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 Posted: Tue Jul 30, 2013 2:28 pm
This is a private roleplay between Alarion (Kyrieko) and Nikandros (Epine de Rose)! 
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Posted: Tue Jul 30, 2013 3:17 pm
This... was nice! This area was cool, much cooler then the outskirts of the desert! And it felt so wonderful having the light breeze whisper through the feathers of her wings! The mare giggled at the feeling, still not the best when it came to said appendages. She had yet to learn how to properly fly, but knew there was a lot of flapping involved. And she had managed to do some impressive gliding - or at least impressive to her! Alarion was pretty sure her father just rolled his eyes at her crashing into trees or other inanimate objects that didn't know how to move out of her way!
Shaking out her mane and tail, Alarion stretched her wings to their fullest before settling them back along her back. She had attempted 'flying' again, managing to hit a rather nasty gust of wind. Which had been fun... until she landed. Or crashed. But who was putting technical terms on things?! Her eyes were wide as she looked around curiously, not quite sure where she was at the moment. But beautiful was the thoughts going across her mind.
Taking a deep lungful of air, Alarion let it out slowly. Water. There was water nearby. And she really could use a drink. Especially after all the excitement she'd had. Nose to the air, she sniffed lightly until she caught the liquid scent again, following it's path to the source.
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Posted: Tue Jul 30, 2013 3:44 pm
Silence was golden, or so they said. Since Nikandros had experienced his epiphany he had treasured the peace and sanctity of his lake. He had been fortunate in its discovery, for the lake had been hidden in a particularly obscure location, and as a consequence it had not been occupied. When he had discovered that it was undisturbed, undiscovered and untouched by wandering soquili, he had soon adopted it as his home...and to this day only a select few had stumbled upon it. As such he had never been one to suffer disruption, there was nothing to interrupt him and as a consequence he had mastered some of the finer arts of his race.
Unlike most of his kind, the ways of meditation were not lost on him, and the myth of an enlightened state was something that he had managed to attain over the course of many years of practice. Unsurprisingly, this had caused ripple effects in his life, with issues that had once seemed so important, now deemed trivial and of little consequence. He no longer sweated the small stuff, and more importantly, the Kirin had found that the last remnants of his hostility towards his former nemesis were now gone.
...He had found that inner peace he sought so dearly.
Though the Kirin still lacked in purpose and direction, these issues no longer presented themselves as an immediate problem and nor did they pose a threat. Provided the blue Kirin had water and food, he had no concerns and no complaints. That wasn't to say that in the future he wouldn't act if duty presented itself, but for the time being he lived out his days in peace, embracing what his sanctuary had to offer him. Alas, the Kirin had not anticipated that he would have visitors this morning and as he lacked foresight, he was unaware of Alarion's approach.
Consequently the young mare would find the Kirin where he always was, positioned at the centre of the lake, settled upon its surface as though he were weightless. He lay there in silent, legs tucked under him, neck straight and head bowed. With no movement visible he may have been able to trick a passing creature into assuming he was a peculiar rock, though every now and then that 'cover' would be broken - alas, it only took the faintest whisper of wind to cause the whiskers of the meditating stallion to ripple...
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Posted: Tue Jul 30, 2013 4:47 pm
As peaceful and silent as this place was, Alarion probably could have been heard from a distant ways off. Too engrossed in looking at everything around her and wondering how the trees had managed to get so big and why were there so few sounds? There were definitely birds around, but even they seemed to keep their usual chattering to softer volumes. It was... relaxing. And strangely enough to the mare, she rather liked it. Which was odd, coming from someone such as herself, who enjoyed the traveling she and her father did. But, well, maybe a part of her did yearn for a place that was more like a home. A place they could come back to. Kind of like the desert outskirts. Except not quite so hot.
Like... this place. Though if there was no one else here, maybe not. Wouldn't it get lonely being here all alone? The winged mare ducked her head a little, inching around the fauna until something glimmered out of the corner of her eye. Pausing, she tilted her head and blinked away the sun. A lake! There was a lake here! A lovely one at that. It looked so clean! And... still. Maybe a little ripple here and there.
Alarion hesitated a moment, almost afraid to move and disrupt the serene feeling watching the lake gave her, but thirst won over. Carefully - so as not to snag her wings on anything - the mare made her way to the edge of the pool, dipping her head to sip at the water. It was cold and crisp! And- she froze, ears alert and eyes darting towards the center of the lake. Something... what was that?! She hadn't noticed the object in the center before. It had blended in with the water so nicely. Softly laughing at herself for getting spooked by a rock, she lowered her head back to the water. Though, she couldn't help but keep one eye on it. And the more she watched... the more interesting it became. The colors were so pretty! And there seemed to be something about it, but she couldn't put her hoof on it.
Feeling an odd sense to investigate the 'rock', the winged mare moved slowly along the edge of the lake, trying to get a better look. It really was a strange thing... Wait! Waitwaitwait! It... it moved! The rock had moved! She froze again, staring in confusion and... why was it moving?! Or, well, parts of it were. Parts that shouldn't be moving!
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Posted: Tue Jul 30, 2013 4:57 pm
The laughter swept over him like a whisper in the wind, a faint flick and twist of his left ear the only indication that he'd heard it. While the stallion was an individual who meditated for most of the day, like all those who attained his level of enlightenment, they were always aware. There had been faint indications that another was in the area, tell tale signs that other soquili would not have ignored. The hoof steps, the gasps, the musing of the mare had not gone unnoticed and yet he had remained where he was.
Having deemed the mare to be of no threat to him, the stallion had remained in his position. Even as she came to the lake and her muzzle touched the surface, he refrained from further movement. With each ripple that pressed against his body he was granted 'sight' as to where she was - ah but he would not have been surprised for the younger creatures of the world were never very light in step. She was pacing along the shore now, pausing every step or two to examine him.
...With each step, the reverberations caused the water to ripple.
As each ripple brushed the scales upon his legs, his vision became 'clearer'.
Nevertheless it wasn't long before he felt the eyes begin to 'burn' into him and he could only surmise that her curiosity had finally piqued. Though she might desire it, the mare was unable to get closer to him, she couldn't poke and prod as she might do if she were near by. Thus, the Kirin opened his eyes slowly and fixed his gaze upon the curious winged mare - a hippogryph of some description, if her headdress was anything to go by.
Ah but he was nowhere near the flock...Evidently the young mare had travelled far.
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Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 12:00 am
She was quite confused as to what she was staring at. But slowly, as she stood (mostly) still, intently watching the not-rock, she began to make out portions of the stallions body. And as the puzzle began to form, she realized with a start it was a soquili. This was... how? How was he floating on the water?! Alarion was utterly baffled by this, tilting her head a little as if the odd angle might allow her to see some trick he was using. But no, there was nothing. Just the stallion. And water.
Her father was so not going to believe her when she told him about this!
It took her a good moment to realize she'd not only been spotted but he was just staring at her. She shifted her weight a little, wings fluttering a bit anxiously as the mare suddenly felt shy. Maybe she was being rude? Was this his home and she'd just come crashing in unannouced? Alarion's ears lowered a few inches. She should... probably say something. A greeting. Or an apology.
"... How are you doing that?!" She blurted out instead. And felt horribly rude and why had she said that first?! If she could have, she'd have ducked her head behind her wings. But that would be a dead giveaway she was... embarrassed. And maybe a little frightened he would get mad. That was definitely not what she intended!
"I... I'm s-sorry." Alarion managed to get out in a small voice. "That was... rude of... me." Oh goodness! If it were possible, her entire body would have been bright red!
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Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2013 4:38 am
Curiosity would always get the better of manners, particularly in those of younger years. In the older generations they squirmed, squinted, or furrowed their brows in an attempt to unlock the puzzle; in doing so they failed to introduce themselves. For one of a younger generation to blurt out her query was no different and fortunately for Alarion, Nikandros had no intention of taking offence. Instead a small smile appeared on his lips, warmth filtering into his eyes, as he rose slowly to his feet. Still positioned upon the surface of the water, he began to walk towards the shore, electing to address her query without raising his voice.
Fortunately his height made his progress fast and it wasn't long before his cloven hooves touched the bank. It was then that he turned to the embarrassed mare and tilted his head to the side, a mild expression gracing his chiselled features. It should have been clear in those moments that he wasn't angry, similarly he had no intention of causing her any harm!
"How do you fly?" he responded quietly and motioned to her wings. "Children do not know off hand how to perform a miraculous stunt and yet..." he paused to let this sink in before shaking his head. "They practice," he stated. He turned away once more and regarded his reflection for a few moments, lips pursing before he lowered his head to take a sip of water - well, when one was interrupted from there reverie it was usually a good idea to replenish thirst.
"As to rude, I don't believe expressions of curiosity fall into that category," he released a small chuckle and regarded the mare with amusement. "Given that such expressions are often involuntary, they are more natural than manners, if we are to discuss technicalities," he pointed out. "So I would say that your apology is unneeded, no?"
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Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2013 2:04 pm
If it were possible, her eyes got even wider as she watched the stallion carefully rise to his feet and walk towards her. Still on top of the water! It was... strangely mesmerizing to watch and very much intrigued her. How did he do that? Was he the only one? Could she do something like that? Of course, it took her a moment longer to realize that yes, the stallion was walking towards her and with a small start, she backed up a couple steps involuntarily. The winged mare bashfully ducked her head, though still kept her gaze on him. He was kind of pretty up close too. Like the water.
His response to her question made her blank, glancing back at her wings. She didn't know how to answer that! Or... wait was she supposed to answer that? Alarion stared at the stallion curiously, considering his words. Oddly enough, his words made sense. She glanced back at her wings, making one of them stretch out partially and fold neatly back against her back. Practice. Her lips twitched a little, eyes moving back to Nikandros.
Alarion opened her mouth to claim she was still sorry, and paused, head tilting. That was... an interesting way to put it. She'd never thought on it like that. And, okay, only half of it made real sense but the gist of it she got. "I... guess that's fair." She said slowly. "But it is rude of me not to have introduced myself yet." The mare dipped her head politely. "My name is Alarion." A small pause, and then, "How... did you do that?" She asked in a much softer voice, staring between Nikandros and the water in wonder.
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Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2013 11:05 am
They were so fascinated by manners, unwritten rules and expectations - he had been the exception to these rules when he was growing up. He'd never been subjected to them and he was certainly never taught to be considerate. In fact, every pleasant and more courteous part of his nature had been through instinct - more recently he had cultivated them, having favoured them over the rather bitter and Machiavellian tendencies had had once had. What he had once needed to survive was no longer relevant, in these lands he had noted he needed a different set of skills and so he had adapted.
...Yet he'd never quite picked up on manners. He understood them in principle, he had seem them used in practice, and yet he still failed to appreciate them. He was sure that others did, as it was customary for them to act in such a manner and converse in an order long set out by those that were no longer around... But he was never going to be the sort who conformed to those kind of standards!
"Until I came of age, I had no name," Nikandros pointed out with a hint of humour in his voice, evidently making light fun of her determination to stick to a set conversational form. "But the day I was granted duty and purpose they gave me the name 'Nikandros'," he offered. Lapsing into silence, he allowed her to ask the question that often crept onto the lips of every being he met and then he released a gentle chuckle.
"I do believe I just told you the answer to that, Alarion," he replied and motioned with his tail to the water. "Practice," he stated and then pursed his lips. Perhaps she was seeking specifics? He could at least clarify some of the skill, but not necessarily all of it. "Although it seems to be a skill that only those of pure-blood can achieve, or I should say, pure-blooded kirin," he explained and returned his attention to the mare.
"Achieve true enlightenment, a state of clarity, and you will find that you are weightless and without restrictions upon your worldly form," he clarified and rolled his shoulders. "For those who are trapped in a web of trivial matters such as material affections and obsession, they will often find that they cannot clear their minds to attain such a state."
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Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 8:32 pm
She was almost afraid maybe she'd said something wrong, again, but the stallion answered. And his response was enough to catch her attention so that she stopped worrying about offending him too much. This was something new she'd not heard of before! He'd had no name as a foal? "Really? That... must have been difficult." She murmured, imagining a soquili just hollering, 'Hey you!' and a whole herd turning to regard them. "Nikandros. I like that." Alarion smiled shyly before ducking her head again. Right. Yes. He had just answered that, hadn't he? Sort of. Her gaze followed the direction his tail pointed and she nodded a little. Practice.
The winged mare wondered if she practiced enough, if she'd be able to do it too? Or... be able to really fly? Though Nikandros' next words dispelled the first notion. "So... it's a Kirin thing?" She parroted. "I guess that makes sense. I've never met a Kirin and never seen anyone do that before today."
She looked over at the stallion, blinking almost owlishly at him. Half the words he said she didn't quite understand. And what she did, her inner self rebelled against. She was not one that did well sitting still, that was for sure! Alarion opened her mouth to say as much, and then stopped. And really smiled.
"I guess that means I am one of the trapped ones?" There was no way she could 'clear her mind'. Too many things constantly raced through it! "But... maybe your ways might be a place for me to start understanding how to work these things properly." Alarion added, extending her wings slightly. She was at least skilled enough to move them around!
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Posted: Wed Aug 07, 2013 8:26 am
"I have not heard of any other creature capable of the practice," Nikandros confirmed, smiling as the mare complimented his name. While his name might have been provided to him by the elders who had set him on a path of destruction, he was rather fond of it himself. It had become a part of him, and when he had slowly but surely begun to find his identity, then he had realised that the meaning behind his name fit him most splendidly. He had triumphed over adversary and had been victorious. Yes, if asked the blue stallion would have agreed that his name was rather fitting indeed.
"However life is full of strange things, I would not be surprised if in time, a creature did not reveal itself to be capable of the same ability," he pointed out with a small chuckle. After all, when Kirin had entered these lands, most had mistaken them for unicorns with oddly shaped horns - what a surprise it had been to discover that the Kirin could not heal through magic, but could operate through the more delicate pressure points on the body?
Nevertheless, as she made reference to the fact that she fell into the category of those who were 'trapped' by trivial issues, the blue stallion promptly shook his head. With his whiskers swaying lightly in the breeze, he lifted his tail to rub at his beard and then his smile deepened. He had heard those remarks a few times, as if they individual believed their state of being was something he regarded to be less significant than his - there was a time when he would have agreed but then he had found clarity.
...When the world had opened up to him, he'd seen.
"Not every individual aspires to live in a world like mine, there are those who live for the hustle and bustle around them," he pointed out mildly. "In fact, without them we would never discover new things or learn new arts - we would live in a world without change," he continued. "In essence, while it is important to find balance and enlightenment, it is also vital that there is a constant state of motion to ensure we do not stagnate," he murmured.
"I believe your prove a very vital role in that respect," he finished and then lifted his brow - was she informing him that she wasn't entirely sure of how to fly? Surely her parents...
Ah, but maybe she lacked them, how was he to know.
"Perhaps they are," he agreed and flicked his gaze towards the trees. "It is certainly an opportunity to ask those who do know how to use their wings where you may not have been able to previously..."
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