[O] My Tongues Of Flame Will Be Your Bane - Printable Version +- HELOVIA || The Way to the Sun (http://helovia.com) +-- Forum: Out of Character (http://helovia.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=1) +--- Forum: Archives (http://helovia.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=11) +--- Thread: [O] My Tongues Of Flame Will Be Your Bane (/showthread.php?tid=19418) |
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My Tongues Of Flame Will Be Your Bane - Zandora - 05-14-2015
RE: My Tongues Of Flame Will Be Your Bane - Ashamin - 05-17-2015 Isn't he a bold one, all by himself in a stranger's land, becoming stranger and fighter at heart? Ashamin had a lot to learn about herd life. The first thing was that everywhere you looked, there was someone else. It was impossible for him to find a place where he could be alone in the open hills and frozen plains of the herdlands; he was beginning to understand why Phantom had claimed a cave all for herself.
And it was good, sometimes, to never be alone. When Ashamin was alone he found his thoughts turning to darker, sadder things--with another, he could be distracted. But whether or not he knew which was better--to distract or to dwell--remained to be seen. And with neither option proving to be a clear winner, the young stallion had decided it would be best to cover all of his bases. Ashamin had wandered far into the depths of the territory and wove his way now between the pine-covered hills at the base of the mountains to the North-Easternmost part of the territory. He scanned with black eyes that seemed empty for a crag or a nook, a den of shadow where he might be alone for a moment and able to rest his weary mind. But of course, Ashamin was in a herd, now. And he never really would be alone, again. So even though he had sought solitude, time to reflect in a darker wood in the night, he found the presence of another in no time at all. A dark mare, almost blending into the surroundings, walked through the area, twigs and pines littered at her feet. Ashamin knew that the proper thing to do, then, was to greet her. She was a fellow herd member, he hoped, and if she wasn't he had a duty to perform as a soldier. How proud Einarr and the others would be if he successfully performed that task. His daydreams were useless, however, for it was not a task that needed performing. It quickly became clear, by the stature and familiar knowledge of the land that this mare seemed to have, that she was no trespasser. Besides, this deep in the Basin, a trespasser surely would have already been caught. So that left herdmate, and the obligation to be social. Ashamin stiffened with anxiousness and stood still in the shadow, holding his breath. He knew what he had to do, but a part of him so badly wanted to be a stranger to her, passing in the night. He sneaked around her in a wide circle, making use of the shadow as best as he could, but when a cloud shifted and he realized how thin the canopy was above him, he was caught in a cool, wash of moonlight and knew he would be seen. Frozen, he stood directly in front of the mare he had been hoping to avoid. The white parts of his coat and the smooth stone in his horn seemed to glow in the sudden burst of light from the heavens and his posture stiffened with a facade of confidence. He nodded to the mare in a sort of quiet hello, slowly and deliberately, and resigned himself to his fate. With one white, cleft hoof put forward, then another, he drew closer to the mare and reached out his face as he always did to touch hers, proffering a touch and a physical greeting before even speaking a word. [[Tagged: @[Zandora]; he is a soldier, his rank just isn't changed yet.]] Ashamin on his own rainydoll-stock | webtreatsetc | larfsalot on deviantart RE: My Tongues Of Flame Will Be Your Bane - Zandora - 05-18-2015
RE: My Tongues Of Flame Will Be Your Bane - Ashamin - 05-19-2015 At a point in time the sweat drips and frost covers, The pine begins its slowing. Draped in nervousness, a boy forces himself to face a reality. The young buck, truly a deer in headlights, had never had his touch rejected before. He was surprised, in some ways, that it hadn't happened yet. And being who he was he couldn't bring himself to be offended by the mare so much as upset by his boldness. Perhaps the warm reception he had been gifted with upon arrival, first in Helovia and then in The Basin, was something he'd grown too comfortable with already. He shouldn't have expected such kindness of this mare, he frankly didn't even deserve it.
Ashamin stepped away from her with respect, dipping his head and staring wide eyed at his shadow. As much as he knew he had no right to have received affection from this mare, he felt hurt. Hurt, perhaps, my his own shame and a hot embarrassment. How could he have thought it was his place to always offer up himself in such a manner? Perhaps he would have to quit, or at least be more careful with, the habit. "Apologies," Ashamin answered softly, his gaze and his voice plummeting to the cold earth, his breath causing a faint stir in the pine needles at his feet as they caught in the clefts of his hooves. He lifted his neck some, taking care to bring it nowhere near the irritable (or was she simply justified?) mare, and looked beyond the mare, over her, and into the shadows of the trees. Thick, syrupy sap that had begun to drip down the trunk of a pine now stilled as if beginning to freeze. "My name is Ashamin," he said hesitantly, his gaze drifting, his mind briefly taken off of it's troubles by the surroundings. He vaguely wondered if he should offer more, said: "I'm a soldier here, I just recently joined." The white whiskers on his own nose seemed to stiffen in the chill. The mare, standing before him steeped in something that seemed like arrogance, belonged to this night more than he. He traced the patterns on her coat with his gaze, making out faint purples that seemed to fade into the blacks in the dark of the evening. He wanted to ask her name, but her tone was just unwelcoming enough that he wasn't sure he felt comfortable. Then again, if he didn't, wouldn't she accuse him of rudeness? He clamped his teeth together, sighing through them for a moment, before asking the question. "May I... ask the same of you?" Even in that, Ashamin yielded to her, asked for permission. What a failure, he thought to himself--what a coward. [[Tagged: Don't apologize! She's being who she is. Ashamin doesn't have to like it, but I understand staying true to a character xD]] Ashamin on his own rainydoll-stock | webtreatsetc | larfsalot on deviantart RE: My Tongues Of Flame Will Be Your Bane - Zandora - 05-21-2015
RE: My Tongues Of Flame Will Be Your Bane - Ashamin - 05-22-2015 The mare before him spoke with a remarkable lack of emotion in her voice. Ashamin couldn't help but stare, but the moment he noticed he'd let his eyes fix on her for any longer than a few seconds, he ducked his head and turned it away. How could he be so inept at staying out of sight, after all this time?
He thought about how long he had been alone. He had been ok that way, hadn't he? Should he have stayed a lone wanderer? The boy stopped his mind's path. He thought about Sikeax's words, and remembered death. No, loneliness was death. A few more months of grieving solitude and he would have been food for the birds, and likely by choice. It was a sobering thought to realize that his fate now rested in the gaze of others--that the same hooves that had led him to the Basin had led him away from suicide. Ashamin's ears perked up as the mare began to speak once more. He took in her words slowly, carefully, letting them settle in his thoughts before even attempting to formulate a reply. She was kind in her refusal, at least. He had noted that when she had first spoken, but this second proffering, this admission of her own rank, brought a soft smile to his face. A spar? It would certainly be a good way for him to learn. Whether or not he was ready now, he wasn't sure, but he wasn't sure he ever would be. And though a nervousness gripped him, he found himself nodding, ever so softly. "I would like that," Ashamin answered, his voice soft but no longer shaking, as if emboldened by the prospect of proving his mettle. He considered admitting that he had never before sparred but feared it would only be exposing a weakness. Then again, odd as she was, wasn't she a herdmate? And this was just practice, after all, he didn't expect she'd try to seriously hurt him. Would she? The young buck swallowed, his tail flicking to betray his sudden fear. Still, he felt he had to fill the silent void. "I am new, but... I would like to try, too." And with that, Ashamin laid his pitiful hand on the table. He lowered his gaze to his hooves, the only potentially formidable thing about him. But no, even they would serve him little use. He couldn't look back at Zandora, but he let his voice trail back towards her. "And it is nice to meet you, Zandora. I appreciate your advice," he responded with sincerity. His inability to look her in the eyes didn't do his submissive thankfulness any sort of justice. [[About to go on busy and started a spar on the 19th--perhaps we can start ours on the 29th, when I return? That or if you would like you can start it on the 26th and I can just reply when I get back (unlikely before then.) We can keep rping until then a little if you find it necessary but I will be pretty busy and not able to reply much, fair warning. As for their friendship, we'll see what happens! Ashamin is a friendly if not shy guy so it is definitely within reason. I agree it would be good for them both I think, but we'll see how it all plays out. I try to not plan stuff too much and just let Ashamin do his things.]] Ashamin on his own rainydoll-stock | webtreatsetc | larfsalot on deviantart RE: My Tongues Of Flame Will Be Your Bane - Zandora - 05-31-2015
RE: My Tongues Of Flame Will Be Your Bane - Ashamin - 05-31-2015 short histories long memories old hearts and their songs Though the young buck noted a slight alteration in the mare's demeanor, perhaps a slip of nervousness, he hadn't the faintest clue that he was the cause of it. How could he be? He was just a shy and unassuming young stallion; he'd never had such a profound effect on anyone before.
His tail waved anxiously as he listened to the mare's simple reply. She seemed to be growing more polite, or perhaps simply more gentle on account of his obvious insecurities, by the minute. Though ashamed that his actions had forced her to modify her attitude, he was admittedly thankful. Had Zandora maintained the cold he'd first seen in her, he wasn't sure how well he'd be able to respond. It was especially when she asked him a question, that fateful one he'd never expected, that he was relieved by her turn to kindness. Her interest in him was both intriguing and intimidating; he so rarely talked about himself, what was he to say now? But he knew he had to answer, and do so directly and truthfully. That was just what he had been taught. He lifted his heavy black gaze just in time to see the raise of Zandora's lips (was that a smile?) and the searching look on her face. She really did want to know about him; he was shocked. Ashamin swallowed and shuffled his forehooves, stepping on them lightly and letting them scrape across the cold. "I... I come from a cold valley," he began, "one much like this. I lived there with my father for my entire life, but--" A somber silence overtook him. It was almost too difficult to say, but no, he knew he had to. He continued with a turn of his face, watching the distance as if he was unable to face another in the admission of his father's death--as if it had been his fault. "My father, he raised me. And he just recently fell to faith. I came to Helovia on my own, seeking somewhere," he paused for a mere second, hummed quietly as if searching for a word, and then went on: "somewhere I can start again, I think." And with that he turned back to the mare, his deep charcoal pits looking over her curiousity. Had he satisfied her? He felt strange, telling her so much (for him, that was more than usual), but she had asked, oddly enough, and he hadn't the ill-manners to ignore the question. Just as he hadn't the ill-manners to not return it. Shyly, Ashamin stepped forward and to the right, tilting his head and mimicking his company's thirst for knowledge about the other. "And you... what is your story, Zandora?" His question marked the conclusion of his own, depressingly short tale. Was there really so little to his life? [[@[Zandora]]] Ashamin on his own rainydoll-stock | webtreatsetc | larfsalot on deviantart RE: My Tongues Of Flame Will Be Your Bane - Zandora - 06-07-2015
[/quote] RE: My Tongues Of Flame Will Be Your Bane - Ashamin - 06-11-2015 Is your pain the same as mine? let me touch you bring you something you can't find let me see you show you something, grief divine. The last thing Ashamin had expected from this mare was such an open outpouring of emotion. Then again, the buck was learning quickly that it was a waste of time to form expectations. Helovia was a land of magic and... emotion. Everyone here seemed to feel quite a bit, and have a lot to say.
It wasn't that it was unnerving, it was just not what he was used to. Not, when he had first entered that threshold of wood, what he had expected. It was beginning to rub off on him. It was true he hadn't given this mare much, but he remembered how, with fervency, he had revealed his inner sorrow to Einarr, and taken comfort in that massive stallion's bold wings. He had taken comfort in that great beast's feathers capes, the first he had ever seen, and he wondered now if he'd ever find that night's shadow again. But Zandora was who drew his attention now. He watched as she spoke in broken tones, seeming to come apart at the seams as her tale wore on, even in its brevity. Little child... was she talking to him, or herself? He noticed the nervousness with she seemed to speak, and was surprised to see it in her. Ashamin stepped forward and up. The moment she could no longer speak, he found a strength in himself that was anything but what he expected. She had rejected him before, and perhaps she would reject him again, but he knew how he would feel if he were in her place, and he knew what he would want. Carefully, gently, he extended his face once more with a murmur: "I'm sorry, Zandora." I'm sorry for the depth of your pain. And I feel it, too. His tail swung low behind him, and the rock in his horn rattled as he moved closer to her. This that she felt was a pain like his, this that she was learning of was something he had known for so long, now. This was something he could comfort, and something he could maybe, understand. [[@[Zandora]--sorry for the simple post and the bit of a wait, but I wanted to get this to you quick]] Ashamin on his own rainydoll-stock | webtreatsetc | larfsalot on deviantart RE: My Tongues Of Flame Will Be Your Bane - Zandora - 06-21-2015
RE: My Tongues Of Flame Will Be Your Bane - Ashamin - 06-21-2015 Neither of us would be ready for this Neither of us know our pain Let us control the fates twisting within And then we can meet once again. The embrace was sudden, and it jolted Ashamin back into his senses. He had said so little, and yet she had understood. That had been all he had wanted, from her or from anyone. It was a relief for her, perhaps, to let loose her emotions and let that tear drip down her cheek. He felt it fall in between his withers; he shivered at the sensation. It was a relief for him too, though, to finally not have to speak. And so he remained in that silent moment, that thankful quiet, for as long as she would have it. And he kept his black eyes open and searching, while hers pressed out tears to fall upon him. He looked at the trees and their slowing, bittersweet sap. He looked at the way the wind caught their branches and pulled them back towards the trunks. This was a moment of peace, and he would do nothing to break it. So when Zandora did pull away, he felt even more startled than he had when she had come closer. In so brief a time he had grown used to that touch, and wanted more of it. His tail traced lines behind him in the earth, and his hollow eyes caught Zandora's. How odd that the both of them had no central core that could be found. Her words were heavy, and they weighed him down with their import. But he wasn't prepared to answer them, not yet, and so he only looked away. She continued and his ears caught the faint traces of her words: of her offer for a spar. But this was not a time when he could fight, and he sensed the same might be true of the mare. If she could, well, perhaps she should consider a holiday. Ashamin lifted his gaze slightly and smiled at Zandora. His dear Zandora, as she was apparently his dear Ashamin. "Take some time, Zandora. The both of us might need some rest, some..." he trailed off, suddenly nervous even when in the company of a newfound friend. Some time to think," he finished with a nod of self-assurance. "We can meet here again, and soon," he offered, starting to walk towards her, his side threatening to brush hers as he passed. Distance pulled between them, and Ashamin's figure surpassed Zandora's darker, less natural coat. It was in part anxiousness that increased the gap between their figures now, but politeness forced him to finish his thought, just as he started to fade into the treeline: "and then we can have that spar." [[@[Zandora]--Cause of his timeline I'm not going to have it set directly after but we can close it off here or with one more post and I'll make the spar right now.]] Ashamin on his own rainydoll-stock | webtreatsetc | larfsalot on deviantart |