The false politeness of the moment was already weighing on the mare.

She felt her shoulders rolling beneath her skin, her teeth clenching together in either annoyance or frustration, she couldn't decide. Taking a deep breath, the tiny mare decided that she would distance herself from the situation for a moment to re-center herself. Nodding quickly and taking a handful of steps back, Ovi turned her head toward the sound of squirrel chatter, trying to calm her furious nerves. Just as her lips parted to apologize for the sudden removal of herself from the conversation, Ovidius heard a splash.

Gaze shooting toward the direction of the sound, the gold-limned mare watched as a well-aimed splash of muddied water arched and fell to the muddy ground where she had stood mere seconds before. All at once, she felt a sort of rage tug on her heart while her lips attempted to pull into a grin. It was a wretched trick, she knew, borne of jealousy or one's own insecurity, but the attempt was well-aimed and Ovi couldn't help but feel a thrill of approval run through her belly.

With a slight tilt to her head, the obsidian lass swiveled an ear toward the sickly sweet, faux-apology that spilled from the painted mare's tongue. "An honest accident, I'm sure," she shot back, her own voice a mixture of honey and sunlight, "You may want to see a healer, though," added the thin lass innocently, "inability to control one's own limbs is a sign of a failing mind. Maybe you're suffering from some illness that turns you into an absolute twat."

Punctuating her sentence with a chaste smile and a few bats of her lashes, Ovidius had to resist the urge to leave immediately; Ashamin wouldn't want a woman with such a mean streak as part of the Unbound, but she was under orders to recruit, and recruit she would. Any continued streams of thought were interrupted as a bay mare with a tangle of lightened locks ambled in. It wasn't that Ovidius didn't care about the newest addition, she just didn't care about what was to be said between them all. With her gaze straying to the horned mare splashed with stars and ivory, Ovi caught a slight smile and attempted to return the favor, though only a grimace could be mustered.

With a quirk to her brow and a glance toward the clouded sky, the tiny mare listened halfheartedly to the babbling of her counterparts. "As lovely as I'm sure this is for all of us," Her voice had become flat, dropping the mask of pleasant courtesan that she had so painstakingly applied, "I'm only here to see if you would like to become a member of the Unbound. We are a growing group of like-minded creatures who put an emphasis on freedom, independence, and loyalty to one another. If you'd like to know more, if you'd like to join, if you'd like a trial run, have at me, if not, I'd be thrilled to be able to leave such wretched company."

So much for diplomacy.
Sorry, Shammy.