One more story for the alphabet soup challenge!
Warnings: Messy person, animals
They had been back in Mora for one day. Onni and Lalli had closed themselves into one of the rooms the minute Lalli arrived the day before, and Emil hadn't had one chance to talk with his friend since then. Not that they even could talk with Emil's Finnish still being a horrible mess of vowels and Lalli still without a large Swedish vocabulary, but Emil still wanted to try. But it was okay, he told himself. Of course Lalli needed some time with his cousin after all this time and after what happened with... Emil didn't want to finish the thought, but let out a sigh. His cousins had asked him so many questions after he came back and he had tried to patiently answer them, but it felt weird not having Lalli by his side. He had gotten so used to it after all the time in Denmark.
Emil scooped up some more of the porridge, careful not to spill it on himself. He had missed getting homemade porridge for breakfast while he was away. The only thing that could have made the moment better would have been if Lalli had been there eating with him. But no, Lalli was still holed up in the room together with Onni. Probably some mage-business, Emil thought. Wasn't Onni also a mage? He had tried getting Torbjörn and Siv to understand that magic did indeed exist last evening, but no, they didn't want to believe. Had he been that stubborn? Emil shuddered. Were the gods upset at him for his reluctance to believe? Probably. He let out another sigh.
A door slammed on the upper floor. Steps in the stairs and suddenly gray eyes were staring at Emil. Emil blushed, the porridge slipped off his spoon and fell onto his shirt. Great, he would never not be the messy person. Lalli put his hands on the table, leaned over it and stared at Emil. Emil's blush increased and suddenly Lalli grabbed his shirt, pulled him out of the chair and dragged him out onto the streets of Mora. Emil didn't even have time to grab his shoes.
"Lalli? What's going on?"
He tried to keep up to Lalli's stride, but the other was still much faster and Emil almost had to run. Lalli looked around, glanced at the buildings they passed. Had a ghost followed them back? Had a troll breached the perimeter? Emil wasn't sure he wanted to know, but Lalli seemed really determined to find it.
"Did you have a fight with Onni?"
Lalli glanced at Emil and tilted his head, before returning to the buildings. Emil scratched his neck and tried to pull Lalli to a stop.
"I can't keep up", he explained. "I'm not as quick as you are."
Lalli seemed to understand, because he slowed down, walked instead of running, but it was still a lot faster than Emil liked.
"Is it a ghost? Did it follow us?"
"No ghost", Lalli answered in broken Swedish. "Important."
Emil blinked, stopped in his tracks, and Lalli turned towards him, pulled at his shirt again. Emil refused to move. He crossed his arms over his chest.
"I want to know where we're going."
Lalli glanced at the sky, Emil could see how he went through all Swedish he knew, trying to figure out what to say.
"Important", Lalli tried again. "Come."
"Lalli, that doesn't explain anything. I'm not moving until you tell me."
Lalli glanced at the sky again. Emil waited. Lalli's eyes returned to Emil and he put a finger over his lips, before grabbing Emil's shirt and trying to drag him along again. Emil still didn't move.
"That didn't tell me anything! You know I'm terrible at charades!"
"Friend", Lalli pointed at Emil. "Danger."
Lalli flailed his arms a little and Emil frowned, shook his head.
"Are you trying to drag me into danger again?"
Lalli clearly didn't understand Emil's question. Emil pulled his hand through his hair. If Lalli was dragging him into danger he would most certainly have allowed Emil to grab a weapon, and even more certainly – Lalli wouldn't have head into danger without his rifle. So it probably wasn't anything dangerous. Emil still didn't like the idea of not knowing where they were going. By the gods, Emil was the one who was supposed to lead the way in Mora, he practically lived there after all.
"Okay, fine, I'm guessing it's nothing dangerous."
"No danger", Lalli confirmed. "Danger", he added and pointed at Emil again.
"Lalli, what?!"
Lalli let out a sigh, a stream of Finnish words came out of his mouth. Emil was pretty sure he heard the word friend and the word safe, but it didn't really help. Lalli grabbed his hand, pulled at it, and Emil let Lalli lead him again. It couldn't be anything dangerous after all. Lalli led him down the shopping street, into one of the smaller alleys, back onto a bigger street. Emil was slightly aware of where they were going, but he couldn't understand why Lalli was leading him towards the military district. He stopped again.
"Lalli, you're not dragging me along to sign up for the Mora military division, are you?"
Lalli tilted his head again, pulled at Emil's hand. Emil shook his head.
"I've had enough of military for the rest of my life, I want a calm job after what we went through. And you should also consider that! Stay here, work on your Swedish and get a job as a translator or something. You'd be safe here."
"Safe", Lalli nodded.
Emil lit up. Finally the two of them agreed on something.
"Great, then let's just head back..."
Lalli took a tighter grip of Emil's hand and pulled at it again. Emil growled slightly.
"Seriously, what's up with you today?"
Lalli pointed at Emil, repeated the word danger and gesticulated towards Emil, pressing air towards him. Emil scratched his head, then it dawned upon him.
"I attract danger? Is that what you're trying to say?"
Lalli repeated the words Emil said, then nodded. Emil smiled.
"Don't worry, I laugh in the face of danger!"
Emil gave a nervous laugh and Lalli rolled his eyes before pulling Emil along again. Okay, one point to Emil, now he knew what Lalli had wanted to say. If only he could understand what Lalli wanted him to do as well. He decided to follow along for now. Lalli led him into the military district, towards the office building where you signed up, then pulled him past it. Emil blinked a little, stopped and Lalli looked impatiently at him.
"Lalli, we just passed the building."
"Come", Lalli said.
"But if we want to sign up for the military it was right there", Emil pointed at the building. "I mean if I'm a magnet for trouble I'm not sure it's a good idea but..."
"No. Come."
"But..."
"Come", Lalli put extra strenght behind every single letter.
Emil had never heard Lalli sound so determined and he started following him again. Ten meters, twenty meters, fifty. Lalli stopped, looked around and then gave one of his rare smiles. He knocked on one of the doors, waited.
"Come in!"
Emil hesitated. Lalli opened the door and gestured for Emil to go in first and Emil hesitated even more. Was it a mage-thing? What if it was? Could he protect himself? How would he do that? He didn't stand a chance in case Lalli attacked him, especially not if there was another mage attacking as well. Lalli gestured for him to enter again and Emil swallowed, stepped into the building. It was very warm inside, very quiet. Emil pulled off his socks, shoved them into his pocket and looked at Lalli. Lalli studied one of the paintings, waited for Emil to move further inside and Emil did so, carefully.
"Hi there, welcome!"
A pretty tall woman greeted them, gestured for them to come inside and sit down on the couch and Lalli nudged Emil, followed him. Emil tried not to look nervous, but he was certain she could read him like an open book. Her brown eyes glanced at them, she pulled a hand through her slightly curly, brown hair.
"Well, I don't think I need to ask why you came here, but can you afford it?"
Lalli glanced at Emil, probably looking for a translation, but Emil was too confused over the question. Was it an exorsism or something? Was she going to magic his dangermagnet out of him if only they could pay her enough to do it? Lalli said something in Finnish and the woman lit up, nodded and got up from the couch. She said something in Finnish to Lalli, who also got up and pulled at Emil. The woman smiled at Emil.
"Your friend hasn't told you what you're here for?"
Emil shook his head, followed her to the stairs.
"It's just up here, I'm sure you'll find one that works for you."
Emil glanced at Lalli again. Lalli gently shoved him up the stairs, exchanged some more words with the woman. She opened a door, gestured for Emil to step inside and Emil did so, then froze in his steps. At least 20 cats were looking down at him from their spots on top of shelves and cat trees. Lalli also stepped into the room, leaned against the wall as Emil walked around, looked at the cats.
"Lalli, these... these are Grade A-cats..."
He turned around to look at Lalli, who started walking around the room as well. He stopped by some of the cats, pshed at them, then continued walking.
"Go on", the woman said and gently shoved Emil towards the cats, "get to know them. I'll be downstairs once you've figured out which one fits your needs."
"But..."
"Have fun you two!"
She disappeared out the door again. Emil stared at the door, turned around to stare at Lalli, then stared at the cats.
"Lalli, I can't afford a Grade A-cat."
Lalli lured one cat down from the shelf, weighed it in his hands, then put it back up. Emil watched him working, watched him lure another cat down, scratch it behind the ears and then put it down on the ground. After a while there was six cats on the floor and Lalli pulled Emil closer to them, forced him to sit down on the ground. The cats sniffed Emil, walked around him. Lalli pulled one up, put it in Emil's lap, but quickly put it back on the shelf again.
"Lalli, are you even listening to me? What are we doing here?"
Lalli put a new cat in Emil's lap. It was fluffy, with bright blue eyes and a white coat. It's front paws was a calm brown colour and the tip of its tail had the same colour as the paws. Lalli tilted his head, watched as Emil petted the cat. It purred loudly and Lalli grabbed the other cats, put them back on the trees.
"Come."
Lalli pulled at Emil's shirt and Emil put the cat down, got up from the floor and moved to the door again. Lalli raised an eyebrow, grabbed the cat and put her in Emil's lap again.
"Lalli?"
Lalli nodded, opened the door. Emil made a move to put the cat back down again, but Lalli stopped him, said something in Finnish that Emil didn't understand. He was certain the word no had been in there somewhere though. Lalli grabbed his arm, pulled him out of the room and closed the door behind them. Emil clutched the cat, stared in confusion at Lalli. Lalli lead him down the stairs, back to the couch. The woman sat there, smiled when she saw the cat Emil was holding.
"I see you found one. And little Lola as well."
Lola wasn't very little, Emil thought and adjusted his grip as he sat down in the couch. Lola made herself comfortable in Emil's lap and Emil petted her, tried to focus on what the woman was saying. Lola's purring was getting louder, and Emil had trouble focusing. Lalli started digging around in his pockets, pulled out a small bag and offered it to the woman and finally Emil's brain caught up and he almost rose to his feet.
"What? Lalli! No! I can't..."
"Friend", Lalli said and patted Emil's shoulder.
"But Lalli, no, this is... It's too much. That has to be... like... your whole salary from the expedition."
Lalli didn't understand. Emil bit his lip.
"I can't accept this, Lalli. I can't... You should use the money for yourself. Not waste them on me."
"Friend", Lalli repeated a little more assertive. "Attract danger. Safe now."
"But..."
"No but."
Emil hesitated, looked at Lalli, looked at the woman, looked at Lola. He hugged Lola tighter, looked at Lalli again.
"I'll take good care of her, I promise. Thank you."
Lalli smiled towards Emil, got his change back and then the three of them left again, made their way back home. Emil hurried into the room he shared with his cousins, played with Lola and listened as Lalli and Onni talked in the other room. He couldn't understand that Lalli had just given him a Grade A-cat, couldn't understand why Lalli would do something like that for him. If only he could figure out something to do for Lalli...