Well here was quite an unusual family gathering, Aly mused. Man and green woman and lion cub, settled comfortably together. It looked so peaceful and simple she couldn't help a little envy; it was the kind of life that would never suit her, though the gods bless those whom it did. It also made her miss Nawat, whose absence jabbed at her on the island.
"It seems a fine night for such celebrations," she commented cheerfully.
Elphaba sat up from her place in Fiyero's lap and laughed, lazy island years softening her harsh cackle to an easy chuckle. "It is! Come join us. Fiyero's a better fisherman than he realized. Not even this one's greedy gut could manage it all." Kalm, hearing himself mentioned lifted his head then wormed behind the Ozian couple, like their bodies could hide his over five foot long frame. Elphaba grinned again and gestured to the spot he'd vacated, "Kalm's made you room even."
Fiyero chuckled as he shook his head at both the happy laugh of his Fae and the antics of the young lion. "There is plenty and really, you'd be saving Kalm from a belly ache." He scratched the lion's head fondly, just in the right spot to calm him down a bit. "I'm Fiyero and this is Elphaba. It would be our pleasure for you to join us."
"I don't think I've ever seen a lion so shy," she observed with a laugh. She was tempted to reach out and try to pet him, but it seemed a risky idea; she didn't know if he was this docile with everyone or only his masters.
"I'm Aly, and if you're being so generous, how could I refuse?" She smiled as she nodded. "Thank you."
"Welcome, Aly." Elphaba scratched Kalm behind the ears fondly. "He's a little bit of a coward. Never quite got over a bad scare when he was just a cub. It takes him a little while to warm up to people. He's perfectly harmless, though."
As if to prove Elphaba right, Kalm carefully stuck out his head towards Aly, sniffing carefully, bold only because he was leaning against both of his protectors.
Fiyero saw this and shook his head. "See? He's warming up to you already."
Aly wasn't feigning her surprise when the lion approached her. She stayed quite still, as much to let him become acclimated to her as it was for her to do the same to him. If Aunt Daine could see me now, she thought wryly. "Well, of the things I expected would happen in my life, this is certainly not one of them," she observed cheerfully. Slowly, she reached out a hand, keeping it where the lion could see it, and placing it on his head.
Most of Kalm's bulk remained pressed against his human protectors even as he trembled slightly under the woman's hand. After a moment, he grew bold and rubbed his head insistently under her palm.
Elphaba smiled at that and moved to get some fish for both woman and lion alike. "I think everything about this island is the very definition of unexpected, wouldn't you say? Fiyero and I never imagined this."
"He likes you." Fiyero said with a bright smile on his face. It pleased him and Elphaba both to see Kalm being relaxed with others. Then he gave his Fae a playful smile, "We might create a spoiled monster at this rate."
She couldn't help the laugh that escaped her at the head that rubbed against her palm as she began to stroke his great head and behind his ears. "He's like a giant house cat," Aly observed wonderingly. The next words were spoken in something dangerously close to a coo, "You're not bad at all, are you?"
Then remembering she had human hosts, Aly looked up with a smile. "The surprises never cease, do they? I can quite honestly say this is nothing like what I might've ever expected either."
"Oh, Kalm's never been wicked," Elphaba replied with just a hint of dark humor, though there was no obvious reason for it. "He's very well-behaved."
She moved and swatted Kalm lightly. "Let the pretty lady have her dinner, greedy." Broad flat leaves served as plates so Elphaba could pass the fish to Aly.
At Elphaba's humor, Fiyero smiled and kissed her. He'd never believed her wicked either but that was something else entirely and he wasn't about to take away her fun.
As Fiyero recieved his fish, he took a bite and couldn't help making a small pleased noise. "Mmm...this is wonderful."
"If only such words were true about me," she said with a laugh. Plenty of people had called her wicked, impish, and other such words her whole life.
Aly smiled, rearranging herself so that she sat cross-legged, laying the leaf-plate in her lap. "I'll give you pets soon enough," she promised the lion before taking a bite of her own fish. "It's good," she agreed.
"Which is that, wicked or beautiful?" Elphaba laughed and took her own fish, picking at the hot flaky meat.
Kalm moved up next to Aly and purred at her like an engine block. Like any cat, he could be exceptionally patient and affectionate when there was food involved.
"I'd say beautiful for you both but that's only this humble prince's opinion." Fiyero said simply, smiling around his next bite of fish, batting at Kalm's flicking tail by his foot.
Aly leaned against the lion a little, reaching out with her free hand to rub the top of his head. "Well, according to my Da, my master, and most people, just a touch wicked. Or more than a touch, depending on who you ask," she replied with a smile was just a touch too innocent to be taken at face value.
"It seems a fine night for such celebrations," she commented cheerfully.
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"I'm Aly, and if you're being so generous, how could I refuse?" She smiled as she nodded. "Thank you."
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Fiyero saw this and shook his head. "See? He's warming up to you already."
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Elphaba smiled at that and moved to get some fish for both woman and lion alike. "I think everything about this island is the very definition of unexpected, wouldn't you say? Fiyero and I never imagined this."
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Then remembering she had human hosts, Aly looked up with a smile. "The surprises never cease, do they? I can quite honestly say this is nothing like what I might've ever expected either."
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She moved and swatted Kalm lightly. "Let the pretty lady have her dinner, greedy." Broad flat leaves served as plates so Elphaba could pass the fish to Aly.
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As Fiyero recieved his fish, he took a bite and couldn't help making a small pleased noise. "Mmm...this is wonderful."
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Aly smiled, rearranging herself so that she sat cross-legged, laying the leaf-plate in her lap. "I'll give you pets soon enough," she promised the lion before taking a bite of her own fish. "It's good," she agreed.
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Kalm moved up next to Aly and purred at her like an engine block. Like any cat, he could be exceptionally patient and affectionate when there was food involved.
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