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Just beyond - Aithniel - 07-25-2014
RE: Just beyond - Cirrus - 07-26-2014 "Whoa," a voice echoed across the icy tundra of the Steppe, its tone full of honest surprise mingled with a hint of admiration, and perhaps even a shadow of wistfulness. The voice was mine. It was ushered into existence by the genuine surprise that took me when I spied something that stirred a great many feelings within. Fire, I remembered fondly, though sadly, was your element. I spoke to Sitka still, not knowing if he heard me, or if I was simply speaking to myself. I never heard his deep, melodic voice, that reminded so much of my father's deep hymns, reply, though sometimes I felt like it stroked me during my sleep, wrapping around me like a mother's comforting embrace, or a father's protective stance. Then my dreams became nightmares, as I awoke, to find that you were indeed, gone. The surprise came from the sheer unexpectedness of the appearance of sparks, and flame, upon the permafrost, the land that never seemed to change no matter what season took flight across the sky above it. The admiration came from one who was born into a land of wonder and mystery, of magic and illusions - one who could appreciate without instantly fearing the unknown, the unexplored, the unlearned. One who, more than anything else, found these things worthy of admiration before hate. The wistfulness arose after the memory of your own flames ignited along your back, the many times they chased away the cold in those would-be-deadly snowstorms. And perhaps, the flames too reminded me of the pillar, the beacon, of my homeland, which, through its sheer familiar, permanent existence, managed to offer me something akin to comfort and solace. "Hey there, little FireBringer," I greet, my tones friendly, my voice carried from my lofty perch in the skies, my broad wings carrying me with ease over the youthful belle, to land before her in a smooth transition from flight to standing upon the ground. "Pretty nifty trick you've got there," I comment, winking playfully at her. I wondered what she was doing North, for it was not often one with wings was seen this far beyond the Arch. I had gleamed from my encounter with two unicorns that it was primarily the horned variety who resided North, in the Basin, still - that much had not changed in my absence. I noted the horns that curved atop her crown, and wondered if perhaps I was wrong, again, about the (so easy to make) assumption that every unicorn who lived North was a racist - was she the result of a love borne between a horned one and a pegasus? There was something that made me want to consider her for longer, something familiar that tugged at my memories. But I wasn't one to simply stand before a new creature and stare her down just to satiate my own curiosity. I usually just asked straight out for answers, but when my questions were unknown even to me, I opted for something simpler. "I'm Cirrus." @[Aithniel] Cirrus
the Wind Dancer
RE: Just beyond - Dsiox - 07-28-2014
RE: Just beyond - Aithniel - 08-12-2014
@[Dsiox] RE: Just beyond - Cirrus - 08-12-2014 The girl's reactions reminded me so much of myself I had to silence the laughter that threatened to bubble up within my chest. So unsure, so puzzled, so fascinated and then immediately annoyed at her surroundings - it reminded me sorely of my sister, too, whose normal first reaction was to zap first and think later. Here now, this girl pinned her ears at me, as if we were entering into an argument or fight before anything else - it actually warmed my heart to witness it. I missed being so young, so curious and at the same time, so wary and unsure. Though weren't we all simultaneously curious and wary when it came to new things, no matter how learned we were? I was born into this land of strange and magnificent wonders, I was raised in a herd that accepted all and cherished those who were willing to use their gifts for the benefit of the greater good.. Though I was still able to be surprised and shocked by the powers and actions of some, I was swift to accept these things as 'normal' - for my definition of 'normal' was one that was in a state of constant flux. "Absolutely," I agreed easily with the girl's summation of her powers. Fire was a very powerful gift to have control of, but it was something to be handled with care, treated with great respect. I remember stories my father told of the great drought that plagued Helovia in her first year here, as well as the flames that danced along the back of my beloved Sitka. The pillar of fire that existed in the heart of the Throat - the very flames that decorated the wings and hair of the Sun God - they were all something I had a wary respect for, something I hoped any and every creature would hold respect for. "My mistake," I add, attempting to strike up further interest in conversation with this startlingly stunning filly. "It's definitely a powerful and useful ability." I concede, smiling kindly to the girl, hoping to mend whatever bridges had been burned through a combination of my inability to converse and her fire-cracker irritation. Another arrives, an equine whose coat reminds me of the pale snowy landscape we are standing upon. I had seen similar before, of the grey motley dapples, but none that had turned into speckles across the face. I offer her a small smile as well, but when she says nothing, and the girl, Aithniel, kicks up her heels in play, my attention soon drifts. The girl seems to more in play, but does not laugh or even smile, so I do it for her. I leapt in step with her, unafraid of the flames that dance skitteringly away from her hooves, used to the dangers that flames posed from my years of dancing with you by my side. "Wanna see a trick?" I ask the girl as I jump, filling my wings with wind of my own creation, making my leap longer and higher than any ground-dweller could ever achieve. I laugh as I land, tossing my tiara playfully, striking at the permafrost beneath my hooves almost in a challenge, inviting more sparks to come at me, inviting this timid yet determined girl to reveal more of herself to the world. @[Aithniel] @[Dsiox] Cirrus
the Wind Dancer
RE: Just beyond - Aithniel - 09-09-2014
RE: Just beyond - Cirrus - 09-30-2014 The confusion, the puzzlement and tentative trust, was all familiar to me. Though I felt that she was too young to be feeling this way already - I had always been outgoing, rambunctious and unafraid, until you let me. This girl seemed haunted, lost and unsure, in a way that I hadn't experienced until I had lived several turns of the seasons. She could barely have seen her first season - why was she so scared already? And yet, there was a fire within her - literally and figuratively - one that I also recognised, one that, despite whatever fears and troubles assaulted her, I knew would carry her through it. She was resilient, and I admired her for it - this young, barely weaned filly who was still discovering how to walk in this world, held my admiration. Shy, tentative smiles finally began to curl her lips, and they only made my own more sincere, more determined to draw out something akin to trust and enjoyment. Our companion is seemingly forgotten, left behind as she holds no wings to carry her alongside our lively dance. I was surprised as the young girl took a short flight in the wake of my motion, gladly supplying a wind that would encourage such actions, glad witnessing what could be this girl's first ever experience taking all four feet off the ground. Some strange sense of maternal pride welled up within me, and I cheered with a gentle whinny at her, nodding my crown and pawing at the permafrost beneath to show my enthusiasm. "Well done!" I say excitedly, before the girl murmurs my name in such a conspiring way that I can't help but lower my tiara to her level as I close the distance to hear her query. "Of course," I reply without hesitation, with such an assured air that it is impossible to deny my sincerity. I nod, a kind grin upon my maw. I had to wonder who was raising her - was she in a situation similar to that of Aeolus and Levex, raised by a loving mother who did not hold wings of her own, and therefore no knowledge to draw upon to teach her? With the horns upon her crown and the wings upon her back, I knew she was a hybrid - perhaps she resided with the horned kind, who were grossly uneducated in the ways of flight. "Come on," I say, reaching out with my muzzle to bump it against the filly's small neck, an affectionate gesture I hope she takes the right way. Without waiting to see how she accepts the action, however, turn, bobbing my head to invite her along, before turning again abruptly, so that we stand face to face. My wings are stretched out to their full reaches by my sides, and I nod to Aithniel, hoping to prompt her to do the same. "Let's see them, then." I say with a grin, wanting to check the girl's appendages over to see just what I was working with before we did anything else. @[Aithniel] Cirrus
the Wind Dancer
sxc.hu | larfsalot RE: Just beyond - Aithniel - 10-08-2014
RE: Just beyond - Cirrus - 10-18-2014 The girl is so unsure, almost scared of what I might do. Though I offer no harm or negativity, she hesitates to embrace it fully - but nor does she turn it away. I admire the strength she demonstrates to overcome her internal fear - such strength I wish I possessed in my times of weakness, where I either picked a fight to avoid the 'confrontation' of getting to know someone, or reveal too much about myself.. But here she was, offering herself to me. I would think her foolish had she been older, naïve perhaps, but she was still a filly - her experiences, however rich, were limited by the sheer fact that she was yet to spend a significant amount of time simply being alive. I was glad that it was me, and not someone more sinister, to accept her nervous, hesitant trust. I would do everything in my power to keep that trust safe. I watched carefully as she stretched her skinny little wings out, observing them closely, sniffing the dander that drifted from their feathery folds. There was very little muscle tone, it was obvious she rarely stretched them out, let alone knew how to approach flying with them. I nodded as I ran my whiskered muzzle down the length of one and up the length of the other, my gaze critical. "Hmmm," I murmur in response to her question, my brow furrowing as I consider how to reply. "You have the potential to soar as high and fast as you want," I begin, a shadow of a smile curving my dark lips as I imagined her grey and gold self cutting through the clouds of the heavens above. "It won't be easy.. " I allow my words to trail off, before quirking a single brow upwards as I considered Aithniel. "I think you'll be up for the challenge, though." My smile grows ever so slightly, as I turn my body away from her again, stretching my own wings out as wide as they can go, before bowing them out horizontal, then up again, slowly, with deliberate control. It was an activity that generated little wind movement, one that was mostly silent too - few could appreciate the intricacy of the simple motion, but I was my father's daughter, and had learned as many of his tricks as was physically possible before his untimely death. "The first thing I want you to do is stretch your wings, as often as possible. Feel your muscles expand and contract," I demonstrate, making space between us so that I can sweep my wings up and down without knocking her slight little frame over. "Flying isn't just about feeling the wind and letting it lift you up - though that sure is fun." As I mention the wind, I encourage a gentle breeze to stir up around us, relishing in its caress upon my feathered body. "Though I could rustle up a wind strong enough to put you in the air, you first need to build up your muscles. It'll hurt, especially in the beginning - you'll feel so tired that you'll want to die, but that's where you need to keep on pushing." "Having wings doesn't automatically give you the right to fly." I say, a little bit more serious then my previous words. But I soften my words with a smile as I reach out to bump my nose against her again. "You've got to be ready to earn it." @[Aithniel] Cirrus
the Wind Dancer
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