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The Wishing Tree (2) : Your wish is only said to come true if you grant the wish of someone else; when you write your wish, you must also take one off of the tree and do your best to grant it. What wish do you pull off, and how do you intend to ‘grant’ it? Do you work with someone else to grant this wish, or do you work alone? You may get approval from another player to use the wish their character hung up, but no names are attached so your character may not ever know who wrote it!
Delilah's fleeing brought her back to the tree. Even if she thought the whole thing was silly, it was unlikely her unfilled wish would come true unless she granted another wish, so the superstition around the tree said. She honestly wasn't sure if she bought it, mostly because she didn't think her wish even had a chance of coming true despite her burying it in the ground, but it was worth a shot.
Perhaps she could bring some good to someone else, even if she couldn't find a way to get any good to come her particular way.
The wish she ended up plucking off the tree looked like a young child had written it. The scrawl was in crayon and, to be honest, hardly legible. When she sat with it, it took her a few times to figure out what accompanied the writing was a drawing, and a couple more tries to realize the writing that accompanied the drawing as an drawing of an ice cream cone. Really, it was a simple ask. Delilah thought it was a good one that she could definitely work with. I wish for ice cream. After all, who didn't?
Delilah often found herself wishing for ice cream, especially in this kind of heat that had been hovering over them for what felt like an eon. She glanced up to the sky blearily.
Perhaps she would fulfill the wish by getting herself some ice cream. Felt a bit self-centered, but it was the wish, was it not? She let a grin actually take over her features for a few moments as she headed off toward the sound of the nearest ice cream stand, eager to let herself taste some of that cold vanilla treat and maybe cool her body down. Maybe it would let her forget about the stress of her current reality for a few hours as she lost herself to the reality of sweet things and deliciousness.
The line was short, and there was a father and his daughter in front of her. She waited patiently for them.
"Daddy! Can I get a big sundae? With the chocolate sauce and the sprinkles and--"
"Honey, I can't get that for you today. Will a small cone work?"
Delilah's eyes softened, and she couldn't help the way it tore at her heart. She could picture the child in front of her being the one who wrote the wish, hoping that when they got to the ice cream cart, they could magically afford everything in it, toppings and chocolate and all. She knew she had enough on her to afford it, but she'd only be able to get a small cone for herself if she did. Not like she really carried cash. Mostly just stole items and food to make immediate use of versus money.
Probably a mistake, to be honest, but items tended to be less traceable. Most people didn't think to insure their items or place any kind of way to track them down. Large sums of money, though, could be traced. She had read enough stories of how they had caught people in bank heists to take any chance in being part of that.
"Daddy, please?" The young girl's voice was pleading, and her eyes looked like they were about to well up with water. Delilah couldn't help the way it tore at her heart. Perhaps she might have been in that child's position once, in one mysterious world where she still had parents that loved and cared for her well-being. Perhaps she might have begged them for ice cream in the same way she had once begged them for a pony in her own dreams. Perhaps she might have begged them for a chocolate sundae with chocolate sauce and chocolate sprinkles.
"Lydia," the father's tone was upset, dismayed, as he dug through his pockets to prove to his daughter he didn't have the money for it. Delilah watched as he drew out one, two, three dollars in front of the ice cream cart, looking increasingly embarrassed as he realized there was nothing else to offer. "I only have a few dollars on me. I can perhaps get you a few sprinkles on that small cone?"
The vendor looked sympathetic, but their hands were still tied. It was a warm day with many customers and these two were just another two in the long line of people that they would have to tend to. "I can get you some extra sprinkles, sure."
"Don't worry about it." Delilah patted the father's shoulder, making him jump and look at her in surprise. "Let her get whatever she wants. I got it." The girl started to bounce up and down as the father looked at her with a mix of shame and gratitude. The owner of the cart, though, mostly just seemed to be happy to be making a bigger sale, and happily took the orders of both the little girl and Delilah -- a large sundae with multiple flavors and extra chocolate sauce and sprinkles for the small girl, and a small vanilla cone for her.
"Say thank you to the lady, Lydia."
"Thank you!"
Delilah couldn't help the sappy smile on her face as she replied, "Sweetie, it's hardly a problem. You enjoy your ice cream."
Perhaps fulfilling the wish had been twofold; she had gotten ice cream for herself, but she had also brightened the day of a small child and eased the day of her father and their poorer circumstances. It was something that Delilah was happy to accept as her wish fulfillment, and she found herself returning to the spot where she had buried her first wish. Once she finished her ice cream -- it was melting so rapidly she was worried it would turn into liquid on her hands before she got to finish it, so perhaps it was good she hadn't been able to get a large cone -- she set down on her knees again, getting to work burying the child's wish nearby her own.
