Autumn Leaves

Autumn was a beautiful time of year. There weren't many things towards with Milky Way expressed such strong emotions. Among them was, of course, fashion and anything space related, but not many knew of this particular fondnesss. There was just something to appreciate in observing the gradual change of colors. Seeing how the foliage shifted from green to yellow to orange to brown. Enjoying the way the leaves scattered on the winds and covered the ground like drops of sunlight. Feeling the temperature shift some degrees lower and having to hold her cape in both hands to make certain it wouldn't be caught by the sudden gust. Truly, there was nothing quite like it. And yet, it felt somewhat short-lived while lasting no shorter than other seasons. If only it could be this way for much longer. That would be nice, she thought. It didn't have to last all year, no that would be much too long and she feared growing bored of it that way. Another month at least would suffice. It always felt like she had just settled into the season by the time it said goodbye.

While immersed in these thoughts and longing, the sound of crunching leaves beneath her foot finally managed to break through. With a start, she looked down to see the array of colors around her. A glance behind showed that she had been walking this way for quite some time. Oh dear, she must have been lost in her own little world since she left that cafe around the corner. Or was it the other corner...?

Thankfully, she was near a park bench now. This meant she could take a seat and enjoy the sights a while longer. She was supposed to meet up with some friends later, but that was still... actually she didn't know how much time there was left. Oh well, they'll call her if she's late.

Taking a seat, she leaned back and angled her head up high to gaze into the tops of the trees. Despite the leaves literring the ground all around, they still haven't lost everything just yet. In fact, they seemed to still be plenty full of them! That was good. It meant there was still some time before winter.  She needed to be sure to grab a picture here later. She sighed and sat upright but shifted just a moment later to look at the leaves on the ground. After contemplating for a few minutes, she leaned over and picked out a few carefully selected ones of each color. They were perfect. As closely symmetrical as possible and vibrant in color. She ran her fingers carefully over their surface. What a shame that she hadn't brought anything like a book or journal along. They wouldn't be able to safely come along for her journey back home. But she wanted to keep them.

A small frown marred her face as she tried to think of a solution. Honestly, she didn't even know what she'd do with them. Press them into a book later? Make some kind of creation from them? What could that even be? Well, there was time to figure that out. Maybe.

Sighing again and opting to set the leaves aside for the moment, she leaned back on the bench and closed her eyes. The sounds all around were just... lovely. Birds chirping, squirrels running through the trees, the wind carrying faint music from somewhere down the road.  There weren't many vehicles either, so the peaceful sounds of nature were only occasionally disturbed. Maybe, just maybe, a little nap out here wouldn't hurt.