Welcome to Gaia! ::

Efflo enjoyed ambling about in his natural form whenever he got the chance, and today was no exception. It felt incredibly good to stretch his legs and cavort about the open parts of campus. Having made the most of gallivanting about, he was planning on heading back to his dorms when he came across the selkie dozing under a tree, her book fallen half open in her lap. He thought of tiptoeing away quietly, tempted to just avoid the ghoul altogether for the moment. It would be easier…

But after seeing her almost get stepped on for what seemed like the thousandth time, he shook his bared skull, a raspy, exasperated snort echoing through it as he gave up on escape and meandered over to wake her before she was trampled.

His consolation prize? Efflo remained his horsey self, gently nibbling at the ghoul’s shirt before giving her a nudge. When she awoke, Sibyl would find herself staring straight into his bony face.

He shook his head again, and then realized that Sibyl might not recognize him. Efflo paused, staring blankly at her. He should really change back, but she had mentioned spookies and he did quite like spookies. He liked them enough to stick around even though she was awake now, and no longer in immediate foot-crushing danger.

Reaching for her bag with his skinless muzzle, he nosed through it, looking for spookies and whuffling softly. Luckily, it was pretty cute thing to do as a horse. He was infinitely more confident as a horse. When he was a boil? Not so much.

Efflo frowned mentally, in his haste for spookies, he’d completely forgotten about his inability to eat anything anymore as a horse. His ears lowered against his head, it was something that made him feel gloomy, and so he often tried not to think about it. Of course, she could have shoved the spookies through his skull and down his throat but that was not a pleasant endeavor for either party. Efflo settled for changing back into his two-legged form, shadow and glowing green fog overtaking him as he shrank down to regular size.

Sibyl’s questions were all immediately answered as Efflo suddenly stood before her. He sat down beside her and leaned back against the tree, taking an offered spookie with a sigh. The boil crunched loudly, surprised at how tasty it was. It was really good. He turned to her smiling, his issues suddenly tempered by the fact that she had fed him delicious treats.

“Thank-you, Sibyl, they’re great! Did you make them?” he asked distractedly, eyeing up the remaining spookies in her hand.

Normally Efflo would have been up and running at even the first hint of a hug. But all he could think of was his stomach, and those delicious spookies. As long as he thought she might have more, he wasn’t going anywhere.

“Hi Sibyl,” he said pleasantly. Then he very calmly removed her arms from around them, and unwound her fists, inspecting them for spookies. They were crumbled and in pieces, but he didn’t mind in the slightest. He was in spookie heaven.

Eating was such a fun thing to do, he forgot all about his jealousy for the moment. He also apparently forgot social norms, the boil dipping his head down without hesitation to lick the crumbs off of Sibyl’s palm.

He sat back, blinking as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Sibyl! I got a little carried away.” But before his instinct to run could even kick in, she was handing him the entire bag. His eyes went wide as saucers, looking at her incredulously. Really? He could have the whole bag?

“Sibyl…” he frowned, even though his hand was already in the bag and lifting a baked treat to his mouth. “I can’t eat all of your spookies. Where did you get them? We should go get more.”

Then he proceeded to eat all of her spookies.

He tilted his head, mouth full of spookie.

“A bakery? Lotsa stuff? Well…” Efflo faced a dilemma. On one hand, he wasn’t sure he was entirely over his issues with Sibyl. On the other, he thought he might be in love with her. But that may have been his spookie-filled stomach talking. It was very complicated. He definitely needed more delicious treats before he could decide.

“Okay, let’s go!”

Efflo’s excitement wasn’t quite so visible, but he smiled nonetheless. More spookies! And Sibyl seemed so excited to go, with him even. He felt bad for feeling the way he had as she tugged him to his feet. She really was a great ghoul, if only she would just touch his Gabby less. Efflo sighed, looking down at his hand firmly clasped in the selkie’s. He couldn’t imagine that ever, ever happening.

All his worries were forgotten, however, the moment they stepped into the bakery. His eyes went wide; he had never seen so many treats in one place in his life.

“Sibyl, it’s perfect.”