That Post-Summertime Sadness

“Hello there - can I help you with anything?”

Lian started out of their reverie and turned to face the bun that had just addressed them. They’d been caught up in gazing at the church’s stained-glass windows, almost going into a trance as they examined the shining colors and patterns. They visited the Church of Sulfur only sporadically, and the stained glass captivated them every time. There was just something about it that seemed to make the rest of the world fall away once they began studying the glass.

The bun that had addressed them was immediately identifiable. Oleander’s easy smile always had an edge to it that made you feel like he knew something that you didn’t - or at least that was how it made Lian feel.

“You’re a little early for the service,” Oleander continued when Lian didn’t immediately come up with an answer. “Looking for a little company before the congregation gets here? I’m always happy to lend an ear, you know.”

Yes, an ear and many other body parts besides. Lian certainly knew that, not that they held it against him. They shifted awkwardly, unsure even of what their own answer was. “I guess so, yeah,” they finally said, with a distinct lack of commitment, then immediately backtracked. “Sorry, I don’t know- I didn’t really come here for anything, it just… kind of felt like a church kind of day, you know?”

Oleander’s smile became even more radiant and beatific, if such a thing was possible. Lian was impressed with his customer service face, even if that wasn’t the sort of compliment most people preferred to receive. “Of course,” he said, as though there had been anything of substance to actually agree to in Lian’s mumbling. “Why don’t we walk and talk?”

It was easier to go along with the suggestion, and as they themselves had admitted, Lian didn’t have any particular goal in their visit. They nodded and fell into step beside Oleander as he meandered out of the building and to the church garden. With summer properly faded into autumn by now, there weren’t too many flowers still blooming, but the garden was still lush and green. The gravel path crunched quietly beneath Lian and Oleander’s hooves as they walked between the stately trees and bushes.

“What’s been on your mind lately?” Oleander prodded after they’d walked in silence for a minute or two. When Lian just shrugged noncommittally in response, he added, “It doesn’t need to be something major, but surely something made it feel like a ‘church kind of day,’ as you put it. Though, if you’ve come to confess your feelings to me, I’m afraid that my schedule is full for the next month.”

That did get a snort of amusement out of Lian. “No, Ole- uh, Father. That’s not what it was.”

“Too bad… though you can always reconsider when I have more free time,” Oleander said playfully. “But go on, I’m listening.”

“I think I was just kind of… bored?” Lian cringed a little at how that sounded. “Not that I only come to church when I’m bored!” Probably not that convincing, since Oleander could simply rely on his own memory of how often Lian came to service. They scrambled to course-correct. “What I mean is, I felt like I should be doing something other than the stuff I already had to do, and this… seemed like it?”

Oleander hummed in thought. “Would I be off the mark in assuming that lately you’ve been feeling a little… unfulfilled, shall we say?”

“No,” Lian sighed. “You wouldn’t. I guess I’m just sad that summer is over.” They probably should have opened with that. It sounded kind of silly, but it wasn’t as bad as coming to church just because they were bored.

Oleander sighed too, more wistfully than they had. “The summer months are a wonderful time to let loose, relax, and indulge one’s self. Every year, we see an uptick in church attendance when summer ends.” He smiled again, briefly. “It can feel so disappointing, can’t it? Demons put us in Burrowgatory to enjoy life, but alas, our leisure time is so short. Then it’s back to the grind, as they say.”

“Yeah!” Lian agreed. Oleander wasn’t really saying anything they hadn’t already been thinking, but hearing their own thoughts and feelings articulated more neatly than they’d been able to do themselves helped. Belatedly, they wondered if Oleander had been going for a double entendre with the use of the word “grind,” but he had already moved on by the time it occurred to them.

“If visiting the Church of Sulfur lifts your spirits, then by all means, you are welcome here at any time, whether service is in session or not,” he said. “But if you want my general advice, then I will always advocate taking whatever time that you can to indulge. Don’t work too hard - and of course, if you need a bit of stress relief, the Church, and myself especially, are always here to assist.”

Okay, that one was definitely a come-on. Oleander wiggled his eyebrows when Lian glanced at him, just in case it hadn’t been abundantly clear. They let out a little giggle and looked away again.

“...I’ll have to take you up on that sometime,” they said, deflecting for the moment but again not making a commitment to turning him down. It wasn’t like they were against it, in general.

“I suppose it is nearly time for the service to start,” Oleander acquiesced gracefully. “If we head back now, you’ll be able to get a good seat.”

Lian had been dithering on whether or not they would actually stay for the full sermon and service, but they didn’t argue with Oleander’s assumption that they would. They followed him back to the church building in comfortable silence once more and took a seat in one of the pews as he disappeared into one of the back rooms to finish preparing while the rest of the attendees began to filter in.

And to be fair, they did get a good seat. It provided a great view of the stained glass windows when Lian inevitably zoned out during the sermon and lost themselves in the shimmering patterns once again.

(Sorry, Oleander - they’d stay tuned in next time, promise! Or maybe they’d just take him up on his hookup invitation. Either or.)