♥️
Kaiju’s grin is enough to make her stomach flutter in the brief lull prior to his answer, but when he agrees to her request, this fluttering only intensifies until Arkana cannot tell whether she is excited or terrified at the prospect of spending the night alone with him. Her lips tremble, then spread into a broad, if hesitant smile.
“Okay,” she says. “I mean, yes, good point. Thank you, Kaiju.”
She watches for a moment as he scopes out a likely sleeping spot in the dimming light of twilight, then realizes she should probably do the same. She hesitates initially, her eyes roaming her surroundings as she considers how close is too close and how far away is impolite. Before she can work this out, however, he again offers to escort her home, and her uncertain gaze finds him. “Oh, uh, maybe?” she says, briefly imagining the scenario of her bringing a strange stallion home after a night’s disappearance, before pushing the uncomfortable thought away.
Once Kaiju has settled, his star-studded bulk leaning against the trunk of a tree, Arkana tentatively finds a spot near him against a neighboring tree, her hooves encircled by the wide, sheltering arc of its roots. Though her legs ache for rest, she remains standing, the better to make eye contact with him as they talk. It’s just a shame the light is fading so quickly, she reflects. His face is rather pleasant to look at.
A warm bloom of pleasure spreads through her when he asks her to tell him about Luthien. “Sure,” she says with a smile, one ear twisting back in thought. “Um, let’s see… Well, I live in the Forest, which is pretty similar to this place. Then there’s the Thicket, which I’ve never been to but everyone says is like home but with twice the amount of trees, which sounds a little claustrophobic for my taste. Then there’s the Prairie, where my dad lives, which is all just open grass and hills. It’s so beautiful, and great for running. Oh! I should explain… My mom is in the Forest, my dad is in the Prairie. So both places are kind of home. It’s pretty peaceful, for the most part. Mom likes to say our herds are sort of one big family.”
She eyes Kaiju sheepishly, wondering if she should mention the war, then decides against it. Why dampen a nice conversation with a topic that’s so solemn and unpleasant? Besides, just the act of talking has helped relax her; she can feel that tangled, fluttery sensation in her belly unraveling and her blood cooling, aided by the gentle evening breeze. Shifting her weight, she leans against the firm bark of the tree beside her, mirroring Kaiju.
“What about you? Where do you come from originally?” Her mismatched eyes glimmer with interest.
love-child of evren & shamwari
yearling; mutt; bay tobiano; 15.3hh wfg |