Tinkering

Take your Serians here to chat or just roam their homeland.
The sun glitters above vast fields ringed by verdant forests to the north, mountains to the south and east, and wide rivers to the west.

Moderator: Tigress

Post Reply
Silverdust
Elder
Elder
Posts: 581
Joined: Sat Mar 12, 2005 1:00 pm
Location: USA
Contact:

Re: Tinkering

Post by Silverdust »

AuraSidra had quieted a bit in her victory. It was likely exhaustion--she was quivering, and Astarte noticed that she was more careful with her flapping and landing. She hoped the filly didn't think she had let her win. Even though many of the bonded she knew had built histories and connections out of half-truths and careful secrets, she wasn't really sure she wanted something like that. She strove to be straightforward, when she could, especially with new friends and faces. AuraSidra probably sensed that too, so perhaps she shouldn't worry about it.

Indeed, the bright smile returned as they left the stream. Astarte noticed that the plants didn't react the way AuraSidra had shown her in the clearing. Did that mean that her friend's guardian was out of range? A bit of a worrying prospect, but tinged with the faint excitement of an unhindered adventure. She'd just have to step up, to be as reliable as her Avi when it came to facing the unknown. But having fun too, that was imperative.

"You're pretty amazing too, I'd love to be able to fly. My amma has wings, they're a little bit like yours, glowy at the ends. Pretty." She laughed aloud as AuraSidra flipped upside down on her branch. So the filly hadn't been kidding when she said she liked to hang on branches. "Apparently very useful too."

She winced a bit at AuraSidra's dismount, fearing the worst, but the filly seemed to have schooled herself well in the bizarre movement. Breathing a sigh of relief, she followed her along the dense forest trails, staying in her line of sight as she tried to keep track of all her questions. Her tongue was certainly getting a workout, but Avi would be happy that she was socializing.

"I think there could be big holes, maybe sinkholes?" She wasn't really sure of that, having only gleaned the word from Avi's bondmates' stories. "Sinkholes I think just sort of happen, when the ground is weak and there's a cave down below. They can have environments down in them completely different from what's up top."

It was getting easier to move, now that the trees were thinning. They'd be able to see their destination soon. "Could be a crater, maybe. But the trees look upright, so maybe not. There are probably interesting things there anyways, I hope."

She tilted her head, thinking about the last question. She was often too wrapped up in fixing man-made things to consider the natural treasures. "Nothing like your crystals, really. Sive's lands are tame ones, calm, very green and pretty but kind of lacking in unique things. Or I haven't really explored them too well. You might be able to find something if you went, you seem to be very good at finding gifts."

A shy smile then, as she checked on her crystal, tucked safely away among her gilded parts. "Thanks again, for this. I'm glad you gave it to me. Is your home full of these kind of things? You mentioned there's a lot of ice, is it very cold there?"

She could ask questions too; maybe her friend was rubbing off on her.

Songhue
Posting Elemental
Posting Elemental
Posts: 2768
Joined: Fri Mar 18, 2005 9:50 am
Location: Texas
Contact:

Re: Tinkering

Post by Songhue »

Grinning, she looked at her friend a little too long as they walked, more interested in Astarte than in the myriad of odd trees and plants; they were becoming less odd, as she saw the different kinds more than once while they walked. Because of that she didn't notice when one of them happened to be where she wanted to place her hoof - she managed to recover with nothing more than a stumble by sheer force of will. Why did the young ones have to fall over so much? She hardly ever saw her bondmates fumbling about; she'd be glad when she got a better grasp of these legs!

Not in my home, but in another part of my realm, like a bond-mate's home. Only she's na a bondmate, really, she has a diff'ent bonded, but dere's lots. I have Lots of ice! Ice and cold winds and hot-hot bright sun, so it all mixes together so that ice freezes and thaws and freezes again all the time always, she said, quite pleased to be sharing. She'd wondered vaguely what a crater was, but then figured if that's what it was she would see it when they got there. They were certainly getting close, but she still couldn't see. With her size she probably wouldn't until they were right on top of it.

I kinda hope it's a sinkhole, she continued, trying to crane her neck into the air, I wanna see a hole made by havin the caves crumble in. Are we almost there? Might be somethin I can find for you!

OOC| Super rough, do forgive that - things are rough here. I'm trying to figure out where I'm going to be living. >_<
Image

Silverdust
Elder
Elder
Posts: 581
Joined: Sat Mar 12, 2005 1:00 pm
Location: USA
Contact:

Re: Tinkering

Post by Silverdust »

((Not at all, RL takes precedence, especially with finding somewhere to live! I hope it all works out for the best.))

Astarte tried to picture AuraSidra's home, a sun-washed glacier, it seemed like, wind bitten and diamond bright. She'd like to see it sometime, but her amma did tend to worry about odd things, here and there, mostly concerning the fact that her foal hadn't truly been exposed to a cold weather climate. She'd had her fireglow sprite for the last snowy romp, but Sive would probably have to conjure something bigger were she to go exploring in AuraSidra's icy realm. "You live by yourself there?"

She didn't know where she got the impression, but it seemed that the younger filly already had her own place in her bonded's keep. It was a far cry from what she had--she still stayed close to her Amma for the day to day, and her Avi didn't really have a place save by his bonded's side. In some ways, AuraSidra was a little more self-sufficient than she was, having a firm grasp on who she was, and what she would become. She wondered if she'd been that sure of herself when she was that young, that fearless and intrepid. Maybe these small bouts of doubt and melancholy were something that came along with her age, the downsides to her coordination and growing creativity.

But the sight of their quarry quieted her musings. Over one last bracket and the ground sloped down a bit, a rocky, uneven patch leading down to the lip of a chasm cut into the forest floor. A few large trees had fallen over the gaping mouth, forming a rough bridge steeped in swaying moss and dotted with clusters of wild mushrooms. Astarte grinned over at AuraSidra. "Looks like it's a sinkhole after all!"

She started to pick her was to the edge, minding the tricky holes and stones. The moss and forest debris did form a soft of slick, springy carpet, so a small spill wouldn't be worrisome unless it was over the edge of the hole. Astarte still had no idea how deep it was, or if AuraSidra's flying skills were strong enough that she'd be able to recover herself if she fell. Best not to risk it; she'd have to be extra watchful.

Her stomach clenched a bit as she peered down into the dark, but as her eyesight got used to the dappled sun she let out a small gasp. The sinkhole was deep, veiled in shadow and small wisps of mist from trapped moisture. Down in the depths, unnaturally bright vegetation winked like stars, hinting at odd species very different than what they'd seen on their way. A glimmering band like ink sent the vague whisper of water rustling up to their ears, echoing off the craggy walls like a choir. She glanced over at AuraSidra. "I'm not sure we can get down there, what do you think?"

Songhue
Posting Elemental
Posting Elemental
Posts: 2768
Joined: Fri Mar 18, 2005 9:50 am
Location: Texas
Contact:

Re: Tinkering

Post by Songhue »

Mhmm, she said, speaking absently as she sniffed around at the edge of the sink hole, we all have our own homes. I have an ice palace there, where the ice started meltin an' got flung around by the winds and it was such a cold wind it froze again in the spiral of air. Is my favorite place there; I have all kinds of neat hidin' places in it.

Her situation was different than the previous foal in the herd, although she didn't realize it. With Darroch, even though he had his own space, his mother visited often enough as to nearly live there until he had properly grown. Even outings like this weren't an option for him, as he was constantly in her company; it was a relationship that had worked well for them, allowing him to slowly grow from a contemplating and often oblivious introvert (his father's reserved nature had been strong in him) into a young stallion with a prominant personality. AuraSidra, however, was already quite self-posessed and it was the task of most in her bondherd to attempt to keep up with her.

I think we can go down she added decisively, lifting her nose from squinting into the murky gloom that tricked her eyes. Her orbs were created for harsh lights, both from the glare of snow and the flash of suns. Both her parent's eyes were optimized for brightness, a combination that left her nearly impossible to blind. She did find that it also left her highly reliant on clear lighting; shadows were not her friends.

Which meant that if she was going to see anything other than tree-bridges with moss (which were actually quite fascinating on their own, judging by the way she sniffed, licked and touched everything in reach), she would have to find a way to climb down. She could flutter down, but her wings were still sore from her earlier exercise; and besides, the idea of leaping down without considering how Astarte might join her was so remote as to not even occur. Her mother had already begun to instill a very deep, very vital sense of loyalty. Her mother's lands were arid and quite harsh, which meant that being able to rely on someone was of utmost importance. The filly liked visiting her mom now and again; sometimes, strange creatures would be seen passing through the distance, things that could have simply been a mirage hovering over the cracked dirt but which almost certainly were not.

Sniffing around the mossy tree had proven fruitful, her curiosity paying off as she tried to think of what her friend might need to explore with her. Some of the hanging moss had grown rather long near the ends of the tree, as the shadows lasted longer there, and not too far from the end was a gentler slope leading downward. If AuraSidra was going to get a chance to feel around for discoveries, this was it.

Here! she called, scrambling for purchase against the wood as she leaned over, gripped the moss and tugged as hard as she could. Like this. So we don't fall as far.

And she took the moss in her teeth and backed off the log, reaching with her back legs until they bumped against the steep wall. Shifting her teeth just slightly and leaning heavily on her back legs for a counter balance, she managed to adjust her grip lower and lower until she was dangilng mere inches above the slope, her wings firmly tucked to her side the whole time. They fluttered open for all of an instant as she strained her eyes to see the edge of the slope, the only part that was bright enough for her to see, and dropped. A little more scrambling, a slide that started to send her sideways, and she was prancing around on semi-level ground at the bottom.

Pacing an excited circle she let out a loud and joyous squee - now this was an adventure! - and looked up to find the other filly, half expecting to see that she was right behind her. Her ear flicked as she did, a few faint sparks of light finally catching her attention as she began to notice the glowing plants now that she was closer, but she didn't begin to sniff and explore quite yet.

C'mon! I'll catch you if you slip, she promised, her high voice full of bright confidense as she began climbing awkwardly back up the slope, pausing to watch from about halfway up so that there'd be plenty of room to land.

OOC| I think it's mostly worked out, main problem now is cash. ^^; I got somewhere To go, just figuring how to Get there.
Image

Silverdust
Elder
Elder
Posts: 581
Joined: Sat Mar 12, 2005 1:00 pm
Location: USA
Contact:

Re: Tinkering

Post by Silverdust »

"An ice palace, interesting, I'd like to see it sometime." Astarte followed AuraSidra as she skirted around the edge of the hole, sniffing and sampling as she went. Her young companion had a very hands-on approach to the world, seeming to want to take a little piece of her surroundings back home with her. Stories to tell her bonded, perhaps. Astarte wondered what kind of serians they were, the family that had formed around her friend. She'd really had no basis of comparison before, knowing only Bellatrix and her vague mentions of her parents. Was every family as frayed and falling together as her own? Surely not, as AuraSidra was quite different from her, yet at times seemed to touch at a secret chord somewhere deep in her heart.

'Here!'

Astarte tossed her head in surprise as AuraSidra took the moss in her teeth and began to climb down the side of the cliff. True, her friend had praised her creativity with her 'hands', but she wondered if she had any idea how intuitively inventive she herself was, at least when it came to exploring and learning the limits of her body. She did things Astarte would never have tried in the first place. Fearless.

"Ok, be down in a bit!" Emboldened by her friend's successful landing, she tightened her pack and took a moment to try and 'feel' herself. It was something Avi had been taught to do, by her Warrior dayis; it didn't come as naturally as it did for them, the sense of knowing the exact place of one's body, the weight and the movement. He'd given her a few lessons, but she was less of a fighter than he was, a thing that didn't seem to bother him much. It would be useful here, just to get a sense of whether the delicate moss could hold her as well as it did her smaller companion.

She walked out onto the log, a little farther into the shadows where the tougher moss fell like ropes. She hoped they were as sturdy as they looked, else she may indeed topple onto AuraSidra. The filly's offer was sweet and whole-hearted, but Astarte didn't want to risk any harm that may come with her and her instruments falling on top of the young one. Determined, her teeth dug into the moss and began her descent. It was a little slower than AuraSidra, as she accounted for weight and stability, sometimes reaching out with her 'hands' to feel for a proper leg hold. Then finally a small jump and she was on the slope. She grinned down at her friend, shaking a little with adrenaline. She doubted she'd ever be as confident as her friend in situations where all four of her feet weren't on solid ground. "Made it! Looks like we can get to exploring."

Songhue
Posting Elemental
Posting Elemental
Posts: 2768
Joined: Fri Mar 18, 2005 9:50 am
Location: Texas
Contact:

Re: Tinkering

Post by Songhue »

Her grin threatened to swallow her face as she looked up at her friend, properly impressed by the serious effort she'd put into her descent. Even the prospect of getting into the sinkhole was approached with such an intense attention as to be taken seriously. Hopefully one day she'd be able to command that sort of aura.

Her eyes had adjusted at least a little bit while Astarte climbed down, though the areas she could see were more or less strictly limited to the places directly around the mildly luminescent plantlife. Even then, what she managed to see fascinated her.

When exploring was mentioned she moved over to be slightly behind the older filly's shoulder without a second thought, attempting to stand close enough to let her ribs brush against Astarte's rump. I canna see too great, so tell me if I almost bump somethin? she asked, reaching over to nose around at an odd plant growing at the edge of the light she could discern from a patch of moss. With her eyes so keen to pick up light, she'd spotted something that sparkled and shimmered just behind the odd little plant (which seemed to be a mix of fern and flower to her, but then she honestly didn't know plants that well).

Picking it up carefully in her teeth she straightened up and showed her discovery, finding it quite neat. It was a strange stone, rough in texture but with a slightly iredescent quality that caught and flashed the light. Quite pretty, if impractical.

Maybe this could be for a lost thing? she suggested, tilting her head curiously. I'm puttin' some of those crystals in the bottoms of my ice spikes to make it glow and flash all pretty-bright, but this isn't shiny enough for that. Maybe when I'm done you could come see!

Exploring with friends was even more fun than on her own.
Image

Post Reply