Birdsong accompanied the rhythmic ticking of the clock on the wall to give Mariana a natural soundtrack as she had made breakfast that morning. She tucked the last of the plates into the dishwasher before drying her hands on the floral hand towel and looking over her cousins. Between bites of food, Zachary was engaged in his phone. Emile was intently focused on the half-eaten pancakes and fruit on his plate. He looked more like he was trying to solve a complex equation rather than eat breakfast. Lina bounced enthusiastically in her chair, an empty plate in front of her. Likely already having wandered far off in her thoughts. Mariana shot a glance at the clock. Breakfast got a bit late.
"Heading out now – Aunty Elena will be back in a minute or two," so don't cause too much trouble. They were good kids but could get a bit rambunctious. This got their attention. Zachary and Lina's at least.
"We want to go!" Lina chimed.
"I still don't see why we can't," Zachary added. "What if she's cute? I want to make a good impression. And it's not like missing one school day will hurt." Mariana walked over to the table, rustling Lina's hair much to the little girl's delight, but her attention was on Zach.
"Even if she is cute, she is much too old for you."
He frowned, looked ready to say something, then appeared to think better of it. With a small huff, he returned to his phone. The bright colours on the screen were barely visible from her spot. He had it rough. There weren't many other children on Celosia and there were even fewer teens.
"Alright, be good," she reminded them on her way out of the kitchen.
"Yeah, yeah," Zach echoed behind her.
It took her only a matter of seconds to pull on her boots and sling her large brown bag from its hook and over her shoulder. The heft of it weighed her down a little with its usual contents along with a single jar of honey with a red ribbon tied around it. A welcoming gift for the newest of Celosia's residents.
She darted out the door without looking back, allowing the old wood to bounce back against the frame with a disgruntled groan. Mariana was grateful her aunt agreed to check on the new hive that morning. The girl wasn't sure she would've been able to prevent herself from bursting if she had to take even longer to get out of the house. Last night she had been so caught up in thoughts of the next day that she hadn't gotten to sleep until long after normal. The sooner she got to meet Melanie, the happier she would be.
It was rare for anyone new to moved to Celosia, and as a result, it was always big news. Everyone had their own reactions, but Mariana was always delighted. It presented the uncommon opportunity to make a new friend. Not only that, but this new arrival was a farmer. Maybe she could help restore Celosia to its shining glory? And Isi was coming home, too! She missed him and wanted to hear about his adventure.
The young woman ran toward the dock, heavy shoes kicking up dirt and braid bouncing off her back. Mariana had travelled the path more times than she could count and was able to traverse it quickly without fear of stumbling despite the various potholes, rocks, and roots along the way. Her sprint slowed to a bouncy step when she spotted someone else along the road. The bright pink hair was an undeniable indicator of identity even before Mariana could pick out any other details.
"Hey Teddy!" She called out, waving an arm back and forth above her head.
「 tags 」
Code by Jenamos
Birdsong accompanied the rhythmic ticking of the clock on the wall to give Mariana a natural soundtrack as she had made breakfast that morning. She tucked the last of the plates into the dishwasher before drying her hands on the floral hand towel and looking over her cousins. Between bites of food, Zachary was engaged in his phone. Emile was intently focused on the half-eaten pancakes and fruit on his plate. He looked more like he was trying to solve a complex equation rather than eat breakfast. Lina bounced enthusiastically in her chair, an empty plate in front of her. Likely already having wandered far off in her thoughts. Mariana shot a glance at the clock. Breakfast got a bit late.
"Heading out now – Aunty Elena will be back in a minute or two," so don't cause too much trouble. They were good kids but could get a bit rambunctious. This got their attention. Zachary and Lina's at least.
"We want to go!" Lina chimed.
"I still don't see why we can't," Zachary added. "What if she's cute? I want to make a good impression. And it's not like missing one school day will hurt." Mariana walked over to the table, rustling Lina's hair much to the little girl's delight, but her attention was on Zach.
"Even if she is cute, she is much too old for you."
He frowned, looked ready to say something, then appeared to think better of it. With a small huff, he returned to his phone. The bright colours on the screen were barely visible from her spot. He had it rough. There weren't many other children on Celosia and there were even fewer teens.
"Alright, be good," she reminded them on her way out of the kitchen.
"Yeah, yeah," Zach echoed behind her.
It took her only a matter of seconds to pull on her boots and sling her large brown bag from its hook and over her shoulder. The heft of it weighed her down a little with its usual contents along with a single jar of honey with a red ribbon tied around it. A welcoming gift for the newest of Celosia's residents.
She darted out the door without looking back, allowing the old wood to bounce back against the frame with a disgruntled groan. Mariana was grateful her aunt agreed to check on the new hive that morning. The girl wasn't sure she would've been able to prevent herself from bursting if she had to take even longer to get out of the house. Last night she had been so caught up in thoughts of the next day that she hadn't gotten to sleep until long after normal. The sooner she got to meet Melanie, the happier she would be.
It was rare for anyone new to moved to Celosia, and as a result, it was always big news. Everyone had their own reactions, but Mariana was always delighted. It presented the uncommon opportunity to make a new friend. Not only that, but this new arrival was a farmer. Maybe she could help restore Celosia to its shining glory? And Isi was coming home, too! She missed him and wanted to hear about his adventure.
The young woman ran toward the dock, heavy shoes kicking up dirt and braid bouncing off her back. Mariana had travelled the path more times than she could count and was able to traverse it quickly without fear of stumbling despite the various potholes, rocks, and roots along the way. Her sprint slowed to a bouncy step when she spotted someone else along the road. The bright pink hair was an undeniable indicator of identity even before Mariana could pick out any other details.
"Hey Teddy!" She called out, waving an arm back and forth above her head.
「 tags 」
Code by Jenamos
Birdsong accompanied the rhythmic ticking of the clock on the wall to give Mariana a natural soundtrack as she had made breakfast that morning. She tucked the last of the plates into the dishwasher before drying her hands on the floral hand towel and looking over her cousins. Between bites of food, Zachary was engaged in his phone. Emile was intently focused on the half-eaten pancakes and fruit on his plate. He looked more like he was trying to solve a complex equation rather than eat breakfast. Lina bounced enthusiastically in her chair, an empty plate in front of her. Likely already having wandered far off in her thoughts. Mariana shot a glance at the clock. Breakfast got a bit late.
"Heading out now – Aunty Elena will be back in a minute or two," so don't cause too much trouble. They were good kids but could get a bit rambunctious. This got their attention. Zachary and Lina's at least.
"We want to go!" Lina chimed.
"I still don't see why we can't," Zachary added. "What if she's cute? I want to make a good impression. And it's not like missing one school day will hurt." Mariana walked over to the table, rustling Lina's hair much to the little girl's delight, but her attention was on Zach.
"Even if she is cute, she is much too old for you."
He frowned, looked ready to say something, then appeared to think better of it. With a small huff, he returned to his phone. The bright colours on the screen were barely visible from her spot. He had it rough. There weren't many other children on Celosia and there were even fewer teens.
"Alright, be good," she reminded them on her way out of the kitchen.
"Yeah, yeah," Zach echoed behind her.
It took her only a matter of seconds to pull on her boots and sling her large brown bag from its hook and over her shoulder. The heft of it weighed her down a little with its usual contents along with a single jar of honey with a red ribbon tied around it. A welcoming gift for the newest of Celosia's residents.
She darted out the door without looking back, allowing the old wood to bounce back against the frame with a disgruntled groan. Mariana was grateful her aunt agreed to check on the new hive that morning. The girl wasn't sure she would've been able to prevent herself from bursting if she had to take even longer to get out of the house. Last night she had been so caught up in thoughts of the next day that she hadn't gotten to sleep until long after normal. The sooner she got to meet Melanie, the happier she would be.
It was rare for anyone new to moved to Celosia, and as a result, it was always big news. Everyone had their own reactions, but Mariana was always delighted. It presented the uncommon opportunity to make a new friend. Not only that, but this new arrival was a farmer. Maybe she could help restore Celosia to its shining glory? And Isi was coming home, too! She missed him and wanted to hear about his adventure.
The young woman ran toward the dock, heavy shoes kicking up dirt and braid bouncing off her back. Mariana had travelled the path more times than she could count and was able to traverse it quickly without fear of stumbling despite the various potholes, rocks, and roots along the way. Her sprint slowed to a bouncy step when she spotted someone else along the road. The bright pink hair was an undeniable indicator of identity even before Mariana could pick out any other details.
"Hey Teddy!" She called out, waving an arm back and forth above her head.
「 tags 」
Code by Jenamos