Snippet #1485833

The air was warm, with subtle undertones that hinted at fresh-baked bread and other goods below the main deck. Khalid raised her nose to the air, drawing a deep breath. It was a beautiful day, the sun shining, the sky a clear sapphire blue. The boat graced the waves, not giving so much as a croak when a larger wave slammed against the mast and coated those closest to it in seawater. Khalid let out a laugh, bellowing and contagious, much like a pirate's, and her crewmates couldn't help but laugh with her. The two-massed vessel, square-rigged upon both masts, was a beautiful warship, though only equipped with an older but sufficiently protected hull, allowing them to save on speed and time. Khal kept her hands upon the wheel, her keen eyes on the horizon. Issam flew above them, wings catching on the wind. And the sound of waves on wood quickly turned to an annoying beeping sound and...

"Ugggh," Khalid Moses groaned. Her eyes opened a smidgeon, filtering the light carefully to her pupils whilst a hand reached out and slammed down on her small red alarm clock. She laid there for a moment before groaning again. She hated mornings. Her mouth twisted into a fearsome grimace as she shoved back her covers. Her half of the room was a mess, with clothes and books scattered over the floor. She made a mental note to begin cleaning later that day, if she didn't come back to the room exhausted, like she did most of the time.

Khalid and Eleanor had made an agreement that she could shower first in the mornings because she was quick. She grabbed a simple outfit and slugged into the bathroom. She emerged fifteen minutes later, pale blonde hair falling around her face in damp strands. She used a handheld mirror to put in her contacts and stored her dorkish glasses back in her desk. Heading to their small kitchen, Khalid felt much better and dug around in the fridge, avoiding the vanilla milk. Chocolate, she understood. They had chocolate-covered cherries, chocolate bunnies, chocolate pop-tarts, chocolate Jell-O, chocolate bananas and strawberries, even the word cho-co-late was fun to say. But vanilla?

She just didn't get the attraction.