Time had made sleep elusive. It seemed to be of little surprise for the thing which brought them here, left their throat covered in a mass of bandages they worried were smeared with crimson, their mind refusing to bury the memory. Each night it rose anew, the darkness offering no shelter as they were forced to wait, terrified of each sound which rose, of the rich, velvet chuckle which escaped him before those teeth fastened about their throat once more. Many nights they had awoken with a rasping scream, unable to properly voice their fear as the sound became a croaking gasp, the pain unbearable as it settled about the ravaged skin.

It had been sometime now since those first nights when it had been fresh, yet it seemed always there when their mind sought to sink into darkness, to find comfort and rest, never permitted to go far before they were forced back.

This night seemed no different as the darkly toned child lay curled within the mass of fabric they had come to gather for their bed hidden in the depths of the cleric hide, a secluded little corner where they wouldn't be in the way, the earthy smell and the soft sound of breathing a comforting lullaby. Yet their mind seemed touched with static, activity they couldn't quieten though they made attempts to shut it all out, seeking out silly little tasks to push them over the edge, none of it worked, however, and so they lay upon their make-shift bed wide awake.

Slowly Harland lifted themself and it was hesitant steps which drew them through the hide, seeking one person in particular. For a time they wondered if it might be better to simply wake Moon but seemed to think better of it, instead slipping into the crook between his neck and chest, curling into that space and placing their head atop his shoulder. He was warm and soft, a gentle murmur leaving the child as they snuggled in closer, never thinking on the fact such might wake him, simply seeking the comfort of such contact.

[member=1549]MOONMADE[/member]

the ascended — dwarf star — tags

[size=9pt]/im Yelling

Moon knows bad nights, and he knows sleepless ones. Typically they go hand in hand. He's well used to staring into the pitch blackness around him, counting sheep like a desperate kid to distract himself from memories that crept up on him when the sun sunk into the horizon. He fells ridiculous and childish, despite the fact that he was merely a teenager for his species, and so nightmares weren't completely off the table for his age. Still, he'd stay quiet and keep it to himself. He didn't want anyone knowing he was the way he was. He didn't want anyone seeing him, shaking and biting down on whimpers.

Tonight was different. He slept well. Perhaps it was the busy day or the poppy seeds he'd downed before bed, but he was resting with ease and without imagination. He dreamed of nothing but gentle smiles and big eyes, and the only thing that wakes him is some weight that gathers unexpectedly under his head. He blinks his eyes open with a start, something beaten into him from a childhood spent waking up to things more nightmarish than the ones in his head, but once he sucks in the scent and felt the soft tickle of kitten fur under his chin, he relaxes.

"Har?" He says, voice gruff with sleep. He heaves a breath, adjusting to the mortal plane, and glances downwards. The sight makes something warm flourish in his chest, flood through him like a blanket. He brings his tail up, lays it gently over the kitten. "What's up? Didn't know you were one of them nocturnal vamps."