Smoke Break 1

A wisp of light gray smoke coiled through the air behind the bright red Delibird Deliveries office. It twisted and spiraled in the faint breeze against a backdrop of the sunset over the sea, fighting for a place between the dark blue and warm red that dominated the skies and sea, and the lush greens and browns that made up the view of Capim Town.

A wave shook the trail of smoke, pausing it's dance momentarily before the wind pulled it along again with its silent melody. Well, silent to most, but certainly not to the origin point of the smoke. Debby took a drag of the cigarette in her beak and blew it out with a sigh as she leaned against the wall of her establishment.

The wind felt nice today, she thought, the cadence was just a few octaves low for perfect flight weather. Her gaze focused on the cloud of smoke ascending and evaporating on the zephyr, and she decided that turbulence would be minimal today as well. If only she wasn't stuck with sorting that intercontinental shipment, she'd be up there right now. Debby sighed a cloud of smoke again.

"Oh!" A surprised yelp caused Debby to turn her head. Usually she'd already have a smile on her face, but she couldn't muster the strength right now, it was her smoke break after all. "I didn't know you smoked..." Kaz the Linoone and Debby the Delibird stared at each other, both at a bit of a loss.

Debby managed to find her voice first and took the cigarette out of her beak to look at it. "I don't really make a habit out of it, hon. Just need to catch a break sometimes, hon." She flicked off the ashes and took another drag, looking into the distant horizon to avoid eye contact. She wasn't exactly ashamed of smoking, but it was a little awkward when someone found out. Too late now, she supposed.

Kaz took it as a sign she wasn't about to drive him off and took a seat beside Debby, looking to the sunset as well. He came to ask her to come back in, Delilah was struggling to keep up with the work by herself, but this seemed more important to him. Before the silence got top long and awkward, he spoke up. "Everything alright, Deb? You look like a doomer the way you sit there."

"Ain't no doom or gloom about me, hon. Just need a lil' moment to charge up the batteries, is all." Debby took one last lungful of smoke and blew it billowing straight up in the air before stomping on the butt to kill off any embers. "'Sides, I'm feelin' better now that y'all are here."

Kaz hadn't seen any sign of a filter, but even then surely they didn't reach halfway up the tube. Looks like she tossed it early for his sake. Her muttered addition sent blood rushing into his face, and he thanked his fur for the camouflage. "What are friends for? I don't mind the smoke, by the way."

"Hoot! I don't want my employees reekin' of herbs when makin' deliveries." Debby reeked of herbs as she leaned against Kaz. He chuckled for a lack of a better response and she continued, "Passive smokin' is bad for y'all anyway." The hypocrisy elicited a chuckle from both.

"So why do you do it? Can't imagine you can fly for too long if you got lungs like a victorian child." Kaz leaned a little against Debby so he didn't have to fight against her push constantly, and the two settled into each other. They had gotten closer since the date at the festival, but this seemed the closest they got. He felt a little silly, thinking back to how he was swept up by Delilah's games

"It's just a few, ain't a real habit. Used to be real common back home, burn the right herb and y'all get all warmed up, or the cold don't bite so hard no more. Ain't so common here down south though. Anyways, I just need a moment to myself on occasion, and smokin' is relaxin'." Debby explained as she stared over the town. She snuggled a little closer to the point Kaz was left wondering if he should wrap his foreleg around her.

"W-well... This is nice and relaxing too. Maybe next time you can let me know and we'll uhh... Just sit here like this." Smooth moves, Kaz chided himself. Couldn't even get it out without a stutter. He glanced down nervously, only to see Debby smiling back up at him.

"It ain't like that, hon. I don't mind company on occasion, but a gal needs her private time." Debby turned her gaze away again before continuing. "But I wouldn't mind this on occasion either..."

Kaz' heart finished riding its private rollercoaster, leaving him with a heartbeat he was sure she'd noticed by now thanks to practically being in his lap. His lizard brain told him to bail. "Then I hate to break the occasion to tell you that Delilah needs a hand inside."

Debby chuckled and got up, almost causing Kaz to loose his balance as the counterweight disappeared. "Suppose I oughta take care of that then." She reached up to peck gently at his cheek fur oddly, almost like nibbling on it or grooming. He eyes locked with his with an odd intensity before she turned around and heading inside with a jolly hum, evidently back to her usual self.

Kaz was left rubbing his cheek where she'd pulled on his fur, a bemused smile on his face. Debby had a lot of odd mannerisms, and some things he knew better not to question, but that had certainly been new. That look she gave him too. A laugh escaped his mouth. "Did she just kiss me?"