Water Play [2022]

“Whoa! No, no, no, come back!  You shouldn’t be running around by yourself!”

A brown, black, and teal Scarfox chases after a Mini Scarfox with a coat like an African Wild Dog, who evades him with ease.  Giggling, the Mini Scarfox runs into the nearby bushes of the Hidden Garden’s greenery, evading the taller fox by ducking and weaving through smaller spaces that the other can’t easily fit through.  “Can’t catch me,” she sings out playfully, grinning from ear to ear.

“Agh, jeez!  Why are you so fast!?  HOW are you so fast!?”  Andy cries out in exasperation, making a dive for the smaller fox but coming up empty-handed.  The chase continues for a while, the green-armed Scarfox leading the taller one around in circles before exiting the cover of the trees and shrubs and running along the beach.  The taller Scarfox stumbles out onto the sand, still pursuing the rebellious child, but it’s clear from his staggering steps that the summer heat is starting to wear him down.  Lyca stands in the distance, watching the spectacled fox wearily approach before slumping down in the sand and sprawling out.  When he makes no further motion, Lyca skips back and stares down at him, her hands on her knees.

“Aw, tired already?”  She pokes the taller Scarfox’s cheek, pushing his glasses askew in the process.

“It’s too hot for this,” Andy groans.  “Summer and I don’t get along.”

Lyca thinks for a moment and then looks out to the sea.  “How about a swim?”

Andy sits up, ears drooping.  Swimming wasn’t something he was fond of even when he was a human, and now that he was a Scarfox, the idea seemed even less enjoyable.  Flicking an ear, he thinks for a moment.  “How ‘bout we just walk along the water’s edge for now?”

“But I wanna swim,” Lyca protests, frowning and looking at the other fox with a pleading expression.  The two stare each other down and, finally, Lyca gets her wish.

“Alright, but… Hold on, let me prepare something for you, at least,” Andy sighs.  Pushing himself back up into a standing position, he holds his hands apart slightly and opens his eyes, the soft blue light of magic starting to form between his palms.  Lyca watches, fascinated, as a thin, round pool ring starts to take shape.  Once it’s complete, the item is handed to her outstretched hands.

“It’s cold?”  She gazes at it curiously.

“Yeah, it’s made of ice,” Andy tilts his head.

The mini Scarfox looks up at him, a deadpan expression on her face.  “You’re complaining about summer heat when you have ICE magic?  You could make anything to cool yourself off!  You’re a walking ice dispenser!”

“What I am, is lazy,” Andy retorts, a smirk pulling at the corners of his mouth.

Ignoring her company’s shenanigans, Lyca turns to the sparkling water and approaches the waves, setting down the frozen pool ring and climbing atop, letting the waves carry her out from the shore.  Keeping a watchful eye on the mini fox, Andy paces back and forth along the shoreline, letting the water wash over his feet as the calm waves make contact with the wet sand.  Eventually, he gives in to the sparkling water himself, treading into the water and feeling an immense wave of relief at the cool temperature.  Ducking under the surface momentarily, he resurfaces to find Lyca leaning over the side of her pool ring, looking into the water with keen interest.

“Find anything interesting?”  Andy approaches and stands beside her.

“The water is looking at me,” she answers almost immediately, her voice quiet.

Ears pointing forward, Andy tilts his head and follows the mini’s gaze to the sandy floor under the water.  It takes him a minute to see it, but sure enough, there’s a pair of disembodied, amethyst colored eyes gazing back and forth between them.  Tensing up, Andy places his hand on the back of the ice flotation device, ready to pull Lyca back if necessary.  The duo hears a melodic, echoing sound and the eyes vanish as a large shadow moves slowly along the sand before coming into contact with Andy’s leg.  The Scarfox finds himself pulled off balance and dragged below the surface, and it’s only then that he’s able to discern the cloaked shape hovering in front of him.  From above the water, it wasn’t visible due to the waves and ripples of the water, but underwater, the watery elemental cloak was much more visible.  Another melodic sound rings out, and Andy’s set free from the other’s grasp, letting him return to the surface.

Lyca gazes at her companion curiously, but she doesn’t get the chance to ask before a third Scarfox pokes its head above the surface, the elemental cloak dispersing and a majestic finned tail swishing through the water behind it.

“WHOA!  A MERFOX!”  Lyca nearly tips her pool ring over as she cranes forward to get a better look.

At the acknowledgement, the merfox grins, ears wiggling playfully.  Regarding the mini, she opens her mouth and sounds off a series of clicks, following them with a mystical sounding hum.  Swimming around the other two, she takes them in before standing up herself and making her full form more visible, sashes floating on the water’s surface around her.  She smiles, tilting her head, golden fish-shaped wisps jumping out of the water and swimming through the air around her.

Lyca looks at these curiously, reaching out for one and trying to touch it with her index finger.  “Fishy!  They’re so pretty~”  The one closest to her finger shies away from her direct touch, but then swims around her hand playfully before vanishing and reappearing beside the merfox.  “Do you have a name?”

A melodic hum echoes through Andy’s and Lyca’s mind, almost like telepathy.  There are no words that either of them can understand, but it’s clear that the merfox is trying to communicate with them.  Another hum, this time with the pitch rising towards the end, which Andy assumes is a question.

“Um, I’m sorry,” he falters.  “I don’t understand you.  Can you speak?”

The merfox stills for a moment, and then tries again.  This time, her voice is discernible, though it still sounds mystical and surreal inside of Andy’s head.  “I am… Sunny,” she places a hand on her chest.  Gesturing to her company with her other hand, she asks for their names, nodding in understanding once she receives her answer.  With the introductions out of the way, Sunny slips back under the surface of the water, swimming a small distance away before returning.  Poking just her head above the surface once more, she extends a hand to Lyca, offering the mini Scarfox a colorful starfish.  Lyca accepts the starfish into her hands, watching the sea creature move around in her hand and giving in to the urge to lightly poke and pet it.  Once she’s done, she hands it back to Sunny who sets it back into the water to go free.

Deciding that Sunny isn’t a threat, Andy lets his guard down and watches the merfox interact with Lyca, showing her various creatures and shells picked up from the sand below them.  Once she feels she’s earned Lyca’s trust, Sunny plucks the mini fox out of her icy floatation device and sets the mini on her shoulders, swimming around with the little one at a comfortable pace.

“Oh, oh!! I have an idea!” Lyca gasps, leaning in close and whispering something into Sunny’s ear.  The merfox replies with a melodious giggle and nods.  Dipping down under the water’s surface, Sunny swims a distance away before charging forward and leaping out of the water in a graceful arc, diving back under the surface immediately afterwards.  When the duo resurfaces, Lyca is grinning from ear to ear and laughing happily, clearly thrilled with the new Scarfox’s company.  Whispering something else into the merfox’s ear, both of them turn a mischievous look towards Andy, and the brown fox shrinks back.

“Now hold on a minute here, what are you plan-”

His sentence is cut off by a large wave of water crashing over him, the work of Sunny’s finned tail.  Lyca squeals in delight, giggling as she watches Andy regain his footing, dripping wet and ears drooping.

“Ohoh, so that’s how you want to play, is it?  Well then~”  He grins and dips his hand into the water, swinging his arm in a large arc and sending a revenge wave back at Sunny and Lyca.

A splash fight ensues, and soon all three foxes are splashing through the waist-high water in good spirits.  The game goes on for a while, and just as it’s winding down, the three catch the sound of other voices in the distance, but the increasing volume implies that whoever it is, they’re getting closer.  As the trio watches, a large group of Scarfoxes emerges from the edge of the Hidden Garden carrying all manner of coolers, chairs, and other gear.

“Hey, c’mon, I know how to cook!  Saiko, babe, tell them how good my food is!”  Matixx’s ears are pulled back, a pleading expression on his face as he looks at his mate for support.

The grey and white Scarfox chuckles in reply, smiling innocently. “I don’t know, Matixx~  Does microwaveable food count as ‘cooking’ to you~?”

The vaporwave fox’s eyes open wide, jaw gaping at the teasing.  “SO MEAN!”  He feigns crying at his mate’s betrayal.

“Wow, guess we’re having roasted Matixx for dinner tonight,” Mata cackles, laughing so hard that she has to hold onto Haseo and Will’s shoulders to keep herself upright.  Haseo snorts, and Will chuckles apologetically.

Noemi looks at Matixx sympathetically, but says nothing to defend him.

“Ugh! I’m gonna make y’all EAT those words when you get a taste of my delicious cooking!” Matixx grumbles sourly, turning away from the group and noticing the three figures watching from the water.  “Ayy,” he calls out, waving a striped hand cheerfully, “we’re having a party!  Y’all wanna come?  We got more than enough for everyone!”

Lyca and Andy perk up, grinning and waving back.  “Sure!”

Sunny looks confused, but since her new friends seem interested, she follows them to shore, and the trio joins the new group…