|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun Aug 11, 2013 6:28 pm
 He was lonely. It wasn't an unusual feeling for Cain, after all, it was his fault he was lonely. Distant and reclusive, he felt it was only fair for him keep away from others, since he had so unwittingly hurt his "friends" when was younger and careless. It seemed he was made of sharp points- teeth, claws, barbed wire, words... nothing about him was cuddly or inviting. However, underneath it all, he yearned to be close to someone. Canon had not cared about his barbed wire and Cain had thought him a friend... but then Canon took Cain's only brother away and now they were off on some grand adventure without him. Perhaps he could learn not to care... not to feel. Was that possible?
Laying in the grass at the edge of a grand lake that spread almost further than the eye could see, Cain looked down at his wavering, moon-lit reflection. The pendant around his neck glowed as brightly as ever... perhaps even more so due the strength of his emotions. It gave his face a ghastly look, highlighting the frown and setting his red eyes aflame. With a disgruntled snort he splashed his reflection with a single paw and looked away.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 11, 2013 7:24 pm
Delicate purple hooves touch down on the grass as Lalieanna made her way towards the lake for a refreshing drink. Her strides were slow, her long silver hair and tail dragging the ground behind her as her wings flexed gently before resting upon her back. It had been a while since she had seen another and had spent most of her days pondering things or dancing with the night.
As she reached the edge of the lake, she could already see bits of her reflection showing, her blue scales sparkling on the waters surface like stars in the night sky. This made her smile, as she peered over the edge, the blue 'stars' joined by a larger one and two blinking ones. Leaning her head down, she began to lap at the cool waters until ripples rustled past her lips. Curiously she lifted her gaze, following the ripples to their source, spotting another, laying at the edge lake, the side of his face lit from a similar glow.
She slowly made her way over, eyes fixed on the blue glow and the face she could not quite see. "Excuse me..." she called softly once she was near enough that he could hear her. She had not yet had the fortune of seeing someone else who glowed like she did and hoped to at least learn of his name.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 11, 2013 11:03 pm
Cain did not notice the black hind in the dark of the night, so lost was he in his own thoughts. Perhaps a good hunt would get the itch out of his paws, he always felt better when he could concentrate on something else for a while. If only he had the willpower to stand and begin the process. But it seemed like there was lead in his bones, and he just continued to lay in place, wishing for the pain in his chest to go away.
Time passed by slowly, every second seemed to drag on. If he had heard the approach of another herla, he didn't react at all. It wasn't until she spoke that he even acknowledged her presence, or even noticed it. With a slight jolt, his head snapped to the side and he looked in her direction only long enough to realize it was just a harmless hind. With a quiet sigh, he put his head back onto his hooves and looked away. "Just... leave me alone..." he mumbled sadly and heaved a heavy sigh.
Oh, how he hoped she wouldn't leave him alone... and yet, he didn't know how to say it. He didn't know how to put into words how badly he wished this strange, unknown hind would stay. Perhaps she would be friendly, or kind... perhaps she would not care that he was not good enough with his magic to make the pendant stop glowing or careful enough with his barbed wire ti keep from hurting others. But he had already turned her away... she would undoubtedly leave, just like everyone else.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 5:26 pm
For a few moments, it would seem she had gone ignored, until he spoke to her. Not quite the answer she had been expecting, but not an answer she was unfamiliar with. Tilting her head in slight confusion, she blinked her glowing eyes and studied his voice, taking a step to the side in attempt to view his face. "Forgive me." she said softly, lowering her head as if that was meant to let him hear her better.
"This one did not mean to bother, only curious about your pendant and if it is like her own." she stated simply, peering once again at the glow before looking back at her own. The two, in her mind, seemed like a pair of illuminated specs in the darkness of night. Her a shadow and he more like some sort of spirit. Perhaps they were meant to meet tonight, beneath the stars? She stole a glance upwards at the only other twinkling beings around before back towards the solemn looking hart.
The dark hind took a few more steps closer, her own need to find answers often tossing the concept of personal space out the window as she flexed her wings and dipped her head even closer to his. "Yours glows much brither than This one's."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 8:49 am
Cain listened quietly to the stranger's hoof steps, thoroughly expecting them to get softer as she wandered away, back into the night that spawned her. But it was not to be. They grew louder and closer, and Cain grew excited for a short moment. She hadn't left... she was curious... she wanted to... see his pendant? Looking up with sorrow written across his face, he finally took a moment to look her over. She was beautiful, for lack of better words. Ethereal and dainty- easily hurt by sharp objects. As she approached, he couldn't help but lean away and murmur, "Careful... barbs..."
He quieted and listened again, to her voice. She spoke in third person, how odd. Cain had met many odd herla, but this was odd in a different way. Not in the sort of way that made you do a double take, but instead, made you curious. Curiosity? He had not felt that in a while. Her comments were simple, but he sighed when she finished. "Wish I could turn it off... being a beacon is annoying. I'd give it to you, but it's stuck to me," he stated with slight contempt for the sorry state of himself. He wondered if his fur was spotted with red, as it used to be when he was younger and got cut by his own barbs... or if his skin had scarred enough that it didn't happen anymore... he didn't like looking at his reflection long enough to find out. Now he wished he had.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2013 11:51 am
Stuck to him? And turn it off? This made even more questions pop into her mind. She could easily take hers off if she wished and it did not affect the glow. She had tried many times, wondering if it was she that made it glow or if it simply did so of its own desire. Over the years of trying to figure it out, it became like a part of her, but never something bound to her forever that she couldn't remove it and leave it if she wished. "You can not take it off? Curious..." she mused. He also apparently did not like how brightly it shinned, which seemed odd to her. Did he not use it like some sort of light to illuminate the dark places? If her's glowed that brightly, that is how she would look at it. But this one seemed different.... and he seemed off in ways that she couldn't place a hoof on. Not bad off... but... distant.
Now, as she really took a moment to look deeper at him, to see everything she possibly could despite the dark, something caught her eye. Barbs. That is what he meant. He was covered in them! Why would he be covered in them? Had he gotten tangled, as she used to do with her long mane and tail, and sometimes still did. "Do those not hurt you? If you are tangled, this one can try to help." she nodded and offered a soft smile. Perhaps... if he was free of barbs, he would smile for her, and she would get to see how even more striking he looked when he was not distraught over glows and points.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2013 6:14 pm
Cain was a little surprised when the female continued to speak in third person. He thought that it might have been a fluke, or just a formal and submissive way of introducing herself. He began to wonder if she always spoke that way, or if she was just in the mood for it tonight. After thinking about it for a while, he had to fight the urge to ask her why. First off, it would be rude... Secondly, Cain hated herla that asked too many questions, and he didn't want to become one of them. Alas, it seemed he might become a hypocrite that very night, for there was so much about this doe that intrigued him.
That is... until she began asking questions of her own. The curiosity in Cain's eyes immediately flickered away and he looked down at his paws crossly. Did she think he wouldn't have removed the wire if he could? He'd forever remember how, when he was a fawn, he thought his father was cool, with his barbed wire. How he went out in search of some of his own... how he got stuck.... how it hurt too much to remove... how it plagued him through his childhood... catching on his skin... cutting his friends when they got too close. He wasn't even sure if he bled anymore, they were so entangled in his fur and stuck in his skin. They were now a part of him, like any other.
Cain sat quietly for a few moments, running his claws through the grass. It was a nervous habit of his. After much too long a pause, he finally replied shortly, "Ya. They hurt." What else was he supposed to say? It would take more time and energy than he wished to invest to explain the entire thing. With a forlorn sigh, he decided to add, "They won't come off. But thanks for the offer... I'm Cain, by the way... in case you cared..."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2013 6:06 pm
This.. Cain, as he would be called, seemed to have bad luck being stuck to things. Or things stuck to him. And to hear him say that they hurt, well that didn't please her any. So many strange things she had seen on other herla, even in just passing glances and none of them seemed as much in pain as he did. It was a shame and part of her wished she could just pull them off and be done with it. But she supposed that would be much harder than being untangled from ones own hair. So many things she wanted to ask him and yet she bit her tongue and held back. He was different than the others, already... sensitive. As much as she wanted to know everything, there were times when something in her mind told her... that it was better to just wait. And so she did the next thing she felt was best.
"This one is sorry...." she said softly, glancing down at his paws as they scratched through the grass. Looking him over once more, she decided to do something she was unsure at how he would react too... but she wanted too. And so she did, folding her legs neatly beneath her, and laid down beside him. "Cain. she repeated his name, folding her wings about her back and nestling her long hair in pools beside her. "This one is called... Lalieanna. And This one does care... even if She has many things to learn yet." she mused softly, glancing up towards the sky, her eyes drifted over the twinkling stars.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2013 9:33 pm
Cain watched the doe, Lalieanna, out of the corner of his eye. It was hard not to. She was like some sort of spirit of the night, beautiful and enchanting. Though her curiosity had made him a little uncomfortable, it was hard to hold it against her, as it had been so innocent. The fact that his curt replies and distant reactions had not scared her away somehow made him relax. Perhaps she wasn't like the others. No, he was certain she wasn't like the others. She reminded him a little of a meadow of tall grass, able to bend and sway with the wind. He could almost feel her mind wondering what to do next, and he felt a little bad for making her so hesitant. But he was also grateful... she did not pester.
He had just settled into their form of conversation when she suddenly changed it up again- when she lay down. Stiffening, he flicked his tail well out of reach of her, not wanting to scratch her by accident. Though he might have liked to acknowledge that he appreciated the gesture, he could not touch her, for fear of hurting her. The only herla he had ever been physically close to was his mother- but she was a mountain doe with extremely thick fur... his barbs had never cut her. But this one... she was a delta, like he was, and susceptible to sharp things. He hoped she would not take it the wrong way, the moving of his tail.
Then he began to worry. Not wanting her to take the simple gesture the wrong way, he brought his head a little closer to her, the only safe part of him. Now that they were closer, he could speak softly. "Lalieanna... that is..." he said and trailed off, wondering if it was okay to give her a compliment so soon after they had met. Throwing caution to the wind he ended it with, "... that is... beautiful."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 22, 2013 7:41 pm
She had felt him tense, the air around him grew more so when she laid down. The very faint sounds of his tail flicker away caused her ears to perk a moment as she looked down from the stars and over at him. Her first thought was he did not want her to touch him. Something others had said to her many times.... this concept of... 'personal space' as they called it still eluded her. And then she remembered the barbs and how quickly she had forgotten. Perhaps a sign of how much it did not bother her that he was... well pointy. He hadn't threatened to use them on her, so why be afraid?
And then his head came closer. This brought a smile to her face as she could now see him fully, in the light of the moon.. and the light of their pendants combined. Her ears pinned back a bit in embarrassment at his compliment. "None have said such things before..... Thank you..." she said softly, shooting her gaze back up to the stars again. It was her favorite part about the night... getting to watch them.
"Do you see them as This one does?" she tilted her head, glancing at Cain. She of course meant the stars above and how they twinkled, almost as if to each other. Like they were having a conversation... telling stories... laughing... crying, all together.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 25, 2013 8:42 am
Cain reveled in how close she was... not even his brother was ever this close to him. He remembered the time he got yelled at by his brother when they were fawns and Cain wasn't quite careful enough around some thickets. The barbed buck had kept his distance from others ever since. Now, the proximity of the doe filled him with a gentle sort of elation. It was a thrill almost, to be so close they were almost touching. His limbs began to feel awkward and ungainly. What was he supposed to do with them? Was he laying right, were his legs at an awkward angle? What.... oh... she was asking a question...
It took a moment for him to gather his thoughts from the sudden whirlwind in his mind. Looking in the direction she had been staring, he realized the question had been about the stars. Still a little dazed by the sudden change of thought, he murmured unthinkingly, "Don't know... When I get lonely, sometimes it's like they are trying to talk to me... like they are waving..." It wasn't until after he said it that he realized how pathetic that must have sounded. Blushing a little he looked away from the sky and back at his paws. "Not that I think stars can talk or anything...." he mumbled morosely. Great, now he'd done it. Now she was going to think he was some kind of weird loner that talked to the stars...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2013 3:11 pm
Lali watched him as he fidgeted with himself, seeming unsure as to how to lay or sit. If he should move or be still. It seemed being adorned with barbs really bothered him that much.. and she couldn't quite place her hoof on it. Maybe if she had known his past and how its tormented him so, but to her, at this very moment, they seemed just like the glowing scales along her body. Of course those didn't p***k her..... "It is alright, if you wish to move." she finally offered, before smiling as he answered her question.
When he suddenly seemed embarrassed for admitting he talked to the stars, she laughed softly. Something that came usually only when she was alone. "But they can talk. This one has heard them." she smiled, in a sort of soft mysterious sort of way. Stars had no audible voice, anyone would have known that, but this doe felt that they had their own ways of communicating and had often told her tales of the past or of great warriors and great villains. "One just has to learn how to hear them properly." she smiled again before casting her gaze back to the sky.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2013 11:31 pm
Cain's eyes flew wide at her suggestion to move and his head snapped up. He looked into her eyes, trying to figure out what the inspiration for the statement was, but saw nothing but kindness. With an earnest shake of his head, he replied awkwardly, "No! ... no... I mean... I don't want to move... I... just..." Pausing for a moment, he thought on how to phrase how much he liked being in such close proximity, he just didn't know how it was supposed to be done. "I... just don't... want to hurt you..." he mumbled and looked back down at his paws.
When the beautiful doe laughed, he snuck a glance at her. To think she was entrancing before, was to have not experienced the beauty of her laugh. It wasn't overly loud or excitable. The quiet giggle was so perfect in every way that it made even the morose Cain, smile. As she turned to look back at the stars, he felt brave enough to turn his head so that he could look at her fully once again. Her eyes sparkled like stars themselves, he just noticed. Yes, they twinkled... it almost made him want to see them closer... almost. Her hair was like moonlight, and Cain was sure that if moonlight smelled like something, it would smell as sweet as her. Hypnotized by her elegance, he managed to whisper, "What have they said to you...?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 31, 2013 6:49 pm
As he explained his reasons, Lalieanna could only just shake her head with a smile. It made sense to her, that if he could not control them, then it wasn't his fault if she should get poked, but her own. "This one will be careful. Promise." she smiled, nodding her head again. For a brief second, she had wondered if this was how all encounters with him went... or would go. Was there no one he felt safe around? Was there no one who felt safe around him? That did not sound like a fun way to go about ones day. Not to her. Being alone had its perks when it was of ones own accord, but she had also experienced its fair share of disappointments from others getting fed up with her many many questions. It was these times she sometimes cursed her insatiable curiosity.
With a soft sigh, she shut her eyes, remembering all the tales she had 'heard' from the stars. All the stories she believed they had told to her, that she had seen and witnessed on many starry nights. "Many things. Battles from great pasts. Tales of distant futures. Whisperings of dreams. Sometimes.. just a simple hello and to be noticed." she laughed softly again, turning to gaze at him. He was smiling, an actual genuine smile, and it only seemed to make her smile more, as if it was infectious. "You are much more handsome when you smile. Why do you not do so more?" she asked and tilted her head.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2013 8:58 am
Cain looked at this mystifying doe with a mixture of forlornness and yearning. His heart grasped the promise, like a herla dying of thirst finding a creek. He wondered if they could be friends, like the others were friends. Perhaps he could give her a nuzzle hello or a nudge goodbye. Perhaps if he was truly careful, he would never hurt her. If she was careful AND he was careful, surely nothing could happen, right? But no, this was dangerous. Hope was like a weed- it took seed so quietly and, if left to grow unchecked, can take over a forest made of restrictions and boundaries. Alas, the seed had already been planted, and Cain could no more fight his hopefulness than he could remove his barbs.
Cain hung on to her every word, listening with rapt attention as she spoke of the stars. He himself had never actually heard anything from the stars, but he knew what the last part felt like. To be noticed, it was a nice feeling. As she turned to smile back at him, her glowing blue eyes caught his own red ones, and he wondered what thoughts were living behind the gentle gaze. His question, however, did not remain unanswered for long, and he started a little at the compliment. The smile faded as a blush crept onto his cheeks and he looked back down at his paws. "I've... never had a reason to...." he mumbled almost more to himself than to her. Why had he smiled? It was rather unusual for him. Well, it felt nice, so maybe he should do it more often. After a moment's pause he looked back up at Lali with a small smile, "I'm not nearly as handsome as you are beautiful when you smile..."
As he finished saying that, his eyes flew open and he looked back down at his paws. Oh great, out of the pot and into the frying pan... he was lucky enough that she didn't think he was crazy for talking to the stars, but now she would probably think he was a creeper. Why couldn't he have just kept quiet...? He was usually so good at keeping quiet... but, this doe made him feel so compelled to say nice things. She was so nice, after all... shouldn't a buck say nice things to a nice doe?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
