Submission (#317) Approved

Reflections of stars danced across the surface of the water and below the water’s surface floated the small jellyfish inhabitants of Silveil’s elder tree. Two shapes wandered down the length of the beach, one larger strolling at a leisurely pace while the other smaller one seemed to have a quicker pace. Sand slipped between their toes as they walked before the small shape ahead came to a halt. “Sirius? Is this a good spot?” He heard their voice of his guardian behind him. Their questions lacked confidence in his response but not once did he think that he had stopped more than necessary in getting this far.

There were a lot of things a kittom had to check for when on the beach. You never knew when you would find a stray coin from a treasure cache. His uncle Rin had taught him that though Sirius didn’t quite understand yet why their guardian had made a face. He paused to look up at Rize, blinking as he realized their expression held that same look. On Rize’s face was a tight lipped smile but it looked like their eyes were laughing with how the bridge of their nose crinkled up slightly as well as the corners of their eyes. It was a rare expression from Rize, perhaps a treasure in its own right Sirius thought because it seemed like something his parent only ever showed around him.

“Are you reading my mind?” He asked, his eyes wide but his question was dead serious. Rize usually knowing what was on his mind or what he had been up to was one of the pitfalls to having a parent that kept tabs on things, not that Sirius completely understood that yet. “Perhaps? Were you searching for treasure for your uncle?” RIze’s half-moon eyes waned a bit more with the amused response. Sirius’s expression didn’t change though. He had that way about him, where some skepticism may have been betrayed by the average kittom’s expression his remained serious and convinced until he gave a stiff nod and turned away. It was very like him, and not at all like what Rize remembered of their own father. Ouska’s expressions had often given away when he was in deep though. It was the awkward pauses that let Rize know Sirius was thinking even when his face did not let on to as much. Sirius couldn’t fathom how Rize knew what he was thinking about but surely his parent was magical. That was the only explanation that made sense.

He looked back at Rize making sure the other still had their basket in tow before he moved forward a few paces. Moving his tail through the sand he cleared any small leaves off the spot and then gave his tail a good flick to shake off anything that had been caught in it. Rize cringed at the gesture but didn’t say a word. A few days ago Sirius had come into Rize’s office with a very straight faced expression and announced that he wanted to go on a picnic at the lake. The miasma was letting up that after a short pause of thinking Rize had agreed and even Sirius’s straight face couldn’t hide his excitement. His little eyes seemed to light up as he had trotted out to talk to the staff and prepare.

Here they were now setting up for a picnic under the moonlight of Silveil. Rize seldom left their home if it wasn’t for work unless Sirius initiated an outing but it was that same knowledge that lead Sirius to believe these times were quite special, and they were. Setting down a blanket to sit on Rize shifted the basket off of their side, taking care to unfasten it so it wouldn’t topple over. The food where they lived was quite grand in general but at times like these it was perhaps even better. The elnin where Rize and Sirius lived here a lively crowd and not shy at all when it came to doting on the kittom. If there was a request to be made from Sirius it would be done well as he was seldom unreasonable. Rize had taught him quite early on not to ask for anything that would indebt him more than he could compensate. He didn’t quite understand that but took it in stride and kept his requests to a minimum.

As they settled in to sit down on the blanket Sirius stared up at the sky. He hadn’t touched his food at all, his eyes tracing the stars through the clouds. “What are you thinking about Sirius? It’s nice isn’t it? Spring is here and the miasma is receding.” Rize asked, their tone soft and a tad curious. Part of them wondered if Sirius was excited for the picnic itself or just the time spent together. The kittom just kept staring. “I’m looking for constellations.” He said matter-of-factly. “Do you think mine is up there?” He asked, though the question sounded like an afterthought Rize knew that was likely what was on his mind in the first place. He looked over his shoulders at the star patterns twinkling on his back.

“Maybe somewhere but you can see it just fine here during the winter months.” Rize tapped his back gingerly with a paw. He was dissatisfied though. “I want to see it up there some day.” He looked back up at the starry sky. The bright city lights and winter clouds usually hid all the stars where they lived. Rize could tell he had been looking forward to the change in weather. A calm night with a warm breeze was the perfect weather for their outing. He stood up abruptly his eyes staring at one very bright star. “I think that one’s mine.” He said, his tail perking up a little though the lagoon’s strands of hair still pulled it down a bit. “It looks just like mine.” Excitement laced his tone.

Rize just chuckled. “You’ll have to keep a close eye on it. It looks quite bright. Maybe if you try hard enough from the city you’ll be able to see it. Now eat. We don’t have to rush home but we wouldn’t want this food to go to waste.” Rize reminded him sliding some fruit over his way. In the hours to come Rize downed a manaberry potion after eating, picking up the small kittom and resting him in their lap. Carefully they sectioned out small pieces of Sirius’s tail and braided a few of them while picking through the rest to remove anything that had gotten caught in the strands. It was a soothing feeling, like when a parent rubs their child’s back before bed time.

“When I’m older will you teach me how to braid?” He asked and Rize nodded. “I could teach you sooner but some place the lighting is a bit better.” They said calmly looking over the twinkling lake. It was a peaceful night, and while Rize was not always the best parent at a glance but Sirius would argue otherwise. It was the small moments they shared like these that were nice. The winter months always seemed the hardest but once spring hit things felt refreshed again. “Next time we’ll have to bring your sibling.” Rize said, watching Sirius’s ears twitch a little. “They would like that, wouldn’t they?” He asked though he seemed to be talking more to himself. “We can collect shells and treasure to bring back to the city next time too.” He mentioned, letting on to a bit of the mischievous kittom streak he still had in him. That was the part Rize was sure he had gotten from Shadow.