Your hooves stomp and slosh through the mud unceremoniously, only adding to the royal disaster that are your leg feathers and coat. You probably had an extra five pounds on you in dried mud before this trek. It still doesn't hide the ribs that stick out under your hide, though. And your mane and tail? Don't even get me started. The knots there would confuse a sailor. As you enter into the forest and the trees become more thick, you occasionally crash into one unceremoniously with your shoulder. You're not doing it on purpose, you're just big and a little out of sorts. The plant's effects are starting to settle in to your body and you're becoming more spacey. Just the way you like it.

With every tree or shrub you walk into your head gets thrown up and down erratically. You're overreacting. More side effects. You don't mind, though. Although, looking around at your location, you can't imagine what you're doing hear. Your ears pin back in frustration and you swing your head about, ready to turn and leave this place, when you catch site of the lace-faced mare. Oh yes, you're here for the plants. You snort loudly, turning away from her and put your face low to the ground. You begin inspecting the place for the vine- your beloved locoweed.

Purple or white flowers shouldn't be this hard to find in all the greenery of the forest, and yet somehow you're having no luck. It's the damned moon. Its been hours, shouldn't it be day by now? Maybe you've just lost track of time. Annoyed, you crash your back hoof into the nearest tree. Lace-face has heard the noise before, hopefully you don't scare her too much. “Are you even looking?” You grumble to the mare as you use your horns to toss aside some debris on the ground in search of the plant. This isn't the best way to make friends, is it? “What do you want in exchange for this help?" You say out of the blue, throwing your head up and turning to where you think she is. You've suddenly remembered that help doesn't come free. Not any help that you've gotten before, anyway.

@[Agrona]

The trip here was quick and painless, for the most part. My stomach started heaving itself around once in a while, just another side affect of the poisonous mist that came leaking out of those creatures' baskets. Their cloaked faces, hidden away from the never ending night, disappeared into the swamp's depths just as quickly as they had shown up. Ever since then we have all seemed to be acting a little more odd than usual; we all did seem to actually belong to the nut house now. Now here I am, my body awkwardly jolting around as I'm leading, then following as it has seemed to happen.

He had been acting out of sorts for a little while, though I had only known the strange horned stallion for maybe an hour. Crashing, bobbing and weaving around and into trees seemed to be his most common issues. He moved ahead of me in a very ungraceful way, slamming into yet another tree before dropping his massive face to the earth, scraping his curvy horns into the sod. "Are you even looking?" His voice snapped through the air like the crack of a whip, my ears suddenly becoming alert and cocking forward. I stopped a few feet behind the mud coated bag of bones.

What are we looking for again? I asked myself, empty purple eyes searching frantically at the blossoming ground for whatever it was that we had set off to look for. Once more his voice drug out from his body, causing my eyes to climb from the newly greening earth to his distant, dark eyes. My jaw propped open for a moment, the slack of my muscles feeling wonderful. What do I want in exchange for help? My brain swirled around for a moment, careless as a foal chasing a frog in a pond. What is he look- THE PLANT! My mind cleared itself once more, the dismal fog that had been casting itself over my every thought seeming to fade away entirely for a quick second.

"Only one thing, big boy. You are coming home with me, correct?" I tilted my skull to the right, staring up at his never ending gaze, hoping to be able to wiggle my way into his thought process sooner or later. This scrawny brute would be a tough one to crack, and would surely be a long process. By his actions he keeps displaying now, he will surely fit in with the family quite nicely. Hopefully Seele and Eris would be happy with my new toy that I would drag home.

"Speak." Walk walk
Tagged: @[Oxy]

So absorbed in your own mindless wandering, you hadn't really thought to watch lace-face at all. You don't notice that she's acting almost as strange as you. Otherwise you might be worried about her digging into your back when you're not looking. You've become so accustomed to being one of the biggest things around that you don't often worry about being taken by force. One day it will probably get you in trouble. You're not invincible, after all. For now, though, you're surprisingly at ease around this new companion, despite all the strangeness the plant causes within you.

As lace-face looks at you with those purple eyes, you're almost staring through her. Its not that you don't want to pay attention... well, it kind of is. But even if you did want to pay attention, the plant won't really let you. So you watch her, focus coming in and out. You are coming home with me, correct? She tilts her head and looks at you so intently it breaks you out of your star-gazing for a moment. You grumble softly. You're almost like an old man with the way you act sometimes. Maybe you were just born old.

“Sure,” you slur out unceremoniously. Is your word binding? Even you don't know. Really, what will she do if you don't follow? Still, you're intrigued. After all, back home they kicked you out. Nobody wants a volatile, drug dependent, erratic stallion getting in the way. Whats different about this mare? Turning your head back to the ground, away from the mare, you continue walking and digging at the greenery, trying to find your pot at the end of the rainbow.

“Whats home?” That's sort of an odd way to phrase the question, don't you think? You don't really notice. You're smart enough, but you're a little socially awkward. Maybe its the plants, maybe its just you. Whatever it is, it's one of a kind. “And why do you want me there, anyway?” Once again you stop your searching swing your head back to lace-face. With the way you keep throwing your head about, its a good thing you don't get motion sick. Your words betray a hint of suspicion. If she doesn't want anything from you now, certainly she'll want something of you later, right?

@[Agrona]

The sack of bones swung his head around, his deep, wandering eyes meeting my own with an awkward stare. He wasn't all there, not any more. "Sure," was his reply to my hopeful addition to the family. My foggy mind danced in circles at his half hearted reply; now maybe Seele and Eris would be pleased with me. I miss the psychotic mares, no matter how much I hate to admit it. Of course I do, they're my family now. A sigh rolled from my large lungs, the gust of hot air turning into a cloud of vapor as it escaped my nostrils.

My eyes drifted from the stallion's large face, down to the ground in order to attempt to find whatever it was that he kept scrounging for. What was it that there plants did for him? Perhaps they were just a delicacy, who knows? More snuffing and searching coming from ahead of me, then his deep voice rattled through my skull once more. "What's home? And why do you want me there anyway?" A grin cracked across my dark face eagerly, the bright circles beneath my left eye moving along my face accordingly along with my skin. "The swamps, big boy, that's our home."

I took a few steps closer to the skeleton, my body feeling as if it were just about to tip over and cause me to flop onto my side. I broadened the space between my legs, ears flicking back; I'm starting to become really irritated with this dizziness. His head swings up just as he completes his second question, startling my slow motioned body. I twitched in discomfort, my neck pulling back to push my face away from the sudden dark eyes boring into me again. He isn't doing anything wrong, I'm fine. my conscience had to reassure me before I could draw in my next breath.

"We want you, because you'll fit in perfectly. We all are.. well, bat shit crazy to put it bluntly." A manic laugh suddenly burst from my lungs; apparently my brain connected this as one of the funniest things I have ever said. The laugh became more and more silent after a few seconds, my purple eyeballs glued to the brute the entire time.

"Speak." Walk walk
Tagged: @[Oxy]

OOC| So in doing some more research, I've found that the locoweed plants usually grow in dry/sandy/desert climates. So I'm thinking that the junction between Endless Blue and Swamp would be a perfect place from them to be in Helovia. Plus, that gives Oxy an excuse to stay where the herd is. Otherwise I think he'd just come roll around in the Deep Forest all day. I guess the point is, whenever you wanted to, you can have Agrona invite him down there or whatever. No rush, obviously, just letting you know :)


The swamps, big boy, that's our home. Swamps? This time you notice as she swings away from you. Uncomfortable? Maybe. She doesn't seem like the type, though. You think there must be something else going on with her. You're not sure. You'd think she'd been dipping into your shoulder bag, except you've been wearing it the whole time. Regardless, swamps don't seem to bad. They might be prove to make good camouflage. After all, you'd blend right in with all the dirt and grime you're guessing is there; however, that said, lace-face seems reasonably clean. Maybe she's just better at it than you.

We all are.. well, bat shit crazy to put it bluntly. She laughs like an idiot. A perfectly crazy idiot, apparently fittingly so. For the first time since meeting the mare you show some sort of positive emotion. A hint of a smirk etches itself onto your face and you begin to rumble. Your laugh is deep and grumbling, like the sound of distant thunder. Why is this funny? You're not entirely sure it is but you don't seem to care. What a pair you and lace-face make, standing here in the woods like fools.

Her amethyst gaze is oddly stuck on you, but now that you know she's crazy you're not so weirded out by it. “Well what makes you tick, then? You say bluntly. If she thinks being crazy is funny she probably won't mind sharing what makes her so fitting for the herd, right? Maybe not. Tact. You're doing the 'bad way to make friends' thing again. Do you even asked her name yet? You can't remember. Oh well, if lace-face likes you that much she may as well get used to you, right? “I think they call my problem addiction. I don't really think it's a problem, though.” This time you're the one that laughs as you begin rooting through the woods again, your back end not-so-gracefully crashing into the next tree you pass.

@[Agrona]

It seemed that my manic cackling sparked some actual emotion besides panic into the prune of a brute's brain. My gaze stayed on him, looking past him more than at him, really. His lips parted, the words coming out as "Well what makes you tick then?" My throat tightened and I shifted my weight. I'm not, crazy, am I? I felt my skin crawl at the thought of actually being considered "crazy." A sigh escaped my lungs, rolling from my partially opened lips in a silent cloud. No, I'm not crazy. I'm just angry.. and gorgeous. Angry and gorgeous. A smirk crawled across my jaws again and I giggled to myself.

"A lot of things make me tick, big boy." I drop my cranium to the ground once more, shaking it around wildly in order to get my thick forelock out of the way.. if it is even in the way. Was it? My brain seems to bounce off of the protective castle walls, swimming in the juices that it continuously soaks in like a hot tub. A dizziness caresses my body with a warm hand, causing me to slowly lift my skull back into the air. Each leg spreads out awkwardly in order to keep my balance.

The black skeleton talks again, but I cannot focus on what it is that he is saying exactly; instead of asking what it was that he had responded with, I laugh.. cackle, in sorts. My eyes roll toward the permanent night sky, jaws parting in order to let the laugh ease it's way out. White tail waves back and forth simultaneously, the ratty end wrapping around my right ankle and gingerly hugging it as the muscles of my hind quarters pull the hair up and away from my limb.

The laugh seems to come from my chest for an infinity, but realistically was only a few seconds. Once more I find myself staring blankly at the stallion before me. "Does it make you feel good? The plant?" My voice is hushed, almost as if I am whispering a secret to my best friend in the middle of class.

"Speak." Walk walk
Tagged: @[Oxy]
Ooc: Oh right on, :D That would be purrfect, lol.

You hear her sigh while you're busy throwing up leaves and sloshing through the muck. The damn plant's not anywhere that you can see. You turn back to touch your nose to your bag just in time to see her smirk. She answers and you shake your head before continuing your search. She seems a little upset about the whole thing. She wants to be part of the crazy group and not crazy? You don't understand. Maybe it's a communication problem on your end. It wouldn't be the first time that's happened. You don't think too much more about it, though. You're not much of a thinker unless you need to be. Right now, you've got more important things on your mind.

As she cackles at your statement you flick your tail about in irritation. She sounds just like your old herd- laughing at you for your misfortunes. If one could call it a misfortune. Like you said, you're not really sure it's a problem. At least she isn't jeering at you, calling you useless or low-life or junkie. Those things you're not. And surely the unappreciative assholes you used to live with paid for their sins anyway. The mare's lucky she stops laughing. Sure, she's helping you- sort of- but you didn't come here to meet the same horses you left.

She starts to speak again, though she's quiet. You flick an ear back to listen and you grunt your disapproval. You swing your body around suddenly. You try to move fast, but your size prevents you from going too quickly. Regardless, you make it around eventually. If she hasn't moved you're facing her now, head dipped down to her level and horns probably a little to close to her face for comfort. “They're mine. For me.” You're voice is stern, suddenly concerned that lace-face wants to use you for your plants. She's been tolerable so far, but you're not going to go about shouting about how good the plants make you feel just because she's asked. After all, the more everyone eats the less there are for you, and they're clearly hard enough to find as is.

“That bitch lied,” you say after an uncomfortably long period of silence. You've just been standing there, staring into her eyes. Are you seeing her or seeing past her? You don't know. You start shifting your body in irritation that you haven't been able to find the plant anywhere in this forest. Either she's taken all of them and stored them away or they were never here to begin with, you don't know. Or maybe you're just not looking hard enough.

@[Agrona]