three. come and gone

                                    

                                          

                            

                                
                            
                              
                                  
                              
                              
                                
                                  
                                  
                                
                              
                             
                            
                            
                          
                          
(malakai is partially non-verbal, so when dialogue is in italics it means that she or another character is using sign language.)



































"our coming of age has come and gone"
peace by taylor swift









































Malakai stumbled carefully down the stairs, her hands bracing herself against the wall. The muscles in her arms and legs screamed at her to stop. But she would not allow herself to dwell upon what happened, no matter how much it affected her. She never did. She felt like a little girl again.
She had had many names in her life. Each little girl more quiet than the last. Daisy. Ameerah. Blythe. June. Bubba.
But her favourite by far, her name now. The name Kaz had given her years ago when they had found each other. To him, she was like a saviour sent from the heavens. So, that's why he named her Malakai. 
My Angel.
She had traded the small white dress for a pair of black pants, pockets for every thing you could imagine. A crinkled white button up and a small black vest. Her cloak left open, billowing behind her, sweeping the floor. Spotting Inej and Jesper at the bar, she quietly approaches them. Wrapping an arm around each Crow, pulling them into her sides. Inej leans her head against her shoulder. 
Jesper pushes a kiss into her temple.
Letting go, Inej sighs leaning against the bar. "He doesn't have a way across the Fold, and we all know it."
"I bet he'll figure it out." Jesper stares ahead at the bottles of liquor lined up against the wall.
Kaz had spoken to her about what happened, telling her of the supposed Sun Summoner event in the Fold earlier that day. He had brushed his gloved hand across her cheekbone, wanting more than anything to feel her skin under his own.
The bartender placed a shot glass in front of the trio. Jesper raised his head, smiling. "Thank yo-"
Before he could reach for his drink, Malakai had already thrown her head back, swallowing the liquid. Feeling it warm her chest. Bringing her hand up to her chin. "Thank you, Joe"
Jesper watched her in annoyance. "Um? Since when did you drink, little girl?"
Smirking at him in the darkness. "Since now, Jesper. And I'm only a year younger than you."
The taller boy reached forward ruffling her hair through her hood. "You'll always be the baby of the group." He teases.
Playfully pushing his hand away, Malakai stuck out a tongue at him. Tuning out of the conversation, she leaned her elbows against the bar. Surveying the room of gamblers. She catches Inej's arm before she heads toward the door.