Young Mystic Stallion Goes a-Courtin'

[Jennalyn]

Mystic of the Echoing Jungle

Stormy gray eyes flicked briefly from side to side as the young Mystic stallion took in the area. He'd heard stories of this place, of course, as did every young foal. The Song of the Rainbow Hotsprings was practically sacred ground for their species, a place to put aside differences and meet without rancor, even if only for a short time. Many Samanayrs of different species made the trek to visit their ancestral home at least once in their lifetime.

That was precisely what Echo counted on in coming here. He had reached the age of maturity only a few months ago and it was time for him to begin thinking about founding his own Song, or else becoming a bachelor and roaming the land. If he could find himself a lovely lady, though... well. He would prefer to begin establishing himself as a lead stallion rather than a wandering nuisance to established Songs.

He could already see others in the distance, some walking and others soaring through the air. This was the place...

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OOC:

Well now! My darling Mystic boy has finally matured and shown his true stripes, which are quite stripey indeed. He is searching for at least one mare to join him in founding a Song. He is most comfortable with warm, steamy forests, so any mare who can't handle a bit of heat or humidity probably won't enjoy their new surroundings.

He's been around magic all his life, so that doesn't phase him in the least. He's also a bit hard-headed in his youth, but I have a feeling that will begin to mellow as he gets older, especially if at least one of his mares is more spirited. His sister is the quiet sort, so he enjoys their company very much, but a playful challenge might also be nice.

Echo is not looking for any Mystic mares to join him for RP reasons that I would love to play out sometime, should the owner of the mare(s) be interested in roleplay. Any other species is welcome, with the exceptions of pure Northerns and Miseries. Mares with at least a hint of color on them that compliment his in some fashion are preferred. They don't have to match at all, but complimenting is always nice. For a good example, check out the Song of the River Flowers.

If your mare is interested in joining his future Song, please reply below. RP is optional - you can just type OOC as her owner, as I'm doing now - but welcome. The owner of the lead mare will get to help me come up with a name for their Song.

Last thing: please don't take it personally if Echo doesn't quite take to your mare. I still luff you. <3 They just weren't the right match.

[Origami_Dragon]

((Shall we see how they'll get along then?))



The hustle and bustle of this place was enough to set Sparkle on edge. Never very outgoing she found the sheer number of Samanayrs gathered at the Song of the Rainbow Hotsprings quite overwhelming. And yet...it was better than being completely alone, wasn't it? She snorted uneasily to herself, hiding under the foliage. Her soft green body blended in for the most part, with the rainbows that ran down her legs looking at quick glance like odd flowers in the brush. She tried to convince herself that this was better than lone wandering, but wasn't entirely sucessful.

What would be nice was a home of her own with just a few others. But she shivered softly as she thought of actually approaching one of those bold, prancing young males out searching for mares. What if they rejected her? What if they already had mares who didn't like her? She could what-if herself to death, or so she'd been told, but that didn't stop the fears from rising and freezing her in panic that swiftly turned to flight.

Wickering softly to herself she gave a nervous glance around. For the moment there were few nearby. Cautiously she eased her way out of the bushes to stand out on the path, looking around. Abruptly she froze. There was one closer than she'd thought. His forest colors blended into the area just as hers did. She stared, huge black eyes going wide. A Mystic. He was a Mystic. All her short life she'd heard tales of the magic workers, but she'd never seen one before. Ooh, what a fool she must look, standing here staring at him like some unnamed little foal. But shy as she might be Sparkle was still a young mare, and the Mystic was quite the attractive young stallion. It was hard to look away.

[Jennalyn]

Echo hadn't noticed the flashes of green and rainbow in the brush, his eyes too busy drinking in the sights of this Samanayr mecca. There were probably more of them close to the buildings, weren't there, the ones owned and operated by the Sharians? He would steer clear of those, but maybe see who lingered close. He'd heard stories of all sorts of bizarre Samanayr-kin, some with bits on their bodies that they weren't born with and others from another world altogether. He wanted to see how much of that was fact and how much fiction.

Walking down the path that led to the more common areas, he came to an abrupt halt as a shape stepped out of the brush not two feet in front of him. Dark gray eyes stared into shiny, reflective black and he blinked out of reflex. The stare broken on his end, he could briefly take in the rest of her. A Lamanayr without wings? But no, that sort of things didn't happen to pure Lamanayrs. Only when the species interbred. Perhaps she had a Samanayr sire or dam?

He realized belatedly that he hadn't said anything for all of ten seconds and felt suddenly embarrassed. Maybe she was waiting for him to speak, as a stallion? He knew that some Songs were more traditional in that respect, or at least it had been hinted. He couldn't just keep standing there rudely, though.

"You picked an inteyresting hiding place," was the first thing that came out, and then he felt like twice the fool. He hated feeling foolish! It just reminded him of his age. One hoof shifted nervously on the hard-packed surface of the path and his head raised slightly. What a pretty tail she had.

"Apologies. My name is Echoingjungle~Mystic and I am newly a visitoyr." And now he sounded even younger and more inexperienced? Way to go... at least the introduction had been fine. He just wasn't used to speaking to pretty young mares in strange new situations before. It was one thing, being buoyed by the confidence of a Song. It was another standing with no one but yourself to carry you in a conversation, speaking purely on your own merits and unsure what you'd just walked into. He would probably have to get used to the feeling for a little while at least, though.

[Origami_Dragon]

It wasn't until Echo blinked and spoke that Sparkle was able to look away. One foot anxiously tapped the ground as she turned her head away. But not far enough that she couldn't still see him from the corner of her eye. If she had been capable of blushing she would have. She had been hiding, true enough, though she hadn't intended anyone to know it. Mind, that was because she hadn't planned to step out and show herself either. As Echo's head went up, hers went down as she waited for some dismissive comment.

Instead he was...appologizing? Sparkle's head went back up slightly as she turned more towards him again. Hesitantly she spoke, her voice little more than a musical whisper. "I-I am but a visitoyr heyre myself. And I am the one who should be soyrry Echoingjungle~Mystic." Her head dropped again and her voice grew almost quieter if such was possible. "I did not intend to step out in fyront of you so."

Another pause as she hesitated, and then offered her own name. She didn't expect that he'd remember it once they parted ways again, but it didn't sit right to not offer her own introduction back. "I am Dewygrass~Sparkle." For a moment she wanted to confess just how...strange and unsettling she found this place with it's crowds of Sams and even stranger Sharians was to her compared to a quiet little hotspring with only a few well known others. But what would a fine young stallion think of that? Surely he would rather be off a-courting. Wasn't that why many of the young mares and stallions alike were here? It wasn't as though such a handsome fellow would have any shortage of mares quite willing to court or be courted by him.

With a soft sigh Sparkle turned to fully regard Echo again. "I should let you be about youyr own bussiness..." But she made no move to retreat and the slight wistful tone to her voice indicated that she would be pleased if he chose to stay longer there with her.

((And yes, the poor little dear has some confidence issues. No fault of her parents, just high strung and anxious by nature.))

[Jennalyn]

Watching her seem to draw in on herself as she hesitantly introduced herself, Echo got the inkling that this mare felt even more self-conscious about their meeting than he did. Something in her demeanor reminded him of his quiet, reclusive sister, though this dark-eyed mare seemed a tad more willing to go with the flow of a conversation rather than drawing into herself in silence and refusing to speak.

He suddenly felt more comfortable with the situation than he had been a moment ago. She was a visitor to the area as well, not a resident, and she seemed to be nice enough. This was more familiar ground in an unfamiliar setting, which was an improvement in the situation already. One Samanayr at a time... yes, he could do this. He would be fine.

The easiest way to begin was probably to fall back on the manners he'd been taught from youth. "A fyresh stayrt, then. No moyre apologies. Spayrkle, it is a pleasuyre to make youyr acquaintance, howeveyr abyrupt. You may call me Echo if you would like. It is fayr less of a mouthful." He tossed his head, more a jerk up and back than a true toss, so that the tufts of his ponytail moved away from his eyes where it had fallen. "My business yright is being social, which includes youyr company. Have you exployred any of the ayrea yet, or did you ayrrive yrecently as well?"

Now that he had decided his hooves were on solid ground, metaphorically speaking, he felt much more at ease with the whole situation.

[Origami_Dragon]

Sparkle was surprised when, after she introduced herself the young stallion in front of her seemed to relax. She flicked her tail and lifted her head slightly, turning to peer cautiously at him. "It is?" He was pleased to meet her? Sparkle's head went all the way back up so that she was standing straight for pretty much the first time since she'd stepped out in front of Echo. A hint of curiousity and bemusement glittered in the depths of her black eyes as she unconciously tossed her head in an echo of his motion.

He wanted to stay in her company? Or perhaps it was only that he felt it improper to walk away from her. But no...she'd offered him the chance and he had chosen to remain. A Mystic wished to stay and talk with her rather than seeking a more interesting companion out of all the crowds gathered here. She blinked, then at his question turned to look over her back in the general direction of the hotsprings. "N-no, I have not exployred yet. I have been mostly in the foyrest still. The cyrowds ayre..." She trailed off, uncertain of how to finish that. Unsettling? Overwhelming? Huge?

Unconciously Sparkle began to relax slightly as Echo stopped being so much of an unknown stranger and more of...at least an aquaintence. Someone she didn't need to be afraid of. Turning back to him Sparkle shook her head and hesitated, uncertain of where the conversation was going next.

[Jennalyn]

"The cyrowds ayre nothing," Echo said dismissively, taking a few steps down the path and making sure she followed him before continuing to walk. "They ayre unknown to me, but I do know that anyone who causes tyrouble in this teyrritoyry must face its yresident stallion. I have heayrd that Glint is not one to cyross." Perhaps the rumors were exaggerated and perhaps not, but he wouldn't be the Samanayr to find out.

His eyes slid back to the pretty mare once more, flicking from her soft green coat to the rainbow tufts on her legs. It was an attractive touch, the fading from vibrant spectrum to pastel sheen. A very lovely mare. Being a young stallion unused to the company of unrelated, unattached females, he couldn't stop his thoughts from wandering for a moment. Eventually they returned to the tableau around them as more of their kind became evident.

"If you do not like cyrowds then you should stay close to me," he said with a touch more confidence than he felt. Still, they weren't likely targets to harass, were they? A Mystic and an unassuming young mare? The only trouble he could foresee right off the bat was another stallion taking an interest in her and being persistent about it. Something in him bristled at the thought. He had found her first! But... she had come here to socialize with others of their kind, hadn't she? Hmm. "We can look ayround the ayrea foyr the fiyrst time togetheyr," he offered after another moment's thought.

[Origami_Dragon]

Nothing? Sparkle wasn't quite so sure about that, and her flattened ears indicated that whatever Echo might say she was still more than a little uneasy about them. But when he took a few steps she followed. Her tense posture eased ever so slightly at the mention of Glint and her tail twitched. She had actually seen Glint briefly when she had gone to visit one of the few Samanayrs she knew, one of his mares. The reminder that this was a special, protected area helped.

Dark eyes noticed Echo's gaze sliding back to her, leaving Sparkle slightly unsure of how to respond. Part of her wanted to react as she'd seen other mares respond to the notice of stallions, to fluff up and show off a bit. Another part wanted to retreat into the bushes in confusion. Instead she slipped up a little closer, walking more beside Echo rather than trailing behind. But her head did lift up again and though she still looked a little uneasy about their approach to the main gathering areas her step wasn't as stiff and stress filled as it had been earlier. It was hard to stay tensed up (at least that sort of tensed up) walking beside such an attractive, attentive young stallion. Her own eyes kept sliding sideways to admire the muted rainbow of stripes along his back and the jaunty little ponytail he kept his mane tied up in.

And now...Echo was all but inviting her to stay close. Without planning to she shifted slightly sideways, closing the gap between the two fo them as she peered cautiously around while Echo thought. One ear flicked towards him as he finally spoke. "That... I'd like that."