Jasmine-Tinted Dreams

A Glimpse

The wind picked up, brushing through my hair and caressing my cheeks, before pulling away and sweeping away from me. The promise of rain lay heavy on the horizon, visible through the dark clouds blowing in. I blink once, then twice. Sighing languidly, I pull myself up, one hand gently patting at the jasmine flowers around me. I turn and face the river, bow lightly, before straightening up.

     Still no sign of her..

I shake my head, exhale, and begin to make my way up the hill. Humming lightly, I reached a worn, old path. Glancing behind me once more, in an eternal hope that may never be realised, I double check the area. It remained empty, as it has for as long as I can remember.

     Well, I amended, as long as this life can remember.

Turning left, I follow the path, ducking beneath a branch and brushing a flowering bush aside. I shiver, and gaze skywards once more. The blue of just a few hours prior has been covered by varying shades of grey. The lightest hues are the warmest, with a glow still visible through them. The darkest are meandering towards me, slowly gathering the brighter ones, bundling them into the storm.

One final moment, then I continue on the path, swiftly passing various plants. They grow larger the farther I travel, until they tower over me, massive camphor trees reaching out to the sky. Hopping over a root, I reach a larger path, one lined with stone. As I step onto it, the trail behind me fades, hidden by time.

A light pitter-patter sounds from behind me, the first light smatterings of rain hitting leaves. A slight frown now adorning my face, I hurry past the trees, beyond the path, and out onto a sidewalk. The rain begins in earnest, soaking me through, layer by layer.

I walk past other pedestrians, each of them hurrying along, and head towards the bell tower. Reaching the town plaza, I continue on past the bell tower, past the library, and down several residential streets. Exiting the town, I hurry onwards through a meadow, then turn onto a driveway. At the end of the driveway, I step onto the doorstep, and lean down to unlock the door.

Warm, dry air drifts out, and I smile as I inhale the scent of lavender, and enter the house.

My vision goes dark. Something fluffy has been thrust into my face, effectively blinding me. I tense up, then loosen up as a familiar voice calls out, nagging at me.

"I told you to bring an umbrella! Honestly, Riko, sometimes I think I speak for the pleasure of hearing my own voice, because you certainly don't listen to me. Do you want to get a cold? You aren't even wearing a jacket." Her voice trails off, and I take the opportunity to free my vision from the towel, laying it against my shoulders after drying off a bit.

"I'll be fine, 'Ria, and of course I listen to you, although I wouldn't blame you for speaking for the pleasure of hearing your own voice - it is beautiful after all." She frowns, unappeased by my lighthearted joke, and opens her mouth. I smile, and, before she can start to lay into me once more, hold up an arm - an arm with an umbrella hanging on it.

Her eyes twitch, but she simply pinches her nose, and exhales forcefully. Placing the umbrella down, I dart by her, and throw out a greeting to the other individual in our house. An indistinct response answers me, and I hop onto the staircase and head up to the loft, my bedroom, and grab an outfit. I then turn and head back down, entering a bathroom on the second floor.

-

Stepping out of the bathroom, a 'mrwp' comes from around my feet, as a small cat rubs against my legs and heads hopefully towards the kitchen. Giving in, I follow the tiny figure down the stairs and towards the feeding area. He sits primly, and stares expectantly up at me. Complying with his demands, I pour a bowl of food, and change the water in the bowl.

"You know, for such a small little kitty, you sure are demanding. Sometimes I feel as though I only see you when you want something from me." I mock-lecture, laughing as he scarfs down the food. "Ah, who am I kidding, I do only see you when you want something from me."

I watch him as he finishes off his food, and dips a paw into the water, then licks it. I smile, and scoop him up. "And now you see why we have to change the water all the time." I boop him on the nose as he stops his half-hearted squirm to glare at me.

"Well, it's true - don't look at me like that, you know that as well as I do." An eye twitch is the warning I receive before the cat jumps off of me, and huffily stalks away.

"I don't understand why you insist on indulging him so." A voice calls out from behind me. Turning, I see Adria and Jun. Adria has a skeptical expression upon her face, and has crossed her arms. Jun is cuddling a protesting Jupiter, the small cat leaning as far away from them as possible. With a final rub, Jun places Jupiter down, and pouts as they watch him disappear around the corner, tails swishing in a disgruntled manner.

"It isn't indulging, 'Ria, it's called taking care of my pet. Do you or don't you feed and exchange the water for Pixel?" She acquiesces, the same huff that had visible in Jupiter now echoes in her, and turns to the side. Jun stops staring at the corner, and turns to me, puppy eyes in full blast. I pause, suddenly recalling where we were, and sigh heavily.

"Judging from those eyes, you didn't find the brownies, did you." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Brownies?" Two voices immediately respond. "Brownies." I nodded. "With matcha?" "Or pecan?"

"Check for yourself." I reach for the oven, opening it up. A small figure darts up, hovering in front of my eyes. I offer my hand to the indistinct figure. They land, clutching onto the tip of my finger for balance, before sitting down. I get the sudden impression of thirst, and a faint voice whispers through my mind. 'Milk?'

"Sure, you can have some milk. Thank you for keeping the brownies warm for them." The fire spirit bobs up and down, bringing the impression of an excitable child. I rifle through the fridge, grab the milk, pause to grab a brownie, and exit the room, leaving my friends behind me.

I head to the patio, unlatch the door, and slide it open. As I close it behind me, the spirit jumps off my hands, and dashes over to an intricate bird house. I place down the brownie, and pour milk into a small dish, before busying myself by checking to make sure the patio windows are closed. Hearing an indignant squeak, I turn back, and smirk. An air spirit is being dragged out of the house - quite literally. They drop a book in favour of grabbing onto the window, only to be betrayed by the window opening outwards. They stop holding on, and are carried over to the milk by the fire spirit. A brief brush against my mind, and I'm left with the sense of vague defeat and reluctant thanks.

I offer a nod to the spirits, check the storm, and step back inside to allow them to eat. A glance out the window, and the brownie has been swarmed with small, blurry figures. I grin, and head to a side door, stopping briefly to grab necessary supplies and a coat.

As I exit the house, the smile falls from my face, and I breathe out quietly. 

     I'd better place food in the enclosures, and set up the temporary shelters outside the boundary. It's going to be a harsh night.