11-04-2019, 02:47 PM
Aquaria watched the winged woman with interest, knowing that this was likely not the last time they'd cross paths. How different Lepis was from her own mother. Nyxa was a free spirit, a mare as wild as the water she lived in. And while both mares were beautiful, Lepis' was an elegance that seemed so very practiced, while Nyxa's beauty was that of one who'd lived a carefree life. It was rooted in happiness. Looking at the blue dun woman she spoke with, it occurred to the nereid that perhaps her companion's grace was based more in necessity.
That was what diplomacy was, after all. To give off the impression that one wanted to give, without betraying anything beneath the surface. To keep everyone and everything at arms length, until you got what you were after. Aquaria didn't have a mind built for politics. She was too loud, too defiant to take orders well if she didn't respect the giver. That had been proven just recently. Freedom for herself and others, that was what she believed in. And kingdoms didn't exactly fit with that view.
Her inborn thread of challenging nature disliked the commanding way Lepis suggested an alternative to her leaving entirely. It wasn't a request, even if that's how it had been worded. But she pushed the rebellious instinct down. It wouldn't hurt her to accompany the Comtesse through the trees, and the possibility that Pteron might meet them there was a nice thought. Sort of. This trip had not been planned with his mother in mind.
"Oh... Alright then. Lead the way." She acquiesced, smiling softly in the chill air. Perhaps it would be warmer away from the water. The pearl mare fell into step alongside the winged woman. It felt good to be moving again, to let the blood flow more freely along her limbs. The question that hits the air next took her my surprise. She blinked, a little taken aback by the query. It had been given without much inflection, but some instinct pulsed at the back of her mind. Shaky ground.
She thought a moment before answering, watching their breath escape in foggy puffs that dissipated quickly before them. "Like I said, we're friends. I saw him try to dive into the ocean one day. He wasn't very good at swimming so I helped him back on shore." She smiled at the memory. "That's about all there is to it. He's nice, I like it when he visits. I was hoping he'd be happy if I surprised him with a visit of my own. His home is so different from mine..." She matched her stride to the shorter woman's, looking up through the massive trees as they passed through them. She really did feel miniscule here. And the conversation wasn't really helping.
Pteron was her friend. That was about as complicated as she was willing to make things. But the way Lepis was questioning her made it seem like maybe she'd done something wrong in befriending the woman's son. Was it her nereid nature that worried her? Aquaria knew that children of the sea had a reputation for such things, but she had no interest in stealing him away, ensnaring him with whatever wiles she supposedly possessed. He was her friend. And yes, sometimes, when he smiled at her the way he did, she wondered if they could ever be more. But that way was the complicated one, the one that tied you down. And neither of them needed that.
"Is that alright with you? That we're friends." She asked, steering herself over a massive root in their path. Why it wouldn't be okay she had no clue, but something in the other mare's demeanor seemed to suggest it. Nothing overt, nothing obvious. Just a feeling that hung over their conversation that let the feelings seep in.
@[Lepis]
That was what diplomacy was, after all. To give off the impression that one wanted to give, without betraying anything beneath the surface. To keep everyone and everything at arms length, until you got what you were after. Aquaria didn't have a mind built for politics. She was too loud, too defiant to take orders well if she didn't respect the giver. That had been proven just recently. Freedom for herself and others, that was what she believed in. And kingdoms didn't exactly fit with that view.
Her inborn thread of challenging nature disliked the commanding way Lepis suggested an alternative to her leaving entirely. It wasn't a request, even if that's how it had been worded. But she pushed the rebellious instinct down. It wouldn't hurt her to accompany the Comtesse through the trees, and the possibility that Pteron might meet them there was a nice thought. Sort of. This trip had not been planned with his mother in mind.
"Oh... Alright then. Lead the way." She acquiesced, smiling softly in the chill air. Perhaps it would be warmer away from the water. The pearl mare fell into step alongside the winged woman. It felt good to be moving again, to let the blood flow more freely along her limbs. The question that hits the air next took her my surprise. She blinked, a little taken aback by the query. It had been given without much inflection, but some instinct pulsed at the back of her mind. Shaky ground.
She thought a moment before answering, watching their breath escape in foggy puffs that dissipated quickly before them. "Like I said, we're friends. I saw him try to dive into the ocean one day. He wasn't very good at swimming so I helped him back on shore." She smiled at the memory. "That's about all there is to it. He's nice, I like it when he visits. I was hoping he'd be happy if I surprised him with a visit of my own. His home is so different from mine..." She matched her stride to the shorter woman's, looking up through the massive trees as they passed through them. She really did feel miniscule here. And the conversation wasn't really helping.
Pteron was her friend. That was about as complicated as she was willing to make things. But the way Lepis was questioning her made it seem like maybe she'd done something wrong in befriending the woman's son. Was it her nereid nature that worried her? Aquaria knew that children of the sea had a reputation for such things, but she had no interest in stealing him away, ensnaring him with whatever wiles she supposedly possessed. He was her friend. And yes, sometimes, when he smiled at her the way he did, she wondered if they could ever be more. But that way was the complicated one, the one that tied you down. And neither of them needed that.
"Is that alright with you? That we're friends." She asked, steering herself over a massive root in their path. Why it wouldn't be okay she had no clue, but something in the other mare's demeanor seemed to suggest it. Nothing overt, nothing obvious. Just a feeling that hung over their conversation that let the feelings seep in.
@[Lepis]