|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 5:08 pm
The day had started off sunny, like so many days this time of year, but after lunch the skies had creaked open stubbornly and coughed out a fine mist. It wasn't much, but you wouldn't know it from watching the people of Gaia skitter from the mall's glass doors to the parking garage, mumbling and holding their purchases over their heads to protect their fancy hair.
Sylvester sat off to the side of the door, where the smokers would have been if the mist hadn't descended. Beads of water had collected on his fur, making him look fuzzy and well... wet. It wasn't so bad. Watching people was fun, and if he watched them here he didn't have to lie to Smerdle about where he'd been. The mall was a perfectly respectible place for someone his age to be. A normal place.
A teenage girl stared as her boyfriend dragged her along behind him. Sylvester mustered up the scariest smile he could and she turned away. Amateur.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 5:15 pm
"Khalindra," came a patient voice, "We have to get the rest of the things for your room and maybe we can get something for Armel. Wouldn't you like to get your friend a present?"
Aiden was looking rather tired, his hair messy and uncombed, and one of those looks on his face that said he'd been far too patient already and it was running low. Not only had Khalindra decided she didn't want to sleep that night, she had decided that she wanted to sleep all day.
Unfortunately, he had things to do. Like study. And work. Because work was good.
Khalindra was clinging to his hand, looking incredibly stubborn, "But it's DAY time out and..." she sighed. It hadn't been as bad as the previous day. The sun had been bright and it had hurt. Now that it was overcast, however, it wasn't that bad. She could deal with it. If she wanted to.
Unfortunately for Aiden, the star princess really didn't want to.
"Day or not, you need to be up. Night is the time for sleep."
"To each there own," she muttered, peering around the mall with those star-lighted eyes. It was then that they landed on Sylvester. He looked interesting enough!
If she couldn't sleep, she may as well amuse herself. Breaking away from her father, Khalindra made her way over to him, ignoring the cry of alarm Aiden sent after her.
"Hello!" she said cheerfully.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 5:27 pm
Sylvester turned from the nosy teenager just in time to see a little sparkling blob gracefully bounding toward him. He reached up and wiped off his glasses with the sleeve of his shirt.
"Hey," he replied. "What's up?" He looked up and saw Aiden's exhausted and slightly frantic expression, silently hoping he wasn't about to be accused of some form of kidnapping. "Is that your dad?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 5:35 pm
Khalindra looked back towards Aiden and nodded her head, "Uh huh," she beamed over at him, hoping to calm the man down. He did, but only slightly, and wandered to go sit beside the fountain. His eyes never left her.
She sighed, "My author," she muttered softly, crankiness flaring at the way she was being watched. Her small face lifted to look at the boy once more, tilting her head, "He made me wake up n...I was tired n...Mmph," Her lower lip jutted outward as her hand lifted, "I'm Khali! Who're you?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 5:41 pm
"Author? I've got one of those." He raised his own hand, unsure whether he should shake her hand or make some other sort of gesture. He'd met Tales that liked different forms of greeting, and she was certainly a Tale. "I'm Sylvester."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 5:45 pm
Khalindra's hand hung there, waiting for the other to take her hand and kiss it like those handsome princes did in the movie that Aiden had taken her to see. She was now convinced she was a princess.
"Oh! So you're like me?" she asked, canting her head and praying he'd take her hand sometime soon. Her arm was getting tired, "Came from the big book?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 5:57 pm
"Yeah. In the Stationery Store," he said. He looked at her hand. What could she possibly want him to do with it? Placing his fingers against her palm, he bounced her hand against his a bit before something struck him.
The Godfather.
She wanted him to kiss the ring! Maybe the Tome had spit out the first Girl Pope! He smiled, suddenly grateful, and bent over, touching his lips lightly to the back of her hand. "Nice to meet you."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 6:00 pm
Her silver eyes sparkled and, taking her cue, Khalindra bobbed in a light courtsey, letting her hand fall gracefully down to her side. Still, a smile was plastered on her lips. Maybe the day time WASN'T so bad. You know, besides the horrid burning the sun did to her pale flesh.
She, at least, met really nice people.
"A pleasure, Sylvester," she said politely, her golden hair bouncing as she lifted her head to look at him again, sliding from the courtsey with ease, "I've only met you and Armel. Are there any girls?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 6:12 pm
Well, that was different. He might have been embarrassed if he hadn't been so relieved. Living through one more unorthodox introduction was quite an accomplishment. "Oh yeah, lots of girls! I've met mostly girls, actually." If she'd only met Armel... "When did you... hm... when were you born?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 6:18 pm
"On Mother's Day," Khali answered promptly, brushing some of her golden blonde hair from her face, "Everything's so new," she beamed a little bit, then winced ever so slightly as a shaft of sunlight made it's way from the clouds and touched her skin.
Pain. Mentally, Khali made a note to ask her father for some kind of cloak to keep the sun's heat from her sensitive skin.
"And...The sun REALLY hurts."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 6:24 pm
"I remember when I first got here. I couldn't talk as well as you though. It was fun." He noticed her pained expression. "It still is. Do you want to go inside? I'm supposed to be buying something for someone. A girl. Maybe you could help me find something she'd like."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 6:31 pm
She nodded her head a little bit, "I don't know why I can," she said softly, giving a small shrug of her shoulders. The material of her dress fluttered slightly around her. It did look a bit fancy for an outing to the mall, but she had insisted upon wearing it.
"And..I'll help you," she decided, breathing deeply, "DADDDY!"
Aiden jumped slightly, "What?!"
"I'm goin' with Sylvester, okay?" she smiled charmingly when Aiden was about to protest...Which caused the man to melt and nod his head.
"You take good care of her, you hear me, boy?" doing his best to put on the protective father routine he really was NOT used to giving.
Khalindra simply latched onto Sylvester's hand, "He will!" she chirped.
Too trusting, she was.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 6:58 pm
Sylvester nodded at Aiden. He had never been that kid before. The one that had the potential to cause trouble. Being old was turning out to be interesting.
He led Khali inside, bypassing a smelly candle store. Chai's mother might have been weird enough to let her play with fire, but he doubted it. He ran his free hand over his hair, smoothing the remaining droplets through. "So, what's fun in here?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 7:01 pm
"I dunno," Khali said softly, following him with a small skip every now and then, "Never been here before. Daddy took me to a different place yesterday to get stuff for my new room."
Peeking around, "Who's the girl? What's she like?" she asked, silver eyes keeping an eye out for something that may appeal to her. If it appealed to her, it may appeal to the girl too, "Does she like books?"
She adored them, even if she couldn't read yet.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 7:12 pm
"Her name's Chai. Chailyn. I think it'd make her happy if I got her something, since she likes getting stuff for other people." He also kind of wanted to get her a present before she gave him one. She had helped him out when he needed it, and he wanted to show her he was grateful. "She might like books." Sylvester didn't really know either. He knew she liked her pets, but he couldn't really buy her an animal. A stuffed one maybe. Even he liked those. But only as a last resort.
"There," Sylvester said, pointing to the bookstore. Thankfully it was nearby, since he really hadn't wanted to read the map at the information stand.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
