Bramblepoint [M] The Night Comes Down like Heaven

Machi let a smile creep onto his face as the prince did not decline him. With a graceful shift, he retrieved a container of fermenting fruit, its intoxicating aroma wafting through the cool night breeze. With the air of a ritual, he scooped the fragrant mixture into smaller leaf-made cups, each brimming with the promise of intoxication. It is hunger that I intend to appease, Prince of the Red Palace, he murmured, his voice like silk as he passed the mixture to his companion.

He sat there for a moment, still and contemplative, gathering air into his lungs and holding it. His eyes fluttered shut, immersing himself in the symphony of the night—the fertile, blooming earth around them, the distant calls of night birds, the subtle rustle of unseen animals. The attention of the man who now sat next to him. His heart gave a sudden lurch, and he exhaled in a quick, breathy puff, eyes blinking open as he grew suddenly warm against the evening's chill.

The shattered-glass gaze turned to the priest's face, captivated by the shimmer of the emerald eyes, and for a fleeting, forbidden moment, he imagined how those eyes would look glazed over in rapture, how the Prince's beauty would be magnified, draped in the crimson of fresh blood. The thought sent a delicious shiver down his spine, and he quickly averted his gaze, fearing the prince might somehow guess at his thoughts.

The fellahin diverted his attention to the safer option then— the food in front of them. He picked up a berry, its surface glistening under the moon's gentle light, and twirled it between his clear-pink nails as he pondered. With a flick of his paw, he popped it into his mouth, enjoying the burst of sweetness mingled with the tang of fermentation. His tongue traced the splotched onyx of his lips, savoring the lingering taste.

He then turned to the wine, hastily relieving the cup of its contents before shifting his focus sharply back to the priest. The moon bathed his pale features in a silvery glow, bestowing upon him an ethereal, almost otherworldly appearance. His eyes, like shards of a broken mirror, reflected the prince's visage with a vividness that bordered on unsettling.

Highness, he began slowly, the words dripping from his mouth like honey, For tonight, might I be so audacious as to use your name?