((Santa's village-->heading to pet shop))
Now Maili was annoyed. She hadn't come to see Santa, she had come to see the Interesting Individual--only to find that the Interesting Individual didn't want to talk with her. Which, when she thought about it, made a strange sort of sense. After all, she was just another annoying human (well, apparently human....) kid. When she heard the admonishment about being rude, she blinked at the comparison that was made. "Actually.... I don't think I'd mind it too much. It'd mean someone actually noticed something different about me, and didn't just focus on the way that I loo--" Maili stopped abruptly, realizing something, and her face flushed. For her, it might mean looking past appearances, but in the others case, it was the exact opposite, people only focusing on her outlandish appearance, and not who she was. Slightly embarrassed, and bit annoyed at herself, Maili muttered a soft, "Sorry...."
It was then that the word "Raevan" penetrated her brain. About to fire off another question, Maili stopped uncharacteristically, her embarrassment still fresh in her mind. Instead, she climbed the stairs quietly and without fuss, then sat down in "Santa's" lap.
"So," he asked, "What do you want for Christmas?" him smiling as laugh lines crinkled around his eyes.
Maili originally had been going to say something snide to him, but upon seeing his genuine happiness at doing this job, she instead said, "I want to learn about Raevans."
Without lingering, she gave him a short, "Thank you," and got off his lap. Turning to the Interes--no Raevan--she said simply, "And I also extend my thanks to you."
And then Maili walked off into the mall, having a sneaking suspicion of where she might be able find her cousin.
