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Post by foalish on Jul 1, 2018 19:16:30 GMT -6
 Meeting Astray
Lydia & NebulaPost Chapter V Mid-Day Catching up with colleges, if you can even call them that. |
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Post by foalish on Jul 1, 2018 19:40:56 GMT -6
❀ L Y D I A ❀
"We weep for what we don't have."
WC: 271 | Post 1 She’d admittedly grown up in the laps of luxury, with a house bigger than she’d ever deem necessary to anyone with some common sense. But the riches often didn’t work according to common sense; they were well past that, looking for outlandish ways to spend their extra money to flaunt the fact they had, at one point, had it and probably continued to. But still, the palace was everything compared to her old house. Being in the vicinity of it was a lot more awe-inspiring than the looks from the outside.
Little else about the city surprised her though; if it had at one point, perhaps it was when the sheltered chid had been let off leash for the first time. But that was long ago, she’d already broken free of that collar; the city was vast, but familiar to her. She wasn’t born to run the streets, nor did she know them with ease, but she could navigate them when the time called upon it.
She felt giddy, like a child just given something they’d been begging for forever - a feeling she knew well, and it was true. But she didn’t let her enthusiasm show. Presentation and looks drilled into her brain, her composure was cool and put together; of untouchable elegancy, even as she walked the streets. She couldn’t slink the hobbit, no matter how much she wanted to - at least it would make her mom happy. But all of that was little concern as she left the palace gates, hoping for something at least semi-interesting to exist near by to bring her some form of pleasure.
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Post by hydrus101 on Jul 2, 2018 12:25:14 GMT -6
N E B U L A
❅ Talori | Council ❅
 "There’s so much I could have said. But instead, I stood silent. I couldn’t give myself away."
The city was beautiful, just as it had always been and yet, there was something new to the allure of Inaria. The arches seemed just a little taller, the stone steps just a little smoother. Maybe it was because this city was no longer just a place to the grey mare. Maybe it was because the city now rested on her weatherworn shoulders. Whatever it was, Nebula knew something in her perception had changed.
The mare’s new status as a member of the council was joyous at best and jarring at worst. She had already been moved into her new home and as lavish and breathtaking as it had been, it had been a little much. The marble and high ceilings were nothing like the her childhood home, the villa, or the huts she had stayed in at in the countless villages she’d visited and for the first time in her life, she truly felt alone. Her homes had always had others about, children playing, adults chattering away, but here, it was silent, save for the babble of water in the fountain by her bed. Shaking out her mane and braiding it as neatly as she could, Nebula gave a gentle sigh and smiled, not to please anyone else but herself, and moved towards the door.
Leaving the confines of her apartment was easy, figuring out where she should go next was a little harder. The palace seemed like a good choice, but it was too much like her room, high ceilings and white marble. She wanted to see something colorful and messy, something alive. Luckily for her, it was a straight shot down to the shopping district.
Nebula’s steps were slow on the stone walkway beneath her, thudding softly, as she took in the sights and sounds of the street. It felt so much more like home here. Without much thought, Nebula let her mind defocus, allowing herself some time to simply look around and relax. No overanalyzing, no need to keep up appearances, just a bit of fun. The grey mare gripped the amulet at her throat and stroked it, a reassuring movement done by sheer force of habit, if nothing more. Her wandering mind did her wandering hooves no service, and in a brief moment of lapsed grace, stumbled right into a dusty drown zebra. The bump was barely jostled them, but Nebula’s eyes snapped into focus immediately and she stepped back, lowering her head slightly in apology.
Letting out a small laugh, hoping to ease whatever tension she may have created, Nebula’s grip went right to her amulet. “Oh I’m so sorry, miss, I wasn’t watching where I was going. I didn’t hurt you any did I?”
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Post by foalish on Jul 3, 2018 0:26:18 GMT -6
❀ L Y D I A ❀
"We weep for what we don't have."
WC: 338 | Post 2 She twisted her head at the last second, her haulted feet just a second too late. Thankfully it was only a soft run in, enough preparation not to send Lydia to her feet. She’d never live that such things down. But still, the surprise from the light impact made her let out the lightest squeak. She closed her mouth as quick as she could the next second, not quite quick enough to be silent, sadly. Next, she was covering her mouth in the aftershock from her own reaction; which was slowly starting to fade. She took a second before acknowledging the other to check over herself and make sure she was prim and proper, which proved true in seconds. Once she looked over at them, she gave another soft squeak on the hitch of her breath.
“You’re the new councillor, Nebula, right?” Lydia asked, rather immodestly and quickly. She was new, herself, but a name and face of an elected councillor was impossible not to at least hear about. Her eyes widened a bit as she realized it was rude to be so blunt. Her mom would have had her tongue if she was still alive.
Dipping her head a bit in both respect and apology, Lydia shook her head. She blinked again before she spoke, “No, no, I’m fine. I’m trained to be quick on my feet, it’s nothing.” Lydia flashed a polite smile, “hence the ‘training’ part, sorry about running into you too - I was half the problem.”
Lydia’s smile widened a bit, twitching as she got a look at the other horse. She was certain that they were who’d she’d accused them of, especial after staring for a second. It caused her to straighten up and hold of any initial thoughts she may have about her. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she smiled a bit larger - hopefully her assumption was right, but she was almost certain about it. She’d been taught to quickly memorize and know the important officials, new or not.
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Post by hydrus101 on Jul 4, 2018 14:59:43 GMT -6
N E B U L A
❅ Talori | Council ❅
"There’s so much I could have said. But instead, I stood silent. I couldn’t give myself away."
Pleasantly surprised that the flustered zebra knew of her, Nebula let out a small chuckle and smiled in reply. “Well, I’m glad to hear that you’re alright, these clumsy hooves have taken me into more than my fair share of tumbles.”
Gently releasing her grip on the amulet, Nebula let herself relax. Socializing. She was good at socializing. The hippocampus in front of her seemed to be on the upper end of society, based upon the tilt to her voice and way she carried herself, not to mention the jewelry adorning her forehead. Eager to make social connections in her new city, Nebula tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear, subconsciously mimicking the zebra’s once over of her over appearance.
She lifted her head again and nodded, confirming the others suspicions. “Ah, yes, that’s me, and the pleasure’s all mine. Seems that word travels fast around the capital, I’ve barely even settled into life here yet!”
The grey unicorn gave a small laugh and tilted her head. Listening to the feeling in her stomach, Nebula felt that she might have seen this horse before, but the memory was fleeting at best.
“Say,” she began, choosing her words carefully as she could. “you mentioned training, are you the new Geminus by any chance? I think I’ve seen you around before, though I can’t quite remember where.”
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Post by foalish on Jul 4, 2018 18:35:37 GMT -6
❀ L Y D I A ❀
"We weep for what we don't have."
WC: 314 | Post 3 Lydia gently dipped her head, a pleasant smile on her lips as the other continued to talk. She recovered pretty well herself, retuning to her naturally projected aura of being put together yet approachable. Perhaps she should work on that, if it lead her to being so approachable she could be literally ran into. But that was something for another day. She pushed any thought out of her mind to listen to the other talk. “Don’t worry, it’ll take me a lot more than that to be brought down. I’m glad you’re ok, though.”
Lydia gave a soft bout of pleasant laughter, somehow coming out both sincere and controlled. “Nice to meet you then,” Lydia dipped her head, her smile just a bit bigger. Her eyes tried to scan over the form of the other again, now that she was confirmed to be who she thought, but she corrected her gaze. That was impolite to judge them, especially to someone who just got promoted to such a rank. “You shouldn’t be surprised I’ve heard of you,” Lydia let her tail gently sway, skimming the ground, “It just means you did a good job campaigning, doesn’t it?” There was an intelligent sparkle to her eye.
Lydia let out a soft, ‘oh,’ at the question. Her shock was mastered in a second, replaced by her almost too kind smile. “I am them,” she dipped her head another time. “I’m more surprised you know me than likewise, I guess word really does travel fast around here” She let out a soft breath, smiling a bit more. “Would it be rude of me to ask to join you in wherever you’re heading? I am looking for excuses to get to know those around me, and I don’t think I have a better one for you, at the moment.” Her wit shone again in her eyes and her smile. a |
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Post by hydrus101 on Jul 5, 2018 13:58:56 GMT -6
N E B U L A
❅ Talori | Council ❅
"There’s so much I could have said. But instead, I stood silent. I couldn’t give myself away."
Nebula, relieved that she no longer had to walk the streets alone, nodded gently, silver ringlets of hair curling down to frame her face.
“It’s not rude in the slightest, I’d love the company.”
Confidence renewed, the grey mare gestured towards the street and began her slow and steady pace again, her head turned ever so slightly as to still be able to address her new companion as well as watch where she was going.
“I was just planning to wander though the shopping district for a bit and look around. The shops here are magnificent, nothing like the wares from my hometown. I may even buy a new outfit if I find something that suits me.”
She let out a small laugh, oversharing as always, though she found that being rather open with new associates increased their trust in her. She had few secrets to hide. “Heavy emphasis on the if, though. I have to get most of my clothes tailor made, few craftsmen make their clothes for horses of my size.”
Tilting her head at Lydia once more, Nebula continued, hoping to play on her obviously wealthy upbringing.
“Perhaps you could help me choose a few accessories? You do seem to have quite an eye for fashion yourself.”
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Post by foalish on Jul 7, 2018 2:17:05 GMT -6
❀ L Y D I A ❀
"We weep for what we don't have."
WC: 284 | Post 4 Lydia let her smile get a bit bigger, and a bit more polite when her company didn’t act offended, furthermore, even accepting her request. Lydia straightened up the next moment, nodding along; her eyes remained on Nebula for a second before she replied. “Perfect,” she said on a soft voice, her smile mimicking it.
Lydia didn’t hesitate after that as the new found councillor started to move; she was quick to settle next to her and match her pace. The taller mare could probably walk an extra step to her four, but she didn’t seem to let it effect her - other than having to physically look up at her when she spoke, or wanted to be friendly.
“Oh really?” Lydia asked as Nebula spoke. Her tone didn’t change from the soft, curious and kind tone that she’d been wearing the whole time. Her smile did get a little bigger, as the conversation turned further into prospects. With the last sentence spoken to her, with a compliment, Lydia gave a soft laugh, shaking her head. “You’re too kind - but you’re not wrong.” The mirth was in her eyes.
Lydia seemed to take a second to think, her gaze looking forward for a moment before she rejoined the conversation. If she was feeling anything other than kind joy, it didn’t show. “But that sounds lovely, I’d love to join you,” she ignored the fact that she literally already had, “and I already have some ideas.” She frowned to herself, before pushing it off and looking back over, “is there a place - or a horse, you prefer to go to?” A targeted question for both conversation and for planning. But she didn’t explain herself. a |
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Post by hydrus101 on Jul 12, 2018 0:12:20 GMT -6
N E B U L A
❅ Talori | Council ❅
"There’s so much I could have said. But instead, I stood silent. I couldn’t give myself away."
“Not in particular, no. Perhaps one of these vendors could have something,” she mused, her gaze lazily wandering from store front to store front until it came across a shop with a bright blue sign out front. Eyes lighting up in excitement, Nebula took a few steps toward the shop. “This one looks rather nice.”
A small bell chimed above the door as she opened it and stepped inside, holding the door for her companion as they both entered the shop. The small noise alerted the shopkeep, who’s head shot up from behind the counter to greet the pair. Apparently this horse had also recognized her and dipped their head in respect, asking the standard “How may I help you two today?” and “Is there anything in particular that you’re looking for?” Nebula smiled gently and shook her head, saying that they were just looking.
After perusing the displays and various jewelry boxes for a minute, Nebula drew out three different hair ties, admiring them for a moment before handing them to Lydia.
The first was simple, an elastic tie with tan wooden ornaments around it, accentuated by two sea glass beads in the center. The pale palm wood was smooth to the touch and the beads changed color as they moved. The second was more elaborate, a golden band covered in aquamarine gems and inlaid with intricate patterns and seashells. It shone in the golden sunlight and was warm to the touch. The last was muted in color, but alluring all the same. It was another elastic, this time adorned with a green cat’s eye tourmaline set in the middle of a bronze ammonite shell. It matched her eyes and was a bit heavier than either of the others.
“What do you think about these?”
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Post by foalish on Jul 15, 2018 22:55:52 GMT -6
❀ L Y D I A ❀
"We weep for what we don't have."
WC: 278 | Post 5 “They’ll have something, they always do,” Lydia smiled. She raised her head to beam just a bit more. Honestly, shopping wasn’t always her favourite thing; it was normally a distraction from life. But she was always out alone - with someone else as a distraction was certainly bound to be more fun. It already felt it.
Lydia was quick to follow, her eyes scanning the place they walked in. She just kept a smile the whole time, doing her best to be polite in the silence. It wasn’t hard. The shop wasn’t the fanciest place she’d ever been in, but that was a high standard. She let her gaze wander, looking around, while keeping an eye on Nebula. But when she caught Nebula looking for her prompt, she trotted back next to her.
Lydia averted her gaze, prying over, around the taller horse’s shoulder. Eyes wide, mouth a bit agape, she nodded at what she managed to see. She shook her head lightly, realizing she was being a bit dumb, taking a few closer steps so she wasn’t prying around her shoulder like a small child. She let her eyes drift on each for a few seconds. Her reactions and thoughts were a bit absent during the whole thing. But soon enough, her eyes were back to meeting Nebula’s. “They’re certainly all pretty,” her gaze flashed back to them, studying them another second. “The sea glass stands out, at least against your coat colours. But the cat’s eye compliments your colours quite well.” Her eyes looked at Nebula, she hummed for a second before smiling. “Both could suit you very well, but personally I like the cat’s eye.” |
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Post by hydrus101 on Jul 20, 2018 16:20:19 GMT -6
N E B U L A
❅ Talori | Council ❅
"There’s so much I could have said. But instead, I stood silent. I couldn’t give myself away."
Nebula turned her head slightly as Lydia sidled up next to her, seemingly scared that coming too near to the councilor was a breach of some unspoken social conduct she wasn’t aware of. Patiently, Nebula watched the other’s eyes drift across the three ornaments presented to her, occasionally darting up to glance over her coat as if considering the options. After some contemplation and a few compliments that made Nebula inwardly smile, her companion nodded towards the cat’s eye.
“I like them both as well...” Nebula mused, looking the trinkets over once more before finally setting the wooden elastic and the golden band back on their display. “But, I think you’re right, this cat’s eye is lovely. It’s a very high quality stone and the metalwork is simply beautiful. Whoever made this must’ve had rather steady hooves.”
Happy with the mutual decision, Nebula absentmindedly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, readjusted her amulet, and nodded towards the counter with a tilt of her head.
“This is probably the only thing I’ll get here for today, but has there been anything that has caught your eye? I don’t want to just drag you around with me for the sake of dragging you around.” She chuckled amicably, knowing these high society ponies often put on a show for others without having some fun for themselves. “I know it’s probably not the fanciest of places, but as they say, you can always find a diamond in the rough if you know where to look.”
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Post by foalish on Jul 25, 2018 18:57:17 GMT -6
❀ L Y D I A ❀
"We weep for what we don't have."
WC: 305 | Post 6 Lydia gave a satisfied smile up at her, “exactly, it’s quite beautiful,” she gave her tail a small wave, watching the other horse walk around and do her thing. Lydia was taken by surprise at the question for a second. She hummed, letting her gaze drift around, “sure, I’ll take a look, and don’t worry about ‘fancy,’ hidden gems are still gems.” Lydia gave another smile before turned away.
Her gaze drifted around to some of the shelves, a careful eye. She was quick to browse, letting her eyes fall onto anything that stuck out to her. Nothing did at first, so she didn’t pause long as she walked around. But she had to take a step back, retracting her steps, her eyes falling on a small trinket. Taking a step closer, her gaze turned to Nebula for a second. Closer look, for some odd reason, it reminded her of the amulet the Councillor wore that she’d glanced at once or twice, but didn’t think twice about, despite being completely different design. She picked it up, taking a closer look before walking back over to the unicorn. She twisted it in her Teke, holding it a bit higher than her head. After a smile, she looked over at Nebula. “This speaks to me, not sure why,” she flashed a grin.
Walking over to the counter, she was quick to do the exchange, walking back with it now in her possession. She gave another smile. She didn’t seem to dwell on it long. “I can’t think of anything else I could possibly need, what about you?” She gave her tail a flick, tucking away the new item in some of her cloth. She looked up at Nebula again. “If not, I think the palace might just be missing us,” there was some humour in her voice. |
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Post by Mad-Manx on Dec 22, 2018 22:38:06 GMT -6
Hello Starborns! Your thread rewards are: foalish: 11 AP, 1CS
hydrus101: 11AP, 1CS
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