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 Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 8:40 pm
Khalindra made her way into the book store, stopping short the moment she entered. Her silver eyes went wide at the rows and rows of books and the pure scent of knowledge that permiated the room.
"Wow..." she breathed softly, squeezing at her new friend's hand lightly since she was still latched on, "It's...."
It was like...She had stepped into a candy store. Only the candy would stimulate more than cavities in her mouth.
Okay. Bad analogy, but she really couldn't think of anything else to describe it.
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Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 9:03 pm
Sylvester grinned. She really liked this stuff, didn't she? He spotted some colorful, quilty-looking sketchpads nearby. Did Chai like to draw? Again, he didn't know. Maybe Fiction was the best place to start. "Over here," he said, leading Khali past all the books with boring old men on their covers. He could read a few of the words next to the old men, and they were just as boring. He slowed down near a short table strewn with picture books, but truly came to a stop a few steps later in front of a shelf where the covers still had fun pictures, but the books themselves were a little thicker.
"These look better than those," he said, glancing back at the nonfiction shelves. "But we can go back if you want." From the look on her face a few minutes ago, the sparkly little girl might love any book, regardless of boredom factor.
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Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 9:11 pm
Khali let herself be dragged through the book store, her face the epitome of pure joy, "I can't read," she stated, voice rather gloomy at the idea of being unable to read the wonderful contents, "But I want to learn. Armel said he may help me, but Iunno," she shrugged her shoulders, one of her small fingers reaching up to touch at one of the book's covers, tracing over the pictures.
Pulling one of the books from the shelf, she plopped herself straight on the floor and opened it up, squinting at the small print, "It doesn't make any sense."
Her face mirrored a perfect pout, "I guess I won't be much help."
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Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 9:34 pm
"That's okay. I don't read so good either," Sylvester admitted. He really saw no reason to learn, since he had known how to read and write in the language of another dimension since he'd been born, but his mother thought it was important, so he was learning. He sat beside Khalindra, flicking his tail out of the way so he wouldn't inadvertantly injure himself, and grabbed another book. It had a girl with wings on the cover. Nah. Chai didn't have wings, and neither did Khali. He put it in his lap and reached for another one. The Corpse King. Well, he could read the title, but he doubted any little girl would like it as much as he would. He pulled another book off of the shelf. A pretty teenager stared back at him, her insanely long, rose-petal-decorated hair gathered in her arms. Her expression was serene and she appeared to be standing in a tower. She had probably been left up there for giant food or something. Sylvester started to set this book in his lap too when it struck him... girls had hair. Hair with clips and things! Nearly all the girls he'd met liked hair and this book girl had a ton.
"Does this one look good?" he asked, holding it up so Khali could see.
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Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 9:51 pm
Khali craned her head to look at the book, tearing herself away from the colorful book in her lap long enough to take in the photo on the front. A smile touched her lips and she nodded, "Uh huh, it looks good."
She closed the book in her lap and reached out to touch the picture. It seemed she liked to do that, for what reason, she didn't know.
"I'd sure like to read it, so maybe that girl will."
Khali knew nothing about her, so all she could do was offer her own opinion on it. And hey, if she didn't like it? She'd gladly take it off her hands!
...Royal privilage and all that good stuff.
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Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 10:08 pm
Well, that was good enough for Sylvester. "Do you want anything?" It seemed like the thing to do, to thank her for helping him and all. He just hoped she didn't choose something too expensive. He didn't have that much on him.
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Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 10:19 pm
Her? Get a gift? That would be wonderful! Usually, she had very expensive taste. She'd already had her father blow a few hundred dollars in a few days in gifts and her room. But this was a book store!
...And they were all so shiny!
"S..sure," she said, giving a smile to the boy, "Maybe this book?" she held up the book in her lap. It wasn't very expensive, the sticker read "$3.95" and it was shiny.
And colorful.
And Khali looked absolutely over the moon.
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Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 10:35 pm
What's that? Sylvester had managed to survive Uncomfortable Little Girl Moment number two! "That's an excellent choice." See, he could play Pope as well as the next guy! He reached out a hand to take the book from her so he could pay, hoping that it wasn't questionable material. Her father would have a good reason to hurt him then, better than 'he's a giant kidnapping plushie' anyway. It looked all right. Shininess and color usually indicated nice things, and they were in the kids' section after all.
He got to his feet, placing the books he wasn't going to buy back on the shelf carefully, but not in their original order. Now where was the cash register?
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Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 10:46 pm
Khalindra beamed, "Thank you!" she chirped, excitement bubbling up and spilling over onto the child's features. Someone, other than her father, was actually buying her something and that was amazing to her. It was one thing when someone was obligated...
Khali reached up, pulling the 2nd barrette in two days from her hair, and offered it to him. The silver setting around what appeared to be a small sapphire gleamed in the light, "For you," she said, shyness suddenly overcoming her.
She was giving up yet another precious shiny.
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Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 10:57 pm
Sylvester took the barrette, turning it over in his fingers. It was really quite lovely, and he hadn't had to steal it or anything. He wouldn't have had the nerve to take something so nice. He put it in his pocket and offered the little Tale a hand up. "Thanks Khali."
Well, it was official. He didn't have it in him to be mean to his fellow Tales. He sighed, but there was still a smile on his face. "I should probably get going. After I pay for these, I mean."
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Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 11:00 am
"You're welcome!"
The princess took his hand gratefully and allowed him to help herself up, one of her hand smoothing out the wrinkles in her blue dress. She was glad that he liked the barrette since she knew when her father found out she was handing them out like candy he'd be rather upset. They weren't CHEAP by any means.
But appearently Alex was a big successful doctor and could afford it, right? She could always get more! Besides, she had like 20 of them!
At the boy's words she nodded her head, "Me too. Daddy wants to drag me to get more stuff for my room..." she smiled sweetly at him as she started to lead him toward the cash register.
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Posted: Thu May 18, 2006 1:03 pm
Sylvester let himself be led, finally dropping Khali's hand as they reached the register.
The cashier rang up the books before bagging them and croaking, "Ten seventy-seven, please." Sylvester handed over the money, pocketed his receipt, and turned back to Khalindra.
"Do you want me to carry this for you?" he asked, indicating the bag wrapped around his wrist. He held out his other hand in case she wanted to take it again.
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Posted: Thu May 18, 2006 1:13 pm
Khalindra took his hand again and nodded, blonde curls bouncing happily at the fact she got a present and a new friend. In the middle of the day time, no less. Oh yes, she was over the moon still.
In fact, her silver eyes had started to glow slightly. Creepy.
"Sure!" she chirped, giving his hand a squeeze.
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Posted: Thu May 18, 2006 1:39 pm
He led them out of the store, looking down at Khali out of the corner of his eye. That was just weird. She looked like one of those haunted dolls people sold on eBay. A little possessed floating Pope doll. Cute, but weird. He tried his best to keep to one side of her in case she started spouting lasers or something. "So, this was fun. Maybe we'll see each other again soon." He hadn't had much luck with that in the past, meeting a Tale more than once, but now that he could wander practically whereever he wanted, who could say who he would run into?
Up ahead, the doors to the outside loomed.
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Posted: Thu May 18, 2006 1:46 pm
"Yes, it was," she agreed as they reached the doors where he Author was frantically pacing back and forth in front of the fountain. She giggled softly, "Looks like daddy's a bit nervous..."
Had she known what Sylvester was thinking about her, she probably would have wilted. But eh, she didn't, so it was all good. Once she was back out in the sunlight, however, she'd probably go back to being cranky.
"I'd like to see you again," she beamed, tilting her head to the side, "I like making new friends..."
Aiden went and scooped her up, "I hope you had fun and all, but I don't like you going off on yourself," he scolded, nuzzling into her. Khalindra looked less than thrilled.
"Sylvester bought me a book!"
"Oh? Well, thank you, Sylvester."
Khali beamed down at her new friend.
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