.like i'm the only girl in the world.

[leira]

it's all right,
i'll be fine.
But I can't trust
this broken heart of mine.

it had been a long time she had truly awoken, not from slumber, but a heartbroken, dazed sort of fog that she had stumbled into. Today, she could hear the mournful chirping of a bluebird, soft burbling of a river far somewhere off in the distance, and the crackle of electricity in the air, predicting a mild summer storm. Feelings arose in her chest like a tsunami, threatening to make her collapse back into misery and cry herself to sleep. Her hooves ached, sending rough spasms into her fragile legs, and her ribs showed clearly through her thin white coat. She lacked that old gentle look, but instead took on a ghastly appearance of pure beauty.

Her ivory mane was long and tangled, reaching down past her shoulders and dangling above her chest. The once loving eyes were now dull, her forelock concealing one of the brown-hued orbs. She was cautious of where she stepped; her hips seemed to be bone grinding against one another with each painful step she took. No, she had not been harmed, so she truthfully thought, but she had been alone so long, curled up in the growing grasses for months, with little muse to eat the green stems.

She could remember the dream she had had the night before she had awoken from sulking in her own misty pity party. It had been daylight, and a handsome, all too familiar stallion had stood in front of her, his skull-shaped markings around his face so terrifying, yet so dearly missed. "Daedalus?.. Is that you?" She had called out, her voice trailing off. They were in a meadow, with sunlight filtering in through the golden trees. She had galloped with all her strength towards him, but he continued to get farther and farther away, his nose twitching in amusement. "Now, come on, my dear Nora, you can catch me if you tried!" She faltered in her step at the sound of his voice, and then felt a hole open up below her, dragging her down. "DAEDALUS," she had screamed, pawing at the dirt frantically. He had stood above her, a cruel, twisted smile on his muzzle that was not his personality. "Goodbye, Ilianora.."

The little grey mare shivered at the thought of that horrific nightmare. Her frame trembled and shook, as if there was a very earthquake under her hooves. She was no longer in her old home which she had shared with Daedalus, now she was alone, wandering the earth. Someone, something, had to be out here. Someone would saunter up to her, a smile on their muzzle saying, "Why hello there! Long time no see, how are you, m'dear?" How impossibly sweet she would smile at them, and bow politely in their direction.

But no, no, no. Her hopeless dreams and wishes were cast away at the sound of thunder, and she frowned, her little pink nose twitching in despair. Which horse would enter an open land during a thunderstorm? Why had she not searched for shelter at the first feeling of lightning in the air? Now she was truly alone, without a soul, she thought. She and the clouds, both miserably dark, could wander together.

It was beginning to get rather dark, even though it was midday. The boiling clouds looked troubling, and little Nora lurched forward to seek some type of home from the wind and rain that was starting to blow and fall into the valley-like area she had taken refuge in.

A broken silver tear fell from her eye, and she moved underneath a small overhang. Her body quaked with cold and sadness, and her eyes no longer held a heathy shine. Her legs were stained with mud, her tail dragging in the dirt. It was time for her to lie down and rest once more, to bring out those unhappy dreams. "I wish someone was here, a being of good faith that would stay and be with me in my darkest time," she murmured to herself, ducking her head, and then lowering it to the ground, eager to sleep out this storm. Her eyes were not even half-closed when the first sound of thunder startled her, and she sighed, sitting up and feeling at least a little accomplished for finding a dry area.

NOTES : Hey, sup lovers? Haven't been on here in a while. I'll start trying to get this place active again.

TAGGED : Anyone who wants to join Ilianora in her misery.

WORD COUNT : 720 Words.

To whomever replies: Please, make your post at LEAST 300 + words. If you struggle with making long posts, I suggest you really go deep into what your character is thinking. Do they feel pleased with their past, or saddened by it? Is there something specific that you want the reader to know before you leap into the conversation? What about how they feel about the weather? Are they frightened by storms, or love them? Use lots of descriptive words. If you can't think of one, visit THESAURUS.COM, type in a bland word you were thinking about using, and that wonderful site will give you lots of good words to choose from, along with their meanings. That is all. Have a good day. <3 Please reply!

[ashes]

Dutch paused for just a moment, lifting his golden head up to the sky to watch the angry looking clouds drift past. A strong wind sent his mane flying and there was definitely the smell of rain in the air. He didn't want to get stuck in a downpour but it didn't look like there were any trees nearby for him to take shelter under. The crash of thunder startled him and got him moving. He didn't have long and took off at a steady gallop towards the closest thing that could be considered shelter and would hide him from the torrential down poor.

His prediction was correct, only a few minutes after he started he felt the first drops and after that it only took a few seconds for the rain to come down, steady and hard. It thudded against his honey-golden hide and soaked his main and tail. Now the light blond locks slapped against him as he ran. Mud splattered against his legs with each step he took and the rain didn't help much getting it off. his mother would have stopped moving at the last tree he'd past before moving into the valley, sensing the rain on the wind. Dutch had sensed the rain he'd just thought there would be more trees later on and that he'd be fine. He really should listen to his mother more.

His breath came heavy and hot out of his nose. he could keep going for awhile, but he would need a rest eventually. He couldn't keep this up forever, but there had to be something to stand under until the rain at least lightened up a bit. It was as if his prayers had been answered when a slight overhang came into sight. He pushed himself until the end in order to reach shelter quicker. As he approached the overhang he discovered it was already occupied by another horse. He hoped they wouldn't mind him dropping in, it looked like they were sleeping.

Dutch slowed to a walk so he wouldn't wake the other horse as he got closer. A gray mare lay on the ground with silvery threads in her mane and tail. He kept his distance so as not to startle her, but was close enough that he wasn't in the rain. Water dripped from his hide and his forelock was plastered against his face, covering one of his brown eyes. he did his best to shake it off, but couldn't get much movement since he didn't want to spray the mare with water. He really did hope she wouldn't mind sharing her space for a bit until the rain lightened.

&& 459
muse: doing better
ooc: shorter than i would like it to be but i got over 400 x3

[leira]

it's raining it's pouring.
the old man is snoring.
he bumped his head on the edge of the bed,
and didn't wake up 'till morning.

Her light brown orbs raised towards the figure approaching, and she clumsily made an effort to stand up, nostrils flared and eyes wide with worry. She chided herself for being so ignorant, and not sensing a stallion approaching earlier. But he seemed polite, his honey-colored body dappled with rain. Shuffling her hooves for a second, the grey mare let her eyes meet his, and she bowed her head briskly. Almost immediately, she remembered how to be a polite, sensible mare, and to be gentle and kind, not rough and broken with everything she saw.

"Hello," she murmured softly, and then a little bit more louder, "My name is Ilianora. I'm typically called Nora, or Nor." Her friendly expression crumbled; she could hear Daedalus saying her nickname in her ear, and that cat of his sneering, but a somewhat loving expression on her face. Forget him, forget that blasted, but oh so sweet brute. There was another one here, she could befriend this beast. The little mare flicked her tail, which was mostly dry, and then was a bit horrified at her lack of manners, not inviting the soaked stallion into cover. "Oh dear! Come on under here, sir, it's much dryer and more comfortable." She smiled tentatively at him, and backed away a bit so he could fit his shape under the overhang. There was room for both of them, even if there was a predicted awkward shoulder rub. Who cared?

Nora was unsure of this stallion, he seemed rather nice so far, not barging in on her moment, and was content that he was not violent or rude. Leaning towards him to sniff his neck, she spoke, "So what is your name?" Her rear end stuck slightly out of the cover as she tried to make room, and the cooling droplets of rain suddenly relaxed her, and made her widen her eyes with a little bit of a knowing expression. She wasn't just your typical stupid pretty mare. She knew a bit more than that.

Her tangled mane had to be quite an attractive, sarcastic of course, appearance. Ilianora had given up on trying to take care of it in the last few months, but now it mattered. She had company! There's finally another one alive out here, in this wandering land! Shaking her head, she smiled, and nibbled at the little bit of grass under the overhang. "I'm rather sorry for leaving you out there in the rain for a bit," she laughed, a little bit too heartily for a shy mare like herself, "It's been a rough few months." Her now-glowing eyes sobered, and she tried to forget the old stallion.

But alas, this new stallion.. she was interested in what he had to say. She was curious. Trying to scoot over a bit more, she watched him with a close eye, awaiting his response to her barge of words and questions.

Words; 493
Notes ; sorry for not replying really fast! I have school, so it's been busy. But I'll try to get on more often. :3 I'm very forgetful, hehe. Glad to see that I could start an active post! And thanks for posting something nice that I could work with <3

[ashes]

so she not asleep after all it seemed. he watched as the mare got to her feet, almost scrambling. dutch was glad he had not disturbed her from her rest, he quite enjoyed taking a nap during a thunderstorm. when he was young he couldn't get enough of them and would have tired out quickly from all his excitement. his mother had said storms scared her when she was little and she could never sleep. the loud noises and flashes of light frightened her too much.

her politeness and kindness embarrassed him slightly and, if his forelock hadn't been soaked with rain, he probably would have flipped it into his face shyly. the "sir" sounded just a bit odd in his ears. he was able to move farther under the shelter of the overhang so he just felt the slightest bit of rain on his rear. "it's a pleasure to meet you, nora." he couldn't imagine better luck than to share this small space with a pretty mare, no matter how flustered. it was better luck than he'd had for weeks. the solitude was starting to get to him.

"i'm dutch locks, though dutch suits me just fine." his mother had only called him by his full name when she was angry with him and so that's what he associated it with: anger. dutch was more affectionate, it sounded softer in his ears. "don't worry about me, it's not like i can get any wetter." he was already soaked clean through having been battered by the storm for a good while. it had been nice at first, but then the rain was in his eyes and he was shivering. then it had just been miserable.

he looked at the mare interestedly, wondering what exactly she meant by "a rough few months". her appearance showed that the words were true, though he wasn't about to say anything. he didn't want to pry in case he offended her. "so, nora, how long have you been on your own if you don't mind me asking?" he asked, trying to stay casual and nonchalant. she seemed about his age, had she just recently left her home herd? or was she like him and didn't have a home herd? she could ask as many questions about him as she wanted, dutch didn't have anything to hide.

&& 413
ooc: no worries, i know how that is~

[leira]

With the rain battering down on the overhang above her head, she felt like she was in a dreamy state, the hypnotic rain convincing her that it was okay to do whatever she should wish. Giving the stallion a sweet smile, she replied gently, "It's nice to meet you too." Nora felt a bit more relaxed around him, since he seemed a rather nice, handsome man. Her worries were washed away like the dirt outside of the covering.

Her ears flickered towards him when he spoke his name, and she mulled over it, murmuring softly, "Dutch Locks... Dutch." She liked how it rolled off her tongue, gentle and easy. Moving a bit closer to him, she laughed quietly at his comment. "You do look a bit soaked to the bone. And cold. Here.." Without much thought, she moved towards the stallion, and stood side by side, stomachs touching lightly. She could feel him shivering, and felt bad for Dutch, but was more than happy to warm up the poor soul. She disliked wetness, but this warmth that was filling the air was making her happy. She couldn't remember the last time she stood close to someone, and missed that companionship.

When he asked how long she had been on her own, a silent ache entered her heart, making her feel weak in the knees. "I've been alone for quite... quite some time... I don't know. Maybe... a month or two. Or three. I haven't kept track of the time." She sighed, and then wondered if she should tell him the whole story. No use scaring off a sweet stallion like Dutch. It even started with a D, like Daedalus. "You see, I was lost one day.. and this stallion found me... and he took care of me. And then he left. He's gone. I don't know where. His whole herd up and left... and I woke up in the meadow alone." Tears welled in her brown eyes, and she ducked her head, sniffling at the grass. She had guessed the story would take hours and hours to retell, but had not guessed that the short sentences she had given were enough.

Shuffling her feet, she murmured, "I thought I was going to live with him forever. His princess, my happily ever after, you know? But apparently not. I've erased him out of my life.." Her voice sounded rough with inward pain, but she lifted her head and smiled weakly at him. She didn't want the stallion to think he should leave her to her misery, nor did she want him to think that the possibilities of them ever being together were tiny. Ilianora would do anything to have a mate, someone she trusted and loved, and live in a beautiful light home with roses and daisies and the smell of pine.. like her old herd land.

"So what about you, Dutch? How long have you been wandering alone?" She blinked, her brown eyes pools of emotion. "I don't mean to pry, if you wouldn't like to share." Smiling, she switched her tail gently, and scooted closer a bit more. The faint smell of pine trees lingered in her mane and tail, especially now that the rain had brought it out, she wondered if somehow, he'd be able to smell the meadow, the big hill reaching over the world, the predator that stalked the area, or even the lilies that she had slept in each night.

words : 587
notes : yeys. Don't be intimidated by Nora's lost of Daedalus. She thinks your stallion is pretty darn cute. ;3

[ashes]

if he could have blushed he would have. in fact, his hide did warm up considerably when she moved closer. he shuffled his hooves a bit, shyly, and looked out at the rain soaked land. he didn't move away, though. the contact was nice. just the sound of another voice in his ear was comforting. he'd met few horses on his travels and not many of them were friendly or even willing to stop for a conversation.

his ears perked to hear her story. abandoned by what she had hoped to call home, he couldn't even imagine that. for the longest time his home had been wherever his mother his, and then when she'd died he'd claimed that piece of land so that should be home to him now. it didn't feel too much like home, though. even though he knew it belonged to him, he didn't feel drawn to it any more than other lands. a far mountain looked as much like home as those meadows did.

he could almost feel the ache in her heart, the loneliness. he reached his nose down to brush her shoulder in the hopes she might find some comfort in it. dutch remembered, when he was young and was sad or agitated and couldn't sleep his mother would rub the white star on his forehead. it would always make him feel better and put him out like a light. it reminded him that he was cared for. she would always say that if you had someone who cared for you, you didn't need anything else. "i was always told that you can't find happily ever afters, they aren't something you just stumble across. my mother, she said that happily ever afters are something you make for yourself." that was what she was telling him to do, wasn't it, when she was dying and told him to find a home and make a family of his own.

"so what about you, dutch? how long have you been wandering alone?" he blinked, lifting his head to look at her. it was only fair, he supposed, to answer the question he had asked her. "let's see here, it's been about a year i think. a couple weeks since i've seen another horse, a few months since i've talked to one." it hadn't been that big of a change when his mother died, he supposed. he was making decisions for himself, where to go and what to do. with her death their numbers had dropped from two to one. it had ached incredible, not just her loss but the loneliness that ensued. he was always able to look ahead, though. tomorrow, maybe something would happen tomorrow. always living for tomorrow.

he smiled, sighing as the scent of pine gently wafted to his nose. dutch could honestly say he was happy here, sharing this space with this mare. his mother's words, the ones about happily ever afters, he didn't think that was all there was to it. maybe the opportunity for happily ever afters could be stumbled upon, but they had to be worked for to make them real.

&& 546
ooc: i don't blame her, he is adorable <33