aterat | Little Adventures

Entry tags:

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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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.

Mono might not have liked to think someone was going to let him win, but how was he to know Ignis was being nice to him like that? No, instead the kid was just going to have fun playing with someone again. Taking the stone, “You did really good! I think you got better balance than I do. Six has really good balance too, so I think she’d be really good at this game.” He commented, taking the stone and throwing it again with a look of concentration on his face, tossing it and starting along the path once more with growing excitement.

Hearing the compliments made him wish he could teach Mono about being able to jump as high as he could. And maybe there would be time for that. But for now he knew play was just as important as instruction and that the two might be able to be combined at some future point in time.

"I thank you for the compliment Mono. But as far as balance goes, I'm sure it can be taught." And that was all he was going to say.

Mono wasn’t sure about learning to be more balanced. He was pretty unsteady. Sure, he was the best at running and climbing, but he still had an unfortunate tendency to throw himself a little too hard into something and fall or trip over his own two feet.

He made it a little further before he handed the stone back to Ignis. “This games a lot more fun than I thought it was, especially when you got someone to play with. It kinda makes me wonder about the other games I saw being played and if they’re more fun when you know the right way to play them.”

Ignis took the offered stone this time and threw it gently onto the next number before moving again. But he listened to everything Mono said and he nodded. "Well some time you'll have to show me what other games you know."

And maybe he could teach Mono a few of the card games he knew, some of the simpler ones of course. It would be a learning curve for both of them but Ignis would have a blast and naturally he could make snacks while they played in order to make sure that the boy ate.

“This is the only one I know so far. And I guess catch is a game, but I only ever played that with the things in the hospital. I don’t think they understood playing, though.” The ‘mannequin patients,’ which were honestly out to catch him, not play with him. But they’d been trapped behind some boards, and he’d found a ball and they at least mimicked the game… The kid made his fun where he could find it, okay?

He would probably enjoy card games if Ignis were to ever offer to teach him. Those were definitely not the kind of games he would have seen played before, even if he had probably at least seen it references in pictures or on television.

Things in the hospital' Mono said. Well that didn't sound promising especially when he added that he didn't think they understood playing. So Ignis turned away, hoping the confused sort of frowning that he was doing didn't appear too much on his face. "Then we shall have to see what else we can find."

Because including Mono in things was something that Ignis definitely wanted to do a lot more of. And thinking on that he then handed the stone to Mono.

Honestly, there was a lot about the hospital, the school, and the hunter’s cabin that were not promising to hear about. Especially the things Mono and Six had ended up having to do to just survive getting away from them. Should the topics ever be explored, there were some troubling things indeed that would probably warrant serious conversations.

But the comment gets an excited nod. “Yeah, I keep hoping to learn more stuff from people. But the person who taught me this game is gone… So I kinda haven’t met anyone else who knows fun games to play yet.” He took the offered stone to begin playing again, “I kinda wonder what other games you can play.”

"So they've left here." Ignis replied, somewhat troubled. Well it was something that did happen here obviously from time to time so it made sense that it would occur during Mono's tenure, even if he wouldn't personally wish it on anyone. He missed Caelan and Miss Yuna something fierce on a personal level himself so he knew all about that.

Still, he couldn't help but look at the boy when he took the stone from him. And he had to smile. "I do happen to know some card games that might involve other players as well eventually if you wish it."

“Yeah… They left around the time we got the new phones? She was explaining some stuff to me and then a few days later I couldn’t find her on the phone list thing anymore.” He responded with a little frown. He’d liked Arkady. She’d been fun and smart and really nice about some of the weird things he said. Almost like she could understand some of it… He had other friends here, but it felt really bad to lose people… There was always a nagging fear in the back of his mind that he could wind up alone again, and he didn’t like that at all.

But he tilted his head curiously. “I never got to play card games before? I saw cards and stuff, but never anyone playing. No one left to play, I guess… But what kinda games can you play with them?” He liked the pictures on cards a lot, but he certainly didn’t know what it all was for aside from obviously the numbers.

Arkady..the name didn't ring any bells in his mind though he knew he didn't know everyone that there was to know. But he was happy that the boy had met someone and had taught him a game because in turn Mono was teaching Ignis a game he didn't know.

Not that he ever would think to play it with someone else, it did still make him happy that he could do such a small thing. However the boy piped up about the card games and the advisor nodded. "You can play all sorts of games with cards. But whenever you want, you're welcome to come over to the house. I'll make some snacks and some hot cocoa and we can play."

Oh, Mono liked the idea of hot cocoa. He’d been given some when he arrived, and it had definitely a fast favourite of his. So hot cocoa, snacks and learning to play cards sounded like a lot of fun! And after all, he’d taught Ignis a game today, so I was almost like taking turns to teach. Not that Mono had much else he could teach someone, at least nothing good, like a game. “Okay, next time I’ll visit and you can teach me a game.”

Ignis nodded and mentally noted Mono's enthusiasm. It made him really happy internally and it was wonderful to see the other have such a good spirit and want to look forward to these planned things.

"Then it sounds as if we have a solid plan in place then."

Good. The boy could interact with Ebony and Hibiscus and Ignis was more than certain Nida would be in for the company too. Julia would be a matter best left to Nida though.

Mono had come a long way from the days when he arrived, so suspicious of everyone and afraid of things. He had learned that people were good, and the discovery of no one despising the sight of him without his bag or earning anger for it had boosted the boy’s confidence in his place here a lot. So looking forward to planning things really was great. First plans with Illyana, and now with Ignis? Definitely a good bit of progress and planning to look forward to, indeed.

“Yeah! It’ll be fun.” He offered the taller man a smile, “And if I learn any other games in the future, I’ll be sure to tell you too.” Because it seemed to him that Ignis might want to know more games. If he hadn’t played hop-scotch before, then who knew what else they both didn’t know!

"I will look forward to learning new games then." Ignis smiled. He was totally warmed by learning this simple game. And while it might be a child's game, those were the things he'd been left out of. There'd really only been time for the games that he and Noct learned of or invented but none were like this. And they'd only been discouraged anywhere and everywhere else.

He didn't want to push Mono for a day to come over, but they definitely saw each other often enough to schedule such an event in the future. "And yes, it will be a lot of fun." He wasn't sure the other was looking for a family, but if he was, Ignis would definitely lend his.

Yes, making it a random day in which they bumped into each other and had nothing pressing to attend to was probably a good way of going about it. Mono knew how busy some of the adults around here were, and he wasn’t really comfortable suggesting times when they might not be available. So he would patiently (albeit eagerly) wait for a possible time when they could sit and try these card games. “Thank you, Ignis! I’ll try to pay really good attention when we try.”

And… Family was one of those things that Mono knew of, but had never had as far as he knew. They were almost something of a fairy tale to him. Or, in one instance, concerning a rather mentally scarring display in the hunter’s cabin, a nightmare. It was a subject that might need to be approached gently, if only because he might not really get it without a rather long and slightly difficult discussion.

"I've no doubt you'll be much better than you expect to be." And this was true in his own mind. He only wanted to encourage Mono and even if the boy would not do as well as he wished to, Ignis would be there to patiently teach him if wanted.

It was still so funny to think of how his life was so vastly different than the lonely one he'd envisioned for himself here while he waited to go home and back to his king and duty.

Mono had to smile a little at that. The encouragement was nice, even if he still wasn’t really sure. “Thanks, Mr. Ignis.” He fussed with the rock for a moment before giving it another toss to try again. He liked the idea of learning new things a lot. He’d never really had the chance to before. It was all a new experience for him, and for once they were good new experiences.

[ooc: Should we ftb soon?]

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Little Adventures

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