Submission (#1907) Approved

Firefly was definitely a city boy at heart. He slept best when lulled by the sounds of night life and rowdy crowds and ever-present music. But there was something to be said about nature and its beauty and tranquility and blah blah blah so long as he had a reason to be out in it. Right now, that reason was currently marveling at the sunset across the ocean from their treetop suite high above the swampy hollow below.

It was the second day of their little getaway, a mini vacation spurred on by the darker nin’s admission to never having traveled outside of Faerindell before. He yawned as he recalled their conversation just a couple of days ago.

---

“Really? You’ve never left this place, not even once?” Cinnamon grew the tiniest bit shy at that, lowering her gaze and shrinking slightly upon herself. She finished cleaning the last of the tables in the small - but homey - cafe and paused to consider her answer.

“Well… no. Just haven’t found the time, I guess. The store keeps me pretty busy.” She tried to play it off, but Firefly could hear the longing in her voice. See the wistfulness in her downturned eyes. He knew it well from his own kittomhood.

Without a word, he stepped behind her and began nudging her towards a wall where a carefully crafted tapestry depicting the world of Eyre hung proudly. Then, just to make things more dramatic, he took his scarf between his teeth and wrapped it around her eyes while she made small noises of confusion and protest. Those noises increased in volume when he spun her around in place a few times until she lost all sense of orientation, relying on his weight beside her to keep from falling down.

“Reach out with your paw; wherever it lands, that’s where we’re going.” At first, she hesitated. Like she would rip off the makeshift blindfold and dismiss the affair as absurd and unreasonable. But slowly, she reached out. Firefly gave her another spin, unexpectedly, and she felt herself throw her paw against the wall for support.

She couldn’t see it, but Firefly nodded in approval. “Looks like we’re headed to Ealei.”

---

He yawned again, letting the warmth from the last of the sun’s ray soak through his tired bones. He wasn’t lazy, per say… but Cinnamon was sure more eager to explore the tree top village and its surrounding mangroves than he was. It made sense, of course; this was her very first adventure away from home. He’d already seen everything he cared to see here. If he could just get a quick nap in before the late night festivities began…

“Hey, sleepyhead.” Firefly opened his eyes to see his partner staring at him with a playful grin on her face. “It’s not bedtime yet.”

Firefly stretched out, arching his back and flexing his toes, but then curled right back up in a comfortable ball on the deck of their treetop suite. “Idols need their beauty sleep, babe.” He winked and took pleasure in the way her cheeks darkened at the pet name. “Just an hour or so and I’ll be-”

He didn’t jump, really, but he definitely made a face and leaned away from the tiny yellow thing that suddenly poked up between the floorboards of the deck in front of him. It blinked its bulbous, unfeeling eyes and stared directly through his soul. Cinnamon didn’t seem sure what to make of this exchange, her expression caught between amusement and perplexity.

“What? You don’t like lizards?” He watched in unfiltered disgust as she moved closer to the gecko, allowing it to - yeuch - crawl onto her tail.

“What’s there to like? They’ve got weird faces, sticky toes, and tails that detach at random. And as far as pets go, they’re by far the most boring.”

Cinnamon chuckled, stroking the docile reptile lightly with a paw. “I guess that’s what happens when you stay in a room that’s built into a literal tree. There’s wildlife everywhere.”

He glared at the thing while thinking back to the first time he’d ever come to Ealei. It was one of his first ever outside gigs once his name spread enough in Silveil that tourists would call him to sing in their home regions. The first thing he remembered was the humidity: it hit him like a rock once he stepped out of the caravan. Silveil was never quite that… temperate. And the islands he visited were more hot than humid, with a cool ocean breeze. The towering mangroves of Ealei were quite the sight to behold, though, even if he could do without the constantly wet paws from trudging through the swampy grounds. He remembered wishing his concert could have been held in the mountains instead, high above the wetland, kissing the clouds and blue skies. Away from the tangle of roots underfoot and the creepy critters crawling around every corner of the swamp, be it the ground or the treetops. But even he, a nin from the nonstop party city, had to admit that the lights glittering through the gaps in leaves as he approached one of the biggest tree cities in the region took his breath away. The mist from the steaming waters and the shadow of the twisting roots from the giant trees only added to the ethereal view. He’d seen that same awe in Cinnamon when they first arrived.

The aforementioned Elnin suddenly glanced away, lowering her voice while that pinkness returned to her cheeks. “But I’d stay in a room filled with deadly snakes and scorpions if I got to be there with you.”

Firefly’s expression softened and he grinned, lifting his tail to flick the tip beneath her chin until she looked at him. “And I’d still stay with you even if you brought one, or two… or even three lizards into our room. Any more than that, though, and we’d need to have a talk.” It made her laugh, and he allowed himself to relax again. “Now, let me just catch a quick nap and I promise I’ll take you out to the party they’re holding by the Eldertree, ‘kay?” He didn’t wait for a response before closing his eyes again and curling back up.

Cinnamon sighed through her nose, not wanting to bother him again but also unsatisfied with the prospect of loneliness for that long. As he drifted off to sleep, a plan slowly formed in her mind.

“Three lizards, hmm?” She mused aloud to herself before quietly slipping out of the room.

---

About half an hour later, Cinnamon returned to the deck with some new companions: three lizards, a frog, and a tiny toothless snake that had the cutest beady eyes. Technically no more than three lizards... They had been easy to find, peeking between the mangrove roots or scurrying along the boardwalk built above the waters. The sun had nearly completely set now, with the last of the light tinged the darkening sky purple and casting gorgeous shimmers over the sea. She loved how the ocean looked at night with the full moon. She had stared at it for a full hour the previous night.

But that could wait. “Maybe you all could help him wake up,” she whispered absently to the various creatures as she littered them gently across Firefly’s pelt. One on his tail, another atop his head. And one directly in front of his nose so it’d be the very first thing he sees when he wakes up. Part of her knew he must be tired after the day’s excursions, and she should let him sleep… but the other, more mischievous part kind of wanted to play a prank on him for leaving her alone like that. It’s all in good fun, something that surely someone as carefree as him would understand. Hopefully.

She gasped quietly when the lizard on his head moved and Firefly stirred slightly. His lips smacked together and his eyes scrunched with sleep, and Cinnamon held her breath in anticipation. A moment later and he opened his eyes completely…

Cinnamon had always been enraptured with his singing voice, but she never knew just how high-pitched it could be until that moment.