[PRP] Hidden Messages [Grasswhistle x Nocturne]

[Xerianthe]

Nighttime was her favorite time. Nocturne of Shadows danced her way across bumpy roots, humming under her breath. Graceful even in the dark, she breezed through scattered patches of moonlight where it peaked through the branches of the swamp. Her golden eyes caught a flicker; head tilted, focus intent. Her humming grew more cheerful and she quickly made her way towards the flickering fireflies. “Hello little firefly. You have a radiant dance, I would love to partake.” She bobbed her head to match the various fireflies, and when they started to move she followed like a moth to the flame.

Her keen ears caught the tell-tale sloshing of movement – the sound a Kimeti walking through the swamp. Her steps perked further, and she caught sight of the other in the dancing lights of the moon and fireflies. Ever eager, she trotted up to the buck, very close to his personal bubble, with a large grin on her face. “Good evening! It is ever so easy for a Kimeti to miss his footing and break something in the dark. Or maybe a tree would help you along… Some trees are just so nasty! Just a little twitch of a root and bam!” She trailed off with a few giggles.  

[Xerianthe]

Nocturne giggled, tilting her head to peer at the blushing buck. “Surprises are plentiful in the nighttime. Like a Kimeti’s ghost possessing your body and diving out of a tree to re-enact her death. That would be surprising, wouldn’t it?” Her smile widened when a firefly alighted on her nose, going cross-eyed to watch it, and then kept her eyes crossed when she continued talking.

“You didn’t scare me at all though. A swamp monster would be a bit more frightful. Especially if she was made of thistles. Thistles are very scary plants, you know. So very grabby.” She stepped closer to the buck, head bent down low, almost touching his legs, peering down at his feet. “You have very pretty grass patterns, but you are not made of thistles. Or perhaps you could be, if you ate a thistle seed and it grew inside of you, all the way up to you nose and ears and out your eyes. I imagine it would hurt a bit. You haven’t eaten a thistle seed, have you? That would be a shame.”

She turned her eyes to spend a moment watching the fireflies dancing. Perhaps it was their mating season? Their dances were spectacularly intricate tonight. Nocturne turned back to the buck and then lit up. “Oh! I’m Nocturne of Shadows. It is pleasant to meet you. Or at least I hope it is pleasant, unless I scared your heart into stopping. Has your heart stopped?” She also added an afterthought - “There was also no need to apologize, but thank you.”  

[Xerianthe]

“It’s nice to meet you Grasswhistle. I don’t suppose you could talk to me if your heart had stopped, could you? You could certainly try though.” she trailed off. Her head began bobbing again, following the weaving lightning bugs. She hummed a few bars, voice blending with the nighttime air. The Kimeti stepped towards the sprinkle of fireflies, her hooves deftly finding even ground. “A message, perhaps? Do you think the Swamp Mother sends messages through fireflies, Grasswhistle? I wonder what she says…” she murmured, more to herself even if she seemed to address the other Kimeti.

Her head still weaving, she turned back to focus molten eyes on the white buck. “It’s a good thing you don’t have thistle seeds. They’re very nasty plants, you know. Very grabby.” Her voice lilted with her head’s movements, a sing-song melody. “I’m glad we found fireflies, you and I. We could have followed will-o-wisps and been lead to drown in muck. It would have formed big grabby hands and sucked us down, down to the very bottom of the world. Will-o-wisps look a bit like fireflies I’ve been told. But these are fireflies, aren’t they?” Nocturne peered at the glittering bugs. “Yes, I do suppose they are.”

She began to shadow one particular lightning bug flittering around the small clearing. “Have you ever seen a will-o-wisp? They are supposed to lure naughty foals away. I walk around a lot, but I’ve never seen one. Do you travel? Alone, with your family? You should make sure the foals don’t wander off. Mud will eat them.”  

[Xerianthe]

Nocturne mirrored the firefly, ducking her head to match the fluttering beetle. “Oh, I’ve heard of Thistle. Luring little foals away and such. Maybe it was only where I came from they talk about will-o-wisps? They’re little lights that lure you into the swamp. Deep into the swamp and you never come out. Wouldn’t that be fun?” She giggled. Her tone matched one of a child talking about a big adventure.

Prancing, she moved to stand on a large root near Grasswhistle, alternating between peering at him and the fireflies. Oh, that one looked like the sun, and that little squiggly looked a bit like a bird. Radiant, iridescent, magnificent little lights. The Swamp was so generous with her fireflies, Nocturne thought. She nodded pensively, partially in response to Grasswhistle’s words. Not the most observant of does, she missed his discomfort with her words. Her head tilted up to gaze at the moon. It was like a big firefly, one that always glowed.

“Yes it is pretty, isn’t it? So big and round and shiny. The moon is just gorgeous. And you can actually look at it without your eyes burning out." Nocturne smiled cheerfully at Grasswhistle. "It would be bigger if it was coming towards us to crash land on the earth. It wouldn’t be round anymore though. I wonder if something lives on the moon? A whole other clan of Kimeti, maybe? Or foxbuns, like the foxbun in the moon. I wonder if they would survive the crash. What would you do if the moon started to crash?” Gold eyes turned curiously to the buck, waiting for an answer (as if there was actually a correct one).  

[Xerianthe]

"Hmm. I guess that makes sense. The moon is very large, so it would probably kill everyone. It doesn't look like it will crash anytime soon though. Shame." Nocturne beamed, leaping into a puddle with a resounding splash.

"I suppose those on the moon would be dead too. So we wouldn't even get to meet anyone! Though that would be a good thing if they were big clawed monsters that eat kimeti like us. Or little ones that spit poison and melt your fur off." Sashaying over to Grasswhistle, she added, "Wouldn't it be marvelous, to meet new people? From the moon or halfway around the world! Of course, they could bring diseases that send you to insanity or decay your body so that your limbs fall off, but maybe they'd be nice."

The grey doe swayed gracefully, dancing a few improvised moves to come up underneath a firefly; aiming just so that it would land on her nose. "Do you suppose they have fireflies on the moon?"  

[Xerianthe]

“I think moon fireflies would be the best thing ever! I wonder what color they would be? Do you think they would still be yellow? I think moon fireflies should be a more exotic color. Maybe one that doesn’t even exist in the swamp!” Nocturne splashed her hoof thoughtfully.

“Wouldn’t that be wonderful?” she asked, getting more excited. “Would it be possible to see this color? That would be interesting – a color we couldn’t see. How big would the moon fireflies be? Maybe they’d be big enough to pick a whole buck up! Can you imagine flying with a moon firefly?” Nocturne bounced cheerfully, nudging Grasswhistle with her hip.

“That’d be a long way to fall.”