Moonstone Quarry you've taught me to call them all escapes

Ruzzy's next victim: @Hogo :X

Moonstone Quarry. It was dark. It was treacherous. It was just silent enough to be ominous. Best of all: it was practically a haven for stargazers like Marruz. 

Like a vulture upon the limestone, the boy's willowy limbs glided with an anxious energy toward the tip of this glorious sepulcher. Indigo eye caught the depths of the vault, where the stars glimmered artificially within crystalline pools; urging him to hasten his perilous descent. He had been waiting for this night, in particular, to arrive upon the serenity of the quarry partially due to chance and partially due to the seasonal cue provided by winter. 

He knew, for example, that tonight would harbor especially clement conditions for perusing the sky. If it snowed, it would only intensify the brilliance of the inky palette. And so, having neared the bottom, he practically leapt the final portion before turning to cast a liquid, cow-like gaze at the yawning darkness above.

it had been a few weeks since he had pledged himself to stormrift and during that time he hadn’t spoken to a soul. it was slightly out of character of him; the boy never considered himself as an introvert. there was just something different about it all. it was new. everyone fears what they do not know.

when the sun set on the quiet bay, hogo decided to take a little walk. maybe some different scenery would help. the moon rose higher and higher above the earth, the air became bitter. but he still went on.

there was something that caught his eye. a child of night descended into the earth. it bought him closer to the lip of the quarry. he watched the stranger with a curious gleam in his eye. what was he doing out here on an unforgivable night like this?

he waited for the shadow to reach the bottom before pursuing him. it was much harder than it looked. the fear of falling made his movements stiff. why, he would’ve kissed the ground if not for the stranger being just a few feet in front of him. no more embarrassing stuff hogo.

there was no words uttered from the russet boy’s mouth at first. everything was so quiet and he didn’t want to disturb it. but it’d be awkward if he kept his mouth shut a moment longer. for all he knew, the stranger could’ve known he was here the moment he came. “hey.” hogo stepped a little closer. “uh, watcha doin?”

Marruz was an observant creature. He had known from the moment his peripherals stirred that another presence would blemish this tranquil moment. Still, there was a part of him that willed silence to remain. No interaction, after all, meant nothing exchanged; nothing to prove irksome to the irascible youth.

When the fellow met the bottom, therefore, Marruz's tall frame did not so much as tremor. No matter how alert he was within, there were worse responses he could have employed. Only when sound swelled across the clearing did he show signs of consciousness: a subtle flick of the ear and nothing more.

"What does it look like?" he finally replied with an intended note of sarcasm. His gaze remained pinned resolutely heavenward. 

there was barely signs of life in the stagnant shadow. it seemed like he could care less of hogo’s very existence. the subtle acknowledgement of his presence felt gifted in a way. he was surprised the stranger even spoke to him.

he sidestepped to the left and leaned forward get a look at his face. they say emotions are held in the eyes, but there was no eye on the boy. just darkness. he swallowed his uneasy.

hogo followed his gaze towards the inky sky. “i dunno.” there was nothing interesting up there, at least that’s what he thought. maybe there was a paradise unbeknownst to him. he dropped his gaze to his paws. “staring at something. for some reason.” a shiver ran down his spine. it was either from the cold or the anxiety. silence fell

“it’s cold as fuck out here,” he blurted. another pause. this was so uncomfortable. he looked back at the stranger. “seriously though, you can’t just be staring at the sky in the middle of the night for no reason right? there’s gotta be more. gimme a hint or somethin’.”

The fur along his spine rose with every centers. His eyes narrowed, and narrowed, and continued doing so until the stars blurred beneath his Stygian lashes. And, when the ire in his chest reached the cusp of their coffers, he was set to blow when the newcomer blurted his obscenity.

With an equally as icy tone - one borne of quelled wraith - he calmed his emotions enough that he did not weaken himself. His voice slid across the air with a thin countenance; almost condescending. All the while, he did not turn to face this imposter.

"Look at the stars. Imagine it's fire," was all he could manage through grit teeth. Somewhere above, he thought he saw Mars flicker. It was enough to pacify his mounting irritation. "There is Mars, if you need inspiration."

look at the stars. for what reason did the man tolerate winter’s wrath just to get a glimpse at stars? tiny bulbs of light that could be seen on any other night. just insignificant light in the sky that could not be reached. hogo sighs. who was he to judge? after all, he was out here too. and for what? fear of the unknown? that was a more pathetic reason than star gazing.

he looked up at the star that was pointed out. mars. “didn’t know they had names.”  his voice was less tense now. it was more akin to a whisper. “that’s nice.”

there were dozens of little lights flickering in the sky. were they all named? that question bought a little more curiosity. he briefly glanced at his companion. what else did he know about this stuff? this moment was less boring than he anticipated. now it was some mysterious craft, much like the stranger.

Marruz was pleased to hear the stranger's voice soften. He liked the tranquility that ensued; engulfing what had formerly been an extreme point of tension for the boy. And when he discovered that this fellow was in need of enlightenment, there was nothing he enjoyed discussing more than the stars (regardless of the limited competition).

"Indeed," he murmured, suddenly quite pensive now that the introductory period had passed. "They are just like us. They deserve identification, just as you or I would like if our stories were inscripted upon the sky."

Marruz gestured with his nose to the brightest star, "You can never go wrong looking for Sirius, the dog star. He is the brightest one of them all. And he forms the bottom point of the Winter Triangle."

He added, with considerable fervor for all his natural reticence, "I was always told that the Winter Trio worked in unison to create the very cold you mentioned earlier." 

the way they were personified awoken a childish intrigue in him, one of incredible awe. rose colored orbs explored night’s blanket wirh more interest than before. so many, he echoed to himself. many. how many stories did midnight’s children hold?

he followed the stargazer’s nose to one star in particular. sirius. the name suited it quite well. it led the night’s choir. it altered the weather. a cold breeze upturned the fur of his nape.  hogo bit his cheek and silently cursed it for these abnormal temperature. 

“how do you know all that?” the boy looked over with a question stare. there was no one he’d ever met with this fascination or knowledge. was he taught by family? a friend? did he just simply know? maybe this was all just a dream. this had a surreal feeling to it. hogo presses his chin against his chest, half expecting to wake up.

Marruz was surprised by the sudden intrigue in his companion. It spurred a sense of long-unawakened excitement within the darkling as he stood there, enthralled beneath the celestial canvas above. His breath dwindled at the question... How did he know all of this, exactly?

"The world is full of patterns," he paused; considered how to continue. "It will teach you if you're paying attention." And he left it at that, with neither a true response nor a lie having left his lips. Only so many months ago, had he not been in this same world of fascination and awe as this yonder bystander? Had he not learned from his mother, by words almost identical, the stories he now so revered?

It was difficult for the boy. Difficult to voice how much was his and his alone, and how much was simply the biproduct of his upbringing. How much could he say before it invaded his new home? Safety was key for Marruz... So, that must mean close to nothing.

a perplexing answer from the mysterious stranger. he’d expected something like that and yet he was still baffled by it all. it was hard to believe that one could just pick up such obscure knowledge on their own, but anything felt possible now in this moment. he didn’t question further.

”hogo.” the name is shared quickly, an unconscious attempt to break the prolonged silence. the boy realized how sudden it came out and laughs quietly to himself. “that’s... my name. hogo.”

Marruz glanced at the stranger sidelong when he spoke. A brow lifted speculatively before the indigo orb retreated; pinning itself back upon the inky palette of night. Hogo... It was an interesting name, at least. 

"Well, Hogo," he debated whether to dispense his own name. It was a sacred thing, after all, for a guy who owned hardly anything else. Names were more than just titles, weren't they? They had value and yet, here he stood, about to throw it upon this mere acquaintance. "You can call me Marruz." He did it anyway. Stood and shook out his fur with a curt dip of his head.

"Perhaps the stars will guide us to another encounter someday." 

in all honesty he wasn’t expecting a reply but he was proven wrong. a name was given and he smiled a bit. he found some comfort in it and suddenly the air wasn’t as tense as it was before.

as soon as this conversation began it came to a close, with the shadow, marruz, dipping his head and bidding him farewell. “yeah, maybe.” and then he’d be able to learn more about the night sky. “i’d like that.”

hogo would stay in the quarry whether marruz left or not. his eyes were transfixed on those twinkling lights.