Gale
this is going to break me clean in two --
this is going to bring me close to you
Her cheerful laugh surprises him, and Gale turns in the air just in time to hear her tell him he’s glowing. He doesn’t take the time to inspect himself for what she’s referring to, because she’s turned to dive and his still-racing heart is eager to follow. The sunshine is warm on his pale wings, but the air is cold and crisp against his face as he plummets toward the lake.
He pulls up at the last moment, the adrenaline emerging as a joyful laugh, and he is only a few paces behind Mazikeen as she lands on the shore of the lake.
She looks almost unreal, and Gale reaches out rather than stop when she does, reassuring himself that she is real with touch. Even though he’d just hugged her as an ocelot, he still feels bold in reaching out to touch her, to run his muzzle along her ribs, then her shoulder.
This time it’s the sun that has made him bold, the brightness burning away his uncertainty. He’s only himself now, and he’s not thinking of the Curse at all. He’s not thinking of anything but Mazikeen, and he marvels at the way her scars feel against his skin. Some of them are new, and he glances up to ask her about them when he notices her horns for the first time.
“Those are new,” He says, and he is careful to keep his words neutral. They are impressive as well, wickedly sharp and pointed. A crown for the Alpha of Hyaline, he thinks, and he nods in quiet appreciation after his long appraisal. “I like them. They suit you.”
Rolling his shoulders, Gale adjusts the white wings that he had not lost upon his shift. He wears them more more often than not in this form, a constant use of his shapeshifting ability that he likes to think keeps him ever ready for other changes. He is thirsty, and the sun is warm, so he glances down at the lake curiously.
“Will your fish friend allow me a drink, do you think?” The brindle stallion asks, trying and very nearly succeeding at keeping a straight face. His mouth is rather dry after their flight and dive, and he’s all but choking on his own daring. It so easy to do things in the moment, but he is eager for a drink to distract him from looking at Mazikeen and over analyzing what she might say.
He’d told her once that he forgets everything when she is near, and that remains true. Looking at the water, as if something might emerge, is a temporary distraction only.
@[Mazikeen]
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