Practice (Tag: Alidia) rated M

She tried to get up but her legs were wobbling. "I....I dont feel good...Rahim...."

"I've got you, Alidia. You're sssafe with me. Would you like me to take sssomewhere elssse where you can relax?" Rahim asked, getting ready to pick her up and carry her.

Alidia was getting hungry like really hungry:craving then she had an idea. She smiled as she made a picnic appear. "I wanna stay by you and look familiar." But this time she made it like a Winter Wonderland like she did with her dad by she made it more romantic and personal.

The setting was so beautiful. It reminded him of his trip through the mountains on the way to the school. He couldn't help but smile at what he saw.
"It'sss beautiful, Alidia. Thank you for thisss." Rahim said to her, lowering her onto the blanket as he sat down.

Alidia smiled. She rubbed her beloved's face. "I love you so much," she placed his hand on her stomach "and they love you too."

Rahim smiled at this, even though he wasn't sure if she was referring to the fact that she didn't know what their child was or if she was implying that she was carrying more than one. He reached into his bag and revealed a book he had brought with him.
"Sssay Alidia, would you mind if I talked to you about a ssstory from my homeland? I think you might appreciate it." Rahim asked her.

Alidia nodded as she made a ball of yarn appear and needles. "Sure thing honey," she picked up a strawberry and placed it by his mouth. "Strawberry?"

"Why, thank you." Rahim said as he took the fruit from her. He took a minute to eat it before going on. After swallowing, he dared to begin.
"What I'm about to tell you is a ssstory from the Arabic culture. If you think hard about it, you could compare our love ssstory to thisss. Firssst, I need to asssk if you've ever heard of creaturesss called the El Katib." he started to explain.

Alidia giggled as Rahim ate the fruit. Alidia paused "I dont think I have and I know you will teach it to me. Cause I am learning so much bout this culture because I have a wonderful teacher."

Rahim blushed at this. He wondered if Alidia got some fun out of flattering him. He opened the book to a page he was looking for.
"They are bessst dessscribed as being like the gargoylesss of Europe. They only appear at night, and with one purpossse in mind: to find children out late and abduct them." As Rahim talked, he turned his book to face her so she could see the illustration. The creature was hulking with muscular arms longer than its legs, making one draw comparisons from a gorilla when they saw it. It had ears like a bat, green furred and armored skin, and yellow eyes set above a beak-like mouth filled with sharp teeth. The picture had been drawn by someone who witnessed the creature during one night it was sighted.

Alidia giggled as her beloved blushed. But when she saw the image she had the chills.

"I imagine you're wondering by now why they abduct children. To recruit them. They look for children that have indulged in their own darknessss too much, and the onesss that show true evil become one of them. You know what that meansss? Every El Katib that exisssted ssstarted out human." Rahim explained.

Alidia nodded. "Please tell me more honey."

"These creaturesss only walk the Earth once every ssseven yearsss and only during a full moon, which lassstsss for three nightsss. In between that time, they hide in a world of darknessss while they change into that creature until they return to take out that aggression on the firssst thing they come into contact with. They will live forever as long as they don't ssstay when the sssun comesss up. But I heard about one ssstory where one of them was able to go back to what he onccce was." Rahim went on.

((OCC: sorry bout the late reply had to see if my aunt was okay. She lives in Boston. :/ she's okay but .... You know))

Alidia was listening intently. She rubbed her stomach. She began humming their song to calm the kicking down. "Go on Rahim honey." she said.

(It's okay, I get it.)

"Well, a young witch in training noticcced when the sssignsss pointed to their presssenccce in her hometown. She decccided to try and ssstop their reign of terror. She met one of them and tried to convinccce him that thisss was wrong, though she was puzzled by how he ssseemed to know her. He reminded her of a friend she had as a ssstreet kid who went missing ssseven yearsss prior. Unfortunately, the rest of these creaturesss thought her a threat to their future and ordered him to kill her on the third and final night. But when he had her at his mercccy, he couldn't do it." Rahim went on, taking another strawberry to eat after getting this far.

Alidia was thinking aloud. "I...Was..." Was this one of their pastlifes? she wondered. She drank some champagne.

"When they demanded to know why, he said only one thing. She was...my friend. Ssso now she knew what had happened to the childhood friend she thought she lossst. The other El Katib refused to allow him to come with them when dawn approached, thinking it would mean the end of a traitor. But inssstead of disssappearing, his entire right arm became human again. You're probably going to asssk why thisss was." Rahim said.

Alidia's mind was still wondering, but she nodded.

"It was because he wouldn't kill her. That act of mercccy brought his buried humanity forward, and meant he didn't have what it took to be El Katib. The evil within him had withered to nothing. Over time, each act of kindnessss helped him regain more of his humanity. But, sssometimesss a tender moment with her did more than even that." Rahim answered.

Alidia snuggled to her beloved. "They sound like us..."

"That'sss why I thought you would enjoy the ssstory. It sssounded ssso like our ssstory that I couldn't resissst telling you about it. And the reason why a moment with the young witch did more to make him human again was because they were in love with each other, they jussst didn't know it. The more they realized it, the more human in appearance he became." Rahim answered. He suddenly noticed that she seemed distractted by something.
"Alidia, what'sss on your mind?" he asked her.

Alidia smiled at her love. "Nothing, my kind hero can't handle. I love you," she kissed him and she got up of the snow and she couldn't resist. She made them wear winter outfits and when that was done she threw a snowball at him. She giggled as she ran and hid.

It was the first real time Rahim had played in the snow. Alidia just knew how to bring out the best in him. Before long, they were in a full blown snowball fight, ducking and dodging each other's projectiles.
"You'll never beat me, my dear." he declared, dramatically.

Alidia smiled as she made herself invisible. "Dont count yourself as the winner just yet my beloved." she said but she made it sound like she was up in the trees. She playfully giggled as she stood behind him but staying so quiet that he wouldnt scented her.