10-24-2025, 07:53 AM
A relit cigarette never tastes the same, and thats all I'll preach about rekindling old flames
"Are you from here?
It is an innocent question. Something one asks when they are initiating idle conversation with a stranger. But for Topsail, the question weighs heavy on her shoulders and for a moment, she debates letting that porcelain facade drop to the ground. It would be so easy, she thinks, to shed that damp coat of bitterness and loneliness she's carried for so long and replace it with something warmer and lighter.
Old habits, however, rarely die without a fight.
"Bred here, born here, ruled here...so yes, from here. Its nice to meet you, Starbry. she says softly in that carefully polished way of hers, though her mouth doesn't move. Her eyes watch the other mare carefully, taking note of her slight unease. A bad dream, she claims, and Topsail offers her a nod of understanding. She's had plenty of those herself, mostly involving her wayward children. For a moment, she thinks she can feel the other mare in her mind. It is slight, barely a ripple, and if Topsail herself wasn't a telepath she might ignore it completely. But she has plenty of experience in other people's minds and recognizes the mare for what she is immediately. For now though, she shrugs it off, though she does not forget it.
What she does notice is the way Starbry keeps glancing at the river, and she watches her with both confusion and contemplation. "As I said, I've been here my whole life. Visited most of the lands, though this is a new one for me. And while I've seen many, many monsters in my time, I've never seen one come from the river." she says, her words trailing off into something of a chuckle. She probably should stop here and ease the other mares mind. She could lower her head and graze and just be content with the company she's been given. But for once in her life, Topsail is trying something new. Playfulness. It is something even her children never got from her, and she isn't sure how to go about it, but figures now is the time to give it a shot.
So with a wicked grin she meets eyes with Starbry, then sends her smooth voice through the other mares mind. "Besides, its not the monsters you can't see that you should worry about. Its the monsters in pretty wrappers that will eat you whole.
with love,
topsail
@Starbry