"But the dream, the echo, slips from him as quickly as he had found it and as consciousness comes to him (a slap and not the gentle waves of oceanic tides), it dissolves entirely. His muscles relax as the cold claims him again, as the numbness sets in, and when his grey eyes open, there’s nothing but the faint after burn of a dream often trod and never remembered." --Brigade, written by Laura
05-06-2015, 03:26 PM (This post was last modified: 05-06-2015, 03:26 PM by Voudou.)
{{X}}Her brown orbs scanned the terrain, searching for signs of life in this new world. Equine figures were dotted around, tiny specks that were of no significance to the powerful mare. If they wanted to talk to her they would have to pick up those tender feet of theirs and prance on over this way, she had no intention of moving just to meet them. Voudou was by no means a caring creature, though she wasn't inherently cruel either. Voudou just enjoyed causing problems, and lots of them. She played mind games, starting rumors and manipulating any who were idiotic enough to trust her. Perhaps it was the attention she longed for, or maybe watching the chaos unravel was simply entertaining, she hardly even knew herself what the motives were behind her ways. Whatever the reason, it was what she did and she had no plans on changing.
{{X}}The young vixen stretched her neck downwards as she lipped at the grass below. She wasn't particularly hungry, even after walking for so long to get here. "Why the hell am I even here?" she mumbled under her breath, before snorting at the dirt and lifting her head up again. Her sleek black coat was shining in the sun, and her mane and tail lifted slightly in the gentle breeze. To most, the weather was perfect, though Voudou preferred the chilly mists and dark shadows that shrouded the nights. It was these nights that she would wander, leaving hoofprints in soft moss and ashes in her wake. Perhaps it was her youthful mind, but she loved to be alone and explore the world around her. She was particularly fascinated by anything that the other equines deemed mysterious or frightening. Needless to say, nobody really understood her, and she never really understood anyone else. How could anyone see the streaks of silver moonlight in the forest and be scared of the dark instead of cherish the light?
{{X}}Another snort escaped her nostrils before the young mare once again looked around. So far, nobody had bothered to take an interest in her, and they were all off chatting in small clusters. Muscles rippling underneath taught skin, she swiveled to the right and broke into a graceful trot towards a tiny cluster of short trees and tall grass. As she reached the trees, the grasses dragged around her legs, tickling her stomach and pulling her tail into knots and tangles. Here she stopped, and lowered her head to eat, more to keep herself busy than out of hunger. And here she waited, content with her eating, to see if anyone would approach her before she had to put up with the nuisance of seeking out someone to talk to.
There was something oddly familiar about the field. Jason hadn’t ventured to its borders in years (way too many to count), but he still felt accustomed to it. Perhaps it was the politeness of it all, the requesting and offering of homes. At this moment in time Jason didn’t have too much to offer, but he knew that field equaled new faces and he himself was new (sort of).
The grass cushioned his steps, easing the pressure that each trod forward put on his back. Though Jason had the ability to heal his old bones, even replace his skeleton if he wished, he liked the aches. The worn ligaments and creaky joints reminded him that he wasn’t as young as he appeared. Jason let out a sigh as he crept along the edge of the field. There seemed to be many occupied conversations and although he didn’t mind interrupting several of the horses seemed head deep in suitors. Jason wasn’t spectacular at this moment in time anyway (so he didn’t look like much). He didn’t like the feel of wings on his back or horns on his head. He didn’t even like to be a particularly odd color. He had tried all of the unique looks on and not one agreed with him. He was a simpleton despite the magic that swirled through his veins.
Out of the corner of his light blue eyes Jason spotted a lone mare amongst the trees. She almost didn’t stand out with the tall grass shading her head, which was shoved deep into the crowd of blades. Jason couldn’t help but laugh to himself- she must be quite hungry. As he approached the mare he did so slowly, making sure to stomp his hooves as he lumbered forward. In no way did Jason wish to startle the mare. ”Hello there” He said loudly as soon as he was within a few feet. ”How’s it taste? I imagine with all these horses flocking to this area it must be pretty tasty.” He grinned.
{{X}}Sure enough, it wasn't too long before the beating sounds of hoofs filled her ears. Her auds twisted toward the sound, but she made no effort to lift her head and greet the stranger. He steps sounded confident and controlled, not timid and shaky like some of the other brutes around these parts who hadn't quite grown into their britches yet. The stranger didn't stop until he was only feet away, and he spoke obnoxiously loudly, almost as if he had expected Voudou to have a hearing problem or something. Only after he was done speaking did she finally lift her head, turning it slightly to get a better look at him. "Are you always this friendly or did someone just kick you in the head today?" the mare asked sarcastically, with a voice so mockingly sweet it could make you sick. Her eyes glimmered with mischief, but still there was nothing mean about them. More like a spark of personality.
{{X}}Voudou analyzed the equine in front of her. His color certainly made him stand out from the flock; it wasn't often you came across a creature such as him. She was intrigued and stepped forward towards him. Her muzzle reached out and followed the arch of his neck, running across his should and down the middle of his stomach as she kept walking, stopping eventually when she reached his flank. One thing Voudou sucked at was personal boundaries. His space was all of sudden her space, and she didn't care at all what he thought of her actions. Besides, most males were so driven to find, capture and breed mares that they were ok with it, even if they might also be confused by it. Voudou was not here to make friends though. She was merely here to find a herd. Why, she did not know. She hated most mares and their chatty ways, and hated the stallions that sought to control her. Mostly, she wanted to cause distraction and chaos within the herd, just to see how quickly she could accomplish complete collapse of balance within a group.
{{X}}The mare threw her ebony chin over his back, resting her head on his oddly tinged pelt. As much as she wanted to mess with him, Voudou knew she needed to know more about him first. Whats the point of an attack if it misses its' mark? "I'm Voudou, by the way," she said, her voice returned to its normal silky smoothness.
You want to know someone else who enjoys causing problems? Shaytan.
Really it’s just problems for small rodents with fluffy white tails and long ears and those goddamn black button innocent eyes.
She tries to be a good girl - that’s why she’s out here, you know - and she tries to be a productive member of the Chamber. But sometimes cravings and crazy get in the way, and then what’s a freckled girl to to? To borrow a phrase, she is a half-id creature, with one side always at war with the other. Her infatuation for Straia drives her to try and impress the pretty Queen, while the other side says kill! blood! wabbits! yummm… and all the anxiety seems to disappear when those soft little things squeal. So you see, she is a bringer of chaos on a minor level right now - but you must give her time, she’s only three years old.
She’s a big bunny killer, dotted with bay freckles and a dusty white coat from the ash that seems to linger in perpetuity in the Chamber’s air. Life is beginning to spring anew, but they are mere flecks of green amidst a black, charred landscape. It will take years for everything to return to normal. YEARS! Which is why she’s been lingering in the grassy areas for as long as possible. She’s kind of skulking along the edges, paying no mind to the fact that her last recruiting effort was a dismal failure. Her mind drifts to other things, having no sense to disappointment or failure unless it comes from her Queen’s own mouth. A black mare catches her eye as she wanders across her field of vision, and a little lightbulb goes off in Shaytan’s head.
Oh yesssss. That’s what she should be doing.
And then a blue-gray stallion joins the mare, and Shaytan, knowing that four recruiters gives her very little chance, decides she needs to get a move on. The half Spanish Norman moves to join them, smiling with neither her eyes nor her face, because she’s rather bad at reading social cues. But she knows what she wants, and that makes her eyes shine a little too brightly, her voice a little too insistent. “If you’re looking for a home, the Chamber is seeking new members. I’m Shaytan. I live there.”
Shaytan
and every time she knocks I can't help but let her in
05-07-2015, 09:29 AM (This post was last modified: 05-07-2015, 09:29 AM by Jason.)
Jason hadn’t realized how loud he had been. Perhaps it was time he fixed his ears- surely his age hadn’t taken those too. When the mare lifted her head Jason was finally able to get a good look at her. Her features were smooth, an understated beauty that caused his grin to merge into a smile. When she spoke it was with much force and cleverness. Jason swung his head low as if an imaginary hoof was striking him on his head ”I don’t recall being hit, but it's possible that it may have happened way too much when I was a foal” He replied lightheartedly.
Jason barely got out the last syllable of his reply when the mare approached him and sucked up his personal space. Thankfully the stallion liked a good touch and he allowed her to do what she wished. His own head followed her as she reached his shoulders and went to his tail. It was a strain on his neck to watch her, but he was keenly fascinated by her ways. Even after a century of living he had yet to come upon someone who had invaded him in such a way so quickly.
The mare eventually stopped her movements and rested herself on his back. The pressure sent ripples of goose bumps down his legs. He stretched out his neck by shifting his head forward and resting his gaze on nothing before him. ”Nice to meet ya.” He said in response to her name ”I hope my backside is adequate enough for you. I’ve been trying to work out lately.” He exhaled heavily, his chest lowering with the expulsion of breath. ”My name is Jason.”
It was then that another stumbled (or rather intentionally came) upon them. Jason was a tad bit disappointed with the interruption; he was enjoying the playful air of Voudou and her ways. He hoped this mare wouldn’t formalize the situation too much. Jason craned his head and shifted his shoulders (undoubtedly bouncing Voudou’s head up if she was still resting upon him). ”Hello there, Shaytan.” He greeted. Sure enough the mare brought up the idea of a home. She was from the Chamber; a place Jason had never ventured too.
{{X}}The stag was clever, Voudou acknowledged that much. But Jason? What a painfully simple name. How is it that a creature so strange, both in appearance and personality, could have such a boring name? His parent's must have been a creative bunch.
{{X}}As Voudou rested her head, taking in the deep scents of this new equine, she briefly reminisced about her own experience with her parents. Voudou had come from a herd full of prudes, very stuck in their ways and terrified of change. She had always been the black sheep of the family, and they kicked her out when she was only two after Voudou had managed to destroy a beaver dam and flood half of the meadows in the territory. Ah those were the days. Nothing to worry about, and plenty of time spent exploring the world around her. Since her exile from her own herd, the vixen had spent the last year or so wandering aimlessly around, never really meeting anyone but always lurking in the shadows and watching.
{{X}}Her silent daydreaming was shattered when Jason shifted his weight. It was only then that Voudou realized they had been joined by another mare, and she swiftly lifted her head off the stag's back, turning to see the intruder. Blueish hairs stuck to her jawline, standing out brightly against her ebony coat, almost giving her the appearance that she had stuck her face in a snowbank. The spotted mare mentioned her home, offering Voudou a place in it. While Jason greeted Shaytan, he seemed notably different. With this new mare he hadn't made a joke or even tried to edge the conversation any further than a simple, basic greeting. Voudou doubted he was upset at the arrival for the same reasons she was. "Hello there darling. What is it that your home can offer me that I cannot find myself living on my own?" she asked. Her voice was soft and kind, but held a tone underneath that was almost mocking Shaytan, as if to say she was an idiot for even thinking Voudou needed a new home. She twisted her body away from the blue stag to face the mare, tail in the air and neck slightly arched. The last thing she needed was some baboon trying to tell her where she should live. The spotted creature surely wasn't too competent, even when offering a home to Voudou she had sounded more like a needy foal trying hard to impress its mother. Nonetheless, the black mare reached out her neck in a gesture to touch noses with the newcomer.
Oh. Ohhhh I see what you’re doing now. Shaytan doesn’t, but I do. Shaytan is completely oblivious and doesn’t give a flying fuck whether or not Voudou likes her. Voudou is not the object of her desire. Straia is. Voudou is a means to an end, just like the first one was. Which makes her irrelevant, because at this point, the Field is full of means to ends. When Shaytan walks away, she will approach another and another with robotic determination until she succeeds.
How does that feel, Voudou, to know that it isn’t actually you Shaytan wants, just a hot, warm, blood-filled body. She isn’t picky. Straia might be, but Shaytan hasn’t the foresight to see that bringing the wrong member back might be just as bad as returning without someone.
The Chamber is hungry, darling, it isn’t desperate.
In a perfectly logical fashion, Shaytan asks with a deadpan face, “If you’re not looking for a home, then what are you doing here? This is the Field." She pauses and stares at the mare as if she were an idiot. This is where everyone came to find a home. Duh. Hence, Shaytan's question. Good lord, were all foreigners this stupid? "If you want to be a simple broodmare, go to the Meadow and spread your legs and pop out some kids. I’m sure this fellow would be happy to oblige..” She doesn’t touch noses with the black stranger. Instead, she continues on her way, content to forget them when they leave her sightlines. Go on, be the sarcastic and rude and evil lady somewhere else. Go spread your chaos. The Chamber of Evil clearly wasn’t for her.
The dude probably didn’t deserve it. But some things can’t be helped.
Shaytan
and every time she knocks I can't help but let her in
Jason could feel the weight on his back lift when Voudou left him. Although he was entangled in the conversation Jason had no interest in getting between the two mares, especially when Voudou responded so sharply. It was clear that both could handle themselves. Jason took a step back and shifted his body besides Voudou’s. They made an odd pairing, a pitch-black mare and a light blue stallion. Jason may have made such an observation himself but he was quite entranced by the words exchanged before him. Shaytan had clearly calculated her answer, and she was right this was the field. After all this is where newcomers came to find homes, but unlike Shaytan Jason’s motivation were driven from another place other than loyalty. Hence he hadn’t brought up the topic.
The speckled mares response went onto insult and that was when Jason became clearly perturbed. His ears tweaked, and he lifted his head before exhaling a heavy grunt at the comment. ”Hey hey now…” He said quickly after she had finished in hopes of repairing the situation. Sadly he didn’t get the chance since the Chamber mare was already on her way out of the conversation. Jason sighed heavily at the retreat then propped his right leg to the side and leaned into it. He then looked to Voudou and let a grin etch onto his lips. ”I’m not sure what that was about…maybe she was hit on the head when she was a foal.”
”Anyway…” He mused, back to where they were… ”You never told me if it was suitable.” He motioned with his head toward his back. ”Because if so…apparently I am to oblige you in the meadow.” He said with sarcasm woven throughout his words.
{{X}}Within seconds it was pretty damn clear that the mares weren't destined to get along any time soon. Too much spitfire in the mixing pot, it was bound to over-boil, and so it did. As the speckled freak spoke, a small snarl grew at the corners of Voudou's lips, a visual accompaniment to the soft grumbling growl under her breath. The shadowy mare wasn't stupid, she knew this was where strangers came to find a home, she just didn't like mares... or anyone really that mindlessly followed orders and sought out conversations purely for business reasons rather than for the sake of an actual conversation, however dull the conversation might be. The mare had quickly changed her attitude, after a not-so-warm welcome. At least the spotted one knew when to pick her battles, and when to acknowledge a lost cause and make a hasty retreat. Narrowed eyes watched as she left, quite content to never see that ugly backside again.
{{X}}She hadn't broken her stare yet when Jason spoke once more. Ha, funny. While she didn't doubt the other creature certainly suffered from a few too many blows to the head, the thought was not quite amusing enough to calm the bubbling pit that had formed in her gut. Voudou wasn't about to be spoken to like she was an idiot. A small snort and head toss later she twisted her neck to look at the blue hued stag before he spoke again. That thought was even funnier. The corners of her lips lifted into a tiny grin, barely noticeable unless you were looking for it. She reached out and gently bumped his neck with her nose. "Funny how you say it as if you were joking, when you would probably love nothing more than to jump me right here," Voudou said, silky words flowing from her velvety muzzle. Her nose moved closer to his ears as her voice shifted into a seductive whisper, "Take in my scents before you hop on up and feel the warmth of my body pressed against yours."
{{X}}Of course the young mare had absolutely no intentions of actually breeding with him. Why would she want to drag a child around with her? Just the thought of taking care of a foal almost made her shiver. Voudou quickly pulled away and turned her head and gazed into the distance, making sure the spotted mare wasn't returning. "You might be charming dear Jason, but I am not one to be easily impressed. You'll have to make much more effort than a couple of jokes"
tags Jason, 428 words. notes, seriously loving Shaytan right now xD.
Jason leaned heavily to his side, relaxed as could be after he spoke. The pleasant jokes back and forth he hoped would continue. Sadly though the grin that had so smugly stuck to his face was quickly lost to a frown once the mare spoke. His relaxed posture was also lost as his body straightened along with his head lowering a bit. Had he given off such a vibe? Jason had lived over one hundred years and only managed to father eight precious foals; all of which he loved dearly along with their mothers. Jason surely wasn’t the average stallion. It quickly became clear to him that this mare had not stumbled upon one of his type before. He was neither interested nor desired to father without love. Jason was a romantic after all.
Jason did his best to wipe the downcast appearance from his face, especially when Voudou bumped her soft nose against his neck. He wouldn’t deny that he favored the touch. It had been a long time since he had been recognized in such a way. Once the black mares lips reached his ears and whispered sweet words, Jason couldn’t hide his slight distaste. His mouth let out a weighty huff, and he leaned his head away from her almost as if she was spewing out poison.
Voudou eventually pulled away which mirrored Jason’s muscles as they loosened in relief (he hadn’t even realized how tense he had become). Thankfully the whispers had been another mere joke- though to Jason this joke was done in a far more distasteful way. By degrading him it felt like she had degraded all those that he had loved- all those he had been intimate with.
Jason shook his head, allowing the vibrations to break all the left over tension. He eased a mid-smile back on his face. The mare didn’t know him- he wouldn’t hold this against her. ”Me Charming? Why yes…but I too am not so easily impressed.” He said with more strength than playfulness. ”Seriously though….I’m not like that, and I’m glad to note that you are not either.” He stated blankly. ”Voudou, what do you want?” It was a genuine question- one that Jason wanted to hear an honest answer from.
