Hushed Willows all that we mourn is already here

One ear twitches when Mali gets closer but lost in the sky, she attributes it to the party off in the distance or something insignificant she doesn’t have to pay attention to. It isn’t until he’s in her space that she notices the looming presence and she slowly turns, as if gently tapped on the shoulder, before she jerks her entire body in surprise a beat later.
 
She scrambles a little, stumbling to her feet. He’s young, like Oke-Anos, but she’s never seen him before. Why isn’t he at the party with everyone else? She’d counted on not being disturbed this night but clearly he has other plans.
 
“He-hey,” she says quietly, taking a step back for her own space.