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 Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 11:20 am
What did that make him, the golden Jala wondered as he paused to drink from one of Yisi's many calm pools. Another drop in the end he supposed, just an extremely self-aware one, a drop which would one day be very powerful. He was like them, and yet he wasn't. Not that he ever had been truly like the masses, the stallion considered with a slight smile; he had always been brighter, stronger, and braver than most. Now he was more gifted as well, another bit of superiority to enjoy. For a while, when he had settled down to be a dutiful member of his herd, he had abandoned his haughty demeanor, which had been foolish of him. His kindness on the other wing, he felt, was not misplaced; that much his youthful self had been wrong about. There was no cause to harm others just because they weren't as good as you, and refused to admit they weren't as good. Kindness and pride could exist side by side... And he was going to turn into a bloody poet at this rate.
Snorting to himself in amusement, Diego raised his head again and allowed tendrils of awareness to creep out of his own mind and out into the world around him. Now, who was around Ysis today?...
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Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 1:05 pm
 Mischa wasn't sure what had caused her to wander this far from her usual stompings grounds - but as she wasn't a creature to question such random happenstance the reasoning behind her wanderings wasn't something worth pondering at the moment. Not when there were so many other things to think about.
Ears flicking about nervously as she pondered the dense tree's which towered over her, casting giant shadows on the ground - shadows that seemed to mute the landscape into a near perpetual twilight. It was a land of mystery to Mischa and being the romantically fairy tale minded creature she was - one of great fascination. It was a wonder to the young mare that at any moment some legendary beast might leap out from the woods around her, or swim by in the babbling brook at her feet. Wouldn't that be a story to take back and tell the others? Imagine that...that might give her a bit more status with the other Nequus. Well that or they would think her crazy.
Mischa half pondered these thoughts as she played about at the stream edge, knocking rocks around with her hooves to form mini-dams and redirect the flow of water. It might be a foal like thing to do - but Mischa in many ways was a large overgrown fol, and she wasn't ashamed of it either.
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Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 7:35 am
The innocent wanderings of one mind among the many caught his attention and then vanished; Diego raised his head and flared his nostrils as though scenting for it. After a moment it flickered by again, and this time he rode with it... He was looking down at a stream, playing with rocks. He had dainty hooves and slender dark legs. An Ichsa, he thought, to be that fine-boned. Blinking, the golden Jala came back to the world around him and set off in the vague direction of the mind. It was imprecise, tracing thoughts, a little like the feeling of sun on you. You knew when you turned away from it, but it wasn't a precise beacon.
Eventually, however, he spotted the owner of the bright little mind and the slim legs; an Ichsa mare. Quite pretty really; browns and golds, distinctively but not crassly marked. She would do very well for practice. "Good day to you," he called from the other side of the stream, "I am Diego of Estavan's herd." He wished now that he was a little less rough looking, but there was no help for it. In any case, her mind had felt kind, she might be more willing to talk to a sad, scruffy looking creature than a gleaming specimen of perfect heath.
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Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 12:03 pm
Mischa was fairly involved in her own world when Diego came upon her - it was a habit of hers this daydreaming and one what had gotten her into trouble on more then one occasion. You would think after a few bad experiences Mischa would have learned to pay closer attention to the world around her - but that was Mischa for you, no matter how many times bad things happened she seemed quite sure that it wouldn't happen again, that the world was a good and kind place.
Thusly when the golden stallion spoke Mischa had yet to notice his appearance and flung her head up from where she had been regarding the results of her water channeling to look for the source with wide and startled eyes. "oh my!" she exclaimed when she finally laid eye's on him and her exclamation was both because he had startled her...and because of the way he looked which to her eye seemed a bit...scruffy. "Why Sir...it dosen't look like you've eaten for days." She chirped, a statement which might seem a tad callous to many ears thought Mischa didn't mean anything by it - she just had a tendency to speak without thinking about what she was saying, and once she realized her words might be taken badly tried to backtrack. "I mean..its a pleasure to meet you Diego, I am Mischa"
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Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 10:05 am
Diego smiled ruefully, acknowledging her comment with a slight bow of his head. "I have been a trifle distracted of late, I'm glad to meet you too." There her mind was again, a bright cheerful little place it was, warm and friendly too. She was... vaguely worried about maybe having been rude, well, no matter. "Are you here alone?" he asked for a moment, even though he knew she was. "I've been traveling alone for some suns now myself."
Always aware of people, never meeting them. Without focusing it was hard to tell if a mind was just in the next clearing or a sun's journey away. Either way didn't matter too much to him, just listening in on them was company, and good practice. Not quite as good as being face to face though, this would be good for him. Maybe if he could pick her mind well enough, he could feel confident enough to return home. He did want to get back, he missed his family, especially his young daughters. Being away from them for much longer was unthinkable, they needed their father. The whole herd needed him for that matter, oh yes, it needed him more than ever. They were going up in the world, he would see to that.
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Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2009 10:23 am
Mischa wondered briefly just how distracting something had to be to keep one from eating, but as quickly as such thoughts flitted through her mnd she banished them as somewhat crass. It just seemed terribly rude to pry into the poor stallions life - why for all she knew it might have been something quite dreadful and stirring it up again did seem a mite cruel. Mischa did not like to be cruel - or thought of badly and she feared that she may have already given the wrong impression by speaking - as always -without thinking in the first place. She really must work on that...
She perked up slightly at his tone - he didn't seem angry at all, perhaps she hadn't offended him with her statements. He did seem like a kind beast she assured herself and pricking her ears answered him cheerfully "I am!" she confirmed her lonely status "Typically do...travel alone that is, well maybe not so much now as I used to..but today I am, was just wandering" The onyx mare babbled on in a manner which might remind someone of a chirping bird. "Do you often travel alone?"
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Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2009 11:04 am
After spending so much time around the serious oh-so-honorable etc, Hellenes this one was quite a refreshing change. A happy, darting little mind with the attention span of an insect. Too much exposure would become wearisome, he had no doubt, but for now he was enjoying her simple happiness. "Not very often," he said with a shake of his head. "This is the first time for a long while... Now that I'm becoming a bit more focused on real life again, I find myself quite enjoying it. The company of others is pleasant, but there's something to be said for solitude too."
It gave you time to step back and evaluate your life, something he hadn't been able to do for quite a while what with one thing and another. His life was good, he realised. He had many wonderful children, a mate he liked and respected, and some good friends. That was a lot more than many had, he was most fortunate indeed. Not that he didn't deserve good things in life, of course he did, but he was aware that the world was an unfair place, and people didn't always get their dues. He was now that, he was finally rising higher than ever. It was a good feeling, to be superior.
"I do have a herd though, like I say," he went on with a nod, "our lands lie just south of the two legs' lands, just north of D'ob. Visitors are quite welcome, so if you are ever in the area please feel free to stop by." She wasn't too bright but she was sweet and pretty, if she decided to stay on permanently it would be no bad thing.
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Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 9:23 am
Mischa was a tad confused at the 'focused on real life again' comment, but then she supposed it made a certain bit of sense, I mean if something happened to keep you from eating she expected it would also make it somewhat hard to worry with the typical boring happenings of day to day life. After flicking her ears a time or two in thought Mischa finally decided that that must be the answer. The poor stallion must have gone through something quite terrible and was only now beginning to get on his feet again. Wasn't that brave? Mischa thought so - she wasn't sure what would happen to her if some disaster struck but she had never been considered a particularly strong Nequus...her friends seemed to think she was quite delicate really.
"True words Sir Diego, Friends are fine things but it is important to find yourself once in a while as well I think" Mischa stated with a slight bob of her head - and there you see? she wasn't quite a silly as she sometimes came across, she just had a bad habit of talking before thinking and a mind that lent itself to the fantastical rather then reality. Speaking of which...she found the stallions hide rather fascinating, true he had no markings to speak of but there was something to be said for solid gold - and she wondered briefly if he really was the treasure such a hide implied him to be?He seemed kind enough to be.
Ah but her thoughts were wandering again and she brought them back in line with the current conversation "Perhaps I will visit sometime - I have never spent time with a herd before, it might be interesting to see what it is like, I'm sure its a grand thing to have so many you care about around you" For surely those who lived in a herd were all like family to one another yes? Mischa didn't know as she had never resided in one - but had always thought of them as such.
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Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 10:34 am
It was nice to be thought well of, he even rather liked being seen as something of a tragic figure. It wasn't entirely inaccurate either, he had been through a rough time. Thinking yourself insane was no easy, not easy at all. He had wanted to die, to climb the icy slopes of Casa Tiner and find oblivion there. If he hadn't come across Meleager, and through their conversation come to see the truth, he might be dead right now. What a waste that would have been.
"Very true," Diego smiled, "it is hard to see yourself when you are always surrounded by others, you have so many things to think about besides yourself, who you are, where you are going." He knew where he was going; home. Not right away, but very soon. Just a few more suns, just to get a bit more of a grasp, especially on closing out the voices when he didn't want to hear them. Once he could reliably do that while awake, he could go home.
"It is good to have a herd," he went on with a nod, "but it can be restricting as well. I suppose, as with everything in life, it has its up and downs. There are a lot of people who love you when you're a full member of a herd, but a lot of people who expect things of you too." A lot would be expected of him when he returned, but he could handle that.
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Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2009 10:23 am
Mischa thought perhaps this stallion was quite wise as well as kind - or mayhap he had just lead a longer, fuller life then her own. He did seem quite worldly compared to her - whose life consisted mainly of doing whatever it was that caught her fancy on any given day. She wondered briefly what it would be like to have someone rely on her..or expect something of her, it might be nice to feel wanted or needed in such a way.
Then again..given her luck, or tendency for distraction Mischa was pretty sure it wouldn't end well for anyone, but such was life right? and one was the way they were, so that thought didn't bother her nearly as much as it might another. Mischa was not one to dwell on her flaws for any length of time. She preferred happier thoughts.
"With so many who love you in this herd you speak of there must be some who miss you. Will you be going back to them now that you have found your way again?"
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Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2009 6:15 am
"Yes," Diego nodded, "I'll be heading back soon... Once I look a little less awful, I think," he chuckled and turned his head to inspect himself... His vision vanished, was replaced for a moment by blackness, and then he was looking at himself through Mischa's eyes. Well, it was certainly more effective than trying to twist around enough to see himself. He kept his head turned all the same; he didn't want to make her suspicious.
"I do look pretty awful," he observed as he turned back to her and his vision flicked back to normal. "I wouldn't want to turn up at home looking like this, everyone would worry." Immaculate Diego could not arrive home in triumph looking like a scruffy sack of bones. Faintly scruffy and slightly skinny would be good, it would show what a wild time he'd had out there, but this was too much. Sometimes it was better to water down reality for the masses so as not to stress or strain their little minds.
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Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2009 8:57 am
Mischa Watched in silence as Diego inspected himself and clearly didn't notice anything out of the ordinary as she wondered briefly if he hadn't known just how much he'd allowed himself to get run down, It was somewhat worrisome really - why someone could easily catch sick letting themselves get into such a state....but that was such a negative train of thought that Mischa glossed it over in her mind and turned her attentions to happier things. Surely the fact that the stallion was returning home was a happy thought, and as he wasn't already sick t was unlikely he would get sick now that he was on the mend. Possible disaster averted! All is well in the world.
"They are probably worrying already" Mischa responded quite without thinking about it, of course she hadn't meant to say something that might make the poor creature feel bad for leaving in the first place and rushed on to add a little something to her statement "Though I'm sure that they will all forget their worry when they see you again" she concluded in a cheery voice.
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Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2009 9:21 am
Diego sighed slightly and nodded. "I expect they are. I feel awful for causing them so much concern, but it couldn't be helped. I think they will understand." He was also pretty sure that Bastet would try to kick the drek out of him reason or no. Still, he'd be more than a match for her what with being able to read her mind any everything. He didn't want to have to fight her, but he didn't intend to just stand around and be kicked. Besides, she was a bright enough mare, once she realized how badly she was outclassed, she'd give up and attack him verbally instead. After that, hopefully, she'd calm down.
"Still, some of them have no right to complain," Diego added as a thought occurred to him. "I'm not the first in the family to rush off without telling anyone where I was going or when I'd be back." Bastet had done that when they had first been betrothed and then of course Sekhmet had made her bid for freedom. He'd accept a telling off from anyone else, but not from either of them.
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Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2009 9:45 am
Oh dear..it seemed as though she had managed to make him feel bad anyways - despite her attempt at damage control and Mischa mentally scolded herself - she really needed to work on this speaking without thinking thing someday. Rather then continue on on such a dreary topic however Mischa decided to focus on something a bit more positive.
"Well! It seems like you have a very adventurous lot on your hands, some Nequus think being adventurous is only trouble - but I think it shows a good bit of strength and independence. Good qualities to have to my way of thinking" Besides she thought to herself,life would be quite boring if you ever went on an adventure or two - and why just imagine all the worldly wonders one would miss seeing! That alone was reason enough to Mischa to believe such qualities nothing but good.
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Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2009 9:42 am
"Yes," Diego chuckled softly and shook his head, "I have to admire their spirit in rushing off like that even if it did cause me inconvenience at the time." Sekhmet's place in the herd, and his life, would never be the same but at least she would be happy, and he would see her from time to time. Perhaps she'd even do some good in the world, make a few slaves' lives slightly less terrible.
"I'll certainly have some good stories to share with them all when I get back," the stallion mused, "and I'll actually have time to hear what Sekhmet has to say; one of my daughters who took it into her head to run off from the herd in search of a more liberated life." He didn't need to specify exactly why she had felt the need to do that, or exactly what she had wanted to be liberated from. He did feel a little guilty that she had feared and arranged mating, but he also felt more than a bit annoyed with her for abandoning her duty. Still, it was her life, what business was it of his what she wanted to do with it?
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