Username: The Pirate
Name: Avril Hayes
Gender: Male
Story:
Avril was never a simple boy. In his youth, he found that his heart fluttered most to tales of an unordinary sort- fairies and pixie dust, unicorns and unexplored hills. As his mothers voice spilled stories of excitement and the unknown, Avril soon blossomed into a kalon whose personality would settle for nothing less than excitement and the unknown. It was as though her words had grasped on to his heart, forever entwined in his very soul. He was meant for something more- he was sure of it. And something more he would soon find.
Beneath the heat of the August sun, Avril left home at the age of 19. With his mother's blessing, and an eternal promise that his journey would eventually lead him back to her warm embrace, Avril stepped past the line that he'd once vowed to cross. In mere minutes, his prior life was a distant memory, shrinking smaller and smaller as the sun began to set. Streaks of violet and gold watched over him from above, almost as if to send him on his way.
A robin's egg-colored bakery was Avril's first stop. With miles of paths- some stone, some dirt, some in-between, having worn down his paws, Avril gave in to his growing sense of fatigue. The familiar hum of his stomach reminded him of the snack-pack he'd left at home, and he hurriedly placed some golden coins on the counter.
"What pastries are in store?" Avril called out, his dreary eyes scanning the mostly-vacant shelves.
A grunt from the back room told him that his presence had been acknowledged. Moments later, Avril watched as a kalon squeezed behind the counter, a silver tray in hand. The room was instantly filled with a warm, lullaby-like scent.
"Just these!" The stranger replied, placing down the tray.
As he set it down, an assortment of cookies were revealed. Each were the shade of midnight, topped with a creamy green frosting. It was clear that each cookie was carefully prepared, identical in shape and size, and frosted to perfection. Had he not been so hungry, Avril surely would have taken a moment to appreciate the dedication.
"Mint?" Avril whispered; his mouth had begun to water and a surge of rebirth had entered his glistening eyes.
"Mint chocolate," the baker corrected. He leaned in slightly, a sliver of mischief glinting in his eyes. "And a touch of marshmallow. But that's a secret- promise not to tell?"
Avril had yet to notice how...enchanting the kalon was. With brown locks resting against a fine-toned face, his lopsided smile seemed almost as intriguing as the freshly baked cookies.
"Oh," Avril breathed.
As the baker raised an eyebrow, Avril caught his mistake. Flustered, a million words raced to his mind, fighting for dominance as his cheeks began to burn with an unmistakable blush.
"Uh-h I mean...yes. I-I won't tell." For the first time in his life, Avril felt his confidence begin to waver.
"Relax," the baker chuckled. He lifted a hand to run through his silky hair, exposing more of his chiseled face. He then reached down and scooped up a cookie, offering it to Avril. "You know, you shouldn't make any promises without a bribe."
Avril accepted the cookie, his eyes never leaving this unexpected stranger. He suddenly felt very small, contrary to his child-like beliefs. His stomach filled with butterflies- or perhaps they were fairies. Either way, he imagined that he'd only feel this way at the sight of a unicorn. How strange to be moved by something so...ordinary.
"Well," the baker asked. "Aren't you going to try? Please tell me those marshmallows won't go to waste..."
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The cookies turned out to be divine, much to Avril's delight. The baker's name was Sage, which complimented his sparkling green eyes. As Avril hungrily finished the cookie, Sage took the time to carefully wrap two more. Avril tilted his head in confusion when Sage offered him the bundle, along with the coins he'd placed on the counter.
"On the house!" Sage announced with his signature grin. "Besides, something tells me you're a long way from home. You might need to save your gold."
Avril opened his mouth to protest, but Sage quickly passed the goodies to him.
"Just promise you'll come back tomorrow," he said. "I'll have some scones for you to try!"
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Avril did return the next day. And the next. And the next.
It was strange to him, to be drawn to a place that was so....ordinary. When he'd left home, he imagined he'd find himself among never before seen lands, adventure and mysterious creatures up ahead. Though he soon learned that Sage was a strange creature. Not in a bad way, of course, but he was still unlike anyone Avril had met before.
"I started off exploring, like you," Sage told him.
It had been nearly 3 weeks since Avril wandered into town. He'd settled in at a nearby inn and was quickly growing accustomed to the area. In the mornings, he'd rise to watch the sun throw it's light to the Earth, illuminating the trees and warming the air. He'd spend most of the morning exploring the area- yet never straying too far- before returning to Sage's bakery. The rest of the evening was spent talking with Sage and listening to his stories.
"So what happened?" Avril asked. "Why did you stop?"
By now, Avril had heard many of Sage's tales. He had taken off from a village west of town before winding up in the mountains. From there, he'd hiked to a valley with a ghost town before heading out to the river. For months, Sage had headed downstream, passing by villages of all types and exploring different foods and cultures. After that, he had wandered into town before settling down and starting his business.
"Well," said Sage, stirring his freshly brewed tea. He sighed, running his fingers through his locks of hair. "I guess I just...got tired."
Avril's eyebrows scrunched up at his words and he tilted his head slightly.
"Tired?" he muttered. "Well...I mean, didn't you sleep?"
Sage chuckled at his words, his teeth glistening in the setting sun.
"Yes, I slept," he replied. "It was a different kind of tired."
"What kind?" asked Avril. "Were you sick?"
"Maybe...sort of. I guess I had just...spent to much time on the go."
"Oh..." whispered Avril. He looked down, running a finger over the delicate design of the tabletop.
"You know, settling down isn't all that bad," Sage said after a few moments. "It's actually quite freeing."
"How so?" asked Avril. "I mean...isn't that the point of exploring? Nobody- nothing- to hold you down?"
"Yeah," replied Sage. "But feeling like you have to keep going is just as bad as feeling like you have to stay."
Avril paused to reflect on his words. All this time, he'd dreamed of adventure. The stories his mother had told him spoke of journey's and missions. They never mentioned settling down.
"But what about the sights? The different places and things to do?" he asked.
"There's plenty to do here," Sage replied. "You're thinking too much about the big picture. Here- in your time here, what all have you seen? What have you tasted? Done?"
Avril thought about it for a moment. Sage was right; every morning was spent exploring different things and places.
"If you had left here that night- the night you met me- you would never have tried the scones. And if you leave tonight, you'll never get to try my pumpkin muffins," said Sage. "The world is full of adventure. You don't have to leave to find it; you just have to look a little closer."
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That night, Sage was able to do something that Avril had once thought impossible: change Avril's mind. From the time he was a boy, Avril knew he was meant for big things. But he'd never realized big things could disguise themselves as small things, like bakeries and scones.
Avril continued to return to Sage's bakery each day, and Sage was careful to prepare a new treat each time. Within a few months, Sage and Avril began to develop feelings for each other, which eventually turned into a relationship- which is the biggest, most rewarding adventure Avril could have dreamed of.
Number: 7
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