01-31-2022, 03:06 PM
As they talked, Cheri could sense normalcy returning. It was the hatred in Obscene’s eyes, the anger in Aela’s tone, the disappointment in herself, and an overall feeling of despondency that confirmed it.
Everything had changed.
Nothing had changed.
But what could Cheri do? Better yet, she pondered what Obscene or Aela would do in her case. Would they spill the truth and take a leap of faith, hoping to gain some understanding or gather fear instead? Would they be proud of themselves? If she’d been taken away from everything she loved by force, could she forgive the horse who’d done it?
Her head began to pound. Cheri felt Obscene stomp past herself and Aela, quietly fuming. The urge to reach out and let her mouth skim over him as he passed was overwhelming, but she resisted. It was better to let him go quietly. She should be grateful that he didn’t push the issue like Aela was, though the small palomino had every right. It was still painful, though, to juxtapose this Obscene with the one she’d grown madly in love with. Even more painful to be the reason for his anger and disappointment. How could she ever touch him again?
Sighing to herself, Cheri watched the pony smother out a flower with one hoof instead, secretly elated to hear that she’d come across Tarian in the months after The Calamity. Part of her wanted to ask exactly where Aela had last seen the pale gray stallion, but she wasn’t impatient enough to press anymore than she already had. In time, she reasoned. All in good time.
For now, there were much larger concerns. Already the news of what transpired since their disappearance was settling in, making itself right at home without any indication that it would ever leave. The feeling left her empty, devoid of emotional reactions and incapable of either smiling or frowning for too long. A flicker of something might come and go, but Cheri forced each one down. If Obscene wanted to speak later and if Aela wanted to find her kin, it would be useless to break down.
Dangerous, actually.
She would have to keep the feeling of detachment for as long as she could manage, if Cheri ever wanted to try and fix her mistakes.
“I woke up here, among the ruins. It was silent.” The dark mare spoke for herself. “Actually…”
She paused, taking a few labored breaths as they continued to wander through the mostly open expanse of territory. It looked deceptively flat in every direction, except where the horizon was interrupted by the hazy outline of a mountain range, but Cheri’s body protested even the smallest hill they came across.
“I’ve been resting where you found me for weeks, trying to regain some energy.” She divulged.
Then, with an unexpected flare of determination, she decided: “Whatever happened, happened. What matters now is how we deal with it.”
Everything had changed.
Nothing had changed.
But what could Cheri do? Better yet, she pondered what Obscene or Aela would do in her case. Would they spill the truth and take a leap of faith, hoping to gain some understanding or gather fear instead? Would they be proud of themselves? If she’d been taken away from everything she loved by force, could she forgive the horse who’d done it?
Her head began to pound. Cheri felt Obscene stomp past herself and Aela, quietly fuming. The urge to reach out and let her mouth skim over him as he passed was overwhelming, but she resisted. It was better to let him go quietly. She should be grateful that he didn’t push the issue like Aela was, though the small palomino had every right. It was still painful, though, to juxtapose this Obscene with the one she’d grown madly in love with. Even more painful to be the reason for his anger and disappointment. How could she ever touch him again?
Sighing to herself, Cheri watched the pony smother out a flower with one hoof instead, secretly elated to hear that she’d come across Tarian in the months after The Calamity. Part of her wanted to ask exactly where Aela had last seen the pale gray stallion, but she wasn’t impatient enough to press anymore than she already had. In time, she reasoned. All in good time.
For now, there were much larger concerns. Already the news of what transpired since their disappearance was settling in, making itself right at home without any indication that it would ever leave. The feeling left her empty, devoid of emotional reactions and incapable of either smiling or frowning for too long. A flicker of something might come and go, but Cheri forced each one down. If Obscene wanted to speak later and if Aela wanted to find her kin, it would be useless to break down.
Dangerous, actually.
She would have to keep the feeling of detachment for as long as she could manage, if Cheri ever wanted to try and fix her mistakes.
“I woke up here, among the ruins. It was silent.” The dark mare spoke for herself. “Actually…”
She paused, taking a few labored breaths as they continued to wander through the mostly open expanse of territory. It looked deceptively flat in every direction, except where the horizon was interrupted by the hazy outline of a mountain range, but Cheri’s body protested even the smallest hill they came across.
“I’ve been resting where you found me for weeks, trying to regain some energy.” She divulged.
Then, with an unexpected flare of determination, she decided: “Whatever happened, happened. What matters now is how we deal with it.”
@Obscene