for years, she'd thought trains were her ultimate happy place. the beeps and boops, the whistles and groans, the hustle and bustle of transit rushed through her ears like a symphony, sharpening her focus and dulling her fears until there was nothing but the rails. in the cab, there was a weight to her every moment that kept her anchored in the velvety comfort of routine. blood flowed through her veins like an electrical current, blissfully in tune with the mighty vehicle at her fingertips.

this was a different sort of calm, one that was almost alien. it felt featherlike, elusive, like the breeze dancing across her skin. the symphony around her was new, and more than that, it was human. the notes from nimbus' guitar interwove with the tapping of baylee's toes and jasmine's frustrated sighs.

"don't stress out too much, jas," baylee said, lifting her head from where it lay in mira's lap. "it's just flowers."

jasmine barely looked up. "i'm not stressed, i'm locked in."

"locked in?" mira repeated.

"oh, i know this one!" nimbus exclaimed, his guitar going silent. "it means she's focused, sort of like being in the zone. isn't that right?"

baylee laid back down. "close enough. like, she's trying hard."

"right, there are also connotations of effort. one might 'lock in' during a competitive sports match, or when working on an assignment. but the way jasmine's using it here, she's referring to her engagement in the task."

"but that doesn't mean she's not stressed, does it?" mira asked.

"i'm having fun," jasmine muttered, scowling as she cast aside a broken daisy.

baylee laughed. "okay, jas. if you say so."

acoustic melodies swelled back into the air, and mira's hands once again found their place in baylee's hair. as she wound it between her fingers, letting it loop and weave and twist and fall, her heart constricted with the desire to cling to it. if she could ball up her fists, grab hold of those soft blue locks, refuse to let go...but she'd promised not to pull.

baylee shifted, and something poked mira's thigh. as soon as she grimaced, though, baylee sat up and put a hand on her horns.

"sorry," she said, looking down. "should i take them off?"

mira shook her head. "not unless you want to. if you'd rather keep them on, they stay on. just be careful."

"mir...you sure?"

"of course. i wouldn't say it if i didn't mean it."

"'kay." baylee lowered her head once more, and both she and mira shuffled into a comfortable position. "better?"

"better."

nimbus glanced over at them. "while we're chatting, the seventeenth century's getting a bit old. any requests?"

"ooh, um...can you do the one from stardew?" baylee piped up.

nimbus nodded once, flipped through his binder, and began the new song. a smile spread across baylee's face as he did, and a splash of gratitude soaked its way through mira's chest. baylee deserved more smiles like that, the ones that came as naturally as breathing, that lit up her whole face with a soft glow, that weren't meant for anyone but herself. they were so fleeting, and mira would pay almost anything for the power to make them stay just a moment longer.

she leaned back against the mossy oak and looked up at the sky, squinting into the sun. how long would it linger up there? how much time would it grant them before moving on to the next stop on its journey? how soon would the doors close on this moment of peace? mira closed her eyes. for maybe the first time in her life, she wished she could remain stationary.

"ta-da!" jasmine cheered, snapping mira out of her musings. "i did it!"

"nice work." nimbus leaned over to admire it. "it looks secure."

"yeah, i tied up some of the weaker spots with grass. it kept breaking, but eventually i kinda made it work."

"cool." baylee moved her head gingerly, careful not to poke mira again.

jasmine crawled over and placed the flower crown atop mira's head. "here."

mira blinked. "for—for me?"

"yeah!"

"but you spent so much time and effort on it. don't you want to keep it?"

jasmine wrinkled her nose. "no! giving it to someone's the whole point! it wouldn't be fun to just keep it."

"well...okay." mira glanced up, although she knew she couldn't see it. "thanks."

"you're welcome!" jasmine grinned, bouncing up and down.

"are you gonna make one for me now, jas?" baylee asked.

jasmine frowned. "i—well, i—"

baylee burst into giggles. "i'm kidding, i'm kidding! i know it drove you crazy. and it looks prettier on mira anyways."

"sure it does." mira rolled her eyes.

"yeah, no, i'm not doing another one," jasmine said, making a face. then she glanced over at mira. "it's a labor of love, though. don't worry."

mira simply nodded, but jasmine's words echoed in her mind. a labor of...love? it was just a turn of phrase, of course. she knew that much. but even so, it imbued the gesture with a gravity that settled into the pit of mira's stomach. she knew jasmine admired her, as a natural extension of her love for all things transit, but this felt personal. once again, mira wished she could reach out, hold jasmine to her chest, and refuse to let go.

so many goodies!!! unfortunately the big nimbay print got squished in my bag but QHAHHAHGDHFKSNDBKSKCLWBWGAAAAAAHHHHH LOOK IT'S MY BLORBOS

"wow, baylee," mira deadpanned. "you should go into voice acting."

baylee just laughed. "yeah, duh. have you WATCHED my ace attorney let's play?"

"what, did you voice all the characters yourself?"

"you bet i did!" baylee pointed dramatically at nothing. "objec—aah!"

baylee's impression was cut off by the train beginning to move, and as her hands flailed for something to grab onto, her body tumbled right into mira's lap.

"oh, hey, mir," she said with a grin.

mira nearly choked, doing her best to ignore how close baylee's face was to hers. "g—get off of me!"

"aww." baylee hopped to her feet, but gave mira her best puppy eyes as soon as she'd righted herself. "no cuddles?"

"absolutely not!"

(they are friends)

i'm real sleepy and not articulating stuff well but you understand the vision right? like "hey mir! how're the trains!" "it's mira. and i'm busy."