“I’m going on a date with Flint?” Vahaadi asks in surprise.
“What?! No no no, not a date. Well, I guess it is, but not like THAT. It’s…constructive male bonding.”
“Right,” he responds as I begin to push him toward the door. A look of dismay passes over his face. ” We’re not going to watch Small Horses again, are we?”
I smile at his distress, but try to hide it. “I’ll make sure he knows you’d rather not watch My Little Pony.”
“May I ask why I’m being foisted off on Flint?”
“I’m not foisting you! I just want you to have a chance to hang out with other men. Being around a crazy teenage girl all day is good for your ego, I’m sure, but it CAN’T be good for your social health. Besides, Lord Sunusatra and Lady Novella want to talk to you–”
Vahaadi lurches to a stop, bracing against the door frame to stop me from pushing him out. “This is THERAPY, isn’t it?!” he demands in accusation.
I cringe guiltily. “Vahaadi, I just want to help you feel better. You’ve been really lonely lately. You need people to talk to.”
He looks sullen and sighs. “Fine,” he mutters.
I smile pityingly at him. “Cheer up, Vahaadi. You might just enjoy yourself if you’re willing to.”
Snagging Flint’s attention, Evie waved him over silently. Understanding, he ducked into a hallway and whispered “Why are we hiding?” Evie barely made eye contact with him as she peered around his muscle laden shoulder to make sure Spark was nowhere in sight. Deciding the coast was clear (and, hey, she was the author, she could keep it that was as long as she wanted… usually. Spark had a way of dominating more than any of her other characters so Evie always had to be careful.) she smiled at Flint almost shyly. It had been a long time since she had talked to him, just the two of them. His green eyes twinkled with his dependable cheerfulness and the smile she wore worked its way up to her eyes. “Vahaadi is coming over to play tennis with you, but Spark doesn’t know about it. I don’t want her to find out either.”
Flint nodded knowingly. Although Spark had once been an avid tennis player alongside him she had increasingly become bored with the game, wanting to add theatrical or superpowered aspects to their play. Those things tended to ruin the fun for Flint, though, since the reason he played tennis was because it lacked any need for powers or dramatic decisions. Opal played with him to be kind, but it wasn’t her way of enjoying herself and Van thought it a useless exercise from Earth; his time would be better spent elsewhere. Eager to have a playing partner Flint readily agreed. “I won’t say a word to her.”
At a knock on the door, Evie gestured for Flint to answer it. “That’s probably him. I’m going to go make sure Spark is distracted so that she doesn’t come looking for you.” She handed Flint a couple of rackets and changes of clothes with a quick hug. “Have fun! See you!” and dashed down the hall to track down her adorable but troublemaking superheroine.
Flint opened the door to find a rather solemn looking Vahaadi.
Flint grinned, ushering Vahaadi in and clasping an arm around his shoulders. Having lived with Sunsustra for so long Flint usually gave people full on hugs, but Vahaadi didn’t exactly look enthused to be there, so Flint had to settle for a side-hug/pat on the back combo. “Vahaadi! Glad you made it!”
When Flint answered, he suddenly felt very embarrassed. He averted his eyes from Flint’s kindly face.
“Hello, Flint. I’m here for constructive male bonding,” he said with a glance that was both sheepish and skeptical, yet seemed to invite Flint to laugh at his expense.
OK, I told you this before, but my favorite thing about this whole exchange is the way you drew Vahaadi’s politely sullen expression XD It makes me squee a little. Vahaadi very much appreciates that Flint will play with him. As I told you, I think sports and exercise make him a little punch-drunk and giddy. He’s a really physical person, so he just likes to move. But, unlike Spark, he doesn’t have quite the energy she does to get up and going by himself. He needs to be played with! That was one of the positive things Tryvnah introduced him to: exercise for fun. With his family, he always had to be cooped up inside sewing and, besides, there wasn’t enough food to let him burn calories wantonly. When they started being friends, Tryvnah would hunt Vahaadi down and drag him away from sewing and make him get some fresh air and exercise.
If you will indulge me, this is a little scene I wanted to write out…
Vahaadi heard the tent flap open. He tensed when he recognized Tryvnah’s scent, moments before the gypsy man grabbed his shoulders and playfully jostled him. “Vahaadi. C’mon, baby, let’s go for a run.”
“What?”
“A run! C’mon, you can’t stay cooped up in here all day,” Tryvnah insisted, tugging on his arm. Vahaadi just barely avoided putting the needle through his finger. He jerked his arm away.
“But Ajilah wants me to finish–”
Tryvnah rolled his eyes and snorted, looking both endeared and exasperated. “You don’t have to finish it all TODAY.” He slid his arms under Vahaadi’s armpits and hoisted him quite suddenly to his feet. “Up you go!”
Vahaadi was so flustered he simply let the veil he was embroidering fall from his hands. “But wha-wha-where are we running to?”
“I don’t care. It doesn’t matter!”
“We’re going to go, just…run around for the sake of it?” His thin face twisted into a scowl. “That’s stupid.”
As usual, Tryvnah knew exactly what to say. “Well, we can race, if you want, but I’d win,” he smiled.
A spark of competition burst into life in Vahaadi’s fragile teen ego. “Ha! Not likely!” he sneered.
Tryvnah grinned widely. “Oh, you think you can run faster than me, huh?” he ruffled Vahaadi’s hair up for good measure and the danced backward out of reach when Vahaadi swiped at him. “Better start moving if you wanna catch up!” he jeered. And then he took off at full tilt, Vahaadi in hot pursuit.
(and at first Vahaadi is grumpy and chasing Tryvnah around because he’s angry but Tryvnah is so smiley and playful that it starts to rub off and Vahaadi starts to laugh in spite of himself and he gets all breathless and dizzy and he decides he likes it. Then when Tryvnah comes to bother him again the next day he only complains a little bit. XP )
Aww, I hope it is okay I read Tryvnah’s lines in Aladdin’s voice, but that youthful warm quality with a tease behind it suited him! <3
Haha! I’m having a hard time hearing it in Aladdin’s voice since Aladdin’s kinda this little rascal and Tryvnah is a big buff hairy rascal but, yes, youthful and warm are perfect descriptors.