Kenchanting || Ken

Kenvious

The next day, Penny woke up to the sun shining in her eyes like she did the day before. She stared upwards at the blue sky for a moment. She was taken out of her appreciation for the view above her when she heard a quiet mumbling coming from in front of her. Sitting upright on her bed, she looked toward the source of the noise. 

Ken was lying face down, the left side of his body hanging off the edge of the bed. His face was turned slightly, and the left side of his face was smushed into the mattress. His blanket had fallen off slightly, only now covering his lower half. He continued to mumble incoherently.

The two had learned quite a bit about one another last night. They were more connected, just as Penny had wished they would become. She hoped she was able to provide him with some form of comfort. She wanted him to know he could always come to her with whatever was bothering him. 

Penny got up quietly, hoping not to wake him, as she straightened the beach towel out to make her bed.

Ken's mumbling continued as she opened the door to leave. Penny paused suddenly and turned back around. She walked over towards Ken and pulled his blanket up to cover the rest of him. His mumbling persisted but became slightly quieter, and she left the house. 

Penny made her way to the beach, not knowing where else to go. She figured someone else had to be awake. Hopefully, she'd be able to talk to them. 

Luckily for her, the beach was already riddled with Kens. She wondered if this is where they spent most of their time. She walked onto the sand and greeted each Ken, telling them whatever jokes came to mind. Soon, Penny and Other Ken, as Ken called him in his head, were laughing and getting to know each other. 

They'd been talking for ten minutes or so when Ken showed up. He scanned the beach and saw Penny. He went over to talk to her but hesitated when he saw she was talking to Other Ken.

Other Ken kept putting barriers in between him and Barbie. Every time he thought things might be improving, Other Ken came in and made him feel like an idiot for ever thinking that. 

If Other Ken started to put barriers up between him and Penny as well, then he'd be left with no one once more. Though he'd only known Penny for two days, he'd felt more seen than he'd ever felt before. He didn't want that feeling to go away.

He didn't know how to approach the two. He stood watching them laugh and joke around. He knew he should just walk over and try to take Penny's attention off of Other Ken. However, every time he tried to take a step forward, his confidence diminished, and his worry took over.

Luckily for Ken, he didn't have to try and figure it out. Just shortly after his hesitance began, Penny noticed him and waved him over. 

He lit up with a smile and walked over to them. "Hi, Ken," Penny greeted. 

"Hi, Penny," he replied.

"Hi, Ken," Other Ken chimed in. 

"Hi, Ken," Ken replied, his voice lowering slightly. 

With pleasantries out of the way, Penny took the opportunity to make a joke. Looking at Ken, she said, "Ken, how did the horse greet everyone in Barbieland?"

Before Ken had the opportunity to ask, Other Ken beat him to it and questioned, "How?"

Penny looked right at Ken and answered, "with a friendly 'Hay there.'" 

Ken's eyes grew wide with excitement at the horse joke, and he soon was in stitches. Yesterday, he had confessed his love for horses to Penny during one of his two truths and lie responses. Specifically, his three statements were: