Northstar Vale lightning

ever since she had learned about bees, zosime had developed a new favorite word. unfortunate for her mother and father. it was often time yelled in songs, given as a joke itself.

today, it was called out in epoch air for attention.

BUTTS! BUTTS! BUTTS! as she stomped around a few of the last remaining flowers with the sudden cold.

The days were growing colder. Frost, at times, could be seen before the sun touched the valley’s grass and Meadow worked at preparing Epoch for the best and for the worst of the winter months.

Today, her needs were a bit more complicated, but when the sing-song voice of ‘butts’ caused her to blink and stole her attention from task at hand, she noted with bemusement little Zosime hollering what would appear to be a word overheard—likely, much to the detriment of her parents.

Horrifically, though, she watched the fiesty girl practically stomp away some of the last resources autumn had to offer, and she shot forward, eager to distract and redirect. “Zosime!” She called to her, and though she was closer to their mother than anyone else, she was familiar with the children. “I didn’t quite catch what you were saying. Say it again?”

the flowers were abandoned all at once to spin around and bounce. greeting meadow with the energy of a child freshly awoken.

me'ow! she greeted as her tail became a whip behind her. BUTTS! she declared proudly. bees butts OUCH! all of this said with confidence well beyond her age — because mama had taught her, and mama was never wrong!

There it was. That tug on her heart as the girl bellowed to her, romping forward with her tail waving. 

The repeated word absolutely did not disappoint from her tiny little mouth, and Meadow couldn’t hold back the wide grin as her features lit up. Who’s butt got an ouch?!

She took a peek at the waving tail—no bee stings there it seemed. Lowering closer to Zosime’s level, Meadow laid to the grass, nose sweeping down first to give the girl a welcoming kiss to her crown. You come to Meadow when you get an ouch, right?

she was always excited to see miss meadow. she smelled good, she made boo-boos go away when mama or papa could not. they always seemed so excited to see her too. so it should have been no surprise that her whole backside began to wiggle with her wagging tail as she given a kiss.

right! she beamed back as she smushed herself into the healer. beeeeees. she drew out with a goofy grin. mama said that bees gotta ouch in their butts.

Ahh, yes. 
That made sense and she felt her smile widen, if it was possible. As the girl collided closer, the silver Telos swept her in, playfully aiming a small sweep of her tongue to the girls cherub cheek. Mama’s right, she confirmed. 

Then, with a tilt of her muzzle and an arch of her brow, she looked to Zosime. Know what else bees have?

of course mama was right! but zosime did not voice this as she nestled comfortably into the medic's grasp.

nuh-uh! she declared. although her expectant look and bold voice surely conveyed that she needed to know. bees had, so far, proven to be her favorite thing to talk about.

the introduction of the word butts was probably helpful with that.

"They eat the yummy nectar from plants..." She began, her voice dipping in a humdrum way as if this would be the most boring lesson ever, until— “… and then, they go home, and throw it up and it makes honey.”

A sideways glance given, a brow arched—wondering if the thought of a bee puking up it’s food was enough to grab the amusement of the little cub.

she did not understand some of the words. like nectar. what even was that? was it just a fancy word for the flowers?

it hardly mattered when she suddenly burst into laughter. being a child, she was deeply familiar with the concept of throwing up. like when she ate too much or too fast.

HONEY! she barked between giggling. assuming that honey was very much like butts.

The giggle from the little girl was perhaps the best medicine Meadow had ever received. Her heart felt warmer with Zosime tucked neatly between her paws, the two exchanging small talk and laughter.

Honey was now a word, and Meadow felt the curl of amusement at her lip, wondering if this would get the girl off the topic of butts.

Probably not, when it didn’t elicit the same reaction from others as butts did, but… it was a start.

“What should we do?” Because they could lay around and talk about bums and puke, but it was probably far more fun to do something else. “An adventure, maybe?”


Looking over, she swept a couple of pebbles forward. Giving one to the girl. “Or should we play pebble princesses?” She nudged her pebble, pretending to bop the other pebble. "Hey you," she mimicked in her best high-strung princess voice.

quickly her giggles died down to raspy breaths. she probably could have fallen asleep here, tucked upon meadow's paws. talking about butts and honey.

but quickly the idea of doing something was brought forth. gently she pawed at a pebble. what if we adventure with pebs? she offered as she rolled her head, looking at the medic upside down. is cold. they gotta gets a home.

While a snuggly nap with Zosime would have been bliss—the healer was pleased when the girl rallied enough to perk up, an upside down look cast upon her. “Oh, gosh,” she exclaimed, faux seriousness coming upon her. “You’re right! They need a home. Where should we look first?” And with a gentle nudge, Meadow coaxed the girl to her sleepy paws.

“I’ll carry them,” she offered, plucking both pebbles up gingerly and waiting for the girl to direct her on where she would like to go.

for reference <3

mmm, here! she said as if that was truly a place. but she toddled off on sleepy paws, headed straight for the lotus spring. knowing that there would be plenty of trees to safely hide their princess pebbles upon.

the trees are cozy. she decided with a bobbing of her head. she felt cozy sleeping at the base of trees! which meant they must too.

Honeyed gaze swept the area, appreciating the choice of the girl, and yet feeling a tug of worry at the thought she wander to the springs unattended. Always the worrier—the Telos looked to every potential spot the pup could slosh into the water and be pulled under.

As unlikely as it was to happen.

She put the pebbles down, nosing them toward Zosime. “This is a very fitting place for the princess pebbles. Like a magical kingdom. Maybe over here, by this tree?” A little further from the murkier aspects of the springs, Meadow would nose them toward the cozy moss of one of the weeping trees. “What will you name them?”

she nodded her head enthusiastically. more than happy to take any suggestions that miss meadow offered. for they were all good suggestions!

as for names? well, that was a can of worms!

this is butts, she said with full confidence. this is honey. then she looked to meadow with a face plastered by a wide grin. they were great names and she knew it!

Ah, but there was only a moment of focus—careful consideration—and then Zosime practically beamed up at her as she proclaimed them as Butts and Honey.

Honestly, she should have seen that coming.

“Those are… very regal and proper names for princesses,” she agreed, asserting this statement with a nod and a genuine smile. “Shall we tuck them in and say ‘night night?’”