so goddamn polite and composed [open]

[elise]

I'll tell you my sins

It was a slow parade of snow flurries and carmine fur. The wind whistled a daunting tune, calling softly in her ears, begging her to move faster or come closer. It was a sweet lover’s caress against warm skin, almost biting and cruel in the chill that it swept across her body. Hooves danced over the uneven ground, playing a precarious game of chicken that was filled with murky mud holes and unseen ice patches. She had grown up in these lands, found herself here plenty of times contemplating what hell the future had for her, what fate would design for her to do. However, Bast had come to terms with the idea that she made her own fate. No, she did not see herself as some god. She was just a mare making her way through life, trying to find her place. She’d learned that naivety was unbecoming, falling into a trap that would cost her everything if she was not careful. Maybe she craved that dangerous edge, that precipice where she could lay down her shame and be something that was frowned upon in these frigid and deadly lands. But no, that was not in her nature. She was not a meek, shameful creature.

No matter her every wondering craving, Bast would always be more than she wanted to entitle herself to. She as a power that could not be mastered, a tyrant’s daughter and a bitch’s spawn. She could only imagine what plans may have been laid out for her at some point in her life before she fled, showing a weakness that she had never meant to. Ah, but it mattered not that she had done it. She was a different creature now, something careful and dark, with eyes that watched, calculated and deadly from the shadows of a pure white face, belaying her wicked heart and cruel intentions. Although that was not true either. The chestnut mare was not as cruel as she played her heart to be. There was more to her than that, not that there was anyone who would know that. She kept so closely to herself that had anyone found out, they would have thought they’d imagined the gentle expressions that flickered across her face when she looked up at the midnight sky on those rare clear nights. No, she was much more than her life had made her, far more charming and precious of being than she looked.

With a soft, melodic chuckle, she came to a pause letting the wind ruffle the fine hairs that curled and cascaded down her neck, feeling the Earth beneath heavy hooves as she turned to face to the sky, feeling the chilled kiss of snowflakes on her cheeks. At least out here, alone and separated from the world she felt safe enough from the outbreak that seemed so keen on taking every equine life that it could sink its black tendrils into. She was stupid enough to believe that she was completely safe. That was no how illness always worked. Sometimes, it spread easily enough through the ground or through the breeze she so favored. Letting out a forlorn sigh, the young mare dipped her muzzle to the ground, lipping uselessly at the stubs of foliage there. It was all quiet, aside from the soft singing of the wind in her ears, at least it had been. The crunch of footsteps on the ground caused that heavy head to lift and eye to flash towards the sound, calculating what it may have been before a deep, but feminine voice left her vocal cords, ”Who goes there? What business do you have here?” A demand, soft, but threatening around the edges none the less.

word count. 620 || notes. none

[heatherness]

Dry snow laced with iced crunched beneath the nearly golden stallion's massive round hooves. Ivory hued feathers, stained slightly beige from the years of lacking to groom oneself, aided in protecting the brute's pasterns, brushed lightly against the top of the earth's surface. Sorrow filled chocolate eyes, so deep you could lose yourself in them, hid beneath a flowing flaxen forelock. Surprisingly, the stud's forelock remained unhindered. His once luxurious mane, tail, and coat however, looked as if they belonged to a mange infested elder. Depression was never known to be a beautiful disease. With his overwhelming self-pity and the sickness that had plagued the land, Thor had never looked worse. Well, that would exclude the time in which he was almost murdered. At least all of his scars were healed over and in the harsh conditions of the Weaklands, Thor's excessive winter coat helped to cover the evidence of his past; even his half horseshoe brand on his brawn left hindquarter was barely visible.


Thor wasn't quite sure of his destination. The absence of equine life was a common theme these days after the sickness had spread over the land of Imbros. On a daily basis Thor would curse this land. On his worst days he even yearned to be back in the warmth and safety of a human stall. Those thoughts never lasted long though. Lids closed over his emotion packed eyes as a quiver chilled his bones. The complete lack of humans in Imbros made it worth it. As Thor exhaled with a deep sigh loud enough to wake a sleeping equine a mile away, a single droplet of crimson blood raced out of his flared nostril and left an abstract picture in the contrasting hued snow. Glancing around to and fro across the mountainous land, Thor used his keen eagle vision to search for shelter of any sort. No luck. Staying here in the open wasn't an option; time to move on.


Cresting a hill, Thor spotted a painted beast in the distance. Tall in stature, chocolate bay and ivory hued pelt as it appeared, female from the aroma that lingered stale in the atmosphere. Triangular ears swiveled first forward, then pinned back upon his skull as an overload of emotion swarmed his heart. A pain tugged at his heart strings. This was the first sign of life that the lonesome stallion had come across as long as he could remember. Lonesome, yes. Searching for companionship, definitely not. Thor's past had left a fear in his soul like no equine should ever know. Especially not a warrior. A warrior needs to be a confident, valiant Prince with no flaws. At this moment Thor was the exact opposite of that. The massive stallion would on an average day, do a 180, throw his forehooves frantically to the earths surface, and burst off galloping in the opposite direction. This female stood between him and a cave that was basically paradise in a place such as this.


To his dismay, the vixen spotted him almost instantly, and called him out without a single hesitation. Not good. Her fearlessness may easily lead to his demise. Thor whipped his muzzle back over his lengthy shoulder, still weighing the option of turning back. That could lead to starvation. No, that wasn't an option. Turning his attention back to the current situation on hand, Thor's mouth began to water as he gazed dreamily at the vegetation that the mare stood atop. Thor remained silent nonetheless. Announce himself? Give up his name? That was too much to ask in these parts. What business did he have? No business, just survival. That was all he knew now was just living each day to survive. Barely getting by on the thin patches of nourishing grass. Sullenly drifting through life with a mask firmly over his once handsome face. For the first time in a long time, even with his constant melancholy outlook on life, Thor was completely and utterly speechless.

[elise]

I'll tell you my sins

Shrewd eyes danced over the face of the creature before her. She could not call him a horse, nor could she call him a stallion, the lifeless mask on his face removed any such traces of true being from him and an equine brow rose in studious curiosity. He was tow-colored, fair in complexion compared to the vermeil hue of her own. Tentatively listening ears pinned to the top of her head, mixing in with that pristine white of her locks, removing that stark contrast of red from her otherwise colorless face. A heavy limb lifted and pawed the ground aggressively. She knew better than to truly pick a fight, not that she was prone to losing, mind you. She was not some feeble mare, pampered from foal-hood, no princess in distress or in need of saving here. Powerful legs carried her that much closer, a carefully blank expression cultivated onto her features as Bast approached him. Contrary to popular belief, Bast was not just a wayward child who had given up everything she had been taught. No, she retained it and siphoned through each thing she had learned in her mind, stashing away only the ones she may need in this moment.

”Find your voice, sir or discover I have no patience for those who stand tongue tied in my presence.” Her tone was sharp, deadly and edging towards violence. Bast did not thing herself above most stallions, but this one, standing mute and statue-like before her was pressing her nervous, causing a less than lady-like curl of her lips as she moved around him, pace easy and confident. She took in the details of him, ratty, tattered and appearing to be in desperate need of rest. So very unlike her own appearance, Bast was put together, strong and prepossessing. Those well-defined features tipped to one side, fathomless eyes glittering with comprehension in that moment and the not so delicate mare gave a rather wispy sniff, as though he was unworthy of her time and she saw no use for him. Which was not at all true, Bast had no love for any who wondered upon her and yet, her heart beat a sad and tattered tattoo when she saw the desperate suffering of those around her, watching them crumble and fall because there was not enough to survive on in this harsh and unforgiving climate. She could feel for him, just barely.

Heaving a dramatic sigh, umber eyes cast away from him and brief, barely there shrug was given when still no words were forthcoming. ”Come along, stallion. I won’t see you die when there is perfectly good grazing here.” Her massive haunches shifted and she moved off towards her previous position. Bast shifted far enough over that should the great, seemingly mute beast could join her should he feel the fervent press of survival tapping at his mind. It wasn’t that she cared, not at all. No, her withered and darkening heart cared not if he actually came to the small, but lush patch that she occupied. She was just curious, foolishly so. It was certainly going to be her downfall one of these days, of that she was certain. Having no herd of her own, meant she was a wondering sack of meat for any stallion to stumble upon and try to seduce, but this one, this quiet, fearful giant did not seem of the sort to do so. The chestnut mare had little fear in her own heart, even on a bad day and today was certainly not a bad day. If anything, it was a day for chances.

word count. 604 || notes. none

[heatherness]

The blistering gales that whipped around the Weaklands on this day seemed to match the intensity of the stallion. With every inch closer that the mare positioned herself, Thor's heart raced faster and the icy wind stung his nostrils more fiercely. It seemed as if time had turned to molasses. Thor pinched his lids closed tightly, hoping to open them and realize it had all been a horrible dream. 'Okay Thor...on the count of three.... one.... two.... three...' Lids slowly peeled open to reveal the stallion's melodramatic gaze. "Shit!" Thor couldn't help but let the curse word flow passed his vocal chords. The mare had startled him so that he took a leap nearly a foot back from his former position on the snowy earth's surface. Massive stone-like hooves crashed into a fresh spot on the earth to leave massive hoof prints that left proof of his existence in this land for other wanderers to discover. As she spoke, Thor huffed and puffed in utter despair. Her words were unquestionably received as a threat. The sorrel stud's heart was pounding so violently that it nearly burst from his brawn chest. He watched unwavering as the vixen, nearly his size, which was more than intimidating, circled him. Now this was most definitely a complete threat. Thor's fear overwhelmed his physique but in a realization of his life being on the line, a hint of courage blessed his soul.

The stud's ears pinned back firmly upon his skull, which he lowered in a snaking position, as he sneered maliciously at the female. No violent action was taken of course but the body language was hopefully enough to get the point across. It was in that moment that the mare's disposition took a 360, probably in no relation to the courageous move that Thor had just mustered. His facial expression swapped instantly to completely bewildered as he lifted his skull high above his shoulders, brows quirked yet stern and triangular ears swiveled forward, then pinning back, then perking curiously forward again. "What do you want from me?" Finally!! Words were emitted. What a giant step for the stallion. 'How pathetic.' Thor thought to himself, a wave of shame collapsing over his brief glorious moment.

Eying her cautiously, his attention was drawn to the lush vegetation again. Saliva began producing at a rate the stallion wasn't familiar with. Drool nearly started escaping from the corners of his maw. "What do you have to gain?" His tone was low and quaky with an underlying hint of his once smooth, charming self. As he spoke, his dark chocolate eyes seemed to soften just the slightest bit. Maybe speaking was assisting in chiseling down at the wall that the stallion had firmly built around himself. Without his own conscious self being aware, the towering beast of a stallion had followed the mare to the grazing spot, yet halted immediately as he became aware of how close he had positioned himself to her. Not yet did he dare to take a bite to calm his starvation no matter how much his instincts screamed in opposition.