The Garden, Tuesday Early Evening

[that_oldsaying]

It was true that no one so far had gotten mad at her for anything and her classes were being held outside and no one mentioned it was weird when she left her room and so, even though Alluka was still (maybe a little scared) concerned about getting caught, she'd decided to, at the very least, wander outside enough to go and sit on the grass.

Grass was fun. It was all tickly and funny-shaped and hard to tie into knots. (She tried.) When she got tired of that, she flopped down on her back and looked up at the blue, blue sky. It was prettier than the mural in her room back home, she decided, even though the real sun didn't smile, and just burned her eyes if she stared at it too long.

And (still) there was no one to rage at her for leaving her room. Not that her family had ever raged at her--she'd never even managed to get the door open and Alluka, honestly, couldn't remember the last time she'd tried--but… well… few people were as scary as her parents were. She wasn't brave like Killua.

(But then, she didn't have to be.)

Alluka sat up, her giraffe in her lap, and looked around the lawn. She didn't feel quite like trying to go to town, but maybe she'd just explore the grounds around the dorms and school.

So that was what she did, right up until she saw something so amazing that it sent her flying back to the dorms, racing up stairs, and right to Mabel's room. She knocked eagerly on the door, not even considering that Mabel might not be there.

"Mabel, Mabel, Mabel!"

[Mabel's thread comes first, but open to all!]

Comments

[rhymeswithtable.livejournal.com]

So, an important lesson learned by Mabel today? Words that started with A and ended with A were hard to say quickly in succession without them all running together!

"Allukallukalluka!"

See? Her door opened and she was smiling out at her a moment later.

"Hi!"

[that_oldsaying]

“Hi!” Alluka said, beaming back, before launching right into flailing about what had sent her to Mabel’s room in the first place. “Are you busy? I found a thing! It’s so exciting! You need to come see!”

[rhymeswithtable.livejournal.com]

"You found an exciting thing?! I love those!"

Pffft, like she was going to ask what that exciting thing actually was before pulling on her shoes and reaching for her camera.

"Lead the way!"

[that_oldsaying]

"It’s outside," Alluka bubbled as she hopped down the stairs, still clutching her giraffe. "And I’ve never seen anything like it before!"

Which was… not really hard to do, but it was still super exciting.

"And, and I wasn’t dreaming either!"

[rhymeswithtable.livejournal.com]

"I believe you, I believe you," Mabel chirped as she followed Alluka down the stairs, taking them two at a time and then jumping off the last few to land with a solid whump! at the bottom. "How far is it? Was it alive? It wasn't gnomes, was it?"

Gnomes were a very legitimate concern, okay?

[that_oldsaying]

Were they?

“It was alive,” Alluka said, since she was pretty sure it was as she steered them outside and across the lawn. “But not a gnome, I don’t think, unless that’s a funny name for them here. Not too far now!”

[rhymeswithtable.livejournal.com]

"If it's not a gnome, then it must be good," Mabel deduced, marching along after Alluka. "And it's in the outside! That is exciting!"

Mabel was genuinely excited, was the thing. There was a something out there and Alluka thought it was great? Then it had to be!

[that_oldsaying]

Alluka certainly thought so, anyway!

“We’re almost there!” she said happily, putting on an extra burst of speed as they reached…

“Look! That tree has pillows on it!”

Wasn't that amazing? That was totally amazing!

[rhymeswithtable.livejournal.com]

"What-what-WHAT?"

See, this was why Mabel needed to pay more attention to what Dipper was up to. He'd clothed himself off of the clothing tree not far from the pillow tree when they first got to the island.

"Ohmygosh IT'S A PILLOW TREE."

This was a huge deal, okay? Even for a girl who spent a summer in Gravity Falls.

[that_oldsaying]

Alluka flung her arms wide. “Full of soft and squishy pillows! Can you believe it?!”

It was the newest, bestest thing ever that she’d ever found!

Then she did a spin, just out of sheer exuberance.

[rhymeswithtable.livejournal.com]

Mabel needed to do a spin of her own. Because it was excellent! So excellent!

And then, with a mischievous grin on her face, she bounced over to pluck a pillow from the tree.

"Ever have a pillow fight?"

Mabel was a terrible person.

[that_oldsaying]

“Only with my toys,” Alluka admitted, laughing. Killua had never wanted to play that game with her, though he’d played a lot of other ones. “Do you think we really can?”

Mabel had taken a pillow! Was that allowed?

[rhymeswithtable.livejournal.com]

"I bet nobody will mind at all," Mabel declared, passing Alluka the pillow she'd picked and reaching for another one for herself. "And it's great fun! You just swing the pillow, like this!"

Yep. There she went, going to give Alluka a gentle bop with the pillow in her hands.

[furnaceface]

Jono had only been out for a walk, he swore. The fact that he'd gone by the dorms at about the same time Alluka was back there was just happy coincidence, more or less, though he would be the first to admit that he'd been hoping to run into her again sometime soon.

And, okay, he did hang around a bit, until the girls were done with their pillow fight and the one with the colourful sweater had headed inside, but that was only because he didn't want to interrupt, and sweater-girl had taken off at something of a run to... get something, maybe? He wasn't completely sure.

//Alluka, luv,// he greeted, stepping onto the lawn and only feeling a little bit weird about it. He didn't come around to the dorms themselves often, and it had been a while since he'd actually lived in them himself. //How're you settling in?//

[that_oldsaying]

Alluka was sprawled on her back, head on Bubbles' pillow, when Jono's voice rang in her head.

She shot up excitedly, disheveled and thrilled in equal parts.

"Hi, hi, hi!" she said happily, and then flung herself towards him for a hug.

What was that? It was weird to hug people you'd only met once? Alluka didn't care!

[furnaceface]

Jono was, at least, used to being tackled by small girls for hugs, by now. He had time to blink, brace himself, and open his arms before she made contact. And then, because why the hell not? He picked her up and twirled once with her in his arms before setting her back down.

Shut up. Jono had a soft spot for kids.

//And hello to you too, luv.//

He just. Couldn't. She. Awwwwwwwwwww. Just awwwwwwww.

[that_oldsaying]

Jono gave the best hugs! They made her hair whip around and made her laugh and he was now doomed to get a hug from her every time she saw him. Doomed.

Alluka bounced back a step, just to be able to grin up at him properly, and said, "I missed you!"

[furnaceface]

//Oh, did you?//

See? She was going to turn him into a big ball of mush, at this rate. Damn, kid, you knew how to wrap a man around your little finger, didn't you?

//I suppose it has been a while. Should I visit more often?//

[that_oldsaying]

It shouldn't have been possible for her smile to get brighter, but it did.

"Yes, please!" Alluka said, all big eyes and hope. "If, if you have the time! And I can show you things like the pillow tree!"

There was a pillow tree! Over there! Maybe he hadn't noticed it before!

[furnaceface]

//Well, I've got plenty of time,// Jono shared. //I'm not even teaching this semester, so mostly I'm just spending time at the music shop, or with my partner. I think that means I could at least take some time to be properly introduced to the pillow tree.//

He'd been aware that the pillow tree was a thing. He'd been a student here too, after all, and a friend to Ino, who had spent plenty of time in the garden. But for Alluka's sake? He'd absolutely be happy to rediscover it. Why not? A tree that grew pillows was still fairly novel, even on this crazy island.

[that_oldsaying]

Oh! Oh! That meant that she was going to reach for his hand to see if she could take it so that she could tug him over to the tree.

He was tall enough that he'd be able to reach the higher pillows, if he wanted to!

"The pillow tree is really nice," Alluka said, as if she was an authority on pillow trees, then she ruined it by giggling. "I've never seen one before! It's so funny!"

[furnaceface]

//You know, I've only ever seen them here?// Jono allowed himself to be tugged along, only stumbling a little bit on the way. //I hear they came from the world of a student who used to go to school here on the island, but I never knew him, and I wouldn't know what world that even is.//

Though if he had known about Xanth, he'd have to concede that it wasn't even the strangest place he'd been to in his lifetime. Even if all the puns would likely be the death of him.

//It is a lovely tree, though. From a distance, the pillows even look a little like large flowers, wouldn't you say?//

[that_oldsaying]

Alluka came to an abrupt and sudden stop at his last question, as she had never actually paused to consider the appearance of the tree.

She studied it carefully now.

"A little bit," she allowed. "But flowers should be more colourful!"

[furnaceface]

//Perhaps they should be,// Jono replied, looking up thoughtfully at the tree. //I suppose we could dye a few. They' wouldn't be able to go back up onto the tree, of course, but I don't see any reason why we couldn't have multicoloured pillows once they've been plucked.//

Not that he had any dye handy, but it wasn't as though it was difficult to get some.

[that_oldsaying]

Alluka gave a gasp that was entirely made of sheer delight.

"We could, we could make them pretty?"

Really? Really? They could do that?