ꙮ Once more, on the Obsidian Road. It’s peaceful here, in a way it’s peaceful nowhere else. Still without being hauntedly silent; dark without being in any way dreary. The colours seem sharper, here; seemed so even the very first time you came here, and every time you return, things seem more vivid, more defined.
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- Yazhn Ravhi, the Hierophant
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#wolf
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wanders out of the Ziggurat, turning briefly to crane his neck and examine it. Quite frankly, he’s not sure he loves the way it’s gotten more mechanical, but…well, he’s always been more nature-minded, hasn’t he? Rubbing the resultant crick from his neck, he ambles over to where he was heading–Ember’s usual hangout.
ꙮ It’s still, somehow, a tiered garden, when it’s folded up nicely. An engineering marvel, although to what degree the normal rules even apply here, you’re not entirely sure.
ꙮ Ember’s nestled by the lamppost. Ruby-red eyes peer out and up at you as you approach.
waves as he nears, squatting down to be more of a height with those eyes. Wolf smiles. “Back in your usual spot, are you? It was very kind of you to come meet us, that must have taken some effort.”
ꙮ It wriggles, almost stretching itself out, the pile of dry, painted leathers rootching and shifting, inching a little closer to Wolf by way of response. Still moving a bit quicker than it had been the last time you were here, too!
: “Well, you’re getting spry!” He smiles, lays a gentle hand on the pile. “Hmm. Is what we’re doing giving you strength, then?”
ꙮ It hums something, then, something sprightly and almost playful. A bit of the dynamism of the Beast’s worldsong, slipping in to the rhythm of it.
laughs in surprised delight, a grin tugging on his features. “I see. How fascinating.” His smile falters, and he looks out towards the railway platform. “I wonder what you’ll get from Mu, then…”
ꙮ It rootches a little bit closer to Wolf. Closes its eyes, and begins to hum-sing something a little different. Something that resolves into something that sounds very much like the first song you heard it sing, when you first arrived - pieces of familiar melody.
pulls his attention back to Ember with an effort, fingers resting on the dry bulk of its…body? “Mm…” Long fingers gently brush across dry leather. “No choice but to see, eh? No choice but to walk the path. To burn, and to grow…”
ꙮ Something, inexplicably, pads up from behind Wolf, shadow-quiet. Gently announces itself by leaning against his side and headbutting his arm, very gently; a soft, strong, animal warmth.
goes very still, carefully tilting his head and his eyes to see what’s pushed up against him.
ꙮ Cat-golden eyes peek at you out of what, you would swear, is just the void that surrounds you, until it moves again and the light from the lamppost hits it just the right way, glints off sleek black fur. It’s a pitch-black jaguar with a very, very wet nose, insistently nuzzling your shoulder. You have the distinct sense that it may not be entirely… real.
shifts, slowly–his hand coming up very deliberately, in full view–and, if the jaguar allows…he brushes the back of his hand and fingers gently across the top of its head.
ꙮ It chuffs very softly, and presses its forehead into the offered hand.
smiles in slow wonder, starting to pet and rub more firmly–scruffling the soft, slick black fur, if he’s allowed. “Well. Hello there. And who are you, beautiful?”
ꙮ It looks up at Wolf like it heard the question, the way that a cat might, but it can respond just as much as a cat might, or as Ember might, which is to say, not at all, but it does permit the scritches, and it chuffs again, warm and wet, and it blinks its eyes very slowly, before yawning a slow and deliberate yawn and its fangs are quite large and impressive, aren’t they?
chuckles and very intentionally ignores the way that yawn makes the hair stand up on the back of his neck. “Curiouser and curiouser. I didn’t precisely expect a response, but these days, you never know…” He glances over at Ember, never taking much of his gaze off of the jaguar that he is now rather happily petting. “I don’t suppose you know our new friend here?”
ꙮ There is a hummingbird perched precariously atop Ember, bright like emeralds. It quirks its head up at Wolf, almost in the same motion as Ember looks up and blinks its bright eyes. Ember, if it’s aware of either of the – visitors? – does not seem alarmed.
feels a little frisson going up his spine. “Well then.” He looks back at the jaguar, whose chest he is now skritching with his whole hand. And then…he looks up at the not-quite-buildings, which are starting to cluster around the Ziggurat. “What was this place?” he breathes, not really asking anyone, but…well, he won’t be upset if someone answers.
ꙮ What was it, or what could it, perhaps, become?
allows his gaze to flicker upwards. “Sometimes I remember that we are playing with forces far beyond our comprehension. And I don’t know how to feel about that…”
ꙮ Are they beyond your comprehension? The jaguar nuzzles, intently, and with profound strength, into your hand, again. It seems– well. Tangible, perhaps, comprehensible only at one second per second, but that’s true of everything, isn’t it?
gives the sky a dry look. “I certainly don’t understand the mechanism of what’s happening here.” Still, he scruffles and pets back, enjoying the feel of that strength and warmth beneath his palm. “I wish I understood what we were doing, is all.”
ꙮ The mechanism is a jaguar insistently rubbing its unreasonably wide nose-bridge against your fingertips; what you are doing is petting it. Ember sings. It sounds– it’s still finding its way towards being the song Ember wants to sing. It’s not there, yet.
is still looking at the sky with a look like it should be coming over a pair of glasses at a particularly fascinating-if-exasperating student. (You suspect he picked it up from someone else. Can’t imagine who.) “I do believe you enjoy being cryptic, my friend.” He rolls his eyes–but he smiles as he’s doing it, and returns his attention to where it’s put to better use. “Keep trying, little Ember. You’ll figure it out. It just takes time.”
ꙮ It is an inextricable fact about the world that jaguars cannot purr. Instead of purring, they chuff, and grunt, and grumble, and the jaguar does all three of these things, directed towards Wolf.
chuckles softly. “Hmm, for all that my name is Wolf, we sound alike,” Wolf says, chuckling. “Mm. What a wonder, is this world. I may not understand it…but I can’t say that I’m complaining, either.” And seems, indeed, content to listen to Ember-song and pet a very large cat, for the time being.
ꙮ Eventually - after quite a time - Wolf’s concentration lapses, briefly, and the jaguar has slunk away into the shadows, and the hummingbird – must have flown off, noiselessly. Ember’s still there, of course, slowly blinking bright ruby eyes.