Callynite
"Just give me the world and I will give it back to you
Just tell me it hurts and I will fix it for you"
Perhaps it wasn't the wisest choice of 'quick solutions' to handle the stallion, but at the time of exhaustion from patrols and forcing her magic to stretch as far as she could get it, Cally didn't really care too much, and instead resorted to defending her actions (before turning a bit pleading for being allowed sleep). His soft chuckle soothed her ruffled edges more than she was expecting, the sound acting as a balm to her frayed nerves and soothing the exhausted, tension lines around her eyes and muzzle. His words that followed seemed to add more layers to that calming balm that slid over her soul and echoed deep within her heart. His words weren't quite an apology yet, drawing out a defense first. But when he did apologize, she glanced up at him sleepily before managing a soft smile and snuggling down against him as his muzzle drifted over her neck. She would remind him she wasn't anyone's property tomorrow . . . tonight, she liked the sound of 'my dearest'. And tucked against his side, his muzzle laid lightly over her, a sense of shelter soothed the last of her worries, and she found herself easily falling into sleep beneath the trust in him that he would protect her from anything thta might come.
The gliders chittered gently at him, and his words of thanks, the two shiest of the batch seeming to hide behind each other at his attention - a display that was equal measures of cute and not well thought out on their part. But as soon as his attention drifted again, Willow and Amber were returning to their duties of cleaning the soil and dust from his pelt, even as Bandit glared from next to Sugar, and Gizmo looked lost without Amber nearby. As the two girls finished straightening the majority of the fur they could reach without leaving Cally's body, they briefly pressed paws against his shoulder in farewell before departing for Cally's saddlebag and curling up with the other sugar gliders to join their bonded in some rest. Cally wouldn't be destined for sleep for long, however, and while she had originally planned for an hour or two for a nap, she slept for at least double that while tucked into Coy's body.
Of course, the horror that set into her bones as she began to realize what she had done to him before her nap had her wondering why he was still there. Her apology was met with a soft laugh, and eyes so warm and gentle, Cally could feel a flush of heat rising to her muzzle, her own gaze dropping from his, only to jerk back up in surprise at the new nickname. Little Love? Where had that come from? In her half lucid state, still, squarely between the dream realm and reality, Cally blinked her eyes in sleepy confusion. "Now don't go calling me that now, Coy" She murmured, nuzzling her cheek back against his neck, eyes half closing, as she retreated a little closer back to the dream world, her voice laden with sleepiness, "Or I might just have to fall for you." The mere idea drew giggles from the little doe, although not the laughing at the idea giggles, but rather the awkward type of giggles of someone embarrassed by what they've said or done and are trying to cover it up. Had she really just said that?
When he did admit to preferring buried to be chased away, it was that blunt - half-asleep state that had Cally scoffing in honesty (as opposed to her typical attempts to hide her emotions under a lock and key set up of sass and biting remarks, "I wouldn't ever really chase you away-" She pauses for a yawn, lowering her muzzle to her for limbs, so she could rub one eye with her knee, trying to force herself to come around, to wake up and keep doing her job. "I prefer you being close by." Definitely not the sort of thing she would have admitted had it not been for the sleep that still claimed large sections of her being. Only then did he comment on her terrors, causing Cally to grow more confused. Terrors, what terrors? Make him presentable? New. It was only when a chitter at her shoulder was heard did she make the correlation between 'Terror' and her Sugar Gliders. "They're no more a terror than you are, Coyote." Cally said with a distinct pout, rubbing her cheek against the soft fur of Sugar who stood at her shoulder, vibrant white against Cally's browns. The little glider seemed to preen under the attention, before diving towards the other gliders who were heading away to hunt for some snacks now that Cally was awake again.
At his comment about how long they had been part, and the mystery of what had changed for her, her muzzle suddenly dropped, her cheek pressing against his chest as she seemed to tuck herself in closer to him. Deep down she had hated the sudden silence between them, a whole season with no contact. And as if bringing it up had struck her with fear of a repeat performance, Cally seemed content at the moment to turn herself into a burr and stay with Coy until she no longer felt the panic of the stallion disappear. "I didn't like it . . . " Her voice had softened suddenly, both sets of ears pinning back slightly and her body pressed tightly against him, "Not seeing you throughout all of Winter . . . . I was worried . . . about you . . . us . . . . well, our friendship I mean." Her words came slightly awkward and stilted, as she tried to express herself but not give to much away. She might not be in love with him . . . she surely must not be, she was certain she wasn't - maybe. But . . . . the time apart had rattled her in ways she couldn't express properly. He had become a constant in her life. Turning a corner to find him watching her like a guardian angel. Being present for laughter and company. To a sudden disappearance.
There had been days where she kept busy enough to not notice, but then there had been the days of quiet and calm where her mind and ran up any and every possibility of where he was and why he hadn't been with her . . . and if his absence was because he finally found a mare . . . a mare that would match him, who would know him as a stallion of the same species, and be able to address that with ease. A mare who wasn't cursed as a hybrid oddity, who was more deer than horse, and was still struggling to mold herself into a decent part of that equine society she was now being pulled into. A mare . . . . because she was just a doe, and he was a stallion.
That thought alone had her pulling away from him, her ears still pinned back slightly though she was awake enough to keep these thoughts from her face, her body language, instead of trying to keep her expressions and physical tells lying and stating everything was okay. She didn't broach the time apart again, instead of apologizing for burying him - and expressing thanks for his presence, trying to joke off the cuddling, threatening him if someone should find out - she was trying to re-establish the previous relationship and not bury herself in the actions of that last night. A struggle, but she forced her words forward. His words had her heart stuttering, missing a beat as she glanced at him, reminding herself sternly to not read too much into it. Of course, he would be there for her, they were friends. Calling the shots tho - him being at her mercies. What was that about, what was that supposed to mean. Instead, she focused on their conversations rather than her thoughts, lest they run wild again, "Oay so no berries, but maybe I'll just have you trip over a branch or tree root every few second, hmmm?"
Her limbs were drawn up beneath her, as she straightened up and turned to walk away from the area they had been cuddling, before glancing back at him, that hesitant expression returning briefly before being replaced with the more standard sassy demeanor she wielded like a sword and shield, "Hmm, calling the shots am I? And what shots are you hoping I'll call?" She teased, hiding the previous shyness behind playful banter. "You're worse than the bucks at home when they find a pretty doe to court." She added with a roll of her eyes, even as her muzzle reached up, grooming a part of his pelt her gliders had missed earlier, her muzzle barely ghosting along his skin as she did so. "I think you're far vainer than some of those bucks too! And I didn't know that was possible!" Her smile was genuine this time, as she tugged at a lock of his mane before that hesitancy returned for a moment, and she allowed herself one more comment before returning once more to sass and snarkiness, "I missed you these past months Coy. Don't stay away for so long again, okay?" Because when it came down to it, he had somehow become the favorite part of her day.
"Speech"
Thoughts
@Huehuecoyotl
Artwork ©LupinHallow
The gliders chittered gently at him, and his words of thanks, the two shiest of the batch seeming to hide behind each other at his attention - a display that was equal measures of cute and not well thought out on their part. But as soon as his attention drifted again, Willow and Amber were returning to their duties of cleaning the soil and dust from his pelt, even as Bandit glared from next to Sugar, and Gizmo looked lost without Amber nearby. As the two girls finished straightening the majority of the fur they could reach without leaving Cally's body, they briefly pressed paws against his shoulder in farewell before departing for Cally's saddlebag and curling up with the other sugar gliders to join their bonded in some rest. Cally wouldn't be destined for sleep for long, however, and while she had originally planned for an hour or two for a nap, she slept for at least double that while tucked into Coy's body.
Of course, the horror that set into her bones as she began to realize what she had done to him before her nap had her wondering why he was still there. Her apology was met with a soft laugh, and eyes so warm and gentle, Cally could feel a flush of heat rising to her muzzle, her own gaze dropping from his, only to jerk back up in surprise at the new nickname. Little Love? Where had that come from? In her half lucid state, still, squarely between the dream realm and reality, Cally blinked her eyes in sleepy confusion. "Now don't go calling me that now, Coy" She murmured, nuzzling her cheek back against his neck, eyes half closing, as she retreated a little closer back to the dream world, her voice laden with sleepiness, "Or I might just have to fall for you." The mere idea drew giggles from the little doe, although not the laughing at the idea giggles, but rather the awkward type of giggles of someone embarrassed by what they've said or done and are trying to cover it up. Had she really just said that?
When he did admit to preferring buried to be chased away, it was that blunt - half-asleep state that had Cally scoffing in honesty (as opposed to her typical attempts to hide her emotions under a lock and key set up of sass and biting remarks, "I wouldn't ever really chase you away-" She pauses for a yawn, lowering her muzzle to her for limbs, so she could rub one eye with her knee, trying to force herself to come around, to wake up and keep doing her job. "I prefer you being close by." Definitely not the sort of thing she would have admitted had it not been for the sleep that still claimed large sections of her being. Only then did he comment on her terrors, causing Cally to grow more confused. Terrors, what terrors? Make him presentable? New. It was only when a chitter at her shoulder was heard did she make the correlation between 'Terror' and her Sugar Gliders. "They're no more a terror than you are, Coyote." Cally said with a distinct pout, rubbing her cheek against the soft fur of Sugar who stood at her shoulder, vibrant white against Cally's browns. The little glider seemed to preen under the attention, before diving towards the other gliders who were heading away to hunt for some snacks now that Cally was awake again.
At his comment about how long they had been part, and the mystery of what had changed for her, her muzzle suddenly dropped, her cheek pressing against his chest as she seemed to tuck herself in closer to him. Deep down she had hated the sudden silence between them, a whole season with no contact. And as if bringing it up had struck her with fear of a repeat performance, Cally seemed content at the moment to turn herself into a burr and stay with Coy until she no longer felt the panic of the stallion disappear. "I didn't like it . . . " Her voice had softened suddenly, both sets of ears pinning back slightly and her body pressed tightly against him, "Not seeing you throughout all of Winter . . . . I was worried . . . about you . . . us . . . . well, our friendship I mean." Her words came slightly awkward and stilted, as she tried to express herself but not give to much away. She might not be in love with him . . . she surely must not be, she was certain she wasn't - maybe. But . . . . the time apart had rattled her in ways she couldn't express properly. He had become a constant in her life. Turning a corner to find him watching her like a guardian angel. Being present for laughter and company. To a sudden disappearance.
There had been days where she kept busy enough to not notice, but then there had been the days of quiet and calm where her mind and ran up any and every possibility of where he was and why he hadn't been with her . . . and if his absence was because he finally found a mare . . . a mare that would match him, who would know him as a stallion of the same species, and be able to address that with ease. A mare who wasn't cursed as a hybrid oddity, who was more deer than horse, and was still struggling to mold herself into a decent part of that equine society she was now being pulled into. A mare . . . . because she was just a doe, and he was a stallion.
That thought alone had her pulling away from him, her ears still pinned back slightly though she was awake enough to keep these thoughts from her face, her body language, instead of trying to keep her expressions and physical tells lying and stating everything was okay. She didn't broach the time apart again, instead of apologizing for burying him - and expressing thanks for his presence, trying to joke off the cuddling, threatening him if someone should find out - she was trying to re-establish the previous relationship and not bury herself in the actions of that last night. A struggle, but she forced her words forward. His words had her heart stuttering, missing a beat as she glanced at him, reminding herself sternly to not read too much into it. Of course, he would be there for her, they were friends. Calling the shots tho - him being at her mercies. What was that about, what was that supposed to mean. Instead, she focused on their conversations rather than her thoughts, lest they run wild again, "Oay so no berries, but maybe I'll just have you trip over a branch or tree root every few second, hmmm?"
Her limbs were drawn up beneath her, as she straightened up and turned to walk away from the area they had been cuddling, before glancing back at him, that hesitant expression returning briefly before being replaced with the more standard sassy demeanor she wielded like a sword and shield, "Hmm, calling the shots am I? And what shots are you hoping I'll call?" She teased, hiding the previous shyness behind playful banter. "You're worse than the bucks at home when they find a pretty doe to court." She added with a roll of her eyes, even as her muzzle reached up, grooming a part of his pelt her gliders had missed earlier, her muzzle barely ghosting along his skin as she did so. "I think you're far vainer than some of those bucks too! And I didn't know that was possible!" Her smile was genuine this time, as she tugged at a lock of his mane before that hesitancy returned for a moment, and she allowed herself one more comment before returning once more to sass and snarkiness, "I missed you these past months Coy. Don't stay away for so long again, okay?" Because when it came down to it, he had somehow become the favorite part of her day.
"Speech"
Thoughts
@Huehuecoyotl
Artwork ©LupinHallow
