The snow coating the ministry had gradually melted, revealing the green grass below. Birds had began chirping again, and there were far too many bugs flying around outside- spring was here.

Mountain adored spring. He loved the warmth from the sun, the blossoms coming from the earth, the new plants he could grow. Winter was stifling; he felt like there was a weight on his shoulders the whole season, and it was almost like his connection with the earth was closed off. With spring, though, came the loss of that weight, of that stifling feeling. Mountain always knew when it was spring before anybody else. It was obvious to the ghouls, too, when spring was coming, because Mountain seemed so much happier.

The ghouls had the day off today, due to some scheduling oversight from Copia that caused a meeting to overlap practice, so there was a whole day of free time. That's why you found Mountain today, sprawled out on an open patch of grass behind the ministry and outside the greenhouse. Small blossoms bloomed around him, outlining his body like chalk would outline a corpse. His tail was thumping lazily against the grass, soft rumbling purrs leaving his chest.