Rabbit Chase (Open)

[Ariel]

“Ariel, don’t worry, we’ll be there soon!” Tebridiar said. "Well that's good," Ariel said, "it's getting a little bumpy down here," she said, as Tebs stomped down on the ground again, and she bounced up a bit in her seat in the woman's pocket. Ariel felt a little nauseous. This woman walks around like an angry horse, she thought to herself, as she clutched her stomach, which successfully did another somersault. “Here we are Ariel!” Tebs said as she fished Ariel out of her pocket and put her on the ground. Ariel found herself surrounded in grass that was at least twice her size. Oh lovely, my own personal jungle, she thought to herself as a ladybug flew by her head. Startled, she waved her hands in the air frantically, before falling over, and landing on her butt with a low thud. At least the grass cushioned her landing, she thought, as she got up and rubbed her aching backside. Also on her list of things to avoid: ladybugs. Consider this tidbit of information safely stored in the inner recesses of Ariel's brain. “Ariel, don’t worry!” Tebs called, parting the grass, searching for her. Guess she lost me, Ariel thought, as Tebs parted the grass a few feet away. Ariel tried to climb a stalk of grass so Tebs could see her, but all it did was flop over on the ground as soon as she got a half an inch up, or less. Guess she was a little too heavy for it, she thought to herself as Tebs said, "Just shout for me!" Ariel climbed off the stalk of grass she had been hugging in an attempt to climb, and brushed herself off on the ground. Before cupping her mouth with her hands, and jumping up and down. "Over here!" she called to her friend.

[Tebridiar]

“God, god, god…” She muttered to herself, sort of chanting, she was worried she’d lost the little person in the grass.

Suddenly she heard a sort of bleating noise, a bit like a cricket chirping. She moved in the direction of the sounds, suddenly making out miniature, high pitched screams. She parted chunks of grass, searching, her hearing pinpointing the location from which they seemed to be coming from.

“Gotcha!” She cried, scooping the frightened little clay woman into her hands. “I am really, really sorry! I’ve thatched you a little bit that you can sit on, big enough for you to walk about, if you like.” She held her delicately, careful not to squeeze too hard, then she quickly placed her down, safe as she could be right now, on the flattened patch of grass.

“Well, here we are. it’s a bit quieter here, its, well… its my favourite place.” She allowed the memories to wash over her again. “I think I well, feel in love here.” She whispered.

Should she have let that slip out? She instantly clasped a hand over her mouth.

Had she became a little overwhelmed by coming here again? Oh no…

[Ariel]

“I am really, really sorry! I’ve thatched you a little bit that you can sit on, big enough for you to walk about, if you like," Tebridiar said, as she scooped Ariel up, gingerly, and put her back down in a little section of grass that she had gotten to lie flat. Ariel lay down in it, so her wings were flat against her back, looking up at the sky and the clouds that seemed to be flying past. They looked so fluffy, so comfortable, and yet, so very very far away. “Well, here we are. it’s a bit quieter here, its, well… its my favourite place,” Tebs said, before there was a pause, as though she were thinking, “I think I well, feel in love here," she whispered, Ariel barely capable of making out the words. What a strange thing to say, Ariel thought, wondering what on earth her friend met. "It is rather nice here," Ariel began. "Very quiet, peaceful," she said, still staring up at the clouds, wondering if her friend would elaborate on her statements.

[Tebridiar]

Ariel appeared to be settling down.

She wasn’t as wild, wasn’t as loud as she had been. She looked like she wanted to know more though. Tebridiar was trying to get better at understanding people, getting to know their mannerisms.

“Well, here I had to prove a rescuer that I really was a Kelvic. I transformed for him, and he appeared to be appreciative. He’s a Drykas, you know how it is with horses for them.” Tebridiar looked around for a bit. She wished she could make flowers grow here. “But that’s not the person I fell in love with. No, the person I love… they are different. Different from everyone.”
She smiled contentedly to herself, remembering what had happened earlier. She had opened her heart to Aleksi, shown her what she hated about herself, and her past.

“Yes. I think I am going to bond with them in the Spring, when I look older. It will be more acceptable then, though I expect hardly any of the Drykas will welcome it openly.” She sighed, worried about the future. The present was so glorious, why couldn’t it just stay this way?

[Ariel]

“Well, here I had to prove a rescuer that I really was a Kelvic. I transformed for him, and he appeared to be appreciative. He’s a Drykas, you know how it is with horses for them," Tebs said. Ariel looked up at the sky. Admiring the clouds, trying hard to stifle a laugh, and failing miserably. "Yes," she paused, "they're practically obsessed with the things." She paused again. "But in their defense, horses are rather majestic creatures." Ariel smiled. It felt like a long time since she had last seen one. “But that’s not the person I fell in love with. No, the person I love… they are different. Different from everyone," Tebs continued. Ariel sat up in the grass, and looked up at her, eyes wide and curious. "What do you mean?" she asked. But she wasn't sure if Tebs heard her. “Yes. I think I am going to bond with them in the Spring, when I look older. It will be more acceptable then, though I expect hardly any of the Drykas will welcome it openly," Tebs said. Ariel nodded, let her friend's words sink in. What did Drykas have against bonding with Kelvics she wondered. Deciding she'd simply listen as her friend spoke, Ariel remained silent, waiting to hear more.

[Tebridiar]

Ariel was sitting patiently, listening.

Did she want to hear more? Tebridiar wasn’t sure it was wise to describe everything. Maybe she could drop heavy hints? Would it work? Or she could try the whole “My friend fell in love with…” thing, but she wasn’t sure that would work either.

“Well, Ariel. To put it bluntly… I, sort of fell in love with a Drykas warrior. But they, um. They have a LOT more in common with me than most people think. A LOT.” Tebridiar opened her eyes wide, pointing at her long hair, fluttering her eyelashes, trying to be as feminine looking as possible. Would she get it?

Probably not.

“Damn. Okay, I fell in love with a woman.” She slipped it out, trying to sound casual and actually achieved it quite well, though she had a painted expression on her face like someone trying to smile while their toenail was being ripped out.

“It’s not that I’m embarrassed, I’m not! Heck, I'm proud! Its just… I don’t think people here are like that.” She sighed, shrugging her shoulders.

“You ever fallen in love, Ariel?” She smiled, leaning back a little.

[Ariel]

“Well, Ariel. To put it bluntly… I, sort of fell in love with a Drykas warrior. But they, um. They have a LOT more in common with me than most people think. A LOT," Ariel watched as Tebs started to point to her hair, fluttered her eyelashes, and the like. It made Ariel think of a girl. Was she trying to say that the other person made her feel like a (young) girl? Made her feel more feminine? The other person was a girl... Ariel kept running ideas through her mind. Then Tebs said, “Damn. Okay, I fell in love with a woman,” Tebs said, as Ariel looked up with her, her two eyes squiggly lines. So should have seen that one coming, Ariel thought to herself. As Tebs rambled on, “It’s not that I’m embarrassed, I’m not! Heck, I'm proud! Its just… I don’t think people here are like that,” Tebs continued, shrugging her shoulders. Ariel just listened, nodding where appropriate, she thought it best to remain as silent as possible. “You ever fallen in love, Ariel?” Tebridiar asked her, as she leaned back a bit. "No," Ariel replied, truthfully she hadn't. She'd never had time for love, always being on the move, looking for adventures, and to gain more insight into the ways of the world. "I'm only five," she added, half-jokingly.

[Tebridiar]

Tebridiar understood.

She didn’t say anything. The whole idea was probably alien to her. Well, Tebridiar knew not everyone would accept it openly. But it didn’t seem like she was particularly opposed, either. Not that bad, really.

Ariels reply didn’t shock her at all.

Somehow she knew it would take some man to control this little thing, despite her size she didn’t take easily to being restrained, and she could hold her own. Tebridiar smiled at the thought of a bunch of worthy suitors pursuing her, Ariel turning them all down.

She was a free spirit, happy from going from place to place. She had a short life, why settle down?

“Somehow I knew.” She grinned, looking down at the little lady. “There’s no way a man could keep you under control!”

[Ariel]

Ariel was looking around her, at the tall blades of grass, and the occasional fly that would buzz by her. “Somehow I knew.” Tebridiar said, as she looked down at her. “There’s no way a man could keep you under control!” Ariel started laughing, a bubbly, infectious laugh, and then it hit her. "Hey!" Ariel said, placing her hands on her hips, "what's that supposed to mean?" she asked, mock-glaring at her friend. A twinkle in her eyes. The grass beneath her felt soft, yet cold. It bent beneath her weight, making her feel a little self-conscious, you'd think something as small as she wouldn't be so darn heavy. Ariel sighed, looked back up at Tebs again, but she seemed so far away to her, and Ariel couldn't figure out why.

[Tebridiar]

Tebridiar felt herself laughing a lot around this little woman.

She had a real sense of humour, and she knew how to flaunt it.

“How do you do that?” She sighed, looking intently at Ariel. “Your just so… confident. You know what you want, you know what to say, you just seem to be good at it! I’ve never been like that… always a little nervous, wary… you know?” She twiddled with a rogue lock of hair, looking annoyed.

“I don’t know how to express myself. As a horse its all so clear… You eat and you run and you sit in the sunshine. But humanoids… They are a lot more complicated.” She bit her lip. “They are the strangest type of animals.”

She started ripping little bits of grass up, an annoying habit she had. She nibbled absentmindedly on a little piece, accidentally showering the Pycon with little green blades.

She vowed to stop ripping grass.

They might hurt… if your that small.