"Leaving home was the hardest thing we ever faced..." (Open)

[Origami_Dragon]

((I want to get a feel for this lovely boy. No real plot or anything here, just a young stallion and his little catgryph leaving home for the first time. The title of the RP is a line from a song that comes to mind when I think of him going out on his own. Cookies if you know what it is without having to look it up!))

The crisp scent of desert air in the evening filled Gyre's nose as he tilted his head back and breathed deeply. Some distance behind him in the gathering gloom was the canyon he'd spent much of his life thus far living in. He knew that if he turned around he'd see his mother, her scaley face burried in his father's leonine mane. Searing would probably be bent down, nuzzling the nervous mare and reasuring her that their son, their firstborn, would be perfectly fine. She knew that every youngster had to leave home eventually, but it didn't take much to upset Hiss. All Gyre knew was that some unspecified trama or tramas in her past had left her permanently on edge and had Searing keeping carefully between her and any unexpected visitors.

He'd probably never know what exactly had happened to his parents, and right now it was far from his mind to try. Let them be comfortable in some lonely little canyon in the middle of the dusty desert; Gyre had the entire world in front of him and was determined to make the most of it! He set out at the trot for a little place on the edge of the desert that they had visited a time or two, whistling to call Moonlight, his catgryph, down to race with him. With an eager whistle she shot past and he leaped into a gallop after her.

And after the scrubland oasis with it's unexpected bounty of sweet fruit? Where next? Gyre's mind hummed with possibilities. Perhaps he could go visit his father's Mystic friends on the coast? Or back to the Rainbow Hotsprings to see his aunt again? He hadn't seen her since they'd attended those odd races.

On the young stallion raced, kicking up a dustcloud behind him as he headed for the marginal lands around the desert, in particular for one seemingly baren cliff that hid a secret bounty on it's flat top.

((For more info about the place he's heading for see this RP. Soarer and Searing are at the cliffs that Gyre is now headed for.))

[Kendarath]

((This is my first time playing with her, so I'm a little nervous, but here we go...))

Veil had always had a bit of wanderlust. She was the filly encouraging the others to go farther than their parents would have been comfortable with when they played. She just loved exploring; she wanted to know what was through those bushes, over that hill, behind those trees, which was probably how she had ended up as far from home as she had once she'd come of age. She had set off one fine morning and so far she hadn't stopped.

Right now she found herself in a place with dry air and sparse vegetation, and when she looked out over the cliff on one side all she could see was sand that seemed to stretch out forever in all directions. It was nothing like anything she had seen before and fantastic.

Veil spent a long while watching the view until her stomach grumbled loudly, reminding her that there were other things in life than exploring, and she turned back to the pond and the fruit trees to find herself some dinner.

[Origami_Dragon]

((This is Gyre's first time being RPed too. So we learn the characters together!))

Soon enough the cliffs were rearing up over Gyre and Moonlight, the light of the moon painting the dusty stone almost white. Gyre tossed back his head and breathed in the scent of moisture and far more growing things than he'd smelled at once in quite awhile. His father couldn't see why anyone would want to leave the desert. Gyre couldn't imagine living his entire life there. He was happier here in the margins. Still near the sand but with food and water more readily available. Sure, it meant that there were also more preditors and competition, but he still liked it.

Gyre stood at the foot of the path leading up the cliff, watching as Moonlight spiraled in the air overhead. By the intent way she was watching the clifftop there must be someone else up there. As he began to climb the path Gyre started singing a song of greeting, wanting to show whomever was there that he meant no harm. In all the times that his family had visited this place no one had ever claimed it as their own Song, but even so, the desert nomads tended to be a wary lot. Best to make sure.

Reaching the top Gyre found no one in sight and the rich scent of all that fruit was even stronger than before. Still singing softly he trotted towards the little grove of mango trees that surrounded the clifftop pond. Stunted though they were the trees were still enough to conceal Veil.

[Kendarath]

Veil's ears twitched and she raised her head abruptly from the pond, was that a... oh, it was! In her excitement, she nearly choked on her water, too excited about the approaching stranger to remember to swallow first. Coughing and wanting to kick herself she managed to sputter out, "Hello!"

[Origami_Dragon]

As Gyre approached the little grove a coughing, sputtering sound out of it and he paused, one hoof still in the air, nose stretched out to try and catch any scent. At night here the winds tended to blow in towards the desert and they carried the scent of mare to him, but the dappled shadows of early evening still hid Veil as she stood by the pond.

Now there was more sputtering with a word mangled in there. Gyre tilted his head and took a few more steps. "Hello? Is this place claimed now? It neveyr has been befoyre. Should I leave?" Overhead Moonlight squawked at him in scolding tones. The young stallion glanced up at his pet once. Apparently she saw nothing in the oasis to indicate that a Song lived here now. Turning back towards the grove surrounding the pool he advanced enough to be among the trees. "May I eat befoyre I go?" The sweet scent of the mangos around him was making him hungry.

[Kendarath]

Catching her breath Veil turned, looking for the samanayr she had heard, "No, don't go," she said, "I'm a tyraveleyr and it would be unforgivably yrude of me to chase another off!" Veil finally stepped away from the pond, squinting to see in the dusk, "Please stay and eat."

[Origami_Dragon]

Another few steps and Gyre was inside the loose ring of trees, standing beside the pool. His earless head turned back and forth as he too tried to locate the other. "Oh good. I know my fatheyr feels so about tyraveleyrs, but some of the Songs get touchy about shayring theiyr wateyr. Umm..." Looking around Gyre sighed mentally. Like his mother he was usually easy to spot in the dark as the white base of his scaled skin shone in the moonlight. Both of them had been surprised many a times by his father, though Searing had never intended such. The older stallion just...blended in better. As apparently the mare he was speaking to did. "Wheyre ayre you?"

Overhead Moonlight warbled her version of a laugh which Gyre ignored. He knew the little 'gryph had better eyesight than he did. He wasn't going to let it get to him.

[Kendarath]

When the other samanayr stepped into the circle of trees he suddenly became clearly visible, his skin bright even in the gathering darkness. Veil blinked as she took in his appearance, the smooth paleness that she could see so clearly, contrasting with the fluffiness around his neck and feet; it was a combination that she had never seen before. And then she really absorbed what he had said, "Oh! I'm soyrry," she apologized, moving around the pond until there was only a few steps between them. "Hello," she said again, smiling.

[Origami_Dragon]

A soft rustle and then movement finally alerted Gyre to the other's location and he turned to watch her fade into view. Gold tinged red eyes blinked and he tilted his head to regard the fire and earth colored mare. Her colors were muted in the moonlight, but he was familiar enough with living in the dark to tell that her mane and tail would be quite vivid by day. He grinned slightly shyly at her. "Oh, theyre you ayre. Hello. Ayre you fyrom ayround heyre too? I don't think I've seen you befoyre." This was the first time he'd ever met a young mare without either of their parents around...and quite honestly he wasn't sure what to do.

[Kendarath]

"No, actually," Veil replied, "I've been tyravelling for a while, this is the fiyrst time I've eveyr been heyre." She grinned back at him, "And youyrself?"

[Origami_Dragon]

Gyre started to nod, then paused and shook his head instead. "Not exactly. Not heyre. No one lives heyre that I know of. I was boyrn and yraised a few houyrs yrun out in the deseyrt. I've been heyre plenty of times though. My fatheyr likes this place. We used to come foyr the mangos." He gestured with his nose to all the plants surrounding the pool of water before continuing. "But I know theyre's moyre to the woyrld than just the deseyrt." His eyes gleamed as he turned to stare out of the desert, head up, nostrils flaring as he scented the breeze. It smelled wet and green and utterly unlike the dry, dusty desert air. He could hardly wait to get out there!

"You've been out theyre? In the gyreen woyrld beyond the deseyrt? What's it like?" His tail was lashing with eagerness to learn more about the world as he turned back to Veil. He'd left the desert once, when he was young. His father had raced at the Rainbow Hotsprings and taken his family along too. Gyre didn't remember it so well, but all the more reason to go back.

[Kendarath]

Veil watched Gyre speak with an intensity that probably would have been off-putting, if he hadn't be so absorbed as well. His animated speech excited her about the things that she had seen and the things that she would all over again, and she tossed her head and shifted restlessly before she could reply.

"It's fantastic!" she replied, grinning so widely her eyes half-closed. "I have been thyrough a foyrest with tyrees so layrge I could have fit inside of them! And the cyreatuyres that live theyre! Oh the biyrdsong was amazing..." Veil trailed off, a distant look in her eyes as she recalled that experience. "Just wondeyrful..." she breathed, more to herself than to Gyre.

[Origami_Dragon]

Gyre's eyes were fixed on Veil as she half closed her eyes in delight at some of the things she had seen in her travels. One hoof stomped as though ready to take off running to find these things for himself. "Tyrees...I have seen those a time oyr two. They gyrow so layrge? And what of the ocean? I have heayrd that it is wateyr vasteyr than even the deseyrt but that you can't dyrink any of it." He raised his gaze slightly to stare out over Veil's head in the direction he believed the ocean to lie. Half formed images danced through his head of Sams living in trees vaster than he had ever seen and staring out over rolling dunes made of liquid rather than sand.

A slight thud and a demanding squawk drew him back to the here and now as Moonlight landed between the two Sams, reared up on her hind legs, and began flapping her wings at him. Gyre grinned sheepishly. He knew what this meant. Moonlight loved being introduced...and he hadn't even introduced himself. This was her way of telling him that it was about time he got around to that. "Alyright Moon, I'll yremembeyr my manners." Turning to Veil he ducked his head slightly. "I should have said befoyre. I am BleachedSands-Gyre. And this is Moonlight, my catgyryph." The pale 'gryph closed her eyes and lifted her head, puffing out her chest proudly.

[Kendarath]

Veil had been opening her mouth to reply to Gyre's comments on the ocean when the catgryph landed between them, startling her into a small backwards hop. Gyre didn't seem to be startled though, the little arrival only prompting him to introduce both himself and the catgryph. "Oh," Veil laughed softly, "I completely foyrgot about intyroducing myself as well." She dipped her head to the two of them, "It is veyry nice to meet you. I am DustedSun-Veil."

Straightening, she grinned at Gyre, "I haven't seen the ocean yet either, but I'll get theyre eventually. I want to see eveyrything, you know."

[Origami_Dragon]

As Veil completed the introductions Moonlight churred and pranced up to her to investigate. Gyre shook his head at her as his catgryph trotted around sniffing Veil curiously. "Soyrry about that. She hasn't met veyry many otheyr Samanayrs. Not many choose to visit the deseyrt and not many who live in theyre came to visit us. Don't let heyr botheyr you."

Gyre's tail twitched as Veil revealed a desire to see the entire world. "Oh! I do too! Well, most of it anyways. I heayr that too far noyrth is so cold that I would fyreeze." For a moment he looked doubtful about his plans. He had lived his entire life in a place that most visitors considered untolerably hot. But...day was scorching. That was why no one sensible did much by day. Nights were chill enough. How bad was the far north? "Even if I can't go noyrth though I want to meet someone who has. I might go to the ocean now...oyr else to the Yrainbow Hotspyrings. Have you been theyre? I was theyre once as a foal."

His stomach rumbled, reminding Gyre that he had been too excited to eat before leaving home to head out on his own. Turning he tugged a ripe mango free of it's stem and held it out towards Veil, tilting his head as though to say, 'mango?'

[Kendarath]

Veil lowered her head again to nose Moonlight gently, "Well, I've neveyr met a catgyryph befoyre, so we'yre even," she said softly, watching Moonlight investigate her for a moment before raising her head again as Gyre began to speak of his own desire to explore. "I have once. I went with my family to see the yraces. I remember that I wanted to race too, but father said that I was too young still..."

"Ah, thank you," she added, when he offered the mango, ducking her head a little, shyly, before taking the fruit. When she bit into it some of the juices bubbled up and she giggled, licking her lips.

[Origami_Dragon]

Gyre nodded politely, but uncomprehendingly as Veil said that she had never seen a catgryph before. Growing up with Moonlight for a friend and with his mother's Topaz always around he had no idea that the little critters were fairly uncommon to see as pets.

As Veil took the fruit Gyre bobbed his head and then reached for another for himself. Pausing halfway through as Veil's words about being at the Hotsprings for races sank in he half turned back and looked at her over his shoulder. "I wondeyr if we weyre at the same yraces? My fatheyr yran in one, thyrough an odd wooden thing. He said in places the gyround shifted undyrfoot and that it too was wood somehow. And theyre weyre lots of things stopping him fyrom yrunning full out. I wanted to yrun too but they wouldn't let me eitheyr." He failed to mention that he had been a tiny, bouncy little foal at the time, only a few months old. Instead he continued on to grab his own mango, curious why Veil found hers so funny. "Ayre mangos funny?" he asked curiously.

[Harroway]

Family dump! >_>



"Mangos ayre quite peculiayr, if I do say so myself! Sweet and delicious, but theiyr coyre is layrgeyr than one might expect!"

A swirl of wind came rushing from the skies above the two Samanayr's heads as two large and befeathered mystics came up from over the dunes. One was golden with splashes of crimson, and the other was dusted with the colors of the sea. On the mare's back was a little one, a filly with bright gray eyes and a burst of feathers herself, wiggling and whinnying about everything in sight. The mare was the first to land, gently as she could, trying to keep the sand from kicking up too much and into everyone's eyes. As she landed, she bent her head down low so the filly on her back could slide off easily. The filly knew this, of course, and dove into the sand, head first, at the desert stallion's feet. The little one plucked her head from its cavern in the earth and looked up at the scaled stallion, eyes wide and filled with curious glee. She whinnied and trotted in between his legs, looking him over.

The mystic mare clucked and shook her head, amused. "She's been a handful since she was born! I apologize if she trips you up. She's so full of energy. I'm not sure where she gets it from!" Graciously, the mare bowed to the Samanayr and the newly-grown stallion. It wasn't too long ago that they themselves were at the races, and Mystic thought she recognized the stallion as a wee colt. She at least remembered the scales from his mother, which were very distinctive. The mare's ears pointed skyward as she forgot to introduce herself. "Ah! Apologies! I am Chuyrningocean~Mystic, and this is my stallion, Jewelledsky~Mystic." Churningocean turned to Veil and bowed. "We know this one fyrom his payrents, but he was a wee one then, full of eneyrgy and quite adoyrable! I yremembeyr you weyre much whiteyr, but now you possess youyr motheyr's lovely scales! What do they call you now, young one?"

Jewelledsky landed not too far from his mare and filly, watching the two land-bound Samanayrs with tolerance. Truth be told, he was shy around strangers, but dare not let it show. He let Churningocean do the talking for him, and he watched the filly with a loving, though subtle, gaze.

[Origami_Dragon]

Gyre hadn't managed to secure a mango for himself before a voice from above started commenting on them just as a gust of wind came swirling by. He ducked reflexively, not far enough away from his childhood to have forgotten his lessons which said that things could carry him away into the sky if he wasn't careful. His father had more than once taken him aside to quietly mention that whatever his mother had just cautioned him about was...not really likely to happen and just her nerves. But the warnings still stuck.

It was with relief that he saw the spray of colorful feathers, more than seemed reasonable for one Sam to have and belatedly recognized the voice. What he didn't recognize in any way as the two Mystics swept to a graceful hault was the little bundle of fluff and feather that came gleefully tumbling off the mare's back to plop down at his feet. And then vanished under him.

As Churning Ocean introduced herself and her stallion Gyre was trying to crane his head around to track the curious little filly. He looked up from between his legs at the adults and slowly realized how silly he must look. But he wanted to know what that filly was doing down there! "Oh, um..." She wanted to know what name Hiss had chosen for him. "Momma decided to name me BleachedSands-Gyre. But I didn't take heyr scales, she still has them." Still half bent down trying to keep an eye on the filly as well as the three adults Gyre hesitated, uncertain if he should introduce Veil or not. One thing living in the desert didn't bring was much experience with social situations. Clearly he was going to have to work on that...

[Harroway]

Churningocean chuckled as Gyre introduced himself. He had an air of caution that had to have come from his mother, and the mystic mare admired that. "It's a pleasuyre to meet you again, Gyre! You've gyrown to be a fine, handsome stallion. I'm suyre youyr payrents ayre quite pyroud of you. You'yre a peyrfect blend of youyr payrents, I think." The many-winged mare nodded to herself, confident in her assessment of Gyre. He would find some lovely mares for himself, found a Song, and find his place in the world. She smiled and sat down, stretching each pair of wings in succession to get as much sand out of them as possible. As much as she liked visiting the little family down in the canyon, the desert always managed to sneak home with them at the end of a visit. The stallion behind her was using his magic to create a small wind barrier so as not to allow any dust storms their way. He was quiet and content to be watchful.

The little filly whinnied again and pranced between Gyre's moving legs. Her solid eyes glanced up at him every once in a while, deciding whether or not he was afraid of her. She was curiously different, yet similar to, her parents. One could tell Jewelledsky was a bit concerned about his filly's... odd appearance. Neither of them had solid eyes, but the filly had six wings and her father's horn, so he never doubted her parentage. Still, she seemed to have three mystic strands instead of two. The filly paid her parents no mind and started to babble like she always did. She would look up at the sky and then up to the desert stallion. "Veil is a nice mayre." the filly said, gleefully. "She and you might have a futuyre togetheyr, you know! The clouds say so." She went back to flopping over one of Gyre's feet before diving into the sand again to play.

Churningocean's eyebrows disappeared into her hairline. "I... don't believe we've been intyroduced to the otheyr mare, little one." the filly's mother said cautiously. She turned to Gyre. "We ayre... still not so suyre about heyr..." she whispered, hoping the revelation wouldn't alarm the filly if she heard.

[Kendarath]

((Sorry about how long its been Origami, real life snuck up on me. My SO and I are moving cross country in a couple days, so we've been running around like chickens with our heads cut off the last couple weeks getting all our stuff together and saying our goodbyes. But it's all done, and all that's left to do is actually leave, hurray! Now I just need to catch up on all my writing...))

The arrival of the family had startled Veil. She'd been so involved with her conversation with Gyre that she hadn't noticed their approach. She was just happy she hadn't choked on anything this time, to be honest.

Veil had been just about to introduce herself as well, when the little filly had made her proclamation. Her ears went back, and she blinked a few times nervously. But it was difficult to sustain fear when the object of it was behaving so adorably. "I... thank you foyr the compliment," she said after a pause. "I am DustedSun-Veil," she said, though part of her felt it was a little belated now.

[Harroway]

(( No worries, Kendrath! The little filly is a Sibyl, so she can "see" the future, so she foresaw Veil introducing herself. XD So sorry if that was weird! And don't worry about a short reply - we understand that real life comes first. <3 ))

[Origami_Dragon]

((Yes, no worries about slow moving. Life comes first and moving is stressful. And...I've been a bit sidetracked with NaNo writing recently and not paying quite as much attention to my RPs as usual. Hope your move goes well!))

Gyre ducked his head slightly as ChurningOcean complemented him, not quite sure what to make of that. He hesitantly nodded when she said that his parents must be proud. But before he could think of what to say next to the friends of his parents and their new daughter the daugher in question piped up cheerfully from around his feet. "Umm..." What did one say to a pronouncement like that? Especially coming from a foal even younger than he was? "We just met...," he said in puzzlement.

"I mean, I'm suyre that she is a nice mayre. But isn't it a little eayrly to be planning my futuyre?" There was a slightly plantative note to Gyre's question, though he was trying not to upset any of them. But he'd rather been hoping to go see some of the world before settling down and starting a Song.

He tilted his head towards ChurningOcean as she whispered at him, then looked down at the playing filly again. "She talks to clouds?" he whispered back.

Belatedly Gyre remembered what his father had tried to teach him about manners. "Ah...would you cayre to join us foyr mangoes? I mean, they ayren't mine, but theyre's plenty. And no one else owns them. If Veil doesn't mind? Eyrr..." The young stallion wasn't quite sure how to handle this sort of situation. He felt clumsy and awkward and somewhat out of place. He was going to have to work on that if he was going to go see the world outside the desert...

[Kendarath]

((Moves been going well so far... everyone made it here in one piece, but now is apparently the hard part: finding a job. At least my parents are being understanding.))

After a long moment of thought, Veil had decided that there wasn't any purpose to being scared, especially of a young filly, so she wilfully put it aside. At least for the moment.

"Ah yes, my apologies as well," Veil said, ducking her head a little, "You must be hungyry, and thiyrsty. Please don't mind us, have something to dyrink, oyr some mangos..."