- |ᴀʟꜰɪᴇ, ᴍᴇʀᴇ̀, ʟᴜx, sᴇᴘʜʏ & ᴄʀᴏᴡ, & ɴᴇʙᴜʟᴀ|
Summer is always busy at the cafe. Alfie's become accustomed to it, so he doesn't mind the extra customers; more people means more coffee sold. Yawning, he let the apron drop over his head, sleepily tying it into a sloppy bow. He trudged to the counter, eyes half-closed as he set up the till for the day. He then flipped the sign, pushing the door open. The fresh summer breeze made him feel just that little bit more awake. From where he stood, he had a perfect view of the street, gazing out at the river. There weren't too many Viscet's out, but he noticed a few of usual customers making there way towards the building. Stretching quickly, he put a brighter smile on his face. 'Morning, Aidan,' He said as they entered, returning his smile, 'The usual, I assume?' After a nod of conformation, he bobbed around, working away. The background noise of the radio gave the day more of a movie-like feel. When the coffee was done, he handed it over, accepting the cash and slipping it into the till. The rest of his day continued on the same, trading food and drink for the thin paper. By the time the end of the day had arrived, he was even more tired than he had been first thing in the morning. But he was content with the day. Flipping the sign once more, he clicked the lock shut, heading up stairs into his apartment. As he flicked on the lights, a quiet voice made him jump.
'Sorry, Alf!' Merè exclaimed, a laugh slipping between her lips after the words. He rolled his eyes.
'Where's Lux?' He asked, wiggling his nose as he tried to catch the scent of the younger viscling, but all he could smell was the subtle aroma of baked goods that often accompanied his apartment. Tilting his head at her silence, he let his smile slip. 'Merè? Where is he?'
'Boo!' Alfie jumped; high. A yelp left his mouth before he could stop it, and he spun around, letting out a breath as he caught sight of the usual suspect. The viscling had landed on ground, laughing hysterically. No matter how many times he jumped out, or yelled boo, Alfie always got scared. Putting a paw over his chest, Alfie let himself relax, a grin returning to his previously frightened expression. It took a few minutes for Lux to calm down, his laughter quieting until it was silent in the room again. 'I gotcha, didn't I?' He said, bouncing back onto his four paws, ears twitching. Alfie chuckled quietly, nodding.
'Don't you always?' Picking the viscling up by the scruff, Alfie made his way through to the kitchen, Merè following after him, eyes glowing. While Alfie had never been a fan of visclings, he seemed to have connected with Lux, and the sight of the two of them together made her happier than anything. Once they'd reached the table, Alfie plonked Lux onto one of the chairs, heading to the oven to retrieve the cookies he'd baked during the early hours of the morning. At the sight, and smell, of the circular delights, Lux's face lit up, his small paws reaching out eagerly. He was handed one, while the rest were placed on a plate in the centre of the table. 'So, what brings you guys here? I thought you'd be at the beach.'
'We were there earlier,' Lux chimed in, and Merè nodded. 'We got ice-cream, and made sand-castles. I even found a cool starfish!'
'It was really cool,' Merè agreed, and Alfie nudged the viscling gently. 'But, we're here because I've got some good news!' Ears pricked, he turned his attention to her, running his tongue across his lips before taking a bite into one of the cookies. 'We got the tickets, Alf. We're going to ComicCon!' His smile grew wide, feet bouncing on the ground as he attempted to contain his excitement.
'I can't believe you managed to snag them!' He grinned, wrapping her in a tight hug. They'd been trying to get tickets for months, and he had given up all hope of going. After a few minutes of talking excitedly about cosplays, and meet and greets, Alfie's smile faltered. 'What about the cafe?'
'Nebula's promised to do a few hours every day while we're away,' Merè said, taking his paw in hers, 'Don't panic, it's in safe paws, and hey, she's already been home to visit her family for a few weeks, a little bit of work won't kill her.'
'Sephy's coming too,' Lux grinned when the room seemed to quiet, his small voice breaking the invisible barrier, 'And Crow, of course!' Alfie chuckled, shaking his head lightly. The two of them, together, at a big event? What could go wrong?
|ᴘʟᴜᴛᴏ|
It had been two years since Pluto had fought his father, two full years since he'd suffered imensly, and it still affected him greatly. It had been summer then, and the light of the sun no longer brought warmth and joy, but a phantom pain in his jaw, and a burning sensation in his eyes. The only joy he had in the summer months was his ageing mother. No matter how hard the days were for the both of them, she remained positive, often times ushering him out into the garden to enjoy the nice weather while it was there. Watering can in hand, he spent every second day watering the numerous plants throughout the massive expanse of the garden. It was his mothers pride and joy, second only to him, so he didn't mind taking care of it when she couldn't. Her energy was drained by the heat, but she reminded him that the heat was good, for it brought proper light for her flowers, and meant the bees would be out. He wasn't quite sure he agreed with her, but the heat gave him an excuse to treat her to ice-cream whenever he could. It was the least he could do.
He supposed it could've been worse. He could've been spending his summer in the over-populated city, hiding from his father's glare. At least in the garden, he knew he was safe, his mother was safe, and his father was long gone. It only brought minimal comfort. Holidays were a thing of the past, but he didn't argue. He didn't think he could stomach a plane ride, and boats were even worse. The furthest they went, was to the local river. There, it was shady, and during the afternoons, the water was calm enough to swim in. It was nice. Bird-watching was easiest by the river, as an abundance of different species seemed to crowd the cool areas near the water. When he was younger, Pluto'd created a small identification chart, and as the summer progressed, he added to the scrappy page, treasuring the memories the small sheet held. Summer wasn't always bad.
|ʟɪʟɪᴀɴ|
Summer. The season of long days, short nights. Lilian had to admit, it made thieving that bit more difficult; difficult, but not impossible. She enjoyed the extra warmth the sun provided, and the painted sky was mesmerising as the sun set each evening. Even thieves and assassins had simple pleasures in life. For Lilian, the summer sky was it. Even when clouds blocked the light, and rain threatened to fall, it was still beautiful. Wispy streaks of white painted the blue expanse above her on most days, and though she never gained as much during the three summer months, she wouldn't trade it for an extra winter. Holidays weren't really a thing for her, as she travelled a lot anyway. Her job took her from kingdom to kingdom, and wherever she went, she spent at least a few hours "scoping out" the sights before re-focusing. Summer was special. Though she was a winter-born Viscet, her coat wasn't as thick as many, meaning the pleasant heat was just right. She couldn't have asked for anything better. Expect, maybe a crown, but you can't have everything, can you?
|ᴀɴᴜʙɪs|
The sun shone brightly upon the trees, its rays catching on the leaves, leaving beautiful patterns along the forest floor. Yawning, Anubis stretched out his limbs, trudging on. He'd been travelling for days, but he knew once he reached his destination, it would be worth it. If he were to make it by the solstice, he would have to keep going. When he'd first set out for the pilgrimage, he had mistakenly believe he would only need a week to get from his home by the sea, to the site of the gods, deep within the forest, half-way across the country. As mentioned, he was mistaken. The temple was only a day and a half away now, but the solstice was due in less then 18 hours. His pace quickened as he watched the birds fly past him, his feet leaving thin imprints in the muddy ground as they struck it. While it was sunny now, rain clouds had not long since dispersed, their fallen droplets lingering. His mane was pinned back by a small band of flowers, pushing the soft fibres closer to the skin of his scalp. He didn't mind to much, it kept it out of his eyes. He could feel beads of sweat dripping from the drapes of his elbows and ankles, but still he trekked on. It was journey he carried out every few years, and if he did not arrive on time, it would mean another six years of waiting before he could begin the journey again. He was not willing to wait. The tip of his tail twitched, the air currents sending the flies that had perched upon his rear zipping off, though they circled him again, each taking a chance to land. He rolled his eyes, blowing air from his nostrils to dislodge a pesky insect that had landed nearby. There were many downsides to the forests, but he was willing to sacrifice his comfort during the journey, if it meant completing the rituals. There was a grin on his face as he let the wind whip stray strands of fur from his face, his feet no longer leaving light marks, instead imprinting deep within the unsettled mud. He had to narrow his eyes as he ran, trying to keep the wind from burning at them. It was freeing, almost.
There was a soft whisper in the air as he began to slow down, his side aching. It had only felt like minutes since he started running, but as he watched the sun, he realised it had been much longer. Cursing the distraction, he skidded to a stop, turning in circles to figure out where on earth he was. If he had just left when he was supposed to. If he had just made sure he was following the right paths. Fallen twigs flew to the sides of the forest floor as his tail, low to the ground, swished back and forth in sharp, perturbed waves. After minutes of searching for any sign of his original trail, he knew he couldn't find it by sight, not anymore. Closing his eyes tightly, he took a few deep breaths in, exhaling steadily through his mouth as he tried to focus on the sounds around him. One thing he had noticed, is that when he had stopped, the sounds of the forest birds had silenced. The wind, as though speaking to him, rushed through his ears, catching on the sensitive furs. And then he was turning, running. His nose twitched and flared, catching stray scents, his ears perked. He could almost taste the temple he was so close. As he skidded around a large oak, he only managed to stop himself sliding over the edge of the sudden drop.
'No...' He murmured, eyes wide, tongue licking nervously at his lips. His tail had stopped moving entirely, instead the long, thin extremity was tucked between his back legs, curling around the left one so only the tip of the furred end brushed the ground. The sun had disappeared completely, and in its absence, he knew he had failed. Eyes, fogged over with un-fallen tears, scanned the horizon, the stillness of the forest below, and behind. There was silence, only broken by a quiet so escaping his maw.
'Why, my child,' A quiet voice, so quiet he almost missed it, whispered, 'are you here, all alone, surrounded by so much sorrow?' If the wind was whistling, he would've missed the words, but even it had stopped. Turning, he let out a quiet gasp at the sight. The glow surrounding the Viscet gave it an ethereal look, and a soft smile appeared on his face. He bowed low, but kept his eyes on her.
'How did you find me?'
'I never left you, my child. Now come, we wouldn't want to be late, hm?'
|ᴍᴀᴜɪ|
With the sun, came the loggers, collecting fallen trees, clearing up the rubble of destruction they'd left in their wake. For Maui, this was not an unusual sight. Ever since he was young, they would appear at his home. At the beginning of his life, they were friendly, bearing gifts of fresh fruit. Their younglings would crouch down, holding small slices of peach, orange, for the visclings to take. It was a bond that started years before Maui's time, and it continued, for a while at least. Then, came the worst winter they'd ever faced. Many died, due to the cold, the lack of food, or trapped in heavy snowfall. The humans, it seemed, had suffered also. Their villages were dying out, and there seemed to be no hope. It seemed, that it was fate, that as the humans were beginning to attempt to flee, the sun shone upon them once more. But their resources were scarce, and that's when the turned to the forest. Instead of praying to the spirits in the trees, they brought metal, weapons, to tear through the wood, breaking the spirits from the roots, trapping them beneath the soil. They were careful, at first, to avoid injuring the living Viscets, but it was not long before they no longer cared. Many fled, many died. By the time they were done, only one remained, determined to protect the last standing trees of his home; Maui. The humans had spent a few months in silence, away from the forests, and after winter, and spring, had passed, they returned, but this time without the loud machines. Without the intent to hurt. It was too late. As the sun shone down, its rays of warmth spreading across the ground, Maui knew that he would not see his forest in all its glory, standing tall in the summer breeze, ever again. And he vowed, to the remaining spirits, to his lost family, to himself, that he would protect what was left of his home, whether it be summer, winter, autumn, or spring. He would never let a tragedy this large proceed again.
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