Below Zero
my frost philosophy will put no curse on me
Bel could feel an ever growing curiosity growing in her bones at the creature, the female before her. Fins seemingly dancing in the waters, tugged far more force-ably in the currents than Bel's own practiced movements. Was it easier for the water to catch the membrane and delicate makings of such fin-work. Though, other thin finned fish around swam with out much concern - and Bel herself with fins made of much thicker cartilage and blubber padding knew she had no issues with battling the familiar currents. The other spoke her name, immediately drawing Bel's thoughts away from their differences and instead smiling warmly at the now named Jaylin, her finned ears flicking, her eyes watching the bubbles rolling off of the other's tongue and gills. Her voice was a whisper, almost easy to overlook among the other sounds in the waters, but Bel still caught the words, surprised by the additional differences between the two she was noting.
"Well, it's nice to meet you, Jaylin." Bel greeted kindly with smile, dipping her head through the water, a rush bubbles leaving her briefly flared gills, as her head tucked close to her chest, her horns briefly reflecting the fractured light cutting through the water's surface above. She raised her skull fairly quickly, eyes sweeping the peaceful reef, more than aware of how quickly the peace can disappear. Even as she spent the time comfortably talking to the other within the waters, she was keeping an eye on the other aquatic life, watching them float and swim about in a natural pattern. The wrong movement, however, a sudden dispersing of life would immediately catch her attention. She had no intention of being surprised by a shark attempting to claim a quick meal. She was always cautious and aware of the waters around her, least she not ever come back out.
Her attention returned to the mare when she spoke again, speaking of having never been here before - of being trapped for a long time, and not used to swimming in such waters. Again, this was further punctuated by the constant corrections, struggling to keep her balance, over-correcting and wrenching from the currents that moved. Bel offered a reassuring smile, "Swim in from the fresh waters?" She asked curiously, knowing those currents behaved differently, usually with one or two to worry about depending on the depth of the freshwater. Bel was used to streams and currents beneath the waves, but even she might feel a little topsy turvy in rapids of freshwater rivers. "I promise it becomes easier. It'll be like second nature to correct for currents before you know it!" She offered reassuringly, her words echoing through the water, carrying easily to the other mare. "I'd offer suggestions for how you can adjust, but I'm afraid I'm built a little different than you are, but maybe spend some time basking on the ocean floor and watching the other finned fish swim about and mirror how they handle the currents. A many have similar styled fins to your own I believe." Bel herself had been largely trained by her own people, and dolphins. Even some of the sharks had been observed from a safe distance.
It was then that the other explained her discomfort in a much grander way and instantly Bel's eyes were widening, and she moved forward, her body angling with a natural ease as she swam around the other mare, peering at her with shock, "Cursed you say? That's fascinating! You certainly don't look like this isn't your natural form, other than your in-familiarity with the currents. But don't fret over broken coral! You'll figure it out before you know it, or hopefully find a way to return to what form it was you originally had." She tilted her head curiously, her dual gaze moving over the creature, one set focusing on the fins, the other's politely keeping her attention on the face of the other mare, before a sudden question was put between them,“What are you?”
There was a hesitation, a pause as the dual-natured equine tried to think on how to answer that. Before she'd have simply explained her species, but . . . after seeing how so many of the other equine in Novus came to be - where all of them had come from, her own origin stories that once merely felt like legends had started to feel more real. Small meanings in previously spoken words suddenly were clicking together. Odd plant life harbored in special areas with cultural value to her species suddenly didn't seem so alien . . . or perhaps, that was just it, everything felt naturally alien: at least alien to the planet if not natural to her.
For the first time she hesitated when answering the question of what she was, before giving a new answer to the question, "My people are called Vapor Treaders, although we consider Treaders as easier to say. Our ancestors hailed from the stars, and our lives are a mix of living beneath the waves and on the shorelines." She tilted her head to the side faintly, a smile crossing her face, both set of eyes twinkling as her tail flipped through the air, propelling her just to the left as a current pushed past her, her dorsal atop her spine shifting faintly to help keep her aligned in the waters, "Personally, however, I've come to Novus and am now part of the Dusk Court." Perhaps for the first time, she gave credit where it was due, to her ancestors who'd abandoned a dying and diseased planet for a future of prosperity on another world.
She was only beginning to believe the stories, and it was easier to claim her ancestors were alien, rather than herself. She preferred presenting herself as a partial deep sea aquatic equine anyway. "If you don't mind me asking . . . what happened for you to be cursed into this form? I've heard of badluck from broken seaglass, but a curse is a new one. I hope you do break it, if you can! It's hard being in an unfamiliar place, switching from living in the deep arctic trenches to on land was difficult, I couldn't imagine being forced to live in a place unfamiliar with out even a friendly, familiar some-fish to keep you company!" She added, her expression a mixture of concern, sympathy, and a slight desire to be able to help the poor mare before her.
Thoughts
Speech
@'Jaylin' - Getting back in the swing of things with posting before I go camping this weekend :D
"Well, it's nice to meet you, Jaylin." Bel greeted kindly with smile, dipping her head through the water, a rush bubbles leaving her briefly flared gills, as her head tucked close to her chest, her horns briefly reflecting the fractured light cutting through the water's surface above. She raised her skull fairly quickly, eyes sweeping the peaceful reef, more than aware of how quickly the peace can disappear. Even as she spent the time comfortably talking to the other within the waters, she was keeping an eye on the other aquatic life, watching them float and swim about in a natural pattern. The wrong movement, however, a sudden dispersing of life would immediately catch her attention. She had no intention of being surprised by a shark attempting to claim a quick meal. She was always cautious and aware of the waters around her, least she not ever come back out.
Her attention returned to the mare when she spoke again, speaking of having never been here before - of being trapped for a long time, and not used to swimming in such waters. Again, this was further punctuated by the constant corrections, struggling to keep her balance, over-correcting and wrenching from the currents that moved. Bel offered a reassuring smile, "Swim in from the fresh waters?" She asked curiously, knowing those currents behaved differently, usually with one or two to worry about depending on the depth of the freshwater. Bel was used to streams and currents beneath the waves, but even she might feel a little topsy turvy in rapids of freshwater rivers. "I promise it becomes easier. It'll be like second nature to correct for currents before you know it!" She offered reassuringly, her words echoing through the water, carrying easily to the other mare. "I'd offer suggestions for how you can adjust, but I'm afraid I'm built a little different than you are, but maybe spend some time basking on the ocean floor and watching the other finned fish swim about and mirror how they handle the currents. A many have similar styled fins to your own I believe." Bel herself had been largely trained by her own people, and dolphins. Even some of the sharks had been observed from a safe distance.
It was then that the other explained her discomfort in a much grander way and instantly Bel's eyes were widening, and she moved forward, her body angling with a natural ease as she swam around the other mare, peering at her with shock, "Cursed you say? That's fascinating! You certainly don't look like this isn't your natural form, other than your in-familiarity with the currents. But don't fret over broken coral! You'll figure it out before you know it, or hopefully find a way to return to what form it was you originally had." She tilted her head curiously, her dual gaze moving over the creature, one set focusing on the fins, the other's politely keeping her attention on the face of the other mare, before a sudden question was put between them,
There was a hesitation, a pause as the dual-natured equine tried to think on how to answer that. Before she'd have simply explained her species, but . . . after seeing how so many of the other equine in Novus came to be - where all of them had come from, her own origin stories that once merely felt like legends had started to feel more real. Small meanings in previously spoken words suddenly were clicking together. Odd plant life harbored in special areas with cultural value to her species suddenly didn't seem so alien . . . or perhaps, that was just it, everything felt naturally alien: at least alien to the planet if not natural to her.
For the first time she hesitated when answering the question of what she was, before giving a new answer to the question, "My people are called Vapor Treaders, although we consider Treaders as easier to say. Our ancestors hailed from the stars, and our lives are a mix of living beneath the waves and on the shorelines." She tilted her head to the side faintly, a smile crossing her face, both set of eyes twinkling as her tail flipped through the air, propelling her just to the left as a current pushed past her, her dorsal atop her spine shifting faintly to help keep her aligned in the waters, "Personally, however, I've come to Novus and am now part of the Dusk Court." Perhaps for the first time, she gave credit where it was due, to her ancestors who'd abandoned a dying and diseased planet for a future of prosperity on another world.
She was only beginning to believe the stories, and it was easier to claim her ancestors were alien, rather than herself. She preferred presenting herself as a partial deep sea aquatic equine anyway. "If you don't mind me asking . . . what happened for you to be cursed into this form? I've heard of badluck from broken seaglass, but a curse is a new one. I hope you do break it, if you can! It's hard being in an unfamiliar place, switching from living in the deep arctic trenches to on land was difficult, I couldn't imagine being forced to live in a place unfamiliar with out even a friendly, familiar some-fish to keep you company!" She added, her expression a mixture of concern, sympathy, and a slight desire to be able to help the poor mare before her.
Thoughts
Speech
@'Jaylin' - Getting back in the swing of things with posting before I go camping this weekend :D
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)
