Maea couldn’t hear the conversation that went on between the hybrids, but her delight at seeing him was so genuine that he felt bad for hiding. Now that the cat – or dragon – was out of the bag thanks to Loren there wasn’t much point in hiding, though he hoped Tarasha wouldn’t be too mad at him. Sheepishly he waited until the Fae had taken their gift before he shuffled his feet back under him and shifted to his human form, self-conscious and uneasy to be shifting in full view of everyone but unable to hide in such a large body.
He accepted Maea’s gift with a bow, eyes widening in delight and amazement as he opened it to find the quills in their beautiful case. ” Maea , these are gorgeous, thank you!” He beamed at her, then winked. ”A moment, please, while I get yours…” There were definitely upsides to his newly-discovered magic, one of which was never being caught empty-handed. He tucked the case under his arm and reached into a capacious sleeve, perusing the pockets there. He had planned the gift out a year prior, but after her disappearance he’d stopped commissioning the little tokens from Old Smitty…
Now, he could make his own. Bronze music tolled like small bells in his soul as his fingers closed around air which suddenly filled, and he brought the object out into the dancing firelight: a charm that might go on a bracelet or necklace. It was a small, delicately shaped lantern made of bronze with a silver flame wrought inside that seemed to dance in the firelight that reflected off it. Grinning, he offered it to his fellow pale-haired wraith of a friend before she went off to deliver more gifts.
It was, in the end, a nice night, but the one he wanted most to spend it with wasn’t here. Gifts given, and one beautiful one received, he made his swift goodbyes and then headed back into the woods on four dainty paws to make his way home again.
__________
Jigano out
He accepted Maea’s gift with a bow, eyes widening in delight and amazement as he opened it to find the quills in their beautiful case. ” Maea , these are gorgeous, thank you!” He beamed at her, then winked. ”A moment, please, while I get yours…” There were definitely upsides to his newly-discovered magic, one of which was never being caught empty-handed. He tucked the case under his arm and reached into a capacious sleeve, perusing the pockets there. He had planned the gift out a year prior, but after her disappearance he’d stopped commissioning the little tokens from Old Smitty…
Now, he could make his own. Bronze music tolled like small bells in his soul as his fingers closed around air which suddenly filled, and he brought the object out into the dancing firelight: a charm that might go on a bracelet or necklace. It was a small, delicately shaped lantern made of bronze with a silver flame wrought inside that seemed to dance in the firelight that reflected off it. Grinning, he offered it to his fellow pale-haired wraith of a friend before she went off to deliver more gifts.
It was, in the end, a nice night, but the one he wanted most to spend it with wasn’t here. Gifts given, and one beautiful one received, he made his swift goodbyes and then headed back into the woods on four dainty paws to make his way home again.
__________
Jigano out
