bad moon rising
Mojito
Tall boulders scattered along the outer edge of the beach, far from where most of the Armada's wolves frequented, formed a small outcropping that disappeared beneath the water at high tide. However, when the tide was low, as it was now, those rocks created a plethora of tidepools. Perfect for collecting a few lucky snacks with minimal effort, or simply wasting away the day admiring the strange creatures that lived beneath the dark waves. Ebony claws clicked and scraped over the uneven stone, its surface smoothed by the battering waves while retaining the uneven proportions of the random configuration of rock. The source of the glow became obvious as he drew closer, tapered crown dropping between his slim shoulders to get a better look. A few scattered clusters of bluish crystals seemed to grow from the bare rock. Pushing aside the barnacles that had claimed the majority of the natural breakwater, they were sprouting up in sharp points all over his favourite spot.
The longer he watched, those sea foam eyes seemed to glaze over a little. Enthralled by the pulse of these crystals' light, it followed the same rhythms as the water lapping at the shores. Saliva pooled on his tongue, dark lips suddenly shining with spit as he stared blankly at the tight clumps of luminescent crystal. Would it be so bad to give them a taste? Perhaps they would be warm upon his tongue, like stones left too close to flame. Or would they be cold as the moonlight streaming down from above?
"What are you looking at?" He asked, then answered his own question by following the man's gaze to the crystal outcropping.
"Speech!"
![[Image: Gdfwv08.png]](https://i.imgur.com/Gdfwv08.png)
Mo's daughter Satira is free to cash his threads as she sees fit.
The sudden question that came from a voice, far too close for comfort, made him flinch away instinctively. Wide eyes snapped to fix on the male beside him, a familiar figure draped in delicate alabaster and dusted in charcoal. Oh, the handsome man with the floppy ears from a little while back. Hackles smoothing some, muscles relaxing, he let out a small snort-sigh. He had to swallow the drool that had collected in his mouth before he could speak. "I come here sometimes to watch the sea," he began hesitantly. "I didn't expect the crystals to take to the rock here, it gets swallowed by the sea several times a day." quiet lyrics fall from dark lips in a lilting croon, though the soft furrowing of painted brows and the scrunching of lightly freckled cheeks were in stark contrast to the forced ease in his voice.
"Look at the rock crabs," he murmured, lifting one petite paw to point out the pale forms of the crustaceans scuttling between the tide pools in the ruddy light of the false-sunset. As they moved between the shadows of rocks and pale light of the crystals, their bleached carapaces displayed a familiar pulse of light. "it seems that the sea is not immune to the moon's pull." the wraith said, his frown deepening just a little with the realization. Sure, the river trout and late spawning salmon had shown a few glowing scales here and there, but there was a sense of unease that came with the realization that his beloved ocean was not safe from the phenomena that followed the ever-full moon above.
"Do you think they eat the glowing algea? Would that make them glow like that?" He asked, finding his pale blue gaze pulled towards the outcropping at Satoru's paws. "Do you mind if I just-" Mojito slid towards the man again, lowering himself down onto his stomach to look at the crystal closer, he wanted to uh... Touch it.
"Speech!"
Mo's daughter Satira is free to cash his threads as she sees fit.
Same as prior, the pale canine frowned lightly at the new phenomena that were pointed out to him. It certainly wasn't the most ominous occurrence he'd witnessed lately, but he couldn't help the sinking feeling that came with watching the little crabs scuttling about amongst the crystals. At the mention of the glowing algae, the petite male shrugged lightly. "Some sea creatures take on the properties of what they eat, though rock crabs are typically scavengers. Perhaps eating too much of the meat of the other glowing animals made them this way..." he replied, unable to keep his eyes from traipsing back to the profile of the alabaster male. The dainty curve of his snout, arcing up into his brow and then the pale spires of his horns. And of course, those soft looking, downturned ears. The urge to nip at the ends, feel the downy fur on his tongue, reared its head somewhere in his chest. His attention followed the gaze of his companion, drawn hypnotically to the clustered gems at their feet. He stood impossibly still as the smaller man entered his personal space, lowered himself onto the damp stone and all but pressed his nose against the unnaturally flat plane of one of the crystals.
Swinging his own head down between his forelimbs, the careful bending of slender joints lowered him down alongside Mojito. They were pressed close, the length of one slender ribcage against another, aligned from shoulder to hip.. yet all the wraith could find himself paying attention to was the rhythmic pulse of the crystal's light. Yet again, the unbidden pooling of drool within the confines of his maw acted on the subconscious pull to taste the gem. Battered by the surf for at least a few hours, it was almost certainly coated in a fine layer of salt, but he wondered if the cool places of each facet would have a unique taste. Like salt-water fish, taking on the qualities of the sea itself. Unable to contain himself any longer, the waif extended his muzzle and gently pressed his tongue against the nearest spire in the cluster. A tingling sensation on his tongue- there was the taste of salt, but something else too- melded slowly into a growing buzz in his ears, which crescendoed into a constant thrumming in his skull that drowned out the waves that struck the rocky outcropping around them. Yet.. he couldn't help but run his tongue over the crystal one more time...
Like uh... Satoru... For all that was going on... For just a moment Mojito lost himself in the moment, the warmth of another body beside his own. He tried to ignore the scent of the other man as it swirled around him and he felt like he was drowning in it for a moment. Gods above was he really this starved for friendly contact? Luckily... Or maybe not so luckily Mojito was snapped out of his fugue when he realized what it was Satoru was actually doing. Mojito couldn't help himself from laughing. He pushed his forepaw into Satoru's cheek. "Did you just lick it?" He asked, clearly incredulous. He cast another glance at the outcropping and swallowed the lump in his throat. He slowly inched his other forepaw towards the closest crystal, not one that his companion had licked, gently brushing his paw over it, if Satoru had licked it, it had to be safe right?
"Speech!"
Mo's daughter Satira is free to cash his threads as she sees fit.
You lick the crystal a second time and this time instead of the buzzing in your head, which falls almost eerily silent, your tongue immediately begins to burn and you rear back suddenly and have to fight the urge to try and deal with the burning by taking a big old gulp of the ocean, the feeling lingers for hours after.
Maybe you shouldn't have done that...
You feel a sudden irritation across your paw as your pawpad brushes across the crystal. Almost instantly you begin to itch, not just where you made contact with the crystal but all over. It persists and deepens, feeling like it's coming from somewhere deep within your bones.
A peal of musical laughter managed to catch his attention over the persistent, buzzing static in his ears. Sea foam eyes canted over to catch the radiant smile that had come over Mojito, aimed.. at him. It had been so long since anyone had smiled at him, a genuine smile without malice twinkling in their eyes or drool slicking their lips. A flutter of emotion he hardly recognized and couldn't name beat against his ribs like a trapped insect- had he swallowed one of the spectral fireflies? The gentle, insistent press of the alabaster male's paw against his cheek did little to dissuade him from extending his muzzle to gently lave his tongue over the smooth edge of one of the crystals translucent facets. It was almost instantaneous, that the droning sound in his skull fell eerily silent. There was only the crash of waves beating against the stone breakwater, the sound of his own heart thudding in his chest in tandem with the faint pulse of the glowing clusters all around them, and the echo of Mojito's laughter in the back of his mind. In the milliseconds it took to process the sudden quiet, a burst of heat washed over his outstretched tongue!
With a shocked yelp, the waif reared back suddenly and found himself flopping awkwardly onto his flank. He couldn't help the pitiful whimper that bubbled up from his throat, and he all but slammed his face into the nearest tidepool. It took all of whatever wits were still present to keep from drinking the salty water, and he prayed the cold water would begin to ease the pain of the burn. After a few moments, he pulled his face from the water and shook frigid droplets from the dark fur of his muzzle. Casting a thoroughly sheepish look over to his companion, he couldn't help but hang his jaws partly open and lightly pant. "I' bu'd my thoung.." he muttered with a light frown, eyes glassy with the unshed tears that had welled up from the sudden pain.