Autumn Crisp (Connor)

[Sunar Chugani]

Vermont in autumn meant turtlenecks and cardigans, or occasionally even sweaters and scarves. It meant a parade of gold and red and yellow and orange as the leaves changed colors, and it meant a carpet of leaves all over every sidewalk that even the most diligent of landscapers couldn't make a dent in.

But of course the landscapers did try, and their efforts lead to one of the most glorious aspects of autumn in Vermont:

Giant leaf piles.

Connor had introduced Sunar to the joys of leaping into freshly raked piles of leaves, back when they had been newly manifested students together. Now it was a grand tradition, running out onto the training field and jumping about with glee in any piles of leaves they found.

So of course they had met out on the fields on this fine October morning, ready to scout out the best piles for jumping in.

"Do you see any of the groundskeepers anywhere?" Sunar whispered to Connor, gaze darting about lest Maebelle or Josie might be somewhere in the vicinity. If there was one thing maintenance staff didn't like, it was students messing up all their hard work. Of course, they just didn't realize how tempting leaf piles were. They were obviously intended to be jumped in by students.

[Connor Anderson]

There was little more Connor loved in Autumn than the leaves turning and falling. He'd been thrilled his first year in Vermont to see that the season was much the same as it was in Lexington. When he and his brother had been little, they had always been in and out of the leaf piles the groundskeepers made, giggling, running, and jumping. Even as they'd been older, their parents had almost always found them in the new leaf piles, pretending for five minutes that they weren't teenagers.

Befriending Sunar in his very first year at Hammel had been a blessing. Having someone who was also new to the whole being a metahuman thing had been so helpful to Connor, and he'd be happy to remain friends. He'd been particularly happy that no matter how old they got, Sunar was still always up for their childish tradition of invading the leaf piles.

When he'd rolled out of bed in the morning, he'd been excited for the meeting. After dressing in a hurry, he'd run down the stairs and headed to the training field. Grinning at seeing his friend, he quickly looked from left to right. "Nope, nowhere. Hopefully on the other side of the school." They'd been caught before, and while it wasn't a terrible offense, starting the day with a scolding was never fun. "On three, attack?"

[Sunar Chugani]

Sunar grinned in reply, crouching down with one foot extended. "On the count of three," He agreed, "One, two....Three!" 

He took off at a run, dashing across the training field towards the nearest leaf pile. When he got within two inches of it he flung himself forward, falling face first into the damp leaves.

[Connor Anderson]

Connor wasn't usually much for breaking even minor rules, but leaves were important. Especially when it was now going on a four year tradition with Sunar. Trouble, schmuble.

Holding back laughter, Connor took off at three and went charging into a nearby pile, launching himself into it and rolling onto his side. It was wet, and probably crawling with ladybugs or something, but he really didn't care. "I'm king of the leaves," he stage whispered to Sunar, allowing a small burst of giggles through. So what if he'd just turned seventeen? If he had his way, every fall would be full of leaf pile jumping.

[Sunar Chugani]

Sunar sat straight up, leaves sticking out of his hair in every direction. He spent time on his hair, and yet jumping in leaves was worth messing it up and wasting all of that precious time. 

"You aren't the king if you don't have a leaf crown," He patted his head and a leaf shook free, drifting lazily downwards into the now scattered pile. 

[Connor Anderson]

"I'll find one!" Connor grinned and rolled so that he was half sitting up. "But first..." With that he pushed himself up and bolted to the next untouched pile. From a foot away he pushed off of the ground and leaped into the pile, sending leaves flying everywhere. "GERONIMO!"

[Sunar Chugani]

Sunar laughed as leaves flew in all directions. He began to flail around wildly, flinging leaves every which way. Then he paused for a moment as a mischievous grin crossed his face. He crouched down low and crept towards his friend, waiting until he was at the edge of what had once been the pile of leaves, and then leaping up with a wild shout as he shoved the remaining leaves at his friend.

[Connor Anderson]

Making so much noise, they were bound to get caught sooner or later, but for now Connor was going to enjoy the playful moment with his friend. Watching Sunar fling leaves around, he started laughing too, not caring about what might happen if and when they were caught. Probably help rake the leaves back up again.

Basking in the damp, earthy smell of the leaves, Connor didn't notice Sunar until it was too late. The yell startled him, but as the wave of leaves came at him he started to laugh again. "Sunar!" Flailing his way out of getting buried alive, he grabbed a handful of leaves and tossed them at his friend.

[Sunar Chugani]

Sunar yelped as Connor returned the favor, brushing leaves out of his hair indignantly. It was only once the last leaf had fallen back to the ground that he realized he had also swept out his leaf crown. He pouted momentarily before shoving another pile of leaves in his friend's direction.

"Hold still! The King of the Leaves shouldn't run away from his subjects!"

[Connor Anderson]

"Subjects shouldn't be throwing leaves at the leaf king!" The protest was entirely ineffective as Connor was laughing the whole time, all the while still trying to inch away from Sunar. Another handful was thrown his friend's way. Really, he didn't care how childish they might look. Taking a break from being a nearly eighteen year old student was important.

Which meant shifting and kicking his foot under and up through the leaves, hoping to send up a cloud of them to surprise Sunar with.

[Sunar Chugani]

The leaf cloud did, indeed, surprise Sunar, and he fell over backwards with a thud and a mild, "Ow."

He pushed himself up with his elbows, shaking leaves out of his face. "The leaf king is mean!" He playfully stuck his tongue out at his friend, "His subjects are going to defect to another kingdom."

[Connor Anderson]

The 'ow' startled Connor enough to flail up into a sitting position, looking down at his friend with a somewhat guilty expression. "Sunar, I'm sorry! You okay/' He really did feel bad for making him fall.

Shifting so that he was on his belly, he smiled and held his hand out to help him sit up again. "Don't defect. I'll make you... ummmm... a leaf duke!"

[Sunar Chugani]

Sunar accepted his friend's hand, using the other boy as a weight to pull himself to his feet. 

"I'm fine!" He hurriedly assured Connor before considering the offer of dukedom. "I don't knoooooow," He mused, scratching at his chin in thought. "That miiiight not be good enough, I think I actually want...." 

He trailed off and squinted up at the clouds for a moment before suddenly pouncing on his friend, "A coup!" 

[Connor Anderson]

Connor would have felt terrible if he'd hurt Sunar, and tried to remind himself to rein in his antics a little for a bit. Still, he was glad he was okay as he helped him up.

He instantly adopted a relieved look when Sunar said he was fine. Once he was on his feet, he wondered if they should quit while they were ahead and go do something else before they got in trouble.

And then he got pounced. Half yelping, half laughing, Connor braced himself as best he could as he fell back into the leaves, and grabbed around for Sunar. "A coup is cheating!" Still laughing, he rolled from side to side, not caring how dumb they might look, or how many leaves he'd be picking out of his hair and clothes. This was fun.

[Sunar Chugani]

"A coup! A coup!" Sunar shouted, attempting to pin his friend to the ground and tickle him, which proved difficult with Connor rolling around in the leaves and trying to grab him. "There will be a new king of the leaaaaaves~" 

Unfortunately for his coup, Connor managed to grab him around the middle instead of him grabbing Connor. He went limp and sighed dramatically, "Do I get a last wish before you execute me for treason?"