Submission (#3101) Approved

No AC.
Word count: 996 words

Here's the card message without typos, if it's easier to read:
"Calliope --
Thank you very much for helping me travel to Palu'au!! I’m sorry that got so sick after, but I’m glad that you were there to help me feel better! It was really nice of you to help me get here. Also I really love it here!! The beach is very warm, and I love the ocean! Thank you Calliope!
LOVE,
THALASSA"

It was a rather sunny day in Palu’au. Calliope stepped outside their little rented hut and breathed in the fresh morning air, tinged with just a hint of sea salt. They glanced up at the sky above -- a vast expanse of blue, with large, puffy clouds hanging around the horizon -- and stepped out onto the pathway, heading out towards the beach.

It had been only a couple of weeks since they had landed in the Palu’au islands. They usually made this trip about once a year, stopping here on their way back home to Enmir to settle in for the miasma months, but this year’s trip was...a bit of a strange situation. Just before leaving Ealei, Calliope had ran into a very precocious young kittom. This kittom was very intent on making their own way to Palu’au, claiming that they had seen all there was to see in Ealei (which Calliope had kind of doubted, but they didn’t say anything), and that she’d make it over to Palu’au one way or another, even if it meant swimming there herself! Calliope thought back on that memory with a slightly exasperated smile. Thankfully, Thalassa calmed down once Calliope mentioned they were headed over to Palu’au themself and offered to help Thalassa travel there. The little kittom was so happy and excited, but unfortunately she ended up getting seasick on the way over. Calliope felt a little bad, but once Thalassa rested on dry land for a bit, she perked right back up.

Calliope definitely couldn’t say that these last couple of weeks were boring though, that’s for sure. Almost three days after they arrived, Thalassa had already started running around Islasera, looking for an innkeep or bartender to apprentice. She was very headstrong, Calliope thought with a chuckle.

In fact, Calliope was headed down to the beach today because Thalassa had been pestering them to come see something she had been working on for the past few days. Calliope could only imagine whatever it was would be pretty wacky, considering Thalassa’s general personality, but as they got closer to the beach, all Calliope could see is just the little kittom herself. Calliope ducked underneath a fern leaf and stepped out onto the sand, glancing about to see if there was anything else hiding near by, but couldn’t see anything.

“!!! Calliope!” Thalassa called, waving the traveler over. Calliope waved back, and walked over a little quicker, the sun already beginning to warm the sand beneath their feet.

“Good morning, Thalassa,” Calliope said as they approached the palm tree where Thalassa sat. The waves were rolling in and a few gulls called overhead, and Calliope breathed in the scent of the sea. Palu’au was always relaxing this time of year.

“Good morning!” Thalassa chirped, wiggling her butt in an attempt to wag all three of her tails. She seemed a little ansty, but Calliope wasn’t sure if that was for any particular reason, or just from the hyperactivity that seems to appear in most kittoms.

Calliope handed Thalassa a little pastry they had grabbed from a drink stand on the way over, and the two sat in relative silence while they both ate their breakfasts together, watching the waves and gulls play together.

After a little bit, Thalassa was definitely starting to squirm a little more.

“What did you want to talk to me about today?” Calliope asked, brushing their hair out of their eyes.

“Well...” Thalassa began, looking down at the sand. She squirmed a little more, then finally reached under where she was sitting and pulled out a card, holding it out for Calliope to take.

It was obviously handmade, and also a little crinkled from being sat on, which Thalassa frowned at. “THANK YOU” was written on the front in what appeared to be a teal, glittery crayon, the letters all varying sizes. Calliope smiled and accepted the card, then opened it up to read the inside.

“CALLIEOHPEA --

Thank you very much for helping me travell to PALLOO AUW!! I’m sorry that i got so sick after, but I’m glad that you were there too help me feel better! It was really nice of you to help me get here. Also I really love it here!! The beach is very warm, and I love the oshean! Thank you callieohpea!

LOVE,

THALASSA”

Calliope smiled and looked over at the drawing on the other side of the card. It showed Thalassa and Calliope standing on the beach playing beach ball, with the sun in the sky and the sea waves rolling in and gulls cawing overhead. It was a little rudimentary, but very sweet.They looked up at Thalassa, and saw the kittom’s face just a few inches away, watching Calliope very intently. Calliope folded the card up and tucked it away safe, smiling.

“Thank you very much for this, Thalassa!” Calliope said, smiling brightly. “That was really sweet of you to make me a card. I’ve never gotten a handmade card from anyone else before.”

“Really?!” Thalassa said, eyes glittering. “You’ve never ever gotten one before?”

“Never ever,” Calliope said. “I’ve helped a handful of kittoms get across to new places before, but none of them have ever taken the time to make me a card as wonderful as this before. So that means your card is really special.”

Thalassa beamed at that, satisfied with Calliope’s reaction. “The lady I’m staying with now said that it’s always a good idea to tell people thank you, and she even said that making a card is always a more special way to say it. She’s a nice lady.”

Calliope smiled. “That’s good to hear,” they said, then looked around the beach. “I’ve got a little more time this morning, would you want to play beach ball with me?”

“YEAH!!” Thalassa said, jumping up. “I’ll go get the ball!!” And she took off.

Calliope laughed and stood up, looking over the card one more time.

It really was very sweet.