ooc: keeping this backdated to when scarecrow arrived in the original post (hopefully that's okay!)
Life in the Prairie was… nice. Really, it was. Jasper got to watch his siblings grow from wobbly-legged, unsteady foals to strong adults who mostly all outgrew him. Thankfully he wasn’t the sort to develop a complex over that sort of thing. He had been when he was young and bullied relentlessly by Miriella, but time taught him so many lessons that made his height such an inconsequential thing. The fear that’d plagued him that he would never be the son his father needed was growing smaller and smaller with each passing day - each time he threw himself toward an adversity the Prairie faced and offered his unwavering, undying support, he saw the pride warm his father’s blue eyes and he couldn’t help the way his heart swelled.
All he’d ever wanted was to feel as if he was important to his father; an asset to his father. He’d gotten that.
But the days in-between the action and dramatics stretched out long and quiet… Well, they were rather lonely for him. A few times he thought of pushing beyond the borders of the Prairie to search among his neighbors, but there were always reasons he held himself away. Primarily, of course, was his worry that he wouldn’t find another stallion interested in him, or that his dainty-like, small pony-build influenced by his mother would seem too weak, despite the few scars his gold hide bore from various scuffles over the years. But the main one that always stopped him was one simple word that drew up a storm of emotions inside him.
Khan.
How could he ever ask anyone to open their heart to him when a part of his would always belong to the golden boy he was bonded to for life? It felt selfish and cruel, especially when he only wanted it to appease his own idle loneliness.
A trumpeting call was announced toward the beach, offering Jasper a welcome reprieve from his current thoughts. Curiosity was always the first emotion to arise when a newcomer crossed Prairie grounds and he was the first to greet them, given the responsibility of explaining his father’s territory and assessing their character to decide whether they would be a good fit for the Prairie. Though, with all the drama the Prairie found itself in, he knew now to be somewhat apprehensive, too.
Jasper approached the beach with his head high, blue eyes bright as he looked down the slope of the dunes and through the wispy beachgrass that swayed with the wind coming off the ocean. The figure wasn’t hard to see, big as he was, and such a stark contrast of deep blacks and bright whites. Jasper whinnied toward him and carefully picked his way down the sandy dune so as not to go toppling and rolling down over their guest.
“Hello!” Jasper’s voice was friendly once he’d drawn close enough to audibly greet the stranger without having to shout over the waves. He kept a respectable distance and stretched his neck out to offer his muzzle toward the large stallion, having to lift his head upward to meet him. As he tucked his chin back he wondered if any of the other guardians had heard this stallion’s call. If this interaction turned negative, he’d have a lot of horse to deal with.
“I’m Jasper, Guardian of the Prairie. What brings you to our shores?” He used to immediately launch into a long-winded explanation of his role, but after a while of greeting newcomers he learned it was better to let them ask their questions and be ready to answer whatever it was they wanted to know. |
