Silent Moon Plateau so keep on pretending

The moon would be up sooner than she knew. Yet for now the colors had shifted to purples and blues. Dusky twilight that seemed to align with the chill that still hung in the air. This was not the highest point on the mountain, the seasons still seemed to shift and change here. She wondered what spring would look like here. Especially from the overdrop that offered a view of the lands out beyond.

This place seemed beautiful, seemed homey. Yet the silence lingered over the lands in a way that teetered beyond peaceful. She felt that it seemed unfair for such a cozy place to see such little life...

Her voice raised into the crisp air for @Mika in hopes that the other would be near. At least near enough to answer back if it would be some time. Already her heart skipped and fluttered.

(This post was last modified: Apr 11, 2024, 03:04 AM by Adora.)

Mika had wandered off the mountain for a couple of days, but they hadn’t been able to stay gone for long. They’d hardly thought that this place could hold any sort of draw for them before they’d met her, but now it was hard to stay away - there was some invisible rope tethering them there, and so up the slopes they’d climbed.

This particular place was a wonderful middleground. It was comfortable here, quiet and soothing, and it seemed that they weren’t the only one who thought so. A familiar voice cut through the air, calling for them specifically. Mika was glad no one was around to see the little excited hop they did in response, paws tapping the ground before they tilted their head back and howled in return.

Part of them wasn’t sure if Adora would call for them at all, but they were glad she did. They stumbled over their own paws as they hurried their way toward the source of the call, that stubborn leg giving them a bit of trouble. Nothing that made it impossible to walk, but it wasn’t working exactly the way it should at the moment.

It didn’t take them long to find her, settled on the overlook and backed by a fading purple sky. Their heart jumped into their throat, their mouth opening, and they just managed to choke back the word:

Beautiful.

They swallowed hard and approached her, a little out of breath and with a hitch in their step. Their tail was wagging just a little too fast, betraying the excitement that thrummed through their veins.

“Hi,” they greeted lamely, stopping just short of her - if she wanted to close the distance, she was more than welcome to. “Y’ called me.” It was a pleasant surprise, being the one called. “I hope I didn’t keep ya waitin’ too long.”

The howl back was warmly welcomed. In fact, it had helped ease any anxieties she harbored. It had meant that her newfound friend (crush, but she delicately tucked that into her chest) had not been far at all. Nor had they declined the invitation.

In the time it took for Mika to arrive, Adora had managed to wrangle the worst of her nerves. She had paced near the over drop and allowed any strong breeze to rustle her fur. The coldness seemed to help ground her most these days. She had not forgot the frigid waters they had encountered in the Underground Sea...

Yet she settled down once more. Head fixed so that she looked outward. Imagined what it might be like to see it all with Mika, then imagine what it would be like to see it all from here with them. A thing that would soon become reality...

"You're lucky I'm patient," Her voice betrayed her words, humor wrapped each word as her own tail swayed eagerly behind her. Adora had not stopped herself from standing nor had she stopped herself from approaching closer. She could not deny the want to reach out, but there she had stopped herself. Mindful to not cross any boundaries.

"I thought this place was too pretty to be so lonely. So I figured you might share it with me..."

ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇ || ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇ

Adora padded over to them without hesitation, sending Mika’s heart into a frenzy and heat warming their face. They snickered a little at her joke, smile open in a way that betrayed their excitement to be there, even though their own tone was playful as they spoke.

“Yer right - I’ll be sure t’ fly t’ ya next time,” they teased, bowing down low and turning bright eyes up to her with a grin. “Could yer majesty ever forgive me for bein’ such a slowpoke?” They had come as quickly as they could, with the leg and all, and Adora was clearly not mad about it, so they didn’t feel too bad.

I thought this place was too pretty to be so lonely. So I figured you might share it with me...

Mika’s stomach did a spectacular flip, and they had to eat their own words again before they said something stupid like, You’re too pretty to be so lonely. They were nowhere near so bold, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t think it.

Instead, they said, “Just Mika, at yer service,” in their best showman voice. They managed to pry their eyes from the grayscale wolf to scan the horizon for the first time. It really was too pretty to enjoy alone, they decided, a little taken aback by the sight.

“I think,” they started, watching the darkening landscape. “I think this is m’ favorite part ‘bout the mountains. Seein’ things from up here. Makes y’ feel like yer on top of th’ world.” It was a good feeling - freeing, in a way. After being trapped for so long, the sight of wide open spaces soothed something within them.

Somehow she felt even more flushed at being called yer majesty. Adora was not a power hungry being but she imagined herself sometimes, a caretaker and leader. One who could shoulder it all for those she loved. A position that no one could surely carry forever but one that she would have adored for any moment of time.

Your majesty forgives, She exhaled with all the whimsy of the moment in her words. Even her gaze had become something warm and kind. In this moment she could be that, right? Someone who shouldered things, who healed others with words and actions.

Her ears stood tall and her yellow gaze swept sidelong to look away from Mika, out towards the landscape beyond. Some part of her imagined that she could see her birthplace from here. Not that it would have ever been apparent from the treetops but maybe somewhere out there...

I have to agree. Sometimes I miss the softer grounds and the shrouded trees but... This place, here and now, seemed a kind of middle ground between mountain and lowlands. There's just something about the mountain. The height and the shelter. She turned her gaze back towards Mika.

Have you liked your stay on it so far? Have you liked your time with me? Too timid to ask so boldly.

ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇ || ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇ

Mika abhorred authority for a good number of reasons, but Adora… it was easy to imagine her leading, to imagine them following her. The way she went along so easily with these games of theirs, the kindness in her yellow eyes…

She wouldn’t be a bad leader, they decided. If they had to choose one.

“This humble servant thanks ya,” they responded with a low, dramatic bow, a laugh in their words and a wag in their tail. At the very least, it was fun to pretend. Just for now.

They perked their ears, listening as the monochrome wolf spoke, echoing their sentiment and tacking on her own. And Mika had to agree, at least to a degree. They’d never been on a mountain before this one, and at first, it had been difficult, but now it didn’t seem as unforgiving.

Mika had been watching Adora when she turned her attention back to them, and they sat up a little straighter, a bit surprised at the question. It seemed like there was something hiding just beneath the words - some other meaning. If they were reading too much into it, they didn’t know.

“Y’know, I actually have,” they told her with a small smile. “It was a little… difficult, at first, but I took a trip down into th’ woods again ‘n I realized I wanted t’ come back.” Their cheeks warmed again and they studied their paws.

Without thinking too hard on it, they continued, “Yer kinda like the mountain,” and then, realizing how that might’ve sounded, they turned their eyes back toward Adora, floundering to try to explain, “I mean… like what ya said about the height ‘n the shelter! Yer real tall ‘n pretty, n’ ya feel safe. Like nothin’ bad’s gonna happen, with ya around.” They were pretty sure their face was on fire, and for some reason they couldn’t get themself to look away from her, much as they wanted to find some rock to crawl under.

She could not imagine Mika as some kind of humble servant. She imagined them as a knight or a brave adventurer for their pretend kingdom. Someone esteemed and trusted, someone who Your Majesty might have been looked upon with a favored eye.

Her thoughts nearly sprinted off before she could catch them, catch herself. It was good that she did so that she would hear the words that spilled forth from her company.

Adora had never thought that she would like being compared to the mountains. So far she had only seen them take and take. Yet she too had sought them out again, had found beauty in the spots that lingered away from the lake's edges. Maybe it was not the whole mountain. Worse yet, maybe it was not the mountain at all. An ugly thought that would have soured her had it not been for the way her ears heard the compliments. Her chest felt on fire. Like someone had brought the sun down and wedged it behind her breastbone.

She swore she heard her heartbeat in her own ears when the silence came.

Quickly she stepped closer and the lnes blurred between what had been friendly distance. This was intimate. She might have acted outright without a second thought but it seemed even in inspired passion she held some sense of diplomatic nobility.

I'd like to kiss you, She exhaled and although her voice remained steady, she thought her tail trembled behind her. What might it feel like to be cheek to cheek with her noble adventurer?

ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇ || ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇ

This was completely uncharted territory for Mika. They’d hardly ever even had a crush before, but they were confident that this was what this was. And they had no real idea of what Adora thought of them in return - they knew she enjoyed spending time with them, but that was about it. It might’ve been a bad idea to let their mouth run like they had, not knowing where they stood with her, but they couldn’t help it. It was like the words just tumbled out of their own accord.

The silence was smothering. Mika’s throat felt dry, their face hot and their body tense - almost like they needed to run away, which was a ridiculous idea. The worst that could happen was a rejection, and Adora would probably be nice about it. It wasn’t the end of the world.

Mika was about to apologize before Adora stepped toward them, the words sticking in their throat - something they wished had happened before they had compared her to a mountain, because who does that? They looked up at the taller wolf, eyes round and body tense, unsure of what to expect from her.

I’d like to kiss you.

What?

What?

For a second, they just stared at her, owl-eyed and dazed. Because they must’ve heard that wrong, right?

But no, she was still staring at them, waiting on an answer, and they had to force themself to speak. “You… I’d…” they began, voice a tiny bit squeakier than normal. “I’d like it if y’ kissed me.” It came out in a rush, a little clumsy, but they managed not to stutter this time.

Adora realized that perhaps she had done something wrong. Emotions misplaced or words misspoken. How would they ever recover from this? She had been unable to withhold her fanciful thoughts so they had leaked into her reality. She would not have blamed them one bit if Mika had walked away from her and this moment forever.

One shade of yellow looked to another. It had felt like a slow, painful lifetime by the time the words came out.

Then relief that washed over her like the breeze that ran across the plateau now. When the silence came this time, it was welcome. Only them here and the rustle of the pines with the wind. Only the moon would see how Adora lowered her head with a carefulness that seemed practiced. Maybe it was, she had dreamed plenty of this but her action was next to none.

Her nose hovered over a pale cheek, before she brushed along it. A kiss planted on a delicate chin when she had finished the brush. Often tall and proud, she allowed herself to remain partially slouched so that her head could be alongside Mika's.

She hoped that this would not ruin whatever they had started between them.

ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇ || ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇ

Mika’s heart was in their throat and their mouth was dry. Adora looked otherworldly, backed by moonlight as she leaned in and pressed her nose to their cheek. The contact was electrifying - their fur stood on end and it felt like the blush that had made itself at home on their face had spread to their ears and into their chest. Their breath caught in their throat at the kiss she placed to their chin afterward, and they wanted to look anywhere else, but they couldn’t tear their gaze from hers.

They weren’t sure what was the proper thing to do in this situation, so they just did what felt natural to them. Mika leaned in and copied the motion of brushing their nose across Adora’s cheek, then leaned in to nuzzle at her ears, their own pressed to their skull and their tail wagging behind them.

After, they pulled back just a hair - not quite willing to put any distance between the two of them, but wanting to be making eye contact when they spoke again.

“Yer beautiful,” Mika said, voice hushed and a small, unsteady smile on their face. She probably knew that, Mika was aware, but they still wanted to tell her.