[stabbrielle]

Reserving

[Nanorat]

Username: Nanorat
Name: Skeletor
Personality: Oh how much hopes the parents have put into their foal to grow up the fear of the mountains, to fight for leadership and eventually become the leader... only to be severely disappointed in the end, because Skeletor is more of a laugh than a serious threat to anyone, save maybe for himself. He's rash and headstrong, combined with generally noooot so impressive physique... oh who am I lying to? He's flat-out clumsy and literally has no idea where his feet are, and all a stallion he so pompously challanges needs to do is take a step back and Skel wont fail to gracefully stumble over his own hooves, and fall flat on his stuck-up nose. But the upbringing of his ambitious parents have gone to his head so hard that no amount of humiliating fails can get it out of there, so he thinks he's absolutely the next legendary leader and keeps trying to achieve that position. And trying... and trying.
Vain and showoff-ish, all free time he has from trying to "conquer" the mountains he spends attempting to impress other equids into admiring him, always unsuccessfully, at times hazardously to himself. But there's a certain charm to his absolutely undaunted persistance, so despite all his flaws, he still has some friends who accept him the way he is. It takes some guts to keep trying to reach your goals no matter what! If only the brain matched.
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[Manx]

Reserving!

[VampireMessageNinja]

Withdrawing because I am so impressed with all the stuff people did and because I simply didn't have enough time </3

[~Trompy]

Username: ~Trompy
Name: Gourdon (named after a gourd... get it... Gourd...on...)
Personality: A bit of a skittish lad, Gourdon likes to believe he is not scared of anything and will try new things to prove it, only to run away with his tail between his legs looking like a fool. He doesn't learn anything, though, and will do it again not even five minutes later.
Image:

[grapejuice]

- nope -

[parlaymars]

wip beyond this point !

username: parlaymars
name: flannigan, "flan"
personality: sweet as pie

[Ovacalix]

res

[SpartanAmethyst]

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ɪ'ᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ʟᴏᴏᴋɪɴɢ ғᴏʀ ᴀ ᴡᴀʏ ᴛᴏ ʙʀɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴛᴏ ʟɪғᴇ; ᴀɴᴅ
ɪғ ɪ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ғɪɴᴅ ᴀ ᴡᴀʏ, ᴛʜᴇɴ ɪ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙʀɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴛᴏɴɪɢʜᴛ

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║ Username: SpartanAmethyst ║ True Name: Naphtali ║ Known Name: Tristan ║ Image: Link ║

❂ • ❂ • ❂ • ❂ • ❂ • ❂ • ❂ • ❂ • ❂ • ❂ • ❂ • ❂

• ɪ ᴡɪʟʟ ғᴏʟʟᴏᴡ ʏᴏᴜ •

• ᴜɴᴛɪʟ ᴍʏ ʙᴏɴᴇs ᴛᴜʀɴ ᴛᴏ ᴀsʜ •

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-break-
Personality: As dark as the opposing lunar surface and mysterious as the shifting tides themselves, Tristan is a loner in his struggles, battling the winds of change with barely a foundation to cling to. Morally black, highly aggressive, and thoroughly mistrusting, he's quick to violence, often opting to leaping before thinking things through. In fact, the only reason his body still draws breath is because of pure, unadulterated spite. But underneath the sarcasm and and the maliciousness is a broken soul who's lost everyone near and dear to him, especially his beloved mate, to the cruelty of humans. He is known to be highly aggressive, even going so far as to target hikers and campers that wander too far into his territory. While he's never hurt anyone severely, he has long been marked a dangerous animal, but his cunning and reclusiveness have helped him elude capture for many, many months.
-break-
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ᴀɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ʟᴇғᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴅᴇᴀᴅ ᴛʜᴀɴ ʏᴏᴜ'ʟʟ ᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴋɴᴏᴡ
ᴡʜᴇɴ ʏᴏᴜ ʟᴇғᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴀʟᴏɴᴇ

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From the moment of his birth, Tristan had been an outlier. A mistake. A pariah.

Haunting skeletal patterns marred his beautiful red coat, bright crimson eyes hinted at the troublemaker that he would soon become; Tristan knew he was considered an ill omen, as bad luck and a sign of even worse fates to come. But, like his father and mother, he didn't believe in the incoherent ramblings of superstitious old equids who could barely contribute to the herd; he was raised with loving parents, the popularity of the other foals of his birth year, and all of the attention he could ever hope to attain at his beck and call. By all means, he could have been chosen to be the next lead stallion, had he spent less time pranking the other herd members and getting himself into trouble. That, though, is exactly how Tristan found his strength: Others' scorn only bolstered his confidence, their disapproval heightening his independence. Their weaknesses would be his strength.

But everything changed the moment he met Virus.

A sick, feeble orphan, the young appaloosa was the only foal in the herd hated more than Tristan. So hated, in fact, that he was often physically attacked by other herd members, simply because of the massive spots that covered his coat, giving him the appearance of being infected; the name "Virus" itself was given by the herd. No one knew his real name, and even Virus himself couldn't remember the name his mother used to whisper in the inky shadows of night.

The day Virus was brought into the herd, found next to the body of his father, it was Tristan's mother who took him in as her own. Everyone expected Tristan to be jealous, or to fall in with the bullying like those around him. But, to everyone's shock, the young colt did not; the moment emerald met ruby, something in the fiery colt's heart shifted, and all too suddenly, he became Virus' stalwart guardian. Aggression was turned on anyone who dared harm the orphan only weeks younger than Tristan, regardless of rank or status. Virus was his, and Tristan would stop at nothing to guard his fragile heart.

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ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴇʏᴇs sᴛᴀʀᴇ ʀɪɢʜᴛ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴍᴇ, ɪɢɴᴏʀɪɴɢ ᴍʏ ғᴀɪʟᴇᴅ
ᴀᴛᴛᴇᴍᴘᴛs ᴛᴏ ʙʀᴇᴀᴛʜᴇ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ʟɪғᴇ ɪɴᴛᴏ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴠᴇɪɴs.
ʙᴜᴛ ɪ ᴄᴀɴ'ᴛ sᴛᴀʀᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴄᴏʟᴅ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ ʙᴇᴀᴛɪɴɢ;
ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ sᴏ ғᴀʀ ɢᴏɴᴇ, ʙᴜᴛ ɪ'ᴍ ɴᴏᴛ ʟᴇᴀᴠɪɴɢ
ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴀʟʟ ɪ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ɪs ʏᴏᴜ.

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-break-

Call it what you will: Fate, superstition, karma... Well, it's a funny thing.

The two foals grew up quickly, attached at the hip. Rarely was Virus ever without Tristan; even had the skeleton-marked equid not been right at his side, he was always within visual range. Virus slowly grew stronger, and as they both matured, so did their relationship. Far beyond brothers, even beyond friends; despite his cocky, flirtatious nature, Tristan began to show a softer, more romantic side, and Virus seemed to flourish under his love. Even when the appaloosa grew taller physically, it was his confidence that truly soared under the attentiveness Tristan showered him in. And when it was time to leave the herd to find their own territory, they left not as young bachelors, but as mates, to find their own paradise.

Their journey was one that rivaled the travels of even the most esteemed explorers; thousands of miles were covered, from waterfalls and forests, to the deserts and plateaus, rivers and streams and marshlands. All of these beautiful sights in search of the one thing Virus wanted to see more than anything: the ocean. And one foggy, rainy morning in the pacific northwest, the two stallions found their holy grail; foals reborn, they raced down the eroding cliffside, kicking up sand from their hooves. They hit the water with nothing short of pure joy, racing the waves, salty sprays soaking their coats, and Virus found a bit of bravery. The younger stallion bounded out into the water, farther and farther until his hooves left the sand. Tristan grew wary, sea fog closing in as darker clouds gathered under the grey sky. He called for his mate, unease in his chest, but Virus was nowhere to be seen.

In an instant Tristan bounded out into the water, crimson eyes scouring the increasingly choppy waves. Everything was grey and rapidly darkening, Virus' mottled coat blending in the with shadowed sea water and bright sea foam; it was only when a weak whinny caught the skeletal equid's attention that he finally moved closer to where the undertow had caught his companion, a silhouette in the fog much farther from shore than before. Nostrils flaring, Tristan heaved himself closer, powerful body cutting through the rough ocean... But as he neared, the appaloosa was sucked under the surface of the water.

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ɪ'ᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ʟᴏᴏᴋɪɴɢ ғᴏʀ ᴀ ᴡᴀʏ ᴛᴏ ʙʀɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴛᴏ ʟɪғᴇ; ᴀɴᴅ
ɪғ ɪ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ғɪɴᴅ ᴀ ᴡᴀʏ, ᴛʜᴇɴ ɪ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙʀɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴛᴏɴɪɢʜᴛ
ɪ'ᴅ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ʟᴏᴏᴋ, ɪ'ᴅ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴇ, ɪ'ᴅ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏʟᴅɴᴇss
ғʀᴏᴍ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴇʏᴇs. ʙᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏʟᴅ ᴍᴇ, ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴍᴇ,
ʟᴇᴛ ɪᴛ ᴅɪᴇ.

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-break-

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Never had Tristan fought so hard for anything in his life.

Trembling legs carried him up the beach, chest heaving with exertion as he cleared water from his lungs. The weight of his mate made his movement sluggish, but it was a welcome burden; even Virus' ragged coughs filled the older stallion with relief. He was alive, and though worse for wear, Tristan had not lost his love that day. What he did lose, however, was his love for the ocean. The humans could keep their giant death puddle. The smaller stallion trudged up the cliffside, step by step, and found them shelter in an outcropping of rock. There he laid his mate down, watching with concern as Virus struggled to breathe. There was so much water in his lungs, the mottled equid shivering from cold, but all Tristan could do was lay with him and offer warmth.

Over the next few days, Virus did not improve. In fact, fear settled deep in the red stallion's bones as the cough worsened and fever took hold, and his mate weakened. Tristan did everything he could think of, but nothing seemed to help. There was one last thing he knew to try, an herb found only a few hours south that might do the trick... So with a heavy heart he nuzzled his mate and took off into the forest, strides eating up the ground in search of a miracle.

Hours later he returned to find humans in their sanctuary, crowding his mate, and a trailer nearby as they struggled to lift Virus. In an instant, fear turned to fury, and as the door closed, Tristan went on the attack. A haunting squeal echoed between the trees as he charged, forcing humans to scatter for the safety of their vehicles; while unsuccessful in hurting them, flailing hooves and slammed weight left dents and broken windshields. It was only when the trailer pulled off that he stopped, and the equid broke off to chase it. The images of Virus being taken drove him faster, struggling to keep up with the silver beast; had he been breathing? Did the humans kill him? The notion sent him into a feral state.

In the end, he could only collapse from exhaustion and watch it disappear into the distance.

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ɪ ᴡɪsʜ ᴀ ᴠᴏɪᴅ ᴏᴘᴇɴᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀɪʀ
ᴛᴏ sᴜᴄᴋ ᴍᴇ ᴜᴘ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ɪ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ᴄᴀʀᴇ
ɪ ғᴇᴇʟ sᴏ ʜᴏʟʟᴏᴡ, ʜᴏʟʟᴏᴡ ɪɴsɪᴅᴇ
ᴘʀᴏᴍɪsᴇ ᴍᴇ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ʟɪᴇ

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-break-

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Weeks turned to months, and Tristan became little more than a zombie, plodding dejectedly in the direction the trailer had disappeared. His journey followed the reverse path that they had explored together, back into the forests and grasslands, then down into the deserts and plateaus; he'd long lost the trail, but one hoof in front of the other, he prayed to whatever deity may exist that fate would lead him true. If his mate was alive, then that was where his heart lay, for without his Virus he had nothing left to live for. He felt nothing, save for the all-consuming rage at the humans, and the elation he felt in destroying their belongings and terrorizing them.

A spark of purpose eventually found him, shortly after his first winter alone in the high plateaus. The air was warming, wild creatures coming out of their winter homes and starting their year anew; he'd scented a mountain lions in the area recently, knowing they were moving more frequently to find mates, so his attention sharpened through his travels. It was near sun high when a whinny of fear caught his attention, the tiny desperate hoofbeats of a foal sparking his instinct into action; he charged into the nearby canyon, the sound of a lion in pursuit drawing his eyes to a young filly being chased by the predator. Within moments Tristan closed the distance between them, cutting off the inexperienced hunter with every ounce of confidence he had. A single rear was all it took to intimidate the young lion, and after a moment it tore off, unwilling to risk injury with the larger stallion. It was then that he turned to regard the foal, and that spotted coat almost brought Tristan to his knees.

"Where's your family, little one? What's your name?" He asked, struggling to keep his composure. "I... I'm Kethaera," she whispered softly, her little body trembling as blood dripped from a wound on her shoulder. "And I... I don't have one. Not anymore." That was all the information Tristan needed. Despite the pain and anger that still plagued his heart, there was apparently still space for another spotted equid to nestle in. He would not leave this poor foal to face the wilds alone. "Well then, little one, I will be your new family. Come, let's find somewhere safe to rest."

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ғʀᴀɢᴍᴇɴᴛs ʟᴀʏ ᴜᴘᴏɴ ғɪʟᴛʜʏ ɢʀᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ᴡᴀʟᴋ
ʙʟɪɴᴅᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴍʏ ʜᴜɴɢᴇʀ, ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ sᴇᴀs ᴀʙᴏᴠᴇ
ᴄʀᴏᴡɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴄʜᴏsᴇɴ ᴏɴᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅʀᴏᴡɴ ᴍᴇ ɪɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʟᴏᴠᴇ.
ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀʀᴋ ᴡᴇ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴜɴɪᴛᴇᴅ ᴀғᴛᴇʀ ᴀʟʟ;
ʜᴇᴀʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀʟʟ, ғᴇᴇᴅ ᴡʜᴇɴ ʏᴏᴜ ғɪɴᴅ ᴍᴇ ᴀғᴛᴇʀ ᴀʟʟ.

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-break-

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Unbeknownst to Tristan, his bed had already been made. Report after report of an aggressive equid had been sent into Fish and Game, and it was only a matter of time before wardens were sent out to capture the stallion and his newly adopted daughter. Unfortunately with Keya, he could only fight, which proved to be a losing battle with tranquilizer darts and horses taller and faster than him. The sedatives raced through his system, making him drowsy and unsteady, but Tristan fought against them until he finally blacked out.

He had no clue how long it had been by the time he finally awoke.

It took Tristan a long time to find control of his body, standing on wobbly legs as if he was a newborn foal. Tristan found himself in a wooden box, soft bedding covering the wood floor beneath, with hay and water readily available. A closed door stood between him and the rest of the building, but an open door led out into a small pasture with fences higher than he could ever hope to jump. But all of the new sights and smells paled in comparison to the two other equines standing in his pasture: His mate, his Virus, gently nuzzling and cleaning little Keta, bonding in the mid afternoon sun. Was he dead? Had he been granted entrance to a glorious afterlife? Stumbling steps carried Tristan into the daylight, a hoarse whinny calling out to his love, and in an instant they were together once more, and all was right with the world. For once, his strong and confident facade shattered, and all Tristan could do was sob with equal parts relief and gratefulness.

"We're home," was all Virus needed to whisper, barely a breath against the breeze, and as soon as he was cleared, the trio was released onto the sprawling sanctuary grounds, under the watchful eye of the property owner and her own team of wardens, where they would never need to worry about being hunted or captured. Deep within those woods they found more equids, all of them rescued and saved as well, and in that little ragtag band, they found a true family.

[cinerious]

Marking!