To crooked eyes truth may wear a wry face - Lilliana

[Wolfbane]

Neverwhere proved to be a petulant cripple, lucky enough to have a friendship like Lilliana’s and luckier still that Wolfbane was the type who enjoyed chaotic neutrality. He watched her turn that pinkish face away from Lilliana when (for a sparkling few minutes) it seemed like the two of them could be worlds apart from this beach, and felt a gross satisfaction at having made her feel even a moment’s worth of alienation. For all Never’s barbs and sour talk, the mousey stray hounding his sunny diplomat, his Lilli, could still be reduced to nothing more than a third wheel if he wanted it that way.

Wolfbane had spent his life learning to outmaneuver smartasses, and he did it subtly without the flair of rolling his eyes or shaking his head. Did Neverwhere honestly believe that she could find a weakness in his exterior? Laughable, if she did. However, If she were smart, the hapless mare would focus more on her instinctive distrust concerning Wolfbane and his relative, Heartfire.

But she was too busy nursing insecurities and Wolfbane was more interested in Lilliana anyways. Speaking of, had the chestnut mare actually illuminated herself just then? Looking away Bane nearly missed it, not seeing how at first her leg and then the fine arc of her feminine neck shimmered with a faint light. Only, when he turned to look at them again there it was - crackling across her shapely cheekbones before sputtering out. So there is more… He thought excitedly, and not even Neverwhere’s prickly retort could put him off the scent of whatever it was Lilliana wanted to keep to herself.

The retort lacked enough force behind it that Lilli herself taunted back, which produced a quick and robustly loud scoff from Bane. “Then what are we doing standing around here when we could be there already?”  He asked the baldface female, easing confidently into a slow walk that led him close enough to Lilliana his wingtips would brush against her skin, if she didn’t move away. “I’d offer you point,” He laughed to Never, throwing the sound and his sly gaze over one thick, muscular shoulder to where he left the females standing, “but I have every reason to believe Heartfire’s already shown you the best there is to see around these parts.” Wolfbane parried back, feeling exceptionally cryptic.

How well did Neverwhere actually know his grandmare, he wondered? Eyeing the beastly girl closely, Bane made it obvious he intended to find out.

Then his attention returned where it felt most welcome, and he lost himself to the youthful brilliance of the visibly anxious chestnut mare stuck between them. It occurred to Wolfbane that Lilli might’ve never been privy to how Bane dealt with horses who kept to the fringes of society, and he can’t immediately recall a situation in which they’ve been awkwardly divided from one another, as Neverwhere seemed hellbent on doing. Don’t worry, his bright olive eyes laughed, I won’t eat a friend, no matter how tempting.

“Coming?” He wanted to know, leaving enough space to his left that the trio could walk side-by-side up the beach. Of course, one of them would have to be near the ocean and preferably, he would rather Lilliana be the physical barrier between himself and the Wicked Witch of the North but he wouldn’t say that out loud. He would just linger closer to Taiga’s forest, and prop his wing a bit higher on his back so a certain someone might see that as an invitation for more … physical contact. “Y’know I can’t help but wonder how you two came to be friends.” Bane humored himself aloud, truly believing in the old turn of phrase that “opposites attract”. “For a moment here I thought I could keep Lilliana all to myself; looks like she had other plans.” His eyebrows wagged, teeth glinting through the fog.

@[neverwhere]
@[lilliana]