aterat | First 👑 Lost without Direction [Open]

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First 👑 Lost without Direction [Open]

Who; Princess Luna & You!!!
What; Trying to be brave.
Where; Around the city.
When; April 17th - 23rd.
Warnings; MAX CUTNESS

17th - House of Solace Orphanage

A small figure stood outside of the Orphanage with a steady frown pointed at the large building. She understood what it meant but denial crept through her little body like a snake. She wasn't an orphan. Her mother and father were alive but it didn't matter in this kingdom because her family wasn't here with her. She was alone and it was something that she wasn't able to get used to. It'd been two days since she'd first arrived and her loneliness only grew with each passing hour.

The nights were the worst. She didn't want to return to the orphanage where she was forced to try and sleep while unsettling thoughts plagued her. Perhaps she's cursed like her mother. She'd been told that this world wasn't a curse but what else could it be called.

Luna sighed softly before turning away from the Orphanage and walking down the street. When she grew hungry she'd have to return but for now, she was going to avoid the daunting building. Her shoes were a little too big, borrowed from Mono, and every few steps she tripped before regaining her footing once more.

She had no idea where to go or what to do.

20th - Nightime Storm

The nights were the worst and the sudden storm made it unbearable. Luna had hidden under her bed with a blanket over her head for the first hour but she could still hear the rumble and see the bright flashes of light through the nearby window. She cried silently making her throat ache for the voice that she'd lost. She wanted to call someone to come save her but no one could hear her cries.

She thought of her twin brother and knew that he'd have been there with her, holding her to protect her from the angry god that cried out for justice. Sole wasn't with her. It was time for her to be brave.

Luna gathered her blanket and wandered out into the rain. It was difficult to see but she'd been to Mono's home when he'd given her a pair of shoes and she was positive that she knew the way. The wind battered at her tiny form and if she'd been any taller then she would have blown away but she stood strong with her tiny fingers clinging desperately to the blanket wrapped around her shoulders.

Her steps stumbled to a stop when she spotted a figure in the distance. She couldn't make out what it was but stopped, falling to the ground as fear froze her tiny limbs.

23rd - Midday Songs

Her time in the city had been stressful and not without incident but there were calm moments too. In between the hours she found herself looking up at the sky with a thoughtful gaze. Was the storm truly over or was this a lull. Luna had never liked stormy weather and the castle she'd once lived in did nothing to define the noise. It was for this reason that she'd first begun to learn how to play the harp.

The small lyre that she'd been given from Llyewelln sat on her tiny legs as she carefully plucked the cords. The notes were a little different but the strings were the same.

Luna sat on a random street corner and began to gently pluck the lullaby that her mother used to sing to her. It wasn't overly complicated and even when she fumbled she was able to recover and recall the remainder of the song. It was far from perfect and she played one of the sets twice having forgotten what had come next but it was a lovely song. If it wasn't for the frown and slow draw of her fingers it might have sounded happy.

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Mono watched as she got to her feet, while she reminded Mono of Six because of how quiet she was… Luna was far more elegant and delicate. Like a princess out of the story books, he sometimes leafed through when he was hiding in the school back in his world. It made him feel rather protective, really. Not that he hadn’t felt protective of Six, too… He was desperate to go home and save her, but she was also more… ~~feral~~ strong than most kids he met over the years. When she wasn’t in the hands of one of the terrible things in their world, or outnumbered, he’d seen her handle things quite well.

Luna just seemed like someone who should never be in situations like the one he’d been in. She should be protected.

His clumsy little grin beamed as she spelled out her greeting. He kept his own tone lower, a hint of a whisper. It was just nice to not need to be as loud as people in this world were used to, this was a little more comfortable, really. He wondered if he could teach her some of the silent gestures he and Six used to use, or if they could develop their own. But for now, he wanted to know about what his friend had been doing. That song had been so beautiful! “That was a pretty song you were playing. What was it?”

Edited 2022-04-18 02:01 (UTC)

Luna leaned closer and listened. The walls had ears but when it was just the two of them she could pretend that they were in their own safe sphere. If they spoke like this then no one would find them or try to eat them.

Lovely dark eyes looked up at Mono before turning to look back at the small harp that she'd been given as a gift. She knew the song by heart after practicing it daily but the name escaped her. It was easier to read music than it was to read the written word.

Her attention turned back to Mono and she slowly spelled out two words on his hand.

'Mother'

'Lullaby'

After a brief pause, she added another short sentence, pausing when the words split and divided. 'Play for you?' Her head tilted to the side, asking if she wanted him to play him a song just for him.

Mono knew both of those words, and it wasn’t hard for him to figure out what she was saying. It was a lullaby her mother had probably sung or taught her. That was the kind of thing nice mothers did, right? He heard other kids in this world talk about their parents sometimes, after all.

“It’s a really pretty lullaby. I never heard one like it before.” He responded, tone still quiet, just between them as people passed them by. “I only know songs from music boxes or on television.” The former was always pretty, the later strange and… not something he’d want to share with Luna. She should hear pretty things… Maybe he could show her the music box that Mr. Rhy helped him buy. That might be nice-

But the boy’s attention shifted again as she started spelling out a short sentence to again. “For me?” He tilted his head a little, curious about what other songs she knew and what she might want to play. “I guess, if you want to. I’d like to hear?” Though he glanced around at the people wandering up and down the street. “How about we go somewhere nicer first, though?” That way, they wouldn’t risk being tripped over or stepped on by busy adults. They might not be watching where they were going. Especially not expecting a couple of kids to be hanging around the streets like this, so it would be safer, he thought.

Luna bobbed her head in an energetic nod before turning to fetch the small harp that she'd placed on the stone walkway. It was a little large in her arms but she'd tied a string to both of its sides so that she could hang it over her shoulder. It wasn't a perfect system but it allowed her to run while holding the instrument safely on her back.

With everything in place she reached for Mono's hand, trusting him to guide her to a place where it would only be the two of them. She had chosen the crowds to try and request money from those passing by but if she was going to play for Mono, she wanted the song to be only for him.

Luna light squeezed Mono's hand and offered him a small smile to let him know that she was ready.

Mono’s mouth popped open in an ‘O’ at the sight. The string was clever!! Made it easier to carry it around, which was good since they had a small walk ahead of them.

Once she had gathered her things up, Mono held out his hand and wiggled his fingers a bit so she could take it and they wouldn’t lose each other as they walked through the city. He heard from another kid once that holding hands was weird, but Mono thought it was just practical. You wouldn’t want to get separated, after all, and there was a security in it. He used to hold Six’s hand a lot…

But once she squeezed his hand to let him know she was ready, off they went! He took her down quieter side streets sometimes, making sure that it was quick and a little less overwhelming, but eventually they came out to an open green area full of trees and a pond with ducks. The park. One of Mono’s favourite places to visit in this world, since it was so colourful and full of life.

Plus, it was quieter than most places. Sure, there were still people, and festivals made it busier... But right now? It was perfect, a relaxing and quiet place they could sit down and not worry about adults bumping into them or stepping on them. “I think here’s good! This is the park. It’s really pretty, right? And there’s not as many people, so you kinda get to do what you want without worrying about people bumping into ya.” He explained, turning to give Luna an attempt at a smile as he let go of her hand.

Luna had to make a focused effort to match Mono's pace but she didn't mind. She didn't want to slow him down. In fact, Luna was determined to be able to match Mono's longer stride by occasionally skipping to stay a step behind him.

When they reached the park the young princess was slightly out of breath but grinning as her wide dark eyes gazed around the green park. She was familiar with the lush green woods that surrounded her home but she hadn't seen this much green since arriving in the city. She hadn't realized that it existed.

Luna released Mono's hand to take a quick look around before finding a comfortable place to sit on the ground. The grass was soft and the silence sweet as the soft spring winds tugged at her braids. Her attention focused on Mono and she nodded though her delight was evident on her face. Luna wasn't used to being around a lot of adults or people and she preferred the silence. This was likely going to become her favorite spot.

She carefully pulls her small harp onto her lap and adjusts to sit comfortably. After a pause she waved for Mono's hand and gently spelled out the words she wanted to say when he complied. 'This song - for you.' When she was sure that he understood, Luna dropped his hand and began to play a short melody. It was a melody that she had composed for him after their first meeting.

Mono would have been happy to slow down for her, if he had realized she was having a harder time following… It was hard, sometimes, to remember that not everyone was used to running around as much as he was. Hopefully, someone would teach him to slow down a little at some point, now that he didn’t need to always be running.

Following her to the comfortable place she found to sit down, he settled in the grass next to her and set his letter bag aside for now. The boy was rather proud of himself, though, when he saw her expression upon arriving at the park, since he was sure that someone as sweet and nice as her should see the better places in the city. This was the best by far, in his opinion, after having been around for so long. It was actually nice to share it with another person his age. Most of the time, he bumped into adults who wanted to talk or see what he was up to.

Noticing she wanted his hand again, he held it out and let her spell out what she wanted to. His eyes widened a bit when he realized that she was ready to play the song she wanted to play for him. He gave her a quick nod with an excited smile, indicating ‘Yes, thank you!’ for her thinking of him like that. It was best now, though, to be quiet so he could listen to the music as she began to play. It was so very pretty, and not like anything he’d heard before- not that he had heard much music in his short life beyond music boxes and what was here… but the point stood.

The boy looked rather awed, honestly, to hear something played by a friend. Luna really was amazing in his opinion, even if he still didn’t know much about her yet… He didn’t know anyone who could make something sound so nice. “Wow…” escaped as the melody faded, tilting his head slightly. “That was amazing, Luna… Is that another lullaby?” He said in a hushed but excited tone.

The song slowly picked up and Luna imagined the chorus repeating in a round that ended with the same steady note that reminded her of Mono's sincerity. When the song was complete she placed the small harp to her left on the grass and smiled at Mono.

It was a lullaby but she wanted him to know that it was a gift that she'd composed for him. With a little wave of her hand, she reached for Mono's palm again and began to slowly spell out the words. "I made." She looked up at him to make sure that he understood. "For you." Luna smiled. "Gift."

It was getting easier to spell out each word but she wanted to find another way to communicate. Not with the world at large but with Mono. He was her knight and she trusted him beyond measure.

She kept holding his hand and continued her slow methodical writing. "Protect. Can I learn too? Sole would be proud."

“Wait, really?” Mono blinked, his hushed words rising a little in surprise. That was something she came up with all by herself??? That was even more amazing then just knowing how to play songs… “You really made that just for me?” Mono had received a few gifts in this world, but… That one was definitely something special, something unlike he’d ever received before. “Thank you, Luna. I never heard anything like it before, I really like it!” He wondered if she would play it again for him sometime…

But first he realized she was still spelling out words for him, and he payed careful attention. She wanted him to teach her to protect too? Did she mean she wanted to learn how to protect herself and other kids? Mono was silent for a moment, as if thinking. He knew Sole was her brother and protector, but without him around… Maybe that would be smart. But…

Mono’s mind drifted to the things he’d had to do to protect himself and save Six, to the things he’d seen or heard Six do to survive as well. None of that suited Luna, and Mono never wanted to see her have to do stuff like he did. It was ugly, and brutal and… Not normal, if what he’d been told by others was to be believed. Maybe he could think of something better to teach her… Or to at least give her something to protect herself. “Um… Maybe, but I can protect you, so you don’t gotta worry about bad stuff.” Big promises for a child to make, but he never thought those things through… “And sometimes it’s better to know how to hide and how to get away from bad stuff. I can show you that too. I used to have to do that a lot in my world.”

Because some things in his world were just too big and dangerous to fight.

Luna nodded her head in confirmation of Mono's question and then again when he repeated the question but used more specific wording. In Luna's kingdom, it wasn't so strange to sit down and quietly pluck out new melodies. There were some well-known songs that she'd learned when she'd first picked up the instrument but the lack of songs to learn inspired the young princess to create her own sounds to compliment the silence of the castle.

She plucked a few more notes absently that were all lower in octave. Mono was strong and comforting, similar to those low notes that she used to create his song. It was his sound, a sound that blended with the shadows while radiating strength and warmth.

Luna looked up and once again leaned the small harp against her side and reached for Mono's palm. He sounded strange but the little princess wasn't able to read his thoughts. 'Yes. Hide and run.' It wasn't the ability to protect herself but it was a way to stay safe and that was all that Luna wanted. She had to stay safe because she knew that her brother would be trying to find her.

Mono settled comfortably in the grass while he listened to her pluck at notes. It was soothing in a way the child couldn’t quite describe. He wondered if she would like his music box… Maybe he would have to bring it next time he went to see her? Would she know the song already, and how to play it, or would it be something new that she’d never heard before?

So many curiosities, but it was something to save for another day. For now, the boy was focused on his friend and her request that was making him feel a little worried. He settled a little when she agreed that he could teach her better ways to run and hide like he could instead of fighting… Though the boy was starting to think maybe he should see if he could find something that he could use here like had in the last world like that long hammer he’d happened upon. Just in case running and hiding wasn’t an option, then he could protect her properly…

“Yeah, I can definitely teach you that. I’m really good at sneaking. Most people don’t even know I’m there aside from my climbing teacher since he’s even sneakier than I am.” Mono responded with a more confident tone. “I bet you’ll be good at it too! We can…” Mono paused, trying to think of how to plan out their ‘lessons’ for hiding. “We can practice like it’s a game? I sometimes hear the other kids playing something called hide-and-seek.” He’d originally thought the kids were practicing, only to discover that it was nothing more than a game to them. Less about safety and protection and more about fun… But it still seemed like a good way to practice will Luna got better at it.

Her mother had a music box that Luna had loved to listen to but she'd never had a music box of her own. From what she understood, they could hold any song but only one. She didn't know for sure. Her mother didn't like it when she played with the music box for fear that her young daughter might break it.

Luna listened to Mono politely before nodding her head with a small shy smile. It sounded like fun and she liked the idea of playing and practicing at the same time. It felt similar to when she'd first began to play the harp a few years before.

After a pause she continued to slowly spell out words on Mono's palm. After this she'd have to get a pad of paper to use. It was more difficult to communicate because she didn't have her brother to advocate for her. 'I will not be eaten?' It likely sounded silly but it was Luna's biggest fear.

Mono would absolutely let her play with this one, though he truly didn’t realize yet how fragile they might be. He had only gotten it out of an odd, internal nagging that he should get one should Six ever arrive. Something to give her… But as yet, she hadn’t appeared and so he simply enjoyed it once in a while himself, when the odd sounds of the gray building when he was alone needed to be covered by something prettier.

The boy was glad that she seemed rather excited about making a game out of their practicing. Though his expression turned slightly serious as she asked about being eaten, it was a concern that Mono took rather seriously, after all. With the way his world was… It seemed like a valid fear to have. If anything, he wanted to make sure she stayed safe and this would make sure she didn’t have to worry about being eaten or hurt. “No, you won’t get eaten. I won’t let anything bad like that happen. This’ll make it even safer and harder for anyone to catch you if they try!” His quiet tone was stronger for a moment, sounding like both a promise and a reassurance.

It was an unusual fear but Luna had found herself in the unfortunate situation where she'd nearly been eaten by her father, courtesies of the evil queen. It made her distrustful of adults but she was slowly attempting to conquer her fears by befriending those who seemed like an adult to a small child.

She exhaled a sigh of relief and smiled before lightly tracing another word on Mono's palm.

'Good.'

It was obvious that she was afraid of something and wanted to protect herself. If Mono or someone stronger than herself could be around all the time then it'd be okay but her brother wasn't here. She had to learn how to keep herself safe. Even if it was only for a short period of time.

After a brief pause, she looked thoughtful before tracing another word.

'When?'

At least Mono didn’t find the fear that strange, although he realized that a lot of adults around here probably would think otherwise… So, instead, he was glad to put her worries to rest and to avoid her having to bring it up with people that might make her feel weird for having such a fear.

Her question, though, got his attention again. When was a good question, and… Well, the boy had time now since he wasn’t working that afternoon and no climbing lessons with Nida scheduled. So he offered her another clumsy attempt at a smile and tilted his head slightly. “We can start now if you want, or I can explain how I think we’ll do it and then start… Yeah, I think that kinda sounds right. First, I’ll explain stuff, then we can start.” Mono was rather new to the idea of teaching other people’s stuff. Most kids had to learn to fend for themselves in his world. Team ups like the one between him and Six had been kind of rare, and it had been a long time since he’d even seen another real kid before she met her.

So teaching? This was new.

But a good new, because making sure his new friend would be safe would be a good feeling.

So the boy proceeded to launch into an explanation once she agreed. Animatedly explaining how the ‘game’ would work and drawing out examples in the dirt with a stick. They had a lot to do ahead of them that afternoon, but Mono was determined to do a good job…

ftb...

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First 👑 Lost without Direction [Open]

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