Northstar Vale tequila mockingbird

@Andromaque, AW!

the moon was high above them, her stars twinkling on either side. soon, kalika thought, the nereides would return to the coast, staking their claim once more. daughters would be born this spring, a new generation to lead.

the siren watched the night sky shift and mold, wondering what her theés had in store.

Firebrand swayed beneath the stars. Valley unfolded before her, trees swaying beneath the weight of snow. Her paws carried her further through the vale, pale blanket crunching under paw. Moonlight glanced off the snow, the whole world illuminated and glowing. She felt at ease for once. Paws were tired, russet wolf having just returned from a scouting excursion, trying to learn the lands and the packs around them. Soon, she would be able to rest. But there was something about the night that called her.

The last thing she expected was to see someone else lingering in the darkness. Their face, features hardly distinguishable in pale light, was unfamiliar. Andromaque trudged forwards through the snow, leaving a trail of prints behind her.

"How's the night treating you?"

homochromus gazes, a pair of sea-green eyes met beneath the light of the night sky. kalika smiled, studying the stranger's figure. better — supple, well-built — now. it was a lovely evening for another game, should the other player be interested.

the siren stood, strutting toward her companion to rub shoulders. we haven't met before, she commented, settling just out of reach, what's your name?

Sea-glass gaze trained on the other fae, watching as she ventured closer. Heart fluttered at her touch, hummingbird trapped within her chest. She drew breath quickly, the spoken now the onset of all this anxiety, entrancement. After their shoulders touched, the wolf sat just out of reach and Andromaque found herself wishing she had stayed closer. She felt foolish, caught off-guard. Pretty wolves always made her weak.

"Andromaque," she said quickly, her own name falling from her tongue with a bit of difficulty. "Yours?" the firebrand asked, catching a glimpse of deep blue eyes, framed by darkened lashes. Her heart still beat hard and fast. She tried to calm it to no avail.

the flame held a slight resemblance to her consort. the siren wondered if her temptations might be excusable, then. kalika nereides, she cooed, splaying her limbs behind her to expose the tender underbelly. if andromaque felt so inclined, she would be allowed to approach — only a step, of course.

your name sounds familiar, she mused, then settling her weight onto bent forelegs, like something i might hear of one of my people. the sylph had the build of an amazon; perhaps she knew of their tribe.

She longed for composure but watched as the fae exposed soft flesh and lifted trembling paw as if to take a step towards her then lowered it into the snow again, keeping herself grounded, unsure of what to do. She was not the type to flirt or become so quickly mesmerized. "Your people?" Her voice little more than a murmur. Her curiosity was piqued -- "Who are your people?" she asked. Andromaque knew little of the world beyond Courtfall. She sat down where she stood, feeling cold snow against her, fire within her still burning even as cold seeped into her bones.

andromaque thought to step forward but chose to settle where she stood. kalika frowned and released a small whine, just loud enough to communicate her disappointment. 

the temptress lowered one paw to the junction between hip and belly, kneading the fur with a gentle grip. a foreign group, she sighed. how long had it been since she'd last seen home?

the nereides. my group comes from themiscrya coast. there were several sub-groups, some holding such beliefs as to profane the name. she continued with her tease.

She heard the whine emanate low from maw that seemed so enticing -- she found herself staring at it and oh! she wanted to step forward, to do something dreadfully foolish but she could not bring herself to move, trembling where she stood, cheeks hot and rosy beneath ashen fur. Eyes fell to her paw as it moved, watching it against pale, soft fur. 

"Tell me about them." Voice fell sickly sweet, lilting as it slips through teeth glinting in the moonlight as lips hang open for a moment, breath cold and swirling 'round her muzzle. "Are they all as pretty as you?" She can't help it -- her heart beats hard as the words come, hanging in the air, she-wolf waiting to see how they would be received.

the command was welcomed with a lustful grin. kalika straightened herself once more, hiding away what was once exposed. a group led by women, she began, strutting forward to brush shoulders once more, which i hope is enough to suffice. the rest of our secrets must be earned, not freely given. 

the siren ignored her companion's compliment, finding it uninteresting and quite underwhelming. she appreciated the effort, though. tell me about you and your people. now, sitting opposite of where she once had, kalika waited for her companion's reply.

There is something about the smile that spread across the fae's face that drew Andromaque in, made her take a few steps closer, shoulders brushing and she revels in the feeling of flesh on flesh for the brief moment that it lasts before it's lost again and she found herself longing for it, but her awkwardness -- can we call it inexperience, instead? -- keeps her steady, trembling where she stood. 

"They all burned." The words slip out -- the truth that she had ignored for so long. Consumed by forest fire, all that's left of them ash and charred bones now bleached by the sun, flesh melted away, devoured. There's something about remembering the fire that makes her feel more alive, metaphorical flames licking her pelt and she noticed the making of the fae -- her curves, softness, the way pale fur glows in light filtered through cloud-cover cataracts -- even more. Let me have a taste! Longing in her eyes, not bothering to hide the fact that she was looking her up and down.

kalika wondered what'd made andromaque so lucky as to have slipped away, but decided not to ask. feigning empathy wasn't something that she was good at; she didn't know the girl well enough to genuinely care.

the siren enjoyed being watched and smirked, her tail flagging behind her. you want me so bad that you quiver, she mused, but you do not approach me. why? standing, she began to walk ahead of andromaque, ready to turn a corner.

i do not entertain the inexperienced. find me when you learn to take what you want. kalika did not wait for andromaque to respond before continuing on her way.

Fire burned within her and something felt like it snapped -- the firebrand did not tolerate disrespect, especially from someone she barely knew, someone who made her feel so foolish. She watched as the wolfess trodded before her and stopped for a moment, watching tail swish behind her,  listening to her speak -- the words like knives against soft fur of her ears.

Andromaque rose to her paws and chased after her, paws seeking purchase against pale wolf as she aimed to shove the wolf to the snow-laden ground. "Is this what you want?" she growled, voice low, breath hot. If the move missed ... then she wouldn't speak, merely flee and hope she never had to see the wolf again.

oh, a surprise! the brazen she-wolf raced forward and collided with kalika's abdomen, knocking her onto the ground. she wondered where this energy had come from and if andromaque had more of it to expend.

between bated breaths, the temptress teased, i'm unimpressed, a wry smile forming on her lips. was her flame looking for a fight, or was this some sort of foreplay? either way, she was willing to play along.

standing to reorient herself, the nereid set her ears back tight to her skull and snapped in andromaque's direction. then, she bound forward, hoping to for a chase.