Bottom of the River (open)

[nala]

Catherine.
"Hold my hand. Ooh Baby.
It's a long way down to the bottom of the river."

She was a sensual being. Warmer then her father, but darker then her mother. Her voice, although often carrying the same harmonies to pair with her sister's melodies, was thicker and richer then any notes Priska could reach. Catherine was the black sheep in a family flocked with bad blood. She breathed in the sour air of resentment from the moment she was born, and not shortly after her childhood everything fell apart. Her family shattered and left her for the demon wolves of a broken family. She was damned from that moment on, with no path but down and no one to love but the devils she attracted.

Silver tinted hair hung over her doe colored eyes this morning, shinning in the light of the rising sun. A smirk crossed her lips as she thought to herself. She didn't find herself damned. She knew from the moment she could collect a thought what she was and what she was destined to become. Her lips pursed together and she let a deep toned harmony release from her lungs. The sound was accompanied by the fluttering of wings as a scarlet red bird with black wings landed on her back.

ooc: This would be here. I LOVE HER SO MUCH!!! -joining the herd by the way-

[penguin]

Since joining the herd, Fraser had not yet taken the time to meet any other members. He had taken the chance to get used to this land. He had only met the leader of this land and his son, who taught him to 'stomp' alligators as opposed to flee, though the latter was still much more natural to the stallion. It was not long before he'd covered a complete circle. It had been days since he was in this location but the stag was oblivious to this. His bay roan coat was smeared with a lot more moss than when he first arrived but he cared not. Getting dirty was just part of life here, and Fraser didn't particularly mind. It only added to his camouflage and what harm could that do? Ceasing his steps, the coldblood looked ahead and noticed a lass. He was gazing at her in surprise for only a moment when a song played from her lips. Tilting his head, the bay roan replied with a gentle nicker. This was not his land, but he may as well greet her. He wanted to make himself useful.

Approaching nimbly, picking his way across the soft, damp ground, his eyes took in the appearance of the mare. There was a bird resting on her back, which indicated they came together. Then again she could just love birds, but he doubted it. Ignoring his unimportant notions, he stopped when he was just outside reaching distance. "Hullo. Are you looking to join the herd?" his tone was warm, faint curiosity in his eyes. He had not met a mare in the swamp yet and in all honesty he wanted some female company. Sometimes they were better to be around, and it would make him feel a little more at ease here to know that there was someone else here that hadn't lived in this region before. Snorting softly, the stallion waited for a response.

[nala]

Catherine.
"Hold my hand. Ooh Baby.
It's a long way down to the bottom of the river."

Her voice carried a warm tone that hung over the bayou's waters like a thick mist. It echoed as it hit the many trees and hanging moss. She loved the eerie feeling she gave off with just one breath. She nearly scared herself sometimes. Pip chirped lightly, rustling his feathers roughly from his perch upon Cate's back. His attraction to the equine was fatal from quite an early age. He hadn't left her side for nearly two years now and he didn't plan to leave it anytime soon. They were a pair now, oiled well and dangerous in the way that they worked. Pip fluttered off on the breeze, his scarlet red sparkling in the direction of a voice that was to come in mere moments. "Hullo. Are you looking to join the herd?" A smile crept slowly across the mare's lips before she turned to face the voice head on.

Catherine's eyes were those of a cat's. Piercing, yet inviting all at the same time. When she was a child her mother would say things like, "You're eyes could cut through a tree." or "One day your looks will kill." If only she'd known what her daughter would one day be capable of. What a specimen. What a scent. Cate's glare grew icy at the thoughts that ran through her head. She felt a venom, an anger creep up into her heart as she looked at the stallion.

"Wouldn't you like to know, babe." Her smile was deadly, but she remained still, pristine white in color. He'd come to her. Pip landed just above him on a branch, his little black eyes glaring down with the same intensity found in Cate's. They were both interested. They both wanted to play.

ooc: More Muse!!

[penguin]

Brown eyes kept their focus on the essa, curious as to how she would react upon seeing him. Hopefully not like the other judgemental creatures. Whilst his frame was large, Fraser was not violent unless in defence. Starting the fight without proper cause resulted in nothing but hardship, a bad reputation and a fading soul. As the bird on her back took off the stallion was brought back to the present and his gaze followed the red flying mammal. His attention, however, did not linger on it long. The mare had turned to face him. A smile toyed with her lips, yet her seductive eyes seemed to suggest a dangerous vibe. Her cold and narrowed eyes worried the bay roan for a moment, afraid his presence disturbed her. Fortunately for him whatever was annoying her had nothing to do with his being here. Her choice of words caused his ears to flicker. She didn't answer the question at all. He was not in a position to decide who should or shouldn't join but if she was this mysterious towards Armand, then things may not go in her favour. From what he gathered the old stallion didn't want any trouble. His son maybe, but not anything serious. Then again, Fraser may have put his own ideals on the two herd leaders. He hadn't seen either for a while after all, and it was very possible his memory had been obscured with the passing time.

The deadly grin on her lips barely bothered the gent though. He didn't like it, but he didn't know her and he would try not to judge her, like he always tried not to do when meeting new equines. The easiest way to do this was to not be fazed by what they did until he got to know them better. This lass he knew not of, and thus he would not judge her selection of syllables yet, or her actions. "If you want to join, I can find the lead if you would like. I'm not a high ranking member I'm afraid, so I can't grant you permission to become a member." His words were neutral, matter of factly spoken almost. The bird was above him now, the fibres on his back alerting him of the position of the creature from the severity of the glare. It made the stallion feel a little uncomfortable in all honesty. Despite the size of the bird he felt outnumbered. Not that he'd show this. It wasn't necessarily due to his pride, but he'd always been taught not to let strangers see your fear lest they use it against you. He had no desire to change this now.

[nala]

Catherine.
"I wanna taste the way that you bleed.
You're my kill of the night."

Catherine closed her eyes briefly, smiling to herself as she listened to the stallion fumble with his words. He wasn't a complete wreck just yet, and she couldn't quite take all of the credit, but she liked that he was frazzled. She liked that he knew he had no power in this position. "You're no king, eh babe?" She opened her eyes, glinting in the reflections of the dampness of the bayou. Pip glided down past the stallion, picking at a piece of mane as he skimmed from one equine to another, gracefully landing on Cate's forehead just between her ears. It looked as if she were wearing a flower or had been drastically wounded. For some reason she liked people to think the later.

"I'm no queen either." Pip chirped an argument but quickly silenced himself as Cate tensed beneath him. "Just a poor way warding stranger." Pip looked back up to the stallion as the mare began to advance.

ooc: gah. im working on her. xD shes gonna be great... eventually

[penguin]

Fraser regarded her coolly as she shut her eyes, regaining his confidence. He may be fairly new to this herd but that didn't mean he could be walked over. If it meant his reputation would have some sort of twisted foundation so be it. But for now he would remain friendly. False actions were sometimes better. Besides, he was bound to find someone more difficult to get along with. "No, I'm not. Maybe one day," His tone grew thoughtful. One day. He snorted. It wasn't very likely but something could be said for the hope of having a future, some dream that would never come true yet still provided motivation in times of hardship. He felt a tug on his mane as the woosh of air caused slight havoc with his ear drums, a disgruntled glance being cast at the bird before returning his attentions to the lass, upon whom the flying nuisance landed. Somehow it suited her peculiar, unwelcoming persona.

The bay roan didn't miss the almost silent communication between the two but for once it didn't bother him. He felt some sort of courage surge through him. This was his home too. She was the stranger here. "A stranger you are, but that will change if you decide to live here. A herd is supposedly a family after all. I'd say I'm surprised a mare chose this place for a future home but you look like the sort who can take care of themselves... and their pet." his brown eyes flickered to the bird. Now the stallion did not mean for his words to sound cold or unsociable. This mare was far from coming across as dependent, and he really didn't know what to refer to the bird as.

ooc: Fraser went all surly on me xD

[nala]

Catherine.
"The danger is I'm dangerous.
And I might just tear you apart."

Pet...pet...Pip...pet.The bird cackled to himself, fluttering his black wings as Catherine took a few strides towards the stallion. He was large, larger then she'd originally calculated. She moved at an angle, with her right shoulder pointed towards him. Pip grew anxious as she moved, babbling and fluttering about atop her head. She hardly noticed his presence now, just as her uncle had hardly noticed the presence of his raven. The birds were just an extension of their souls. "Hush." Her harshness mimicked that of her uncle's. Her voice was almost raspy when annoyed. The bird quickly escaped, sending his blood red body flying up towards a moss covered branch.

"Family." Catherine smiled her wicked smile. It was a touchy subject. "What do you know about, family?" She had venom in her tone now. Her eyes lit ablaze as she came within feet of the male. She circled then, like a predator would, staying a safe distance away but keeping close enough to show she was not afraid. Fear didn't run in the family. "You've got a pretty face, babe. I'm sure that's what you got from your family." She stopped parallel to where he was standing, mud slicking up her nearly white legs. Her smile suddenly ceased. As if rehearsed Pip squealed out and landed directly on her head. It wasn't a scare tactic they'd practiced but it was a surprise none the less.

ooc: I love her so much.

[penguin]

For what felt like far too long the wretched bird persisted in its laughter at being called a pet. As irksome as it was, the stallion did learn the name of the winged tag-along. Pip. The stallion registered the name in his mind though he doubted he would ever need to know it. Meanwhile he turned his attention back to the admittedly pretty essa, watching her as she approached him at a slight diagonal. Her actions faintly amused him. Fear was her game. She liked to be the conductor of nightmares, the one who drew out the longest screams from her prey. Fraser didn't pity her exactly, but he did wander what had corrupted her soul so much for this to be her desire, her achievement. In the roan's opinion, the all consuming roughness that dominated her irritated tones did not suit her well. For how she appeared it was not the voice he would have given her. Nothing about her was clichéd though, so he supposed he should not expect light, caressing and seductive lyrics from her. The stag would be almost disappointed if she had got down that road. He ignored the bird as it took off, his focus on the lass.

Venomous words escaped her harsh lips, announcing her distaste for the subject without needing to say as much. "Family is one other or more that keep you safe. You look out for each other. There doesn't need to be a blood connection, as many presume. Just because someone brought you into the world does not mean you are related to them if you wish them not to be. Pip is your family, and you do not share the same DNA," His eyes followed her as her frame, dainty in comparison to his, circled his body. He noted how she chose to keep out of reaching distance. How pathetic. She was showing off that she wasn't fearful of him. There was really no need for this. It could have been avoided if she had given him a straight answer initially. Instead she was trying to taunt him, induce fear. Well, it wasn't working now. At first he had been a bit on edge but he had grown accustomed to the bird and to her now it seemed. It would take a lot more to sway Fraser when he felt secure.

"A pretty face?" he chuckled, shaking his head slightly. "I'll take that as a compliment but I sure as hell didn't get it from my family." He turned his head as she pulled up to a halt beside him. The cry from behind was enough for him to know that the bird was coming to land on the essa again. The bird laughed at being called a pet but in truth, from an outsider's perspective, that was how it looked. The bird did pretty much everything the lass had told it to so far. There was body language alterations as a form of communication between the two as well. They were not equals at all as one might expect of companions. It resembled a human and their well trained dog. There was probably more to it than that, but he felt he could hardly be blamed for assuming Pip was the pet looking at him perched upon the palomino now.

ooc: Might need to change Fraser's history now xD

[nala]

Catherine.
"This is dangerous.'Cause I want you so much,
but I hate your guts. I hate you."

Cate listened intently to the voice of the stallion, still stuck in his place in the mud. His words were kind, almost noble in a way. The very thoughts he wove into her head were striking deep then coming up for air. He made her feel empty. He made her feel angry. Pip seemed to perk up a little from his place on her head at the mention of his place in her life. A spark went off in the mare's brain as she felt him settle into her, his little feet griping her forelock. She did care for the bird. Hell, he was the only family she had left. Well, him and Pilate. The pale equine's eyes grew dull at the thought of her less then close cousin. She didn't like where her thoughts were trailing, she didn't like the settling feeling of closeness. Cate felt like she was suffocating.

Her delicate face whipped to the side, catching him in her opposing eye. "I think you have a lot to learn about family then." She finished her sentence with another wicked smile, slowly moving back to her original position before him. "What do you think, Pip?" She turned to face the unnamed, her smile fading into what looked like a small frown. He'd touched something, crossed a line of some sorts. He was lucky for his size. If he'd been any smaller then her she'd surely have taken a chunk out of him by now. 


Catherine didn't deal with emotion well. She didn't deal with emotion at all. Like a whip her damped tail slapped against her side as she thought to herself, eyeing the roan. Pip acknowledged the question, ruffling his feathers from atop his perch, but the scarlet bird new better then to open his beak when his lady was like this. Silence was golden in their relationship; nearly as golden as their harmonic tunes played in private. 


"How could you not receive your face from your family?" She questioned his silly answer. Without the ability to attack, Cate chose a battle of whits. She began to analyze the very positioning of the stallions hooves. She needed to win this, win whatever it was this was. She needed the control. Standing atop a little mound of solid ground, Cate still felt like she was sinking, the emptiness he'd placed inside her growing as the moments passed. A panic began to rise as the moments drug on. "We get all physical traits from our family, or more our parents." Cate thought back to her beloved aunt and uncle, those of little words and dark pelts. Cate was on the light side of her families spectrum, mirroring the color of her mother and father. Her face looked puzzled if nothing else, but still she desperately tried to cling to her harsh persona.

ooc: I really love that last post!! Catherine is super torn right now.
song: Landfill ~ Daughter

[penguin]

Fraser watched the essa closely, not wanting to pry but also growing concerned by her stillness and quietness. His words seemed to trigger some sort of inner torment for the spark in her eyes that could induce fear dulled. Despite his distaste for her attitude the stallion couldn't help but worry about her mental state. It was just the character he was. His burden was lifted within moments however as she glared at him with the other eye instead. The short sentence brought out nothing but a mere shrug. "We all do. Nothing is as complex as a family," he snorted softly, ears flicking. He genuinely believed what he said. So many things could happen to a family. Life could be lost for example. Whether they were hated or not becomes irrelevant at times such as this for some equines. They would want revenge for the blow to the pride. Others would not care, but would be affected by other close members of the family if they were significantly upset or suffering as a result. Other issues could arise in arguments, the decisions horses made. There were so many variables that it was not possible for one family to experience absolutely every scenario. No one could be the ultimate fountain of knowledge when it came to being part of one. The absent-minded thoughts subsided as she moved back around in front of him, including the bird in her side of argument.

She fell silent again after that, her body language revealing more about her emotions than the masked, witty lyrics she used. It was only by observing how she acted that one could deduct how she really felt. Of course, staring into the abyss was a risky move in itself. Her frustration was revealed in the lashing of her tail, her desire to be the scariest predator out there portrayed in the way she never let her gaze slip away from him or the threatening mask fall. It wasn't funny though, that she was unable to speak her emotions. It made her unpredictable, dangerous. Body language could be controlled with someone who was prepared to learn how to. There was no way of knowing what the truth was for such equu. Fraser remained where he was standing, his own body quite relaxed. He didn't like her very much but her presence did not perturb him. Her nature was one he had not come across before, so it was actually quite an interesting encounter for the gent. His brown eyes did not leave the lass for a moment, a chuckle escaping his voice at her question. She did not listen. Her intense gaze was relentless but the stallion didn't even bat an eyelid. Sure it was uncomfortable being in the spotlight but when it was only her and Pip it wasn't that much of a problem.

"I have answered that question already. Don't you remember? My family did not give me my genetic make up. They had no influence over my DNA," His words weren't cryptic as such, more a memory test. He had given her the answer when he explained what a family was in his opinion. The family he had grown up with were no biologically connected to him. The mare that gave birth to him had died when he was still nursing, and he didn't know who had contributed to the other half of his genes. His mother and father may not have brought him into this world but they were his family, as was the rest of the band he had grown up in until it disbanded.

[nala]

Catherine.
"I wanna taste the way that you bleed.
You're my kill of the night."

A quiet frown began to tug on the mare's lips as the stallion continued his calm spell of nothingness. Catherine wasn't one to keep up a normal conversation, and this one wasn't seeming to go anywhere but that direction. She stood still, lowering her head slightly then picking it up again, creating a sort of ride for her feathered companion who still rested between her fuzzy white ears. The mare's lungs filled then deflated, a large sigh sending an invisible wind toward the stallion. Cate wasn't bored. He'd made her think; her skin crawling with a million thoughts she wished she didn't have. The stallion however was growing dull with his cryptic ways of saying much without really saying anything. Maybe the mare had met her match? And so soon in this territory of swampy mystery.

"I remember, babe." She snapped back at him, refusing to admit she was wrong she continued her statement as if it were a run on sentence. "But you speak to fast and your words make you sound ill." She flicked her tail harshly, a bubbling anger rising to the surface. The frown still clung to her face, a frown equally matched by the angry gaze of Pip. "Perhaps your family didn't, but your parents did. This is my point." She spat her words now, refusing to be wrong in this situation. 

ooc: angry Cate is angry