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 Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2010 7:37 pm
 The change of seasons was fast approaching. The air had more bite to it and the leaves were turning spectacular shades of red, orange, yellow, and brown. Summer flowers gave way to hardier species and the sun retreated from the sky far earlier than it once had. Autumn was in full swing. Soon the cooler air would turn to frost, and then to snow. And yet, the forest clearing that Adoree and her family called home was still bustling with activity. Squirrels scurried in their haste to build up their winter cache, and birds began to migrate and some prepared to weather the bitter winter months.
Rafelle was off saving the world, Calavero was being- well, Calavero, her mother was reunited with her father, Don Juan, and Adoree was left with an aching void. It seemed everyone was happy, and she ought to be happy as a consequence. But really, when she looked at the world and where she was; the mare wasn’t happy with her place in it.
Something was missing.
Her dream of flight would never become a reality; her wings were far too frail and lacked the membranes necessary to create lift. So what was left? Travel. She wanted to see the world. Now that her mother was taken care of, she felt she could finally do so. So what if her mane would get a little mussed. That just meant she had an excuse not to care whether it was done up like she was always taught a lady ought to wear it.
The only issue was, she wanted a family as well. Somehow, in her mind those two things negated each other. Adoree thought she could only have one or the other. That was a decision she really didn’t want to make.
Since her father came back the mare’s relationship with her mother had become strained. It wasn’t that she hated Juan, the name she had come to start calling her father as of late, but she began to resent him. He hadn’t been around to help raise herself or her siblings and suddenly he thought he could just waltz back into her mother’s life and take up all of her time?
He had another think coming.
Adoree had, moments before, informed her mother that she was leaving. When would she be back? She didn’t know. Where would she go? She didn’t quite know that either. Would she, in fact, come back? Eventually.
This weighed heavily on her mind. She needed to leave, to spread her wings, and experience the world. Now, with her mask left at home as a token of her love to her mother she set off on her own. As the mare headed through the forest her mind began to reel at the prospect of being alone, truly alone, for the first time in her life. She wasn’t so certain she liked the feeling.
She traveled for nearly two hours before stopping at a small creek for a drink. She had never been quite this deep in the forest and she had no idea where she was. But, that really didn’t bother her, after all, that was all part of the adventure, right?
Adoree bent her head to drink, the cloak she wore slipped slightly and she readjusted it before continuing to drink. It was quieter in this part of the forest. It seemed so peaceful, so serene. After a few moments the mare raised her head and looked toward the sky. It was mid-afternoon so she would need to keep going for a while in order to find some place to sleep.
The mare began to walk once more.
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Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2010 2:13 am
It may have seemed quiet to the petite mare, but she had yet to be subject to the events that were unfolding beyond her gaze. A further mile or two into the forest, there existed a stallion who at this precise moment in time, was in a little bit of a pickle. This really would have come at no surprise to anyone if they had known his identity, for this particular hybrid was notorious for attracting trouble. It wasn't his intention of course; on the contrary, he would have preferred a much quieter and tranquil life. However, the fates had a way of turning their gaze upon him, smiling and then promptly throwing him a curve ball.
Suffice to say he never had a dull moment.
It was with an exasperated sigh that the tan male tilted her head up once more to regard his subject of interest. Blue eyes fixed firmly on the creature that was determined to be the thorn in his arse for as long as was physically possible (or so it would seem). This situation had spanned across a number of hours and no matter which approach he took, it simply worsened. He'd tried sympathy, diplomacy and regardless of his word choice the result was always the same - the creature insisted on being nuisance. Or more accurately, it insisted on being a doomsayer while placing blame on his shoulders. The unfortunate stallion hadn't done anything to provoke it either, he'd just been there.
...Perhaps that had been provocation enough?
Bloody raccoon.
Shifting his weight from his left hoof to his right, the stallion heaved a sigh. His wings were already stiff from the stress, partially numb in the more extreme regions and he didn't see any signs of escape any time soon. Even his head wings were quivering through impatience! It was rare that the stallion could become quite so worked up but his patience was truly being tested today and every button that could be pressed, had been pressed. If he hadn't been raised in such a particular manner he probably would have strung the accursed creature up hours ago.
"THERE IS NO HOPE!" It yelled, waving it's little paws in the air in what could only be described as a flailing motion. "THE WORLD WILL BE DEVOURED HAUL, TURNED BLACK BY THEIR CORRUPTION!" it continued. It looked pointedly at Solstice as though he were such a source of corruption; by now, quite a number of forest creatures had gathered and were proving to be the perfect audience for the very vocal and opinionated raccoon.
"Can't you see, there's one now!" it pointed towards Sol, who promptly raised a brow. He couldn't stop it, by the time his head had caught the motion it was too late and the facial expression was already set. "The stench, it covers him!"
He started to count to ten.
"He is the beginning of their -"
He got to six.
"That's quite enough!" he snapped at last, his teeth grinding against one another as he bit back how he truly regarded the creature. He had no idea that humans regarded them as vermin, probably never would, but if he had known he would have agreed wholeheartedly that this creature was the definition of 'vermin'. This was saying something considering that the stallion had been subject to many bizarre and even dangerous encounters with foes that were far worse than this. "You are scaring the children and the lies you spout are of a great affront."
"There is no hope!" Obviously the raccoon had chosen to ignore him and it was with a deep breath that the large stallion finally lost his temper.
It was not to be one of his finest or most intelligent moments in life, as he readied himself and then rammed the tree trunk. The intention was to dislodge the raccoon from it's perch which worked spectacularly well - unfortunately, the tree did not appreciate the impact and his head was of the same opinion. 'Ouch' didn't quite cover how it felt and nor was he capable of stringing a coherent sentence together as he now stared down at the raccoon and it stared back up in surprise. He opened his mouth to speak, the raccoon darted away before he could even say a single syllable.
Then again it was highly unlikely he would have been capable of such a thing right now and he did have to wonder if this was what 'concussion' was. Regardless of the definition of his injury, he was going to feel it for a very long time and most likely into the morning. It should have come at no surprise that the stallion swayed precariously, his balance severely hindered by the immediate impact. Alas, it may not have been his finest moment and his head might have hurt but he couldn't stand about in a daze all day...it just wouldn't be an efficient use of his time.
But of course, walking while he could barely stand was bound to be intelligent, right?
He could be thankful for small favours, at least Fran wasn't here to roar with laughter at his predicament, eh?
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Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 6:39 pm
Adoree stopped mid-step hearing a great hullabaloo coming from somewhere to her left. Her ears flicked toward the source of the sound and she wrinkled her nose slightly in exasperation. Her mother had told her of obnoxious, loud, soothsayers and she assumed this must be just another of that sort. The mare continued walking, and ask the screaming escalated she turned her head to better hear what, exactly, was going on, her legs still carrying her forward.
She had always been told as a filly to pay attention to where she was going, but this ruckus was far too interesting to warrant heeding that advice.
The petite mare all but rammed into not a tree, or a shrub, or rock like one would expect but a moving, breathing, living someone!
Not her brightest moment, clearly.
“Oh!” She gasped. “I’m so sorry, sir.” Adoree took a few quick steps backward, her cheeks tinted in embarrassment. She took a moment to look at the stallion. His ornate adornments offset his mocha pelt marvelously. She noticed his pale blue eyes.
Their unique colour caught her attention even more rapidly had then the raccoon. “Are you alright?” She asked, noting his slight unsteadiness. The mare tilted her head in a questioning fashion. She dearly hoped she hadn’t caused him any injury. The flutter was far too wrapped up in the notion of having hurt the stallion to stop to think that she could not have possibly have caused the trauma.
Her mind whirred with different remedies should he have become concussed. But what if he didn’t want her help? Well, then she’d respect his wishes. But then, if he went to sleep and died of some brain injury? The possibilities all were too horrible to fathom.
But, perhaps he was alright?
He could very well be, and if that was the case there hadn’t been too much harm done, had there?
The mare’s lace-like wings fluttered nervously under her cape, concern evident on her face. Her merlot coloured eyes scanned him for any outward signs to trauma, a cut, a gash, blood- anything that might tell her she had not caused his injury. She noted no leaf-litter or dirt on his pelt or trappings, so he hadn’t fallen. There wasn’t any blood, as far as she could ascertain.
Suppose he had run into something just as she had? What if he was cross with her for running into him? Or if he wished to do her harm? Could she outrun him? Outsmart him?
All of these things were considered in span of a few seconds.
Moments, really.
Suddenly, Adoree realized that maybe, just maybe, traveling alone wasn’t the best of ideas.
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Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 1:15 am
It was a given that he would bump into someone in this condition - he could scarcely walk straight so it was up to the other creatures to dodge the staggering stallion as best they could. If they should find themselves in a distracted daze then they were in dire straights indeed. If neither he nor the individual in question had the awareness to dodge the other then a collision was inevitable - unfortunately, the little flutter found herself in this predicament and unfortunately, bumped right into him. For all her worry though, she really needed none, it took him all the time she was worrying over her own thoughts to figure out what had happened.
Azure eyes gave a rapid blink as she spoke, focusing slowly on the obstacle that lay before them. She definitely wasn't a tree, he could discern that one from here, but she was no tall mistress either. On the contrary, she was suitably squishy and significantly smaller than most mares he was accutomed to (Usdia excluded of course). Given his current condition he didn't notice the lace wings, then again, they were covered by the delicate shawl and alas, if he couldn't focus on her what were the chances of taking note of a spindled wing?
...Slim to none, that's what.
He squinted, focusing as best he could on her mouth, but struggled to translate whatever she happened to be saying. A part of him knew she was speaking Kawani, her accent may have been there but the language shouldn't have been an issue. The mare should have been making perfect sense, but unfortunately he just couldn't register whatever it was she was saying - good grief was he truly that bad?
Had he been human some might have assumed he was drunk but for the time being he merely stared, waiting for his vision to clear and his ears to stop ringing. A minute or so of uncomfortable silence followed as hybrid and flutter regarded one another, with the male apparently inclined not to grace her with any form of response. He had manners of course, but with such a heavy tongue as he seemed to possess at this moment in time, it was difficult to express them.
He swallowed.
Then did it again.
Eventually he managed to feel a faint tingling in his mouth and despite the vertico sensation still rippling through his limbs he could, at the very least, string a response together. "I - I am fine, I assure you," he said at last in a higher tone than normal. Clearly dazed, almost whimsically so, one might have said he was in a world of his own and frankly he wouldn't have argued that point at this precise moment in time. "I urge you not to take offence, but you're too small and squishy to make a dent," he observed as a drunken smile crept onto his lips.
"But I must say," he lifted a brow, casting a doubtful look at himself. "Ramming a tree with your head isn't the smartest thing you can do," he confessed. He shook his head, then promptly winced as he felt the throbbing across his temples. "Was that your raccoon? Terribly sorry, we had a mild disagreement and well - he's not there anymore?"
"As I said, very sorry, did not set out to cause offence..." he lowered his brow again and squinted as he lost focus, keeping his gaze firmly on the little mare. "You know you're very small," he observed and cleared his throat. "You are small aren't you? I haven't hit my head so hard that my depth perception is completely shot too, have I?"
"That'd be quite bad," he mused, moreso to himself than anyone in particular.
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Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 3:46 pm
The mare waited patiently for the stranger to speak. After all, if he were dangerous he would not have presented himself in such a fashion. Would he? Most likely not. The stallion seemed to be trying to clear his head. This she could easily ascertain. At his reassurances of just how ‘alright’ he was Adoree did her best to not raise her eyebrows.
‘You most certainly don’t look alright.” She thought, allowing a counterintuitive smile to grace her lips.
“Well, that is most certainly good to hear.” The mare replied, nodding her head. ‘Squishy? Have I gotten fat?’ She thought, hoping she hadn’t let the pounds slowly creep up. She had a sweet tooth like her mother and had indulged recently but had been sure to counter her indulgences with a good, brisk lope each and every time.
She listened to him continue. ‘Tree? Raccoon?’ None of this was making sense.
Adoree thought it prudent to seek clarification, on the latter pretense at least. She wouldn’t want to make him feel stupid should he actually enjoy ramming himself into trees. After all, her Auntie Scarlet enjoyed odd things, this was perhaps just a little more violent of a pastime. “No, I don’t have a raccoon.” She answered.
The stallion seemed to be having issues rationalizing. But, then again, perhaps this was normal mental functioning for him? She thought it best to ignore the faulty cognitive functioning for the time being.
“I’ve not taken offense, I assure you.” She offered a polite smile to bolster this statement. “And, yes, I am rather small for a mare…a flutter even. My mother was on the petite side of things and I didn’t inherit much from my father aside from colouring.” She had begun to ramble.
This was unusual for the mare, but even though he seemed out of sorts his eyes kept her completely enthralled. Their unusual hue and, admittedly, lovely shape held her attention. She always had liked looking at other creatures’ eyes. They were, in her opinion, the window to one’s soul. The mask she left behind, the mare believed, enhanced hers.
She tried to snap herself out of it and answer his last question.
“If you consider your ability to ascertain my stature any benchmark for your depth perception’s wellbeing, then, sir I do believe that it’s alright.” She told him.
Adoree couldn’t help thinking she was forgetting something. Something of great importance.
Ah yes!
“Where are my manners?” She asked, as more of a rhetorical question to herself than the stallion. “Forgive me for not introducing myself. I’m Adoree.” Her voice still held that slight French inflection that she had learnt from her mother. She gave a polite, equine curtsey.
The question began to nag at her again. She was tempted to ask. The mare tried often not to give in to temptation. However, if the results of her willpower bending were not grave, she usually did. This time was, of course, no exception.
“May I ask, if it isn’t too forward of me, just why you rammed yourself into a tree?”
There, now all she had to do was stand back and allow the encounter to unravel at her hooves, should it do so.
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Posted: Thu Nov 18, 2010 2:36 am
His features seemed to flood with relief as it became apparent that his depth perception hadn't been hindered by his reckless decision to smack headlong into a tree trunk. If his judgement was right in this then he could be safe to assume that he hadn't done lasting damage to his head. Admittedly, he would never try such a thing again and the lesson was well learned. A rough tree trunk was useful for assisting with an itch to the head, that much he knew well, but it was not to be used for headbutting - he was no deer and even then he was fairly certain they didn't ram the unfortunate plant either.
Unfortunately he still wasn't making a great deal of sense, his manners had been shot to pieces and he continued to stare for longer than was strictly necessary. In essence he was being rude, regardless of whether or not it was unintentional but on the plus side the petite little creature was a pleasant thing to look at. Alas, given he wasn't privvy to her concerns about weight gains there was no opportunity for him to apologise for this misstep - it would be another moment that he could confirm was not one of his finest.
...He was having a lot of those lately.
Manners still at a loss, the stallion tilted her head to one side and swivelled his ears at her query. Curiosity often bested him, he would have hazarded a guess that his bested him more regularly than the little mare's - that would be part of the reason he ended up in such trouble. Suffice to say, he sincerely doubted that the petite mare had ever got stuck in quick sand or nearly eaten alive by crazy tribal humans, it would have been most unfortunate if she had. However, he couldn't really put his hoof on why he had rammed the tree - for all his might he couldn't come up with what would be considered a sufficient reason. In the end, the tan male had little option than to be honest and his expression became somewhat dubious as he prepared his confession.
"I lost my temper," he replied wistfully and gave a lopsided smile. "The raccoon had been chittering away for hours," he heaved a woeful sigh. Clearly, the hybrid had been subject to prolonged abuse at the paws of the creature - how long wasn't something he could accurately estimate. "I didn't even do anything but it was insistant that I had - in the end I said to myself... 'Solstice, you really need to shut that furball up'," he paused briefly, his lopsided grin becoming even more boyish. It seemed the recollection of his own actions was a source of amusement to him, perhaps now he had figured out how silly it seemed.
"So I took a few steps back and then...rammed the tree," he continued. He winced, his eyes squinting again as a pulse of pain crept across his temples. "In hindsight I probably should have used my hooves," he confessed, but his tone was of one who was more amused than chastined. It was at this point that the 'drunken' stallion finally recalled her final question, though whether or not he rediscovered his own manners remained to be seen.
"I'm Solstice by the way," he cooed and peered more closely at the mare, his head lowering somewhat as though he was attempting to get a better view. "But you knew that already - hm... Yes, yes I think you did," he finished in a way that denoted he may have been holding an internal conversation at the same time.
"I did say that, didn't I?" he puzzled over this for a moment then shook his head. The action itself was something he regretted instantly and he winced even more. In those moments he unfurled his wings and promptly brought them to an angle that would force his head to stay in place, both wings cupping his cheeks and neck enough to still it. Admittedly he looked a tad ridiculous but it was better than losing his balance! "Fairly sure I did..."
"But yes, ramming trees is ill advised," he mused merrily. "Although I think the trees might do more damage to you," he squinted again and seemed to assess her. "You really are very tiny, did you know that? So small, s'quite adorable really."
Clearly he didn't note the irony in his words, given the very name she possessed!
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Posted: Thu Nov 25, 2010 6:04 pm
The mare nodded, listening politely to the stallion’s disjointed dialogue. Something about his manner of speaking interested her. Somewhere just beneath the haze of what was most assuredly a head injury seemed to be the glimmer of a very bright intellect. That, to her, was promising. She tried not to smile in amusement at his over-the-top antics to keep his head from hurting. She really did feel badly for him but the sight was rather comical.
“Adorable? Well, Solstice I thank you for the compliment.” She dipped her head. “I’m Adoree.” She was privy to the irony. The flutter smiled sweetly. “And yes, I am quite certain running headlong into trees is ill-advised. But I thank-you for reaffirming my suspicions.” She said, jokingly.
He had mentioned a rather boisterous raccoon, now hadn’t he? Well, the thing certainly didn’t belong to her.
“It wasn’t my raccoon.” The mare said simply. “Frankly, if the creature is as irksome as you say, I am not too certain I don’t blame you for such rash actions. Not too brilliant recourse though it was.” She remembered how annoying her Great Auntie Scarlet could be when she had had too much sugar. On occasion, she wished to just tell her to, ‘shut up’ so a nearly constant onslaught of chattering was something she couldn’t really imagine.
“Well, yes, I’m aware that I’m on the shorter side of things.” She offered him a sweet smile. “But I do believe you’ve said that.” The mare chuckled softly. “And from my perspective, sir, you are rather on the taller end of things. So I do believe we’re even in our juxtaposition.”
Part of her wondered why he seemed so focused on her stature. She knew, even for a flutter, that she was incredibly petite. No one she had met had been so interested before.
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Posted: Sat Nov 27, 2010 1:37 am
Even in his dazed state the irony wasn't lost on him and the stallion hazarded a wry smile. It was purely coincidence of course, he hadn't attempted to crack any jokes but sometimes life just had a way of working out in that manner. So her name was 'Adoree', ironic and appropriate all at the same time, he would have applauded her absent parents had he not required his wings to keep his head still.
At the very least, his vision was clearing much more rapidly and while his head still ached, the pain was no longer at an unbearable level. He certainly wouldn't be introducing himself to anymore trees for quite some time and didn't aspire towards a repeat performance of that particular method either. He blinked again at this, long lashes brushing against his cheeks briefly and then he simply closed his eyes, shielding them from immediate view as he regathered his composure. He counted softly, his lips parting as he echoed each digit under his breath and it was only when he was thoroughly satisfied that the world would no longer spin that he permitted himself to set his gaze on the tiny little thing in front of them.
"Well, you can blame my father for the height," he seemed more lucid in these moments and what had once been a high voice came down several octaves to a more masculine tone. "He was quite the beast," he provided further explanation and tentatively removed his wings from his head - it became clear that this was not a viable option for him though and he quickly replaced them, he needed the support for the time being. "One might say that both my sister and I inherited that trait, though my mother's delicate features ensured we were not quite so hm..." he pondered the most appropriate word, "Wild?"
He resisted the urge to shake his head at this point.
"I would certainly agree that faceplanting against a tree trunk is lacking in er - finesse? I'm sure there is an art to it somewhere, most likely mastered by Cerynei or Kalona but I have yet to converse with one for long enough and I can't say the topic has ever had reason to come up before," he admitted. His expression grew thoughtful at this and he mused over the relative distance between here and the most likely location of a Cerynei. Unsurpsingly, the stallion was more inclined to pursue the less deadly of the soquili first - why put himself in harms way when the more benevolent might have the answer!
"Ah - but where are my manners?"
...It was a rather valid question, even if rhetorical. If he'd had any manenrs he would have tidied himself up by now.
"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, though I suspect you would have cared for it to be on less peculiar terms, no?" he gave his wings a twitch to realign his head as it threatened to 'tilt' with his query. "I must confess that I am less than proficient in the norms, I have spent too much time in different lands that I often forget which set of rules applies to which -" he finished. It wasn't exactly an excuse but it was an explanation at the very least.
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Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 8:11 pm
His previous timbre was not unpleasant, but this new pitch was far better for him, she thought. It struck her ears far more suitably. It was somewhat warm and rich. She had remembered such a tone but where she couldn’t really say. Something seemed familiar.
Perhaps she really didn’t remember it, like she thought she might have?
“I was told my father was quite sizeable as well.” She assumed ‘beast’ merely meant large. A draught horse perhaps? Given his half-angeini traits she couldn’t fathom he had intended the word in a literal sense. The mare cringed inwardly as he removed his wings. She hoped he was doing better, but judging by how quickly he had replaced them, it didn’t seem to be the case. But then he used the term ‘wild’. Now she really wasn’t sure what to think, but inquiring after a perfect stranger’s family line was rather rude, was it not?
Again he moved the conversation back toward the tree incident she had witnessed only the latter half of. The mare offered a soft smile. “Well, I would hazard a guess and say that kalona and cerynei, indeed, would have an easier time given their horns and antlers. However, I wouldn’t be too keen on asking the previous for his or her opinion on the topic of ‘tree-butting’. “ The mare offered a slight, soft laugh.
Apparently in the means of self-preservation great minds think alike.
Manners? Adoree had assumed that the severe bump on the noggin had safely taken care of any manners the stallion might have had. But it was good to know that he had them! Most of the soquili she had meant were fairly mannerly, luckily enough for her. She hadn’t even met anyone who was truly mean spirited, except that one filly from her youth, but that was nothing compared to a hungry kalona she supposed.
He traveled? Well, this was a rather happy turn of events! He could be lonesome or just in need of some company. Would it be too forward to ask? Her mind began to hum, sorting and sifting through possibilities.
“I suppose so. But it is a pleasure to meet you too as well, odd circumstances aside.” She told him. “And your manners seem just fine to me.” She added. The mare didn’t know of any other customs than these but he was following them quite well aside from not introducing himself sooner, of course. But that had been easily forgiven under the circumstances.
“May I ask just where you are headed?” The mare tilted her head to one side slightly. It was a rather cute gesture. An unconscious one, but when she was a filly it would have most certainly have been adorable. Now, it made her seem inquisitive and rather endearing. Her lips curved into a soft smile, ears perked forward.
“Because, I was wondering,” She continued. “if you mightn’t fancy a bit of company.” She said.
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Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2011 3:42 am
He had met the charming sort before - the exotic beauties that he had encountered were a lasting reminder of how looks could be deceiving. He'd been young and foolish when he had first been introduced to such creatures and he had surely paid the price for it. He would never forget the day when he had nearly lost his life, or to be more accurate, when he had nearly lost his life twice through his own naivity. The stallion had re-educated himself quickly in relation to the subject matter and over the course of four months he had developed an 'immunity' to these pretty charms.
For any mare who intended to flirt it really did put a dampener on proceedings...Frankly, it was bound to cause him trouble at a later date from a personal perspective as well. Afterall, should the day ever come when he was particularly inclined towards a female then how was he to court her? His senses would be ever wary of the potential hazards of beautiful females and their penchant for eating him - diced up and boiled, from his observations.
Nevertheless, he could appreciate that the petite flutter did look particularly charming and hazarded a small smile in reply. Perhaps it was the curiosity that riddled her gaze, that glimmer of interest that was virtually impossible to feign. She was genuinely intrigued; or so he would assume.
Would he risk it?
Without Francesca he couldn't defer judgement to another female for a more accurate reading. Despite this, he opted to risk it, he was a grown stallion and he could accept the consequences of his decisions every now and then! His smile deepened at this, the various aspects of his mind in agreement as he returned his gaze to the mare. Unfortunately for Adoree, the beige stallion didn't actually have a terribly impressive answer.
"I have absolutely no idea where I'm going," he replied jovially and chuckled. "Wherever my interests should lead me," he added. Fearing that this required further explanation he cleared his throat and continued. "My friend and I were exploring the south a few months ago, we hadn't finished but she felt a family reunion was required and went off to visit her parents," he explained and leant forward, "We have plans to return to the southern lands, particularly given the current season."
He frowned.
"You have no idea how cold it is right now, absolutely freezing up here in comparison to the jungles. Trust us to pick the worst time to return north, should've picked spring or summer but we miscalculated the dates," he sighed heavily and shook his head just a touch. "Lost track of time I suppose," he added as an afterthought. It was at this point that he allowed his rambling to sink in and it was only after a few moments of quite contemplation that he considered her offer. At first it appeared the stallion might refuse her offer, but instead, he elected to assess her from head to hoof in a rather critical fashion.
"Forgive me for saying, but you do not look like the sort who could handle bugs, mud and angry cannibals," he murmured and raised a brow. "As intriguing as the secrets of unknown lands may be, are you sure you would be happy? The journies are no picnic..."
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Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 9:21 am
Adoree listened as he revealed he had no immediate travel plans. Well, plans to travel but not a destination. That was no bother to the mare as she had no idea of where to go, either. She just would rather have a travelling companion than go it alone. It was safer and easier on the psyche.
Flirting never once entered the equation for the flutter.
The mare nodded where appropriate to show she was paying attention. She gleaned a few things about the stallion from his discourse, all of it useful. He had, at one time, a traveling companion, he was more used to warm climes, and apparently he was a little bad at planning.
He turned an appraising eye on her.
At first, Adoree felt the need to draw herself up a little. Quite a foal-ish action, she felt, and so the mare refrained. She cast her eyes toward Solstice’s own, in a firm yet amiable expression. It seemed she was always having to prove herself to everyone!
“While it is a trite comment, to be sure, I do understand where your uncertainties lie.” She began. “Mud and bugs I can most assuredly handle. I may look clean and fussy with my mane how it is but I don’t mind either. And yes, I am small. Downright diminutive, compared to you, in fact. I am unsure if I could manage dealing with cannibals merely because I have never done so. After all, who can give a solid judgment about something until they have attempted it?” She took a breath. “That being said, I am fleet footed, agile, and if need be can hide in the most inconspicuous of places. These all come with the territory of being of flutter blood.”
His last comment was true, and she thought she knew this. But did she really? She had never left her home for longer than a few days before and the last time she had been in a not-so-nice place she had whined and complained the entire time. She was younger then and cross with her mother at the time.
That had been a good deal of it, hadn’t it?
She had been angry with her mother.
This time was different. This time the mud, grime, bugs, and overall hardships were of her own accord. She would be choosing this. Something inside was telling her to make a go of it. She felt as if she was supposed to be choosing this for herself.
“I think I would be happy when the situation warranted. I have no romanticized notions of what such an undertaking entails, I assure you. But,” She offered him an easy going smile. “if you feel I’d only be a hindrance I’ll look for a travelling companion elsewhere. After all, it isn’t my intent to impose.” She explained.
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Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 2:40 pm
She seemed to have some inkling of what she was getting into. All right, so she didn't have an inkling so much as a basic understanding that it wasn't easy. She'd never explored before, that much was apparent, but at the very least she didn't appear to have got her hopes up. This was to her advantage and was taken into consideration by the stallion as he listen to her reply. On occasions he might have felt the need to interrupt but instead, he held his silence, a judgement call which paid off.
"Rest assured you are no smaller than my companion," he replied with an easy smile. Now relaxing into the mare's company, he didn't appear to be quite so embarassed by his previous antics. "She is a Usdia," he continued, aware that a little clarification would be helpful. "Rest assured that despite her small stature she is more than capable of keeping herself safe - it was not your size that gave me cause for concern," he hesitated and cleared his throat.
Slowly but surely his gaze became less critical, his stance softening and muscles relaxing. He was most certainly a large creature, but such subtle movements did cause him to shrink. Granted, this particular stallion possessed no flutter blood but any individual could slump a little!
"Rather it was your well kept appearance; I am sure you are aware of how refined your appearance is," he finished. His head tilted to the side, and, as he realised that it didn't cause a throb within his temples, he slowly removed his wings from either side. "Suffice to say, such refined appearances do not last very long in the wilds and I would sooner that I wasn't responsible for any misery that might cause," he added.
He gave his wings a quick shake, encouraging the blood to flow to the tips. The tingling sensation was peculiar to be sure, but he could be grateful for small favours, at least he now knew he didn't have permanent brain damage. However, rather than digress his azure gaze soon found itself back on the flutter mare and he sucked in a breath.
...Then he sighed.
So many voices in his head urged him to agree, to take the opportunity to bring another along on his adventures. However, there was always a voice of reason that he could ignore and it made some very valid points.
Adoree was exceptionally refined and very beautiful. She had been well cared for, was educated and came from what he perceived to be a well protected background. Her appearance was pristine and while his own wasn't bad, it certainly wasn't new. Travel had worn him out, he had a weathered appearance and a chiselled complexion that masked his true youth - he had no qualms about this and actually preferred the more rugged appearance but...
Well -
Females didn't respond well to looking 'older'.
That being said there were methods to avoid this, she could use him as a weather shield if required (much like Fran) and in doing so, would preserve her youth even if her clothes ended up in tatters.
"All right," he heaved another sigh and folded his wings against his sides. "I just have to make sure about one thing before I agree to anything," he spoke again and pursed his lips. He paused for good measure, weighing his words carefully before he posed what some might consider to be a ludicrous question.
"You aren't running from any arranged marriages or peculiar relationships, are you?" he enquire and then shook his head. "More importantly, if I do agree to your company, I'm not going to find myself hounded and slaughtered by an angered father for kidnapping his daughter, am I...?"
It almost sounded as if this had happened before.
"I'm not great at the dashing hero thing, just in case you were after that. The mares in the family always did say I should have worked on the desert prince routine but I could never really get into it..." he mused.
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Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 9:43 am
Adoree listened, and again, nodded along. He kept bringing up how she looked. Honestly the mare didn’t understand why this was such an issue. She knew she’d get dirty, her mane mussed and possibly even acquire cuts and bruises. But perhaps she was unaware of just how little she knew.
“It wouldn’t cause me any misery. Yes, everyone wishes to look their best, to put their best hoof forward, but in the scheme of things, my outward appearance doesn’t make me who I am. “ She explained.
The mare was unsure if he was taking such careful consideration because he was concerned she’d slow him up and possibly get him killed, or because he was one of those gems who was concerned for other people even if he didn’t know them. Not that it mattered. She just liked to try and figure out why a Soquili behaved a certain way. It helped her make sense of the encounter.
His question sounded so completely asinine to her that she laughed, openly.
Her tail flicked. “You mean mares actually do that sort of thing?” She asked, with a smile.
“That must never end well.” She paused and looked the stallion in the eye.
“No, I’m not. I’ve never had a relationship of that sort, and quite frankly, I’m not looking for one. I mean, how can one expect to give to something of that magnitude when they really are still trying to figure out who they are?” She asked. More of a rhetorical question than anything.
His last question had her laugh even harder.
It was just the notion of her father minding, that she found so hilarious.
Adoree forced herself to stop laughing. “I meant no slight by laughing. It’s a perfectly valid question and it sounds as if you’ve encountered problems with it in the past.” She paused again. “And I’m sorry for that.” The mare smiled. “But, no, my Pere doesn’t mind. He won’t come after you, or anything. He loves travel himself, and seemed rather pleased that I’d acquired his wanderlust. “ The mare explained with a slight sigh. "Not that has has much say over what I do and don't do." Her tone, belayed a certain strain in their rapport.
At his mention of being told he ought to portray a desert prince the mare nodded. “I can’t say I blame you. While sand can be tolerated with good humour, I don’t think I could endure living out the rest of my years in it, either.” She offered him a playful smile. “It gets so gritty.”
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Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2011 1:50 am
In the grant scheme of things there was always going to be a part of Solstice that was concerned about time keeping. All individuals who travelled were aware of it to some extent, but given Francesca’s knack for delaying them as much as was physically possible, he didn’t hold himself to closely to any set schedule. In fact, it was safe to say that Solstice had all but given up on such things years ago – probably around the time that Fran and he had been forced to run in the opposite direction they had been heading. That’s right, rather than going forwards they had run backwards all for the sake of Francesca stealing a shrunken head.
Her fascination with them would be the death of him.
Alas, with this in mind it would have been more accurate to assume that he was more concerned with her overall health than he was about any timetabling. While he wasn’t adverse to another companion and would appreciate more company, it wouldn’t sit well with him to know she was miserable. He wanted others to enjoy travelling and if becoming dirty, unkempt and worn was going to impact on her experience in a negative way then he would sooner deter her! Nevertheless as her reassurances touched his ears they did perk just a touch more and a ghost of a smile crept on to his lips – so the petite flutter genuinely wouldn’t mind if she looked more rugged and wild? The hybrid wouldn’t lie, he was impressed by this revelation; with the exception of this mare and his sister he had known no other prepared to get herself dirty for the sake of adventure. Admittedly, Babette’s sense of adventure was significantly different from his own but it was roughly the same principle.
The male hadn’t anticipated what would come next though and hadn’t thought that any of his questions would be found amusing. Her incredulous response to his concerns did puzzle him and he was quickly reminded that not every soquili was subjected to arranged marriages and various other strict rules. There was a semblance of naivety there but with further exploration and exposure to foreign cultures she would learn; this was the value of travelling and it was why he loved it so much. He shook his head at her remarks, conceding that they may have sounded bizarre based on the circumstances.
“Unfortunately in some cultures the mares and stallions are not given that option,” he replied gently and cleared his throat. “I would be remiss to assume anything these days, such mindsets may have been adopted by certain herds in this location since I last visited,” he confessed with a wry smile. He paused for a period, considered her words and glanced away briefly to nothing in particular as she made reference to a lack of identity and the struggles that were often involved in finding one. It spoke to him on a far deeper level than she was bound to realise but it cemented his belief that she was indeed well suited to travel. She had an open mind, she wasn’t afraid to get herself dirty and she had a sense of humour – all good qualities when travelling with two individuals who were liable to get in trouble.
“I can appreciate the sentiments,” he returned to ‘earth’ again and to the conversation at hand. She had no desire to seek a quick match and he had no desire to give one. All things considered, his mother would have to rely on Babette for that if his current track record was consulted! However, when he caught the strain in her tone when it came to her father he made an informed decision and opted not to pry. There were certain details in an individual’s life that were not his business, particularly when they were soquili he didn’t know. Perhaps in time there might be grounds for interest but for the time being he was comfortable with remaining in the dark.
He soon smiled, with a little more warmth this time.
“Well, I would say that you’ve settled my concerns,” he said at last and shifted his gaze back to the mare. “So long as there is no risk to my personal safety from any of your family members and you are more than happy to adopt the ‘wild’ look then you would be a welcome addition to the team,” he finished.
“Although, you don’t have any aversion to shrunken heads, do you?” he enquired as an after thought.
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