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 Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2024 8:37 pm
It was a beautiful, beautiful day, wasn't it? He was happy to be alive on a day as beautiful as this.
Of course, nobody could see his pleasant smile - not beneath the skull mask he wore, or the jangle of beads that decorated pretty much his entire body. That was the way he liked it - imposing at first, with the ability to become something akin to innocent at will. At least for those who deserved to see him unmasked and unburdened in such a way.
Speaking of burdens, the sun was hot on his shoulders, and his hood, while it did keep the sun out of his eyes, was beginning to make his withers sweat. So when he followed the scent, and then the sound, of a fresh stream, he didn't hesitate to trot off the beaten path in search of its source, because it was too warm to ignore such an inviting opportunity.
He found the stream without too much trouble, but he could be dying of thirst and he still would glance a cautious eye around the scene to make sure no creature, no Soq, no nothing was about to get the jump on him. A Gryps Nemoris stallion was never caught unawares.
Once satisfied that he was alone, Ayaz shrugged his hood to his shoulders and pawed off his skull-mask. Technically he didn't need to remove it to drink, but it made the whole process far less cumbersome, and here, when he was alone, he had no reason to hide his face.
The water was cool and delicious, and Ayaz allowed himself a contented sigh.
Yes, he was glad to be alive on this most beautiful of days.
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Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2024 6:45 pm
Going into a light clearing that had a little sunlight to peak through, Feiera dipped her muzzle into the stream, hunching over to get some water on her wings, lightly moving each feather with the tips of her nose so that her teeth wouldn't catch hold. Not in the mood to loose any feathers today. Cleaning each wings was tedious as she had so many to look after but luckliy the warm sun that peaked through the canopy allowed them to dry quickly.
"Once I get these clean, I'll be able to take a nice stroll and stretch them out." She normally didn't see many other around these parts, at least those that were not part of the flock.
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Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2024 7:13 pm
Movement, out of the corner of his eye. Ayaz lifted his head slowly and looked around, eyebrows raising slightly when his focus landed on a mare - he was pretty sure she was a mare - a good ways down the stream.
A beautiful mare a good ways down the stream. A beautiful mare with more wings than he had ever seen a real Soquili have before, even; she looked like something out of a story, or something out of a dream. A smile was on his face and he'd already started to take a step toward her when he came back to himself.
Get a grip, he told himself firmly, pausing long enough to re-affix his mask, though he left his hood down about his shoulders. Just because someone looked beautiful did not mean they actually were - all those wings could be mighty dangerous, for all he knew.
If he had been on the way to a job, or having a bad day, or if the weather had been less lovely, he probably would have just kept a safe distance between himself and the female; he tried not to go looking for trouble, in spite of what his brothers in his herd believed - it was just that trouble tended to find him, honest!
...But if she was trouble, at least she was pretty trouble.
So, accessories back in place, Ayaz strode over to her, not making any attempt to hide himself, lest she think he was on the attack. He didn't dare get too close, but he cleared his throat to announce his presence when he thought he was near enough for her to get a good look at him without having to shout to each other.
"Greetings," Ayaz called to her. "Pardon the intrusion," he said, inclining his head slightly. "May I ask what a mare as lovely as yourself is doing alone out here?" Ayaz paused, having just caught sight of her impressive talons - almost as large and perhaps as sharp as his own. "Not that the lady cannot defend herself, of course."
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Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2024 7:33 pm
With most of her wings, at least the lower two on each side, clean she felt much better and let them stretch out on all sides. The sun felt amazing as it was just the break from her life that she needed. Taking a big sigh she figured while here, she needed to clean her top wings even though they were such a pain to reach over the bottom two. Before she could even dip her muzzle back in the water a voice rang across her ears. With a small twitch towards the sound, she turned to see a male coming slowly up towards her. Obviously not a threat then. Gazing upon him, she slowly responded. "Hello there..." Flashing a small smile she furled her wings before tucking all 3 on each side on top of each other. Gazing upon this male, the thought of catching him crossed her mind but upon further inspection, she realized she had never seen a stallion like this before.
"I'm just out. Needed to stretch my wings and let my legs feel freedom." Let her claws dig into the earth, she looked the male over. With a skull mask, she could not make much of his face out. Mysterious. Taking a glance at his posture and body, she could pinpoint things that were strange to her. Claws, like herself, but in a different manner and wings that resembled more of a bird than her angelic ones and a fluffy tail. Colors quite in the same range as her own she couldn't help but feel a sense of pleasure staring at him. Mysterious indeed.
"How about you? What brings you out and about on this beautiful sunny day."
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Posted: Fri Feb 16, 2024 9:30 am
Ayaz nodded, his own wings unconsciously stretching out and folding back again in mirror to her own action - he could understand that. The power of flight was a real gift, and it had come in handy in more than one battle before.
"I see," Ayaz said, his voice echoing her pleasant tone. "I'm just on the way back from a job," he explained. "For my herd," he added, by way of explanation, though he didn't feel the need to elaborate in detail, unless she was interested, in which case he would absolutely get his brag on.
"So I'm truly just passing through on my way home," Ayaz paused, tilting his head at her slightly. It was important for him to know where there were groups of Soquili gathered, for advertising purposes - the more Soquili were gathered in a place, the higher the chance that a Soquili might be having some sort of problem that he or one of his brothers could assist with.
"If the lady is 'out', can I take that to mean that 'in' is somewhere nearby for you? Or have you stretched your wings and flown far from home?"
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Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2024 9:31 am
Watching himself unfold his wings she could not help but awe in sight of them. While different than hers, they had a sort of way they looked that made Feiera stare at them a little longer than needed. Listening to him talk she was quite astonished that he was coming back from a job. I wonder where his herd is at? "A job you say? May I ask what it is you do?" While her nature was to think down on the male species, she was a restless spirit who always wondered what others did around the area. She wanted to be able to explore a little more and see just what else there was in the world outside the flock dynamics.
Being that she was always subjected to stay within her herd, she loved listening to other stories and while many would think she was gathering intel on nearby strong males, she was genuinely interested. Now asking about her home, she was a little worried that he would be taken aback by The Flock. It was a well-known herd that always had a way of making waves through other herds. She did not want to spook him and she was interested in the stories he could tell her. "My herd isn't close by but close enough where safety plays a role." To be honest, she had traveled quite some distance, both flying and running, but just in case this traveler was not someone to be trusted, she had to make sure she had a backup plan.
"Is your herd close by as well? Or do you still have a way to travel?" Not sure if this male was close by to his herd did not matter to her. What she cared about was how far his travels took him. If it was far, maybe Feiera could join to see more of the outside world. She yearned for it, to explore it and see how others interacted with each other.
"Where are my manners... my name is Feierabend but you can just call me Feiera."
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Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2024 2:44 pm
"Feiera," he repeated, with a smile on his face. "A beautiful name for a beautiful lady," he said, giving her a slight bow. "My name is Ayaz, and I am a member of the Gryps Nemoris Herd." He couldn't help the pride in his voice as he spoke; he loved his brothers so much, and being part of this herd meant something to him.
"My herd is dedicated to assisting others," he explained, "in whatever they contract us to do. Mostly we specialize in protection, but there are many types of jobs we can do, for a..." he paused, to give her an impish smile, though he wasn't sure how visible it was beneath the skull, "modest fee, of course."
He noted, idly, that she hadn't told him where she was from; that was fine, he didn't need to know her whole life story, and he appreciated a mare with some discretion and sensibility about her.
"Our herd does not have a set territory," he continued with a light shrug. "We have landmarks, where we meet up at certain points, but--well, by nature, we are all frequently in different places most of the time. But to answer your question, yes, I do still have a few days ahead of me before I rejoin my brothers."
Ayaz hesitated, just a moment, then said, "If your herd won't miss you...would the lady care to accompany me for part of my journey? You need not go farther than you're comfortable with, of course," he added quickly, "but if you're looking to see some new sights...?"
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Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2024 5:19 am
"Ayaz, very nice to meet you as well." She was used to males having their way with words, but for some reason, his words were making her smile. He seemed like a well-off gentleman. Hearing about his herd not having a set territory was odd for her as the flock seemed to always stay in one area, but it would make sense for those that wander around, completing contracts that they were hired to do so.
"... a modest fee, is that how you obtained all of that?" She gestured to the bangles and drapery that were hanging on Ayaz. "You seem to get paid well then?" She was astonished that a herd was hired for protection and such but it did not surprise her as her herd tended to take males. So if a weak male needed protecting, he would need to hire someone. A few days? She pondered while he was making quite a proposal to her. She was only about a half day from her herd and she had not ventured further than that, but the outside world was calling her.
She would not think her herd would miss her as she had tons of siblings to keep her parents occupied and she really wasn't high in any rankings. Maybe she could escape for a bit and throw caution to the wind. Ayaz looked and sounded like a strong male that could handle their own so if they got into a bad spot they both could defend themselves. And if the chance someone tried to capture her, well she would like to see them try and catch a harpy. She did not want Ayaz to think they would not notice her missing, just in case in had a trick up his sleeve.
"While my herd would miss me, I'm sure they can survive without me for a little bit. I've been wanting to explore a bit and if you are willing to be my guide... for a modest fee...." She smirked with a slight wink to her eye. "I would love to accompany you." She could not believe she was trusting a male that she had just met moments before, but at this moment, Feiera just wanted to be more free than she had every been. "Where exactly is our destination or are we just going to go see these landmarks you talk about?"
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Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2024 4:30 pm
Ayaz beamed, pleased at her acquiescence, and perhaps even more pleased at her good-natured ribbing. Yes, he thought he might be starting to like this mare.
"No fee necessary for you," Ayaz said with a faint chuckle. "Unless you feel you'll be needing my services on this little walk of ours," he added with a flutter of his wings, which just so happened to make his jewelry jingle in a most pleasing way.
"My final destination is some days away," he said, "and I wouldn't dare to take the lady so far out of her way, lest her herd - rightly - come and demand her presence once more," he added with a respectful bow of his head. "But...I believe there may be some interesting sights to see along the way, yes."
He paused only to lean down and take another long drink from the river, then straightened up once more. "And to answer your question - yes, our fees are how I got some of these," he said, jingling his jewelry once again. "But not all of them. Some of them were gifts, and some were made by myself or by my brothers in the herd." He paused, letting his eyes wander over her own adornments, around her neck and legs and horn.
"How did you come by your accessories?" he asked. "They're lovely."
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Posted: Sat Feb 24, 2024 5:01 am
She was astonished that it was not going to cost her anything for Ayaz to show her around. Feiera would try and find something along the way to give him since he was just a gentleman to her. Maybe during this trip, they would be able to open up about more. She watched his wings with delight as they made his beautiful additions sparkle even more. "We will see, you never know what we may find out there." She said with a sly girl but eyes of awe as she watched him.
"I'm delighted to see the sights with you." She truly admired that he was thoughtful of her being comfortable, as well as making sure her herd was within a few day's reach. It made her really start to believe this stallion, although, it was not like she could not defend herself if he tried anything. Yet, Feiera seemed to feel at ease and trusting of him, and he seemed like he was a powerful stud. She listened to him. "You made some of them?" She looked them over again before listening to his question.
Feiera almost forgot that she had jewelry on because it was nothing fancy and nothing out of the ordinary. She unfurled all 6 of her wings to show that ones hidden. "I sometimes forget I have these as all my siblings and I have the same jewelry. Some of our different colors and our jewels are different but basically the same. It was a gift from our parents when we were born." She never thought anything of her adornments so she shifted her wings down one by one to ensure they folded correctly. Sometimes having six was a lot, but she knew it made them all the more powerful.
Eager to start this journey, Feiera started to move towards the Ayaz, circling him to end up right next to him. With a quick jerk of her muzzle in a direction, she asked. "Shall you lead the way?" She could not wait to see what he had seen.
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Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2024 2:39 pm
"I would be happy to," Ayaz said, taking a few steps back toward the path he'd been walking before getting sidetracked by the need for water.
As they walked, Ayaz mused over her parents having given her the accessories she wore. "My brothers wear some jewelry as well, but not all of us wear the same," he said thoughtfully. "One of my brothers is more of an apothecary than I am. He has a small collection of potions and crystals that he travels with," he explained with a light shrug. They had each curated their own particular aesthetics; the idea of all of them matching, regardless of how similar they looked, set Ayaz's teeth on edge.
"How many siblings do you have, if I may ask?" Ayaz said, moving his thoughts away from how annoying he would find it to lug rocks with him wherever he went. "Do you get along well with them?"
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Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2024 4:35 am
Feiera listened quite intently to the stallion, she was hanging on every word of him talking about his siblings. Crystals? Now that would be something that she would love to see one of these days. It was nice hearing that his siblings all had there own style and flair and no two were alike. That was not the case in Feiera's family. She had so many siblings that it almost looked muddled when they were all together. "I have many siblings. Too many to count for honestly.... and we are all very similar except our coloring. I believe not any two of us have the same hues which is odd but a breath of fresh air." It always seemed like they were always competing for the best spots in the herd. Who was the strongest, who was the smartest.
Feiera wanted to make a name for herself and wanted to show her support to the flock by bringing strong bloodlines to the herd. She let her pole fall down a bit as they walked in gait. She was excited to see things around.
"Now Ayaz, how big is the herd you come from. I know you had mentioned that you all move around so does this mean your herd in on the smaller side and still growing?" She was quite amused by the thought of a moving herd still and although the flock sometimes shifted depending on the weather, they had a centralized location. It would be interesting to see. Everything back home was so organized that it was just downright robotic so being around those that were free and flying would bring a smile to Feiera.
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Posted: Sun Mar 03, 2024 1:36 pm
Ayaz made a dubious noise as he considered her question. If she came from a herd with as many siblings as she said, and further Soquili beyond her family, presumably, then yes, his herd would be small in comparison - but he couldn't allow for his herd to seem weak in a stranger's (and maybe, eventual client's) eyes.
"There are six of us," he began, "who fulfill contracts, and we are the senior members of the herd. Similar in look, as you say, with different hues. Our number, though, is by design; as our herd is based on our work, there are..." he paused, considering, "rather high standards that must be met before someone can join us. We are quite exacting, for everyone's sake, as sometimes our work can be quite deadly. Simply put, it's not for everyone. But there are other roles within the herd, of course, so there is space for those who wish to join the herd but can't or won't carry out contracts."
He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and gave her a little smile, barely visible beneath his skull mask. "What is your herd like? It must be on the larger side, if you have more family members than you know what to do with."
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Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2024 4:38 am
It was interesting to hear what high standards his herd had when it came to those that would carry out the contracts. She was always hesitant to talk about her own herd and what the goal of the Flock was as many had heard of it before. Feiera did not want this handsome stallion to think anything wrong of her since her upbringings of The Flock always intended in the capture of strong males, and Ayaz her was absolutely a strong male. Taking another glance over him, she could not help by admire his wings. Wings like those needed to be free, just like hers.
Her ears perked forward as she heard his words, 'so there is space for those who wish to join...' She could never leave her herd and her siblings although long adventures out did not seem out of the question.
"My herd, is massive and they have their... own standards when it comes to joining. It's not really a herd that you go searching for to join, yet one that you usually are born into and held to a higher standard." Trying to stay as vague as possible she worried that her non-descriptive answer would scare Ayaz off, so she added. "It's not something I talk so open about, unless I get to know you a little better." With a smile, Feiera noticed the path that Ayaz had taken a few steps back towards. Assuming this was the direction he was headed she took a few steps past the stallion, looking over her shoulder. "Shall we go for a walk and get to know each other better?"
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Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2024 5:32 pm
Ayaz raised an eyebrow as she hemmed and hawed her way around describing her herd; curious and curiouser, this mare was. It intrigued him, if he was being honest. Secrets always did p***k at his curiosity.
He wouldn't press her. He didn't get any threatening energy from her, and in truth, they'd only known each other for a few minutes, so what right did he have to demand anything from her?
"I would love to," he said simply, giving her a reassuring smile as they began to meander down the path. He was quiet for a few moments, turning over what questions he could ask that might further their connection to each other.
"What do you want?" Ayaz finally asked, as simple as that. "Now, or overall, your choice." He'd found that understanding the desires of another person were illuminating everything else about the person as well. "What do you want to do before the spirits call us home?"
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