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 Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2008 2:33 pm
So this was Quirne.
Nyx had been right, it was impressive. Even from up on the cliffs she hadn’t been able to see and end to the grey-green body of water. She had to admit the creatures were interesting too, even if a lot of the ones she was seeing were dead. The striped mare lowered her nose as she spotted a flash of movement and inspected the very much alive shelled-scuttler with her silt-pupiled gold eyes. It snapped at her with its odd claws, and the Jala raised her head again with a slight smile, carefully stepping over the brave little thing as it hurried away about its buisness.
Still...
Impressive though this place was, seeing it wasn’t giving her the epiphany she had hoped it would. Truth, or duty. That question still rang around inside her head. She knew what she ought to choose but she didn’t want to. Diego for her, or Diego for her cousin. Either way, it looked pretty bleak. The black and purple Jala sighed to herself and kicked despondently at a pebble before turning her gaze out over the endless ocean. Life sucked.
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Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2008 3:01 pm
Xavier layed around by the ocean.He listened to the waves and everything.He didn't mindthe peace and quiet.He didn't notice anything around him.He was quiet enjoying himself.Some say never to drink the ocean water.But why?He always wondered.He finally stood up walking about.
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Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2008 3:17 pm
Udi once again turned his attention to the two figures. One apeared to be a green bae and looked as if he were just resting, but it was the other one who caught his eye. The darker shape was a Jala mare and as he flew closer he realized she was purple striped. Could this be Bastet? The mare he had heard his father talk of? The one who his grandfather wished his father to mate with? If so then perhaps he could change the mares mind? He had heard she was reluctant, thinking that his father, Diego, was still the horrible 'monster' that he used to be before his herd split. Since Udi's birth though, he knew his father had changed for the better. Perhaps he could make this mare understand that.
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Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2008 3:35 pm
Bastet spotted the black and green Bae, but not the purple Jala overhead. She came to a halt and regarded him carefully. He looked to be off in his own little world and probably without a care in that little world. Some people had all the luck. Soon she was going to have to decide if she would go back as Nyx’s messenger had implied she would, or if she was going to leave it all behind and let her cousin deal with Diego.
“Nice day, hu?” she said after a moment, tossing her head as a gust of wind tried to blow it before her eyes. It wasn’t a very good greeting, but it was the best she felt like coming up with; her mind was too frazzled with other things. She hadn’t slept well even for one night since her talk with Nyx. Whenever she closed her eyes, she found herself picturing one of two lives. Either a wild, free one knowing she had doomed one of her kin or one in a cage of golden lies, with a creature of golden pride. What was she to do? What was she to do? It was too hard, too hard a question, it had no right answer. No. Her task in this was to find the lesser of two evils, to find the choice she could live with best and choose it once and for all. There was little she hated more than indecision and here she was trapped in a great mire of it.
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Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2008 3:42 pm
Xavier didn't hear anything.He wasn't into much of anything today.He just kept walking and walking.He soon turned around and layed down beside the ocean again.Listening to the ocean quietly.He could only har the ocean and nothing more.
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Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2008 4:11 pm
Udi ignored the green one and landed a few feet from the mare. He studied her a few moments, she seemed to be troubled by something or someone and appeared to be deep in thought. He didn't really wan't to interupt her but if this was the mare his father had been talking of then they had a lot to discuss and now was the time to do so.
"Greetings!" Udi called to her. He hoped she would be willing to talk to him, he knew he was about to bring up what was bound to be a touchy subject and hoped he wasn't making up a mistake. "Are you the one they call Bastet? If so then I believe we have quite a lot to talk about."
He had no idea what this mare was like. The only things he knew were what he had learned from his father. There had been a time when his mother had told him some of the rumors about his father. It had become rather evident to Udi at a young age that a lot of people didn't seem to have much respect for his father, or when they did it seemed to be for the wrong reasons. Iona had told hi of the rumors and was only able to verify some of them. Udi knew his father was not proud of his old ways and that the Jala had changed for the better, he also knew that unless he could change the views of the mare standing before him then there could be a lot of trouble before him.
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Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 4:07 am
Well of all the... Bastet narrowed her eyes at the Bae. Rude little... Why she ought to-
But before she could decide what ‘she ought to’, a voice caught at her ears and caused her to snort in surprise before turning to the source of the voice. A purple Jala with a golden tail stood before her and... “How do you know my name?” That had been a bit rude, and he didn’t seem like he was trying to be rude to her so she probably ought to amend her words a little. “I mean yes, that’s me... what do we have to talk about? I’m afraid I don’t think I... know... you...” Oh, oh but there was a familiar look about him. Oh dear. Was this one of them? One of the six? Yesh; if he was then poor guy, having a father like that couldn’t be much fun at all.
Bastet spared the distracted Bae one last irritated glance before turning back to the stallion of her own kind. “Does this have something to do with my arranged mate?” she asked slowly, carefully almost. She couldn’t imagine what else anyone might need to talk to her about at this moment in time... And he did have something of Diego in his look; more of something else, presumably this Iana or whatever her name was, but there was something of Diego there she was sure of it. Hoping that this conversation wasn’t going to turn out unpleasant, the gold-eyed mare awaited a response.
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Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2008 9:05 pm
Udi carefully folded his wings to his backside. The wind picked up a little and he had to blink a few times to keep the sand out of his eyes. As it was they stung a little from the salty air. He could hear the roar of the ocean and thought a few moments before he said anything. He did not want to upset the Jala mare but he also wasn't going to spare her feelings in order to make her feel better.
"Yes," He said as he turned to her, flicking his mane out of his eyes. "This has everything to do with your arranged marriage." He paused for a few moments in contemplation. Should he tell her his identity? Would that make her feel as if his judgement was impared because Diego was his father? Then again it was most likely she had already figured out his herritage. It wasn't like it was a big secret that Diego had children and he had been told more than once that he had the features of his father.
With a little sigh he continued on. "Diego, as you may have guessed, is my father. No, this has not impared my judgement of him. I despise his past actions and cannot believe that the stallion who commited those actions is the same as the one who sired me. He has changed in a great many ways and if you have the time I would like to persuade you. I am not necessarily asking you to become my father's mate, that is all your decision, I am however asking you to please take into consideration that he has changed and for the better. Diego is no longer the creature he used to be and still has not been able to forgive himself for those crimes."
If his words had had any effect upon the mare he knew not. She seemed as if in thought and he would not know until she chose to tell him. He waited a few moments for her reply as the soft sea breeze ruffled through his tail and tangled his mane.
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Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 7:46 am
Bastet blinked, and not just because the wind was blowing her mane into her face. Well she’d got the bloodline right but... But this stallion did not hate his father. “Changed?” she echoed, a frown forming on her black face. “Umm... What’s your name?” the tall mare asked after a few moments of uncomfortable stillness; she needed to buy time to wrap her head about the idea. Diego not a complete... not a complete Diego? The striped creature’s frown deepened as she cast her mind back to her meeting with the golden stallion. He had said that he wasn’t any happier about the match than she. He hadn’t... well he hadn’t seemed nice, but then he hadn’t really seemed anything save annoyed with her.
“So... He doesn’t go around ostracizing people who don’t fall at his hooves anymore?” Given what the purple stallion has just said it was probably a bit of a stupid question but her mouth appeared to be working without consent from her brain. “...He actually feels bad about it?” It was... it was hard to think of the shining coated stallion as somebody who could repent. His carriage had been so proud, his blue eyes so sure... But then he was quite used to webs of pretence, wasn’t he? Confused and wondering with a vague sick feeling if she might have judged the sleek gold Jala too soon, Bastet waited helplessly for the creature before her to say something that might unfreeze her mind or at least lessen its spinning.
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Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 3:07 pm
Udi could see that he had confussed the mare. He still didn't understand how she could have been so quick to judge his father, then again with the stories he had heard it was probably a suprise to her to find someone who actually liked Diego. "Please forgive me for my rudeness. My name is Udi. I guess I got a little carried away." He paused a few minutes trying to think of how to continue. Udi wanted to assure her that his father had changed, but too much at once might be a bit much for her.
Well, the best thing to do would be to start at the begining. "If you have the time I would like to tell you the whole story. From the begining, from the days where Diego was not as friendly as he is now. It might be something of a long story though so if you would prefer a shorter version I could come up with something." If he could just have a little of her time so that she might change her opinion of his father. He didn't expect her to completely like Diego, but he at least wanted her to have all the facts before she went and judged his father on his past.
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Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 3:30 pm
The black mare smiled uncertainly. “Udi hu? Right... umm... No problem, I guess you were in a bit of a hurry to talk to me and everything so that’s... that’s fine.” It was hard to know what to think now. This young stallion was clearly sane and rational and there was no reason that Diego couldn’t have changed but... But by all accounts he had be the most unpleasant, proudest, stubbornest and otherwise unchangeable golden stallion that ever lived.
“I... I guess, sure; go ahead.” What did she have to lose after all? She had half convinced herself that she had to go back no matter what, it might strengthen her resolve if she heard he wasn’t so awful... then again it might make her feel less guilty about staying gone and letting somebody else be his mare.
Still, it was said now and she did want to know how the blue-eyed creature she had greeted with anger and hate on that rise could have gone from well-mannered brute to something altogether more like a decent person. Ears perked forward intently and wings fussing nervously, Bastet waited for the story to begin. She had never been so apprehensive and yet so drawn to a story in her life.
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Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 5:05 pm
Udi gently settled himself into a comfortable possition and thought a few moments before starting his story. He only knew what he had learned from his father and a little from what his mother had told him so he wouldn't go into great detail. Just enough information to get his point across should be enough. When he was settled he looked at the mare in front of him and began.
"To be fair I only know what I have heard from both of my parents, however I trust them both and highly doubt that they would lie to me. I know that my father does not have the best reputation and I also know that he wishes he could take back half the stuff that he has done. When he was with his old herd he did and said quite a few things that have given him this reputation. It is true that he was not a kind stallion at the time and that many people still begrudge him for it now. I have heard many stories, of which I am sure you already know so I will not dwell upon those." He paused for a moment. It didn't seem necessary to tell her of Diego's bad reputation as she already knew of it. Perhaps starting where the herd split would be better?
"One day his herd split and Diego went off on his own for a while." He continued. "During this time he met my mother Iona and began to realize the mistakes he made. Unfortunately for him my mother isn't/wasn't much into stallions and I think that left something of an empty spot in his heart. He did love my mother though and after having thought over some of his acts he began to finally understand that he had made many mistakes. While he and my mother raised my siblings and myself he only ever taught us to be kind. I have never heard him say anything harsh or do anything mean since I have been born. I know my opinion may be biased as I am his son but I can assure you that Diego has done nothing since meeting my mother that reflects at all upon his old self. He is indeed changed and I know many will not believe it but it is true. Sure he has done some things in the past that he regrets and that may be a mark against him, and yes he did not always treat others with kindnes, but he has done nothing but try to make up for his actions."
He stopped a moment. Well, alright so he wasn't the best story teller, and probably not the best at persuasion but he had gotten the point across. Hadn't he? Ugh he wished he had a better story telling ability, it would certainly have come in handy at a time like this. Maybe Bastet would understand, that or she might think him completely having been set up for this by his father. Either way it was really out of his hands now.
"I'm not sure how much of that actually came out very well, I'm not the best at re-telling the past, and perhaps it wasn't quite as long as I had thought it was. I just hope I've lead you to understand that my father is not the creature he once was, he has most definately changed and for the better." Trying to catch his breath he awaited her reply.
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Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 7:02 am
Bastet looked away as he finished his telling and scuffed uncomfortably at the sand under her hooves. It was said that love and foals could change people more than anything else. She hadn’t even considered that Diego might actually love the mother of his children, she’d assumed that it had just been a bit of fun gone wrong that he’d had the backbone to take responsibility for. Assumed. She’d done quite a lot of assuming. She had started with aggression when she had met the gold, she had lashed out verbally and physically; what had she expected in return? At the time, she winced as she recalled, at the time she’d been angry that he hadn’t retaliated at first.
The tall mare sagged, her head bowing down nearly to her knees for a few moments before raising again to allow her to study Udi’s face. He looked sincere, didn’t seem like the sort that could lie if he tried. “Perhaps,” the mare began uncertainly, “perhaps I was too hasty...” If he really wasn’t so bad, would it be so bad to be with him?... Yes. Even if he was a good stallion now she did not know him, did not love him, did not want his foals. Even if he was alright their lives would still be a web of lies. ...But if he was alright, maybe her cousin would live a happy life with him... No, no that thought had to stop there. She remembered the look in Nyx’s eyes when it had come out that another would take her place by the golden one’s side and it would haunt her forever is she chose her own happieness.
Bastet gave a very weary sigh and shook her head. “Well... Well...” She didn’t even know what she’d been planning to say after that. “It came out fine,” she managed eventually. “I see no reason to disbelieve you... I don’t know though, Udi, what would you do? Would you agree to be the mate of somebody you did not love to save one of your family from that fate, or would you vanish and live your own life and try to forget all those you once loved?” Perhaps it would help her to know what another would do... but then she suspected that if somebody had just asked her what she would do she would have given the noble answer without even thinking. To say and to do were two entirely different things.
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Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 3:59 pm
The young Jala stallion thought a few moments. If he had to become the mate of a mare to save one of his family members would he do it? He would most definately want to save his family member, he loved his family, but he knew how much it would kill him inside. To be forced to mate to someone who you don't even know? To someone you don't love? No, it wasn't something he could do. And in any case his family knew he prefered stallions. He had never had any romantic thought towards any female in his life. Then to be paired to one? It just wouldn't be right to him. It would be like one of his sister's being paired with another mare. The two would be utterly and completely uncomfortable and it wouldn't be fair to either of them. Then again to leave that fate to one of his family? He couldn't really do that either. In all reality it would really depend upon the mare. If he felt he could be somewhat happy at least with her friendship then he could do it, but he would not force anyone into a relationship where they would not be comfortable. He was also fairly sure his father would be the same.
Finally he turned to the mare before him. "Honestly I would want to run. I'm not sure if you know much about me but I prefer stallions. To become a mate to a mare would be akward for me. If she was one that I could be friends with and I could enjoy her company then perhaps it wouldn't be too bad. I also wouldn't want to doom anyone in my family to that fate but I think that they might understand, considering my sexuality." He then paused a moment and thought a little longer before continuing. "In all reality you are the only one who can make that choice. Though I honestly don't see how my father could force anyone into anything they didn't want to do. Try being around him. Get to know him. If you can't bring yourself to like him then do what is right for you. He would not want you to be unhappy." It was really the only advice he could give. He hoped it helped her.
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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 6:17 am
The purple-striped mare blinked in surprise. He liked...? Oh. She briefly considered saying that she’d a had a friend that way once and that she didn’t judge him, but thankfully before she opened her mouth it occurred to her how false and condescending that would sound. Instead, she said; “no, I didn’t know that... Don’t know much about any of you save that there are six of you...”
Having bought herself all the time she could, the black mare searched her mind frantically for something more to say. He was right, thinking all the things she was thinking save for the sexuality bit. “I.... guess we’ve come to the same conclusions then,” she said eventually with a heavy sigh. “Even if he isn’t as bad as I believed I can’t just... can’t just leave my cousin to be his mate. Provided I do as I’m supposed to, I think she’ll get to pick her own mate and I don’t want to take that away from her...” Yet the ache remained. Bastet pawed at the sand again, she was making quite a groove in it, looked at her hooves. She wasn’t ready to give up her freedom, yet she wasn’t ready to make somebody else give up their own in her place. In the end, to stay as true to herself as she could, there was only one choice she could make. Better to out and say it before she changed her mind again.
The mare raised her head. “I’ll go back, but not just yet. I want to spend a little more time just being... just being free first.” She didn’t know what to say to the purple creature before her. In the end, even if she had not met him, she would have chosen to go back but because she had met him it did not seem quite as unbearable as it otherwise would have. The gold-eyed mare tried for a smile. “Thank you, Udi... Knowing your father isn’t what I thought he was has made this a lot easier on me... Umm... If you see him again before I turn up would you... would you tell him I'm sorry for being such a... a... such a horror at our first meeting? I’d just like him to know that... I was a bit hard on him.” A bit didn’t begin to cover it. She was probably going to have a hard time convincing him that she wasn’t a horrible person. Just great.
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