2026 Star Festival Prompt
The Caves (5) : To any explorers visiting the new Reservoir, they may find that just a bit away from the sandy water are a set of caves. Some of these connect back to the lake, but others rapidly plunge into darkness. It wouldn't be hard to get lost in here, but thankfully there are some very odd lights to help guide you out. If you turn off your light down some of these dark paths, you may find yourself surrounded by glowing pastel lights. A closer inspection reveals that you seem to be looking at some sort of glowing caterpillars. An internet search will reveal that Destiny City scientists have been researching the strange, unnamed creatures, but the articles are very limited. If you take them out of the cave they seem to shrivel up almost immediately. They're neat, but clearly meant to be stay in their natural habitat.
Leiko picked up a crimson star charm from a smiling lady as she offered them on his way to the caves a little ways from the reservoir. It was another annual star festival which brought the blond great joy. So many people seemed to enjoy themselves on the special day so long as it didn't rain. No one wanted to be soaked by Orihime and Hikoboshi's tears, after all; at least according to legend. The two star-crossed lovers only got one chance to see each other on the seventh day of the seventh month each year and it was supposed to be a happy occasion provided all went well.
Leiko wondered what it was like to be in love. He hadn't really known much love even from his mother who was the only family he'd ever known. And if he didn't know what familial love was like, he was certain he had no inkling about romantic love. It was often said to strike people out of nowhere and he wondered how true that was. Fortunately, he wasn't too lonely because he was used to mostly being alone and he figured it was hard to want or miss something you had never really known or had a taste of in the first place. However, ever since he had started staying with Noa and her wonderful family, he began to get more and more curious about love. Kit and Ty had had sibling love, sure, but it wasn't often they showed much of it; at least not in front of him. With Noa's family, however, it was obvious and it was everywhere among everyone. As kind as Noa was and as lovely as her family seemed, though, Leiko still didn't exactly feel like a part of it. At least not yet.
He wasn't sure why, either, so he decided to take some time to himself to contemplate it. That was the reason that instead of spending the star festival with Noa and her family, he had decided to give them a break from him and wandered off on his own to explore the caves near the reservoir. He wanted some time to think alone and the caves seemed like the perfect place to sit and ponder things for a while. Though he got a bit lost and found himself in complete darkness for a bit, he continued on, feeling his way and stumbling a little, but not losing heart.
As he pressed on, Leiko considered how welcoming and warm Noa and her family had always been toward him. Perhaps the reason that he had never really felt a part of her family was because he hadn't felt he had done anything to deserve it. He was too afraid to mess up or disappoint them or let them down somehow. He had always been clumsy and bad at almost anything he tried and he hadn't wanted to spread that to whatever he did to try to help the family.
What was being a family, really? Supporting and being there for one another? Leiko desperately wanted to do that, but he just didn't have the confidence. Noa made him want to try, though. Her and her beautiful twins and husband and niece and cat...everyone. They all made him want to be better. And maybe, just maybe that was something like what love was.
Just as he was thinking that, he realized that he could start to see in the dark with the dim light of what turned out to be tiny, bioluminescent caterpillars. With the caterpillars showing him the way, Leiko was easily able to find his path out of the caves, enlightened and feeling more hopeful than ever before. If he tried to be better and the thought of Noa's family motivated him, perhaps he could become more confident in being able to actually help support them in ways that matter. And then, perhaps, one day, he would finally feel like he deserved to belong as a part of their loving home.
Viva Viola
((Note: Quoting Viva Viola due to mention of their character Naoko "Noa" Sugimoto and Noa's family.
The End))
The End))
