"What? That's an absolutely TERRIBLE idea, Velia..."
Oliver's words caused Velia to pause in her tracks. Velia turned her head, undaunted by her massive ears, "What makes it so terrible? Don't you think I should be honest with him? Isn't that what friends do? Tell the truth?"
Velia sat on her haunches, idly pawing at the mass of fluffy dark fur on her chest. Oliver, normally content to stay half submerged in the water of the swamp, took to the shore so he could sit across from her. His long, split tail flicked and swayed slightly, as though it already missed the water. Velia peeked up at him, doing her best not to keep confident, but in a massive sweep her large ears tucked behind her. Even with all that fluff, she could still hear Oliver. "It's a terrible idea because it could change you both forever! Think about it! What happens if he doesn't feel the same way about you?"
In a flash she tackled him, her landing muffled by fluff and fur, rendered ineffective but her point still stood--"You take that back, Oliver! Of course he likes me! Tai is like... my super best friend!" Her friend gave some sort of wheeze in rebuttal, but Velia refused to listen. "Our friendship is like... like something super sturdy! And I don't think it would change a thing to just tell him that I think he's smart, and brave, and fun, and cool, and cute, and... and... awesome! I know I'm like, your only friend in the world ever, but still there's no need to be jealous!"
With a mighty heave, Oliver pulled himself from beneath Velia's fluff, silently thanking the eldertree itself for blessing Enmir with such squishy, mossy forest floor. His blue eyes wide, the earthy-toned kittom's fur flared, "Look! I have plenty of friends! And I'm not jealous! Why would I be jealous of a bald-ear'd crybaby bug-pouncing furball like him?"
"Don't talk about him like that! If you keep this up I won't let you help me catch fireflies for him!" Velia snapped back.
Oliver rolled his eyes and turned away from her. "I only came to help because you said you needed my help--if you don't want me here you can do it yourself. I'm going home."
Velia frowned, "Really?" When Oliver didn't turn around she bound after him, holding her ears out for balance as she ran. "Oliver! You know I don't know Enmir like you do! I'll get lost!"
"I don't care. Ask your precious Taiki to come save you." Oliver stopped when Velia placed herself between him and the water, but it didn't take much effort for him to slink around her. "You'd best hurry before the caravan leaves you."
Shocked, Velia stared after him--watched as his brown body slipped into the murky swamp water.
He was going to come back.
"He's going to come back," she insisted, turning to pick up the jar she'd brought with her. Just to be sure, she watched the water a moment longer. The only life she saw were the few fireflies beginning to flick across its murky surface, and the few reflections of elnin moving in the distance.
What was Oliver so upset about? Every time Velia found her way to Enmir, Oliver was her go-to adventure buddy! Granted, with the state of things their adventuring was usually limited to town or just beyond, but Oliver was always her guide. She couldn't think of a time that he had told her 'no' or anything similar.
Determined to collect fireflies for Taiki, she willed herself to shuffle through the muck and moss, moving toward a tree where the bugs seemed to be gathering. Taiki loved bugs. Or, at least ladybugs. Maybe it was better to say that he seemed to like pretty things--and boy were these things pretty. The way they glowed and flickered about, she was sure that Taiki would love chasing one around or even admiring it before he went to sleep. "Just one..." she promised herself, her face already warm thinking about the smile she'd get in return.
But what if Oliver was right? What if Taiki didn't feel the same way? They spent a lot of time together, and were like she said--super best friends. But what if he wanted to only be that?
Her thoughts kept distracting her, so time after time she leaped and caught nothing but air and mud. Occassionally she had to stop and pick her fur clean before trying again--both for her vanity and for the sake of mobility. Oliver's body seemed slick, able to weave through murky water with ease. His fur was shorter, so there was much less hair for mud to cling to and bog down. When he was helping her collect vines for her second attempt at a lantern, he smirked and stood on his front paws to swish and sway his tail about to collect them for her. Oliver wasn't as brave as Taiki, nor was he always as friendly, but he was someone she could usually count on. At least until today.
Velia glared at the water, puffing out her cheeks. "You're being such a jerk, Oliver. Agh, I just don't get you. Every time I bring up Taiki you just..."
With a frustrated huff she picked up her jar and started trudging her way back toward town. It wasn't a long walk to the log acted as a make-shift bridge, but it felt like an eternity. Not only was she leaving empty-handed, but she didn't get a chance to say goodbye to Oliver. Or to apologize.
"Wait, what do I have to apologize for?" Velia puffed out her chest and tried to walk with her heavy-earred head high. "He was the one who got all upset over my crush. It's not my fault! It..." she paused, giving a blink or two before turning around.
Did he...?
Was he...?
"You... you dumb dummy-head!" Velia barked at the water mouth still clinging to her empty-firefly jar. With much more energy than before she crossed the log, almost slipping in her haste. With a squelchy skid she approached the shore, dropping her jar and putting all the power she could muster into her voice, "Oliver! Stop being a baby! You don't have to be jealous! Taiki's my super best friend... but you are too! You're probably my super-duper best friend!"
For a moment, silence was her only answer. And though she thought she saw motion in the water it turned out to be nothing. She'd thought perhaps he really had left--swam away and given up on her forever. Until she heard the wet thud behind her.
Oliver sat, one paw resting on a much larger jar of fireflies. His blue eyes were trained on her, brows furrowed stubbornly as he tilted his head. "There you are. I was looking for you. You want these fireflies or not?"
Velia felt on the verge of tears. She wanted to blurt out how sorry she was--promise to never bring Taiki up again if it made him uncomfortable. Pluck all the berries she could find in a mile radius and dump it at his feet, even! But instead she settled on pouncing him once more, this time snuggling into him and wrenching her eyes shut. "Thank you, Oliver. Thank you! I really thought you left me!"
"I was mad, but I wouldn't leave you alone in the swamp, dummy. You probably would have gone running off into the wilderness like a lunatic." He smirked, using a muddy paw to push her off of him. Velia puffed out her cheeks, squinting at him, though still grateful.
"Don't be mean, Oli. Just... ah... thank you. If I want to meet Taiki to give him these I have to hurry. I really thought I was going to have to show up with nothing to give him..." She smiled slightly at Oliver, a little uncertain to how he would feel hearing Taiki's name again. To her surprise he simply squinted and grinned, giving her a nod to get going.
"You're gonna be late, wingspan."
"'Wingspan'!?" Velia huffed, ready to fight off this new nickname but noticed that he was right. She didn't want to miss the caravan. "We'll settle this later! See you next time you... you... Fluffy Mud Eel!" Satisfied she wriggled herself into the make-shift harness Oliver had put the jar in, and once secure, darted off toward town. He sat watching her, and Velia--big ears and all--pretended not to hear him mutter behind her...
"...See ya... Super-Duper best friend..."
