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It was a bit cold outside, at the beginning of this winter afternoon. So far, the season had gone pretty uneventfully, with a little snow here and there but mostly cold wind and a depressing grey sky. But fortunately, the sky seemed to be clearer today, and it seemed like a perfect day for a little walk in the park to Wurm. Before going out, the man had put on a thicker pink coat than usual, and decided to take Narancia with him. The little girl had spent a bit too much time inside, and going for a walk wouldn't hurt her in the slightest.
Narancia had put on an orange longcoat, mittens and earmuffs to protect herself from the cold. She wasn't really one for lower temperatures, probably because of her being part-plant. She felt way better in hotter climates. And it was way comfier inside.
At least, the park looked pretty. Covered in a thin layer of snow from the previous night, it looked completely different from what it was in the summer. There were less people, making the place quieter. The stream going through the park had frozen, and even the sound of water running was silenced by the season. It was pretty relaxing, thought Wurm as he traversed the small stone bridge passing over the stream with Narancia.
« -Be careful not to fall ! » he said to her. The little girl had climbed the thick bridge railing, and decided to walk to the other side on it. It was large enough for her to pass easily, and it was way funnier to her. « I don't think the ice would be thick enough to stop you, if you fell into the stream. »
Narancia looked at Wurm with one of her smiles she knew her brother couldn't resist. « -Don't worry, I'm careful ! It's not the first time I've done that ! »
« -Perhaps, but it's winter and it might be slippery. » Wurm smiled back at his little sister, raising his hand to her. Her brother always wanted to do his best to help other, and it was his way to let her stay on the railing while helping her keep her balance.
« -Yeah, yeah. » Narancia dismissed him, grabbing his hand. If it was so slippery, she would have seen it already and avoided the spots.
As they got to the end of the railing, Narancia jumped off the stone bridge into Wurm's arms. The man twirled, before putting her back down. « -So... Are you enjoying our walk, Nara ? » he asked cheerfully. So far, Wurm had enjoyed the walk with his sister. Sure, it was a bit cold, but the relative quiet and the sight of the snow were pretty pleasant.
« -It's a bit too cold for me... » she admitted. « You know I don't really like winter. Why didn't you go out with Lilith ? »
« -Because I wanted to go to the park with you ! » Wurm said, releasing his sister's hand. He playfully petted her head before Narancia shooed his hand away with an indignated groan. He was gonna mess her hair up ! The reaction got a chuckle out of Wurm. Nara was always so adorable.
The orange-haired little girl pouted, clearly not very happy about Wurm's gesture. The man, even more amused from her expression, petted her again. Fed up, Narancia decided to run ahead, and keep herself away from her big brother for a moment.
Wurm didn't say much, simply observing her run in the snow. He knew she'd be back soon enough, anyway. It was always funny to bother Narancia just a little bit, if only for that cute little pout she did.
Narancia ran for a little bit. Why did Wurm have to be so annoying ? First, he took her out in the cold, then he was gonna mess up her hair. It was annoying enough to do her bun during winter, she wasn't gonna do it again because her brother decided to bother her !
Needing something to take her attention off of Wurm, the little girl looked around in the park. From there, she could see the playground. Hopefully, she could find something to play with there... But it seemed the jungle gym was a bit too crowded. The merry-go-round ? Not with this cold. The swings ? No fun all on her own. The monkey bars ? Too difficult. Ugh ! Why did it have to be so hard to find something to do ?!
Frustrated, Narancia decided to head to a tree, and sit against it for a while. Finding one that didn't have too much snow on its branches, the orange-haired girl removed some of the snow on the ground next to it and sat down.
Narancia sighed, and observed the park for a bit. Wurm didn't seem to be in sight... Good. Sure, he was nice and all, but he could get so annoying... For now, the little girl simply pouted while looking the other park goers. Nothing exciting, but it was better than just doing nothing.
A few moments passed, and Narancia's anger calmed down. Wurm was still nowhere to be seen, even though the park wasn't that big to begin with... Did something happen to him ? Getting a bit worried, the little girl got up to try and get a better view of the area. She started walking through the park, looking for her big brother to no avail. Wurm wouldn't just leave her alone at the park like that, right ? Narancia stopped in the middle of the path, getting even more worried. Where could he be... ?
Suddenly, the little girl felt something brush against her leg. Surprised, she looked down to see what was happening and saw a small, grey kitten. The small creature was snuggling against Narancia's wooly tights, meowing meekly. It must have been cold...
« -Huh... Hey, you. » said Narancia before crouching to the level of the kitten. « Are you lost too ? » She held her hand up to the animal, and started petting him. The cat seemed to accept the gesture, as he started to purr in satisfaction.
Narancia noticed he didn't seem to have a collar... Was that kitten just abandoned ? Who would do such a thing ? Leaving such a small kitten during winter... It was horrible. Narancia couldn't let this poor creature freeze to death out there, she had to do something.
The little girl picked him up and held the kitten against her, trying to warm him up. « -You can't just stay here in the cold like this ! You're coming home with me ! » she said. In response, the cat simply rolled himself up against his saviour. But Narancia couldn't focus on that, panic starting to take hold of her.
She had to find Wurm. And quick. If she didn't find him in time, this kitten could die of cold ! Doubling her efforts, Narancia started running around in the park, determined to find her big brother. He would know what to do to save him ! He had to still be around, right ?!
After a few minutes, Narancia managed to spot him. Wurm was close to the playground, talking to who was probably the mother of one of the kids playing there. Even if she was a bit tired from all this running, the little girl took a final sprint to her brother, holding the kitten tight. When she arrived, Wurm and the woman waved at each other, before the latter went away.
« -Wurm ! Wuuuuuuurm ! » called Narancia, drawing his attention. Seeing his sister running to him with such a panicked face, Wurm crouched down to her level. What had she done ?
Stopping, Narancia needed to catch her breath. She was too tired to say anything. « -... Yes, Nara ? What's happening ? » asked Wurm, seeing the child struggling. He then noticed the kitten in her arms. « Well... What do you have here ? »
« -It's a kitten... » replied the little girl. « I found him in the snow, and he's very cold... Is he okay ? Can you do something ? » Narancia started panicking again.
« -Calm down, calm down... » said Wurm, looking at the cat. It didn't take a veterinarian to tell the kitten was doing good, especially now that he was snuggling against Narancia. « I think he's fine. Perhaps a bit cold, sure, but he seems to be feeling better. » Wurm gave the cat a quick pet, getting a purr out of it. « Especially with you hugging him like that ! »
Narancia's face changed from panic to surprise. So... The kitten was actually fine ? Embarrassed, the little girl looked away. Her cheeks turned slightly red. « -I... Huh... I knew it. » she said, getting a chuckle out of Wurm.
The kitten lifted his head to Narancia. The small creature meowed at her, a nice little meow to say thank you and draw her attention... She had to admit, this kitten was cute. And she didn't really want to just leave him there... Lilith wouldn't be happy, though. But to hell with her. Her sister was never happy, anyway.
Looking back at Wurm, Narancia made the best puppy eyes she could. The ones she knew he couldn't resist, before asking him « -Could we keep him...? Pretty please ? With sugar on top ? »
It was so difficult to resist it... Wurm hesitated for a second, but... How could he say no to such a pretty little face ? « -... We can. » he replied, making Narancia jump in excitement with a small victory cry. « But you'll be the one taking care of him ! Alright ? »
The little girl nodded. She could keep the kitten ! « -Thank you, Wurm ! Thank you thank you thank you ! I love you ! » she said, warming her brother's heart before taking his hand. It was time to go home.
Looking at the kitten with a huge smile, Narancia thought she'd need to find a name for him... Perhaps Lilith could help her doing just that, once they got back.