[ AW ] beyond the hills

i can see your halo fall.

Edinburgh was the closest thing that he knew. The Lowlands weren't a place he frequented. If anything, most would know him as a Mainlander - if they didn't smell the Outsider on him or realize that he didn't know what he was doing in the presence of the market. The salty scent of the outside seems to betray him. Though, it always had in a way. Salt tainted him, the ocean water washed him in it. Every lick of fur, tussled and dried by the sea's essence. Oddly enough, when Alexei traversed over the hills of Edinburgh, they stopped suddenly and suspiciously, a quick transition he might not have noticed if Melrose hadn't been so overtaken with life amidst the winter. Very little snow effected the laid out land. It was overall, green and lush, with scattered oak trees that marked places to take a nap. The man stood, atop one of the last high spots, the borders of Melrose, and took a look before he dipped his head, into his walk, traveling towards the flowered meadow.

He'd never seen a place so floral and alive during the dead of the cold season. Alexei's paws moved a bit quicker once he realized that Melrose also held more heat within it's embracing touch. The smell of herbs wafted through the air; dandelions littered the place. His russet pelt was a beacon against the softly colored blooms. He stopped sort, grabbing a few dandelions within his mouth and softly chewing. A headache usually followed him wherever he went. And he remembered one thing his mother had told him before he sought out onto his long journey away from home. 'Dandelions will cure any minor hurting, Lexi, okay? Always stop for them. They can be of good use!' Her soft voice and a peck to his head, he swallowed what was left of the petals. The body of water quickly caught his eye and he didn't spend a second more on what his mother's teachings had reminded him of other things she told him that he should probably remember as well... The reflecting water made him peer into it, his stomach growling. It'd been a little bit since he ate and, there had to be some type of fish that was swimming by. Lexi turned around, looking for a nice branch to find so he could set a trap.

"Speak and be heard."

code by claerie

He was glad Melrose remained relatively moderate during the winter, what with his thin frame and lack of really any fat at all on his bones. The man was sure he'd freeze to death if he was forced into knee-deep snow and frozen-through earth. He'd always been lanky and lean, no matter how much he ate-- his father had always tried to 'fatten him up' with feasts of veal and pheasant, to no avail. He remembered hearing his parents talk in whispers when they thought he was sleeping, wondering if he was healthy-- "just so thin", and "born with that short tail, so maybe.." were phrases he remembered. In spite of his parents concerns, Arthur had grown up into a healthy adult-- frequent insomnia aside. This day was smack in the middle of one of his insomnia episodes. Shadows beneath his eyes cradled the liquid gold preciously. His mind was buzzing and foggy at the same time, light and heavy in the same breath -- he figured he should be used to it by now. But ever since the Rebellion his sleepless nights had multiplied, and he felt like he was awake more than he was asleep. Or maybe he was sleeping while he was awake. It was hard to tell sometimes. Without really understanding how he got there, he was suddenly beside the river. And-- there was someone else there too. It felt as if he suddenly woke up and realized his presence-- or perhaps the other man had just gotten there? "Oh, sorry," he rasped, blinking bleary eyes to take in the stranger. The scent of salt wafted to his nose and he drank it in, reminded of childhood visits to the seaside. The man's eyes glowed purple like violets, accents of deep rust garnished in his pelt. Quite suddenly Arthur felt more aware than he had and realized the full extent of the situation -- he had approached a stranger, lingered near him for who knew how long, and apologized without any premise. He grimaced. "Sorry," he said again, more clearly this time and meeting the stranger's gaze. "I -- I don't sleep that well so sometimes I end up places..." his voice trailed and his cheeks burned, feeling utterly stupid. "I'm Arthur," he offered. "You're not from the College, are you?"

STOCK ➤ dawnthieves ART ➤ amphi

i can see your halo fall.

A soft breeze ran through Melrose; enough to make any man shiver. A cold awakening from the outside, as if it begged not to be forgotten about; for Alexei to return to it. The red man had no intentions of making his home within the warmth and blooms; even if it was comforting, reminiscent of spring. The den that belonged to him in the Red Wood; that was his home. The embodiment of everything that he used to hold dear. Lex searched, lilac eyes seeking long branches that might still have some leaves attached. If the branch had some weight to it, he could lay it in the water and wait for a fish or two to get caught within the leaves, and then strike quickly. Alexei had already pin-pointed a spot where the land stuck out into the water a little bit, he could start there. A voice from behind seemed to stop the fisherman, startling him, giving a small jump, and then turning around all within one swift movement. If it wasn't enough, the shock of being surprised in a new land; when he set eyes on who had come across him, he immediately was caught up in how dashing the man looked. Tall, but lanky. Alexei felt like a mere ant in front of him, short and curvy. His lavender gaze held onto the man, staring for maybe a bit too long, until the man's voice caught him once again. Swiftly, Alexei looked away, a flush of embarrassment coming over his face. As if he had been caught red-handed, staring for too long. Their eyes met briefly, a dampened golden sun and an aging mauve flower. But as quick as they meet, Alexei is already looking away, towards the body of water, as if there's something more interesting out there. He registered what the man was saying in his moments apart from staring and looked back, 'Sorry?' He thought, had he done something to be sorry about? If anything, it should be Lexi apologizing for his own gaze that had lasted too long to even make an excuse for.

Even before he can question why the man is sorry; he should be the one trying to make amends. It was clear that not everyone, had the eyes of Alexei. Some men didn't like the gaze of other men, and that had gotten Alexei in trouble once before. The dazzling, monochromed man started to explain and Lex gave a small smile, but nodded all the while. He could understand. He, too, had experienced trouble sleeping. Nightmares plagued him whether he admitted it to anyone or not. They weren't as bad as they used to be, but sometimes, they kept him awake for a night or two, and that was enough to make any man tired. "No need to be sorry..." Alexei said, softly, lifting a paw and waving it in the air as if trying to ward off his apologies. After all, there was no need for them. He hadn't done anything but startle Alexei a little. 'I'm Arthur.' The fisherman had never heard a name like that, but it was easy to remember, and, "Nice to meet you... Arthur.."" It rolled off the tongue quite well, even if Alexei had said it a little slower, just to make sure he got it right. 'You're not from the College, are you?' Alexei quickly shook his head. He knew of the College, remembering that Arythmetik was from there as well. He didn't know too much about it, but understood that it was the studying of doctors in the making. "No.. I just, came here to see Melrose." He spoke, completely forgetting about the rumble in his stomach. "Oh, I'm Alexei by the way." He, sheepishly, smiled, as he'd forgot to introduce himself right after the man had. A small shuffle of his paws came from underneath as he moved his eyes once more, trying to keep adverting them, not wanting to get caught in his obvious stare. Though, it was common for Lex to feel uncomfortable under the gaze of someone that was a little taller than he was. He'd always been insecure about his height, and how others perceived him.

"Speak and be heard."

code by claerie

@Arthur <3