Grand Entrance

[andromeda]

Her words contradicted her gaze. He flinched slightly at the scorn that rested deep in her pupils. They were judging and curious, he wasn't sure whether he welcomed the inevitable questions or wanted to flee from them. His wickedness was far greater than she could assume. Discovering his sins would send her far from his gaze. Tango's soul groaned loudly at the thought of the loneliness that would follow her eventual departure. How would he manage once he found himself alone?

He was prepared when she asked about his past. Though he would never willing subject her to such questioning he sensed her rightful suspicion. He lowered his muzzled to the ground and huffed away the dust that had settled upon his marbled hoofs. Tango's tongue turned to cotton as he tried to conjure up the least offensive response. He settled upon one that was nothing short of blunt.

"I was--am a rapist." There was no need denying the truth. Once one entered into this sin it wasn't easy to be seen as anything different. It was simpler to send her to the conclusion she would reach upon further musing. It would be less painful to see gallop away from him rather than drawing out the unneeded pain. "Say what you must, I'm a well matured stallion. I can handle your scorn."

His eyes flared with the true anger. It was not pointed towards her, merely a reflection of the inner turmoil that battled within him. How he regretting those stupid younger years. Tango hadn't committed any acts of rape in a long time, in fact he was almost past the point of 'detox'.

"I consider myself a recovering addict," He smiled faintly, "The urges are still there, but some days are better than others. Does this frighten you?"

Of course it frightened her! Tango thought. What mare wouldn't be put out by his confession? He slowly began to settle with the fact that she would leave, eventually. Whether it be due to their conversation's end or her general distrust of his actions.

"This is why the past is, sometimes, left buried." Now Tango was embittered by her question. They could have enjoyed several hours of idle chatter. Now the rest of their interaction revolve around his misdeeds.

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[twi]

Ophaile stared at Tango uncomprehendingly. One ear flicked his direction and then back again. She read shame, anger, fear, and more in his face, each emotion flitting across his features only to be replaced by another.
“I…I don’t understand,” she said finally. “What is this…this rapist thing you speak of? I have heard the word used only once or twice in my life, always with scorn, used to describe stallions ruling a large herd, consisting mostly of mares and foals. The sort of stallion that claims them by force, making them part of his herd. But what do you mean? You have no herd. Why should I ‘say what I must’? It is only the personal choice of a stallion to distain a single mate and instead gather many to be part of a herd. While I would personally give the offending stallion a rather discouraging account of myself if forced to join such a herd, many mares prefer it that way. That is simply the way our equine kind works. Why do you expect scorn and repulsion from me? If you are warning me about yourself, then do not expect scorn or distain. If you try to force me into a herd, I will fight viciously back, for I do not wish to join one; it’s as simple as that.”
It was an uncharacteristically long speech for Ophaile, who preferred to be short, blunt and effective with her words. Still, the way he hung his head and looked as though he wanted to inflict hurt upon himself confused her and she wished to comfort him, somehow. Why was he telling her this anyway? She had not asked after his past, not really. If he was so ashamed of this mysterious travesty of his, why volunteer the information?
She decided to ask him as much, saying “Why did you tell me this, anyway? I did not wish to know, as I did not ask you. I simply asked whether you were new here. If you were ashamed of your past, you needn’t have told me. As it is, I still don’t really understand you.”