Below Zero
my frost philosophy will put no curse on me
There was so much to be seen, so much to explore and learn. Each plant was a new discovery, each fruit a new sensational taste; each individual, a new friend waiting to be made. It was a whole different world from the one below the waves, and Bel was only just beginning to find a place within it. But as she spoke with Lasairian, she could feel herself relaxing a little more, finding herself a touch more calm, less anxious as a new friend was definitely being made. “Probably a good thing you don’t wanna feed the kraken, I have a sneaking suspicion it’s likely to bite the fins of those who feed it . . . .” She grinned in response to his laughter, shaking her head lightly, “There’s definitely so much I’m eager to see, eager to learn. Things are so different here, so . . . much nicer.” Safer too, not that she would dwell too much on that.
She was increasingly interested in everything he spoke of in terms of magic. Ways of healing, shifting, portals . . . . she couldn’t even imagine a world like that! “Oh, what I wouldn’t give to see any of those in action! Even the telepathy came as a surprise to me! I hadn’t even known magic was a possibility before stumbling into Novus!” She didn’t know if telepathy have ever been practiced accidentally beneath the waves; but it certainly was a fascination to the young mare. So of course she had to ask more questions about it. She listened eagerly, finned ears fanning towards him, her attention fully on him as she seemed to soak up all the information he had to give. She could only imagine what it had been life. “Oh, it sounds fabulous! I can only imagine what wonders you may have once seen!” She gushed with a delighted laugh.
Of course a new possibility had the maritime mustang distracted from magic soon enough. Transformations and evolutions could do that, especially as the only comparison she had been able to draw was frogs and tadpoles, and she couldn’t exactly imagine a form that could evolve easily into the stallion before. She tilted her head at his grin, figuring she must have had it wrong, and her eyes widened in awed surprise when he explained his transfiguration, “You really changed forms? Like, you were one thing, then another thing! I can’t even imagine what that most hav Although I don’t know how I’d feel about becoming a shadow . . . it sounds a touch scary.” She paused for a long moment, before quite seriously asking, “But, uh, what’s a fire?” She added, confused by the foreign word that had no reference to an aquatic beast (or rather semi-aquatic, but who’s counting hours?)
He did explain more fully – to a degree. The shadowy form – which she imagined must have been like particles in the wind – was just a born form, with two others – a solid, and a fighting form. She tilted her head at his description of a sharp toothed, bipedal lizard, her eyes seemingly going wider, “That sounds terrifying – of course, it also sounds fascinating, but terrifying all the same. It’d be like going face to face with an angler fish but on land. Although maybe a touch less scary . . . nothing wakes you up like an angler fish leering over you!” She mused.
The idea of sparring was foreign to her, but he could easily understand why it seemed, voicing the differences between their cultures. The dangers of wounds, the lack of magic, compared to his own people’s ability to heal anything that went wrong. It was a whole different environment. “Yes, exactly. Had we means to properly heal ourselves magically, it would likely have been a whole different way of life. I’m glad that your magic allowed you and others to worry less of serious or lethal injuries. I can’t imagine what it would feel like to know you accidentally harmed a friend far more severely than one may have intended.”
Despite many difference, there did seem to be some shared point, such as the communal raising of child. “I always speculated it was to help in the situation that should a parent – or both parents perish the child is still comfortable and able to be raised by the rest of the community. It strengthened the ability to be there for one another when disaster struck. Whether losing a child, parent or life mate to the oceans, the pod would always be there to support the survivors.” It was a dangerous place, and the pod made sure that you always had someone to rely on. Of course, it could make things difficult too. Being part of a community that believed strongly in the ‘one-true mate’ clause, but also in a location that made surviving a struggle often led to quick bonds – even if the original bond wasn’t the best match; it was a case of live a short life, so live it well. And with abandoning a life-mate, or even choosing a new one after the death of your previous being tabooed, her people had a tendency to mate young and regret it later. She often counted herself lucky for being so determined to find the connection her parents had shared.
War was a new topic to Bel, and in truth a bit of a foreign one as well. She’d never experienced that sort of environment – instead locked into a nature vs. pod survival scheme – and she had never experienced the after effects either. “Whether born after, or before; it still most have been difficult to survive in. Sometimes the aftermath can be just as poisonous as the original conflict.” She mused quietly, before nodding her head lightly, “But I am relieved that you didn’t suffer horribly for it.” She added.
She spoke briefly, sharing her own tragic history, of her sister and mother’s deaths; before the topic smoothed to a lighter one finally of exploration and ocean sights. She tilted her head, smilingly brightly as both sets of eyes seemed to crinkle in delight, “Oh, I certainly hope so. I look forward to being able to fully explore and discover all the secrets Novus may have hiding behind waterfalls or in the thickest jungles. If it’s a previously unknown world, I intend to find it and explore it.” She declared with a soft laugh, before glancing around the sands of the beach, “I’ve already had a blast exploring as much of the shallows as I can at any rate, at least for today. I keep hoping I’ll find an underwater cave hidden behind seaweed or coral.”
Thoughts
Speech
She was increasingly interested in everything he spoke of in terms of magic. Ways of healing, shifting, portals . . . . she couldn’t even imagine a world like that! “Oh, what I wouldn’t give to see any of those in action! Even the telepathy came as a surprise to me! I hadn’t even known magic was a possibility before stumbling into Novus!” She didn’t know if telepathy have ever been practiced accidentally beneath the waves; but it certainly was a fascination to the young mare. So of course she had to ask more questions about it. She listened eagerly, finned ears fanning towards him, her attention fully on him as she seemed to soak up all the information he had to give. She could only imagine what it had been life. “Oh, it sounds fabulous! I can only imagine what wonders you may have once seen!” She gushed with a delighted laugh.
Of course a new possibility had the maritime mustang distracted from magic soon enough. Transformations and evolutions could do that, especially as the only comparison she had been able to draw was frogs and tadpoles, and she couldn’t exactly imagine a form that could evolve easily into the stallion before. She tilted her head at his grin, figuring she must have had it wrong, and her eyes widened in awed surprise when he explained his transfiguration, “You really changed forms? Like, you were one thing, then another thing! I can’t even imagine what that most hav Although I don’t know how I’d feel about becoming a shadow . . . it sounds a touch scary.” She paused for a long moment, before quite seriously asking, “But, uh, what’s a fire?” She added, confused by the foreign word that had no reference to an aquatic beast (or rather semi-aquatic, but who’s counting hours?)
He did explain more fully – to a degree. The shadowy form – which she imagined must have been like particles in the wind – was just a born form, with two others – a solid, and a fighting form. She tilted her head at his description of a sharp toothed, bipedal lizard, her eyes seemingly going wider, “That sounds terrifying – of course, it also sounds fascinating, but terrifying all the same. It’d be like going face to face with an angler fish but on land. Although maybe a touch less scary . . . nothing wakes you up like an angler fish leering over you!” She mused.
The idea of sparring was foreign to her, but he could easily understand why it seemed, voicing the differences between their cultures. The dangers of wounds, the lack of magic, compared to his own people’s ability to heal anything that went wrong. It was a whole different environment. “Yes, exactly. Had we means to properly heal ourselves magically, it would likely have been a whole different way of life. I’m glad that your magic allowed you and others to worry less of serious or lethal injuries. I can’t imagine what it would feel like to know you accidentally harmed a friend far more severely than one may have intended.”
Despite many difference, there did seem to be some shared point, such as the communal raising of child. “I always speculated it was to help in the situation that should a parent – or both parents perish the child is still comfortable and able to be raised by the rest of the community. It strengthened the ability to be there for one another when disaster struck. Whether losing a child, parent or life mate to the oceans, the pod would always be there to support the survivors.” It was a dangerous place, and the pod made sure that you always had someone to rely on. Of course, it could make things difficult too. Being part of a community that believed strongly in the ‘one-true mate’ clause, but also in a location that made surviving a struggle often led to quick bonds – even if the original bond wasn’t the best match; it was a case of live a short life, so live it well. And with abandoning a life-mate, or even choosing a new one after the death of your previous being tabooed, her people had a tendency to mate young and regret it later. She often counted herself lucky for being so determined to find the connection her parents had shared.
War was a new topic to Bel, and in truth a bit of a foreign one as well. She’d never experienced that sort of environment – instead locked into a nature vs. pod survival scheme – and she had never experienced the after effects either. “Whether born after, or before; it still most have been difficult to survive in. Sometimes the aftermath can be just as poisonous as the original conflict.” She mused quietly, before nodding her head lightly, “But I am relieved that you didn’t suffer horribly for it.” She added.
She spoke briefly, sharing her own tragic history, of her sister and mother’s deaths; before the topic smoothed to a lighter one finally of exploration and ocean sights. She tilted her head, smilingly brightly as both sets of eyes seemed to crinkle in delight, “Oh, I certainly hope so. I look forward to being able to fully explore and discover all the secrets Novus may have hiding behind waterfalls or in the thickest jungles. If it’s a previously unknown world, I intend to find it and explore it.” She declared with a soft laugh, before glancing around the sands of the beach, “I’ve already had a blast exploring as much of the shallows as I can at any rate, at least for today. I keep hoping I’ll find an underwater cave hidden behind seaweed or coral.”
Thoughts
Speech
i feel no cold, i feel no fear inside my mind
Now I'm full of energy
![[Image: i-jTNwWx8.png]](https://photos.smugmug.com/BelowZeroNovus/n-X9d9fZ/i-jTNwWx8/1/e09fb6c3/O/i-jTNwWx8.png)
