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Post by Mallory on Jul 9, 2013 21:28:21 GMT -5
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"No great mind has ever existed without a touch of madness." |
[/size][/center] - Aristotle
[/color] - - - - - - - - - [/size][/center] ♚ Ursa had been a very sheltered young mare for most of her life. Given that her father was a recluse during his later years, and subsequently her entire life up until his death, she never got to see much of the wondrous, mystical landscape she had been born into. Sure, she had dreamed of the days of going on an adventure to the volcano, where dragons were said to have lived, but to actually do it? Oh heavens no, not while under the care of her father. However, he was gone now. His earthly presence and oppressive control over her daily life no longer existed. So what was a girl to do but rebel a little?
♚Oh, she had heard the whispers alright. Whispers of a city that seemingly sprung up overnight and virtually empty on top of it all. She had heard the rumors of its splendor, but she found such nonsense hard to believe. It had to be some old fairytale brought back for the sake of some kiddies’ night time story. Eventually the whispers became numerous, especially with the games so near. Finally her own curiosity got the better of her, which had led her deep into Babylon. The strange looking mare’s horned head rose slightly, tilting her crown-like head back enough to take in the impressive looking structure before her. The walls were high and made of stone, and accented with numerous archways and hidden niches. No doubt there was plenty for Ursa to explore here until her curiosity was satisfied.
♚Taking the stairwells was not an option for now, not until Ursa knew she was definitely safe and alone. Or at least safe. Safety was always her top priority. With a swish of her silky snow white, thick tail, the mare’s grey-blue hooves picked up a slow walk to move about the ground floor of the temple. The sound of her hooves reverberated off the abandoned walls, though the sound was soft and not alarming. There was only the sound of her own hooves echoing back to her...For now.
- - - - - - - - - [/center] status: Complete tagged: Koosh's Kal words: 340+ notes: Recycled post, will definitely post better next time! "Ursa Speech!" Ursa Thoughts![/color][/size][/font][/blockquote]  [/td][/tr][/table][/center] |
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Post by Koosh on Jul 9, 2013 22:55:57 GMT -5
and if i claim to be a wise man, then it surely means that i don’t know.
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“So this is Babylon.”
The voice whose notes dropped, coarse and dry, into the cool Stormscome air echoed faintly from ages-old stone tiles, bouncing about the abandoned courtyard before dissipating completely. Its source, a stocky and scarred dun stallion, gazed around with a decidedly bland expression. While he hadn’t come with any amount of haste or great expectations, Kalashnikov nonetheless found himself mildly let down by the experience he’d had thus far. Surely, the place was beautiful enough; sprawling gardens that overflowed with fragrant blossoms, gilded balconies that spilled forth waves of ivy, even incessantly-babbling fountains that seemed to run without any sign of stopping. “Beautiful but empty,” he muttered, stirring his hooves at last into movement against the smooth sandstone. Each footfall was as deliberate as his lack of interest, and rang out a tuneless song.
Perhaps there had been just a small speck of hope somewhere in his mind that he’d feel some sort of “connection” with this place. It was, after all, reputed to have been the home of the Gods in ages long past. Why shouldn’t some of their essence linger on? Instead of reverent wonder or spiritual epiphany, however, the Lightning Elemental found himself only with a mild headache due to the flowers’ pervasive odor and at his own perceived foolishness. In all his years he’d yet to find any sort of worthy proof that the Gods were even remotely interested in Aeon after all, and his recent... issues... with his magic only compounded his resentment toward the vague, seemingly impotent figures of yon.
Before him rose the decorated gilt spires of the magnificent High Temple, native Aeonian stone accented with the pure white of gleaming marble, all lit with the light of late-noon sun. Hooves still rapping out the lazy beat of Kal’s walk, he mounted the grand front steps to pass through the arched entryway into the Temple’s foyer. The quick change from bright sun to dim interior light gave him pause, as his hooves faltered over the threshold. A sudden skittering sound brought a light of sudden interest to Kalashnikov’s honey-colored eyes, only for it to wane just as quickly once they spotted a small lemur-like creature scrambling out of sight up a column. The Fjord’s subsequent snort rang loudly through the enclosed space, an he pressed on with a disinterested flick of his thick black tail.
It was as he stopped to examine an ornately-carved bas-relief wall - while feigning boredom, of course - that he first heard it. Hooves on stone. Not nearly as pronounced as his own footfalls, but audible in the sepulchral quiet of the Temple. Ears pricked and head cocked slightly to one side, he at last looked truly engaged; this was a tangible mystery, and one of great interest. Who else had decided to come investigating?Letting out a questioning whinny, the stallion started off in what seemed to be the most likely direction for another to have gone.
word count;: 498
music;: Overture - Phantom of the Opera
muse;: Great toward the start and then... bleh. :U
tagged;: Ursa//Mal [/font][/size][/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote] |
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Post by Mallory on Jul 13, 2013 1:17:17 GMT -5
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"No great mind has ever existed without a touch of madness." |
[/size][/center] - Aristotle
[/color] - - - - - - - - - [/size][/center] ♚ Tired of hearing her own hoof beats, the young mare had started humming to herself for some time. Though the humming in question was not necessarily the humming one would first think of; her kind of humming was a soft, almost indiscernible low frequency. The humming was low enough to be maddening after a significant length of time, or at the very least mildly irritating, but yet still at a high enough pitch to be distinctly heard. For Ursa, an abandoned place such as the temple was a great place to test out her abilities and to see just how far she could push the boundaries on her growing magic. She knew it would take time for the magic to mature, and even more time to learn how to control it...But for now, it never hurt to have a little fun while she explored this new place. Besides, maybe the humming would draw out another equine that lurked in the far recesses of the temple she had yet to reach.
♚ Weaving in and out of the tall stone pillars was becoming quite boring. With a cease to her humming, the young mare sighed heavily, bright blue eyes looking for another source of entertainment. Sure, being alone had its advantages, but being alone was just plain torture after a while. Turning, the mare’s blue eyes landed on the very entrance way she had originally come in to, with full intention of leaving. She had better places to be if she was going to die slowly from boredom. However, her intention to exit the abandoned temple was cut short when the sound of hooves greeted her ears. It was odd, considering they were not the sounds of her hooves. There was a pause in her step as she tried to discern where the sounds of the other’s hoof falls where coming from, but it echoed entirely too much to truly pinpoint the direction. With a snort of irritation, Ursa’s ears flew back into her thick, curly snow white mane as her steely colored eyes narrowed, combing the temple carefully. She would not be taken by surprise, not this time.
♚ The mare’s ears strained, before finally being able to pick up on the general direction of where the other equine was. The diamond crusted mare shifted, altering her path towards the other; her curiosity piqued thoroughly. Not many wandered this far into Babylon, even she had to admit that she had thought twice about it herself. Eventually her eyes landed on a sign of movement. Thinking she had found the other equine, Ursa sent out a soft whinny, so not to drown the temple entirely with sound, Ursa’s steely gaze remained sharp. She was merely guessing there was only one other equine, but she would rather remain wary than be caught off guard.
- - - - - - - - - [/center] status: Complete tagged: Koosh's Kal words: 470. notes: n/a "Ursa Speech!" Ursa Thoughts![/color][/size][/font][/blockquote] [/td][/tr][/table][/center] |
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Post by Koosh on Jul 13, 2013 10:31:43 GMT -5
and if i claim to be a wise man, then it surely means that i don’t know.
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“Come on, where are you?” the dun stallion muttered beneath his breath, brow furrowing and tail swishing with impatience. The moments ticked by slowly, pricking at Kal’s temper like the sparks thrown from his hooves. When after a handful of heartbeats there was still no sign of the mysterious other, the Fjord huffed an annoyed sigh. Perhaps it had been some small creature startled by his sudden appearance. Maybe he’d just imagined the noise out of boredom. Whatever the case, he elected to press onward beyond the main foyer.
It was as he wove past a series of thin wrought-iron spires that he heard the sounds again; faint footfalls that were growing steadily louder. Brows contracting once more, Kalashnikov picked up a brusque jog, fully intending to find his hidden companion within the echoing maze that was the temple. For all that he was prepared to comb hall and stair, vestibule and storeroom, though, he would’ve never expected to come across the creature he did as he rounded a corner. Tall and lean, with a hide as deep blue and star-studded as a velvety night sky, the sudden sight of the other equine - who was presumably the one who’d been inciting his curiosity - brought Kal’s stride up short. His stuttering stop had his hooves clattering on the stone floor, and both ears flicked back in annoyance. The one standing before him was clearly female, and it wouldn’t do for him to be embarrassed in front of such a one.
Ears still slicked halfway back, the elemental eyed the stranger carefully, from horned face to lush, curly white tail. While the Fjord cross was completely used to being shorter than most others, the mare’s slim build and long legs made her seem all the more towering. “Excuse me,” he rumbled, head ducking in a gesture of apology. “I’m afraid I’d no idea where you were, though I did hear you.” Golden-brown eyes watching her face carefully, Kal maintained his carefully polite distance. While she didn’t seem to be hostile in any sense of the word, it was clear that sets of horns mounted on her forehead and jaws could have been put to violent use if she saw fit. “The name’s Kalashnikov. Kal, if you prefer,” his voice was a rumbling bass, each deliberate syllable echoing slightly against the Temple’s smooth walls. “What brings you to the Great High Temple of Babylon?” A note of dry sarcasm entered his tone as he cast an unimpressed glance around the high-ceilinged, otherwise empty passageway. Though at one point it must have surely been a place of reverence and grandeur, all that remained now was an empty shell. Well, at least to his eyes.
word count;: 454
music;: Masquerade / Why So Silent? - Phantom of the Opera
muse;: Pretty good!
tagged;: Ursa//Mal [/font][/size][/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote] |
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Post by Mallory on Jul 13, 2013 13:31:03 GMT -5
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"No great mind has ever existed without a touch of madness." |
[/size][/center] - Aristotle
[/color] - - - - - - - - - [/size][/center] ♚ With carefully calculated and precise steps, the diamond studded mare continued walking. Her steely gaze remained wary, constantly flitting about from one shadowy corner to another. She felt like she was a tightly coiled spring, waiting to be sprung; she disliked this impromptu game of cat and mouse. Then again, she generally disliked being taken off guard and being disturbed from days she designated as quiet, stress free days. This better be damn worth it. came the bitter, irritated sounding thought as a slight scowl creased her black and white lips.
♚ The hoof falls she had been diligently tracking suddenly picked up pace, startling her briefly out of her narrowed train of thought. The mare let out a quiet snort of surprise when lo and behold; her temporary prey came around the corner and looked nearly as taken a back as she probably looked. Her steely gaze and expression remained impassive as she studied him closely, her horned head slightly tilted to the side. He was shorter than her, by nearly a hand, but what he lacked in height his frame made up for in sheer stockiness. While Ursa knew she was fleet of foot and quite nimble, the diamond studded mare didn’t doubt for a second that the shorter, broader stallion could hold his own in a fight with someone of her own height – or taller. He looked relatively normal, compared to her own appearance; save for the strange stripes that ran down his legs. Once the initial standoff seemed to have come to an end, the tension melted away from Ursa. Her shoulders lost their tension, though her steely gaze remained wary, for the time being.
♚ “No worries. I apologize – I had no idea anyone else was here. For a while I thought I was alone,” Ursa replied, her airy, light voice carrying through the open space of the temple. He seemed content with the respectful distance, and Ursa was more than happy to keep it that way. She hardly liked anyone crowding her space as it was, and given the circumstances, it was perhaps best to maintain the distance for now. The diamond studded mare offered the stallion a soft, subtle smile, before slipping back into her impassive and friendly mask. “A pleasure, Kal. My name is Ursa, of Selisona,” she continued, dropping her horned head slightly out of politeness. “Oh, well, I merely came to the Temple to see what it was all about. I’m assuming that surely you’ve heard the whispers too. Quite strange that a place such as this would magically spring up over night without alerting anyone to its creation.”
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Post by Koosh on Jul 13, 2013 23:46:05 GMT -5
and if i claim to be a wise man, then it surely means that i don’t know.
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For all that she had startled him more than a little, the tall, spangled mare seemed quite willing to be civil. Releasing a breath he’d not even realized he was holding in, Kal found himself relaxing a measure. Ragged, black-rimmed ears swiveled forward to take in her words with greater clarity, and his thick tail swished against either flank idly. Ursa, she named herself, and it took the dun stallion a few moments of consideration to connect the name to the constellation, which made sense given her smattering of starlike markings. A single brow twitched as she also named her ties to one of the four Aeonian Clans. Kal hadn’t ever really had a specific interest in seeking out membership in one of the clans, since from what he’d heard they preferred those with unique magical ability or brilliantly-marked hides such as the one Ursa wore with such apparent ease.
Nodding his agreement with her last statement - though still brooding a bit over the Clan issue - Kalashnikov found himself speaking again. Again? Actually making conversation? What an improvement. “No, the pleasure is mine, Ursa. Of course the whispers are something I’d heard,” he gave his head a little shake to focus more on the words that dropped off his lips, “but I thought I might see for myself if the whisperers were lying, or maybe exaggerating.” With a meaningful pause, he let his eyes rove around the engraved and sumptuously decorated room. “Somehow I’d thought it would be bigger. Or at least more mysterious, I suppose.”
Breaking off for a moment he ambled forward a few paces to stick his nose into a darkened doorway, but was rewarded with only a nose full of dust and the subsequent sneeze. “Pardon,” he muttered, shaking his mane out ruefully. “In any case, I’ve found no Gods that I can comment upon, or any great relics of untold power or value. Have you seen any such thing yet?” The annoyance in his voice was bordering on sarcasm, but he lacked the ironic intonation that would have marked the words as fully humorous. Rolling his eyes, he let them come back to rest on Ursa’s horned face, and a question occurred to him. “Were you born with those?” A slight jerk of his muzzle indicated the midnight-blue protrusions that curved away from the sides and front of her face. “I can only imagine your mother’s discomfort if that’s so.” As per usual his tone was completely frank, lacking both apology and meanness, though it would be up to Ursa to decide if he was being rude enough to merit a dressing-down.
word count;: 441
music;: Rhapsody in Blue - Leonard Bernstein
muse;: Good at first, but awkward toward the end OTL;;
tagged;: Ursa//Mal [/font][/size][/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote] |
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