Happy Birthday Mal! 🏍

[Alternate Text: An image of an ebony motorcycle with some crimson pinstripe detailing; it's parked on concrete. The title reads: "Happy Birthday Mal!" in a heavy font that is crimson with a shadow lurking behind it.]

In honor of our favorite enigmatic server’s birthday, I decided to unravel just a bit of their mystery as a birthday gift more to you than to them! (Mal would prefer the word 'expose'.) I've collected quotes, answers, and tantalizing TFS: Book Two excerpts for you to enjoy. 😍

(As an aside for free members, writing on Book Two has been going extremely well! :D I've been devoting most of my time to the writing-side of things, carving away at the outline.💚)

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Question: "I find it curious M is referred to as "Server" and not "Waiter". Who are they serving👁️"

Answer:

👀… But, canon-wise, they do serve a really delectable cup of tea/coffee/hot chocolate and are hot, so maybe it's, uhm, okay?

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TFS: Book Two Snippet, R.I.P Bethany for Interrupting Mal's Phone Call with the MC 🤣💘

(Some of you might recognize Bethany as a fellow Fernweh Diner server. She is in Book Two as well as in some of our Patreon writings. This exchange varies, but the MC in this one has been consistently interested in Mal and tends to be sweeter/emotionally-invested.)

The Waiter 

Another robotic fluttering noise filters through the phone's speaker, quantifying your wait.

"Welcome to the—!"

An abrupt clatter interrupts the forcibly chipper greeting that held a twinge of familiarity. Is this the same waitress who overcharged Marjorie? It sounds like she either dropped the phone or backed up into something so the phone cable is warped, stretched out and crackling some.

"It's for me."

Mal's voice faintly filters through, prompting you to dig your cheek into the phone's plastic casing to hear him better. Their conversation is secondary to knowing that he was waiting for your call, possibly anticipating it. Shifting to lean against the wall only makes you crave the sensation of your mutual hold from last night—the closeness.

"I'm sorry. I—I didn't realize it was [him/her/them]."

"You wouldn't have," Mal observes. "Bethany, kindly go check on table 2 for me? Thanks."

*page_break

 . . .

"If I can't be there to touch you"—Mal's voice loses its practiced pleasant tone, softening into a murmur meant for you—"then at least say something to me, please? How bad was it?"

The Waitress 

Another robotic fluttering noise filters through the phone's speaker, quantifying your wait.

"Welcome to the—!"

An abrupt clatter interrupts the forcibly chipper greeting that held a twinge of familiarity. Is this the same waitress who overcharged Marjorie? It sounds like she either dropped the phone or backed up into something so the phone cable is warped, stretched out and crackling some.

"It's for me."

Mal's voice faintly filters through, prompting you to dig your cheek into the phone's plastic casing to hear her better. Their conversation is secondary to knowing that she was waiting for your call, possibly anticipating it. Shifting to lean against the wall only makes you crave the sensation of your mutual hold from last night—the closeness.

"I'm sorry. I—I didn't realize it was [him/her/them]."

"You wouldn't have," Mal observes. "Bethany, kindly go check on table 2 for me? Thanks."

*page_break

  . . .

"If I can't be there to touch you"—Mal's voice loses its practiced pleasant tone, softening into a murmur meant for you—"then at least say something to me, please? How bad was it?"

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Question: "How would the ROs react to someone asking for their number when they are dating the MC?"

Answer:

(We are going to pretend cellphones are common in Fernweh despite the lacking signal.)

Mal: “Now why would you want my number when your phone's broken?” 🔪 The admirer might grow confused, lighting up the screen of their phone to prove a point, just in time to see Mal's polished smile turn sharper. They get the hint and back off, possibly backing away. Zero tolerance from Mal, especially since this person must have timed asking them this question given how busy our enigmatic server can be.

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Quote for Mal: “Just remember that sometimes, the way you think about a person isn’t the way they actually are.”

— John Green, An Abundance of Katherines

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Question: "Could you maybe give us a little silly fact about Mal that perhaps doesn't serve any purpose to the story but is of great value to me?

Just asking since I'm not obsessed with Mal and love him a perfectly normal amount :D"

Answer:

"Silly?" Mal repeats your word choice with a hint of skepticism as they continue to wipe down a table. "Oh, that's a tough one; it would be easier if you were asking this of someone else." Their smile remains pleasant as ever, although you see how it crimps slightly, not quite broadening into something more malicious. "Mmhmm, let's see…"

"…Believe it or not, I sleep with a nightlight."

Mal glances away from the stubborn patch of syrup they were working at to gauge your reaction; there is something dark in their eyes that you doubt any brand of light could ever fully illuminate.

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TFS: Book Two Snippet, Hot Stuff ☕🔥

(Hopefully, you won't get burned if you trigger this, but this scene is choice-dependent!)

The Waiter

Piping hot cup of [hot chocolate, tea, coffee] in hand, you exit your car only after checking over your outfit one last time—how it lays and gathers on your body instead of being bunched up. This drink isn't the only 'hot' thing Mal gave you. He let you leave through the back exit of the Fernweh Diner, pressing you up against the wall of the empty hallway to kiss you without spilling a single drop of your drink. It was heady, too bad you couldn't go any further with actual hea—

"No, bad [Name]," you jokingly murmur, sipping on your drink and climbing out of the car.

The Waitress

Piping hot cup of [hot chocolate, tea, coffee] in hand, you exit your car only after checking over your outfit one last time—how it lays and gathers on your body instead of being bunched up. This drink isn't the only 'hot' thing Mal gave you. She let you leave through the back exit of the Fernweh Diner, pressing you up against the wall of the empty hallway to kiss you without spilling a single drop of your drink. It was heady, too bad you couldn't go any further with actual hea—

"No, bad [Name]," you jokingly murmur, sipping on your drink and climbing out of the car.

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Quote for Mal: "I wouldn’t ask you to lean on me, if I wasn’t prepared to fall with you."

—William Chapman

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One of my Favorite Mal-related Achievements: 

[Alternate Text: A screenshot from TFS: Book One. It's a close-up on the achievement: 'Don't Take It Too Literally' with text that says: 'You successfully learned Mal's nickname. (30 points)']

Another one of my favorite achievements is Ionized Neon, which triggers if Mal kisses your Returning Visitor in the first book. There are multiple reasons why I like it that I'll let you figure out if you ponder it (👁️👁️); however, Neon is brought up again in Book Two if Mal makes a cute science joke during their late night date. I'm sure some of you noticed this connection! 😌

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I hope you enjoyed celebrating our most enigmatic server with these insights/snippets! 💞