Johnny Alright, alright, alright! Do you ever get the feeling that you’ve stumbled into a new land? A new place with whole new rules and magics and all of that fun stuff? Because I just got that feeling. Like a little shiver down my wee spine. I swear to Cadbury that when I passed that tree right there I had passed into somewhere new. Which is pretty exciting you know, because I haven’t been somewhere new in a while. I wish I had brought Sunshine along with me, she would have made for some good company. But! Instead I’m all on my lonesome and have been spending the last season chatting with myself and let me tell you that’s not as exciting as it seems. At least I’ve kind of had company. You know, sitting up in the mind of my dear writer with all the other characters she never gets around to writing. But we don’t care about them right now because hey, it’s my turn to shine. I get to stretch my legs somewhere knew and I’m just bouncing with excitement. There’s literally a chipper little bounce to my trot as I move among the forest. There’s some sunlight trickling through the canopy, making it all pretty with the late-blooming flowers and there’s a charming diversity among the trees. Which is great, honestly, beautiful. Love it. However. I want to see some horses or horse-like-things. I want some winged beauty of a man to come round that corner or a charming lass to come around the other. I’m not picky. I just need some conversation! Do you have any idea how long it’s been since someone’s licked me? I feel all shallow inside, like something’s missing. I’ve got this great gift (well not really) and no one around to share it with. Someone is bound to come. Since the weather is cooling off, I don’t smell so disgusting anymore and I’m not attracting nearly as many flies. There’s still a few, rolling around in the dust that settles along my back, but there’s nothing I can really do about that. I just want a friend, alright? Is that so much to ask? I slow my gait a bit though because I don’t want to pass right through this new, fantastic, totally exciting place without having met someone first. So those stocky little legs of mine pick up a meandering, exaggerated sort of walk. You know, like you’re a cartoon that’s sneaking around like you know someone is nearby but THEY can’t really see you. Although I’m not really sneaking around. It’s more of a “helllloooo! I’m right here and moving slowly! Come get me!” Kind of walk. You know? I'm your sweet sugar Candyman

Image Credit
Table by Sevin!

open to all but the Throat please!

He's fucking hilarious. I was creeping around in the woods like all Aurelias do, when I saw this he smells tasty from here, but I don't really know why. I'm overcome with an urge to bite him. Like damn, I dint even know what to do. I move out of the shadows and begin shadowing him. I'm not directly on his ass, I'm a few meters away. Close enough to see the glistening of a sugary back, but not close enough to lick him. We turn a corner and he slows down. Like slowssssss down. Does he know I'm trailing him? With bold steps I walk at a relaxed, normal, walk and I am able to easily catch up to him. Once I am thoroughly next to him, I slow to the same speed as he, but where he walks a consistently slow pace, I take a few fast steps then halt and wait for him to catch up. Once he's caught up I take a few more quick steps. "Why are you walking like that? Are you hurt? I've never seen anyone walk like that." Question, question, statement. It was always the best way to go.

Time for an intro. "I'm Aurelia, and I like fire. What about you?" It seemed mandatory to explain that I like fire, considering 95% of my conversations end with my flames. Surely this one would be no different. I wanted to know why he looked how he did, and why he moved like that, and his name, and home, and so much more. I was almost like a curious child and he a riddle that must be solved. And for some odd reason, my mouth water and my stomach craved him! How ridiculous was this? Why do I want to eat him! He smells like nothing I've ever tasted... Yet something so familiar to me. Damn, he must be wearing some really nice perfume if I wanna eat him that bad. Does everyone want to eat him? Is it just me? Am I that weird girl that wants to eat horses? No wonder I have few friends. I began growing a little awkward, unsure why I was feeling this way, and unsure what this feeling even was. For god's sake!! I'm not going to eat a horse! Get a hold of yourself, Aurelia! Without thinking clearly, I ask another question. "Why do I want to eat you? This is madness."

ooc: Hope you don't mind aurelia here :p I thought it'd be 110% interesting for them to meet xD aur isn't part of a herd either, but she could surely show him around Helovia if no one from herds joins :3

A guttural voice spoke into the vaults of a broken mind "It smells… Minty" "What?" A stallion sluggishly responded with a tone that cracked as if it had just been shaken awake. The conversation was between that of d’Artagnan and Aramis, an odd duo that stalked the claiming woodland with bored gazes, searching for something more interesting. It wasn’t that they really knew exactly what they were searching for nor any real reason why here specifically, but the northern lights were quiet and the wandering stopped the good bay Doctor from thinking. Perhaps he would find some more interesting flora for his experiments, he wasn’t the conventional kind of Doctor after all and his ‘field of work’ required certain supplies. Which led to the bag strapped tightly to his shoulders, an irksome thing that the bay often complained about, but it carried what he needed and really he should be grateful. However, that would require a more appreciative nature that the Nightshade did not possess. It was Nightshade because it was a brilliant weapon, but also because he went weak at the knees for a certain immortal God. Names, he had slowly gained a collection, but in the end the grumpy sod much preferred the simpler abbreviation d’Art. The story is straying, however, back to the mint. A frown crossed the hellion dog’s face and he nodded in the direction he smelt it. The Threshold, being the place where most travellers came through, was the home to many smells from close and far away. Yet, mint had to be a new one for the rough looking pair. Quite captivated, the pair set off to find the source of the scent, rounding another few corners and ducking under the bare branches of Orangemoon. It took a little while, but they found the route of the smell in the end and it led to that of a small unicorn along with a feather rat. Apparently, according to Aramis, the minty smell was coming from the red maned brother himself. The shade noticed the odd composition of his body and shook his head, he had lived in Helovia for many years now, but this was the first sugary unicorn he had seen. How on earth did that happen anyway? What possible genetic mutation could give birth to a sugar coated horse or was it magic? The Doctor snorted at the unnatural scene before him and gingerly made himself available in the open. "Indeed why do you want to eat him" the shade gruffly responded to the irritating bird as he contemplated his desire to just knock her out. "What brings a lad like you out here?" he asked of the strange stallion who, in the end, bared the crown of his kin. [ooc: you put doctor in the title so... tada ;D] It's nothing that complicated, I just want to kill you

Johnny Well! I have my very first stalker! By gosh would you look at that, and she’s a pretty young thing too. Reminds me of Sunshine, though Sunshine had a bit more manners and didn’t unload all these questions on me right off the back. I think. I honestly can’t remember how Sunshine and I met, all I know is that we became the BEST of friends. Maybe I’ll become best friends with this one too? I fumble to a stop when she moves in front of me, because conversation while we’re standing still is a lot easier to handle and also I was only walking because I thought I’d be more noticeable. You know, my sugary ass blends in so well with the scenery. Anyway, the first thing this gal asks me whether I’m hurt and is that why I’m walking all funny. “Oh, honey!” I laugh, a hearty green-giant meets santa-claus laugh, right from the swell of my belly up through my nose. “Not hurt, not hurt! I just didn’t want to be missed so I thought I’d take it nice and slooww. I had a feeling that these are the sort of woods I’d come across someone else in.” And sure enough, I did! Funny how that works. You’d almost think this is the sort of forest where all the new kids show up and wait to be sorted into their houses or something like that. Is there a talking hat around that can guide me? Next, though, she’s introducing herself and telling me that she likes fire well damn. I WOULD come across the one that could melt me into oblivion. It takes a lot and I mean a lot of manners to not sidestep her right then and there because I really don’t like fire. “Well isn’t it just a downright pleasure to meet you, Aurelia - my name’s Johnny. Prefer if you kept that fire in check though, honey! My complexion just can’t handle it.” That’s a pretty polite way to ask, right? I think we should be good. I mean I honestly can’t handle it so I really hope she doesn’t suddenly decide she’s in the mood for some liquid sugar or something. Of course, she goes on to bring up the candy thing. Which, honestly, I’ve been waiting for. HELLOOO kind of a big thing I mean she’s all orange and spotty but I’m the weirdo here, apparently. It wasn’t the first time I had been greeted in such a way, you know, but it never ceased to entertain me when they actually had the gall to say it outloud. Sugar or not, eating me was called cannibalism, my dear children, and is frowned upon in most societies. Such as the one I live in because I like living. It’s fun. I have a very strict “lick, don’t bite” policy, you know. Before I can answer her, however, we’re joined by someone else - a tall, dark fellow with the most wondrous glass horns! I mean by golly those were pretty sweet. I’ve got a bit of horn envy going on right now, though mine is pretty rad. He’s got this whole tall-and-elegant thing going on and I have to say, I’m a big fan. Looks just swell on him. And he’s friendly to boot, asking me why I was so gorgeous and what possible circumstances had brought me into his blessed presence. Okay I’m paraphrasing but that’s totally what he meant. It takes me a minute to actually remember the words spoken because if I had just responded to that paraphrased example above, well, the young miss that we were in the company with might blush! And we wouldn’t want to make anyone feel uncomfortable on such a momentous day. The day I, Johnny, arrived in whatever-land-this-was-because-no-one-has-welcomed-me-yet. “Why, kind sir, I’m seeking a home! I’ve been a traveller for quite some time and this seems like a good spot to cool my jets for a little while. What is this place called?” All the lands have names nowadays, it’s the new thing. Where they come up with these things is totally beyond my pay grade, probably just a google translate for some obscure word. You know there’s a place that totally made up a language just so it could pretend the name of the site means ‘sunrise’? So ridiculous. Anyway. Oh yeah. “I’m Johnny and that’s Aurelia. Who are you two, if you don’t mind me asking?” My smile is pretty sweet, especially when it comes to that last little bit. I don’t want to pry - I’m pretty darn tootin curious about that wolfy thing that’s hanging out near Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Handsome. I kind of want to pet it, maybe over a crunch of my horn, but something tells me this isn’t a cuddly little shih tzu. I'm your sweet sugar Candyman

Image Credit
Table by Sevin!

SORRY IT'S SO LONG you don't have to match it <3 he just likes to talk
@[Aurelia], @[d'Artagnan]

He answers my question by claiming he went slowly so others would see him, but I have no doubt that everyone can see him. He is lightly colored and smell of mint and sugar. I bob my head in a nod, a gesture of understanding. He is interesting, oddly unusual. He is quite talkative, but he make the same assumption of me, but in reality... I didn't speak so much. Perhaps I was in a mood, trying to make pleasant conversation in an attempt to get my constant worries off my chest. Still, the problems that seemed constant in my life floated back to the top, above everything else. I began thinking about them, my issues. I had caused them all, but I could not stop them once they started. So instead of fighting my problems, in the end I just gave up and stopped fighting them. My problems will vanish when they vanish, hopefully. I don't really want to end up like Mauja, old, cold, and seemingly lonely. I didn't want to be like Kahlua, either. With no real problems. Her problems surely include having one too many stallions love her. Oh, wow! Such struggle, stallions love you! Bitterly, I shoved the unwelcome image of her painted body out of my mind.

The conversation continues as I introduce myself to him. He replies with a quick 'no fire' request. Surely everyone would make that request if they knew I could will my body to ignite like they can will their legs to move. I feign innocence and lie, a flawless lie, if I say so myself. I've grown to be quite the lier, and unless this stallion has magic to detect it, he should not know of my lying. "I can not control fire! That is preposterous, and most likely ridiculously dangerous, too." There is only a slight scent of smoke on my hide, but that could be from me just being near a fire. No one has to know that the smoke and fire came from within me. He seems to be thinking when I ask another question, but has no time to answer it. Another stallion strides up to us, confidently, in my eyes. As if he is not worried at all about being here. Some deep part of my body clenches and goes rigid. It's a fucking unicorn.

By now, I've this theory that those of the Aurora Basin are racist, but I can not know for certain. I start fidgeting, my ears swiveling much more reverently than before, my eyes darting back and forth, too. At my sides, my wings tighten against my body dramatically, as if I am fearful he will lunge and me and rip them off like that one unicorn tried when I was a yearling. Will he challenge me like the blood bay, paint, warrior? Or is he a sneaky son of a bitch like Thranduil? I've had a couple run-ins with unicorns, you could say, and about 95% of the unicorn population scares the fucking shit out of me.

He questions me, asking why I want to eat him, but I do not know myself. "I don't fucking know," I retaliated defensively, my ears threatening to pin flat against my neck and my brow furrowing, jaw ready to spring open and attack if needed. My flighty instincts kick in and I begin feeling rather trapped in, growing more and more defensive. I've never met either of these stallions, but their horns make me uncomfortable (more so the bay stallion's horns... Why the fuck is one broken?). I've never thought of myself as racist, but perhaps I am. I just can't fucking stand unicorns. It may be a more low-key racism, fueled by fear, but I don't care. Racism is racism, and I constantly find myself enjoying pegasi far more than unicorn or even equine.

I stay silent for a bit now, only answering when a question is poses. "You are in Helovia's Threshold, it is the main entrance for non-flight animals, perhaps the only." I had never really looked for another entrance, but perhaps one existed. Still, this wingless stallions would be forever stuck to the ground, traveling through this entrance. The entrance for the flightless.

Another moment passes then a question. He introduces himself and I to the bay stallion. "Indeed, I am Aurelia. I've lived in many herds, been prisoner of many herds.." I eye the bay unicorn with a sort of "it's all your fault glare", as I assume him to be in the Aurora Basin (a place where I was imprisoned for a good amount of time) like every other fucking unicorn. There isn't even any originality. Unicorns go to the Aurora Basin, it's almost a law. I'd be thoroughly surprised to see many unicorns elsewhere. "But I am an outcast for now." I finish and wait for the dark bay's answer to the question.

ooc: just so you know, most of the accusations and assumptions are just thoughts/ideas aurelia has and she has no idea for certain if AB is racist, if d'artagnan is racist, or if he even lives there. :3 she just jumps to conclusions

His dark, calculating gaze hovers over the golden dappled girl like a hawk surveying its prey. Apparently he’d rattled her without even doing a thing. Perhaps she was of higher knowledge about the background he came from and, if that was true, shouldn’t he just get rid of her now and save the trouble of doing it later? A part of him warmed quite nicely to that idea, but in the end, it would defeat the purpose of his presence here. Instead, Aramis glared at the loud mouthed brat from around one red, hairy leg with his whip like tail flicking from side to side. d’Artagnan shrugged to her defensive comment whilst thinking red would look good on white gold. He moved onto the visiting stranger with his teeth grating together in stifle his annoyance. This one spoke oddly it was as sugary sweet as his body looked and the shade found himself cringing at it. Perhaps it would have been better if he had just stayed back in the Basin. Still, the lad hadn’t done anything to provoke him and so, the Doctor soldiered on. It was Aurelia who answered for him and the shade couldn’t quite stifle the laugh that fell from his lips when she mentioned prisoner. Indeed, he wasn’t at all surprised. With a mouth like hers he was more wondering how she was still breathing. Amused, his dark tail flicked sharply "careful who you glare at girl, I don’t take prisoners" his twisted voice warned as his own eyes dared her to take it further. A low, guttural noise challenged from the maw of the hungry hellhound whose red markings began to glow faintly, giving the Doctor’s red coat a more vibrant shade. Turning back to Johnny, he wondered if the slight showing of the shade’s cold heart would be enough to deter him away before continuing on. "I am d’Artagnan a Mender of the Aurora Basin and the hound is Aramis" he introduced with his gritty accent, taking a pause before continuing. "If it is a home you seek then we have more than enough room in the mountains, it is cold but comfortable" he extended the offer and half puzzled over how the kindly stallion would fit into the harsh makeup of the north. Still, there were those like Lena who blended in quite well; perhaps he would be one like her. A kind heart that preferred the more exciting life led by devilish friends. [ooc: o_O didn't even see Aure reply xD sorry its late!!] It's nothing that complicated, I just want to kill you

Johnny Well, Aurelia explained how she couldn’t control the fire and that seemed a little wonky to me. All the fire-users I’ve known in the past could control it - not controlling it seemed a lot more dangerous to me so I wasn’t really following her logic. Like at all. How can controlling it be dangerous? I decide not to question her on the topic though because I’m getting some rather ~*~hysterical~*~ vibes from this here lady and like, I love drama. It’s great. Really gets you moving sometimes. But good drama you know? Like, hot men and women fighting over me - trying to see who can figure out how many licks it takes to get to my centre and all that. Not “oh hey you might melt me to my core and that’s not nearly as fun of an experience for me”. I’m getting quiet because they’ve got this whole interaction thing going on and my mind is too busy - I can’t think AND talk at the same time. It’s usually just one or the other you know. Doesn’t everyone work like that? Top on my list of priorities: get the sugar-free hell out of here. The friendly winged mare flipped rather suddenly despite the fact that she had been asked a rather simple question - why did she want to eat Johnny. There was no need for her to get so violent about it - the angry words burning in his ears and making him shrink away. Things were escalating pretty quickly. I mean what had I gotten myself into? First Aurelia and then Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Handsome uttered a rather impressive threat to her. Which she kind of deserved, glaring at him like that. I mean stare, yeah, there was a lot of fun things to stare at in this little clearing. I was one of them, I should know. Okay so like they’re all being snappy toward each other and I’m ready to turn around and high-tail it out of here because is this what Helovia calls a greeting? One of my greeters threatens me with fire, then accuses the other of holding her prisoner, and then the OTHER ONE says he doesn’t take-no-prisoners and holy that is actually pretty hot I wish I had thought of that before I focused on being so scared. But then he answers my questions and I stop being scared for a couple minutes at least. D’Artagnan and Aramis, what a lovely pair. Everyone has such fancy names here, right? Or is it just me? What an exotic place! Bet they don’t have a “Bob” walking around. It’s probably all “LaFleuristica” and whatnot. “Cold! I like the cold!” I latch onto the idea of the cold mountains because that is something positive that’s come out of this whole experience. I sidle a little closer to the taller stallion then, putting a bit of distance between me and Aurelia. Just in case those out-of-control flames show up. “I’d be honoured to shelter in your mountains, d’Artagnan.” Wait, was that an innuendo? No, no… maybe if I was talking to a female. I’d have to remember that for when I met a nice mountain lady. @[Aurelia], @[d'Artagnan] I'm your sweet sugar Candyman

Image Credit
Table by Sevin!

d’Artagnan watches the sugary stranger sidle up to him with an arch in his brow. The whole situation wasn’t exactly what he was expecting and he half wanted to take back his offer to the sickly sweet stallion, who seemed quite lost in his current situation. His body almost had the urge to shudder away from him as his eyes darted everywhere but his apparently new travel partner. What were they going to talk about on the way there?! Not that the Nightshade talked much anyway, his casual conversions normally ended swiftly down the gutter or never started at all. He also began to wonder what kind of weird land this piece of confectionary had wandered out of and who the fuck let him out?! "Do you think if I blew fire on him… he’d melt?" The shade paused and looked at the hound as he considered the option for a moment, before conceding that, although it sounded like a marvellous experiment, it would defeat the point. He did have the horn of his kin after all and he seemed quite taken with the idea of cold mountains. The shade came to the quick conclusion that if the stallion got on his nerves too much then Aramis always had the fiery answer. No one knew this Johnny surely and it wasn’t like someone was going to recognize a pile of ashes. Happy with his decision, d’Artagnan turned to the odd lad and nodded his head gruffly. If they made it all the way back and into the Aurora Basin it would be a rather… Well… Odd introduction. He was just wandering the Threshold and just happened across this peppermint stallion and his alluring body. Even d’Artagnan had to admit he was, ah, well, tasty to look at? These intrusive thoughts kept popping up making the shade feel uncomfortable and he shifted on his cloven feet, looking hastily towards the north. "Well I have things to do... duties and such" came his brusque and rather rushed words "we had better get going". He looked to see if the winged rat would have something else to say before he glanced once more, a fleeting peek to red haired boy, an ushering of him to follow before he motioned to Aramis to set off. The hellion obliged with haste and a flickering of amusement. Whatever next? It's nothing that complicated, I just want to kill you