cool wind swirls into muggy air with leaves sprinkled in the signature combination, adding a pop of warmth and a scent of crisp, fresh nature. everything as far as the eye could see was colored with soft browns and muddy reds, even down to people's attire. if vernon really focused, he could smell cinnamon and sweetness from the constantly passing pumpkin spice lattes and dense, filling pastries; he often ended his alone time to engage and indulge with the collective, silent yet emphatic celebration of this time of year, and he would do so after he's done sitting by himself and tending to the fluffy little stray cat that always came around this hour.
it was a cloudy and gray midday in the park underneath the elements of a season that held a special place within everyone—vernon had his headphones on, letting weather appropriate music play as if it was out of his control, shuffle button locked away behind the black void of his phone and hands instead paying attention to the black void of an animal that protested loudly every time he was occupied with something else.
vernon gently stroked the cat, noting how it was a little quieter around than most days. the amount of people laughing and conversing on benches and admiring the scenery weren't overwhelming like usual, and they weren't trying to upset or pester the few animals scattered about the area.
vernon was thankful for that, allowing the geese to stay around their lake without being bothered and the birds to chirp and sing happily up in their nests with no impromptu sing-offs or playful princess impressions. everything was calm and collected, much like the atmosphere enclosing the park.
he'd already fed the cat earlier and should've been on the way home by now, failing to go about his normal business after seeing huge eyes and hearing even huger mews, but he hoped he was strong enough to go through with it this time, picking the cat up and placing him on the ground to go about his business.
but before vernon himself got up, a blur of pure white made itself known in his peripheral vision. he instinctively looked up, and saw a lone goose wandering into the middle of the park a short distance away from him.
it was strange; the geese usually liked to keep to themselves, and they scattered whenever people approached them. not this one, apparently—it walked in a straight line, flapping its wings softly toward whatever it had its sights on.
with it being an unusual picture, and with his camera roll only being full of cat pictures and videos, he decided to record the animal. he wouldn't attempt to catch its attention, he'd only watch from a distance to capture the rare event.
vernon took out his phone, opening the camera and pressing record, hitting zoom and keeping his hands as steady as possible. he exclaimed quietly under his breath, watching the goose hesitantly approach what vernon hadn't even registered: a whole other person.
suddenly, someone started to sing. vernon heard it through his headphones, and though it wasn't uncommon, something told him to uncover his ears, especially since the song seemed to come from the direction the goose was waddling to.
it was a joke. a funny joke—a cute play on words with an intense vocal to back it. strong, heavy, and dramatic yet clearly still lighthearted. it sounded really good, immediately giving vernon a soft, comforting chill and prominent bumps on his arms. it was crazier that even a goose was enticed, steadily making its way towards the voice.
quickly and unconsciously, vernon shifted his video from the animal to the person the voice was coming from, and, well, vernon could understand the goose more, somehow.
he was recording, too, his free hand outstretched—not trying to touch the animal, rather serenading and unintentionally leading. he backed away with each step the goose took, not too comfortable and understandably cautious.
vernon couldn't see a lot, but the side of his face was sweet, singing with a smile and having fun even though he didn't want to get too close. his hair was a bit long and a reddish brown, and his outfit complimented the color, a beige knitted sweater and soft plaid pants to match. he looked warm; the human embodiment of vernon's favorite season.
the cat vernon left unattended gained an unexpected interest in the guy too, courageously walking to him a few moments before his song ended with a stronger note than intended when the goose got a little too close. he meowed in tandem with vernon's laugh at the spontaneous ending, catching the man's attention when the goose started to meander away from him.
vernon's phone was still set on his frame, which made the moment where he finally noticed another person recording the whole anomaly that much more interesting.
he didn't look like he minded through the zoomed in screen of vernon's video, knowing that he was doing something that was pretty attention grabbing. he also figured that the cat came from vernon's direction, tentatively petting it with a soft cry of surprise at how cute it was before presumably ending his recording, finally putting his phone down and having his full face unimpeded.
he smiled and bowed his head, maybe a little embarrassed at this point, but he still waved politely. vernon did the same.
he can definitely understand the goose.
