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 Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 2:13 pm
Her thoughts and worries were lost on him as he was enamored with the glow bugs. Cruz merely gave Revontulet smiles and silent assurances. The cold was not ideal for a reptile; it made him sluggish and sometimes ill but that didn't stop his enjoyment of it. To the mistletoe croc, Winter was beautiful and should be celebrated.
"Yeah?" Cruz raised his brows and smiled her way. Each one crawled and fluttered, tickling his skin. He remained as still as he could to not scare them off. The croc giggled at her challenge as another of the bugs decided to land on his forehead.
"Show me."
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Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 2:14 pm
Ren took a deep breath and held super still, willing the soft glow of her rune to mimic that of the buggies and entice them to her side. She could hardly feel them through the thick layer of her skin, but every so often she checked through a peek of her lashes to see if it was working.
Slowly the bugs started to land upon her outstretched arms, but more flew away than stayed, disinterested in the odd surface of the moonstone's flesh. More of them landed upon her hair, but she did not count those due to being unable to see them.
When she was sure that she was not going to beat Cruz (and she couldn't really blame the bugs - she liked to touch him too, after all!) her mind drifted back to the thoughts of food. Perhaps it had simply been the way she'd attempted to feed off of them. Or perhaps one hadn't been enough to snack off of.
Reaching out one hand, Ren covered a number of the buggies against her arm. As if attempting osmosis, the girl pressed gently against the little bodies under her hand, but felt no relief similar to eating. Had she possessed a better sense of touch she'd have felt the slightly wet sensation of the bodies being crushed within her palm. Instead, it was the smell that first notified her that something was wrong.
Lifting her hand, the aurora's eyes widened at the sight of the little buggy corpses. "Cruz..." she said, looking for help.
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Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 2:15 pm
Both of them were preoccupied by the surrounding bugs. One scuttled down his face and took to tickling his nose. Cruz scrunched his face in effort to shoo it back up, rather than fly away, but it did just that when he blew on it.
Dang.
By the time Ren spoke, Cruz counted somewhere around ten lightning buggies taking a rest upon him. At first, when he turned, he smiled eagerly. The lost look on her face immediately dampened it. His arms fell to his sides and all of the fireflies took off in unison.
"Revon..." the croc drifted over, hands held toward her without touching. The glistening smears against her arm, the tiny crushed and mangled bodies still oozing whatever chemicals caused their illumination. "What happened?" Cruz's voice was soft as breath. His eyes were wide and cautious, worried for both the frei before him and the bugs that remained.
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Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 2:15 pm
Holding her hand out towards him, fingers unfurled and flat so the true expanse of the dead fireflies could be seen there, she shook her head. "I don't know...I wasn't trying..."
The girl bit her lip, fingers curling slightly as she pulled her hand away, as if suddenly ashamed of what she had done. Ren's head turned up to the moon that glowed steady and warm in the sky, not flickering or twinkling like the bugs had against the sand and their skin. Perhaps, if she'd have thought about it, she'd have realized they weren't the right source.
"I thought I could eat them." The moonstone pulled her age back to the bugs and then up to Cruz, hoping he would understand. She did not want the croc to think badly of her for such a simple mistake.
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Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 2:16 pm
When it came to young naivete, perhaps they were equally matched. Cruz hovered closer, the corners of his lips pinched into a soft curve. All across her delicate skin where dark splotches, tiny mashed bodies and crooked legs. It wasn't a low, warm rumble that left the croc's throat this time but a pitiful whimper.
"Let's," he started weakly, "leave them alone." They had to assure none of the other fireflies would come to harm, after all. From there, Cruz's hands gently found their way to her shoulder and back just between her fair wings. "Wash," Cruz suggested with a whisper.
Ever so carefully, he guided her lower to the sand and surf. The tide was low and calm. His hands cupped the shallow brine as it rushed up to meet them and he drizzled ocean over her skin with utmost care. They would clean her skin, then make apologies to the bugs.
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Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 2:16 pm
Ren simply nodded at the croc's words, following obediently to the surf where she allowed her ribbon to curl and tuck beneath her. As Cruz drizzled the cool water across her arm to wash away the small remains, she let her own hands rest in the water, letting the current wash away what it would before resorting to a light rubbing of her palms together to complete the process.
As the two stood back up, the aurora looked back up the shore at the twinkling bugs that remained. They did not seem to be aware that their brethren had been killed or that she had done it. Even now, though they did not seem interested in getting too close to the water, a few were drawn to the glow in her hair.
Silence stretched for a long moment as she floated there, watching the bugs and listening to the waves.
"I should go," she said finally, not looking towards Cruz.
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Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 2:18 pm
While Ren floated higher, Cruz barely returned to his usual height. He let his arms dangle at his sides, fingers still coiled in the water as he watched the lightning bugs hover lazily. It was mesmerizing but the air of guilt and confusion hung heavy and he wondered how they kept themselves up after witnessing so many of their kind be snuffed out.
Maybe they didn't know. Maybe they couldn't.
At her words, Cruz's attention fluttered back. He stared, mistified, until he understood her sentiment. "Should?" Did she want to leave or did she feel like she had to? His teeth clenched uneasily. "Will see you again...?"
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Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 2:18 pm
The question made her flinch only just, the folds of her wings rustling uneasily against her back. She had enjoyed Cruz's company, but she could also tell that she'd not done well in her actions. Although he had been gentle and kind, the mood was gone and there was not much point in lingering to try and get it back.
Not when the fireflies danced about them as a memory of what she'd done.
But she didn't wish to upset him any further either. Instead of going into the details she simply she smiled at him and nodded, though her gaze hovered just around his ear instead of at his eyes. "Yes. Doucette will be worried about me. I will see you again soon, I think."
Perhaps, if she left diplomatically, he would remember the beginning of their meeting rather than the end.
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Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 2:19 pm
Doucette. The name didn't sound familiar but he could easily tell who that was -- her guardian. Reminding him of his own, Cruz glanced to the apartment's third floor balconies. Their light was still off but who knew how much longer he could stay here without worrying Anita, too.
He nodded. "Okay." Cruz dared to float a bit higher, at least to be on eye level with Revontulet. He smiled, hesitant but hopeful. "Soon," they quietly promised each other. As if to seal it, the croc leaned forward and pressed his lips to her cool cheek.
"See you," Cruz whispered as he pulled back. He looked more assured then. The aurora frei was right; he would absolutely remember the beginning -- and this very sweet end -- more than the bad, as time passed.
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Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 2:20 pm
Ren followed Cruz's gaze towards the apartments, guessing that he too was thinking about his guardian at this time. As her head was turned, the other frei left the kiss upon her cheek, startling her somewhat. Not in a bad way, of course.
She was surprised he would see her off so tenderly, but it made her heart give a little flip that perhaps they would see each other again soon and it would be under better circumstances.
The moment was passed by the time she thought to return the kiss, Cruz having already pulled away, but she smiled at him and touched her fingers to the spot to show how much she had appreciated the action. "Yes...see you," Ren echoed, before turning to float away across the ocean, her ribbon bringing up a little spray as it touch the surface.
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