"Hmm," thought out the spirit, "Well... I've tasted something that had Cacao...cocoa you call it? And it had a very interesting taste. Human beverages and food stuff can be quite rich in flavor I noticed..."

Malaya turned to sit down on a chair, putting one leg over the other, "I come from a place where it's all trees and woodland. There are animals and small plants... Quiet and peaceful. But a little after I was born, yes I was made to be here sitting in front of you, Joseph... Trees began to disappear at an alarming rate. It was no biggie amongst us to have mass funerals at least once a month or so. We were always frightened that we would be next... Then one day it just stopped. Now people come to visit where we live to plant trees. Which bothers me how I got here..."

To make it simple, he was a victim of some illegal trade that instead of chopping down trees for their lumber was to sell the trees themselves. Or perhaps some transplanting project somehow.

"Our weather was always cool and lovely. There would always be a veil of mist over where we lived. On occassions it would be warm though but not much. Rain or shine basically," he continued.
____

CUTE! <3 Though I had a different hair style in mind but it works nonetheless :D

Joseph ran a hand over his face mutely, letting out a long deep sigh. Not because of Malaya's taste for chocolate, but because of what he'd gotten himself into. When he'd first made his particularly expensive purchase, he'd been under a particular impression that it was coming from an remote planting yard. -not- what sounded like a rainforest's, if Malaya wasn't pulling his leg.
"...I'm gonna make us our drinks. I'll be right back" He noted, feeling vaguely weary from all this.
If he -wasn't- kidding, what the heck was he going to do about it? He wasn't even sure where the tree had come from now, or what to do about it. It had been expensive and hard on the tree to bring it here, he couldn't imagine it was going to be any better or healthier for it to send it -back-.
Of course that, he chided himself, provided he believed the entire thing. He could just be some activist out to mess with his mind.
Of course if he was an activist he was one with a hella magic show. He considered, putting coffee on to brew and fumbling through things to find some hot coco mix.
It took him a moment or two to do so, but he was able to scrounge it up. He didn't drink it very often, since he had to be in the right kind of mood, but the realator had left off a container of it and a bag of marshmallows, which for some unknowable reason she'd put in one of the cabinets below eye level.
He'd return to the bedroom when he'd gotten everything together, offering Malaya an mug of hot coco and melting marshmallows, his own cup of coffee steaming in his other hand.

Somehow telling more of the truth to the mortal wasn't going very well in his favor he noticed. Frowning to himself, Malaya let out a sad sigh and stood up. The spirit then moved towards the window, leaning against the glass and letting his eyes roam on the growing garden. Maybe he shouldn't have just gone out of his tree and simply stayed in there.

At the moment, he wished he had listened more ardently to his twin sister's lessons on entering the subconscious of other beings as a means of communication. Considering this situation perhaps Joseph would have taken the situation better if he projected his engkanto'ness in a dream.

Cupping his face, the forest dweller shook his head and turned to the direction the human had gone off to. Frankly, he wish there was some manual that could have taught him how to deal with humans. The only thing that the long haired one had been taught was to stay away from them as much as possible. Humans and spirits were of different realms despite the one world they walked in.

"Say...Let's try to make this as easy as possible for the both of us shall we? I can tell that this is all very hard for you to swallow. I suppose you will in due time, right? For now you can just think of me as your eccentric hermit of a neighbor who on occassion will come over to have chocolate -he took the cup and said his thanks- and maybe even care for your garden. Since I'm on your land already, I suppose I should pay some form of rent... So, landlord, what do you have in mind?"

Maybe if he spoke to Joseph using human terms and conditions, it would be easier? It was a little painful on his part just to brush his otherworldliness aside but if it worked?
Besides, he had heard of stories of his kind and that of those who lived in water and in the air pretending to be humans to blend in the human environment they chose to live in. If they could then so could Malaya.

"Rent huh?" He raised an eyebrow at this, trying to think of an idea. It wasn't exactly the way he'd expected the conversation to turn. He sighed and took a sip of his coffee, looking over his unusual guest and trying to think of what to say next.
"I....don't know." He admitted after a few moments thought, taking a sip of his coffee "Unless you've got some kind of proofreading skills that I'm not currently aware of."

Malaya held the cup of hot chocolate with both hands, inhaling the precious scent and letting it tickle his nostrils. "Well... In our world, I used to be part of what you humans would call an educational institution. I check grammar and diction as well as teach rhetoric. I suppose that would do. Though I'll be honest that I'm in the danger of being fired. My students find me too harsh and with high standards. It's not my fault they're mediocre either."

The long haired spirit felt nostalgic as he complained a bit to the human his woes of being a tutor. Why yes they did hold jobs and such there. Now, maybe if they were closer, Malaya could share that he would often get insulted as the beautiful but ice hearted genius...or get compared to his lovelier twin sister who was everything he was not.

Sighing somewhat in half glee and half sadness, the engkanto took a sip of chocolate and paused when marshmallows bumped his lips. "Hey...what's this?"

"I dunno that you could be any worse than my regular editor." He joked, quirking a faint smile, surprised and amused to hear that Malaya had some skill in that area. It seemed a bit out of place for someone who claimed to be a tree spirit. Somehow he expected something more....mythic? Tree Hugging?
"Anyway I must be doing something right. I bought this place with the money from my books." He noted, in self defense of his own writing skills.
He laughed as Malaya looked startled over the marshmallows, sitting down on the edge of a box, after checking to make sure it was nothing that could break.
"Marshmallows. Sorry I didn't have whipped cream or anything. You don't like marshmallows in your hot chocolate?"

"...It's really not a very highly looked upon profession in our society. It's more recognized if you're a talented entertainer---singer, dancer or story teller. You know what I mean. Or perhaps a good lover in bed. But...Books are just my passion I suppose. I love to learn. I can't have that same satisfaction after I sing and dance for other people. Sex is a different story..."

Malaya stared at the marshmallows rather curiously, "No...I've never had these. And what's whipped cream? How do you...whip it? That's...quite harsh sounding. It has a very faint sweet taste and it's soggy in the mouth. It's supposed to taste that way?"

The engkanto felt nostalgic sharing a little about himself. Though in truth, this was all he was. A nerdy book worm in a world where celebration and life was constantly about. Instead of enjoying the almost everyday festivities about the forest and it's living energy, he shut himself in his tree home to go about new books that he could learn from.

Yes, he lived a rather boring life so to speak.

"But I'm not cruel enough to simply critique and insult people because of their mediocrity. I do try my best to inculcate some teachings to improve their character. After which, it's up to them to accept or reject my proposals really... Isn't that always the case?"

Joe coughed, after nearly inhaling coffee at mention of being well noted for being good in bed, and tried to salvage it from being too noticeable, pretending to have burned his mouth on the coffee.
"Yeah, Writing doesn't really have the same flash as being a rock star or anything. I think someone once put it out as being harder because in the end you're two inches of space on a shelf, vying for the readers attention...you know?" He offered, clearing his throat again. Damn coffee.
"Well...you're not...literally whipping the cream, well...not with like a bull whip. I think you make it with an whisk. I've never tried doing it by hand. It's supposed to be sweet. Marshmallows are just...pretty much air and sugar so, yeah, they're just there to make it sweeter and make it a little thicker." If it was an act, he was very convincing in his act of not knowing what certain things were.
If he was acting he should be in Hollywood. If he was crazy it was at least a sort of harmless crazy.
"I've got some of my published stuff in one of these boxes. I can pull it out and show you one if you want. ..." He offered, wondering how he'd react. "It's not exactly Herman Melville. Mostly light fantasy stuff."

When he noticed Joe's cough over the "sex" parts, Malaya chuckled a little and sighed helplessly, "I know it's pretty much immoral and rather...unusual behavior but you must remember we do operate on a different set of morals and standards. As we are untouched by sickness and famine though some do experience death, we are...quite a happy bunch. Relatively."

He wasn't for sure. In a place that was so hedonistic, the engkanto wished he was elsewhere and able to fill his mind with knowledge than with lewd and bawdy verses about fornication in the woods. Or those strange acrobatic but sexually implicit dancing.

"...It sickens me how I only get a job because people find me attractive or so. Thinking I only get by because of my good looks." He paused to stare at his reflection and felt sad, "...I'd like to taste and see how whipped cream is made then. Whisk... Perhaps what it means is rapid movement towards it to give the cream volume?"

At the mention of an offer, Malaya quirked up. "I don't know who Herman Melville is but I do know Sir Francis Bacon and Edgar Allan Poe. Then some others whose names escape me but are good too. I'd be honored to read your works..."

Despite the circumstances, the engkanto felt excited deep inside of him having met a human who was a writer and enjoyed the trade of words. At least now, he wouldn't be so secretive about his hobbies and interests.

"Well I wasn't going to say immoral..." He excused. "Hedonistic maybe...Not that there's anything wrong with that. Although it's kind of funny. Most fantasy books you just never see anything about fantasy races...you know...having jobs. Which now that I think about it actually sounds pretty silly." He found himself making a note to pick up some whipped cream later, which surprised him slightly, but he let it slide. "Yeah I think thats pretty much it, it's supposed to be kind of tricky and I'm not the most amazing chief ever, so I haven't honestly tried it....Uh, Here let me see if I can dig one of them out. They're in one of these boxes..." He offered. "Honored is a strong word, like I said I'm not exactly writing classics here, but it's nice of you to say."

Malaya nodded at the word. "Indeed it is... But Joseph, if no one took up jobs despite our being a -fantasy- race, then we wouldn't have culture and knowledge. Jobs mean a division of labor... A weaver to make my robes. A scholar to impart his knowledge. A jeweler to bead gems and crystals together. A musician to fill the air with song. As much as we live long lives and are able to master as much as we can, we benefit more from a division of labor than us having to be weavers, musicians, lyricists and dancers all at once."

The spirit smiled and waved his hand a little, "It's alright. If you must know, it's very rare for me to find scholars...writers, poets... People of the written verse back home. Whenever I found someone who was most likely hiding behind a mask of a festive face, I was always giddy, Joseph... Like I struck gold. My sister would often lecture me about wasting my talents to such boring things. So being able to talk to a writer, I feel rather blessed."

"I said it was silly." He shrugged. "I guess people kind of impose their own personal fantasy on that sort of thing. Kind of pretend that somehow a world could exist that work could get done with no one doing it." He shrugged faintly. "Days of wine and roses and all that jazz." He offered, shrugging over another sip of coffee before continuing.
"...I don't remember if I've ever been actually giddy about what I was writing, but people used to think I was one weird kid." He chuckled at the memory, though he remembered how much it could hurt at the time. "I almost stopped writing altogether a couple times. Actually the main reason I started again was an ex who snatched one of my short stories off my computer and turned it over to the college literary magazine. I guess...sure it's a TV culture out there, but people still like to read. There's still something about getting through a book that gets people, or I like to think so... So I rather disagree with your sister. I don't think reading's a waste of time."

"Our lives are days of wine and roses... It's just that I'm a nerd and I don't enjoy it as much as hiding away from the noise or festivities, what may you..." The spirit looked up and thought about the last time he attended a banquet. It was the wedding of a very, very...ardent but bitter suitor of his. The man had practically shoved it in his face that he was getting married with some nameless girl and NOT with Malaya. The heck. The scholar wasn't missing anything at all for ignoring him. Damn bastard. He smiled, chuckling softly at the memory. Single blessedness wins.

"Marikit was always the moon to my sun or the sun to my moon if you'll have it. We were practically same of face and blood but we were worlds apart." Malaya swayed his cup left and right, humming to himself and then blinked. "What is...television? Is this like a telescope?"

"Well I guess sometimes we need someone to be our opposite. I know a few people who've been more driven because of having someone who was like that for them." He shrugged. He hadn't been much like that, only when he'd gotten some validation that he wasn't wasting his time had he actually started to pursue writing as something more than an pastime.
"...Not...really. You know...Television? Otherwise jokingly called the Squawk box? So on and So forth?"
Or...maybe he really didn't know? Or again, was just really good at pretending. "Square box in the other room? Works kinda like a radio, but with pictures...or a movie theater." He hoped the Engkanto knew what those were. They'd had movies and radios 50 years ago right? God now he couldn't remember...

"Marikit...despite our differences and constant conflicts, with me on the losing end and sometimes crying... I do love her a lot. I write her poems and lyrics whenever she wants it of me but oh well... I don't think she'll ever stop to be short of embarrassed of her geeky younger brother. Ever." Tears were starting to prick at the edge of his eyes but he stopped them. No. I will not cry... Not anymore.

Upon being told what a television was, Malaya's eyes sparkled with curiosity as he let out a sound of ooh of awe. "I know what those are! Really? A box that's a radio and a theater at once? Interesting! I've been to an theater house once... watched a play with someone. Yes, I can leave my home for a limited amount of time and within a given distance. From my recollection, I was able to watch just the play and had to return as soon as possible. I'm older now so I suppose my gage has expanded."

He paused to try to remember and then turned to him, "The screen was still black and white moving images and there was no dialogue. The music was cheery and lively though. Man with a bowl hat and did silly comedy with his exaggerated movements. But it's...improved that much? I'm impressed!"

Of course Malaya meant Charlie Chaplin.

"You haven't watched anything since silent film? Jeeze." He proclaimed, startled by this proclamation. "I'm going to have to dig out my DVD's when I get around to unpacking more of this mess." He looked around at the surrounding boxes. Maybe he should call some of the gang he'd left back in the city?
Nah....they weren't hugely close, or at least not so close that they'd drive out -here- for only pizza and beer. Or not any kind of pizza he was likely to be able to provide from the local pizzerias.
"I've got one film kicking around thats kind of like what you remember, it's a horror film though. Some bunch of guys who really like this author, Lovecraft? They went and filmed one of his stories in their back yard, only they did it all that old style. Someone bought it for me as a joke but it was actually pretty good. How are you with horror stuff?"

Malaya shook his head, "No one tried to ask me out on a date anymore---at least that way. Plus I wasn't the adventurous sort to go on my own. I was dating a girl who was my senior by many years so she could come and go. She thought it would be nice to have a date away from the prying eyes of the rest of the population."

Lovecraft...Lovecraft. The spirit stopped to try and remember what stories he probably read from the man, "As in the Reanimator Lovecraft? That man? Somewhat...interesting points of view. I've read some of his works. The merchants back when it was still new and fresh on the bookshelves weren't able to get so much copies as the printing was limited they said. He wasn't very much supported though I'm hoping he's getting recognition now. Say, by chance do you have any?"

Malaya then pondered about the horror part, "Well... I find stories of such a genre rather fascinating really. It's good to see people act in such a situation. Their "humanity" comes out and shows the true horror of things. It's hard to explain but they're always a good read, I think."

"I think I've got all of his, and all of Herberts stuff too. Man you want to get ribbed by someone, tell them you have Conan and Kull on your shelf." He chuckled, getting up from his perch and peering at the labels he'd written on boxes. "He's getting a lot more attention now, I think it comes and goes, him and Herbert both. It's kind of fun, all the stuff I remember being geeky about when I was a kid is suddenly all 'cutting edge' or something.
He pulled a leather-man out of his pockets, a key chain version and flipped it open to cut the tape on one of the boxes and pop it open, peeling out a few crumpled sheets of newspaper as he dug for books.
"That seems like...a long time not to go out. I mean I'm a bit of a hermit if I'm writing but, thats a wicked long time." He noted, putting the coffee down so he could dig with both hands, stacking books on top of another box.

"I...didn't have the endurance and I was still young really. Merchants came less and less. We actually go with those people and then when it's time to go back, we also go with them. It's getting hard to catch them really. So I'm stuck with just written words with half the time things I don't understand. But I'm trying... I mean what's uranium? Where is Nagasaki? I mean what is..."

Malaya stopped with his rant when he heard Joe had much of the man's work. If he were a puppy, his ears would have quirked up and stood on it's ends excitedly. "Wonderful! And I do go out... Just not to the city. I'm not familiar. I go out of the forest at times and lurk at the nearby villages. Not much has changed. The radio is an amazing thing for them still..."

"Nagisaki is...in Japan If I'm not loosing my mind... I think it was the...um..." He paused, taking out a couple more books and looking triumphant at the finds, offering out an collection of Lovecraft and another book called "The Grey". Which in spite of what most people might have assumed by the title, appeared to be a fantasy book, and had his name on the spine. "It was the second city that was hit by an atomic bomb to end the war. and Uranium... Uranium is an radioactive element. I know they use it in a few things, but I'm probably the wrong person to ask about it in detail. I didn't mean like...just...go out for a walk I mean like go out -with- some one. On a date. You don't get lonely?"He asked. Even though he tended to be oblivious when he was writing, sometimes company was the only thing he wanted when he surfaced. He hadn't quite figured out how he was going to handle that out here. There weren't exactly coffee shops, and he didn't think the local bar was maybe the best place to just go for casual company. He'd never been big on picking people up at a bar.
"Nothing wrong with liking the radio, I like to play music while I work. I can't do anything with the TV on, it's too distracting unless I turn it toward the wall and that really kinda leaves you missing a lot."

Malaya nodded, "I do get lonely. A lot. Sometimes... But then my tastes are also to blame. Like what I said, most people only look at me as the -male version of Marikit with significantly less curves- or -the pretty girly looking nerd-. When I do date or find someone, I'm often torn away from my books rather violently. It's as if they try to change me...I thought love was about acceptance, compromise and companionship."

He took a sip of his chocolate, "If I'm going to commit myself completely to someone, I want that someone to take me for what I am. I like to read. I like to write. I want time for myself. I don't like having casual sex either. I don't like being criticized and called names either. Most importantly, I belong to myself..."

The engkanto paused and realized he was practically ranting at the human about his relationship woes. He looked at his reflection on the warm liquid and apologized. "I got...carried away. I'm sorry. You can tell, I don't get to talk to people a lot and that I'd like that but the circumstances prevent so."

Malaya cleared his throat and changed the subject, "The villages...we call them barrios, are far flung and very different from the cities. There are very few gadgets of electricity and life is very simple. I think...I might have seen a TV but I wasn't quite sure if that was it. I remember seeing large cabinets that were cool inside and even produced ice. Maybe...I should pay more attention to the items scattered in the barrios and ask, don't you think?"

"Well it's not exactly fair for people to treat someone as a substitute for someone else, ever." He frowned slightly, and perhaps would have been surprised at himself if, an short time ago, he could have seen himself enjoying an heart to heart conversation with his unexpected 'tenant'. "...Randomly, I think thats a refrigerator you're talking about. Keeps things cool so they don't go bad. I'm a bit of a geek I guess. I do all my writing on the computer. That way I just waste disk space, not paper."
Which...seemed a little more significant if you took into account that he was talking to someone who said they lived in a tree. Hm. "Which I suppose is kind of ironic because I moved out of the city to simplify things, and so I'd stop driving the downstairs neighbors insane by pacing around at all hours and blasting my music." He laughed, self consciously at himself, folding the box tabs shut and picking up his coffee again.
"I haven't been in a really serious relationship for...oh...I guess it's been about a year and a half now. We parted on OK terms I guess. We just weren't what we were looking for in each other."

"Do you have a refridgerator, Joe?"

Malaya nodded at the replacement statement. Oh it had happened all too many times. There were even instances, he would simply let them have their way with him calling him Marikit in throes of passion because he was just that desperate and lonely. Just so he could say he had someone to keep his bed warm. It was empty but it felt good. "That's a rather efficient way to save the trees," chirped the spirit happily, "I'd like to see this computer of yours. It's good you're trying to conserve and all."

One point for Joseph, he mentally took note. He was starting to like this man more and more as they conversed together. Were humans really this interesting?

Malaya chuckled, "...What kind of music do you humans have? I've decided... I want to learn more of your ways and write them down... I'm fascinated. Not to mention, I'd really like a change of environment. Joseph, don't worry about getting me back to where I came from. I don't want to go back...At least not anytime soon." The engkanto decided. He wanted to stay. There was just too much to learn and see to do!

"A serious relationship..." He tucked some hair behind his hair wistfully and sighed, drinking his chocolate. The long haired spirit found himself thinking about his river deity friend. They weren't exactly in a romantically inclined and exclusive relationship. They were open to find others that they could find more enriching partners. But of course...Malaya took it seriously. "We're friends. We still are. Though we had an open relationship, I loved him too much... But it's alright. I suppose it was simply my loneliness that clouded my judgment...thinking it's love."

He paused for awhile, looked outside and then back at the brunet then extended his hand, "Friends? I know this isn't something you were probably expecting but I'd really enjoy the honor of being so... I haven't enjoyed this much simply talking to someone. There is something in you that is pure enough for me to be able to trust you right away..."

"I do, it would get pretty expensive if I had to drive into town every day for perishable stuff...and pretty tedious." He admitted, running his fingers through his hair again, absently, a small nervous habit. He'd made his own romantic mistakes in his time. He would have liked to say he was over making mistakes just because he wanted company, but that wouldn't have been true. He was just a little better at catching himself before he got in too deep. Did that mean he was experienced, or just that he was jaded, he really wasn't sure sometimes.
"Well, my main computer isn't set up, by my laptop's in the other room. It's actually got a view of that tree so...thats why I came outside." He admitted. "The computer's going to go there when it's unpacked, but the laptops a good stand in. My musics mostly in boxes but I had the radio out. We've got...well...what kind of music -don't- we have? The list is shorter." He chuckled. His joking smile faded slightly to concern as Malaya talked about his somewhat former partner, if only, apparently, by distance. He could see some of the hurt there, the open emotional wound, and when Malaya extended his hand, he reached out his own and took it to shake.
"...Friends." He agreed. "I know this wasn't exactly what you were planning on for the day either, but...sometimes things work out a different way around than we were planning...
Sorry I was so jumpy. Last time I stranger popped up where I was staying it was this creepy guy from a convention....it's a really long story. It was a mess..."

He shook the human's firmly with a smile. "I know a thing or two about your sort. I can understand that this is all a difficult thing to swallow really---for both of us. But when we put our differences aside, we're quite a pair somehow. So I suppose it would do as well to be friends."

Malaya was still hurting a little over E'ras but then it had been so long since he had seen the deity. Not to mention that now he was in the middle of nowhere, he would never have to see him again. It was a situation of It hurts to be around you but it hurts even worse when you're not there...But on the reverse. The engkanto felt liberated somehow. Away from everything and on his own, technically starting a new life... A part of him looked forward to this. Now it was in the palm of his hand.

After shaking his hand, he handed his cup and smiled, "I like chocolate. Just no marshmallows. And if you like, I'd like to help you every now and then. Other than helping out on your garden. That's easy peasy kind of for me. And...if it's okay with you, can I see those things you've mentioned---eventually?"