Grand Entrance

[andromeda]

Tango was never one for introductions. In fact he found them quite boring and unnecessary. It was always easier to blend into the background and be forgotten, but that wasn't who he was. Everything about him was loud, extravagant and over the top. From his silver brindle markings to his highly dramatized English accent. It was no easy feat playing up this facade, though most of it was just him. Take him or leave him, that was his motto. It may seem heartless but it was just who he was.

His trot extended involuntarily as he broke into a haughty prance. Sure, he may seem conceited but there was something else deep inside of him...right? He snorted, yeah right. His personality was about as deep as the ocean's deepest point, but he was very one sided. He was either this or that, and never at the same time.

In truth he wasn't sure how he was going to do here. It was all new experiences and chances to start over. Was that what he needed? A chance to start over? It sounded like an extremely complex idea to him. Starting over. It involved self discovery and he never coped well when that was involved.

He halted in a very square fashion. His neck remained arched in a overly dramatic way, though it was unintentional in nature. Before he had been something dramatically different, was he really that changed? He looked down at his reflection in a small puddle of water. There was still that familiar sparkle of expectation that shone in his almond shaped eyes. No, he decided, he hadn't changed.

The thought was almost comforting. He sighed a deep breath of relief. He was still the gritty bastard who sought nothing but pleasure in his cold pathetic life. Was that really something to be proud of? He thought so.

[twi]

Ophaile’s first impression was scorn. She flicked a lazy tail, its flaxen hairs catching the light. She had been quietly observing the stag for quite some time, amused if scornful of his antics. She suppressed a condescending smile when he peered at his reflection. Though the water was clouded and murky, making for a nebulized reflection, he seemed to get undiluted pleasure from simply staring at himself in the puddle. She did not judge him too harshly though, for she herself did occasionally fall prey to the vanities that befall all but the meekest equines. She had a high enough opinion of herself, though doubtless it was not so high in comparison to this stallion’s. He was a striking enough specimen, his grullo coat streaked with flashy silver brindling, much as her own silver dappling stood out upon her chocolate base.
She was not terribly eager to make his acquaintance, but decided that it would be in her best interest. She was new to these parts, so it would not hurt to introduce herself to others, even if they did not appeal to her as a potential friend. Still, she decided, one could be acquainted with stallions without wishing friendship, unlike with her own gender.
She trotted forward, noting his haughtily arched neck with some amusement. He was still staring, as though enraptured, at his reflection in the little puddle and Ophaile had to resist the urge to step in it, splattering water everywhere.
“Hello,” she said in what she hoped was a friendly tone of voice, stepping into the clearing he stood in.
Her skin crawled a bit, for she always felt awkward introducing herself. She much preferred natural meetings, two individuals brought together by their circumstances, instead of forced introductions. That way the recipient of the greetings could choose whether they really wanted to engage or not. Though Ophaile was not normally a self-conscious being, she disliked the thought of being curtly rejected when she was only trying to be friendly.

[andromeda]

Tango was stunned to hear a female voice speaking to him. He spun around and eyed her. Her confidence was low and he wasn't sure if she would make good company. In any case he wasn't sure if he wanted the mare to remain in his presence. The temptation was there, to take her. His heart ached, as did his limbs. His resolve was weak and it took every ounce of strength he possessed to refrain from such horrible deeds.

"Hello." He said, his voice was slightly unwelcoming though his eyes told a different story. His brown irises shimmered and gleamed with anticipation of what would come of this meeting. He had to remind himself that things were different here, the trials of this land were far greater than his inner turmoil. He checked himself and threw his self-pity in the garbage.

This mare, who was so unaware of the things he had done in his past, didn't deserve the shell that he had become. In many ways it was disgusting the extent of his differences. He shifted his mane from one side of his nape to the other until he was satisfied at how it rested.

"What brings you to this lovely land today?" His voice held all the kindness that formality deserved, a complete one eighty from his previous greeting.

[twi]

Ophaile cocked her head, listening with interest to the stallion’s words. Though they sounded friendly, she was close enough to catch a strange look in his eyes. They did not match the warmth of his words, for if one looked close enough, there was a cold, calculating presence in them. She instinctively lifted her chin a bit higher, a haughty look coming into her own chocolate orbs. She was proud of the fact that she was not pushover and upon occasion, could flaunt it. If he intended to condescend or even toy with her, he deserved what he would have coming to him.
She took her time in replying, tilting her head to one side in a lazy fashion. “For lack of nothing better to do,” she said, her voice curiously lilting yet bold and characterized by a distinct assertiveness, for that was simply the way she spoke. “I am a newcomer here, so am currently traversing the lands and have found myself here in a region that I believe is neutral. I am glad of it, as the rumor of war has reached my ears and I do not wish to become involved.”
She broke off her words to study him in some interest, her attention captured. There was something she did not like in the way he looked at her, the way he held himself while gazing down upon her. How she hated being short.
Abruptly, she continued, “And what might bring yourself to these parts?”

[andromeda]

Escape, his mind screamed a response before he had even registered her reply. How odd, even in his pride he was able to find his weakness. This mare didn't need to know why he was here, the fact that she even asked showed her impertinence. He snorted and shook his blackish mane. His brown eyes shifted slightly showing his vulnerability for a split second. He quickly checked his expression and smiled cockily. She would not get the better of him, only one mare had managed to do that. His heart lurched as her beautiful bay figure flashed in his mind. The memory of her was stark and warming. He fought the urge to sigh and submit to the joys it presented to him.

What would happen if he allowed this stranger into his mind? The last time he had allowed that to happen he had fallen deeply in love. The pain that resulted due to her lack of reciprocation had been unforgettable, and unforgivable. Tango refused to indulge in such things a second time. He was smarter now and had learned many things.

"War?" He asked, quickly changing the subject. It was obvious who had the advantage here. This mare, small or no, proved a challenge. She was a smart creature, this fact was proved true by the intelligent gleam in her chocolate orbs. She could even choose to with-hold information to cause him dependence upon her. In any case she didn't seem the one to wish dead weight upon her.

His vulnerability was now obvious. His lack of knowledge concerning this land would surely be his downfall. How he hated depending on another! This mare didn't seem the hospitable type in any case. But he was willing to give her the benefit of a doubt, for now.

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[twi]

Ophaile stared at him in some confusion. What a strange stallion. One moment his eyes were rolling back into his skull, whites gleaming wildly, the next he was suave and arrogant, and the next he seemed to be fighting some carefully hidden pain.
Her own eyes narrowed at his reply, a terse monosyllable. She was liking him less and less. The least he could do after choosing to deliberatly ignore her question was to provide aen intelligent comment for her previous statement. She snorted. He was obviously quite shallow.
“Yes war,” she said, “but nowhere near here. Or least that’s what I’ve heard.” Her words were clipped, closing the subject.
A gleam came into her eye as she studied him. This one might be fun to toy with, to see how far she could push him into he reached his limit. A carefully placed word, a deliberate verbal jab, the possibilities were endless. His haughty scorn was beginning to get to her and she dearly loved retaliation.
“I did notice,” she said, ever so innocently, “that you never replied to my question of what brings you to these parts; why? I was simply trying to make conversation.”
She favored him with a sweet smile once she had finished. There, let him chew on that.

[andromeda]

He smirked, not at all fazed by her dancing back to the untouched subject. It would seem that he had, once again, misjudged her character. What was the matter with him? Normally he was so in tune to the personality of others. He was able to judge, upon first glance, the intention of another. No he found his skill greatly lacking. He blew through his nose and narrowed his eyes. Her quick response upon his question was hint enough. She, herself, was unfamiliar with the ways of this land. Her lack of knowledge was astounding, as he had taken her as a native. Once again his lack of skill greatly peeved him.

"I didn't respond to your inquiry due to the more important topic." He lied skillfully. His mask was unbreakable, or so he thought. Many things in this place seemed different than what he was accustomed. He inwardly glowered as he fought against the battling options. It seemed that telling the truth might gain him more favor in this mare's eyes. But what did he care of favor? He was used to being the hated. Why strive for a change now? He groaned, he had promised to try. So try he must.

"I came here, to be perfectly honest, to escape my past." He lowered his head giving all evidence of the hurt that lingered behind his usually carefully guarded eyes. "Isn't that why one comes to a new place?"

He would much rather be a stranger and passed the opportunity to start fresh than to be known as he was in his native country. Perhaps he hadn't exactly exhibited his best qualities upon first meeting this mare, but that could be altered. The pain of changing was ever present in his heart. An apology was necessary but so unwanted. Tango couldn't recall the last time he had uttered such profanity! Never apologize, that was what had been instilled in him over the past couple of years. Now he was seven years old, maturity was required.

"I apologize for my lack of civility before." He nearly coughed out the words in utter disgust and disbelief. "I can be quite unfeeling at times. I do hope I have not severely offended you."

Of course he wished to offend her! That was what he lived for! He had raped seemingly hundreds of unsuspecting mares, never once was he faced with such horrid prospect as begging for forgiveness! His rival had done that on many occasions and it only further proved a weakness of the stud's part.

The only comfort Tango derived from this apology was that he hadn't done anything too terrible to this mare, yet. In any case he didn't foresee causing her prolonged discomfort. The idea was somewhat repulsive. In truth he just wanted a chance to settle down, figure out how to be a normal stallion. And, perhaps, even a father.

Normally his fear of commitment kept him far from these thoughts. But things had changed and he felt that he might be able to as well. He eyed this mare with a new found sense of interest. Was she the next Gabriel? His heart momentarily lurched in a disgusted response. Tango implored himself to try and find something appealing about this mare. Gabriel never loved him, that future was lost. But there was a completely different prospect lying just beyond the next bend.

[/center]

[twi]

Ophaile regarded him with a guarded countenance, disgusted and intrigued at the same time by this stallion’s apparent fickleness. His smirk annoyed her and the lie following it, even more so. She glared at him, daring him to continue to be such a jerk. She was rewarded by a complete shift in his aditude, so abrupt that she was caught off guard.
Escape his past, hmm? Ophaile eyed him with interest, wondering how much truth lay behind his words. The most skillful of liars always seasoned their words with a grain a truth, and it would be up to the listener to sift the lies from the truth. Looking at him, Ophaile had no doubt that he had a past worth escaping. Even while he temporarily put on the façade of kindness, she could see that his past had shaped him into something worth avoiding.

"I apologize for my lack of civility before. I can be quite unfeeling at times. I do hope I have not severely offended you."

Again, his words took her by surprise and she stared at him with renewed interest. She was too canny a mare to think that perhaps she had misjudged him, but instead was mystified by how fickly changeable he was. She realized that she was enjoying herself throughout this exchange and while she had no wish to become closely acquantied with this stallion, she rather liked being kept on her toes by such an aggravatingly arrogant companion.
“Indeed no, it takes much more than some glibly spoken words to offend me, no apology needed,” she said with an easy smile. “And I too must beg forgiveness, for I have neglected to offer my name; please, call me Ophaile.”
She cocked her head, wondering if he would offer his name or whether that too, he considered classified information.

[andromeda]

Tango

Once down the path of truth there was no turning back. There seemed to be a new found interest in this mare's, Ophaile's, eyes. He found he quite liked the sound of his name, him being English by nature he found enunciation an important aspect of conversation. Arrogant or no he was determined to keep up his path of honesty, no matter how disgusting and utterly repulsive such a notion seemed to him.

He smiled thinly at the mare. There was no trace of arrogance in the gesture, just a weak attempt at friendliness. His control was failing him and the pain of holding back nearly wracked his body. He was usually a carefree fellow, void of any repercussions or consequences to his ghastly actions. Putting that life behind him was proving a difficult task. How easy it had been to just reach before you and take what you desired! Though Tango's body screamed and demanded he fought against his inner demons wildly. There was nothing that forcing a mare could give him.

He found himself grow curious. What would it be like to have a mare that he loved? That thought never once flashed into his mind. Normally he was well guarded against such ideas. He had never experienced love drawn acts of passion. It seemed a sad existence indeed. He had forced several mares, all of whose names fled his mind the moment they were out of his sight. At the time it seemed and easy enough way of living, but now he craved more. More of what, he wasn't certain.

He pushed his idealistic mumblings out of his mind and focused on the mare's words of apology. In truth he hadn't even though on her glares and peeved glances. Normally he was so much more attentive. He shrugged it off.

"I'm accustomed to far worse," he smiled slyly. "In truth I admire a mare who isn't ashamed to show her true emotions. It's an admirable trait, Ophaile."

He silently cursed himself. Using her name was one of his seduction tactics. His accent, accompanied with a mare's name, often rendered her speechless. He just hoped she wasn't in a hormonal state, or wasn't as shallow as those others tended to be. He quickly skipped back to the conversation, eager to have his mistake forgotten. He would take better care in the future to contain his romancing urges.

"It seems I have been terribly rude on more than one account." He chuckled light heatedly. His eyes sparkled with friendliness. His mood changes were enough to give him whiplash. He just hoped it didn't affect Ophaile too much. He was trying desperately to remain civil. "My name is Tango. Not a very interesting name, I must confess, but that is what my mother chose to call me."

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[twi]

Ophaile’s curiosity was well and truly piqued, though her eyes narrowed imperceptibly at his words. What was he doing? What did he mean by saying that he admired a mare unashamed to show her true emotions? What did that have to do with the topic at hand? She wondered whether he was trying to toy with her, trying to cunningly draw her into his grasp. She did not like the way he was smiling, either. There was something unpleasant lurking around the corners of his mouth, though she noticed he seemed to be attempting to suppress it. She wondered about his past, what sort of a soul he really was. She sensed darkness behind that handsome face of his, some hidden corruption of the past. The way he held himself, the effortlessly haughty words from his mouth, the calculating way he stared at her, all spoke of something that made her skin crawl, and Ophaile was not a mare easy susceptible to intimidation. She hoped that he was telling the truth when he said he wanted to leave his past behind.
“Tango is it? Well then, I am glad to meet you Tango,” she said.
Her dark chocolate head, devoid of any of the light dappling on the rest of her form, was cocked to one side as she asked, “you say that you wish to leave your past behind; does that mean you are new to these parts? For I may as well admit that you are the first I have met in my own limited meanderings, since I am a stranger here. I had hoped to perhaps meet another like myself.”
Ophaile, having no idea of what the war was fought over and about, scorned the idea of engaging in a conflict that she knew nothing about. Instead she had chosen to migrate to the Neutral Lands, in hope that she would be out of reach of the fighting. What she hoped to accomplish there, she little knew, but told herself that staying out of the war was all that mattered. She chose to ignore the little voice whispering that war would come to her, no matter what she did, no matter how she tried to avoid to and it was better to chose to engage herself in it while she still had the choice. Instead, she decided to hide from it, to live life as normally as she could.