[Open] The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out

[fennecfyre]

It was an interesting land Slip had found himself in. The climate was cooler and drier than the southern jungles and deserts he knew, and the flora and fauna were both familiar and new to him. Oddest of all, however, were the strange two-legged creatures that he had glimpsed at a distance, accompanied by horses and by wolf-like creatures. Their mastery over other animals fascinated him, but something told him he would need to be careful about how he investigated this phenomenon. Whatever power they possessed was obviously potent, and he had no desire to be brought to heel himself. No, his lot was that of the master, not the servant. He might have been banished from his homeland, but he was quickly beginning to realize that there was a lot of world outside their borders, and surely his future kingdom awaited him out there somewhere.

He stalked through the pines, making no attempt to hide himself. Why should he? He could easily defend himself from wandering predators, and the day he ran from another horse, well, that was the day he might as well roll over and die. Life was meant to be a struggle--it weeded out the weaklings and made room for the strong to survive and thrive. The only souls that succeeded were the ones that fought tooth and nail for that success.

As the scent of another horse brushed past his nose, he paused, lifting her head and flaring his nostrils. Now intrigued, he began to move forward again, announcing his presence to the unseen horse with a nicker and attempting to fix his face into a friendlier expression. It was far easier to catch flies with honey than with vinegar, and there was no need to get rough--yet.

[Deleted]

The draughty arabian mixed doe had put on the miles in the last few days, after a refreshing bathe in the northern lake, Cheribee had hiked it south. Wanting to check out as much terrain and habitat as she could before any bad weather hit, though means it was spring she probably didn't have to worry to much about that. As well another thing kept her antsy, estrus, she was stir crazy and it was driving her nuts. Having avoided the chance to been bred the last first years since the first time she came in season, that was mainly thanks to the humans that had had her at the time. They hadn't want her bred till she was old enough and could take it, to bad for them she'd weaseled her way out of their grasp and been wandering in the wild for almost a year and a half now, learning the ropes of the wild life so to say. It'd taken a bit of watching and interacting with the wild breeds to get use to them and how it work but being quick witted had its advantages. She absorbed new things and understood them quite well, letting her decide if such things works and suited her. 

Currently what didn't work for her was being in heat, this was the worse so far from what she could remember it having been, she didn't like it either as she made her feel vulnerable when she normally never was. Being the protective and helpful type, this made her feel needy and greedy for a male's attention, nothing she enjoyed having much of as most she'd ever met were snobs. Snorting, the husky beauty stomped heavily as she plodded on, there was two things she was smelling, fresh grass and stallion. A bit worried at first the stud was where the grass was, she ventured forth a bit further and was a bit releaved that the grass took a different path from where the former was. Sighing with relief as she finally found one of the what seemed like hidden grassy openings in this pine forest, she dropped her tiara and began chowing down on the lush spring fresh grass. It had a completely different taste than the stuff in the north, yet it was supple and tender as she broke it off, bite by yummy bite. This was a rewarding treat to splurge on after hours of wondering this distillate forest. 

The sudden nicker that was a bit off made Cheribee's head shoot up right away, audits pricked forward to where the voice had come from, her nostrils flared to scent the air. Groaning and dropping her head, it was the stud she had smelt earlier, she had hoped she had avoided him. Shifting her curvy thickness a bit so when or if he fully approached her, it'd be straight on, no easy access to sniffing her rump any, she wouldn't take to that rude behavior nicely at all. From it being her open heart nature, after swallowing the rest of her last bite, she let out a deep welcoming nicker, putting on a warm genuine smile, presenting a very homey figure as she let her long tail lull side to side behind her and her body was at pure ease with a hind foot cocked up. A stance of pure nonthreatening posture yet welcoming, Cheribee made it a goal in her life to always present herself in a manner that made others enjoy and want to be in her company. No matter if she didn't really like them or not, she wouldn't show it as that would create hostilities where they wouldn't be needed. Instead she hoped the stranger was nice and perhaps they'd end up having a delightful conversation, after all he had nickered first in a kind sort of way. 

[fennecfyre]

After a short time, there came a reply to his call. Angling towards the sound, Slip at last strode into a small clearing to find a mare with a ruby pelt waiting for him there. Though he could easily scent that particular springtime smell wafting off her, he wouldn't call attention to it--a gentleman didn't do such things, and he had no wish to frighten her off so soon after catching up to her. She cut an interesting figure, he had to admit--though her hocks were feathered with long white hairs, she didn't seem quite bulky enough to be a proper draft. How peculiar. He didn't spend much time pondering her bloodline, however--it was showtime.

"Pardon me for barging in," he intoned, sliding one foreleg forward and lowering the front half of his body in an equine bow. "I hope I didn't startle you, madam. I was just surprised to scent another horse in a place like this. Doesn't seem like a very hospitable place." Personally, he quite liked the shadowy woods--it was a dark and calm place. Furthermore, he knew, if one took the time to learn the wood's ins and outs and secret paths, then its tangled thickets could be excellent defense against enemies. One horse couldn't hold a territory on their own, however. He would need warriors and servants, followers and spies, before he could reclaim the crown that had been taken from him.

He straightened up once more and tilted his head at the mare, adopting an expression of slight concern. "Tell me, how did you come to find yourself here?" Though he intended to learn a bit more about this woman before attempting to sway her to his side--he only wanted to best in his future clan after all--she nevertheless looked healthy and strong. Promising prospects. 

@txep

[Deleted]

back into chains.

A soft gentle chuckle left her ashen and pink kissers as the grey bloke finally showed up and pardoned himself, quite the introduction so far, she raised a traceless brow as he bowed. Alright so there was some hope he was a decent brute if he knew how to address a lady, even a thickly curved one that was out of the norm from the small and petite. Smiling warmly, Cheribee kept her hopes up thus far that this could be a good and enjoyable encounter, no reason to fret yet. Though keeping an eye on the bloke, she returned his bow with a medium low dip of her tiara, sun burnt locks falling off her withers as she did so and bangs tumbled in front of her visionaries. "No surprise at all Mister, your scent gave you away well before my own mixed into the air around the area." Lifting her head up again, flicking it a bit to flip her bangs out of her eyes, it was definitely annoying not having her mane clipped short, the humans had been quite diligent to make sure it never got to long before her departure of them. "Yes this place has a bit of a hostile feel to it." She agreed as she flicked her gaze around to the surrounding pine trees that were the unyielding guardians of this forest. 

"Simply wandering about, I'm rather new around here and I wanted to get a feel for this large territory known as Tathra. I heard rumors about its lush splendors and little inhabitants, it sounded very inviting to me." Cheribee willingly informed the brute as after his kind approach, she was a bit more at ease and didn't think anything she was saying was too vital to mention. " I've been traveling quite a bit, rather excited to check all the hidden corners of these lands. Specially if I plan to stay, need to know where are the best spots and where are the spots to avoid. Being informed of your surroundings, I've learned, is an important thing. Otherwise one could get in nasty trouble." Perhaps a bit talkative, she didn't care though. Talking was how you learned about someone and if you ended up liking them in the end. 

Flicking her whipcord lazily behind herself she, pricked her ears again and nodded to the graying stallion, "Cheribee is my calling, may I request what yours is, Sir?" Inclining her tiara to him, waiting for his response as she added, "So how did you fall upon this bleak harsh woods yourself then?" Returning the question in her own gentle manner of curiosity. 

word count. tags.fennecfyre notes.

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[fennecfyre]

He listened intently to her story, or at least gave the appearance of doing so. Her reasons for coming to Tathra were analyzed in a cold and methodical sort of way, scrutinized to see if there was any way he could use those circumstances to his advantage. Her story wasn't a particularly unique one--lots of horses, himself included, had come here to seek their fates in the wilderness. As she spoke of the importance of knowing your surroundings, he nodded, knowing (perhaps a bit smugly) that he could very well be one of the dangers of which she spoke. "One certainly could," he murmured. "Traveling alone is always dangerous, especially--and my apologies for sounding so pigheaded--for a mare." He shook his head sadly. "The world's lousy with scoundrels and highwaymen these days, it seems."

She gave her name, a musical collection of syllables that suited the gentle woman well. "A lovely name. You may call me Slip, if it please you. Truth be told, I came here to see if it would be a suitable spot for housing a herd." The bone-white horse looked about himself, studying the tall pines. "True, it seems like a foreboding place at first glance, but I think, if one took the time to understand it's twisted paths and dark thickets, it could be a very safe home indeed."


@txep

[Deleted]

back into chains.

Cheribee kept an eye on the stranger as she explained herself and purpose of being in the area, it was a common enough question that was asked by many in hopes of learning a little about others. Seeing if interests aligned or not, if one could help or hinder the other depending on motives. For her honestly she had no real motive, just besides curiosity of whom she'd be sharing the land with. Never really having the biggest urge for partnership, even when raised by the human hands, it never bothered her to be on her own. His comment made her chuckle heartily and shake her head, "Lonely travels are only as dangerous as one is fearful. Which suits me not. When the time comes for one like I to need the protection of another is when I'll be growing grass through my flesh instead of fur." Completely bemused by him, her words were light and cheery sounding and ending with another chuckle. Though she hadn't been born and bred in the wild she'd grown accustom to the life style quite quickly and had her fair share of pushy ofes trying to claim and control her already. Hefty as she was, she knew others seen her as a youthful flower needing pollination sooner than later and she be damned if she let just any heathen ruffle her feathers cause she was ripe for the taking, in their eyes at least. 

Blinking a little the petite draft looked to the graying brute, inclining an ear to him as he spoke his name, "So it's a choice to call you Slip? What else could I summon you by if such a name doesn't please me?" Asking with a raised brow, testing him a bit yet there was a playful smile curling the corners of her velvet ribbons. Hazel visionaries with partial blue in the left followed the stallion's glance around their surroundings and she kind of gave a hmmhaah sound, "If one cares to take the time to understand any one little thing, such thing can be seen in a different light. Perhaps there could be perks living here, shelter against high winds at the least." She commented as she lifted her tiara up to look at the towering pine guardians surrounding them and the clearing. "Depending on the predators of the area, this place could give good protection when needed. Its dull though, no much for warmth to it or the delights of spring time. Won't even have the brilliance of fall means none of the tress have leaves." Cheribee seemed to be set back by that, as if unintentionally deciding this place would not suit her, she liked bright and beautiful scenes. Sun rising over rolling hills, the sunshine glinting off dewy morning grass or sparkling off the trickling streams. Rich autumn colors filling the trees and floating off in the winds. She couldn't see any of that happening here. 

"Safe yes, delightful probably not." Looking back at Slip, she wondered why he had such a simple name, "So you're thinking of opening up the coral here then? Starting a family or herd or something along those lines?" It was a bit obvious that he'd already taken a liking to the area and seemed to be able to become one with the place already if he tried hard enough. 

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NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

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[fennecfyre]

"Sometimes fear can be useful, you know." he said. "If not for fear, how would we recognize danger and avoid it?" Courage could be an admirable trait, but one he preferred to leave to others. Ambition suited him better. "There's no shame in accepting the aid of another." This mare seemed very confident in herself, something that could be a problem for him. Horses didn't listen to their leader if they thought they knew better, if they thought they could take care of themselves.

He chuckled quietly as she teased him about his name, though his smile wasn't quite there. "You may call me whatever you wish, then." he said, and left it at that. Face names had little use beyond getting someone's attention. He didn't care what others dubbed him, so long as that name was spoken with respect. But he wasn't about to give up his true name to the first pretty face he saw. He wasn't about to let someone else have that kind of control over him.

She did have a point--this forest was certainly drab compared to the lands surrounding it. But perhaps, if he was able to stock it with other horses, then it would look a bit better. Nothing like a little conquest to brighten up a herdland. "Yes. Though it might seem a little outlandish, I was once destined for leadership in a land far to the south. I would have taken the throne there when my mother finally passed on," The pleasantness left his voice for a moment, replaced by something darker, "but she had other ideas." 

What Slip left out was that he hadn't exactly been patient about waiting for his mother to die.

"I seek to gather by myself what was once promised to me by others. My kingdom will be one of stability and security, where we'll never have to fear the roaming wolf pack or mountain lion. My followers, when I gather them, will never go cold and hungry in the wintertime, and all other herds will know us as a force to be reckoned with." Though he didn't yet know this woman well enough to know what to say in order to best lure her in, promises of shelter and safety usually worked well.

@txep

[Deleted]

back into chains.

Attempting to read this nomad stranger while they conversed was a bit challenging but Cheribee was slowly getting an idea of him, Slip. After standing on one side so long, she shifted her weight on her back hooves to prop up the other hoof instead, "Indeed I agree to what you mean, that's natural survival skills. I learned quickly once departed from the two-leggers that awareness is a key to making it out here. What I meant is that I'm no frail flower that wants or needs to hide behind a stallion's hocks to feel safe. I actually haven't fully understood the perk wild-born mares seem to think they have if they are dutifully bowing down at a brute's every whim and bearing offspring out of duty and not choice. " At this she'd started to zone off in a bit of thought, yes she love foals and honestly having one of her own was a deep desire for her. Just it wasn't going to be for the obligation of servitude to some brute, even her own mother hadn't had a choice due to human selection yet she had at least known and grown to like the stud that had mounted her because man said so.

A shake of her tiara to regain the moment and look back at the graying male, this time she seemed to soak in his physical traits to more detail, contemplating if he would be a good sire.  She was proud of her odd but pretty beauty, dainty but bulky too. Cheribee didn't want her first foal to be weak in any way, so perhaps that's why she'd refused and potential couplings as of yet, no stud seemed adequate in one way or another. Or perhaps she was being to harsh and fearful of actually being mounted, the percise moment of it happening. As a foal she'd seen the humans pick and choose multiple times for other horses of who got to breed whom. She'd seen the pride of mares be shredded by the undesired brute that was forced on her. The worst she'd seen was a quarter horse filly, of whom had been proud of her bloodlines, be subjected to being bred to a donkey for her first time. This had crushed the filly's heart so bad, the depression made her almost give up when in labor, it took a lot of support from fellow mares for her to be able to attempt raising the mule-child she had been forced to have. 

"Oh Slip works just fun, I'd find it rude to call you by something you didn't care for." She smiled as she had noticed he hadn't really responded well to her teasing, Slip seemed he'd be a serious cold type. Cheribee wasn't sure she would want to deal with that, serious yes, no humor not so much. Though his next words got her attention a bit more and her curiosity spiked, "What happened to change your mother's ideas?" Asking quite innocently not really understanding why there had been a dark note in his tones at the mention of her. Then he finished in explaining his conquest and she rolled her head side to side in thought on whether or not she liked the sound of his ambitions. It was an admirable goal for him. 

The wording he used and the tone of his voice on the way he expressed his desire of wanting the land and making a herd live in it, it made her uneasy to a degree. His followers? and force to be reckoned with sounded a bit dictating to her and she frowned a bit at it. " Stability and Security sounds charming, " Remarking on the few good points he'd stated, "Though it sounds more like you're out to have a mini-army or something verse a herd." Cheribee couldn't help but state this as it was what it had made her think of. That was definitely not the lifestyle she wanted to bring a foal into if she choose to carry one this year, the thought made her shift uneasily as a small breeze whistled through the pine needles around them. 

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NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[fennecfyre]

This mare had been among the two-legged creatures?

Suddenly she was much more interesting to him. If she had lived with those strange beasts, then maybe she knew what kind of magic they possessed to control other creatures so. Maybe she knew how he could acquire it himself. Realizing that his words might have offended her pride, he quickly dipped his head, taking a step away. "I never meant to imply you were weak, my dear," he said. "Nor that you needed a man to protect you. I don't pretend to know the whims of your former, er, captors, but in the wilderness, furthering your bloodline can be a matter of utmost importance." He straightened up again, though his shoulders seemed to sag with weight as he adopted a weary expression. "A wild horse has many enemies, you know. We are fed on by other beasts, we must fight eachother at times, and we are always at the mercy of the weather. We learn quickly that death is a part of life, and if we didn't produce foals, then there would soon be none of us left." There was another aspect to this philosophy that he left out--the weak were meant to be weeded out, while only the strong deserved the privilege of breeding.

The cold look returned to his eyes as she asked about his mother. "Who knows what the senile old bat was thinking?" he lied, tossing his head. "She was aging, and going quite mad, but she was still the high priestess, and her word was law. Even words of foolishness." Just thinking about his dam set his blood boiling. She had known he would be ambushed, of that he was certain. She had framed him, orchestrated his failure with a finesse he could have found a thing of beauty if he hadn't been on the receiving end of it. For a time after his banishment, he had considered slipping back in to kill her just as she had feared he would, but was unwilling to take the risk. If he failed and was captured, then mere execution would be the best-case scenario. It was his mother's habit to ensure her enemies suffered before they died.

He rolled his shoulders and half-smiled again as she commented on his goals. "Should others attempt to infringe on our territory or peace, then yes, my herd would become an army." She was slipping off the hook, and he sought to reel her back in. "None of my subjects would be defenseless. All would have a chance to reach their full potential, to be whatever they wished to be." He studied her, cocking a brow. "What do you wish to be?"

@txep

[Deleted]

back into chains.

Smirking, Cheribee had to stop herself from rudely rolling her eyes at his sudden spike of interest and explanation on how the wild works. She'd met this behavior before, once an individual knew she was domestically born or had been apart of that world even by a little bit they treated her like she was naive and needed to be informed on how things worked out here. It made her smile with amusement as he prattled on, yes within her first few days to a month of wandering in the wild she had needed guidance but now she had a pretty good knack on things. "Yes I do know the dangers, crushed a wolf or two before already myself. Yes yes, Slip, survival of the fittest and nature's selection. My first winter in the wild showed and proved all of that to me and others have made sure to inform me of all the rest of the dangers I have and haven't encountered yet. Still it beats that cruelness of the two-leggers by a long shot and that's why I've survived so long on my own so far. I make it a goal to not return to them and thus I have learned and still learning the best ways to live and stay free." She really couldn't help but smile and shake her head a bit. Giving one last jerk of her skull to toss ebony locks out of her eyes again to look at him clearly. 

Thorns pricked in concern at hearing a bit of cold hostility in his tones at the mention of his mother again. This confused her a bit as she couldn't understand how a mother could make their offspring dislike them so much, her own mother had been quite loving and caring to her, heck even her father had been a strong role-model for her whenever she got to see him. Even if her mother was old or aging and a bit daft in the head, she could have never said such like Slip was doing. "High priestess? Is that like the lead mare in the pecking order or something? Sounds a bit more like a ritual like title to have? I'm sorry to hear, seems she was unkind to you, mothers shouldn't be like that to their young in my opinion. " Cheribee had noticed a few odd tendencies or traditions some wild herds and bands had and wasn't overly enthusiastic to learn or join them right away. To her it sounded like Slip had gotten away from a bad situation and was the luckier for it, even if he was bitter about the whole deal. 

By now she was picking up on the fact he was trying to make a luring case to persuade her to join him, his conviction of describing his idea of establishing a herd in these lands was enough for her to notice. Not unusual in the least but is it what she wanted to deal with or be locked down so soon after venturing into these new lands? Cheribee wasn't ready to answer that question to herself let alone to anyone else. "It sounds promising from a certain point of view, yes. " Inclining her head to him once more but his question made her frown a bit as she had to think a bit on how she wanted to answer this. Pursing her kissers for a moment or two before looking at him again, "I wish to be the best individual I can be that gives others comfort, warmth and happiness while being able to be a strong protective figure for them at the same time. I do not seek violence but not afraid to present a show of strength to scare off an attacker. I.. I.. " She stammered for a moment, " I want to become the best loving parent at some point too.. that's a hard one to fully answer. There's many things one could wish to be." Looking at him a bit quizzically, her hazel eyes, one with a dash of blue looked at him with the narrowed unmentioned question of 'why do you ask?' Cheribee definitely had a question or two to ask him now but held her tongue in curiosity of how he received her answer.  

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NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[fennecfyre]

She seemed confident in her ability to protect herself and remain a free mare. On one hoof, he could admire that kind of independence. It was the same demeanor he possessed. The importance of self-reliance had been drummed into him from birth. There was nobody in the world you could truly trust but yourself, and to entrust your well-being to another, whether they walked on two legs or four, was to admit that you were took weak to take care of yourself.

On the other, if she was to be a good follower, he needed her to entrust herself into his care.

The world was made up of leaders and followers--those who made decisions, and those who abided by them. And he had already decided that there was only room for one leader in his band.

She questioned his mother's title, and he flicked his tail, trying to think of a way to explain his homeland's philosophy that wouldn't scare her off. "My birth herd was built around very strong ideals," he began to explain, choosing his words very carefully. "We prized strength and self-reliance, but still looked to a small inner council for guidance--they were responsible for preserving and upholding our culture and traditions. My dam was one of them, the highest-ranking in fact, and I would have assumed her place. In a way, she was indeed our lead mare." Her apologies were accepted with a nod, though they did little to quell the cold anger within him, though such emotions were carefully kept from bubbling to the surface where she could see them.

She took a moment to formulate a response to his somewhat probing question, and he allowed her the time. Slip approved of her goals: self-betterment and the ability to protect others. With luck, he could steer her with promises of meeting such goals. His brows rose at her admission that she did wish to have foals, and his good eye took on a distinctly appraising expression. "Well, should you by chance choose to join me, then I promise you that I will do everything I can to help you achieve your dream of becoming a guardian." That catlike half-smile appeared again. "Then we'll see about the other bit."


@txep

[Deleted]

back into chains.

The bloody bay doe was for some reason sympathizing for the grey stallion as it seemed his upbringing wasn't the most desirable or ideal situation, yet again she couldn't be sure if how he projected his foalhood to be a normal thing in wild herds or not. It wasn't to hard to guess that perhaps his matron hadn't desired to step down and give up her position eagerly to her son and that's why a change of plans happened. Cheribee had seen a fair few that enjoyed their position of power, human and horse alike, that didn't want to give it up easily. She couldn't help but glance at him a few more times, attempting to read him a bit more, his masculine scent was tempting and she knew that was purely her hormones speaking. Any other time of the year she probably wouldn't be half-distracted while conversing with him.

Having to snort and shake her dome with clear her mind and suppress the hormones raging deep within her, damn chemicals always made her judgement falter and his offer to help her be the best individual and guardian seemed great at the moment. Yet a part of her was nagging about making such a choice on the spur of the moment with a stranger. "Honestly, I can't say if I'm in the right state of mind to decide at the time being. I like to keep my options open and with the current season it is, I'd hate to just choose on a whim of physical urge." Cheribee partially smiled, the battle with her hormones was stronger and stronger every year she chose to be barren and the urge to carry a foal got worse too. Only the gods knew how badly she'd have adored to raise a babe of her own, have someone close to her heart to dedicate to, yet she just hadn't felt any stud she'd encountered thus far would be a good fit. 

Cheribee had to pry her eyes from Split again, looking out completely into the space of the woods. He was a fine specimen for his build, though she had to admit the size and build of the previous brute she'd encountered at the northern lake was a bit more appealing in size structure. Oh who was she kidding, any stud the was close to her height or bigger had stolen a few tempting thoughts from her as of late. It made her shudder that she was having so many dirty thoughts lately due to the urge of the season, she'd seen two year old fillies flounce around with their tale in the air before and let all the stallions within ten miles mount them cause they couldn't resist. Cheribee obviously wasn't one to physically do that but mentally she felt as bad. So flicking her ears in irritation with herself and shifting her weight on her hooves again, "Slip, I.. I think I should get going. If it's alright I'll probably drop by and say hi again."

Putting on as warm of smile as she could, with the unease of herself. The thought of maybe he'd be willing to cover her and let her go on her way was there but yet she had a bad feeling that if she allowed that, he'd take it as a way of claiming her, specially if the coupling took and produced offspring. She wasn't ready to have any possess her physically without choice if at all. "It's been great meeting you and I hope we can be friends with each other after this, Slip. I'll most definitely send others your way if I feel they could use a leader like you to guide them. " Her hopes of friendship were true and dear, she always wanted to be on good terms with others if she could help it. She wasn't seeing why they couldn't be this far, just she was feeling antsy and wasn't up to trusting herself to stay any longer around him without doing something physically she would regret later. "Its been a pleasure Slip." Dipping her head kindly to him before getting ready to leave, waiting long enough to ensure there was no bad feelings to worry about for later. 

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NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[fennecfyre]

She turned him down.

The only sign of his anger was a slight tightening of his jaw, but in the next moment it was gone, carefully swept away beneath a mask of cool indifference. It was a considerable effort to keep his irritation from surfacing, however--even her roundabout admission that he was attractive to her did little to soothe him. Slip was not used to being denied something he wanted. For a brief moment there was a dangerous look in his eye as he considered stopping her from leaving, and informing the red mare that she would indeed be joining his herd, whether willingly or otherwise.

With a great deal of patience and a tinge of frustration, he nodded acceptance to her request to leave. "Of course. If you have somewhere to be, I'd hate to keep you any longer than necessary." She hadn't turned him down for good, he reminded himself--just wanted to be able to consider it without her hormones screaming at her. Privately, he would have preferred it if she listened to her instincts and made a snap decision to join him, but he couldn't bend the minds of others--at least not very well. "And that would be wonderful, yes. If you meet any horses looking for a home, send them my way. I think I'll be settling in these woods after all, so I won't be far."

He would remain where he was as Cheribee took her leave, watching her form disappear back into the eaves of the forest. After a moment, he too would turn and leave, heading deeper into the woods he soon intended to make his own.

@txep