Samanayrs

((Harroway and I decided that it would be fun to have Jewel and Sibyl meet as they are full sisters who's personalities we want to explore further. My Gyre and Flare will be joining the sisters, Gyre as he's Sibyl's stallion and Flare because Jewel is considering him. If Celestial and Kendarath would like to bring Gem and Veil into the RP as well they are more than welcome to. I would like to ask that no one else join this RP please.

Since I'm not quite sure on the geography of the Sharian lands where Samanayrs live...I'm hoping that there actually is a semi-tropical beach that he could safely travel to since Gyre is taking his Song to a nice warm beach here...

Flare won't show up until my next post at the earliest, but I'm going to include his picture here anyways.))
After the unexpected excitement of an aborted mission to rescue some fluffy foals who apparently had never been in danger in the first place (Gyre was still rather confused on the specifics after having bashed his head into a cliff wall in the process of trying to help) Gyre had decided that he'd had enough of the wintry chill that was beginning to take the Rainbow Hotsprings into it's grip. The best thing that had come of that trip had been returning with another mare to join him on his travels. And given that she had even less fur than he did, that had added to his desire to go find someplace warm for the winter. Combine that with a life long yearning to one day see the ocean and the young stallion had known exactly where he wanted to lead his new Song first.

It had been a long journey to reach the shore, yes, but worth it he felt. Especially as the air had gradually grown warm again as they headed back south, though not towards the desert where he had grown up. And there had been much to see on the way as well. Also a pair of inquisitive and fortunately very small Oquiesa to chase away... But mostly a good trip.

And now...they had reached the shore. It was like and yet utterly unlike the desert of his youth. Sand stretched out far and wide along the edge of the sea, but swiftly gave way to odd grasses as you walked away from all that water. Desert air was dry and nearly scentless. Here though the air felt wet and heavy and practically reeked with scents that Gyre had never before experienced. A heavy tang of salt provided the base, but the air was also filled with scents of water and plants and death and life and things he couldn't put words to. It was all a bit overwhelming for a young stallion for the desert. And he hadn't even gotten close enough to really see the ocean itself. Instead Gyre had stopped his Song on the other side of some comfortingly familiar dunes to graze on the strange salty grass that grew there.

The sun had reached the midway point in the sky and was beginning to make its way back down when Gyre lifted his head from the grass and turned to stare at the dune as though he could see through it to the ocean beyond. "I'm going." He nodded his head decisively and set out over the dune. They hadn't seen or scented anyone out here for the past few days, so he felt it was safe enough for him to leave his mares to graze. If they wanted to follow him, they would; they hardly needed his permission to come see the ocean with him. At least he didn't think they did...

It felt good to be climbing over hills of sand again, and when he reached the top Gyre looked back down proudly at the three mares who had chosen to join him. He smiled, eyes seeming to glow in the light for a moment, then he turned to stare out over the vista he had come so far to see. His jaw dropped as he stared. None of the stories, the tales, the pictures he had formed in his head had prepared him for this. Endless green blue stretched out, out, out away from him, all the way out to meet the sky. Sun sparkled off the shimmering expanse and as the water came to meet the sand it foamed up so that it was white as it washed over the beach. The sands themselves were not the barren stretches of the desert either, but were covered with bits of plant and odd lumps.

Breaking the silence with a loud, sudden whoop Gyre skidded his way down the side of the dune and took off at a gallop for the ocean, skidding to a stop as he hit the damp, hard packed tide washed sands closest to the water. He lifted one foot and then another, staring at the grit clinging to them. He scuffed the surface, watching water ooze out of the sand which did not fall back into the hole he'd made. As he stood staring at the sand the water washed up over his feet, making the stallion dance and prance away, staring at it with wide eyes. "Look at it! Just...look at it!"

A short distance away Gyre spotted a gleaming spot on the sands and sidled over to it. As he got closer he could see that for some reason water was collecting in a hole in the sand. A big one, bigger than many of the oasis he had seen in the desert. Never having seen a tide pool before Gyre had no idea what to expect as he cautiously leaned over the edge of the rocks (not sand after all) that formed the edges of this pool.

The last thing he was expecting was to see a pair of golden eyes suddenly snap open as a large shape shifted, rushing to the surface in a foaming froth of water, fanged mouth opening as it rose. "Gaaaaaahhhh! Sea monster!" Tripping over his own legs in his hurry to flee Gyre wound up flat on the sands, staring wide eyed at the wicked red horn on the creature's head as it rose up over the edge of the pool.

((Ummm...yeah, Gyre is definitely his mother's child. Just pick up your mares from grazing in the meadow if and when you join Harro, Celestial, Kendarath! And don't worry, the rest of my posts shouldn't be this long. Just had to set the scene.))

(( *snorts at poor Gyre* Jewel's probably the sweetest thing on earth, but looks fairly wicked. XD I imagined Gyre having a small series of heart attacks while backing up in a flurry of limbs and sand while poor Jewel looks on, completely confused! ))
Sibyl's head shot up as her stallion ran past, raining dust and fur and limbs down upon her and the other mares. Her first thought was to his general speed - she had no idea anything could run that quickly! She hadn't been watching the clouds when they had stopped to eat, and could only vaguely warn them of any dangers as they approached the shore, but she didn't divine anything coming from the ocean just yet. Curious and cautious, Sibyl cast a glance back at the tidepool where the desert stallion had rocketed away from. The sounds and scents of the ocean were familiar to her since her mother carried her to many places before she had grown enough to leave her parent's attention. The seraphim mare looked to the sky to find a small cloud formation and knew to be cautious, but oddly... optimistic?

She looked back to find where Gyre may have hidden himself. "I will investigate." she declared calmly and watched the other two mares, just in case. Her hooves sank into the wet sand slightly as the approached the pool where the resident 'sea monster' had lived. Sibyl's vision gave her no clues as to what the sea monster exactly was, but she had her fair share of guesses. She thought that it could be one of those things her mother called 'sucker stars', the pinkish creatures that looked like stars and could cling to just about any surface, but the pool was quite big and no sucker star would jump out and try to eat Gyre. Catching her breath and clearing what little anxiety she had, Sibyl leaned over the edge of the tidepool, her own crimson horn shimmering in a reflection on the water. Her solid, milky eyes searched for anything in the dark depths of the pool.

"Salutations...?" she offered curiously.

((*chuckles* You'd think that Gyre would be used to faces like that anyways, considering how much the sisters look alike.))

As Gyre had stumbled and scrambled away from the tide pool the head had continued to crane out, mouth still open, watching him. But as another figure had appeared over the edge of the dune the head had snapped back down into the water. Gyre never noticed it vanish as his vivid imagination painted a giant serpent beast coming to get him where he had tucked himself behind a small rocky outcropping. Long moments past though and nothing had yet appeared to eat him. Cautiously he craned his neck out from behind his hiding spot and saw one of his mares now approaching the pool that hid the monster. With a bleat of terror he rocketed back out, hooves slipping and sliding on the damp surface as he raced to go drag her away. "Watch out! Theyre's a monsteyr in theyre!"

Meanwhile at the bottom of the pool golden eyes peered up through the water curiously. First a fuzzy face had come and peeked in at her, and now a face so similar to her own was cautiously looking into the water. Three sets of long, thin wings shifted, making the water roil and cloud up as the lurker in the depths took advantage of it to shift positions until she was directly under the new face. Rising to the surface again she placed herself just about where she thought the reflection would be once the water cleared again and waited. This was fun. How long would this new face take to realize that they weren't looking at a reflection anymore? Bright gold eyes watched with interest as she studied the oh so familiar but unplaceable looking form above, her own horn reaching out of the water as though to touch the matching horn on the head of the newcomer to this shoreline.

"Oh!" was all Sibyl managed to before rocking uneasily back onto her hindquarters. She sat there a moment, perplexed and raising an ear to heed her stallions warnings. For a while, Sibyl processed the information slowly, making sure she wasn't making any large leaps of logic, just like her father. As much as she wanted to be a vivacious, outgoing mare for her stallion, she couldn't help but fall back into the same personality of cautiousness and investigation. Suddenly, it all clicked and Sibyl was almost embarrassed to admit that it took that long for her to realize. Her mother had sent word of another foal being born to the two of them, but this time, instead of having solid eyes and odd head adornments like she had, her sister could swim! She thought then that the clouds purposefully hid this vision from her and the mare chuckled at the thought.

She turned to look over her shoulder at the stallion rocketing towards her and she smiled. "All is well." she said evenly, and gestured to the pool again. "No sea monsteyr in the pools today. Just someone I would like foyr you to meet, if you ayre up to it, that is." Standing up, Sibyl placed her to front hooves on the edge of the pool and looked downward again. "I apologize for our uncomfoyrtable fiyrst meeting. But I am glad you ayre quite well. I am afyraid I neveyr did get to know youyr name. How ayre you?"

Sibyl started to speak to the figure in the water as if they were old friends, or perhaps friends that were destined to meet, but she signed inwardly at not having as much prior information as she would have liked.

((I'll bring in Gem, i hope that is alright with you two. (: ))



Gem breathed in happily the first moment they reached the warm coastal area. She looked at the other two, still somewhat shy around them but she was warming up to them quickly. They were of course, the other two mare's in Gyre's song. She lifted her head when she heard him trotting up the sandy dunes to go look at the ocean. She chirped gently in a goodbye and continued to graze. After a few moments, she noticed herself shifting boredly. Looking at the other two she whistled softly and then began to make her way up the sandy hills. She got somewhat exhausted as she tried to get her wave up the hill and then she saw it.

She looked over the majestic water, the waves rolling over the lightly sanded shores. She stood there for a moment, taking it all in. The seabirds flying over the air currents and swooping down to catch unlucky fish, the warm ocean breezes. She saw Gyre and trotted down the slope toward him, her body shaking with excitement. The place she had always wanted to see was right in front of her. She then noticed him moving back with fear and she stopped for a moment before running back over to him, "Gyre? Are you alright?" She asked nervously.

((Yup, Gem joining in is just fine! Happy to have you! I'm just going to ask that we try to keep more or less to waiting for everyone else to post before posting again so no one gets left behind. Especially since I know that Harroway has a busy schedule and probably won't be available much during the week.))

Gyre stopped galloping towards Sibyl when he was still a few feet away. His stubby wings twitched and his tail lashed as he slowly approached. She didn't seem afraid, and her visions usually told her when she needed to be. But they didn't always warn her, and there were few clouds to block the brilliant sun here. She had mentioned that the clouds told her things, so if there were no clouds, it stood to reason that they couldn't tell her to be afraid of the thing in the water. Gyre had almost come close enough to try and drag Sibyl back away from the water when another voiced called out his name. His head shot into the air and he turned back to see Gem trotting over the sands towards the pool as well. "Stay theyre!" he called to her. "Theyre's something in the wateyr! Come away Sib- What?"

Why did his mare want him to meet the monster? The heat here was nothing to that of the desert, but then, she wasn't from the desert. Had it grown hot enough here to make her confused in the head the way visitors to the sands sometimes got when they were fool enough to walk the sands in the full heat of the day? He inched closer again, eying her tail.

Gyre had just about gathered himself to reach out and grab Sibyl by the tail in an attempt to haul her away to the safety she didn't seem to realize she needed to seek when the pool lurker grew tired of waiting. She wasn't getting the reaction she'd expected. Golden eyes had continued to watch as the face moved away and then back again and started talking. Finned ears swiveled forwards as she tilted her head, then with a giggle launched herself out of the water with a flick of her tail. She didn't land on the stones, just lunged upwards and tilted back to land again with a huge splash that sent water flying towards her visitors.

Tumbling smoothly through the now depleted water of the pool she rose again, more gently this time to bob in the water before them. Gyre, now soaking wet, seemed frozen in place, neck extended and mouth open in the act of reaching for Sibyl's tail. The pool creature giggled again, one finned foreleg coming up to cover her mouth. "Oh, he looks so silly! Is he youyrs?" Bright eyes turned back to meet Sibyl's clouded ones as she tilted her head curiously. "You'yre mum and da's otheyr daughteyr ayren't you?" The fin dropped from her mouth as she extended it towards her newly discovered sister. "I'm Jewel of the Ocean Mist and I'd be betteyr if the tide would finish coming in again. But you've made waiting much moyre inteyresting." So far she didn't seem to have noticed the third Samanayr approaching the tidal pool, but soon enough she'd realize that she had even more company.

(( Yay, we get to meet Gem! She's such a cutie, Celestial. <3 ))

Sibyl couldn't help but giggle at Gyre's slack-jawed position as her sister rose from the waters of the pool. She had gotten wet too, but came to expect it. Her mother said her sister was more, what did she call it? Playful, than she herself was. While the two of them were both full blooded sisters and looked very similar, they were entirely different species, and it was very nice to finally meet someone who was familiar in a sense. Shaking the water off of her mane and wings, Sibyl sat down in front of the tidepool. She gestured to Gem, inviting her over to meet someone new. Sibyl didn't know too much of Gem and whether or not she knew many other Samanayrs, but family was family.

The older mare turned over her shoulder and smiled at the drenched desert stallion and nodded. "Yes, he is mine in a way. Well, I should say, ouyrs..." Sibyl then motioned to the other two mares nearby. "We ayre all payrt of a Song now. Motheyr sent me woyrd when you weyre boyrn, said you were 'of the sea' and both motheyr and fatheyr ayre quite happy to have you." She stood and bowed quickly, just as her father taught her to in order to be polite to kin and strangers alike. "I do not know if our payrents eveyr told you my name, but I am Sibyl of the Jeweled Cloud, and it is a pleasuyre to finally meet you, sisteyr."

Truth be told, Sibyl was elated, but she wasn't sure how to show it. At first glance, it looked like the sisters inherited the personalities of their opposing parents - Sibyl was calm and often too serious like her father, and Jewel was open and outgoing like her mother. Inwardly, Sibyl commented at how lovely her sister was, and how the greens of her mother's coat shined on in Jewel. She was quite proud. "How odd we ayre, the two of us!" she remarked with a laugh.

((Awh, thank you. Sibyl is quite beautiful, I love her fangs. <3 ))

Gems stopped abruptly when Gyre told her to stay there. Frowning slightly she sat down in the sand and watched Sibyl investigate something in the water. She then glanced at Gyre and watched as he tried to grab Sibyl by the tail to pull her back. She noticed them get splashed by the water and she flinched slightly when a little bit of that hit her feet softly. She tilted her head when she heard it say something about "other daughter" and wondered if that was Sibyl's sister. She shrugged and continued to try and listen, her ears twitching from all the different noises.

Gem glanced over at Sibyl just as she motioned her over, glancing at Gyre slightly she stood back up, and shook off some off the sand. She trotted the rest of the way over and stayed back slightly, curious about the 'monster' as Gyre had called her. She didn't look particularly like a monster, it looked somewhat like Sibyl. "This is your sister, correcyt?" She chirped inquisitively. "If so, you two look alyike."

Gyre slowly blinked as salt water continued to drip steadily off of his thick mane and trickle down his scaly sides. Imagination slowly gave way to reality again and the giant serpent beast with glistening fangs coming to eat him vanished in the face of the cheerfully giggling young mare who had just completely soaked him. The sound of footfalls on the sand again alerted him to the fact that Gem was approaching again, and he turned a bedraggled, sheepish look towards her. "Eyrrr, false alayrm appayrently," he said in an embarrassed tone. What a fine way to meet one of his mares' kin...

Slinking in behind Gem, the young stallion craned around his mares to stare at the Aquatic mare floating in the water in front of them. Her fangs were no larger than those of his Sibyl, nor was her horn any more wicked. He trilled an apologetic greeting to her in the pause as Sibyl bowed, feeling as though he had completely lost any hint of control he might have once had over the situation.

As Sibyl corrected her sister that the stallion belonged to more than just herself Jewel finally noticed that there were two other mares; one approaching carefully and one still grazing some distance away. Her ears pricked up and the long thin wings on her back fluttered, the lowest pair churning the water again with the motion. "Oh my! So many visitoyrs today! I can't wait to show you to Flayre! He'll be so happy!"

Out in the open ocean a set of black eyes just barely visible above the water winced and submerged for a moment before appearing again further out.

Unaware of the distant reaction to her words Jewel continued merrily. "We'yre no moyre odd than the company you keep sisteyr mine!" With a lunge that made Gyre stiffen and wonder if he still did need to pull his mares away she flopped down halfway out of the water reaching out towards Gem. "I don't think they have fuyr! I bet they would swim well then." Her own dripping mane attested to the fact that fur and hair didn't actually stop one from being able to swim though. Admittedly, she had the added advantage of a strong finned tail and fins in place of hooves.

(( I'm just envisioning Flare hearing Jewel say she wants to show people to him, wince, and then wheeze, "Oh goooood." and slink back into the waters to go die somewhere. ))

The seraphim mare turned to her stallion and lowered her head in apology. What with all the adventures they'd been through recently, she'd completely forgotten to tell him about a possible sibling of her, though part of her doubted if she'd ever get to see her sister. She knew the oceans and lakes and rivers were vast, but fate seemed to bring them together today. For that, she was very thankful. "I'm suyre Jewel could tell us if monsteyrs did luyrk down in the deeps." Sibyl explained with confidence. She then wondered if such monsters did in fact exist, or if it was just the imagination of foals and adults alike that made such things true.

When her sister had mentioned someone named Flare, Sibyl immediately looked out into the ocean, but did not catch a glimpse of the eyes looking back at them. She didn't need the clouds to tell her Jewel might have been referring to a friend or a stallion in a Song of her own. "I am assuming Flayre is a... fyriend of youyrs, sisteyr? Would he fit in that pool with you? I should like to meet him, if possible." She felt a pang of protectiveness and hoped that Jewel was an excellent judge of character. If she were their parents' daughter, she undoubtedly was taught by their father to be cautious in picking friends or stallions. Jewelledsky was very protective of his children, and so Sibyl was the same of her Songmates and siblings.

She couldn't help but glance up at the few clouds in the sky and nod decisively. "Pointy." she said, oddly tilting her head to the side. "All I see is... pointy."

Gem smiled at him and nuzzled his side gently when Gyre gave her the sheepish look, "It's alrighyt, I would probably be worryied also, if I was tayken by surprise." She cooed softly toward Gyre before looking back at the Aquatic. She heard about Flare and she tilted her head before looking back at the ocean. She saw two black eyes and she turned her ears toward them curiously, seeing them disappear beneath the surface she looked back to the aquatic, just in time she see her flopping our of the water and reaching toward her. She backed up quickly, her eyes widened in surprise. "Uh, yeah, I wyould guess so also."

((*snickers* Ah, but then he'd have to risk having them hear him. He can just think it instead.))

Gyre sighed and absently shook a little water out of his mane and legs as he grinned ruefully. He wanted to be brave for his mares, but he always wound up spooked and shouting first, then had to go back and try to be the big brave stallion after he'd already goofed. At least they hadn't left him yet for it. As both mares turned to look at the ocean when Jewel mentioned another name his head automatically swiveled to follow their gazes, and once more he was dazzled by the impossible beauty of the ocean. Far too much so to notice one black, white and red spot vanish and reappear. But something that Sibyl had said caught in his mind. "Eyr, ayre theyre monsteyrs out theyre?" he tried to ask casually, though the slight quaver in his voice gave him away.

With a laugh Jewel slid back into the pool and flicked a tiny splash of water at Gem with one fin. "Oh you pooyr thing! You don't know if you have haiyr oyr not? Sisteyr, help heyr, please!" For a moment the Aquatic vanished below the pool's surface again before rising once more to look curiously at Gyre. "What makes a monsteyr? Something that would eat us? Of couyrse we have things that would eat us in the deeps! And in the shallows too! But not this shallow. Just watch out for the jellies, they sting and huyrt and you can't see them until you'yre almost too close."

In answer to the question of if Flare would fit in the pool with her Jewel dove back under and swam a quick circuit of the pool as though measuring it. "I'm suyre he would, but I'd yratheyr go out theyre to meet him. Otheyrwise we'll both be stuck heyre foyr anotheyr tuyrn of the tides and it's boyring in heyre." Rearing up out of the water again she tried to look to the shore to judge the current state of the waves, but the three land dwellers were between her and the ocean. Sinking down again she laughed once more as her sister proclaimed that she saw...pointy. "Oh, pointy indeed. Flayre, Flayre ayre you still out theyre?" There was no responce, but she didn't seem terribly bothered by that.

Gem glanced back at Gyre and then at Jewel, "I must of misunderstyood you," She giggled slightly, "I know I'm hyairless, which is why this weayther feels wondyerful." She smiled before her eye caught a small sand crab that crawled around her feet. She sniffed at it gently before it grabbed onto her nose. "Yowch!" She chirped loudly, flinging her head back and plopping down on her hindquarters, the crab sent flying back into the air where a small bird swooped down and grabbed it. The chickadee must've been hungry because it hopped over to Gem and chirped, as if asking for more food. Gem turned her head before the bird flapped its wings and perched on her head.

((And that is how she fount her little chickadee pet.


I forgot to bring it in at the beginning, so she might as well find it now. XD))

(( Gah, she's so cute with that bird on her head! <3 ))

Sibyl chuckled at her sister's explanation. It would make sense that if there were predators on land, there would be predators in the deeps too, and she was sure Jewel knew how to avoid them. She had no idea, of course, what an ocean predator looked like since she'd never been beneath the waves, but at the same time, she wasn't particularly eager to find out more, especially if it involved getting wet. "Flayre must be the pointy one, I assume. Do you know when the tide might come in, sisteyr? When you would be able to leave your little pool and show us a few ocean tyricks?" Sibyl didn't know if such a thing existed, but if it did, it would give Jewel a chance to show off in front of some land-bound Samanayrs.

The older mare turned to Gem as the little chickadee perched on her head. "I'm suyre, of all of us, Gem would be the best swimmeyr." Sibyl thought it might be possible that Gem had the most, if any, swimming experience out of the lot of them. Sibyl had never been in the water deeper than a pond for drinking and she was fairly sure Gyre hadn't either, being from the desert. She wasn't sure about Veil, though. "Would this Flayre consent to meet us by the shoyre with you?" she asked, curiously eying the churning waves of the ocean for signs of movement. Since she wasn't used to it, the whole sea looked like it was moving. How could one spot someone in something this active?

((Always fun to have RP explanations for pets! Hmm...speaking of pets, I should probably figure out where Moonlight went...))

The thought of monsters in the deep wasn't exactly comforting to Gyre. Especially since the way Jewel had phrased it made him think of monsters in the jungle and the desert and the sky and...everywhere. He was so jumpy as a result of that, that when a litle crab pinched Gem and made her yelp he jumped. The sand and stone here was damp and slippery, not like the desert sands he was used to. So once more he slipped and landed with a thud, just in time to see a bird land on Gem's head. "Eyr, not a monsteyr. I think... Wheyre'd Moonlight go I wondeyr..." He frowned slightly at the bird, hoping that his pet wasn't going to decide that it was a snack. He wasn't sure where she'd gone either, but hopefully she wouldn't reappear by swooping down to grab the little thing now sitting on Gem's head.

Rocking back in the water Jewel shook her head at all of them. "Hairyless belongs in the sea. Not that I'd give up mine. That's a funny biyrd...neveyr seen one like that ayround heyre befoyre." The Aquatic leaned forwards again, craning to see the little chickadee before shrugging and tilting her head at her sister and nodding enthusiastically while giggling. "Oh yes! You'll see, just as soon as I get out of heyre! He'd know betteyr when the tide will rise again, I'm still leayrning the yrhythems of the sea." Flipping herself up into a high leap and landing on her back again she managed to get a glimpse of the ocean over their heads.

"If this was just sand I could wiggle to the ocean now I think. But I don't fancy getting all cut up on those shells tyrying it heyre. I think anotheyr houyr should byring the wateyr back to me though. And then I'll go get Flayre! He'll come." The young mare nodded decisively.

Out in the water two wings briefly became visible as the lurking stallion flared them out huffily. Why was he trying to impress this mare again? Why was he still here? Other than the fact that she knew where he lived and wasn't above harrying him back to meet her new friends. Wasn't trying to impress her after all, oh no. If he was trying to do that he'd be swimming to the beach now instead of waiting for her to drag him over once the tide reached the pool she'd temporarily stranded herself in. And he wasn't doing that, not at all. No, he was closer to shore now than he'd been before because...the waves had moved him? No, that wasn't it... Ah, he was closer so he could take stock of the interlopers and decide if he needed to chase them away or flee to another part of the coast until they gave up and went away. That was it. Yes. Indeed. Flare nodded to himself and tucked his wings back to his sides, drifting every so slightly closer as the waves rolled up and down around him.

((Aw, thank you, Harroway, and, yes, I do suppose it is quite fun, Ori. (: ))

Gem flinched slightly when Gyre fell and quickly turned to nudged him softly to make sure he was okay which unbalanced the bird. It chirped angrily and hopped down to her back where it would hopefully have a safer ride. When Gyre mentioned Moonlight she frowned slightly and thought of almost the exact same thing that Gyre was thinking about.

Gem turned her ears to look at Sibyl, "I have done syome swyimming, it is quite fun. But I could never stay in too long becyause though the shore was wayrm, the lake water was pryetty cold," She shrugged, "Though I wyould think that this wyater would be much warymer." She then glanced over to where Jewel was and she smiled, "Hairyless may be better in the sea, I wyould prefer staying on the wyater. My fyeet aren't really good for swimmying," She glanced back at the bird, "Really? Hm, I guess it must of been visiting maybe? I'm not really sure."

(( Just letting you guys know that I'll have time to make a reply on Friday at this point, possibly tomorrow. So if you want to continue on without me for a bit, please feel free to do so. I'm not sure if I'll be home super late tomorrow (I hope not!) but if I am, I won't be able to reply until Friday. I hope that's okay with you guys! This week is just super busy for me. x_x ))

Sibyl cast a glance out into the ocean, pondering then what might be lurking in the depths. What would Flare look like, especially if all she could see in the clouds was something sharp like daggers? She tilted her head to the side as if doing so would make the ocean become transparent. Still nothing she could see, and she turned back to her sister. What would Flare be like? Would he be like Jewel, happy to meet new and interesting Samanayrs, or something else entirely?

"I do hope this Flayre has been tyreating you well, sisteyr." she said evenly, wondering then if she sounded more like her father than a sister. "While we haven't known each otheyr long, I feel I must invoke yretyribution if this Flayre has done something... impyropeyr." For a moment, Sibyl paused and blinked as herself. She sounded just like an overprotective parent and she blushed. "You are veyry impoyrtant to me, afteyr all!"

Sibyl suddenly felt as though she crushed the mood, and looked down into the sand silently, pushing the grains around with a hoof. I'm sure she has excellent taste. the mare thought to herself.

Picking himself up with a sigh Gyre thought to himself, I have to stop falling down...especially in front of my mares. It just isn't...dignified... His face twitched into a wry grin as he kicked one hind leg out, trying to shake damp sand and pebbles out of his fur. As he tuned back into what was going on while he'd been freaking out over...a bird of all things, a tiny little bird, Gyre had to blink. Who knew that Sibyl was so...protective of her family. That made him feel warm inside, that he had won such a thoughtful mare to his side, and with one more glance at Jewel to make sure she still hadn't turned into the monster he'd imagined, Gyre slid over and nuzzled Sibyl reassuringly, though he wasn't sure why she was suddenly staring silently at the sand rearranging it.

Jewel laughed and shook her mane at Gem as the hairless mare stated that the water she had swam in had been too cold. "Nice and wayrm heyre if you want to tyry again!" She splashed one fin down invitingly on the water of the tide pool as she nodded agreement to Gem's speculation that the water here was warmer than that. "Ah well, we can't help how we'yre made. Oyr undeyrstand it sometimes!" She laughed merrily at the reference to how her birth Song had thrown two foals of completely different species to both their parents and one another.

The question of the wandering bird was erased by Sibyl's sudden onslaught of protectiveness and Jewel laughingly backpedaled, retreating playfully from her sister. Before she could answer though a voice came from the shoreline, to her great surprise.

"Otheyr way ayround now isn't it? Why not ask if she tyreats me well why don't you?" As Jewel trilled a delighted greeting to the stallion that she couldn't see, the lionfish mimic bobbed just far enough out from shore that he could still get away easily at need. His voice had a seemingly permanent grumble to it and his black eyes watched the three landbound Sams warily as his wings trembled ever so slightly.

Turning to see who had spoken, pleased that he hadn't jumped...much anyways, at the unexpected voice, Gyre promptly broke his promise to stop falling down with a yelp. Definitely pointy.

(( While I'm waiting for Celestial to reply, I had to interject that I am now picturing Flare shrieking, "ABUSE! BEHOLD THE VIOLENCE INHERENT IN THE WOMEN!"

And of course, Jewel is giggling and being her usual adorable self. ))

Gem looked at Jewel and grinned, "Perhyaps later?" She whistled softly, her ears going forward slightly as the mare splashed down her fin. "I suppose your ryight about thyat," She nodded, looking at her still slightly scarred knees. "Hmm." She chirped quietly, looking back up. She suddenly looked over to the new voice and she tilted her head slightly in curiousity, before she looked at Gyre who had fallen [Atleast I think he did, I may of misread the post, if so, ignore this next part.] and she cooed softly, asking if he was alright.

Sibyl turned her head just slightly to see who had begun to speak, and saw something very much like the vision she had from the clouds. In its pointedness, anyway. The strands of her stellar crown moved with the motion and the mare turned to fully watch the form in the sea. "You are Flayre, I assume?" she asked, lowly but as politely as she could. Obviously she couldn't see all of him while he was in the ocean and he wouldn't, and couldn't, come on land to see them, but this was enough, she thought. The idea that Jewel would mistreat anyone shocked Sibyl, but she tried not to let it show. What could Jewel possibly do to harm someone so venomous looking? But still, there was a bit of curiosity she couldn't shake. "Has she been less than kind to you? I do wondeyr what she could have done, tyruly."

((Sorry for the confusion; yes, Gyre fell down again at the end of my last post. *pokes avatar* Looks like 'fall down go boom' was a good phrase to use for him... ))

Out in the water the older Sam barked a laugh. "Not a young buck anymoyre am I? Old Sam like me wants his yrest doesn't he? Talking my ear off now isn't she?" One ear flicked out absently as the old stallion watched them with his habitual dour expression, making no move to come closer to shore and seriously questioning why he had initiated conversation with them.

With all that was going on Gyre decided that it was probably in his best interest to just stay down this time. That way he couldn't be startled into falling down yet again. He sighed and trilled reassurances at Gem again before turning to once more regard the sea going stallion. "Eyrr, I don't know? We only just met you afteyr all... But you still have youyr eayrs..." His voice trailed off in confusion as he looked around at the three mares. "He does, doesn't he?"

Behind him Jewel trilled with laughter. "Youyr stallion is safe fyrom that at least sisteyr! Oyr else someone actually did talk his eayrs off! Flayre's so silly! I'd intyroduce you all to him but I don't think I caught all youyr names. Flayre! Flayre, when's the tide coming in again? Anotheyr houyr isn't it?"

Gem nodded at Gyre and then looked at the newcomer, he looked somewhat pointy, with his many points and spines. From that she could almost immediatly tell that he was to stay in the water and could not come out. Which could be a good thing depending on what his temperament was. She glanced at Sibyl when she began talking again and listened to her ask her new-fount sister questions about Flare. She looked at Gyre when he looked at her and nodded.

Sibyl tried to suppress a giggle as best she could when she heard about Flare's discontent. Though she'd only known her sister for a short while, she was much more talkative like their mother, and Sibyl had appreciated that. Obviously, however, the older, spined stallion had other opinions on the matter. The older mare turned to him and sat down, watching him with genuine curiosity. Jewel must've taken a liking to him for some reason or another, and she wasn't about the judge. At least, not yet. "I do believe she has at least given you many things to talk about. She is wondeyrfully vivacious, and peyrhaps you appyreciate that moyre than you say, siyr." Sibyl meant to be polite, and that was her way of not only defending her sister's decision to befriend the older stallion, but also to inadvertently convince the stallion that perhaps he enjoyed Jewel's company after all.

Sibyl cast a sideways glance at Gyre and smiled. He was born without ears and she remembered that from seeing his mother, Hiss. "Peyrhaps Gyre has gained so much wisdom that eayrs ayre no longeyr necessayry." She absently wondered if Gyre could blush with her showering compliments upon him, in her own way.