"Hello, child."

"Sir..." The stag echoes the title thoughtfully, his unblinking gaze never wavering from the fawn. "My name is Mortis. Have you a name?"

As the little doe leans her light frame against his shoulder, the stag cocks his head slightly, ruffling his fur. Perhaps in an attempt to provide that extra it of warmth on such a cold day. The Author's unfocused gaze remains fixed on the fawn, eyes crinkling around the edges, seeming to glow in the darkness within the sockets of his mask. "No name?" He feels her ears fall back as they brush against his fur and he perks his forward in turn. "You are not happy? You wish to have a name?"

Mortis lifts his head, straightening his stiff neck and groaning. He remains this way, still and silent, thinking. Then he breaks his fair impression of a statue and turns his gaze back to the approximate area of the fawn's head. "A name is not something I am fit to give." He pauses, smiling apologetically down at the child. "Perhaps... I could help you discover a name you find suitable."

The stag smiles warmly down at the fawn's excited display. "Just because a word is common, does not mean it cannot be a 'real' name." He chuckles, titling his head to peer up at the steely sky as he contemplates a name for his new companion. "It is cold today. Maybe you would like a warm name? Perhaps a name with an 'M' or an 'R' in it; they are warm letters. You said pretty, yes? Maybe you like Rose? " He lets the 'r' sound roll off his tongue, deep voice taking on a bit of a ridiculous accent.

Mortis presses his ears forward in surprise. "You are asking for this old fool's help when such beautiful names just 'cross your mind'." His eyes sparkle warmly as a silky chuckle flows from beneath his mask into the chilled air, a puff of vapor. "What other pretty names have crossed your mind, little one?"

Mort raises his head and laughs outright at her comment on his age. "My, my, child. You have no idea." He chuckles himself into a contemplative silence, considering the new addition to the small group of names. "I think Miyako is a lovely name for you, my dear. Does it have any significance?" He looks down, wishing for all the world that he could see her face. To be able to see the bright eyes clearly. He sighs and closes his eyes, his ears still swiveled down towards the fawn.

The brown doe in the blue bowl you saw, cuddling with the stag was my doe Waarhijd with her mate Skelarrow <3 C:
/Track ♥

Eyes still closed, he smiles down at the fawn. "Well it is certainly nice to make your acquaintance, Miyako. It does fit you. It fits you very nicely. I am glad I could be of help." He shifts slightly, stretching one of his forelegs out in front of him on the rock. After a moment he quirks his head, turning to look at Miyako. "You said you could not remember your name. What happened to make you forget your own name?"

He looks momentarily surprised by Miyako's display of affection, but quickly covers it up with a warm smile. "You are very welcome. It is not every day I get to help one find something as sacred as their own name." He grins and shakes out his neck fur, letting the snow that had gathered on his antlers fall to the ground. His smile falters and he turns his gaze from the fawn. "There is so much to know about this old one, child. You must be a little more specific."

♥

At her indignant protest, he puts his ears flat against his head and gasps melodramatically. "My sincerest apologies, my dear!" He can't keep a serious face for long though and he giggles in a completely undignified manner, quickly scowling and feigning injury at her nudge.
He regains the composure expected of his age when the young doe asks her question. " I was not born here, but I have visited this place many times. I was born in a different world, as a different species, even. I started life as a human in a place called Italy. More specifically, Rome." He pauses, obviously caught up in the memories of his birthplace. Her second question eventually comes back to the forefront of his mind and smiles ruefully. "I am a total of two thousand, five hundred and fifty-one years old. I have seen much in my time, but now I don't see much at all." He sighs, closing his eyes once more.

//Thank you :) It was very simple, and the scene was just two pretty not to capture~

He could see the confusion very plainly on her face, and smiled kindly. "I can see that you do not know what I am speaking of. You have seen what the inhabitants call 'the ruins', yes? Well. Imagine many many more of those, but pristine and new. All tall stone walls and hundreds of buildings, great arches and columns that shine warm and golden in the sun. Beautiful sculptures and statues, architecture beyond your wildest dreams! I can see it so clearly in my mind." His words grow in intensity as he loses himself to the memories, finally remembering his audience to be incapable of understanding all that he is describing as he lowers his voice to a whisper for the last sentence. How he wished he could somehow transfer the memory to the fawn snuggled into his side.
With a melancholy smile he continues, "It breaks my heart that I lived to see my city fall, but fall it did. That was a very long time ago, and I am very, very old. He turns his gaze to the fawn, his eyes desperately trying to focus on the blurry form of her body, making his head throb. "My eyes are poor, young one. I cannot see as well as you can, not even close. The best my eyes can manage are colorful blobs."

// Oh it's quite alright, seeing as I should be saying the same thing. I'm currently juggling chores and this at the moment cx

c:

One of my characters is sitting with you right now. :3

Your little fawn is so cute. ;-;

Why, thank you. c:

Your fawn is a very pleasant encounter. I'd really like to know more about her.

She is so cute... ♥

The Author slowly lowers his head until the very tip of his mask rests upon the rock, and closes his eyes. "It was very beautiful indeed. I do not wish to upset you with such a woeful tale. At least, not today. It was too many years ago for us to do anything, little Miyako." He raises his head in a way that makes it look as if he holds all of the world atop his crown. Perhaps he does, in a way. Yet he smiles down at the fawn, the only indicator being his eyes crinkling, the rest of his face hidden in shadows by his frightening bone mask.

//Oh it's just fine♥ I understand,and I'm glad your connection is all fixed up!
I was wondering if, perhaps we could end this little scene and skip forward to where they are sitting today? Mortis could then tell her about how Rome fell if she still wanted to know :)

Mortis chuckles and presses the tip of his skull to the place directly behind Miyako's ears, scratching gently, an affectionate gesture. Settling into the soft grasses found on the edge of the birch, he inclines his head to Miyako's new friend and the little doe he had led over to the group. At the familiar press of the fawn's form against his side, he turns his gaze back down to her and ruffles his thick neck ruff. Finally, once the little doe has settled against him, he sighs contentedly and murmurs, "It is good to see you once more, miss Miyako."

Double post of doom.

She gave him a slight nod as the feeling of safety filled her. Knowing someone she knew was always around made her feel more comfortable, more brave to explore the forest. "Ouch!" She screamed with a frown upon her delicate features obviously over dramatizing. There was a devious look in her eyes as she took a tuft of hair between her teeth and tugged it gently.
"Yes, if you had nothing against it?" A worry of being too eager was given away by her expression. "A-and it would be nice to know more about those-.. humans?"

She giggled with bright tone in her voice as the male chuckled. "Don't you thank me, silly. I'm glad to hear I can lift your spirits like this." She rubbed her cheek against him, burying her face into his fur for a moment before he started talking again. The little one sat there beside him listening carefully, eyes shining as she looked up to him.
One could see how her brain worked, put all the pieces to their places in the puzzle, tried to create a full image of what humans are and how they work. The more narrowed her eyes became the more she thought.
When Mortis mentioned the way humans walked, the fawn stood up trying stand on her hind legs, lying all her weight on them. For a moment she was able to stay like that. "!..." She was about to interrupt him but before she said a word she fell down to the ground to lay on her side. Her ears flattened against her head at the same time as her face turned bright red. She was embarrassed.
Miyako inched closer to the male and clung to his side again and listened the end of his tale. "I guess those humans are dangerous to us? I mean, since they do all those horrible things, they would hurt us, right? And what about those who lost their homes in Rome, what happened to them? Were they alright? Were you alright?" Yet again her head was full of questions and she thought she didn't say the last ones out loud and the last ones were not meant to be answered, they were something she pondered on her own.
A frown appears upon her features and she tries to reach her head higher to see why the male turned his gaze away.

// It's okay. I'm rather busy myself so it's fine.
Okay, Miy will be there snuggling beside him as long as my connection is wiling to work. (':

She lifted her head up eyes half closed and turning her head from left to righ and back to lef again. "M-miyako. My name is Miyako." The little one was almost half asleep when she heard the tiny doe's words. "What is your name, miss? Glad I made an exception, heh."