Rey

-Black cat in disguise-

And just why should I return to the once-kingdom of Loess? It was never a home to me, not in the sense that some consider home. None greeted me at daybreak or sought me out among the hills. Even Ivar (the creature who’d found me and brought me there,) had forgotten me. So I left, just the same as the day I left the adoption den when I was so small and insignificant.

You still are.

Here in the Meadow I’m free to mingle; this togetherness eases the tension I have about trekking back to that place, it gives me an odd sense of comfort to talk and be heard. As such the shade of my coat begins to change with my mood, finally settling on a rosy pink color. I’m the shade of a well-placed blush, effeminate and pretty as I should be, with a pale white mane and tail. The clear, almost crystal-like wings covering my back ruffle for a moment as I listen to my companions compliment the new change, and then a boisterous laugh - robust, rich and full of life - peals from behind me.

It’s so noisy and yet so intriguing that I find myself turning to look: casting the shadow of my pale gray eyes out into the thriving mass with the intentions of finding whoever made such a sound. It comes again - breaking through the murmur - and I spot the trappings of an overlarge, mature, and rather charismatic-looking stallion.

I love his color, even from back here where I can only just discern the pattern. “Excuse me,” I impart to the horses I’d been speaking with, turning away from them with the coquettish dip of my head. I wanted a closer look at him, this unknown rake, and to see what meddle such a laugh could be made of. My legs obey, weaving me politely through the groups until at last I’m close enough to catch his attention.

“Do you have a name to match that voice?” I ask, coming to a standstill. There’s a demure grin highlighting my otherwise attractive face, and for a moment I blink my lashes; just slow enough for them to bat gently together. “I’m Rey.”

Rey

-Black cat in disguise-

Ah, what a gentleman! I liked him from afar but when that quirky mouth of his parts and the roan stallion teases me good, it causes my tail to flick excitedly against my supple, pink flanks. I’m intrigued, I must admit - firstly by his mannerisms and then by his continued ability to refuse me an answer while still being charming about it. “Like a sly little fox,” I think, a feminine and elegant smile brightening my already cheery face. “You owe it to curiosity, stranger.” I tease right back, tilting a confident cheek towards him as I settle into a more comfortable stance.

I’ve gotten him away from the others, and that was only the first step. “Would it be too much to ask for a little company, hmm?” I ask, the question hovering close to a sweet, innocent beg. “Someone with your robust sense of humor is sure to have more on his mind than just the weather” I muse, shifting closer towards him. It was easy to fall into the rhythm of this spotted stallion’s attitude; he was easy-going and so was I - almost a perfect match.

“Big guy like yourself has to come from somewhere. Are you the brave sort, sir, or more of a diplomat? No -” I say suddenly, cutting myself off, “- Don’t tell me yet. I want to guess, first.”

With an airy, attractive laugh I swing my head so that the pale white strands of my forelock are out of my eyes, and then I take to walking very slowly around the colorful draft, just like a buyer inspecting his purchase. “Certainly strong, I’ll give you that.” I say, as I pass alongside him and begin to circle around his backside. The pale, gray flecks of my irises are roaming freely over every curve and muscle he posses, taking in the swirl of his white-flecked-red coat and noting the distinct gold sheen to his mane and tail. “Though a bit weathered for a bay … your black markings are a bit sun-bleached.”

Teasing, all gentle teasing, and he can tell this by the way my mouth is lifted into a spirited smile once I finish my examination and stand before him again. “I’m going to guess that you’re a warrior, I’m sure of it. And that you’re from Nerine!” I pipe, confident in my assessment regardless of the outcome. The fun was all in the game, not in winning or losing.

Rey

-Black cat in disguise-

It wasn’t often that I felt this way; beguiled into laughter and warm smiles. The pealing bells of my voice and the pleasant, womanly grin on my lips are genuine too - Leilan is simply a natural. From the flick of his tail to his chirpy responses, I find myself loosening every muscle and nerve until we’re both standing eye to eye. Even my petite ears are perked like his, hovering with anticipation at what he might say next.

Close, he tells me, though I’d never expected to be right. It was better that Leilan thought me incompetent for now, maybe even a bit cute. When you disarm a stallion with charm, they lower their expectations substantially and from the way he’s staring, I’d say his were at rock bottom. He could never truly guess the places my wings have taken me, and I’d rather he just be himself for the moment anyways while I … well, while I stayed true to my nature too.

“I’ll keep the lemon advice in mind,” I smile, flicking away the season’s pests buzzing at my sides, “and I’m neither, actually.”

Working for the man had never suited me, so I never did it. And Loess, along with Arthas, still had open arms for their favorite little doll. “Looks like we both can’t read a book by it’s cover Leí, I’m actually an entertainer.” I grin, fashioning him a nickname from another language I’d picked up on my travels.

With a dramatic, (if not graceful) step backwards I curve my head to my chest and tuck my right foreleg to my belly in a sweeping bow. As I bend my coat begins to shift, like a puzzle being shaken up, darkening itself and swirling until the moment I rise to stand again.

When it settles, Leilan and I are almost identical in color.

The gold of his mane I can’t quite catch (I’m working with a restricted palette here) but otherwise we’re twins. I’ve caught every unique blend of his white and red coat, matched the whorl of his color and the way it blends to black precisely. In fact, I’m pretty proud considering how quick my time had been to look him over. “Ta-da! Tell me you aren’t impressed.” I try him, a dazzling grin accentuating my newly-darkened face.

Rey

-Black cat in disguise-

Not exactly a question most males would consider, but I do like the way he thinks. I also admit that I highly enjoyed the feeling of his critical and yet appreciative eyes on me, low as it might seem. Being admired was close to being intoxicated for me, all the better when I could desire whoever it was doling the attention out. That’s why I don’t flinch as he sidles comfortably alongside me, and also why I lean in to close the respectful gap between us as he teases my attentive ear.

“I think,” My voice hums, low and wanton in the back of my throat as I press the soft curve of my mouth to Leilan’s powerful shoulder, “that I know exactly what a female Leilan should say at a moment like this:” I pause.

With one clear wing situated against his side and the other drawn prettily to my stomach, we look like an optical illusion pressed together. I opt instead to the let a deep, rich crimson blossom over my coat, beginning at the high points of my cheeks. In contrast, my mane and tail shade themselves to a wicked black as stockings, dark like ink, color my legs. “Let’s go somewhere quieter?” I purr, drawing the point of my nose into the dip of his neck first, and then around to his chest.

He was pushing all the right buttons with me today, all I needed now was a simple yea and I could push his right back.