route_1065 | before I was an orphan boy...

Entry tags:

before I was an orphan boy...

Who: little!Sion, little!Ryner, and their collective Pokemon
Where: their house in Ecruteak
When: May 12, during Time Crisis
Summary: what happens when two little boys wake up in a mysterious house together with a few dozen mysterious (and confused) critters
Rating: let's go with PG because they are tinies but, well, this is still LOLH
Log:

It's strange to fall asleep in your own bed and wake up in one twice the size that you know isn't your own, in an unfamiliar room.

It's perhaps even stranger to wake up in that bed to find another unknown child sleeping next to you in that bed.

And perhaps even stranger still, all the mysterious animals that maybe bear some resemblance to those in story books if you squint. Like the pink puffball. Or the two cats with scythe-like horns.

...But it's also strange, but it somehow feels like it's okay. Even if he can't explain why. So for now, he just blinks.

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He's still obviously surprised by it, but the creature continues to nuzzle gently at him, even sitting down pressed up against him. It reminds him a little of a puppy, though it's obviously far too big to be that. That, or almost as though it's trying to reassure him...

"Um... This isn't yours, then?" The house they were in, the strange creatures, any of it.

Since the pink unknown creature - seriously, what even do you call an oval with arms, ears, and a tail? - doesn't seem to shy away, he starts scritching her behind the ear that doesn't have a flower on it. She seems to enjoy it.

"Nuh uh. This isn't my bedroom, or mom and dad's. It feels safe, though."

Not that he can explain why. But it does.

"I've never seen any place like it."

Still erring on the side of politeness, of course. Though the strange creature is still very insistently nuzzling him, even going so far finally as put its head in his lap. He's surprised at first, and would pull away but for the fact that he's uncertain if that would upset it somehow. After a moment's hesitation, though, he tentatively, almost warily, reaches out a hand to start lightly stroking the soft white fur.

(... That's better.)

"Me neither."

He thinks for a moment, as he continues to pet the pink thing. Dad's warned him about people who steal kids and hold them until their parents pay money (or not, and worse things happen), but... that can't have happened, right? Dad would have stopped them. Or he would have noticed, and he'd remember that.

Besides, if that was the case, why would he feel safe?

"But it's nice. This bed is really big and comfortable."

He can't argue with that, but he still hesitates to give an opinion either way. For that matter, he hesitates a little before finally asking a question.

"Do you think it's all right for us to be here?"

Particularly, is it okay for him to be there, a place like this could only belong to a noble, after all, and he knew he certainly didn't belong in some nobleman's manor.

...That is a good question, isn't it.

Well, if this isn't Sion's house, and this isn't his own house, and there are unfamiliar creatures that live here, the logical assumption is of course that it is the creatures' house, right?

So he turns to the pink thing. "Is it all right for us to be here?"

"Clef." Nod nod nod.

He turns back to Sion. "This one says yes."

(The flawless logic of a four year old.)

He blinks at that, not sure they could trust the word of a strange... animal? Assuming it even understood the question in the first place.

"What about whoever owns this place?" Because clearly a house can't belong to animals, no matter how strange.

Also a good question, huh... Well, the best way to find out is to ask the pink thing, right? "Do you know who owns this place?"

Rose shoots a desperate look toward Dusk. What does she tell him? How to tell him is a non-issue, she can write, but that is her dear partner made small and amnesiac and also Sion made small and amnesiac and what is she supposed to tell them???

Normally, Dusk would have little enough opinion about that sort of thing. As it is, however, it's clear that situation's making Sion nervous, perhaps even frightened. For as relatively calm as he might outwardly seem, it's easy for her to feel his tension as she leans against him. She doesn't know why, of course, but that doesn't change the truth of the situation.

Which means she has to think about it. Placing a reassuring paw on Sion's lap, she lifts her head, cocking it as she considers the clefairy's question.

"... Tell them it's our partners' house. And they can be our partners too." It doesn't matter if they don't remember.

For his part, Sion's eyes go wide when the absol starts making those strange noises, but he stays seated where he is, judging that if the creature had wanted to harm him it would have done so before now.

Rose nods. Okay. Okay, that works. She can write that, and they'll accept that, and surely that won't scare them off or anything. ...Is what she tells herself as she digs for her pen and paper and starts to write.

"This is our partners' house. They're out, but they don't mind guests. And you can be our partners too!" she writes, and then shows it to the children.

Sion reads the note, and blinks in surprise.

"Eh...?" Partners? What was that supposed to mean?

As if in response, the scythe-horned creature nuzzles him again.

"That must be what this one calls the people they live with," he reasons, taking no issue with the concept of a mysterious pink thing being able to write. "Are they nice?"

"Clef!" Rose emphatically nods. So nice. Best partner and friend. (Emphasize this to the little versions so that maybe they'll believe it better later when they remember, that they're good people.)

"But will it be okay with them for us to be here?"

He can't tell if these creatures are just being friendly to anyone they meet like a puppy would or not.

Of course, his question seems to be the cue for the one pressed up against him to headbutt him lightly before leaning up to lick his face.

"Fairy." Rose nods even more, almost bordering on desperate because seriously what does she do. And then, to attempt to make a point, she reaches out to the child version of her dear partner's arm and brings it into a hug.

Said child gives the pink thing a few more pets. Between this and the cat thing's snuggling toward Sion... "I think these ones want us to stay, at least."

He watches that, then glances at the creature that seems to have taken such an interest in him.

"I guess so..."

Even he can't completely hide the note of doubt in his tone, though.

The logic of a four year old whose favorite bedtime stories are fairy tales and legends and who therefore sees no problem with a cat with a scythe and a pink thing that is intelligent enough to write: surely if the pink thing can write, it knows what it's talking about, and surely if it says it's okay, then it means it.

"So it's fine," he says. "We can stay here until we figure out how to get home, and we can all be friends and play together."

Flawless logic.

There sure were a lot of 'we's in that sentence. Amongst other things. Unfortunately, this is the logic of a child who's learned to be alert for dangers and to fear those with power since he learned to walk, and so sees potential ways for things to go awry around every corner.

Of course, that also means he knows better than to be rude to someone who may well have more powerful connections.

"What do you want to do?"

When in doubt, defer to the noble kid.

Why wouldn't there be a lot of 'we's in that sentence? The thought of just abandoning his new friend - or worse, hurting him - has not once occurred to him. It's just not in his nature.

He thinks for a moment, though. "Hmm... Well, what's your favorite game?" he finally asks.

"... I don't play games."

He's pretty certain that the improvised 'games' his mother sometimes comes up with to occupy him or set him to doing chores don't count.

"You don't?"

What kid doesn't play games?

"...Then, what do you do for fun?" Surely there has to be something, right?

He hesitates, a little reluctant to answer. He's already nervous--frightened, even--by this whole situation, and it shows in how his hands have gradually stopped stroking the white creature's fur to instead ball up into fists clinging to it. He knows his options--lying, saying nothing, or answering--but he also knows any of those could end poorly for him if it's not the right answer.

And sometimes, he knows, there isn't a right answer, just one that will get him hurt the least. Which means the safest bet is probably not to say anything, and hopefully get a better idea of what's best before the other boy decides he doesn't like his lack of response.

...The fact is he doesn't like the lack of response, but not in an angry way. More of a confused, sad way. Does he not have anything he does for fun? Or is it...

"...You don't want to play with me?" he asks sadly. It wouldn't be the first time - on the rare occasions his dad takes him to fancy events, any other children there want little to do with him, so...

He's more confused by that than anything. Why would anyone want to play with him in the first place? Unless... Unless the other boy doesn't know who he is.

Which means he should probably say something before he (or both of them) gets into even worse trouble.

"I'm probably not supposed to... You're a noble, right? I'm not, so..."

Ohhh. So that is what this is about... but the other way around.

He shakes his head. "Dad's a duke, but Mom was a commoner before they got married. The other noble kids don't like that much because I'm half and half, but I don't really think it should matter. Mom and Dad love each other, and they love me, and I love them. So if you're not a noble, I don't mind."

Why would he?

(...and Rose just looks up at him in wonder, because this whole thing raises a lot of questions...)

Despite his best efforts, he can't stop a look of surprise from crossing his face. It's simply too great a coincidence, even if he doesn't dare say a word about the identity of his own father. Those who know already know; telling anyone else could be dangerous.

"Are you sure it's really okay...?" With his parents, or with anyone else who might taking issue with the child of a low-born dog associating with the legitimate son of a duke.

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