Below Zero
my frost philosophy will put no curse on me
There was something calling to Bel, a sound carried on the waves of the sea, a symphony attuned to her ears and begging for her attention. It had been on a curious cycle, a lullaby that eased her mind at night, a rousing tune in the morning to draw her awake. But the sound never ceased, never stopped, present always. And her curiosity was growing - which led to her tracking the sound, following it to where it was strongest, where it begged for her attention, begged for her to be there, to hear it, to welcome it. As her hoof touched down on the sands of the beach the song climaxed, carried on the ocean waves, weaving through the salty breeze. Her eyes closed, and a soft call left her own muzzle, the sound light, airy - song like. Drawn out long and echoing over the waves, the Treader's song. Whales sang, Dolphins rapped, and Treaders adapted to both.
Her finned ears perked, the frilled ends curling in an attempt to capture any sound that might return. It lowered pitch, easing it's way into a decrescendo as the song seemed to grow softer, gentler. Bel's hooves carried her further, eager to hear it again, but even as she moved along the beach the softness remained. Until she stepped towards the water. In time with each step, the music grew louder, but more melodic, taking an arioso tone to the song. It felt welcoming, eager to see her, eager for her to see it. Bel's breath left her in uncertainty before her own voice rose up again, her song this time was more haunting, questioning - uncertain. The song once again changed pitch as hers did, this time easing softly into a delicate leggierissimo pitch, the sound gentle and reassuring, even comforting. Bel took another step forward, and as soon as her hooves touched the water, the pitch of the song, the sound that captured her attention shifted again, raising in volume, crashing into an attacca. There was no hesitation, not gentle rising, it was sudden a shift, a change - a shout into a victorious pitch of bravura.
Bel was frozen as the sound, the song wrapped around her, drowning her in it's eager melody for her to find the singer. Was this what a Siren sounded like? What their songs felt like. Bel's eyes seemed to un-focus as her attention turned to that music that called her so hypnotically closer, urging her into the water, into the depths. Come and see, they sang to her with an eager boldness. Come and find me, the tempted her. Come and see. Come. Come. Come. Come. Bel's voice sang out once more, her wordless call crescendo-ing into a patetico note filled with curiosity and determination. What ever was out there, it was out there for her. It wanted her, wanted her to find it. Her two sets of eyes stared out at the ocean unblinkedly as she stood knee deep in the water before a voice seemed to call out desperately to her. She did blink then before the song called her back to focus her attention it. Bel! The voice called again, and this time Below Zero shook her head, confused as she suddenly realized how deep in the water she had been. The song continued to surround her, but she turned towards the voice, blinking at the sight of Sol standing there with an expression of concern. Had he called to her prior? When did he show up? She blinked again, before turning back to the ocean as the song rose in tempo determined to get her attention again, turning dolente at her lack of attention - of progress. "There's something out there . . . It . . . sings to me. Do you . . . hear it Sol?" Her voice was soft, delicate, her answering song to that who sung in the depths still in her words at the way the vowels and syllables flowed off her tongue, carried on the salty air in a gentle spirito pitch. Her gaze had returned to the depths at some point and she was drawn back out of the distraction when she felt the water hit her chest. She'd moved again? When?
The song continued, urging her forward. Begging her to come find it. Come. Come. Come.
Sol reached the beach, enjoying the clear day and stretching his legs. He had spoken to Bel about meeting here, and was running later than he had intended. Seeing the aquatic mare down the beach, he let loose a call to get her attention. When she didn't react like usual, he frowned and picked up his pace to a ground eating trot.
"Bel?" He called when he got closer, hoping that she had just not been able to hear him from that distance. Still no response. She stood like a statue, making him nervous that there was some danger or something that was drawing her attention. When she let loose a call that echoed through him like her own form of a siren song, one that probably would only work on him, he felt a stab of fear. "Bel!"
"There's something out there . . . It . . . sings to me. Do you . . . hear it Sol?" Sol frowned at her question, so very confused by it all. She seemed to be moving deeper into the water, making him uneasy on a number of levels. Grumbling in his throat, he leapt forward and stepped between her and the open ocean. This was easily the deepest he had ever going into the water and it made him uneasy. Bel was up to her chest, but the water was only a little above his knees thanks to the nearly 2 feet of difference in height. He could tell that his hooves were not flaming, that the water around them was warmer but not enough to be super noticeable unless you were looking for it. Something about the way that Cally had been obsessing over them had made him pay closer attention. Shaking it away, he focused on Bel and what was going on with her.
"Lets get out of the water, Bel. Onto dry ground where we can try to figure out what is going on." He said softly, nudging her to try to direct her to the dry land and safety of solid ground.
@Below Zero
"Speaking." Notes: -facepalm- thank you for reminding me love!
look at the sky and tell me what do you see just close your eyes and describe it for me
The song played softly, echoing over the waves as it caught Bel's attention, suspended her in a state of not quite awareness. Her gaze was out at sea, trying to find the one who sung so desperately for her attention, ears flicking to catch the sound only she seemed to hear. Her name barely penetrated and it wasn't until the second shout of her name that she recognized the voice. Still her awareness was not at him, instead briefly asking if he heard the sung, her steps moving her deeper into the water, closer towards the one who sung for her. Closer to the music that echoed through the waves and the ocean. Her breath was soft, quick even and her eyes watching gently and curiously. With each sweep of the waves, the song would raise in pitch, before mellowing out again as the water retreated back into the ocean's mass. As she went to move deeper a sudden movement had her halting and finally her attention focused more deeply on the black beast in front of her.
Her attention was lost from the song and instead she tilted her head in confusion at Sol's sudden arrival, snapping out of the intoxicated, distracted trance she had been under, "Sol? When did you get here . . . you're late." She paused, noticing the water lapping at her side, around his knees, the slight warmth of the water around their limbs from his flaming hooves, "Why are we in the ocean? You don't like your hooves being submer-" Her voice stopped as the song suddenly escalated in aggression and strength, almost screaming at her and her eyes went wide, staring past his shoulder, "What . . . is that . . . ." Her gaze began to get lost again, slightly glassy even as the male moved towards her, trying to direct her back to dry land. The mare stumbled, as the song lowered, soothing and determined to get her to follow it again. For a moment Bel went with his nudging until as the note hit a familiar chord, Bel suddenly moved.
It wasn't the walk or trot of before, her movement purely aquatic now as her limbs folded against her belly as she pushed off the ground, aided by the strength of her tail pushing her with more power, and as she did so, the mare FLEW, jumping over the large back of the stallion and suddenly she had dived down on the other side, her tail flipping through the water as she did so, letting her fin catch the water, angling her trajectory. She paused, briefly surfacing, her head only halfway above the water, her voice carried both on the air and on the waves, the tone mimicing the sealife more, more like a whale song, more like a dolphin's chatter, "Fear not. I will return. I must . . . it needs me to find it." And with another jump and dive taken straight from a dolphin's example, Bel was swimming into the depths, eyes peeled, dual eyes searching every which way for the song.
Now under the water, swimming through the currents, the song picked up it's pace, urging her forward with a welcoming tune, and as she flared her fin, turning sharply towards the direction she could see the ice shards in the distance. Ice? Here? Why? She moved closer, eyes wide and curious before slowing as she came across the sleeping creature. Two sets of eyes were closed, ice shards growing from it's collar and head. A long, thin tail with a fin. Sharp clawed forearms. You came. The voice was in the same tone of the song, sung over the waves, and Bel's eyes widened in shock, I had hoped you would. You're from our home, a Treader. We thought you all had died out from the virus. Why are you on this planet. Never mind . . . The creatures eyes slowly opened, turning to stare at her, I am Yukime, an Ice Carved Serpent. She mused with a gentle tone, I have searched for you, Treader of the North, creature of Home. Stay with me?
Bel opened her mouth to respond before her thoughts turned the shore. To Sol and friendship, to Coy and the Island, to the the Dusk Court and the herd and family she had found. Her expression softened as she shook her head, "My home is in both the Sea and the Land - please, won't you stay with me, Yukime. I am Below Zero, entertainer of the Dusk Court. Won't you join me?" The serpent seemed to think, before eyeing the mare, Let me see this 'land' and I will judge the worth of staying with you after. Bel nodded eagerly before motioning for the serpent to follow as she travelled back towards shore, surfacing only 10 minutes after disappearing and glancing around for Sol, even as the serpent surfaced next to her, eyes hard and guarded and eyeing the land with distaste, It's so . . . . dry. Bel glanced at the serpent and couldn't help but through her head back and laugh, the sound echoing over the waves like the dolphins crees did in the deep. "Perhaps so, Yukime; but you will learn that the land has as many secrets at the Kraken has tentacles, and is as colorful as the reef. It might be dry, but it's full of wonder, what you come see it with me?" The serpent eyed the land before allowing a single nod, and in a quick movement had wrapped around Bel's shoulders and back as the mare began to step out of the water's depths, in company rather than alone, as she had when she left. The song was silent now, the singer wrapped around her and staring around curiously.
"Bel" Yukime
@Sol Bestiam Notes:: Shall we call this one done and continue it in the one with Pol and her xP
I need someone who sees the fire in my eyes And wants to play with it...
Sol nearly panicked as he watched the aquatic mare disappear into the surf. It wasnt that he was afraid she would drown, but the strange reasoning that she had shown and the comment about hearing things... Those worried him. Stretching his wings, he lifted into the air and circled over where she had disappeared.
"Bel?" He called after swearing softly. He was terrified that something would happen and he wouldnt be able to help. The idea of submerging into the water still made him uneasy and he knew that his bulk would not be helpful in the sea. He didnt even know how to swim! Angling back toward the sand, he landed and began pacing.
The sound of Bel's laughter caught his attention and he turned to see her as she surfaced. A massive sigh of relief escaped him and he moved to meet her and the creature that had come to the surface with her. An unconscious movement had him brushing his muzzle against her cheek before eying the serpentine creature warily. He stepped back to follow her as she introduced her companion to the realm, watching carefully and providing company where desired.
look at the sky and tell me what do you see just close your eyes and describe it for me
The sung hadn't been fully in control of her actions until the end, when the chord that was plucked and sung out had been echoed by her people in the stories and lore of their home world, it had been a familiar chord, and it had spurred her forward, forward with out thinking of the state she had left Sol in. With Yukime at her side, she was aware she owed him an apology now. As she moved back to land, Yukime taking claim of her shoulders, her tail fin flat against her side and her head against her shoulder, Bel was glad to see Sol waiting on the land - even if he was pacing and looked very, very uneasy. Yukime's dry comment about land had sparked Bel's laughter, and Sol turned towards her with a relief as he moved towards her. The brush of his muzzle to her cheek was returned as she pressed her cheek against his in silent greeting, having to reach up a touch and strain, even at the height of his lowered head.
Yukime herself seemed to be eyeing him just as much as he was eyeing her however, wrinkling her nose at his flaming hooves and snorting at the sight of his wings. Such odd friends you keep, Treader Bel." The serpent hissed to her new companion, burrowing up against Bel's dorsal spine and soaking in the water vapors now wafting around her - vapors shifting colder as if to comfort the ice-creature. Bel smiled faintly herself, "Sol, meet Yukime. She comes from my people's home." She tells him after a moment, before her gaze turns back to the sea serpent attached to her shoulder, "Yukime, this is Sol Bestiam, perhaps one of my closest, and best friend here on Novus. Sol, I'm about to show Yukime around - she's not to keen to living on the land, won't you join us?" She offered with a nod of her head, and a tug of his mane as she started down the beach and angling towards the where the beach reached up into the more continental of the land base, Yukime's head already rising to look around with a touch more curiosity than before, and Bel's smile growing with each small comment Yukime made quietly to her.
"Bel" Yukime
@Sol Bestiam Notes:: And done, with Bel's last IC Close.
![[Image: i-jTNwWx8.png]](https://photos.smugmug.com/BelowZeroNovus/n-X9d9fZ/i-jTNwWx8/1/e09fb6c3/O/i-jTNwWx8.png)
