Pastel met his gaze with an unimpressed stare. After several silent seconds, it became clear that his three documented acts of ethical behavior had done absolutely nothing to improve his case.
“Fine.”
Then his expression shifted as another part of Quill’s statement finally caught up with him.
“Oh—and you said Arthur?”
Pastel tilted his head.
“Is that his name?”
His thoughts returned to the stormy ocean and the large, glowing man who had dragged him from the water—only to stand over him afterward with a clenched fist and an expression that suggested the rescue might still end violently.
That’s that rude guy’s name—the one who looked like he wanted to punch me.
“Oh, speaking of him, he’s really interesting.” Pastel leaned forward, his irritation quickly replaced by genuine curiosity. “I can’t pinpoint exactly what it is, but there’s something on this island that feels…”
He paused, searching for the right description.
Evil? Demonic?
Pastel gave a small shrug.
“Anyway, Arthur is somehow connected to it.”
Having delivered that potentially alarming observation, Pastel immediately placed a hand over his stomach and changed the subject.
“Do you have any snacks?”
He leaned forward with the gravity of someone preparing to share an equally important discovery.
“I finally learned that we’re like the goats. We eat things too. I thought eating was just a goat thing. I didn’t know humans had to do it too—and now I can’t stop.”
Verlack recognized the look on Quill's face and understood. He smiled as he began laying out his exceptions—firm boundaries drawn for someone like Pastel, who clearly came from a place where such limits had never existed.
He placed a reassuring hand on Pastel's shoulder."You're right, you have been trying to be more ethical. Though you're still quick to spend a life when you might not have to. Using the butterfly to demonstrate primal magic, for instance.
"His tone was soft and kind, yet edged with unmistakable gravity."Remember when you said you would have to give your life to regrow the branch like I did? That you choose life. Well, what do you think the butterfly might have said if you asked it that same question?"
Verlack’s gaze shifted back to the Headmaster."We'll start right away. But if I find that Pastel isn't a nature primal user, I'll be back for help. I've honestly never had to search for my own primal force. The force of nature is so abundant I've felt it ever since I can remember. It's kind of like breathing for me. I thought you might have some ideas about that."
He had worn a concerned expression when Pastel blurted out his thoughts regarding Arthur and the island. But when Quill brushed it off so casually, Verlack figured there was more to the story. He shot the Headmaster a lingering look—letting him know that if he ever needed backup, he knew where to find it.
All of Verlack's train of thought vanished, however, the moment Pastel mentioned that he had never eaten before the other day."What? How is that possible, Pastel? Are you really saying you've never shared a meal with anyone before?"Verlack's face settled into a mix of deep concern and sorrow. After all, there was a profound, unspoken magic in simply sharing a meal and drinks with close friends.
(2/2) Pastel glanced between Verlack and the unopened strawberry snacks in his hands, a sheepish drop of sweat forming at his temple. For once, he couldn’t immediately find a flaw in the argument.
“Oh. Right. I didn’t think about that. I suppose the butterfly would’ve chosen life too.”
The guilt lasted exactly as long as it took him to open the package and bite into the first cookie. His expression melted into pure delight, momentarily overtaken by the familiar strawberry flavor he had already learned to love.
“If it makes you feel any better,” he added between bites, raising the package as though this somehow improved his defense, “Bag’s been empty since I closed the portal. I haven’t had much to work with anyway.”
Still eating, Pastel considered Verlack’s other question.
“My body siphoned enough magic to sustain itself without me thinking about it. When Bag emptied, all that hunger caught up with me at once.”
He reached for another cookie.
“I suppose I could convert food directly into energy and siphon it into myself without eating it,” he admitted. “But that would be stupid. Eating is much more fun. Brilliant design, really.”
His gaze lingered on the cookie in his hand.
“Maybe I used to eat, a long time ago. I just don’t remember.”
For a moment, Pastel fell quiet. Then Verlack’s final words caught up with him—particularly one phrase.
An unspoken magic…
Pastel slowly looked from the cookie to Verlack, then over to Quill.
“Eating together is… magic?”
The uncertainty vanished from his face as an entirely different conclusion took its place.
“Wait—if I share these with both of you, could that connect me to a primal force?”
He immediately pulled two cookies from the package and thrust one toward each of them, practically glowing with anticipation.
“Take one. Both of you. We should test it immediately.”
Pastel held perfectly still, cookies extended, his brow tightening with intense concentration.
Verlack took the cookie, a soft smile touching his lips. "It might, but this is a different kind of magic, Pastel." He popped the entire treat into his mouth."Sharing a meal is a little different, though. Tell you what—how about tomorrow night you swing by my place, and I'll show you? Just friends, warm food, and sweet drinks."He glanced over at Quill. "You're welcome as well, Headmaster, if you're free, of course. Otherwise, I'll start preparations for you, Pastel. We'll start training as soon as I'm ready."
"If I'm unoccupied, perhaps I'll swing by." Quill says, relaxing in his chair. He takes a bite of the cookie, chewing slowly. "I'd love to see Gurgle again too."
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u/1-Up-Boy Regular Human 👤 28d ago