Maps Are For Children Too
The sea had quite a pleasant breeze, as the famed airship The Cyodrake's Gaze flew through the skies, headed for Roo Island. The whole crew of the aforementioned airship was headed there for a much needed vacation, and it seemed like a place they had never really paid much mind to before. So thus, the ship landed there, and with it the crew left one by one to head off to find places to stay.
Hoban was rather displeased that they didn't go to Neopia Central instead, where they could at least check into a Neolodge, but financial concerns were at least, in the other crew members' minds, somewhat justified. It seemed to irritate him quite a bit, as it was starting to drizzle, so it was of utmost importance (especially to his hat) that Hoban left the rain as soon as possible.
Abigail just sat there, bored. AAA was playing video games, as he usually does. This particular game happened to be mundane too. The rain started to get a little heavier now, pitter-patter pitter-patter. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door! Knock-knock, knock-knock. Abigail swiftly went to get the door, for this was the most excitement she had in three days.
And there Hoban was, starting to get soaked. "May I please stay here for the night?" he inquired. He certainly didn't want to be soaked anymore, regardless of what his captain Tuan would have thought of him just asking two children if he could rest in their house.
"Of course, we have plenty of room!" Abigail quipped. It wasn't quite the truth, but it certainly wasn't a lie. If AAA didn't take a break and sleep in his bedroom for once, maybe Abigail could give her brother's bedroom to this stranger for a day. Hoban graciously accepted the little girl's welcoming and entered the Avinroo household. The first thing he did was check and make sure his maps weren't completely soaked, but it turned out the ink started to get a little runny. Hoban cursed under his breath, those maps were his life, his very namesake!
Abigail would have liked to have dinner, but it was definitely appearing as if her brother wouldn't make them some dinner. Typical. So she asked the stranger, Hoban, "Would you like some dinner, sir?"
"The name's not 'Sir', it's Hoban," Hoban snarled, though the rage wasn't entirely aimed at the generous little girl who offered him a place to stay.
Abigail wasn't quite happy with the guest who decided to randomly ask if he could stay, but at least she had a justification to make AAA some dinner. The only thing there was, it seemed, was ramen noodles.
AAA eventually decided he was sick of the taste of Neocola and nonchalantly yelled to his sister, "What's for dinner, sis?"
"Ramen!" she grumble yelled. Hoban sighed, this food probably wouldn't be any better than Bonju's apparently atrocious food, but he had certainly learned not to criticize someone else's food, regardless of whether or not they would be with him for one day or forever.
Later, the three were sitting at a rather messy table. It was a bit silent as they all had their bowls of simple beef ramen. Finally, AAA decided to break the silence with, "Who exactly is this person, anyways? He looks familiar."
"My name is Hoban," their guest responded, wonder where exactly he had been seen before and why the girl who apparently lived with him hadn't told her housemate or sibling who their guest was. It wasn't very good manners, but Hoban was no master of them either.
"My name is Abigail, and that's my brother AAA," she began to exposition to their guest, "He's my older brother, and he likes to play video games a lot more than he ever likes to have any sort of life what-so-ever." She chuckled at her own joke, even though their guest didn't quite get it.
"Yeah well, I've achieved much more than you have!" AAA snapped in reply, and an argument had been started. Hoban felt a little more at ease; arguements like this had happened all the time on The Cyodrake's Gaze. He had only been off of it for a few hours, but it felt like forever. He attributed it to the probable fact that one of the other crew member's whining had not been heard since then. But it was fine.
In fact, Hoban found their argument... Charming. Maybe it was how Abigail took to being independent from her brother. Either way, Hoban took to just silently sitting there, listening to their arguments. Eventually they stopped arguing and decided to head onto bedtime; it was getting late into the evening and early into the night.
"Hoban, do you want my bed?" Abigail asked him.
Hoban replied, "No, I'll sleep on your couch."
"Are you sure? It's kinda cold there."
"Positive."
"But what if I get cold?"
"You have a blanket." Hoban frowned. He did NOT want to share a bed, especially with a strange little girl in a place he was supposed to vacation in. It felt kinda contrived how they just decided to vacation in Roo Island, of all places.
"Pleeeeeease?" There was no winning this one. The girl's mind was set. She would have her bed warmer no matter what.
"Ugh. N-" Hoban was grabbed by the hand in an affectionate sort of way ass Abigail led him to her room. Tomorrow, perhaphs, she could brag about her Usuki collection, which wasn't all that big to begin with.
Abigail's room was somewhat messy, but there was a clearly defined path to everything and the piles of clothes were few, and there was no garbage on the floor. The bed looked like it barely fit her, let alone both her and Hoban. Hoban opened his mouth to complain, but was shushed by a gentle soft hand which smelled like lotion. Lotion that reeked annoyingly, which wasn't much of anything to look forward to.
Abigail was already in her pyjamas, and in the bed. Hoban grumbled at the prospect of being stuck in a bed for eight hours with a little girl, which made the fact that the annoying smelling lotion would be disturbingly annoying. This was not going to be a fun night.
"Come over here please!" Abigail asked of her guest. She definitely wanted a bed warmer, but her brother took their only electric blanket. Hoban sheepishly walked over to the bedside. In his mind, this was incredibly awkward. Eventually he sat on the crowded bed.
Soon, the little Aisha girl fell into a sleep. Too bad Hoban couldn't. There wasn't any room for Hoban to sleep on that crowded bed, let alone sleep in non-awkward ways and positions. So he just sat there, admiring her blonde hair, un-ponytailed. A couple hours later, he decided to give the sleeping lass an affectionate snuggle.