would like to meet her someday. twilight wanes, darkness creeping up slowly. the day had been cool and the night threatened to be cold, but talitha cares little about that. instead the twilight finds her in the glade, though not actually in the glade.... yet. the pixie is pressed low to the ground, hardly more than a fuzzy shadow as she waits. time ticks on and on, the clock dragging, until finally -- finally! -- the timing is just right. it has finally gotten dark enough for fireflies to emerge from their hiding places, spotting the clearing with pinpricks of light. with a hunter's cry she darts forward, tiny little paws thundering beneath her as she charges forward -- muzzle snapping at the air as she tries to catch one. of course... the illusion of her being a mighty hunter is marred, just a little, by her soft laughter but she's certainly doing her best. that laughter only grows louder as she skids to a stop, empty-handed but absolutely delighted by the scenery before her.

@Alaric

CODE BY LARS; ART BY TANZANI

Alaric knew of beauty. In fact he was what one might consider a collector of beautiful things. That being said, the nighttime and fireflies were hardly something he considered worthy of collector. Sure, he could appreciate the look and even speak of admiration if needed, but they were not things likely to take his attention for long.

The shadowy form moving among the grass, though? Much more interesting.

A hunter's call is what pulls his focus first and he moves instinctively towards it, curiosity piqued. The laughter that follows is all the more interesting, soft and feminine as it is, and his steps increase in speed. When she comes in to sight, speckled with light from the night bugs, a slow smile spreads across his lips.

"Well, aren't you darling," his purr emerged from the shadows as his bulk forward, features marked with a charming softness. A mask, surely, but not one easily discernible. He had practiced this. Delicate moves, delicate words, and so he stops a respectful distance from the dark creature..

where innocence's burn in flames

The sound of iron shocks is stuck in my head, the thunder of the drums, dictates. the rhythm of the falls, the number of deads, the rising of the horns, ahead. From the dawn of time to the end of days I will have to run, away. I want to feel the pain and the bitter taste of the blood on my lips, again.

code by corvus

though she is a mighty huntress, her prey still escapes her. her muzzle twists as her teeth snap fruitlessly. she manages to catch nothing but air, but she is not upset by it. instead she remains delighted, grinning until her cheeks dimple as she dances around. each pounce brings her closer to her goal of catching one of the fireflies, tiny little paws crashing into the grass with a certain sort of viciousness. she is preparing herself for another little pounce forward but @Alaric emerging from the shadows distracts her. her front half remains half-lowered as ears tip forward, looking towards him as her mouth falls open in a little o. oh, hello! she calls out, nearly the very moment she spots him -- too excited for her own good. his words reach her and she straightens up, muzzle twisting towards her chest, a clear sign of bashfulness. that's sweet of you! she says with a shy little giggle, her front paws turning inwards as she watches him stop just a small distance away. i'm talitha! who are you?

CODE BY LARS; ART BY TANZANI

she was sugar sweet and darling and he wanted to eat her up. figuratively, of course. mostly. he settled down on his haunches before her, doing all he could to appear non-threatening. as if he were there to merely chat about the weather, or whatever nonsense counted for small talk. "it is merely truth," he amended, his impatience buried beneath years of experience. "alaric," a hum with his words, a gentle sound at odds with his bulky frame. "it is a pleasure, @Talitha. tell me, what were you chasing?" if there was one thing that he knew of the general population it was that most of them loved to teach, or to be right, and so he gave to her an opportunity to tell him something. nevermind that he knew damn well what the insects were. while they were not native to his homeland he was well traveled enough to have come across them before.

image by moogle, code by koi