The chimeric femme stalked through the sands, the heat of the summer sun beating on her back. This was her own personal form of heaven. Baphomet loved the heat, loved the feeling of power that the warmth brought to her body. The vain creature loved the way that the sun played off of her multi-hued coat, brightening the chestnut patches and warming the hues of her sooty bay base. Her ever polished white markings gleamed and her golden jewelry glittered in the bright sunlight.
Cresting a dune, Baph flicked an ear as she found the sudden change of setting. There was water and even greenery around her. Picking her way down to the water, she listened to the sounds of the liquid and made sure to not fall into it. Baphomet found a solid place to stand and dipped her slightly roman nosed facade down to the cool water. While she took a few draws of the life giving liquid, her golden eyes watched the ends of her cowl as they played in the current and slowly darkened as they absorbed the pool.
Lifting her head, she flinched as the now cool and wet ends slapped against her chest. A look of pure disgust crossed her face as she got wet and it took every ounce of will power to not throw away the scarf because of its offense. She was arrogant and manipulative, detesting when things did not go her way. Taking the moment of quiet to explore the world around her, Baph began to wander the edges of the pool. She would not say no to company... To anyone that might at least provide her with a bit of conversation about the world that she now lived in.
It was strange, he knew, to prefer the vast and deadly desert over the gentle, serene oasis; it promised comfort and life, all wrapped up in a white-sand package adorned with a beautiful bow of palm leaves. But as he stands under the baking heat of the sun in the hot umber sands of the desert and looks at the curved pillows of red sandstone in the distance, their illusion of softness calling weary travelers to come lay down their heads, he feels nothing but the threat of being smothered.
It makes sense to him, of course, given his history; but to everyone else lacking the honor of being privy to his thoughts and memories, it probably seemed a streak of folly; turn away the promise of clean water and fresh fodder to, instead, push deeper into the unforgiving desert. Atlas licked his dry, sand-covered lips, and sighed. He ground the grit between his teeth and altered his course towards the oasis-- a universal sign of hope for most, a hulking, foreboding shadow on the horizon to him.
It only took a couple of months of living in Terrastella to realize the meaning of the word 'settled'. The people were nice, and the land was easy, but it was so out of character for him, to ensconce himself in relative comfort as opposed to seeking out terrain which challenged him. There was a wall within him, a great structure built out of survivor's guilt and shame, and when he lived pleasantly and with little fear for his own life it grew out of control, pushing at the edges of his skin and causing pain where the points dug into his heart, stomach, head, and spine. This was the cause for his adventure, he was slowly realizing; traveling north to what the native Novians called the land with the harshest terrain was his own personal form of self-destruction. Like sandpaper, the desert and its attached struggles wore down at the block of self-pity lodged within him, smoothing its angles and making it small enough to digest.
The feeling of unease rolling in his gut makes it difficult to drink. He swallows hard, trying to use the tightness of his dry, parched throat as a convincing argument for taking a sip, just the smallest sip, of water, but as he bends his thick, graceful neck to lower his lips to the trickling waterfall, he remembers Nathely. Suddenly, the bed in which the water streams down from the rock becomes the gaping hole in his dead friend's neck.
Atlas balks, stutter-stepping backward with a heavy exhale as he struggles to contain his fright. It's just a memory, he reasons, eyes rolling skyward. He blames the tears forming on his sand-dotted eyelashes on the brightness of the sun above and not his own wayward emotions.
As he stands there flailing a bit in the midst of his pre-breakdown, he catches the shadow of a dark form on the edge of his peripherals. His head snaps to the side, taking in the sight of the oddly-colored stranger. There was much to see, from the peculiarity of their pelt to the curve of their thin horns, but what struck Atlas the most was their bright, sun-colored goat eyes.
He swallowed again, and when he spoke, his voice was strained and thin-- he didn't like bothering strangers. "Excuse me," he rasped, trying not to sound too pathetic, "but do you know this place? Is the water safe?"
@Baphomet | atlas relives some trauma | "Speaking."
Baphomet turned and watched the figure scrambling about. Scent hinted to stallion and she tilted her head as she took in the bright golden coat and mane. Quite the handsome creature, this one... Even if they seem so very afraid of their own shadows. Before she could utter a greeting, they spoke and confirmed her suspicion.
"Excuse me, but do you know this place? Is the water safe?" Flicking an ear in silent amusement, she dipped her head to the water's surface. Taking a few long pulls of the cool water, she swallowed and lifted her head. Her golden eyes caught his golden facade as a few droplets of water dripped from her velvety muzzle.
"I regret to admit that I am new here, but the water is cool and clean. Are you alright?" Her words were strangely void of the usual sarcasm or disdain that had colored them as she had grown into the mare that she was. She felt honest worry over the nervous creature and stepped a few feet closer while still giving him space. "I am Baphomet."
"Speaking."
@Atlas Notes: OMG I am so sorry about delay! RL got insane.
