aterat | Little Adventures

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Little Adventures

Who; Mono and all of you!
What; Open Logs!
Where; Market shops, Park, Harbour district
When; Mid-August to now
Warnings; None aside from parts of a weird kids song in the last one atm, but I will update if anything comes up since Mono does come from a canon that can have sensitive topics.

Melancholic Melody - Something charming about the sound of a music box.

Mono had learned to budget what money he managed to get, and he was looking forward to having an actual job soon to make that easier… But he should be saving what he had for now to buy bread at a discount later from the baker’s stall. Or saving it away to buy clothes, or to get the ones he had repaired.

What the child was currently doing was staring in the window of an old-fashioned shop that had music boxes in the window. Specifically, one that worked with a little crank on the side… It wasn’t the same, of course, as the one he remembered seeing… But it was close enough that it had caught Mono’s attention enough for him to press his face against the glass and stare at it pensively. He wasn’t sure why, but he wanted to buy it… Just in case Six showed up.

It wasn’t like he owed her one. The more he thought about music boxes, the more that nagging, prickling sensation from the back of his mind bothered him. Almost like he did owe her one. Like he had a reason to feel kind of bad, like he’d done something.

But he remembered her having a music box in the Hunter’s cabin… And it had seemed important to her then… So maybe that was why? Maybe it was simply because he hadn’t stopped to grab it and take it with them when they fled that horrible place.

So anyone walking by would see the kid staring intently, as though debating something of great importance. Humming under his breath as he tried to remember the melody, and wondering what the one in the shop sounded like.

Learning that nature can be fun - Climbing trees or getting on eye level with the creatures!

Mono tended to stick to the city since arriving, but slowly he’d eventually gotten curious enough to venture into the park. He’d never seen so much green, or so many interesting creatures before. The forest that the… Hunter’s cabin… had been in had been ominous and full of fog and a number of very unpleasant things and sights.

The park was bright and green, and the sound of wildlife was far more inviting than the squawking of the crows (although he had happened upon a few in his time here) feasting on who knew what. Mono had to admit… Nature like this? It was kinda nice. He still didn’t think he’d be wandering into the actual forest anytime soon, but he was happy to run around in the grass or climb the trees there to get a better view of the park and what people were doing in it.

Mono could be found doing just that, or if you happened to spot the child later in the day? He was lying on his stomach next to the pond, feet kicking in the air lightly as he poked at the water and considered some frogs that were swimming around or sitting on the rocks nearby.

Sent on a ferry upon our sea - Why are kids songs … so weird?

Mono, like any child, got little ideas in his head when he was bored that may or may not make sense to everyone else. He liked to wander, and today had found him wandering around the harbour district. Specifically, near the docks. The child was wandering down the weathered wooden planks, bare footfalls drowned out by the sound of him humming a song stuck in his head, and sometimes the odd pieces of the song being sung quietly. “Having a nightmare in a boat. Come with me, oh no, no, no…” Humming a little more, he never could figure out all the actual lyrics. The bullies always sounded so garbled and… honestly, he was pretty sure they changed them sometimes. “He’s gone, he’s gone, he’s gone… Don’t leave me. No more bellman among the sea.”

Mono sat on the edge of the docks, his little feet dangling over the edge as he considered a little rowboat. He’d been on the river before. It was kind of nice and peaceful. Just floating across it on the door… It still had taken him back to the Pale City, but it had been nice after the horrors of the forest. And the child couldn’t deny that, as daunting as it had been, he felt like he’d been meant to return there. “Run, run, here comes Veronica… Sent on a ferry upon our sea.”

Tugging his yellow sou’wester hat a little more snug on his head and down over his eyes, he finally slipped off the edge to hop into the little rowboat. Exploring the inside of it for anything interesting. Wondering absently how hard it might be to go out in it.

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Ignis had made a little mixture of sliced grapes, cracked corn and chopped up lettuce. It was a little thing that he tried to do on his days off and to go feed the ducks. And he'd been there often enough that he swore the ducks now knew him by mere sight because he always sat at a certain bench and fed them.

He'd even purchased a bird feeder for the house but those would never just waddle up to him and 'talk' to him as he liked to call it. So he made sure to go out at least once a week to the park to come feed these birds who always seemed to ravenous.

Today though he happened to spot a certain little boy laying on his stomach as if studying the frogs there. And he thought to himself that Sania from back home would more than likely have a willing student in her research of wildlife. And it wasn't much fun being turned into one of them, but that wasn't a story he would ever reveal to the boy. So for now he stood some feet away and spoke to him.

"They're quite the interesting creatures."

Mono was quite mesmerized by the little creatures. They made such interesting sounds. So, Ignis actually managed to do what was at one point unthinkable. He actually surprised the kid, who usually always kept on guard. He looked up in surprise, peeking from under the newsboy hat he was wearing today- someone could thank Aerith for his starting to leave the paper bag behind. “Oh! Hi, Mr. Ignis!” He propped himself up on his elbows before looking back at the frogs again. “They’re so small, and they make really funny sounds.”

Edited 2021-08-23 15:42 (UTC)

He could only smile at the lad. It was quite adorable to see Mono doing things other children here did. "Well hello Mono." And he got down to the other's level and smiled. "It used to be said back where I'm from, that if you play with frogs long enough you could become one."

It was something he and Noct heard but as he'd gotten older he figured it was just to make sure the Royal Prince didn't get mixed up with chasing after them. So instead as they became older, they'd occasionally got turned into one.

Mono was reaching out to poke at the water again, wondering if he could get a frog to land in his hand if he was very careful when Ignis spoke up again.

… Huh… That was an idea that put a spin on the giant jarred frogs the teacher kept in the science room back in the Pale City in a new and horrifying light. Maybe that was why they were so big, and why the only students left in the school were the porcelain bullies…

He very slowly drew his hand back, giving Ignis a look that was a mixture of curious and slightly horrified. “I didn’t know that.” He drew his hand back slowly. “I don’t think I wanna become a frog… Frogs end up in jars.”

He couldn't help but smile as the boy withdrew and looked at him with that look on his face. "Only the ones that get caught end up in jars." But there was a smile that had been threatening to show the entire time which more than likely was reflected in his words.

Since he was a master at a poker face it didn't show, but finally the advisor decided to show a slight smile. "I'm actually only kidding about turning into a frog. However, it was an expression we heard in the Citadel, and it was one more than likely to keep our crown prince from dirtying himself by playing in the water or falling in it."

Of course, the whole thing about actually being turned into a frog by magic was real. And it was no fun to be helpless and hop around trying to avoid any other damage that a frog could only defend against by trying to hop out of the way.

“Frogs aren’t good at not getting caught in my world, I think. At least the ones around the school.” He responded with a blunt little tone, “So I like not being a frog because I’m good at not getting caught like I am.” It was how his logic worked out, anyway. Mono was pretty sure he would have had a much harder time escaping the teacher and her rather scary ‘trick’ if he were a frog.

The child relaxed a little, at least when Ignis confirmed he’d been joking, “So these frogs aren’t people then, right?” He turned his attention back to them, curious again. Mono wasn’t sure if he could completely write the idea off in his world considering how strange everything was and how little he understood about some things. But if it wasn’t real here? He’d be very glad, indeed. “That’s kinda mean to tell kids though, sometimes getting dirt on you happens!” He was, after all, usually quite a messy little kid. Worse in his world, when he remembered the swamp he’d swam through to make one of his escapes.

The boy's words were concerning but Ignis wasn't going to poke into territory not quite meant for him. But Six help anyone that scared this boy. However, the advisor remained quiet on that matter and just listened. He didn't even want to think about anyone threatening the other either so he made himself relax.

"No." the royal advisor replied with a smile. "And dirt and mud are certainly things that should be part and parcel for growing up." He was more than sure Iris would've loved to get dirty too if he recalled the story correctly about how Noct had gone and saved her when she had gotten lost when she was little.

Concerning, strange things were sort of common enough comments from the child. Mono had very few experiences he could share or explain about his world that would be anything other than vaguely unsettling to outright horrifying.

But at the confirmation that these frogs weren’t people? Well, Mono was delighted, and he relaxed again. Poking his hand back into the water to see if he could coax a frog closer to get a better look at it. Small, live frogs were exciting and interesting. Most animals in this place were, really. He still wasn’t fond of crows or ravens, but wildlife, in general, was really nice to see in a less sinister setting.

“Dirt and mud are everywhere too, kinda hard to avoid it and all. Plus, it’s not so bad in a place like this, you can wash it off pretty easy.” Yeah, his trench-coat seemed a little beyond hope on that front… It had been through a lot. But he could still take a bath when he felt like it. That was one of the things about being in the apartments that was pretty great.

That answer had Ignis chuckle. "This is true. But back home it seemed His Majesty had people just waiting to scrub him clean in case he got dirty." Not to mention his father King Regis would expect to see his crown prince of a son clean and neat. There were so many days that the staff would part his hair in such a way that he waited for them to leave before calling Ignis in to have him part it the way he liked it. Of course with Noct's hair being the rat's nest that it was most of the time, no matter how many times a brush ran through the dark locks, it always messed right back up.

"However, as he got older, that same Crown Prince got plenty of chances to sleep out under the stars and we were sent on a mission a few times to collect frogs in order to study them for Miss Sania Yeagre. And he was quite in his glory to go chase after them."

Of course Noctis might tell another version of this story, but Ignis got to get his version in first.

Mono was quiet as he listened to Ignis tell his story, peering up from under his hat as he continued to wait for the frogs to come closer. “I guess in the stories kings and princes and all those kinda people are pretty neat and clean looking.” He had seen pictures, after all, in books of fairy tales that had been left around the school. Left behind, likely, from the real children who must have once gone there. Books were probably a pretty good example, right?

“I slept outside a lot where I’m from… But you only really got to see things like the stars outside the pale city.” The woods were not safe for sleeping, and it was best to move carefully through them. Of course, to be fair to the forest, no where was truly safe. At least not anywhere he’d been. “I bet he really liked getting the chance to do stuff like that if he didn’t get to normally.” He finally added thoughtfully, sitting up properly now. “I like getting to do stuff here that I never got to before, even if it’s been kinda weird to get used to it all.”

"Yes, he was kept as neat as possible." And as possible as even Ignis tried to keep the Prince just so that he wouldn't get into trouble.

And this young one was wise beyond his years it seemed, so he nodded. "That he did. He was never one for all of the formality of being royal and moved among his own people as simply another person. He never made any fanfare or fuss of who he was." Of course having the armies of Niflheim hunting the party didn't help, but that wasn't something a young boy should know about.

Obviously this child had been through more than enough back in his own world so Ignis wasn't about to lay any of the horrors they faced out. But the last part of the child's words had him nod. "Well this world hopefully gives you plenty of opportunities to do things that you've never have."

Mono felt at least slightly clever to have been right in his guess. It seemed fairytale books were as good a reference as he’d hoped…

Sure, they weren’t really, but the child didn’t really need to know that right now. For once in his life, he could enjoy something a little more innocent and less serious, at least until something happened. Hopefully that wouldn’t be any time soon… This world had at least been rather kind thus far. Even the bad stuff had been quite easy to avoid as long as he didn’t get careless. “I hope so! It does a lot already though, I kinda like it… Like, there’s a lot of people who can talk and stuff here! So, I have more friends than I used to.” Not that they were as important to him as Six, but they were all very important just the same. Mono had, after all, been alone a lot. What was stranger was that most of the people he’d befriended were adults. Normal people (by comparison to those in his) who were kind and wanted him around.

Picking up a clover and turning it in his hand, he considered what other opportunities this world might present. “I don’t always know what to do or try though, there’s a lot to figure out.” He’d learned to play hopscotch at the flower festival, and he’d realized that games were meant to be played a lot differently than the porcelain children played them. Mono wanted to learn more because it seemed like fun. It was just a matter of finding people to teach him.

"Friends and allies are good things to have here." Ignis smiled. Especially for someone so small. Not that he was going to point that out of course, but keeping him safe along with the other children was definitely something he wanted to do. They deserved a better world, especially the native ones.

"Well there's no rush, you might wish to try a bunch of things before you find out which thing or things you prefer to do." And of course down time was going to be important since the lad was going to start working here soon. Ignis of course didn't know what down time was other than reading a book or laying about with Nida, but then Ebony or Julia or even Hibiscus now seemed to want attention at some point or other.

“Yeah, it’s great.” He nodded, “Less lonely… I still wish I could get Six and bring her here, though.” He added a little more solemnly, “It feels um… kinda weird to enjoy stuff when she’s back there.” It was hard to not get a little lost in all the new people, experiences and the better points of this world. But sometimes he couldn’t help but think about his friend.

On the note of figuring out what things he preferred to do, Mono looked back at Ignis with a curious expression. “How do you figure out where to start, though? Sometimes I don’t even know what stuff is, or it’s… It’s different in my world? Like um- when I learned hopscotch, it was so different. The porcelain bullies back in the school would always push each other down before they made it to the end of the game and stuff.” Which, it turned out, was not an actual part of the game.

"Well others have spoken of having friends show up, so one never knows." It was a hope that kept Ignis going sometimes. How he would love to see Noct or the others again, but at the same time, they were far better off where they were currently than stuck in a world none of them knew.

However, he would simply find a way to bring Nida home with him, that much was certain.

His eyebrows then knitted together when he heard this whole hopscotch game thing. He had no idea who the porcelain bullies were but he would beat each of their little asses if they hurt Mono, should they come here.

But then he realized something as he thought back to his childhood. He was forever at Noct's side shielding him from the king's wrath and everyone else's when Noct got up to his shenanigans. And somewhere along the way his advisor was more than sure that after awhile no matter how many times he stood up for the Prince and took the blame, they knew who the real culprit was.

So for now he looked curiously at Mono. "I must admit I'm unfamiliar with the game. How does one play hopscotch?" No one ever asked the smart kid to play games, the one always tagging along with the Prince. And not even before that because Ignis was in a school for the gifted. Play wasn't encouraged even then unless the children were using their brains.

His uncle in the Citadel had been cold and distant too, so any hugs he received were from the Prince himself. And even they didn't play such a game as the one Mono was describing.

Edited 2021-09-16 23:46 (UTC)

“People keep saying that. I kinda hope they’re right… But I dunno, she was grabbed by the man in the hat and I dunno if anyone can get away once he gets them.” He responded with an uncertain frown, remembering the glitching, jumping shadow of his friend that had been left behind after she’d been taken. Here would be so much better than there…

Now the question from Ignis? That brightens the atmosphere quite a bit. This was something that he knew that someone else didn’t? He could actually show Ignis pretty easily, after all. He was pretty sure he remembered how to play from when Arkady had shown him.

Grabbing a stray stick and walking over to a bare patch of dirt, he began excitedly drawing out squares and putting numbers in them. “So, um…” He started off a little clumsily, “We have these squares with numbers, and… Oh! We need to find a rock too.” He said, dropping the stick and hurrying over to the water’s edge to find a nice stone.

"Well I promise if she should show up here, we'll take good care of her and keep her safe." And of course he meant that promise and he was a man of his word.

But then the boy seemed to be inspired by his question regarding the game and he waited for further instruction on it. Green eyes watched as Mono drew squares and placed numbers in them and wondered at the reason for it all. He was curious and wondering what it was that the boy was doing.

Next thing he knew, the boy was off grabbing a rock. The only thing the advisor could do at this point was wait and so he did to see how they would play this game together.

Once Mono found a rock that seemed to be the appropriate size for the game, not too tiny but also not too large, he hurried back over to the squares to begin ‘teaching’ Ignis how to play. “So, you gotta take a rock and you throw it. But um… At the squares, not at each other.” That seemed, for some reason, an important distinction. “And then whatever square it lands on-” He tossed the rock lightly to land in the square with a three on it. “You hop down the path like this!” He began, hopping from one square to the next and observing the number patterns.

“And you keep doing that! I guess if you get to the end, then you win? And if you fall over or hop outside a square, you gotta stand aside and let the next person try. I didn’t know that, otherwise I might’ve tried sooner. When was sneaking around and watching the bullies playing, they would push each other over before they got to the end. That never seemed like fun.” He didn’t like the idea of pushing Six, and frankly he was pretty sure she was capable of pushing back harder if she thought she had to… So he was delighted to find out the porcelain bullies were playing the game wrong.

For the life of him Ignis was lost. "So you throw the rock at the square, but if you don't make it all of the way through, then I am going to guess that you have to pick up the rock again in order to make it?" He wanted to be certain he understood the game correctly because he wanted to play by the rules and be fair.

And of course he couldn't understand why simple rules couldn't be followed without being pushy or abusive but he just shook his head. "When we play there'll be no bullies allowed." Which of course the advisor wouldn't put up with.

Mono was actually quite confident as he continued to explain. “Yup! You only stop and let the next person go if you lose your balance or land outside the squares!” He actually smiled a little when Ignis promised to make sure no bullies were allowed when they played. Though he was pretty sure they were far, far away and none of them would end up here.

Since they weren’t real children. They were dolls full of shadows, made to be students for the rather twisted teacher. They only imitated life, specifically ill-behaved children. It was hard to say where they’d come from, or what happened to the real children… There was only the barest of clues to suggest real children had ever been there.

Crouching to pick up the stone, he held it out to Ignis. “Did you wanna try?”

"Ah." Ignis replied to the offered stone. "You can go first and show me how it's done." It was a little nerve wracking at the moment because he'd never played this game and even though he had the instructions, it was still odd for him. Playing childhood games were new to him, and he wondered if they had such a game as this back home. He couldn't be sure.

But he waited now and was content to do so to make sure he had the game rules down correctly.

Mono couldn’t help but give his friend a searching look… Before he tilted his head and lowered the offered stone. “Okay, I’ll show you how it works. I’m not as good as the person taught me since I fall over more, but I’ll make sure you know how to play.” He responded with a more serious nod, before heading back over to the squares.

He carefully gave the stone a toss, not overshooting the little path and landing on a square. Proceeding to hop in the correct pattern, jumping according to the numbers till he made it to the one his rock had landed on. He repeated this action again, only to miss-hop and land outside the square. “Oops.. That means I’m out till the next round. But I can show you again if you want?”

"Thank you kindly." Ignis smiled, knowing he'd help where and when he could. He hoped that Mono wasn't upset at him but he just wanted to make sure he knew what was going on. So he watched Mono toss the stone and he kept careful note of the numbers and which square the rock landed on. So he nodded and watched the boy land.

Watching the lad go outside the square, he had to hide his smile because the other was putting so much effort into teaching him how to play this wonderful game. At the offer of going again, Ignis shook his head. "No, I'll make my attempt this time."

And so he took the stone and tossed it as it landed on one of the other squares he took a deep breath and did his best to follow Mono's example.

“Okay! Good luck.” He responded with a smile, handing the stone over as he moved away from the squares to sit on the grass again and watch Ignis’ attempt rather curiously. Mono really did hope he’d done a good job of explaining, though he had only played once before at the festival where he’d been taught.

It was so odd to hop on one foot but Ignis did tend to have good balance due to all of the back flips he did normally in battle. But he landed quite well and he smiled. Still he picked up the stone and held it out to Mono, having every intention of letting the boy win.

Games were best when both had fun.

Nature

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I don't know how I kept missing this thread!

It's okay!

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