Celebrating Palentines Day

     Irisali woke up early to get ready. She still couldn’t control her shapeshifting but she was ready to change bodies. While being a Maraquan Buzz had its perks in the sea, her styling options were quite limited. Anything but this!! She thought, trying to concentrate on her desired appearance. She had found herself quite drawn to the body of a Draik, though she wasn’t quite sure it was her true form. Please please, please! I want to feel beautiful. Just let me shift. Irisali opened her eyes, and realized it had worked, though not in the form she expected. She saw pale green eyes staring back at her, and instead of a mouth, she had a beak. Her blue pincers had transformed into beautiful white wings.

     “Not exactly what I had in mind…” She said, still examining her new body, “But I can work with this!” Irisali darted off to her closet and picked out a vibrant red dress and a matching red wig that draped down to her feet. “Red is very valentines day!” As she was on her way out the door, she grabbed a white and red heart purse in case their plans involved leaving the inn. She made her way down the wide hallway and approached room 7. She knocked on the door and instantly a Water Jetsam donning a green cape answered with a grin!

     “Irisali! You came, my mysterious friend! Welcome, how are you!” He quickly embraced Irisali and then darted down the hallway. “Come on or we’re going to be late!” Irisali stumbled after him, still adjusting to her new body. They navigated down the wide hallway, into the main lobby of the inn, and out the door. The Jetsam kept going down the street before abruptly stopping at a small little cafe.

     “The best way to celebrate Palentine’s day is with brunch!” He exclaimed. “I got us reservations here.”

     The pair were quickly seated at a quaint booth in the corner, and the server instantly brought them both a pink drink of celebration! “Happy Valentine's Day,” She said sweetly, “Can I take your order”

     “Surprise us,” The Jestam said boldly. “My friend here has a lot to discover about Neopia so give us your best dish!” The waitress nodded and quickly disappeared to put their order in.

     “So what have you discovered about yourself so far?” The Jetsam asked.

     “Oh well… Not much new Rhylum,” she began, “Though I did change shapes today, sort of on-demand!”

     “What do you mean by sort of on-demand?” He laughed.

     “Well I was trying to be an Aisha, but when I opened my eyes this is what I got! So, while I thought really hard about it and shifted, it wasn’t what I wanted.” She sighed.

     “That’s the thing about shape-shifting!” He exclaimed, “It can be unpredictable.”

     Irisali tilted her head, questioning Rhylum. “How do you know that?” She asked.

     “I know it because of YOU! I don’t think you’re meant to control it. It’s just a part of you and sometimes it’s unpredictable.” He raised his glass, “You’ll figure everything out in due time, but for now, a toast! To discover new things about ourselves and embrace our differences!”

     Irisali raised her glass, “I’ll drink to that!” She had a large grin on her face. She was so happy she found a friend in Rhylum. The world was very lonely when you didn't know who you are. A lot of people were turned off by her story, but Rhylum embraced her with open arms. Irisali didn’t know where her journey would take her, but she hoped that Rhylum would always be a part of it.

     The server returned with their brunch, a colourful plate of pancakes topped with whipped cream and fruit. The pair dug into their pancakes and they were gone in an instant. With full stomachs and happy hearts, the duo left the restaurant and were on to their next adventure.

     As they walked down the street, Rhylum suggested they explore the nearby park. “You’ve been to Maraqua, but let's keep your next adventure a little more local!” He joked. Irisali agreed and the two headed toward the park. They strolled through the park, admiring the vibrant flowers and lush greenery. The park was relatively deserted, but you could hear the laughter of young Neopets playing make-believe in the distance. Irisali pondered what it would be like to live an ordinary life. She envied those who could.

     Suddenly, Rhylum stopped and pointed to a small pond at the centre of the garden. "Look, there's a couple of Petpets in the water! " Irisali approached the edge of the pond, and the Petpets swam up to her curiously. They chatted and played for a while before bidding farewell to their new friends. “It’s a good thing I didn’t bring Unknown,” She laughed, referring to her Wherfy, “He probably would have been jealous.

     As they left the park, Irisali couldn't help but feel grateful for the day's adventure. While she hadn’t learned much else about herself, she was starting to feel more comfortable with who she was and it was all thanks to her new friend Rhylum. “Thank you.” She murmured.

     “For what?” Rhylum asked, a puzzled expression on his face.

     “For today! I’ve been so busy searching for who I am, I haven’t had time to just live and do normal things.”

     “Well, if you’re not opposed we could go to an arcade. The day’s not over quite yet.” He gestured to the sky, which had turned beautiful shades of pink, and orange as the sun began to set. “There’s still daylight!”

     Irisali had never been to an arcade before and wasn’t sure what it was, but she was eager to try it out with her friend. They spent several hours playing Meerca chase, and ice cream machine, among other things. Irisali had discovered she wasn’t bad at games, but Rhylum was the master. He was setting new high scores left and right, in just about every game he played.

     “How did you get so good,” She asked after he broke 15,000 on Ice Cream Machine without losing more than one life.

     “It’s all-natural talent, my friend!” He beamed.

     When they were out of tokens, the pair decided to make their way back to the Inn. Irisali couldn’t believe how much she had had on Palentine’s day. At her door, she hugged Rhylum and thanked her for spending the day with her. “Please let's do this again, soon!” She urged.

     “I’m game. Maybe next time we can learn about St. Patricks Day!” He suggested.

     As she drifted off to sleep that night, Irisali realized that Valentine's Day was not just about celebrating romantic love, but also the love between friends. She was grateful to have found a friend in Rhylum, and she looked forward to many more adventures with him in the future.

     The End.