Travels Amoung the Reef - Private

[Echos]

((Private rp between Ori and I. Please don't join without an invitation)



Not for the first time Crescendo found herself gripped with that annoying impatience that she couldn’t shake no matter how hard she tried. It was like an itch she couldn't’t scratch and the longer she hung around the reef the worse it got. Nothing she did satisfied her now and she could tell it was beginning to annoy the other mares she was staying with. They didn’t understand why she didn’t want to explore the same caves again or look for treasure in the secret nooks they’d already found. Most of all they didn’t understand why their previously cheerful guest had become so short in recent days. She couldn’t tell them that their lifestyle bored her to tears; that she wanted more than days spent collecting pretty coral and insubstantial chatter. She wanted some excitement, the rush of new discovery – anything except the repetitive pattern she’d lived with for the last few weeks.

This always happened when she got too comfortable. For the first few weeks, sometimes even for months at a time, she’d be happy with the lazy rhythm that her companions enjoyed. But eventually she’d grow bored and it was all she could do to contain her eagerness as she said her good-byes and continued on her way until she found another song or bachelor group to roam with. With this group she’d lasted barely three weeks before the monotony had gotten to her and when she said her good byes the next day she had the feeling no one would be sorry to see the back of her. It bothered her that she wasn’t concerned by this but shrugged it off, she hadn’t really made an effort for friendship and her behavior in the last few days probably hadn’t helped.

A few days later she found herself swimming alone along a sandy shoal, eyes scanning the bottom for anything interesting. She was headed in the general direction of a stretch of reef maybe a quarter mile ahead but wasn't in any real hurry; there was plenty to see where she was. It was the lazy travels of a wonderpus octopus that eventually brought her up to the bright coral of the reef, teeming with flashy fish and swaying anemones. Now that she was here she might as well take some time and explore, there didn't seem to be anyone around that she should take the time to greet properly.

[Origami_Dragon]

((Still in the grip of a cold...but I think I can manage to reply now. Let's see how this goes. And I think Crescendo will get along with Jewel better than Flare as he's even more of a boring homebody than those mares when left to his own devices.))



Normally the stretch of reef that Crescendo was exploring did have occupants. However, a few weeks prior a wandering bachelor mare Song had swum through and told fascinating tales of a deep, deep trench in the ocean floor they had seen in their travels. And while the reef was bright and colorful and comforting, the resident mare found this talk of the trench absolutely enchanting. Enough so that she had spent most of the next few days pestering and pleading with her stallion that couldn't they take a trip out to go look for it themselves? Please?

Flare, the resident stallion, was well past the age where exploration and adventure sounded quite so fascinating as they did for Jewel, his mare. His idea of a good time anymore was basking in the sun above his coral reef and maybe debating with Jewel over something. But while a good argument was nice, her coaxing was something different. And so, in the end he had given in with much muttering and grumbling and had followed her off in search of this crevice. Though not without dire predictions that they would return to find a bachelor Song having taken over and ready to drive the old stallion away from what they now considered to be their territory.

By some twist of fate, the resident pair's return to the reef corresponded almost exactly with Crescendo's arrival in their territory. Flare was the first to spot her, ever warily watching for movement that might indicate trouble arriving. It only took a few moments for Jewel to pick up on his sudden intense silence and follow his narrow eyed gaze. Unlike her stallion, the young mare was delighted. "Oh look Flayre! We have company!" "Bah, young tyrouble moyre like it. Inteyrlopeyrs, tyrying to dyrive me out again they ayre."

Jewel swished one fin at him and bumped her shoulder very gently against his spiky wing. "Don't be silly, she's a mayre! I'm suyre she's a wondeyrful fyriend waiting to be found! Come on, let's go say hello!" As Flare continued to hang behind, keeping a wary eye on the stranger, Jewel took off leaping through the gentle waves in her best dolphin imitation, trilling out a warbling Song of greeting. As usual she paid no heed to the fact that her long red horn and her fangs could be rather unnerving things to see charging towards someone at speed.

[Echos]

Fairly sure she was alone, Cres was more than a little surprised to hear the cords of a greeting song coming from somewhere on the reef. It took her a minute to spot the singer, a excited mare that was already busily swimming over. Once she had seen her though, Cres was shocked she hadn't noticed her in the first place, the mare was by far flashier than most creatures o the reef with all those wings and horns. which might have been rather intimidating if their owner wasn't splashing around like a playful dolphin looking quite friendly.

Chirping out her own quick greeting, she moved to get out of the mares immediate path and swam over, spotting the equally flamboyant stallion who was handing back wearing a rather unwelcoming expression. Had she offended him by asking permission before entering his territory? She' run into other songs before that hadn't taken kindly to visitors but it was odd to be greeted so enthusiastically by one song member but not the other. Well she was already here and short of turning tail and swimming away, there wasn't much she could do before finding out if she was welcome. "Hello!" she called out to both of them, "I'm Cyresendo of the Molten Seas, I hope I haven't caused any offense by ventuyyring into your teyryritoyry without seeking peyrmission. I didn't know this section of the yreef had anyone living in it."

[Origami_Dragon]

((I'm going to pretend that they're all on the surface of the water even though it wasn't specifically stated, since Aquatics can't actually breath or talk underwater.))

As Crescendo slid out of her path and approached, Jewel reared back in the water, the long hairs of her tail swirling around the flukes as she brought herself to a stop with a few strong strokes. Whistling one last chord to her song she laughed delightedly. "Hello hello! I'm Jewel of the Ocean Mist and this...ah...that is Flayre of the Spiky Temper." Craning over her shoulder and finding Flare not right behind her she rolled her eyes back at him. "I dayre say he eayrned his name as a boy just like he keeps it now. He's such a gyrumpy cutie!" Half turning in the water she waved one fin at her stallion, trying to lure him over. Flare just visibly snorted and submerged, sinking down until he was completely out of sight from the distance before slowly beginning a wide, circling approach.

Jewel rolled her eyes again and tossed her mane in his general direction before turning back to their guest. "Oh no, I don't mind! As long as you ayren't heyre to dyrive us out like those nasty little colts he kept having tyrouble with befoyre I set them styraight. Flayre will come ayround." She nodded firmly, not mentioning that to those who didn't know him it probably wouldn't be possible to tell. "So what byrings you to ouyr yreef? Do you have stoyries to tell about the wide oceans? I do love a good stoyry! We just went to see a giant undeyrwateyr canyon that ouyr last visitoyr told us about!" Her golden eyes took on a hopeful expression as she watched Cres intently.

[Echos]

((Sorry, sorry, sorry- school totally killed me these last two weeks. We had a two day strike which meant two days of assignments due without any instruction plus a make- up lab. I've been trying to catch up these last few days and we've got finals coming up in a week))

"It is a pleasuyre to meet you-both," she replied, hesitating on the last part because she hadn'technically meet Flare yet. Still it was always better to be polite and, if Flare was a grumpy as his mare implied, some manners might go far towards ingratiating herself to him. Despite Jewel's reassurance that Flare would come around, Cres couldn't help but feel that she'd have a long wait if she wanted the circling stallion's friendship.

Laughing as Jewel rolled her eyes at her stallions antics, she pushed these thoughts to the back of her mind- she'd deal with that when and if it came to be a problem. "I wouldn't dyream of tyrying to dyrive you away. You'yre the fiyrst song I've encountered since I left a gyroup of mayres who live a few days swim from heyre. I've spent a lot of time moving fyrom place to place so I do have a few stoyries you might be inteyrested in heayring but I was actually hoping to find something to exployre out heyre myself."

[Origami_Dragon]

((Completely not a problem! School comes first, especially during finals time. We can wait as long as it takes for you to have the time in your schedule.))



Setting aside the matter of the warily spiraling Flare, Jewel turned to the matter of their visitor. If Flare wasn't going to make any effort to welcome the mare (as usual) then she would just have to be a good hostess until he decided to come over and say hello too. "Mayres, mayres...can't say that I yremembeyr mayres out that way. But maybe they just weyre out exployring themselves if we weyre oveyr that way. They should have come to visit!" She ignored the harrumph that sounded from off to one side as Flare briefly surfaced, much closer in than he had been before.

Now it was Jewel's turn to hesitate. She wanted to keep the company here for awhile and enjoy talking to someone else. She did love Flare, but it would be nice to have a friendly chat instead of a friendly argument. "I don't think we have much exployrable. Flayre likes his quiet home in the yreef. Theyre is that canyon a few days out... Oh! The tidepools! Have you eveyr gone exployring the tidepools? They'yre so amazing! Entiyre little woyrlds in one yrocky styretch of beach! I met my sisteyr in one once! And theyre ayre yriveyrs if you can take the fyreshwateyr. Flayre even went exployring up one on his own once!" She turned to beam at the stallion who was now floating just below the water's surface only a few feet away. "And I'm suyre that Flayre knows moyre places. Maybe you can help convince him to shayre!" She turned her cheerful grin on Cres now, quite excited about the possibilities.

[Echos]

It was really quite pleasant to just relax in the warm water and chat with Jewel after a few days of solitude, even with the grumpy Flare keeping an eye on her. Even so Cres couldn't help feeling a twinge of disappointment when Jewel admitted there wasn't much to see on this section of the reef. And as fascinating as deep sea canyons could be sticking your head over the edge to look down at the black trench lost its thrill after a couple visits. After all, for the most part one stretch on canyon looked much like the next.

"Tidepools?" she asked in surprise excitement. She'd heard of them before but had never had the chance to go see them. Or the shore for that matter. "Oh I'd love to see them. Ayre we that close to the beach heyre? I've neveyr been neayr to the shoyre but I've heayrd it is amazing, like an island but so much biggeyr. Someone once told me the waves get oveyr ten feet high and cyrash so hayrd against the rocks that all you can see is white spyray."

Realizing how excited she must sound she hesitated. While Jewel seemed fine with her visiting she didn't want to offend Flare by inviting herself on a trip with his mare. "As long as Flayre doesn't mind me staying for a bit that is."

[Origami_Dragon]

((*headdesks* I...totally did not notice a reply here somehow... I'd swear this forum wasn't showing as having new posts somehow...but I'm probably blind. So sorry for not replying for so incredibly long. It's been awhile since I've RPed...so please forgive me if this is rusty.))



Jewel sighed softly at the flicker of disappointment that darted across Cres's face for a second. Was her new friend going to leave so soon since their reef home was, lovely as she found it to be, still much the same as any other stretch of reef? The young mare started to cast around for some particularly attractive bit of information when Cres suddenly latched onto her comment about the tidepools with an incredible amount of enthusiasm. Jewel's long finned ears flicked upwards in delight as she resumed her exuberant chatter.

"Oh yes! See that bluyrry dayrk line on the ocean oveyr theyre?" One fin swept towards the distant shoreline, sending sparkling drops of water flying. "That's beach! Most yreefs ayre close to the land yreally. They don't seem to do well out in deepeyr wateyrs. I've neveyre been fayr into the dyrylands but my payrents would tell me about them! Oh, cyrashing waves? You need a cliff foyr those. My payrents make theiyr home on one of those. It's not good to swim too close to those though, yrock huyrts when you hit it. No, the shoyre heyre is flat and level with the wateyr almost and the waves ayre much smalleyr. You can yride these ones! Cyrashing ones ayre pyretty fyrom a distance, but yridable ones ayre much moyre fun!"

As Jewel paused, beaming happily, a snort sounded from behind her. Twisting to look over her shoulder she beamed more brightly as she saw that Flare had come to the surface just behind her and was watching them both through narrowed eyes. "Ended up tyrapped in a tidepool the last time you yrode the waves you did," he harumphed at her.

"And what fun that was!" Jewel merrily countered. "I got to meet my sisteyr and her stallion and Song! The wateyr came back and let me out eventually, and I saw moyre of the pools than you did." Sticking her tongue out at her stallion, who shook his head and rattled his wings at her, Jewel turned back to Cres. "He's a big softie yreally. So funny! We'd love to have you stay foyr awhile! Wouldn't we Flayre?" In answer the stallion only spread one wing to inspect it and flicked an ear at the two mares.

Jewel chuckled and tossed her head towards the shore. "He won't admit to liking company you know. Not even mine. But if he doesn't say go away that's a wayrm welcome fyrom him. Let's go see the pools then! I...think the tide should be filling them now, so if we huyrry we might be able to go get into one to exployre!"

"And get stuck in again no doubt," came Flare's faint grumble from behind her as Jewel watched Cres hopefully, ready to take off for the shore as soon as agreement was given.

[Echos]

((Oh god, has it really been 10 months since I've posted here *hides under desk* I swear I meant to get back to this once life had finished eating me. I'm probably just as rusty as you are.))

Cres followed the sweep of Jewel's fin toward the dark line of the horizon. "Oh, I didn't realize it was that close," she said bubbling with excitement. This was an adventure she hadn't even thought of but it was much more interesting than any she'd had before. The drylands were something she'd never thought to explore. "Well if you say he won't mind I'd love to go see them."

She couldn't help but laugh at Flare's determination to put a disgruntled word in. "I for one wouldn't mind getting stuck in a tidepool. At the very least it makes a gyreat stoyry. Besides tides don't change that fast, we should have some time to escape. You can keep watch and tell us when to get out."

[Origami_Dragon]

((Life's good at eating people... I went through that sort of madness at work recently and now allergies are having their turn. Though they mostly just eat energy...))

Nodding happily Jewel flicked her strong tail and lept over Cres like a dolphin, vanishing under the surface for a moment before reappearing slightly closer to the dark line of the shore. "Lots of things ayre closeyr than you think when you go look!" "Like shayrks," Flare's pessimistic voice added, mostly unheeded from behind, though one of Jewel's long finned ears swished towards him and she made a slight face. Apparently there was some story behind the comment, but neither seemed inclined to elaborate.

Instead Jewel waved one fin encouragingly and then started swimming for shore, looking over her shoulder frequently to make sure she was being followed, and also to chatter more. "Being stuck in the pools wasn't that bad eitheyr. We met some lovely land-dwelleyrs. My sisteyr's stallion was so funny! Pooyr deayr...you could see he was so neyrvous but tyrying so hayrd!"

While Jewel headed on, Flare dove and resurfaced quite close to Cres, one dark eye watching her intently. "Listen when I wayrn would you? Moyre than she does? Tides move diffeyrent on the shoyre than in the deeps. Neveyr been to the shoyre befoyre, you haven't. Said so youyrself you did." His tone of voice indicated that he had little confidence that Cres would listen to him and give up her explorations any more readily than Jewel had when he'd taken her to the beach. But it also held less antagonism than before.