State of Soul

Ethereal and Starbit

Wow.

That's all I can think. That's all I can think as I gaze up, my stare colliding with a set of piercing steel-blue eyes. And piercing they are. Even in the artificial gleams of the streetlamps, I can see just how sharp and keen they are; I can see how the light reflects and bends in them, practically illuminating them. They are just so beautiful and breathtaking. Alluring, even. And they leave me in awe.

And it's at this moment that I stumble across a realization. A realization that causes a fiery tint to brush across my face. The gears in my head finally begin to turn and I anxiously drop my stare to the pavement. During all my gawking, I neglected to realize how extremely creepy and weird I must be coming off as. I mean, here I am just staring at a complete stranger like a lunatic.

"S-sorry," I stammer, keeping my gaze averted down. "I-I didn't see you...I didn't see you there. M-my bad."

I can feel it. I can feel how his striking stare focuses on me, his eyes dissecting and decoding me. It's strange, but that's how it feels. It's so foreign and new to me. I'm not sure how I feel about it.

"Tch," he hisses. "Is that how you apologize to someone? By staring at the sidewalk like a little brat? How about you say you're sorry like a real man and look me in the eyes?"

He sounds so harsh. The words drip from his mouth like venom, causing a shiver to dash the length of my spine. I don't even know him, and I feel so small and insignificant beneath the hovering heft of his presence. It's as if he expels authority.

"Well?" he continues. "Look me in the eyes you pansy and give a proper apology."

Trembling, I slowly lift my stare back to his. They're still absolutely stunning, but I can see the emotions which drift on their surface. Irritation. Annoyance. Anger. Self-entitlement. Even with one glimpse, I can tell he's a very unhappy person.

"I'm waiting," he growls, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

"S-sorry," I stutter, fidgeting with my fingers. "I-I didn't mean t-to run into y-you."

He narrows his eyes. "See? Isn't that better?" He reaches over and ruffles my hair. "Good little mouse boy. You're forgiven...this time. Watch where you're going next time or else you might not be as lucky."

He makes his way past me, continuing into the bitter night. As he passes, a whiff of his scent makes its way to me, the breath I breathe drawing it up into my nostrils. A mixture of men's cologne and peppermint swirl through the air, a dash of aftershave lingering. He smells so clean and...nice. He smells nice.

But just as I bask in the sweetness of his aroma, another fragrance catches my attention. It is faint and difficult to detect...at first, but I catch it. Unlike the pleasantness of his scent, this one is fouler. It is a thick and heavy curtain of what smells like sulfur. It causes my eyes to water and makes my stomach begin to lunge upon inhaling it. It is such a horrid smell that not even cologne and peppermint or aftershave could mask it.

And I recognize it.

I turn, my eyes landing on him once again. His back is to me, his hands shoved into his pockets as he takes long and steady strides. Each step is confident and poised, the authority practically flowing around him. An abrupt frigid gale blows, combing her fingers through his thick silver locks, driving more of his scent to me. There's still the mixture of cologne, peppermint, and aftershave, but there's also that element of sulfur.

"H-hey," I call to him, slowly turning towards his direction. "Hey!"

He stops, glancing over his shoulder. "What, mouse boy? What is it now?"