Firefly Glen loko (PHE)

it was a shame lafayette hadn't been around to see this place at peak glimmer, for it would have dwarfed even the most abundant firefly showing in sapphique. 

still, a few insects still lingered, and he watched them with his usual sense of wonder. he loved to chase and then carefully catch them beneath his paws, admiring the glow in the webbing between toes before releasing the indignant creatures to their own devices.

but as much as the change of scenery was appealing, lafayette found himself missing the sea. he couldn't even hear it from here, much as he strained and tried.

how did others live without the steady beat of waves upon shore? it would be like living without a heart, he thought grimly.

at least the colors here were pretty, the leaves gone all red and gold. perfect camouflage for him and luce to sneak around, their own fiery pelts cloaked against the fallen foliage. 

set for Oct. 5 (or whenever they'd still be at the hunt)

when she was not seeking out her newfound silent friend, she was poking around other more hushed places.

which had led her to him. another older child, but after her positive interaction with the moonglow girl, she did not feel displaced by age difference.

the issue she felt was most pressing was the fact she had nothing to offer him. no bone which they might bond over nor any food they might gorge upon together.

she had to trust that he might like her company — or that she could be convincing enough.

her version of convincing was a huff before she plopped down like a rug.

the youngster that approached was a fair bit younger, and reminded him more than a bit of papa val's miniature—dark-pelted with vivid green eyes. she seemed nice enough, although the huff upon laying down gave him some pause before he spoke.

hello, lafayette said, smiling. i'm lafayette from sapphique—you?

the adults had told them that introducing themselves by name and pack was proper here, among so many others. dat's how we make allies, he recalled their words, and felt good about making a potential friend. being a help to his pack would help a little in alleviating his homesickness.

he sat down beside her, glancing between the fireflies and her visage as he awaited her reply.

she looked up at him with big round eyes. every sign that she was giving him her full attention was displayed.

the only issue was that she felt a bit bashful. which was not something she had grappled with before now. however he had said a good handful of things that sounded fancier than she knew what to do with.

anatolia. was what she finally squeezed out, feeling uncertain about such a simple introduction after his grandness.

regardless, she allowed her tail to thump the ground behind her. wordlessly admired the stars (fireflies) that seemed to dance around the boy.

quiet one, huh? he didn't mind, though. she was still young, so maybe she didn't know so many words, yet.

anatolia's a pretty name, lafayette remarked. where you be livin'? my pack is by de sea—lots of water dere, he clarified, in case she wasn't familiar with the concept. for all he knew, she could live somewhere equally foreign to his ears and mind.

he tried and failed to stifle a yawn, jaws gaping wide with a flash of white teeth before shutting again, salmon pink tongue running thoughtfully over his lower lips. a firefly wandered close, and he reached out to tap it with his muzzle; it moved quickly away, set suddenly alight.

pretty!

she was not sure that word had ever been used for her before. something about it made her want to wiggle in place. she settled for allowing her tail to smack against the ground beneath her. greatly pleased by this new friend she had made.

his question only sparked a question within herself. at the camp, she had figured. the plains she had been born into seemed so long gone behind her. nor did anyone really seem in a rush to return...

her shoulders shrugged awkwardly in her laying position. clearly she did not seem so bothered by the lack of knowing. unaware that it might raise more questions. instead she voiced her own first. far more interested in this boy than any talk of herself.

how do you live in water?

she blinked up at him with complete sincerity.

he supposed it was a fair question.

we live by de water, not in it, he explained kindly. i don' t'ink any wolf like us can live in it—sometimes i wish i could! lafayette's grin grew wider at the admission. the scariest moment of his life was also the most blissful, and perhaps he would always live with that dichotomy.

but she hadn't answered his own question, and he doubled down, curious about this quiet girl. tell me about you, he insisted, and repeated his earlier query: where you be livin'?

he was about to press the matter further when a firefly landed right by his left forepaw, and he gaped at it, cutting his eyes over to anatolia. so pretty, he murmured—his breath not quite hard enough to stir the insect away.

she wondered why he wished that! wouldn't his fur be wet all the time? and what about the coziness of a nice bed of flattened grasses? maybe he just loved water that much. anatolia found herself very quick to drop any judgmental thinking.

her new friend was too good for her to try and pick apart his own dreams.

the question returned and this time she found herself a bit...something. she could not decipher this new feeling that bubbled thickly like tar.

in the— camp she might have said if she was not distracted. she was dazzled by the little star come to earth and even more how it seemed to settle on him.

what's it mean?

she whispered soft as could be, breath held so as to not scare the star away.

pah! they were both distracted, now—although he didn't mind the interruption.

it's a bug, he explained, and nodded toward its flight as it took off, pulsing brightly in its wake. but dey shine like de stars. i dunno why—no ot'her animal does.

at least, not to his knowledge. that said, he could probably speak with some wisdom, compared to the wide-eyed innocent before him. he failed to stifle a yawn, and cast an apologetic glance her way, swiping a paw across his muzzle.

where you be stayin' here? he asked, wondering if he could coax lucette into visiting before the great hunt was over.