[Comm] Humming Buns

Under the soft light reflected from the burrow’s cavernous ceilings, a twinkly voice hummed as they sat on a patch of grass. Their halo almost glowing from the fragments of false sunlight as one of their hands gently stroked a nearby flower’s petals.

Not far away, a succubun peeked at the heavenly bun from behind a tree. Marina didn’t mean to stare at the cherubun humming to themselves, but she didn’t want to break this moment by introducing herself. Cherubuns were already a prickly sort and she didn’t want to scare them away, especially not when their gentle voice floated around her ears.

Instead Marina watched, her tail wagging as she mumbled notes under her breath.

It was only when she set one hoof further back and broke a twig beneath, that the humming stopped. Marina frowned and stepped out from the tree, she needed to reveal herself or she might frighten them. 

Her hands clasped together as she tried to explain herself, “Oh no I’m sorry, you don’t have to stop. I just… you have such a lovely voice and I just wanted to listen for a little while.”

The cherubun was quiet for a moment, before they smiled brightly, without a single trace of fear, “Don’t worry, if I didn’t want anyone to hear me; I wouldn’t be in a park.” This cherubun seemed different to the others, the one Marina had seen when they first arrived to the burrows, less unnerved by succubun kind.

Marina seemed to settle down, “Then could I stay here and listen?” She tried her best to not sound pressuring, but she wanted to hear that voice again and enjoy it through a quiet afternoon. Although it was silly, she could have swore something about this bun was familiar. A remnant of a lost memory that was too far away to look at.

The cherubun took another moment to think, before they shifted on the grass enough to pat the space next to them. “Would you care to sit beside me…?” They trailed off, hoping to catch her name.

Marina had already seated herself by the time the cherubun asked their question, barely understanding what they meant, “Marina. My name is Marina.”

“Dove.” The cherubun replied easily, almost startling when the succubun gasped.

“You’re Jackal’s Dove! That’s what I know you from,” Marina laughed, she couldn’t believe she had already forgot what the cherubun looked like. There had been a bunch of social media posts about them months ago.

Dove grew a bit flustered, playing with one of their ears as they shyly laughed, “I don’t know if I would call myself Jackal’s Dove, she’s just a succubun that has done a great deal for me.”

Marina didn’t seem entirely convinced. “You live together right?”

Dove looked away, “Well… yes.”

Marina decided maybe this wasn’t a topic she wanted to push, but it was sweet to see a cherubun this flustered over a succubun. They really weren’t all that different at the end of the day. “Do you like singing, Dove?”

Dove sat up straighter, their eyes twinkling, “I love singing, it’s always been one of my favorite hobbies. Especially when I used to live in the meadows, although succubuns have a lot more freedom to sing whatever songs they want.”

Marina laughed, before her voice dipped shyly, “I imagine we do… would you… would you like to sing me a song Dove, it can be any you want?” Anything to hear such a voice again.

Dove gave her a mysterious smile, before they nodded in agreement, “I think I can do that, but wouldn’t it be fun to sing together.”

Marina looked shocked, before she shrugged in a quick nervous gesture, “I don’t know, what if I’m not very good?”

“That’s ridiculous, if you enjoy singing, then it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. You shouldn’t be having fun, not worrying if it’s good enough.” There was a slight dim in their eyes, as of remembering something long forgotten, before they clasped her hand in theirs. “Won’t you try a little?”

Marina couldn’t refuse such a plea, she even smiled as she squeezed their hands back. “Okay! Let’s do it! This is the perfect day for a song.”

Dove nodded, letting them sit in silence for a few seconds before they began to sing a soft melody. 

It took Marina a few seconds of listening before she understood the lyrics of the chorus. It was then that she began to sing along.

The pair stayed there, sitting in the grass with their hands held and singing songs together. Once one song ended, they began another and when that ended, yet another.

Marina didn’t know if she was any good, but just for today, she couldn’t imagine their songs being anything other than perfect. They both kept smiling and laughing, making up words when they forgot some of the lyrics.

It was only when the sky turned a shade darker that Dove looked up, “Oh? Have we been singing that long?” They grimaced, “Jackal isn’t going to be happy.”

“May not.”

The pair were quiet, until they burst out laughing. They laughed for a few minutes until they struggled to stop.

Marina was trying her best to smother her giggles, “I’m sorry you just seemed so serious.”

Dove hid their laugh behind their hand. “I think I need to get home now.”  They seemed to be considering something before they mumbled, “Would you like to come over for tea?”

Marina looked surprised, before she smiled, “Of course I would!”

The pair shakily stood up, laughing among themselves, as Dove began to led her away from the park. Jackal might not be happy with the late time, but it seemed Marina had made a new friend.

Someone that thought it was better to be yourself than to worry about the opinions of others. A friend that could also sing their heart out for hours with a near stranger. What a wonderfully special cherubun that Dove was.