[ Fireflies ]
The tiny, glowing bugs are not an unfamiliar sight to Rafiel, not by a long shot - but seeing them during the colder months of the year is, admittedly, unusual. Still, perhaps in a way that makes them even more beautiful, their lights dancing across the sky and amidst the flora of the garden. The Heron smiles gently as one lands on the palm of his hand, still alight.
"They're cute, aren't they?" he says to the pink-haired girl beside him, lowering his hand a little to let her see the tiny guest resting on it. "I wonder how they are able to thrive in this temperature, though. Is this a special species, or perhaps under some sort of protection..."
A curiosity that will likely not be satisfied, so he lets it go, his expression softening further as the firefly departs to rejoin its kin. Rafiel watches its flight for a moment, thoughtful, his wings fluttering ever so faintly, before he shakes his head with a sigh.
But when he looks to Sakura, he is still smiling. From his pocket he produces a small bell he had been given for the ball, and offers it to her.
"Here, please take this. As a commemoration of this night."
As she observed the tiny creatures hovering around them, she felt a strange feeling relaxation and peace, as if the surroundings were slowly disappearing and leaving an idyllic scenery where the two of them were catapulted inside; each light was pulsating in a different way and each tiny creature was moving towards a different direction, but all together formed a beautiful and harmonious group.
“They are the cutest bugs I’ve ever seen!” she chirped to Rafiel, while taking a closer look to the one landed on the palm of the heron prince: close up they did seem a bit ugly – they were bugs, after all! – but overall, they definitely were cute and mysterious. She wasn’t an expert, but according to what was said by Rafiel, they shouldn’t be present in this particular moment of the year –it was pretty unusual.
“Maybe they are protected by some kind of magic!” she pondered, observing the little guy flying aways from Rafiel’s hand, now turning her eyes at the night sky. Lost in the thoughts of those little creatures, she distractedly noticed the small bell gifted by Rafiel, his brooch and a sign of the splendid moment they had just spent together while experiencing the amaze of nature.
“You’re so dear, let me give a little gift as well” she paused, removing one of the white feather from her brooch, “Promise me we will have some more moments like this!” and she smiled, turning her face at the sky to lastly observe the creatures buzzing and illuminating the sky.