is this a natural feeling or is it just me bleeding?
Lasairian just wanted to keep the conversation from going into deep and dark waters, because as much as he wanted to learn more from Bel, he wasn't interested in causing discomfort to do so. He was hoping that he could direct the conversation into something that was less bothersome to Bel. Obviously the medical path of conversation did not work for her, but considering what she had said of it, that made sense. Real wounds usually spelled death, and before even that, bans from the pod. That sounded most awful to Lasairian. In a group like that, he would be useless, which was a horrible thought. To know they couldn't even take the time to try.
That could mess anyone up, though perhaps that made for stouter types in the face of all that. Lasairian wasn't sure that was totally a good thing, but to survive, cultures did what they had to do. Under the water was an entirely different world, this was made more obvious by what he was learning. Something that his own would have never been able to thrive within, simply because of the nature of those in the Bheo and just how prone that they were to challenge and fight each other. Lasairian couldn't say he hadn't done it as well, though it was easy enough to put that sort of life behind him now. He didn't need it here.
More time for him to study, to read from the library of magic and medical things to better himself, and time to gather plants and herbs that could be helpful to him. To go out and meet others, learn stories and so forth; whatever would be helpful as he went forward. So far he hadn't gotten a chance to heal anyone, but perhaps that was for the best. Gave him time to learn new things and perfect his skills more. To take time to learn more about how magic worked in this realm, how some ended up gaining it. Lasairian missed his ability to wield such things, and even now still used runes, dormant as they currently were. Old habits died hard.
When Bel spoke, Lasairian listened to her, nodding gently to her words. He understood to a point -- that point being that some things were done in a culture that might not always make sense to others from an observational standpoint -- but he couldn't pretend to understand what it might feel like to live that way. He respected her feelings and the sacrifices she must have made in her life, and did not want to say more that could be upsetting. He certainly did not need her thanks, and felt odd at hearing it, as his kind where he was from were often to do, and did not respond to that.
When she asked if he was a healer, Lasairian dipped his head, "yes, I've had training in it during my youth, and I decided to pursue it as an occupation here. I wouldn't be sure what else I would do without magic, and this helps others. It felt like the best choice for me here," he responded evenly, wondering what it must be like to hear such a thing after the life she had led before. He hoped that it at least gave her a better outlook on how life could be for her here, if nothing else. That there were more options for sickness and wounds, that it wouldn't so often end in loss as it sounded like it did out in the waters.
Below Zero
my frost philosophy will put no curse on me
Every culture was different, every individual their own person; and understanding another's culture was never an easy task. Bel had grown up always wondering if the kelp in others' ponds were really greener, or if seeing something new shuttered your vision from acknowledging just how good you had it. Those young-Bel thoughts had soon drowned themselves in acknowledging that perhaps the green kelp in her pond was just a disguise for the skeletons buried in the sand. For her pod certainly had it's skeletons. Nothing was ever truly as peaceful as they made believe. Too often they were forced to abandon members, too often you were taught a life lesson of not growing too close to your pod members because Goodbye came without warning. Too often she had to shutter her heart and harden her emotions so as to not become plagued by them. It had taken her far too long to see how horrible of a life style it was.
No, it hadn't been a life style . . . it had been a learned behavior. The entire pod had been forced to learn those behaviors, the only solution to living in a fish eat fish world. You never knew what else was hiding in those caverns you sought shelter in, and you had to be constantly aware least a shark surprise you and take a chunk out of her tail. There were many problems with her pod, the way they lived; but she had to also acknowledge it was the only way to live in that kind of environment. She had also chosen to leave the environment, to find a more peaceful place to live, a life she could live instead of just survive through. For the most part, she could talk about various bits of the ocean - in fact, she could spend a year just talking about the ocean and the creatures with in it with a smile on her face. But as soon as the topic turned more personal she tended to hesitate. When it turned towards the life she had been a part of, the way her pod had been forced to live - she'd go quiet. Secretive was the way to describe her, but only when it came to the world she had . . . abandoned.
Bel could also understand how someone else might be curious though, and she'd been quick to shrug of the apology, strong in the belief of being forgiven for something you didn't know would be a sensitive topic. Lasair had not been aware of the sensitivities to those questions, what the answers would be and what those answers meant to her. He hadn't know, and he had regretted causing her mental anguish over those answers. She had been quick to search for a new topic between them though, something to clear the air and switch to a more welcome conversation - so she'd done a first instinct, asking about him, and his interest in medication.
She tilted her head as she listened to him speak of training and the decision to turn it into an occupation. Helping others was certainly a worthy aspiration, a valiant one. She offered a smile to him, partially to reassure that there were no hard feelings over her way of life had been, and she wouldn't hold anything he said against him. "Aspiring to help others . . . that is quite the worthy way of life you're paving. I can most certainly assure that I wouldn't know the way to start." Her tone shifted, playful and teasing, "Considering most of the plants and vegetation I've come across thus far - in any of my travels even to get to Novus - are very foreign to me, I'd be far more likely to poison than heal. I won't even nibble on a leaf with out seeing someone else willingly eating it first." Which was definitely a good way to learn what was edible and what wasn't. She still preferred the taste of kelp, however. Sea grasses, and smaller life forms of the water, krill or tiny fish. The plants of land just . . . didn't taste right. "Have you always inspired to be a healer, or did your fins itch for another occupation when you were younger?" She asked conversationally.
She could, after all, be fairly curious herself when making friends, and she'd much rather talk about someone else then have to discuss herself. So long as she didn't poke any old scars of his, she was willing to hear anything Lasair was willing to share. "Oh, follow up question! What sort of games do foals of land play?! Below the waves we liked to chase fish, or play hide and seek. If your fins were grown in, there'd be races too. And we're taught early to be brave in the face of danger - and would dare each other into some fairly risky locations. I had suction marks for a week the time I scared a young octopus by diving into it's cave." She was willing to share some information - learning about others was a bit of a give and take - and it did some warmth to her heart to remember the games she used to play, rather than the fear of being chased by predators anyways. Most of her life had been horrors, but the few times of laughter were always cherished in her heart.
Thoughts Speech
Tagging: @Lasairian
i feel no cold, i feel no fear inside my mind Now I'm full of energy
05-27-2019, 02:54 PM - This post was last modified: 05-27-2019, 02:56 PM by Below Zero
is this a natural feeling or is it just me bleeding?
Peaceful did not always mean the same things to all cultures in its entirety, and Lasairian still saw peace during the squabbles and the violence of the pits, the killing in the forest near the Bheo, because that was what he had been taught peace was. No full out uprising, no creatures taking clear cut sides, no new leadership situations and no all out wars. Yet the culture itself was still about fighting to find a place and rank, nothing could be done about that. Lasairian hadn't seen anything but that peace, though. He had been born after the war that had decimated so many of those who had lived in the Bheo, after all.
And that war had left it's mark, of this it was certain. So many that had died, and many were still rebuilding from it when he was born. Four years later, but to them, it was more like a few weeks, maybe months. Many of those that lived there were long-lived species, after all. Another spot where Lasairian did not quite fit, for he aged more quickly than that, which was probably an oddity there, though so was Kier's choice to have an outsider mate. That had helped push the war along, in a way, though even Lasairian could see the selfishness of the situation; product of it or not.
It had not been a good place to be in, being torn between two worlds and the sensitive issue of his father spending half of the time in the Bheo, and half away from it. Two lives, because the fairy tale of it all didn't really exist. Lasairian hadn't seen it all right off, though he had been able to grasp the fact that things hadn't been exactly right at home, and there were trips to go and visit his half sister with his father and older brother. The whole thing had been a little rough, and eventually it was a puzzle that Lasairian could put together more to look at. Which did not make it easier to see.
Those personal things were what Lasairian could and would talk about, as conflicted as he was about the complicated family dynamic -- how did one really warm up to the fact that they were born out of some attempt of their father to try to rekindle things lost with their mother, and see all the little places in which that had still failed? -- but Lasairian wasn't closed off about that part of his life. He didn't often speak of it, but he hadn't been blind to it, either. No reason to keep hush hush about something that was fairly obvious to anyone he had grown up around though. A good portion of those there had been empaths, anyway.
Not something Lasairian had ever gained, but he had been blessed with a block to that, and could not be read by them. He'd probably lost that here too, though. At least he hadn't met anyone yet here that seemed to be able to read
him that way. Small mercies. Still, Lasairian understood mental anguish, understood a murky sort of past. He had wrapped himself up in those things, and found himself to be somewhat emotionally self-destructive, too. He had tried not to be, but in the end there was a place in his emotions that he simply could not control or apply logic to. It was what it was.
Easier to focus on where Bel was leading the conversation now, as opposed to what was going on in his own mind, thinking of the stuff he shouldn't speak about. Bel was telling him that a healer was a worthy life to pave, and Lasairian nods to this; it's probably the best thing he could do with what he knew, what interested him in pursuing. Then Bel was saying that she found most plants she came across to get to Novus too foreign to be sure they wouldn't poison instead of heal. Lasairian chuckled lightly, "it certainly does take time to figure out what plants do what. I was raised around it, and got to watch another healer work for years to get to this point," he pointed out softly.
Her question as to if he had always inspired to be a healer or something else when he was younger had Lasairian looking thoughtful, then shrugging some, "it wasn't my first thought as for an occupation, no, but it was always something I wanted to be able to do, even if on the side. I tend to get more caught up in learning magic, though I do not currently have any here," he responded evenly. Maybe that wasn't so much an occupation, but it had been what he wanted to do with his life, back when it seemed a more likely possibility for him. Here and now, he wasn't so sure.
At the follow up question, however, Lasairian looked very uncertain, but was attentive enough to what Bel was saying about how her childhood games were. Lasairian could at least say something for that, if not as what she had described. "I wasn't born to this form, so I don't really know how the youth play, but personally we did have hide-and-seek and dares. We would spar to see who was better at that, too. Honestly there weren't a whole lot of children around at any one time. Little ones could be a bit rare in my culture, but they usually take a long time to mature, too," he answered lightly.
He wasn't sure he wanted to explain that his bloodlines were somewhere on the side of endangered after the last war and the toll it had taken on them, all those lives lost to it. Lasairian knew that the different growth rate meant that he was able to jump from one group to another as he grew, finding more of them where he was in maturity the more he grew. "In my culture, things can take a long time to happen. We had a war some years back that wiped a lot of our people out. It shouldn't have happened," he said after a moment, understanding the give and take of information in this way.
Below Zero
my frost philosophy will put no curse on me
There was an odd sort of sway and flow to their conversation, both trying to help steer the conversation into a direction that would allow them both to remain comfortable with the topics discussed. Or, at least, Bel was actively trying to – steer the conversation away from her past and home, and make sure she didn’t accidentally poke a tender spot in his own history. No one ever had a perfect life, she was well aware of that . . . and where she had her taboo topics, she was fairly certain he likely had his own.
The young aqua-equine was relieved that the topic was lightening though, and was more than happy to lay her own helplessness to the foreign aspect of living on land, to ensure a safe conversation to be had . . . besides, she was hoping she might learn a little bit more about the land this way as well. Her companion – for surely at this point he wouldn’t be a stranger – had chuckled at her words, and she grinned back in response, finned ears flicking faintly. She nodded to what he had to say, her own laugh bubbling up, “Well, I certainly hope that I figure out quickly, before I end up on the wrong side of the seabed!” She declared with a soft shake of her head. “Hmm, perhaps I need to find a healer to fall around. I can ask them about any and every plant I come across until they’re wanting to feed me to the kraken!” She declared with an amused grin, “I could definitely use all the help I can get to figuring out this living on land thing. I’d rather be treading water, then splashing and mucking about, like I seem to be doing now.” She was certain with enough time, she would be figuring her way around being a land mammal, treading water instead of feeling like she was drowning by all the unfamiliarity of this new world.
She was a creature of two worlds after all. Created for both land, and sea. With enough practice, she should get her land-legs at some point – right? No more flopping about like a fish washed ashore, but instead evolving like the mudskipper and actually living. Her thoughts soon turned off this pathway, instead turning towards the next coming wave of conversation – Lasair’s choice in occupation. Bel tilted her head, listening inquisitively as the stallion spoke of magic, and the past of being caught up in it. She tilted her head curiously at this, “Magic? You mean like the odd telepathy everyone seems to have here. I’ll say that was a surprise for me to stumble across having. I don’t know if it was never needed below the waves, but it’s definitely not what I had expected.” Of course, there was also the magic that had her body creating the water vapors that trailed through the air around her, humidifying the atmosphere in her general area. While technically a magic of its own, it had always just been a fundamental part of her life and survival – and everyone in the pod seemed to have some form of the vapors – so it was not yet occurred to the young mare that it was a form of magic of its’ own. “What was it like? Learning magic? If you don’t mind me asking?” She added with obvious curiosity over what was another foreign topic to her.
She was appreciating learning more about her new companion though, tilting her head with curiosity as the topic changed to childhood and foal-games to be played. When he mentioned of not being born to his current form, however, her thought immediately went to a frog, which went through many stages, and she tilted her head in obvious confusion, “You weren’t always . . . . in this form?” She repeated, “Do you mean like you were a frog, and had another form that had to evolve into this one? Although I’m sure you wouldn’t have resembled a tadpool, but that would be cool.” She asked curiously, trying to connect the odd phrasing to a method of which she would be able to understand. Unfortunately there were not too many methods that made since to her, in regards of changing forms. He did speak of games that they would play though, some familiar – while others seemed a foreign concept like sparring. Perhaps it was the necessity to always be at full health that her people lived by. “Well, I don’t know about sparring, though the males might have done a bit of that – but I certainly never tried my hand at it,” She mused with a smile, “Children weren’t so much a rarity with my pod, but we did tend to live very sheltered. The entire pod acted together to raise the youth, and so it was rare for us to ever be far from the eyes of one of the Pod.” Except when danger struck and you split off in random directions in an attempt to confuse the predator.
That wasn’t a topic she wanted to add to though, he had been horrified enough by a culture who followed the ideal of injured pod members are expendable. While the Pod did everything it could to survive, you had to have a solid handle on relying on yourself, because when a predator attacked, and the pod split to avoid it, you never knew how long you’d be on your own for before the pod reformed. But when the topic suddenly drifted to war, Bel fell silent, as her thoughts stilled. Her vapors seemed to go a slightly chillier temperature as she tilted her head, “I’m sorry to hear that. I suppose that’s one thing I should be relieved about – my people were always too busy fleeing predators to worry about fighting each other. But war, and the aftermath of it is never something to be ignored. It has a way of lasting generations, the damage impacting all aspects of life . . . I can’t claim to know the situation, but I can agree that there is never a reason for a situation to dissolve into war. All life is precious.” There was a pause, her dual sets of eyes turning towards him, “I’m sorry if this topic is a sensitive one.” There was another pause, before she allowed one final personal bit of information to flow through her, “My sister . . . is the reason the lack of medicine to my people is . . . difficult. She was injured . . . we lost our mother. It took the pod near a full moon’s cycle before they convinced father it was no good, and to leave her behind. The night following her abandonment – I left the pod. I couldn’t . . . . the guilt . . . ” She shook her head, before glancing back at him and repeating his own words back, “It shouldn’t have happened.”
She fell quiet again, her gaze dropping to her hooves for a moment, banishing the memories of her younger siblings cries, screams and pleas. Her gaze drifted to the ocean behind her, the crashing of the waves, and smell of the salty air. Her finned ears flicked, her tail twitching faintly, before a new topic spun almost randomly, “It’s both terrifying, and exhilarating to be that far beneath the surface waters . . . the temperature drops, and dangerous, large creatures roam, but as those lights flicker on, you can almost imagine you’re in a different world, and more fantastical world.” Her people told stories of coming from such a fantastical world, where creatures glowed at night, and the world seemed more alive in the dark then in the day. It was likely just a story, but they were some of her favorites as a child, “Sometimes, I’d hide in those deep waters, just watching this whole other world come alive . . . all that life glowing brightly in the dark. I used to imagine anything was possible in that darkness, that when those lights came flickering on, that anything could be waiting – friend or foe. I hope the land has places like that, that when you stare upon it . . . it takes your breath away, and for a moment it’ll help you forget where you come from, and remind you that the future is brighter.” She didn’t know if she was speaking for his benefit, or for her own, but a brighter future was definitely a vision she would want to see.
Thoughts Speech
Tagging: @Lasairian
i feel no cold, i feel no fear inside my mind Now I'm full of energy
05-30-2019, 08:21 PM - This post was last modified: 05-30-2019, 08:25 PM by Below Zero
is this a natural feeling or is it just me bleeding?
If Bel wanted to steer clear of discussions of anything surrounding her past and the home she had before, then of course Lasairian was going to be mindful of that as much as possible. He only touched on such things if she brought them up first, now. Like childhood games; Lasairian wouldn't have asked on it or spoken on it at all if Bel hadn't been the one to bring it up first and ask the questions. Lasairian had learned from asking on the medical things that it might not be such a good idea to dig on all of that. He did not want to upset her.
His own childhood was mostly fine to get into, as much as he might have a few hangups over it now. Nothing that was much of a secret in a place like the Bheo, and therefore Lasairian could talk about it without being upset. At least in theory, since he really hadn't tested talking it all out with someone new before. He couldn't be perfectly sure as to how he might feel about it once it was said. Still, he knew that if it became that sort of issue, the conversation could be quickly dropped. Truly, though, Lasairian didn't think there was much to worry over.
He did not have to discuss Caydren at length, did not have to get in too deeply on anything that might be a sore spot. It might be good for him to talk about a number of other things, however, and so if those came up, he didn't mind glossing over some details and being a little vague just to get the general idea of it all out there. That was, if Bel was any sort of curious on any of that. For now, though, Lasairian felt at ease discussing most of this stuff, and he probably looked as relaxed as he felt. Aside from being concerned over Bel, of course.
Discussing the land and Novus itself was easy enough, though even Lasairian still felt new to it all, new here, he had been keeping busy and trying to learn a good deal about his new home. Because that was what it was now, no way to deny it. A new home. A place where he had settled into and felt right in. At least for the most part. He was still astounded at how well everything seemed to fit, at all the strange ways it felt right to be here, despite the loss of magic and true forms. Lasairian had trouble deciding what form that was, exactly, but had an inkling it wasn't the solid one.
There was nothing but solid flesh and bone to this form, though. No way to float around like before, though Lasairian couldn't say it upset him much. He had barely used that form before, after all. No reason to do so, and it just tended to show that he wasn't the same as they were, the others of his kind. Just a little bit too different, though it was a kindness that through most of his childhood, they did not treat him too overly different. It was only as he grew up enough to want to prove himself that he realized how difficult doing that would actually be.
And it was never enough. It never could be, because effort meant nothing when he was held back simply for what he had been born as. A hybrid, though he obviously looked more like all the others rather than show the less liked side. Lasairian was more like his mother's people, but that wasn't enough. Any little flaw had become a blinding thing among the others, and while he did his best to rise above it, he knew what his limits would always be. It only made him try harder. But here? Here in Novus, there was a chance to matter for those efforts, and that made all the difference.
Lasairian did not want to dwell on it all, because there was no reason to do so. That was in the past and it could stay there. Plus, Bel was saying things that he couldn't help but grin over, amused that she thought she might end up on the wrong 'seabed', but thinking that it would be hard just to land there, since this place seemed quite friendly even across kingdoms. So far, anyway. Lasairian had visited the night court and found them nice enough to even outsiders. He'd quite liked the marketplace, and the reminder of it, though.
More words from Bel and Lasairian laughed gently, "why look for another one if you've already found me?" he asked with a grin, "though I doubt I would feel so inclined to feed you to any kraken, no matter how many questions you ask. After all, I'm always asking questions, so I fully understand," he added lightly, finding it nice to be able to banter like this with someone. So far, there had been many more somber equines met here than ones that were those that he could have a conversation like this with. It made a difference to how Lasairian saw things, too.
When she commented about magic, Lasairian nodded, "yes, like that. Can't say I really used telepathy back then, but there was magic ways to heal, and shifting, portals, dreamwalking, empaths, and all sorts of things. I couldn't do all of those, but I knew others that could. I do miss that part. Being able to do neat things with magic," were his words on that. Lasairian understood where telepathy came in very handy here, why they could be as far as they were with it, and the fact that they would be less so without it. Still, Lasairian yearned for more. He couldn't help it.
When another question was posed, he looked thoughtful about it. What was it like learning magic? How did he begin to explain it? That took a moment, but he just went with it, "it's eye opening and freeing in a way. It opens up so many new things, new doors in life. You can see things that you couldn't before, and there are less impossible things when there's magic. Easier to get to far away places if you have a mirror-portal handy, too," he responded with a far-away smile. Enjoyed perks of another life, but now that was a shut door to him. Though it might not always be.
Getting into the discussion of not having always been in this form, that he had been born in another one, well, that felt a little complex to get into, but Lasairian didn't mind attempting to do so. There was no reason to hide what he had once been after all. He felt no shame in it, just that deep sadness and hurt over the injustice of what was limited because of that hybrid status he'd held there. All of it put together and laid out in words to someone made it seem more complex than that, and in some ways it was, but it was enough to simply give that much of it to make the point.
The thought that Bel was thinking 'frog' and 'tadpole' for how he had changed forms had Lasairian grinning with abundant mirth over the mental image, but he shook his head at that, "no, not quite like that. I did not evolve into this form, I merely ended up with a change in form altogether. The form I was born as wasn't solid, exactly. It was just energy that looked like a smoky shadow. Like the billowing white kind after putting out a fire. With glowy eyes. The others were black smoke and shadow, though. I was just a heavily leaning halfbreed," he explained lightly.
Of course that wasn't all there was to it, but it was the form he was born as, so it made sense to start there and go on. "That was just the form I was born as, and I'm not even going to try explaining that part of it. But eventually we get a more solid form, too. Bipedal, soft, strange compared to these forms. Then there's one more made for fighting, and it's varied from one person to another. Mine resembled a sharp toothed, bipedal lizard," he added. Quite a difference, going to this after having a raptor form and all the rest. But Lasairian was at peace with it.
Having a form like that when it came to sparring had been nice, though. Which would make it rather difficult to have to learn how to fight in this form if ever it came to that. So many differences, and Lasairian would have to change so much on how he thought a battle out, and learn new tactics, forget old ones that could only complicate and confuse him to try here. It would certainly mess with his gut instincts on the matter, and sounded all around messy in all honesty. Lasairian did not need all of that here, he could be good with simply being a healer and living that kind of life.
The subject of sparring being a thing and what Bel said of it made Lasairian nod his head, "considering the dangers of wounds and the lack of magic underwater, it's probably not a great idea to spar too much, I'd think. We had healing magic to help keep things from being lethal. Though we also had a very strict no killing rule." That part needed no further explaining, he didn't think. But the rarity of children among the species made the deaths a more concerning thing, and too many accidents couldn't really be afforded because of that.
The shared raising of children, however, was most certainly something both of them shared in their childhoods. "It was the same for us. We were often raised by several adults. Guess they couldn't be too careful with how few of us were around at any given time." The internal musing of all that didn't stop there, though Lasairian didn't feel like it was a good idea to talk about how close knit most of that group's adults were with one another, nor how blurred some lines got in a community like that. There was still some discomfort in all of that.
One did not tell someone they just met that they had secretly fallen in love with one of those adults, and did not speak on the fact that said adult had slept with both actual parents, and did not comment on said adult being more or less a community bicycle (their words, not Lasairian's). It did make Lasairian's choice to remain a virgin throughout his life a hell of a lot easier, though. Best to just not touch any of that insanity, no matter what foolish spin his heart and emotions were on. Helped that Lasairian had left all of that behind, too. No going back to that emotional type of hell.
Onto the topic of war, as grim as it all was, and Bel was telling him that her people were too busy fleeing predators to worry about fighting each other. Lasairian had to wonder which would be worse, but he certainly wasn't going to speak of such things. It was nice to hear her take on war and how all life was precious, and he had to nod to that. The rules of the Bheo were the same, though there would always be extreme situations, and a leader could still call for war. Yet the last war wasn't begun with a clear head; he knew that much. And as such, it should never have happened like that.
Lasairian hadn't been born at that time, though, and didn't face more than the years after, when there was still much to mourn and rebuilding to do. So when Bel apologized over if the topic was sensitive, Lasairian shook his head, "it's fine. I was born after the war, so I didn't know things to be any other way." That was that as far as he was concerned. He knew that things had changed, but he didn't feel the true depths of those changes for himself. All he had of the before was secondhand stories. He felt bad for the pain of his people over it, but he couldn't feel the sting of it like they could.
Nor could he grasp the pain of the losses that Bel had suffered, hearing not only about the sister but the lost mother, too. Bel leaving the pod after what happened to her sister must have been another difficult loss for the pod after so much already, but Lasairian could understand why Bel had felt the need to go her own way after such trauma. Lasairian did not have any younger siblings, but he did have an older brother. They had been close as children, but Seoras left the Bheo much sooner than Lasairian had. Perhaps it was the mixed genetics that made them more prone to wandering.
Lasairian didn't know what more to say about those losses, and didn't feel like it was his place to bother with it anyway. Instead, he was attentive more keenly to her speaking about what it was like under the water, on how it was like a different world. In a way it was, though. There had to be so many different things under the surface from what it was like on land. So Lasairian nods, interested, and continues to listen. He's silent and thoughtful on the last bit said about it, about the land and if it's like that. He believed that there were such places, yes. But he doesn't know how it adds up to what she's seen underwater. "I might not know what it's like down there, but I believe those places do exist up here, too," he said gently, smiling at her.
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
i feel no cold, i feel no fear inside my mind Now I'm full of energy
06-05-2019, 07:18 PM - This post was last modified: 10-10-2021, 07:42 PM by Below Zero
is this a natural feeling or is it just me bleeding?
While not new to most of the plant life around here, there was undoubtedly a few things that were a little different for Lasairian from what he was used to, what he might have grown up knowing or learning about. It was certainly not the same as growing up under water and then coming ashore like Bel had, but Novus wasn't a place that Lasairian had known anything about when arriving. Being in an entirely new body might count for something on the scale of extremes, though. He had that to deal with, though he felt that he was doing well enough with it, considering he hadn't had anything but a bipedal or smoke-energy form before.
That was something he had to get used to, though maybe having a lack of use of hands or claws in the energy-smoke form helped him deal with the fact that in an equine form he did not have either of those either. If it weren't for the little bit of telekinesis, Lasairian wouldn't know how to manage very well with that limit of no appendages to grip stuff with. After living years being able to and suddenly not, that was a shock to the system. It would have been worse to have no way to really grip what he wanted to hold, aside from using his teeth. And that just seemed like a very uncomfortable task.
Then again, wouldn't that be how Bel had lived all this time until now? She had said that there was no magic like that where she was from, after all. Would it be rude to ask her what that had been like? Lasairian debated it for a moment, then pushed it away. He didn't really need to know, and there was no way for her to have a good judge on the differences of all of that. Maybe a little longer with the telepathy and it would make more sense to ask, see how much she started to rely on the new magic, or how easily she forgot it was there because she wasn't used to it that much yet.
When Bel spoke of it being a good thing that he didn't want to feed the kraken, and the fact it probably would bite at him, too, if he did, Lasairian laughed lightly, "noted. Krakens cannot be trusted at all," he responded, thinking it would be funny to trust such a creature as that anyway, while being a land based critter like he was. Bel might have more sway with a sea creature, but even she seemed skeptical about the friendliness of a kraken, and if anyone knew, Lasairian would believe it to be her. Heck, it might want to eat him for merely offering it Bel to eat, if it was feeling sea-solidarity.
He could understand well that she was eager to see and learn things, because Lasairian was like that as well. He wanted to soak up all the knowledge that he could, and he was working on that day by day. And he was glad, too, that she thought things were much nicer here than where she was from. He was happy for her in that, because with what he knew of her past, she very much deserved to have a nice life here. Hopefully it continued to be that way for her. Lasairian, for himself, was mostly just hoping to not have a bad life here. It didn't need to be great, but he would like it to be knowledge filled!
There was no way to show her those types of magic now, but maybe she would be able to see them done by others in Novus. Lasairian wasn't sure who all had magic, and if any of it was that kind at all, but it was possible. There were so many strange things about this place that he wouldn't put it past them to have it all, somewhere tucked away and out of sight. That was something Lasairian wanted to get to the bottom of, though. A work in progress that he had only just gotten started with, but aimed to spend the rest of his life figuring out. And maybe even acquiring some of it.
The wonders he had seen. Yes, there were those for sure, but he had seen some darker things in it as well. Not all magic was good magic, and even his interest in it was a little darker than his kind liked to see practiced. Not that Lasairian had ever done anything bad with it, nor had he intended any such thing, but he knew what it could have been used for. The terrible things that could have been done if in the wrong hands. That was a line he had been very careful with back then, because he had no desire to go down too dark of a path. He simply knew where his strengths had lay back then.
The questioning of him really changing forms back before coming here had Lasairian nodding his head, then shrugging at the last part of it being scary, "to some, I guess it would be. My people don't have the best reputation, but a lot of it is misconceptions," he pointed out lightly. Onto the question of what was fire, and Lasairian grinned at her, "maybe I can start a small one for you to see; just don't get too close to it, it burns," he responded, looking around for some sticks and such to try to telepathically rub together to create the fire. At least doing it that way worked better than it would have with hands.
Force of mind could be a powerful thing, after all. He floated some sticks and driftwood over, and started to try starting a small fire with it, using the telepathy to create enough friction until it was smoking, then flickering into flame. Small, but it was there, and he looked a little proud at himself when he peered over at Bel. "What do you think? Pretty?" because to him, it was as pretty as it could be dangerous, but he felt that she should be able to know what a fire was. What anything was, really. And if he was able to show her something, then he would try his best to do so.
The angler fish comment regarding the raptor form had Lasairian debating it, finding it probably not all that far off from what it might be like to be face to face with such a creature when not one. Or not able to be one. He nodded to that, "yeah, it sounds about right. Though there were much scarier things back there that the others could turn into," he admitted with a faint smile. Getting used to the sight of some of them was difficult, but after awhile those things stopped being surprising if seen enough. If one lived around that sort of thing.
The idea of having harmed a friend or someone close severely in a way that could be healed sounded just awful, and Lasairian whole-heartedly agreed that it would be a very bad feeling to have. He dipped his head at that, not wanting to dwell on the thought of it further. Easier to think about the group parenting thing, and Lasairian could see why it would work that way so well in the pod. "I think for us a lot of it was for a more tight-knit community. Kept the whole fighting thing from getting out of control too much if you care about those you spar with," he said thoughtfully.
And while there was actually a very big to-do about life-mates in his community too, it didn't hinder sexual interaction quite as much as one might suspect. Yet life-mates were bonded in a very literal life way, so going that far had to be done in a very picky way, because one would fade away after the death of the other, so it was quite the serious thing in his community. They were fueled by energy and magic, so things worked in a less than easy way when it came to those matters. They were long lived enough to be picky there, though.
Wars were dangerous in various ways for that reason as well, but for some, Lasairian wondered if it was easier for mated pairs to die off together after so long being attached. At least there was a peace for those close to the ones dying, though Lasairian had no way to describe the way those passing could send their goodbyes like a whisper in the minds of those left behind. He didn't know how it worked, and had never heard it for himself before. He just knew it happened, and that somehow, it seemed to make it easier for the others who survived a lot of the time.
Lasairian didn't want to continue to discuss war and how it lasted far after it was over, and found it easier to talk about the wonders that Novus might hold out there. Hearing Bel talk of exploring made Lasairian smile, and he understood the urge to go about things in that manner, "if you ever want someone to explore with, let me know if you can find me. Usually Delumine's Library," were his words to her, letting her know where he was likely to be at any given time, if not out exploring for himself. Or merely collecting plants and herbs, which was pretty much the same thing anyway.
Below Zero
my frost philosophy will put no curse on me
The entirety of Novus was like a new awakening to the mare who had only lived in two climates (and one was only for a month or two out of the year once every other year or so). Her primary domicile had always been the arctic, even if she occasionally had the chance to relax in the humid, warm tropics during the foaling times. Coming to Novus where a variety of landscapes and wonders met her eye was like an everlasting vacation of new discoveries to be made. Every new piece of information was absorbed with eagerness, to learn and grow and find her way, her place. From the waters to land was never an easy transition, but with some of the wonders to be found on Novus, she felt like it was a transition worth making. Every new plant was filled with unknown flavors (even if she preferred sea-grasses and small krill and clams), every poetic backdrop of landscaped beauty was like a new wonder of her world in the making.
It was certainly a new experience, but then again hadn’t his own transition been a new one. Rather than the changing of literal biomes, he’d changed forms, smoke to sold, bipedal to quadpedal. That finally one she could kind of understand, as she was in the process of making the transition of swimming to walking (and her ability to navigate some of the more exotic – to her – terrains was likely an enjoyable experience for others, and embarrassing for herself.
The topic was sailing along easily, though; following a gentle tide of conversation that Bel was glad for. Making friends was a lot easier of a task when the conversation was going as smoothly as this. No awkward fin-in-mouth moments, no uncomfortable silences. It was easy, and laughter was present; all good signs to a potential friendship growing. She grinned in his easy response of Krakens not being trusted, nodding solemnly as she fought back the grin to respond, “Oh yes, definitely not to be trusted. Most of the larger creatures of the sea have issues of some sort. Whales forget their own size and power, squids and octopi have a territorial streak a fathom wide, and don’t even ask about sharks and their substantial anger issues. Only company worth keeping is dolphins! And Treaders, my people, of course. ” She stated with as serious a tone as she could manage before falling into a state of giggles.
There was an eagerness in Bel to discover everything she could of Novus, even if just to be able to see what all this land had to offer. To learn all the stories and lore, to not feel like an outsider among those that clearly had a grander understanding of the land they made home in. So much was new to her, and she knew that her knowledge of the world above the surface waters was severely lacking; but she was determined to learn everything she could – anything she could. Simple things like magic itself was a foreign concept to her, much less any of the things on land that didn’t have relevance or purpose in the water. So much to learn, so much to discover.
Fire, for example, confused her. As Lasair grinned, however, Bel was delighted to hear him offer to show her one, cautioning her about getting too close. Her eyes than got a second treat when he telepathically used some sticks to do as he promised. The two sticks and a piece of drift wood floated towards them, the sticks rubbing together in a way that confused her. However when that first little flicker of flame lit up, her eyes grew wide with wonder, watching as it flickered and flamed, tiny but growing as it fed from the oxygen sweeping off of the sea, and the wood below it, even as the water in the air threatened its existence.
She stepped closer, nose lowering to peer at it closer, the reds and yellow glows reflecting off of her silver horns and against her smooth furred face as she watched the small flame dance, “It’s so tiny, and look! It moves! It looks like it’s dancing, or swimming through the air! ” She explained, eyes bright, before she glanced up at him with the wonder and curiosity of a foal, “Is it alive? It moves like it is! ” She peered closer, before a flick of flame briefly touched her nose and she jumped back, wrinkling her muzzle slightly, “It bit me! ” She declared with a huff, rubbing the tendered piece of flesh against her foreleg in distaste now staring at the flame with less excitement and some suspicion.
She glanced back towards the male when he responded about some of the other individuals turning into scarier things, and briefly her mind went to the stories of her youth, of fearsome creatures that would send nightmares into the dreams of the foals of the pod. She didn’t respond right away to his words, thinking on what he’d said, “Well, I suppose it’s true that there’s always something more scarier out there. ” She mused with a slight smile of her own. She, for the most part, had only the terrors of the deep that she had seen, and from his words she had to ponder on just what kind of worse creatures he’d seen and had to grow accustomed to.
Healing seemed to be a topic that kept coming back on way or another, but as they spoke here or there about it, it was obviously bothering the mare less and less. Perhaps it was a lack of focus on the abilities, or lack there-of of her own people, and more on the hypothetical situations of injury during youth. Either way she was growing into a more willing conversationalist on this topic as well. She was also certain that the company played a huge part in her growing comfort on the topic. Lasairian was growing to prove to be an individual she could talk easily with, and as he continued to show respect and fore-thought to her own well-being and mental state about any conversation brought up. It certain made her comfort levels for the talk in general rise significantly. Thankfully the topic also smoothed over these discussions to others well without too much lasting comments on the healing.
She nodded when he spoke of his people being a more tight-knit group, explaining about fighting being kept from falling out of control if you care about the others. Bel nodded in understanding, it was a smart solution to keep a reign on growing tempers and growing bodies. Youth could be quick to emotional heights, and having an established care level with others could certain help dam up the more aggressive emotions and tendencies for sure. “It really is a sound plan. ” She acknowledged. Had she known more about the . . . more carnal embraces and the lack of boundaries on that term, perhaps her understanding of his community would lesson, but that wasn’t a spoken topic, and she was blissfully unaware of the poly-amorous life style.
For her people the sacred bond of life mates went further than the chosen one to share life with. It was the mate, the other soul, the only body one would reach for, the only lover to take. It was akin to soul mates, pouring everything they had into each other in an everlasting love that would leave the other shattered beyond repair when one passed before the other. Life mates rarely lived long without the other, providing there weren’t children to care for, and even then it wasn’t always a guarantee of surviving the ripping of your soul and heart. She didn’t know how his people might view, she had no idea what may have been similar or different, but she knew what her parents had, and it was a kind of love that had destroyed her father at her mother’s death. And she’d seen the last of his energy die at the filly abandoned to the elements. She was certain her father had followed her mother to the ocean of the sky shortly after her own departure, his final reason for holding on tore from him too.
Exploration became the next topic for the two to discuss, and the stallion likely had no idea what his casual comment meant to the young mare still so new to Novus and to the other equine of the lands. Someone to explore with was more than she’d hoped to gain from this conversation – it was practically friend status! She smiled and nodded her head, “I’ll make sure to remember that! I’d definitely prefer someone to explore with than going out by myself! Who knows what trouble I might face! Falling down a large hill. Getting stuck on a high ledge. All kinds of horrible situations! ” She didn’t admit that most of her pretend scenarios were a possibility with her strive for adventure, and her less than perfected attempts to walk gracefully on land like she swam in water. His followup sentence of where to find him had her pausing again, another foreign word. “Uhm, so . . . one more question for you: What’s a library? And where exactly would I find it? ” In her defense, however, of course she wouldn’t know . . . books aren’t waterproof, after all; and she was still very new to Novus. Thoughts Speech
@lasairian
i feel no cold, i feel no fear inside my mind Now I'm full of energy
06-10-2019, 11:16 AM - This post was last modified: 10-10-2021, 07:43 PM by Below Zero
![[Image: i-jTNwWx8.png]](https://photos.smugmug.com/BelowZeroNovus/n-X9d9fZ/i-jTNwWx8/1/e09fb6c3/O/i-jTNwWx8.png)
