Creatures were indeed coming out from their hiding places, the chill of Frostfall. He had spent most of it keeping warm near to his red wood tree, the rocks providing suitable covering, a small little den in the corner of the woods that sheltered the Ancient Rotunda. The mild elevation also kept the ground dry enough to sleep despite the rainfall. Still it had been a quiet season, and the loneliness seemed to eat away at him more than usual. The crimson and navy virile often found himself pondering things in the Rotunda, hooves echoing on its stone floor with none but his songbird friend that remained to keep him company. Kelso had once come to the conclusion that he might take flight and visit the Hidden Falls, but bad weather kept him grounded. He occupied himself with the Rotunda's upkeep and tending the forest, visiting his mother's grave site in Thistle Meadow and learning a tune or two with his comrade. The beast had a fairly good voice, though none were subject to it save for the quietly slumbering trees and woodland life.

All that was behind now as Frostfall faded away into gradually into Birdsong. His path clear, the skies clearing and the sun peeking through fleeing cloud cover, Kelso had decided to venture out of the woods and towards the Western coast. The smell of the sea hit him even before the waters came into view. The earth soon became crusty before it was completely sand. Bat-like wings, a deep crimson color were spread, the sun warming and illuminating so that you might chance to see the little vessels and nerves that made his wings very much living limbs. Birdsong's warmth was very much welcomed. The digit tipped ends of his wings drew lines on the sand as he skipped forth to dip his hooves into the ocean. The waters were cool but not so, they were rather welcoming. The hellion had not spied another presence, though today he was not trying much to hide from unwanted company. Company in fact might be very much welcomed. Gentle tradewinds combed his dark blue threads. With a snort he flapped his wings and plunged into the sea, enjoying the sensation and letting most of his worries just wash away. Thoroughly bathed in seawater he walked the shore a bit more, keeping his legs half submerged in the waters as he went, wings now dragging along on the water's surface.

Sometimes a change of scenery is good for a troubled mind. His dam's words and the warmth of her voice echoed in his memories. Kelso once more contemplated making the journey to other lands....to seek adventure he had only ever heard in his mother's story or merely dreamed of.

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OOC: open for any and all. PLEASE TAG KELSO.


"SPEECH"

Kelso could not seem to contain himself on such a promising day, before long he found himself singing softly, an old tune his mother sang to him on many a time (often when Birdsong came). The song was old, his dam had explained, and it rang much like a children's song with a light and jovial feel to it. The brute soon feel to simply humming the tune as he ventured a little deeper so that sea rose midway up his barrel. The resistance as he walked was a bit welcomed, feeling his bones and fibers working to move the powerful stallion forward. Kelso was no warrior, but he made do what he could with what the evergreen and countryside provided him to stay vigilant. In any case, while he might be bested on the battle field, the red hermit had a humble confidence challenging a foe in his woodland home. Today however he had left the evergreen to its rousing. As he strolled half-submerged, he felt something tickle against his leg. At first he thought nothing until he felt another touch and then another. His crane looked about, sapphires dropping to study the clear waters through the rolling tides.

Small silver beings, with silver translucent wings played about the pillars that were his limbs. A smile came upon his face as he began to move again and the small school of young silverfish seemed to follow along, playing, racing one now another, dancing through the sea grass that patches here and there. The crimson stallion was paying a tad more attention to the fish and not his path, so that when another avian equine appeared in the distance he did not spot her. Only when the sound of her splashing in the shallows shortly followed by her lyrics did his eyes spring up. Kelso seemed a bit startled at first, then his second reaction was pure shock. What had she said? Where had she come from? What do I do? Where can I hide myself? His thoughts raced as he attempted to best handle the situation. "Hello....I--"" The stallion was cut off as he lost his footing and fell on folded limbs on the seabed in a flurry of red and splashes. As he made to rise, a heavier tide wave washed in and he fell once more. Again he rose, quickly this time, his dark blue mane was now against his chest and over his eyes and a top his head a strand of kelp from the other reaches of the shore. Well this is embarrassing.... he concluded with a snort.

He tossed his head that most of his forelock might clear his visionaries before making way to towards where the mare stood. "Indeed perfect for flying...and dare I add swimming as well." at this he smiled warmly and even chuckled a little, still very much coy as he addressed the minx. She had beautiful chocolate colored wings, matching her silks, and warm earthy hues mingled with alabaster made up her coating. Kelso had dropped his wings to let them drip, but soon folded them up, trying to compact them, make them vanish if he could. As usual he felt small in the presence of the pegasus belle, self-conscious and awkward in light of her beauty. But then too he had perhaps made enough a fool of himself, maybe the day was overflowing with hope, that inside Kelso decided to chance just a tad more courage today and venture to speak to the femm without having a heart attack. "Have the rains also kept you grounded?" Inwardly he chided himself thinking the question a stupid one: of course it was hard to fly with the harsh weather. He attempted a different line of conversation then. "I-I'm Kelso. As pretty as today is, it is likewise a feat to over when the whales come to play later this season....unless of course they come early." Eyes drifted out...no whales today. Again he pondered how silly it was perhaps to bring up the whales.

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OOC: <3 

PLEASE TAG KELSO.


"SPEECH"

The lady's laugh was a welcomed chime, though even so if his skin were able he might have been glowing red over his own clumsiness. It was easy to make light of matters most especially at his own expense, he was that kind of soul and the reward was in the mare's lightened spirits which put Kelso at ease somewhat. Nasreen was her name and a pretty name it was thought the crimson hellion as he committed it well to memory. Ears danced as he detected an accent in her speech, the sound new and fascinating to him and curiosity was not hidden in those deep blue orbs of the red stallion. The femm appeared puzzled by his mention of bad weather, and Kelso followed her glance to the clear skies above. The stallion took this as an indication that she perhaps thought him odd, while at the same time he chided himself for perhaps coming across that way. "Likewise...Nasreen. Um...storms have kept me grounded most of Frostfall and--" The stallion's voice trailed off as he rather could not think of what might be appropriate to add. This was perhaps just the end result of someone who's social skills were out of practice, having lived the life of a hermit among the wilds of Helovia. Kelso simple let the matter drop as he made to shift the conversation, aware this attempt to converse with the pretty pegasus was well off to a bumpy start.

His eyes had drifted out to see. The gulls were playing out on the surf, some flying overhead in pairs. No whales today, perhaps it was early still for them to arrive. Kelso's attention returned to the mare upon her asking of the whales. He was a bit coltish in appearance when he showed some surprise before pondering how he might describe the large beasts. Ears flicked as he turned a bit to face the belle again. At the same time, something was bothering him on his left ear. "Well...they are..." His deep crimson wings, a tad darker than his skin, reached forward so that the digit at the joint might scratch at his ear and likewise remove the strand of kelp that remained on his head. Great. The more the fool I must appear, he thought. "Hm. They are rather big fish. They are giants in size but as playful as the smaller dolphins. They romp and toss out where they won't be stranded on the shallows as a family with their pups. It really is a sight to see, by land or air."

Setting aside his humiliation a question ocurred to him. Without the brute's realizing, he was gradually relaxing. "You...are not from around here then? Well...I suppose not many call the wild's home...but then you must be from one of the Regions..." The crimson stag's face lit up as he wondered now where she might be from, perhaps she might describe more of the regions that he had only come to learn in old stories and tales.

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OOC: <3 

PLEASE TAG KELSO.

"SPEECH"

Kelso listened carefully and attentively, as a faint part of him wondered if he might be dreaming this whole encounter. The voice of the mare mingled with her accent was a sweet chime to his auds, auds that for all of Frostfall had heard nothing else besides the forest, the winds, the songbird and his own voice. The excitement likewise made him a tad nervous, be calm, don't ruin it he would coax himself. The crimson brute had managed to at least explain the wonder of the whales to the pretty pegasus, and he finished with a soft smile. Ears were at attention each time she replied. No whales? Perhaps she did not live near the sea, maybe a cooler scape where the whales would not venture? This was not unusual for Kelso to draw conjectures based on small details he could gather. After all, even a hermit had to keep his mind sharp, and Kelso was a curious though humble mind. Ss she expressed her wish to see the whales, he looked again out to sea. "Perhaps you will." he replied softly.

When he turned and she smiled at him, he felt his heart flutter but for a moment. Nasreen explained how her homeland, he presumed where she was born, was no more and the sadness that came with that knowledge tugged at his heart. Living in the wilds so long, the stallion was not very keen on understanding reasons behind things and feelings, but he had developed the ability to empathize sometimes too deeply. It was apparent on his face and he thought perhaps he should say something. Before he could gather any sort of speech, she continued on, hardly missing a beat. Thorns again pricked at the mention of the regions of Dragon's Throat and World's Edge, and a colt-ish excitement was obvious in the crimson stag's face. "Dragon's Throat? I've only heard a great deal about this place...stories mostly. I was told it is a world on its own, and there are many brave and mighty warriors who call the place home. And I have also heard tells of a tree that bleeds dragon blood, and a great dragon once called the place its dwelling and...." Kelso stopped and cleared his throat, realizing that by now he was babbling like an idiot and boring his companion to tears. "Many apologies Nasreen...it's been something of a dream for me to venture so far as the regions. I did cross a fellow once from World's Edge...M-Mauja I believe was his name. Maybe you know this unicorn? As for myself, I call the wild lands my home, which I suppose means I live anywhere. The redwood beyond the Ancient Rotunda is my usual dwelling though." He spoke rather casually about his home, the freedom he found among the wilds being something he was rather proud of, even if the loneliness echoed loudly at times.

Dark sapphire colored eyes sparked with curiosity now as a question popped into his head. "With all the excitement I have always imagined at Dragon's Throat what brings you to the Endless Blue?"

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OOC: <3 

PLEASE TAG KELSO.

"SPEECH"