Below Zero
my frost philosophy will put no curse on me
Bel couldn't quite tell in any given moment if she should be amused by the vain stallion, or exasperated, as it was she remained fairly centered on the fence between the two, a careful balance of amused tolerance. She grinned at his childish mannerisms, before shaking her head lightly when he commented up something else to dig up and tell stories, "Why do I feel like, if given the ability to do just that, you'd still be digging up haunted bones?" She asked, her amused tone softening her words as she walked the trail, gaze watching the forest around them, before her body seemed to return to it's cautious and ready-for-action posture. She was almost forgetting to be cautious of their surroundings with his joking, and there was always the possibility that this land, this horrible place COULD be all about the digging up of bones and horrifying secrets, "Who knows what is buried in this jungle however, I fear its' not something we want to know." She admitted more seriously.
The topic was returning to seriousness as they spoke about the island, and what might wait. There truly could be anything at the end of the trail - be it a wondrous surprise, or the hungry maw of a monster. The male also appeared to look around, peering through the underbrush as she had, even as he joked about his pelt. She rolled her eyes lightly, gently chastising his concerns. "Now, Coyote, should the despair being met come with hungry eyes and sharp teeth, a marred coat may be the least of your worries. Joking aside, there are dangers in this forest we must be cautious of. A scratch is nothing compared to an escaped soul leaving a dying body." She warned, keeping her voice soft and gentle to ensure he wouldn't take offense to her warning. He seemed to understand though, commenting caution was a good thing, even if not fun and wanting to keep his 'perfect hide' free of blood. She tried not to sigh to heavily, as the vapors wafting off of her spine seemed to cool slightly around her, carrying the air of the sea with her as she walked, "I have no intentions of bloodying myself up either . . . . My kind don't handle being wounded well." It was all she planned to say on the subject, and a part of her was relieved that she didn't have to worry about abandonment for an injury here.
Still they followed the path through the vegetation, the mare stopping at forks to follow the direction of the wind, winding ever deeper, eyes ever cautious and watchful. She had no intentions of being surprised by a creature intent to take them out. When he spoke again, she glanced a slight smile touching her features, "Let's hope this doesn't turn into an array of . . . of obstacles to overcome and enemies to outwit. I'm not as graceful or fast on land, and I don't imagine the island flooding soon - and even if it did, I don't trust the waters surrounding it. They . . . . sing off-key." She didn't know how else to describe the wrongness she felt in the water, the same wrongness of the island. She didn't know what it might be, but as far as she was concerned, she wouldn't trust the island too far, nor this path - even if she followed it to the end . . . she would keep her guard up.
Thoughts Speech
@Huehuecoyotl, and others free to join in at any time.
i feel no cold, i feel no fear inside my mind Now I'm full of energy
"Why do I feel like, if given the ability to do just that, you'd still be digging up haunted bones?" Coy paused in his movement, shooting Bel a look that was as innocent as possible. "Wait... me? I would never do that..." He said with an air of mock indignation and surprise. Who was he kidding? He would love to see if digging up bones would actually do anything! But then again, he was a bit afraid of ghosts and the idea of them coming back.
"Who knows what is buried in this jungle however, I fear its' not something we want to know." Coy paused at her words. "Um... Yeah... There is an air of weird around this place... Maybe there is zombie dragons or something just waiting for the unsuspecting horse to stumble across them..." Ok... so probably not on the side of zombie dragons. But she did have a point that it would be hard to say what was actually buried on this island.
"Now, Coyote, should the despair being met come with hungry eyes and sharp teeth, a marred coat may be the least of your worries. Joking aside, there are dangers in this forest we must be cautious of. A scratch is nothing compared to an escaped soul leaving a dying body." Coy frowned at her as he listened to her words. Why did anything that sounded like a ghost make him so uneasy? "Escaped soul... That sounds bad..." He quipped as he took a moment to look around them at the forest and shadows in the trees. Ok, so under all his bluster and sass... Coy was a pansy. He was afraid of the supernatural and things that he couldnt explain.
"I have no intentions of bloodying myself up either . . . . My kind don't handle being wounded well." Coy flicked an ear as he moved, listening to her words and wondering what she meant about being wounded. "Does anyone actually handle wounding well? I mean... blood, injury, maiming... All bad." He remarked, fighting back a laugh at the idea that anyone would be fine with being wounded.
"Let's hope this doesn't turn into an array of . . . of obstacles to overcome and enemies to outwit. I'm not as graceful or fast on land, and I don't imagine the island flooding soon - and even if it did, I don't trust the waters surrounding it. They . . . . sing off-key." Coy smiled as he walked, nodding as he listened to her. "I will do what I can to keep you safe, if you find that you need help. And if you are hearing off key singing... perhaps you should look at those that are walking the land rather than the island that is all weird and wacky. I am sure that there are a few around here that sing very off key..." It took some fancy hoof work to make it not completely obvious that he was the one he was speaking of.
Below Zero
my frost philosophy will put no curse on me
Bel snorted lightly, the sound light and playful as she shot him a look that clearly spoke of her inability to believe his faux indignation and shock. Who did he think he was kidding? A fry? He'd be lucky to get a starfish to believe those lies, "Hmmm, yes, suuuure. You totally wouldn't ever do that." She scoffed, shaking her head in amusement, causing the dappling of light coming from the canopy above to sparkle off of the silver hue-ed ram horns adorning her head. "I'm afraid I have a touch of difficulty believing you . . . You seem like the exact sort." She declared with n amused laugh.
But just because they were having fun doesn't mean that she wasn't going to keep an eye on things. It was true that she didn't quite trust this island, even if it had given her a path for her to follow. She glanced at the stallion, a startled shiver running down her spine at the thought of such monsters waiting to pounce, "I'd rather not run into . . . zombie dragons, or sand sharks." She admitted quietly. Or really any other monster they may have to battle it out with. Poor Bel was NO hero, and definitely not a fighter. Her instinct dial was set firmly on flight. So firmly, in fact, it had been pulled to the side and then broken off and forever stuck on the 'get out of dodge as fast as you can and don't look back.'
She glanced towards the male at his quip but felt that he might not be as brave as he'd be pretending. That phrasing as a bit mellow for the sassy stallion she'd been walking with, "Well, I don't know about you, but I have no intentions for that being the fated outcome. We will have to keep our souls held tightly down, no? I have no intention to venture into Davy's locker early." She tried to make it jokingly, but even her words lacked their normal luster at the sudden darkness the two were feeling.
When he spoke in reference to her species not handling wounds, she glanced at him momentarily, before speaking softly, "My species believe any wound is too dangerous for the wounded individual to remain with the pod. The wounded are left behind to fight their own battle so the pod might continue to survive. So my people don't handle wounds at all." Her words were dead, her eyes were dead, her ears pinned, and her voice held no emotion: all signs of being forced to be part of the pod that had done this to someone who she would forever mourn. Her sister's cries haunted her on windy nights, and in truth, Bel refused to let herself forget those final moments either. She would suffer the memories, after all, she had willingly walked away from her little sister with the others.
She glanced again towards him, a little bit of amusement returning to her gaze as she shook of the heaviness their conversation had introduced, instead trying to let the playfulness of earlier return. It was less tense at the very least, "Oh, do you speak of experience? Tell me, Coyote, do you sing a tune of your own? Is that one aspect of you not as perfect as you play pretend to be? Perhaps we should carry a tune now to ward off the darkness? I'll let you sing the first few bars, even!" She offered, the last of the shadows disappearing as her muzzle turned up slightly in a smile.
Thoughts Speech
@Huehuecoyotl, and others free to join in at any time.
i feel no cold, i feel no fear inside my mind Now I'm full of energy
"Hmmm, yes, suuuure. You totally wouldn't ever do that. I'm afraid I have a touch of difficulty believing you . . . You seem like the exact sort." Coy flashed her an innocent smile and made sure to keep all of the sass off of his face for as long as he could manage... Which was not very long at all. Before he could control it, he had erupted in laughter at the idea of being so innocent.
"I'd rather not run into . . . zombie dragons, or sand sharks." Coy laughed and shook his head. "Yep... Zombie sharks... not good. Cant do it. Not tonight." He nodded earnestly, though the smirk on his face ruined the seriousness that could have come from such a sentence. "Wait... Sand sharks? You have mutant sharks made of sand!? Why in the world would you venture into a world that has mutant predators?!" He exclaimed, not knowing that a sand shark was a type of shark. For all he knew, some magic wielding crazy had begun making hunters of the soil and plantlife around them.
"Well, I don't know about you, but I have no intentions for that being the fated outcome. We will have to keep our souls held tightly down, no? I have no intention to venture into Davy's locker early." Coy nodded sagely. "Souls are not meant to wander and be stolen. Let us be sure to lock them up solidly against any dangers." He grinned as he spoke.
"My species believe any wound is too dangerous for the wounded individual to remain with the pod. The wounded are left behind to fight their own battle so the pod might continue to survive. So my people don't handle wounds at all." There was a lack of emotion that made Coy frown as he listened to her. What in the world had her youth been like if the idea of wounds would make even her eyes go flat? It was almost eerie how quickly the emotions had disappeared from her as she spoke. Almost like she was dead. "Well then... I will just have to make sure that you are safe and uninjured... Even if that means putting my fabulous self in the line of fire." He winked as he nudged her. Coy was trying to make her smile and cheer back up. The death tones made him uneasy and he was enjoying her banter.
"Oh, do you speak of experience? Tell me, Coyote, do you sing a tune of your own? Is that one aspect of you not as perfect as you play pretend to be? Perhaps we should carry a tune now to ward off the darkness? I'll let you sing the first few bars, even!" Oh heavens... She called his bluff... Coy had a moment of panic as he tried to decide what to say or do. "Perhaps we should just... explore... keep each other safe... forget singing." He coughed as he motioned for the aquatic mare to lead the way. It was one heck of a good thing that his pelt was too dark to show the heat that he felt as he realized that he had let her know one of his few downfalls. Or at least the few that he acknowledged.
"Sass"
@Below Zero Notes: I think one from you and we can call this thread closed <3
Table by Kaons and edited by Chaosy - Art by Chaosy
I don't care what they're going to say, let the storm rage on the cold never bothered me anyway
Bel tilted her head easily as she took in the male's innocent smile, her expression making it perfectly clear that it wasn't going to fool her one bit. Of course, he couldn't pull the innocent act for long before he broke into laughter, and Bel had to crack her own smile at that, shaking her head, before he gathered himself enough to declare no Zombie Sharks to be had. Not tonight, at least. Bel's muzzle twisted in a playfully amused smirk, "Well, of course you wouldn't want to swim with zombie sharks. One good chomp and you'd be the swimming undead - and all that came with that. You know, the rotting flesh, the decomposing muscle, the missing bunches of hair. You'd give yourself a heart attack." She couldn't help but tease, dissolving into giggles over the idea. Of course, at this moment he seemed to have never heard of sand sharks . . . and that was another anemone of clown fish all together.
Her smirk deepened briefly when he seemed to freak out at the idea of mutant sharks made of sand, before her features shifted into earnest honesty - dual sets of eyes wide and sincere, "Oh yes, no one told you about sand sharks yet? They're absolutely horrible! They're not just made of sand, but because they're made of sand they can swim onto land too - but only in the sand. So if you see a shark in the shallows, best stay off the beach all together. You never know if there's more in the sands too!" She instructed with innocent seriousness - before finally grinning, "I'm kidding of course - Sand Sharks are a type of shark that wait at the bottom of the ocean - they have markings that look like sand so it's easy to catch prey." She explained with a laugh, smiling innocently as if she hadn't just played up his fear of an unknown killer mutant shark.
He was amusing, for sure; and Bel had no objection to keeping amusing company. His sage nod had another collection of twittering giggles leaving her, the strength of them intensified by his comment of souls not meant to be stolen, or wandering - and that they should lock them up solidly. She tilted her head, before laughing with a shake of her head, "And do you have any suggestions on how one locks up their soul? That doesn't sound like the kind of gossip you'll find in the reef." She declared with a grin, "And I have a feeling Davy Jones wouldn't want such information to get out either!"
The topic turned a bit more sore when the topic of her pod and how wounded were treated came up, and she kept herself held together, bottling up the pain, and regret and burying it in the very center of her being - out of reach even if it muted her emotions in general for the topic. Painful was the only words to explain it. At his words, she turned towards him and allowed a faint smile to touch her face, "Oh, if there's fire involved, I'm definitely hiding behind you." She managed, relieved for his efforts to cheer her back up, "In return, I'll have to make sure your 'fabulous self' doesn't get too destroyed, your imaginary fans will flood the oceans with tears!" She teased with a grin.
When singing came to be the next topic, she was amused by his sudden flopping at her calling his bluff - is this what a horse would look like if they were a fish out of water? She grinned innocently, eyes sparkling with mirth (forgetting for now the previous topic), "Oh, but think - singing would be a lovely way to pass the time!" She pretended to pout, even as she continued on, grinning and laughter trailing behind her, "If you're that bad at it, we'll just say you were taught to sing by a tone-deaf whale! No worries!" She shook her head as her laughter calmed down and she nodded, "But yes, we'll explore and keep each other out of trouble. We'll make it out with our fins intact!"
"Bel" Yukime
@Huehuecoyotl, and also tagging @Random Events Notes:: it looks like according to the random event on the first page there should be a follow up post to the RE? Just in case - since we're wrapping the thread up xP
"Well, of course you wouldn't want to swim with zombie sharks. One good chomp and you'd be the swimming undead - and all that came with that. You know, the rotting flesh, the decomposing muscle, the missing bunches of hair. You'd give yourself a heart attack." Coy blanched at the simple idea. "Um... Yeah..." He coughed and shook his head. "I will gladly keep my beautiful hair where it is, thank you... If you happen to see any zombies, be sure to let me know..." He said, making sure to look around him carefully.
"Oh yes, no one told you about sand sharks yet? They're absolutely horrible! They're not just made of sand, but because they're made of sand they can swim onto land too - but only in the sand. So if you see a shark in the shallows, best stay off the beach all together. You never know if there's more in the sands too! I'm kidding of course - Sand Sharks are a type of shark that wait at the bottom of the ocean - they have markings that look like sand so it's easy to catch prey." Coy was on the verge of panic when she switched tactics and let him know that she was kidding. "Cruel siren..." He said dryly, eying her and shaking his head with a smile. "See how you are... Play on the unease of an unsuspecting stallion before finally relenting with a 'kidding'... So mean." He couldnt keep a straight face as he complained, snorting in amusement as he spoke.
"And do you have any suggestions on how one locks up their soul? That doesn't sound like the kind of gossip you'll find in the reef. And I have a feeling Davy Jones wouldn't want such information to get out either!" Coy shook his head. "No idea... perhaps we should find someone that does know for our own safety and peace of mind." He laughed and followed the aquatic mare.
"Oh, if there's fire involved, I'm definitely hiding behind you. In return, I'll have to make sure your 'fabulous self' doesn't get too destroyed, your imaginary fans will flood the oceans with tears! Oh, but think - singing would be a lovely way to pass the time! If you're that bad at it, we'll just say you were taught to sing by a tone-deaf whale! No worries! But yes, we'll explore and keep each other out of trouble. We'll make it out with our fins intact!" Coy shook his head at her comments about fire and imaginary fans. "Imaginary is better than none at all... But, please... lead the way, milady. I am at your command in this fine adventure." He laughed, following her through the brush and laughing softly.
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