Evergreen.

[Aderalle]

Here, there is only try,
for the failures never vanish.

begin.

He was not an old king, but there were times when he could have fooled even the wisest and most discriminating of souls. Times when his head hung low, his tail ratty, his coat dull, dingy and downright disgusting. Times when the creaking of his joints could have rivaled a hundred-year-old oak in a monstrous hurricane and the rumbling of his empty belly could have been heard over the thunderous roar of the very same storm.

Today, my friends, was not that day. Today... was magnificent.

Grey-green hooves clattered over rocks and branches, whipped up and over the various offshoots of the creek as they came. Occasionally, the slight overgrowth of a hoof would cause him to stumble, trip, nearly wipe out... but the surefootedness of him was well-engrained and shone through today in an exemplary form. The goal? Water. But not any of these creeks or pathetic trickles! This olivine stud was targeted on a specific pool; crystal clear, flowing and secluded. It lay, to his sketchy recall, to the northwest of his kingdom... although he knew well that he would not mind wandering for quite a while if he happened to be incorrect. In the end, the search was more about cooling off and ridding himself of bugs in these muggy summer months than about nourishing himself or quenching any sort of thirst. Time was of no matter.

The heavily-built hindquarters of him, for the beast was a stock horse by nature, took him swiftly with surprisingly little effort. It seemed almost as though he was not trying at all. This is not to say that his pace maintained an outstretched gallop, or that he was pushing himself to his limits by any means, as his gait was an easy canter interlaced by the most spontaneous of trotted lengths. He ran for the pleasure of it, occasionally stopping at a particularly pretty little patch of grass, frosted over by the speckles of light which came through the pine canopy above.

One of these snack breaks eventually became something of a mid-morning nap, and then he took off toward his goal once more at a trot of supreme ease.

end.

[WaT]

Yawning the mare rolled over a few times before getting to her feet and stretching. She had overslept - again. She was in a mood today. A feasting mood and with the new month she had not succumbed to her heat cycle; which she could only guess she was pregnant but was not going to say anything. It was very early and sometimes before she had not known she was pregnant until a few months before giving birth.

Shaking herself off she flicked an ear to the sound of movement. She guessed it could only be Aderalle somewhere. Really he was impressive compared to the state they had met. Though she had not seen him for quite some time, she could only assume he was only greater. She was by the pool of water she had been nurturing over the weeks. Her muzzle dipped to the waters surface and she sipped softly trying to find a reason to drink more.

She was not that thirsty, but drank anyway. She might need it later in the day; the forest did not get as hot like her beach but it was quite warm in some areas. A meadow of grass grew around the water source as well. Making this an ideal place for her to rest and eat. Perhaps even give birth; well not in this place maybe in some place more secluded. Another yawn and the mare flicked her flanks and sides, trying to wake herself up a bit more; it seemed to be noon.

She had so much grass to munch on! Such sweet soft grass that she was chewing, tastings and swallowing. A grunt of satisfaction passed her as slowly moved along the little meadow. A meadow surrounded by trees so she was not sure if it was a true meadow but it was still good grass

[Aderalle]

Here, there is only try,
for the failures never vanish.

begin.

Eventually, as it always did, the vigor of speed lost its magic and the stallion slowed to something of a peppy walk, and then a meager stroll. Brown eyes looked at everything, for in his time here things had finally become obviously unique. No longer did every tree look the same, nor every stone. Now that he could admit to thriving here, not just surviving here, the place could truly begin to develop beneath him and come into its own life. Still, the green beast was pleased with how well the area matched him. It was almost something of perfection.

Salma, on the other hand, did seem to stick out like a sore thumb. Not that such a thing was truly bad... it just lacked stealth, and therefore left her open to dangers that he himself felt protected from. Then again, the lady could be a cranky, aggressive old nag when she chose... and immortality did not hurt either. Addy wondered for a moment if his green coat had ever spared him a trouble that Salma's purple forced her to confront. Really, there was no telling... it was just a worry of a protective stud.

Aderalle had vaguely been following a small trickle of a creek for quite some time now, and it had begun to widen. This, he knew, signaled a narrow proximity to his goal. A snort left him, almost in a vocal agreement with himself, and hooves picked up again to a brisk walk. A trot materialized when he was forced to clear some object, but there was nothing worrisome about it.

Eventually the clearing came in sight through the trees, but not any sooner than a half hour from his last little snack break. Ears could pick up some movement, but he did not bother to think on it all too much. Lately he had come into his own, grown cocky and brave... well, to an extent. Aderalle would likely always be a bit of the lazy, spooky colt he had always been.

Stepping into the area, he could see Salma on the far side. The boy said nothing, not feeling the need to disturb her with any sort of silliness. A soft snort in her direction was enough, he decided, to signal his presence and to prevent any sort of disagreement in which she would call him rude or run away.

One hoof set itself down in the water's edge, soon followed by the other three. Within a moment the green stud was up to his blackened knees in cool water, the exposed half of him feeling increasingly enveloped by the muggy, water-infused air swirling silently around him. His tail slapped his sides, water being picked up by the whip-like ends of the black-brown strands and flying through the air in tiny droplets for a yard or two.

Slowly, he began to wade in further...

end.

[WaT]

She kept plucking the stems and chewing the blades up. Sighing she continued munching; giving a snort of acknowledgment to the beast that chose to visit. She picked up her head and watched him silently as he went into the water. She normally found it comforting that he would keep to himself, but not to day. It seemed odd that he would not brush up against her, but then there was no rush in forcing contact.

The old girl walked over to him or the pond really and lowered her lips to the surface again trying to find a reason to drink but one did not come. Instead she lifted her head up and made the water bubble as if it was boiling. Of course it was not and the liquid was the same temperature. Only near the shore of course around where she was. The bubbling ceased though as she yawned and tossed him a content look.

She was happy to have his company even if she didn't show it sometimes. Licking her lips she flicked her ears toward him before moving them outward trying to find the source of the faint chirping of birds. She pawed at the dirt before resting a hind leg, she did not know really what else to say to him. She did not know if she was pregnant and even if she did they had almost a year to go before the foal would be here to even see if it would survive.

The damsel sighed and went back to her grazing, suddenly feeling hungry and not wanting to talk to him. She was moody all the time it seemed so this day would be no different but she was more calm with her transitions. Though she would not mind if he did come to talk to her.

[Aderalle]

Here, there is only try,
for the failures never vanish.

begin.

Aderalle stood for a long while, knee deep in the crystalline water, enjoying the balance that the freezing liquid created juxtaposed against the hot, muggy feeling of his non-submerged portions. Salma came nearer, and he looked up without undue vigor, watching her but not riled at all by the situation. It was just... simple curiosity, and for the sake of itself.

He did not imagine that she would join him, as that was never how the story went in previous excursions. She tempted the idea, but never acted. He would approach. She would either immediately show aggression, or feign some sort of complement to his own figure, persona, emotion before storming off like the little thundercloud that she was. As much as he hated it, and as much as he tried to avoid the situation without avail, there was no point in musing over the idea of letting her stomp off as there was no chance of him allowing his only hope at succeeding in life to wander off into non-existence.

Addy's thoughts were faintly interrupted by the girl's retreat, and he looked on without truly seeing. Perhaps today would be yet another spent in silence. No! That was boring! Aderalle made the decision without much worry or planning, the rash action likely spurred on by his youthful impatience and cocky charisma. Then again, there was no real rush...

His velvet-black muzzle lowered to the surface of the glassy pool, brushing it ever so slightly before pulling up and away. The tips of the thick, black-brown chunks of mane dripped back into the puddle of a pond, tail lifting slightly in a failing attempt to pull it away from the surface. One hoof picked up, setting the water to flutter away, the mossy specks that he had been unconsciously growing on the surface of the water riding the ripples as tiny boats adrift.

Within a few steps he had pulled all but his hind hooves from the pond. His hair hung in wet clumps, one ear twitched back and one hoof lifted lazily. Somehow he managed to retain some semblance of majesty, but it was not a main concern.

A nicker, a snort in the direction of the lady, the sounds the furthest thing from demanding. Just... demure. Just hoping for something good. More steps, the gap closed. His heavy head laid itself atop her withers without a single word. Who was she to argue with him over something like that? Who was he to argue with her over anything? Truly, they were an even match... one to genetics and the other to property.

A yawn left his mouth without a single accompanying movement, shoulder leaning against her barrel lightly. He had not worried over the state of any possible pregnancy, as the situation was a new one to him and he truthfully did not put the action with the outcome. He knew, but he did not think enough to fret.

end.

[WaT]

She was growing bored eating this grass now. So she had a few random bushes grow nearby - well they were a few hundred yards off and they were a bit withered looking. She was not truly focusing on them so they would remain that way for awhile until she either grew them properly or they fixed themselves.

The girl returned the nicker and slapped her tail against her flanks. She sighed a little; if there were only others around or if they had pets of some sort to push around, that was her thought though. Well not push around really but to have someone else to talk to. Snorting she pawed quietly at the soil trying to think of something to say when his touch was felt.

She didn't mind much and kept her head low still trying to think of something to say. There was nothing really. A hind leg rested and sighed quietly. If only there were others. Clover began to sprout around the area that her head could reach, intertwining with the grass and she pulled the new vegetation without much more thought. "It's a bit hot today.." she said after swallowing.

A breeze blew around them for a few seconds before dissipating; she was warm but her breezes would do for now. Really she was trying to bring some relief to them both; not just her. "but then you probably already knew that.." she uttered quietly. Really there wasn't much else to say until they knew; then they could try to think of names or a way of keeping it from dying. She could just try healing it but maybe this time it would be different without humans doing tests on her.

[Aderalle]

Here, there is only try,
for the failures never vanish.

begin.

The time in which they stood in silence was pleasant and well-accepted by the stud, even if he was embarking on an endeavor more focused on some sort of excitement. It was nice to be in company after such a long span of placid, lonely wandering. Occasionally he would dream up some sort of excitement for himself: a predator, a challenger, a danger from which he was required to protect another (preferably some damsel who might actually care when he tried). Then, when he would wake up from his silly little daydream, he would shake his head from the idiocy and again assure himself that excitement was in equivalence to danger and therefor unfavorable. Aderalle would keep the secret from himself that danger seemed a pleasant shot at excitement.

"Mmm," he reverberated in agreement. The sun beat down on them voraciously, and had somehow managed to assault him when under the cover of trees. These summer months... they turned the damp forest into a greenhouse, a sauna. Mushrooms welled up in the rain, mud often remained for days after a storm had passed in the summer-long monsoon season. This mud was sometimes unavoidable, and the green stud would stomp through it with little thought. Thus, Aderalle had taken many restorative wallows in ponds and creeks. It was nice to be clean, even if the mud kept the biting insects from coming in contact with his dark skin.

"It'll go soon," he told her lazily, head sliding off of her withers to lean against her warm shoulder. A heavy breath escaped him. "Then we'll be too cold." It was true, but he could still find the idea amusing. Were any of them ever satisfied? Probably not. As a matter of habit, the stallion shooed a bug from her shoulder with a toss of his muzzle.

After a moment he wandered off, ears flickering at a sound in the distance. He did not know what it was, the muffled and distorted nature of it not helping in the least, but it was not of any great concern. His muzzle lowered to the surface of the water again, a long drink pulled up in the most unashamed of manners.

"This life's almost too easy," he told Salma thoughtfully between drinks. "It's strange I thought it would be a challenge... I hope it don't turn around." His head lifted from the water, tail enabled to swat away flies and gnats and mosquitoes which had swarmed up from the pool in an assault-like mode. "What can we do? Gotta be something..."

end.

[WaT]

She snorted in agreement to his statement. In winter they would be too cold unless they found some sort of shelter. "Nope, this is what we do. What I've been doing for about the last fifty years or so." she sighed and flicked her tail a few times. She looked back to him and pawed at the ground. "There aren't many predators on this island and they tend to be on the other side of it."

That was if they weren't exterminated by the other horses or humans. Salma tried to stay away from such things. Danger was not something she liked. Plus she had been poked enough in her life by sharp things. There was no need to go looking for something to try killing her.

She yawned a bit. "We could always go cliff diving..ermmm or a race or something..." she sighed a bit and stretched. They could always practice using their powers or whatever they wanted to be called. Licking her lips she pawed at the ground and pulled a few stems chewing thoughtfully. Boredom did at times create foul moods. Maybe she just needed to have some fun.

"I could teach you how to dance.." she said shaking herself a bit. Humans had called it dressage. A weird way of moving but she had fun doing it at times. A yawn was stifled as she again pawed the ground.

[Aderalle]

Here, there is only try,
for the failures never vanish.

begin.

Aderalle could only give a light nod in agreement with the mare. She was wizened and he knew it well, but it was easy to forget that she was so much older and experienced than he with they way in which she appeared and behaved. Her manners were not at all what he would expect from some wise old sage, and she was certainly too attractive and supple to be the haggard old nag she should have been. In a way he was glad that she was immortal... even if it hurt her severely. Being how she was had supplied him with company, a friend, a mate... the way she had come to be was the supplier of the guidance he so desperately needed. It was almost so grand that he forgot to feel a tinge guilty.

The olivine stud paced a step or two into the water's edge, somehow preferring to grace his lips with water from the center over water from the edge. The water at the edge tended to get a bit stirred up, filled with suspended dirt and silt. His black muzzle met the surface again, black-tipped ears flickering back toward the nearby mare when she chose to answer him.

"Cliff diving is... perhaps for those without worries," he told Salma, nervous at the idea but chuckling. She could jump off of anything she darn well pleased and walk away feeling a year younger. He... well, it wouldn't be the fall that killed him but the sudden splat at the end. The idea was unnerving. "...and we know how races go." You know, two show offs running through the woods... one gets cocky, the other gets insulted... and eventually the race turns into a pity party for a mare while a stud stands looking on, feeling as though he is quite possibly on his very last nerve. Yeahhh... not so fun.

Dancing? Dancing. Brown eyes peered back at the mare, head turning around his shoulder. Addy was not really sure what she meant by that - the word was, in a way, foreign. "I'll do anything if you think I'll not break my neck," he told her jovially. A shake of the neck, mane parting messily to whichever side it pleased. Body turned around and walked out of the water, splashing with abandon and speckling his belly with a smattering of darkened, wet fur. Today seemed an easy day... and Aderalle was endlessly pleased that the mare was dealing well with his company.

Eventually his slow pace closed the gap between them once again...

end.

[WaT]

She shook off a bit. "Sure. I don't know all the moves though." She paused and nuzzled him slightly with her muzzle. "It's a bit weird feeling but it does look nice." Well it looked a lot better with a rider but obviously they weren't going to have a rider. She sighed a bit and walked out a bit. Well might as well. She piaffed a bit, it was graceful but it was short lived after about five minutes.

Very odd but it did stretch out a bit of her muscles or something at least. Snorting she shook herself a bit. "Most of it are these movements we might not do. It's a bit tiring though." She was a bit out of breath; not having to prance like that in quite awhile. "Or we could just stay here and rest, instead of prancing around in this heat." It was rather foolish to try dancing or anything really since it was so hot.

In fact a few willows grew up around them trying to shade them from the heat. It would take a few weeks for the grass to die off and she could always regrow it. Still she sighed in relief as the willows finally were big enough to provide some shade. Shaking herself a bit she moved back over and lightly rested her head on the male's withers. It already felt cooler being under the shade. To her at least. She didn't really know what else to do. They could breed again but she wasn't in heat and well - having sex for the sheer fun of it seemed more of a human thing.

[ooc; eek muse has left me for this post >.< ]

[Aderalle]

Here, there is only try,
for the failures never vanish.

begin.

Aderalle listened to her words and watched her as she moved off, a bit skeptical of the idea of him being at all graceful. The green stud always pictured himself as a bumbling, stumbling colt with gangly legs and a lazy expression, chewing on grass as some goat or cow might. At heart, this was what he truly was... even though his body had long since filled out and his legs were no longer funny and stilt-like. In fact, a human may have called him pretty, even handsome... but a mare would just call him cocky and crude, and that was all that mattered here and now. Addy had no idea what a person looked like, anyway. Nor did he care.

Brown eyes stared in scrutiny as she moved, the action far more collected and polite than he was used to seeing her perform. It was flattering on her, albeit amusing. One hoof lifted hesitantly, trying to copy a move but finding itself unable to articulate such an outlandish thing. It set itself back down, muscles twitching in frustration as he would attempt to move and then correct himself. Failure was inevitable, but he was no longer expected to impress this mare - their relationship was what it was, and it did not appear fragile or complicated to him. They seemed to be in a state of agreed upon arguments. Silly.

Tiring? "I bet," he agreed, closing the gap between them slowly, still trying to convince his feet to move in some fanciful way but with an air about him the was about ninety-percent joking and ten-percent embarrassed. He gave up with a yard between their warm, sun-soaked hides and the idiotic prance turned into a half-assed rear, or a little hop which only utilized his front legs. A toss of the head, his usual flustered snort. "When it is cooler maybe it will come to me," he continued, nudging humorously at the fact that he was an apparently clumsy dancer.

Trees grew about them, willows in a track of great evergreens. It was strange to see, but the contrast was not unpleasant. Why they did not simply move beneath an existing tree, he was not sure, but there would nary be a complaint from the olivine stud on the topic of shade and the coolness it wrought. What was there to cry about? This girl brought him things he could not yet manage... you know, like possibly offspring. Or just trees and food. Either was fine by him.

A couple nibbles on her hip, and then his head lowered to the ground. In the heat of the day it was just too warm to lean all over another beast. The sweat that had been washed away in his previous romp in the pond had begun to resurface. The white, filmy layer it created was unpleasant but altogether unavoidable. A flick of the tail. It seemed it was either be wet with water and mauled by mosquitoes or wet with sweat and mauled by flies. Addy decided to take his chances with the flies. At least flies did not act in secrecy and steal his bodily fluids. Mosquitoes are a lot like mares.

A snort, his body adjusted itself. Grass sprouted up slowly beneath his muzzle, almost hesitant. It trailed off in different directions as thin lines on brilliant green among brown shreds of last spring's growth. Even Addy's powers were slow, lazy and relaxed. "I think we need more ponds," he spoke without lifting his head, between mouthfuls, "The creek runs pretty shallow, pretty useless." It was true, for the most part. The creek he had followed here had been more like a trickle. It was hardly enough to drink from. "Gotta... dam it up. I don't know."

end.

[WaT]

Snorting she was a bit relieved he had not burst out laughing as that was exactly what she had done. When she had seen others perform this but then she saw the more experienced horses and it took focus and flexibility; among other things. Her head pulled slowly away when he moved or well it was not a good time to drape herself over him.

The heat they both were giving off as appalling. Shaking a bit she slapped her tail a bit before simply sighing as a strong breeze blew pass them trying to circulate some cool air. It may have been a bit too strong as she shook herself again trying to place her mane back evenly; it messed up her hair. That was a bit too strong. Not tree breaking but just enough to blow and mess up hair.

Sighing she flicked her ears a bit and moved over to a tree; leaning against it lightly. "Yeah. I know. Should rain soon.." Moving large amounts of water was tiresome. One thing she could not was create weather it seemed but she could try moving it. Unfortunately it was sunny and hot on this side of the mountains. There was that creek though or whatever. Maybe she could try moving water into that? It would take some time and energy though.

There might be another place of water though. She was not sure. This place was huge. What seemed like forty acres. Most of it lined with perfectly aligned trees. She had not noticed his attempts - much. It was cute. Salma said nothing though; since it was obviously not meant to be anything like that - she could assume. How were they going to dam up a creek?! Oh, right. She could grow things to make a dam. Well that explained a lot. "What are your powers?" It seemed everyone had power these days. Hers were very powerful obviously but only after decades of training and practicing..


[ooc; coming back slowly...]

[Aderalle]

Here, there is only try,
for the failures never vanish.

begin.

Rain. The thought was atrociously appealing. Addy longed for that drizzling, droning sound... for the water bouncing from needle to branch before finally landing on the breadth of his back. It seemed so far off... but eventually the monsoon season would muster something and they could find shelter from flies and burning sunlight. Water would come... and they could eat, drink, bathe, frolic. The rain would build his trickle of a stream into a creek - or even a river, if he were incredibly lucky - and then slowly move off, leaving him to wait for the melt of snow early the next spring.

"Mhmm," he agreed, tearing up a large mouthful of sweet ribbons. If only grass always grew this way and not just only when he forced it to sprout. If it rained more the grass would, he decided. Then again, if it rained more the whole thing would seem so much less pleasurable. It would be normal to be spoiled. No one needed to be spoiled all the time. Aderalle had been spoiled only... well, never.

Brown eyes flicked back and forth as he grazed: noting her new position, picking his next mouthful, checking on a crunch of leaves in the distance. Ears flickered in inspection of the things he could not see. "But still, I'd like to at least find a bit more water... shelter." The flat track of land provided little of either. There were no caves, only clearings. This was the only pond he had. The beast thought of walking downstream again to search for any place he could maybe lodge up with rocks or something... anywhere that could become as he wanted it. Truthfully, Aderalle did not need more ponds all that much... he just felt like achieving something in the wake of the pair's questionable fertility issue.

He thought on this for what seemed like a long while, and she managed to speak again before he had completed mulling it over. Powers. He had never thought of them as powers, really, as they were nothing special... well, his weren't, anyway - he had never bothered to hone them in the least in his few short years. "I just... feed myself," he told her quietly, the spider's web of grass which snaked out from his locale growing slowly, stealthily outward. In the silence, a faint rustle could be picked up on the air. "Why do you ask?" His head lifted halfway, turned toward her.

end.

[WaT]

She continued rubbing herself against the trees trying to find the areas that seemed particularly itchy. "No reason, just curious." she muttered softly. Really she could only guess what powers he had. The boy obviously didn't have all of them as he was not immortal.

Could she make him immortal? She was not sure; could always try. Well how would she go about that then? Surely if they both were immortal then they could have babies without a question. Sighing she nibbled on her right shoulder as she thought about this for a bit more. The girl was not sure how to even go about making him immortal or even if he would want to be.

He wouldn't get old necessarily, and he could always heal himself if he did get bad joints but there was no real excitement these days. Licking her lips she decided it was best to not even try making him immortal. Who knew. Maybe they would get sick of each other and she'd had to have him wandering around bothering her forever. Something she did not exactly want.

The mare rubbed up against the tree once more before pawing at the soil. Well this was great. Just great. She was not sure what else to talk to him about. Surely if there were more in their little herd she would have someone to talk to.

[Aderalle]

Here, there is only try,
for the failures never vanish.

begin.

Her answer to his question was honest and unoffensive and he was quite pleased with this. When this girl was calm, oh how much easier life seemed to be! To keep women happy was to have a harder but much less stressful life. The more you worked, the less you had to fret. Aderalle was just now beginning to piece the whole horrid puzzle together. It was still a bit fuzzy, the concept and all, but he thought he could manage well enough.

"I just grow enough food to eat," he said quietly, doing exactly the task described and gobbling large mouthfuls amongst the words. There was no shame to be found in talking with a full mouth, he believed. It was multitasking! Multitasking was a good thing, right? Whatever. "I know I could do better than that, but eh..." His feet carried him a few paces to his left where some clover had been in wait of death. He decapitated it swiftly. "I guess I should try harder, but it's never seemed important." You know, because he had spent his entire adult life alone until he had found Salma... and when he had lived at home in his youth food had always been given to him. Luxury was something the colt took for granted.

Aderalle mulled the whole thing over in his head for a long, silent while. Salma... she could do much more than him, correct? Was this something of age or of genetics? He could not decide. Perhaps he had been born with a predestined limit on his powers and had reached his laid capacity? Ugh, no! This girl could bring water from a desert and all he could do was make some crab grass! He would not stand for it. Silently, privately, he made the decision that he would improve upon his current status. He would get to work on his masterfully crafted plan and be the best he could be! Right after his belly was full... and he had had a nap... and it was cooler out. Maybe next month. Next year? He did not know.

"I know you can do a lot," he told her slowly, grey eyes watching a line of grass grow out from beneath his muzzle and snake off a foot before tapering off. "That must be nice." Another big mouthful, his head lifted while his jaw continued its incessant chewing. Addy looked at her quietly, expression unassuming. He was curious how she felt about such things. Had this magic lost its, well, magic?

end.

[WaT]

She did not care that he was talking while he was eating. Horses or most horses were not known for manners. Any animal really. Really if she wanted to strain herself she might be able to everything at once. Walking over to the edge of the whip like leaves - or where they vines? She did not know. Anyway the mare poked her head through them; finding autumn's slow descend on them.

How strange. The weather seemed to have a mind of its own. One minute it was spring, then summer, then fall! Sighing she pulled back and tossed her head a few times. Must be nice?! Her ears flattened a bit at that comment but perked back up. He might not know. Yes, she would have to think of things rationally; as if she was a human. To have her mentality grow and be able to comprehend things she might not have been able to before.

"I assume so. I was born when the humans were here. Through their experiments we are probably considered a subspecies." She was not sure if he would understand that but it didn't matter. "There are only a few of us that are immortal; though I have not found another like me. I only know a lot because I have been around a long time. I only look the way I do because of what they did to me." She shook herself.

She was rambling on and was about to go into a fit about what she had been through and how lucky he should feel to not be born in a stall where even then they poked and prod her with needles and instruments. How she watched her mother die. How she watched her herd die of old age. There was nothing she could do for them. Healing only did so much. Maybe gave them a few more months to live; until finally it was only a few more minutes.

Blinking a few times she had forgotten she could cry. Filthy creatures. Trying to change things. She looked away from him and wandered near the tree; scrapping her slowly growing horn against it. How the female wished she could make it go away. To just be a different abnormal color. To not be more different than anyone else. Sighing she moved away from the tree after a few moments to poke her head out again. It was raining. About time. Though it seemed to have just started. Snorting she pulled her head back in.

The willow groaned a bit in the wind and more branches grew on it; trying to keep all the rain out.

[Aderalle]

Here, there is only try,
for the failures never vanish.

begin.

The green stud listened to her fragile outburst with a quiet consideration beyond his usual sort. He understood well, to the thanks of previous careful conversations, that she was filmed over with a kind of nagging disdain that he himself could not truly fathom. There was nothing in this world that Aderalle hated, regretted or wished he could change! It may have been that he was too lazy to try and change things, and therefor settled into the idea for his own comfort... or it may have been a simple sort of self-actualization in which he had come to terms with what and whom he was in this figment of a life he lived. Addy knew that he was not the dream stallion for a mare, that he was not the most beautiful or the fastest, strongest, smartest. He also knew that he would never be any of those things simply by grace of his genetics! He knew these things and he accepted them: this was what made him so mellow.

Slowly, his mouth swallowed its last uprooted bite. His chiseled head lifted halfway, turning toward her with brown eyes that questioned and ears equally attentive. Salma finished speaking. A soft, sympathetic snort escaped his nostrils. "I can't relate," he told her, tail slapping at his hocks in chase of the last mosquito that had bothered to hang around under the gloomy gray sky. "I haven't been there, certainly, but I can see what your problem is."

The mare went on with her own dealings. Addy stood with raindrops speckling his dusty green coat in a slow progression toward emerald. It seemed that his color was naturally unsaturated and that it had never been meant to be bright or bold or brash as he would have preferred it. Maybe if it had been strongly colored he would have gotten more attention. Then again, he would have turned out a completely different soul. Perhaps this strange green dilute gene was the only one suited for him: strange as it could be, but so horribly ordinary. The beast would have smirked at the idea if he could have.

Creaking and groaning. He knew well enough to attribute the sounds to his companion, and did not look up. There was something different about the sound created by wind versus the powers of some magically endowed creature. The frequency of the drops hitting his back slowed exponentially as the tree filled out overhead. He was appreciative, but enjoyed the unique feeling of such a situation enough to consider moving out from beneath the boughs.

"It needed to rain," he mumbled, inspecting a clump of bright green grass jutting up in a sea of less appealing vegetation. It rustled in the path of an exhaled breath. He left it be, pacing a few steps toward the mare. Stopping, he lay down with the usual clumsy thud supplied. His body rolled onto its side and his head, neck and legs were allowed to sprawl rather carelessly out. A deep breath, a heavy sigh. His head lifted. He chewed at an itch on his shoulder. His head fell back down again.

"You know, I came out here to try and, you know, make a herd. I think I'm failing." The words were somehow comical in their honesty. He was not ashamed, but faintly amused. Had he not started out on his own in the intentions of creating offspring? Was that not what he was meant to do? It seemed less important now.

end.

[WaT]

She wanted to know what her problem was, but decided it was not worth pursuing. She felt...weird. It was fall and she had no heat cycle come or go. Maybe it was her overall mood. A snort left her as she watched the male just stood there then laid down. She could always have the wind blow up from the ground and pull the whip like tassels toward the sky.

That usually suffocated whatever was nearby though; or drew the breath out of them. She watched him lay on the ground for a few moments. He spoke and she thought of what to say. Sure if humans were here life would be a bit easier but then...they were horrible; most of the ones here at least. Slowly she walked over to the stallion, laying down near his withers and resting her head on his barrel.

"You're not failing. There just aren't that many in the area. They'll come." she said softly. They could only hope that others would pop up. The idea of repopulating the whole island was a bit...tiring. Plus they might not even survive. No, a few mortal decent mares needed to come in and settle. Then she might not feel so inclined to give birth. The heavy downpour seemed to be short lived and a lighter shower began. Well so much for floods.

Most of the earth or soil around them had to be wet though. Drinking in the water slowly. "I think I might be pregnant." She only knew that the possibility was there because she had gained comprehension of her body. Like a robot that grew a personality and feelings over centuries of living. She was not centuries old, barely even one hundred it seemed. She was growing more aware of concepts though. Like that fluttering feeling might be a foal, or colic. Whatever. Colic was painful though. This was...nice.

If only she could learn how to speak though. To speak as humans do or once did. Then she would be able to communicate with those...half humans. She could not place the term for them. Licking her lips she licked the green fur beneath her muzzle. Gently and perhaps a bit lovingly before resting her head once again on top of his ribcage.

[Aderalle]

Here, there is only try,
for the failures never vanish.

begin.

Her motions comforted him - the proximity she created, the contact - but her words were wind beneath the proverbial wings. Did she really have faith in him? In this entire folly? Aderalle could have been elated, but he whittled the emotion down into something unseen and unnoticeable. A soft rustle of breath in the grass, mouth laid open and teeth exposed. His ears flickered forward after falling back to listen to her words, but one remained cocked in a lazy sort of way. A heavy heave of a breath. His head lifted and turned to look at her for just a moment before plopping back down with little care.

"Yeah, Salma," he drawled slowly, blinking away an insect that threatened the personal bubble of his wide, dark eye. Maybe she's right. Maybe I just need to wander a bit out of here... I shouldn't wait for them to come. The brown-black threads of his tail slapped his hip before settling again in the artificially lush grass. "I needed to hear that." One foreleg tucked itself up beneath his barrel and his eyes closed as he attempted to ignore a few pests about his eyelids and nostrils. To be at ease was something wonderful.

Silence, tainted by the sprinkling of rain, it was perfect and pure. For the moments he spent in this state, he felt almost as if he could sleep. What would be the danger? Had Addy ever seen a predator? Had he ever had to run from some snarling beast, wide-eyed and terrified? No! No, he could never remember such a thing! Perhaps he had been lucky enough to only end up fleeing from imaginary threats. Perhaps, perhaps.

In an instant Salma spoke and his eyes snapped open. Should he be happy? Sad? Surprised? Why surprised?! He knew this was coming! Had he not wanted this? What response was she expecting of him? He tried to gentle his facial expression, even though she likely could not see his confused mug. Legs stretched out, he drew out a quiet instant in pause. "Hmm," he finally murmured, contorting his neck until his head was almost top-down on the bed of grass. "Are you good with that?" He spoke confidently, sounding quite concerned for her and hiding his strange, scary gut feeling of sheer, scrambling terror. Should he not be worried? Aderalle imagined he would be scared every time this happened... right up until his very last day.

end.

[WaT]

She sighed a bit and licked her lips, again only noticing that her body might possibly be changing because of all her years alive. He seemed..a bit unsure about things. Really there was nothing he had to do; he had done his job. All that he had to do now was protect. "Yes, I am." she said softly. There was not much else to think about it. The concept of abortion had not come to her yet and really; there was no reason to do such a thing.

They were fulfilling their purposes. They had mated; now they just had to wait and see if it took while at the same time going about their own lives. "It will be alright" she said gently. If she could comfort him by hugging and scratching him; she would have. That was not possible though. She had no hands or arms; this was just as good though. Again she sighed and simply laid there. This emotion she was feeling did not settle well with her. Was she experiencing love again? That seemed unlikely and foolish. He would not outlive her.

It would be about another half of a year anyway before she would need or have to give birth. If there was such a foal. She still had some instincts - well all of them but she found herself thinking more about how she reacted to things. "What do you wanna do?" They could mate for pleasure but that seemed...unnatural; though it might not be uncommon. A few of her previous herd had but she never saw the logic in it. Plus it might not be just for pleasure; they could be mating to conceive. They could explore this place more as well. She could deepen some areas of the creeks and rivers. Something useful.