A rather small, seal brown stallion yawns and attempts to shake the morning dew from his thick, flaxen mane. Of course, the water clung to him. It always did. Especially now, considering that his winter coat is growing in. He gazes up at the glowing orange sky. It was early morning. He’d awoken just in time to watch the sunrise. A sight he always loved. The array of colors. What they meant. How they got there. If they meant anything at all. If everyone saw it the same way he does.
He watched the sun climb higher and higher; until it was simply too bright to keep staring at. At this point, he rises to his hooves. The chilly morning breeze nipping at his legs that were nestled underneath him only a moment beforehand. The stallion shivers just the slightest before bowing down to stretch out his front legs. Next, he brought himself back to squared stance and leant forward to stretch out his back legs. Finally satisfied, he made his way over to the river he’d slept several feet away from.
The water moved quickly, but even it was just a touch sluggish. Winter was hot on the heels of fall; slowing the river. Eventually, it’d go from racing with the winds to sliding like foals on wet grass. Chunks of ice and slush would invade the waters and skitter by at a pace a notch or two faster than that of a mosey. Icarus stands at the bank; careful to stay in the grassy edges and not the muddy ones. The mud would likely be slippery and weak. He isn’t exactly interested in taking a swim right now. Preferably, he’d never have to swim in the river. He knew his short limbs would betray him in the speeding currents.
He dips his head, grimacing as the incredibly cold water touches his lips. The stallion takes a few, brisk sips. At least that’s one plus side to the water’s movement; it takes a lot less effort to get a drink from it. It does most of the work for you. You just have to catch it and swallow it. Even though it’s temperature is verging on icy, it is greatly refreshing. He sighs softly as he brings his head back up. With his thirst quenched, he back steps from the bank a couple of feet.
Icarus gazes outwards, taking in the sights and smells. The sounds of the freshwater rushing about just in front of him. The crickets have gone to bed; but the birds have just awoken. He smiles at their songs. Each so different from the next. Yet, they all fit together in harmony. Nature is amazing and mysterious that way. The sun’s rays dance and glitter on top of the ever moving waters. Stories swirl within his mind. Tales of heroes leaping across the river; taking a risky shortcut to save the day. Fables of outcasts and nomads sharing their knowledge and helping others. So many stories could be told just based on the river itself. He watches it go past him; getting lost in the tales that paint the world surrounding him.
"Speaking."
OOC: Thank you @Layla for Icarus' table. It's amazing! <3
It feels different to be back in Delumine, but also oddly comforting. Corrdelia did not spend much time here the last time she visited and something had been tugging at her to return. She isn't sure if it's the library in the twisted wood or simply the magic of the lands. Maybe it's the thrill of adventure she doesn't often experience since she spends so much time in the swamp.
Hāsta flies by her side as the pair near the end of their journey to the forest. They have decided to land down by the river to get a drink before possibly heading back up to the Library again. She feels the need to do more reading and explore more deeply Delumine's collection. The crow witch had her own stash of books, but it's nothing compared to the Dawn Court's. She actually feels quite jealous.
The mare and her crow make their landing, with Corr by the river bed and Hāsta taking a perch in a nearby tree. For once, the crow seems to be content and perhaps it's the crisp fall air. She too does not adventure much since she prefers to stick with her companion. On occasion, she'll join when Corr does decide to go out, although usually it's not without grumbling. Today is an off day indeed.
After taking her drink, a man catches her attention up ahead. He is much smaller than her. At first she thinks he's a young colt, but when she starts to walk forward, she realizes he's just a pony. How cute! she thinks and can't recall a time she had ever met a pony. Hāsta stays in her perch for now, feeling too lazy to follow, but keeps a close eye on the dappled mare.
"Hi there! Are you from around here?" she asks as she walks up next to him, her cloak draping down along her side. It's just long enough that it drags on the ground and Corr uses her telekinesis to try to adjust it.
She can feel a hint of wanderlust now that she is near the man and she follows his gaze out across the river. The waters flow rapidly, but the sound of it against the rocks and river bed is somewhat calming. Corr is again awed by the beauty of these lands. If she didn't love her swamp house so much, she would consider moving.
"Corrdelia Maude," she finally introduces herself, taking a quick bow. "Fortune teller and crow witch of Terrastella. And you are?" It's clear in her tone and expression that she carries her titles happily, even if others may find it strange.
A crow is seen taking up a perch from the corner of Icarus’ eye. None of the other birds in the area have come so close. So, he turns his head to get a clear look at it. The sight before him about knocks him over. A gray mare has landed- yes, landed! not too far from him. She has wings?? The short stallion looks at her with awe and boundless, childlike curiosity. Whoa. She’s dipped her head to take a drink from the river; just as he’d done. This winged mare has a long cloak, it mostly hangs to a single side and it is touching the ground.
As soon as she picks her head back up, she seems to notice him. “Hi there! Are you from around here?” she spoke as she made her way over and stood next to him. Icarus turns to face her and manages a dumbstruck smile. Say something, stupid! The dapple gray mare’s cloak begins to move around just a bit- as if she were pulling it so it wouldn’t be dragging in the dirt. Only problem with that is … she’s not touching it! How in the …? No way! There’s no way. She possesses magic? Awesome! The stallion continues to smile, being far too lost in his thoughts to speak to her just yet.
“Corrdelia Maude," she introduces herself, offering a quick bow. Corrdelia, that’s a pretty name."Fortune teller and crow witch of Terrastella. And you are?" Corrdelia asks him. Fortune teller?? Crow witch?? She certainly takes the hay for the most interesting horse he’s come across since arriving at Delumine. Wait … Did she say Terrastella? The seal brown stallion shakes himself. Icarus offers a bow of his own, his far slower than hers due his joints protesting otherwise. When he rises back up, he takes a breath. You can do this. Just say, hello.
“Icarus Delphine,” he tells her softly; he dips his head once more for good measure. “I’ve recently moved here, to Delumine. My mother lives in Terrastella. If it weren’t for Delumine’s forest and library, I’d likely have called it my home as well. But, there’s something about this place,” he trails off, gazing upwards at the sky as if that in it of itself were a gesture.
"It feels like home. Though, of course, I plan to visit my mother from time to time.” Icarus brings his head back down to look at Corrdelia once more. Even though that still requires him to look up. She’s a good bit taller than he is. "There are a great many places I missed out on when I traveled with my mother as a foal. I hope to see it all,” the small stallion smiles once more. In the safety of his mind, he’s cheering that he hasn’t made an utter fool of himself. Yet. He’s so curious! He looks at her with nothing short of pure wonder.
"You’ll have to tell me if I’m being rude, but wow! You’ve got wings! And you moved your cloak with magic!?” Icarus speaks quickly, his voice a touch louder and an octave or two higher in pitch. He looks over her wings again, wondering if he could ever count all of the feathers. If she had tried to count them.
"I’ve never encountered a horse with wings. I heard stories, of course. But, I always just thought they were just foal fables. You know?” His words are strung together in an excited haste. He seems to notice that he’s rambling and stops himself. The stallion smiles like a giddy dork; and his ears pin back bashfully. He can’t keep eye contact and looks down; pawing a stone beside his hoof. Icarus is grateful for that little rock being here to distract him from his own stupidity.
The man seems quite surprised to see her, or maybe it’s something she said. Either way it’s amusing and Corrdelia can’t help but laugh. He bows back and introduces himself as Icarus Delphine. He is quite the talker, but she doesn't mind. She’s quite the talker herself.
She listens intently as he explains his origins and her ears perk at the mention of his mother living in Terrastella as well. Would she know her? She can’t blame him for wishing to stay in Delumine since their lands and library were equally beautiful. Corr follows his gaze again, this time to the sky, just as a brisk fall breeze passes through. It tousles her forelock into her eye and she shakes her head to move the hairs away. There is the wanderlust feeling again as he mentions wishing to travel more and she smiles. As much as she still missed her homeland, she could not deny that Novus held many great beauties in its lands.
Before the mare can get a question in about Icarus’ mother or comment on the scenery, he switches the subject to her wings and magic. It surprises her and she laughs again, feeling quite delighted by his excitement. What a curious thing he is. In a way, he reminds her of herself with the childlike gleam in his eyes and eagerness.
"Why yes, I do have wings and magic!" she replies proudly. "And not to worry dear, you’re not being rude at all. I have to say, I’m surprised you haven’t encountered a Pegasus yet being in Novus. Maybe we are rarer than I thought!" She tries to think if she has seen any here in Delumine, but her mind draws a blank. Maybe there are more of them in Terrastella.
"Curious," she says, pausing and looking at Icarus closely. As soon as she arrived in Novus, she realized she had the ability for minor telekinesis. Did this man not possess this power? Until now, it seemed like everyone here had it. "Are you not able to move things with your mind? I thought it was a Novus thing. As soon as I arrived here I could, anyway." She looks at the stone he’s playing with at his hoof. "Say- try to move that rock! Pick it up!" She grows excited and hopeful that he might be able to discover a hidden talent today.
The massive stallion snorted as he followed the river, enjoying the peaceful sounds of the water running beside him. Taking a moment, he dipped his ebony muzzle to the cool surface and took a few long draws of the refreshing liquid. Standing in the quiet forest, he let the water roll down his throat and listened to the world around him. There was a strange voice down the river further, the higher octaves catching his ears as they took in the forest sounds. Flicking an ear, he tilted his head and debated investigating further.
Ruffling the feathers on his wings, he decided to see what was going on. Under his grumpy facade, he was a curious giant with a soft heart... But the only one that had really seen the entirety of that was Bel. She brought out the best in him and made him smile more than anyone else ever had. Coming upon the pair of horses, he paused a few feet away and took them both in with wary eyes. He didnt know what they had been discussing and he was loathe to butt in unwanted. Both horses were smaller than he... not that it was a surprise. One was a striking dapple grey pegasus who was saying something about pegasi being rarer than she though. That made him smile and he adjusted his double wings silently. The other seemed like a strange mix of foal and stallion. His body was full grown, though his legs put him even shorter than the mare.
"Hello." He called softly, not wanting to startle either equine with his greeting.
@Icarus - @Corrdelia
"Speaking." Notes: Hope you dont mind Sol butting in <3
“Move things with my mind?” Icarus inquires in awe, pawing at the stone once again. That was a crazy idea, wasn’t it? An absolutely awesome idea, but totally not possible, right?? Corrdelia could do it, but she also has wings. Her being telekinetic wasn’t extremely shocking. He looks back up at her. She wore an encouraging smile. The stallion shrugs his shoulders, it was a worth a try.
He squints at the rock beside his hoof. Up! Nothing happens. He grits his teeth together. Move! Again, nothing. Roll? Nope. The stone stays put. Icarus chuckles to himself before raising his head once more. He meets Corrdelia's gaze. “See? No special talents here.”
“Hello.” A deep voice calls over to them softly. Icarus’ head snaps over towards the voice. More wings?? And they’re attached to the largest horse he’d ever seen. He straightened up, as if that helped make him any taller. This massive, black coated equine is a stallion as well. Icarus couldn’t take him in a fight, if that’s what this stranger intends. And Corrdelia could easily fly away. Would could he do? Nothing. He wields no magic nor wings; can’t even run away.
Icarus swallows thickly. He is being ridiculous. He forces himself to take a breath. “Why, hello,” he greets quietly, dipping his head a bit for just a moment. “I’m Icarus, and this,” the short stallion points his muzzle at the dapple grey mare beside him, “is Corrdelia.” The seal brown stallion offers a smile towards the newcomer. Hopefully, he’s just interested in a conversation and not going to threaten anyone. Icarus hates it, always having to be afraid due to his small size. He knows he’ll get used to it eventually, this is his first year of solo travel after all.
Icarus seems about as excited as she is at the thought of being able to move things too. He takes a moment to concentrate and she looks on eagerly. Unfortunately, despite his best efforts, nothing happens. Corr feels bad getting his hopes up and can feel his disappointment. Taking a moment to concentrate, she sends some positive vibes in his direction using her empathy magic. Hopefully he will feel a little less sad.
"Oh, don't say that! We all have special talents, whether they're magical or non-magical. I mean, your size must make it easier to hide or fit into small spaces compared to me," she tells him in an attempt to be encouraging, placing the tip of her wing on his shoulder. "Maybe as far as magic goes, you're just a late bloomer, that's all!"
A new voice catches their attention and the woman turns to see a newcomer. He's some sort of draft breed and easily towers over them both. Corr doesn't sense anything dangerous from his aura, but Hāsta flies down from her perch to land on her shoulder just in case. She smiles at her companion- always grumpy, yet always protective.
The crow witch senses Icarus' nerves as he introduces them both to the new stallion. Corr offers a smile at the stranger and tries not to let any nerves creep in. "Hello there!" she replies back happily. "We were just discussing magic and talents. What sort of abilities do you have… uh..? Well, what shall we call you?"
It's clear this man is a flier like Corr given his massive wings on his back. However, she's curious if he might possess any powers like she, or if he might be like Icarus. Part of her hopes he might be like him so that the pony won't get even more discouraged.
"I’m Icarus, and this, is Corrdelia.” Sol dipped his massive head at the small stallion, smiling gently. There was an air of anxiety around the other male and he hated thinking that he had caused it. Sol might be a grump, but he wasnt cruel anymore. Before he could respond, the gray mare added in her greeting. "Hello there! We were just discussing magic and talents. What sort of abilities do you have… uh..? Well, what shall we call you?" Sol smiled at her and glanced at his hooves self-consciously.
"It is a pleasure to meet you both. I am Sol Bestiam... Though most just call me Sol." He introduced himself with a soft chuckle at his own expense. Once upon a time, he enjoyed to power the his name had packed. Now, he preferred the shortened form as he was reinventing himself as a new stallion. The colt he had been would never have been as open to meeting others and not being the one in complete control. At least Sol had found a way to express the pain and regrets to someone, finding someone that he held extremely dear in Bel.
"Magic and talents... Other than my twin wings that get twisted and make me clumsy at times, my only magic is my hooves. They... leave flaming prints behind me... though the flames extinguish quickly and never do much damage. They do warm water around them... but not hot enough to harm." He explained, finding that Cally's enthusiasm for his hooves at their meeting had made him much more aware of what they did and didnt do. "What about you two?" He asked, curious as to their own talents and such.
@Icarus - @Corrdelia
"Speaking." Notes: -headdesk- not the greatest post
Icarus
"What if I could have some kind of magical ability?"
Icarus forces himself to let out a slow breath. Relax. He’s not threatening us. He glances at Corrdelia and chuckles. The small stallion looks back up at Sol. “As for myself? No magic or talents. Just traveling and exploring the lands. That’s about all I can do,” he says, giving a half smile. He knows fair well that he possesses no extremely interesting talents. Thanks, dwarfism. He is a hardy little thing, but that’s not really a talent. Icarus is just a regular citizen.
He lets himself wonder momentarily. What if I could have some kind of magical ability? What would I even want? What could I even realistically have? Honestly, the ability to run without causing himself pain would be nice. Or possibly the ability to change his size at will; so he wouldn’t be so nervous around larger horses. He could just match their height. Wings would be fun! At least then I could get away if someone wanted to hurt me.
The last of Sol’s flaming prints disappear. “Flaming hoof prints, huh?” he inquires curiously. Curious to a fault he is. Icarus gazes downward at the large stallion’s hooves. “Do the flames singe your leg feathers? If you walked on ice or snow, would the ice and snow melt? Or would the flames be unable to light due to the cold and wet conditions?” Icarus questions, beginning to speak a bit quicker to get his unhealthy amount of questions out before Sol can even open his mouth.
Sol is like a gentle giant among the smaller pair, although she can still feel Icarus' nerves coming out like fervent waves. Corr has to grit her teeth while she tries to block the anxiety out but it's becoming a difficult and tiring task. Hāsta must sense this since she gently nips at Corr's mane to check on her. "I'm okay," she quickly tells her companion through their telepathy.
"Sol it is then! Nice to meet-cha," she replies with a toothy grin. There is no reason to be nervous, she keeps telling herself, and attempts to pass the same feeling on to her smaller friend in hopes it'll rub off.
As Sol explains his own talents, the dappled mare becomes intrigued by the thought of having hooves that could get warm. How useful a talent to have! "Heated hooves, that would sure come in handy when making my tea!" she says with a laugh. No more heating up her kettle and going through the whole process of waiting, just dip her hoof in, warm the water, and viola! Instant hot water for tea. She would save so much time, but alas, her abilities are limited to the spiritual and emotional ones. Corr is still very grateful for the talents she does possess despite everything.
Icarus once again puts himself down for not having any magic. The woman nudges him gently, speaking a little softer. "Remember what I said, you can crawl and hide in small places. It's a great advantage!" It likely wouldn't do much to make him feel better as it seems his anxiety and self-esteem get the better of him. Maybe in time he will come along with more equines complimenting him and bringing his spirits up. It's worth a try anyway.
When it's her turn to explain her abilities, she smiles. "I am a psychic through my work, I can read the cards and the stars, communicate with the spirit realm for messages they are trying to send us… I am also an empath, so I can read emotions and auras- to an extent, anyway." It usually doesn't come across her mind that many won't know what she's talking about, but it just made it all the more fun. The subjects are things she's passionate about and she could go on for hours talking about them.
Icarus chimes in about Sol's magic and it makes Corr chuckle. He is like a little foal, eager to learn and see the world for all its wonders. She looks to the tall stallion, curious how he will react to the flood of questions.
