Below Zero
my frost philosophy will put no curse on me
Was it foolishness that had her returning to the island, or was it a bid for something bad to truly happen? Could it be her take on tempting fate (or perhaps tempting Tempus, as it's said it is his island she keeps frolicking to). As it was, Below Zero seemed incapable of truly staying away. Call her a glutton for the adventure, or perhaps just too determined for her own safety and luck to hold out. But once again her hooves quietly clomped against the lava rock, before it slowly turned to sand as she hit the beach. Her steps were light, more graceful in the familiar ground for beneath her hooves. On the beach, the water lapping at the sand at her side she felt more peaceful and in her element. A lady of the sea who lived on land sounded like a start to a fairy tale, but it was the life the Treader tended to live. Bel's dual set of eyes took in the land, her fore eyes doing a slow sweep up the beach side, even as her second set seemed to scout out trouble.
She glanced down at the trudged up sand that spoke of others traveling the area lately, and a few even seemed to be pacing the beach. It seemed silly to her, all of these individuals who wanted to find the secrets, but dare not step into the forest. That was where the secrets remained. She immediately picked up her place, her form moving with a grace that came partially from the setting she was in, and partially from the way her body only showed the faintest of movement of muscles, she tended to be made up of gentle curves and smoothness than notable muscular design; thanks to the thick blubber protecting her body from the chills of her original arctic home. She slipped easily into the forest with a familiarity of someone who'd transverses it frequently in the recent weeks of the island's arrival. She didn't make it far in before the unfamiliar sounds of shuffling hit her ears.
Instantly the mare was on guard, her finned spine tensing as the vapors trailing from her body cooled in an attempt to bring her comfort. Was it a slinking cat looking for its' next meal? Perhaps a giant bird with a taste for aquatic-equine flesh? Or a shark that learned to walk on land! All options felt like a horrible possibility! She inched forward though, peering through the brush, pushing through the foliage and instantly freezing. Of the possibilities she had imagined, a zombie hadn't been one of them! She stared in shocked horror as she stared down the creature, uncertain how to react or what to do. She blinked slowly, first the fore set of eyes, than the second set of eyes, taking in his appearance of exposed muscular tendons, seemingly missing and rotting fleshed, disfigurement. Her voice came out almost squeakily, "Uhm, are . . . are you alright?" Well, it sounded better than 'how are you alive.'
She took a deep gulp of air, breathing in deeply before trying to put on a friendly face and not advertise her concern for the individual in front of her. Was he getting help? Dear goodness, was there any help for him? He looked like something left of a shark attack! "Oh, uhm, my name is Below Zero, or Bel; really. What are - I mean, er; who are you? But, uh, really, are you okay. I don't mean, er, I don't wanna be rude, or anything . . . Uhm, it's just . . . you uh . . . are you a zombie?!" Her eyes widened as she rapidly shook her head, backing up a half step in shock at the words that had left her, "Er, I mean . . . I'm sorry that was so rude! I meant . . . er . . . oh, starfish! I'm sorry I'm blubbering like a guppy . . . I just haven't quite met someone with your . . . er . . . appearance?" shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up. "Not that you look, er; totally horrible or anything . . . I mean I've seen shark attacks that look a little worse . . . not that you look like a shark attack victim that much . . . ." shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, "Really, I mean . . . er, well you do have some . . . missing fleshy bits and such, and . . . you're not in pain are you . . . ?" Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, "You are alive right. Oh, of course you are, you are walking about and everything, and even a zombie is kinda alive . . . you aren't a zombie though right? Or maybe you are? Do land-horses become zombies? Are there even such a thing of Zombies? I don't think the ocean has anything similar. Though we do have some odd creatures of our own like dragonfish or anglerfish that seem to glow up their own skeletons. Some fish are even fully see-through to their skeleton . . . uhm, though you're not quite like that . . . and I . . . should really just learn to stop talking." Where was a good coral reef to bury herself in?
She kept her muzzle firmly shut at this point, half expecting some kind of very violent outburst from the older stallion - something she was certain she deserved . . . oh why couldn't she control her mouth when she felt out of her element. Why couldn't she be the type who went quiet when they felt awkward and uncertain, why did her filter have to fail her, and her words never stop. Oh goodness, what if the zombie decided to eat her now? Wait, is he a zombie though, "So are you a zombie then." OH SHUT UP. Her mouth closed quick again, wincing as she firmly kept it closed. Way to make a first impression, it was as bad, if not worse than meeting Asterion.
Thoughts
Speech
@'Vincent' @Random Events
Please forgive her tendency to get super, super talkative when embarrassed/unnerved/awkward/etc. She'll smooth out . . . maybe . . . at some point.
She glanced down at the trudged up sand that spoke of others traveling the area lately, and a few even seemed to be pacing the beach. It seemed silly to her, all of these individuals who wanted to find the secrets, but dare not step into the forest. That was where the secrets remained. She immediately picked up her place, her form moving with a grace that came partially from the setting she was in, and partially from the way her body only showed the faintest of movement of muscles, she tended to be made up of gentle curves and smoothness than notable muscular design; thanks to the thick blubber protecting her body from the chills of her original arctic home. She slipped easily into the forest with a familiarity of someone who'd transverses it frequently in the recent weeks of the island's arrival. She didn't make it far in before the unfamiliar sounds of shuffling hit her ears.
Instantly the mare was on guard, her finned spine tensing as the vapors trailing from her body cooled in an attempt to bring her comfort. Was it a slinking cat looking for its' next meal? Perhaps a giant bird with a taste for aquatic-equine flesh? Or a shark that learned to walk on land! All options felt like a horrible possibility! She inched forward though, peering through the brush, pushing through the foliage and instantly freezing. Of the possibilities she had imagined, a zombie hadn't been one of them! She stared in shocked horror as she stared down the creature, uncertain how to react or what to do. She blinked slowly, first the fore set of eyes, than the second set of eyes, taking in his appearance of exposed muscular tendons, seemingly missing and rotting fleshed, disfigurement. Her voice came out almost squeakily, "Uhm, are . . . are you alright?" Well, it sounded better than 'how are you alive.'
She took a deep gulp of air, breathing in deeply before trying to put on a friendly face and not advertise her concern for the individual in front of her. Was he getting help? Dear goodness, was there any help for him? He looked like something left of a shark attack! "Oh, uhm, my name is Below Zero, or Bel; really. What are - I mean, er; who are you? But, uh, really, are you okay. I don't mean, er, I don't wanna be rude, or anything . . . Uhm, it's just . . . you uh . . . are you a zombie?!" Her eyes widened as she rapidly shook her head, backing up a half step in shock at the words that had left her, "Er, I mean . . . I'm sorry that was so rude! I meant . . . er . . . oh, starfish! I'm sorry I'm blubbering like a guppy . . . I just haven't quite met someone with your . . . er . . . appearance?" shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up. "Not that you look, er; totally horrible or anything . . . I mean I've seen shark attacks that look a little worse . . . not that you look like a shark attack victim that much . . . ." shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, "Really, I mean . . . er, well you do have some . . . missing fleshy bits and such, and . . . you're not in pain are you . . . ?" Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, "You are alive right. Oh, of course you are, you are walking about and everything, and even a zombie is kinda alive . . . you aren't a zombie though right? Or maybe you are? Do land-horses become zombies? Are there even such a thing of Zombies? I don't think the ocean has anything similar. Though we do have some odd creatures of our own like dragonfish or anglerfish that seem to glow up their own skeletons. Some fish are even fully see-through to their skeleton . . . uhm, though you're not quite like that . . . and I . . . should really just learn to stop talking." Where was a good coral reef to bury herself in?
She kept her muzzle firmly shut at this point, half expecting some kind of very violent outburst from the older stallion - something she was certain she deserved . . . oh why couldn't she control her mouth when she felt out of her element. Why couldn't she be the type who went quiet when they felt awkward and uncertain, why did her filter have to fail her, and her words never stop. Oh goodness, what if the zombie decided to eat her now? Wait, is he a zombie though, "So are you a zombie then." OH SHUT UP. Her mouth closed quick again, wincing as she firmly kept it closed. Way to make a first impression, it was as bad, if not worse than meeting Asterion.
Thoughts
Speech
@'Vincent' @Random Events
Please forgive her tendency to get super, super talkative when embarrassed/unnerved/awkward/etc. She'll smooth out . . . maybe . . . at some point.
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)
