o d i l e

This felt silly, what did I actually think I was going to find here? But, I couldn't stop myself from coming. I'd heard from some of the other members of my new home. Uhm, what's it called. Terror Spell? Terra Stone? No. Terrastella, that's it! Gee, don't tell Liam I can't remember what it's called, I dunno if he'd let me leave if he knew I couldn't even remember the name. But yes, Terrastella, Dusk Court, oh . . . what was I going on about before?!

The stallion looked around the location he was in, as if that would give him the clues for his lost train of thought. He'd passed (Successfully, mind you! I didn't get lost!) into Delumine a while ago, when the sun was still in the sky - letting the swan's side of him carry his distance. It was a trick he'd learned early on in his years of being cursed, if the swan did the 'heavy lifting' - or rather flying, it seemed to go so much smoother. Likely because he wasn't flying with so much weight when he was a swan. One little bird compared to a fourteenhand stallion - you do the math.

OH! RIGHT! DELUMINE HAS A LIBRARY~ Or that was what I had been told by others in Dusk Court! They'd mentioned it in passing and I'd asked about it, and well, once I knew it was supposed to be a MASSIVE LIBRARY that was basically the pride and joy of a kingdom known for scholars - well of course I was gonna show up! Maybe there would be a book in here that would give me all of my missing answers~ That would provide me with a hint, a possible way of breaking this horrid curse I was under.

I didn't know how they would feel about a bird in the library either, and I wanted to make a good impression, so I figured showing up at night as a horse would be at least a little better than showing up by day as a swan - right? So, here I was, approaching the doors of a massive library! Oh, I couldn't wait to see what it was like inside! Wait, why are the doors locked?!

It took Odile roughly five minutes to realize the doors were not locked, but rather he was trying to push on a pull. Sheepishly pulling the doors open, the small ivory pegasus trotted inside. He jumped, hooves clattering against the floor as the doors slammed shut behind him. Ruffling both the feathers on his wings, as well as on his rump, he took a deep breath before looking around the rather dark, and what appeared to be empty library . . . huh, maybe coming as a swan during the day would have been easier. Someone might have been able to point me in the right direction then! Oh well, I guess I'll just have to go aisle by aisle, row by row, floor by floor!

"Nooooooww, If I was a section on curses . . . . where would I be hiding?"


"Speech"
Thoughts
@Ceylon
Notes: Hope this works for you :D

Silence is a refuge he breathes in between the walls of books and rows of history. The world is a tower of knowledge, and every day he climbs higher and higher. Oh, he is not blessed as those with wings – able to fly to great and unknown heights with nary a care in the world – but his dedication is far stronger than that of those beings. He would pity the soul that took knowledge for granted; that is, of course, if he cares enough about another to pity them at all.

He does not.

Ceylon’s life is one of solitude. Of hushed whispers and dark looks. His is a story left untold, folded between the pages only he can read – those left within his heart, no, no…not that. His mind. It is a labyrinthian world kept clustered away from mortal hands that would seek to tear it down, to distract him from his pursuit of knowledge, of repairing what was lost the only way he knows how.

Another dusty tome floats down, a sconce on the wall lighting as he passes, and he collects his new materials to pour over before the bodies crowd in during the wee hours of dawn. Already three others float behind him. Ceylon feels the doors rumble closed more than he hears them, ignoring the sounds with soft wads of cotton stuffed in his ears. The path he’s on carries him from the depths of the library, turning corner after corner. Searching row after row.

Before he’s realized it, he’s near the front and before him is a winged thing. No. That, too, is inaccurate. He lives a life of accuracy in all things – structured and well thought out. Living for so long with monks taught him the importance of schedules, of cleanliness, of thought, of so many things save the social aspects others learned before they could even run.

He still never cared to learn. Too many other important tasks were lain before him. So his nostrils flare for but a moment, an ear does not flick (he would only hear the muffled word of curses at the end anyway, and those are of no interest), before he turns to head down another aisle.

If that funny, small man wishes to enter the library, then he should be very well off on his own. Vaguely, he wonders if he should tell him of the books and scrolls you don’t open no matter how loudly they whisper. Deciding better of it, Ceylon’s feet turn, eyes following suit, and he goes to leave without so much as a hello.

ceylon.

o d i l e

Odile had an odd outlook on life. It was carefree, it was joyous, it was a vibrancy that radiated from him like the sun. Neverending smiles. Laughter could be described as infectious, and above all, a never swaying desire to remain positive and see the brighter side to life. To never, ever lose that spark of joy. That light. And so, despite the issues with getting the door open, the little stallion happily made his way into the library.

He didn't know what to expect, but it certainly wasn't this enormous room filled with various books, scrolls, tomes, and secrets. Who knew what wonders awaited him within the world of literature. Not even the library at his father's castle had anything on this. Nor the library at Deryc's castle. They both paled in comparison, and Odile could already feel the growing excitement of what secrets he could learn from these tomes and books. And mayhaps, even what secrets could potentially help him with his own dire situation - a very dire situation that threatened not only his happiness, but his way of life. . . when you're forcefully turned into the shape of a prey animal from dawn to dusk, life can be concerning when you have to consider the potential of coming across hunters.

The sooner the young stallion could find other means of escaping from his curse, the better. Especially since figuring out how to make true love break it for him seemed unlucky and flimsy at best. Deryc didn't really want him after all. He just wanted to fulfill the two's due obligations to their countries and their parents. Deryc only agreed to be wedded because it was what was expected of them. Was it silly that the young swan wanted so much more? Love, romance, passion.

But, if he had just silently agreed with Deryc then, he wouldn't be in this mess now. His father was killed. He had been kidnapped and cursed. All accruing on the way home after he and Deryc had the fight over why they should get married. Had Odile just stayed silent, had he just gotten married anyway, would all of this have never come to pass? Would he be happy right now, having given Deryc the chance to fall in love with him, rather than rush a passion his beloved obviously didn't feel? In a roundabout way, Odile realized it was kind of his fault.

My, what a sour way to look at it, but it is relatively true I guess. My silly pride and desires had us leaving Deryc's family's castle well before we were intended. It was on that trip back that . . . we were attached. I remember it with such horrifying detail. The guards stopped our carriage's movements, the confusion father and I felt while laying down, having been previously talking amongst ourselves. Father had been trying too hard to get me to explain why I was upset. I never really did call of that wedding, did I? In hindsight, I guess I had hoped that by not calling it off, Deryc would have realized faster what I was upset about and gone to fix it. Said what I wanted to hear. He didn't even need to give me some impassioned declaration of love. I just wanted to know he wanted to marry me because it is what he really wanted, not that I was an obligation he would just have to take on for the betterment of our two kings.

I didn't want to be a poor consolation prize. I wanted to feel like I mattered; I was important. I wanted to feel like this was a scenario where love could come from it, especially since I was in love with Deryc at the time . . . instead . . . I had gotten my father killed, I was now cursed to be a swan for half the day . . . and Deryc never even seemed to look for me . . . and now that I'm in Novus, there is a part of me who isn't sure what will come next or where I can go.

Well, I know some things. Home was in Dusk Court, in Terra-what-is-it-again. Earth Star. I'm calling it freaking Earth Star. Anyway, that was home, with Liam, in the Citadel, 'cause that handsome bastard wasn't going to just leave me floundering about in the fountain - literally, and had decided I was adopted then and there.

But where would life lead me? What kind of life was I destined to live as a swa- Oh no . . . I've gotten off-topic again. Right. Library. Books. Break the curse. Library. Books. Break the curse. Oh, and I've already made it to the library, so now I just gotta find the ri- Oh, fuck; well, hello handsome. Maybe coming at night wasn't so bad. Wait, wait, where are you going!?! COME BACK!

The little stallion had blinked in shock when the stallion had come around the side of an aisle. They both seemed still and relatively silent. The other seemingly lacking interest, and Odile too busy staring at the delicious helping of eye candy he just found. But then . . . this magnificent specimen of a stallion turned that delicious body away from him and was leaving! The monochrome beast kicked up his wings, flying after him, his voice loud in the desolate library, "Hey there! Hold on! Wait a minute! Pretty, pretty please!" He touched back down on the ground, light on his hooves and displaying grace in flight that came from spending so much time as a swan and learning tricks for aerial acrobats and flight from the other birds in the sky during those long, dull days.

Once back on the ground, the stallion trotted towards the other from the front to try and make sure he would stop, would potentially offer help. His black eyes were wide, hopeful, filled with youthful innocence and naivety he never seemed to lose no matter how old he got. His muzzle dipped down into a delicate frown, as he stared up at the slightly taller male, "Look handsome, as much as I would love to spend hours just staring at how pretty you are, I could actually use some help! I just need pointed in the right direction, pretty please! If you could help, I'd be extremely grateful!" Odile wasn't ashamed to admit he was begging.

He knew he was, but the little stallion could hardly care (partially as he was once more starstruck: looking at this varnished being that could be mistaken for some sort of gilded prince that walked straight out from one of those children stories he loved so much as a foal), "My name is Odile, and gorgeous; I really am just looking for the section on curses, or even spells gone wrong - and how to fix them. Well, I wouldn't mind more information about you either, as I'd just love to get to know you better. But breaking my curse has to take priority." He only had so many hours left before he'd resorted back to a swan anyways. And maybe, if this delicious, prime choice cut of stallion was able to lead him in the right direction, he could prolong the moments where he felt like he had died and gone to heaven, only to run into the most tempting statue of David there was.


"Speech"
Thoughts
@Ceylon
Notes: He's like 'I wanna flirt. But I wanna break my curse. Do both?'