Who is trying for the Mama? Belloblossom (Sirena, Musical)
Who is trying for the Son? ATh e a r t (Lamont, Thespian)
Who is trying for the Daughter? Cyhorse (Senka Regayle, ???)
How did the mother and father meet? What's their story on how they wound up with two kids?
Born within the same canyon valley, but on two separate sides of the valley, and within two different herds, is where these parents called home.
Etienne's herd was one that respected tradition and honor; Sirena's was made up entirely of mares and fillies, who desired to keep their herd single-sex. Neither herd seemed to know much about the other, and kept to themselves. Sirena and Etienne hadn't even realized there was another herd in the area, and they wouldn't until much later in their lives.
Despite their clear differences, both herds had Coming-of-Age ceremonies that were treated with the utmost respect.
Sirena's herd prided themselves on their ability to sing and attract males, and had a Coming-of-Age ritual where a mare, once she reached adulthood, would leave the valley and find a place where she could settle for a bit, in order to have foals. Once finding this location, she would sing until she attracted a stallion, and return with only female baskets. If a colt was born, then the son would be abandoned with his father. Males were only to be used for producing daughters, Sirena's herd had no other use for them. Like the other mares before her, when Sirena hit adulthood, she too, left the canyon valley in search of a stallion who would help her bear daughters.
Etienne's herd was one that was a traditional herd, and Etienne was born the son of the Head Scout. While Sirena had been trained in song as a foal, Etienne was trained for survival. Then, when Etienne reached adulthood his father stepped down and he was granted the new Head Scout of the herd.
While Sirena took time to search for a suitable location to settle, Etienne was preforming admirably as the Head Scout.
One day he was out on a ranging mission that took him to the canyon that was the herds' exit to the outlands. Rarely was a scout sent on a mission here but the Alpha Stallion had heard some troubling stories that a skinwalker might be prowling about. Etienne had been dispatched shortly afterward to find the truth of this tale. He reached the canyon without any trouble, and found a blood trail that led through the jagged walls of the ravine. Setting his jaw the stallion walked carefully following the blood trail until he came to the corpse of a small filly, slain and half eaten. Sick with the sight Etienne wandered closer to the body noting that it was not one from his own herd. Curious how this filly came to be here he explored around for a bit but found no evidence, not even a scent trail to follow for the musky death ridden smell of the skinwalker that had done this ended at her body.
The young scout was baffled but continued forward through the canyon scenting carefully to ensure he was alone. Suddenly the world came alive with scents most prevalently the stink of death. He looked up to where it was coming from and saw three forms at the top of the canyon. Each bore a pelt of a different animal. Cat, wolf, and bear. The bear pelted stallion stepped forward and laughed maniacally drawing Etienne's attention to it. Sadly he did not see what the wolf was doing while his attention was on the bear. With a quick kick of his back hooves the wolf sent a rock crashing into the canyon with the intent of crushing Etienne! Quick as a striking snake he dodged it. The sound of it hitting the canyon floor was deafening. He sneered up at the skinwalkers and watched carefully. Suddenly a crack sounded through the canyon. The crashing boulder had started a rockslide and the only way to survive it was to run, so run he did. Faster and faster through the canyon his sides heaving at the exertion. Barely outrunning the falling rocks and receiving many cuts and bruises when sharp rocks rained down upon his flanks.
Etienne managed to escape the rockslide, when he tried to return to his home, he found the effort to be futile. The only way to and from the valley was sealed, and Etienne was locked on the outside forever. The skinwalkers that caused this tragedy were no where to be found after the rockslide had cleared, but as evening came and he rested beside the mess, he could swear he heard the screams of his family carried on the wind, along with the scent of blood and death. He paced back and forth until a blood red sunrise rose in the east and only then did he finally give up and realize he was never going home...
Sirena and Etienne were both shut out from their home, but the mare had no way of knowing it, until one fateful day...
Sirena had finally settled in a small, breezy meadow she'd found protected by some woods. The mixed sounds of the forest surrounding her carried well on the winds that came through the meadow. It was as though the entire forest was singing, and how joyful it was!
Of course, sounds weren't the only thing that carried on the winds- scents were as well, and on one particular air current, the familiar scent of home was carried to the nose of a wandering stallion nearby. The scent attracted Etienne's attention--maybe there was a member of his herd in the area, and he followed the scent as best as he could, before finally coming upon a meadow, where a mare stood, her muzzle tilted towards the sky.
That was strange, Sirena hadn't even begun to sing, and yet here was a stallion standing just along the edge of her meadow. She inclined her head towards him, wondering if she still ought to sing to him, when he approached her, his head low. He came very close to her, and she was beginning to question stallion behaviors (did all stallions act this way to mares?) when he sniffed at her coat!
Jumping away in surprise, she demanded to know what on earth he was doing! The stallion apologized, but his eyes were lit up in a strange manner that she couldn't place. Did she smell that nicely? She hadn't thought herself to smell any different, and again, she asked for explanation. The light in the stallion's eyes went out, and that's how she learned of the news of the canyon valley. That the entrance was sealed, and that skinwalkers likely killed all the Soquili within the valley, no matter which herd they were from.
At first, she was shocked, and then she shook her head. She informed the stallion that she wouldn't believe such a thing until she saw it for herself! It didn't matter that the canyon entrance was blocked, she would fly herself over the top, or shrink herself through a crack-- or find some way inside to find out the truth of what happened! After realizing that Sirena could not be convinced otherwise, Etienne agreed to go with her.
And so the journey home began, with two Soquili learning about one another on the travel back. Etienne found that Sirena had a lovely singing voice, and there were several times along the journey that Sirena found herself plenty grateful for Etienne's knowledge about surviving in the wilderness.
By the time they reached the location where the rockslide had occurred, both Soquili knew more about each other than they had any other in their lifetime. They were by this time very close to one another, and romantic feelings, though they hadn't been spoken were felt in both Soquili for one another. Still, facing the closed off entrance, feelings were put aside for the time being. It was time to learn the truth of what had happened.
Sirena couldn't fly over such a tall canyon, she'd discovered, but Etienne had managed to find a small gap in the rocks that led through the slide into the other side. After shrinking her size and telling him she wouldn't be long, Sirena managed to squeeze herself through the tiny entrance and out into the other side. She had been dreading the sight of blood and bones, as Etienne had, but what she saw within the valley was even more horrible than that.
There was nothingness all around. Well, the valley was still there, of course, looking the same as it when Sirena had left. She returned to her regular size and began to walk about, on the lookout for any prowling skinwalker, or a survivor from either herd. Still, after a while of walking, she realized that there was a definite absence of life within the valley, and it wasn't just Soquili. Smaller creatures, birds, rodents, and even bugs, were gone. There wasn't any breeze in the valley either, which was strange to Sirena, who had learned to ride on air currents in her youth. Something was wrong, and since there weren't any Soquili, nor their remains, she got the heck out of there and managed to shrink back down long enough to get back out onto the other side, where Etienne awaited her return.
How dreadful... They couldn't be sure on what happened, but it certainly wasn't good. Whatever had happened in the valley, whether it was done by the skinwalkers or something else, had left a bad mark on the valley, and nothing living had gone inside that place for a very long time. Filled with despair and a haunting feeling, Sirena and Etienne left the canyon's closed entrance to find a place nearby. They settled there for the night, comforting each other with stories of the past. Within this conversation, their confessions of their feelings slipped out, and both Soquili were happy to hear the other returned their affections.
When the morning came, they left their past behind and the ominous canyon valley behind them, and the two lovers went to find a new home to call their own, where they could settle for a time, and raise a family.
Do they plan on staying together or separating? Sirena and Etienne have no plans on separating from one another, now or in the future.
Do you guys have any possible tentative family dynamic? This family will be based around the performing arts, each member taking a slightly different approach to their own preforming talent, whether it be Direction, Song, Acting, or Dance.
Do you guys have any future plots once the kids arrive?
Finding Your Passion - Sirena is more than enthusiastic about having foals, especially because she'll get to teach them how to sing! But... Maybe these foals have other passions and talents than singing that they'd like to explore on their own.
A Family Business - This is a very theatrical family, each in their own way. There's Sirena, the singer and co-director; Etienne, the "scout for talent"/recruiter and co-director; Lamont, the actor; and Senka, the dancer.
Banded together, they're a small family group of performers who wish to bring entertainment to other Soquili herds. Within this plot, the family will be traveling new locations to both perform, and pick up some other talented Soquili, who have something new to bring to the band!
Anything else to note? * Etienne's pelt was one worn by all Head Scouts, and was bestowed upon him by his father, as a symbol of position. The chain cuff he wears, was given to him as a showing of his loyalty to the herd.
* Sirena's headphones were given to her from one of the senior members of her herd. These headphones are ones that block noise from her ears, but she's always been so open to hearing new sounds, that she's never worn them "properly". Her necklace was given to her by her mother, when Sirena finally discovered her voice and how to sing beautifully. The other accessories she wears have less significance.
((If no one objects, this novel of a form is the one that I've written up for our entry. Feel free to make suggestions of improvement, or if you're feeling daring, make one of your own.))
Wasteland Wyvern
cyhorse
ATh e a r t
