A Mild Morning

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP — click!

Despite any opposing factors, this bun has always been the type to dutifully obey his alarms. They’re… alarms for a purpose, right? They alarm, and when they alarm… someone should wake up to take notice, right??? Aloysius yawned as he stretched his arms above his head, using one squinted eye to keep watch on his bimble and impup. Charles and Bocca were as energetic as they always were in the mornings… which is to say, Charles was only just buzzing awake and butting its head against a well-kept potted hazebloom and Bocca was already up, dashing circles around Aloy’s other potted plants.

Aloysius liked to take his mornings slow and easy like that… well, as slow and easy as a bun like him could. More often than not breakfast was supplemented with the whirring of his protein smoothie machine, the checking of multiple different aspects of the Brewery’s operations via email, and the various sounds that Charles and Bocca decided to make that day as they buzzed about. Actually… Aloy’s mornings were quite formulaic; eat breakfast, check Brewery things, take the imps out for a bit, then go to work… but then an odd little opportunity landed itself in Aloy’s inbox… and in his house.

As he watched a stray red leaf tumble through an open window—and as Charles and Bocca chased it around the room in a desperate attempt to crunch it—Aloy received both a message from Hops and a notice from his site manager. Looks like the both of them had their jobs handled today, and said that Aloy could take the day for himself… fair enough. He wasn’t about to say no to a gift like this… and as he looked down at his imps chasing around that leaf he had a great idea.

He usually just took his bimble and impup outside for a brief moment to relish the weather… but since Aloy had time today, why didn’t the three of them go for a jog through the leaves? He had this feeling in the back of his mind that this would be the last free day he’d have in a while that had weather suitable for a run, so Aloy laced up his running shoes and waved his imps over to the door. It didn’t quite come as a surprise to have a wave of leaves whip into his face once he stepped outside, but he did have a small chuckle at how frazzled Charles and Bocca became. It was easy enough to get the two of them back to attention though… and soon enough, they were off.

Aloy’s typical running path took him through a park that extended a little ways outside city limits; it was a great place for buns to get out and enjoy what the wilderness had to offer without straying too far away from Burrowgatory proper. Plus… there was a plethora of shady, paved paths that didn’t delve too deep into a thick treeline so they were perfect to walk on. Well… that would be the case if the wind hadn’t carried several large piles of leaves directly into the paths of walkers, runners, and bikers alike. Aloy, Charles, and Bocca passed many grumpy-looking buns armed with leaf blowers as they desperately tried to get those leaf piles in order… but they couldn’t cover every path, and it was only a matter of time until Aloy came across his first gargantuan roadblock.

Charles buzzed with intrigue, and Bocca looked up inquisitively at Aloysius… What were they to do? Alas, despite all other details… Aloy only had one tried and true method for dealing with leaf piles that he didn’t have to deal with: barrel right through them as fast as he could. Charles quickly picked Bocca up and tottered out of the way just in time for a wave of crunchy leaves to pass them by… and the two imps did their best to keep pace as their caretaker continued to bulldoze through piles of leaves with reckless abandon. If you asked he’d call it “simply going for a run” but it sure did look like Aloy was having a LOT of fun going through the leaves…

At the end of his run, Aloy placed his hands on his hips triumphantly. According to his health app he’d covered quite a lot of distance, and he’d absolutely obliterated a hefty number of piles too. He looked behind to see how his imps were doing… and gasped in surprise. Charles and Bocca were absolutely POOPED. They weren’t used to long runs like these, and were—admittedly—very brave and very dedicated for trying to keep up for as long as they did. Eventually they did stop to rest… and they just now managed to catch back up to their reckless bun.

With a whisper of an apology, Aloysius scooped up his bimble and impup into his arms. Today was a rest day anyways, so Aloy was determined to give the two of them plenty of time to recuperate from their windy, leafy outing together. Yes, on the way home he’d make sure to pick up extra treats at the store… and maybe a couple crinkly toys to remind them of the leaves that entertained them so much.

… oh yeah, and he had to bolt before he got in trouble for scattering all those leaf piles. Better safe than sorry, right?