[PRP] Pillow Talk (Maple Milk, Melt)

[theCorniest]

With the dregs of a tumultuous dream, and other recent concerns of a more corporeal nature, still pounding in the back of her head, Maple Milk took a walk. She left her cave early in the morning and walked straight out for hours, taking brief rests when she wearied, trying very hard not to think about anything.

It wasn't working.

She was alone. This had never bothered her before now, but... For years and years, she'd been fine - she'd been strong, clever, wily enough to make her way. And she was still as sharp as the thorns around her home, but... Friends had tried to push themselves into her life - but always, always, always, she pushed them out again, let them drift away from her naturally. Even the coven had dissolved eventually. But -

She stopped suddenly, her worries coalescing to a solid weight in her chest. "But I'm old, now," she grumbled. Old, frail, and alone - and vulnerable like she'd never been.  

[Tiarana]

"You certainly are," said Melt agreeably, from out of nowhere. He had been shading himself under a tree nearby, and he took his own sweet time standing up. "So we meet again."  

[theCorniest]

With a hiss, Maple creakily spun to face her detractor - and found him familiar. It was the accursed blanket-man. She took a deep breath to begin berating him... and let it out again, deflating rather, her stance weakening. He was only agreeing with what she herself had said, after all - simply confirming the weakness she'd witnessed herself.

"It seems we do," she said dully, her head low and ears drawn slightly back. "What a surprise."  

[Tiarana]

"Oh?" said Melt, and took a step closer. This was not the response he was expecting. "You seem a little strange today. Are you quite alright?"  

[theCorniest]

Maple favored him with an impressive grimace. "No, as a matter of fact, I am not," she croaked, "but I'm not about to regale you with my life's story. I doubt you're interested in that."  

[Tiarana]

Melt looked around and laughed. "What do we have if not time, dear?" He pushed some dry leaves into a pile at the base of the tree. "Kin always have time for stories. Now, you sit down right here and I'll go find something to eat." The kiokote trotted off, and soon returned with a squirrel clutched in his mouth, which he ripped in two, and offered the choicest half to Maple.  

[theCorniest]

Time, time, time! That was the very crux of the matter, wasn't it? Time, which was the faithful dog of the fate of all kin, slowly worrying you apart with blunted teeth so that you hardly noticed it was happening until it was far too late. Before she could tell him as much, at length, that ridiculous kiokote had bustled off to find food.

Well. Good riddance. She could get away while he was gone and be alone with her thoughts. She certainly wasn't going to nestle down into that pile of leaves and wait for him, even if she was fairly hungry - she hadn't stopped to eat at all on her long walk - and sort of tired. It didn't look comfortable at all, she thought stubbornly, nudging it sullenly with one leg. Still, she could probably afford to rest for a moment before she left - it probably wouldn't be too uncomfortable, and might be sort of warm...


Maple woke from a light doze to the sounds of Melt returning - with some small fuzzy morsel to share. While her nap had left her slightly - very slightly - less cranky, it hadn't moved her troubles far from her mind, or made her any less hungry. He even offered her the better half of the critter he'd caught. That was properly respectful of him. Like a wary wild animal, she hesitated a moment, then snatched her portion, staring at him all the while.  

[Tiarana]

Melt lay down next to her and pulled at the stringy squirrel meat for a second. "So, now that we're comfortable, care to share what's on your mind?"  

[theCorniest]

Maple's only response was a wordless growling grumble sound as she ate.  

[Tiarana]

"My, you haven't eaten in a while, have you," said Melt, raising a brow. "But do try to articulate."  

[theCorniest]

She lifted her head to tear a strip of the stringy meat off the skin and swallowed it down, staring down at the carcass sullenly and licking her lips clean of blood. Finally, she said with a sigh, "I'm old. And -" she glanced sideways at him somewhat distrustfully - "... frail. Vulnerable. I find it disagreeable," she concluded with a sniff, and bent to her meal again.  

[Tiarana]

"Well, that took you all of five seconds to say, and is, in fact, entirely obvious just by looking at you. I thought you had more to say than that," Melt said, a little sullen himself.  

[theCorniest]

The old hag spluttered indignantly, "Look, don't come wise with me because I'm not spilling my guts the instant you ask, you nosy, overgrown jackrabbit! I just got done saying I don't like being vulnerable. That includes talking about it." She nosed restlessly at the carcass for a moment, then sighed and turned her gaze skywards.

"If you must know," she grumbled, "I'm feeling my mortality particularly strongly this season. I never..."  

[Tiarana]

"Sorry, sorry," Melt said soothingly. "It's hard to talk about yourself when you don't do it often."

"You never...," he echoed expectantly.  

[theCorniest]

"I never thought I'd live this long," she admitted quietly.