fandomhighdorms | Fourth floor comon room: Saturday afternoon

Karal stumbled into the common room in something of a daze.

In his arms was a chinchilla. Esther the chinchilla, in fact, and she was extremely cute, all bright eyes and twitching nose.

Unfortunately she was also talking. A lot. "...so this is a common room. I've never seen a common room before. What makes it common? That seems like a strange name. Can I have a biscuit? Or a carrot? I bet there's some in that big white box over there. Put me down so I can hop around! I want to see why it's common!"

Karal set her down on the table, sank into a chair, and let his head thump onto the table top. Esther was still talking. "Why did you do that? Didn't that hurt? This isn't the floor, I can't get to the white box from here." Hop hop, nudge nudge. "Your hair is soft. Not as soft as mine, but it's soft. Can I get down? I want to explore. Where's my biscuit? You were going to get me a biscuit."

"Bright Flame, please stop talking!" Karal begged her.

"But you wanted me to talk. you said so. You said you wished I could talk, and then I could! Not that I couldn't talk before, you just couldn't understand me. I don't think humans are very smart. Oh, what's over here?!"

Karal groaned and closed his eyes.

[ooc: well, it's a common room, so of course it's open! Karal wished Esther the chinchilla could talk, and lo and behold... Plus, shhhh, it always said Saturday.]

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Esther flattened her ears and glared. "You can't tell me what to do. No one can tell me what to do, except maybe Karal but even then I don't have to listen and you said I could have a bag of my own and you can't change it now."

"I do not think an attempt to teach her manners is going to be at all successful," he said, propping his head on his hand.

"I wonder how Sokka trained Momo Junior?" Then Evie blinked, remembering what Momo Junior was like most of the time. "Never mind. As soon as the microwave dings, the popcorn is ready and yours, Esther." She looked back at Karal. "She sounds rather like a, um. Toddler. The few I've met."

"I only hope that it wears off," Karal replied.

Esther flicked her tail. "Not me. I like it that you can understand me, before I'd talk to you and you'd just look at me like you were dumb and this is better. What's a toddler?"

"A very small human," Evie told Esther, taking the popcorn bag out of the microwave and ripping it open. "Careful! This is going to be quite hot, you might want to wait." She gave Karal a sympathetic look. "Well, nothing lasts around here, it seems."

Esther was up on her back legs, making grabby paws at the bag. "Give give give give that smells so good I want it now I don't care if it's hot! Mine!"

Karal facepalmed. "I am sorry, Evie."

Fighting off giggles now, Evie spread some popcorn out on the table to cool, then left the opened bag next to it for Esther. "Momo Junior and you really must meet soon, I think. Although he'll get his own bag of popcorn too. And it's fine, Karal, truly!"

Esther might be able to talk, but she obviously wasn't very bright, seeing as she bounded over and dived into the bag, shoving her nose into the hot popcorn.

There was silence for about a second. "It's hot!" she wailed and scrambled out of the bag to launch herself at Karal, whimpering as she burrowed against his chest.

"Oh dear. Evie could you get a bowl of water, please?" He tried to stop the uncharitable thought that at least she'd finally stopped talking.

Evie hastily went to get a big bowl of water, and said, "Oh, Esther. Oh my. I should have waited, even though she was so eager, I *am* sorry, Karal!"

Karal rolled his eyes as Esther whimpered again, louder, stealing a glance over her shoulder at Evie. "If she was foolish enough to try it even after you told her it was hot, that is not your fault. Perhaps you will listen from now on," he added, tapping Esther on the nose, jerking his finger out of the way as she tried to bite it. "Bad Chinchilla!"

Esther was unrepentant. "You should pass me some popcorn and I'm thirsty and my tongue still hurts."

Evie put the bowl of cool water down for Esther, and shook her head. "She *sounds* quite aware and adult, if hyperactive, but, well. That is perhaps deceptive." She smiled at Karal. "Wishes *are* touchy things, aren't they? Thank heavens there's no djinn around to laugh."

Pulling away from Karal, she bounded over and started sucking down water, sneezing when she shoved her face too far into the bowl.

"What's a djinn?" Karal asked, watching her closely. He wanted her to be quiet, but he didn't want her to drown.

"A spirit of air and fire in Egyptian and Eastern mythology. Some of them are rather malicious, but some are helpful. Most of the stories talk about freeing them from imprisonment in some small object, and then having adventures when they grant three wishes to the unwary." Evie reached over to carefully scritch Esther's head behind her ears. "Or losing the object that imprisoned them, then having to retrieve it in order to keep them from wreaking havoc."

Esther spun around, spraying water everywhere, and tried to bite Evie.

Karal made a grab for her. "Esther!"

"Eeeep!" Evie yanked her hand back immediately, and gave Karal a huge-eyed look. "Um. I see she doesn't like to be touched. Ahem. Apologies, Esther."

"Ask first, you should ask first." Esther was glaring and Karal was holding her very carefully. "And don't sneak up! I was drinking and then you were just touching me and no one said you could do that even if you did bring me popcorn!"

"Esther, you cannot bite people!"

"I could if they didn't move so fast!"

"No sneaking," Evie agreed to, then had to fight giggles at the conversation. "No touching."

"Okay, that's okay, then. And you did bring me popcorn, and it is very good," she wriggled out of Karal's hands and started munching on it, in blessed silence.

Karal sighed gratefully. "Thank the Sunlord she is at least quiet when she eats," he muttered.

"And rather mercurial," Evie said, keeping her voice down. "Not unlike the other chinchilla I know. They really should be introduced once Esther, um, ceases to have the advantage of Momo in conversational areas."

"I'm not sure that is such a good idea. I'm rather afraid it might end with fur flying everywhere. But perhaps. I have to return her at the end of the workshop, in any event."

Something in his expression made it clear this was not going to be a hardship.

Evie giggled at that, and said, "But it's been educational?"

"It has been interesting. She tried to bite Altra the first day I got her." Esther kept nabbing popcorn and shoving it in her mouth, mumbling with her mouth full.

"I can't imagine Altra appreciated that," Evie said dubiously. "I suppose someone could lift the effects of the wish, but really, I have no idea who."

"I will wait and see if it wears off. If it doesn't I will seek out a magic user."

Esther sent a spray of popcorn across the room as she said, "I like talking I don't want to stop ever!"

"Maybe sooner rather than later," he added.

Fourth floor comon room: Saturday afternoon

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