[PRP]The Beauty of Reunions

[Silver Metallic Dragon]

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This is a private RP between myself and ~Latonia de la Courtel~, please do not post unless invited

Traveling was an enjoyable experience, but nothing matched the joy of returning to one's home. Pressing through the thick foliage lining the herd's lands, Isra took a deep breath. The flock's lands were the most beautiful she'd laid her eyes upon, and she had seen many in her travels. She had been gone for many moons, seeking out the best textiles she could for trade within the flock and with her other associates outside of the herd. But, it was time for her to return home and rest before she left on another trading trip. Ruffling her tail feathers to shake out the foliage, Irsa paused at the river, leaning down to take a drink.

Her home was a magical place for sure, but it was nice to get to leave. Her sisters were wonderful, everyone was, but peace and quiet was often hard to come by. Her sisters were always out and about, visiting and caring for the many foals in the herd. She would check in with everyone and let them know she was home, and then she was going to her favorite spot and take a nice, long nap in the sun. Tossing her head, the mare inspected her reflection in the bright blue waters. She certainly didn't look as tired as she felt, and wasn't that a blessing.

Smirking at her own reflection, Isra turned and headed in the direction of the main herd gathering sites. She'd found plenty of textiles to trade, and some gifts for her dearest friends within the herd. Long visits would have to wait however, she was in desperate need of a nap. Pausing, the mare turned her head in the direction of her home. Perhaps she would take that nap now, and check-in with everyone later.

"Yes, that's a good plan. Nap now, socialize later."

WC:306  

[~Latonia de la Courtel~]

Ending the latest iteration of his solo performance, the multi-colored stallion known as Bahiyaa Upala swept into a graceful bow. He flared his wings wide, lungs working quickly but not overworked, not yet strained. Bahi held the pose for a moment, breathing deeply, and then straightened once more. His muzzle tightened and nostrils flared as he frowned, musing over how the routine had felt.

"Hmm, well, I don't hate that..." He mumbled to himself. Which, he didn't... but it didn't quite feel like it was enough. Big enough, flashy enough, dramatic enough. It wasn't, what he was looking for yet. But maybe soon.

Bahi flicked his tail thoughtfully, considering the options of painting and clipping his feathers, altering the pattern of his wings to something that would enhance his performance. Likely he would, when the time was right, when he new exactly what performance he was going to give. Perhaps when he had a better idea about his audience.

(A very particular audience, or so he hoped.)

A rather chaotic flurry of activity interrupted what was thankfully the tail end of rehearsals, and though Bahi was finished there were a great many performers still working through their sets and routines. Bahi could see awareness sweep through the still performing stallions and those who helped them to keep time with drums and other such instruments. Soon enough there was a particular sort of call chiming through the Flock lands, sending many of the artists and dancers thundering toward the arrivals feild in a flood of excitement.

So then, a group had returned, and it seemed they would have quite a welcoming committee. With a grin and a shrug Bahi let himself be swept along with the effervescent energy of the crowd, cantering his way through the lands to greet the new arrivals with his fellow jewel-bright performers. He reared and gave a joyful whistle of greeting at the sight if particularly dark mare, night-black with shades of berry staining the ends of her wings and the silken length of her mane.

"About time you came back to see me! I feel like friendship means nothing to you anymore!" He taunted.



"Oh give me a break!" Narwa Carnimírië, Nim to her friends, shouted joyously at the brightly colored stallion who seemed to have visited the field just to give her a hard time. "You'll remind me why I left, if you keep that up!"

Bahi Wordcount: 359  

[Silver Metallic Dragon]

The ruckus of returning mares and their excited consorts caught her attention just as she was nearing her home. Well, there went her plan of flying under the radar, so to speak. She had thought she had beaten the bigger party back by at least a day, but apparently, those girls could move, and Isra liked sleeping far too much to skimp on it just to beat her flock-mates home. While Isra herself had no one to greet her return in such a manner, she knew her sister Fiadh would be around somewhere waiting for her. It wasn’t a sad thing, having no one to greet her, she rather enjoyed her freedom. Not having a consort was by choice, and that choice had served her well thus far.

The group was loud and joyous with their greetings, and she smiled at those who called her name. Her heard mates were always a lovely bunch, happy at the return of any and every member of the flock, even if they were just gone for a short trip. She just needed to worm her way through the group mostly uninterrupted and she would be home free to take as long a nap as she saw fit.

Breaking through a rather large collection, the mare heard the voice of one of her favorite traveling companions, Nim. They had split up a few weeks back to trek in different directions for their wares, and Isra had found such a lovely textile for Nim in one of the far markets to the north. Grinning, the mare turned and trotted towards the dark-coated mare. She caught sight of a stallion speaking to Nim, and Isra had to wrack her brain for a name. He looked ridiculously familiar, not to mention handsome, but heaven help her she could not bring forth the name. She hadn’t been gone that long!

Nim would save her with an introduction when she got closer, she was a real friend like that. “Nim! And here I thought I’d have beaten you all back by at least a day!” Grinning, Isra stopped close to her friend, bumping her hip against the dark mare. “Do I have a textile for you! You’re going to love it!” Dropping her voice, the jewel coated mare leaned in with a small smirk. “And help a girl out with a name for your friend over there, yeah?”

WC:400  

[~Latonia de la Courtel~]

"I am glad that more of our herd mates are not so cruel and so beautiful as you," Bahi joked as he slipped past a few of the warrior mares being greeted by their consorts. He began to wind his way through the crowd, drawing closer to Narwa in the hopes that they might visit for at least a moment.

Traveling warriors and traders returned, and The Flock rejoiced. What had erupted in the field was a spontaneous thing, an instant reaction to the return. Later, there surely would be a grand celebration, with food and drink and merriment, and entertainment to rival any of what may have been seen in the outside world. Likely with lit candles and burning torches to illuminate the revelry sure to stretch deep into the night. Nim smiled and laughed at the thought of the event, fairly certain that once she had a nap she'd be thrilled to stay up all night, weaving among her herd fellows.

The riotous welcome-home parties had not yet had a chance to grow old, with so few journeys behind her compared to the numbers that some of the other Flock ladies boasted. Surrounded by coats and feathers and wings on the bodies of her herd mates, all shapes and sizes and shades, Narwa Carnimírië danced and laughed amidst her fellows and treated those she liked best to affectionate brushes with her nose or wings. To hear the taunting remark cheerfully shouted by a friendly voice shook her out of her casual greetings and made her laugh as she retorted.

"Oh give me a break! You'll remind me why I left, if you keep that up!" Narwa turned her head at the greeting, amusement sweeping over her expression at the sight of the feather-crowned stallion.

Bahiyaa Upala had become a good friend in their youth, probably one of her best friends, even before she had gone adventuring. Though there was little of the once-gangly colt evident in the confident performance artist that stood across the green and teased her so effortlessly. Then again, there probably wasn't much of the dark, easily overlooked filly still visible in her, either. They had come a long way, reveling in each other's successes and offering support when things weren't going their way.

"You left because you love being far and away more than you love your friends and family!" Bahi countered with a grin, when the dark beauty cheerfully sassed him. "So we all sit here in the wake of your absence and mourn, bemoaning the fact that we mean so little to you."

Nim tsked affectionately at the bright stallion, watching him wind his way through revelers like he might make his way to her. She resolved to wait for his arrival at her side, nodding her head when others greeted her as they passed. The sudden call of her name had her craning to look around, grinning widely at the sight of the ocean and rose pink vision of a mare named Isra Jinan.

"Iss!" She cheerfully shouted. "You could have if you didn't love sleep so much, I bet! So good to see you again, and I'm happy to say I have a gift for you too!"

Nim beamed proudly at the thought of the uncut gems stored in her pack, wrapped carefully and just waiting to be dug out and gifted to Isra. She was sure the mare would find something to do with them, either as charms for her tail feathers or perhaps featuring in jewelry for her lovely neck. Either way, it had been a good find, a better barter. But they were for a later conversation, Is was asking about Bahi and he was very nearly upon them.

"Oh, I've got you, girl." She murmured with a grin and a wink, just as the stallion arrived. "Ah, Bahi! How nice to see you, now that you've finished saying such horrible things at me. I don't know why, but I'm going to do you the tremendous favor of introducing you to my lovely friend Isra. Isra Jinan, Bahiyaa Upala, a delightful entertainer but not much of a comedian."

Bahi slowed momentarily in his approach at the sight of another beauty stepping to Nim's side. He could see the way the two mares greeted each other, regarded each other with such fondness that he knew them to be friends. The cheerfully jostling and smiles merely added to it, and made for a somewhat intimidating scene to approach.

Still, faint heart never won fair lady, and all of that. So Bahi gives a bit of a shrug, squares himself up, and strides over with confidence he hardly feels. Nim, by virtue of being a good friend to him, gets a wide and honest grin and a cheerful wink of one golden eye. Her friend -Isra, Isra- gets a nod and a gentle smile.

"Ladies, welcome home, I trust your journey was a pleasant one. Nim, nice to see you again. Lady Isra, a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Feel free to call me Bahi, the formality of my full name makes me feel as though I'm in trouble."

He gave an over-exaggerated wince, and then shrugged his wings with a rueful grin. "Ah well, what can one do. Enough from me, I'm sure you two have far more interesting anecdotes to share. How was the journey? What did you see?"

Narwa Wordcount: 579
Bahi Wordcount: 322  

[Silver Metallic Dragon]

Bahiyaa Upala…certainly a name to remember…

Rolling the males’ name about in her brain, Isra considered him for a long moment. He certainly was a spectacle of Flock breeding, that much was certain. She was almost certain she could tell his parentage; he closely resembled a stallion she’d seen about the herd lands. Cuetzpaltotl, if memory served her. She hadn’t seen the stallion in a long while, but that didn’t mean much. Isra didn’t much enjoy a stagnate existence, moving about as much as she was able to either within the flock lands or out of them. This was, of course, in between naps.


Adorned in gold and enough feathers for more then a few members of the flock, this stallion in front of her was a sight to behold….and so was she. Putting on her best smile, the jewel-coated mare turned to face him with perhaps a little more flourish than necessary. If there was one thing she was better at than napping, it was charming stallions.

“Bahi… it is certainly a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I know I’m not around the herd lands often, but I cannot believe we never crossed paths before this moment.” Winking at Nim, Isra shook her mane out and gave the stallion a fleeting sultry look. If there was one thing her mother taught her, and it was only one thing, keep them guessing. He wanted tales from her travels. Well, she could certainly deliver some of those.

“Oh dear, stories from our travels… it is so hard to decide. Perhaps you’d like to hear of the jewelry dealers to the south? Or the traveling artisans of the Faire? There are so many wonders outside our lands, choosing just one seems unfair to the rest of them, don’t you think? I tell you what, Bahi… I will share my stories if you share your talents as an entertainer. I am afraid I’m not much of a dancer…” And hallowed mother above, don’t ask her to sing. She wanted to attract the stallion, not send him running for the hills. Okay, perhaps her mother taught her two things… know your strengths.

(WC: 359)  

[~Latonia de la Courtel~]

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Though she wasn't normally one for matchmaking, Narwa considered the pairing on the cusp of forming and looked upon it rather favorably. They were both rather striking to look at, individually, and now that they were standing together. Bahi was an entertaining, delightful sort; and heavens knew Isra could do worse than to have that waiting to welcome her back from a hard journey!

Stifling a giggle as she thought it, Nim gave Isra a faint little grin, half-obscuring it with a tilt of her head and following it with a pointed look. That's a pretty nice target, girl, don't let it slip through your claws! Now that she'd opened the door as far as Bahi and Isra were concerned, she'd give them a moment or two of chatting with her and then find a good reason to make a quick exit... Even if it was only a temporary one. In the immediate tangle of bodies, Nim could see a sister or three in the distance that would make the perfect excuse to part ways for a minute or two, just as soon as she wouldn't be painting a target on her back for Isra to aim at. The last thing she wanted was to make an enemy of her pretty friend.

"Thank you so much for your kind words of welcome, Bahi," the black mare murmured, shifting on her claws so that they formed a more organic cluster, rather than leaving Bahi off to one side like an afterthought. "I am willing to bet that Isra's stories will be better than mine, she has a talent for finding the most interesting things."

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Bahiyaa shrugged off Nim's soft thanks with a demure murmur in reply, golden eyes were repeatedly drawn back to his newest acquaintance even when he tried to give Narwa due attention as she spoke.

"Not at all, not at all, my friend." He replied with an honest smile. "You are most welcome home, and it is my honor to tell you so. You and yours were well-missed, and deserve to be well-received. Even more so if you're going to be so kind as to introduce me to pretty friends I might never have met otherwise."

He gave a courtly bow to the teal beauty when she greeted him, offering a flaring of wings for show. "You do me a great honor, Lady Isra. If your homecoming is indeed so rare, I consider myself twice as fortunate as to encounter you on such a rare occurrence. I admit that in the course of teaching performance classes or practicing my routines, I have missed a few of the celebrations... Or at least half of them, when the bulk of the herd is milling around to embrace our long-away kin. I am often out later for the feasts and the dancing and such, but if by then you have gone to rest to recover from travels, or have gone to visit with the family who has certainly missed you in your absence, then it seems to me we would easily miss our window to encounter one another."

He stumbled over his words for a moment, swallowing his nerves as he admired the fall of her mane and the look she shot his way. Her proposal had his ears swiveling forward, interest peaked, and lighting his golden eyes up in an instant. "Oho, a Bargain is it? Very well, if it is a trade that you would like, it is a trade you shall have Lady Isra. I would like to formally request tales of your journey. In return, I am happy to invite you to dress rehearsal of a new routine, or to attend my performance later at the welcome home banquet I am certain will be planned and in full swing before the sun has fully set."

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Narwa watched her two friends making eyes at each other with a soft, silent amusement, swallowing the urge to giggle and clap her wings together and coo about how cute they were sure to be once they finally got going. Instead, she glanced around her again, noting the presence of a nearby sister and judging it appropriate to make her escape.

"Bahiyaa makes an excellent point, Isra." She pointed out smoothly. "As we are speaking of the festivities that are sure to ensure now that we have returned, you two will have to excuse me for a few moments. I simply must speak to one of my sisters to ensure they don't need me to begin preparations. You two don't mind, do you? I'll be back shortly, of course."

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Narwa Carnimírië Wordcount: 399
Bahiyaa Upala Wordcount: 365

 

[Silver Metallic Dragon]

You think you’re slick Nim… I see you.

Shooting her dear friend a sideways glance, Isra acknowledged Nim’s quick exit with a soft hum, a smile, and a nod. She was well aware of what her friend was doing, and boy was she glad for it. Nim was always a perceptive one, and this moment was no exception to that. She knew she had the majority of Bahi’s attention, but he was a gentleman and would never ignore his friend to speak solely with her. Her smooth and plausible exit gave both of them the time to speak privately without it being an awkward exit for Nim. She was quite the sharp one, she’d have to bring her back several fabrics on the next trip out of the lands.

Turning her full attention back to the stallion before her, she admired the flow of his body as he moved. He was clearly a performer and a good one at that. Her sister had often told her if she took a consort, she saw her with a stallion of bright personality and energy. Isra tended to lean towards the calm and quiet, enjoying her home and the trinkets she had collected over her many travels. Highly social she was not by nature, and it was often draining to be around the members of the flock, and not because there were so many of them. It was why she often traveled alone, and when home would be far more likely found at home then at the celebrations. Which was probably the reason she had never laid eyes on Bahi before this moment. Fiadh had often expounded on the many reasons she felt Isra should go out more and socialize with the rest of the herd, if this budding…whatever this was, continued, she was going to have to come up with a story that didn’t involve her being social.

Eyebrows raising, the mare listened intently to the offer, before sending the male a sweet smile. “Well… that seems like a fair trade to me. But, don’t be surprised if some of our flock mates are startled to see me. I am not known for my attendance at social gatherings.” Understatement of the year there Isra. “I’ve not had much cause to attend our functions prior to this… I’m quite interested in watching your performance. Now, tell me, what tale would you like to hear first? My visits with the textile traders of the north? Perhaps the Faire? That is quite a group of souls, I tell you.”

Grinning the mare gave a nod of her head. “Lead the way… I’ll talk as we walk!”

Isra WC: 441