Submission (#5310) Approved

ELN1278
Regional Affinity: Ealei
Claiming Regional affinity for (1AP) Vesper https://worldofeyre.com/character/ELN1278
Word count: 1132
Bonus: 2EC ( reached 900 words for written entries)
Bonus: 1EC for potatmu

The Miasma months had been so long and Vesper had felt a bit lonely missing his pomu Fireworks which he had first met during the Starfall faire in Ealei. He had been on his own mostly until his pomu had first appeared. Ever since then the two had been inseparable. Having a dormant pomu had meant he was all on his own again. The passage of time during the winter had been long but the little kittom had endured. With the end of winter, spring was around the corner which meant the reappearance of pomus ! Vesper had found ways to stay busy and keep his mind off missing his pomu. He spent his days bouncing from one task to another. From gathering manaberries to fishing around the mangroves. The kittom never lacked energy and he always found time to even swim around after completing his multiple jobs. He found it refreshing after a full day's work. The waters were crystal clear and you could see the bottom with the rocks and sand.  Ealei was a bit of a strange place with no land, it was mostly rock cliffs with trees submerged in water. He absolutely adored climbing the rock cliffs that were all over the island. One of his favorite activities was to find the highest peak he could climb to find the best spot to view the beautiful puffy clouds that Ealei had to offer. Vesper had also grown accustomed to cities being built in the trees with a bridge system linking one tree to another. Sometimes he would dangle down a bridge to see if he could jump to one down below. Some of the villagers even wondered if Esp was even a kittom. Nothing could deplete the energy out of that little one. Sometimes he was a bit much for his employer and wondered if the kittom was just wild and was in need of a bit of serenity. Maybe he was simply restless waiting for his pomu he so dearly missed. 

 

His employer had decided to teach the kittom a bit calm. He often showed up for a day's work with a bunch of twigs and leaves stuck in his fur. No one in the village seemed to be able to tame this wild kittom. Which prompted his employer to maybe teach him something new instead of an adrenaline filled hobby. Clearly there was no ever burning the energy out of this one. Vesper was just a little spunky kittom. Maybe instead it would be better to teach him how to harness that energy and to tone it to redirect it so he could instead interact better with others. He was an efficient worker. You just simply couldn’t hold a conversation with him or have a nice sit down meal with him. It was still a wonder to the villagers how Vesper even managed to be covered in dirt most days as Ealei wasn’t even a place that had dirt. 

 

During the spring most of Eyre would be ready to start gardening but instead here the elnin would build nice little zen gardens due to the lack of land. The rocky hill cliffs and trees rooted in water weren't exactly prime farming land. Most elnins would find a nice hillside where there was a flat platform and would make their little zen gardens building little rock mountains and bringing some sand to make their dry gardens. It was truly an art to make one of these and commit to maintaining it. Vesper's employer and caretaker had decided to teach the kittom how to make one of these. He had taken the kittom to one of his favorite rocky cliffs and had found the perfect place to show the kittom how to make his own zen gardens. At first Vesper didn’t understand the purpose but he was promised he would feel much more peaceful after doing so. The small kittom knew nothing of peace but decided to give it a try anyways. Everyday after his day's work he would return with a  bucket of sand that he would gather from the water floor. It was arduous work to bring it as he had to climb the rocks carrying the bucket of sand on his back. He had fashioned himself some straps so it would be easier to carry on his back while he climbed. Once he acquired enough sand he moved on to finding nice rocks to add to his dry garden. He had managed to cover the whole surface with sand that almost all the grass was gone. He would often have a nap after having climbed while carrying the rocks or the sand up to its destination. It’s something the kittom never did before. Seemed he had found the limit to his energy. He was much more calm and composed when he returned before the sun went down. Maybe this was what the kittom really needed. At first he had found it kind of annoying and pointless but as the weeks went by and he was starting to assemble it, he felt proud and much more serene. 

 

One odd day when he was about to complete his zen garden he had the missed adventure of picking up an odd looking rock. Only it didn’t really look like a rock ? It looked like some strange pomu … Only it wasn't a pomu but a brown looking spud disguised as a pomu. Instead of the usual plasma horns it would have had two rocks replacing it. It also had little leaves instead of ears and a tail. What strange looking thing it was ‘HUH” Vesper was looking at it wondering if it was some sort of hoax. It had a little paper mask attached that resembled a pomu face and some twigs as arms and legs. The kittom saw it had a small note left where he had picked it up from. “Potatmu, an elnin's best spud” ? He wondered what this was all about and a bit puzzled but no longer caring much for it he decided to dismiss it. Whatever that spud was, it wasn't his pomu. He went back to putting his final touches on his zen garden and that’s when he saw him from the corner of his eye. Sitting on one of the rocks that Vesper had arranged, Fireworks was sitting there snickering at him. At first the kittom wasn’t sure if he really was seeing things or if this was really his pomu. Gone were the days of his pomu lantern following him, his shadowy little friend was back. Who knew what he would think of his zen garden, but one thing for sure the kittom was far more tamed now. Somewhere there was still that potatmu lingering in his zen garden as finishing touch?