fake spooky dudes suck like dracula
maeva
Since the nights had grown more unsettling, the pale Destruction boy had taken to late night patrols of the border. Part of his interest lay in morbid curiosity, and the rest was motivated by a sense of duty. If these strange occurrences were a portent of something worse to come, he wanted to make sure the pack was well guarded. A steady gait, just a hair faster than his usual walking strides, carried him along the borders of the plains. All of the snakes had gone into brumation when the warmer days of fall had begun to peter out, and so he moved along with little concern for a sudden hiss from the underbrush. He skirted a few patches of the trail where there were a few too many of the strange fireflies lingering in the midnight air, wary of what might happen if he walked right through the swarm. If there was one benefit to the moon staying full, he was certainly grateful for the illumination of his surroundings while he patrolled. It was almost too bright out, the moonlight reflecting on the light snow cover was almost as blinding as sunlight. Ebony tipped tail flagged high over his hips while he moved, confidence evident in each stride as he checked the scent markers.
Each breath escaped his dark nostrils in a plume of mist, and his swirling mercury gaze reflected the cool tones of the bright moonlight. Gold tipped ears swivelled as he walked, seeking out any changes in the usual ambiance of the outskirts of Abaven territory. Rippling musculature showed through the thick layers of his winter coat, burly form moving with sure steps as he reached the clearest portion of the plains. From here, one could see out in all directions- deeper into the heart of the packlands, and then out into the distance where any potential threats might be headed their way. The pale yearling paused there, scanning his surroundings for anything out of the ordinary. That was where he noticed a strange hare making a beeline for a hollow amidst the snow, and he bolted after it without thinking. This time of year, most of the hares were as white as the snow, and this one stuck out from its surroundings with a vibrant purple hue to its coat. There was no way he was going to let it get away unscathed. After all, how often did one see a purple snowshoe?
Mæva eyed the rabbit that happily munched away on the bark of a young aspen tree. She would have moved to hunt the creature ages earlier but instead she'd just settled down to watch for this rabbit's fur seemed to be glowing. Mæva didn't really want to eat something that was glowing but she wondered what was causing it to glow. It was strange, though not too outlandish, she supposed. She'd seen wolves that had glowed but this was the first prey animal she'd seen with the strange mutation.
The rabbit's violet glow had caught more than her attention. She spied one of the yearling males eyeing the rabbit as well. Her eyes shifted between the rabbit and the male. She intentionally flicked one of her dark ears, trying to catch his attention. Did he truly intend to hunt the strange creature?
In the midst of his hot pursuit, a flicker of movement to his left caught his peripheral view and he balked away instinctively. It was a force of habit, instinct reminding him of the danger of snakes on these plains despite the snow that was keeping them underground for the season. Skittering off balance, he forced himself to a halt lest he topple over entirely. Letting out a soft whoosh of bated breath, he shook the unease from his thick pelt. Mercury optics landed on a fae with equally pale fur over her back, blending her in with the snow that covered the ground. It had been one of her dark ears moving that he'd seen, and then he found himself looking into her striking whiskey eyes with a wild, harried expression. "You surprised me," he admitted simply, glancing towards the violet furred hare as it vanished into its burrow. When he looked back to the smaller damsel he found himself feeling an odd mixture of disappointed and confused. "I didn't realize you were hiding there, were you trying to catch the hare?" he questioned softly, his deep voice laced with an elegant English accent.
He couldn't help shifting his weight anxiously from one paw to another, the adrenaline of a chase still lingering in his veins. He wanted to get that hare, but he didn't want to overstep when this lady might be wanting to catch it for herself. He had, after all, startled it into fleeing while he was patrolling.
Mæva's eyes met the youths as he slowed. The movement didn't go unnoticed by the rabbit and it darted down into the brush but that was fine with her. The rabbit seemed to think it was hiding but it was clear it was still there within the brush, she could see the purple glow. "Sorry, I didn't mean to ruin your hunt. I was just watching it, trying to decide if it was worth catching." She stood and carefully shifted her footing. "I don't know if it just happens to have a weird mutation or if its poisonous in some way." She supposed they could maybe catch it then try and feed a part of it to a coyote and see if it died but that seemed like an awful lot of work for a hare.
She seemed contrite, at the very least, but he wasn't especially upset to have been thrown off course. After all, wasn't he supposed to be patrolling? "Sorry, I didn't mean to ruin your hunt. I was just watching it, trying to decide if it was worth catching." she admitted, to which he bobbed his head in understanding. He had interrupted with his big paws and heavy gait, and chased off her snack. When she rose back to her paws, he noted that she was around the same size as his brother, though her age showed in the soft curves of her hips. Wait, focus Solo. "I don't know if it just happens to have a weird mutation or if its poisonous in some way." she added, and now the boy's brain finally stuttered back to life. He wasn't nearly as smart as he ought to be, evidently. Dropping his gaze to his paws, a rueful smile toyed at the dark corners of his maw. A blush painted itself over his cheeks, artfully covered by the ebony mask of his facial markings.
"They do teach you not to eat brightly coloured mushrooms and bugs, don't they?" he said sheepishly, looking up through his lashes to see how harshly she might be judging him. If his joint bent that way, he might have been awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. Mercury eyes cut briefly back to the trembling foliage where the terrified hare was hiding from the predators that had taken up a post only a few paces away. "You might have saved me from a terrible night, thanks." he chuckled, eyes crinkling at the corners as he shot a tiny smile her way. "I'm Solo, I don't think we've met before." he added, dipping his head politely.
Mæva shivered a little as the cool breeze moved faster. The sound of the wind through the grasses seemed almost like a hiss. Appropriate considering their location. Mæva's attention focused back on the boy and she chuckled and nodded. "Yea, that's exactly what I was thinking. Wasn't sure if the brightly colored rule applied to glowing mammals or not." Birds could be colorful after all and she'd never heard of a poisonous bird but when it came to glowing she could not think of a single thing that glowed that was also safe to eat. Well… maybe fireflies but, the fireflies that had been flitting about lately did not look normal. "Nice to meet you Solo, my name is Mæva."
