[ P ] Catch me outside

H

mmmmm... Ara stopped, head canting to the side. A sudden blur of movement had caught her attention and now she peered at the lavender bushes beside her. They enjoyed the acidic soil that the mountainous paths of Ayr offered and grew in prosperous numbers. With it came a sweet scent, bumblebees, and... a hummingbird.

Colorless eyes warmed as her gaze softened on the delicate bird as it hovered in the air, inspecting the pale purple petals for nectar and small insects. Fondly, she thought of the silvery boy with yellow eyes and a carefully carved turnip. His theory of hummingbirds as fae had been an astonishing one for her but now, whether she fully believed or not, she always felt at ease when she saw them.

They were now living proof that the sisters of the abby were not the only ones that believed in the Fae. Arthur did too, and although he was quiet in his approach, he granted her his carefully curated theories. Perhaps she was the only one alive that had heard them?

The thought made her smile and she eased onto her haunches.

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

AEGIR NYGARD
And tell me some things last

He had left the Highlands but a few days before, and already he missed them. But they weren't home for him anymore—not really. Could any place be home without family or friends to make it so?

He pressed on, determined not to return until he'd gathered the knowledge necessary to bring peace to his lands—to all lands. He didn't have any reason to return before then, anyway. There was no one left to miss him while he was gone.

A depressing thought, yes. But with it came a sense of freedom.

And so Aegir headed southward, letting the scent of lavender soothe him and bring some lightness to his steps. Attuned as he was to the scents in the air, it didn't take long for him to realize that he wasn't alone. There was someone nearby—a young woman. Ever the gentleman, Aegir strayed from his path to see if the woman needed any help. These mountains could be treacherous, after all.

He found her seated beside a dense cluster of lavender bushes. Small and rosy white, she looked like something out of a faerie tale. And yet there was a strength about her, something fervent and real. Her strangely colored eyes were fixed on something—following her gaze, Aegir saw that it was a hummingbird. A sad smile tugged at his lips as he remembered the stories his mother used to tell. He was half-tempted to ask if this woman had ever heard them, but decided against it. He knew how some felt about Highlanders and their belief in the Fae. So instead he said, "Beautiful, isn't it?"

code by claerie

A

pale ear flicked to the side, curving so as to capture the man's voice. "It is, isn't it?" Ara answered wistfully, gaze half-lidded and smile warm. Then, as if painfully delayed by lag, the maiden realized that she was no longer alone. No, there was a stranger, one that had approached silently—and although he had sounded kind, she was shocked by her own thoughtlessness. Blinking, the young woman's nape ruffled as she cast a bemused glance to the left. She shot to her paws and stumbled back a step, ears flicking back as she took him in (and perhaps the apologetic expression he might have adopted at how flustered she was).

"I didn't see you there, sorry," Ara muttered, staring up at the man bathed in rich earthen tones. "I was so lost in thought..." Impressively so. She had gotten caught up in calculating how one might prove hummingbirds were Fae. Those theories had ran along several rabbit holes and tangents until Ara had been so deep within her psyche that she had forgotten to peek outside.

This man surely didn't seem antagonistic but it was foolish of her to be so... well, foolish. There wasn't a better word for it.

"I'm Ara," she offered then, hoping her awkward smile might salvage whatever opinion of her he still had. "Ara Snow." It was a bastard's surname but the sting of sharing it had long faded.

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

@Aegir