”Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it is a memory.” ~Dr. Seuss
Hex Code ~ #FF0000
“Don’t forget to eat your breakfast!”
The loud voice belonged to a surprisingly small, gentle looking woman. Large golden eyes peered from behind thick brown waves of soft, flowing hair, and said eyes were currently trained upon a girl who, despite their physical differences, was clearly her daughter. The girl in question was indeed a woman, but due to her youthful looks appeared younger, and the bright pink of her hair and eyes did little to stem the physical judgement that she received from outside sources. Those piercing pink eyes rolled, as though annoyed, but there was a smile on the girl’s face as she glanced over her shoulder at her mother, tying her shoes as she responded.
”Yes, mama, I know. I’m going to grab something on the way to the park, don’t worry,” she assured her, and at her words and smile the woman relaxed a bit, holding out a large bag that was nearly bulging at the zippers towards her. Willow straightened and took it gratefully, slinging the shoulder strap over her head for easier convenience and adjusting the backpack that she wore to center the weight of both bags. Going on her toes to reach her mother as she stood a step lower than her in the entryway, she pecked an affectionate kiss on the elder woman’s cheek before she made her way towards the doors. ”Don’t forget to feed Maco for me,” she reminded her, and her mother nodded with a sweet smile. “Of course, how could I forget that cute little fluffball?” she asked, and as if on cue, the small rabbit in question hopped towards the duo, his little nose twitching in excitement as he did a small twist in the air as he jumped. Her mother bent and scooped the little furball in her arms, allowing him to hop onto her shoulder and settle in happily with a small scratch on the head from Odette. Willow smiled gratefully and with one more farewell, she was out the door of their house and crossing the entrance to the land that was the Vesta Family Dojo.
It didn’t take her long to walk to the nearby coffee shop, as it was only two blocks from the Dojo, and once there, Willow gleefully ordered two breakfast sandwiches, hashbrowns, a side of bacon, and a muffin alongside her delicious, Trenta sized Iced Caramel Coffee - with extra whipped cream, of course. Once it was done, she took it happily and made her way to a nearby table, ignoring the stares of onlookers at the small, brightly-yet-oddly-colored girl and her bag bulging with food. She settled in and ate her food with a smile on her face - food was always her happy place - and as she ate, Willow stared outside at the gleaming sunlight, an odd feeling of comfort and familiarity settling over her at the sight.
It didn’t take her long to finish eating, and after she tossed the balled up paper bag that once held her food into a nearby recycling bin, she was off, the remaining portion of her Iced Coffee clutched in her hand.
The walk to the park wasn’t far, as their Dojo was quite close to it as well as the university, much to Willow’s happiness, and when she arrived she made her way straight for the outdoor fighting ring that had been constructed by the university’s Martial Arts team the night before. Luckily for her, she had come dressed to begin so she wouldn’t need to change, as she was already clad in her black gi, adorned with a black, red, and white belt that bespoke her fifth level black belt status. As she approached the sparring matts, Willow dropped her bag beside one of the front chairs that had been set up for the onlookers to rest in, popped in her headphones, and immediately began stretching, ignoring the other members of the various martial arts teams that were beginning to gather. Before any match, serious or not, she needed a certain amount of time to prepare, and in doing so she needed absolute solidarity in order to get to the mental faculties that were needed to win.
The spars went off without a hitch, having drawn in surprisingly large crowds of people that both wanted to see the fights as well as those who wished to support the Martial Arts teams, both financially and emotionally. Willow easily won her fights - her partners each had a look of defeat before they even stepped onto the mat - and when she received her first-place medal alongside a gift card to any of the local eateries, she let out a sound of excitement, always easily won over by food.
Of course, after such a day, a shower was much needed, and she gratefully took one in the nearby rec center, which had happily obliged with allowing all of the volunteers and competitors access to its bathroom facilities, and once she was freshly bathed and no longer a sweaty-mess, she donned a simple outfit that sported her love for her favorite band, and with a tug of her beanie onto her head, she was off, her MMA bags safely secured in the office of the rec center.
As Willow explored the festival, she marveled over the beautifully crafted objects at the different stalls. She had yet to bump into any of her friends, but those who she recognized bid her hello and she did in return with a sweet smile, perusing the wares despite her inability to afford any of them.
So lost in thought was she that she didn’t even notice the gathering group of women, and as she turned, she slammed directly into a small green individual, one that she immediately recognized as a classmate of hers. Willow’s cheeks turned pink in embarrassment as she quickly caught the other girl’s upper arms in an effort to keep her from falling - she did bump into her pretty hard - and a stricken expression crossed her face.
”Oh Gods, I’m so sorry, Cassie! It was an accident, I promise! Are you okay?” she breathlessly shot out, her words being spoken at nearly a mile a minute.