torren [★] cliché

[suvi.]

[align=center]
— s͢uv̷i͡ ̷k̛iir͜a ó f͞a҉olá҉in | t̢àn̢glewo̧o̷̢d̷͢ | sawbone —

There's quiet solitude in the library.  During odd hours, the petite vixen disappeared into the dim-lit building.  When it was most empty, she found a corner and sat.  Quiet.  Her unmatched hues gleamed dully, tinged with red more often than not.  Accompanied the sluggish way she moved, one might realize she lost more sleep than she ever gained.  She barely attempted to anymore, sick of long nights, staring at the sky unable to drift away entirely.

As the sky grew darker, the youth began to rise to her shaky paws.  She'd found a book to flip through, though she lacked the excitement to tear through it like she may have before.  An old classic.  Treasure Island.  It made her smile, thoughts drifting towards her pirate-identifying family.  She'd head back over soon.  For her father.

She liked to leave when the stars began to appear more vividly.  Some old memory told her they helped her sleep, but Kiira simply longed for their familiarity.  The stars above them now would fade, but only for a while, replaced by other, familiar stars.  A cycle she knew and read well.  A cycle she trusted the continuation of for no one could take away the stars.  B҉ut ȩven͟ ͏stars͠ go̧ o̶ut.͟

First, she had to put her book away, least it lay, uncared for on the floor.  Flicking a disappearing ear, she gently closed the volume.  Carefully, she gripped the side with her jaw, then began slowly trailing the shelves.  Where did I find you?

— T͏O̴G͠ETH͏ER̕ ÁT̴ ̸T̕H̶E ST͏ART̶ O͏F̀ ̵TI̡M͏E —

[torren]

[table][tr][td]

[/td]
[td]

Serendipity. n.

Torren found himself within the library on accident.  Not particularly looking for anything, just the knowledge of the building's purpose, he ducked his head to find himself pleasantly surprised.  Lulled in by the quiet and sight of books nestled in shelves, he stepped inside.  There's a reverence in the way he breathes softly, inhaling the scent of something he loves dearly with all his heart.

The library lacks the grandeur of the one his family possessed within their home but there is beauty in simplicity.  A library's worth came from the stories within, not from fanciness.  The oak peeking through the old ceiling makes him smile, fascinated by the ancientness it suggested of the building.  How long has it stood, for nature to reclaim it's place?

His wandering halts in place when he hears the soft shuffle of paws nearby.  Of course, it's a library.  Torren blinks, then quickly turns a corner.  For a moment, his breath catches.  A moment's enough to make him feel foolish, but her eyes knock the air out of his lungs.  Like winter and autumn.

Desperately, he urges his mind to work again, piecing together by the book in her jaws she must be looking for the right shelf.  "Hello." I don't know her name.  "Do you need help with that?" As if he knew where to look -- just an empty place on a shelf.

© MADI

[/td][/tr][/table]

[suvi.]

[align=center]
— s͢uv̷i͡ ̷k̛iir͜a ó f͞a҉olá҉in | t̢àn̢glewo̧o̷̢d̷͢ | medic —

The vixen nearly jumps.  Her fur raises only in the slightest, prickling with the sudden company ahead of her.  Yet for a second, maybe a moment, he seems transfixed himself.  For once, she settles without words, heartbeat steadying beneath the stranger’s gaze.  There was something familiar about the way he stared, but she failed to place it.  ’My eyes bother you.’

A shy smile sneaks across her face as he speaks.  Help?  She ducked her head sheepishly then nodded with a shrug. If he wanted to.  Kiira swore she found it near this one pile, but the books didn’t look familiar anymore, nor this shelf... Maybe she wasn’t as well as she thought she was.

"H-hey, I don’ know you, d-do I?" She decides to inquire, though her soft words are heavily muffled by the tome she continued to hold.  Exasperated, she lets it drop, catching it at the last second with her levitation.  Her brows crease sharply at the effort, but at least she had access to her voice now.

"’m Kiira," she offers, dipping her nose into another shelf, once again uncertain her book belonged there. "I... I’ve been away f-for a lil’ while."

— T͏O̴G͠ETH͏ER̕ ÁT̴ ̸T̕H̶E ST͏ART̶ O͏F̀ ̵TI̡M͏E —

[torren]

[table][tr][td]

[/td]
[td]

A quiet bookworm seemed to be his company.  He caught his breath as she spoke, chastising himself for staring a second too long but quickly returning to himself as she nodded.  His eyes began scanning the closest shelves even as she posed her own inquiry, uncertainty lacing her tone.  A thought crossed his mind, concern he may be regarding a subject of his, only to decide that no, she is not like him nor from his kingdom.

"N-" How is she doing that? Bemused, Torren watched the tome float in the air before the snow colored vixen, attempting to fully comprehend the sight.  "No, I do not believe I have made your acquaintance..."  Kiira.  Whispers of such a name reached his ears on occasion, soft-spoken and sorrowful for a healer taken from her home by their enemies.

Suddenly, his ears flick back, conscious he hardly honored his family name by forgetting his manners, "my name is Torren Winther.  It is lovely to meet you, Lady Kiira."  Tanglewood unlikely possessed such noble titles yet he found the word on his tongue, certain somehow it was right.  Regardless of the proper formalities, Torren hoped he sounded polite at the very least, to the studious fox.

He feels as though he should say something, a word of concern for her health, for her recent trials, yet he flounders for words.  Instead, he searches the shelf opposite of her, thick tail twitching behind him.  "Perhaps your book belongs here?  Treasure Island is an adventure novel, and I see a few others in that genre..." He offered optimistically, "unless of course this library is organized in another way... I am afraid I would not know then."

© MADI

[/td][/tr][/table]

[suvi.]

[align=center]
— s͢uv̷i͡ ̷k̛iir͜a ó f͞a҉olá҉in | t̢àn̢glewo̧o̷̢d̷͢ | medic —

Cheeks warmed briefly, finally conscious of the intense eyes on her.  She practiced her skills alone most often, her confidence low with no interest in showing off in any sort of way.  Especially when the strain led to a paw disappearing, or her ear briefly phasing out of the corporal reality it belonged to.  Luckily, the tom kept talking, his formal manner of speech catching her further off-guard.

Eventually she paused, a startled laugh escaping her maw.  "L-lady?  N-no... K-Kiira's just fine, Torren."  Lady reminded her too much of princess.  What's in a title?  Not mine.  Suvi's.  I am Suvi.  Ś̕͞t͘͢ơ͜͠p̴̴.  "… M-my full name is S-Suvi Kiira Ó Faoláin " It seemed right he know that.  Politely he'd given his full name, although it was much shorter than hers now.  "But i-it's just Kiira a-around here."

"I-it's lovely to meet you too."

Oh that might be it.  Her eyes brightened as she followed his gaze, "w-well it m-makes sense to me."  Kiira preferred organizing books by genre and author, though she imagined plenty of other methods existed.  With a happy hum she read over the nearest titles then pushed it in-between two other books.  "G-good eye."

Finally, the vixen found herself able to study the young wildcat.  He seemed somewhere about her age, with an usually polite demeanor, though she hardly minded.  His willingness to immediately offer help despite unfamiliarity in a new place made her smile, recognizing a kind soul.  He must be new too and she wondered how long ago he joined Tanglewood.

But Kiira felt drawn towards the outside, to the sky she knew was now dark.  If the weather had held the stars would be bright and perfect.  Should invite him since he's been kind.  W̢͡͠h͘͠͏y҉͟ ̨͞͏b̷̀͞ơ͢͢t͝͞h̡̛́͏e̶͢r̵̷͢͡?̶͏  "I-I um... I'm g-going outside to stargaze, Torren.  W-would you like to as well?"

— T͏O̴G͠ETH͏ER̕ ÁT̴ ̸T̕H̶E ST͏ART̶ O͏F̀ ̵TI̡M͏E —

[torren]

[align=center]

Q u e r e n c i a . n.
As he suspected, but he just chuckled, bowing his head in acknowledgement.  Kiira fit her just fine, he supposed, no titles attached.  His eyes only widened a fraction as she added her full name, surname and all.  She's one of the Faeries.  One of the princesses.  Morven, as a country of immortal demon-like beings, kept track of other immortals.  Simply due to the fact many immortals felt lonely after a time; finding similar but different beings brought some relief on that end.

Only Torren never suspected he'd meet one of the Fae's own royal family, despite the size of their bloodline.  'But it's just Kiira around here.'  He straightened up, chasing away all his distracted thoughts, wearing another smile.  He would respect her request in-full, without pressing for details either.  She's likely stressed enough, without some stranger asking questions.

A pleased purr built within his throat as the book fit, marking the end of the search.  Without a task at hand, he returned his attention to the fox by herself, thrown off when he found her regarding him in turn.  Uncertainty plagued his mind, suddenly scrambled.  He nearly collapsed in relief when she suddenly asked him if he'd like to accompany her in stargazing.

His tongue, like lead, froze in his mouth.  Torren felt inclined to inquire into Kiira's health, since he doubted her time taken left her in a good state.  Once again, he decided, reluctantly, the place did not belong to him.  And it's not like I hate stargazing.  "I would love to accompany you, Kiira."

Kiia knew the stars better than him by far, yet the prince hardly went down without a fight.  He could recite nearly every constellation by name, or draw them in the dirt.  While his dear sister knew the rest, Torren felt inclined to know their stories.  He found the lore behind their names fascinating.

"We should be able to see Sagittarius tonight," he mentioned easily, eyes bright as he stepped into the night air. The swamp seemed different when the sun set.  A new symphony of cicadas, crickets and nocturnal creatures took the reigns from the diurnal.  "Where do you like to go to watch?" He prompted, tail curling up behind him.

"I'm afraid I only know the territory so well."  He clicked his tongue, brow creasing as he considered his direct surroundings.  "Isn't the shore nearby?  Perhaps the sky will be more visible from a beach." He looked back at his star-seeking companion for input, filled with some warmth he failed to identify.  He knew for sure however, he felt natural standing at her side, trying to find a place to stargaze.

[suvi.]

[align=center]
— s͢uv̷i͡ ̷k̛iir͜a ó f͞a҉olá҉in | t̢àn̢glewo̧o̷̢d̷͢, t̶h̨e̵ ҉ty͝p̵ho͞on͞ | medic —

Polite again.  So formal.  But he's smiling.  She imagines he, too, enjoys the night sky.  Relieving, she supposes, oddly enough.  She had already deduced he liked books, but it was satisfying to know he also shared another passion with her.  It seemed her guess proved correctly, as he spoke of what they might see.  She couldn't help but smile, ear twitching.  Yes.  Sagittarius.  But north or south?

She pursed her lips, glancing down almost the second he turned back to her.  "W-we'd be looking at... The southern sky, fa-facing the water." Regardless, they would see stars.  She found no qualms in this.  "B-but it sounds nice." The ocean soothed her (had it always?).  It sounds like it'd be pretty too, which sealed the deal.

"S-so follow me, Torren."

The town still moved at night.  Voices of those remaining awake wandered into her ears but she set a fairly steady path towards the shore.  Every few moments, she'd pause though, teeth catching the inside of her cheek.  The fluffy tail that trailed behind the vixen seemed to fade erratically, disappearing in those short moments.  I know where I'm going.

Kiira marvels at the sight of beaches when the sun's gone down.  They seem transformed into something so different under the light of the moon and stars.  The medic feels the strange fluttering in her chest die at the sight of the empty shore.  The sea and sky belonged to the two of them.

"O-over here," she murmurs, finding a place to seat just out of the tide's reach.  The Typhoon's shore is different.  More scary, almost, in a way.  For the land one stood on was surrounded by water, not just on one side.  Just as pretty.  Her breath escapes her chest more easily, sitting in the sand.

"D-do you know all o-of the constellations?" Her voice grows softer, eyes caught above the horizon.  Andromeda, Atilla, Apus, Aquarius…

— T͏O̴G͠ETH͏ER̕ ÁT̴ ̸T̕H̶E ST͏ART̶ O͏F̀ ̵TI̡M͏E —

[torren]

[align=center]

A s t r o p h i l e . n.
Content, the wildcat tailed his new friend quietly through the town.  Curiously, his eyes lingered on the buildings, memorizing the picture of Tanglewood night life.  Just as among his kingdom, nothing ever truly went to sleep.  Someone, somewhere always lingered into the night.  Deep within the caverns of his home, he represented that someone on many occasions.

His brow creases thoughtfully as he fell into halts at her side, head tilting in concern.  Four moons away brought unforeseen consequences he supposed, deciding to remain quietly her guide-ee.  His patience won out in the end, as she led them to the expanse of sand and water.  "I say the view's worth losing Sagittarius," he muttered.

A traveler like his sister, Torren knew many wonders of the world, though he knew he had more to see.  Oceans often came as surprises however, the end of every great landmass.  Mother and Kiia would love this.  The thought seemed to ease the breath out of his lungs, eyes softening as he turned to the arctic fox choosing a place to sit.  Her light fur seemed angelic under starlight; another observation kept to himself.  A beautiful, quiet soul.

Who loved books and the stars.  The prince hoped he found a good friend tonight, taking a seat beside her in the sand.  Neatly, his tail rested over his paws as he lifted his head, following the ocean to the sky.  'Do you know all of the constellations?  "Heavens no, though I believe I may be close."

"Actually, I studied their stories." He shuffled his paws, chuckling softly.  "Many of them are sad, really.  Tales of the unfortunate transformed into stars by the gods."  But life is hardly sunshine and rainbows. The tip of his tail twitched as he glanced down at the sand.  "But I— Ah have a feeling you could name every star," he teased, whiskers twitching.

[suvi.]

[align=center]
— s͢uv̷i͡ ̷k̛iir͜a ó f͞a҉olá҉in | t̢àn̢glewo̧o̷̢d̷͢, t̶h̨e̵ ҉ty͝p̵ho͞on͞ | medic —

All the stars?  Kiira felt a laugh bubble from her throat before she could help it.  Although the sound soft, her eyes glinted with true amusement.  "N-no," she protested, ducking her head.  "M-maybe more than... I-I think... B-but no." Stars forbid.  As the fox looked out across the water, she shook her head.  "T-they seem too... Infinite... F-for anyone to know.  C-couldn't count if I tried."  There's a wonder in the infinite, in the measureless, that allows for continued growth.

"… W-would you t-tell me one of them?" She inquired suddenly, blinking owlishly.  "O-one of the stories?  I-I don't mind... Y-you know, i-if it's sad."  Even sad stories brought a sense of peace sometimes.  If even the stars wept, nobody was ever alone in their pain, not truly.

— T͏O̴G͠ETH͏ER̕ ÁT̴ ̸T̕H̶E ST͏ART̶ O͏F̀ ̵TI̡M͏E —

[torren]

[align=center]

A s t e r i s m . n.
Something in his heart wrenches.  "It is not my wish to sadden you, Kiira," he protested quietly.  A light frown took place on his maw as stories came to mind.  Many stories honored heroism and sacrifice as he recalled, while others represented punishment for hubris or vanity.  He traces patterns absently in the sky as he sought a tale worthy of the night.

"I'll tell you about one of Lyra's stories - the Lyre," he decided.  "Lyra is the celestial harp, created by the greek god, Hermes.  Another greek god, Apollo, gave it to Orpheus." The tragic hero in their story.  "It is said that when Orpheus played his harp, everyone would stop just to listen.  Even the trees."

"But the sudden death of his love, Eurydice, broke his heart.  He decided he'd try winning her back from Hades and traveled to the underworld.  Orpheus began his descent into the underworld playing his lyre.  As he approached Hades, he was pleased to see that Hades greatly enjoyed his music. "

"After a while, Orpheus stopped playing.  Hades asked him to resume and Orpheus agreed on one condition: when he was finished, Hades would return Eurydice to him."  Personally, the prince found the entire situation a strange concept.  Yet the story remained an odd favorite of his, however tragic.

"Hades agreed, and Orpheus finished playing.  When he was done, he asked Hades for his wife, who gave him a condition: Orpheus would trust Hades to keep his world and would return to the upper world playing his music, not ever looking back to see if she was following.  If Orpheus doubted or did not trust Hades, and looked back, Eurydice would be taken back into the underworld."

"So that's what he did.  He began his return playing his music, and behind him he could hear Eurydice's footsteps. However, to test his trust, Hades insisted on Orpheus' return route to lead through a pine grove.  As he passed through this grove, he could not hear Eurydice behind him.  Unable to endure the quiet, Orpheus glanced over his shoulder, only to witness Eurydice fade before him, taken back to the underworld."

A reason never to play with death, the wildcat supposed.  Nonetheless, he felt somewhat betrayed by Hades for finding a test necessary and frustrated with Orpheus for failing.  If he loved someone enough to dive into hell and back, Torren hoped to believe he'd resist a fatal mistake.  But that is the purpose of the story, perhaps.  To teach us that lesson.

He offered Kiira a small smile.  "When Orpheus died, Zeus placed the constellation Lyra into the heavens, in honor of his music, but also his great love for Eurydice.  The ending may not be entirely happy, but," he glanced across the water, observing the stars and moon as they shimmered, "I find it bittersweet.'