In celebration of the holiday season, I would like to thank everyone on this board for the kindness and companionship that makes this community so wonderful. What better way to do that... than with a contest!
While sketching my commission, Sushi sketched up two 'extra' Sams, giving me options on which to choose. All of them were so cool, though! Deciding was torture! And I still adored the two I didn't pick. So, with her blessing, I've commissioned the 'extra' two as a gift for other board members.
Aaaaaand as an added bonus, the winners of these two mares will receive their Samanayr mailed to them on a customized art card straight from Sushi! (Please note that if anyone under the age of 18 wins this contest, their card cannot be mailed to them without a parent's permission.)
Comments and entries are both welcome in this thread. Please feel free to chatter! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.
This is a character design contest based off an existing sketch and brief description. Both of these ladies are connected to one of my Samanayrs in some way and I've written small prompts for them.
1. You do NOT know what colors these mares will be so please do not describe their appearance. Sushi has full reign here.
2. Your design should be expressed in basic explanation. This isn't the contest for story-writing so much as it is for sketching an outline of personality and backstory. (You don't necessarily have to be a great writer to make a great character!)
3. You may submit an application for BOTH mares but you can only win one! There's also a chance that Sushi will throw in some really neat prizes for participants who don't win.
4. This contest will run until December 2 @ 11:59PM PST. Entries posted after that time will not be included in judging out of fairness for everyone involved. You have over a week! Feel free to keep editing entries up until that point, though.
Desert Sa'grisayr Mare Traits include Talons, Beak, Large Feather-tufted Ears, Double Horns, Feather Crest, Draconic Wings, Body Spines, Feathered Tail
This mare has been actively pursued/hunted/stalked by Spike of the Arid Scale ever since she arrived in the deserts near his territory. How does she react to this attention from a Sa'krien? Does she fall prey to his dangerous advances? Escape his clutches? Where did she come from, being new to the area?
As an added twist: She is terrified of flying and refuses to use her wings for some reason! Where in her past could that phobia have started?
Aquatic Mare Traits include Fangs, Fin Mane, Fin Ears, Fin Wings, Back Fin, Biped, and Fin Tail
This mare was the first of his sea-dwelling kin that Koi of the Glorious Pond met upon leaving his inland home. She helped convince him to settle in the area where he eventually started his Song. Where does she come from? What has she been up to since then? What does she think of her old friend's Song?
As an added twist: She is biased against Northern Aquatics for some reason! Where in her past could that prejudice have started?
I was curious what you were planning for the board members to enjoy...but honestly, I didn’t imagine it would be anything quite so amazing as this event is. Thanks so much for the chance Jenn! I hope you find the perfect characters for your lovely mares here. *smiles*
And...yeah, sorry for the messiness here. I’ll probably try and rewrite a lot of this to make it flow better; I was just too excited not to try writing up one of my entries right away. ^^
Entry for Desert Sa'grisayr Mare
Username: Janalee Mare's Name: Omen of the Darkened Path Description:
Born to an all-Desert Song, her earliest foalhood was for all intensive purposes a pleasant one; she was born in a good year, and there was a pair of slightly older twin foals to play with. The twins had stronger personalities than hers though, and being older were, of course, infinitely cooler already- she adored them, and believed whatever they said. One day as they were ‘on an adventure,’ a Rider happened to fly past on his large hawk, close enough for them to make him out, but just barely; this being perhaps the most exciting thing to ever happen in her short life, little Omen was a buzz of excitement, and kept asking the pair the million questions that popped up in her mind, and in particular what that thing was. One of the twins, who was jealous of her wings- she was the only one in the Song with any- replied in the cruel way children can sometimes that that was what all creatures with wings turned into: monsters that flew around and caught up innocent Sams to eat them. The other twin, who was more ingenuous, played along because he found the story hilarious and unbelievable- after all, didn’t they see small birds all the time that could hardly harm anyone?- and added that maybe they would actually torture the Sams first. Horrified at the thought of turning into something like that, especially as the story became more and more ridiculously terrifying, Omen tucked her wings into herself as far as they could, trying to find a way to hide them...and never really untucked them again. Her parents thought it odd that she had given up trying to flap her wings around and ‘fly’ any more, but she never told them the story of why she had done so- after all, if winged creatures were monsters, how could her parents think to use modiems to give her wings and still love her?- and so they let it go as a whim. The thoughts of her wings completely consumed her though, and even months later when she learned what a ‘Rider’ actually was, and knew that the whole story really wasn’t true at all, she still couldn’t shake the feeling that her wings were only a burden to her body and spirit. Even if she wouldn’t turn into a monster, they made her into something she didn’t want to be- different. She still tries to pretend they’re not there, and probably wouldn’t even attempt to fly even to save her life.
She is, unfortunately, used to being a bit beat down, if mainly by herself- in the end though, she did pluck up the drive to try and find someplace new, in an attempt to be 'new' again herself, though so far that's only meant trying to feel safe in some lonely place. Landing next to Spike’s territory was simply a chance of fate; and if she didn’t like the land so much, she’d probably just leave. As it is, the Sa’krien fills her with the childlike dread she experienced when dreaming of that hawk and of all things that steal away what is good- it’s unlikely that she would willingly submit to him, by himself. If one or both of his mares were to accost her though...they might be able to lead her into joining the Song. If it’s safe for them, maybe it’d be safe for her too, and there is a certain appeal to not having to think for herself anymore, and to merely believe what she’s told again. It’d be really hard to come back from that though, so...well, I hope it wouldn’t come to that, and maybe she'd just be able to run from him for awhile. *crooked grin*
I still have more to adjust and add ill be editing this, thans! this is so awesome of u!
Entry for Aquatic Mare
Username:RikkuGirl Mare's Name: Jetty of the Northeaster Undertow Description:
Jetty has not always been a resident of the gorgeous lagoon that she and her close friend Koi now call home. Before that she was located much more south. The waters of the south are certainly cold but much less so than the northern. Though she was born in southern waters, she remembered most of her fillyhood up in the northern tides.
Jetty and her mother were found alone upon the loss of her father due to illness. Being only a filly, Jetty never understood why her and her mother had to leave her first home. From his death forward, Jetty and her mother roamed all the oceans from the east to the west and all the way up to the north, where Jetty was forced to grow. Jetty hated the fringe of the northern waters. She also grew very unhappy towards their main inhabitants, northern aquatics.
Her annoyance came from her treatment as a filly, never really fitting in amongst her new peers. She was made fun of for her lack of fluffy fur and flippers. Her tail was tugged at and laughed at..."why the funny tail?!" She would be asked, her non otter tail helping her to stick out even more. After she grew strong enough to be alone she made the decision to leave. Her mother had found a northern song to be apart off and refused to leave with her, shunning her for such a "stupid" decision.
Through all the criticizm she still made the decision to head south, her thoughts of her own kind raiving in her mind. Making her way south she found her now glorified home, a simple lagoon. Her visit of the lagoon extended upon her introduction to Koi and his song. Though she herself wasn't a resident yet, she convinced Koi to live in the water rather than the land. She always loved company.
He sure was stunning. A secret crush towards him has always existed yet she was successful in supressing it. After meeting his mares, Jetty began to feel fully at home thlugh she had doubts about the fluffy mares. Not only did she find a gorgeous lagoon, but she also found friends. Her life is simple and relaxing, as if nothing could go wrong.
In terms of personality Jetty is unyielding. If she wants something, she gets it. She has a high tolerance for others, be it stupidity, ignorance or anger and thanks her stars for being so. She is not easily duped and gets into alot of trouble in her searches for answers. She does not trust easily but once she has trust it is eternal. She is spontaneous and happy around known friends but tends to be the fly on the wall around strangers.
Her favorite color is burnt orange, the same color as her favorite food....fire chared orange peels. Her favorite thing to do is stare at the stars at night from atop her favorite tanning rock off shore. Jetty has much more to offer to those who are willing to find out.
Last edited by RikkuGirl on Tue Nov 29, 2011 1:24 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Username: Seren Mare's Name: Wilds of the Forgotten Mesa Description: Wilds was a happy baby, born to a songless Sa'grisayr dam who roosted on the cliff sides of a mesa amid red stone, golden sand, and harsh sunlight. But the cool blue of the desert sky above made all of that worth it, and little Wilds found the sky the most enthralling thing she could imagine: she envisioned it as a whole new world, filled with colts and fillies just like her, beak and all. They’d play and romp in the rolling clouds, and sleep among the stars, and paint with all those colors she saw every time the sun’s eye sank below the horizon.
Her daydreams surrounded her in their embrace, so she could escape from her quiet existence. So different it would be, to have friends. Whenever she poked along beside her dam to the oasis, the other foals splashed and laughed and played games, and she was dying to join in, despite the reception she received every time.
She’d lope up, and sometimes she’d include a special move, surely that would catch their attention? But no, she balanced on one talon, sent up a wave of water, did a twirl on her hind legs, but the fillies and colts refused to look at her. Once she fell back into the stallion who had led his Song there to drink, and he snapped angrily, snarling “Move it, siyreless byrat!”
Brat? Sireless? She didn’t understand, but the foals seemed to, because they filled the air with laughter, ringing her with shouts of “Songless!” and “Clumsy biyrd!” Little Wilds was lost and confused, what did they mean by these words? Whatever they meant, they were making her stomach twist and clench unpleasantly, and she felt tears rush into her eyes, shaken up by these strange feelings. Her little wings flapped, and a particularly brash colt ran up, crowing. “Look at heyr flap! She’s useless!” His maw and some blunt little teeth grabbed a hold of the delicate skin of her wings, causing a small rip, and making her cry out in pain, snapping suddenly at all of the stress, and lashing out with her small beak, hitting the colt in his eye.
He screamed, scrambling back, blood trickling from his eye, as the mares and stallion, along with the foals, stared in horror at the filly. While the dam comforted her son, another Desert mare said hotly, “She’s a little monsteyr! A Sa’kyrien’s spawn foyr suyre!” The mares nodded their agreement, looks of fear for their foals crossing their features, as the stallion stalked forward to defend his son against the small Sa’grisayr. She let out a small pathetic noise of fright, and turned to run, hearing the angry bellows of the stallion behind her, along with the whimpers of the injured colt.
Tears running down her face, she galloped home to the cliffs, hiccupping as she clambered up the trail to their roost, looking for her mother’s comforting form.
“Momma? Momma?” She called, choking on her own words, seeing her dam’s form, she let out a small sob, and went running into the comfort of her fur and soft nuzzles.
After she had cried out most of the tears, she asked her mother what the words meant, scared for the answers. Her dam tried to be delicate about the topic, but Wilds, despite her youth, could tell that something was bothering her mother. When she mentioned being called “Sa’krien spawn”, she saw her mother cringe, and her heart sank. “Momma, what does that mean? Why ayre you upset at that woyrd? What is a Sa’kyrien?”
“Well love, Sa’kyriens ayre a type of Samanayr that are… misundeyrstood. They have red hoyrns and such, and ayre diffeyrent fyrom most Samanayrs.”
“They’re bad.”
“Not exactly, dear…”
Wilds exhaled. “I’m glad I’m not a Sa’kyrien’s daughter.” Her mother flinched again, and she made a quiet noise after a pause. “Mom..ma?”
“Youyr siyre… was a Deseyrt Sa’kyrien… Wilds… He was a good stallion, I assuyre you. You have a lot of traits fyrom him! Youyr beautiful wings, foyr one. ”
“But.. he left… he… he’s a monsteyr! He’s not my siyre!” She shrieked angrily, stomping her talons, unable to believe that she may be half of the vile creature that the mares had spoken of.
“Wilds! You neveyr met him!”
“Exactly!” Her little sob shook her, as she stood up and whirled about, heading up the trail to the top of the mesa, her little wings flapping angrily, as she stared up at the now dusky sky, tears glimmering like diamonds as she galloped along the flat rock, headed for the ledge that towered above the sandy land. She was tired of being alone and different, she wanted to join her friends in the sky! Her wings pumped and her talons pushed against the rock, ignoring the neighs behind her that were growing louder and wilder in panic, flinging herself over the abyss, waiting to climb into the sky like the hawks she saw circling, wings spread.
But she plummeted. Her breath was snatched away, and she couldn’t find enough breath to shriek, feeling something warm collide with her, as she was roughly clasped to a warm chest, as her wingless mother clutched her close as they fell, her talons cradling her daughter tight.
There was a sickening thud and crack, and she could feel the body jerk and go still. The shock of the fall made her shake, and she slowly slid out from under now-limp forelegs, staring with big eyes at the crumpled and broken body of her dam. She whispered out her name, over and over, but nothing happened, the body only grew colder, leaving her to crouch over its form as the stars began to shine, unable to even cry from shock.
She glanced back at the wings, and made a soft breathy noise. They had failed her. She would never have friends among the stars, she would be stuck in this empty hot land forever.
She rose to her feet, and started walking, leaving the body behind, determined to make her own way.
Now, ages later, she found herself in a similar desert to the one she was born in. Her Sa’krien heritage was hidden from anyone who may see her, she appeared to be a mere Desert and Sa’grisayr hybrid, however, she knew her blood, and silently hated it. Sa’kriens were monsters, and she would never be one, she knew that.
The stallion had been odd, when she had seen him suddenly emerge from shadow. His spiky hide was pebbled like rocks, and his red eyes had focused her, reminding her of the same setting sun that had been the backdrop for her dam’s demise. But it was the red horns that had seized her, as she remembered the fateful conversation that night. Sa’kriens have red horns. She was talking to a kind Desert Mystic mare later one, and she confirmed her suspicions. The stallion was a Sa’krien, and for some reason, was following her.
Did he wish to cause her demise as well? She wasn’t sure, but she kept noticing him around. His presence scared, disturbed, and drew her in. She didn’t know what to do, but for now, she felt like prey. She continues to try and avoid him, though his strange followings continue to plague her, and she is lost on what to do about the strange creature stalking her. She had yet to speak to him, and the idea made her stomach clench with a mixture of scared curiosity and worry.
What lies in store for this mare?
(Okay.... maybe its not okay to make her Sire a hybrid. I don't know. X3 I can redo if not... though I don't know what I'd do. I'll probably edit when I notice grammar mistakes later. I can't wait to do the aquatic next, and see what people decide!)
.... I'm a very descriptive person alright! I like to convey emotion and description in my characters information. *sighs* If it's too story-like, I can rewrite.
Last edited by Seren on Wed Nov 30, 2011 6:06 pm, edited 2 times in total.
UserName:Nako Mare Name:True of the Solid Sands Description:In the utmost honesty, True had been absolutely terrified by the lizardlike creature's advances. It had almost been enough to drive her up a cactus. Almost. She'd taken more to burrowing nowadays to hide from unwanted attention and predators. Otherwise useless webbed wings would do well to shovel sand and soil away to make her warren.
So, originally terrified. But with time, came a most peculiar idea.
He's well grounded, at least. The only thing more frightening than a lizardy Sa'krien would be a flight-loving stallion that wanted nothing more than for her to use her wings. No.. not after that first horrible attempt at flight. She'd fallen from a tree during her first branching expedition. Falling was truly the worst experience of her life. But he branches were too thick, every attempt at stretching out her wings was met with a brutal slam that snapped the wing back upwards. Useless things that got in the way.. hurt her more than helped. If she'd had it her way, she'd have them removed… somehow.
It had been a bruise to her pride when the brutish, spiked Stallion taunted her for not flying away when he'd managed to pin her one day against a cliff face. A testament to her weakness at being unable to splay those useless sails, atrophied from lack of use. She'd screamed at him. Screamed that she'd -never- use those awful wings. He was in her face in a moment. True was sure that he might kill her then and there.
But he didn't. And he never truly went away, either. He'd left her alone that night in the dark, terrified and unsure. But in the days that came, he was always over the horizon, there when she'd just begin to think he'd given up his pursuit. It was as if he was waiting for something. For her.
It is horrifying; not because True was afraid he'd come after her again. Rather, it was because she was beginning to believe she should follow.
Last edited by Nako on Tue Nov 29, 2011 8:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Username: AsaraDragon Mare's Name: Brume of the Shrouded Bayou Description: Brume was born to the mystery and elusive beauty of the marshland. Her days as a foal were filled with adventure, as she stalked frogs and fish through the water, dodging and darting through the tangled roots of the everglade forest. She loved her home, but as she grew, the same paths that she swam as a foal slowly began to close her in. After a particularly terrifying afternoon, when her head got stuck in a log that used to be a cherished hiding place, she knew it was time to move on. At long last she was forced to acknowledge the yearning in her heart for more open waters, where she could once again swim freely. She bade a tearful goodbye to her dam and sire, as well as the other mares of her parents' Song, and with a last look over her shoulder, began her search for a new home. One that she could call her own.
She first started up the big river that fed into the marsh. It wound away to the north, and she followed where it led. It was a bit of work, fighting the current upstream, but she tackled it with the same zest for adventure that had served her so well as a foal. She did not see many other Samanayrs as she traveled, and certainly none that made the water their home, as she did. She was not too surprised by that, however. The channel of the river was broad, but it wasn't really a suitable home. After a few days of travel, the water was noticeably colder. She was a bit uncomfortable, but a rest in the sunny shallows of the river helped her to adjust to the new temperature.
At long last, Brume reached the mouth of the river. It was a large lake, surrounded by snow-capped mountains. The placid water was so inviting! She closed her eyes as she swam, reveling in the freedom of gliding through the water without running into anything. But then... BUMP! Her eyes flew open in surprise and confusion. What on earth had she hit? She almost couldn't believe her eyes when she realized she had struck the side of a large fluffy Samanayr... with flippers? And she didn't look too happy either.
Brume gulped. "I'm so soyrry! I didn't see you theyre at all. I was just... swimming... and..." Her voice died away in the heat of the stranger's fury. "INTYRUDEYR!", barked the large mare. "This is OUYR home! OUYR lake! You ayre not welcome heyre!" Brume had never met such an angry Samanayr before. But she didn't want to leave either. This was the first place she had really felt anything like freedom. "But... it's such a layrge lake, can't we maybe shayre?" "Theyre will be no shayring! This is ouyr lake!" And with that, the mare dove at Brume, intent on driving her away.
Brume panicked. She swam as fast as she could away from the fluffy mare. She cast about desperately for the river that led back to her home. Maybe there were places there she could live after all... maybe this hadn't been such a good idea. There! She spotted an opening between two of the mountains and darted down it. The other mare gave chase for a while, but stopped as she got farther away from the lake. "And don't come back!", she shouted after Brume.
It took Brume a while to calm down after her frantic flight from the lake, and even longer to quiet her thoughts about what had happened. She didn't understand why the mare had been so angry at her. There was no way she could have known that she was doing anything wrong! Brume hadn't been taught much about other Samanayrs. In truth, her parents hadn't known much about anything outside the marsh. All they had told her was that there were some Samanayrs who weren't very nice, and that she should be careful on her travels. "That flippered mare must have been one of the not nice kind", she thought to herself. "I'll keep away from THEM from now on, that's for sure!"
With that sorted out, Brume finally took a look around herself and realized that nothing looked familiar. That this wasn't the river she had been traveling on before she encountered the lake. Now what was she supposed to do? She couldn't go back to the lake, which pretty much meant that she couldn't go home. This wasn't a fun adventure any more. Still, there weren't really any other options than to continue on the way she was going and hope that she didn't run into any more mean Samanayrs. She felt very alone in the world, but she took a deep breath, shook herself all over, and swam purposefully down the river.
Brume traveled for many more days, watching the landscape on the riverbank change from spiky dark green trees to scrubby plains, then, oddly, to tall skinny trees with long pointy leaves at the tops. She had never realized how many different kinds of trees there were! The bottom of the river changed too. It was yellow now, and the water was quite warm. This was much more to her liking! And then she saw the end of the river. She paused for a moment, not sure if she should continue. After all, the last time she found open water, it didn't turn out very well. But then, she reasoned with herself, those flippery Samanayrs would have trouble here, in this nice warm water, with all that fur. Maybe the Sams that lived in this water would be more friendly. She hoped.
So she steeled herself, and swam out of the river mouth. She giggled when she noticed that the water here tasted different. It was saltier than the river had been, but she found that she liked it. She was delighted too to see many bright-colored fish lazing about in the water, and not another Samanayr in sight. She stretched out her fins and breathed a sigh of relief. At last, she was home.
Username: Seren Mare's Name: Quest of the Melodious Seas Description: Quest always has had a nose for adventure. Since she could first wiggle through the water, she’s been exploring and searching, whether for a dark rock with an odd gleam to it, to a funny looking spiky dragonet, or grabbing onto an electric eel with a foal’s fascination with the world around her. She gets lost in her own thoughts, her eyes getting misty as she twirls and leaps, breaching the water so her fins crest the waves as she cuts through the water. The currents and tides are her best friends, she was never very good at making friends.
She tried, of course, but she’d get sidetracked, or would get too close, and send potential companions flashing away with disapproval at the silly young mare. She didn’t mind though, she’d just return to daydreaming and dancing and sticking her muzzle where it doesn’t belong.
Koi had been an odd glimmer of fiery colors among the rich and vibrant blues, purples, and greens of her own world, and she had surprised him that first day, twisting about him and nibbling on his mane as he tried to talk to her, feeling exasperated with the oddly curious mare. But Koi’s lack of aquatic companions and her constant fascination with his form and life made a recipe for friendship that could not be broken.
Quest was distracted from her musings once when the stallion asked her about where she had been throughout her life. She was jerked from her thoughts in amazement, realizing she had never been outside of her harbor, and that night, without a second thought, disappeared to go explore the seas, leaving Koi alone to stay behind and meet his own ladies.
She knew that she couldn’t court Koi, she personally found the idea of them impossible, as Koi was so regal and handsome, and she was a silly little filly of a mare. She hoped he’d find some lovely other Aquatic mares, for she had given it a lot of thought. He needed mares like a leafy sea dragon, lovely, not a dolphin-like mare like her, always jittering about and spacing out. She sighed quietly and rolled through the currents embrace, letting it pull her far out to sea.
Soon it became colder, so when she poked her head above the waters, the air nipped at her, and her breath formed little clouds in the sky. After amusing herself with this newfound marvel she decided to find somewhere to rest. Spotting a strange white rock, she hefted herself up, and was shocked to find the freezing slippery surface beneath her, and ended up sliding off of it and flipping up so her tail waggled in the air before she smacked down in a strange warm spot in the water.
She snorted underwater with a snuff, glancing up towards the sky and the treacherous rock, before looking about, and suddenly was met with an odd sight. There was a little bundle of fluff in front of her, with massive sea-green eyes and a trembling little maw, two little tusk-buds poking out from his lips, his little tiny flippers trying to move his round little body through the water.
Her heart melted as she looked into those eyes, so big and frightened, and she found herself cooing softly to the colt, and using her fins to wrap him tight. His furry body immediately nestled closer, his eyes shutting at the warmth of another body. She glanced around, trying to spot his song, and waited there for a long time as he slept, but no other forms came to claim the little tyke.
Her heart was slowly melting towards him, and she started to think. No stallion would put up with her, maybe, but she’d always wanted a foal. And now… no no, he had a family, somewhere, she just needed to find his family. She looked down and gave him a toothy grin, starting forward, looking for any trace of other Aquatics like him. She trilled out occasionally, but finally had to rest, cradling the colt closer as she bobbed in the slight waves, commenting to herself what kind of names would suit him. She finally just decided to call him Seal, for now, and closed her eyes.
When she opened them, a fearsome pair of tusks were before her face, as the stallion breathed heavily, his dark features stormy with rage.
“What ayre you doing heyre?!” He then caught sight of the little dozing Seal and let out a bellow that would rival a bull seal’s, snapping at her fins angrily.
“Stop that! You’ll huyrt him!” She cried out, trying to backtrack away and keep him safe. The Northern Aquatic stallion reared his head and hissed darkly. “Foal stealeyr! We should byreak off youyr fins for such a cyrime!”
“He was all alone! I was tyrying to yreturn him!” She cried out, just as a flipped clubbed her head and sent her spinning, the colt torn from her grip, her head slowly stopped ringing, as she heard the whimpering cries of Seal as he was carried away. She tried to follow, but knew she couldn’t keep up with a Northern in such cold waters.
Her return home was far slower, her spirit crushed and body weak, before she dragged herself back into the harbor, to find that in the months of her journeys, Koi had begun a family, and had a full Song. He brightly introduced his old friend to his mares, and they seemed so nice, but it was the last little shard in her heart to break. She had left him, she knew, but some small part of her had wished it to be so. But no longer, she remarked to herself as she lay on a rock. She felt… world-weary. Quest’s thirst for adventure had been trampled, and now, she merely wondered if anyone could ever renew that desire in her again.
Username: SilverDapples Mare's Name: Trance of The Lulling Waters Description: Trance had always lived near the fan of a large river, with it's strange waters and yet still coral homes. She had met many whom were pulled out by the sometimes strong current, and was always eager to watch her family help these strangers. Always her older siblings and parents though, none of them allowed her in helping them with this task. Her parents knew the waters well, they always helped strangers who had gotten lost, buffeted off course by strong currents or rough storms.
And still she was not allowed to help, even when her fangs grew in and her fins grew large. Her only consolation for all of this was a friend she had made upon chance.
When she had first met this stallion, it was when she had just found something to eat. She was going to polish her scales in the warm shallows that had fine sand in them. With ease she was moving forward, hind legs tucked up as her tail worked for her. She had just closed her eyes to bask in the rays of sunlight, and then... WHAM
Trance's eyes shot open as she let out a gasp, inhaling water and loosing her freshly caught air. Something had poked her chest... And hard. With huge, wide-with-surprise eyes, she stared at the being before her. He looked pudgy. He had thick fur that was nearly as dark as the sky on a summers night, and that was being tugged this way and that by the waters. He had Eyes of startling blue, and jade green marks, like the sun makes when it filters through the water to rest on the warming sands. His tail was thick and just as well haired, and his flippers, though she doubted he had any, were covered with hair. Two tusks adorned his mouth, which stuck out in front of his face, different then her little fangs. "Ayre you alyright?" He finally asked her, after both had gotten over the shock of the run in.
"Huh? Oh! Yes, yes of couyrse I am fine!" That was the start to their friendship. He was a Northern Aquatic, as she later found out. He looked perfectly suited for the could north, Trance would later come to that conclusion, after both made great headway as friends. He let her ask all the questions she wished, and he his own. They would explore, though not far enough north to be where her friend lived, just... around.
Both he and she were fully grown, a stallion, and a mare. They were the only ones for each other, and that is what Trance believed fully. Until the day...
It was just like any other summer day, when the sun would shine golden rays of light and warmth, and heat the sand beds that lay under the water. He always met her here, because he knew how much she loved rolling around in the sun warmed waters and sands. But something was off that day, and Trance couldn't put a flipper on it.
He never showed.
That was odd. They never went a day without seeing each other without pre-warning. Trance felt her stomach tightening, a look of worry crossing her face. "Pattern?!" She nearly howled, taking off through the waters as she started calling his name, with a more frantic note each time. But her Northern Aquatic, her giant, pudgy-fluffed friend, was nowhere to be seen. But Trance looked on still, she swam farther then she had before, away from her parents and the lands that her siblings inhabited, and into unknown territory.
Worry, frustration, anger and sadness, with the overwhelming feeling of tiredness coursed through her veins like iron, it soon swept over her body with the rage of a provoked bull. She could do no more then curl up in a ball by the uninhabited swamp that she swam into on accident. Every morning she awoke to the sounds of booming bull frogs. She never left that place, which to her, seemed hidden from the world. The feelings that she came with, stayed with her, seething and boiling, but never gone. Trance had lost track of time in the seemingly timeless place. And the first real thing that happened to her upon arrival, was her meeting a stallion named Koi of the Glorious Pond. The name amused her, she thought, why should someone limit themselves to just a pond? But upon meeting him, she felt better. Yes, she was annoying at times, but he dealt with that easily. He was the one who got her to stray from her little swamp, helping him explore, and then, finding an area fit for a Song!
She had no wish to become one of his mares, no, she was his friend, and that was good enough for her. But he did settle in that place, took his mares there with many thanks to Trance, and each begged her to stay for just a bit longer. She didn't like the two furry mares as much as Koi's others, but she let them be, they looked nothing like him after all.
No longer then four days she stayed, and then... she left. She would leave her swamp, and this area, no, she decided she would not return home, but instead, instead she would explore, find out of the things that she had lost when the water stole her life and she lay asleep for too long.
Warm to cold, she decided, and then, she set off.
Username: Nighthenge Mare's Name: Lilt of the Whispering Sands Description: Lilt giggled to herself as she put on a burst of speed and left the Sa’krien behind. She had led the stallion on a merry chase this morning. Teasing him was so much FUN! She wasn’t ready to end the game yet, but needed to catch her breath and began to look around for a place to stop. In the distance she saw a promising rock formation and angled towards it.
“This”, Lilt though, “this is a peyrfect place to stop!” Lilt leapt on to the outcropping and scrambled to the top. Singing to herself, she settled down to wait and soak up the sun. Her new “friend” wasn’t as fast as she. It would take a while for the stallion to catch up to her this time.
As she finished her song, movement in the sky caught her attention. Lilt looked up to see a pair of birds riding the air currents. For a brief moment she longed to be up there with them, heading South back to her birth song. She would show them she could do it. She could fly. Her wings weren’t wrong. She could soar with them like she was meant to.
“Oh, I wish. I wish. I wish,” she sighed.
I could never be. It would never be. She knew that, knew it well in fact. How many times had she been told her wings were worthless? More times than there were grains of sand in this little patch of desert. Her wings were not big enough. Not strong enough. Not good enough. Not. Not! NOT!
Her family had all had big beautiful wings. They had proper wings with feathers, not her naked, bony…things. Of course she couldn’t fly with them. She had never even tried to fly with them. What was the point? They could never lift her up. Could never do their job. Her family all said so. They would know best surely?
“When I was a foal I thought foyr suyre they could lift the woyrld with theiyr beautiful wings. But, I can’t. That will neveyr be me,” Lilt said to herself. She turned to glare at the offenders. “Woyrthless, useless, ugly things!”
A scratching sound called her back to the present. She gave her feathers a shake, shedding her memories off with the movement. She had traveled far from her family and she would not go back.
Lilt looked down. Rooting around the base of her rocky perch was the Sa’krien. Her suitor had found her! “At least I hope he is a suitoyr and means to couyrt me,” she though as she jumped down to land behind him on the sand. “I suyre would like to find a home!”
Having grabbed the stallion’s attention with her dramatic leap, she bolted off to start their game anew.
Since we can enter for both...I thought I would. :3 and sorry but I kinda went all out. ^_^;; I was REALLY bored at work. <3 Entry for Desert Sa'grisayr Mare
Username: Rikkugirl Mare's Name: Swoon of the Desert Moon Description:
Swoon has always been delicate since birth. She was the runt. Small and powerless, she grew up with her two brothers, Sway and Swipe, always taunting and teasing her for her fear of flight. "How can you not fly yet?!", "You have wings! Use them!" , "Youyr a failuyre if you can't fly" were just some of the comments her brothers would say, hurting her pride and self confidence. She tried do get over their banther but always fell prey to sad emotions.
Her fear of flight came when she was just a filly. Her mother and father raised her and her brothers in the hole of a large cactus, their enterance at the top. Upon her mother leaving one day to get food, her brothers started prodding and poking at one another. "Come on! We can do it!" Her brother Sway said as he extended his feathered wings inside their home. It was tight space. Annoyed with their will to leave the cactus to try and fly, Swoon moved uneasily up. She had never seen outside, she was curious yet terrified of what she will see.
With uneasy feet she sauntered behind her brother up to the enterance. She watched her brother puff up his chest and jump! "NO!!" She squealed as she watched her brother disappear from their home. "Wait foyr me!" her brother Swipe said pushing past her and leaping out as well. She was alone. Tears began to well in her eyes as she felt the chill of solitary. "W..wait foyr me..." She chirped as she stuck her head out the enterance.
The world was BIG! She wimpered as she saw her brothers floating softly down to the ground, which was very far away. A tear slowly made its way down her face and dripped off her beak. She opened her little wings and looked at them. She did not want to go, she wasnt ready. As she pondered what to do she heard her brothers once more "Come on scayrdey cat!" . She took a deep breath and puffed up her chest like her brother did and with eyes closed she jumped out the hole.
The wind flew by, making her feathers twitch and itch. She opened her eyes, finding herself falling towards the ground...fast. "Open youyr wings stupid!" they yelled to her as if it would help her fly better. She fell like a rag doll, her wings moving but in no real motion. She gulped and tried to open her wings, swooping back up a little catching a draft...success. She was flying! She did it! She slowly glided in a spiral down to her brothers. Suddenly a small pain shot through her body and without warning she fell straight down, a needle from the cactus tore the lining of her bat winged membrane. She fell fast and hard, hitting the ground at full force. Her brothers standing there in awe. Their eyes widened as she hit the ground with a 'thud'.
Swoon lay there in pain, her limbs bent in seemingly painful positions. She was motionless, not even breath seemed to escape her body. Her brother Swipe started to panic. "Go get mom!" he yelled to Sway who didn't even hesitate to jump into the air and begin flapping. Swipe finally moved to his sisters side, nudging her with his beak. Suddenly a breath escaped her mouth as she coughed and then began to cry. "Mommy..." She said softly. "Shes on her way..." Swipe said trying to comfort her. "MOMMY!!!!" She screamed, her voice shrill and echoing. Luckily their mother was close by and was able to nurse her back to health. She had injured her front right front right leg, causing her to limp slightly when she walked. She never flew again and vowed to never fly again.
Happily grounded Swoon, forced her father to peck out a new enterance to their home. Though he resisted she was able to coax him into submission. The ground was much safer. Day by day went by and Swoon found herself walking...alot. She did not miss the sky. Every day she would walk roughtly 3 times a day normally after meals, it helped to settle her stomach. Her favorite walk has always been her desert moon walks. Oh how she loved the moon. She loved the soft glow it would put on her, it made her feel like she was magical. With each passing day she would walk farther and farther away from her cactus home.
In the moons light Swoon found herself walking peacefully, the wind nipping at her just a bit. She stopped as the night wind picked up, closing her eyes blissfully. She listened to the night and then opened her eyes, appreciating the soft glow and the melodic sounds of the now cool desert. Her head jerked suddenly as a lound roar like sound came from her right. With a small chirp she stood fast, her eyes wide. A large spine stricken male approached her angrily. She hissed as he approached, her feathers standing on edge. "What ayre you doing heyre!? You ayre not welcome!" he roared as he rushed to her, his horns and spines flairing as he stood before her.
He was scary! She started backing up slowly, thankful that it was all open space. He snorted at her lack of an answer. She began to feel full fear as she stared into his red eyes, the moon causing them to glow like rubies. "What is youyr name!" he demanded. She lifted her head back as she took one more step away. "....Swoon" She said as she turned and began to run. She darted towards home, her feet light and swift. How was she supposed to react? She didnt THINK she was doing anything wrong. She made it home safe, rushing through the ground floor hole and up to her room cooing as she snuggled up to her mother, her heart still pounding. She winced before going to sleep, her leg ached from the fast paced run.
Days passed and for months she had sworn she saw the stallion... everywhere. Every time she took her walk she would see him. Maybe it was her imagination? A mirage? She didnt know for sure. It weirded her out to a point to where she started to become paranoid. He seemed so mad when they first met... why is he stalking her like this? she would think to herself, hoping for answers. With a snort of annoyance she finally decided to confront the stallion and find out what he wanted. That night she went on her moon walk, the desert singing lightly in the distance. Whirls of howls and hoops came from the distance desert as she walked in the moons glow. As always there he was.
Red eyes glowed a few feet away as she heard him breathing. She must have walked right past him before. A little spooked she started to back up but quickly shook her head and stopped herself. Her face turned sour as she approached the scary male. She puffed up her feathers and gave off a loud snarled screech "Why ayre you following me?!" she turned angry, though it was just an act. She wanted to come off as forceful! She was tired of being scared. She cant fly AND shes a scaredy cat?! She would not be! She refused! Her eyes focused on the red touched male. He seemed shocked at her outburst, cocking his head to the side. No mare has ever approached him in such a way... "I find you intyriguing" He said simply. Obviously she had imprinted on him something strong.
Almost sad for her impression she relaxed her feathers and tightened her wings to her body. "I..." She wanted to apologize but remembered her father saying "apologies ayre foyr the weak...just leayrn and we are even". She bowed her head and and said "Swoon...Swoon of the Deseyrt Moon". He opened his eyes very wide and slowly walked towards her "What did you say?" he said in shock. "My name is Swoon of the Deseyrt Moon" She said softly. "You asked me befoyre what my name was..." She blinked slowly. "I am Spike of the Ayrid Scale...and I will not stop until you ayre mine" he said in a very monotoned voice. His eyes never waivered from hers. He was obviously not ever going to stop.
Ever since that encounter she has found herself walking with him every night, their conversations intricate and interesting. She found him to be tough with a very soft sweet spot. He did advance very strongly but she saw that as pure interest. Finally one day she decided to do what she thought he wanted...
"Spike... Will you make me youyr mayre" She said softly under the moons light...
The rest has yet to be made... Will he accept? Does he REALLY want to be with her or was his stalking all some sick game? Only the future will tell... but as of now, they walk under the moon together.
Last edited by RikkuGirl on Fri Dec 02, 2011 11:18 am, edited 17 times in total.
Me too seren! I have been doing this ALL day. lol I LOVE reading all the stories! I hope I did mine well. ^_^;;;; I kind of choke on back stories and personality profiles O.o;; I kind of just let things come to me for the most part in rp.
^_______________^ thank you so much again for the chance to do this! It is a VERY cool and fun idea. <3333
Username: amazondreamer Mare's Name: Scour of the Desert Winds Description: Before her birth, Scour’s mother was the lead mare in a Song of Sa'grisayrs, dwelling in the cliff faces of a large canyon. The song was large and prosperous; the raging river which had carved the canyon over the eons was full of succulent fish and small scurrying game was plentiful among the sheltering rocks.
The stallion of this song was an exceptionally vain and proud Sa'grisayr, with a nasty streak of jealousy. When Scour was born the stallion’s suspicions were raised, though the young filly resembled both her parents in coloration, neither parent possessed the webbed draconic wings or the sharp spines running along her spine. The stallion demanded an explanation from his mate, and when the mare (who was just as confused as the stallion) could not answer, the paranoid male supplied his own.
The mare was unfaithful, he decided, and must have associated with another male. Unwilling to succor the progeny of another, the stallion drove off the newborn and his duplicitous mare, heedless of her pleas and cries. The mare begged for clemency for herself and her child, insisting she was wrongfully accused. But the stallion persisted, driving the pair away from the canyon and his remaining females with fierce wing beats and slashes from his talons.
Unable to travel far with a newborn in tow, the mare followed the raging river upstream. She followed one of the smaller tributaries to the base of a massive ridge of sandstone. The source of the stream was a small seep of water, flowing steadily from the ridge. And it was here that the mare settled to live as an outcast, raising her strange looking daughter as best she could.
As the filly grew, the mare made no secret of how the pair had come to their situation. Though the mare cared for her daughter, she couldn’t help blame the growing filly for her fall from grace. She had had everything a mare could ever want, and now she was alone and eking out a living under the hot sun and subsisting on tough and bitter lizards. The elder blamed her daughter for the actions of the stallion, and as she grew up the filly felt the same, internalizing her guilt and frustration.
The mare refused to teach her daughter to fly, insisting that those hideous wings were the source of all their problems. And so young Scour believed her mother, and began to loath her own wings. The filly grew up a terrestrial Sa'grisayr, and became adept at prowling amongst the rocks and sand dunes that made up her home. The seasons passed and the gangly filly grew into a lanky mare. As her skills in hunting became proficient, the time came for mother and daughter to part ways.
The mare wished her daughter luck, and expressed regret that their life together had not been different. And then, without a backwards glance the mare took flight, soaring westward, away from the river and away from the rocky ridge.
Scour, at a loss, turned eastward and began walking out into the hot sands. She didn’t know what lay beyond, but no other direction was available to her. And so she traveled, across parched sands- searching, but for what?
After what seemed like ages, Scour found herself in a region of red rocks and small scrubby brush. Her stomach rumbled, reminding her it had been days since her last meal. The mare began nosing through the underbrush and overturning rocks, looking for anything remotely edible. She was surprised to discover what looked like the tracks of the scurrying lizards she was used to hunting- but bigger! So much bigger! Perplexed and curious, the mare followed the trail only to find herself nose to nose with a very angry stallion.
The stallion demanded to know what she was doing and why she was following him. Scour stammered an apology and tried to come up with an explanation. She had never seen a male of the species, and while this scaly creature was strange there was something distinctly intriguing about him. But the scorn and contempt in his voice was clear, and Scour knew that her timid nature and destitute situation would never impress him or gain his respect.
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I went more with a self-loathing than an actual fear of flight, hope that's alright. And zomg this is such a marvelous and generous thing to do Jenn! Thank you very much for providing this opportunity I can't wait to see how both ladies look all colored up.
I'm absolutely loving what everyone's coming up with so far, though I'm making sure to just briefly skim. I won't read anything in-depth until after the contest officially closes so that people have plenty of time for edits without an earlier version influencing me. A nice diversity of personalities so far, and I love seeing how people treat the "twists".
I can't reread my own posts too much, or I start questioning myself. XD Oh well! I love reading everyone else's, they're fantastic! I can't believe how people are finding so many different angles to go with this. ^___^
I have deliberately not read anyone else's post so far, so if this is similar to anyone else's entry...I didn't mean it to be. Will probably be back with one for the aquatic to if I can get my brain going on histories.
Entry for Desert Sa'grisayr Mare
Username: Origami_Dragon Mare's Name: Furl of the Grounded Thunder Description: Furl is not the name her mother gave her; when she left her birth Song as a wild and headstrong young mare it was under the name of Flight of the Wild Lightning. Back then she was daring and adventerous, soaring through the canyons of her birthplace at daredevil speeds, racing on storm winds, turning her poor mother's fur grey before its time. The Song was fairly pleased to see her off on her own, though most of the other mares speculated that the filly would be dead before she turned five if she kept going as she had been. Even her Sa'grisayr mother and desert father believed much the same, though neither of them said it out loud at least.
After leaving home she decided that she wanted to go deeper into the desert and explore the place that was her birthright from her father's side. However, since his family had lived only on the outskirts of the desert for the past several generations, the young mare had never learned very much about the deep desert and survival out there. The burning days and freezing nights didn't bother her at first, but eventually they drove her to travel by night, heedless of the conditions as she strove to keep warm as she increasingly approached starvation. She was also unaware that even the deserts drew thunderstorms every now and again.
When the storm first blew up she actually laughed. Here at last was something interesting, something challenging. And also...water. Water free for the taking with no fierce wild beasts nor defensive Songs to guard it. She flew as though intending to head right to the clouds themselves, right into the teeth of the worst storm she had ever seen, much less experienced. Lightning flashed and thunder boomed as gusting winds and torrential rains blinded her, tossing her violently through the sky until she no longer knew which way was up or how to reach land again. Finally, after what seemed like hours her battered body thuded into the damp sands and the storm moved on, leaving her broken and beaten on the ground.
It was the tentative testing of some small desert lizard that roused her at last. Her feeble attempts to snatch the mouthful up spooked it and roused a whole host of aches and pains throughout her body. For a long time she lay there, shivering in the night chill, half wishing she was dead. She never wanted to do that again. She never wanted to fly again.
Renaming herself Furl of the Grounded Thunder, the mare eventually did recover her will to live, but she was changed forever. No more was she the carefree, joyful mare her family had known. Now she slunk cautiously along, eyes darting constantly for signs of danger. She thrived better in the desert this way, but she now avoided all contact with others, learning for herself which plants and animals could be eaten, what the signs of danger were.
Eventually her roamings took her to a place occupied by a Sa'krien stallion and his Song, though it was some time before she realized this, only discovering it when the stallion stalked up to what she had thought was an oasis known only to her. He scared her, oh yes he did. So spiky, so fierce, so dangerous. And yet...he drew her too. Dangerous he might be, but if she was his...then perhaps he would protect her with that danger. So now she lingers in one place, no longer roaming, her mind divided. Stay or go? Either way bears risks she fears, either way promises hopes she barely dares dream of. She cannot tell if he courts her or merely toys with his dinner. Both options dismay, both whisper temptingly. And so, day by day she lingers, dancing on the dagger's edge between life and death, freedom and security. Only time will tell what her future holds as she courts her fate, risking all on this toss of the dice.
Username: Janalee Mare's Name: Joy of the Unkept Secret (she likes to go by 'Just' though- it seemed more friendly and familiar to her to kind of go by her initials, plus she gets to think people are talking about her whenever she overhears the word when casually eavesdropping (as opposed to her more usual earnestly eavesdropping... XD)) Description:
Charming and gregarious, Joy (Just, if you please!) makes it a point to know everybody- and to know all of their business, too. Couple that with an amazingly good memory, and she’s become rather well known as the queen of gossip, at least as far as news from under the water and along the shoreline goes. Some no doubt find that extremely annoying and look at her coming with a sort of dread, wondering what information she would weasel out of them this time- most find it all in good fun though, since she has a distinct preference for good news if she can get it. Managing to get Koi to stay nearby (Such a handsome, exotic stallion for the local ladies!) was one of her newest great pleasures, and to hear her tell it (as no doubt everyone has), she was practically responsible for his having a Song (With an Elemental, no less! And that Wanderer is such a sweetheart). She, of course, had next to nothing to do with the last bit anyway, but no one has either had the heart to correct her or known that it wasn’t true; most likely the former though, since she does have a habit of taking more credit than is really her due for any happy event she can. Some of the more unkind Sams might consider that rather narcissistic, though most just see it as creative storytelling to make the gossip more personal- really, it’s probably a bit of both, as she comes to believe her exaggerations. She has a strong need to be seen as friends with everyone, though if anyone had ever thought about it, they’d realize that while everyone knows who she is, next to no one actually knows her very well at all. Joy (Just!) has certainly never considered that, and a good thing too- making herself the center of attention, and believing that everyone views her coming with pleasure, has given her a good deal of satisfaction in life. So what if she wasn’t part of a Song, and didn’t have a set place to call home? She had a hundred places she would be welcomed into, and besides, she had far too many beaus to consider settling down and disappointing everyone else now.
Though she acts as if she comes from everywhere, or at least knows everywhere well, she actually grew up in a rather close-knit Song, where she was much the same as a filly as she is now as a mare, though she had a much smaller ring of influence then. Her birth Song had a sister-Song relationship with a Northern Aquatic Song- the story of why was so old that both sides claimed that one of their ancestors had saved one of the other Song’s ancestors, though how much truth was in the story at all was debatable. In any case, for a while there had been a tradition of sending the older foals to the other Song for a month or so, as a sort of semester abroad learning experience for them. When it was Just’s turn to go (Yay!), she was of course extremely excited; she had the bad luck to go just before there was an unseasonably harsh, cold spell though. The Northern Aquatic foals rather thought it was a rare stroke of luck- there was a whole new world of ice to explore and games to play with it now, after all- but her lack of velvetted fur and flippers denied her the ability to join their above-ground explorations very much. Instead, she was colder than she knew it was possible to be, and more than a little hurt that an ‘ice-day’ could steal the excitement of her coming away from her so quickly. After a well-meaning foal threw some ice at her in a game like underwater snowball, which only made her more miserable and may have cut her slightly (she thought it had, anyway), she swore to herself that she wouldn’t forgive them if they didn’t apologize to her for being so rude- and, of course, the Northern Aquatic foals not even dreaming that there could be a reason to apologize, never did. She’s kept true to her self-made promise, and views Northern Aquatics with an aloofness that is markedly, and almost entertainingly so to those few who have seen it, different from her usual chipper self. Luckily, since that time she’s preferred warmer and warmer waters in an effort to never be cold again, and so her bias gets her into much less trouble than it could, and disturbs her peace of mind far less.
(Well, I don't know if I'll have time to fix my first entry after all...but at least I managed to get my second one in. ^_^ Now, to sleep, and hopefully have some free time this weekend to finally read through the other entries. Good luck with the judging, and thanks again for the chance!)
Username: silvermoondragon Mare's Name: Twist of the Flightless Dove Description:
A flash of lightning shot across the sky with a large crack, illuminating the Sa'grisayr mare flying terrified across the sky. Another flash illuminated a pair of red glowing eyes of a very lizard-like Sa'krien at the top of a dessert cliff, laughing and watching her terror with joy. Just as the Sa'grisayr neared the cliff, desperate to land on the only safe spot around, a final bolt of lightning danced through the air. As if in slow motion, their eyes met once more before the bolt of lightning struck the Sa'grisayr.
---
Twist woke with a start, beads of sweat rolling off her forehead. It was happening again.
These terrible nightmares had started as a young foal, just as she had reached the age when all the other foals had joyfully begun their flying lessons. Her parents had tried to find a Healer to help her through the horrible nightmares, but nothing seemed to work. Each night she dreaded that stormy night, and those beady red eyes staring down at her that were almost certain to occur every night.
Once she left her birth song and began wandering, the nightmares had seemed to drop off, leaving her with peaceful dreams and restful sleep. However the past few days they had begun happening again, perhaps even more intense than before.
She got up with a sigh, tucking her wings as close to her body as she could. She had never been able to stomach flying. Every time she even opened her wings she would be plunged into darkness, reliving the horrible nightmare once again.
Putting the nightmare behind her as best she could, she turned her thoughts to other matters. What was for breakfast? A quick poke under the desert rocks found nothing of interest, but she noticed a trail of some kind leading off a ways into the desert. Following, she came across a large boulder and some other large rocky formations. Moving around one to continue her hunt, she found herself face to face with the glowing eyes of her nightmare. She was stupefied at first. Could this be real? But watching the expression in her demon's eyes turn from surprise to pleasure, she knew she had to escape. She could almost feel the clutches of the nightmare rolling in again, ready to leave her helpless. Rearing up, she let out a loud screech, clawing at the air a moment before quickly turning and launching herself into a headlong sprint in the opposite direction.
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She had managed to get away from him then, her long limbs easily faster than his, but in the days following, she kept seeing his scaly form in the distance, following her. Her dreams were also intensifying, if only because she could now notice some form of recognition in his eyes.
Was he maybe sharing these dreams with her? The thought terrified her at first, but perhaps...
((I hope I've portrayed Spike alright, this would definitely be fun to RP sometime! Also, sorry if it's a bit quick or rushed, I need to start studying for finals!))
Username: Delicious Mare's Name: Plummet from the High Peaks Description:
Plummet was born into the world in an ordinary enough fashion, in a smallish nest in a rock outcropping that overlooked the desert. She share the nestling home with three others, her two parents, a pair of rather dapper Desert Sa'grisayrs, and her fluffball of a twin. Plummet and her twin were cuddled and cossetted, quite beloved of the their two parents, and life was quite good for the first few weeks. Unfortunately for Plummet, but even more so for her twin, this lovely span did ended much shorter than anyone would have guessed.
The view from the nest was fantastic, high upon the rock face, but being young She didn't think anything of it at the time - it was just the way things were. Both foals had been warned repeatedly by their parents not to stray too close to the edge, not until their feathers grew in, and they were ready to fly. Both of their children nodded solemnly, but really had no idea how to put two and two together at that time - falling meant nothing to them, they had lived their entire lives so far on the ledge & nest where it was level enough that even tripping was hard to do.
Usually, however, this lack of understanding was not a problem - because at least one parent was there to keep an eye on them at all times. One day, however, their father had sailed off to go look for food, but shortly after he had left there was a great cacophany of screeching not far from the nest. Their mother, recognizing her stallion's battle cry in the mix, flew off to aid in the fray - but not before telling the foals to sit tight.
It seemed ages that the screeching and such continued - though looking back, it could have scarcely have been minutes - and while Plummet was wide-eyed and beside herself with this unexpected fracas, her brother was quite the opposite. He was raring to go and assist with the fight.
And so, mimicing the oft-watched departure of his parents, he spread his little stubby wings, flapped them a few times - and ran off the ledge; obviously expecting to majestically take to the air as his father and mother did. This was, unfortunately, not how it worked - his little wings too small for his small pudgy foal body, could not keep him aloft, and he fell like a stone. Plummet saw him disappear from beneath the ledge, and waited for him to reappear again farther away from the ledge - but he never did.
She eventually worked up the courage to peek over the edge - but could make out nothing in the far below that looked anything like her brother. Several minutes later the noises of fighting died down, and her parents returned in quick succession to the nest - looking rather rumpled, and missing a few feathers and bleeding in places. It took a couple of minutes, so exhausted and distracted were they, before they noticed her brother's lack of precense. Plummet stuttered out an explination - and father dashed off wide-eyed, leaving her mother keening behind - obviously wanting to go, but unwilling to leave Plummet behind unattended again.
Her father returned shortly, cradling the broken body of a small sa'grisayr in his claws - the remains of her brother. Wild was the grief, sobs and cries from her mother - louder even than the battle of minutes before. And afterwards Plummet never was the same - her parents named her in rememberence of their lost little one, and were so overprotective the practically smothered her in worries that she would share the same fate as her twin.
Little wonder then, as it became time for her to try her wings, they could not coax her with word or treat or promise, to open them. Plummet refused - so terrified of falling and ending in a broken heap like her brother, convinced that if she never left the ground, she could never fall. Her parents tried everything, to no avail, and eventually she grew so frusterating to them that they asked her to leave the nest (a burdeonsome thing, requiring a lot of careful, fearsome crawling down from the great rock heights).
So now she scours the deserts looking for somewhere to call home - and ran across the Song of the Livid Spike in the process. Being rather against the nasties of flitting, feathered things - Spike called her out on her fluttering status, but Plummet refused his attempts at labeled and spat right back. Angry, and upset, at her loss of a home, and uncertain future - unwilling to take the nastiness of this random stallion on top of it. She was no flier, not at all! She flared her wings at him, hissed her repudation of the flying-related tags before stalking off.
Spike, his curiosity aroused, followed the mare - his curiosity, and other interested, aroused by this show of spine - but still sure, deep down, that she was lying at this staunch resolution of lack of flight. Surely if followed her long enough he could catch her in this lie - and he could call her out on it, and she'd be forced to recognize the truth of her lie, and his claims...
tl;dr - Plummet saw her brother die as a result from a great fall, and between that trauma and the relentless resulting overprotection of her parents, has refused to ever fly, so that she may never fall. She ran into Spike, who spat and snarled at her being a winged 'flit' of a thing - which she snarled back that she was no such thing. He now trails her, curiousity interested by her snarls, but rather hoping to catch her in flight and call those nasty names right back at her in truth.
I'd hoped to sneak a last minute entry in for the aquatic too...but didn't feel so great yesterday. I do have a fair number of aquatics already...so maybe it's good that she'll definitely go home with someone with fewer of the watery lovelies to enjoy.
ill be editing this, thans! 
this is so awesome of u!
