His chest heaved as he ran, heart hammering in his ears. Brigg ran and ran, looking back only to make @Maude was following suit. If she had decided to bolt a different direction, then her fate was in the gods' hands now. His eyes were set on the tropical trees ahead, paws thundering against the ground as the terrain finally began to change. It wasn't until a canopy of trees was over him that he slowed, picking a fallen log to leap atop for a better view. Claws gripped the wood to keep him from slipping as he completely stopped his momentum, turning to look the way he had come. Striped chin hung down as he openly panted, eyes desperately searching from where they had just came. His blood sung so loudly in his ears that he was temporarily deaf, hearing nothing but his own body.

When he was able to speak without yelling, eyes dropped to Maude. "What was that?!" The logical part of his brain knew she likely had no idea either, as she had fled just as quickly as he. Brigg did not believe much in the supernatural (even gods were iffy to him) but he could not logically explain what he had just saw. He waited for the woman to possibly offer a solution, fighting down the deep-seated terror that threatened to bubble up.

The pair ran and ran until they were certain they had put some distance between themselves and the strange light. Maude wanted nothing more than to pin it on lightning but it was most certainly not that. Although as they sprinted into a new territory and the darkness of the sky became overlapped by the shelter of trees, she began to slow until she turned with @Brigg. Aiming her body from where they had just retreated from. As she began to catch her breath and the panic began to subside, that heavy panting began to turn into laughter. A laughter that was good for she had loved every second of the fear that had transpired there and the adrenaline that had spiked as they ran from the oddity. I've sure never seen anything like it, she eventually managed -- for there was nothing like that where she was from. The lights hadn't come from their pumpkin which brought along her realization that they had left it behind in their craze to get out.

table by sentinel / lion + beach

His companion began to laugh, quiet at first but it quickly became the predominant sound beneath the trees. Absolutely baffled, he watched her with absurdity, but his own terror that simmered beneath the surface didn't take much convincing to switch to his own laughter. He tried to hold it in at first, but a chuckle made it past his lips and he soon was laughing right along with her. Tears gathered at the corner of his eyes, but he blinked them away, stress almost visibly melting away from him.

When the silly outburst faded, he gave a shake of his head, which turned into a full body shake. It felt good, as if he was shaking off their previous experience. He then stretched out his front half, reaching as far as he could with his paws, scratching at the wood. His body then flopped down, his legs dangling languidly from his log perch. He crossed a foreleg by his chest, resting his chin as he regarded @Maude. He was a bit tired after all that, and could do with a short rest.

"Hope you don't need to pass through there to get home. Or, perhaps, wait until morning?" He was gently pressing to see when she had enough of his company; he had no intentions of parting ways just yet.

Laughing amidst a scary moment where you're simply running without really knowing what it is you're running from? Worth it. It had been so long since she had actually been somewhat frightened of something and to be frightened by something so unknown seemed foolish. Perhaps not foolish but Maude was used to running straight into danger so to run from it was actually refreshing.
The male decided to take a little lounge after his stretch, shaking off the experience as he flopped and let his legs dangle. I couldn't tell if you were trying to get rid of me there for a moment, she shook her head and began a slow walk towards him. Clearly, that was the his way of keeping her around. From the way the Bluffs Noble saw it. But if you're in dire need of my company, I suppose I could spare a few hours. Vermier likely wouldn't even notice that she wasn't there for a night, right? He wasn't her keeper and yet as one of few members that were in the Bluffs for him, she supposed it might be slightly noticeable.

table by sentinel / lion + beach

The assumed danger they had faced mere minutes ago was already nearly forgotten by the pirate as he watched the pale woman carefully. When she spoke of him attempting to be rid of her, another grin crept along his maw, and it grew as she continued. Eyes followed her as she moved closer, but he remained where he was. "Yes, my need is quite dire. Who else is there to keep me company in the middle of the night?" Truly, Brigg was typically by his lonesome nightly, so @Maude's company was an immense improvement. Eventually, he decided it was time to stop being lazy, and he slid from his perch. He had no intentions going back to the open field, so he glanced over his shoulder, looking deeper into the jungle. The fog was thick this evening, and the scattered moonbeams that broke through the canopy gave it an eerie glow.

Attention returned to Maude, a glint in his eye. "Care for some midnight exploring?" Going further into the night was probably not the best of ideas, especially after what they had just experienced. But he didn't want to bore her by staying in one place too long. The adrenaline was already gone, which meant sitting and talking would be quite dull by comparison. She had formally lived in the Lagoon, but wasn't sure how much she knew about the jungle. He was still personally new to the area and could go for some more mental mapping.

There had been far too many years that had passed her by since the last time she had openly flirted with anyone and been flirted back at. This was a moment in time that she had long thought forgotten and unavailable to herself. A situation that she had believed would never swing back in her direction like a comet that only came around every hundred or so years. The fact that @Brigg extended the flirting back to her meant something and it took everything in Maude not to jump straight to conclusions or to think too far into it. A swift reminder that any time she found any semblance of love, in whatever form it carried, bad things tended to follow. Quite smart of you to request the presence of a capable warrior for your nightly escapades. A smart male, indeed. He had chosen his warrior well. I accept your proposal, in exchange for a nice meal. Would he accept?
As the proposal swept the conversation, she nodded her head to confirm that a midnight excursion was well in the books. The Fields had opted to cast them out with its beams of light but that didn't mean that they couldn't wander the dark tressels of the Jungle in the hopes of finding something new. Perhaps something to keep themselves entertained as the night progressed.

table by sentinel / lion + beach

@Maude was easy to converse with; there were no expectations between them. They were nearly strangers, with just a smattering of random knowledge that had been shared, intentional or not. There was a good chance he may never see her again after tonight, and so far his actions had been quite tame and mostly innocent. Spending the moonlit night with a pretty stranger was much more preferable over a lonely night with nothing but his thoughts. When she commented on him deciding to keep her around, he rumbled a chuckle. Perhaps he was a bit of a yellow belly for deciding to run so quickly from those weird lights, but dealing with the supernatural was definitely not on his itinerary for the evening. She countered his suggestion, wanting to sweeten the deal, and he smirked. Cheeky minx.

He extended his right leg and curled his other as he flourished a bow. "On m'honor, you'll feast tonight." He turned to head further into the jungle, and he paused to make sure his bodyguard would come stroll by his side. His paws moved slowly through the forest floor, picking his path carefully. He glanced over to Maude, getting a good look at her up close for the first time. He really was quite intrigued by her eye color. "What are y'hungry for? Land or sea?" He was a fair fisherman, but wouldn't mind chasing something through the underbrush for her.

His gaze moved pack to the forest in front of them, and he suddenly found his heart in his throat. Before them, innocent as before, was a grouping of pumpkins. He glanced over to Maude, having already stopped walking. "Didn't want to try those again, did you?"

How could a lady not sweeten the deal? This was his way of paying for the pleasure of her company and only the bravest and more honorable men would respect the deal. A deal made so that he would have to put in some good solid effort to keep a woman around. It was one of many ways to tell if a male was worth her time or if they were still stuck on their own ego. A way to separate a boy, from a man. Splendid. Maude grimaced, happy to know that there would not just be a meal, but a feast. Hopefully one that would leave her begging for a second meal. Land, preferably. Spoken as she came to stand beside him with a great and confidence fire. Fish was a good choice, but the meat she found on land animals was far tastier and she found that she didn't have to work as hard to eat what was there.
Ears and eyes detected the small change in posture and a quick breath from @Brigg, alerting her to him before casting her gaze out to where he looked. Another few pumpkins sitting there, egging them forward like a beacon of untrustworthy air. Eyes narrowed as she questioned their presence and if, in fact, they had been somehow followed by these angry round things. I'm not scared, and she wasn't -- not of this. In fact, she was prepared to take on whatever came at her now. Prepared to run whilst laughing maniacally as they ran from (or charged after) these strange objects.

table by sentinel / lion + beach

double, double toil and trouble;
fire burn, and cauldron bubble...

Nafasi watches from the bushes, never once letting herself be seen by those huddled around her perfectly-placed pumpkins. They really were a curious bunch, weren't they? Well, fortunately for them, the sprite was feeling extra generous today, and had a treat for them that she has been wanting to share. And so, it was with a small smile that the being craned her head, watching the lions for a few more moments, before giving a quick stomp of her paw against the earth.

Hm...

Without warning, the pumpkin suddenly splits down the middle, right in front of your eyes! And...oh? It looks like there is something tucked inside! Weird, but you might as well check it out. Investigating further, you find a collection of trinkets, feathers, gems, fruit, and other curious things hidden within the pumpkin, ripe for the taking! Looks like you got lucky today.

OOC Prize: full litter re-roll
*note that nova has already received their two prizes from the halloween event

pixel credit to moonlight-pendent13