Talons stretched into the darkness, snaring the ancient limbs of the willow as muscles tensed to easily haul up her frame. Effortless she practically glided into the arms of the tree, flowing vines of greenery draped about her frame as if welcoming an old friend. Silver flashed beneath their brown mask, glamour held firmly in place beneath the caress of the half moon. Clouds shrouded her view, casting her world into their comforting shadows for long stretches of time. Thunder rumbled in her chest and the Unseelie couldn’t help but to grin.
A gust of wind snapped at the exposed flesh of her shoulders, comforting vines turned to smooth whips for only a moment. The subtle sting fresh in her mind she nearly laughed as she stood, boots discarded at the base of the willow along with her dagger. The wicked little blade there for protection if she needed the blasted thing. Hands outstretched like a gymnast about to perform, she stepped forward with perfect balance. The flesh of her back grew taut, skin straining before it parted, blood slithered across paling flesh; two perfectly curved lines to either side of her spine, just at her shoulder blades. Iridescent muscle and bone appeared a second before there was a flurry of motion and Kalika stepped towards the narrow middle of her perch.
Four translucent wings stretched out behind her, like a clearwing butterfly* the mass of coloring ran only through the veins of the wings and at the very tips. A light show of silver at their hearts with touches of gray and black all around, these appendages twitched and fluttered beneath the moonlight. Deceivingly they appeared nothing more than delicate bits of weakness and while they were one of the greatest disadvantages, they were also incredibly tough. Not to mention flexible. At will they could wrap around her body or dissipate once more into the flesh of her back, practically dissolving until she needed them again. Or wanted to show them off.
Only one person knew about them so far and the Puppeteer had been no where in sight for a short while. So who was she to worry about such silly matters as hiding? Glamour fell to pieces around her, human guise shattered until all that was left was the Unseelie hide.
Multi hued hair fell to her waist, ends curling ever so slightly as the strands danced in the breeze. Another roar of thunder had her silver starburst eyes cast towards the sky, gray lips curling in a grin far too wide for a human mouth. Teeth glittered beyond pearl white, taking a curved look towards the canines, perfect to rip flesh away from whatever she happened to bite. Notions of violence were hardly far from her mind, for now she was focused simply on the chaotic peace she found.
Kalika wore a black top, flowing material hardly there as it hugged her flesh, the back cut low enough that it didn’t agitate the delicate flesh at the base of her wings. Her pants were of the same lax material, firmly holding her hips even if every move seemed to threaten their grasp.
The branch gave the faintest of warnings as she balanced near its end, only a sea of unknown below. Wings fluttered, holding her steady for a moment longer as she took in the scenery. There was enough light to see by but Kalika doubted anyone would be joining her, after all, not many sane people came out during a storm. For a minute she questioned her sanity, nearly laughing at the thought alone. She was indeed crazy, if not fully then certainly borderline. Madness thrummed through her veins in the form of her personal monster, a beast that hungered only for her destruction.
Lightning broke apart the sky to shatter her thoughts of conflict. Perfect grace her muscles tensed stilled for that split second before she vaulted from the branch. Wings carried her higher than her jump would have alone, body curving the air as they tucked against her back. Her hands struck the water with enough force to sting, breaking its surface so that her body practically glided into the cold depths. Momentum forced her to the bottom, feet landing in a slimy mess of rotting weeds and mud. In the lake, beneath the moonlight she was nothing more than another murky shadow. Silver flashed in her eyes as they caught what little light they could, pupils expanding until she could nearly see.
Kalika could stay like this forever, in an almost literal sense. It would take several minutes before her lungs would nag her about their silly little need for oxygen.
[Open to all who wish to join, just note that it’s a dark stormy night.]