Submission (#6550) Approved
User
Prompt
Submitted
27 December 2023, 17:51:27 PST (11 months ago)
Processed
29 December 2023, 06:08:20 PST (11 months ago) by LeechiPeachy
Comments
Content
Amidst the perpetual winter of Strynhalde, where snowflakes danced in the air as delicately as ballerinas, and the moon bathed the landscape in its soft silvery glow, two childhood friends, found themselves at the edge of a frozen lake. The snow-covered landscape sparkled in the moonlight, bouncing against the mist, making the two kittoms serene and mellow in their soft smiles and movements.
As they neared the lake shore, Taiga reached into the folds of his winter coat, producing a small carved box. The soft crunch of snow underfoot almost obscured the delicate creak of the box’s hinges upon being opened, revealing a delicate silver pocket watch. Its hands caught the moonlight, a small glint of light in the darkness.
Sariel’s eyes widened in awe, captivated by the beauty of the timepiece, its sheen set against the white of the snow. “Is that that old pocket watch from…?”
Taiga nodded with a small smile.
“Wasn’t it lost?”
Taiga shifted on his paws then, glancing about as if checking for an audience in the lonesome horizon. “Found it while cleaning…”
The pocket watch was adorned with delicate engravings of leaves or feathers, curling away from the center of the timepiece. The metallic details shimmered in the moonlight, holding onto the history it had ticked within. They remembered tales shared by the fireside of this very lake, of this very watch, of how the simple act of telling time had made the heirloom significant. The tales seemed woven into the frosty air that surrounded them.
The two friends pressed closer together as they admired the timepiece. Their voices hushed as they swapped tales they had heard in fragmented pieces. “Remember when—” “and then he—” “and then we—” “he threw his arms out—” “and then—” “she said—” “but he went—” Their excited voices rose and fell, only to fall into whispers again as they caught and measured their volume. Occasionally, one friend would glance and gesture at the distance, or mimic a gesture or action, but their huddle would swiftly reform, until finally, with breathless giggles, the two friends fell silent, eyes meeting in the darkness.
“I thought,” Taiga started, breath misting, “that you would like it.”
Sariel smiled, gingerly taking the watch in his hands and admiring the weight and heft of it in his paws.
As the friends sat in quiet reflection, the moonlit snowflakes painted the sky shades of mottled grey and white. The pocket watch, cradled in Sariel’s paws, became a mesmerizing center for the dance of snow, its glow harmonizing with the wintry brilliance of their surroundings.
“It’s been so long…” Sariel whispered, eyes wide and cast somewhere beyond the horizon.
Taiga shook his head. A frown marred his features, and when he spoke his voice was stilted and gruff. “Focus on the now.”
Sariel glanced down at the watch. The wind picked up, sending the snowflakes spiraling around them. They turned to glance at each other, words written in their gazes they could not bare to say out loud, not by the frozen lake waters, not out in the open where it felt anyone and anything might overhear and judge, or misunderstand, or worse, understand.
Under the ever-winter sky, the friends turned away from the lake to make their way back the way they had come. The weight of what had happened to them lay heavy and comforting on their shoulders, uniting them in ways they knew would endure throughout their years together and apart. Taiga huddled close, leaning towards Taiga as the wind whistled past, as the snowflakes swirled, and as the moon continued its mindless circuit of the night sky.
Rewards
| Reward | Amount |
|---|---|
| Elecite Coins | 6 |
Characters
ELN709: Sariel
| Reward | Amount |
|---|
ELN946: Taiga
| Reward | Amount |
|---|---|
| AP (Strynhalde) (Currencies) | 1 |
Add-Ons
These items have been removed from the submitter's inventory and will be refunded if the request is rejected or consumed if it is approved.
| Item | Source | Notes | Quantity |
|---|
2moros's Bank
| Currency | Quantity |
|---|