11-21-2018, 03:56 PM
Xero sulked and cuddled with her not-comfy-at-all new rock friend, wishing it were alive and warm and snuggly and wanting to fuss over her and nuzzle her and lick her forelock so it spiked straight up instead of going stray sideways or frontways or like half-sticky-uppy. Alone was hard, and it made her heart hurt, and she let her ears splay pathetically to either side as she tried to sleep even though she was only lost, not not tired.
But a lovely bit of light distracted her from her sad sulk, coaxing her to open her eyes. It snuck closer and bloomed like a flower, and her eyes lit up too, going as wide as the brand new grin that stretched her face as she gasped with delight. “Oh!” It traced against her cheek, as though it were wiping away the tears she hadn’t quite cried this time, and she absolutely melted.
“Hi,” she whispered, trying to nuzzle it back. It was hard to nuzzle light, though, ‘cause it wasn’t solid like rocks or trees or people. Still, she pushed her nose through it like she could, like she could feel it against her face as much as she could see it. She couldn’t, but she pretended, like she pretended so many things. Friends to play with, people to hold her and snuggle her and love her, she even pretended milk right into her grumbly hungry tummy, so this was nothing new. She was the best at pretend.
“Are you my new friend?” she asked, just the tiniest whisper of hope sneaking into her voice. “I could really use one right about now. I got lost and I don’t know how to get to the island that’s supposed to keep me from getting sick.” And she really wasn’t feeling so good, now that she thought about it.
But a lovely bit of light distracted her from her sad sulk, coaxing her to open her eyes. It snuck closer and bloomed like a flower, and her eyes lit up too, going as wide as the brand new grin that stretched her face as she gasped with delight. “Oh!” It traced against her cheek, as though it were wiping away the tears she hadn’t quite cried this time, and she absolutely melted.
“Hi,” she whispered, trying to nuzzle it back. It was hard to nuzzle light, though, ‘cause it wasn’t solid like rocks or trees or people. Still, she pushed her nose through it like she could, like she could feel it against her face as much as she could see it. She couldn’t, but she pretended, like she pretended so many things. Friends to play with, people to hold her and snuggle her and love her, she even pretended milk right into her grumbly hungry tummy, so this was nothing new. She was the best at pretend.
“Are you my new friend?” she asked, just the tiniest whisper of hope sneaking into her voice. “I could really use one right about now. I got lost and I don’t know how to get to the island that’s supposed to keep me from getting sick.” And she really wasn’t feeling so good, now that she thought about it.