before I was an orphan boy...

[tearsofademon]

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.

Comments

[tearsofademon]

"It's just like the ones at home," he comments, because he wants to be friendly, he wants to make small talk. "Except from this house, instead."

The brilliant observations of a four year old.

[dreamsofahero]

That earned him a curious glance.

"Um... Do you like to watch the sunset?"

At least, that was what it sounded like was implied.

[tearsofademon]

"Sometimes," he replied, wiggling a little on his feet. "Especially when Dad's really busy and doesn't get home until late."

[dreamsofahero]

"Oh."

He wasn't really sure how to reply. He hadn't had much experience interacting with other children his age, after all.

[tearsofademon]

"Do you?" He guessed the answer was probably yes, but one never knew. Sion could have never seen one before in his life, in theory.

[dreamsofahero]

"Yeah..." he said, glancing back out the window again. He was quiet for a moment, considering, then took a breath before continuing.

"It makes everything look nice."

[tearsofademon]

"Mmhmm! All the colors the sky turns... It's really pretty."

But then he realized, if it's sunset, it's getting late, isn't it. Today had been a fun day, but...

"...I wonder when Dad's gonna find us," he murmured, mostly to himself. He was getting a little homesick.

[dreamsofahero]

"It makes everything else red too, so even if it isn't normally, at dusk everything looks better..."

(Dusk couldn't stop the impulse to glance over at him when he said that; was that what her name was supposed to mean, then...?)

He went quiet at the other boy's second remark, though.

"... If I'm not home, Mother will worry..." It was, perhaps, a small admission, and yet, a rather large one for him.

[tearsofademon]

"What's your mom like?" he asked, curious. This was the first Sion had mentioned either of his parents, aside from the whole pesky lineage thing that shouldn't be a big deal. "Is she nice?"

[dreamsofahero]

He nodded, still a bit guarded, but apparently willing to disclose that much.

"Yeah. She's really kind."

[tearsofademon]

"Do you two do anything together for fun?" he prodded, still wondering about earlier, and wanting to know more about Sion.

[dreamsofahero]

"Um..."

How much should he say? What should he say, for that matter?

"Sometimes she tells me stories."

[tearsofademon]

One can almost see his excitement. Something they have in common!

"What kind of stories do you like?"

[dreamsofahero]

"The ones about other places."

You know, the fairy tales where the hero wins and lives happily ever after.

[tearsofademon]

"Those are my favorites, too!" He almost bounced with joy. "Has your mom read you the one about the Hero who saved the world?"

[dreamsofahero]

"Um, I think so..." There'd been a lot of stories, and he was pretty sure that saving the world was a thing in at least some of them.

[tearsofademon]

"That one's my most favorite. Mom and Dad don't know yet, but I can almost read it all the way myself."

He just liked when his parents read to him.

[dreamsofahero]

Oh, so his parents must own lots of books. That made sense though, if he was a noble.

"I like all the ones my mother tells me."

Or maybe he just liked the time spent with his mother. It was hard to say. But speaking of, as he thought about that, he frowned a little, expression clouding.

"She'll be worried if I'm not home soon..."

[tearsofademon]

His own expression faltered for a second at that, but only for a second.

"D-Don't worry! Dad'll find us soon. And then he'll get you home too, no problem."

He might be homesick, but his dad was Roland's greatest magician. He could do anything. So there was no reason to be scared.

[dreamsofahero]

"But..."

But what? Truthfully, he missed his mother deeply. This place wasn't bad at all, but it wasn't home, and he'd never been away for so long at once. His hand that rested on the scythe-headed creature's back grasped at its fur, a small comfort under the circumstances.

"I don't want her to be worried, and I haven't been gone this long before..."

And he was horribly homesick and he missed her. Though he shouldn't let himself cry, he knew. That just made things worse. But he was tired and homesick and it had been a long, confusing day of never being sure of what to do, and so the tears were starting to show despite himself.

[tearsofademon]

Oh no.

Oh no, he'd messed up, hadn't he. He'd upset his new friend. :(

"I-It'll be fine!" he tried to reassure the other boy. "And... And your mom will think you're really brave, right?"

[dreamsofahero]

"I want to go home..." He didn't need to try to imagine what praise his mother might give him, not when he knew well exactly what sort of things she'd say. And how worried she'd be, even if she never actually said as much. It wasn't imagined kind words that he wanted, though, he just couldn't stand the idea of his mother being unhappy and worried.

Still, though, he couldn't let himself cry. That was usually bad. So he tried to hold it back, turning what might have otherwise been bawling into quiet, choked sobs.

[tearsofademon]

He messed up he messed up he messed up :( :( :(

"We will!" he promised, a little bit of desperation in his tone. He didn't want Sion to be upset :( "We'll get home, it'll be okay!"

[dreamsofahero]

The white scythe monster was nuzzling him, evidently trying to comfort him as well, though his only response just now was to clutch at a fistful of the soft fur without thinking.

"But..."

He was lonely and still a little scared and he missed his mother desperately. And much as he struggled against it, he simply couldn't hold back his sobs.

[tearsofademon]

"It'll be okay!" he repeated, even more desperate. "S-So please, don't cry! If you cry, I'm gonna start cr... crying too, and..."

He could feel his own tears starting to well up, even though he was trying to be strong until his dad found him. (But, well, he hadn't come yet, and it'd been this long, so what could be keeping him...?)