Submission (#1942) Approved

Hiko looked at the supplies scattered across the ground. Paper, crayons, glue, feathers, shells… all kinds of trinkets and drawing utensils that would have excited him once upon a time. The drawings and various art projects from seasons past still adorned the walls of his and his siblings’ bedroom.  

But that excitement had faded to apathy. 

His gaze shifted to the blue kittom beside him who stood out against the bright yellow grasses they sat upon. Meltem was much more enthusiastic than he was, locked into focus on unleashing the full extent of his creative abilities on making a lantern for his crystallized pomu. He seemed torn between using two pieces of paper: one with what looked like waves painted on in blue and white, and another with all kinds of flowers drawn in different colors.

He reached out a paw to his rightside like he was waiting for someone to give him something. After a moment, he looked up and sighed. "Usually, my Pomu hands me the right colors I need without me even having to say it outloud. It sure is weird not having him around..." He shook his head and then turned to face Hiko. “Hmm… what do you think, Hiko? Should I go with the ocean like in Palu’au, or the flowers in Faerindell?” 

He didn’t know - nor care - what design he went with, but he was staring at him so expectantly. It prompted him to speak. “The blue one.” It made the most sense, he guessed, since it matched his fur.

Meltem nodded in satisfaction. “Ocean it is! Just like where we met. Remember?” The gleam in his eye was almost desperate, and if Hiko looked closely enough he could see his resolve wavering. Hanging on his next words like a lifeline. Would he toss him one?

“Of course.” It wasn’t a lie - he didn’t lose his memories. Or even the memories of what he used to feel. Only the feelings themselves. Seeming to accept that answer, he continued with his craft. He spent the next half hour or so adorning the paper with shells and glitter and other knick knacks he brought along.

“Done!” He stood up and admired his work, but his face dropped into exasperation when he turned to look at Hiko’s plain white lantern. “Whaaat? You haven’t even started!”

“I told you I didn’t feel like doing this.” It just didn’t interest him. Not that he had anything else he’d really rather be doing. There was a pause in their conversation as a maple leaf fell between them. The flora here was so much different than back home in Faerindell; where his home region had lots of bright, colorful flowers and trees, Bellmoril mostly had tones of browns, oranges, and yellows with some reds thrown in here and there. 

He took the leaf, stuck it with some glue, and slapped it down onto the side of the lantern. “There.” If Meltem was looking for any kind of contribution to be satisfied and stop him from pestering him so much, that was the least he could do. 

The pair was only here in this region at his urging, after all. The “Land of Scholars,” they say. If one needed to learn hard-to-find information on scarcely available topics, this was supposedly the place to go. In fact, on the grass beyond their scattering of paints and brushes were tomes of varying sizes and thickness. Meltem borrowed them from a nearby library and spent the entire morning poring through their pages, deciphering texts on the ancient magics and rituals he likely hardly understood. Hiko had simply sat there the entire time, motionless, staring at the burgundy colored mountains on the horizon. This region was so unpopulated compared to the others… Maybe he’d enjoy living here, he thought, far away from anyone and anything that could bother him. The breeze ruffled his fur and more red and orange and yellow leaves skittered past him on the wind.

“Hmphh.” Meltem’s grumbling brought him back to the moment. “Not a bad start, I guess, but let me help you out.” He took the paintbrush he used on his own lantern that was still tipped in blue and scribbled on a simple-looking smiley face. “There! Now you won’t forget to smile.”

He didn’t think it would help him smile, but he’d pretend it would if it made Meltem happy.