Happy Birthday, Malikhi! [Tag: Malikhi (of course)] on Pecari Commons

Evelyn Stones

September 08, 2018 4:13 PM

Happy Birthday, Malikhi! [Tag: Malikhi (of course)] by Evelyn Stones

Evelyn was probably more excited for Malikhi's birthday than he was. All the tension of the past month or so was weighing heavily on Evelyn's shoulders and birthdays were always the best sorts of things to relieve some of that. Even at home, where her own birthday was more of an excuse to mock her than anything to celebrate, it had at least gotten her out of the house and she'd had a fair justification for her time in the woods. But Malikhi's birthday wasn't during the summer and thus he had no escaping the celebrations of his friend. Evelyn also knew he was probably feeling more than a little homesick that morning and so she felt an extra responsibility, and a lucky distraction, to keep him happy.

She was sitting in the Common Room before anybody else that morning, since no one really got up early on weekends. She hadn't had the opportunity to decorate because there were little materials available to her to do so but she wanted to make sure she was there before he was. Her lipstick, jewelry, and clothing all reflected that it was his birthday, too, by representing his favorite colors. She hadn't had any kneehigh socks in his favorite color but thought the ones with broomsticks on them would work just as well, and they were mostly hidden by her capris anyway.

Evelyn did feel a bit bad that she hadn't been able to get him a proper gift, but she'd taken more to exploring the Sonora grounds in her free time recently and thought an adventure would suit him even better. So when he finally did wake up and stumbled his way bleary-eyed down the stairs into the Common Room, she greeted him with a massive hug and grin.

"Good morning, Kai!" she practically shouted, doing her best not to be totally disrespectful to students who were still sleeping. "Are you ready for an adventure?" she asked, practically dragging him towards the couches in the Common Room. She knew he was probably hungry; she was hungry, too. But the most important thing on a birthday was a birthday wish, so it was crucial to extract one before proceeding.

"Tell me," she said, pushing him gently onto the couch and curling up her knees as she sat beside him, facing each other. "Do you have a birthday wish? You don't have to tell me, but do you know what it is?"

22 Evelyn Stones Happy Birthday, Malikhi! [Tag: Malikhi (of course)] 1422 Evelyn Stones 1 5

Malikhi Hill

September 08, 2018 7:43 PM

Oh, is it my birthday? I hadn't realised. by Malikhi Hill

When Malikhi woke on the morning of his birthday, he was not filled with the positive feelings that he should've been. Instead, he would've much rather preferred to stay in his bed and ignore the day altogether but a grumble in his stomach told him that such a thing wouldn't be possible unless he wanted to starve.

The truth was, he was feeling massively homesick. He had never spent any birthday away from his parents, both of them always being there to celebrate the day with him. His mother would wake him up with the birthday song and carrying a tray for breakfast in bed, which was typically cake - the only time his mother let him get away with eating something dessert-like. After breakfast and getting dressed, Malikhi would bound down the stairs and his father would greet him with a hug and a smile and then the three of them as a family would do something together.

To spend his birthday at Sonora, without his family surrounding him, felt very strange.

So, tired from not having slept well due to his homesickness, he stumbled his way down the stairs and was very confused when he saw Evelyn, wearing a lot of blue, who then greeted him with a hug and a wide grin. He couldn't put two and two together as to why she was still in the common room and not downstairs for breakfast but he wasn't complaining - he liked it when Evelyn hugged him.

Instead of leaving the common room to proceed to Cascade Hall for breakfast, she was pulling him over to one of the sofas and askng him about wishes. His face twisted in confusion. At the moment, his only wish was for some kind of food. Malikhi didn't really feel human until he'd eaten and he wanted nothing more than some hot buttered toast and strawberry jam. However, that didn't seem to be the kind of wish that Evelyn was looking for. She'd specifically said birthday wish which seemed to make it sound extra special and, through his foggy and sleep-addled mind, he thought of something that he absolutely, definitely wanted to come true.

I wish Linney to be in my life forever...

He thought about this hard, putting all his feelings into it before nodding firmly at Evelyn. "I've got my wish. What's next?"

20 Malikhi Hill Oh, is it my birthday? I hadn't realised. 1423 Malikhi Hill 0 5

Evelyn Stones

September 08, 2018 9:52 PM

Your birthday is a very important day! by Evelyn Stones

Evelyn grinned, deciding that his question was a challenge. He still looked a bit out of it and she was sure he wasn't in the proper birthday mindset just yet.

"Now we see if we can make it come true. Hold onto it, okay?" she smiled.

Her mind was racing, thinking of possible pranks, outdoor adventures, and lots of food. She wanted today to be a special day for Malikhi, not just for her. This was the first birthday she'd ever gotten to celebrate with a friend and she was eager to make it a perfect day. Of course, her standards for a special birthday were pretty low, but Malikhi deserved them all.

"Let's do this thing," she said. "Breakfast first and then the adventures shall begin."

She grabbed his hand and stood up, pulling him to his feet and hugging him again.

"I'm so glad you're my friend, Kai. So today is special, because you were born on it," she said before pulling away and looking him in the face. "And I know you're also probably homesick so if at any point during our adventures, you'd prefer to just come back here and be a slug, that's fine, too. Just let me know."

Her face was only serious for a moment before a grin broke out again and she was pulling them both towards the Common Room exit. Birthday breakfasts were very important and adventuring required adequate sustenance.

"Is there anyone else you want to recruit for our adventures? I don't want to hijack your day if you have plans," Evelyn said as they walked. She was...nervous. And surprised at being nervous. Spending the day adventuring with Malikhi seemed like nearly a perfect day and being with him was easy and natural. So why was she so nervous? Why did she care so much if he had other plans? She felt tense as she waited for his answer and was surprised at how desperately she hoped he didn't have anybody else in mind.

22 Evelyn Stones Your birthday is a very important day! 1422 Evelyn Stones 0 5

Malikhi Hill

September 08, 2018 10:12 PM

Okay doke, if you say so. by Malikhi Hill

Malikhi wasn't entirely sure how Evelyn was going to make his wish come true, especially when she didn't even know what it was. He thought for a moment about telling her, thinking that it might make the chances of his wish coming true become greater. On the other hand, he'd always been told that to say your wish out loud was bad luck and made it less likely to come true and he definitely did not want to jinx his wish. With that in mind, he kept his mouth shut and simply kept thinking about it instead. Spending every day of the rest of his life with Evelyn would be lovely and wonderful and it made him feel warm inside when he thought about it.

He was pleased when she mentioned breakfast as he really was rather hungry. He wondered if he'd be able to have cake for breakfast, as was his tradition. He hoped so. It would be something that would help him feel closer to normal.

When Evelyn pulled him up from the sofa - she seemed to be in charge of the proceedings so he was happy to let her pull him wherever she wanted to go - he found that her hand was warm in his own and it sent a funny feeling through his stomach, like a fluttering sensation. It wasn't something Malikhi had experienced before and it only seemed to intensify when she hugged him.

He liked it a lot when Linney hugged him. She always smelled like flowers and her hugs always felt perfect. She was just the right size for him to hug and Malikhi idly wished that they could hug a lot more often. It was at this point that Malikhi realised that he had a lot more than just one wish and that most of them seemed to focused around Evelyn. When she told him that he was special, he couldn't help but smile, pleased that she thought that.

"I don't want anyone else with us," he told her. He hoped that she didn't want to include anybody else in whatever it was she had planned - especially not Ness. If he was going to spend his birthday with Evelyn, he wanted to spend it alone with her. "And I have no plans. I'm all yours."

20 Malikhi Hill Okay doke, if you say so. 1423 Malikhi Hill 0 5

Evelyn Stones

September 08, 2018 10:36 PM

I do! by Evelyn Stones

Evelyn didn't realize she'd been holding her breath until she let out in a relived smile. "Good," she responded. "Except today is your birthday so really that makes me all yours," she laughed.

Sonora was incredible. Sonora was always incredible, Evelyn supposed, but she only really noticed it when special things were happening inside it. Like the celebration of a dear friend's birth, or finding out that someone she cared about was satisfied with just her own company. She silently chastised herself for being so selfish, but figured that if that was what the birthday boy wanted, then it couldn't really be that selfish of her.

"We have some options," she said as they made their way through the Gardens and into the entrance hall. "We can spend some time exploring the grounds and I can teach you how to properly climb a tree, we can see about getting some brooms and flying around the Pitch, we can see if Professor Brooding might let us practice something disgusting in her classrooms although I'm not sure where the Professors even go on their days off. We could..." she drew the word out as she thought. "We could just lay in the grass and enjoy the sunshine. We can do whatever you'd like. We can go back up to the Common Room with as much food as we can carry and just hangout, watch the world go by, and chat. Whatever you'd like!"

As they pushed open the door to Cascade Hall, Evelyn was pleased to see that breakfast was extra warm and delicious looking. A plate of breakfast sausages and fried eggs particularly caught her attention, but she noticed with some glee that there was also a plate of coffee cake, chocolate cake, and various others. She wondered if the Prairie Elves somehow knew to provide a birthday meal or if there was always cake for breakfast and Evelyn just hadn't noticed before.

She smiled at Malikhi and was sad to see that he didn't look half as excited as she was. Her throat tightened and she wondered if she'd done something wrong or if he was simply feeling down. Maybe he just wasn't awake yet. Her demeanor chilled instantly and she did her best to treat the day like a normal day; maybe he just wasn't up for a birthday away from home.

Hesitation overcame her and she didn't ask what was wrong. Maybe he didn't want to talk about it. But shouldn't he? Evelyn felt another wave of guilt in realizing that he probably didn't want to be friends with someone who was too messed up to make for much of a friend anyway. She'd wasted his time and now he didn't have anyone else to spend his birthday with so he was spending it with her instead. She frowned to herself. But he had said he wanted to spend his birthday with her, right? Maybe she misunderstood him.

She stopped dead in the entrance to Cascade Hall. "What do you want right now?" she asked, searching his face for some sign that she wasn't crazy. Or maybe it would be better if she was. She certainly didn't want to be right.

(OOC: Malikhi's blues described by his author.)

22 Evelyn Stones I do! 1422 Evelyn Stones 0 5

Malikhi Hill

September 08, 2018 11:19 PM

That's good then. by Malikhi Hill

Malikhi found that he couldn't quite cheer himself up, despite the fact that he was spending time with Evelyn who he liked very, very much. If it had been any other day, he would've more than likely been practically bouncing up and down with excitement at having Evelyn all to himself. Today, though, his first birthday away from home. He knew his Mum and Dad were sending him presents and he was waiting for an owl to appear for him and it would be nice but it wouldn't be the same as opening his presents with them.

When she asked him what he wanted in that moment, his could feel his eyes stinging as tears welled up in them. Here he was, moping, when Evelyn was trying her absolute best to make him happy on his birthday. He was a horrible, ungrateful friend. He sniffed and reached for her, pulling her in for a hug. He needed to feel close to someone and that someone was Evelyn. His Linney. His Linney who was so caring and considerate and wonderful and lovely.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled into her shoulder, clutching her tight. He repeated it again, feeling positively awful before pulling away from her and wiping at his eyes.

"On my birthday, I would spend all day with my Mum and Dad. It was all about me and what I wanted to do and it didn't matter what it was I asked for, they'd do it even if they hated it. I've never had a birthday away from them," he told her as they walked to the Pecari table. He found, then, in the room full of people eating breakfast that Cascade Hall just seemed far too loud and not something he particularly wanted to be absorbed in. He turned to Evelyn, his eyes still shining from the tears they'd held.

"Do you mind if we just stay in the common room today?" he asked her. "With food?"

20 Malikhi Hill That's good then. 1423 Malikhi Hill 0 5

Evelyn Stones

September 09, 2018 12:49 PM

I want to make today perfect for you. by Evelyn Stones

Evelyn's eyes widened in surprise. It seemed that Malikhi did indeed want her company, he just didn't want to have a birthday at all right now. Evelyn could understand that to some extent, and she held Malikhi with a strong hug, rubbing his back gently in what she hoped was a comforting gesture.

"Kai, it's totally okay," Evelyn murmured, dropping her voice into something more soothing. "It happens and some days are just like that. Let's see how much food we can carry and head back, okay?"

She really wished there was a way to magically appear some takeout boxes, although the thought of magically appearing breakfast in magically appearing Styrofoam seemed a bit ridiculous.

"Normally I wouldn't encourage theft, but I think this is a good excuse. Shall we load up a couple plates and take them back to the Common Room?" She let a little mischief creep into her tone as she stepped back, hands still on his shoulders. She wanted to sound as if stealing plates was the most evil thing they could reasonably think to do and hoped Malikhi would enjoy the lame humor in that picture.

"I have a bunch of blankets in my trunk in my dorm, too," she said as she led the way, keeping one hand on Malikhi so he was never alone. She hoped he didn't mind. He was warm and soft and special. "We can curl up and just chill."

22 Evelyn Stones I want to make today perfect for you. 1422 Evelyn Stones 0 5

Malikhi Hill

September 09, 2018 1:43 PM

Thank you. That means a lot. by Malikhi Hill

Evelyn's hug was a comfort as was her rubbing his back. It was an action that reminded him of something his mother did when he was upset and while it made him miss her more, it also soothed him and, in that moment, he was glad that he was with Evelyn. She seemed to understand, naturally, what he both wanted and needed and right now, what he both wanted and needed was Evelyn and Evelyn holding him and Evelyn being Evelyn.

He managed a weak and watery smile and a very slight laugh at her suggestion to 'steal' the food from the hall and he nodded as they made their way over the Pecari table. Was it really stealing if the food was meant for the Pecari students anyway? He began to load his plate with strawberries and found some yoghurt. They wouldn't be chocolate covered but as a second prize, it wasn't bad. His eyes did light up and spotting a stack of waffles and decided in that moment, that if they were truly going to steal food, they should do it properly and promptly swiped the whole stack along with a variety of toppings - such as whipped cream, maple syrup and jam and putting the bottles and jars into as many pockets of his clothes that he could. For a brief moment, the glimmer of mischief that was normally present in Malikhi's eye was back as he grinned at Evelyn. Her idea was perfect.

"Thank you for being so understanding," he told her. "This is exactly what I need."

With his plate piled high and his pockets full to bursting, he jerked his head in the direction of the doors to the hall. "Shall we go?"

20 Malikhi Hill Thank you. That means a lot. 1423 Malikhi Hill 0 5

Evelyn Stones

September 09, 2018 3:42 PM

YOU mean a lot!! by Evelyn Stones

Evelyn couldn't help laughing as she watched Malikhi load himself up with breakfast foods that could only really be called treats. She herself went for the sausages she'd noticed before, and she grabbed an additional pitcher of juice as well. She was glad there weren't enough people around to give them weird looks, but she also sort of wished there were; let them look.

More than anything, Malikhi looked happy, and Evelyn couldn't help looking at him. Finally he didn't seem so chagrined and Evelyn was confident that, while his birthday might still not be what he wanted today, at least it wasn't going to be so overwhelming for him.

"If you keep putting stuff in your robes like that," Evelyn said, sniggering at him as he approached. "The prairie elves are going to go on strike and give up on doing any more laundry. You'll have to wash all your own clothes in the bathroom sink!"

It felt good to tease him playing felt as natural as breathing. She relaxed inwardly and smiled, feeling more confident that today was going to be a good day.

"Let's go," Evelyn agreed, her smile bubbly and her eyes bright. She followed Malikhi back through the Gardens and to the Common Room.

22 Evelyn Stones YOU mean a lot!! 1422 Evelyn Stones 0 5

Malikhi Hill

September 09, 2018 7:57 PM

You mean a lot to me. by Malikhi Hill

The Pecari common room was warm when they returned, a welcome contrast to the cooler weather outside. After setting his horde of food down on a nearby table, he immediately flopped onto one of the comfortable, squashy brown sofas. It was near to the fire that was burning merrily away in the hearth and Malikhi pulled his knees up to his chest, enjoying the warmth that was over his body.

He'd left plenty of room on the sofa for Evelyn, a silent message that he wanted her to sit next to him. She'd mentioned something about blankets and he had a sort of hope that they'd share the same one and, possibly, cuddle under it. Malikhi wanted to feel warmth and a comforting presence and today, that would be found within Evelyn. He absolutely didn't want to be left alone.

He discovered that fact when Evelyn disappeared up to the girl's dormitory to fetch the aforementioned blankets. For the brief moments that he was alone, Malikhi felt very cold and very sad. He knew that it was probably stupid to feel that way. He'd known since coming to Sonora that his birthday would be spent without his parents and had had a lot of time to process that fact. Still, now that the day was actually upon him, he found that he hadn't been prepared for the feelings of loneliness and homesickness that it would bring.

"I shouldn't feel like this on my birthday," he grumbled to himself, frowning before reaching for a waffle and biting into it with some frustration. "Pull yourself together, Malikhi. That's what Dad would say."

These thoughts didn't make him feel better and he was still frowning when Evelyn returned, her arms full with brightly coloured knitted blankets. He cheered up slightly at the sight of her and he had to admit that the blankets looked wonderfully warm. They would be perfect for cuddling under.

He blinked.

He was getting far too ahead of himself.

To distract from those thoughts, he held up a waffle to Evelyn. "Want one?"

20 Malikhi Hill You mean a lot to me. 1423 Malikhi Hill 0 5

Evelyn Stones

September 10, 2018 1:40 AM

Well, then. by Evelyn Stones

Evelyn cocked her head, a curious smile asking all the questions she wouldn't dare put words to. Instead, she just chuckled and took a chomp out of the waffle as she could, letting Malikhi hold it up for her. She sat down as she chewed, taking the spot beside Malikhi and throwing the blankets over them both. She leaned away from him, shy of being too overbearing, although he was warm and she couldn't help wanting to be closer.

"I'm always cold," she explained, kicking off her shoes and pulling her knees up to her chest to match Malikhi's posture. She peeked her toes out towards the fireplace, covering the rest of her body with the blanket. Wiggling her toes, she smiled to herself before pulling them back inside the blanket and smiling at Malikhi.

Everything was just within reach: the sausages were on a plate to one side, Malikhi was on her other side with the rest of the food. The blanket held in all their warmth and Evelyn let her head drop down onto the back of the couch, turned sideways so she could look at Malikhi. He seemed so soft.... What was wrong with her?

"Do you want some sausage?" she asked suddenly, reaching out her hand to grab the plate and managing instead to pick up the top several sausages barehanded. She forgot for a moment how to open her hand again and instead offered Malikhi a fistful of breakfast sausages as a purple bloom spread in her face.

22 Evelyn Stones Well, then. 1422 Evelyn Stones 0 5

Malikhi Hill

September 10, 2018 1:56 AM

Now what? by Malikhi Hill

Evelyn's blankets were as warm and as cozy as they looked and Malikhi felt swaddled in warmth as he wrapped one around his shoulders. He was a little disappointed that she wasn't sitting closer to him but he also didn't want to push her so he bottled it, shoved it down and let himself enjoy her company, no matter how close or far away she was sitting. He smiled at her, wiggling her toes. She was very cute, he thought.

Then, he paused.

Where had that come from?

Weird.

He shifted slightly and pulled the blanket closer around his shoulders. He thought about it some more while looking at Evelyn. It was true, to be fair. She was cute. She was also lovely and warm and kind. He'd never thought of her as cute before, though. Pretty, yes. Cute, never. There was a funny feeling stirring in his stomach and he could feel a red blush crawling up his neck. He was behaving stupidly.

He was surprised when she suddenly offered him some sausages and then realised that she hadn't done it in the traditional way by picking up the plate. He looked from the handful of sausages she was holding and then back at her face before he dissolved into laughter, unable to help himself. The giggles bubbled up and spilled from his lips and he clapped a hand over his mouth, trying to stifle them. Happy tears were starting to fall from his eyes.

After a couple of minutes of laughter, he calmed down and sighed, shaking his head. "Oh, Evelyn..." he murmured before smiling and picking up his own plate. "Yes, I'd like some sausages."

He let Evelyn put them on his plate and he picked one up, taking a bite of it and smiling. "Thank you for this."

20 Malikhi Hill Now what? 1423 Malikhi Hill 0 5

Evelyn Stones

September 10, 2018 2:14 AM

Now we hibernate. by Evelyn Stones

Evelyn only had time to be mortified for half a second when Malikhi started laughing and she found herself drawn into the sound. It was almost impossible to be focused on any negative feeling when Malikhi was laughing because he just sounded so genuine. She didn't have to worry that he was laughing at her, but she wasn't sure why. His eyes sort of sparkled like they did when he was trying to make her laugh. Maybe that was it. He wanted her to laugh, too.

Just a few moments passed as Evelyn processed these thoughts and then she laughed with Malikhi, wrinkling her face into an expression equally amused and embarrassed. Playfully ashamed.

When Malikhi offered his plate and accepted the sausages, Evelyn was mostly surprised, and a little grossed out, although she thought the whole thing was rather amusing. He took a bite before she could offer to eat those and give him the fresh sausages, and she laughed as he did so.

"Thank you," she said. "But I do require payment for such services. I believe there were some waffles with my name on them?"

It felt so easy to be playful that she wondered who she was the rest of the time. Was she only herself around Malikhi or was she putting on some weird version of who she could've been if she wasn't so busy being a mess when she wasn't with him? How did anyone know who they were except by figuring out who they were around other people?

This was not the moment to philosophize and Evelyn pushed the thoughts aside, holding her own plate out to Malikhi for a waffle.

"Let's play a game," she announced when she started thinking about how warm he was again. "Would you rather have a dragon patronus or be a dragon animagus?"

22 Evelyn Stones Now we hibernate. 1422 Evelyn Stones 0 5

Malikhi Hill

September 11, 2018 2:12 PM

Can I hibernate cuddling you? by Malikhi Hill

Malikhi grinned widely at Evelyn and reached for the plate of waffles - going about offering them to her far more sensibly than she'd given him the sausages. He let her take however many she wanted and pushed the whipped cream, strawberries and all the other toppings he'd brought up over to her so that she could put what she wanted on them. He finished off a sausage and leaned back into the sofa cushions, feeling warm and comfortable and much, much happier. The feeling of homesickness was still in his gut but it wasn't nearly so overpowering and he didn't feel nearly so miserable and hopeless and he had Evelyn to thank for it.

He looked at her eagerly when she suggested a game. "What do I get if I win?" He was hopeful for a hug or be allowed to hold her hands as they sat together in their nest of warm blankets.

He considered the first question, his face screwing up in thought. Dragons were cool and they could breathe fire and fly, which would be awesome. On the other hand, he knew that most people were scared of dragons and tended to fight them more than befriend them and Malikhi didn't want people to be scared of him and he definitely didn't want to fight anybody. That seemed to make his decision. "A dragon patronus. Then people wouldn't be scared of me."

He paused, trying to think of something to ask her. Then, his eyes lit up as an idea occurred to him. "Would you rather randomly turn into a frog for a day once a month or randomly turn into a bird once a week?"

20 Malikhi Hill Can I hibernate cuddling you? 1423 Malikhi Hill 0 5

Evelyn Stones

September 12, 2018 2:30 AM

Maaaaybe........ by Evelyn Stones

"If you win... you get my necklace!" she decided, pulling a leather cord out of the front of her robes. A carved wooden pendant featured the "om" symbol and she held it out for Malikhi to see. "It means like... like reality. It means everything that is real after you get past everything in life that tries to make it harder to see the truth." She blushed a little; om was meaningful to her and she wasn't explaining it very well, but she thought Malikhi might like the offer anyway. Besides, she would think of truth and reality whether she wore the symbol or saw him wearing it, so she liked to think of him getting a little piece of that with him. "It's part of Hinduism," she added, clarifying.

Evelyn smirked and took the necklace off, setting it between them under the blanket as proof of her willingness to let him keep it. "What about if I win?" she challenged.

She laughed, appreciating Malikhi's response to her first question. She would have chosen to be a dragon herself as she doubted she'd ever be able to produce a Patronus anyway, besides: "If I could breathe fire, I wouldn't worry so much about people being scared of me." She didn't say how nice it would be to have other people be scared of her for once.

Malikhi looked so excited when it was his turn to think up a question and Evelyn was a bit surprised at what he came up with. She was quiet for a moment, pondering her choice. She thought it was the easiest thing in the world. Truth be told, she might even be okay with turning into a bird forever. Things at Sonora made her wish that a bit less but things certainly hadn't changed enough for that particular wish to go away.

"I've wanted to be a bird since I was five years old," she said, remembering the moment distinctly. She didn't want to cry in front of Malikhi on his birthday so she moved on. "So that's an easy one for me. But I'm curious why I'd want to be a frog anyway?" There had to be some reason, so she thought she'd offer him the benefit of the doubt.

An old story her mom had told her came to mind, about frogs becoming princes when they got kissed. Evelyn didn't think she'd like to be a prince but she wondered what it would be like to kiss a frog. Or kiss anything for that matter. But then she shook her head and decided firmly: mouths are weird.

22 Evelyn Stones Maaaaybe........ 1422 Evelyn Stones 0 5

Malikhi Hill

September 15, 2018 12:40 PM

That maybe could become a yes! by Malikhi Hill

It wasn't a hug and he didn't really understand her explanation but she mentioned something about her 'Pinguism' as he'd taken to calling it in his head but he smiled, accepting it as the stake. It clearly meant something to her and Malikhi felt honoured that she was willing to give him something that was essentially a part of her. He knew that he would carry it with him always. If he won, of course.

"If you win..." he paused, mulling a few ideas over in his head. What would she like? Then, something occurred to him. "On my birthday, my Mum always bakes brownies or things that involve chocolate. She said that she'd send me some. If you win, you can have them."

His mother's treats were delicious and he had been looking forward to them but he knew how much Evelyn liked chocolate things and he could always ask his mother for more. He was able to get as many of them as he liked and they were often gone quickly and didn't last. Evelyn's happiness, however? That was something that he hoped would last and this felt like a step in the right direction.

"Oh, I'd like to be a bird too!" he exclaimed, pleased. "To fly through the skies and just... be free. I think that'd be awesome but..." he considered the frog part of the question. "I think frogs can get a bad reputation 'cause they're slimy and make weird noises and that's really not fair because they can jump really high and swim really fast and everything."

He did draw a comparison between himself and a frog as he was sure his reputation probably wasn't great after he covered himself in slime at the Opening Feast and he laughed a lot and was very noisy, kind of like a frog. He couldn't jump very high but he could swim quite fast, he supposed.

"Maybe I'm better suited to being a frog, though..." he murmured, his eyes far away in thought for a moment. Then, he shook his head. "Your turn?"

20 Malikhi Hill That maybe could become a yes! 1423 Malikhi Hill 0 5

Evelyn Stones

September 26, 2018 2:25 AM

I love your optimism. by Evelyn Stones

Evelyn laughed softly, nodding in acceptance of his offer. She was glad she knew Malikhi as well as she did because she certainly thought her necklace was worth more than a plate of chocolate. But knowing that this was Malikhi's mom's birthday chocolate made it very special. To Malikhi, it was worth very much, and so it was worth very much to Evelyn.

It worried her that he felt so aligned with something he said people thought was gross and slimy and made a mental note to encourage him at every opportunity that those were good things to be. It was silly to say that he was not, but gross, slimy things were the best sorts of things. Nothing interesting ever happened without strings of sap, twisted vines of mottled, mushroom covered plant life, and all sorts of natural oddities.

"I like frogs," Evelyn decided. "It's not so bad. And if you're a frog, then when I turn into a bird, you can sit on my back and we'll fly around and you'll catch some flies for dinner!" She laughed; that image was maybe grosser than she really thought was good, but still.

"Alright, hmmm...." She wasn't actually sure how to win or lose at this game and considered this now as she chose her question. Malikhi seemed so eager and happy now that she sort of wanted to let him win, but knowing he'd be upset if she let him win, and knowing she herself would be upset to give up her necklace made her shy away. At least if she did win, she could share the chocolate with him.

"Alright," she said again, rubbing her hands together in what she hoped seemed dastardly. "If you had to pick, would you rather kiss a merperson or a centaur?"

22 Evelyn Stones I love your optimism. 1422 Evelyn Stones 0 5