Who are they? (Fantom and Banshee[?])

[Halo]

(OOC: Hope this is okay…>.> I put both names in there, in case Lauren wants to post with Banshee too.)

Sequin Ruins had been able to sense a change in the air, but had really not put much thought to it. For the past few months she had lived in a fair amount of peace, not bothered by the other horses in the herd and not threatened by any roaming stallions (or her Lord, for that matter). To be left alone is all she truly desires, not to fall into terrible harm again. Her scarred flanks shiver and twitch at memories filtering back into an unprotected mind. Perhaps it is her loner tendency, even within this terra, that prompted her to be unknowing of the events that had taken place and the change of power.

So when she lifts her head from grazing, her ears perked into the wind as voices are carried to her and nares flaring as strange scents fill her nose, it comes as a bit of a shock. A scary surprise when discovering the tell-tale signs of a strange stallion. Already her legs begin to tremble and unconsciously she searches for the two yearlings normally playing near her sides. They are nowhere in sight and now she fights with the instinct to flee and a curiosity an equine often possesses. The black, rainbow dotted mare, snorts and tosses her head, taking several steps forward and a couple more than that back.

Slowly she creeps along, slipping into a pocket of trees that would conceal her as she makes her way closer. Her tail swishes behind her nervously and her heart slams in her chest, all good sense telling her to run and get out of there before she lands herself into steep trouble. Yet she can’t seem to stop her pillars from carrying her closer and closer to the newcomers. Sequin edges near the fringes of the trees now, peeking through the shadows and hoping that her dark pelt is enough to conceal her. But…now that she looks to the spot where they should be...where are they? Her ears flatten against her skull nervously.
~Sequin Ruins

[<3Kodi]

As he had a tendency to do, Fantom was once more circling the territory he had come to claim. Banshee was somewhere abouts, also exploring. He kept his harks perked for sounds of trouble or even signs of the horses that had lived here when Twilight Darkness and Mozart had ruled. Thus far Fantom had been unsuccessful in seeking out former neutrals that had called this place home. Whether Mozart had taken them with her or they were merely recluse was a mystery to the seldom-spoken stag but he was unbothered. If the horses wished to stay they could, if they wanted to leave they could. Fantom could start from scratch with his herd or build it on the remains of what had once been on the Cutberry Downs.

Topping a rise, the Rocky Mountain stallion scanned the fields with his warm garnet gaze. His eyes paused on a pocket of trees near the base of the slope he stood on. Staring hard at the trees the sixteen hand king blinked once, twice. Had he just seen a flash of lime green? Tossing his head to shoo his flaxen forelock from his eyes, Fantom let out a loud whiny, calling to see if anyone was hiding from him within the trees.

He kept himself still, his posture relaxed such as was his nature. Lowering his head, Fantom grazed lazily, harks perked for the sound of hooves. He could hear the ever so soft sound of shifting in the leaves. Someone was hiding from him but Fantom wouldn't force them to show themselves. Instead he stood atop the hill and pretended to graze. He already had a mate he loved and from the smell of the scent at the base of the hill it was a mare. The mare had nothing to fear from Fantom but she didn't know that, didn't know that he was a "one mare" stallion and loyal to his queen. Still, he was patient and waited as he grazed. He had all the time in the world.

[Halo]

She had not expected the whinny, though she should have, calling in her direction; she should have known that she would be easily spotted as her pelt’s anomalies sort of stand out even in shadow. It surprises her enough to jump, turning away from the direction of the call and backing up. Not looking where she is going, she trips over a young, fallen tree and nearly lands on her rump before she catches herself. Sequin knows she has to be making a ruckus load enough to make herself known within a hundred mild radius, and feels foolish for her reaction, and stands in as low of a posture as she can manage behind some brush trying to get her breathing and her heart rate back under control. Damn her cowardice.

Perhaps she should face the inevitable? If she is going to be claimed by a new lord then she should simply face it; one master is better than two or more, which she fears she would not be strong enough to flee from or fight off. But it is easier said than done for the young fae, who has had fears engraved upon her heart for good. But the choice is eventually made for her.

The two young ones, who had gone missing from their mother’s care, are playing hide and seek tag, their whole territory open for their game and, like their dam, completely unaware of the new arrivals to the land. The yearling filly releases a shrieking, giggle as her brother bursts forth into her hiding spot, her long stilts scraping for purchase before she manages to make a mad dash out of Knives’ reach, straight up the hill Fantom is standing atop no less. She is looking back at her sibling when she runs smack dab into the lead stag’s hind leg, bouncing back and getting her legs crossed.

The dark green colt dashes up and tags her with the tip of his nose while she’s in her predicament. “Gotchu!” Then both look up at the stranger with tilted heads, Papercut’s forehead wrinkled in a quizzical fashion and Knives’ mouth slightly agape with a look on his face telling openly that he is trying to figure out what is going on. Neither of them have ever seen this fellow before and they are still too young to be leery of strangers, inexperienced especially for their mother’s more hermit-like lifestyle.

Sequin’s nose twitches slightly as she recognizes the two faint scents coming down to her and her ears flatten against the back of her skull as a grunt squeaks in her throat. Now being pulled between maternal instincts (which she has often ignored in the past) and desires for self-preservation, she peeks her head out from around her hiding place in concern. God smite it all, she can’t just stand here and do nothing. Her offspring know nothing of the cruelty of brutes and are certainly nowhere near capable of defending themselves. So that brings her into the picture.

But why won’t her legs move? She mentally growls at her limbs as she looks down at them, having to forcefully lift each one to carry her out of hiding, each step getting a little easier. It pleases her and she smiles slightly, until she remembers why exactly she is braving this new situation. She lifts her head and, swallowing the lump in her throat painfully, summons enough bravery to lift her shaking limbs into a trot. Even before she nears the hill, she calls out in a warning whinny, tossing her head threateningly. Don’t you touch them, is the gist of it.

As she reaches the bottom of the hill she tries to ignore the haste her heart is making in her chest and bounds up the hill, bodily shoving her way between the much larger equine to take a place between him and the foals. The two continue to peer around their dam’s fear-trembling legs inquisitively, but respect her enough not to move from where they are stationed. Sequin says nothing but simply snorts, trying to look bold and tough, but somewhere inside knows that he will be able to see write through the transparent layer of fake.
~Sequin Ruins/Papercut/Knives

(OOC: Sequin can get a little bit on the aggressive defensive side, just to forewarn everyone.)

[$*CrazyHick*$]

The Banshee was on border patrol even in her really pregnant state. She snorts slightly as a bit of pollen gets in her nose and shaked her head as she walks right through a spider web she rolls her eyes today was not her day to be one with nature and that bothered her. As she checked out the northern border she continued to the east finding nothing out of ordinary and still no sign of life beside the occasional kick in her belly and the birds and the occasional mammal. She called out to anyone hoping to hear another sound and not hearing a peep but a bird. Her face grew into a frown and soon a mood sunk and she was irritated this being all the cause for the rise in her hormones poor Fatom she didnt know how he put up with her and her wierd cravings. From lets have some bark to let have cactus. Though the cactus will never be something she will try again it tended to be v ery painful to pull those little prickly things from her lips. Which had cause it to swell up and look infected but with little application of aloe she was good to go.

Standing all by herself her dark blood red eyes were examining everything in the scenery. Everything was interesting but it was not to interesting as it seemed it was just she and her love in the land. She flattened her ears as the baby kicked alittle to hard however the sound of an off neight caught her attention it sounded somewhat angry and this upset Banshee. It seemed it was directed toward a brute and she thought about Fatom and her eyes widened great her being pregnant would add to complication. Still she had to help and she broke into a run if you wanna call that but it was more along the lines of a fat waddle. She was breathing to hard when she got to the top and finally got her breathing settled. She nickered to her love seeing his form and then the mare and the foals. Interesting seemed they were the ones making all the fuss. She stopped shortly of Fatom looking at the mare before speaking "Hello."

[<3Kodi]

Fantom's head snapped up as something collided with his hip. The stallion staggered to the side and raised his head in surprise to see two foals, looking at him with looks of increasing confusion. Flicking his flaxen tail the stag eyed the twins. One was a filly and one was a colt. The filly was palomino and had a green tail and mane, black creating her forelock and green spots dappled all over. Turning his gaze to the colt, Fantom found himself looking at a dark green yearling with various colored spots on his rump. Before Fantom could attempt any sort of communication however, a mare dark grey in coloring came cantering up the hill, letting loose a whiny that was a clear warning. He could see now where the filly got her mane and tail color as well as the pair having spots of various colors.

The mare moved between the foals and Fantom, protecting them as any mother would. Lowering his head in a sign of peace, Fantom backed down in hopes of easing the mare's obvious unease. She had been the one hiding from him in the bushes and he had no wish to frighten her. She was nearly two hands shorter then he was and he had to arch his neck slightly to look her in the eye but he tried not to because he knew someone with garnet-red eyes would probably frighten the obviously jumpy mare.

Whisking his tail, Fantom was about to speak when a second whiny made him turn his head and find his mate, Banshee coming toward him as quickly as her pregnent state would allow. It had been a trying few months but Fantom tolerated her behavior because he knew it was of his own doing though he did frown a little as she approached, not sure whether he should be happy or mad that she would come to help him if intruders came, even when pregnant.

Fantom let out a soft nicker of greeting to his queen as she came to his side, brushing his muzzle against her neck as she spoke to the mare. Turning his garnet gaze to the mare, he decided not to speak but instead to wait and watch, see how Banshee handled the mare and hope the other mare would understand if Banshee went into one of her hormonal moodswings.

[Halo]

Sequin looks between the two strangers, eyes wide as if trying to take in more of the scene before her than is natural. She notes the loving gestures the brute gives to the mare, making it obvious the two are mates; some part of her twinges with green envy, having never herself experienced such affections from a stallion, while another part refuses to admit that, as a fae, she needs such accommodations and comfort. Still, she is reminded by the absent twitch of her blemished hide that to attempt earning such kindnesses only rewards you in betrayal and pain. There is no such thing as true happiness anymore.

Trying to stop her body from shaking as it does, making the attempt to pin her ears back farther than distrust to push an expression of aggression, she grits her teeth and snorts quietly. He forehead crinkles down, disturbance in her light emerald eyes as something occurs to her. “Wh-where is Twilight and...Mozart?” She finds it somewhat embarrassing, even feels heat cross her face and tips of her ears, to have it known that she does not even known of the whereabouts of her leads or the basic news of the goings on in the territory. She may be reclusive by force of nature, but she had finally begun to feel a little more secure around her former lord, not fully trusting him but safer than she had.

Papercut grumbles, untangling her legs and standing up straight with her nose in the air, tired of having to hide behind her mother while she senses nothing out of place. She’s constantly scare of everything. Can’t she see there is no danger? She pushes the limits of her dam’s patience, stepping around the larger mare and standing behind her, Sequin’s lime green tail draped over her still skinny neck. “They dun look scary,” she whispers, looking back at her brother who is peeking under his mother’s belly.

“No?” he asks shyly and practically crawls so that he can lay under Sequin to be able to look at the other two adults with less difficulty and yet still be protected by his mother’s bodice. He blinks up at them, eyeing Banshee with a question on his face. And, being a foal, he just can’t help himself. “How do you get that big? Must eat lotsalotsa apples...” His mother stomps her hoof in reprimand, but he doesn’t understand what was so wrong with what he said, and it shows on his face.
~Sequin Ruins/Papercut/Knives

(OOC: *Snickers* Kids...)

[$*CrazyHick*$]

Banshee nuzzled her love back with tender affection before letting her dark blood red eyes land on the mare. A smile on her lips she may be pregnant but she had to be nice to herd members. She looked at the mare she had asked where her former herd leaders were and Banshee wasnt sure she wanted to tell her that they had run out on her. She shook her tassles "Mozart and Twilight abandoned this place it seems" Banshee said going on what her love had said. She was confused it seemed Mozart had run out due to the fact she was power hungry and just wanted power. She frowned at that thought and then looked at her small little foals which were adorable and wondered what her own would look like since these foals were very colorful unlikes her black unmarked form. When the filly spoke to her brother and came out from the security Banshee laughed softly at their little speakings. They atleast knew that she and Fatom were not here to arm. Unless Banshee went into one of her almighty hormonal moodswings which had tended to calm down in her pregnancy. As the little bold colt looked at her and she saw it coming a remark only a mother wouldnt be fond of but neither was Banshee. She smiled "why no I am expecting a baby" she said with a smile looking at the funny colored colt.

[<3Kodi]

Fantom examined the uneasy mare with his calm garnet gaze, swishing his tail and allowing Banshee to reassure the mare before confirming his love's words. "Twilight dead by some form or another and Mozart has left. I've placed my claim on this land but you are free to leave if you wish or remain." Fantom didn't know how loyal this mare had been to Twilight Darkness and his power-hungry queen but if she had been very loyal he was fairly sure Mozart would have taken the mare and foals with her when she left. Perhaps it was the fact the mare had been hiding that Mozart hadn't taken her? Whatever the reason, Fantom decided it best to just go along with it.

Papercut, the little filly seemed bolder then her dam, coming from behind her protective parent. The colt, Knives, was also coming forward, eyeing his queen with questioning eyes. While the colt examined Banshee, Fantom took a step to the left and moved forward, around Squalin. Tossing his head a little, Fantom lowered his head to Papercut's level, reaching forward to touch muzzles with her in a friendly greeting. She was only a foal after all and obviously not as fearful as her mother and Fantom did have a soft spot for foals, even those that were not his own.

It was the colt's words that made Fantom look up and let out an amused snort. Raising his head away from the filly, Fantom couldn't hide the amusement glimmering in his deep garnet optics. He wondered to himself if their foal would be so curious. Leaving Banshee to deal with the curious colt, Fantom fixed his gaze on the grey mare. "Whether you stay or go is your decision. Should you stay, you and your young will be protected and if you leave I will not stop you."

Turning, Fantom made his way back to Banshee's side, eyeing her swollen belly and mentally reprimanding his mate for not resting. He knew she was pretty far along in her pregnancy and needed to be rested and relaxed, not chasing him or other horses all over the downs.

[Halo]

Sequin Ruins allows the news of her Leaders to sink in, as well as the offer to her freedom of a choice to leave or stay in these lands, a home that she has just recently really begun to explore and understand. The fact that this thing had happened without Mozart approaching her with the report of her dethronement is rather disturbing to the mare, who had thought of the other fae as a friend. Apparently she had been wrong. She does not give an answer right away, distracted by Fantom’s approach which causes her to tense up, her legs locking and her bodice stiffening.

Papercut reaches her own little muzzle out to meet Fantom’s, her maw parted in a large smile. He moves away and she turns away from her mother to run in a wide circle around her, bucking ecstatically. Knives just stares at Banshee when she answers him, one brow lifting quizzically before he grins in almost a ‘yeah right’ expression. “Oh,” he replies simply, though. He would do better not to argue with someone at least ten times his size.

The new King speaks again of the subject of staying or going and Sequin draws in a deep breath, sadness and uncertainty reflecting in her gaze. The mother equine shakes her head slowly as she answers. “Where else would I go?” The answer to her is obvious; she highly doubts she’d be able to protect herself and two foals outside of a herd, even if she isn’t certain that she can quickly trust Fantom. He seems harmless enough, but so do they all. “There is no reason for me to leave, I know nobody else in Penori. And apparantly I am not needed elsewhere.” Since Mozart had not informed her of the current situation.
~Sequin Ruins/Papercut/Knives

[<3Kodi]

Fantom nodded his elegant head to the worried mare. He was taller then her and being a stallion, he had the potential to be more aggressive, more dangerous to Squalin and her young. Fantom could sympathize with her unease, after all this was all sudden. Mozart and Twilight had probably been the herd leaders for a while and it had probably taken all that time to make Squalin trust them. Fantom was gambling on time to win Squalin. Her foals seemed more content and less fearful then their dam which was good. Judging by their size it wouldn't be too long before the foals would be able to wander alone in the herdlands and fearful horses were not what Fantom needed or wanted in his herd though he wouldn't turn Squalin away.

Something in her gaze made him weary of her, weary of making the wrong move. He had been daring to approach Papercut knowing the filly's dam was so touchy but Fantom was hoping that showing Squalin he meant her and her foals no harm but only protection would help her trust both him and Banshee. He didn't know who the father was for Knives and Papercut but didn't ask. If the stallion wasn't with them now then it was likely in his mind that Squalin was a rape victim because of her fearfulness of stallions.

At her confirmation that she would stay, Fantom nodded in understanding. Swishing his flaxen mane the tall stag turned his garnet gaze to his mate, worried over her silence and the fact that it was likely she'd been moving around all day while carrying the added weight of a rapidly growing foal. Fantom let out a soft nicker and began to head down the slope toward the trees where Squalin Ruins had been hiding before her foals had flushed her out into the open. He wanted to find a place for his mate to rest, for the foaling couldn't be far off.

[$*CrazyHick*$]

Banshee seemed aloss for words. The mare seemed so lost and confused she wouldnt make her leave it was the mares decisions and Fatoms. She smiled "like Fatom said Miss you are welcome to leave or go if you wish" Banshee said lightly. She smiled at the little foals it wouldnt be to long before they would have a playmate she obeserved as the kicking began to grow worse. She smiled and looked around watching as Fatom began to walk off she nodded a goodbye to the mare. Though they would meet again that was for sure and she knew they would. She turned away and followed Fatom slowly she would probably recieve a tongue lashing which she didnt want she was supposed to be there for her mate and to help him whenever he was in trouble or needed company it was what mates were for. She nickered to him preparing for the little reprimand but right now she really didnt feel like it she was exhausted. The foaling would be in a few days and the little bundle of joy within her was letting its prescence know more and more making her smile. She nickered to Fatom softly though there was a tired air to it.

[Halo]

Sequin Ruins watches as the two turn and start down the hill, heading for the group of trees that had sheltered her only a few minutes ago. She remains where she is as the pair’s size diminishes in perspective, aware of the excited scrabbling of her foals around her. The world is simple for them, she envies that, They don’t know the fears of the world and it is that innocence that Sequin misses the most. But you can’t turn back time and there is no holding onto a single second of it. There is no use complaining and no use wallowing in misery, only room enough to move on.

Perhaps moving on for her is not passing out of these lands of Cutberry Downs, just because her leads have gone, but is in fact that she should stay and make the most of life where she can. And that’s here, she guesses. And the leads don’t seem so bad, even though she still can’t trust Fantom as far as she can chuck him. Yet, she had felt the same way about Twilight Darkness when she first met him. This stag deserves a shot, too, then, but he better not expect no miraculous change or her blind devotion.

A small smile grasses her charcoal lips and she turns her head to watch the two scampering about the hilltop, again in a game of tag. Her tail swishes slightly and she turns to gaze about the land in front of her. This can be home for a little while longer.
~Sequin Ruins/Papercut/Knives

(OOC: I’m guessing we can end this, then? Just wanted to intro everyone, right? )