The arrival of May was something that Lenard Bearstone always looked forward to. It meant that summer was coming, and while that didn't necessarily mean an end of the school year around Memorial Day, when most American schools had their school years ended. And while he wasn't a teacher, merely a librarian, the school district could often find work for the full-time members of the staff during the summer. There was work with summer programs that often-helped students that might have failed to make the grade during the school year or provide a service that would almost be a babysitting service. And occasionally, Lenard was assigned to help with this in reading to those that were there. It was something that Lenard didn't mind too much, as the school also made sure to keep him up to date on what was expected for the summer schedule for him, be it helping with these summer programs or professional development and work council meetings for the next school year. It then let him see Mikey and let him enjoy things like little league and other summer activities.
Though after the Year of the Tiger contest, the coming of summer provided something else for Lenard to look forward to. The potential to see Tuxing more, or to at least talk with her more when it was through Zoom or Skype. The school year often kept him busy and the fact that Heiya Island was part of Japan, and he was in eastern Idaho, just on the Idaho side of Yellowstone National Park, that meant he couldn't talk with or interact with Tuxing for too long, unless he was to take time off and providing for excused absences for Mikey. This often-left things to major holidays, like Christmas, and the summer. The more open time in the summer would allow for more conversation and activities that wouldn't have Lenard or Tuxing distracted by other responsivities. That was something that he looked forward to, and it often left him thinking about Tuxing and the last time they'd been together.
"You okay, Lenny?" came one voice to his side and making him jump a bit, making Lenard turn over to see one of his coworkers standing there with a small and knowing smile. As Lenard snapped out of it, shaking his head and then his tail, the coworker then continued, "thinking about Tuxing again?"
"Yes," Lenard managed a small smile, "is it that obvious."
"You have that distant look that my parents say they had when they first fell in love," his coworker laughed. "Anything specific you were thinking over."
"Just the extended vacation I took after Easter," Lenard answered and began to explain things further.
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"A rabbit cut out?" Tuxing looked to the small plastic cutout that Mikey presented with Lenard and Jinxing looking on. Muxing and Liao were also present and looking at things with some degree of curiosity.
"For Easter," Mikey answered, "you could put some soft meat... like ground beef and then use it like a cookie cutter. It'd be like the Easter bunny to eat. Like I get chocolate."
Mikey then nodded his head to a spot on the counter where Lenard had placed his Easter basket. The two of them had come out to Heiya Island to start with the Easter Celebration for the Bearstones and for Nate and would stay for the Heiya Island's version of Songkran starting on April 13, though they would fly out fairly early on Sunday. Largely as Lenard had to take leave from work and fill out excused absences for Mikey from school just to come out for more than just what the Easter Break allowed. Jinxing raised an eyebrow and Liao shrugged. Muxing gave no real response, though a lot of this was probably from the fact that none of them were Christian and only knew the basics about America's holidays while they were in Animalia. Eventually Tuxing gave a smile and rubbed Mikey's head.
"Well, I'm not sure if eating the Easter Bunny is what the holiday is about," Tuxing spoke, "but I suppose it'd make for something cute for dinner..."
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"I would think that it was more because you can't digest chocolate as a Tiger Animalian," his coworker commented.
"In a way, yes," Lenard nodded, "and things went well with regard to Easter... though we were also there for a different holiday that Heiya Island added after Interpol rescued a bunch of people from a slave ring that had been operating across a good portion of the Asian continent... and often bribing government officials to avoid most legal issues... until Interpol caught them. Some of those rescued were from Thailand and wanted to celebrate what they call Songkran."
"It's not Chinese or Japanese?" the coworker wondered.
"No, it's Thai," Lenard answered, "though Heiya Island has added some of its own twists to the celebration that are interesting in and of themselves."
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"So... you're not celebrating this holiday?" Lenard asked to Nate and Shuixing as the group sat for breakfast on the 13th.
"More that we're not getting into the things that Heiya Island added on," Shuixing answered, and then rubbed her swelling womb, "partially as I'd rather not be pelted by water balloons that have ended up being part of it. And for some people... I'm not sure they'd really want to see a pregnant woman running around in a bikini."
"I wouldn't mind," Nate said from his seat and nuzzled his muzzle to Shuixing's cheek.
"I know," Shuixing smiled back to him.
Lenard caught a few shakes of the head from the other elements present, and figured that they probably saw a lot of the happiness that Shuixing and Nate had together. It was something nice, and to a degree, the more time he spent with Tuxing, the more his heart seemed to want something similar with her. She was good with Mikey and was a fairly responsible and intelligent woman. All of that made him happy, and as he looked over to Tuxing, he noted her looking down a bit when she noticed him looking to her. That made him wonder if she felt the same way.
"So, you'll be okay?" Mikey then asked to Shuixing.
"Yes, why do you ask?" Shuixing asked.
Mikey pointed to Nate and Shuixing's large scimitar shaped horns that cured up from the top of their heads and then down to Shuixing's womb, "the baby's horns won't hurt?"
"They won't actually grow until after the calf is born," Nate answered, "and that's something that goes with a lot of bovids. The points where the horns will grow may be there, but they won't be much more than a small nub."
"And Nate's dad and stepmom will come with his baby brother when I'm closer to my due date in the summer," Shuixing assured him, "I'll be fine. You don't have to worry. You have fun with your brother and Tuxing. Maybe win a water balloon fight for us."
Lenard smiled at that Mikey smiled. Some of that question, to Lenard, was likely a reminder of the effect that the death of their parents had on Mikey. It was something that had weighed on Mikey, and to a degree weighed on Lenard. It was why he converted, as with his cabin being not too far from Yellowstone it wasn't impossible for wolves or bears to come out of the park. He figured they wouldn't mess with something big enough to fight with them. It also then brought on knowledge that Mikey also liked Tuxing and that made her seem like a good partner for him.
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"And from there, we did enjoy things as they went on," Lenard commented, "Mikey and I learned a bit more about Songkran and how it's essentially the Thai New Year, but since most of those on Heiya Island haven't followed those celebrations and might even use the calendar we use for the sake of keeping global dates straight, that they added things... including the water balloon fights and for some the wet tee-shirt contest."
"Did Tuxing win?" his coworker gave him a knowing smile.
"She didn't enter," Lenard answered, "and with Mikey present, it was a good thing, too. Though, some of the lessons that Tuxing teaches ended up being more an exercise in dodging water balloons once the school let out..."
"Their school..." his coworker wondered.
"I believe they call it Samurai Prep, though Tuxing tells me that from what her apprentice Liao tells her, they don't actually do things like what you'd see in movies about samurai," Lenard answered.
"So, who won the water balloon fight?" the coworker finished.
"Ultimately... Mikey," Lenard laughed, "Tuxing and I both ended up soaked... and with my fur being a bit longer than hers it would take time to dry off."
His coworker smiled and nodded, and that let Lenard think back on what happened after that.
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"Well... that was certainly something," Lenard managed as he chuffed to Tuxing as they cleaned up some of the burst water balloons from the fight while Mikey waved to some of the other kids, many of who knew a fair amount of English.
"As I told you... Heiya Island's interpretation of Songkran is not a perfect copy of the Thai holiday," Tuxing answered, "parts of it are there, and are handled with great respect... but much the rest is an interpretation added in for other reasons that ultimately involve water and renewal."
"I'm not complaining," Lenard answered, "though I guess most of the classes you teach here don't have you dodging water balloons in a bikini."
"I was hoping you'd like that part," Tuxing provided a brief moment of a playful tone that was more Huoxing's, and her checks flushed under her fur as she said it.
Lenard slowly approached and offered her a warm hug, which she accepted, nuzzling her muzzle into Lenard's chin and feeling her own chest compress against his well-muscled chest. The fur was wet, but then so was hers and the smile was warm. He chuffed to her and she chuffed back, and it was a moment Lenard never wanted to end... even though he knew that it wouldn't be long before they'd have to fly home.