Lazul is a Grump (most of the time)

By the Gods, Lazul hated this. Feeling the cold breeze wash over his fur as he yanked the scarf more tightly around his neck. Stuffing his hands into his sweater's pockets and grumbling silently. His eye was in his mouth after all, cyclops mode, observing the scenery around him in true visual fashion.

Though it didn't muffle his voice at all. In fact, his crowns twitching erratically behind his head signaled to all other cccats in the vicinity how annoyed he was.

The cold air, battering at him and making his thin fur bristle on end, eyeing the small chunks of ice melting away in the huge body of the Meteor Lake. Now sprinkled with glimmering objects rising to its surface that colorful shapes ran towards and gathered up in mass, or plucked from the sands as they washed up.

Like this wasn't a common occurrence every year.

Like every time Skireans came out here and collected and collected it didn't just leave a bunch littered around afterwards or that they weren't basically worthless.

As if these were any different from last year or the year before that.

'Grouch.' Someone suddenly buzzed in his mind and he blinked, glancing at a cccat in the distance staring at him.

Flipping them off with a flick of his crowns to block them before continuing to grumble. Leaning against the vehicle behind him as he crossed his arms and tucked his uncovered hands into the spaces to keep them warm.

At least it wasn't as annoying as most events. Everyone kept to themselves for the most part or were... having fun. Just wandering around the shore in groups, some even mixed with humans. Races being run close to the shore or some building castles, using broken hearts for decorations. Others enjoying meals in dug out fire pits or partying closer to the buildings.

Pausing as his eye caught Prisma. The smaller cccat excitingly digging at the sand that stuck to her dark fur, Miami beside her. Her smaller hands barely put a dent in the sand while Miami easily made a giant pit as he shoveled loads out in giant scoops.

Shaking his head as he watched them before a voice made him jump.

"Aw, cmon Laz-y~ lose the frown." Oh great..

His crowns twitched and glanced as Acasia approached from his side, chuckling. "It's not that bad. Prisma wanted to go here after all."

Lazuli rolled his eye as he buzzed a response through their hive link, though keeping it between them. 'Don't frame it like that. You wanted to come out here to sell your junk too.'

"So?"

'So.. don't be.. sneaky. Bringing up Prisma like that.' He grumbled and looked away from her.

"Come on it's not sneaky. It's a fair point." Acasia huffed as her crowns twitched and Lazuli didn't respond.

Instead, watching as Prisma and Miami continued to excavate sand, Prisma finally seemed to find something as she held up a sand heart. Broken and faded but the cccat was excited as she quickly handed it to Miami who held it in his palm and stared blankly at it. Prisma continued to pull up more and more sand hearts, which were all likely from last years that were buried, but still being excited at each and every one.

His crowns twitching as Acasia also watched, feeling her glance at him before she started to walk away with a sigh.

"Whatever. If you want to stand here all day and not have some fun that's on you." She turned around and shrugged before continuing to make her way over to Prisma and Miami.

Lazul watched her leave as he grumbled mentally. He'd totally stand here all day. He didn't care. Nothing about this looked fun. Not like Prisma needed him with Miami digging up huge amounts of sand for her. He didn't care. He didn't even want to get sand in his fur or find stupid sand hearts.

Closing his eye as he decided to focus on the hivemind around him, picking up on conversations of other cccats. Conversations, images flashing. Cccats playing together in their groups, a few stray images of some cccats alone lingering on the sidelines. Different feelings and thoughts...

Before flinching as he felt a weight press into his side, snapping his eye open as they spoke.

"Tada-" Acasia leaning her weight against his side waving something in front of his face.

A perfectly shaped sand heart. No imperfections, no marks. Not even a scratch. It didn't even look faded.

"Prisma found it wrapped in mud and we just washed it off... and she wanted me to give it to you. Soooo...." She waved it in front of his face again, for emphasis.

As if trying to bait a fish. And Lazuli's crowns twitched as he watched the purple thing sway in his face before glancing at Prisma who quickly looked away from the pair. The tall cccat slumping forward with a mental sigh.

God's damn it...

Snatching it from Acasia's hand and ignoring the shit-eating grin as she flashed her teeth, turning away from her. "Whatever."

Acasia grinned. "See? Not that hard. C'mon."

She teased as she walked away, tail brushing around his side and pulling him off balance before retreating. Lazul slapped the appendage away as he rolled his eye before sighing.

Watching her rejoin Prisma and Miami, the smaller cccat perking up and smiling brightly before the pair began to dig together. Lazul looking down at the sand heart in his hands and feeling it over.

Tucking it in his pocket and approaching them with a mental groan.

Whatever.