[PRP] beautiful stranger (Belial x Revenant)

[`raze]

"You've always been two things Belial, and that's handsome and emotionally unavailable. Take it from me - they love that until they don't."

"What does that mean?"

"You pull away whenever someone becomes fully committed to you - Aquene, this last mare, and how many in between? I can't be a grandfather to foals I don't know about, and you know those bridges are all burned with--"

"Ooookay dad, got it, got it. Why don't you tell me more about this Shamsiel?"

The last conversation he had with his father burned across Belial's mind as he lazily chewed on an apple that he had plucked from a low hanging branch. Fall was well on it's way with the slightly cooler temps, a season Belial was grateful for typically due to the abundance on snacks. However as he mulled over his father's words, he couldn't taste the beloved fruit.

It was bland and unimpressionable. But he wasn't gonna just leave it to waste -- the thought made him pause. Was that his approach to dating and relationships? Entertain the mare before him so it isn't a waste? He grimaced at the thought, disappointment washing over him. That... felt like a very Ishmael thing to do. There was no way, right? He was a gentleman, a romantic! He... had too many kids with mares that wanted nothing to do with him or disappeared in the night.

He was basically Ishmael, or what Ishmael always thought himself up to be before falling hard for his girl. Ugh.

The crushing realization needed to be swiftly brushed aside, and Belial's mind wandered to something the opposite of bland and unimpressionable. There was that dark mare he had seen cross the sky once - clearly on a mission and focused on where she needed to be - perfect since he would have been caught staring. Beautiful wings, long hair that trailed behind her.... she was beautiful.

'You thought that about the last couple, too,' his brain chided his heart His brain was right, they were all beautiful. They just all didn't share that look of focus and determination - something that intrigued him. She was a stranger - a dark, beautiful stranger with everywhere to be but here. It wasn't like he would run into her again, so it was perfectly normal to think how he would not have totally botched meeting her for the first time and romanticizing the thought in his head.  

[Uta]

Revenant had been flying in circles, it seemed, and her impatience was beginning to turn into outright frustration. All the prayers to the spirits, all the meditation, all the focus trying to find her life's direction left her more confused than when she'd first begun. Trust the spirits, her mother had said, spurring her on her latest journey away from the mountains. Hadn't her beloved mother said they would guide her? And yet, Revenant found herself as turned around, lost, and listless as ever. Every time she tried to find direction, the stars and signs pointed to her remaining exactly where she was.

Doubt was beginning to creep into Revenants heart, a familiar feeling she'd dealt with years prior. She remembered praying to the spirits for peace, for comfort, for healing after the great fire swept through the Kawani. It was when her doubts first had taken hold of her spirit, and when she had begun to question her place in the world. While it had taken her down from the mountain tops, and had her help those in need, physically and spiritually, her own hearts had remained unsure. Instead of returning to the mountain peaks, she had sought out others who needed her, and for the years to follow, continued to go where she could do the most good. While she visited home from time to time, keeping busy kept her happy--or at least, that's what she had convinced herself of. Some great purpose, some greater good.

But as the years passed, the older she got, the more discontent Revenant felt. It was what brought her to the hills and valleys of the plains--to pray, to meditate, to see where she was needed next. Perhaps she was distressed because she was not where the spirits needed her; perhaps she was anxious because there was something more she was needed for. Surely, that was it, wasn't it? And yet.... here she was... no purpose, no great need; nothing but the green grass of the plains, with the wind beneath her wings, and the blue sky above her. What was she doing here? Why did the spirits want her to linger?

Heaving a heavy sigh, the mare changed course so she might find a spring or lake from which to drink and rest her wings. All she could do now was continue to wait. Perhaps they were teaching her restless spirit some patience... Or she was foolishly wasting time. The thought made her snort, ears flicking back as she circled lower and lower in the sky. She wouldn't lose faith, no matter how frustrated she might be; the spirits would guide her hooves to something, or someone, who was in need of her. All she needed to do was wait.

Revenant landed gently at the edge of the river bank, and with a shake of her long, windblown mane, stepped up to the waters edge to drink.

`raze

Sorry for the delay!

 

[`raze]

While too busy romanticizing scenarios in his head with the mystery mare, Belial continued to eat the apple. He swallowed and down the wrong pipe it went. He started to cough, trying to clear his throat. He continued as such until he felt his throat clear. 'Well that was graceful,' he internally mocked. Good thing his internal romanticizing was just that, and the mare wasn't here. With swallowing the apple wrong he instinctively looked towards the lake, where he saw the dark figure.

Belial swore his heart skipped a beat in panic, his gaze immediatly turning to look anywhere than at her. This was a joke, right? She wasn't really there. No, no... He quickly glanced back at her and back to the lake, eyes wide as reality set in. Oh she was. This was not the smooth, suave, slick introduction he imagined in his head. This was everything but that.

Belial cleared his throat one more time, kicking the mostly eaten apple behind him without looking. He offered the mare a flicker of a smile, embarressment etched deeply into his face. He started to walk towards her but took a rather wide bend, offering space. The stallion didn't know quite what he was doing - he knew he had to say something, but the wide berth he gave her was to give himself more time to think. He had allowed his thoughts to trail to this mare all damn afternoon, he had to introduce himself! The thought of her fleeing made his heart pang in a way that he couldn't ignore.

"Haha sorry about that, wrong uhh.... wrong pipe." He flicked his bangs out of his face with a turn of his head, his gaze flickering to her and the water nervously. 'Ugh, 'lial, get it together. This is not you. You're not some kid.'