[PRP] Hay Gurl (Na'ima/Mmur)

[Smerdle]

"na'iiiiiiiiiiiiiiimaaaaaaaaaa."

Mmur stood outside the horsewoman's quarters, leaning close to the entrance and calling her again, his voice slightly louder but still very soft.

"na'iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa."

He didn't wait for a response before sticking his head inside the antechamber of her lair, but he went no farther than that. His place had been outside for so long, guarding his betters. He couldn't just shake his tendency toward protecting their privacy, even if he was now one of their peers.

"Are you awake?"

Eight

 

[Eight]

She heard him the first time.

Na'ima glanced toward the entrance of her den with a small smile. She couldn't see him through the curtains but she knew he was there. She continued to work, chopping up plants and crushing them into powders.

She heard him the second time.

By the time he asked his new question she was shaking her head, causing the jewelry on her head and ears to shake and clink together. Signs of life for the stallion.

"In here," she called out to him while scraping everything into a pot of water simmering over a small flame.

Smerdle

 

[Smerdle]

Mmur smiled brightly at her invitation, not that Na'ima would be able to see the expression until he bounced into her rooms and carefully came to a stop at her side. So many breakable things.

"What are you doing?" He had much to learn in his quest to become a true alchemist, and who better to get his first lesson from than Salbei's apprentice?

Before she could reply, however, he had added, "Do you know what I did?" Mmur had planned on waiting to ask her this because 1) it was a little rude to ask more than one question in a row and 2) his news was meant to be the highlight of his visit, but he was far too excited to wait. He watched her expectantly, still smiling.

Eight

 

[Eight]

"Working, dearest Mmur, always working~" Na'ima sang pleasantly, offering him a smile though it was hidden behind a veil, it at least reached her eyes. "This one is a bit of fun, honestly. My sister enjoys pranks, and I have promised her I would return a favor she did me when I visited her. Pesky little thing." This was said in the most affectionate manner possible. She truly did love her sister, but a promise is a promise. What she was making was relatively harmless, but it definitely would have some kind of effect.

A lid was placed over the pot before she finally looked Mmur's way. Someone seemed eager. Na'ima gestured to the pillows nearest her in offering, inviting Mmur to sit while turning to face him better without entirely taking his attention off of her work. "What have you done? Certainly something good as I have not seen you this excited since the day you were turned into a rabbit."

Never forget.

Smerdle

 

[Smerdle]

Oh, yes. Pranking was a very good use of one's time, indeed, though he wouldn't have expected such antics from Na'ima. He had blinders on when it came to those he counted as proper members of the colony, despite what he had seen over the years, and alchemists were definitely on that list. Though now that he supposedly was one...

"I had forgotten all about that!" Mmur breathed, bringing his hands to his mouth in gleeful shock. Being a rabbit had been an unexpectedly delightful experience, his tiny, bouncy paws and fuzzy ears so much less cumbersome than his equine form. He lowered his hands slightly. "But this news is..." He wasn't quite sure it was better than being small and huggable, but it was supposedly more important. He straightened and cleared his throat.

"I have passed the Alchemists' test. But I don't know what to do now." He might have hated being a scavenger, but his duties during his time as one had been comparable to what was expected of a more bloodthirsty soldier. Mixing potions and playing pranks with bubbling liquids rather than a couple of scorpions in someone's bedroll was beyond him.

Eight

 

[Eight]

Na'ima chuckled. He was as energetic as ever, and it was an endearing trait with Mmur. "I had as well, however memories of that night were recently brought back to the forefront of my mind due to recent events. Tell me, Mmur, what is your news?" She waited with a patient smile, taking a moment to remove the veil from over her face that she had been using to protect herself from potential accidents.

Mmur's announcement was definitely far from what she had expected, however it was not unwelcome. The mare gave a gasp of surprise, eyes widening and jaw dropping slightly. "Have you! That is wonderful, Mmur! What brought this about?" He didn't know what to do? Was it not obvious to him what was next?

Smerdle