Slïth'creûn
Sunlit Shadows
Bubble
Bubble is a gentle soul and full of life. He has been dubbed the Walking Reef, and it seems to perfectly honor so many of his aspects.
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Our Walking Reef is not, as one might assume, obsessed with bubbles. He is, however, the living embodiment of all that a bubble represents. His heart has been bruised through the trials of life, leaving him a delicate spirit that is easily wounded by rejection, and yet he still wishes to bring such enjoyment as he can to anyone around him. He bonded quickly with our Siren, the mare Sign, whose cove lays ever close to the lagoon that he himself has chosen to settle in.
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The lagoon is created by a coral reef, the bright tones of coral complimenting the vibrant oranges in his mane and tail to the extent that he is literally invisible once he enters the water, his hooves looking like nothing more than more bright shells laying along the banks. The sea flows just beyond the reef that shapes his little haven, and a tree-studded beach surrounds his shores. It a place of peace, a place of sunlight and warm waves, full of life and fish that stir up little bubbles in their passing. He wanders frequently to Sign's gentle cove, and she often follows him back to this languid lagoon, content to float in the quiet water.
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Gentle though his soul may be, tender as his heart has become, the Walking Reef has not lost his enjoyment for life. The little fish that fill his lagoon, the larger creatures that wander in and out of the water, the bubbles stirred by their passing, the birds that come to visit or feast, winging in with tales of the vast ocean beyond his waters; all of these small and sprightly things bring him joy, entice him into games, remind him of the lesson he had once forgotten; a lesson of vitality, of the simple vibrancy to be found in all things.
He was hurt, this gentle soul, as he weathered the trials of his life. He swam in joy, stood through the storms of rejection, lingered in the healing pools of time, and has found that he is not quite so resilient as he perhaps could be. Something inside of him is damaged, even still, slow to connect, slow to trust; slow to have that risk, once again. As with any coral reef, regrowth is slow, difficult, and can never undo the truth of what happened. As with all bubbles, it has been proven that any small damage can be devastating.
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It was this fact, this lingering effort to heal, that drove he and our Siren together at least as much as his gentle-hearted nature. They are braver together, with our Siren declaring it a sign, that he would come to find her now. She has discovered new talent through his gentle care, found a new vitality of her own through his tender efforts, for while he himself is as yet still recovering he finds her delicate nature too endearing by half. To be there for her, to see the spark of joy returning to her eyes, reminds him once again of the vibrancy of life around him; the buoyancy of his own spirit.
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Even the worst storms stir up bubbles, tumbling and swirling and twisting through the waters. Perhaps, in some small way, there was still more for him to learn, more to see, more laughter to find - although once he had thought such things gone from him. The deepest storm passes and the bubbles remain, dancing gaily behind the racing fish in his quiet lagoon, bursting quietly as they greet the bright suns. And that, too, was an old lesson newly remembered; that one can burst with joy, and not just pain.
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The healing is slow, and yet our Walking Reef is recovering, just as he helps another timid sea-dweller to recognize the signs of growth.