Darwin&&Antaa

Got so much to lose, got so much to prove

God, don’t let me lose my mind.

His eyes surveyed Elsa, keeping his attention on her despite the way that Antaa tried to steal it away. He wanted to look at the pale mare, the beautiful woman that carried so much history within herself regardless of what had happened. Antaa hopped on the ground, squawking to and fro with the necklace dangling in her beak as she tried to capture his attention, but Darwin simply ignored her for the moment to hear what Elsa had to say. “I find his humiliation rather amusing.” Darwin chuckled at this, the soft ashen beard writhing with movement as he nodded in agreement. “I’m sure she won’t have a problem.” He winked to the warrior, turning his attention down to his Zephyr as she did her best to avoid the diving that Edgar was doing. She cawed to him in annoyance before lifting up off of the ground and dangling the necklace before his eyes. And if she could wiggle her eyebrows at him, Darwin knew she would’ve. She extended her neck to Edgar before pulling it back, flashing the light that reflected off the surface onto the icy bird.

Darwin returned his gaze to Elsa a small laugh escaping his lips again as Antaa chirped to Edgar, trying to taunt him in the most playful way possible. His pale ears tipped forward to the mare, eyes watching and head bobbing with her words. “Reflective surface, heated fat.” The gears in his mind began to work, shifting and changing with ideas. He stepped down toward Antaa, asking her mentally to give him the necklace after he spent a moment investigating it. Reluctantly the phoenix gave the trinket to the man. Darwin gripped it into his lips before moving over to Elsa as he listened. “I don’t think it sounds stupid. You’ve lost something, and you want it back. That’s justifiable.” He offered her, smiling. “Trust me, nobody wants to be disabled. We live in a wonderful world where there’s gods that are sometimes willing to help us when we’re suffering, if we give them the right things.” His words were slightly muffled as he tried to hold onto the necklace.

Then, he reached out gently, his broad neck extending toward the Icebound. He took the necklace and aimed to reach it over her head to place it around her neck. “I think this might do for a reflective surface –” He motioned toward Antaa who sidled up as close to Edgar as she could’ve without melting him. “– and I’m not sure what would work for heated fat, but I can turn into a phoenix, so my fire might be of use. My brother used it to return a quest when I was a child.” He added, smiling to her. It was a genuine smile, one full of happiness and excitement – pleased to know that he was finally helping someone after so long of doing things only for himself or Antaa. There was also a slight burning sensation in his stomach the more he looked at her, the more he stood by her, when he could smell the ice and cold and seaspray that encompassed her scent – and how he wondered if he resembled more of burning wood, and the rain after a long hot summer. And how perfect it might be if the scents were to combine – and what kind of world that might be?

Antaa looked over to Edgar, a small grin forming on her tiny flaming beak. Perhaps she had a very similar idea that the ice zephyr did, and how exciting it might be. She, too, blocked the stallion from her thoughts before she fluffed her feathers up, fiery eyes watching Edgar for what he might have planned.

"Darwin Talk." "Antaa Talk."