Chatterbox: Down to Earth

Hot summer air stirred lazily as the girl walked through it, her feet crunching on the sharp grass. The night overhead was clear and crisp, despite its blanket of heat. Her mouth gaping in a wide yawn, the girl flopped down on the ground, stretching her arms until they quivered. Then she looked around with bright turquoise eyes, her gaze falling on the twinkling lights ahead of her, lighting the way to CB Square. Now the streets were silent and calm, save for the stray bird swooping in and out of the street lamps. The girl watched it for a moment, lost in thought.

"W-w-wotcha, C-cloudy?" a sudden voice chirped from behind her, causing the girl to suck in a rapid breath. Spinning around with her dappled tail bristling, Clouded Leopard only managed to relax the slightest as the grinning AE settled down next to her, his simple clothing matching the shadows and light of the night.

"No one even knows that reference, 8-Piece!" she sighed, punching him gently in the shoulder. 8-Piece shrugged, seemingly unconcerned with the fact.

"Eh. Whatever," he said, closing his eyes in pleasure as a cool breeze passed over them. "I get it. He stayed quiet for a moment, looking over at Clouded Leopard. "So you're really doing it?" he asked, his voice cutting through the silence. Cloud gave a small nod, awkwardly brushing the grass with her hand. "Oh. I was just asking, because, you know, you've done it before but... come back... so I was just..." he trailed, noticing how Cloud seemed not to be responding. Then she took a small gulp, her words stilted and uncertain.

"I dunno... it's just something I'm feeling now. Not new, exactly... but more reawakened, I guess," she said listlessly, not making eye contact with 8-Piece. "Like kinda what I feel in AminoClan, but different... oh wait, how does that song go? Um, I try to speak but nobody can hear, so I wait around for an answer to appear while I watch, watch, watch people pass; I'm waving through a window. Yeah, that one." She sang the song quietly, putting more personal meaning into the words than they were written for. "Like that."

For a moment she thought that this was becoming rather long and poetic. She hoped at least one person might read or listen to the whole thing.. 

"Oh," was all 8-Piece said, staring a stoic pine tree across the clearing. As they sat in silence, the girl reached into her pocket and closed her hand around a worn and stubbed pencil and a crumpled sheet of paper, about to pull them out when the click of heels alerted her to a familiar presence. She didn't have to turn around, as 8-Piece already had and was greeting the other figure.

"'Sup, Mew?" he said, as the AE strode into Cloud's view.

"I thought I would find you out here," he muttered, then continued. "Oh, I'll tell you what's "sup", 8. What's all this about Cloud leaving?" he demanded, casting his eyes towards Cloud, who sat motionless on the ground. Once again she nodded, though larger this time. MewFour let out a heavy and dramatic sigh, adjusting his prim purple tie.

"Well, if there's nothing I can do about it..." he said, biting his lip as he thought. "Wait a tick, though. What about your Mystery thing."

"Um... on hold," Cloud said in a distracted tone as she grabbed for a flat, smooth rock and began to write on it. MewFour scoffed, sticking out his tongue.

"What about my mask? You have to finish the story! I want to be able to--" Before he could finish his sentence, though, 8-Piece slapped a hand over his mouth. MewFour sputtered, but stopped talking.

"Hey, come on!" he said, his eyes darting back to the writing Cloud. "If she ever comes back to write the rest of it--" Clouded Leopard rolled her eyes at the 'if', a feline ear twitching. "--then you're not allowed to spoil it!" MewFour snorted, but obliged nonetheless. The two AEs waited for a second, watching her write, until she finally put down the pencil.

"Done!" she stated, folding up the letter and stuffing it into a yellowed envelope.

"What does it say?" 8-Piece asked curiously, trying to see over her shoulder. Cloud smiled, licking the envelope to seal it shut.

"Oh, just words to people who already know how I feel about them," she replied nonchalantly. "But they'll find it eventually, as a little memoir or something." Dusting it off, she set down the letter on the tree stump she had been sitting on, turning to walk into the forest. 8-Piece and MewFour tagged along, the former grinning with delight a white-and-pink fox trotted out of the forest and joined Cloud.

"Where are we going?" MewFour asked, ever the skeptic. Cloud thought about it for a second, her hand on her lips.

"Somewhere else," she finally said. "But maybe I'll stop back once in awhile to see how it's going. But again... those... stupid feelings. Whatever, I hope they'll go away. I think people care about me, maybe it's just too hard for me to actually see that? Who knows. For now, though... into the unknown."

"Into the unknown!" 8-Piece cheered, catching up to Cloud with a few quick bounds.

"Into the unknown," snapped MewFour, the amulet on his wrist glowing violet. "Wait for me, you idiots."

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Bye bye <3

February 14, 2019, right?