The morning dawned clear and warm, perfect weather for the first leg of the race. Uzuri used her wings to reach the fields quickly, Neema staying home to stay out of the way. She had sent a letter to each of the competitors that had signed up, asking them to appear for the race this morning. Seeing bodies starting to arrive, she smiled and moved to where the starting line had been placed. The servants had mapped out the course with a series of light blue flags. The course was to pass between the lines of flags, twice around the fields.
“Welcome! I am so excited for this event and hope that this will be one to be repeated as the years go by. Please step to the starting line and ready yourself to run. Please remember, no wings or magic will be allowed in this race. I want all to be on a level playing field.” She called over, eyes pausing on each of those that had signed up for this race.
Leg One Information: The first race of this event will take place in Susurro Fields. This race will test speed. Each character will have two posts in this as they go around the field in a pair of laps. After each character has posted for the lap, there will be an Official Dusk Court post that will update the standings.
And so with the sunshine
and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees,
just as things grow fast in movies,
I had that familiar conviction that
life was beginning over again with summer.
05-30-2022, 12:42 PM - This post was last modified: 05-30-2022, 01:01 PM by Official Dusk Account
The morning was bright, though the unseelie fae was not quite thrilled with the idea of the bright morning. It was going to be hot as the day progressed, and Absynthe was built for the cold. Shaking her tri-colored mane, she danced toward the starting line with the others, dipping her head respectfully to Uzi. "Thank you for allowing me to race, even though I am not part of your court." She said softly, receiving a warm smile from the Dusk sovereign.
Readying herself on the starting line beside the other competitors, she frowned softly at the small group. As a former princess, she knew the challenges of getting a group together for an event. Shaking her head, she gazed out at the course, the race clearly marked with flags and easy to follow. This race was to be simple, just the challenge of speed to be tackled. The flying members of the race had been stressed that use of their wings would be an instant disqualification.
The sound of a bell caught the mare’s attention and as the rush of bodies surged forward, she found herself starting badly. With a small snarl, she pushed herself to catch up and run with the group. Delicate ebony and acid hued legs flashed as she stretched out to traverse the course. She was by far not the largest, nor did she have the longest legs… but that wasnt enough to let herself give up.
The grasses had been trimmed to make the path easier, any holes filled. This race was easy compared to the ones that were planned to follow. The thundering of hooves and almost freight train sounding breaths were a melody to the fae’s ears as she moved. A small rock caught her attention and she leapt over it to avoid tripping, slowing her momentarily and causing her to work to speed up.
Phoebe felt ready to crawl out of her skin, there was so much energy coursing through her body. Her excitement was a visible thing, evident in the twitching of her ears, her tail, the little quivering movements of the muscles beneath her sunset coat. Eyes of bright magenta couldn't settle on one thing, on one individual, for very long, in a constant state of motion. The only thing stationary about her was the smile on her face, giddy with anticipation as she trotted out into the fields to join Uzuri and the other racers.
She said nothing as she lined up with the other racers, glancing down the line with a nervous little laugh, another prancing step as she settled in to wait the last few seconds. It was difficult to gauge her competition, how likely she was to succeed in this race, but she felt ready, determined to use this as a new means of proving her worth. Maybe she still had a long way to go toward being the soldier she wished to be, but claiming this win would certainly be a feather in her cap.
There was so much anticipation, Phoebe was off the second the "go" was given. She leaped, short legs churning, hooves digging into the grass and dirt of the fields and propelling her quickly forward in an effort not to let any other racers gain too far of a lead on her. Still, that smile remained, ever present and even more animated as her determination added a new edge to it, a new challenge in the expression. She wasn't the biggest, likely not the strongest, but little creatures were agile. Phoebe used that to her advantage now, trying to slip and around the other racers and dodge any obstacles along the way.
So tell me your secrets ; and join me in pieces
TO FALL AND REWRITE THE BITTER END
Excitement rippled through his body. He would race today with the others! Aeon enjoyed the feeling of the springy lush grass beneath his hooves. He was a hulking figure, but there was no way he would be as fast as the others! He would race them nonetheless. Someone had to fill in the other ranks right? This was as much about the others as about him. He knew they all had their place to fill. He would compete and do his best, but he suspected he would not be as fast. He was made of muscle not of speed or sharp turns.
As they were signelled to start he relaxed and breathed deeply, letting himself stretch into smooth strides. Being taller than most Aeon had long strides, however it took a lot of energy to move his form. He could not sprint endlessly, but for now he would. The thundering of hooves and the sensation of others passing him was unusual. He had never run with so many others before.
It had been some time since he had run a distance on the ground. It reminded him of the day where flying wasn’t an option, where he had no choice but to run. For safety or for fun. Today would be for fun and for Terrastella!
i hold on so nervously to me and my drink
i wish it was cooling me, but so far, has not been good
it's been shitty and i feel awkward, as i should
The saurian mare moved slowly towards the starting line, her gaze briefly scanning the crowd for the chocolate and ivory face, hopeful Gareth was near by to offer his encouragements. As she stood in line, at the line, she focused forward, nodding once to the Dusk Queen when she instructed no wings or magic. Easy enough. The mare was already holding her wings as tightly to her side as possible, to ensure that they wouldn't cause any resistance, as her tail hung low, Her front limbs pranced in place, nervous energy already coursing through her muscles. Her hind legs were digging into the ground though, eager to move, claws raking through the grass, to the dirt below. Twice around the field, following the path of the flags - easy enough.
As the start was called, the mare's eyes narrowed, flashing that predatory look, and with a push off of her powerful, hind quarters, she was pushed forward with the energy, the force of a predator on the hunt. The mare had switched into predatory mode for the greater speed, her limbs churning below her, carrying her across the ground at a pace that put the majority of her weight towards her backside, where those powerful claws and limbs could absorb the impact better, disperse it better through the soles of those limbs, as well as cling to any rocks that may pop up in her path better than a hoof may slide across.
Her species were built to hunt in dense jungles, in rocky terrain - and so while this clear land wasn't her normal avenue of exploration, it still provided enough of a clear footing to make her travel easy. But she was also heavier, larger, bulkier than some of the others racing today - would their lithe forms help them more?
this club has got to be the most pretentious thing
since i thought you and me
i am imagining, a dark lit place, or your place or my place
"Speech" Thoughts
@Below Zero next Notes: I'll post with Bel after I finish my current catch up list <3
well i'm not paralyzed, but i seem to be struck by you
i want to make you move, because you're standing still
if your body matches what your eyes can do
you'll probably move right through, me on my way to you.
I can't stop the world from turning around
Or the pull of the moon on the tide
But I don't believe that we're in this alone
I believe we're along for the ride
The mare hadn't been seen in public for a while. Not that one could blame her - birthing a child wasn't necessarily easy. But now, now Bel was ready to finish shedding the last of the baby weight, and truly find herself in her purpose to life. Which today, meant participating in the Halcyon Race. She took at the line with four others. One, a fae with green wings, another was the reptile-like horse she had last seen during the fight that that god awful monster in the deserts, the third, a galaxy hued mare; and the other was some younger stallion she'd seen Alfajiri interacting with. Whomever he was, he appeared to know Uzuri - making his way through the citizens of Dusk it appeared. The battle mage would with hold her thoughts until she had a moment to properly meet him, determine his skills, his worth. He appeared to be valuing himself as a soldier right now - but with his age, she wondered how green he might be.
She soon turned her attention back to the new queen (and hadn't that been a shock. She comes out from having her son to find her friend had left the citadel) apparently that was the struggles of not being able to attend meetings because you're to fat to even waddle. Liam had stepped down and Uzuri was stepping up to take over solo. As the speech was given, rules assigned to this race, the alien-mare turned her attention forward, onto the track ahead. It wouldn't be the most ideal running track for her. Her hooves were made for sand, or ice, not necessarily covering distance quickly on a harder surface. But she'd do her best, and so as the time was called, the mare took off, her body shifting into position to allow herself to streamline her progress, her neck and head parallel with her body, and her tail, allowing the wind to soar past her with as little resistance as possible.
Her hooves carried her across the ground, the curved tips that was meant to grab into ice to keep her stance gripping the earth slightly, kicking up small bits of soil. Her main set of eyes stared out ahead of her, watching the ground, the land around her to make sure she followed the path with as few obstacles as possible. The second set of eyes kept an eye on the other competitors however, where they were, making sure to keep track of everything around her as carefully as she could.
The racers were greatly varied and each had strengths and weaknesses that would become more evident as they moved into the more challenging of the legs. For now, Uzuri found herself watching those on the course with a smile and doing her best to not root for anyone in particular. She was not to be biased at this point.
As they turned around the final bend and raced toward the line that would mark the end after the second lap, she watched where they were running. The beginning of the course was clearly marked with furrows from the dinosaurian mare, smaller chunks of earth dug by Below Zero. The little fae seemed out of her element, though trying hard. Her eyes paused on Phoebe and Aeon, smiling as they ran.
Stepping forward as the racers passed the line, she cleared her throat and projected her voice over those that were watching.
“The runners have finished their first lap! In first place at this point, Pangaea! Just behind her, Phoebe! Absynthe and Below Zero are tied for third with Aeon racing at Absynthe’s flank! This is close and there is still plenty of race!”
Uzi let her eyes focus on each as they ran, her legs itching to run with them.
Ok! So we have reached the end of lap one! At this point, the rankings are:
1. Pangaea
2. Phoebe
3. Absynthe
4. Below Zero
5. Aeon
We will be keeping the original line up for the second half, meaning the next post belongs to Absynthe! I will be working on that next <3
And so with the sunshine
and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees,
just as things grow fast in movies,
I had that familiar conviction that
life was beginning over again with summer.
The first half of the race had been a jostled mess for the little fae. She had stumbled and was struggling to keep up with the others. Racing was definitely not something that she was cut out for, at least not at this point. She had let herself get swamped in alcohol and pleasure rather than keeping herself in shape like she should have.
Grunting, she dug deeper within herself and glanced at Bel. The aquatic mare seemed to be struggling as well. Without thinking, she pushed herself further and tried to go faster. As they crossed the line, Syn found herself floundering in the mess that had been dug into the soil.
The ebony, ivory, and acid mare found herself collapsed on the soil, her right fore twisted and screaming in agony. The rest of the racers thundered away from her, leaving the unseelie fae scrambling to attempt to stand. When she managed to get back to her hooves, she tested her weight on the sore joint. With a snarl of pain, she shook her head and limped off to the side to be out of the way of the racers.
"Speaking."
@Phoebe
Notes: Your turn darlin <3 Absynthe is injured and out of the race since the brilliant little mare decided to trip on the torn up ground.
Phoebe knew the race was going to be a challenge, but she hadn't anticipated just how much of a challenge the other competitors would pose. Aeon, bless him, might not have been the fastest one among them, carrying all that mass, but the sound of his steps, heavy and thundering, only seemed to spark a healthy dose of competitive anxiety. She felt the same peering at the other large winged equine, whose legs were unusually predator-like and seemed to propel the horse even further with each bounding stride. At least with the other smaller racers, the sunset mare felt like she stood a chance. C'mon, Phoebe, show them what you got!
She pushed herself to maintain her pacing as she rounded through the first lap and into the second, using the knowledge this was already nearly over to call upon that last reserve of energy to finish on a high note. Things appeared to be going very well--for all of them, it seemed--until one of the racers fumbled. Phoebe had been following close to Absynthe, not wanting the winged woman to get too far ahead, and had to quickly swerve to avoid tangling herself in the other racer as she fell. Almost--almost--did she lose her footing too, but having seen the issue it was easier for Phoebe to correct and keep her footing.
Though immediately she felt worried. Even as she raced past the downed horse, she couldn't help peering over her shoulder, losing some of her momentum. Was the other racer okay? She hadn't hurt herself too bad, right? Part of her wanted to know with certainty that no harm had been done, but the race... Conflicted, Phoebe set her sights resolutely ahead again and tried to put on another burst of speed, mindful now to avoid the tracks and grooves left behind from their earlier passage. The sooner she finished this race, the sooner she could check in on that fallen racer.
So tell me your secrets ; and join me in pieces
TO FALL AND REWRITE THE BITTER END
He was certain he would come in last, he had felt several others pass him by once more. Were they completing their second laps past him as he was completing his first? He was stretching his body and doing his best to cover ground efficiently. He was clearly not made for speed. The turf had become torn and soft making it slippery to turn on, he was carefully making sure he didn’t skid and end up falling in a compromising manner. He’d rather come last than fall and be injured. Being injured would affect his ability to complete his duties within the court and he couldn’t allow that. Phoebe the new soldier seemed faster and more spritely at this task than he was. He made a mental note of this, it wasn’t entirely unexpected - but it was good to confirm her talents.
He felt guilt as he moved past the fallen mare, her screeches of pain echoing in his ears. He wanted to stop and help but the race was a task to complete. He couldn’t help but look back and see her finally get to her feet, he would make a mental note to check on her later. Running across the finish line wasn’t as satisfying as he expected after this accident. He was more filled with concern than adrenaline and satisfaction. He felt slow and worried for the court member.
![[Image: i-jTNwWx8.png]](https://photos.smugmug.com/BelowZeroNovus/n-X9d9fZ/i-jTNwWx8/1/e09fb6c3/O/i-jTNwWx8.png)
