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Post by Kelpie-River on May 16, 2019 22:19:46 GMT -6
|| Moree || Cleric || Post One ||
It was early morning when the palomino mare rose, well before the dawn. With a jaw-cracking yawn, Moree dressed herself for the day, and crept out of the quarters she shared with her younger sister, Suniva, tiptoing through the small, quiet house. Once she reached the kitchen, she began rummaging around, attempting to keep the clamor down so that her siblings could sleep. Quietly, she packed a small lunch for two - browned bread, raw oats, and various different Talorian fruits, each more succulent than the last. Once she had finished putting the meal together, Moree threw it all into a small basket, and trotted out of the house, careful to latch the door behind her. Nimue, her faithful winged snake, hissed quietly from her perch on a bent palm tree, as Moree stepped outside into the pre-dawn chill.
"You don't have to go with me," the mare huffed, using her ability as a Familiar Whisperer in order to understand her pet's meaning. Nimue mumbled something under her breath about how regardless of whether or not she joined Moree, her sleep was ruined, and fluttered down from her perch, landing rather ungracefully around her mistress's shoulders. With another dissatisfied hiss, the snake curled up, hating the cold metal plate armor that Moree had taken to wearing. It had been a gift from her father, Daemyn, to protect his oldest daughter, and she seemed to love it wholly. Nimue, however, was unimpressed by how she could barely feel her mistress's warm fur anymore, thanks to all the accoutrements that Moree had gathered up. Unfazed by the snake's outburst, Moree continued along the path that lead towards the palace grounds, her hooves sturdy and sure beneath her. The mare could not get over the fact that she had all four feet to stand on once again; it was still a miracle to her that the Goddess had blessed her with healing regeneration, and over some long months, she had been able to knit back a weakened version of her right front forelimb. Of course, she still needed a brace for long travels, but that was a small price to pay in order to have all four of her hooves back under her.
As they arrived at the palace, Moree let herself in; her family had become close with the Royals as Kali and Daemyn had done their utmost to protect the herd during the tumultuous Flight uprising, and Moree herself had been part of the mission that had rescued Eve, the Divine. She felt little fear as she nodded to the Guardians at the gate, and headed inside the sparkling walls, where Geminus equines and Guardians were busy sparring. Moree was going to surprise Dae with breakfast and a quick visit, but she underestimated just how side-tracked she could get. As she looked over the small huddle of horses working together, her attention was caught by a sprightly zebra mare, who was busy practicing her art. The horse was decked out in the best Aquorian finery, and was a shining example of an attractive mare. Moree had to chide herself, as she noticed that she kept making sly glances in the direction of the other mare. She was supposed to be here to see her father, the palomino told herself, as she stood stock-still in the entryway of the palace gardens, as though waiting to be noticed, and plucked like a pretty flower for inspection.
WC: 572
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Post by foalish on Jun 25, 2019 12:27:06 GMT -6
Lydia
Early mornings were something that had been long since ingrained deep into her routine; sometimes she forgot all together that not all other horse around her had to get up by sunrise, no matter the season, or day length. It was common place that most days, by the time the world was up, she’d normally already been up for hours, just finishing her morning training session, all before the heat and humidity caught up to the sun. After that, the days schedule would get more precise, but it was not something she thought about as she practiced her strides and motions.
Today wasn’t any different; the usual ache in her muscles just starting to settle in, and she found herself watching her surroundings more than usual, waiting for the sign to be freed for the day. Perhaps an unhealthy distraction, that wasn’t quite just a distraction, for by the time she was putting her weapons away, it didn’t feel like soon enough. Especially when she had to double check her own work, just to make sure her hurried escape hadn’t let her packing up her weapons and other belongings badly enough to get a scolding.
And perhaps it was silly to want to get out of training - most days, it was the thing she looked forward to most, even if it was the first thing of her day. But sometimes she just woke up with an irresistible urge to explore the capital or the likes; even if she already knew half the shops inside out. And during those days, training seemed to drag on.
She was practically bouncing in her spot, by the time her trainer gave her a nod, releasing her from her current chore. And nearly skipping out of the gardens in retreat, she only snapped her head around quick enough to just avoid slamming into the horse holding up the doorway.
It may have taken a few undignified sidesteps and stumbles to stop her own momentum, but that didn’t stop the frown and slack jaw from appearing on her face. Some words criticizing the stranger about standing in an entranceway died in her throat then and there, as some other part of her told her she probably shouldn’t barrel down hallways without looking. And then there was an internal argument about being justified on both ends. And then she was tuning out her own inner voices she didn’t care too much about it when she noticed the horse was a hippocampus, and that they were busy staring at a flower.
She felt one of her eyebrows raise.
”What you looking at?” her voice was oddly near emotionless; her tone blank of any internal thoughts she had. All while she made no inclination about almost just running into this horse.
Post 1 | WC: 464 |
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Post by Kelpie-River on Jun 26, 2019 21:01:41 GMT -6
|| Moree || Cleric || Post Two ||
The palomino seemed completely taken by her task, distracted by the world around her to the point that she barely noticed the gray zebra mare who almost barreled into her. Her blue-green eyes went wide, and she took a step back, startled by the sudden arrival of another being. While she knew the palace was usually bustling and busy with horses, it was surprising to the mare to find one of them so close to her...even talking to her. She blinked, trying to make sense of what the pretty mare was asking. As the seconds dragged on, Moree couldn't help but find herself flushing slightly, feeling a bit dumb for not being able to respond like any normal creature.
"I...uh...nothing," she mumbled, staring down at her hooves. On her right leg, the brace glinted slightly, catching her eye. She'd debated whether or not to wear it today, but knowing that she was liable to be on her feet a lot, she had decided to keep herself protected just in case. Already, her leg ached slightly, but not badly enough that she paid it any mind. She was used to brushing away the mild pain, to focus on whatever else needed done.
"Um...I'm Moree," the mare said, remembering her manners suddenly. "It's nice to meet you...." she trailed off, as if to allow the other mare to proffer up her name in response.
WC: 240
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Post by foalish on Jul 2, 2019 11:48:32 GMT -6
Lydia
It only occurred to Lydia after she spoke, reflecting on her own choice of words, that they probably came off as rude; especially without a softer tone to say otherwise. But she didn’t quite have time to dwell on that thought as she turned her ears onto the Cleric and the sound of their voice, now speaking up for the first time.
If there was on obvious thing - it was the uncertainty they held. A closer look and it was clear they weren’t much older than her, if they even were in the first place. Shown in the way they looked about, seemed embarrassed, and everything else about them as they spoke.
All at once, any rigidness in her dissipated, her expression softening from the neutral expression it previously held. ”Sorry - that sounded rude,” she finally apologized, between the cleric’s pause. ”You just surprised me,” she added awkwardly, an attempt at an explanation; one that was perhaps clear from how she almost ran into her. Perhaps it was silly, in hindsight, to run into someone who was standing out in the open; although on the other hand, no one expected horses to linger in doorways. And perhaps that grievance, if it even was one, was better left forgotten.
”I’m Lydia,” she replied pretty quickly, almost instinctively, her tone now a lot friendlier, ”nice to meet you too, Moree.”
And for a second, Lydia was silent, standing there perhaps a bit awkwardly, as she tried to think out how to further the conversation.
”I haven’t seen you here before,” she admitted, eyebrows risen again, her town near ambiguous again, but then there was the faintest smile on her lips ”enjoy the palace?”
Post 2 | WC: 293 |
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Post by Kelpie-River on Jul 5, 2019 23:21:58 GMT -6
Moree || Cleric || Post Three
The palomino seemed to relax as Lydia checked herself, and an almost relieved look crossed her face. She'd hate to think that such a pretty creature held nothing but a sour tongue in her mouth, and it was a great happiness to her to see that the exquisite creature had some tact stashed away for a rainy day. But, she supposed, that was snarky enough for her to think of her new acquaintance, after all. Shaking her head slightly, Moree tried to clear her head of the thoughts that chased themselves around in her mind. She was blathering on in her own mind about what she should or shouldn't be thinking, rather than interacting with the mare before her.
"No harm done," Moree told her companion, flashing a smile to the zebra mare. "If I had just got done training, I might be a bit tired and not in the mood to be startled," she added with a light chuckle. She seemed to be getting her feet beneath her in the conversation, as she moved a bit out of the doorway so that Lydia could pass if she so pleased.
"My father's a Guardian," the mare explained, nodding to Lydia. "Daemyn. He forgot his lunch, so I was going to bring it to him," she exposited. "I have to say, the Palace is quite lovely," she agreed, looking around her with wide eyes. "It's very...elegant."
WC: 235
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Post by foalish on Jul 6, 2019 23:28:18 GMT -6
Lydia
Her smile widened a fraction as the mare accepted her apology, her head nodding in return, seemingly without her own doing. The longer she stared at the mare, the more intrigued she was, her head even starting to cock as she looked on. Something about them was quite interesting - and although she couldn’t pinpoint why exactly, it made her eyebrows raise and gaze stick without a break in Lydia’s concentration.
It took until Moree had moved, for a stretch of silence to lay around her, before Lydia realized she’d moved out of the way to let her pass; almost awkwardly, the mare slid by the other, all while trying to continue facing her and uphold the conversation. She swung back around almost a bit too quickly. ”Ah, someone finally understands me,” she shot back, an eyebrow raised, half a cocky smile splitting her lips. ”Sometimes you just gotta run away. If you linger too long, trainers start to think you’re sticking around for the next round of training,” her tone only seemed to get lighter, ”and you just gotta be certain they don’t get the wrong idea,” she added, with a wink. Maybe Moree wouldn’t understand her humour, but Lydia was internally laughing at her own joke either way. So it really didn’t matter to her.
Her gaze settled back onto the cleric as she explained her relations, Lydia nodding along. She didn’t know who her father was, at least not by a name she remember, but there was a lot of guardians, and she was only on Gemini with so little time to get to know horses around her. It was only logical. ”I see, that must be nice,” she nodded in understanding. Her gaze flicked away to look at the palace next, an eyebrow raised once again, ”elegant is one way to put it. Grand, inciting, fancy, in-your-face show-off-ish, take your pick,” she turned back to Moree, her lips quirked in a small smile.
It was hard to tell exactly what her tone meant; but it was likely to hold little malice, judging by the way the zebra was all those things herself, and didn’t hide it. ”it certainly is a place to be though,” she nodded.
WC: 385 | Post 3 |
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Post by Kelpie-River on Jul 7, 2019 0:02:01 GMT -6
Moree || Cleric || Post Four
Moree couldn't help but laugh at the idea of skipping out before a second round of training. "Oh believe me, I understand that sentiment," she assured the other mare, shaking her head as she thought. "Back when I was training, there was always a rule that the newest Cleric apprentices would have the..er...honor of taking the difficult cases. Floating teeth, pulling thorns out of children's hides, that sort of thing. So there was always a rush not to be the last one in the room, lest you have to take the case," she explained with a chuckle.
"I suppose the Palace is all of those things together," the palomino mused, taking another look around her at the grand structures that yawned into the sky. "And all of them at once. It's a bit showy, sure, but that same token makes it awe-inspiring. If it wasn't so...full of itself, it wouldn't be so striking," she mused, shrugging as she moved slightly away from the training arena, just in case what Lydia said about being dragged back to training was true. As much as she was sure the zebra didn't want to go back to training, Moree didn't want the conversation cut short.
"But you know more about it than me," she mused, smiling almost slyly. "Have any favorite spots?"
WC: 224
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Post by foalish on Jul 7, 2019 23:23:34 GMT -6
Lydia
Her smile flickered as the mare laughed, some satisfaction settling into her gaze at the sound of it. She tilted her head, a keen look reflecting in her eyes after a Moree responded. ”Ah, so guard commanders aren’t the only ruthless trainers out here then, glad it isn’t just me,” her smile lingered for a second, as did her gaze. Her eyebrows creased slightly, storing away the fact somewhere that Moree was a cleric. Interesting, but not totally surprising. ”But I’d think I’ll take an extra round of sword beating then having to deal with any of that,” she let out a good natured snort, ”if I were a cleric, in that case, I’d be gone in a blink of an eye.”
While she loved - perhaps in an odd way - being beat down in the dirt and bruised from a particularly entertaining round of training, and she didn’t mind getting dirty, blood and gore was a much different kind of dirty than mud. And it was 100% not her style.
Lydia let herself laugh as Moree rambled on about the palace grandeur. She felt no need to add any of her own thoughts, as she’d particularly already said them all, so she remained silent, letting the mare finish.
”Ah well -“ she paused at the question, tipping her head. There were a lot of interesting palaces in the palace. Many she couldn’t just waltz in with a stranger. Biasly, her favourite might be her own room, but she wasn’t going to even think about inviting a stranger there, especially so quickly, ”I’ve seen them all so many times, it’s hard to think of anything special, honestly.” Her gaze swung back towards the street just in view, ” there’s a lot more interesting places and secrets to find there. Although, if I did pick one from the palace though, perhaps the gardens.” She’d always had a soft spot for flowers, after all.
WC: 331 | Post 4 |
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Post by Kelpie-River on Jul 8, 2019 10:00:07 GMT -6
Moree || Cleric || Post Five
"I've always been interested in it," Moree said with a small laugh. "But you're right; it takes a particular type of weird to become a Cleric," she agreed, nodding her head in ascent. "I mean, it's...dirty work, to say the least," she admitted, making a face at the thought of the old rotation duties she'd had to perform. "But the difference between your job and mine, the real difference, is that it's a bad thing when I hurt someone," she quipped, grinning over at the zebra mare to show that she was simply joking. "But in all seriousness, it is...almost painful for me when I do anything that causes them pain...even if it's for their own good," she rambled. Realizing that she was prattling on about her job, Moree allowed herself to circle back to the conversation at hand.
"The gardens?" she inquired, ears pricking up hopefully. "My brother is great with plants, and my Ama...er, my mother," she stumbled over the gendered term which she rarely used, "Is a brewer, so I'm always around plants. I'd love to see...if that wouldn't be too much trouble," she stated, tacking on the almost apologetic last sentence so she didn't seem too demanding.
"After all, I've not got anything to do until lunch, and I'm sure that my father is busy training right now," she mused.
WC: 230
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Post by foalish on Jul 9, 2019 0:10:07 GMT -6
Lydia
Lydia nodded, giving a smile to her company. She listened to her talk, finding it intriguing about what she had to say. It certainly wasn’t a life she wanted to live. There was a beauty about healing others, but her own drive was to protect them, instead. ”I’m not sure that’s entirely true,” she shot back, ”the whole point of my job is to hope I don’t have to hurt anyone,” she stated matter of factly. And it was true - she was a last effort defence for the empress and their council. She was trained to defend, but no one hopefully got that close. ”I understand too though,” she sobered up, ”I enjoy my job and training, but I can’t imagine anyone taking pleasure in others’ pain.” She sighed. Causing intent to harmed seemed so...brutal. It was hard to ever imagine. Even if those horses were clearly out there.
Lydia paused for a moment and looked over the mare with almost a critical eye. She stayed still, debating for half a second if she should take a near stranger around the palace, especially deep enough to be in the gardens. But she looked to be little threat at all, at least not one she could handle if was completely inept at reading how harmless she came off. And it seemed like she had reason to be here. So she trotted a few steps, tossing her head in a gesture to follow, ”it’s this way.” Her smile seemed to be back on her lips.
WC: 264 | Post 5 |
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Post by Kelpie-River on Jul 10, 2019 21:16:11 GMT -6
|| Moree || Cleric || Post Six ||
Moree was surprised at the harshness with which Lydia defended her position, though she supposed that her foolhardy blundering deserved such admonishments. She had, after all, basically insulted the mare's profession, even if she hadn't meant to do any harm. If Lydia had come up and started telling her how to give stitches to a patient with a wound, Moree might find herself a little hot-headed in turn.
"Suppose you're right about that," she stated, dipping her head in an apologetic manner. "Glad to hear I'm not the only one who cares for the well being of others...even if they might not share the same skin as me," she said nonchalantly. To be fair, Moree had a deep-seated fear and hatred for the Flock, since they'd separated her from her father, forced her parents' hand to steal her childhood away with aging potions, blown up her leg, and almost gotten her brother killed at birth. But...other than that, she had no qualms with most horses, even if she knew little of the other herds that were outside the Talorian borders. "Some horses here just....live off bloodshed," she remarked, shuddering as she remembered the stories of rogues she'd heard while growing up in Torrine. The thought made her skin crawl. To actually enjoy causing pain to another...she couldn't fathom it.
The conversation died on Moree's tongue for a moment as she followed Lydia towards the gardens, her mind wandering from bloodlust to flowers...a much better use of her imagination if the mare said so for herself. As they entered the garden, Moree couldn't help but let out a loud gasp. "It's beautiful," she breathed, staring wide-eyed at the variety of plant life that bloomed around her.
WC: 290
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Post by foalish on Jul 11, 2019 1:02:22 GMT -6
Lydia
Lydia flicked her head and looked over at Moree with a nod, her eyebrows knitted together in a near unreadable expression. ”Exactly,” she tilted her head, ”I would be concerned if someone didn’t care about the well-being of those around them. Even if it’s shown in different ways.” She was trained to protect the royalty and those in the palace, Moree was trained to heal; even agriculturalists and other professions helped out in their own way, from growing food, and onwards. All were needed, and depending on how you looked at it, important. For different reasons. If she believed one thing strongly - it was that. Many horses may see her as pampered, and maybe she was, living the life she did, but she wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t needed.
The comment about bloodshed made her pause in her place, taking a moment before she seemed to move again. ”Sadly, yeah,” Her voice was a lot less carefree than it had been a moment ago. She didn’t say it aloud, but judging by the tensions of the last months, it seemed like those after blood weren’t satisfied yet. It scared her, a bit, if she were being honest to herself.
She forced a smile and looked back at Moree as she led her through the halls, quickly enough ending into the garden; a path she knew quite well.
It took a moment for her smile to become a bit more sincere, then she found herself nodding.
”It really is” her eyes turned towards Moree, ”do you know much about flowers and plants?”
WC: 273 | Post 6 |
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Post by Kelpie-River on Jul 11, 2019 4:34:47 GMT -6
|| Moree || Cleric || Post Seven ||
Moree's thoughts, which had been focused on the Flight and all the damage they'd done, melted away entirely as she entered the garden. Her breath was taken away for a moment as she stared at the bushels of greenery that surrounded her. There appeared to be not only sweet-smelling flowers in low beds, but a couple of small fruit trees, which let a heady nectar-scent into the air. Flowers of every color under the sun bloomed left and right, brightening the gardens considerably. Moree eyed what appeared to be a bed of herbs, some she recognized from Kali's work, and others that were completely foreign to her.
"Plants are...kind of a big thing around my house," she admitted, looking around at the greenery as she talked. "My mother's a Brewer, so we use plenty of herbs for potions, and my brother is a Naturist, who wants to become a farmer or brewer for himself," she added, explaining. "As for me, I have to have a pretty strong knowledge of medical herbs, but other than that, I can tell you if a plant is pretty or not, and that's about it," she chuckled. "I was always sculpting out of the earth, rather than growing in it as a kid," she admitted with a fond smile. "But I'm strange, as we've established," Moree added with a sly grin.
WC: 228
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Post by foalish on Jul 11, 2019 20:03:49 GMT -6
Lydia
She’d been to the gardens countless times before. She’d practically turned over every last leaf in the garden at least once in her Teke. Taken time to look at every flower as they came and went. She even knew a few secrets of the garden that were never meant for outside ears, less the information be abused at the thought of another horse.
She’d seen everything the garden had to offer, all except the reaction it got from Moree. And so, perhaps unintentionally, Lydia watched her company, some expectancy and interest in her eyes, as she saw the first expression and reaction from the mare.
She let her expression drop from intrusive intrigue to passive interest as her ears turned to listen to the mare talk about her own experiences with plants. Nodding along once or twice with the information that was fed to her, she let out a soft laugh at Moree talking about her own knowledge. A soft smile remaining on her lips. ”Hey - sometimes strange is often the best way to be.”
Her eyes trailed away for a second, to a rose bush not far off. She brushed a few petals before turning back to Moree: ”I always loved plants - my dad was never too interested in them, but he still always keeps the gardens prim. About the little I know is from the gardeners who came in every once and awhile for upkeep.” She let out a sigh. Apparently the gardens had been her mom’s favourite place to be; which was why her father kept them in nice shape. But she couldn’t remember that detail without her own blessing showing her those memories that the garden kept.
Her eyes turned back up to her, with a widened smile. ”But I’m the same, for the most part. Although I don’t think we need to know everything about flowers to find them pretty.” She gave a soft laugh.
She found herself moving towards a corner; a nicer spot to settle with an even better view, waving Moree over towards her once she moved the short distance.
”You say you were sculpted from the earth huh? What exactly does that entail.” Her eyebrows raised, some playfulness and genuine curiosity in her gaze.
WC: 381 | Post 7 |
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Post by Kelpie-River on Jul 13, 2019 0:44:00 GMT -6
|| Moree || Cleric || Post Eight||
Moree found herself inhaling the fragrant scent of the garden that surrounded her, as her eyes roved from plant to plant. The colors were so vibrant, and so varied that they downright took her breath away. She noticed a plant that she'd come in contact with before - horsetail - surrounding a small fruit tree. She knew from her studies that it was useful for regulating the amount of fluid in a body. Letting her eyes rove around the garden, Moree followed Lydia's prompting, passing the rosebush and joining her companion in the small nook. She could tell that something had saddened the mare, perhaps relating to family as she'd mentioned her father, but before Moree had a chance to inquire about what was on Lydia's mind, the mare was moving on, inquiring about the comment Moree'd made about her own life.
"I'm a sculptor by nature," Moree explained, shrugging her withers. "I mean, it's my talent, after all. I've always felt a deep connection with the earth. Maybe not as much as with water, but close. Besides, the two together are needed to make something out of the clay. One alone doesn't form a shape, you know? Not to mention, I've been blessed since birth with intangibility. So I've been able to move through earth as easily as if it were water. It just seems like it's a part of me now."
WC: 240
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Post by foalish on Jul 14, 2019 22:49:22 GMT -6
Lydia
She sat in her spot, watching Moree let her eyes travel around the garden for a bit more, before joining Lydia. Her gaze was cast out towards the plants, but some part of it trailed after Moree as she settled into place. Lydia only shifted once Moree had started talking, her own motions slow, with wide-eye curiosity in her gaze.
There was something about the way Moree spoke that made Lydia almost a bit jealous. About the way she knew herself, her own talents. Could speak about them with such a sure nature. She’d never had her own certain nature; at least not until coming to the palace, with her own rank. But it was still so new, and she was still so unsure about so much.
”I like the sound of that,” she started. Her eyes traced Morse’s face for a second, her intense gaze being broken by a blink, and then a smile appearing on her lips. ”I’m a bit naive on the subject, if I must admit, I don’t know much, at least when it comes to the sculpting part.” And the mention of clay. But the passion was enough to see that it mattered to the hippocampus.
And then another shot pang if jealousy passed through her, at Moree’s talk about being connected to both the land and water, not being held back by both. Lydia loved the water, but she did not have the ability to breath under it, unlike most with fins. She was about as blessed as horses with new Nymphism blessings; but her hybrid nature wasn’t something she was vocal about.
”But I think I can understand; at least a bit.” She tilted her head; she did not speak of her own blessing given to her at birth, instead wanting to hear more about what she had to say. ”So both creatively - physically and mentally. Does it ever get hard though?” She blinked, realizing that it might not make sense. ”Like, I guess that you have so many options, that you’re not sure where to go? If that makes sense.” Perhaps it didn’t - well, probably. But all her life, she’d been guided on where to go, what to say, who to talk to - even who she was supposed to marry. And even if that life was over, it was hard to imagine having so many choices and connections about for her. Even the thought felt overwhelming.
WC: 415 | Post 8 |
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Post by Kelpie-River on Jul 16, 2019 16:58:26 GMT -6
|| Moree || Cleric || Post Nine ||
Moree could feel the skin beneath her fur grow hot as she noticed Lydia's intense stare, and she had to admit that the feeling only eased when the other mare blinked, smiling gently at her. For reasons that she didn't fully understand quite yet, Moree couldn't help but want to see that flash of a smile again, and it crossed her mind that she should do whatever it took to make it reappear.
She could tell that something was bothering the mare, but before she had a chance to ask what was on Lydia's mind, the mare was speaking again, moving the conversation along. It hadn't really occurred to the mare how many choices she had; she'd wanted to become a creator of some sort, but the desire to help her herd had been too strong, and so she'd turned to Clerical work. Besides, it had been good for her inquisitive mind. It just seemed...the natural way to do things.
"It can be...overwhelming, yeah," Moree agreed, as she mulled over the question quietly. "I mean, my journey's pretty much laid out for me at this point," she backtracked with a slight chuckle. "Try to make it to Grand Cleric someday. Keep with my work," she listed, shrugging. A comment about marrying some poor sap prickled the tip of her tongue, but Moree snapped her mouth shut, refusing to think about that facet of her life. Luckily for the mare, her family was...rather...unconventional. A closeted mess of a father, a non-binary parent, a brother kicked out of his own home for being himself, a sickly little brother who could barely keep up with life, and a sister born from horrid trauma. With such a crazy background, Moree was certain that her family would not be willing to arrange a marriage that their daughter would be unhappy in. Which meant she would have to be married to her work; it wasn't as though she could entertain any notion of what would really make her happy.
WC: 340
Current thread total: 5405
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Post by foalish on Jul 16, 2019 21:47:31 GMT -6
Lydia
Her gaze didn’t wander much, after she finished speaking. Gaze settling back on Moree, patiently waiting for whatever she would say, be it however long it took. She could see trails of emotions spark in her body language, but nothing concrete for her to pinpoint what emotion it was, exactly, so instead she simply let it pass, listening to Moree, who now was starting to talk.
Lydia nodded once or two. That was a pretty logical path for a cleric, if she was being honest. It wasn’t quite surprising. ”That all makes sense,” there was a faint laugh on her tone; one not quite loud enough to echo beyond that. But her voice did keep up the musical tone, now mixed with inquisition, ”is it hard to get there? To be a grand cleric, I mean.” She tilted her head and gave Moree a curious blink.
She figured it was probably the last place to end up, for Clerics at least. There was no further place to climb up from there, from what she knew. Not, perhaps without Divine intervention; but she wasn’t going to imagine what possibilities that led; for Thalassa had been a Cleric, and no one would have expected her to lead the nation. But still; that offered more than her own rank. But being part of the royal family, it king of put her in the highest place she could be. ”But that doesn’t sound all that bad, if you enjoy what you do, while still have the time to spend on hobbies and with those around you?” She tilted her head, humming softly. The approval in her hum was the closest she got to finishing that thought.
Instead she pricked her ears and looked back at Moree, ”there’s something nice - about knowing where your path leads. Maybe not so strict you can’t make your own choices. But enough to have an idea of your future. All while still being surprised? That’s what I like most.” And her tone was soft, near whimsical; smile back on her lips.
WC: 350 | Post 9 |
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Post by Kelpie-River on Jul 16, 2019 22:37:42 GMT -6
|| Moree || Cleric || Post Ten ||
"I have no idea if I'll be able to do it," Moree answered, thinking of how difficult it might take to become a Grand Cleric. It was a lot of work to be sure, and she doubted that she truly had the ability to become such an important equine in her herd. Truth be told, she'd be happy settling down in one of the smaller towns...where things were less strict. But she couldn't voice that thought to a near stranger, let alone one who worked for the Empress. She had to be careful what she said now. Her mind flashed to the circular brand mark that marred her Ama's shoulder for as long as she could remember, a mark of misconduct within the herd. She didn't want to end up with one of her own.
"I suppose it's nice to have things mapped out," she admitted, turning her attention back to the conversation. "After all, it makes things easier," she admitted with a chuckle. "But...sometimes easier isn't what we need, you know?" she mused. "Sometimes it's the adventure that really makes us grow," she continued. "Like..when we were hiding in the Temple. That was...stressful to say the least...but I helped to deliver my baby brother," she explained. "And that was what I needed to help find my feet...literally and figuratively."
WC: 225
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Post by foalish on Jul 16, 2019 23:04:28 GMT -6
Lydia
”I wouldn’t loose all doubt in yourself,” she replied, almost naturally. Some skepticism was healthy in every day life, but self doubt to the point of pity wasn’t. And while Moree didn’t seem near that doubtful - it was almost an automatic reply.
She shuffled back, a frown gracing her expression as she spiralled into her own thoughts. Her life before coming to the place hadn’t been spectacular. Growing up she’d been told she could never be a Guardian like she had wanted forever. And maybe that was true, she didn’t hold such title, nor would she ever because of her sex, yet she had found an alternative that fit her personality and expectancy of life so much more. Maybe it was a bit more political than she’d prefer, but it was a small downside to everything it brought her. ”Sometimes the world surprises you in some of the best ways, especially if you put some effort into it.” Her smile was soft, as she looked over at the mare.
She tilted her head, eyes widening just noticeably as Moree went on. It sounded like there was quite the story there - and she wasn’t sure if it was rude to ask; if she’d even meant to say such things aloud. It sounded like she did, but still. ”True,” she titled her head the other way and gave a moment of though. ”I think you need a healthy mix of the two, I guess? Enough to know things are going to be ok, and enough to keep it all exciting.” She frowned a bit. Perhaps it depended more on the horse, in hindsight. She didn’t mind things being exciting; but there was also a comfort to stability that she needed. ”But that sounds like quite the tale...?” She lightly prompted. If they wanted to speak for such things, they wouldn’t complain, if not, well...
WC: 322 | Post 10 |
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Post by Kelpie-River on Jul 17, 2019 11:14:17 GMT -6
 Moree;Talori | Cleric
Breathe, relax. Let peace flow through you, and the world will follow.
"I mean, my Ama says that I can do anything I put my mind to. My dad too," Moree said with the lightest of laughs as she thought back to how her family had encouraged her all the way through her Clerical training. She'd had some catching up to do, as she'd not been allowed to age through the process of training naturally, but gone from a tiny foal to a full grown adult in a matter of minutes. Trying to struggle through the Cleric training while running behind all her classmates both in book-learning and life learning had made the path harder for Moree than she'd like to admit. But, she'd gotten her feet beneath her now, and the idea of becoming a Grand Cleric teased at her mind, something she could see herself doing.
"It is quite a story," she admitted, turning her attention to the prompting from Lydia. "See, when the Flight attacked us, at the Solstice celebration, one of the bombs they dropped landed right beside me, and pretty much destroyed my foreleg," she explained, waving the limb around to demonstrate which leg had been injured. "It was...pretty much gone. They had to amputate it when we got to the Temple. And then I had to learn how to work with a prosthetic while living out in the Wilds with nothing but Cascade herself to keep us safe from the animals that lived there. But, I did meet Nim there," she commented, referring to her familiar. At the mention of her name, Nimue poked her head out of Moree's mane, hissed softly, and retreated to her napping place, ruffling her feathers. "Rude," commented the palomino, shooting a look to her companion. It was strange, being able to understand her familiar in such a manner when others couldn't, but she'd gotten used to it. "Anyway, ignoring fussyfeathers here," she said, moving on. "So, my Ama was pregnant when we fled, and she had to give birth in the Temple. Which would have been fine, if it hadn't been a dog birth," she explained, referring to the case of a foal's hind legs being propped up like a dog lying down, instead of behind their body like they should be. "I thought we were going to lose them both, but we managed to pull through," she admitted with a slight shrug. "It was...to say the least, terrifying. But, Owain got out okay, and they both turned out fine, thanks to the more experienced Clerics who were there. And...not much longer we got to return home, after Emperor Hawkeye's murder," she rattled off. "So yeah, that's how that all happened. But that doesn't explain how I got this back," she added with a laugh, kicking her foreleg out. "Well, see, Cascade blessed me with Healing Regeneration, and over the last year, my leg's grown back full size. It's weaker than my other legs, and I usually wear a brace, but it's there, and for that I'm eternally grateful. Trust me, it was NOT a pleasant feeling while it was growing back, but I consider it worth while."
WC:521 | Post #11 |
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Post by foalish on Jul 17, 2019 16:38:21 GMT -6
Lydia
Lydia’s smile softened a bit - another emotions making it’s way into her expression, that wasn’t quite clear in the mix, of which one it was. ”That’s good, it’s how it should be,” there was just an inch of distance in her voice. But she seemed to blink, and a minute later, seemed to be back to normal, promoting nothing but joy and contentment.
And the next moment, she was distracted again, nodding along with the story the mare began to tell. At one point her eyebrows knit, she tilted her head, but her gaze didn’t wander from staring at her, listening intently. She pulled back her head, a bit surprised at the sight of their familiar; her own was back in her room, probably snoring up a storm, taking up the whole bed. Tigers.
She couldn’t help but giggle as she hushed her own familiar. And then she was back, listening to what she continued to explain.
It was the last part that surprised her the most - she’d heard to Cascade’s blessing being powerful; but hearing that was a bit of something else.
”Wow,” she prompted, staying silent after that for a second. She did little more than blink, taking it all in. ”Yeah, that’s truly quite a tale, I don’t even know where to start,” A smile broke her surprise, Lydia straightening up. ”I’m at least glad everything turned out alright.” Her eyes could not help but wander to her regrown leg; ”that is amazing,” She blinked again, falling silent afterwards.
”I can tell you I have no hope on one upping that,” she broke out suddenly, a lopsided grin on her lips.
WC: 286 | Post 11 |
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Post by Kelpie-River on Jul 17, 2019 21:19:00 GMT -6
Moree;Talori | Cleric
Breathe, relax. Let peace flow through you, and the world will follow. Moree fell silent as she came to the end of her tale, allowing the other mare to take in what she'd said. She knew that it was a hell of a story to wrap one's mind around, and it still even boggled Moree that she'd survived it...and she was the one who'd seen it all first hand! "Owain's not the healthiest little tyke, but he's here, and he's still kicking," she admitted with a small chuckle. "Which is good, because I don't know what I'd do without my brothers," she admitted. "Or my sister," Moree tacked on, thinking of Sunniva, the small black mark on Moree's family tree. She had been the result of a cruel attack by a rogue, but Moree loved her just as though they were full-blooded siblings. Sometimes she wished that Kali shared her feelings, but understood the struggle that the black overo was going through.
"And I've got another sibling on the way," Moree gushed, not sure exactly why she was dumping her family news on her new companion, but seemingly unable to stop herself.
At the mention of one-upping her story, Moree couldn't help but let out a very unladylike snort of laughter. "Hey, it's not a contest," she told the striped mare reassuringly. "Which is good, because I'd win if it were," she added with a quick wink.
WC: 225 | Post #12
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Post by foalish on Jul 19, 2019 18:09:18 GMT -6
Lydia
She turned her ears towards her with the name, a tilt of her head added to the expression; perhaps some curiosity mixed in as she nodded along. ”That’s good to hear, and important,” she spotted a kind smile too. It wasn’t a name of anyone she knew, unsurprisingly. Most of Moree’s family would probably be a mystery. Unless she ever got close enough to her that she met them - but she wasn’t going to assume things now.
She found herself laughing at Moree’s sudden enthusiasm, with her rambling on about all her siblings, present and future-tense. ”Sounds like you live in a busy house,” she smiled. There was a gentle flick oh her tail as her eyes drifted off to the flowers, just for a second. ”How many siblings does that make, exactly?” she asked, as her gaze came to rest back on Moree again.
Her eyes narrowed suddenly at Moree’s snort. After a second of staring, shocked,, she broke out into an undignified laugh to accompany her. ”Well,” she cooed,”someone is sure of themself.” Lydia gave another swish of her tail, before raising her chin to look down at Moree. ”Maybe I’ve met Cascade myself and just don’t want you to feel jealous. Not that I have,” she paused, then gave a quick wink, ”or have, who would be so bold to tell?” WC: 240 | Post 12
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Post by Kelpie-River on Jul 20, 2019 21:28:05 GMT -6
Moree;Talori | Cleric
Breathe, relax. Let peace flow through you, and the world will follow. "It'll make a total of four siblings for me," she said, chuckling. "Two brothers, one sister, and one we don't know quite yet," she listed off, sounding excited at the idea of expanding her family. "Which I don't really mind, but being the official oldest means I'm in charge of looking after them. Well, thanks to an aging potion, my little brother is actually older than me, but you know how it is. Mares do the housework, and the boys get to have all the fun," she admitted with a smirk.
"Oh, you've met Cascade, have you?" she inquired, trying not to sound too impressed, yet failing miserably. "I'm inclined to believe you, because if you were lying, she might smite you down immediately," she added with a slight chuckle. "I've heard her, out in the Wilds, when she was protecting us. And again when she called for an end to the sacrifices. My brother met her acolyte once, but that's about as close as we've been," she explained.
WC: 178 | Post #13 |
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Post by foalish on Jul 21, 2019 20:23:15 GMT -6
Lydia
At her response, Lydia leaned back and nodded slowly; a family of five kids was pretty big, but by far not the biggest when it came to Talori standards. There were some families with enough to make her head hurt at the thought of. But herself, she had, at one point three siblings - so only one more wasn’t that big of a surprise. Although only two now.
Lydia found herself rolling her eyes at the notion of housework. It was true - but it was still dumb. Everyone lived there, everyone made a mess. Although maybe she shouldn’t be taking - they had indentured servants growing up for that. And now she lived in the palace. ”Huh, I see” she finally stated, tilting her head, unable to quite hold back, ”and yeah, right? Sounds totally fair to me.” There was a huff in her voice.
”Our benevolent Wave-Mother, smiting us down for a lie? Are you sure we’re talking about the same goddess?” There was a tone of skepticism behind her voice oozing with sarcasm. She nodded, a bit more real. ”I’ve heard her voice at least once, with the sacrifices, with the rest of everyone, as well.” She gave a soft chuckled, ”and no, I haven’t met her. About all I have is a blessing from birth from her.” But that was actually something - that a lot of horses didn’t have.
WC: 241 | Post 13 |
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Post by Kelpie-River on Jul 23, 2019 9:23:12 GMT -6
Moree;Talori | Cleric
Breathe, relax. Let peace flow through you, and the world will follow. Moree couldn't help but chuckle at the mare's irritation when it came to traditional Talorian gender roles; she herself found them to be a bit outdated....especially considering her own personal...well...struggles...with how the herd worked. She was too old now to be out experimenting with horses to "get her demons out", but she never quite could shake them, and she'd grown to accept that, just like the rest of her crazy, closet-bound family, she wasn't exactly normal either. And that was okay...save for the fact that she worried about how she'd ever find happiness. For the moment, no solution came to her. The more she talked to the zebra mare, the more she had to chide herself, reminding herself that she needed to keep a small amount of distance between her feelings and her words. After all, the creature was a Geminus, living in the palace. If anyone could have her hauled off and branded for making them uncomfortable, it was someone of such high stature. Though...Moree got the sense that Lydia wouldn't be that cruel. However, the mark on her Ama's shoulder stood out in her mind, and that had come from someone who professed to love them! Pushing her thoughts aside, Moree turned her attention back to the conversation. So the mare hadn't been in contact with the Goddess directly, huh? Guess the Wave Mother didn't mind a bit of teasing then. When she mentioned being born Blessed, Moree's ears shot up, and the mare whinnied excitedly. "I was born blessed too!" She exclaimed, looking thoroughly excited. "I have intangibility," she added, grinning widely at her companion. "What about you?" It felt good to find someone she had so much in common with, despite her originally prickly appearance.
WC: 300 | Post #14 |
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Post by foalish on Jul 23, 2019 12:27:33 GMT -6
Lydia
Lydias’s smile flickered at the laugh from the other horse. And while she did not reply to the conversation topic further, it was clear that there was more in her than just that, based on body language. But Lydia wasn’t skilled enough at reading that to even try to think about any of what Moree felt.
She flicked her own tail and looked off in the garden for a second - a far away look in her eyes. Memories of her mother were...sparse. She had died when Lydia was very young. She tried to convince herself that her mom had been happy and a good horse, but she remembered so little that she couldn’t tell if it were true or not. About the only memories she had as a kid of her was her acting impatient and stoic. But it was the memories no one was supposed to see, glimpses she got off of objects from her blessing; it wove a more complex tapestry than what childhood memories could give her. And most of them, her mother looked far from happy. She had everything that she could strive for, but in her role, she had been miserable.
At least that’s what Lydia had thought; but she wasn’t sure how accurate short glimpses were. So it was better to perhaps not project her own hate from growing up and at her father on her mother. But all of it - it at least helped her to hate the stupid expectations put on them. Even if she wouldn’t say it. Many days, she felt trapped and unable to truly express herself.
She swung her head back towards Moree, tilting her head as she spoke. She wasn’t surprised by the intangibility part - at least from previous parts of the conversation, it clicked.
At the question, she brought her knees closer to her body. ”Retrocognition,” she spoke, looking over at Moree, ”for most of my life, it was pretty weak. But it’s spurred quite quickly in the past few months.” And she seemed to relax a bit, half a smile, ”let’s just say, I’ve seen a few things I probably weren’t meant to, thanks to it.” There was a soft laugh. She seemed to straighten up a bit and blink slowly. ”Its quite something.” She swung her tail back and forth, looking back at Moree with a different expression.
”But it is nice - I sometimes get to remember things I never would have otherwise.” She tilted her head and hummed.
WC: 425 | Post 14 |
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Post by Kelpie-River on Jul 24, 2019 13:43:18 GMT -6
Moree;Talori | Cleric
Breathe, relax. Let peace flow through you, and the world will follow. Moree nodded, seeming impressed at the idea of retrocognition. It was a blessing she knew little about, other than what she'd picked up in snippets of conversation here or there while growing up. She'd never met an equine blessed with it before, and certainly not one who was blessed from birth; that was a new idea to her altogether.
"I suppose with a blessing like that, you'd have to see things sometimes that don't seem to be in your wheelhouse," she admitted with a slight shrug of her withers. "But that doesn't mean that it's all bad," she added cheerily. "I'm sure it's a fascinating tool to have," Moree mused, nodding slightly as she thought it over.
"Do you remember your past life?" she asked, her ears perked curiously. "I mean...if that's not too personal to ask," she backtracked, looking shyly over at the other mare.
WC: 145 | Post #15 |
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Post by foalish on Jul 24, 2019 21:09:20 GMT -6
Lydia
At Moree’s thoughts, Lydia nodded with her. Her gaze flicked to the garden a few times while she listened to her talk, but it came back to her company pretty quickly each time. She found herself sighing lightly to herself and nodding.
”I like it though,” she flicked her tail and looked back at Moree with a tilted head. ”Sometimes the glimpses I get are heavy, and never meant for me to see, but it’s the other half that I love.” She smiles and looks down at her hooves. ”Some things I don’t remember, some things no one else wanted to see, or thought no one would notice. There’s so much going on in the world, so many good things. That so many horses never see. And I have the chance to see it all - anything that happens in any moment of time, thanks to it.” She looked at her again, ”not that I’ll see it all, but the possibility is the best part.”
The question made her still for a moment and blink wide eye over at Moree. She was left a bit stunned for a second. No one had ever talked about such things with her; it was just unexpected - not unwelcome though. ”No, I don’t,” she spoke softly, relaxing. ”I honestly don’t have the most amazing memory when it comes to my own childhood, so my other life is probably out of the question.” She laughed and smiled, ”I honestly haven’t thought about it much though. What about you though?”
WC: 267 | Post 15
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