[FIN] Are You Stalking Me?! (Betula & Kagali Lillian)

[Darkmoon Dancer]

Over the last couple days Betula had been experiencing a very... odd... feeling. He kept feeling shivers run up and down his spine, and he couldn't explain why. It felt like someone was watching him, but every time he turned around or suavely ducked his head to nibble on an 'itchy' foreleg, he never caught sight of anyone, or anything for that matter! But at this point, he knew it couldn't just be his imagination. He had finally given in and decided to speak up.

With night falling fast, Betula figured he would be safest somewhere that moonlight would be abundant. This place, was a nearby pond. The treeline was a few good running strides away from the edge of the water, and though there were reeds all along the perimeter of the pond, the surface was very clear and reflective, casting light back up at the sky when the moon decided to show it's face. And tonight, the moon was approaching a full state. Yes, here was where he decided to make his stand and pull his stalker from the shadows.

Reaching the water's edge, he turns his head over his shoulder and shouts at the treeline, "If you would care to join me, I will wait by the water. Take as long as you need. I will wait." And with that he slowly lays down at the edge of the water and makes himself comfortable. There, he will wait until his unknown stalker makes their way out of the treeline whether it takes five minutes, or a few days. He lays there and watches the ripples make their way across the water's surface. Little details like this could keep him entranced for days, so time was not an issue. He was patient.
 

[sbuggy166]

Kagali watched from a good hundred yards away, her perfect eye sight making the Cerynei at the waters edge crystal clear despite the distance. she was very grateful to her father for her nifty Kalona eyes, though at sometimes they got her into trouble, for is she stared to hard her prey would notice her. this was one of the incidences. she had stumbled upon a Male cerynei that she would have normally missed if the wind had not been in her favor. his coat was remarkable. the patterns resembled the forest making it hard to see him. Kagali also had a camouflage coat, but not like his. hers favored shadows and hiding at night. she bet that he could hide even in broad daylight. though she could see that night might be a problem for him and the whites on his coat.

she was so intrigued by this male that she decided to turn him into her new game. she spent several days following him staying hidden and watching how his coat blended with the surroundings. at times she had almost lost him, but her Kalona sense of smell helped her to find him again. after the third day she was sure that she could tell his smell from about a mile away. the more she watched him, the more she loved his look. the way his hair flowed with the wind. how his antlers stuck up like the branches of a tree. she expecially liked to look at his eyes. they were wonderful, almost perfectly clear, or white, she could not tell.

it was while she was staring at his eyes that he stopped by the waters edge. he heart stopped in her throat as he called her out. he had noticed her, she was staring too hard. she silently cursed herself as he sat down waiting for her to show herself. what if she just ran away? but something kept her inplace. his eyes were entrancing. she slowly walked forwards, using the shadows of night to hide her. she kept her eyes half closed so that they would not shine in the growing darkness and alert the male to her position. it took her about ten minutes before she gathered the courage to approach him. she silently walked to the tree line, staying mostly hidden except for her face. "um...ahem..." she did a little polite cough, not sure what else to do she just stood there awkwardly.  

[Darkmoon Dancer]

He waited patiently, just as he said he would, and he did so gladly. He was not the kind to try to force someone to do something, and would have easily continued to lay by the water for days if the stalker had just turned tail and ran away. But he needn't have expected to wait so long. A very short -to him anyway- ten minutes passed and then there was a slight rustle back in the treeline. He flicked an ear over to listen, and shortly afterwards he heard a small cough, one of politeness, not of malady he noted.

When he turned his head to finally take a look at his stalker all his almost-clear eyes could see in the shadows was a head. But what a wonderful sight! She had flowing curls and a dark coat of scale markings with a lighter undercoat, but what really caught his attention were her eyes. Her eyes were the most vibrant yet solid blue eyes he had ever seen and they were all that the grey cerynei had eyes for.

It took him a moment to realise that he was staring at the mare, but when he did he smiled a little shyly and beckoned her over to the edge of the water, to share the moonlight with him.
 

[sbuggy166]

Kagali hesitated to show herself. she was never that good at confrontation. she wondered if the male was mad at her. and what if it was the opposite. she could deal with anger easily with her own easily provoked anger, but she would not know what to do if he wasent mad. she nodded and went to sit beside him. not too close, just out of his reach incase he tried something funny. from following him she knew him to not be the harmful type, but it is possible that she had just not seen that side of him.

she looked at him and then to the water. it struck her that he might not have known that she was following him. maybe he had just noticed her now. in that case it was best to play innocent. she looked at the moon, her slitted eyes adjusting to the moon light. "it sure is a nice night out." she looked back at him her eyes catching the moons sparkle.  

[Darkmoon Dancer]

He didn't see her nod, but he did hear her approach him and even just that kept that small smile on his face. He was glad that she was comfortable enough to reveal herself, even if she did keep her distance. That, he deemed, was the smart thing to do at the very least. For all she knew he could be a vicious monster inside this small cerynei form. He wasn't.... but that would definitely have made this situation much more confrontational.

He waited for her to settle in and remained quiet, allowing her to take the first stab at a conversation. He would let her set the pace of their meeting, because he sure wasn't in any rush.

He nodded and turned his head to look at the mare when he could feel her eyes make their way back onto him. They sparkled at him, and he knew then that this was a sight he would never forget, even if this mare were to leave that instant and never see him again. She was an image of beauty in the moon's soft light. But all of these details, all of these thoughts, would be kept to himself. It would definitely take some time and a lot of work before anyone would be able to wrangle this memory away from him.

"I like the crisp night air. It's when I think best." Well that was unusual. He hardly ever talked about himself unless directly asked.
 

[sbuggy166]

Kagali smiled at him. it was the polite thing to do. she looked back at the water. it was almost mesmerizing how it moved, slowly traveling around the world. she sighed and watched a little fish that swam in the deeper end. it was silver.

normally Kagali would have burst out from the trees with a fiery temper and have some crazy reason as to why she was following someone. but something was different about this situation, about this male. he was so peaceful. he just sat there so quietly, so tranquil. she had gathered from her stalking of him that he mostly kept to himself. he seemed like the kind that would appreciate the little things in life.

"I wish i could be like this river. it snakes its way around the world seeing so many different things." she reached forwards and licked the surface of the water, causing little ripples that disappeared in the current.  

[Darkmoon Dancer]

He followed her gaze and his heart almost melted when she sighed. 'What a sad sound!' He didn't want to hear her make that sound again. When she spoke of the river, he had to take a moment to gather his thoughts. He wanted to say the right thing. He took those moments to look at the river and watch the ripples she sent across the surface. Evenly spaced and perfect, those rings went on for a good distance before thinning out and melting back into the calm surface further out.

"What is there to stop you? All it takes is a willing heart and open eyes. After that, it is only time that wears on the explorer." He tried to make it sound hopeful, but he wasn't good with emotions. He spoke from his heart, because he knew that this lifestyle that she described was something that he too was working towards. Yes, he wandered and he gathered new knowledge, but in truth, he hadn't strayed very far. And staying close to familiar grounds was not going to get him to far away lands full of strange new secrets and information. No, he knew that desire, because he felt it too. And he knew how to get there... but somehow, he could not bring himself to wander so far on his own.
 

[sbuggy166]

Kagali liked the sound of his voice. it was calming. she took a while to think about his question. her eyes staring blankly at the water as her thoughts jumbled in her head. she liked to learn things, and found that the easiest way was to learn from watching others. but every-time she heard of someone's adventures in far away lands, and all the wonderful sights...well, just knowing about it wasent enough. lately she had been longing to not just know about other places, but experience them herself.

she turned and looked at him suddenly feeling defendant. "there is nothing stopping me. i could go where ever, whenever i wanted." she looked back at the water. "im just not sure where and when to go." plus the life of a traveler seemed exciting, but lonely. that is the common feeling that she had seen amongst explorers. Kagali could not stand being alone. perhaps that is why she followed people around. always wishing to have friends, but could just never bring herself to join in. she would not admit that though, not to this stranger, no matter how beautiful his eyes were.  

[Darkmoon Dancer]

She paused, gathering her thoughts after he spoke. And Betula welcomed this silence, allowed it to continue until she was ready to speak. Though honestly, when she did speak, he was surprised at the sudden defence that she built up. His face didn't show it, but he had not been expecting that. He could tell that she wanted to go out there and travel, and he could feel that that urge was almost as strong as his own. He felt it as a burning desire, a boiling turmoil inside of him that whispered and begged to go further away from here, to go and see everything there was to see. He briefly wondered whether she felt it the same way, but it didn't seem appropriate to ask. Somehow it felt like a very intimate question, and he didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable.

Betula nodded, understanding completely. He knew that feeling of indecision. It would come over him whenever he finally urged himself to get up and start marching in a new direction, only to pull him to a stop.

"I don't know where I'm going either. Perhaps it would be easier if we were like the river... already have a route plotted out..." He spoke softly, and he turned his clear eyes to look at Kagali, "...but I know that's not what I want. I want to make my own path...." He trailed off a moment and looked up at the moon before adding, "...but not alone."

He left it there, falling silent once more. It wasn't quite an invitation, more of an observation, or an insight into his own mind. Something very rare for Betula to do, in fact, and whether she realised it or not, he had just shared something very secret to him. Something very important to him.
 

[sbuggy166]

Kagali welcomed the silence as she too looked up at the moon. having a travel partner would help for sure. just someone there to giver her that extra nudge. she had tried on several occasions to just get up and leave, but she somehow always found herself back home before nightfall. she looked back at the buck thinking about what he had said. it almost felt like he was asking her, but at the same time he left it open for her to decide if it was a question or a statement. she smiled at him deciding to give him a chance, after all, he has been nothing but polite and nice to her. she liked the peaceful air around him, and he was easy to talk to, even if that meant not talking at all.

"my name is Kagali Lillian. it means bone moon, and lillian i inherited from my mother who inherited it from her mother. if its not too much to ask, may i know your name as well. and if not your name, at least something i can call you by?" she kept on looking at him. taking this opportunity plan out the conversation. she had an idea, and she hoped it would all turn out well. first things first was names, then she would work on the rest of her plan.  

[Darkmoon Dancer]

As he stared at the moon, he subconsciously tried to pick out the shapes of it's craters, trying to make sense of them all into one concise picture. But that was only at a secondary level in his mind. First on his mind was this mare, and what he had just told her. Why did he tell her about himself like that? Why did he feel comfortable with her? She had just stalked him for days, at least, and who knew how much longer than that. And yet he could just be himself around her. He didn't have to put up all of his guards for her, and he could just be calm and relaxed in her presence. It was strange, that's for sure, but it somehow felt... right? Or something.

Her name was as beautiful as her face, and he almost smiled when she explained it to him. He thought it was nice to have a family member's name, if one had family to borrow it from. He responded, "That's a lovely name. Mine is Betula, after the birch trees." A small smirk found it's way to his lips and he nodded at his coat, to indicate the camouflage he had naturally inherited. A perfect name for the perfect camoflage.
 

[sbuggy166]

Kagali smiled. "i like your name." so he gave her his name. she was going to take a real tab here. a real leap of fate. she had stalked many and was a rather brave soul when it came to following some of the darker types, but for some reason what she was about to do seemed more frightening that fighting kalona. she looked to the river concentrating on the ripples of the water as she thought through her choices. she felt like she could trust this stag. he had this nice feeling about him that just made her feel peaceful and happy, like there was nothing to worry about. he too wanted to travel the world and see things. Kagali could easily imagine him being a good travel partner. he would not force conversations, and he would not be obnoxious and hyper. she guessed that when they came upon something amazing he would be the type to marvel in silence.

after a long time of thought and contemplation Kagali took a deep breath as if to prepare herself for the question she was about to ask. butterflies filled her stomach threatening her nerves to actually ask him. she turned her head and looked at him. something about looking at him calmed her enough to feel confident to ask. "Betula, I know I have just met you, well formally that is." she chuckled a little to herself. "I, well...I want to travel and you want to travel. Do you want to travel together?" she blushed embarrassed at how silly she sounded, and then quickly tried to explain herself, the words spilling out of her mouth. "i mean...it would be nice to have someone to be with me. someone who can support me if i ever feel like turning back, they can keep me going. or someone to share experiences with. simply having someone there would be nice. i mean...well..." she blushed even deeper and then quickly looked away totally humiliated and embarrassed. she felt like running away and never having to face him again. but not seeing him would make her sad.  

[Darkmoon Dancer]

A slight nod indicated thanks for her liking his name. This mare had captured Betula's attention, that was for sure. He couldn't get his eyes off of her when she wasn't looking, and even when she was it was hard to pull his gaze away until she started to feel uncomfortable. Like she was just then.

She averted her gaze, and looked like she was mulling a very difficult decision over in her mind. He waited patiently, but this mystery didn't stay a mystery for very long. He watched her fidget and take a deep breath... and then she dove into the matter at hoof.

As she spoke, his lips slowly turned upward and into a smile, growing wider as she blushed harder and began to ramble. Seemed like she had managed to plan out about half of that spiel and then the rest just kind of came pouring out. He also blushed, though admittedly not as brightly as Kagali, but he couldn't tear his gaze away from her face.

He nodded, grinning widely. Then realised that she probably didn't see him nodding as she had turned her gaze away from him in embarrassment. Quickly, he stood and walked around to stand in front of her. Back legs ankle-deep in the water, he lowered his head to hers and looked directly into those bright blue eyes of hers.

"I would like nothing more than to travel this world by your side. To be your lean, and you be mine." He spoke calmly and quietly, and he spoke from the heart, whether he knew it or not. But he knew with every bit of his being that he wanted to be with this mare, even if it was just to share time with her and travel by her side.
 

[sbuggy166]

Kagali broke into a huge smile as she felt a swelling of joy in her bosom. he wanted to go with her! he had such an elegant way of putting it too. she stood up and nodded at him. she felt like hugging him or even just touching him, but she could not bring herself to do it. she had already taken one risk today, she did not want to push her luck. he was so close though. he had closed the gap between them so quickly. she found herself at a loss for words.

"oh, thankyou. it will be nice to have you with me." be nice? be nice? i sound like such an idiot! she could not stop smiling. this would be the first time that anyone ever stayed by her side for more than a few min before they either left or she ran off. it was an odd feeling for her, not wanting to run, but to stay. she wanted to stay with him. her future looked much brighter when she was looking into his perfect eyes.  

[Darkmoon Dancer]

'She said it would be nice to have me with her!' His heart lifted, fluttering about in his ribcage as if it was threatening to take off without him. Never had he felt anything like this, but this, like his first look at this silver mare, would not be forgotten any time soon.

He was grinning uncontrollably at this point, ecstatic that she had offered and agreed to travel with him. They could both finally set off on that grand adventure that both sought after so much. Amid stalking and secret-keeping, of course, but still! He barely knew what to do with himself!

The moon was still high in the night sky, so he figured he should suggest something, to avoid this becoming awkward. The moment was perfect and he didn't want to ruin it with stupid words, but if he didn't speak he feared that Kagali might get more embarrassed and reconsider leaving. And he didn't want that.

Speaking for what felt like the hundredth time today, Betula said with full confidence, "Then it's settled! We stay here under the moon 'til morning. Tomorrow we go get your possessions, and then set off for the unknown."

More of a statement than anything, he was hoping it wasn't too demanding. She could of course refuse, but he figured he could end the night with a plan in mind so that they could enjoy the night sky calmly until sleep took over.