Persephone

They come immediately, the unicorn and her kitsune, drawn by the demi-goddess's cry.  The mare pauses amongst the trees, not wanting to be the first to arrive, left to her own devices before the Czarina's analytical gaze; the fox kit, a willful creature with a much more outgoing nature than her bonded, bounds forward, all wriggling tails and shining teeth.  She yips a few times, her ears against her neck and her head lowered, rolling onto her back submissively before the great Mountain, inviting the mare to rub her exposed belly.  All of her tails wriggle with delight at the prospect of meeting someone new.  The little hellion grins cheerfully, upside-down, at Persephone as the unicorn emerges from the trees, a resigned expression on her lovely face.

"My apologies, Czarina," Persephone greets the Mountain, her head bowing respectfully, her nerves evident in the slight edge of her voice.  "Alecto has yet to learn restraint."  Her vocals are light and airy, reminiscent of springtime and birdsong, and she tries on a shy smile to diffuse the tension she feels.  It is nothing against the mare herself; after all, this is the head of her herd, the leader of her family.  But the unicorn has yet to prove herself an asset, and for that, she feels incompetent, inconsequential, unworthy to stand before her Czarina and make small talk.  Alecto, she hisses silently, a hot embarrassment staining the bond and causing her command to come more sharply than normal.  Reluctantly, the kitsune rolls over and stands, stalking sulkily to her bonded's hooves.  She sits, watching the Mountain longingly.

Others come, and Persephone's tension disperses.  She relaxes into the small crowd, sure that this will be nothing more than a way to pass the day.  She has no place at these meetings, not really:  she has yet to really find her place in the herd, so she has nothing to offer.  This knowledge burns at her, eating away at the insecurities brooding in the back of her mind.  Often, she wonders if the Falls wouldn't be better off without her.  More often, she reminds herself that she would be worse off without them.

Whatever the sunset mare might have expected from Isopia, to hear her alias called as one of the chosen to become a Medic is not it.  Her pupil-less golden eyes widened, astonishment causing her brows to raise and her jaw to drop.  Surely there had been some mistake, for the Earth and the Czar and the Czarina couldn't possibly had chosen her.  What had she ever done to draw their attention, to make them think that she would be worthy of the task?  But then, the mare remembers that Archibald had found her, had seen something in her that he had deemed worthwhile.  He had saved her, and regardless of how rough he is around the edges, she cannot deny that she holds him in the highest regard.

Is it possible that he saw something in her that even she did not?

And Father Earth - He is a god.  Can it be that he has seen into her heart, into her deepest desires, has seen her will to help her herd and decided to give her the means to make it so?  She desperately wants to prove herself, to contribute, to be more for those who have taken her in and treated her with such kindness.  And suddenly she decides that it is not enough to long for those things - she will have to will herself to do those things.  She can - she will - accept Isopia's offer, and she will prove to herself and to everyone else that she isn't going to linger uselessly in the background.

For the first time, she feels that she is worthwhile.

She takes a deep breath and steps forward, Alecto a shadow at her heels.  "I would be honored to accept this appointment," she says, forcing her voice to be strong and steady despite the eyes that she felt on her and the trepidation they elicited.  To Isopia and Archibald, she offered a grateful smile.  "Thank you." She would find her newly-named cohorts later, would get to know this Brendan and the just-arrived Ultima. She looked forward to all that they would accomplish.

"Speech."

OOC ;; x

Lost in hell, my dear. It's not so dreadful here