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Post by sera on May 30, 2005 20:25:00 GMT -5
The mare whirled again at his call, concern forcing her faster to return to his side. .. . . only to get soaked! She stared at him in disbelief, then gave a small squeal as he drove her into the water. She didn't know wot to do at first, so surprised by their soakedness. It didn't take her long, however to figure it out.
She slapped the water with her tail, sending it skidding in Eika's face, leaping to the side to cause a small rush of waves pouring against the banks of the creek. She experimented with this a few times before glancing up at Eika. She stopped for a second just staring at him as the water beat against their flanks. She tilted her head, moving up to his side and staring up at him before carefully running the edge of her face plate along the broad side of his, pushing the sodden forelock out of his eyes.
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Post by Xenon on May 30, 2005 20:36:23 GMT -5
Eika radiates delight as she returns to him, yelping in surprise as she returns the splash, tail flicking vigorously from side to side. He eagerly flicked his ears forward, preparing himself for the watery assault that was sure to follow.
But it did not. There was the touch, however, and it clearly took the peacock-toned male by surprise. The stallion's purple eyes light with a mixture of shock and delight and he takes a subconscious step back, blinking at the mare (now that wet hair wasn't in his eyes, anyway). I thought the Kaigaihen were always sombre and depressing, he murmured slightly, lowering his nose a bit. Though his words might be considered insulting on their own, his tone proves them to be anything but that.
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Post by sera on May 30, 2005 20:48:09 GMT -5
The mare sends him a wave of mischieviousness, but doesn't move just yet. We are, she answers, a tinge of seriousness in her voice. She wants to confide in him, to tackle him, to splash water at him again, and the nearly overwhelming desires surprise her. Her head throws up slightly and she takes a small step back. Her bafflement is so strong it actually comes out, breaking the walls of training she's learned. Are you always like this? she has to ask, trying to keep the longing from her voice. Are you always so carefree, so fun? She wants to ask how, how he can keep the weight of responsibility from crushing his sense of play, how he can keep everything in perspective. She's not offended by him in the least, she's jealous, wanting to make his attitude hers.
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Post by Xenon on May 30, 2005 20:57:27 GMT -5
Though the mare tries to hold back her confusion and bewilderment, it trickles to Eika through the tone of her mindspeech and through her posture. Hey, he says in a light, reassuring tone. You've figured me out. I am always like this.. Or I at least try to be. He lightly touches his nose to her neck, eyes soft.
...you aren't used to this kind of behavior, are you? Eika pulls back slightly, though he would like to remain. He doesn't want to make her feel any more out-of-her-element than he already has. He takes a respectful step back, flicking his tail absently and observing her. And, the truth was, the more he observed, the more difficult he found it to look away.
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Post by sera on May 30, 2005 21:03:42 GMT -5
The mare's eyes close at the touch; she wants to lean into him, to touch him again. But he pulls away and she can feel her walls rebuilding with the separation. No, she answers faintly. I'm not.
How to explain the rigidity of the Kaigaihen society? You were submerged in it from birth and could always feel the expectation of wot you would grow up to be, not who you were, not who you might be, but wot you would be. Unless you died.
The mare's reserve slowly rebuilds, almost before his eyes, as her head bows and she slowly hides away the sense of play Eika had brought out in her. Even this brief time, she knew, she'd treasure forever.
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Post by Xenon on May 30, 2005 21:08:36 GMT -5
Eika watches her, seeing the carefree attitude melt away, and he feels something inside him begin to ache. This was not what he wanted. He wanted to see her running and playing, wanted her to laugh with him.. He wanted her to touch him, even for the breifest second, the lightest touch.
Almost desparately he nudges her with his nose again, turning it into a full blown nuzzle. His motions are absolutely tender and full of an odd longing, similar to the longing she had felt before. No, he whispers, pulling away and looking into her eyes. Don't hide that.. there's no reason to be so serious all the time. Please.
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Post by sera on May 30, 2005 21:18:47 GMT -5
The mare starts, body tensing for a moment, before she leans slightly into his touch. You don't even know me, she answers faintly, wanting to step closer to him, and restraining herself by only the barest of threads. I barely know you. I'm a Kaigaihen, we're nothing but serious. A sadness tinges her voice and she turns her head suddenly away, trying to hide the sudden welling of emotions within her. She suddenly felt stifled, a feeling she remembered from her youth, from her quest when she almost lost control, almost died because she'd nearly lost her hold on her emotions. Our survival depends on it, her mental voice had fallen to a mere whisper, a breath of wot it had been before.
They didn't discuss their quests, not with each other, not with anyone else. The Naa knew better than to ask, because every Kaigaihen returned with a some sort of scarring. It usually wasn't even physical. You were more and less than wot you could have been before. You were. . . changed. Changed emotionally, changed mentally, turned into a box of control and wariness, for the good of all Naa. For their care and their protection. Information booths, bodyguards, judges, authority. That's why she shouldn't be here, not with Eika, not with how little control she had over her emotions. They were held apart, because they had. They couldn't have favourites, couldn't prefer one Naa over another. They had to be equality and balance. It was who they were.
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Post by Xenon on May 30, 2005 21:24:44 GMT -5
Eika snorts with frustration, taking another step towards her. I know that we barely know eachother. I don't even know your name! But I want to know more about you. I want to be someone that you can trust.. The Kaihaigen, they do so much for the others like me, they provide us with what we need. He shakes his head, eyes to the ground. Gah, what was he doing? He couldn't even begin to figure it out, but he knew that he had never come across anyone who intrigued him like she did, and now he felt like she would leave and he would never again see her prancing and carefree.
But what of your needs? Don't you get someone to take care of you? It's too much weight to bear alone.. it's too much to be serious all the time, just as it is to be constantly carefree. Once more he looks up at the mare, his eyes speaking a single word.
'Please.'
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Post by sera on May 30, 2005 21:33:23 GMT -5
She meets his eyes and can't look away. Her ears flick back uncertainly as she makes a movement as though to move towards him. Eika. . . but there aren't any words to finish that call. She couldn't, she agrees with him and. . . she needs the release. Needs to let go for awhile. Her tail swishes and her body tenses as though she would bolt, but she moves towards him rather than away. She presses her cheek into his mane, brushing her shoulder up against his, letting herself forget who she is, to just be with this strange stallion that called to her younger self, the Naa she once might have been.
No more Kaigaihen, she breathes, a hint of desperation in her voice. I just want to be a Naa for awhile; I just want to be free. For day, an hour, a moment.
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Post by Xenon on May 30, 2005 21:42:52 GMT -5
Then for that day or hour or moment, let me take care of you. He returns the act of affection, lightly pressing his cheek to hers, the quietest of sighs escaping him. You are beautiful, much too beautiful to be kept in that emotionless shell.. Slowly, gently, he ran his beak through the fur covering her neck, eyes closed in wordless delight. He hesitated at the clasp of her cloak, then looked back up at her.
Though.. in order to just be a Naa, you should tell me your name. there is the slightest tone of teasing in his voice, the carefree attitude beginning to return. His ears perk forward slightly, and his face is close enough to hers that the tufts lightly dance across her faceplate.
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Post by sera on May 30, 2005 21:59:25 GMT -5
She tilts her head slightly at his words, surprised by the compliment, but his playfullness calls to her own and she flicks her long tail back around to dance across his chest. She can't remember the last time she'd had so much physical contact with another Naa. She realizes she wouldn't mind spending the rest of the day just touching him.
Wot is in a name? she answers, the teasing tone coming back gradually. A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.
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Post by Xenon on May 30, 2005 22:05:10 GMT -5
He gives her a stern look, sighing deeply. A name is something so that when I want your attention, I can call out specifically to you, rather than using the somewhat-less-charming "Hey! You!" method. Suddenly, playfully, he nips lightly at her ear, his eyes practically glowing with delight.
That and it would make it so much easier for me to track you down again, should... I decide I would like to spend another day with you. There is a wistful tone to his voice, one that says that he would very much like that. So saying, he shifts closer to her, lightly bumping his shoulder against hers.
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Post by sera on May 30, 2005 22:13:00 GMT -5
The mare gives another small laugh, tilting her head as he caught her ear, pulling lightly away, tho not enough to actually do so nor enough to hurt herself. His stern look is really cute. ^^;
Her eyes roll slightly to look at him and this time her surprise is more evident. You. . . you would want to? She's not quite certain why she's so surprised, as she would love to spend more time with Eika already and, logically speaking, it shouldn't be /that/ odd that he might want to do the same. But logically and emotionally are two different things and her eyes show a strange need to be wanted the same way.
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Post by Xenon on May 30, 2005 22:20:16 GMT -5
Of course I would, you silly, silly girl. He chuckes, snagging the opportunity to look into her eyes again and hesitating, completely unable to look elsewhere. There was that fluttery feeling again, and the need to speak his mind. Truthfully, I hope to be seeing you a lot in the days to come. You're.. intriguing.
So much more than that. Eika felt the desire to be with her and know more about her, and he honestly wanted her to trust him enough to be a shoulder to lean on, someone to confide in when times were hard. But at the same time, he didn't fully understand these emotions, so he would continue to flirt in order to get them out. >_>
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Post by sera on May 30, 2005 22:26:59 GMT -5
Intriguing, she echoes, and there's a definite 'come hither' sound to the word. She tilts her head lightly, beginning to move slowly past him, letting her side slip along his with a brief pause to run her beak through his feathers, then, she carefully caught his tail in his mouth, backing up and pulling gently at the same time, the playfullness back in full force, as though she's simply given herself over to it.
She backs away from him, still tugging on his tail, even as her tail tuft flips forward to tickle along his flanks. She outright emanates the mischievousness at him, daring him to catch her back.
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