[private] hiding in plain sight; adna

[Velkan]

I can hear someone moving nearby but I don’t open my eyes just yet - the moment I’m experiencing is just too perfect, and I don’t know that this someone is going to even stop. Maybe they’re looking for an excuse to stop and stare for a minute before moving on - I’ll save us both the embarrassment that would come if their gawking was caught. It makes my insides churn like worms to think about it because I can imagine the look well - a look of pity touched with a flash of fear. It’s what my appearance inspires and there’s nothing I can do to change it. So sometimes it’s easier to pretend to be asleep until they move on. But the hoofbeats stop and don’t start up again, so I sneak a look. As soon as I do, the mare standing there has my complete and full attention - and my black eyes snap wide open and I turn to face her more completely. I’m a little sunblind from having my closed eyes tilted towards the bright sun for a while, so there’s pink dots dancing in the air around her. It takes me a second to realize that the scales on her body aren’t another side-effect of the sunblindness and my fathomless, shadowy gaze lights up in a brilliant smile. “Oh hey there! I love your scales!” And I did - holy crap did I ever. Those scales are easily the coolest things I have ever seen.

photo from unsplash

@[adna]