Autumn Thoughts

It's a nice weekend morning for Dexter, the big fuzzy cat springing up from a rather deep slumber to start freshening himself up, readying for whatever the day had to offer. At first, his movements were rather sluggish, with an occasional yawn escaping his maw and/or an awkward step from a quick stretch as he shook off more and more of his sleep's firm grip. But slowly and surely his movements became brisker, more coordinated as his body was flushed with new energy. Not only from the anticipation of a new day filled with the potential for new discoveries, adventures, or travels; but also from the steady brightening of vibrant sun rays that penetrated the numerous windows, bathing the interior of his cozy home with more and more glorious sunshine.

Dexter continued moving about his house, getting himself ready as per his usual routine; hopping in the shower, making his bed, munching on a quick breakfast bar then brushing his teeth... among other things. But despite going about his usual routine, something felt a little different this morning. He'd usually move from one part of his routine to the next with relative ease, allowing his body to move on autopilot as it was the norm for him after all. But he kept finding himself staring out the nearest window, catching glances of the beautiful morning environment outside that practically sung to him, capturing him, inviting him to step out if even for a little while to experience the waking natural world. The first few times he managed to shrug this off, but once Dexter made his way to the kitchen to make some coffee, shoving his favorite mug into the coffee maker's compartment to await a piping hot brew, Dexter found himself stuck staring out of the kitchen window. Instead of moving off to handle something else as he normally did, he just stood there, almost hypnotized by his yard that had sprung to life with birds flying around chirping happily about. Along with squirrels and other critters that trekked from a nearby forest, that were roving about his and other neighbor's lawns under the steadily rising sun. All cradled in a soft colorful glow from the blanket of various colored fallen leaves that covered just about every inch of the neighborhood.

A loud, sharp beeping shatters the peaceful hypnosis the outside scene had on Dexter, startling him as the machine he stood next to signaled his coffee was ready. A brief wave of confusion overcame him, feeling as if he just turned the machine on a mere two seconds ago. But he let out a slight sigh, reaching over to grab his mug of fresh coffee, dropping in a few cubes of sugar then pouring just a little creamer before bringing the mug to his maw for a quick sip. His ears fluttered slightly and a soft purr vibrated his chest as the hot, sweet liquid slid down his throat, warming his core. "Juuuust right" Dexter whispered to himself with a lick of his lips, before strolling off to settle down and enjoy his coffee with a bit of TV. But just as he was about to take the last steps to leave the kitchen, he paused; standing there for a few seconds before he turned back to look at the window he'd just stared out of moments ago. Despite being further from the window, he could still feel that pull from outside, a slight tug from the light flowing through the window that reflected off his gems of eyes. With a glance back towards the TV he'd originally set out for, he smirked, thinking the choice was rather easy for him. He could watch TV, game, or do some other indoorsy activities anytime; but each morning was special and unique with its own magic, and he certainly didn't want to pass up a chance to enjoy this one in particular. So with that, he places his mug down on a nearby table before sprinting back to his room to retrieve his sapphire arrowhead necklace. Lifting the necklace from its hidden spot, he quickly places it over his head, and with a gentle press of the gem to his chest, he truly felt whole.

After a few short moments, the big fuzzy lion eases open the door to the brand new day with his mug of hot coffee grasped in his paw. But just as he begins to take a single step outside, he pauses, letting his eyes drift shut for a brief second as the outside air rushes past him to fill his home, causing his lush mane to flow like soft waves in the sudden gust. Taking another step, he shivers slightly as his fur adjusts to his surroundings, fully immersed in the crisp autumn morning air dominating the environment. Even though he'd only just left the comfy boundaries of his home, it felt like he'd stepped through a portal to a totally different world; filled with life and carrying a certain feeling of freedom that no indoor realm could match. Taking a few more careful steps, he glances slightly to his right, noticing a blue jay perched on a branch that was looking right back at him with its head tilted. Dexter smiled, giving a soft wave to the bird who in turn tilted its head in the other direction in confusion. This made Dexter's smile grow a bit more out of amusement for a moment, but he soon figured it would probably be best not to wander too far out in the yard, potentially disturbing the numerous animals going about their morning routine. So he resolved to just sit back and observe, taking a rather deep breath that filled his lungs with the soothing refreshing morning air before carefully sitting on the steps of his porch, covered in numerous fallen leaves sprinkled across.

For a while, Dexter sat comfortably on his porch, occasionally taking sips of his now warm coffee as he quietly observed several critters and avians going about their business. The liveliness they provide managing to blend quite nicely with the peaceful crisp autumn atmosphere that made this morning feel truly magical. He was even lucky enough to catch sight of a few colorful whirlwinds of leaves dancing across the street, along with a few dashing through his yard as a sudden gust of wind blew through the area and whipped up loose leaves from the ground. Dexter smiled at this as it spurred memories from his childhood when he used to chase them so many years ago; filled with joy and laughter alongside long past friends. Not quite understanding the whirlwind's origins at the time, but captivated and mesmerized by them all the same. Overcome with nostalgia, he momentarily felt the temptation to hop up and try catching up to one of them, just like he'd done as a youngster. But he instead remained planted firmly to the steps, taking steady breaths as he gazed down at his own reflection in the remaining coffee, the smile on his muzzle fading some as a few thoughts crossed his mind. Dexter let out a relaxed sigh, looking back out to the environment once again, his ears twitching to the sound of leaves crunching from his tail swaying beside him. His eyes drifting rather peacefully from one spot to the next, taking it all in and embracing the serenity of this magical morning's treasures.

Dexter wasn't exactly sure when it happened, transitioning from enjoying the wondrous scene before him to diving into a deep daydream. But for a long while he sat almost as still as a statue, overcome with a sense of warmth and ease; no longer warmed by his morning coffee, but rather the warm shower of the late morning sunshine that caressed his fur and made his golden mane glisten softly. It was as if he was under a peaceful spell, every muscle relaxed from that soothing warmth while his mind drifted, reminiscing over happy memories that Dexter held dear to his heart. Memories that truly gave his metaphorical wings the lift they needed to truly soar to new heights. At one point without even realizing it, Dexter reached up to grasp at his necklace, before placing his paws back to the mug in his lap.

A near solid hour had passed with Dexter sitting relatively still, not at all aware of the passing time, rather just enjoying a nice swim through a warm sea of memories. But suddenly, his ears twitched and fluttered as he was ejected from his daydream to a rapid flapping sound very close. His eyes darted back and forth rather frantically as he took note of his surroundings, being brought back to reality so abruptly and trying to determine the source of this noise. But a few seconds later he felt a soft thud right on top of his head as something landed on him. Dexter couldn't help being a little startled by all of this, his heart racing from the disturbance so sudden and unexpected. He was just about to rub a paw through his mane to figure out what this was, when his ears were graced by a few chirps and a slight rustling in his mane atop his head. Dexter's heart rate instantly settled, relaxing his paw as he realized it was a bird that landed in his mane. The avian taking a few steps to adjust itself before settling in his extra soft golden mane. Dexter giggled gently to himself, his relief now replaced by a slight joy having a little friendly visitor making use of his mane as a resting spot. "And a good roarning to you little buddy" Dexter whispered ever so softly to the bird whose type he couldn't really tell; but it didn't matter to him, the avian was welcomed all the same. He was just happy to provide comfort to another. And although Dexter did feel slightly disappointed in himself, not having a small treat like seeds to offer the bird, he simply made a mental note to have handy next time he decided to sit outside for a while. After all, he was finding it more and more common that birds would stop by to rest in his cozy mane, something amusing to Dexter that he didn't mind. But for now, Dexter smiles contently as he continued relaxing. Embracing the near mid-day autumn atmosphere with all of its little treasures, right along with his friendly visitor resting atop his head...

---

Been a good while since I've done any writing. And while this wasn't intended to be anything close to as long as it got, nor some like totally official short story, I'm happy I did take a break for a day to just sit down and let the creative part of my mind flow. Mainly wanted to do a short write to give this lovely piece a little more depth, but a small paragraph just grew and grew and grew. And it already being autumn it just worked out even better. Hope you enjoyed if you made it this far, probably a number of mistakes since I didn't have nearly as much time to edit or really refine it, but hope it was still a nice read for you <3


This lovely Autumn themed illustration done by  Aurru! Who was kind enough to add the bird resting atop Dexter’s head. Wasn’t originally a part of the YCH but I figured I’d ask, thinking it would be a lovely addition and it really was so many thanks for her in that regard as well! Original artist post here: [Welcoming Autumn]

Daydreaming fuzzhead belongs to me  DexterLion Accompanying writing too! also at [@DexChillViber]