[PRP] Testing the Waters (Zandali + Kiri)

[Tsunake]

It had been some time since he'd seen that fine, big-boned example of a mare, and longer still since he'd had the pleasure of being more... intimately acquainted with her. Why, it was still hard to believe he'd gotten so lucky. Even now, the stallion's chest swelled with pride, and his steps were a little lighter as he sauntered through the underbrush. The sea wasn't too far from here, and his ears swiveled to better pick up the roar of the ocean.

Mares had always been tricky, prickly creatures, but Zandali figured he'd given Kiri enough space at this point. If she decided she was done with him,well, that would be that. On the off-chance she wanted to keep him around, however...

Though he'd never been a particularly appealing stallion in his home tribe, that was hardly enough to deter him from making the effort. His colors had never been bright enough, and he'd always been far too thin to attract any real attention. Still, Kiri seemed to have taken to him well enough, and that had been enough to swell his ego to infinitely larger proportions.

"Kiri-love!" The raptor called as he moved, his bright eyes scanning the foliage. "Where be my favorite girl up and gettin' herself off to, eh? Don't be shy now!"  

[Lady_Ourania]

It had started out as a feeling low in her spine, a kind of sixth sense that she had trouble deciphering in the early weeks. When her diet had changed, the honey-scented blossoms that she loved becoming repugnant to her palate, the mare began to sort out the possibilities. Zandali had taken his quick wit and his quicker legs and cantered out of her abode a couple of months prior. His wooing had, after all, achieved its desired effect, and Kiri was hardly the kind of girl to feel bereft after a simple indulgence. He had been charming enough in his own way, eager to please and respectful to the point of eliciting amusement. There had been the treats, the gifts, the soft, jumbled endearments that he had tossed at her with abandon. Normally, the stallions of this land gave her wide berth, or perceived her size and strength as a threat to their own masculine proclivities. It hadn't really bothered her, save when it led to senseless bloodshed.

But Zandali had not appeared to care that she dwarfed him. Kiri had liked him in kind, and she felt no regret for giving in to the mutual attraction at the time. In the present, however, the mare was beginning to doubt her own judgment. The rounding state of her belly was negligible as of yet, mostly hidden by the swell of brightly swathed muscle, but it would not stay that way throughout the pregnancy. She had no kin in these parts, nowhere she could retreat to if the situation became dire. Fortunately, she was not some bird-boned girl who needed saving. Even if this was her body's first experience with such an event, she knew her limits, and everything would happen in due course. The extra weight might dent her speed somewhat, but she had never really depended on that in a skirmish, anyway.

She had just dipped her head down to lip carefully at a flowering plant, attempting to decide if it was worth unsettling her stomach, when she heard a voice. Her ears immediately flattened, vanishing into the wild green tangle of her mane. The mare stood still and erect, listening for further cues, something tickling the edges of her metallic thoughts. Someone lurked nearby, and she was not in the mood for undue risk.

In the end, it was the accent that registered, so memorable that she was surprised she had not recognized it instantly. That was, after all, the same lilting tone that had dogged her for weeks at a time, plying her with pretty words and turns of phrase. Kiri shed her defensive stance, relaxing back into her former lull with only a short laugh at his entreaties. She followed the racket of his path-making, then expertly parted the foliage that sat between them. She canted her head above the tips of the elephant grass while her chest brushed against its stalks, her hair serving as a continuation of the theme.

"Shyness was never much of a problem for either of us, Zan," she offered, eyeing him thoughtfully. He was, she reflected, the father of her soon-to-be children, whatever else he happened to pretend at. Kiri wasn't sure how she felt about that revelation, some strange mingling of welcome and disquiet pulsing in her sensitive belly. His return was unexpected, to say the very least. It remained easy, however, to fall into the banter that they had cultivated prior to his departure, and she allowed herself that convenience now. "Or are you on the hunt for some other girl? You should really start widening your range, if so. Otherwise you'll be tripping over us left and right."  

[Tsunake]

A grin flashed across his face quick as a whip when her head lifted itself out of the grasses, and Zandali made a good show of pawing at the ground with one foreleg. Had to look cool and casual for the lady, after all, and this lady was the one to impress. Her words brought a laugh to him, deep and throaty with mirth, and he shook his head as though she'd said something particularly funny. In a sense, she had. What other mare could compare after he'd accidentally stumbled over the tall and curvy beauty? His giantess! A mare to be envied by other mares!

"Kiri-love," He crooned again, wasting no time in stretching his slender neck up so his nose could press against hers. "You be woundin' this fella here. What other lady could be comparin' herself to yo' beauty, eh?" The compliment slipped effortlessly from his silver tongue. Hard habit to break, really. If she didn't seem to like it so much, well, maybe he'd have eventually learned to stop.

Nah, probably not.

With a swagger large enough to suit stallions twice his size, Zandali ambled into the tall grass with her, though had considerable less grace while doing. "Fact, can't believe da luck I be havin'. Only had to rough up two young 'n cocky boys tinkin' dey could be gettin' some of dis!" He snorted loudly, as though that alone should be enough to say what he thought about that.

"Enough about dat. How's ma' favorite girl been doin'? Beatin' off dem boys wit' a stick?"  

[Lady_Ourania]

She watched as his features morphed slightly at her appearance, his previously easy lope becoming more contained and steeped in bravado. Her acquaintance with his flirty nature explained the changes, and a slight smirk was her only reply as he paced up to her hiding spot. When his face shoved unceremoniously into her personal space, she held herself still long enough to see where he was going with it. As such, Kiri was surprised and faintly pleased when he simply grazed her snout with his scaled own, the texture soft and scraping all at once. He initiated such affectionate touches without a trace of apprehension, as though he sensed they would be welcome even after their time spent apart. She could hardly begrudge him such confidence, foreign as it was in her experience. He had, after all, come away with a great deal more during their last encounter.

"You really are an abominable flirt," she said lightly, tone almost fond even as she scanned the tree line. Satisfied that he was indeed alone, she glanced back at him, amusement resurfacing at his words. "And I'm sure the most beautiful lady is whoever you happen to be with at the time. But I'll let that slide. Just this once." Her expression turned mockingly stern for all of a second before she let it drop, retreating into the long grasses. One ear flicked back to mark his passage, noting the difficulty with which he fought stalks nearly his height. Taking pity on him, she wordlessly flattened some of the growth under her hooves, opening a path if he chose to follow her directly. At his brief boast, she resisted the urge to roll her eyes skyward. "A whole two? It's a wonder you're still in one piece." She chuckled, taking him to a barer patch of earth before rounding on him again. It was, effectively, her nesting place for the time being, the area she would withdraw to when the time came. The tall grasses would prevent her from being seen, and rustle like the best kind of alarm if something was advancing on the spot without her leave. For a second, she reexamined her decision to lead Zandali here, however unthinkingly. At least his presence did not trigger some old territorial instinct deep in her bones, though perhaps she was simply not far enough along for it to matter.

She shrugged it off in time to hear him speak, and one brow rose at his loaded question. The motion temporarily altered the geography of the tattoos that coursed along her face, set them at sharper angles to one another. "We both know I wouldn't need a stick. I handled you well enough without one." Up until the point that she hadn't, of course, but he was familiar with how that story ended. Or at least he was mostly familiar with it. The latest development was a little more than either of them had expected. Kiri eyed him again, gaze narrowing as she took stock of any changes in his appearance or bearing. It was only fair to tell him, she mused. Even if he skipped away once the words had left her mouth, it was the right course to take. It seemed a shame that such fair-mindedness failed to alleviate the unease stirring somewhere deep within her entrails. "What can I do for you, Zan?" she asked instead, the inquiry pure curiosity where her feelings were more mixed. To say that she hadn't expected him to reappear would have been an understatement. And yet here he stood, singing her praises well after he should have vanished without a trace.  

[Tsunake]

His tail lashed out with something akin to cheeky delight as she accepted his caresses without protest or complaint. She was a beauty, his titan, and he fully intended to keep her a secret! No easy task, considering he'd brag about her grace and wit to whoever was within earshot. Stretching his short legs out to their fullest, he cantered in steady circles around her, (un)subtly showing off his agility and speed. Or, tried to, at least. The stalks made it very difficult and he ended up having to hop about in the places she'd already flattened. She already knew of his skills--had to, considering she'd accepted his presence, but constantly keeping her attention and admiration was of utmost importance here. "Who other lady would I be wit' but you? Da most beautiful and da brightest one da world's eva' seen."

Flattery, yes, but also truth! Such a strong and capable mare--who would have thought that old Zandali would have managed to win her affections? He hopped after her, being careful not to trip himself up and fall right on his face. A broken leg wouldn't have impressed anyone--though he probably could distract predators for her in exchange for his life.

Best to hold off on that.

He took her question as a joke, snorting lightly and darting about her to n** at her flank before trotting back to face her properly. "Two of 'em! Fools be tinkin' dey could approach on deese lands." His chest puffed up proudly, and his ears flickered forward. "Why, just ta be seein' dat face of yours is more dan enough to keep me happy! Ya tink I be leavin' you so soon, Kiri-love? Hah! Not so likely!"

Lady_Ourania

 

[Lady_Ourania]

The innocent click of his teeth near her skin sent a frisson down her spine and through her back legs, but she merely tensed instead of kicking him. Friendly gestures, she reminded herself, nothing more. The rational part of her knew that was the case, but something about his theatrics paired with her condition managed to grate in ways that were largely foreign, strain surfacing from nowhere. Kiri turned that thought over in her mind before she shook it off, leery of examining her own motives and moods too closely. Whatever else Zandali was, at the very least he remained unchanged from their first encounter. Perhaps slightly more earnest, now that he knew his words were capable of gaining some traction with her.

Which was why it came as no real surprise when he met her questions with further deflections, nimbly avoiding anything that could potentially inject a note of solemnity into their reunion. Kiri checked the impulse to bring up his evasion. Instead, she was forced to consider the very real possibility of alien stallions roaming nearby. She hadn't initially given it much thought, assuming Zandali's boasting was just that, but the repetition deserved her consideration. Normally, Kiri had no trouble with outsiders, having survived for so long as one herself. Anyone who avoided causing problems was granted the same in return. But motherhood might require a more strict mentality in that area. She couldn't make the same allowances that she had before. Even if it was that very same kind of permissiveness that had made such a state possible in the first place.

Her mouth twisted faintly at the irony, but Zan was still talking in a steady stream. She forced herself to tune back in, to listen to the words and pay attention to the way they were being delivered. A few sentences in, and her lips smoothed out, curved up, a light puff of air escaping from between them. It was oddly... sweet to be spoken to like that, even if she only believed about half of what came tumbling out of his mouth. And yes, it might have been a mistake to give into it at all, but she'd made worse calls.

"It's good to see you again, too, Zandali," she said at last. After a moment's pause, she leaned forward to lip at one of the bright feathers strewn in his mane, absently correcting the angle. After all of his preening and gentle brushes, it seemed the smallest of tokens she might offer in return. With that in mind, Kiri stepped away again, studying him with bright eyes. "Even if I think you should be more careful with your promises." She tried for a casual tone, and mostly succeeded as she flicked away on one hoof. Not now, not yet. But later, she would tell him. For all his antics, Zandali was good company, and she would miss it once he'd flown for good.  

[Tsunake]

"I be keepin' my promises when I make dem." Zandali said seriously, his hooves stopping dead where they were when she chose to favor him with some careful grooming. It made his heart swell, arching his neck proudly even as he fixed her with a hearty grin. "You trust old Zandali, eh? Won't be leavin' ya hangin' unless ya chasin' me off."

The words were playful enough, but there was a truth to them that rang true. For now, he kept his prancing to a minimum, studying her with sharp eyes that gleamed even now. Glad to see him, was she? Why, that was some of the best praise he could have gotten, and he chuckled low in his throat even as he bounded after her on nimble legs. Ahh, women! Who knew what they were thinking on the best of days? He certainly didn't, but he navigated the terrain well enough!

Brushing up against her side, the stallion contented himself with sticking close as he chortled still under his breath. "You been well, Kiri-love? Didn't smell no trouble about, but these be dangerous times." Kalona and Skinwalkers were abound, and there was no sense in taking risks! No, he didn't think he'd wander off again for quite some time, not if she gave him permission to stay.

Lady_Ourania

 

[Lady_Ourania]

His continued protest made a smile flicker across her mouth, there and gone before she could fully approve it. "Of course you do," she soothed, no trace of condescension in her tone. If their courtship had proven anything to her, it was that the stallion was an impenitent liar. From scenarios in which his feats of bravery cluttered up the narrative, to lascivious fantasies which would have made a lesser mare falter and flush just by listening, the boy was full of tales. But he'd never set out to intentionally deceive her, not about anything that truly mattered, at least. In that light, it seemed impractical to hold the rest against him. Still, she did not address the latter part of his question, not-quite-feigning occupation with their surroundings instead. Sometimes it took little more than words to chase someone off, after all. Zan had proven to be mostly immune to her size and the brutality she could summon from beneath her cheery disposition, but that didn't mean she expected him to roll with every punch. And pregnancy, especially of the unexpected variety, could come as quite a blow. Even she was still a little staggered from the weight behind it.

She felt those slit pupils on her, half-hidden as they were beneath a hank of his sapphire mane. Their children really had no chance of manageable hair, Kiri realized, and she barked out a laugh at the thought, sharp and sudden. Fortunately, the sound coincided with Zandali's own chuckling, so it seemed less out of place in the moment. And what private joke was he nursing now? Certainly not one so funny as her own. Though perhaps the humor in it varied from individual to individual.

The strange texture of his coat on hers had Kiri glancing sidelong at the stallion, aware that he was consciously keeping pace. She stayed silent for a few seconds before answering, mostly in an effort to recall what had occurred between his coming and going. "A couple of stray Kalona wandered through, but they seemed more interested in commenting on the landscape than anything I might have said." Curious creatures, those two. Covered in scales from head to toe, and practically bristling with teeth. Kiri had maintained her civility, and they had returned the favor - whether out of amusement or simply as a way of recognizing her delicate condition, she still wasn't sure. Neither was it a motive she wished to deconstruct in its entirety. Maybe they just hadn't been hungry. "But otherwise not much happening." She winced when her stomach gave an unsettled gurgle, and hurried to speak over it. "Quiet is part of why I picked this place, though. Can't really complain."

It took her another handful of minutes to recognize what she was doing: scouting the perimeter. She had never really intended to claim any specific territory as her own, but nesting instincts had apparently gotten the better of her. Once the foals were born and had some time to acclimate, then she could always move on with them in tow. Unless they wanted to stay in one place, she acknowledged, weighing the possibility in her mind. It wasn't ideal, but she wouldn't force them to walk the same path she'd chosen for herself. And then there was Zandali, his presence light and bubbly as the surf, only too happy to let her steer him along. Strange, how quickly her outlook could change in just a few months' time. "What about you? Knock up any other girls?"

The words were out before she had time to reel them back in, bright and teasing as the rest of their conversation. She nearly bit her tongue, surprised at how easily it had fallen out of her mouth. Then again, given her own private musings, the slip-up had been bound to happen sooner or later. Damn her all the same. Had Zandali even caught it? Kiri couldn't quite bring herself to look at him while they ambled along, not altering her gait in the least. That wasn't the way she'd wanted to break the news to him, but maybe a more strategic reveal would have just made it worse.  

[Tsunake]

Kalona??? Zandali stopped dead at that, his lips curling back over his muzzle to bare his teeth with clear disdain. His mane was bristling, but he allowed Kiri to finish her story. He had no doubt that his lady-love could defend herself against any threat... but a pair of demons? Well, she certainly wouldn't escape that encounter unscathed. Not that her beauty wouldn't be enhanced by a few scars, mind, but the fact that he hadn't been around to assist her chafed at him badly. "Another location might be safer, eh? Especially if you got two nitwits wanderin' 'bout, scopin' the 'landscape'. He snorted rudely, stomping a hoof against the ground to show just what he thought about that.

Then Kiri said something that had him tripping over his own legs, staggering until he managed to catch himself. Knock up... other girls? He whipped around, wide-eyed with shock. "You..." His tongue darted out for a moment, uncertainly roaming against his lips. "Ya mean it?"

This might be the moment where she expected him to babble excuses and flee for the hills. Instead, the small stallion tentatively nudged at the side of her belly, his nostrils flaring as he snapped his head up to meet her gaze. His eyes were still round as could be, and an incredulous, delighted grin was beginning to pull at the corners of his lips. "Kiri-love, why in da seven hells didn't ya speak up earlier?!"

His hooves felt as light as air as he pranced, circling her like a molten streak of neon blue. "Dis be fantastic! We be bringin' little hellions into the world, ha ha!"

Lady_Ourania

 

[Lady_Ourania]

All other commentary ground to a halt after she'd spoken. Kiri sensed rather than saw Zandali reel back, a pulse of sympathy shooting down her own swollen ankles as he tried to regain his feet. The mare slowed, reluctantly turning her head to observe the aftermath of her reveal. And there it was: the blow connecting, a few words delivered like a strike to the throat. She felt the taunt line cleaving down the middle of her chest draw a fraction tighter, and knew intellectually that she was steeling herself against a retaliatory swing. Or, more likely, a parting shot. His tongue dipped in and out of the warm inlet of his mouth, and her lips pursed in turn, willing to wait out his fumbling words. When the question finally emerged, half of her mouth kicked up in a reflexive smile, the kind meant to dissuade split-second decisions. "Guess I do," she answered, casually lifting and resettling her hooves. "Not that you have to-"

Light contact against her side drew the reassurances short, and Kiri had to work not to startle away from that touch, the heat of his breath tracing what had recently become a sensitive area. Zan looked... not overwhelmed, exactly, at least not in the way she'd anticipated. When his eyes met hers, she was surprised to see something very different unfurling in their depths, a kind of pride that made him gleam jewel-bright. The exclamation that followed found her at a momentary loss for words, head tilted quizzically at the specificity of his oath. Seven? Since when? But she recovered quickly enough, a pale imitation of her usual smirk pasting itself over her mental scramble. "Not the way I start most conversations, Zan. Thought I'd ease you into it. And besides, you know now." Despite her oscillating opinion on the matter.

The prancing he engaged in was nothing new, though she'd grown accustomed to it in a different context. Still, it did a great deal to wash away the brunt of her misgivings, her smile sinking gently into something genuine. "Hellions. Probably," she mused aloud, her tail twitching as she turned back to her scouting mission. But she paused mid-step, aware that this was a conversation that required some face-to-face. Aqua-colored eyes flickered toward him, catching him on the second rotation, and she let her expression fall into a more sincere set. "A handful, anyway. Especially if they take after you. But that doesn't mean you have to be involved, either. None of this has to effect your... lifestyle." The word she chose wasn't right, she knew, but it was the nearest equivalent that might not offend. Kiri forged onward, not about to lose the train of thought. "We both know I'm enough when it comes to looking after them. Training them, too, once they're old enough and if they want to learn." What a strange prospect that was, an instructor to her children, meting out praise and chastisement accordingly. It had been a long time since she'd applied her foalhood lessons to anything outside of real battle conditions. "We had fun, Zan, but I'm not holding you to anything. No hard feelings."