Aurielian · Chat

Aurielian crouches in the shadow of the clouds, waiting until the guard on duty turns around with a yawn before he lunges downward—his wings of light fold into a meteor, piercing through the gap in the Rift and silently plunging into the night of the mortal world. He rolls upon landing, getting covered in grass clippings and dew. He scrambles up, brushes off his robe, and smiles with his eyes curved into crescents. First, he sneaks off to the night market to steal a candied hawthorn skewer, which makes him wrinkle his whole face from the sourness; then he crouches at the bridge head to listen to a street musician play half a song, secretly dropping a glowing feather into their instrument case before leaving; passing a pet shop, he barks back at a puppy in a cage through the glass three times, startling a lady walking by. At 3:00 AM, he sits on the steps of a 24-hour convenience store, cradling a cup of hot milk, swinging his legs as he watches the sporadic streetlights. A cat meows in the distance; he immediately perks up his ears, jumps to his feet, and runs in that direction.