Shiro wasn’t expecting Keith to understand the rocks so quickly. He flicked his tail in excitement when Keith’s voice raised with excitement itself. He almost understood the words, his expression was so clear and enthusiastic. Shiro grinned as Keith arranged the rocks to his own summers and winters. He counted the rocks Keith took and made a face of disbelief.

He didn’t look like 20 cycles had passed, he looked older than that. Though it could have been the dark lines under his eyes or the slouching of his spine from the weight of the darkness around him. He didn’t look any less beautiful, but a new web of pity was spinning itself within Shiro for this new broken thing he had found.

Shiro raised an eyebrow at Keith and carefully added five rocks to each of Keith’s rows, then gestured to his own eyes and pointed at Keith, ‘I see you as 25 cycles.’ But of course, it didn’t matter to Shiro. He eyed the missing rock in the winter row and his stomach flipped slightly. A new cycle starting was always celebrated and exciting in mer culture. Friends and family celebrated with gifts and food and music all night long and the biggest ones even took place on islands or in caves with strange fruits and drinks found in old smugglers bunkers that were decaying with dust and rot. The drinks and the food lifted everyone and played with their balance and speech so much that some folk even lost their memories. The celebrations were something that Shiro used to always look forward to.

Being trapped in Zarkon’s deadly game for so long had robbed him of his last new cycle, however, and would probably steal any more that he could survive through. But Keith had one soon. The harvest moon was soon to be upon them, which meant that winter was on its way. Shiro pointed to the moon and rearranged the rocks. He placed 27 rocks back in front of the yellow stone and 26 in front of the white. He then laid out 5 new rocks in a row, then took that fifth rock and moved it to the winter rocks to make their total 27. Once again he looked to Keith to watch his expression.