Horse Eden : Ara x West

May 18, 2024 11:07 PM

Posts: 12253
#1210632
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The grey stallion twitched the skin on his dark shoulder, something the other mares had come to recognize as what he did when he was calming himself down or hiding difficult emotions. His darkened orbs flitted around, to make sure the pale stallion wasn't in sight, but they ultimately landed on the blood bay mare. Her words were definitely understandable, especially with the different- everything. She acted different, talked different, thought different- everything. So, Ripp wasn't that surprised when she had no idea how she was ever interested in that rude stallion. He had no idea either. His relationship with Rock had stopped at *I will tolerate you because I'm young and stupid and I want friends because I'm desperate*. Now that he was mature enough to realize Ragnorak was fje literally living definition of a jerk, he had tended to be glad he didn't think he was going to see them again. Obviously, his luck was horrible, life sucked, and he was doomed.

Her voice registered in his mind, so he refocused his orbs on her to answer her questions to the best of his ability. "I have no clue why, and to reply to your next questions... I also have no clue. I'm beginning to think I'm rather clueless." His tone dabbled in sarcasm, which was much closer to his normal, teasing self, but he immediately paused and almost seemed to regret his decision- he shouldn't be that open with her, yet. She didn't even seem to want to be around him, so she wasn't going to enjoy his bad humor. "We aren't close to our birth herd. I came quite a ways. Ragnorak broke off a little after me, from what I gather, and it seems you went with him." Ripp resigned his answer to quiet, to the point words. His gaze flit to her pelt for half a second as she shifted. He could tell she was uncomfortable, but he didn't think it was all him this time- it seemed more like a physical thing, probably pain from the burn wounds. His brain immediately went into *I'm a lead stallion and supposed to help and protect all mares* mode, and he decided it was because the marigold had flaked off, as he saw none of the paste left. He decided, quickly, to go get some as soon as this conversation was over, ignoring the huff of his brain asking why he was helping her.

At Noda's next words, his audits flicked with slight surprise, his cranium tilting just slightly. "... you're welcome. I know what it feels like." He answered quietly, glancing towards the close hills where he knew some marigold lingered. "I'll be right back..." Riptide commented before turning away, making a point of trotting to the top of the hill so he could scan the surrounding area. No figure shadowed his vision, so he continued a tiny bit further until he smelled the unique marigolds. Gently grasping them with his teeth, he broke the stems and trotted back, his orbs flitting to the herd, relieved to see they were still okay. Drawing closer to Noda, he slowed to a walk, then a stop, not getting too close for sake of not wanting her to feel threatened. "I could tell the other ones flaked off." He mumbled a quick explanation, dropping them and taking a step back.

May 18, 2024 11:42 PM

Posts: 1368
#1210638
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This is only long because of Minnah XD ))

Noda watched him and sighed, wondering if this awkwardness between them would ever subside. No. She had hurt him, that was obvious and this relationship between them - if you could even call it that - would never be 'normal.' Instead, she released a small chuckl at his sarcastic joke, not taking it to heart. He had already given her so much information that she would have never known on her own. It still bothered her though that the pale stallion was able to find them. She began to question if she really wanted to go back out on her own once her wounds healed. For all she knew, he could be lurking, waiting for just the right moment to confront her again. And what would she do if he did and Riptide wasn't around? She would be at a stranger's mercy, and she loathed the thought. Hmm, maybe a sliver of the old her did still exist after all ... she just hoped it wasn't a vile part. But she had to face it, if it came down to a situation like that, she would probably freeze up again and against her will be stolen away. The stud said she had disappeared on him, perhaps she had come to her senses of his arrogant ways and left him for good ... maybe she was running from him and then whatever happened to her happened then? This was a scenario she was more than willing to leave be, because otherwise, it meant she would have to talk to Rock and there was absolutely no way that was every happening!

Noda was pulled from her thoughts as Riptide announced his departure and took off across the darkened horizon. Her heart began to race a little with the realization that she was alone. But that didn't last very long. "Well, don't you seem to bring the party." The familair voice of Minnah filled the air behind the red mare, making her jump, startled. "I- I don't know what you mean, I've never seen him before in my life." Noda answered nervously. Though Minnah had a smile on her muzzle, Noda still felt uneasy in her presence. "Well, he certainly seemed to know you, as did Ripp when you showed up" She paused dramatically. "I guess you get around to know the stallions in this area." She shrugged, bringing her dainty frame to stand in front of her. "No." Noda snorted unsure, trying not to think how Minnah had a point, in her defense. "Right, well, Ripp doesn't really care for the drama and theatrics all that much. He likes a quiet place to rest his head, you know what I mean?" Her words were beginning to sting as they entered the red mare's audits, just how the chestnut intended them to. Her face furrowed as she tried to look for Riptide, praying he was returning now, but of course her luck, he was still nowhere in sight. "Oh honey, don't take offense, you cant help it!" She exclaimed, stretching her long, slender legs across the space between them and bumping her shoulder as if they were pals. Noda had to fight down a hiss as she pushed her weight into one of her raw wounds. "As he said, you were only a temporary guest, so he's probably just sucking it up until we can getcha fixed up and moved out of here, we only want you healthy." It was rather skillfull how Minnah never let her smile nor "sweet" tone faulter as she used her words to stab holes all through what shred of confidence Noda had left clinging on. "If ya need anything, please let us mares know and we will do what we can." She called out over her shoulder as she had already started walking back towards the herd before Noda could even finish processing her words. She realized her quick withdrawl was because of Riptide's return. Noda turned to face him after several seconds and he had begun to talk to her. She immediately shook away the emotions that the conversation had surfaced and gave him a quiet smile. "Thank you, that's incredibly sweet, but you didn't have to." She said while reaching down to pick up the flowers. Minnah's words were still in her head on repeat. She was convincing her to remember what she already knew. He didn't want her there. He was only doing these things because he pittied her and wanted her out of his territory with a clear concience that she would make it that far alive. Then she could stop being that constant thorn in his side, causing him enough pain to just be a complete irritation. With a polite dip of her head, Noda began to gingerly walk past him, keeping her pain under wraps. "I think I will go ahead and get these applied." She offered the excuse and found her way back to the river before he could speak again.

Edited at May 18, 2024 11:43 PM by Arabian Heritage

May 19, 2024 07:15 AM

Posts: 12253
#1210681
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(Oi, Minnah is kinda cruel lol. Can't wait to see how it plays out when Ripp finds out.

Sorry this one is a bit shorter, but I was in a little hurry and wouldn't have been able to respond for a while otherwise )

The grey stallion, as he returned, saw the retreating back of Minnah, and he noticed the expression on Noda's face. Absolutely... hopeless. Hurt. Hie audits pinned slightly with worry as he frantically tried to think of what could have made her that upset, but as he thought he knew Minnah and didn't think she could do anything rude, he didn't even consider her as a suspect. Even though he wanted to study the blood mare's emotions, they disappeared as soon as she realized he was close. She was quite a bit better at hiding her emotions than he was, obviously. "No, I did have to- again, I haven't been very welcoming, and that's not your fault." He stated, a pure guess at what might be making her so uneasy, but if he had to guess, it would just make things worse. That was his luck in a nutshell. His dark orbs followed her for a second as she left, then he brought them to the sky to see a bright blue landscape in the heavens with a ball of fire suspended and suggesting it was around 7 am. Heaving a sigh, Ripp surveyed the area before, again, climbing to the top of his solitary hill and folding his legs once he got there, gingerly lowering himself to the ground. He was too exhausted to not rest, having stayed awake all night, and he didn't see anything threatening- if that pale stallion was around.. well.. Ripp decided to not sleep for long. He gently lowered his head to the ground, but he was pretty certain his world had gone black before his cranium actually touched the earth.

+++

Rock stood a ways away from Riptide's territory, plotting revenge. He narrowed his orbs slightly before cantering closer, noticing the grey stallion asleep. Smiling, the pale stallion kept his hoofbears quiet as he snuck in, locking his orbs on Noda before walking over, slowing when he got there and stopping a ways away. "Noda- hey, I'm sorry for the way I acted earlier. Obviously, I was a jerk, and I shouldn't have said any of that stuff. Do you need help with anything?" He asked sweetly, perfectly hiding his true personality, cocking a back hoof to show he was relaxed.

Edited at May 19, 2024 07:18 AM by Wild West Warmbloods

May 19, 2024 03:56 PM

Posts: 1368
#1210778
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That's alright, I've been a bit busy today as well!

And yes, Minnah is to be that "Southern Belle Mean Girl" in every small town ... or herd in their case, lol!)

When Noda was alone, she allowed her wall to come down and her emotions rushed to the surface. Tears trickled down her red features as she dropped the flowers from her muzzle. Everything was so confusing, so wrong and she felt like she was broken all the time. Even with the more information she collected to try and piece her life back together, the more complicated and entangled it all seemed to be. Right now she wished that she could see her dam again. To feel her presence that was able to dissolve all of her troubles and worries. Again, she pondered where she could be exactly. Maybe she too, was looking for her; that thought resulted in the faintest smile to creep up on her features. She had only felt the slightest but better when she had reapplied the Marigolds and an unwelcomed, but unfortunately familiar frame came strolling into view.

Noda was a little more raw with emotion now than she had been earlier during her first encounter with the palomino stallion. Her audits pinned flat against her head and she flicked her tail aggitatedily at his advances. Her body language was definitely more bold than it had been before. Perhaps that was because she was more caught off guard them? Maybe ot was because she knew she had the stallion, Riptide, near to defend her? But at this moment in time, Riptide was nowhere to be seen from where the red mare stood and Minnah had made it abundantly clear how the herd mares apparently felt about her. She was on her own this time. Noda took in the apologetic words of the stud before her but dismissed him quickly after. "I don't want your help. I don't know you and I don't want you near me." She snorted, stamping a pearlescent hoof. Her anger was out of control as her fear couldn't beat down her emotions this time. She thought to turn away from Rock and head back towards the herd, but once again, she could here Minnah's words about everything else. 'you seem to bring the party.' 'you get around to know the stallions in this area.' Noda clenched her jaw to hold back a growl that threatened in her throat. "Just go." She grumbled to the stud, deciding to take herself towards the willow across the lake instead.

May 19, 2024 04:19 PM

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#1210789
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As Riptide slept, his mind flitted through every memory he could recall about Noda. Every nightmare, every pretend nice word, every time she got so close just to pull away. He remembered how hopelessly in love he had been with with her, and he remembered exactly how much she had hated him. Alone with his deepest thoughts, he realized something that seemed to rip apart his stomach from the inside out. He could never actually hate her. He still had feelings for her. Even with all she did. Now, though? Seeing the "New Her"? It had reawakened the all-too-familiar yet long forgotten tingling sensation he had experienced every time he looked at her beautiful pelt. He remembered how after every time she would hurt him, he would always think that she must be going through something, and none of it was true. Those couple months they were "Together" had been the best of his life, even though she was faking it. Of course, it hurt. Of course, he wanted to forget about it all. However... he couldn't. Not with her here.

+++

The pale stallion rolled his orbs when Noda's audits immediately pinned. Slight annoyance flashed across his face, but he hid it quickly. "You know me, Noda. Even if you don't remember, I know you still love me somewhere." Rock stated in a low voice, stepping closer. "I'm not going. You're the one who doesn't understand." He followed her, cutting in front of her. "You're mine." A spark of the same, hard anger came into his pale blue orbs as he whispered the words.

+++

His eyelids slowly fluttered, and beams of light streamed in. Ripp slowly lifted his head, still drowsy. His dark brown orbs flitted to the herd, where they caught a pale golden pelt. Anger and fear that Rock had done something horrible to Noda, the grey stallion jumped up, bolting down there before slowing, getting there in time to hear the other stallion's low whispered words. He shuddered- that even creeped him out. His audits were quick to pin. "I said if I caught you in my territory again you'd regret it." He growled lowly, lifting his cranium and baring his teeth momentarily. "Scat." Riptide threw a warning hoof at Rock, letting it scrape the other stallion's shoulder.

May 19, 2024 05:52 PM

Posts: 1368
#1210838
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Noda stopped so hard on her haunches, her hocks nearly touched the ground as the stallion chased her down and blocked her way once more. His words stung like poison on her audits and her muzzle wrinkled into a snarl. "NO." She let the word linger in the air in her raspy tone, showing her patience with this arrogant stud was waring thin. She had attempted to walk away from him once more but he was very quick to follow so Noda stopped, cocking one of her rear legs out as a warning. "Love you? I am not the mare I was before." She spat. "As a matter of fact, I am greatful that I don't remember such an arrogant and annoying brute such as youself!" She snorted, jerking her body around once more, her adutis pinned threateningly low to her cranium. The anger she was feeling was quick to form, seemingly out of nowhere at that magnitude. She was surely discovering herself to have a quick temper. But Noda couldn't let that thought linger as the palomino stallion still continued to push her. His whispered words riled her up even further. "No, I belong to noone." She spat once more. She turned to face him just in time to see Riptide arriving on scene. A wave of relief washed over the red mare as she lingered behind him. Her body still quivered in a mixture of rage and pain, but she didn't speak, listening to the threatening words of her stallion.

May 19, 2024 06:10 PM

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The pale stallion angrily swished his tail, but he managed to keep it under control for the moment. Her words were insulting, and it showed on his face. "You are still the same mare!" He huffed back, but her next sentence sent his audits pinning back angrily, Fury showing plainly on his face. "You have no right to speak to me like that, you stupid selfish idiotic horse! You-" He hissed, but he was cut off by the grey stallion's words. His pale eyes filled with anger. "Don't tell me what to do, jerk! This is none of your business! Noda never loved YOU." Ragnorak mocked.

+++

The grey stallion jerked his cranium up with slight shock at Rock's spiteful words. *Noda never loved YOU*. It stung more than he was willing to admit, and hurt flashed across his face for a second, but he quickly regained his composure and stalked closer, threatening to kick at Rock with a small rear. His audits pinned and eyes furious, at this point, he was all but ready to start a full blown fight. This stallion had come onto HIS land, threatened the mares HE was protecting, tried to hurt a mare HE didn't want to admit he cared about, and he only had so short of a fuse. When Rock started to speak again, Ripp bit the stallion's shoulder viciously. Then Ragnorak fled, unsurprisingly, as they were a wimp and didn't really want to fight. Ripp's ears did not unpin right away, and he did not relax immediately like last time, his orbs fixed on where the other stallion had disappeared. A second later he lowered his cranium a fraction of an inch, blowing out a frustrated breath. "What is wrong with him." He muttered under his breath, sucking in a breath before turning his dark orbs to Noda.

May 20, 2024 12:58 PM

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Noda stood dumbfounded as one stallion lurched out and grabbed a mouthful of the other. She was even more flabbergasted as she watched their opponent turn and retreat at the very blink of an eye. What a fraud! She released a breath she had been holding and she shifted her weight around on her frame to what was most comfortable. Adrenaline still vibrated her very being as she still tried to process it all. She had surprised herself with how forward she had been, but it also allowed a sliver of fear that perhaps her “old ways” were beginning to scratch through this surface depth persona her amnesia had created. “He’s never going to leave here.” She started, but her words fell off like there was something else she wanted to say but she didn’t dare speak it. Because that problem could only have one solution and she couldn’t bare the thought. As her body was slowly coming down from the high, she felt utterly exhausted. Not hardly having slept the night before didn’t help either. “I can’t do this.” She locked orbs with Riptide for a moment that seemed to last forever. “I’m so sorry.” She murmured with a defeated gaze before her orbs peered over to the willow, just hoping with all her heart that she could see her dam’s face somewhere underneath its flowing branches.

Edited at May 20, 2024 12:58 PM by Arabian Heritage

May 20, 2024 02:10 PM

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The stormy grey stallion lowered his cranium slightly, closing his orbs for a moment. He hated hurting others, but what Rock had said... it had hurt. Of course, he already knew that, but to hear it from someone else? It was even worse. He never even realized how much worse, but apparently, he had been letting pain brew for these long years. His orbs flitted to Noda as she spoke, slowly growing concerned. "Can't do what? I know it's tough, but you can- and why are you sorry? If it's for me, don't be. I know it feels like I'm asking a lot, but if you feel sorry for me, it just makes me feel all the more terrible for making you feel bad. Then it's a vicious loop. Please, Noda... it .... it hurts to see you like this. What can I do? I want to help, but I don't know how." His words sounded sincere and his voice was softer and quieter than normal, his dark brown orbs flitting to hers. "I want to help you." He repeated, not that his brain wanted to, but rather his mouth had a mind of its own at this point. He didn't even 100 percent agree with everything he was saying, part of him didn't at least, but the rest of him did. He wanted to help her. Wanted to make her feel safe, to show her the past, to be the one she looked to for guidance. He wanted to be there for her. However, he was afraid of getting hurt again. Sticking out your neck could result in it getting chopped off. It'd happened once to him, and truthfully, he'd barely escaped with his life. Because of that, part of him was quite hesitant. Ripp flicked his tail, a bit worriedly, not knowing how the blood bay mare would respond to this. He could tell she was tired, so maybe now wasn't the best time. Well, of course it wasn't. He swiveled an audit to pay attention to the rest of the herd, yet kept most of his focus on Noda, his dark eyes surveying her face for signs of emotion.

May 20, 2024 06:28 PM