[MYO PROMPT] Plant Life

Nick let out a long, sleepy yawn, stretching, before tiredly scratching his snout. Mm. Spring.

He couldn’t lie and say he didn’t love the warm sun after months of bitter cold, but he really wanted to take a nap, not go on a nature walk. But- Vanille was right, there were plenty of experiences to be had now that the flowers were blooming and everything was slowly waking up from the chill of winter.

He’d love to be under a tree, snoring for a few hours- But, he knew the fresh air was good for him. He sighed, begrudgingly walking down the dirt path- Maybe he’d get a little napping time in after he’d sufficiently wandered around.

‘Just have fun! Y-y’know-- It’s good to just. Let yourself relax.’  Vanille had said, as she outlined the route for him.

Nick’s vision was heavily diminished- He was mostly blind, but he could make his way around without much trouble. He could see the bright, bold magenta line that stood out from the green map she’d given him- And it helped she used one of those nice gel pens that gave the line a raised texture. He ran a finger over the line, committing it to memory.

This nature path, however, was well worn- Plenty of Cinnas had passed through here, and as he walked, he could hear the chatter of various groups passing through- Unless he started wandering into the underbrush, he couldn’t particularly imagine himself getting lost, despite the various twists and turns.

He shook it off- He was too focused on the logistics. ‘Enjoy it, Nick.’ He thought to himself, letting his senses tune into his surroundings as he slowly meandered.

Sniffing at the air, there was a cacophony of scents- Mostly floral, but he couldn’t really pick anything out definitively- There were so many blooms, especially after recent rainfall, that he couldn’t isolate anything too well. A few other scents, like apple cider and blueberry muffins struck him, accompanied by a brief snippet of conversation discussing an upcoming festival as a pair of Cinnas passed him by on the path.

His ear twitched, running a hand through his hair as he plodded along. He’d have to think about going- A festival sounded nice. He couldn’t think of the last time he’d gone to a big public event, and even if he was a bit nervous about feeling awkward and out of place- It would be nice, if not to go for any food and maybe to hang out with a few friends… That sounded nice.

He was snapped out of his meandering thoughts as he heard the creak of wood beneath him- He’d stepped onto a bridge. Ah, right- This must be that brown line on the map. He came to a halt, moving off to the side to let his forearms rest on the wooden bridge’s rails, as he noted the babbling brook beneath him. The rushing of water with the occasional little splash told him there must be fish below. He ran a hand over the rail- Little carvings littered the rough surface. This bridge was sturdy, but it certainly felt like it’d been here a long time- And he had a feeling it must be a popular spot to stop, seeing as a fair number of carvings were of hearts with names written in them. Cute. Vandalism, but cute.

Chirping birdsong in the distance drew him back to walking the path, as he found himself thinking less and, as Vanille said, relaxing more. As he walked, the sheer number of scents assaulting his senses diminished, and he could more confidently identify the various flora around him.

Lavender was the strongest on this part of the path, seeming to overwhelm everything else around it- As it does- And the soft purples were pleasing, as they stood out from the various greens and browns around him. But, as he passed through and the path twisted, the much more mellow, cloyingly sweet scent of cherry blossoms hit him instead. A soft pink haze filled the air around him, as pink petals gently drifted to the floor- some landing in his hair, and some falling into his outstretched palm, eliciting a delighted chuckle from him.

This was nice, he thought to himself, as he wandered over to the nearby bench and sat down, letting the petal cascade wash over him with his eyes closed.

The gentle chirps of songbirds in the branches of the trees around him, the warm breeze swirling through, distant calls and chitters of little creatures in the undergrowth, the occasional joyful laugh and warm conversation from passersby… The sunshine through gaps in the leaves, warming his fur. He could still hear the meandering brook in the distance, if he swiveled an ear behind him. Every direction had a new sound to key in on. He couldn’t help but think of a word Mocha used at some point- ‘Enrichment.’ Yeah… He could agree with that. This was enrichment for him.

Nick breathed a long, contented sigh, smiling to himself.

He needed to do this more often. Vanille was often right- But she was especially right today. Maybe on his way home, he’d get her a couple things for her stationery collection as a thank-you. He heard a shop was selling sakura-flavored donuts, too… He got back to his feet, checking the map. The path looped around pretty close to where he’d began- The cherry trees were a sort of grand finale to the trip.

Picking his way down the small downward hill towards the exit to the trail, he dusted some of the petals out of his hair into his hood- He could probably turn ‘em out later and press them into a book, letting them dry.

For now, though, he rolled up the map, starting to head back into town, but not tuning out the world as he walked- There was plenty to enjoy in the waking world, after all! He was glad he didn’t settle down for a nap, in the end.