TORIELLE
It's only me who wants to wrap around your dreams
A shooting star fell from the sky and crashed into her. The mare barely had time to register the galaxy coat that swiftly made its way towards her before suddenly they were chest to chest and she was being embraced by the star, a heavy sigh to her words, anxiety cutting through each word as she spoke them.
Guilt hit Torielle in the gut like a freight train, and she held the woman close. “I’m sorry. So sorry,” she whispered, trying to reign in the spiral of emotions she felt brewing in her stomach.
Within a moment Veil stepped back, seeming to have satisfied herself for the time being with Tori’s safety. The motion was so smooth that it sent the antlered woman’s head spinning. One moment she was sure that she had missed her opportunity, that she had broken her promise, and the next she was being held close by the star, fretting over her wellbeing. She barely had the time to breathe before the cosmos threw her another curveball.
For the briefest of moments their velveteen maws brushed against each other, and if lightning could strike twice, it had well and truly done so already. With so much as a blink that touch trailed to the scholar’s cheek as the monk steadied herself. Torielle only just begun to process the moment when Veil reeled back in disdain, her nares wrinkling.
She spoke about her distaste for Jarek, how the stars and planets themselves did not speak well of him. Her words came tumbling out before the doe could properly respond, the star breaking only for a moment to dive into the woman’s auburn mane, nuzzling her there for a moment before pulling away again to ask questions that sounded less like questions and more like accusations.
Torielle went rigid, certain that if she tried to do too many things at once she would collapse into the star woman before her and all the thoughts that had clouded her mind earlier in the day would come to full fruition. Her mind was whirring, trying to piece together what Veil was doing with what she was saying. Though they had always been friendly, she had never touched this much before, nor in this way.
“Ah..” the mare started, trying to pick out one thing to focus on. Though it had perhaps only been a minute or two since the star had crashed into her, so many things had transpired that sent Tori’s head spinning.
“Vreis,” she settled on. “He… saw me speaking with Jarek, and when I stepped away decided to intervene so that he might not trouble me again. I lost track of time and… and…” Her words trailed off as Veil found the gifts from the brutish stallion and unceremoniously removed them from her person.
As the galaxy woman spoke, a few things fell into place for the scholar. The way that Veil had, moved, the way she had spoken and then as she explained her thoughts and emotions suddenly started to make sense. Torielle recognized those things, as she had felt them the same way, just as sharply as the first day she had known what jealousy could be. Even if Veil did not have the words for it yet, exactly, there was some part of her that did not like to see the doe with someone else. At the very least, she did not like to see her with Jarek or another stallion.
The wild birds that had roosted within the woman’s chest that morning came back with bright song as her heart thrummed against her ribs. She couldn’t help it, a bright smile and a laugh escaped her lips. It was all so clear now. Those touches and awkward conversations from that morning’s shopping trip had not entirely been in her own head. It was validating, in a way, though the mare knew that she would need to speak with Veil more properly. Just in case it was not jealousy, but a protective friend who knew that the stallions she had been associating with were no good for her.
Veil took a lock of auburn hair, playing with the scholar as she teased Torielle with her own promises. As the star twirled away, all chimes and crystals and twilight, the musicians transitioned to a slow melody. The last few denizens of the courts gathered around the fading firelight held each other close.
The mare smiled, her fears, while still resting in her gut, had shrunk to the size of a pebble- forgettable. She could, just for one dance, stop worrying about all the what ifs, and who saw, and if she was wrong or right. All that speculation could be done another time. After all, she had so many years ahead of her, so many future nights where she could pick apart every word and every caress. For now, she could enjoy the simple act of participating in a dance.
The doe bowed her head, bells twinkling and catching the warmth of the bonfire in their worn silver. “Of course,” she said, lifting deep blue pools to stunning rose. “Of course I will dance with you, Veil Nebula.”
art by the-day-of-shadow character by scapeh table by sunny
