[open] look how they shine for you [any]

[Topsail]

A relit cigarette never tastes the same, and thats all I'll preach about rekindling old flames

Once upon a time, when Topsail was a young filly with wild eyes and a gypsy heart, she had ventured to the Meadow. Her mother had forbidden her to go, of course, but Topsail was too wild a thing to be fenced in by something as weak as words. She had gone searching for nothing in particular, really. A change of pace, a change of face, a change of scenery. She hadn't been picky or even overly cautious about where she found her amusements. There she had met a silver stranger. Not quite a grown man, but certainly more grown than Topsail. Despite that, and despite her inexperience with any kind of worldly things, a spark had lit between them. It was chaotic and dangerous and consuming. When he offered her a chance to see the stars, she had taken him up on it greedily, her eyes filled with wanderlust. Today, she can't even remember his name, but the memory of his silver skin and the bitter taste of stardust on her tongue remained.

Maybe that is where her love for the night had started, or maybe she was just born with shadows in her heart. Winter nights especially, when the sky was clear and the air froze in her lungs. She relished nights like that, despite the chill that settled in her bones. It made her feel small, which was a feeling that didn't happen often.

Topsail watches the moon as it makes its lazy climb into the sky. The stars aren't far behind, and soon the blue-black sky is painted with their combined lights. Its clear tonight, and the stars have no trouble being center stage. A faint smile works its way onto her lips, the kind of smile that holds memories and secrets and unspoken words. With a shake of her head she breaks herself from the reverie, looking away from the stars in the sky and back to Starbry herself. She offers the mare a more genuine smile, nodding in agreement."Dreams can be tricky things, especially around here." she says with a chuckle. Her smile never falters as she brushes her muzzle against the other mares shoulder in support. It is a tender gesture, one Topsail is unaccustomed to but feels right all the same. But the night is shifting, and Topsail is too lost in the camaraderie to notice.

She notices when the flesh of the other mare falls away, though.

Topsail jerks back, her eyes flashing and her wings spreading from her sides. Where once a young mare coated in navy skin had stood is now a skeleton. Not even eyes remain, a fact which unnerves Topsail more than anything. But she is quick to shake off the fear; she has seen far too much to be surprised by dark magic now. Instead, her mouth sets in a firm line as she considers carefully her next words. Topsail herself isn't necessarily afraid, but she figures caution can't go amiss right now. "I think maybe your dream shifted into a nightmare at some point...? Her statement hangs in the empty spaces of Starbrys mind, as much a question as anything else. She isn't sure what else there is to say, so she remains quiet, bathing in the moonlight.

So focused is she on Starbry that she doesn't notice when the graveworms start to crawl beneath her own mousey flesh. But the night isn't done with them, not by a long shot.

with love,
topsail

@Starbry