[PRP] A Little Advice (Aquitaine & Acanthus)

[She-Ra of Etheria]

Aquitaine stood at the threshold where meadow became forest. In all the times that she had traveled away from the ocean it always felt strange to encounter these various terrains. The beach was her home, and so meadows and forests were still quite unfamiliar to her. Granted there was a small group of trees that separated the beach from the meadow she would graze in, and it was in those trees that she had made a home for herself, but a forest was so much different than that. Forests were immense things that one could get easily lost in, where as a meadow may feel like a never ending swath of grass but often you could see where you were headed and where you had come from. The forest was her least favorite place to go, yet she always encountered them in her travels. Overcoming her dislike of the tree filled space was an important step in Aquitaine's life. She couldn't stay at her beach forever, sometimes she needed to venture out to see new things, plus some of the herbs she used for healing grew only deep within the forest.

Agave should have come with her on this trip, but he was back at home insistent that they increase the security of their grove. She had tried to convince him that it was safe enough but eventually had given up and left on her own. Eventually Agave would see things different, but Aquitaine knew that if she didn't let him win now and then it would only push him back to his old ways. So she let him do whatever he wanted to make their home more secure and set off in search of something to do. She didn't really have a destination in mind, but wandering the forests could help her with her dislike of them and it never hurt to gather up more herbs, especially with fall approaching quickly, many of the herbs would either die off or be buried under deep snow. Best to collect them now while it was still relatively easy.

Casting a glance behind her at the meadow Aquitaine steeled her fear and stepped into the trees. Her dragon could sense her uneasiness and let out a rumble. At least she wasn't truly alone. And knowing that Aquitaine pressed forward, heading deeper within the trees, ears and eyes alert for any signs of danger or herbs that she might need.  

[SylverStar]

Acanthus trudged slowly on through the forest not really knowing where he was heading. He just wanted to get as far away as he could. Away from his flittering flutter sister and father. He wanted to be free too. Free of the burden he felt that he was and free of the burden of his tree. His family didn't understand. How could they. They were better off without him. Then they could fly and go where they pleased without having him slow them down.

And now he could be free too. His sister was always so happy and he secretly hated her for it. He wished he could be happy too but he just never seemed to be able to not think about how he didn't have wings. He often questioned if he was even part of the family. His father had often told him he was and that he looked much like his mother. This thought made him even more sad. Why wasn't his mother with them. Why'd she leave them. Maybe she saw how much of a burden he was and wanted to be free herself. All his father would tell him was that it was for their safety and that one day they would be together again. He was sick of waiting and didn't believe it.

Acanthus kept walking his head hung low and not really watching where he was going. He was lost in his thoughts and didn't care much about the world around him. A rumble sound made him stop dead in his tracks. He looked up and in the distance he could she a strange looking blue mare. He froze, not knowing what to do. He stared at the mare wide eyed in fear. There seemed to be a monster with her. He did not know how to act with strangers and hadn't really met any before. The only Soquili he knew were his sister and father. Of course there had to be others. He had just never really thought about it. So he stood and stared.  

[She-Ra of Etheria]

Lowering her head Aquitaine took a moment to more closely inspect a plant half hidden by another bush. It looked like it might be one of the herbs she wanted to collect but until she knew for certain she would not pick any of the leaves. It turned out to be just an ordinary plant, nothing that held any healing properties at least that she knew of. Another rumble from her dragon told her that someone was nearby. Lifting her head Aquitaine glanced around and her eyes quickly settled upon a foal standing a short distance away. The foal was staring at her, likely trying to decide whether she was a threat or not based upon her appearance. It gave her a moment to let her gaze roam over the foal. Mostly dark colored, lighter on the legs and chest, blue hair, but what captured her attention was the protrusion from his back.

Was that a tree? It somewhat looked like a tree but at this distance she couldn't tell for certain. Whether it was a tree or something else Aquitaine felt an odd connection to the foal. She had looked different growing up, and even more so now, and so she wanted to talk to this foal and let him or her know that it was okay to be different. But she couldn't just jump into that conversation, the foal needed to trust her first.

"Hello little one." She called out to the foal and smiled. "What are you doing out here all alone? Do you live around here?" Had she missed the signs of a herd in the area or was it a small family that lived in these parts?Well even if she was near a herd Aquitaine was certain that he had to be from around here, foals didn't wander far from their family or home did they? Well she certainly hadn't when she was young. Even now she tended to stick close to home. But that wasn't what was important at the moment, she could think on her own life later, right now there was the foal in front of her that she wished to speak with.  

[SylverStar]

Acanthus continued to stare at the mare still frozen and his full attention on her movements, talking. Every so often he would glance from her face to the tangled monster in her hair.

She seemed friendly enough, but even those who were friendly could cause pain. His father and sister had never really been mean and they were more of the friendly type. But they did not understand his pain. He didn't really think anyone could.

He did not know how to respond to her questions. His father was all about being honest. But Acanthus thought that if he told this mare he ran away she would want to take him back to his family. He thought maybe he didn't have to tell her he ran away and he didn't have to lie either. He looked behind him, "My father and sister are back there, but I wanted to be alone for a little while," he said, hoping the mare would think they were close enough that he didn't seem alone. He glanced at her monster again. The slight guilt he had went away looking at the monster. He thought that was probably a safer answer too....he still did not really know if she meant him harm or not.

His father had also told him he shouldn't talk to strangers without him there. But he figured if he was going to be on his own he would have to talk to those he didn't know. Acanthus thought though that after an introduction they were know longer strangers. "I'm not suppose to talk to strangers...so I'm Acanthus. Who are you?" He still didn't move from his position, but instead waited and continued watching the mare.  

[She-Ra of Etheria]

She watched the colts reaction carefully. By now she was used to others staring at her, well moreso the dragon in her hair that herseld, and was less and less bothered by it each time. There was a time when she would shy away from such things but now it was just a part of going out into the world, she could either accept it or hide from it, and after a lot of trial and error she had learned to accept it. It had taken her a long time to realize that being different wasn't a bad thing, some may think that, but she knew from experience that it lead to great thins, one just needed time to figure it out.

As he glanced behind him to explain his father and sister were not far away she nodded, though noted that he didn't mention his mother. She almost wanted to ask but didn't want to invade his privacy. "I can be good to be alone sometimes, especially when you need to think about something." She noted him looking at her dragon again and smiled. "Oh don't worry about him, he won't bother you unless you get close." It was good to warn others about her dragon, he couldn't move around much but if anyone got close there was a very good chance that he would try to bite them.

"Well your father is very smart to tell you that. It's nice to meet you Acanthus, I'm Aquitaine." She dipped her head slightly in greeting to the young colt.

SylverStar

 

[SylverStar]

After the introductions Ancathus realized he'd been staring. "Ooh sorry for staring Aquitaine," he said hanging his head down. He did not want to make her feel like there was something wrong with her. He hated that feeling and didn't want to make anyone else feel that way. "Your name starts with an A too," he said trying to be less awkward. "My dad's name does too."

Attacus picked his head up a little as his childlike curiosity compelled him. He looked at her dragon again. "I wasn't planning on getting close, but you have a monster in your hair? Does he bite?" He asked looking at her bandages. "I've never met anyone outside my family before, is it normal to have weird hair?" He asked not realizing how is words might be taken. Ancathus though maybe it was normal to have things in one's hair. He didn't have anything in his own hair, but his sister and dad both had hair made of leaves and his sister had strange glowing rocks in hers. Maybe this was another thing in which he did not fit in with others. His hair was plain and boring.

Ancathus thought about her other statement of thinking when alone. He was actually trying to avoid thinking. He didn't like to think it just made him upset. Maybe if being alone meant thinking he had made the wrong choice. He tried to remember if he thought more since he was alone or with his family. He thought it seemed about the same amount. "I don't really like thinking. Do you have to think when you are alone? Is that what you do?" He asked waiting this time for a response.

Ancathus forgot about strangers and ill intentions and felt sort of reassured in this mare's presence. She didn't seem to have the flighty nature of his family. He thought he liked her better already.

She-Ra of Etheria

 

[She-Ra of Etheria]

A smile crossed her lips. "It is quite alright Acanthus, you are not the first to stare, nor will you likely be the last." Originally others staring at her bothered Aquitaine greatly but as time went on and she learned to realize she wasn't the oddity they thought she was it stopped bothering her. Oh every now and then an excessively rude Soquili would make her feel lesser again but those encounters were few and far between now. "Our names do indeed start with the same letter. And much like how your fathers name starts with an A as well both of my brothers also have names that start with A." It was nice to have something in common with this colt even if it was just the beginning of their names...and their appearances but Acanthus hadn't brought that part up quite yet.

Her gaze swung back to the mass of hair resting on her back which housed the dragons head and then back to Acanthus. "Yes, though he is not just a monster, he is a dragon from what I have been told and understand of him. And while it doesn't happen often he has been known to bite if other get too close, though I never know whether he will bite me or the one who approaches me." At least that hadn't happened again for some time, but Aquitaine still remembered in great detail the first time she had been bitten by him, it had been a traumatic experience and one that had been the biggest lesson of all for dealing with her hair beast. The most important thing was to keep him happy, which of course was the biggest challenge of all even now. She paused a moment to consider the answer to his next question. "No, not everyone has hair like mine. Even in my own family only myself and my one brother have things living inside of it. My parents and grandparents for that matter have normal hair. But there are others I have met in my travels who possess oddities about them, not just in their hair but on their bodies as well. We are not as numerous as the other Soquili but we do indeed exist."

Aquitaine couldn't help but let out a light chuckle when Acanthus admitted to not be fond of thinking. "Well you do not have to think when you are alone, but it is something to do. Sometimes it is easier or better to think when away from others, while other times it helps to have others around to think. There are a great number of things to do when you are alone, you can explore, learn new things, simply enjoy the quiet and many other things." She paused for a moment again before continuing. "Not always, but I do like to go for walks when I need to think. But some times I gather herbs, or look for new areas, or sometimes I just wish to be alone for no particular reason. You don't always need to know why you want to be alone."

SylverStar

 

[SylverStar]

Acanthus started to think his problems weren't so bad thinking about the mares dragon. "He bites you? That must be aweful. Are you scared all the time?" He asked wanting to know more. "Sometimes my tree feels so heavy it hurts to walk." He said trying to understand how this mare must feel. "My sister and dad don't have trees on there back but they do have leaf hair. So I thought maybe that was normal. I've never met anyone with hair like mine. My dad and sister both have wings too. I wish I had wings. They are so fast with their wings and I am so slow." As he said this he felt his pain coming back and he started flicking his tail nervously.

He wanted to forget about being different. He thought about the other soquilli she mention. He didn't quite understand what she meant. "What is an oddity? Is that like my tree?" He never thought about what was really normal or not as far as soquilli outside of his familiy went.

"I think I think too much. I never thought of doing other things really though sometimes I do like exploring. My dad and sister don't seem to have problems with thinking too much they always seem happy. Maybe I should try doing those things you mention"

Acanthus was starting to feel a little weary. Stopping and talking Aquitaine had made him feel the pain of having walked so far. He decided the mare was safe enough to be around and decided to lay on the ground. As he did so he said, "Sometimes exploring can be hard."

She-Ra of Etheria

 

[She-Ra of Etheria]

While it might not have been the best thing to mention that her dragon did bite her and others on occasion Aquitaine felt better having warned him of the possibilities of it happening and having to answer his questions than having not said anything and having Acanthus see first hand what her dragon could do. Besides haring her experiences about her own unique differences might help Acanthus become more accepting of his own. "He doesn't bite me often now, but when I was younger, he was quite a thing to deal with. He didn't like others getting near me, but he also didn't like me doing just about everything I tried to do. It took a lot of time for us to get used to each other, now I know what he does and doesn't like and I do what I can to avoid the things he doesn't like. But I have learned one important thing from all of it, that while he can be stubborn and cranky he will also protect me if needed. So he is handy to have around." Aquitaine paused for a moment to consider. "In the beginning...yes I was scared quite a lot of him, but as we learned about each other I realized that he was nothing to fear." She tried to imagine the weight of the tree on the colts back, while it didn't look all that large it could in fact be quite heavy. Her dragon weighted a pretty good amount but he had only appeared as her hair grew longer.

"I can imagine that it is quite heavy." She nodded, eying his tree again. "And I'm sure that much like my dragon it will take time getting used to it being there. It may be heavy yes, and it may make moving around difficult at times but I think you will find that with time and practice you will be able to move around just as easily as others do." Though depending on how large the tree grew he may be restricted on where he could go. "And with that extra weight on your back it will also help you to grow stronger, you're muscles will be working harder now to move you around but as you grow so will they and it should get easier for you." She considered his description of his family for a moment and his wish for wings. "Perhaps you were not given wings because of your tree. Wings may get tangled in it and that could get you hurt. I know what it's like to want to be like your parents, I wanted so desperately at one time to be like my parents, to not have these differences, and it took a lot of time for me to accept me for what I was but I am glad now that I did."

Her eyes moved to the tree for a moment and then back to Acanthus' eyes. "Yes, though perhaps oddity is not the best term to use for it. But others will likely refer to your tree and my dragon as oddities. It simply means that something is different, something is there that normally wouldn't be. Though from your description of your father and sister, with their leaf manes, perhaps the tree is because of that, or perhaps your mother had a tree." She had noticed the colt had not mentioned his mother so far, and while bringing the mare up may not be best it might help to explain why he had the tree. If he did inherit it from his mother than it wasn't as much of an oddity as they might think. She had heard of tree bearing Soquili before but had never seen one before today.

Aquitaine couldn't help but let out a light laugh, not that she as laughing at Acanthus, but his explanation about thinking too much struck her as cute. I don't think anyone can think too much. Some individuals are thinkers, some are explorers,r, some are the quiet type, some are always loud, some are dancers, some like to sing. In the end we are all different, not just based on what we look like but who we are inside. What do you think about?" Perhaps if she could find out what he thought about a lot then she could help him with that as well.

Watching him lay down she worried that perhaps the tree was too much of a hindrance for him even at this young age. No, she couldn't think that way, he would learn to adapt to it with time and given the needed encouragement. Lowering herself down to lay in front of him so he didn't need to strain his neck to look up at her she smiled at him. "Nothing is easy when you first start it Acanthus. Like everything else in the world you must learn how to do it. Exploring is something you must learn to do as well. Just remember you don't need to go far to explore, the world is large that is true, but there are plenty of wonders close by if you stop and look."

SylverStar

Sorry for the huge reply.

 

[SylverStar]

Acanthus sat and listened intently as Aquitaine spoke of her growing up with her dragon. He had never really heard anyone elses story before and it intrigued him. It also made him feel better. A little less alone in the world and hopeful for his own future. He looked at her i wonder and without saying a word. He was trying to take in as much information as he could.

After she had finished telling her story he was in a lot better mood and it showed. "So you think I will be big and strong when I grow up?," He asked in a dreaming manner. He pictured himself being able to move trees and mountains. The earth trembling with his steps. "If I'm big and strong I will have nothing to fear just like you!" He started thinking of all the positives to his differences. "And my tree provides water, though I can't reach it...but others can!" He said excitedly. "And my tree glows so wherever I am it will never be dark." He had always seen these things as negatives before and never saw the bright side but now they seemed to be all he could think about. Even the crystals on his tree seemed to be glowing brighter and his little waterfall a little louder as his mood did.

He grew a little more contemplative thinking of his family when she asked. "I think you are right about the wings too," he said. "My father and sisters wings are delicate. They have to stay smaller in the thicker forest so they won't injure them. Oh and my dad did say my mother has a tree like mine. He said it was beautiful and shines just as bright." He had a hint of sadness in his voice. Acanthus missed his mother even though he didn't know her. Though we he thought hard he was sure he could remember the sound of her voice.

"I usually think about sad things that's why I don't like thinking." He tried to pinpoint if there was anything specific he thought about. "I guess I mostly think about my family and my mother. She left just after we were put in our baskets. I'm going to find her no matter how far I have to explore," He stated with fierce determination. It was his mother he was thinking of when he left his dad and sister. If he didn't fit with them maybe he would fit with her. But the idea also scared him.

He did not want to stay close to home. He wanted to go far in the world. "I am a quick learner," he said to her last bit of advice. The determination still in his voice.

She-Ra of Etheria

 

[She-Ra of Etheria]

Watching as the colt began to show a bit more confidence Aquitaine smiled. "I do indeed believe that you will be big and strong when you grow up. We all grow stronger as we grow into adulthood, but those who carry something heavy with them, like my dragon or your tree, have the potential to be much stronger than average." She gave her head a slight shake at him mention of having nothing to fear. "I do not live without fear Acanthus. But I have learned from the fears of my past and know that fear is a par tof life. You do not have to live your life fearing everything, but fear can in a strange way be good. It can make you cautious of a dangerous situation and prevent you from being hurt if you listen to that fear." She did not want him thinking that strength removed fear from ones life. It could in a way, but she had heard of even the most strongest Soquili being afraid of something, even if it was something small.

Hearing his describe the ways his trees could help others she smiled once more. "Being able to provide water and light for others is a great thing. And I am sure as you and your tree grow it will increase the amount of light and water it can provide. Those are very beneficial things that you can provide. I do not know of many Soquili that can produce such things on their own." It made him very unique, and that was very good in her mind.

Aquitaine nodded her head in agreement. "Wings can be very fragile depending on the type. It sounds like they have flutter blood in them. Those wings are certainly more fragile than wind wings." Though really any wing could get injured in the right conditions. Noting the sad tinge to her voice Aquitaine felt sorry for him, especially when he told her that his mother had left shortly after he and his sister were placed in their baskets. "I'm sorry to here your mother hasn't been around for you. I am certain that it is hard for you, but from what you have told me, it sounds like your father loves you very much." One parents was better than none, after all. The determination in his voice made Aquitaine nod again. "I have no doubt that you will find her Acanthus. It will take time, but I can see the determination within you."

Aquitaine couldn't help but let out a small laugh. "You probably don't want to hear this, or have possibly heard it before from others, but you are a bit too young to be going off into the world on your own. Even being a quick learner, there are things that can be challenging and even dangerous out there. You're best bet is to stay home, learn from your father and others around, grow strong and not just strong in body but in mind as well, and by the time you are an adult you will be ready to face the world and find your mother." She paused for a moment to let that sink in before continuing. "And know that when you do begin the travel the world, that I will be available whenever you need help or someone to talk to. You just need to find my beach side home and I will be more than happy to help you in any way I can." Not only did she want him to know that she would always be around if he needed her, but it would be interesting to see him once he was fully grown as well.

SylverStar