The first plop of something soft and quiet nearby went nearly unnoticed, brushed away as a fallen leaf or nut from the trees.
The second bounced off the tree next to his head, and he jerked forward, looking around in alarm for whatever was taking aim at him.
Because of that, the third hit him right between the eyes, a firm blueberry that caused him to flinch back even as he instinctively raised a quick hand to catch it as it dropped--
And proceeded to accidentally smash it between his nimble fingers. Glancing down in consternation at the purplish juice he wiped his fingers on the moss and looked around cautiously, seeking some sign of his... attacker? Had a speaking squirrel gotten lost and decided to pester him in revenge for his escape in Deepfrost?
Eliza's giggle drew his attention up into the trees above and he narrowed his eyes at the sight of what appeared to be a child - short, slender, mischievous - crouched like a wild thing and with a handful of sweet, juicy ammunition.
Children... were not his strong suit at the best of times. With a sigh he stood and stepped around the tree he had been leaning against. As he slipped out of her sight his form shifted and shrunk, sprouting feathers as his hair receded. He took wing into some thicker underbrush, initially intending to hide his flight but...
There had been something strange about the child. Something about her clothes that seemed out of place... Jigano huffed a resigned sigh at the curiosity that prickled at him even through his ennui, and tilted his wings to circle wide around, coming to rest on a large branch at her height in a neighboring tree before transforming back. From this angle he could see that her short cloak was actually... shimmering wings?
"Hello," he said softly, trying to ignore the way his pulse was trying to speed up. "Were you trying to get my attention?"
The second bounced off the tree next to his head, and he jerked forward, looking around in alarm for whatever was taking aim at him.
Because of that, the third hit him right between the eyes, a firm blueberry that caused him to flinch back even as he instinctively raised a quick hand to catch it as it dropped--
And proceeded to accidentally smash it between his nimble fingers. Glancing down in consternation at the purplish juice he wiped his fingers on the moss and looked around cautiously, seeking some sign of his... attacker? Had a speaking squirrel gotten lost and decided to pester him in revenge for his escape in Deepfrost?
Eliza's giggle drew his attention up into the trees above and he narrowed his eyes at the sight of what appeared to be a child - short, slender, mischievous - crouched like a wild thing and with a handful of sweet, juicy ammunition.
Children... were not his strong suit at the best of times. With a sigh he stood and stepped around the tree he had been leaning against. As he slipped out of her sight his form shifted and shrunk, sprouting feathers as his hair receded. He took wing into some thicker underbrush, initially intending to hide his flight but...
There had been something strange about the child. Something about her clothes that seemed out of place... Jigano huffed a resigned sigh at the curiosity that prickled at him even through his ennui, and tilted his wings to circle wide around, coming to rest on a large branch at her height in a neighboring tree before transforming back. From this angle he could see that her short cloak was actually... shimmering wings?
"Hello," he said softly, trying to ignore the way his pulse was trying to speed up. "Were you trying to get my attention?"
