// turning tables [paddeh]

[lady shady]

AVA

The Pintabian mare moved swiftly through the forest, a clear runaway in the slow-paced, dense atmosphere. She was running from her past, fleeing that horrid, heart-wrenching sight of Rhyn on the battlefield. She was fleeing from the present, from the dark stag she had encountered in another corner of the southern lands. She was fleeing from the war he spoke of. And she was fleeing from her future...Whisky's face, his gentle brown eyes floated to the surface of her thoughts, making her run faster. This was the farthest south she could go. Perhaps it was dreary, but it was slightly warmer than the rest of the island. And she'd be safe here...wouldn't she?

And yet, she couldn't escape her own emotions. She assumed that she had Whisky to blame for that, Whisky and his dratted kindness. What did he want from her? Mixed emotions swirled in her head. Her step faltered. A single tear rolled down her dished profile. She was so confused...

--behind the post-
171 words
okay Paddeh, this is Whisky's chance to tell her everything, explain that she doesn't owe him, etc.
depending on my mood, things might start to look up for him. I'm NOT guaranteeing anything, but if he loves her, I'm willing to give him a chance to explain himself <3

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[paddeh]

Whisky carefully picked his way through the slush-covered ground, spring was nearing and the weather was warming. The smell of Ava lingering, fading as she drew away from him faster, he silently picked up his pace. He couldn't lose her again, he just couldn't. But, he shouldn't be following her either. He could hear her fragile hoof steps falter and pause, and he went faster, knowing it was now or never. He swiftly bounded forward and out of the tree and brush. Ava stopped, her eyes wide. He took a step back, dropping his head slightly. Her breath picked up slightly and he flicked his ears, showing no threat. "Ava, I- I couldn't lose you again. I know I shouldn't of followed you, but, I, I can't lose you. Ava, I don't know what you think, but-" Whisky said, glancing up at her, pausing, watching for a reaction. "-I don't know what you think, but, you don't owe me anything. It seems as if that's what your thinking, and you don't, Ava. I- I love you. I really do, and I couldn't bare to lose you again. I don't deserve you, but, I really love you, Ava."

Whisky sucked in a breath, waiting, watching for her reaction. He touched his maw to hers slowly, lightly, and stepped back again, hoping with all his might she would believe him. That she wouldn't flee, and that... she might even love him too.

. 290 Words

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I tried to add a bit of cuteness... Whisky reallyyyy likes her D:[/right]

[lady shady]

AVA

Whisky. As if she had conjured him up just by thinking his name, suddenly he was there. She backed a step, startled by the eerie timing of his sudden appearance. Before she could say a words, phrases were tumbling in a waterfall from his lips.

"Ava, I- I couldn't lose you again. I know I shouldn't have followed you, but, I, I can't lose you. Ava, I don't know what you think, but--I don't know what you think, but, you don't owe me anything. It seems as if that's what you're thinking, and you don't, Ava. I- I love you. I really do, and I couldn't bare to lose you again. I don't deserve you, but, I really love you, Ava."

Her mind reeled in shock. She had been struggling to simply take in his sudden arrival, and now here he was--he had followed her--telling her that she owed him nothing, and that...he loved her? He approached, touching her muzzle softly with his own, looking into her tearfilled eyes with his gentle brown ones. She didn't know what to do. It had all happened so fast...

Ava whimpered quietly, turning her head away slightly. She didn't owe him, yet he loved her? Didn't that mean that she owed him something in return? Did she owe him her love? But she didn't love him. Love was what she had felt for Rhyn and her dam. Yet...she didn't hate him. And she was learning that she didn't exactly fear him. That was new. Whisky was, in a way, safe. And she was so, so tired of running...

She wanted to lean into him, to cry, to find some way to untangle this twisted ball of emotion that was wrapped around her heart, slowly suffocating it. She looked at him once more, letting the tears trickle down her face and into the patch of moss at their hooves. "Whisky," she whispered, unable to express what she was feeling, "I--I...I don't know what to say. I don't know what to do. Oh, I don't even know how I feel about you! This has all happened so fast..." Her voice trailed off. She was tired of fighting. "Whisky, I wish I could make you happy. I wish I could tell you that I loved you too, I wish we could make this a fairytale moment. But I'm no princess. I'm a broken, broken mess, and I don't know if I'll ever heal. " She moved to stand alongside him, burying her face in his mane. "I'm sorry Whisky. I just don't know..."

--behind the post--
he should comfort her *nod nod*
she just wants to feel safe

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[paddeh]

'I--I...I don't know what to say. I don't know what to do. Oh, I don't even know how I feel about you! This has all happened so fast.... Whisky, I wish I could make you happy. I wish I could tell you that I loved you too, I wish we could make this a fairytale moment. But I'm no princess. I'm a broken, broken mess, and I don't know if I'll ever heal.'She said, her voice breaking slightly, and she moved to stand alongside him, burying her face in his mane. 'I'm sorry Whisky. I just don't know...' Whisky shook his head, "Ava, you aren't a broken mess, your perfect." He said, nuzzling her forehead softly, letting her lean against him. He carefully wiped her tear away from her delicate face. "Ava, I understand if you don't like me, I don't expect you to." He added, nuzzling her shoulder, up her neck and down again, trying to sooth her, using soft light touches, comforting, cooing softly to her. He couldn't lose her, wouldn't lose her. "It's okay, Ava, It's okay..." He said, still nuzzling her softly, running his maw along her neck and down her spine, and back again, letting her lean against him. All he wanted to do was comfort her, protect her. He cooed softly, tears prickling at the back of his eyes, and he pushed them away, continuing running his maw along her softly.

. 294 Words

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Cutness ;D? Whisky understands her, and all he want is her D:

Sorry its so short ._.
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[lady shady]

AVA

"Ava, you aren't a broken mess, you're perfect...I understand if you don't like me; I don't expect you to. It's okay..."

Whisky spoke softly, gently rubbing his muzzle on her shoulder. She drew closer, letting him continue, as the gesture was not threatening, but comforting. It was the kind of comfort a mare would offer a loved foal, rhythmic, soft, soothing...she let him hold her, stroking her pelt in this manner. She had grown up so fast, started life so early. Perhaps it was her turn to be held now. Pressed to his side, she could hear his steady heartbeat, and slowly her ragged sobs quieted. She began to breathe in and out, in and out to the cadence as the tears thinned and her voice returned.

"Whisky...oh Whisky, there's just so much...so much..." she managed to choke out before her voice broke again. Where did she even begin to explain herself? Should she even explain herself? She'd never felt the need to before, but she felt like Whisky at least deserved an explanation as to why she seemed to be so dysfunctional. What could she say? For she felt like she didn't know half of it herself. "Oh Whisky," she murmured feverishly, almost incoherently, "I loved them. The only two I ever loved, and I lost them. I lost them..."

And him. Had she loved him? Or had she hated him? He'd given her Rhyn, but never anything else. Protection, perhaps, but he'd taken more than he'd given. He'd taken her childhood when he'd given her Rhyn. But Rhyn was gone, and now she was left here with neither.

"I'm sorry," she whispered to Whisky. For she had nothing to offer him...

--behind the post--
301 words
so she's having a meltdown because she doesn't know how to explain even her own feelings, and she's remembering her confusion about her former "mate" and her grief over losing her dam and Rhyn
she wants to explain, but she doesn't know how to start

[paddeh]

Ava pressed closer to him, sobs heaving her small frame slightly. He nuzzled her softly, comforting, hoping he was doing the right thing. 'Whisky...oh Whisky, there's just so much...so much...' Ava said, her voice becoming restricted at the end, tears swelling in her eyes, and Whisky pressed his forehead to hers gently,his eyes closed, breathing deeply. 'I loved them. The only two I ever loved, and I lost them. I lost them...' Whisky was unsure of who 'them' actually were, probably her family, a foal and a mate? Parents? Grandparents? He was not sure.

"Ava, I'm.. so sorry, you don't need to tell me if you don't want to, I understand, mon chéri." Whisky said softly, slowly running his maw in small circles along her neck shoulder and spine, wanting to sooth her, hoping he was doing the right stuff. He wasnted to understand, ached for it, but he just couldn't, not without knowing who 'they' were, and there was no way he was ever going to ask her, seeing how hard it was for the delicate mare.

Whisky cooed softly to her, rocking slightly, using soft, comforting touches. "It's okay, Ava, It's okay..." he said softly, almost a whisper, as tears prickled at the back of his eyes again, only to pus the away. He was willing to do anything to make her better, no matter how hard the task.

. 293 Words

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I tried to add cuteness, sorry it's so small, my eyes are barely focusing *blinks*[/right][/size]

[lady shady]

AVA

He held her close still, doing his best to comfort her, and she, having no further strength, accepted it with little hesitation. Whisky was the only one she's encountered in seasons, in years, who seemed remotely safe to her. And just for now, she needed someone to trust. Just for now, she repeated to herself, just for now.

"But Whisky..." she whispered, managing to quiet her torrent of emotions, "Whisky, I..." her voice broke. She couldn't do this. She'd never had to. Not in this way at least. "I lost him," she forced herself to say. Her voice had gone flat and her eyes had become dull and glazed as she strained to hold back the full force of the awful memory, of the blood, of the bodies...

"My baby. Rhyn. He was all I had, and I lost him. That terrible war took my son from me."
She stared intensely into his deep brown eyes, her own usually liquid ones hardened and haunted.
"It took my son."

She didn't know what she wanted to see in those eyes, didn't know if she wanted to find understanding, compassion, or caring. However, what she found was the glimmer of the love he had confessed to her just moments earlier, and its faint persistence forced her to drop her gaze. It wasn't fair for him to love her if she couldn't return the emotion. She'd be as good to him as Rhyn's ghost was to her, a precious reminder of something that he could never have. And yet, she didn't want to hurt him. Was that...good? She didn't know. Ava sighed softly, wishing she did.

--behind the post--
like 270ish words
she never figured out how to love
*sings*

[paddeh]

Whisky held her, continuing to comfort her, his heart aching for the little mare. 'But Whisky.... Whisky I...' she struggled, fighting against herself, trying to tell him something. He caressed her face softly, taking in her luscious scent, the same as the night of the storm, and he smiled at her, his eyes twinkling.

'My baby. Rhyn. He was all I had, and I lost him. The terrible war took my soon from me.' He gasped softly, pressing his maw to hers. 'It took my son.' She said, her voice strained of all emotion. WHisky pressed closer to her, "Ava- I, I'm so sorry, I didn't know, you didn't need to tell me. I feel so bad now." He said, sighing softly as she did, and he wrapped his neck over her withers, rubbing her shoulder softly. He didn't know what to say- didn't know what to do. He loved her so much, and his heart ached for her, and he felt her pain, mourning silently with her. Rhyn. The poor, innocent foal that suffered in the war. Ramaskith's war. Shit. Rama had recruited him. This was one more reason to hate that cold-blooded monster, killing innocent horses. Emotionless, soulless, heartless. He pushed the thought away, he had escaped, and he would not go back.

. 255 Words

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Conflicttttt .o., I tried to make it cute ;3
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[lady shady]

AVA

"Ava- I, I'm so sorry. I didn't know; you didn't need to tell me. I feel so bad now."

Her eyes narrowed for a moment at Whisky's words, for it sounded as if he couldn't be bothered with her problems. Didn't he at least want an explanation? But when she turned to glare icily at him, she saw the shock and the regret in his eyes, and she felt that she could afford to forgive him. After all, he didn't know what it was like--couldn't know what it was like. She didn't reply for a few minutes, instead just letting him express whatever he was feeling as he caressed her neck. After a bit, she took a deep breath and spoke.

"Whisky, I don't want your pity. I just want you to know why I am the way I am. I don't want to make you sad, Whisky, because I do care about you..." Ava paused, taking another breath, "But Whisky, I still don't know if I love you."
She hid her face in his mane, emotions playing a tug of war with her heart. What did love feel like? And could she even afford to love him? For her life seemed to be a trend of losing the ones she cared for...

--behind the post--
*must have cuteness now*

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[paddeh]

Whisky noticed how the atmosphere around them, tense, almost angry. Whisky's heart sunk. What had he said? She turned to look at him, her chocolate eyes icy and hard. His breath faltered. "Ava-" Whisky said, wanting to apologize, but her eyes thawed slightly. She paused, letting him continue his caress and she finally sucked in a breath and continued.

'Whisky, I don't want your pity. I just want you to know why I am the way I am. I don't want to make you sad, Whisky, because I do care about you.... But Whisky, I still don't know if I love you.' His heart ached, and he pulled her closer to him, as she buried her face in his mane. He cooed, rocking slightly and hugging her close to him. "Ava, I don't expect anything from you. If you-" Whisky paused, inhaling, "-If you want to leave, if you don't want to be here, I won't stop you. But, Ava, I can't bare to lose you, I- I love you." Whisky said, choking back tears, and he nuzzled her forehead, touching his maw to hers.

. 228 Words

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Yayyyy for cutenesssss <3[/right]