Móno (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
monochromatically) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
aterat2021-04-03 01:49 pm
monochromatically) wrote in aterat2021-04-03 01:49 pm
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 thosechickens 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?
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
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?
no subject
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.
no subject
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.
no subject
"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.
no subject
“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.”
no subject
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."
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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.”
no subject
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.
no subject
“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.
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"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.
no subject
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?”
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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."
no subject
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.
no subject
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.
no subject
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.
no subject
"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.
no subject
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.
no subject
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."
no subject
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.
no subject
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."
no subject
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.
wrap?
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.
Works for me! :)
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.