2024 Events

The four of them were huddled in Blossom's kitchen, which offered a nice ambiance of warmth with the oven on. Bread was baking, and fresh seasoned butter was being hand-churned by the small winter brown bird. She was practicing her techniques using old ways, experimenting with interesting old tools now long forgotten. Others opted for more futuristic machines or magics that made everything easier. Blossom wanted to get to the root of it, to see where the origin started and how hard it had been for those before them. Honestly, she loved it, learning something that others had no idea originated from. As she churned, her sad grey eyes occasionally turned to the large bay window to watch the droplets tap on the glass.

The other three were seated at the booth-style table, nestled up to the window, gazing out longingly. Something about today seemed so solemn that Winnie and Quinn were wrapped up in Butterfly Wing Cloaks. When draped around them, the cloaks felt like a warm hug, soft and soothing. In their hands, they held cups of hot tea, which they sipped and refilled from the kettle in front of them, an endless stream of warmth to their hands and bellies.

The only one not wearing a Butterfly Wing Cloak was Diaval, who chose to curl his wings around himself for comfort. On his lap rested the head of Cortado, the coffee-colored Dalon, who had managed to slither their way into the newly renovated kitchen. Half of their body was in the kitchen, while the other half rested in the hallway, positioned perfectly to stay out of the way and avoid setting off any alarms that would send them back to the barn pens.

At first, Blossom thought the group was merely waiting for her delicious bread. However, as they lingered in silence, she realized it was more about the company. On what was supposed to be a lovely spring day, the atmosphere felt humbling, calling for indoor activities while the world refreshed itself. She had expected the others to be with them, but then remembered what each was up to.

Arabelle and Medi had taken the day as a lazy one, wrapped up in bed, getting to know each other—doing who knows what. She figured they wouldn't show their faces until dinner time or until the sun dipped below the horizon, coming out to join everyone for cookies and tea. Oogieboogs had been taken by Khadgar to the study room to ensure the kitbull was practicing his death magic. Recently, Oogieboogs had made a breakthrough, unlocking his secret aspect, resulting in an undead talon fish as a pet named Chum Bucket.

It was impressive to see what dark magics Oogieboogs could wield, surprising many of them given his kind-hearted nature. This aspect was odd but perfect for him to control, making him possibly the only respectable kitbull to wield it. Chum Bucket, as an embodiment of Oogieboogs' essence, was honestly one of the best pets, much like Magna. Currently, the undead talon fish rested at Blossom's feet on an old towel, enjoying the churning noise made by her tool as she made butter.

"Do you suppose it will end today?" Diaval broke the silence, staring out as a ray of sun broke through. The hiro browbird was starting to get antsy and a bit claustrophobic.

"If I remember correctly, the weather birds said it would last into tomorrow. Just a light spring rainstorm, nothing too bad," Quinn followed up, taking another sip of their tea. Golden eyes glanced briefly at Diaval before turning to look at Winnie as they began to speak.

"Do you feel the need to go outside, Dia?" Winnie questioned, snuggling deeper into their Butterfly Wing Cloak. The young teen pressed his hand against the window to test its warmth. It was hard to tell the conditions outside, given how much warmth the oven brought to the kitchen. It was difficult to distinguish between the inside and outside temperatures.

Diaval shuffled in his seat, petting Cortado more. "I'm just a bit bored," he admitted. It was the honest truth. "As much as I like being inside, we were cooped up too much this winter, and we haven't left yet..." His hands made a dramatic gesture. "Not with the others still not here yet."

"Ha! You want to leave without them?" Quinn snickered, taking another sip before refilling their cup.

"Well, it's not like I know them. They're just Arabelle's friends... but that's not the point," Diaval quickly added. "I'm just a bit upset today was supposed to be the big soccer game." His arms crossed instantly after admitting it. It felt foolish to say he wanted to play such childish games when there were so many other serious things one could be doing. However, in all his time here, Diaval had actually found enjoyment in playing competitive games with the locals. His initial intent to steal from them turned into wanting to steal some time for friendly games of all sorts—soccer, football, hockey in the winter, baseball. He had wanted to hate them at first, but upon playing, the deviant had fallen in love.

Quinn and Winnie looked at each other and began to laugh, and even Blossom let out a light chuckle at Diaval's plight. In response, Diaval offered a few choice words for them to stop, his face blushing a soft red from the admitted embarrassment.

"Nothing is honestly stopping us, at least..." Winnie grinned, moving around Quinn to get to the main floor. He unclipped the Butterfly Wing Cloak, leapt over Cortado, and aimed for the hallway's storage door.

"What does he mean?" Quinn questioned, setting down their tea to watch Winnie disappear into the hallway. They had no interest in getting up just yet to follow, considering how comfortable they were.

"No idea... we can't play in here. Nowhere is big enough," Diaval commented.

"The barn pens are..." Quinn responded curiously.

"They would tear the ball apart before we even started upon seeing it," Diaval retorted. Quinn knew darn well the damage some of those companions could cause. They'd love to join in such games, and some would get too enthusiastic over a soft ball, possibly destroying it by accident. Heck, their own companion mount, Mama, might take one bite and pop the thing.

"I think he means outside," Blossom chimed in smartly as she moved from her tool to open the top, peeking in to see the fresh butter perfectly formed to the side. "Ah, good," she spoke to herself confidently, slowly getting a bowl to scoop out the soft yellow substance. The more she scooped into the bowl, the more the delicious aroma of rosemary filled the room, mixing with the smell of baking bread. It would surely be a hit for later's tea gathering around the fire—a dab of fresh rosemary butter and a slice of good wheat-baked bread. Blossom noticed Chum Bucket starting to stir below, eyeing the soft yellow substance she'd put in its container. Happily, she offered Chum Bucket a taste, resulting in the ghost talon fish spinning around excitedly over the taste.

"Exactly!" Winnie returned to the room, holding the soccer ball and sporting some silly puddle boots. "Blossom's got it right. What's holding us back? A little rain?"

Winnie's confidence was too much, Diaval realized, as he and Quinn both stared at the boy suspiciously. Turning from Winnie with a deadpan face to look outside, Diaval quietly contemplated the idea. What harm could the rain do? A possible cold might creep up, but that could be remedied by the young healer browbird now or with a good cup of tea.

"Well, count me in," Quinn spoke, getting to their feet and taking the used cups to the sink. "I wouldn't mind seeing how the rain is outside, and I doubt it's going to be cold rain."

"Yeah, let's do it," Diaval added his input, urging Cortado to wake up and remove his head from his lap. The giant mount Dalon quickly retreated, backing out of the kitchen and slithering towards the barn pens to see if they would join the group outside. As much as Cortado enjoyed spending time with the others, getting their fur wet was not on the agenda today, opting instead to curl up in their bed.

"You joining, Blossom?" Winnie cheered as Diaval and Quinn left the kitchen and headed towards the door.

"No, you guys go on ahead without me," Blossom said, waving off Winnie's offer. She had no interest in getting wet; she'd experienced a cold earlier this spring, and once was enough for the wintry browbird. Her primary goal now was to stay healthy, and playing in the rain and mud wasn't part of that plan. She would prepare a proper herbal brew for them when they returned to ward off any chill they might have picked up. Knowing Diaval, he'd likely just try to brush off the water and head to his room, so she'd remind them all to take a warm bath to further ward off any lingering cold.

"I'm going to finish up here and start dinner. Take Chum Bucket, though," she added, tapping the ghost talon fish to follow after Winnie, which it did. The idea of going outside to chase raindrops seemed promising, and being in water was clearly not an issue for the dead fish. With its little legs, Chum Bucket bolted out of the kitchen, passing Diaval and Quinn as they opened the door to leave. It instantly leapt around the front yard, nipping at large, chunky raindrops falling from the leaves above, which collected water and formed larger raindrops that the ghost talon fish could see.

The three stepped outside without their Butterfly Wing Cloaks and chose to go without puddle boots as well. Boots would be hard to kick with and would most likely be kicked off completely when hitting the ball. Outside, the air was warm but slightly humid, perfect for the flowers to feel comfortable enough to grow and bloom. Unlike the harsh rains of winter, spring and summer were blessings at times, and this was one of them.

"Huh, it's actually nice out here... less sweating," Diaval remarked as he stepped out, feeling the wet grass on his toes, his claws collecting a bit of mud as he squished into the earth. After doing a few tricks with the ball, the trio rushed out towards the forest and the main meadow to play.

With the rain's arrival, life seemed to bloom everywhere. Lush wildflowers in shades of pink, blue, yellow, orange, and practically every color of the rainbow carpeted the hillside, stretching out towards the mountains in the distance. With the trees no longer obstructing their view, the meadow was completely open, offering a breathtaking scene. The mountain peaks were slightly obscured by dark, rolling grey clouds moving swiftly above them. A swirling mix of grey and white spiraled overhead, a sight they wouldn't have seen if they'd stayed indoors all day.

"Well, that's a cool sight you don't see very often," Quinn exclaimed, a smile brightening their face as they rushed over to join the group, with Chum Bucket darting excitedly behind them. "Just look at how fast those clouds are rolling. It's incredible! I bet there's a lot of wind up there. Can you imagine the view from above, Dia? Flying amidst those swirling clouds must be quite the experience."

"It was a good idea to play despite the rain, Winnie. Good call," Diaval said, stretching out his wings. He sometimes wished he had a wing charm like Arabelle's to enhance his play, but he'd make do with what he had. "Oh yeah, today would be a perfect day for a wing race, but soccer is the main goal right now, Quinn. Don't you try to distract me!" With that, Diaval kicked the ball swiftly to Winnie, starting the game of keep-away.

Throughout the day, the group played recklessly, kicking up mud, flowers, and puddles as they tried to steal the ball from one another. What had started as a boring day inside, dreaming of fun, had turned into a much-needed escape to maintain their sanity. If they had stayed inside, Diaval would have likely gone to bed early, Quinn might have returned to cleaning or napping, and Winnie would have disappeared to study with Khadgar and Oogieboogs. The freshness of the air revitalized them, and their breaths began to grow heavy from the physical activity.

As their energy began to wane from all the playing, they ended just as the first ray of light shone through one of the clouds. The rain lightened up for a few minutes, causing the group to pause their antics and take a break. Looking around, they had done some damage to the meadow, that was for sure. One could trace whose steps in the little square they played, but any feeling of remorse quickly faded upon remembering the rain would still come, washing away their mistakes and allowing the flowers and grass to correct themselves once more. Upon realizing this and feeling the exhaustion they all felt, it was apparently time to head back. Diaval picked up the ball, calling it, and waved the other two over, with Chum Bucket at his feet bouncing up and down for the ball. By now, it was time for that tasty bread and butter, or dinner even if Blossom had indeed started when they left. All in all, the spring rain wasn't so bad after all.