Blackfoot Forest and the things that i've loved are the things i have lost

<3

the crooning woman too was familiar, but merrick's attention was beckoned by the child. "your father and i have that in common," he teased, though the flat edge to his voice was anything but humorous. yet he regained himself in the next moment, approached the girl with a low sweep of his battered snout. "i'm not sure what ainaflockt is," the snake-throat man purred, "but we can't let you leave so soon."
where had she come from? who had allowed this child to fall so decadently into his domain? merrick cast his mismatched stare around, alighting it again upon the beautiful shade and her siren-tones. "not her mother then, hm," he imped against, hiking the corners of his mouth into the contorted grin of a jester.
"what's your daddy's name?" merrick inquired, ventriloquist-dummy worry projected toward the lying little sprite. lying, surely; she was a child and he was ruler here. and even if she was not —
"tell me, and we'll go and find him."
the woman forgotten.
the dilating pupil that swam the pup before his mind's eye, reminding him of another that night upon the clifftop.