Time: 119 years ago
Location: Sun Elf Village
OST: Caralia's ThemeMalachi hadn't noticed the girl in the doorway, her bright eyes fixated on him as he hunched over in the desk, drawing something in his notebook. The classroom was empty in the late afternoon, and he had always taken it upon himself to work on his project. Books of all kinds were scattered around him: on the desks, the floor, and a bag of drawing utensils had fallen on the floor. He hadn't noticed that either.
He had been here every day Caralia could remember. Reading, building, drawing... He was always doing something in this same room. His hair, messy and unkempt, his head completely down as he engrossed himself in his work. His fashion choices left much to be desired. Whenever she had seen him in the hallway, he had walked in such a way that was very telling how unsure of himself he was. Oh and he bumped into things so often! It wouldn't kill him to start paying attention to where he was going.
Still, she found herself leaning in the doorway to check up on him often after classes had ended. She knew his name was Malachi and was the bottom of the food chain when it came to the student population at their learning center. He had always been strange. The other boys all were busy learning combat and studying light magic, but not him. He was in a lot of the science classes that were mostly female in attendance. When he actually spoke to people, which was rare, no one had ever known what he was talking about, ever since their elementary years. He used fancy words and he did not have nearly as much muscle as everyone else. Funnily enough, the reasons everyone disliked him were just the reasons that drew her to him. She smiled to herself, covering her mouth as he adjusted his elbow and knocked another book on the floor.
The book startled him and he practically jumped out of his chair, flustered. Their eyes met in that moment as he finally lifted his head in the action. His face flushed and he stared at her, speechless. The hallways were darkened but her long, wheat-colored hair and bright green eyes were lit up by a nearby lantern. She was tall and had paint splatters covering her apron, which was over her green dress. There were freckles dotting a path from one cheek, over her nose to the other. She was also the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, completely enchanting him.
Caralia lifted a brow, curious as to why he could not even muster a hello. She moved over and began collecting the books on the floor. Picking up the books, she put them in a neat pile on a nearby desk. She spun on her heels to face him and leaned in, sniffing his shirt. He flinched, not expecting she'd invade his space so quickly,
“You smell like cinnamon. ” Malachi did a double-take at her and shook his head,
"Oh... Excuse me."He said softly, hesitating before he smiled awkwardly at her.
"Thank you." "Sorry if I disturbed you..."She said and hopped back up from her leaning position,
"I'm Caralia. Cute name, right?"He hung his head back down and continued his work,
"Malachi." He didn't know if he could keep looking at her without staring.
It did not seem like he had recognized her. She wasn’t surprised. She had watched him from down the hall as he collected his things and not once did he ever turn her way. Now that she was face to face with him, she found herself enamored by his eyes, but then he hung his head down and her smile faltered. Pouting, she poked his arm.
"What are you drawing there, Kai? Hope you don’t mind I call you that. " Leaning over the desk, she curiously watched. It was some peculiar object she had never seen before.
"Umm... I'm designing something I want to build." He told her and asked after a pause,
"Were you painting something?"Caralia's expression lit up,
"Oh yes! Come see."She tugged at his arm suddenly, making him look at her in surprise.
"Come, come, come!! I have been working on this for a week." Malachi hesitated before he got to his feet in reaction to her tugging, awkwardly stumbling as he did,
"Okay, okay. Please take it easy.." He had wanted to try to get some progress with his work today so he'd have more time for his studies, but he really was no good at declining anyone's requests, having been raised to be a bit overly polite and accommodating.
When she led him out into the hall, she led him around the corner to a huge mural in the works on one of the walls. It was a painting of the night sky and the moons over a dark landscape. She had put her all into making the sky an ombre of purple to blue and spent hours perfecting her stars. It was impressive, to say the least, so Malachi gawked at it for a few moments.
"You... did that by yourself? It's... Wow..."Caralia put her hands on her hips.
"It's pretty amazing, isn't it!"She declared,
"I don't know what I did to deserve being so talented!" She giggled, holding her own face in amazement. Then she poked his arm again, accusingly this time,
"I've been working on it all week you know! How have you not seen it yet?""I'm so sorry. I wish I had seen it sooner..."Malachi told her and moved closer to keep examining it. He genuinely seemed engrossed in looking it over.
“I’m so happy you like it.”Caralia smiled,
“I just want to add more to it. I know it’s nothing like seeing the real night sky but I want it to feel that way. Some people think it’s a bit of a downer and want me to scrap it and paint a sunny day instead but… There’s something so attractive about the night to me. It raises more questions than the day don’t you think? All those stars… How far are they away are they? Are there more?”Malachi listened to her speak then cleared his throat after she was finished, glancing her way,
“I can tell you how far away each one is, if you like that is, and there’s more than you can even imagine.” "Oh really!?"Caralia exclaimed and moved over to his side to get in his space again. He leaned back in surprise as she got close to his face,
"You swear you will? Swear on your life! I will not tolerate a single lie from you! "His eyes widened and he took a step back,
"Uhh.. Sure? I swear?"She patted his head,
"Good. Tomorrow, we'll open up your space book and you'll teach me." With a smile, she stepped back.
"And you'll have to tell me about what you're building. Are you some kind of an inventor?""Okay... No problem."Malachi replied to her demand and then turned his head to her painting,
"My mother is an inventor. She taught me everything I know. I'd like to be as good as her one day... She's really wonderful."Caralia stared at her painting and nodded, but made no further comment.
He glanced at her,
"You alright?" She hadn't seemed like someone who would stop talking to even breathe, so it was startling to hear her fall silent.
She shook her head and looked at him, smiling,
"She sounds very nice, but I really should go home now but… You know where to find me.” Caralia gave him a wink and watched his cheeks grow red again. She bit back a grin and turned on her heels to run to the doors. Once outside, she threw her arms up in the air, jumping up energetically as she whisper-yelled,
“She wins again! ” Malachi watched her depart and scratched his head. He moved back into the classroom, not expecting to see her again.
But he did, every day from then on. Every day she’d barge into the room and say all kinds of things that made Malachi wonder if she ever thought before speaking. She said whatever crossed her mind and did not seem to care who heard it. She was completely childish, jumping up on his desk at times and yelling things out, singing randomly. Everything she did was so contrasting to the other elves he had known.
She was ethereal in every way.
Once he had seen her once, he couldn't unsee her. Anytime she was in the hall, he'd spot her from the corner of his eye and glance over. She had more friends than people Malachi had ever spoken to in his life. She was loud and carried most conversations, each and every word she spoke traveling down the hallway to him.
Unfortunately, she didn't exactly ignore Malachi, waving and calling to him in front of everyone as they stared in confusion. “
Kai! Smile for me!” She’d call to him unceremoniously and do that same giggle she always did.
He had always been a bit of a recluse, and he hadn’t minded it. Malachi just had so many things he wanted to do and so many things he wanted to learn. Besides, having his family had always seemed enough for him.
Yet it felt as if he'd been lonely the whole time without realizing it.
