Reunited

[smilingarmor]

Who: Sylvando and Mal
Where: A less frequented walkway between two campus buildings
When: A few days after the Festival of the Gods, late afternoon/early evenging
What: Sylv finally runs into Mal again for the first time since the Magic Kingdoms. Awkwardness and emotions are likely.
Warnings: Maybe some stuff from Mal's backstory? But otherwise probably none.

Sylvando was on his way back to his room after a bit of successful busking in the nearby square. Another few tweaks, and he'd be ready to take his act to the city at large. Plus, the pocket full of cash would be useful, both for immediate wants and needs and projects down the line.

It was a bit later than he usually headed back, though so a shortcut was in order. Thankfully the cafeteria was open for another hour or two; he could pick up some food, take it back to his room and...

He paused just before turning the corner to head down said shortcut though. There was a distinct hissing sound coming from down the path a bit. Someone's cat or snake familiar? No, it was too constant; it almost certainly wasn't an animal. And he also caught a whiff of a sharp, acrid smell. A familiar one. Could it be...?

He turned the corner into the alleyway and spotted a familiar head of purple hair, one attached to a young girl who was busy painting graffiti on the wall of one of the buildings that bordered the alley. "Mal, darling!", he said. "There you are! I was beginning to think we were going to keep missing each other forever." He'd seen her graffiti at various places around campus, so he'd known she was there, but for some reason they hadn't run into each other yet.

Comments

[mal_contented]

Well then maybe she had it earlier in the day. It wasn't like they had swapped schedules. Besides, she hardly paid attention to what class was when in the morning. Just trying to be awake enough to keep up her rep while still absorbing the lesson was too much effort for her in the mornings. It wasn't like she was sleeping all that well here. And to be fair - not that she ever was, even to herself - she usually over slept in Auradon and on the Isle too. Mornings were never going to be her friends.

"With all those friends here, it's surprising you even had time to notice my art, let alone find me," she said, blandly. "Aren't they expecting you back by now?" If he really had that many friends here now... what did he need with her? Ugh. She refused to get upset about it. At least she refused when there were any witnesses. She'd done just fine when she was avoiding him - she was good at lying to herself still - She'd be fine when he remembered he liked the other people more. She'd make sure she was.

She shrugged to answer his questions, and to change the subject. "A bunch of them, I'd have to check my notes. They all have weird names. I more just know where to go when. My time skip spell isn't working here as well as I'm used to," read, at all, "So it takes me a bit." she shrugged and took a long drag of her coffee. "They put me in some house called Ka. I mean really, do I look like the snake type? Or did they just see daughter of a dragon and toss me in the reptile one." She presumed it was named after the infamous Kaa, after all. "I have a few dozen nasty little spells around my stuff of course, but other than a place to stash stuff, I hardly see the point." she shrugged, leaning back to look up at the sky above them. "I mean, I'm sure you're not sleeping in your dorm either," she added with a snort. "Probably up half the night telling stories or juggling for coins." She grinned at him a bit, sure he was about to laugh and admit that she was right.

[smilingarmor]

"Oh don't be silly, Mal darling," Sylvando said, dismissing the very idea without hesitation. "Just because I've found some of my old friends doesn't mean I'm going to forget my new friends. Or that I could fail to notice your lovely work. You really do have a distinctive style, you know; so bold end full of energy!" Especially when combined with the primary colors being shades of purple and green, it really couldn't have been anyone else.

He took a bite of his sandwich while Mal talked about her house and classes, then grinned when his mouth was free again. "What a small world it is, because both Erik and I are in Ka too! Isn't that wonderful? And you're right that I haven't been staying at the dorm, but that's only because they put me up in a room in the staff quarters. After all, a fellow my age rooming with so many little ones might not go over well with some parents. I'd be a perfect gentleman, of course, but it wouldn't do to set a precedent."

Really he was more concerned about her apparently not sleeping at the dorm. It might be workable for now, but it wouldn't be long until the weather started turning colder, assuming the seasons here followed the same pattern they were used to. "And where might you be sleeping darling, if not the dorm? There's no convenient stables on campus after all."

[mal_contented]

She just barely managed to put her food aside rather than dropping it, before she all but lunged at him, grabbing the front of his clothes in her hands. "YOU HAVE YOUR OWN ROOM!?" she growled. Then she let go of him and shook her head as she realized just how perfect this was. "Well not any more. You now ave a roommate. Don't touch my coffee and you might actually get a turn in the bathroom before classes," she said as her brain turned this over. This... This would make things so much easier. She could work with this. It wasn't like they hadn't been roommates before. She was reasonably certain he wouldn't mess up her stuff or turn on her while she slept. And his floor has got to be more comfortable than some of the other places she'd found recently. She didn't need a mattress, but someplace dry to sleep would do wonders. And maybe he had a sofa she could pummel into proper lumpiness.

Yes. She could work with this. "I'll get my stuff tomorrow," she decided, satisfied with this plan. She was feeling at ease about it enough that she even plucked up a strawberry.