Mid-Maze | Post-Ritual | Prosper & Ava (& Open)
She felt his hands before she saw them and, blinking away sparkles, turned her face to meet his gaze. She regretted it instantly, swallowing a mouthful of guilt and glitter as she observed his wide, bulging eyes beneath the hood of his costume. "Sorry, didn't mean to frighten you. I was tryin' to get out of a spirit's way and I tripped." She shook her head and sighed. "No good deed goes unpunished, I guess."
Inhaling, Ava held fast to the dinosaur's (or was it a dragon's?) hands and allowed herself to be hauled unceremoniously through the shrub, feet kicking wildly behind her. "Thank you," she breathed, steadying herself, her hips pinched and sore. She plucked a twig out of her hair and smiled, surprised when the stranger lifted his tail and began brushing the glitter from her lashes. "You sound like you've been through a lot of glitter-related incidents in your lifetime," she noted. "I had no idea it could be so hazardous to one's health."
When he introduced himself as Prosper, she felt her knees buckle and her eyes widen. "Prosper Golightly?" She tilted her head and raised onto her tiptoes, removing the bright green hood so she could get a better view. "It's me, it's Ava. Remember? I can't rhyme and I've got a butt." She laughed, her cheeks flooding with color. "Forget that last part. I never imagined meeting you like this."