[PRP] Dying Light (Beletseri/Kiele)

[Meepfur]

The hour was late, she could feel it. Even if she'd been blind and unable to see the heavy afternoon sun begin to sink, there was always a shift this time of day, a subtle change in the atmosphere. For Beletseri, the change was never a welcome one. Her greatest wish was for day without night, no end to the light and warmth that she loved so dearly, but it was a selfish wish she knew would never be granted. With a sigh, she raised her head from her grazing, pale eyes tracking the course of the sun to assess how much time she had left.

Not long enough. Never long enough. Another sigh passed her lips, and the delicate mare began to pick her way across the plain, her long tail and the ribbons that wound through it trailing behind her in the short grass, their soft whisper of sound her only company. She headed east, putting the harsh late afternoon glare behind her in favor of the comparative darkness of the forest. To someone who knew her preference for light, it might have seemed counterintuitive that she sought the trees, and indeed, during the bright day she never crossed into the forest. She vastly preferred the grasslands, not just for their light but for the openness of them, the easy view of all her surroundings that made her feel safe, but at night that notion was turned on its head. In the dark, something could come at her from any direction...

Longer ago than she could remember, Beletseri had discovered that the safest place - or at least, the place that felt safest - to spend the night was in the trees. Not on the ground among them, no, that was every bit as frightening as anywhere else, but quite literally in a tree. If not for her breed, taking such refuge would have been impossible, but her ability to shrink down and flutter up into the branches - or better yet, into a hollow in the trunk - allowed her to take sanctuary somewhere it was less likely something that meant harm could find her. It was also near to the only time she used her ability, as being so small also made her feel vulnerable. She didn't like it at all, but to her mind, it was the lesser of two evils.

She had about half an hour of light left, plenty of time to reach the trees and find a safe place to settle herself for the night, but already dread was beginning to pull at her, anticipation of what besides sleep the dark might bring with it. Oh, if only the sun could shine forever!

Sawaki

 

[Sawaki]

Kiele enjoyed spending time in forests more than anywhere else. Ever since he can remember, his father would take him and his brother to roam around deep, endless forests in new lands. They travelled a lot together, even when his brother left them to pursue his own interests. Kiele and his father Kenji had a strong bond and were similar in many ways.

Kiele reflected on why he enjoyed being in forests so much. Being only half-uni, he possessed some minor healing powers, but he found that being close to nature helped him hone his powers. He spent most of his time and energy reaching out to nature and listening to the creatures that live among the shadows of the trees.

He noticed the sun dipping down lower and lower as a warm amber glow caught his eyes. He let out a yawn and let the heat warm his pelt. This was his favourite time of day. Feeling the tip of his long braid brush gently along the forest floor, he kept at his gentle trot, listening to the rustle of the leaves in the trees and the chirps of small birds. He also noticed a quiet sound of what he guessed might be someone else off in the distance... but he didn't give it much thought. He was perfectly at ease and wasn't easily frightened by strangers.

Meepfur

 

[Meepfur]

The trees loomed ever closer before her, at once welcome refuge and cause for concern. It was so easy for things to hide in here, in the shadows and underbrush, or even lurking in the branches, waiting to pounce! Her tail flicked nervously as she approached, her curly-tufted ears canting back in unease, only to swing forward at the sound of movement coming from within the forest...something coming this way. At first she thought it might be her imagination, and she paused to listen - no, it was very definitely not her imagination.

While anxious, however, she was well aware that not everything that moved was danger incarnate; it was at least as likely, if not more so, that whoever was headed her way was perfectly normal. It was just that she always, always considered the worst possibilities first. She shook her ribboned mane and waited, poised for the worst but outwardly composed.

When the source of the sound came into view, Beletseri gave a soft sigh of relief and quietly berated herself for her silly habits. Why, it was just a stallion! Nothing dark or suspicious about him that she could see; in fact, his long green mane was rather lovely. The beating of her heart settled, and she smiled and offered tentatively, "Ah, hello there."  

[Sawaki]

The stranger was closer than he anticipated. He hadn't noticed her at first as he unconsciously wandered on the path he always took in this forest, as there was a gentle fog descending. When a small mare came into view along his path, he was shocked. Is that... is she...? Is she a flutter? Was his first thought. His heart began to race, and he froze, perplexed. She seemed to relax just slightly when she saw him, then smiled and greeted him. Her voice was delicate.

"Ah, er, hi there," was all Kiele could muster. He didn't usually get nervous around people, this wasn't just anyone. This was a flutter! He examined her from afar, not moving one inch. She had long, beautiful brown hair with ribbons in them, and simple and elegant pink wings. She was different looking than Kiele's brother. Soft and delicate...

He stiffened as he realised he wasn't saying anything, and the silence had gone on for a long time. She was looking at him. He had to do something!

"I- I'm Kiele." he started, then mustered his confidence and shifted his stance, moving his tail around. His father father was a lady's man, so Kiele had learned how to treat mares well. He just had to compose himself after the shock of seeing a flutter.

He smiled charmingly and walked towards her. He stopped, and was once again at a loss for words upon seeing how beautiful she was up close. "You're.. so small." was the only thing that he could say. Aaaa I'm such an idiot! Why'd I have to go and say the stupidest thing ever! Now she'll think I'm some weird creep wandering the forest...

Meepfur

 

[Meepfur]

Apparently she wasn't the only one a bit surprised to find another at this time of day, as he seemed to stiffen up when he saw her. He returned her greeting, and her smiled brightened, but after that he was quiet for a long moment, studying her. It was a little awkward, and she shuffled her feet under the scrutiny, watching him in turn with pale eyes. Had she startled him that badly, or was he just shy? It gave her time to take him in, at least, the long green braid she'd noticed first, tail and hooves that spoke to unicorn heritage, and colors that fit the forest setting well.

Translucent wings fluttered slightly as the silence drew on, but he did finally speak again, offering his name and coming closer...and observing that she was small. It was not something that she expected to hear - although it was certainly true - and she laughed, the sound light and clear. "Yes, I suppose I am, though for me it's rather relative."

"I'm Beletseri, by the way," she provided. "Bel, if you like."

Sawaki

 

[Sawaki]

When Bel laughed, Kiele felt very warm and giddy, almost as though he had been lying in the sun all day and was extremely happy. His eyes fixed on the little mare. She had the most beautiful laugh! It was so pure and light. Bel's fluttering wings were mesmerising to him, so he forced himself to look her straight into her eyes to avoid from being distracted by her charm. Did she know she was affecting him so? Shuffling on his feet again, he pulled himself together.

"Bel, that's a pretty name." he complimented. "Please forgive my brashness, I'm not used to seeing flutters. My brother and mother were flutters, but-" he stopped, not sure how much to disclose to a stranger. No matter how well Kenji had raised him, he still felt a little awkward that he didn't have a mother around. "Is everyone in your family a flutter?" he asked, switching the focus to her.

The air was getting cooler. It would be dark soon. He knew this forest well, and made a silent vow to keep Bel safe on her travels out of the forest tonight. Even though he felt perfectly at ease in his element, he understood that others may not feel as comfortable or as safe in the shadowy maze of a forest at nighttime as he did.

Meepfur

 

[Meepfur]

Blissfully oblivious to any effect she might be having on the stallion, Beletseri smiled pleasantly up at him while he spoke. "It's quite alright," she assured him with a good-natured chuckle, "You're not half so brash as some. You haven't even asked me how small I can get, or what it's like, or...well, things like that."

There were always some who wanted to see, most of them foals but not always, but either way, she didn't really mind, and it was evident in her tone that it amused her more than anything. She paused after that, smile slipping for a moment while she considered his question. "I'm...not sure, to be honest. I don't really remember them. I imagine they were, though." Bel flicked her wings to shrug off the odd little feelings she got when she thought about the past - or perhaps more accurately, lack of it - and asked in turn, "Is your father a unicorn, then?"

Her gaze drifted as she spoke, flicking to their surroundings to assess the trees. Stopping to converse was cutting into her time to find a resting place for the night, but she hadn't had company in awhile, and Kiele was pleasant. She didn't want to just run off. But maybe...hmm, yes, it looked like there might be a hollow in that tree there, though it might not be large enough. It was hard to tell from here. If nothing else, perching in the branches was always an option. Anything was better than on the ground.

Sawaki

 

[Sawaki]

Kiele noticed Bel wasn't entirely comfortable about talking of her past, so he didn't ask anymore about her history. When asked about his father, he lit up. "Actually, my mother was both a unicorn and a flutter. Special, right? My father is an ordinary stallion but quite a charmer... considering the way he was able to flirt his way to her heart." he let out a small sigh when thinking of Kenji. Who knows what he was up to now... When they'd parted, he had left to search for his first love, another flutter, surprisingly. Well, apparently some things do run in the family, he thought as he found himself drawn closer and closer to Bel. She had a certain magnetic draw to her - he couldn't help it.

He noticed her gaze wandering, and hoped she wasn't feeling uncomfortable. "Do you have an appointment of some kind? I don't wish to keep you..." he offered her a chance to leave, but deeply hoped she wouldn't. He had an overwhelming urge to stay by her. He told himself it was to keep a lone mare safe at night, but it may have been more. "I can accompany you to where you need to go? he offered.

Meepfur

 

[Meepfur]

"Oh, that is special!" the little flutter agreed. "And your father must be special, too, if he was able to catch her eye." Some mares took more winning over than others, of course...and some stallions, for that matter. Not that she had any experience with such things, but she did hear stories; romance was, well, romantic and all, a lovely idea, but she couldn't imagine why anyone would want to bother with her. She'd never been of the opinion that she was anything special, unless anxiety and eccentric habits counted as special. She was fairly certain they didn't.

"Hmm? Oh, not really," Beletseri answered, ducking her head in self-conscious apology. "I was just- It's going to be dark soon, is all, and I was looking for, ah, for a tree to sleep in. It's, well, it's just a silly habit I have." And sort of embarrassing to admit to, evidenced by her hesitant admission.

Sawaki

 

[Sawaki]

Kiele beamed with pride when Bel said his father must be special too. When Bel shyly explained she was looking for a tree to sleep in, Kiele couldn't help but feel even more protective of her, though they'd just met. He'd encountered skinwalkers in these woods before, and they would be able to smell her up in a tree just as easily as they would if she were on the ground. He decided not to tell her that, as there was no need to frighten her.

Kiele's face grew serious as he looked her straight in the eyes. He needed to get his point across, and hoped she wouldn't disagree with him. "Bel, I don't feel comfortable leaving you alone in these woods at night." He felt that he might be crossing a line, but he would never forgive himself if any harm were to befall her because he wasn't there. "Would you feel comfortable.. err, um.. accompanying me on my way home? That way, we both won't be alone. And if you'd like, you can spend the night in a place I know for sure is safe." He asked, curious if she was willing to take a chance on him and trust him.

Meepfur

 

[Meepfur]

Upon Kiele's assertion that he wasn't comfortable with her staying in the woods alone after dark, Beletseri tilted her head slightly, blinking wide eyes at the stallion. It was better to be with someone than to be alone, certainly, but she barely knew him! He seemed perfectly nice, but...sleeping in a tree was a known quantity. Another but: she was terrible at saying no. She shuffled and looked at her feet, torn.

"That's, um, that's very sweet of you to offer." Bel glanced up and then down again. "What sort of place is it? Is it far?"  

[Sawaki]

Noticing her uncertainty, Kiele felt a little bad for making her nervous. He just wanted to help and protect her. "It's actually quite close. It is a quiet, delicate patch of grass. The edge of the forest is to its east, and a thin stream runs a few moments gallop to its west. That way, it doesn't get much wind and the very soft noise of the stream helps me sleep." he couldn't help smile when explaining one of his favourite spots. It was also close to where he grew up, but he left this part out.

"I sleep there most nights, and it is very very safe." he nodded reassuringly, growing excited at the hope that he could spend more time with Bel. Light green eyes peered at her from under his thick wavy bangs. "Oh and I don't think I told you my name. It's Kiele. Pronounced Kee-yell." He swooshed his tail from one side to another, struggling to contain his excitement at sharing his special place with someone.

Meepfur

~ oh gawwd sorry for the delay, I didn't get a quote/notice so I didn't think this had a reply until just now!