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Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2018 8:22 pm
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Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2018 9:19 pm
Moving in a soft chime of jewelry and a whisper of sashes, the young mare called Stanza wandered her way along the bank of a lazily arcing river. Ice crystals that spanned from her chest to midway up her neck cracked and popped, shedding and regrowing as they covered her shoulder like a strange sort of pauldron. Stanza moved to a unique tune, her adornments and oddities forming their own sort of music with each step she took. Her paws at least were silent, mist-blue against the rich green of the grass, claws dainty and sharp. On the one hand she longed to race, leaping over felled trees with a gleeful arc of her tail. Or better yet she'd prefer to seek out a companion to spar with, wings flaring and folding as she fought to best them. But many of her companions were elsewhere, her siblings off seeking their own entertainments.
"Which just leaves me." Stanza mused to the breeze, smiling faintly as it plucked at her dark forelock and tossed it this way and that, before dropping it back over her eyes again. "At loose ends..." Wordcount: 188
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Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2018 9:00 pm
Gethin laid upon an overhanging tree that touched the water, it had been rather wide and built to hold the large dog-like Soquili just oddly shaped and bent to touch the water that had engulfed its roots.
He laid there with his eyes closed, all paws 'cept one of his back limbs hanging over the curve of the log on either side. It would be an odd sight for new eyes.. However Gethin felt at home in the tree, he wasn't a small creature.. So finding a tree that was friendly to the giants of the Soquili lands. His signature; the long tied piece of hair dipped over the side and sank gently in the water each time he exhaled a breath of air as his bangs settled over his eyes that seemed to glow between his eyelids ever so lightly.
As he dreamed of music and deep snows above ice for some reason. His thick fluffy ears flexing in his sleep as he shuffled lightly. When he heard a voice his ears flexed even moreso, his eyes opening to take note. "What leaves you at loose ends?" He said in a groggy tone..
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Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2018 4:36 pm
Pacing gracefully through the woods, Stanza noted the increase of sunshine and further altered her course. Maybe taking a moment to get her bearings in new surroundings would offer her some chance at entertainment. Happily the trees thinned quickly, breaking up to reveal water ahead and a tree with heavy branches and toward the surface. Of course, there was also the matter of the large dark shape draped over the branch, as if he were perfectly at home in a somewhat gravity-defying sprawl.
'What an unusual place to take a nap.' Stanza thought to herself, jarred out of her thoughts by the drowsy question the shadow figure asked. 'Nice going, Stanza... Well, clearly he heard you...'
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb your rest." The mare murmured, offering a smile. "I was just thinking to myself and didn't mean to intrude. As for what leaves me, ah my friends and family are amusing themselves elsewhere today. So I'm on my own, that's all."
Hesitating and then shuffling forward, she cleared her throat in a polite inquiry. "Forgive my curiousity... But, do you often rest where you're at risk of a refreshing wakeup call?" Wordcount: 194
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Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2018 8:42 pm
Gethin heard the returning voice of the feminine sorts. His canine ears flexing flat against his head for a moment as he was caught off guard. He hoped he hadn't said anything rude. Though the nomad had been definitely learning how different the mares of these lands were as opposed to those he grew up with as a young colt. It had been quite the bit of time since he was home with his parents.. They had sent him away still as a colt to his Uncle Monfulta's lands.
So although he was shy towards mares; he had been doing much better having grown up alongside his female cousins and his Aunt Ashanti. "It's fine I was j..just being lazy that's all." He stuttered and as he did, his body grew tense and his face distraught as the j skipped along his jowls. His forelimbs lifting to push his wide chest up onto the branch of the tree. Shimmering bitones breaking through his dark bangs looked almost like a mirage as they swept over her small form. His eyes shifting up to her face as she spoke to him. Her response resonated with the stallion.
"I-I can r..elate." He stated and tried not to showcase his irritation towards his stutter. His family tended to fields of sheep and entertained one another; Gethin was a bit of the black sheep of the family. As she advanced towards him, Gethin drew his head up and leaned back away from her with cautious undertones however he relaxed when she took her last step. Glancing down at the waters below him and then back up to the mare he shifted lightly, "Not particularly.." His tone evened out; his voice like a soft growl as he spoke. A huskiness peaked through as he spoke to her. "Should.. we introduce ourselves?" An awkward question made him reconsider his words the moment he asked.
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Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2018 9:16 pm
Stanza tilted her head, swiveling her ears to catch the soft cadence of his response. His voice was soothing, not nearly so sharp and brash as some of the other males she had spoken to. It made her want to drift closer, to ask him questions and listen to his answers. A soothing exchange of words rather than an impolite volley or a raucous flirtation.
"Being lazy sounds delightful." She admitted to him with her usual earnestness, a shade of her usual candor pleasantly softened. "Is it the sort of thing one can do in the company of others, or better achieved in privacy? I can wander on, if I am disrupting..."
'But I would just as soon stay.' She added on silently, casting a glance over the water to avoid the appearance that she was staring. Though she wouldn't have minded the chance to do so. The bright gleam of his eyes were intriguing, beautiful in their variation. They didn't match but she didn't mind, somehow it suited him.
His words made her smile, the stutter of no consequence. "Did yours see fit to abandon you too? I'd say good help is hard to find, but my siblings are included in that mess and I'm not sure I could really lose them if I wanted to."
She gave the affectation of a sulk, using it as an excuse to move away and give him space when it seemed like she had gotten too close for his comfort. His response regarding the naps made her eye the water again, feeling a little distrustful of it, but she supposed he was a more wary sleeper than she and had no reason to fear a damp wakeup call. That was to his fortune then, she herself wouldn't risk it. Still, his mention of introductions made her wince, longing to thunk her head on a convenient tree branch.
Manners, Stanza, damn it! Manners!
"Ah, yes, I imagine that would be best." She offered in a softer tone. "Apologies. My name is Stanza.." Wordcount: 339
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Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2018 9:50 pm
Gethin recognised that his voice had this haunting effect and he felt he had noticed it's effect on the other canine Soquili, watching her approach him. Although a part of him was telling him to run; he felt a bit of a calming effect from Stanza in response to his effect on her.
He felt a piece of him request he asked her to leave. But Gethin was never the one to be so rude, especially in the presence of someone so beautiful. The beauty intimidated the poor stallion but it also gave his eyes a treasure to look at. He was just as bashful and would often glance away from the icy mare to stray away from the prospective of staring. "No, you're welcome to stay.." He'd speak to her.
A curious glance was given to the ice that would break off every so often when he'd realise he was looking at her neck he'd let his eyes shoot back up. His tall form shifting on the log lightly. Her question made him return his uneven glance to her. Ears flicking, "N-no.. I left my parents to find an uncle. I still reside with them from.. time to time.. However I don't think I f--fit in very well.. Though my cousins are very kind and.. help me get to understand s..some customs."
His body felt himself tense a little when he stuttered continuously. At the noticeable wince to his question, he frowned. "Sorry, I.. didn't want to come off as a burden..?" He was definitely still getting used to this. Stanza. "Mmh.. Like lines in poetry? You have a good name." Moving to get up, he felt his innards jitter as he took steps to move off the tree. His first step he'd state, "ah, Gethin Scarecrow.." in introduction. As he took his last couple of steps he felt his pad slip off some of the wet bark making him take uncalculated steps to the point he found himself rearing his head up and practically running into Stanza, his tail and back limbs hitting the water as he felt his chest collide with her maw, his instincts allowing him to rear his head back and his neck dodging her unicorn horn. An audible swallow would be heard as he stared up at the skies above wondering what sort of luck god was laughing down at him.
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Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2018 7:33 pm
Stanza swayed slightly on her paws, letting the softly haunting lilt of his voice soothe the frayed edges of her temper. In many ways, she was glad she had left her family and the bustle of the Faire behind for some quiet reflection. This interaction was already proving itself much more rewarding.
From time to time he looked away from her, and then back. She wondered if he longed to escape from the conversation or if he just didn't want to be caught staring. Then again, she was aware of her oddities and wouldn't blame him if he did stare. Though her companion was not exactly lacking in his own peculiar details.
"Well, thank you." The ice-covered mare offered with a small smile.
Though she couldn't help but notice, Stanza paid no mind to how his gaze drifted down to her neck and shoulder. She could hear the ice crystals as they crackled and chimed, feel it as they rained broken flakes over her paws. She knew what they looked like, had long ago made her peace with them.
"It is fortunate that your cousins are so welcoming." Stanza murmured, her silken tail lashing from side to side idly. "Being in a strange place and among strange people can be difficult, particularly if the local customs are not familiar to you. At least you have help in that regard."
At his comment she gave a gentle laugh, shaking her head. "Oh no, not at all. It is not you who is the burden, I just regret I seem to have so thoroughly forgotten my manners. But yes, rather like? And thank you kindly for such a compliment. Many of my family are named after varying musical terms, songs, and so on."
She watched him move forward as he introduced himself, and though she backed up when he approached solid land, she couldn't quite avoid the collision in time. True, Gethin reached land safely, his paws finding solid earth and just barely missing her own. But backing away though she had been, she still wound up with her face crashed into his chest and his throat and jaw just missing her horn. Slinking backward, she shook her head a bit to clear her head and gave a weak laugh. "Well, that wasn't very well done of us, was it?"
Wordcount: 388
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Posted: Mon May 06, 2019 6:11 pm
It was definitely because Gethin didn't want to be caught staring? He was unsure what his mind was saying to him to flee from the more the mare spoke to him. Her snow falling on her paws from her ice shattering made him think for a moment of his uncle. Monfulta's shadows dripping off his frame and the often coughing up of sparkles dancing down his front and sticking to the odd plasma? of the shadows that formed and splattered on the ground and fled from the sunlight.
Gethin's fur tended to move like a hurricane on his legs. Potentially the boy could drip shadows but it took him for a long time to shed such a drop. Instead his shadows were dotted all over his frame dissected by his piebald patterns that crawled around his neck like a cowl and over his canine ears. "Mmh. Yes the herd I was born in is very.. Different from the usual customs here." He stated in a kind retort.
As he skipped into her just after the naming comment she had made. He felt his paws grip the earth below them. As she backed away he felt his body shake a little trying to hold the awkward pose till he felt her horn shift away from his throat. Lowering his head lightly to watch her frame. If Soquili could blush; Gethin would register in such a way. He felt like an idiot, an embarrassed mess if you would. "A--Are you ok?" He'd ask, his voice pitching lower than my high school grades and not-so-confident. Hearing her laugh, his canine ears tucked towards his deep blue hair. Shifting his frame so his signature flopped back to the ground from being tossed around in his step that had made him fail.
He looked her over as she spoke a joking sentence to her. "Ah.. I like to.. come into things with a head-on collision.." Said no Gethin ever. "D..Did I hurt you? I am rather.. tall." He stood towering over her for sure. His eyes flickering to her ice as he heard a shatter and for a second he was transfixed now that he was so close to her. Perhaps something came over him, a possession from Peska, to make the shy and peculiar Gethin to reach out and nose at the ice at the nape of her neck to see if it was cold. No matter the degree of the ice he leaned his head back and then shook his head in reaction. "Oh gosh.. I am so sorry. I was v..v..very interested in if it wa..s cold! My Uncle drips shadows and they ar..are awfully chilly.. I am making a fool of myself!"
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Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2024 5:29 pm
Stanza definitely understood what it was like for someone's herd or family to be different. On top of what she assumed was the somewhat normal diversion of customs, there were families like her own that seemed to be favored (or favorite targets?) of strange or trickster spirits. The strange traits that she expressed were different from those her brother had, different again from their other sibling. True, some of them could be attributed to more distant relatives, not her parents but their parents or again back a generation or even three... Some of them that she was familiar with, and others she only knew through stories or painted images... So yes, some of her oddities she came by honestly. They were a legacy of those that had come before her, even if she did not know their sources... But others? Others were odd, unexpected, unforeseen. Their parents loved them dearly but she and her siblings were still a little strange; at least within their family. But traveling through the Faire? Oh the things she had seen. Like her shadow-painted friend here. With as close as they were and as dark as he was, she couldn't see if he was blushing but she certainly knew she was. Watching the tumble of his strangely bound mane, she can't help the curious tilt of her head and the flick of her eyes. "Ah, forgive me... Is that a custom of your herd?" She asked with a faint nod toward it, grinning at his awkward recovery. "Like your unique greeting method?" His question was sweet, and she gave herself a quick shake to take stock of herself from nose to tail. Though he was tall, their collision hadn't been so harsh as to knock her over, and she felt no pain or injury. In the middle of offering him a smile and a reassuring shake of her head to indicate no, she wasn't hurt, he surprised her by investigating the ice crystals growing along her neck and shoulder. She jumped a little as he made contact with the cold crystals and spooked, making a negating sound when he apologized. "Oh no, I'm fine.. and you're fine. No harm, no foul? That is, yes it's ice... a gift from a strange spirit as well as something of an inheritance from my ancestor... and I'm not hurt, and I don't mind? I hope you didn't freeze your nose? I don't think I've ever met anyone dripping shadows but I'm sure I'd be intrigued by it too." Stanza Wordcount: 420
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Posted: Sun Aug 11, 2024 8:43 am
It might have been because he literally just slipped and crashed into her, but Gethin started to feel more comfortable as they slipped into conversation. Even though he had fully made himself into a fool quite literally right after by touching Stanza's neck without her consent. It wasn't that Gethin thought her ice was strange, well it was different, but it was endearing. Although Gethin was not the only Magpie and Umbral mix in his family, he felt like an oddity among them. He was much more Umbral than his cousin Locke, but in the colours of the Magpie. He had seen many of different colours and genetics since coming to the Kawanis, so if they were having this conversation he would definitely agree.
Taking quiet note of the pinking of Stanza's ears and higher cheekbone he felt his ears had grown pink just the same. Seeing a curiousity that mirrored his curiousity of her ice made him feel that much more comfortable, that was it. It was the fact she seemed to be just as interested in continuing their conversations. The few they have had since she had come onto the shore and joined him unbeknownst. Asking him about his hair made him notice his Signature. Moving to flip it over his back to the right side he pushed it forward to settle on his shoulder. "Ah.. In my lands.. We grow long strands of hair but style the rest as you wish. W-we call them Signatures. They're like our life journeys, it's mostly a male thing but I have aunts and female cousins who have them. We try to not cut them much, but there are specific occurrences that allow us to cut amounts off." He pauses, "The bindings are depending on where you are from, the area I am from hides the most of the Signature for cultural and intimacy reasons. But there are some areas that don't require the binding." He knits his eyebrows together, Gethin is aware he is info-dumping Stanza but he can't help that it just naturally came out of him. Call it his Magpie nature. "The i-items on it are generally from lovers or close friends." Gethin clears his throat, "Mine are from an old friend." That's what he'll call Vanwyn. Gethin didn't feel up to talk to a new acquaintance about heavy hearted situations. It was then he realized her little quip at him about her unique greeting. He actually gave off an airy chuckle, which came from his chest more than his nose, shaking his head in amusement. "N..No I am just a uniquely awkward creature."
He had registered her answer to him, he felt a calm sigh slip from his maw between leaning forward and touching her ice on her neck. He felt relieved that Gethin hadn't hurt Stanza. Feeling her jump though did make him feel terrible, even if she made it clear that it was alright that he had come into the curious trance. His innate need to touch shiny and inspect the shiny had gotten in the way of his brain working properly. Not everyone liked to be touched on first greeting, including Gethin. "As l-long as you're okay." He answered her with a tuck of his ears to his head. "Oh. What a wonderful gift to have from such a spirit and your ancestors." His tail flicked like a puppy behind him, curling at the tip upwards like a shepherd dog and lazily wag like a swing. "My nose is fine." Gethin answered with a slight shake of his head. "Ah. Well if you watch the patterns on my legs they will twist like a storm." Admitting to the fact he too had shadows. "I have unique shadows, unlike my f-father and uncle." Tilting his head like a good boy he wagged his tail a few times quicker than the previous wag. "I'm.. A Magpie's son. I just come naturally to shiny things, and you're very shiny." Realizing he didn't specify the ice he recalibrated his brain and sentencing but. With a glance over her he realized she was shiny. Beautiful even. So he didn't feel the need to stumble over a further explanation. word count: 717
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Posted: Fri Sep 06, 2024 6:15 pm
Stanza found that she didn't mind the unusual greeting method, though she'd grown up with more traditional methods like spoken agreements, bowing and minor offerings. Crashing into everyone sounded a little on the exhausting side... crashing into a specific, handsome gentleman sounded far more appealing. Her day was certainly looking up, even with a personal liberty or two. Coming from a varied family and still managing to look different from them, it is something of a pleasing anomaly to meet someone who was equally strange if not more so among their own kin. Though they hadn't spoken of it specifically, but she couldn't quite shake the feeling of a kindred spirit. A delightful, surprising feeling. Setting aside the 'butterflies on the loose' feeling that seems to be filling her chest, Stanza flicks her ears forward in interest, considering the long lock of hair that Gethin identifies as a Signature. The style is both similar and quite different from her own, considering the shorter layering to her forelock and upper mane and the long sections braided from the middle back. The explanation is an intriguing one, particularly the somewhat romantic concept of telling one's life journey in a physical form. Even if it couldn't be decoded by everyone on sight, they were still witnessing, in a way. "What a lovely idea," Stanza can't help but say aloud. "It's rather romantic, that you'd tell your story in a physical way. The fact that it's a sort of code is also very compelling, in its own way. Just because it is visible to the world doesn't mean they're entitled to it, precisely, or able to understand it... But the inherent act of the world witnessing it implies a certain level of pride or self-confidence." There might be a minor amount of envy at the explanation that trinkets might be added by close friends or loved ones, and perhaps some speculation. The fact that the colors are somewhat discordant does make them stand out, declaring them as belonging to someone other even before Gethin confirms it. 'It is not your place as to speculate about that,' Stanza scolds herself quietly. 'To do so would be impolite, Stanza. Stop that at once.' "They must have been quite the friend," she observed as neutrally as possible. "The colors are quite pretty, against how dark your pelt is. It looks nice. I'm sorry if any of the questions were invasive, I understand if it's something intimate that I might be overstepping. If that is the case I retract the question and apologize, it wasn't my intention. I guess that means we're both treading toward 'uniquely awkward'?" She flashed a smile at that, trying to lighten the overall mood of the conversation before either of them could sink too far into awkwardness. His enthusiasm about her ice and explanation about his shadows certainly lightened the conversation considerably, until Stanza couldn't help but giggle at the way he wagged his tail. It was endearing and enthusiastic and different, but she was rather a fan of all of those things at the moment. "Considering I don't know anyone with shadows like that, I'd say unique isn't even the half of it," she admitted with a curious tilt of her head and a forward flip of her ears. They were perked keenly in his direction now, her bright eyes focusing on the swirl of movement before they darted back up to his face when he mentioned how shiny she was. "Oh, the ice," She assumed softly, nodding in understanding with a nervous fluffing of her feathers. The undersides of her wings being white and blue and backs being almost shadow-dark was a strange blend, but the jewelry she wore was gold like her horn so she supposed that might also contribute to the perception. "There are others with crystals or even diamonds, but I hope you're not disappointed?" Stanza gives a hopeful flick of her own fluffy tail, not quite a wag, before curling it forward around her legs somewhat like a reclusive, perching cat. "True enough it's no dancing shadows, but I've heard ice and dark go well together." Stanza says without thinking, squeaking softly when the words filter through her own understanding. "Ah! I mean... That didn't come out correctly, I don't think. Apologies, I can't seem to get my words right today. I suppose it's a good thing we already agreed to be awkward?" Giving a soft laugh and casting her gaze around them for a moment, Stanza shifts slightly on her paws, claws slicing at the grass under her paws. "I suppose it's a strange question but... Do the shadows mind the water? Oh, or do they react differently as the weather changes?" Stanza Wordcount: 786
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Posted: Sat Sep 07, 2024 5:56 pm
Gethin was still unsure how to react to the many different familial and cultural differing Soquili he had met in his years of being in these lands. It was highly amusing to him that the most pleasant of meetings had been the one he accidentally created a meet-cute with by shoving his chest into her face. When Gethin has his hair out it is like an odd Jellyfish cut, but he made it work. Most of those with Signatures chose hair on the sides of their heads. They are generally started when they are babies by their families, sometimes able to be changed by the Signature's owner but Gethin and Locke were both blessed to have had Cecilia and Beatrix as their mothers as they chose a very good area at the backs of their heads to start their signatures. Neither of the shadowpies had to move them for better placement. Gethin preferred having his hair long, he had once cut it short and wasn't much of a fan. It helped with hiding. Usually. He did have a few look his way in his time, and his hair sometimes gave the impression of him being....someone that others could want to fix.
Her compliments to his culture made him give her a genuine smile, it simply was lovely to hear someone compliment him and his culture. "M-My aunts and mother have come away from their culture but we have kept some traditions alive and it is one of them. It's also my favourite." He felt a part of his heartache, in a small amount he wished he had taken off the trinkets but a force made him feel guilt if he were to since the breaking of their relationship. He still had come away wanting to be her friend, but Vanwyn had not been around for so long. At the speculation on how good of a friend Vanwyn was, Gethin tilted his head and looked dismissive for a moment, not dismissive of the conversation but he was still on the thought of wishing he removed them. "Mmh, there was a time when she was more than a close friend, I admit, but we had a small falling out and agreed to be friends. But it has been many moons since the last time we have seen each other. Years, even." Gethin didn't look hurt, but a slight addition of melancholy to his voice, he was definitely the type of friend who would bounce back after forever between meetings but the relationship with Vanwyn was very different from normal friendships. "It's alright, you're welcome to be curious, I don't have very much to hide." He was speaking honestly, "Thank you, I do still think they are good items, although I wish I could manage to take them off finally. Maybe even replace them sometime." Gethin gave her another airy laugh, a calmed down sound that passed between sharp canines. He stood taller for her to see the swirls better, his fur moving back around, when he steadied it was very noticeable. They moved like a hurricane over the water, tracking backwards and forwards. Maybe a better way to explain the movement was like as if his fur was a Jupiter storm of black and blues mixing back and forth. At times the black spots on his rump and back legs would disappear like a shadow and move to another part of his legs to only reform where they had first taken their home on his legs. As her eyes were on his body his were watching her wings move with their lovely differing outer and inner feather sets.
"The ice does add to how shiny you are but I think overall, Stanza is a very shiny Soquili." His tail couldn't help but give her the enthusiastic wag she had mused to herself being endearing. "I have seen those with diamonds and crystals, your ice is unique to you and it is lovely. I'm not disappointed, that would just make me shallow if I said something like that. I do hope no one has ever said that sort of thing to you about it. I was just thinking how fun it would be to see you fly, or flap your wings. I wonder what it looks like to have different inner feathers than outer. I am envious of those with wings, I like to climb trees to feel what it would be like to fly but. There aren't many trees I have found in my travels that can handle my weight." Growing bold in his words, perhaps due to her own warmth in her tone she was using with him. Her statement about ice and dark going well together made Gethin smile at her again. "Mmh. I have heard. I also just prefer to be in colder climates." He was a fluffy big dark boy, both of his species were well equipped for the cold weather. Not so much the heat in which Magpie caravans often found themselves. Laughing happily at her, "You're making me feel comfortable with talking to you. It is a good thing to agree to be awkward." Nodding. "Hm.. I think because water has shadows, they don't mind the water. I think the only time I notice they fade faster or completely from parts of my back, is when they are in the direct sunlight. The only ones that stay stubborn are the ones on my legs. They do get very dark when it's dawn and dusk. I guess during the day when it is stormy is when they are the strongest." He follows up with a question, "Does your ice melt during hot summers? Or are they always on your neck and present?" He warmly moved to take her inland, noticing the tides. Nosing at her cheek gently as he moved, taking her to a more comfortable area.
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