had somehow made a wrong turn on my way back to Islagiatt..." She muttered sheepishly, bowing her head before frowning, realizing that she did not introduce herself, "I am Brioso... May I know on whose land am I trespassing on?" It was interesting to note how her speech changes depending on who she is speaking to - right now, she is trying her best to sound like an adult in the presence of an intimidating stallion, although she was starting to find it difficult to keep up with him.
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Posted: Sat Sep 18, 2010 1:55 pm
"It is just as well you are no knight," he spoke at last, his expression decidedly unimpressed. She had no grasp on what hesitation and consideration were, nor their differences. However if she chose to argue this point with him then he would let her wallow in her own ignorance. He was not a walking dictionary and the only children he would educate were those he chose to sire with his consort - they would want for nothing and they certainly wouldn't be stupid! Nevertheless he wasn't finished with degrading this mare that stood before him at the moment and unfortunately, she was in for a rough ride.
"You would make a pathetic example," he pointed out darkly. His brow lifted and he tilted his head to one side. All the while the peculiar tendrils crept through the grass, seeping towards the mare who as yet hadn't budged - he would give her that. She either had some courage or she just lacked the observation to notice they were there!
"A mare who has no true understanding of the language she speaks, nor the definition of the words she chooses to use," he mused wrily, postively daring her to object. "Perhaps you are not at fault for this, perhaps your parents failed to provide you with a satisfactory level of education - even a foreigner such as I has a much greater grasp of your tongue," he continued. He wasn't an individual who cleared his throat, it often portrayed hesitancy or uncertainty and as a consequence he refrained from doing so.
...Besides, his throat was rarely dry.
"As to who I am - perhaps I should introduce myself, hm? After all, it would only be polite and one must set an example when he can," he chuckled and paused once more for affect. It was then that he took note of the 'Islagiatt' and filed it for future use. "I am known as Kiyoshi Yukio."
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Posted: Thu Sep 30, 2010 10:58 am
"I-I-" The mare quickly closed her mouth as she stared at the stallion, feeling too angry and upset to form any coherent sentences. While she was angry at his comment on how she would fail as a knight, she knew that she was in no position to argue back - her training was incomplete, and she knew that she was far from anything near the 'knight' in her childhood dreams. What really transformed some of that anger to hurt, was the mention of her parents. She had left them at a young age, and as a foal, had often suffered from homesickness although she made a point never to cry or make a fuss over it...
How would that help except to make her feel worse anyway? Besides, its not like she had ever regretted her decision to leave.
"I had never claimed to be a knight," She begun when she finally felt calmer, "But its true that I am training hard for that purpose... Although since I am trespassing, perhaps I should go." She bowed her head, noticing that the bright blue stuff were closer to her now than before, although that discovery was not reflected on her face; she just wanted to get away from the stallion as fast as possible... Running a million laps is still better than this.
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Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2010 8:55 am
"Training hard for the purpose," he drawled before releasing a dark chuckle. If she were training hard for the purpose then he was a genuine saint! The mare was a coward and he could practically smell it, perhaps it was the youth and lack of worldly experience but she practically quivered. She was an idealist, or so it appeared - that being said everyone was an idealist when it came to Kiyoshi's definition. They had very set views on the world and unrealist methods of achieving them, whether it be through their own stupidity or being fed ridiculous lines by friends, family or storytellers. She was one of these sorts, she aspired to be a noble knight and yet she was practically chomping at the bit to escape from him. So what did this make him? He wasn't being violent or intimidating at all, on the contrary he hadn't moved a muscle and remained in the same spot he had been when she first appeared.
"Your aspirations will be met with misery, you practically quiver at the sight of me," he pointed out drily and shook his head. He could list her many other flaws, the ease in which he could provoke her being one of them, but this was felt to be the better direction. "A creature who hasn't even moved from his starting position, has bridged no gaps or posed no threat," he pointed out delicately. His lips pursed as he allowed these thoughts to settle into the mare's mind. Once he was certain that they had stuck he chose to continue with his point and opened his mouth to speak again, "How can you possibly be a knight if you run at the SIGHT of something, if you cannot face that which you seem so frightened of you haven't a chance," he said.
"If you quiver at the sight of me, then how do you anticipate you will deal with a genuinely vicious creature?" he enquired. A master of manipulation and mind games, he continued to remain in place and instead cast doubts into the mare's mind. His duty was to provoke, to instill doubt, to make her question and then to ultimately crush her. It could be a long or short process depending on the individual that was subjected to his methods, some took longer to break than others. "If you wish to run then you are more than welcome too, but I would sincerely doubt your capabilities as a knight and would be so kind as to pass my regards on to your tutors as a result," he lifted a brow in quiet challenge.
"After all, it is my public duty to communicate my concerns to your instructors in reference to your abilities. You may end up more of a hinderance than a help if you are so skittish, no?"
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Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2010 8:16 pm
She didn't want to admit that over half of what he said was right, but she knew that he was - and it made her feel worse than before. Not everyone was born a "winner"; some were born males. To many, that was already half the battle won - after all, females tend to grow up less bulky and muscular than males even if they trained the same way and ate the same things. Not to mention most males don't even take females seriously... There were also those born as mutants - stronger, faster than the average Soquili.
She was trying her best - maybe that's what made his comments so painful. She had never thought of herself as a coward, although she was not the bravest out there... Her hoofs dug into the earth as she tried very hard not to do anything she might regret later; not acting out when angered is a virtue after all, right? Still, despite her training, she was still Brioso - part of the brash, idealistic filly was still in her - and she could feel her anger bubbling to the surface.
"You seem to be awfully judgmental towards someone you had met only once, mister," She replied, obviously rattled, "I'll be sure to convey the message - I'm sure he'll use it to help me improve." She turned to walk away, breathing a little heavily.
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Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 3:30 am
"You train within Islagiatt and yet you are not family," Kiyoshi cut over her retort and shook his head. He schooled his features into an expression of pity, though deep down he was thoroughly amused htat she had finally crumbled. He could see cracks in her armour, an uncertainty and more importantly - an awareness that he was right. There was certainly an element of satisfaction at this result. However, it was lacking in some elements and now that he was on a roll he wasn't about to let her go quite so easily. Unfortunately for Brioso, he was going to finish his game before she left, whether she liked it or not.
...Admittedly, he would accept an intermission, but he would seek to complete his game at a later date if this was the case.
"Do you honestly believe that they will train you further?" he enquired with a raised brow. His tone of voice belied that he knew far moe than she realised. He knew of their ways, their procedures and policies. He knew their view on the lowlands and what they concerned to be necessary information and unnecessary. He had long ago been made aware of the fact that only family were instructed in all their combatative secrets - he would have hazarded a guess that she had reached the point and they would teach her no further.
"I know of Islgiatt's ways. I have observed them for longer than you have walked this earth," he pointed out softly, his voice rippling with a provocative chuckle. "They do not instruct a stranger, you will never be privvy to the secrets necessary to silence your foes in as absolute a manner as you wish," he continued. His head tilted, his lips puckered and he gave a small mewl as if he were pitying the mare before opting to continue.
"Such a shame you do not strive to prove yourself, lest they might reconsider. Alas, one such as yourself stands little chance of impressing her elders in that respect. Although I will comment you at your attempts towards a dignified retreat..." he mused, silencing a chuckle before it potentially ruined the facade he now toyed with.
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Posted: Thu Nov 25, 2010 8:17 am
Another valid point - she knew she wasn't 'family', but everyone had treated her well... From the Alpha to her mate, and later their son her mentor... Sure, things weren't a bed of roses, but not one day did she not see the mountain as a sort of second home. When she was a foal, she did think that they would train her like one of their own, but as she aged, she knew that it was not the case. There were secrets, secrets they keep to themselves - secrets they would never share with an 'outsider' like her... She was not a true Islagiatt member, probably a 'long-term' guest at best.
After all, it was a 'second home'. Eventually, she would have to return to the lowlands where her family is... Of course, she does miss them and all, but not being able to be a 'real' part of Islagiatt was something Brioso was sure she would regret in the future.
If she had a weaker resolve, she would be in tears by now - however, while she did feel like crying, her pride prevented her from doing that. Instead, the mare did something she was sure her mentor would berate her for - it fact, she even considered that it might become another thing to regret in the future. However, she had never felt quite as offended and hurt before... To add insult to injury, a stranger was the source of her pain and anger.
It was too much for her to bear, and for the first time, she felt her body move before her mind could. Before she knew it, she was charging for the stallion, nothing but rage and pride propelling her towards the large, intimidating mutant, "You... You have to right to talk like you know me. Strive to prove myself? Were you there? Were you there when I trained so hard to catch up to those who started before me? Who were born into the herd with the privileges of being members?"
She clenched her teeth after she practically screamed at the male; those who knew her probably wouldn't recognize her now - nose flaring, eyes wide.
[Go ahead, treat her like the ragdoll she is. ;o;
If there's any permanent damage you wish to inflict... Well, as long as it doesn't involve mental retardness and serious 'limping like she only has three limbs' injuries, go ahead? My PMs are open if you wish to tell me what Kiyoshi intends to do. >.> If she's knocked hard in the head though, I suppose partial blindness will probably serve as the most lasting reminder of this day.]
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Posted: Tue Jan 25, 2011 9:33 am
She had cracked.
He hadn't crushed her spirit completely yet, but he had reached that point in which he had a decision. If he were to dodge her now then that would give her the ability to recover, to reconsider her stance and she may even regather her composure. If he were to allow her to 'hit' him, then she would be further provoked and would seal her own fate. Given his current goals he would sooner encourage the recklessness so that he might shatter any allusions, confidence or opinions she might have had in relation to her own prowess. Suffice to say, she may have been trained well, but she hadn't been trained enough - she still had a number of years of practice and experience to go before she could officially call herself ready.
His decision made, he held his ground as the young mare launched towards him. His hind legs braced and he waited for the correct moment, it was a few seconds before it occured. However, no sooner had she broached the gap between herself and him than he had lowered his head and tilted it to the side to expose his horns. No more than half a second later the stallion thrust his head to the side in a sweep, his main aim to knock her to the side and to pierce the tender flesh on her shoulders and neck upon impact. The damage would be cosmetic for the most part as he hadn't completely warmed up to the prospect of mauling another alive and besides, he wasn't entirely certain how far he wanted to take this just yet.
Full mauling, or only partial?
He'd know the answer to this in a few minutes.
Nevertheless, the impact would be enough to make her stumble and given he had braced for the impact, his centre of balance remined undisturbed. He quickly recovered from his reply to her charge and released a sly chuckle, his brow lifting in contempt towards the mare. Suffice to say, she seemed terribly proud of her roots and of what she had been taught - perhaps it was time to open her eyes to reality.
"I was not there and nor did I need to be," he replied darkly and pursed his lips. "For it was I who tore your mentor asunder and threw him from the skies," he informed her in what could only be described as a smug manner. He refrained from admitting that during that fight he had also been torn to pieces, both he and Ambroise had fallen from the skies in those moments and be left a bit worse for wear. "Why would one such as I need to be present when I bore witness to these useless teachings and spurned them?" he snapped.
"Pitiful remarks and fury are meaningless. You seek respect for the work you have done? Demanding it is fruitless, when you demand respect then you do nothing more than beg for it - for that I pity you..." He hissed. It was then that he lapsed into silence, considered his own words and then chuckled as the realisation hit him - she had charged him, she had exercised no patience, was that herd not renowned for instilling patience in it's youth? It was the perfect jibe, though it remained to be seen how she would react to it.
"Frankly I do not blame your mentor for refusing to train you in whatever 'secrets' he professes to have - if you cannot inspire respect naturally then you do not deserve it."
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