Grace under Fang (Rania Lark X Ekeron)

[Rania Lark]

It was a beautiful afternoon. The sun filtered gently through the trees, and the soft sound of wind chimes danced on the breeze as the leaves shuffled slightly. Suddenly—a shimmer in the air. A cool artificial breeze rustles the roses on the bushes just outside the entrance to the house.

Soft fluttering followed, like feathers brushing the wind. Then—

✧ THUMP. ✧

A petite, pale woman lowered down onto the street. Her body was lithe, covered in a simple white sheath that followed the curve of her petite frame down to her ankles. Her long ebony hair flowed gently in the breeze. By all accounts, she was a beautiful woman, but still otherworldly. Probably because of the large, white, feathered wings that extended out from her shoulder blades. Straightening up, brushing off her white dress with a huff, her soft wings twitched in irritation as they folded back behind her.

She smiled gently, the golden halo placed gently around her head like a crown slightly askew from the trip. Her cerulean eyes sparkled like the morning dew as she looked around, before softly walking towards the door. Moving up the steps, humming a little tune, the angel girl knocked softly on the door, her knuckles making delicate rat-tat-tatting sounds on the wood.


“Emilie? It’s me, Naia! I’m here! It’s been way too long, my friend.”

She paused, wings fluttering softly behind her, waiting eagerly—tail feathers of light gently trailing over the porch.

 

[Ekeron]

Not a moment after the knocking came, a chirper voice came from the other side of the door, some distance away from it.
"Naia! One moment, just one second please!"

There would be silence for a moment before the sound of steps came rushing closer to the door, which swung open and revealed a taller woman, moist hair falling down the sides of her face, with a pair of massive ears poking out from the top of her head. As she rushed to hug Naia, she wrapped her own wings around the angel, much smaller, black and leathery rather than the pure white feathers of the angel, offering a rather drastic contrast.

"Oh my god Naia! I knew I recognized those wing beats. It's been too long. How has my guardian angel been?!"

The bat girl spoke quickly and excitedly, lingering on the hug for a couple extra seconds. She was dressed in a fluffy white-hemmed poncho over a black top, sleeves going over her hands with the thumb poking out, wearing a grey skirt and black thigh highs and knee-high platform boots. A rather curious mix of gothic and cute comfort. And as she broke the hug, her wings fluttered, a massive smile as golden eyes met cerulean.

"Come in, come on in. Please." She stepped to the side, ushering her guardian angel into the home.

"I'm sorry to leave you waiting at the door. I got stuck at work and was only now finishing getting ready. I knew I had to cook your favourite meal after I got your text that you were in town, and figured a shower was also for the best, can't meet you looking like this while I am wearing dirty scrubs, now can I?"

Emilie offered a small laugh as she guided Naia into the living room, closing the door behind them and offering her a seat. "Do you want anything? A drink? A snack? I got your favourite ones from the store just yesterday~"

 

[Rania Lark]

Naia smiled widely at the sight of her old friend. Emilie was always so excitable and bouncy that it wasn’t hard for Naia to fall in with her enthusiasm. It was one trait that Naia loved about her best friend.

“I’ve been great Emilie,” Naia said, her voice rising to match Emilie’s tone, “Working hard, and I just got a promotion at work!”

Naia’s wings swung lightly behind her, moving with the angel’s energy as she bent her legs slightly, bouncing with the batgirl’s shifting weight from foot to foot. When invited inside, Naia did so graciously, stepping inside almost as if she was floating. Stopping in the living room, Naia giggled when Emilie went on about having to shower and change before she arrived.

“It’s not like I haven’t seen you in worse Emilie,” the angel replied with a coy smile. It was true. They had both seen each other at their most vulnerable and that had only made their friendship stronger, or so Naia thought.

Naia walked further into the living, moving to take a seat on the sofa while Emilie offered her something to eat or drink. “Yeah, a bag of chocolate roses and a lemonade would be absolutely divine.”

 

[Ekeron]

"Oh I am so happy they finally recognized just how great ou are. You really deserved that promotion!."

Emilie spoke with a wide smile as she complimented her guardian angel, rushing into the kitchen to open the pantry, followed by the sound of a bag being ripped open, with the batgirl neatly organizing the chocolate roses on a plate. Only after they were prefect did she move the plate towards Naia, setting it in front of her with playful reverence, giggling after she offered a small bow to the angel.

"Well, it's true you have seen me in absolutely awful states. But hey, if we haven't seen each other for so long, you deserve to see me at my best. It wouldn't be fair otherwise right?"

Emilie spoke and she movved to back to the kitchen, pulling out a pair of glasses and a pitcher from the fridge. Knowing her best friend too well not to prepare some homemade lemonade for her.

Taking the cups and the drinks back to the livingroom, she poured some for each of them before sitting on the couch next to Naia, leaning slightly into her, the batgirl instinctively rubbing her cheek on one of the soft wings that she adored so much.

"Man, I missed this so much... I could do this over and over again. No one is able to beat you when it comes to how comfy you can be~"

She spoke with a breathy voice, letting out a small sigh and closing her eyes

"I could just stay here forever."

 

[Rania Lark]

Naia smiled as Emilie praised her for her promotion. It was a big deal and Naia was proud of herself and it made her best friend’s praise even more special. They were the exact opposites in so many ways but their support for each other was unmatched. Neither of them was jealous of the other and it only served to strengthen their friendship.

Naia sat on the sofa, leaning back slightly after she positioned her wings off to the side slightly, resting on the cushion next to her body as Emilie returned with a plate of her favourite snack and a large glass of lemonade.

Naia excitedly popped one of the chocolates into her mouth, chewing it slowly and savouring every bite of it as Emilie took up her position next to her. The batgirl immediately moved to snuggle into the soft feathers of Naia wing, her cheek rubbing up against the tip of one.

“If you had them this big, I’m not sure you’d see them as comfy,” Naia joked with a coy smile, nodding her head towards the awkward positioning of the appendages on the couch, “It makes moving around without breaking anything really hard.” Naia giggled as Emilie remained nestled into the soft feathery comfort of her wings.

 

[Ekeron]

"But you can actually fly with yours, I can only flap them around. They might not get in the way, but they are just there! Yours are so much better."

Emilie stopped shamelessly nuzzling into the feathers to turn her back towards Naia, showing off her wings and flapping them a few times, getting a bit of a breeze to blow into the guardian angel, but little more than that.

"Come on, your wings are just the best, I wish I could just wrap myself in them every day, like we used to." Emilie leaned even more into the wing, gently holding its edge and enveloping herself in it like old times, her tone seeming kinda sad at the end, trailing off for a moment before going back to a wide smile for her best friend.

"I even tried those fancy new potions, you know? The ones that let you turn into other things? And even then, my wings were not as comfy as yours. You just can't be beat~" Emilie sighed and leaned into Naia, fully resting her head on the angel's shoulder

"Do you really have to go after today? I really miss you, you know?"