For a moment the gaiety fled Amalia’s face and he caught his breath against its loss. He tensed to step forward, to catch her and pull her back into their embrace, to let her feel the warmth of the present holding back the chill of the past—
But her smile returned before he could move, and though the concern in his eyes lingered he didn’t want to bring back whatever ghost had momentarily haunted her. He might not know what had arrested her thought, but she was striving to move past it and enjoy herself, and he wanted to bolster that joy and let her be happy for as long as the festival’s spell would last. Afterwards there would be time for darker things, but now was the Wheel of Fire, and the light it threw so defiantly towards the sky.
She was also taking no prisoners, it seemed, her teasing wicked and well-meant all at once and Jigano grinned ruefully at Rory for a moment. So this is what it’s like to have a sister? his arched brow seemed to say before he looked back to the third point of their triangle, as fey and wild as any nature spirit tonight. ”Didn’t you get the invitation?” He teased back, mischief in his own grin. ”We wondered why you weren’t there!” He slanted a glance to Rory that was not quite an apology, but wanting to make sure that his partner didn’t mind the liberty of the joke.
The pressure of Rory’s hand against his was welcome, that silent language of acceptance and care that they shared warming and reassuring him. Amalia explained in more detail, and Jigano nodded understanding of the tradition, gaze softening as he looked out over all the candles that had already been placed. So many lost… and so many still living, still hoping… still loving. Again he looked at the man at his side, and he caught the flicker of shadow that went through him then, the lightest tension of loss, and the fox couldn’t help but wonder who it was that the hunter was missing. He didn’t quite dare to pull Rory into a hug, not with Amalia right beside them, but he leaned against his partner’s shoulder to offer his silent support, as the blond always did for him.
Amalia wasn’t going to let them fall to their sorrows anymore than she would give in to hers this night, though. She fetched an extra candle and teased them with fire enough to set the whole wheel ablaze with her wicked laughter, and Jigano tilted his head back and laughed in appreciation of her bargaining. ”Minx!” he declared fondly, at the same time as Rory spoke. The hunter was quick to make an offer, but the bard pondered a moment longer before tilting a sly glance at both his friends. ”Is there a rule saying that we can’t share a candle? Light it together? Because otherwise I’m afraid all I can offer is a poor little song, and we all know that ponies are a much better deal,” he concluded, laughing.
But her smile returned before he could move, and though the concern in his eyes lingered he didn’t want to bring back whatever ghost had momentarily haunted her. He might not know what had arrested her thought, but she was striving to move past it and enjoy herself, and he wanted to bolster that joy and let her be happy for as long as the festival’s spell would last. Afterwards there would be time for darker things, but now was the Wheel of Fire, and the light it threw so defiantly towards the sky.
She was also taking no prisoners, it seemed, her teasing wicked and well-meant all at once and Jigano grinned ruefully at Rory for a moment. So this is what it’s like to have a sister? his arched brow seemed to say before he looked back to the third point of their triangle, as fey and wild as any nature spirit tonight. ”Didn’t you get the invitation?” He teased back, mischief in his own grin. ”We wondered why you weren’t there!” He slanted a glance to Rory that was not quite an apology, but wanting to make sure that his partner didn’t mind the liberty of the joke.
The pressure of Rory’s hand against his was welcome, that silent language of acceptance and care that they shared warming and reassuring him. Amalia explained in more detail, and Jigano nodded understanding of the tradition, gaze softening as he looked out over all the candles that had already been placed. So many lost… and so many still living, still hoping… still loving. Again he looked at the man at his side, and he caught the flicker of shadow that went through him then, the lightest tension of loss, and the fox couldn’t help but wonder who it was that the hunter was missing. He didn’t quite dare to pull Rory into a hug, not with Amalia right beside them, but he leaned against his partner’s shoulder to offer his silent support, as the blond always did for him.
Amalia wasn’t going to let them fall to their sorrows anymore than she would give in to hers this night, though. She fetched an extra candle and teased them with fire enough to set the whole wheel ablaze with her wicked laughter, and Jigano tilted his head back and laughed in appreciation of her bargaining. ”Minx!” he declared fondly, at the same time as Rory spoke. The hunter was quick to make an offer, but the bard pondered a moment longer before tilting a sly glance at both his friends. ”Is there a rule saying that we can’t share a candle? Light it together? Because otherwise I’m afraid all I can offer is a poor little song, and we all know that ponies are a much better deal,” he concluded, laughing.
