New Age

Thyme thinks she's going insane.

She SWEARS she has been seeing things in groups of seven lately. 

It was a nice day and they were on a nice walk down to the beach party Omelette had invited them to. It had been a few weeks coming and for the last few days, Omelette had been very excited about this party, yet didn't really specify what it was for. Even so, everyone was excited to hang out on a warm day. 

Dirch and Thyme thought maybe it was just a thing that she's used to doing all the time since she grew up in the dome, where the Queen held frequent parties and banquets. It was no matter. Parties are always fun when it's with people who care.

They had just stepped onto the bank from the forest they came from when she brought it up with Dart.

"-I'm telling you. Just now I saw seven seagulls overhead."

Dart snorted in amusement, "You don't think that maybe there just happens to be seven of them?"

"No- I mean- But just yesterday I saw a group of seven squirrels too!"

"Seven squirrels? That does seem a bit unusual actually."

"...Eh, not really. I think it was a family. Still! There were seven of them, I counted!"

Is that so, would be the name of the expression on Dart's face right now.

Thyme shook herself and turned her large head towards the stretched horizon. The seagulls, still in their numbers, fly around above as if they follow where the group is headed.

The clouds, scarce as they let the sun finally have its spotlight.

Spring is here.

It will get cold tonight- but for now they get to enjoy the sun and warm air.

"Dude- Look! I just counted seven seashells!"

Dart stopped walking and turned around.

"Okay… now you're being ridiculous." He said it sternly, but from his expression it was clear he found it very funny. "Next you're going to say I have seven light quills." Immediately saying that, he turned around and started to walk into a light jog.

"Wait. Let me see-"

Dart couldn't hold in his laughter anymore and started to run.

"Nope!"

It was honestly really hard to run on the sand, so it only lasted a few minutes until Dart was exhausted. Thyme didn't run at all and eventually slowly caught up.

"You're gonna pull a muscle dude. Deserved."

"I was just messing with you. To be honest though, I can't even see my quills."

Thyme was already counting before he said anything. "Twenty. You have twenty light quills."

"See? Not seven-"

Dart couldn't finish his sentence because Thyme had focused on what was behind him.

"Hey look, here it is! …Oh."

He had only seen the cabin before he turned around to talk to Thyme, but after turning back around he could see a LOT of details he had missed. First, there were seven seats around this cabin. It looked more like a stall, with a long counter lined with chairs. It looked really old, and the palm trees lining the forest had curled over it like a roof.

There were also a lot of decorations: tons of balloons shaped like the number seven, seven party hats with the number seven written on them, and a large banner that said Happy Birthday.

Wait. Happy birthday?

"It's her birthday. Dart, we are so stupid."

"Utterly stupid." He agreed. "I can't believe we didn't put two and two together."

"So wait. Has Omelette been doing this?! Can she talk to animals? Did she tell those seagulls to do this?!"

"Didn't she tell us to meet her here? Where is she…"

With that, a sudden pitter patter came from the edge of the trees. Two sets of pitter patters.

"Yippee! You came! You are here!" Omelette instantly bounded up to them, trilling. She jumped from Thyme to Dart, where she started to preen his quills.

"Happy birthday, buddy." Dart had whispered to her.

Teddy had been walking with her and he gingerly padded up to look up at them.

"I'm glad you arrived. Omelette invited a lot of our crechemates too, but sadly many cannot come…Do you remember me…?"

Dart stuttered, "I do remember you. You helped us some of the way back to Atlantis. Yes." I wouldn't expect to see this guy here. He was wanting to get back home then.

"Excellent."

There was a long pause.

Omelette noticed tne awkwardness and fluffed herself up, "Happy to see Friends. More to come! Drink now."

She turns around and jumps up on the counter for the cabin. After jumping down behind it, she retrieves something from underneath.

"Drink." Is all Omelette says as she pushes a large glass jug full of juice towards Dart.

After looking towards Teddy as if to ask if it's safe, the oviraptor smiles wide.

"It is but crushed up fruit and berries. It is delicious, try it!"

Both Thyme and Dart had difficulty sitting on the chairs like the ovis, so instead they just held onto them with their front legs so they could lean over and drink out of the jug on the counter. Omelette whistled some light tones towards Teddy.

"This one is wild strawberry and mint. There are more flavours, if you'd like to try them all."

"This is delicious. It's very nice, Omelette." Dart took a few sips and then took a deep breath. The water was freezing cold somehow. Thyme was still sipping from it while making contented noises. Before Dart could ask to try another flavor, he heard some distant squawking. Ovis definitely don't sound like that.

"Omelette, we had no idea it was your birthday! I thought I was crazy seeing seven everywhere, but you're just turning seven years old!" Thyme erupted in laughter at that, and Omelette joined in with cackles. Atleast she's not angry at us. Turns out she did tell us, but it didn't reach our inner ears. Seven is pretty young for styracosauruses, though. It's interesting how different we all age.

Dart breaks off from the conversation to step down back onto the sand and out from under the cover of the trees.

He sees some two large approaching silhouettes in the sky: Tropeognathus shaped. They weren't alone either, as he could hear the soft sound of the waves get louder beside him.

Turning his face to the sea, he sees the unmistakably loud pink pelt of Raoul.

"...Wait, Omelette invited you?"

"Well well well, it sure is great to see you! I'm sooo glad to see you again too! I'm doing so good… thank you for asking!"

Dart huffed. "Alright, no need for the sarcasm. My bad. It is actually great to see you, for the record."

Raoul pretended to ignore the last part.

"Yeah yeah, spikeface. Anyways we're here for the birthday girl. Where is she? The only oviraptor I'm always happy to see..."

Dart was cringing internally now. Even he knew it was her birthday?! Ugh. I feel so mean.

Suddenly, he was surrounded by two huge Tropeos. They had been clearly aiming for the chairs behind him, but he was in the way. They clung to his sides as softly as they could, although it felt like being slapped with a wet fish with claws. Why are they always wet?

"Guys, get off him. Remember what we rehearsed."

The tropes hesitated, as if they wanted to annoy Dart a little longer, but they obliged.

They both got off him and started to walk along with Raoul as they approached Omelette, who was standing on the counter still, this time with a different jug.

"All Friends here now! Drink!"

Teddy piped up. "You guys should all try her favourite mix. It's got everything, strawberry, banana, blueberry, kiwi, grapefruit, pineapple…"

Dart and Thyme weren't really listening as they watched the new guests fan out and stand around them.

Raoul began to hum and the tropeos joined in with singing, until everyone was following along.

"Happy Birthday to you..Happy Birthday to you…"

"Happy Birthday to Omelette! Happy Birthday to you!"

AND HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO PA!!!!! YAHOOOO!!!