[AW] see the FOREST, not the TREES [relic contest]

[Rostislav]

A long time ago, when the earth was still green, There were more kinds of animals than you've ever seen; They'd run around free while the earth was being born, The loveliest of all was the Unicorn. My voice is not the prettiest - it's rugged, male, and definitely accented in Russian, not Irish as the song might have intended. But it's not as bad as you might expect it to be. The song keeps me entertained as I make my way beyond the river, having found a safe and calm place to cross it. I continue to hum the song, thinking the lyrics in my head. Soon I find myself at the entrance to a forest, and I slow my pace as I approach the dense trees. I'm sure they space out a bit more at some point, but where I've chosen to enter is thick and requires active navigation. I step carefully, watching for snags, stumps, and critters as I weave my way between the trunks. Every now and then I see a little pocket of growth that looks like it might be hiding something, and I stop to sniff and ogle, wondering if the relic may be hidden there. I'm starting to think that this 'relic' is just some idea conjured up to drive the inhabitants of Novus completely mad. It's rather working, in my case. "Oh, relic? Where are you?" I stomp a hoof into the ground and scratch a horn on a nearby trunk tree. Maybe if I keep calling to it, it'll show up? Doubtful. Verrrrry doubtful. Text text text. "Words words words."

[Johari]

She had yet to pack up and visit another of the courts, today did not feel like the correct day. To her it was one of those lazy days where she would enjoy herself just wandering about and relaxing via her sketches. For preparation she had even grabbed up one of her practice books where she would mostly doodle non-important things for funzies or practice rather than the documentation she would do in her more serious ones.  Mostly everything around the Delumine had been cataloged anyway so it made sense for her to just go out for fun.

The young mare made her way from her home --a simple a hollow where a tangle of trees made a canopy overhead-- and straight out towards the forest. She knew there were prime subjects for sketching there, namely one tree with one of its limbs partially broken in half. Johari made a beeline straight towards it and soon arrived with her sketchbook and her pen floating at eye level beside her. There was the tree before her and beneath it was a sow and her piglets, the former scavenging for food and the latter milling about in play. It was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

The gal shuffled backwards a bit to make sure they had ample space so as not to accidentally startle them away then she lay down slowly and carefully, dabbed her quill pen in the ink procured from the slot kept in her book, and then she began to draw. It was so relaxing to just lie there in the spring heat with birds tweeting around her and... the sound of singing? And... searching? Her eyes which had wandered to the neighboring forest around her snapped back to the small family to make sure they hadn't been frightened away. So far so good, the female simply looked up before dropping back down to her task of snuffling.

Jo heaved a sigh of relief before going back to her task. Pfft, relics. She'd heard the whispers on the wind and the talk of it in the court but she saw it all as pointless to search herself. If everyone in the entire lands was searching what was the chance that she would be the lucky one to find it? Nonexistent that was for sure. The more equines you had hunting the lower your chances of getting anything were so why even bother? Besides, it was much more fun to draw a family of boars than to slave away looking for something that might be nowhere around them.

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431 | notes | @Rostislav

"Talking looks like this!"
Thinking looks like this...

[Rostislav]

" THE BEAST COMES QUIETLY FOR ALL "

Of course there is no relic to be seen. What did I think was going to happen, that its as going to just pop up at my calling? If it did it would probably rise up and fly straight into my face. Of course. I sigh and lean against a tree, my singing subsiding as I try to decide what course of action I should take. Ask around? Sure but who is there to ask? And besides, is this a competition? Maybe I don't want to team up with someone else if only one of us can turn in the relic. Ridiculous, to say the least. I start walking again, silently this time, and see out of the corner of my eye some pigs. I watch them casually, but then realize as my hooves take me farther that they are not alone. The swine are joined by a strange looking unicorn lying on the ground.

With pen and paper.

I stop and stare, confused at what my eyes are telling my brain. Some object floating in the air, being written upon. That's all that I can understand, for I am unfamiliar with what's happening. I feel my face stop working as I continue to stare, and confusion is written all over my expression. "What the hell?" I don't stammer but my brain's gears are actively grinding. I step toward the mare and of course immediately disturb the pigs. My less-than-stealthy demeanor and bizarre appearance don't exactly blend in. The sow squeals and trots away, her piglets following close behind. They stop not far away, staring at me accusingly, and resume their grazing as they slowly move away from us. I take the place where the pigs were and turn my gaze (which had wandered toward the pigs) back to the mare. "What on earth are you doing?"

WC: 307
Tag: @Johari

[Johari]

Everything seemed so peaceful for a moment, even the mysterious singing stranger seemed to have quieted. Hopefully he'd continue on his way and not even realize that she or her subjects were there. Fate had other plans in store for the young mare though. As she lay there, almost halfway through her sketch the very man that had been letting his voice echo throughout the forest made an appearance. She heard him first as he walked through the foliage. Her lavender eyes grew wide as a brief spark of panic overtook her. The pigs! He would scare them away! "Nononono..." Her soft voice was barely more than a whisper as she implored him, begged him, to stop moving.

His incredulous words fell on deaf ears as she stared at him and then at the pigs, the stallion had the mother's attention but as he had stopped the sow didn't move.

Her sigh of relief was interuppted as he then he continued on further, spooking the small family and sending the scurrying away. "No!" An actual loud tone that would be heard for all of the disappointment, anguish, and annoyance that was manifesting within the mare. Her perfect subjects were now ruined! She wanted to draw them standing in front of that tree in their former positions, not where they stood now! Oh, great! "Y-y-you oaf! Look at what you did!" She rose to her hooves then, eyes glaring daggers at the man who ruined the afternoon while her soft tone was almost a juxtaposition to the anger she felt.

His words hit her then as she snorted and rolled her eyes. Rather than speak first she turned the book outwards so that he could see the semi-finished sketch of the piglets and the immediate scenery that she'd been working on. After giving him time to study it she would close the book and allow it to fall and dangle from the leather strap that kept it attached to her. "Those were my subjects and you scared them away!" She looked towards where the pigs had wandered off to only to find that in the midst of the excitement the porcine family had completely wandered off.

She sighed then, tail swishing as she tried to calm herself down. It was just a family of boars, she could find more if she really needed to. Plus, it was only a practice sketch... nothing to get too worked up about. Her glare lessened as she studied the stranger then, noting his unicorn features and darkened coat. She'd not seen him around before and wondered where he hailed from. And then, it was her turn, "What are you doing?" Besides interrupting me...

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448 | notes | @Rostislav

"Talking looks like this!"
Thinking looks like this...

[Rostislav]

" THE BEAST COMES QUIETLY FOR ALL "

The mare is probably more upset with me then the damn pigs are. Her outrage at my apparent clumsiness and intrusion are loud and aggressive. Her glares are fierce, but my hide is tough. They fail to penetrate the invisible armor, and I sigh impatiently. Apparently my question shows that I a full of ignorance. She shows me the item that had been hovering in front of her, and I see upon it the likeness (or the beginning of a likeness) of the pigs and surrounding forest. "Huh. Interesting." I lie. I have no interest in her imitations. As she explains the cause for her distress, a sneer slides into place on my face. There is only so much pretending a man can handle. I follow her gaze to find that the boars have wandered off completely, finding a more peaceful place to nibble. When my eyes wander back to the mare with the little horn upon her nose. Her glare has lessened heat is more lukewarm than indomitable fire.

Her question is so... normal. And my answer... the same. "Searching for the relic of the gods, what else?" The sneer is still there, but it is redirected toward the quest and my search. Too long have I been searching with nought to show. I turn away from her and walk past, my own leonine tail swishing as well. "To no luck, of course, but certainly my pursuit seems more worthwhile than your own." I look over my shoulder, then turn full circle. "And dare I ask, what is the purpose of your imitations? Surely you're not just trying to cure your own boredom.. There are much better solutions for that." A smirk appears now to accompany my suggestive tone. I can always solve a lady's boredom, should she permit me the chance.

Text. Words.
WC: 304
Tag: @Johari
Comments: Sorry it's bad :|