Northstar Vale phthónos

a sunflower spent its whole life always turning toward the sun; always reaching. kairos contemplated the bright yellow leaves, the beauty of them which had always been wasted on him. he had no eye for beauty, no mind for poetry. perhaps once —

but these details were only the least of what had been lost. there was no room in him to grieve.

instead he wondered what the sunflowers must feel when the sun turned away to shine upon another.

maybe more than her vision had been taken when those teeth had tore a once delicate face. maybe she was blind in more than one way.

but she returned for it was blood that bound them and that was as rich as flames.

the valley was empty save for him. when she had gone from her palace had the mountain emptied itself of claims too? it unnerved her as much as it inspired her.

have you ever considered a general's post?

her voice was deep and musing, yet idle and comfortable. he had already seen her so vulnerable she was not scared to ask questions before him.

if this is meant to be set at the same time feel free to smack this post awayyy

he did not look at her.

he didn't need to. her scent was heavy all around him, stained by another. instead kairos kept his eyes trained upon the flower. after a moment he reached out, teeth closing around its cheerful head, and plucked it from its stem. he chewed in contemplative silence.

they were all just food in the end, weren't they?

kairos nearly laughed, but then he thought better of it. mmm, depends on your definition, he murmured as he swallowed the last of it, letting a few stray bits of bright, crushed petals fall from his mouth. i've considered it with the general's blood on my teeth. i've considered how he twitched in the dirt like the rest. guess there's worse ways to go.

he turned toward her then, showing his teeth in what might have been a grin were his eyes not so darkened. bet his grave saw more soldier's piss than most, though.

surely she had been scared and startled before. maybe even by him but she felt only a sickly churning in her gut. unnerved and uncertain. quickly humbled in a way no other could.

and did you piss on it, too?

she did not want to cower.

she did not want to lose — him.

there was something greater than her uncertainty that waved across her feature. she dared to move near him, to put herself in a position of the unknown. she did not prowl with a great strength or malintent, only to close distance.