Bel was so nice, Persephone could feel herself getting more and more comfortable with her. She smiled a little easier now, relaxing into the grass as the fireflies swirled about. It was fully night now, but the glow from Bel was enough to not have to worry about not seeing. Besides, the stars and the moon were out in full force, so it was actually quite bright and silver out now. It was comfortable and for once Persephone felt at ease to just lay there and talk.
She listened as Bel spoke of her sister and someone named Sol. The mare tilted her head slightly at the odd pause before their name, wondering who they were. She wasn't sure what her tone meant and it only served to make her more and more curious. "Who is Sol? They seem important, right?" she asked, forgetting her manners as she pried into what could be some personal feelings. What did her hesitance and odd tone imply for Sol? Obviously they were important enough to be mentioned along with her sister but they weren't a family member... How odd indeed.
Persephone watched as a firefly alighted on the grass next to her, its small light blinking consistently. "Have you seen all of Novus?" she asked, still intent on examining the firefly until it flew off. Only then did she return her gaze to Bel, staring with her pupil-less eyes. "I haven't seen much. Really only this place and some plains outside the court. I..." she trailed off with a small frown, unsure what to say. Well, more like if she should say it. But, Bel seemed nice and trustworthy and willing to help, so why not? "I...am afraid that I won't find anything out there." she murmured quietly.
dancing in the moonlight
everybody's feeling warm and bright
it's such a fine and natural sight
everybody's dancing in the moonlight
The night was calming, and even Yuki had returned.
The small serpent had curled back up in between her legs, as she spoke, explaining on how it was easier, how it wasn't so hard. When she'd first come to Novus, yes. She'd been hurt, angry, mourning. Missing her mother, her sister. Upset and in pain over Shard's abandonment, him turning his back to her metaphorically. Now, now it was better. Her baby sister was with her again. And she had Sol, she had Sol which made any of the worst days just a little bit better.
Of course the other had to ask about him.
If the mare could blush, her face would be red as sunburn. Instead she ducked her head, burying her muzzle under her bonded, "Uhm, a, a stallion I know. A . . . uhm, well, see . . . I mean, we're friends, at least? But, uh?" Her shoulders deflated, her muzzle huffing against her bonded's scaled pelt, "Yes, yes he is very important to me . . ." She finally admitted quietly, before looking back up at the mare, "I don't really know how to describe him at the moment." She admitted sheepishly, "We're, uh, having to reconsider our relationship."
She grasped the topic of travel with desperation.
"No, not all of Novus, but a very good amount of it. I love seeing new things, going to new areas." She smiled gently at the mare, "Well, I'd be happy to show you around a little more. There is a lot to see after all." At the other's words, she smiled softly, reassuringly - reaching out to touch the younger mare's shoulder. "One thing I have noticed in my time here, Novus has a way of unleashing secrets when you least expect it. It brought me to Yuki, helped me see the truth in the world out there, where my people came from, that we really are from the stars.
Persephone listened with growing bemusement as Bel struggled to answer her rather simple question. How could she not know who Sol was if she had mentioned him right after her sister? The mare tilted her head again, looking very much like a concerned puppy as her new friend sputtered. She laughed quietly, a low a melodic noise that was sincere, not mocking. "Well he must be important if you talk about him like that," she said with a smile. "I won't pry anymore."
The mare shifted her legs slightly into a more comfortable position. As the serpent appeared again she couldn't help but keep a watchful eye on it, but relaxed when Bel nuzzled into her bonded. Maybe one day she'd have such a special connection as well. It was terribly hard to be alone sometimes but she was getting used to it. Still, she preferred her times like these with new friends. Bel's words were kind and comforting, like a huge. But, she startled slightly as she was touched, not expecting the contact. She smiled sheepishly, relaxing back down again.
"I hope it'll give me answers, too," she said, nodding. "But...if it can't, then I hope it'll teach me to be okay with that...because right now it is terribly lonely." Persephone sighed and looked up at the stars, foreign and distant. "I also...hope the answers are good. I don't really know what that means but...I dunno. It's hard to not think about it," she admitted, face falling back into that lost and confused look that seemed to be her natural default.
dancing in the moonlight
everybody's feeling warm and bright
it's such a fine and natural sight
everybody's dancing in the moonlight
A sense of awkward shyness had fallen over Bel.
It was hard not to experience it where Sol was concerned, where their relationship was going. Worse, she could almost taste her new friend (for they were friends now, Bel had already decided)'s amusement. It may have been a simple question, but the emotions regarding the stallion were anything but simple. Then the other mare laughed, and Bel turned towards her before smiling quietly, relaxing slightly, "Yes. Yes, he is . . . very important to me." She admitted gently, "It's alright . . . I just . . . . there's been a lot of . . . changes in that relationship lately. I'm still not sure where all we are standing." His soft words, the gentle but sincere 'I love you,' repeated in her heard, the way he watched over her and Jiri, the casual use of 'my girls' when referring to her, and his daughter. Like they were a unit like they were a group, a solid unit . . . a pod of three.
It was special, it was hers.
But she just couldn't say those three words back. And that was perhaps one of the hardest parts. She was stuck in limbo with her feelings. More than friends, not more enough to say the words back, "I'm sorry, I'm probably just confusing you as much as I've confused myself." She admitted with an awkward laugh, "Don't worry too much about prying though, I'm a fairly open book when it comes down to it all." She admitted, with a shrug, "I just can't guarantee if I'll have an answer to every question." She added with a laugh.
Relationships could be hard.
She allowed the topic to dissolve, instead noting the way Persephone watched her bonded, and she laughed warmly, "I promise, she's all crackle and no bite. She's probably more skeptical of you than you are of her. She's been having a hard time adjusting to being on a new planet." She added, with a slight smile. "How she managed to open the portal that connects our two planets, I have no idea . . . but she was in quite the state when I found her. She's slowly adjusting to the new climates, but . . . our home planet is vastly different to this one. The first time she tried some of the fish here she made such a fact, begging for us to reopen the portal to let some of her favorite types of fish through." She explained, looking up to the sky.
The other spoke, and Bel looked towards her.
Her gaze softened, gentle, "We all hope for answers, answers to both the hard and easy questions. Some wonder where they're going, others where they have been. But if you let those questions consume you, you'll just become trapped in a whirlpool of your own design, spinning and spinning with no way out. Don't be afraid to look for answers, but make sure it doesn't consume you either. Sometimes, when the answers aren't given, it's because you're being led to something else even better. And it can be a lot easier to go with the current to paradise, than fight it back to the shark's mouth." The Treader told her gently.
Her smile was reassuring, a desire to help the other.
"Well, if you ever need help distracting yourself, or looking through the answers to figure out what they mean, I'm always willing to help." She nuzzled her bonded, hugging Yuki to her as the serpent chirped with delight at the affection, "After all, Yuki did the same for me, so perhaps I should pay it forward with another." Sure, Yuki was better at helping her, being from the same planet her people had come from, but that didn't mean that she couldn't help her new friend too.
Even if it was just as someone to help her distract herself from unknowns.
Luckily enough, Bel didn't seem mad about Persephone being a little nosy. Still, she knew she should be a little more restrained with her questions. It wouldn't be good if she made her new friend mad, after all. Even so, she enjoyed Bel's flustered reaction. It was different from the confident way she'd been speaking to her before and she wondered if Sol, whoever he was, knew that he had this effect on the aquatic mare. She hoped the feelings were mutual between the two.
Persephone dropped the subject as Bel did, not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable by pursuing something so personal. She eyed Yuki, unable to completely trust the creature just yet. "I am sorry if my wariness offended you, Yukime," she apologized formally, bowing her head to the serpent coiled around Bel. She was pretty sure she couldn't hear what the bonded said, but she figured she should be polite anyways. Maybe she would get along with it better if she made more of an effort to get over her own paranoia. After all, Bel said she was nice and harmless.
She listened, somewhat melancholic, as Bel advised her against dwelling on her own thoughts and questions. It sounded like she had a lot of experience so the opal mare was grateful for her wisdom. Still, it would be difficult to pull herself out of this spiral she'd been in ever since waking up in Novus. It would seem that she would need to learn patience more than anything. "I believe you," she said after a while, looking up from the grass to meet Bel's kind gaze. "Where...where do you think I--we should start?"
dancing in the moonlight
everybody's feeling warm and bright
it's such a fine and natural sight
everybody's dancing in the moonlight
The companionship was going well.
Bel could easily see a friendship blooming, forming between herself and this slightly younger mare. She was a gentle, kind and considerate mare from what Bel could see. Thoughtful, friendly, a perfect companion into the early night. Even when Bel became flustered, Persephone was kind about it, amused certainly, but kind. No teasing, no scoffing about how can she NOT know something. And even when Bel had mentioned Yuki's character, the mare again proved her gentle nature.
She apologized to the bonded.
Going so far as to bow even. Yuki clicked her ice shards at her collar together, the sound soft, almost musical, before she returned the bow with a snort of dismissal. Yuki might not be able to speak to anyone beyond Bel, herself, but it didn't stop her from making her view known, even if it was to dismiss an unneeded apology, The horned one needs not apologize. Common to be wary of those, you do not know. Wariness to the unfamiliar can be life saving. If the sea feels to quiet, wariness can keep you from running into a hunting predator. The bonded thought to her mare.
Bel smiled, glancing up to the mare.
"She says no need to apologize, and that your wariness isn't bad, and can even be life-saving in some situations. So I wouldn't worry about you upsetting her." She assured gently, as Yuki relaxed with the pair of equine. Bel tilted her head when the other spoke again, her ears pitching at the other's quiet acceptance, belief. Bel looked towards her, meeting the other woman's gaze and smiling gently at the follow-up question, even as her expression turned thoughtful, "Well, what about Veneror Peak? Even if you don't believe in the gods of this land, it doesn't mean you can't pray to them, or even to who ever you might believe in, up there. Sol is a strong worshipper of his diety, Oriens. And the diety that watches over us in Terrastella is Vespera.
"I don't know if it'll help, but maybe praying could help with clarity?"
"Bel" Yukime
@Persephone Notes:: She's trying to be so helpful haha
She watched the serpent's facial expressions intently but she couldn't for the life of her figure out if Yukime was happy or mad or something else. Persephone wasn't the best at understanding equine body language-- never mind other species. So, she was at a loss, and had to rely on Bel to convey whatever was going on in the bonded's head. She was only able to relax when Bel confirmed that Yukime wasn't offended and that her wariness wasn't something to be faulted. It was enough to make the mare sigh with relief, shoulders drooping.
When Bel mentioned gods, and praying, it made Persephone stop and stare at the ground for a moment. "Pray?" she repeated, unable to keep some odd skepticism out of her voice. Why should she pray to something she had never seen or heard from before? Normally she was willing to try-- she was a naturally curious person, after all. But, something about the idea of praying to the gods of this land...it didn't sit well with her. She couldn't put a finger on it or put it into words, really, about why she didn't want to pray to someone else.
"I...hmm...to put it honestly, I feel like praying would be...I dunno. It feels like a betrayal, but I don't know why," she said after a long silence. Even the mare herself looked confused as she glanced back up at her new friend. She flicked her tail with annoyance, though it seemed more self-directed than towards Bel's suggestion. "I suppose I...could try but--but the consequences are what scare me." Something in her mind told her she didn't have to pray to others, some inner whisper that came from her sealed and inscrutable memories. Her instincts were as confusing as the land of Novus. She wouldn't blame Bel for not understanding what she was trying to say.
dancing in the moonlight
everybody's feeling warm and bright
it's such a fine and natural sight
everybody's dancing in the moonlight
Bel just wanted to be helpful.
There was something about this young mare that encouraged her to help. To try her best to do what she could to assist her. She tilted her head to the side, smiling gently, even as she helped to soothe the worried about Yukime first. It certainly felt like the easiest place to start as she watched the other mare sigh, shoulders relaxing. But the gods, and praying to them seemed to cause a reaction.
Bel was quiet, just watching.
There was something about the skepticism, that Bel could understand. She didn't understand Sol's reaction to his god, how he could be so devoted to a God he'd never seen, never met. But didn't she have the same relationship to The Empress, even though she'd at least spoken to the one who ruled the homeworld of her species? But . . . this seemed different for Persephone. "If it feels like a betrayal, then don't worry about it. It must be something from your past that you do not remember." She suggested gently.
When the other offered to try anyway, Bel shook her head.
She reached out, touching the mare to the shoulder with a reassuring smile, "No, don't worry about it - please. If it bothers you soo much, I bet it wouldn't work well anyways. We'll just have to figure something else out. And I'll still try my best to help you. Perhaps you have a previous devotion to another god or goddess? Perhaps looking at the library could be a place to start. It's in Delumine. Maybe we can find a section on other land's gods and goddesses and see if anything seems familiar there?" She offered with a warm smile.
"Perhaps we can visit tomorrow, when the sun is up?"
"Bel" Yukime
@Persephone Notes:: She's like 'let's look elsewhere then!'
Persephone was beyond relieved that Bel didn't continue to push for prayer. Even though she couldn't figure out why she felt so against it and couldn't articulate herself well, Bel seemed to understand to some extent. She fell quiet, thinking it over as Bel soothed her. It was definitely connected to her past...gosh, this was frustrating. The mare shook her head as if chasing off an annoying fly.
"The library?" she asked, ears perking. How silly! She'd never even thought about going to a library. She wasn't even sure if she could read the language of Novus...though if she could speak clearly with everyone here then perhaps there wouldn't be a problem. This wasn't something she'd ever thought about since arriving. Still, it was a good lead. A good next step that wasn't prayer. She nodded at Bel, seeming to relax again. "Ok, early morning it is, then," she agreed. Maybe there'd be answers and maybe there wouldn't be but it felt nice to have a decisive plan of action for once. She was glad Bel was there to keep her from spiraling out.
"I am grateful for your help, Bel," she said, letting out a long exhale. Some burden fell off her shoulders as she got comfortable in the grass. "Thank you for easing my many silly worries.
@Below Zero / speaks / idk if this counts as the end or if your post makes it the end
09-25-2021, 01:19 AM - This post was last modified: 09-25-2021, 01:20 AM by Persephone
dancing in the moonlight
everybody's feeling warm and bright
it's such a fine and natural sight
everybody's dancing in the moonlight
To a degree, Bel understand enough.
The gods of this land where a little touchy for her, and while she respected Vespera, and her protection as the deity of Terrastella, she didn't know how much weight to put on the idea of the gods of this land. Not because she couldn't believe in that, but because she was a beloved of the Empress, the creature that breathed life into the first Treaders. Not quite a god, but the all powerful being of her home planet. Just like with how it seemed to be for Persephone, Bel's own past, her own connection to the Empress kept her feeling awkward about praying to something else. Bel had come to a decision of her own that it was okay to talk to the gods. But she didn't pray to them like she did to the Empress.
Perhaps somewhere, deep down, Persephone too had her own Pantheon.
But she couldn't just leave the mare struggle in the middle of a whirlpool, so she offered the suggestion of the library. "Yes, they might have something in there. And if you can't read the language of Novus, perhaps they will have books in a language you can read - that will help narrow down where you come from!" The glowing mare stated in delight, before briefly touching her nose to the other's shoulder, "We'll figure this out, one way or another. And the library is a good start." She nodded to the decision to meet in the early morning, Bel's smile warm even as Yukime seemed to slump at the news, "Perhaps just you and I tomorrow morning. Yuki isn't much for early mornings, might be best to leave her behind to sleep in." Yuki's grateful chirps and snuggles to Bel clearly pointed out how much she approved of that idea as well.
Bel stood then, stretching out as she glanced towards home.
"Oh, you don't need to thank me! Anyone would do the same! I'm just happy I could help." The mare assured, smiling kindly, "How about we meet here just after dawn? I need to head home to the swamp, Yuki and I prefer to sleep deep under the waters." She added, "I'll see you tomorrow morning! Bright and early. Don't forget Pers!" The mare stated with a laugh, before scooping up her sleepy companion with her tail, and heading home to the swamp for a night's rest before this new adventure.
"Bel" Yukime
@Persephone Notes:: Closures have to have IC departures <3 So this will be my last for Bel, as I'll have her head home to her swamp <3
![[Image: i-jTNwWx8.png]](https://photos.smugmug.com/BelowZeroNovus/n-X9d9fZ/i-jTNwWx8/1/e09fb6c3/O/i-jTNwWx8.png)
