aterat | Unattended child wandering around

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Unattended child wandering around

Who; Móno and you!
What; 5 OPEN LOGS & 1 SEMI OPEN LOG (to anyone who might be at the office)
Where; Markets x 2, Harbour, Gullwings office, & Grey Building.
When; Through April
Warnings; Will edit if anything happens!

Look at all those ~~chickens~~ chocobos Market - idk insert small child staring at chocobos

Mono was a little more comfortable in his explorations now, a few weeks into his arrival it was slowly becoming clearer that the people here were not what he was used. They were weird, but in a good way for once. There was still a little anxiety on his part, a childish fear that if he removed the paper bag people kept asking about, that they’d see whatever it was that others say in him when he was in his world. That their attitudes might change...

But, paper bag mask firmly in place, he was a little more confident in his wandering around the market. Especially now that the fog had receded. It was lingering in the harbour district, but that was far enough from the market for his liking.

He’d gotten more than a little hung up on the creatures hooked up to carts or being ridden around on by the city guard. They appeared to be birds... Maybe big chickens...? They were scaled more like the rather frightening things in his world, and he’d shied away from their passing on more than one occasion now. Today he was sitting on a bench outside a building, bare feet kicking back and forth lightly from where they dangled as he quietly watched a cart come to a halt. “You smell weird...” He mumbled in a quiet tone, head tilting to one side. “Wonder if you’re as friendly as everyone else, or if you’re grumpy from having to pull people around all day...”

So big, and those feet looked sharp... A good peck from that beak could be a problem. On the flip side, they were such a bright, sunny yellow colour. A little more golden than Six’s rain coat or his sou’wester hat.. But a friendly shade just the same.

Window shopping Market - Someone feed this child and maybe make him buy shoes

Early in the day, residents of Aterat might see a child wandering from shop window to shop window.

There were so many store fronts to peek into the windows of and marvel at the life there. The odd clothing store or tailor shop with such colourful clothing, so bright and made of materials that looked fresh and new and so very soft. He couldn’t help but wonder sometimes, if the Pale City had ever been like this. Before the signal tower and the man in the hat... If it had, would it ever be like this again...? If the signal was interrupted? Or was the damage done.

Mono was tempted at one point to go in, wanting to get up close to the shades and see what the materials felt like. Then again, he wasn’t entirely sure he should. He knew he didn’t the funds to waist (though some of the headwear was tempting), priorities should be with food for as long as possible. It was nice, after all, to not need to scavenge through dumpsters or risk snatching things from the ‘viewers’ fridges. He’s not entirely sure people would be cool with him breaking into their homes and stealing food, and there were enough guards around that seemed aware that taking from food stalls was a risk.

So the stores... they’d have to wait for now. Maybe he could figure out a way to make money? People seemed to have jobs here, maybe there’d be something that he was good at that he could do...

Later on in the day, he’d made his way to the open air market, eyes scanning around him carefully as he watched out for people, while also being drawn to the smells of freshly prepared food.

At one point, he might be noticed scrounging around in his baggy trench coat’s pockets for something. The child had stopped in front of a stall of freshly baked bread, his stomach growling hungrily after all the exploring he’d been doing. Bread seemed smart, a whole loaf could probably last a while, right?

Not the best idea The Harbor - child no

It was the one part of the city he’d yet to properly explore. Mono had, at least at first, had some sense when he heard about the crab people monsters. But eventually he’d ventured closer and closer... After all, people still seemed to be coming and going to the forges and other establishments further from the docks. He wanted to see what was there, and maybe to get a better idea of how dangerous the things wandering beyond the gated area without going beyond it (he’s curious not stupid). Just in case they made it into the city...

At the very least, he’d found a familiar means of protection.

One might hear the sound of metal dragging on cobblestone, and further investigation would reveal a rather odd (and perhaps unsettling sight) of a small child dragging along what appeared to be a sledgehammer behind him. A lot of questions might be posed upon seeing this. Why was he here? Where were his parents? How was he dragging something that heavy when he looked like a stiff breeze could knock him over?

... Oh... oh wait. His foot caught on an uneven stone and he flopped on his face. The handle of the sledgehammer landing with a clatter next to him. Abnormally strong? Yes. But he was also terribly prone to it, as far as children went. Scrapped knees and bumps on the head were common enough. He could almost hear Six’s usually quiet huff at his clumsiness, encouraging him to get back up before something noticed them sneaking around.

King of the castle The Grey Building - WHY IS THERE A CHILD ON THE ROOF

He’d done a thorough search of his home once he had deemed the colour buildings safe enough to enter based on the other arrival’s assessments of them. Empty, the building was so very empty compared to the others... Had anyone else lived here? Would anyone else? The child had, of course, even broken into some of the empty apartments just to check and see. In case there were less obvious signs of life, or if there were unpleasant things hiding where he couldn’t see them.

It was comfortingly different from the apartment buildings he’d snuck through back in the Pale City. No ‘Viewers’ to be found. At the same time... it was eerily similar. The halls were quiet, his apartment comfortable but just as quiet as everywhere else. Mono was, after all, used to being on high alert. Listening for sounds of danger, never really relaxing. The silence just made that worse, because it felt like a trap waiting to be sprung.

Eventually he’d discovered the roof access. Here, he could listen to the sounds of life in the city below him. Enjoy the quiet reminders that this place was different, and... maybe dwell a little too much around the fact that as scary as it was? He needed to go home, his friend needed him. She needed to be saved, and no one else was going to if he didn’t.

Sometimes, to distract himself, he’d hum a rather off key little tune. A ridiculous song that got stuck in his head after it played one too many times on the TV’s back in his world. Sitting on the ledge of the roof, bag covered head tilted down to look at the people below.

They looked so small! For once he felt big!

A sneaky duckling Gullwings Office - He doesn’t see a any gulls or wings what is this place

For a few weeks now, there had been a small curious stalker wandering around. Most of the time they were exceptionally good at sneaking under the radar, but a keen eye or someone who was lucky enough to glance at just the right moment would have noticed a paper bag with eye-holes pressed against the office’s front window. The person in question was small, and timid, and sometimes could be seen sitting under the window sill unwrapping what looked like candies that he’d found on the ledge or near the entrance.

Someone who worked there was terribly clumsy (Mono could relate), or messy. At the same time, he wasn’t about to let perfectly good candy go to waste! Sweets were a precious commodity when you were a kid, right? Especially free candy that appeared to be risk free.

Ever since Mono had arrived here, specifically since he’d met Jagger at the park, the child had been following the man around the city and to his office in an attempt to figure him out. He’d been nice, weird, but genuinely nice. His senses told him the guy was honest, and probably safe enough. On the other hand, his instincts told him to not be careless. People weren’t always what they seemed, after all.

Finally, after what started to seem like ages of fuelling a sugar addiction, the bribes paid off.

He wasn’t sure if Jagger was even around, having snuck over to this part of the city a little later than usual, but if anyone else was? They’d be greeted by the sight of a child walking through the door, steps hesitant for a moment like he might back out, before he started to move a little more confident when he got distracted by the decor.

He knew there must be a right desk, all office people had desks, right?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Ignis was out in the market stalls as he usually was. Somehow part of him was still searching for Namine', as she'd seem to have disappeared on his watch. So the slightest bit of white got his attention and his heart felt heavy.

But he didn't mention this to Nida, he kept the hurt down because he knew the other had to be missing Jacob. So he didn't wish to burden the man with his problems since he had more than enough to deal with on his own.

Walking along, he smelled a few different pastries and decided to stop there at that particular stall. The vendor brought out a tray full of baked apples in pastry and Ignis decided more than a few of those were coming home with him. After he made his purchase and the baked apples were wrapped most carefully in paper, he started for the fish market as the cats were out of fresh fish. But on his way there, green eyes observed a little person searching their pockets in front of the bread stall.

And just as the advisor thought to move on, he heard a tummy rumbling and stopped to look back. For some reason the little person had a paper bag over their head and the coat they had on looked like it had seen far better days. He sighed softly and knelt down to the person. "Please allow me to assist here."

Giving the eye holes a smile, Ignis then paid for two whole loaves of bread, and wrapped one of the baked apples in extra paper from the bread stall. Once it was all bagged up, he knelt back down to the little person and offered it to them.

Mono had noticed Ignis approach the stall, had even quietly watched him buy a few of those delicious smelling pastries he’d passed in favour of a practical loaf. He had not expected the man to turn back to him directly.

A small, startled, “huh?” Escaped him as the man knelt down in front of him. His instincts making him back up a couple steps out of caution, for all he was doing a little better with people in this world? Old habits died hard. Confused, his head tilted between Ignis and the person selling bread almost comically rapid as the loaf he’d intended to buy was bagged up along with another one of those apple pastries that smelled so good. When was the last time he could say he’d had a freshly baked pastry? He certainly couldn’t remember.

Dark brown eyes peering out through the eyeholes of his paper bag mask as he studied Ignis carefully as the man offered the bag. The child looking for signs in his expression that some trick or trap might be incoming. Was this... was this another gift like when Jagger gave him hot chocolate? Why...? His eyes moved to the bag though, the smell capturing his attention and holding it, his stomach growling again. “... Do you want something for it?” Came a very small, very young voice. “I don’t think I had enough for that.”

The advisor smiled and shook his head. "No, I've no wish for you to repay me." His head cocked to the side as he studied the strange boy with the paper bag. Now he himself visited the stalls every day practically and certainly would've remembered a child like this among them, so this boy must be new. And if he was new, that meant that he would have a warm safe place to sleep.

Well that was a relief.

And just as he was about to speak again, the pastry vendor came over and handed him a container of apple juice. "You forgot this with your order sir." "Ah, so I did, thank you." Ignis replied. And with that, the man vanished. Ignis smiled at the boy and handed that over too. "Take this as well, and don't worry about repayment."

There was definitely a warm, safe place for him to live. He currently had the run of an entire building. Whoever was in charge had clearly not been particularly responsible when they made that arrangement. It was probably why he hadn’t been seen terribly much since he arrived a month ago, once he knew the building was safe.

Well, that and he was very sneaky.

Right now, however, the child was trying to decide between caution where the stranger was concerned and taking the bag because he was hungry the smell was making his stomach growl. The noise a stark contrast to how quiet he was used to being out of necessity. When the apple juice was added to the bag, his eyes widened. Wow...

“Why not...?” The child finally responded as he finally decided that if the man wasn’t as genuine as he seemed, he could probably outrun him. His fingers reached out and curled around the bag to carefully take it.

He could only smile. "Because it's called a gift, and they don't ever require repayment." But pleased the advisor was to see the child take the bag and curl his fingers around it. Realizing the other still seemed a bit skittish, Ignis stood very slowly and moved back to silently reassure the other that he was no threat. "No one should go hungry here, and that includes you."

He then moved his attention to the apple vendor and nodded. There had been no order of apple juice that Ignis had missed. The kindness that was displayed towards this particular lad seemed to have struck a chord within the other man's heart and he made his own contribution though it had crossed Ignis' mind to inquire if the proprietor wished repayment. However, that might be perceived as a slap in the face and or considered an insult which was the last thing the advisor wanted.

A gift, like the hot chocolate had been... It was just so weird, no matter how much he tried to make sense of it. Everyone, or at least those he’d met, had been incredibly nice so far. It is had a warmth about him, his face kind, none of the almost animalistic predatory expressions he was used to seeing on those who even had faces in his world. “Oh... Okay.”

His shoulder’s relaxed a little when Ignis stood up and took a few steps back, the space was appreciated for the moment. Mono wasn’t entirely without manners, but they certainly weren’t used particularly often. So it took him another moment or two before he remembered to add a mumbled, “Thank you.”

Now that the bread was in his possession though, it wasn’t long before he was reaching in to break off a small handful of a loaf, pushing the small piece up under the paper bag mask to munch on while he listened to the rest of Ignis’ explanation. Would it be easier to eat without the bag? Yes. Was he going to remove it? No. “It’s really different here...” He replied finally, before shoving a little more bread in his face hungrily.

"You're quite welcome." Ignis replied, with a smile on his face. It was nice to hear manners reflected back at him but if they hadn't been that would've been alright too. Of course he thought to let the little one eat in peace and not trouble him with his presence any further, but then the boy broke the space of silence with his observation.

"It is rather different, but I've found that even with the situations being unfamiliar and far less than ideal, there is a certain charm about it." There wasn't any place like this back where he was from. And the charm that had been mentioned was assisted of course with Nida being here who'd helped Ignis out quite a bit without even realizing how much. And while they were here, there was no hurry which of course he appreciated even if he knew he would one day have to return. But he was determined that the return would include his mate at his side.

Mono was listening closely as Ignis spoke, for all that it might have seemed like he was distracted by the feast in front of him. The kid was used to being on alert as it was, listening to the world around him to be on the safe side whenever he did stop. So it was easy to follow along, as hungry as he was. Less than ideal...? That made him wonder (not for the first time) about what the worlds of other people were like?

“It doesn’t seem like a bad different, except for some of the scary stuff they told me happens.” He paused, either second guessing or because he wanted to take another bite of bread. It was a little of both considering he was a little afraid of accepting that things were like they seemed, only for some horrible trick to be revealed. “But I dunno for sure, I’m still figuring stuff out.”

The advisor smiled. "If that scary stuff as you call it does indeed happen, you can find the safest place to hide, and be rest assured whatever the issue is will be dealt with." Even if saying that made him inwardly miss Yuna and yet still wish she was happy back home, Ignis kept those feelings and thoughts hidden. But Nida was here with him and together they could be quite the formidable team, they'd proven that.

There was a quiet memory of Namine too, resembling Lady Lunafreya in his mind, so he'd immediately taken to her. She too had vanished at some unknown point, but he'd always kept her safe too.

For the other's sake, he smiled lightly. "It may take some time to figure it all out. But there are plenty of us willing to help out."

Edited 2021-04-06 03:27 (UTC)

Mono’s shoulders rose in a little shrug at that, “I will, I’m good at running and hiding.” He responded with quite a bit of confidence in his quiet voice as well as something... a little bitter (at himself).

Picking at a little more bread, he thought about what happened one of the last times he’d had to run and hide. He’d completely frozen up and his friend had been caught because of it. But the point stood, though, that the child was well practiced with running and hiding, so at least his instincts there were strong.

His attention refocused on Ignis, though when he mentioned there were plenty of people willing to help him figure stuff how, which he’d definitely noticed... For all he was still a little nervous around people, it had been kind of nice... Mono was still a little afraid of the rug being pulled out from under him, but he was starting to get it. Especially now, with the other man’s kind gesture. “Mhm... People here are more helpful than at home. It’s weird... but good.”

He nodded at the boy's assurance that he could turn and run. There were so many places to hide here and at least Ignis felt better that the boy could get clear of being caught. The last time something nasty had haunted this place one of Nida's friends and their mutual one hadn't been quite so lucky. Of course now both had gone home along with another friend of Ignis' and Nida's. And the advisor had been looking to have Yuna stand up with him when he married the guard.

Such was life here.

"Perhaps being in another world brings out different sides of a personality." Ignis mused. He only tried to model what he thought Noctis might do because that man was all heart while his advisor stayed back and tried to make sure things didn't get too reckless or out of hand. "After all we here know what it's like to come to a place you didn't quite intend to arrive at. And help is never a bad thing."

Unless your name happens to be Ignis Scientia because he gave help, not received it.

“Maybe...?” Mono responded in a curious tone. He wasn’t sure he was being particularly different since arriving... Then again, he was also talking to someone. Someone who wasn’t another child, which was kind of very different. Adults did not talk to you, at least not like this anymore.

“Yeah, I didn’t expect to end up in a place as nice as this...” He mumbled, looking down at the bag of fresh bread and pastry again. It was so good. No mould to pick around, not stale, just warm and fresh and tasty... “Wasn’t even trying to.” Hadn’t thought to try, though he’d never really considered it an option before. Sad thing was, he knew he had to go back. Had to get his friend back and fix his mistake. The child wished he knew how he’d ended up here to begin with. He hadn’t even been going through a tv at the time! If he knew, maybe he could go home and get Six back, then bring them both back here.

Wishful thinking...

“Help is good... I like to try to help, I’m not good at it though.” He added uncertainly in agreement. Mono really wished that he was good at it, but he kept messing up. Sometimes missing danger before it hit, or freezing up in fear when he should have done something.

Ignis himself had realized that he'd been relaxing more since Nida had come into his life. He'd always been one to nag at Noct to take a break and here he was, learning to do that very same thing. It was weird and it had been odd to have it pointed out by one of the hunters that he seemed more laid back than usual lately. Ignis immediately attributed it to his mate's presence in his mind, but just outwardly smiled and shrugged once it had been pointed out to him.

"I don't believe anyone would have asked to come here on their own. But being here is a sort of pause if I heard the story correctly. I'm told time pauses back home so that when we're sent back, we haven't missed anything."

Still, he couldn't help but smile softly at the boy's statement, with his words being spoken in the same manner. "Sometimes helping is staying safe so that others can take care of whatever danger without worrying about someone else's safety."

Six knew he wanted Noct out of the battles they fought half of the time. It would've been so much easier to concentrate if the man had just hidden himself away somewhere because of all of them on the field, Ignis worried about the king the most.

One could practically feel the sudden nervous, surprised energy escaping the child, his head rising to look at Ignis in surprise. “It pauses? So... So what was happening when I was brought here just stopped until I go back?” That was... A whole lot of not great. He’d been on a train, careening down a hill, trying to escape a menacing figure that had already kidnapped his friend.

The only sliver of hope in that to be found was that maybe he’d still have time to fix things... Maybe. He still didn’t know how, but if he could get to the tower then maybe he could figure it out.

And the smile on Ignis’ face was combined with the words he spoke, was another of those things that confused the child since he arrived. His tone shrinks, small and laced with something close to guilt. “What if there isn’t anyone else to help? What if it’s just you and someone needs you?”

"That is what I've been informed of." Ignis reaffirmed, wondering what the other was thinking. Many had been the night that one little bit of hope saved his ass from going mad. He'd left Noct unconscious at the Altar of the Tidemother in Altissia after all. And since he was six it had been his duty to look after care for and protect the future (now present) King of Lucis.

Those last words spoken of course went straight to the advisor's heart. He had been the one to protect the unconscious king and there had been no one else. Well...there was but Ravus had been particularly vocal and physical in regards to how much Noct didn't mean to him. So he carefully knelt down to try and see what was behind that bag on the boy's face, speaking softly.

"Then you simply do the very best that you can to help the person that needs you. And that's all you can do."

His grip on the bag of bread tightened unconsciously, almost hugging it as he found himself little lost at Igins’ words... “The best that you can...? I didn’t do that though...” Mono knew he could have reached out, he could have revealed himself before the man in the hat had taken his friend. He could have... He could have done anything aside from what he’d done. Which, for the first time since meeting Six, had been nothing.

But he’d been so scared... More scared than he’d been in a long time.

Usually the child was pretty brave, or at least stubborn enough to push through the fear. He’d freed her from the cabin in the forest and kept her safe when the Hunter had been after them. Mono had then fought tooth and nail at the school to save her again when she’d been taken away. He’d even gotten them out of the hospital alive when the odds had been stacked so high against them...

But when the thin man had crawled out of the tv to get them (like he could, a small voice nagged), when he’d chased them to another room and Six’s hiding place hadn’t been good enough... He’d frozen. He’d been so scared this time, that he couldn’t even look. “So I gotta fix it. I gotta go back and fix it.”

So when Ignis knelt down to try to get a better look at the kid’s face, if he was looking carefully enough, he might see Mono’s eyes through the holes in the bag. They were tired looking, full of sadness and carrying far more guilt than any ten-year-old should be holding on to.

"Perhaps, but you'll surely have a chance to correct things when you get home." There was a slight smile to hide the pain that Ignis felt at the boy's words, both for the boy and himself. "So until you can get back and fix things, you need to stay safe here."

It had occurred to him that Noct or this boy's important person could show up here too, but he didn't want to put that thought in the other's head. So he thought back to something Yuna had said while she was here. She had said they needed to take care of the people that were as lost as they were, new arrivals and the like. More importantly she wanted to help take care of any lost children whether they were new here or not.

And then he pondered what Nida would say for a moment. And then his head shook as he thought he saw sadness or guilt or both. Heavens knew he felt the same about leaving Noct behind.

"Also in the meantime, how well are you eating?" Besides the bag of bread and the pastry of course.

Feeding people was something he was good at. Nida had eaten far better himself after showing up regularly, and the offer of washing dishes hadn't been anything he'd expected. After all cleaning up after three grown men (besides himself of course) was just something he had to do. But if he could help out somehow he would.

Ignis was right, he’d at least have a chance. Hopefully... He wasn’t sure what he was going to do, but he could always figure that out in the moment like he always did. To just get to the signal tower, avoid the thin man in the hat, and get his friend back... Maybe even figure out how to turn the signal off?

Mono at least knew he’d have to try. He couldn’t abandon his friend. It was bad enough he hadn’t been able to stop her from getting caught, especially since she’d tried to stop him from getting lured in by the tv’s pull... None of it would have happened if he had just stayed away. But if what Ignis said was true, there was a chance, and as scary as it would be, he’d be able to try.

“This place kinda seems less scary than home, so I think I can do that.” Stay out of harm’s way, that was. It was still ridiculously difficult for the child to even consider that adults should look out for him or protect him, though.

So learning to rely on adults? That was going to take some time...

The question gets a little pause, head tilting down to look at the bag in his arms thoughtfully. “Better than home? Food here is really fresh. I’ve been careful with the money they gave me when I got here.” And he might have stolen the odd thing the first couple days before he realized that people weren’t prone to attacking on sight.

Mono probably didn’t realize that his answer wasn’t really an answer at all. He wasn’t sure what ‘eating well’ meant beyond getting something to eat now and again. Eating well now was getting to eat food a little more regularly and not having to pick around the bad parts.

Ignis was patient and waited to see what the boy would say. Trusting strangers wasn't something he himself would normally advise, so his strategy changed as he waited. Maybe it would be more of a stretch, but maybe it would be better, he'd have to wait and see.

"Staying safe would be a good achievement here, so that is an excellent start." Of course he was trying to encourage a good behaviour and that might help the boy too. The advisor could really only hope that would be the outcome.

Getting a nod at the part about the money, he smiled, recalling Namine's hesitation to accept his help. "That being said regarding your funds, if there was a place you could eat regularly, would you go?" This of course still gave the boy about four options even if he wasn't aware of them. But feeding people was something he was good at and would do as best he could.

Aside from some clumsiness at times, prone to throwing himself into a motion too much, Mono was at least pretty well experienced with keeping himself out of harm’s way. You didn’t survive as long as he did without learning how to sneak around danger, or steel yourself for some less unpleasant solutions to a problem. Especially when there was no one there to help you. Well… He did throw himself into harm’s way for his friend a lot, aside from that one time (and one was all it took).

The suggestion of a place to eat regularly gets a curious tilt of his head, attention grabbed as easily as it had been by the bag in front of him when it had been offered. “Maybe. What kinda place…?” And, almost warily, he added a quiet. “Is there a catch? Or is it like this…” He added, glancing at the bag in his arms again.

The blondish head shook. "There is no catch and in fact I can offer you some options. One is for you to meet at my home to eat although that might be something that might be more appropriate in time. Another is to have you eat at the tavern in town."

He sighed, just to give enough pause before the next set. "There's a third option which involves a trip to the Hunting Lodge though it's a bit of a walk unless you wish to be picked up and brought there where I work as the head chef. Or if you'd rather I can drop food off at your building."

A smile was leveled at the boy and Ignis nodded. "Or we can figure out which vendors you prefer to eat at here, and I will pay for it, with no strings attached."

Mono definitely wasn’t sure if he was ready to eat at someone’s house, and the tavern looked like it could be rather crowded… Now the mention of the hunting lodge might be where Ignis noticed some of that nervous tension ramping up a bit, there was almost an unconscious shift in the child’s stance. Not that he was going to flee, it was just that a memory had been invoked by the mention of the place. A hunter’s lodge was not far off of a hunter’s cabin to Mono’s mind. Just a larger version, perhaps, and the thing’s he’d seen that the hunter in his world had done… Had wanted to do… He and Six had taken care of it in the end, they had survived, but that didn’t really stop him from remembering the horrifying ordeal.

Nope, the hunting lodge was out. Even if Ignis seemed like a very nice person, Mono couldn’t bring himself to agree to going there yet. It would feel too much like going back and he wouldn’t know what to expect. Now the other option, that didn’t sound bad… So he tried to focus on that. The buildings they all lived in weren’t far apart, and he could take the food and feel a little more secure in his apartment. “Um… You could drop something off, if you have extra.” He finally said, trying to shake himself out of some of the weird flashbacks that were distracting him.

He wasn't sure what was going through the other's mind but something seemed to be a bit off. He almost asked but figured if the child wanted to inform him of whatever it was he would. So he patiently waited to see if there was something the other might say to give him a clue. And when there was nothing he didn't pry or push.

However his patience was rewarded when there was finally a break through with the boy stating that dropping off food would be fine. Really he was more familiar with cooking for four grown men, so bringing home an extra plate with food was completely fine for him. After all he always seemed to bring extras home that needed to be eaten.

"Splendid. I will begin that process tonight then since I have to work. And I will drop the food off to you starting tomorrow if that is acceptable."

Not prying or pushing was probably a good move, Mono wasn’t so comfortable here that he wouldn’t just leave to avoid talking about something he didn’t want to. As it was, he’d already opened up far more than he would have expected to around a stranger.

The confirmation is met with a nod, and maybe there was a relief in his voice to know that he wasn’t going to have to worry so much about food for however long Ignis wanted to bring him some. The kid would still be careful with whatever he got, try to spread it out in case the offer was limited… “Thank you, I got enough for today.” He responded with a serious one, looking down at the bag again. Yes, he could probably even stretch the contents of the bag out if need be.

Just in case Ignis forgot to drop the food off or changed his mind after they parted ways.

"Alright. Then I shall let you go." Ignis didn't to bother the boy or hold him here any more than he had already even if his attempt was simply to help. But being in a strange world and hearing the regret the boy had..well it had to be tough on a little boy. And while he was still curious as to why a bag was being worn over his face, it was none of the advisor's concern.

Maybe someday he might feel confident enough to remove it. And if not that was alright too. It took Noctis some time after his injury to admit he still hurt from time to time. That had taken both time and trust.

Mono nodded, he rather wanted to get back to his building to stow his bag of goodies away… And maybe sample the apple pastries without the bag getting in the way. Which meant being alone where he wouldn’t have to worry about being stumbled upon. “Okay, um… Have a good day.” He added with an awkward little wave as he adjusted his hold on the bag of bread.

That was a good way to say goodbye to someone, right?

… It would have to do, his social skills were so clumsy from disuse. Six hadn’t spoken much, and it was better that they just used silent cues sometimes. So starting and ending conversations were always weird.

And with that, he backed up and disappeared into the crowd in the direction of the coloured buildings.

Yuki sighed, closing his folder. The office had been a lot quieter lately without Miss Yuna or Caelan around and it was almost eerie. It was odd too, because he somehow would look every time the door opened, thinking either one was going to be standing there, telling him it was all some sort of joke.

Worse, his own heart privately ached over the loss of Jacob, but that was his problem. And he dealt with that grief in the space of his own lonely little apartment. But right now, he reached over to pull the small gold chain to the lamp over his desk in order to turn the light off. There were files to collect and a bit of clean up to do.

The clean up routines he'd established while Caelan and Miss Yuna had been here brought him some small amount of comfort. And after Jagger left for the evening, Yuki would always take out an audio recording taken at Miss Yuna's concert. The song she'd sung was called 'A Thousand Words'. And of course he could hear Caelan playing along in the background which would make him smile because it was if they were still there with him.

Now the song reminded him of Jacob and he might wipe away a tear or two, but any crying would wait until he got home. Picking up the broom, he swept but then thought he caught movement out of the corner of his eye.

Gray eyes widened in surprise as a small figure walked in the front door. Obviously it had to be a child, but what the deal was with the paper bag, he had no idea. So the sweeping stopped and he spoke in his usual soft tone.

"Are you lost?"

Ah, he’d been seen. Not by the person he’d expected though, instead it was the other person he’d seen coming and going from the office when he’d been following Jagger around. His observations had given him the sense that Yuki was, as most other people had been, a non threatening sort of person. Which meant, while still cautious, he didn’t turn around and head right back out the door.

Instead, he stared for a moment. Eyes moving between the broom and Yuki himself, before he shook his head. “No.” Came a short answer, though he supposed in a way he was a little lost. He wasn’t sure which desk was Jaggers, and he didn’t even see the man. “Um... Jagger said I should visit him here?”

He wasn't sure the little one was going to stay or answer him though he wasn't one to try and chase a child off. After all, he was pretty good with Momiji and Kisa and they were younger members of the Sohma clan.

But once he spoke, Yuki gave a small apologetic smile and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Jagger's left for the night." And silently he wondered how far this one had come to find the man, especially with the hour being as late as it was. "But he'll be in around nine tomorrow morning if that helps." It bugged him the child came to find someone who wasn't here as that was a waste of his time, but it wasn't his call to make.

The kid was definitely disappointed that he’d arrived too late, looking down at his toes for a moment and scuffing one against the other as he tried to decide what to do. Come back tomorrow was the obvious answer at a better hour. Perhaps not so late in the evening, though he still wanted to avoid running into too many people at once.

Problem was, time was a construct that Mono really hadn’t had to adhere to before. Firstly, because he was a child and what was time when you were ten with no schedule or parents to hold you to one. Secondly, he wasn’t sure if many were looking at clocks anymore in his world. It didn’t function like this place did, not in a long time from the way things looked there.

Still, if he tried again tomorrow in the morning, maybe he’d have some luck. “Okay.” He finally responded with a little nod, trying to keep the disappointment from his voice. “I’ll try again tomorrow um... In the morning.“

Something about this kid or child gave Yuki the impression he was on his own. Maybe it was just the way he scuffed his feet, knowing no parent would allow their child out at this late hour. So he debated with himself on what to do. It wouldn't sit well with him if he just left this one to chance, as there were far too many orphans on the street as it was.

"I could make us some tea or something to drink." Here he was trying in his own way to be hospitable, though he knew he couldn't cook. However.. "There's snacks here too if you want to see what's available."

It was impolite to let the kid just run off into the night. Maybe he was hungry or thirsty or something, and thankfully Miss Yuna had opened his eyes to those possibilities.

“But aren’t you busy?” He responded, looking back at the broom curiously. Honestly, what with the candy he’d found left out and around by Jagger, he wondered if Yuki had a lot of stuff to sweep up.

So really, he’d definitely been doing everyone a favour by taking and eating said candy... right? Speaking of candy, at the mention of snacks, Mono rummaged through his pockets and pulled out his latest finds. “I have some snacks... I think Jagger is messy, he keeps dropping these.”

"Not too busy since you're a friend of Jagger's." Yuki smiled. It was something that Miss Yuna had taught him. She and Jacob had been really helpful in at least showing him how to be hospitable without bringing him out of his shell too much. Besides, he'd been student council president and had to talk to that group more often than not.

A small laugh escaped him as the boy started tugging at his pockets and declaring the other man messy. He didn't know if those things had been 'dropped' on purpose, but he supposed anything was possible. "I think we have cheese..seems a wheel of it was delivered earlier today, and I think there's crackers too."

Putting the broom to the side, he gestured with his head towards the kitchen like area. "I'll go see, you can come too if you want." It was better than the boy constantly snacking on candy.

It probably was, too much candy was bad for you. Mono simply wasn’t a picky child, he’d never had the opportunity to be. You ate what you found, or you didn’t eat at all.

The laughter from Yuki was a little confusing. Had he said something funny? You didn’t hear a lot of laughter where he was from... It was a good sound though; he liked to hear it since arriving. Plus... Mono was an observant kid, he’d noticed Yuki seemed a little sad when he’d arrived. It was good to laugh, right? Whenever he and Six had found something fun and shared quiet, muffled giggles over it, it had made them feel better.

His attention was definitely caught by the mention of cheese and crackers though, as hard as it was to tell what his expression was behind the bag. But that sounded very good, and a nice change of pace from the candy. The kid took one last look around the room, a forced habit at this point, before he nodded. “Okay.” He responded in a quiet tone, taking a second to tuck the candy back away in one of his many pockets. “I’ll go to the kitchen with you.”

There was an amusing amount of certainty in his voice, as though he’d had to build himself up to say so. Sort of like the confidence he’d had to build up to enter the office in the first place. He tugged a little at the bag on his head before starting to follow Yuki towards the kitchens.

He had waited to see what the boy would do, considering he couldn't tell by an expression. But he knew patience and eventually the other decided to go follow him to where he was going. It was nice to be able to have company Yuki decided. Being here by himself and suffering in silence was far more akin to what he was used to. But he was good with the younger Sohma clan children such as Momiji and Kisa, the Rabbit and Tiger of the zodiac respectively.

But they headed to the kitchen together and the silver haired man hadn't been wrong. So he gestured to the table there even if it wasn't large and started getting some plates down from the cupboard. It wasn't often that the team had sat together, but it had been an important step for Yuki in getting to know the people he'd be working with. Intimidating hadn't begun to describe it, but Miss Yuna was so kind and patient with making sure he settled in and got to know the different people here and there.

Now only he and Jagger remained.

Pushing those thoughts out of his mind now, he set some of the plates down and reached into the drawer that held the biggest knife before getting the crackers. Setting the crackers and plates on the table, he looked at the boy in the paper bag. "How big of a slice do you want?"

Mono didn’t mind that the table was small. Things that were smaller or closer to a ‘normal’ scale were such a novelty to him when you compared them to the world he came from. He could actually reach its surface even without standing on a chair, though he didn’t waste much time in clambering up onto the chair to kneel on it and rest his arms on the table in front of him.

Watching Yuki moving around, getting plates and the snack together, he couldn’t help but tilt his head at the rather large knife Yuki had chosen to use. Knives that big reminded him of the hunter or the doctor, and he had to stop himself from focusing on that too much. Instead, leaning forward and slouching over the table as he thought about the question instead. “I dunno...” He eyed the cheese with a small growl of his stomach, he was a growing kid after all. “As big as what you’re gonna have?”

The silver head nodded amicably and he had to cut a little bit of rind off. However the cheese he was working with was pretty soft so it didn't require a lot of effort as he'd seen Jacob use or anyone else. So it was pretty simple to get it cut up and get it served.

A small pile of crackers were set on the side of the plate that Yuki handed to Mono to accompany the big slice of cheese that had been cut down to smaller workable slices. He'd heard the stomach growl and that made him smile. That was usually how it went when the boys had Miss Honda in their house. The three males had given up any sort of pretense of cooking and didn't even bother to order out if she was indisposed for any length of time.

After sitting down with his own plate, Yuki smiled. "If you're still hungry, there's plenty more."

He was so often hungry, though it wasn’t quite so bad in this world as it was in his own. Still, Mono wasted little time in snagging a few crackers and pieces of cheese to gobble up as he pulled his place closer to him. One minute they were in his hand, the next they’d disappeared up under the bag he wore on his face.

The suggestion that he could have more if he was still hungry afterward is met with a small tilt of his head. “Thank you? It’s good...”

In a way, Mono reminded him of Kisa or even himself when he was younger. Both of the Sohma children were shyer and quieter than the others. So he knew to continue to be gentle and go easy. But it really was cute to see the crackers and cheese go up under the bag, even if Yuki purposely averted his eyes because staring was rude.

The thank you was unexpected and it had him smile. "It's not a problem. If you're a fan of the cheese, I can make sure we keep getting it in."

“Really...?” Honestly, Mono was a fan of food in general. Even if the generosity of adults was terribly confusing here, he was a smart enough kid to know better than to turn down food once he’d made sure there were no dangerous strings attached. So the offer gets a little thoughtful tapping of his fingers against the side of his bag.

Mono supposed he would at least be coming back here, unless they decided he wasn’t welcome... He was still waiting on people here to figure out whatever it was that everyone in his world had. Something that made them dislike him so much. “Maybe... Do you want something for it?”

He nodded and then wondered what was going through the boy's head regarding the tap. But it had to be tough to not be taken in of sorts, just as Jacob and Miss Yuna had done to him. Well it was as Miss Honda said, it was 'his turn' in a way he guessed. And it hadn't been long before he'd met Caelan and had a job and was pretty set up, considering he'd entered this world just as this boy had.

But at the question of if he wanted anything, the silver head shook. "No. But one day, maybe you too can do something for someone who just shows up here." It would be 'paying it forward' so to speak, not paying back.

It was hard to tell what the child was thinking with that darned bag over his head as Yuki explained the offer to him. Another stretch of silence followed once the other had finished, interrupted by the odd piece of cheese and a cracker disappearing up under the paper again.

After most of them were gone, he brushed his fingers off on his coat sleeves and folded his arms on the tabletop again. Seemingly, he’d come to a conclusion. “So I just gotta do something nice for someone else sometime? I can do that… I like to help.” He added in a soft but perhaps proud tone. Helping people was important, and there was always that little voice in the back of his head that suggested if he helped enough people, that would make up for whatever it was that made everyone so upset around him. And maybe he wouldn’t end up alone, after all.

It hadn’t happened in this world yet, which was still pretty confusing, but he didn’t want it to get to that either.

"That seems to work the best around here." There was nothing else he could think to tell the other to do. He wouldn't ask the boy for anything himself so there was nothing he would ask about. "Something like if someone drops their groceries you can help pick them up or grab someone's ball if it happens to roll near you."

These were the quickest examples of serving he could think of. But these would be ordinary events too, and not anything he would have to go out of his way to help to do. And knowing nothing about the kid under the bag, he had to come up with simple scenarios. Everyone had things that happened to them back home. And for some this place was a miracle and a second chance, like Mister Nomura. For others it might be hell.

But helping others was always a good idea no matter what world one was from or in.

Mono paid strict attention to the examples, they all sounded pretty easy to him. Nothing particularly dangerous, or even risky really… “That sounds pretty easy… I can do that.” He responded, sounding a little more confident than he had before. He’d escaped a lot of monsters, and fought a lot of them too… Helping someone pick something up seemed pretty easy, as long as they didn’t decide they didn’t want help from someone like him, he supposed.

“Thanks, um… you have good ideas.” He mumbled as he shoved another cracker up under the bag.

Momiji had grown up a lot since Yuki had seen him when he was younger. Back then he wore girls clothes to high school that were totally against the school uniform policy. But as he'd gotten much taller he wore the typical boys' uniform. With how meek and mild this boy under the bag seemed, it reminded him of the former Rabbit of the cursed Sohma zodiac.

"They're just easy." Yuki replied watching the next cracker go up into the bag. And not for the first time he wondered if the boy was hiding his face because of being ashamed of himself somehow. If that was the case he would completely understand since he had gone silent as a boy as had Kisa, the former Tiger of the Sohma family.

"But I'm sure you'll find your own way."

“Hope so…” Mono responded, considering what was left on the plate and wondering if he should sneak some into his pockets for later “It’s weird being here. I haven’t been able to figure out what I should be doing…”

Everyone seemed to be expected to do things in this world, like they’d been brought for a reason. Mono couldn’t really figure out what reason his presence here could serve, “It’s really different from my world.” That was a good thing, but it didn’t mean he was comfortable yet. “But I can start there, I guess.”

Helping people with little things, maybe keeping them impressed enough that the other things didn’t matter. Because it wasn’t that he was ashamed of himself. When it came down to it, he was afraid of people here reacting the way the people of his world did to his presence. It was a very flimsy, weak sort of protection that he was clinging to even now.

Finally, after a couple more pieces of cheese, he tilted his head at Yuki. “I should probably go… It’s late, and you should go home too.” Because things were dangerous in the dark, and Yuki had spent a lot of time with him that was meant to be getting ready to go home. He wasn’t going to be able to talk about what he planned to, so trying on another day was for the best.

"It takes time." Yuki replied with a nod of the silver head. It really did and no one would say it was easy in the meantime. Life on one's own could be tough and just trying to get by while trying to figure it all out could be daunting and even that was an understatement.

"I know the feeling." This world was completely different from his life too. As a Sohma he didn't need money there as he already had an allowance simply for being born the Rat of the zodiac. The other members too had similar allowances even if they made their own living such as Ayame's clothing shop or Hatori's pursuance of being a doctor.

Finally though the boy mentioned going home. Yuki had no intention of leaving just yet but it was a good idea for the other. So he stood up. "I walk you to the door."

Hopefully not too much time… being reliant on other people was something his instincts were fighting against, as much as he appreciated the help. There was always the odd sense that things were going to change, that a mask would be removed or someone would realize he wasn’t worth helping. So Mono at least wanted to try to figure out what he was supposed to be doing, to have a backup plan.

He nodded though; he didn’t need to be walked out, but the child was catching on to the fact that sometimes it was better to go along with what other people said or wanted to do. It might have been more normal to them than it was for him, after all. “Okay.” He responded, jumping down from the chair and landing with a wobbly, soft thud.

Glancing between the table and the way they’d come, he waited with a surprising amount of patience for Yuki to join him. The kid had to resist the small, familiar urge to hold hands like he had when he’d been leading Six around. Yuki definitely gave him a ‘friend’ vibe, though it was quite different from the energy that Six had.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Unattended child wandering around

Window shopping

Omg Ignis, such a good ;;

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wrap?

Works for me! :)

Sneaky duckling

Awww Yuki ;;

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