[SRP] Drifting (See 1st Post For Participants)

[~Latonia de la Courtel~]

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The lilting tone to her last statement implied perhaps that she expected even he could agree, though the Angeni stallion had little experience with families in general and his own in specific to draw from. Still, Etienne gave a soft laugh and a bashful duck of his head, agreeing to the mare's assessment of his careful phrasing.

"I suppose the lady has caught me out, it can likely be easy to argue that all have at least one relative they would rather not speak of, for one reason or another. However, I myself have no experience in that regard. I recall nothing of the herd I was born to, the only family I have felt home amongst has been scattered by the great Cataclysm that shattered our homeland."

Etienne hesitated, musing over his quest and the nature of the conversation's beginning. "It would be some small measure of repayment to deliver his missing children back to him, I would like to think. If I can manage such a thing, at any rate."
Wordcount: 172

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Hearing him speak of how little experience had with family, or how little he recalled of his blood relatives, cast a shadow over the bright nature of her heart. Chagrined Sunisra shifted on her hooves, giving an apologetic bob of her head. "I'm sorry, I implied rather carelessly, and I see how it could be unkind of me. It was unintentionally presumptive, please accept my apology."

She glanced to where her brother lingered, a moderate distance away due to his somewhat unsociable and untrusting nature. He wanted little to no part in making new friends or alliances, somewhat standoffish in an effort to protect her and what little of their family they had managed to reunite. The idea of taking this stranger back with them, or letting him lead them -whatever the case might be- was likely not one he would approve of.

"Since I have so spectacularly trampled your feelings with my carelessness," Suni admitted. "I will say that your words certainly do seem as though they are about my family, and the scattered status of my close kin. It is very much typical of my parents to take in others, to claim them and raise them as family or the dearest of friends."
Wordcount: 205

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"Please, my Lady," he entreated with a worried look. "I beg you not to take such a thing to heart. I know of course your words were said without malice, and it was of no intention of yours to remind me of a painful past. Indeed, how could you ever hope to know? My tragedy is a personal one, by no means unique, but certainly not something easily discernible to strangers. Such scars do not leave visible marks behind the way surviving an attack might. Please put it from your mind, I assure you I am not offended."

Etienne brightened at her words, cheered by the fact that he might in fact be on the right trail.

"I understand that your bodyguard may not trust my intentions to be good," He volunteered, giving the stallion a careful nod. "But I assure you I mean no ill to either of you. I truly would just like to find my old friend Ballad, and to help him collect his scattered relatives. It would be nice to have a family herd, similar to the one I remember, if not the very same. I think a good step to that would be to gather what pieces remain of that herd and attempt to reconstruct it."
Wordcount: 211

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Sunisra gave him a bright smile. "You are a good hearted sir indeed, to worry about such a thing. Very well, if you say that there is nothing to forgive, I will happily put the whole matter behind us. I would have us be friends, if only casually to start, considering the many pitfalls this conversation has somehow had in so short a time."

Deciding to take things on faith, she took a half-step forward and considered him for a moment. "My name is Sunisra, and I am a Faythren. My father's name is Ballad, and my mother's name is Whistle. I have many siblings, who you are not likely to have met, and aunts and uncles that you probably know better than I do. I know that my parents do not speak of their families or herds, so I cannot say for sure if either of them were those you had experience with... But I have reason to believe you can be trusted, and that you would be welcome among the herd my parents are forming of their friends and family."
Wordcount: 182

Etienne Total Wordcount: 382
Sunisra Total Wordcount: 387  

[~Latonia de la Courtel~]

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Though it was beyond annoying to stand back and allow his sister to talk to a stranger without close supervision, Sotto Voce managed to maintain an air of disinterest as he waited in the wings (so to speak). Sunisra did her best to stay in view to allay suspicions and limit his worry, so he would do his best not to hover or loom. Even if it was within his rights, as her brother and escort. It did seem, at the moment, to be largely unnecessary.

The young Fayth stallion had been -in his mind- quite understanding for the duration of their journey. Tired from long days of travel, he had done admirably well in maintaining a calm demeanor. On the days he awoke and his sister was missing, he didn't exactly panic when he found that she was gone. Instead he rose with purpose and tracked her down, barely withholding the worried lecture he longed to give her. To his relief, she was never too far astray. It would have been foolish and impolite to lecture her, Sunisra was older and more than capable of taking care of herself.

That didn't mean he had to like his sister talking and laughing with the strange stallion they had just happened to cross paths with. The stallion himself wasn't exactly dangerous in appearance, nor was he particularly objectionable, but that didn't mean that Sotto Voce would trust him just like that. But to hear Sunisra tell him her name, their parent's names, their destination... He couldn't let that just bide.

"Suni," He scolded, striding over with a frown for the Angeni stranger. "Perhaps we should be less forthcoming with our information? We don't exactly know him, where he hails from, or where his alliances lie. A little more caution, if you please, beloved sister."

Sotto Voce Wordcount: 303  

[~Latonia de la Courtel~]

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Sunisra turned at the sound of her brother's approach, giving him a soothing smile even in the face of his protective worry. Clearly he had reached the end of his self-restraint, no longer able to hold himself remote. If, inexplicably, this Angeni became a threat to her, Sotto clearly wanted to be close enough to defend her. He strode to her side, rustling his wings in what might have been nerves or warning, she couldn't quite tell.

He wasn't visibly furious, but then, Sotto was a still-waters-run-deep sort. Still, he didn't exactly feel angry with her, more worried above anything. Which, considering that they were roaming alone in search of a scattered family, she understood. But she was not the suspicious sort, and she couldn't quite find it in herself to begin now.

"Peace, Brother," She murmured, affection coloring her tone. "I do not think we need fear our companion. He does not seem the sort prone to violent acts, or malicious intent."

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Sotto Voce closed the distance between himself and his dainty sibling swiftly, placing himself slightly closer to the stranger so that he could offer Sunisra defense if the stranger made a move. He flicked his tail in a faint, nervous gesture, laying his ears back to his skull with a warning look.

"Indulge a protective sibling, please?" Settling himself close enough to his sister to share his warmth, Sotto extended a sheltering wing over her back for a moment, a gesture of familiar affection. He narrowed his glowing eyes in warning at the Angeni, a wordless sort of dismissal.

"Whether you think so or not, I would prefer we employ more caution on our journey... particularly when it comes to interaction with strangers and locals that seem overly interested in our business or the location of our Clan. Since his loyalties are not yet known, I would rather not risk your safety and happiness unnecessarily. I do not know him, and he very well could be a danger to you."

Sotto Voce: 170

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Though he could sense the young stallion's need to protect his sister, Etienne could also see it grated a hair on the young mare's nerves. There was no reason why she would not be perceived as capable as her sibling, but perhaps for classical male honor codes and some antiquated behavior rituals, it would likely not be admitted.

'Thus does it prove the fairer sex to be the stronger one,' Etienne thought to himself. 'I cannot think of many stallions that would routinely tolerate such a baleful opinion of their abilities with such grace as that which mares display.'

"It is a brother's prerogative to view any male who draws near to his sisters with distrust," Etienne allowed with a smile and an acknowledging bow of his head. "Even if his sister does not need it, being capable of defending herself."

When Sotto Voce moved forward Etienne himself stepped back, ceding ground to the younger stallion in an effort to make himself look like less of a threat. Perhaps he had been too close to the delicate mare for her escort's comfort, but he wasn't exactly eager to allow himself to be driven away and lose all hope of completing his quest.

"His right, and even his privilege, some might argue." Etienne continued, when the increased distance seemed to have caused the young stallion to relax. "If I were you only guardian, I too would treat the task with a fierce devotion. But I assure you both my intentions are honorable, I seek only to offer my companionship and aid in an effort to bring your wandering to an end... To reunite you with your kin, some of whom I am acquainted with. It would be a great pleasure to speak with my old friends again, and an honor to restore the herd children to them."

He gave a bow of his head, endeavoring to keep his expression open and honest, so the mare at least might sense the truth of his words.

Etienne Wordcount: 333

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Sotto Voce winced slightly at the stallion's words, the understanding warmth in them off-set by the faintest sense of humor. Not like Etienne was laughing at him, or laughing just at him, as the case might have been. More like the stallion viewed the folly of all stallions with a kind of amusement, and invited those with the sense to laugh. Likely it was mares with such sense, and young stallions like Sotto himself that found themselves shifting on their hooves, shamefully flicking their ears and dropping their chins.

"Fine," He says before Sunisra even turns to give him the look he can already feel is coming. "Fine, I understand. As you deem it necessary, sister, so shall it be."

He shall have to learn to like this Etienne, or spend the rest of his journey in misery.

Sotto Wordcount: 138
Sotto Total Wordcount: 308  

[~Latonia de la Courtel~]

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Etienne turned his head faintly to the side, giving the impression that he's surveying their surroundings as he sees the young mare turn her head and her brother flinch as if he's avoiding the look. Such a sisterly rebuke is probably painful enough, without taking into account the observation of a stranger. At least, so Etienne imagined, but he had many brothers to cause and among the herd and very few he could truly call 'sister'.

It seemed, at least to Etienne, that the sisters were the fiercer natured ones anyway. Both within the herd and before his eyes, as the white mare seemed to have won the argument and the dappled stallion slightly hung his head. The sound of the brother ceding ground to his sister, victor of the argument, caught Etienne's attention and he waited a beat before his gaze turned back to them.

"Very good, I am pleased to make your acquaintance and to join your traveling company," He offered in a pleasant tone. "I don't suppose you're searching for any other siblings or relations, that we might be expecting to find along the way?"

Etienne Wordcount: 188

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Sunisra spun around, ears flattened to her skull and eyes narrowing in warning as she glared at her sibling, dainty nostrils flared in warning. She could see Sotto Voce turning away from her before she'd even begun, dodging her with his warrior reflexes. Though she was unlikely to lash out and actually strike him, even in a mildly rebuking way, he dodged the snake of her dainty neck like she might actually land the hit.

"Will you stop that?" She hissed instead, grinding her teeth in frustration on the urge to just shriek and land a kick to his hindquarters. "You're being very rude and overreacting to one of the most decent travelers we've crossed paths with. He likely knows our family and wishes them naught but well, and you're acting like he's Aveshar in disguise with murderous intentions. It's unpleasant and borders on paranoia, Sotto."

Sunisra Wordcount: 146

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Sotto Voce had to admit (somewhat begrudgingly) that this Angeni stallion at least seemed to be doing his best to remain unthreatening and unobtrusive. He couldn't very well vanish on the spot, but he made every effort to fade into the background when the siblings were conversing. Sotto rather appreciated Etienne's willingness to 'turn a deaf ear' as it was, ignoring the siblings when it seemed they were escalating from a difference of opinions to an actual squabble. As elegant and dainty as Sunisra might have seemed, she wasn't above taking any of her doting brothers to task when they misbehaved, and her silvery hooves could strike with deadly accuracy of said foolish siblings didn't get their act together before her fury could be unleashed. Thankfully, for the moment, she seemed to have settled at quiet rebuke. (Hopefully she wouldn't unleash her fury on him, he'd rather not be nursing bruises and a bruised ego for the trip home.)

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Sotto murmured, swiftly and soothingly in the wake of her furious whispers. He folded his wings to his back and ducked his head, giving her a look that said he was suitably chastised in the hopes she'd show him mercy. "I don't mean to be paranoid or overbearing. I know he isn't- well, I know. I'm sorry, I promise to be better."

He turned back to Etienne, stretching to his height and giving the stallion a firm nod. "We would be honored to have you travel with us, if you would be interested in doing so. I am sure that our parents and herd would be happy to see you again. I know it has been a long time since they have seen their old friends, and such a reunion would surely make them both very glad."

Sotto Voce Wordcount: 300

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Etienne would be willing to admit, if only to himself, that he may have tensed slightly in preparation of leaping out of range, should the mare fire off a flurry of strikes like the tensing of her wings seemed to indicate she might. Mares were terrifying, and there was no shame in saying so. If the look on her brother's face was any indication, Sunisra was a furious fighter, even when chastising what the goal of the day. Etienne didn't envy him growing up with her, thinking fondly again of his herd-brothers and some of their mild disagreements through the years. Surely nothing so bad as crossing a sister! Thankfully matters deescalated rather than turning for the worse, and Etienne find himself breathing a sigh of relief when the dappled stallion apologized to his sister and seemed to buy them both some grace.

"It would be an honor and privilege to travel beside you," He offered in reply, inclining his head in acceptance. "And I would quite enjoy meeting up with my old herd-mates, so I hope we will be successful in this endeavor."

Etienne Wordcount: 184
Etienne Total Wordcount: 372

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Sunisra glanced from one stallion to another, giving them a warning squint and then a brilliant smile when it seemed that they had both fallen in line. Perfect, she rather enjoyed it when things went the way they were supposed to.

"Marvelous," she chirped happily, flicking her tail and settling her wings to her sides. "Let's go then, shall we? As we walk, I expect stories of your wandering, and of your time in the First Herd, with our father... I am sure they'll help to pass the time."