N-no... no, I'm scared...!

[relinquishing]

Who: A very young Guy Cecil and a bunch of scary strangers.
Where: Yutopil Apartments and the alleys near the plaza
When: Monday morning - afternoon
Style: I prefer [Action], but I'll match.
Status: Open

[It was such a blur. He remembered it being dark and loud. There was shouting. They were running, his arm being pulled just a little harder as a window shattered in one of the front rooms. A scream echoed from another part of the hall, and he felt the urge to do the same, quickly biting his lip in fear. The shuffle of feet. The slamming of a door. There were soldiers. So many soldiers.

He was frightened.

Mary had said something to him. That he needed to hide. That he needed to live. Why? Why was this happening? This was supposed to be a happy day, right? Why were the soldiers here to hurt them? Why did his sister have to look so sad?

Mary... M-Mary, come back... I-I'm scared...!

He'd ducked away, knees to his chest and lip quivering, still trying to keep his older sister in his sights. And then, as if he'd fallen down a hole in the back of his hiding place... he was somewhere new. Mary was gone. And he didn't like it one bit.]


[Residents of the lower floor of Yutopil might here a thumping crash from Apartment 1-5 early Monday morning, followed by a loud wail. That's because one little blonde boy has literally fallen out of his bed and hit the ground a bit too hard. Nothing to truly hurt him in the end, but... well, he is a bit of a coward, and the impact is enough to startle him to tears. What is this place?! Where is he? And now his head hurts and oh no, oh please, what is he going to do????

He will eventually wander from his strange quarters, although the outside world isn't very inviting. Every face is strange and hostile, and with what he's just seen and heard he can't help but flinch away. So don't be surprised if you come walking through the plaza and hear the sniffling sobs of a young child, not even a day past five, huddled in the alleyway behind a building, head buried against his knees or hands wringing at clothes of the finest quality (dusted with the clouded markings of soot). He may look like an animal caught frightened in a bright light. But for as much of a man as Mary wants him to be, a stranger is still a stranger, and strangers are still frightening.]


((OOC: All replies will be coming from heirofhod.))

Comments

[surly_chosen]

What's your deal?

[The voice is beyond haughty, belonging to an older boy who looms - arms crossed - over the blond, hair fire-red and eyes ice blue and frigid. His clothes are at least as expensive as the young Gailardia's, possibly moreso, and impeccably clean.

Zelos Wilder is thirteen years old, has no idea where he is, and has decided to take it out on the first person he's come across.]

[heirofhod]

Aa-aaaah!

[The voice is sudden, loud, and unfamiliar, and the boy can't help but scream. Gailardia scrambles backwards, hands curled in front of his head as though the older boy were preparing to strike him, but still watching the redhead with wide and fearful eyes.]

[surly_chosen]

[Scowling, Zelos rolls his eyes at the younger boy's scrabbling about.]

Jeeze, stop acting like I'm gonna hurt you. Why would I bother? Who are you anyway? You look rich but I know every noble in Meltokio and I've never seen you.

[His scowl turns derisive.]

Are you an escaped half-elf?

[heirofhod]

I... no, I-I-I... [He hiccups, messily rubbing the the sleeve of his tunic against his eyes.] 'm G-Gailardia ...M-my sister, I-I-I think I... I lost her...

[A fist presses up against his mouth as he looks over his shoulder. Gosh it's dark... and this older boy seems to know what he's talking about. Or, well, it sure sounds like it.]

...W-what's a hafluff?

[surly_chosen]

[Ugh, you're staining your clothes with those tears you know.

Zelos' expression softens just slightly with the mention of a sister and he sighs again, looking away and putting his hands on his hips.]

Half-elf, and I doubt your sister was dragged here, wherever we are, but I guess if you want you can go find her.

[...he's alone here too. Damnit.]

If you're such a coward that you need help, I guess I can go with you too.

[chosencheer]

[There's another small blonde little child in Yutopil today. This one is a couple years older and a girl though. She opens the door to where she woke up to look at him, wearing a dress that's far too big for her.]

Are you okay?

[heirofhod]

[He'd only stepped out into the hallway for a moment, a hand still fumbling at the doorknob, one of the blankets from his bed wrapped tightly around him like an oversized cape. His attention snaps to the side at the girl's voice and he yelps, immediately slamming the door closed.

...

A few seconds later, the door is slowly creaking back open, just enough for him to try and look at the older girl. This door will keep him safe. Right?]

...Y-yes... [He sniffles, rubbing his face with the blanket.] I.... w-who are you...?

[chosencheer]

[Clutching the top of her dress, she smiles. He might be scared, but she is too. People usually don't wake up somewhere they've never seen before with a dog...]

That's good! I was worried.

[There's a brief flash of fear on her face before she hides it behind another smile, stepping out from behind her door and closing it behind her.]

I'm Colette Brunel, the Chosen of Sylvarant. What's your name? [Even after being told what that meant, she thinks that saying she's the Chosen, the one who is the hope for her world, might help the younger boy. That's what she's supposed to do, right? Help?]

[heirofhod]

G-Gailardia...

[He opens the door a little bit more, his eyes cautious and confused. Her clothes looked funny, and her name sounded strange. And what was she chosen for? He worries at his lip before finally bothering to ask--]

What's a silver aunt?

[in the alley]

[cynicisms]

[Physically, Ganymede hasn't changed much at all - in body, he's the same age as he's been for the short time since he arrived. Mentally, he's centuries younger, the age he appears, around 15 years old. He's gotten over the initial fear of finding himself transported somewhere new (particularly because something about this place feels familiar anyhow), and now he's exploring.

After hearing a sound like an injured animal down the alleyway, he pads down it in his formal toga, his jewelry making soft sounds of metal on metal, his eyes a little wide as he finds a tiny boy there with tan skin and blue eyes and blond hair, looking for all the world like he could belong at home in Troy.

He kneels down, peering at him for a moment.]

Are you okay, little boy? Why are you crying?

[heirofhod]

[The boy draws his legs closer to him, fingers pressing tight. He's refusing to look the other boy in the eye, gaze trained on the alleyway wall.]

I-I... dunno where m-my f-family is... I... I just wanna go h-home...

[He sniffles, his expression bunching up before burying his head back into his knees with a shuddering sob.]

[cynicisms]

[Ganymede is a little self-centered and a little bit of a ditz, but he has compassion. He knows humility, or at least serving, he herds sheep - this little boy reminds him of a lost little lamb, and he reaches out almost without thinking, slim fingers skimming over the boy's shoulder and cheek, then to his hair.]

I do too. If you were just with them a moment ago, the same happened to me. My brother was there, and now I'm here.

[He leans in a little, and smiles softly despite the boy's tears.]

I'm Ganymede. We could go together, then maybe you could be less afraid?

[heirofhod]

[The touch gets him to flinch, scooting back a bit. The smile is warm and compassionate, though - not one of someone who would mean to hurt. Right?

He swallows hard.]

I-if we are t-together, do... do you think we could find m-my sister? C-could you help m-me find her?

[tinyphoenix]

_{[Ruca - now about six years old - makes his way to the other boy.]}

Hey, are you alright?

_{[He looks worried, but also a little uncertain of what he should do. It's not like he's ever seen someone cry - well, he himself is quite a crybaby but that doesn't mean he knows what to do when someone else is crying.]}

[heirofhod]

[The younger boy sniffles, rubbing an arm against his face and hugging his legs a little tighter to himself.]

'm lost, I... I-I need t' find my sister, a-and I don't know w-where she is...

[This place was so strange, very different from the white buildings and green lands of Hod. He didn't even know where to start, and everything seemed so big and new--!]

[tinyphoenix]

Oh!

<sub>[So that means they're both lost! Ruca is trying to find a way to go back home. He doesn't want his parents to worry about him...

The silver haired boy gets a little closer.]</sub>

I'm lost too... but don't worry, I'll help you find your sister!

_{[He smiles a little.]}

[heirofhod]

...Really?

[He looks behind the boy - no one that looked like him or had silver hair like him. Was he here by himself?

Gailardia presses his fingers together idly, biting his lip.]

Ah... Y-you're lost...? W-where'd your family go?

[livingvessel]

[The young Einzbern wakes up from the sound of a large thud coming from outside, followed by a cry. Slowly opening her eyes, she wonders where exactly the sound came from - was it one of her neighbours, maybe? Well, it's not early enough that she's tired enough to complain, but she does wonder what caused it.

So she slips out of bed and changes before slowly opening the door of 1-4, peeking out from behind and stepping out into the hallway. After a few moments, a nearby door opens and a small blond boy wanders out.

Ilya's a rather new resident of the Yutopil Apartments, but she's pretty sure that there's no one looking younger than her living on the first floor. Then again, he looks really lost, and on the brink of tears. The silver-haired girl decides to go and ask him, and maybe see if she can help. Because... well, if someone keeps crying, it would get pretty loud sooner or later too. And she doesn't like sad people.]

Are you looking for someone? [She bends down a little - something she almost never has to do when talking to people! - and folds her hands behind her back.] Maybe I can help you!

[heirofhod]

[The girl sounds friendly, but turning to actually look at her gets the blonde's eyes to widen. The silver hair and red eyes looks like something out of a fairy tale, and not anything that the already-frightened boy can determine as good. So he does what any sensible 5-year-old would do - he runs, squawking in fright before scrambling backwards in the other direction.

Go away, scary new girl!]

[livingvessel]

[She sees hi back up, eyes wide with fear, and at first she doesn't really understand why. It's not like she just threatened to kill him or something, did she? But still, she's very sensitive to the fact that he doesn't seem to like her at all, and so she backs up a little.]

Oh... I didn't mean to scare you...

[An almost repentant look crosses her face. She doesn't normally care if people are weirded out by her, but the fact that he's a child does make her more concerned about it than normal.]

[heirofhod]

I... I-I-I...

[He stumbles a few more steps away, hands in front of him and eyes on the floor, until one step slips out from under him. Arms flail as the boy immediately tumbles to the floor, rear-first, bumping his head soon after... and immediately bursting into tears.

He's not bleeding and he doesn't appear hurt. Frankly, he doesn't appear to be horribly scared of the girl in front of him in favor of his new predicament. But that was startling...!]

[zelda_hylia]

[Now that Zelda has figured out just what this curse is, she's attempting to collect all her friends. Guy is one of the first that she goes looking for, so it's not too long after he leaves Yutopil that she finds the boy, sniffling quietly and looking like he's trying to make himself invisible. Something's... familiar about him.]

It's all right, no one here is going to hurt you...

[heirofhod]

[Her words get him to shrink back at first, the voice unfamiliar for as calm as it sounded. But the color of her dress... her hair and eyes...

Is that...]

M...M-Mary...

[There's a spark of recognition across his face, relief mingled with confusion and fear. He whimpers, a choked sound in the back of his throat as tears well up in his eyes. The difference in the voice and the shape of her ears doesn't even register - he's stumbling forward with a broken sob of her name, fingers clutching at her skirt. His sister... she was really here, she was--!]

[zelda_hylia]

[He's obviously mistaken her for someone. The fear and loss on his face is so horribly familiar though, and she can't find it in herself to correct him immediately. Zelda strokes the boy's hair soothingly, placing her hands on him but being careful to not make him feel trapped. Who was "Mary"? With a reaction like that she'd think it was the boy's mother, but people don't typically call their mothers by name. A sibling or a friend, maybe? After giving him just a moment to calm down, she speaks as gently as possible.]

I'm afraid that isn't my name. My name is Zelda. A lot of people are lost right now, though, and I'm trying to help them find where they should go. Will you let me help you? What's your name?

[heirofhod]

[He freezes as she says her real name, hands gripping tighter and shoulders drawing up. Wait... this... this wasn't his--

He spares a glance up, biting his lip as he notices the ears. No. No, this isn't Mary. He draws in a breath, ducking his head back down into the fabric of her skirt with a shiver. His voice is muffled when he finally speaks.]

...G...G-Gailardia... ma'am.