Sunflower
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Gentle, warm gusts of wind paraded about the small, broken-down farm. Almost like a routine, it twirled ever so gracefully with the wheat, then pulled the loose, brittle leaves from the trees. Just behind the home whose walls were filled with mold and bugs lay a field of sunflowers, all facing towards the blistering sun that battered the windowless back of the home. The thin, peeling paint only further flaked away as the sunlight had by now damaged it beyond repair.
A young man tended to the fields, no older than fifteen. Despite his scar-ridden skin, he was clearly just a boy; nothing more, yet nothing less. The boy's lion tail whisked behind him as he walked, upright and prideful, wearing a grin worth even more. Tattered, stained robes hid him from the world, though in their condition it seemed like they faced the same fate as the flaking paint.
From the silence came a gentle hum, though it wasn't fully the bugs; the young Stout Furling boy hummed alongside them while checking on each stem of the flowers. That was, until someone who looked so similar to him rushed out of the sunflowers, leaving a trail of trampled stems behind.
"A monsterr! Monster! -- Makalani! Monster!" Her voice was shrill, wobbling with fear. Though Makalani's face had twisted into a scowl, it soon lightened to a gentle grin. A quick swoop of his arms was all it took to take the little creature into his grasp.
"Ce'Ann.. D'ere isn't anything out in th' fields.. Just the flowers-- which you trampled.." Makalani sighed, using his free hand to pinch at the bridge of his nose. As he did so, more rustling came from fields, causing his brown feline eyes to be sent to the direction with much more caution. "Shut your eyes, Ce'.. Nothin' can hurt you then.." Carefully, he then set down the child, who seemed no older than seven at the most.
As she shut her eyes, Makalani reached to his belt which secured his robes. It took only a second for a small, hand-held shovel to be taken out and then wielded as some sort of weapon. Slowly, he began to approach closer to his beloved sunflowers, mindful of each and every one of them as he looked down the pathway from the child's wake. When would indeed be met by … a dog! It was small, and looked as friendly as could be.
It sniffed out at the trampled sunflowers, pressing its wet nose onto each, all before its brown, happy eyes would meet Makalani's. Again, a heavy sigh was given through his nostrils as he peered over his shoulder to the still rather frightful girl, then to the shovel he held.
In everything that Makalani had done in his life, each and every crime, he would have done it again just to see the little, freckled Furling smile like she had used to when she was just a baby. In a quick, forced movement Makalani gave a prideful grin before turning it into a faux hate to the little dog. Waving the shovel about, he began to chant in a heavy, gruff tone unlike the one prior, putting on a show: "Begone, feral beast! Return ta' where you came! Be/GONE!/" The dog was indeed scared off by this. Its tail was sent between its legs and it scurried off into what seemed like never-ending fields.
By then, the little Furling behind Makalani that had previously been cowering with her eyes shut had finally allowed the sunlight to once again pierce them, to which Makalani would offer a warm, familiar smile. With his ragged, broken teeth, he gave a whistle. "Ya'should've seen 'em, Ce'Ann. Big ass beast, almost ate meh hand," said the youthful boy as he slipped the shovel away once again. "Now, what will we do wit' ya. Are ya' going to apologize to the flowers before pa comes out 'ere and beats you for it?"
Still, the child was ever fearful of the so-called beast that had emerged and almost eaten her brother. "Ye-.. Yees." And so, she began to waddle over to the very front sunflowers where she picked up a few of the fallen petals in her delicate, small hands. "Sorry's, sunflowers. Didn't mean hurt." Which such, she stuffed the petals into her pockets before trying to lift it back to its former glory.
"Aye- Yer common is gettin' better. Atta bee.. Now, head inside, okay? I'll-.. Cover for ya'.. Not to worry. Go on, in." Makalani then ushered Ce'Annyah off towards the windowless house, which she did listen to, and exited from the area.
With the small child now gone, he set his hands on his hips, as a bead of sweat trickled down his fuzzy face with the beaming heat. "Tonigh's the night it'll all change..." A solemn look held onto his features, all before it whisked away.
"A monsterr! Monster! -- Makalani! Monster!" Her voice was shrill, wobbling with fear. Though Makalani's face had twisted into a scowl, it soon lightened to a gentle grin. A quick swoop of his arms was all it took to take the little creature into his grasp.
"Ce'Ann.. D'ere isn't anything out in th' fields.. Just the flowers-- which you trampled.." Makalani sighed, using his free hand to pinch at the bridge of his nose. As he did so, more rustling came from fields, causing his brown feline eyes to be sent to the direction with much more caution. "Shut your eyes, Ce'.. Nothin' can hurt you then.." Carefully, he then set down the child, who seemed no older than seven at the most.
As she shut her eyes, Makalani reached to his belt which secured his robes. It took only a second for a small, hand-held shovel to be taken out and then wielded as some sort of weapon. Slowly, he began to approach closer to his beloved sunflowers, mindful of each and every one of them as he looked down the pathway from the child's wake. When would indeed be met by … a dog! It was small, and looked as friendly as could be.
It sniffed out at the trampled sunflowers, pressing its wet nose onto each, all before its brown, happy eyes would meet Makalani's. Again, a heavy sigh was given through his nostrils as he peered over his shoulder to the still rather frightful girl, then to the shovel he held.
In everything that Makalani had done in his life, each and every crime, he would have done it again just to see the little, freckled Furling smile like she had used to when she was just a baby. In a quick, forced movement Makalani gave a prideful grin before turning it into a faux hate to the little dog. Waving the shovel about, he began to chant in a heavy, gruff tone unlike the one prior, putting on a show: "Begone, feral beast! Return ta' where you came! Be/GONE!/" The dog was indeed scared off by this. Its tail was sent between its legs and it scurried off into what seemed like never-ending fields.
By then, the little Furling behind Makalani that had previously been cowering with her eyes shut had finally allowed the sunlight to once again pierce them, to which Makalani would offer a warm, familiar smile. With his ragged, broken teeth, he gave a whistle. "Ya'should've seen 'em, Ce'Ann. Big ass beast, almost ate meh hand," said the youthful boy as he slipped the shovel away once again. "Now, what will we do wit' ya. Are ya' going to apologize to the flowers before pa comes out 'ere and beats you for it?"
Still, the child was ever fearful of the so-called beast that had emerged and almost eaten her brother. "Ye-.. Yees." And so, she began to waddle over to the very front sunflowers where she picked up a few of the fallen petals in her delicate, small hands. "Sorry's, sunflowers. Didn't mean hurt." Which such, she stuffed the petals into her pockets before trying to lift it back to its former glory.
"Aye- Yer common is gettin' better. Atta bee.. Now, head inside, okay? I'll-.. Cover for ya'.. Not to worry. Go on, in." Makalani then ushered Ce'Annyah off towards the windowless house, which she did listen to, and exited from the area.
With the small child now gone, he set his hands on his hips, as a bead of sweat trickled down his fuzzy face with the beaming heat. "Tonigh's the night it'll all change..." A solemn look held onto his features, all before it whisked away.
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