Event Log: The Hope of a Child

[hadrielmods]

Who: All characters participating in the event
What: The event log for the The Hope of a Child event
Where: All over the city!
When: January 23rd-Feb 1st
Warnings: Youths

By now, the gods have probably done enough weird crap to you while you're asleep for you to be a little suspicious- but it's not like you can just not sleep, especially when there are a few supernatural forces making your eyes droopy and your body feel heavy.

And now, when you fall asleep, you'll wake up somewhere else and you'll likely have quite a different temperament- you'll be younger, maybe a little more naive and innocent, and you won't exactly remember all the wild stuff that's happened to your adult self. Maybe now you'll be a little more trusting and emotional, hm? The gods could definitely use a little boost in power, and what better way to do it than to harness the power of overemotional kiddos!

Or maybe you aren't affected at all and find yourself surrounded by youths. What are you going to do when your best friend doesn't know how to cook for themselves? Or your bitter rival is throwing a temper tantrum because they broke their favorite toy? Nobody asked for this kind of responsibility, but think about what would happen if nobody was around to take care of these babies...

► This log covers January 23rd-Feb 1st.
► Feel free to make your own logs as well!
► Please tag headers of threads with content warnings where they apply
► Please put your character's name and open/closed in the subject line of your starters!
► If you trip over a kid and die, please let us know here.

Comments

Barry Bluejeans | OTA

[barold]

One: Gosh, mom, I want to go home ~ ♫
[Barry doesn’t know what to do with himself.

He woke up all alone this morning in a place he didn’t recognize, his mom nowhere to be found. That’d been pretty scary, pretty nerve-wracking. Maybe she’d taken him to another one of those weird summer camps and he just... didn’t remember her leaving. That’s not very much like him. That’s not very much like her, just leaving without even a note or a kiss goodbye. But given the circumstances, it’s the only logical conclusion he’s able to draw.

It’s not so bad, though. He’s a big boy now, all of eight-and-three-fifths years old. He can take care of himself.

It’s a pretty weird summer camp though, even in the context of other summer camps. The cabins are all wrong-looking. There are no maps with labeled mess-halls or caretaker residences or worship shrines. There are no helpful signs or notice boards or even emergency bells. Weird. What kind of camp is this?

He walks around outside for a while, tentative and shy, all of three foot eight and dressed in bright blue denim overalls covering his big round tummy. It’s really hot out here. Where are all the adults?

At the first sign of life, either child or adult, he hesitates before approaching, formally clearing his throat to get the stranger’s attention. When he speaks, his voice is small and light, and his eyes won’t quite meet yours as they nervously dart around behind the thick round glasses he’s sporting.]

E-Excuse me, um... Do-- Do you know wh-where the manager’s office is?


Two: One, two, buckle my shoe ~ ♫
[It’s been a few days. It’s still a little weird, still a little scary, but Barry is trying to keep himself entertained. In lieu of books with legible writing, he’s taken to exploring the neighborhood around the house where he woke up that first day, slowly daring to venture further and further away with each trip.

First observation: there are no libraries. Dunk. There doesn’t seem to be a school either. No books, no pens, no parchments, no abacuses, no magnifying glasses. In other words, no fun.

Second observation: there doesn’t seem to be a lot of adults around. This is very disconcerting. Barry likes adults. They’re smart, and rational, and responsible - at least compared to kids his age. He always preferred hanging out with the teachers back home than his fellow students. That’s sadly in short supply around here.

Third observation: there is a lot of sand here. Given the sweltering climate, Barry concludes this must be some sort of desert with little oasis pockets, given that he sometimes finds water which tastes a little funny, but is seemingly drinkable. This is at least something. Without books or abacuses or adults, Barry can at least entertain himself with sand.

What do you like the most about sand? Building sand castles? Drawing pictures with sticks? Making hopscotch courts with pebbles and jumping around in the pillowy dunes? Whichever you’re most into, you can find this tubby little human boy doing that exact thing with a bright grin on his face.]

Three: Wildcard
[OOC: Get a hold of me at eminamazing if you want to write something else! Anything is fair game, and I’d love to hear your ideas :> This is also where you’d go to claim that good good Adult Barry content that you crave.]

One!

[fadeling]

[Cole should really not be surprised that people see him around here, but it's still a little odd when they do and he's not quite certain what to make of it. There's still a pause when he realizes that he's been spotted, still a moment of shock while he tries to figure out what was said. It seldom makes any more sense to him after that moment, but he at least tries to think about it.

So he blinks at the question for a few more moments, somewhat awkwardly, before he finally manages to ask a question of his own right back.]

What is that?

[barold]

[Barry waits for the man to answer him, fingers fidgeting with the sleeves of his tunic, with the fraying edges of his jeans pockets. When he finally dares to meet the stranger's eyes, he looks just as confused as he is. This is gonna be harder than he thought.]

Um... Th-The office where the manager is. [Barry's voice is still pretty small with embarrassment, but he tries to stay polite - this is an adult, after all! You have to be polite with adults!] Y-Y'know, the camp manager?

[Because what is this if not a summer camp? Barry tips his head to the side, regarding the strange man curiously.] Are you a caretaker?

[fadeling]

There isn't one. [At least, he doesn't think so. He can't remember one, anyway, although that really isn't all that reliable. He doesn't remember a lot of things.]

No. But I help people.

[barold]

[There isn't one? Maybe this man just doesn't know where it is?

Or... maybe this isn't a summer camp at all. Just a foreign city in a desert he's never been in, with his mom nowhere in sight. Does she even know he's here? The boy is looking increasingly distressed now, cheeks puffing up and getting red, eyebrows pulling together in a frustrated frown.]

... Can you help me, sir? I-- I dunno where I am. [He sniffles. Those are definitely tears in his eyes.] I dunno how-- how I got here. I dunno where anyone is.

two

[outofthefire]

[Laura liked sand castles, so that's what she finds Barry doing. she hasn't made an effort to befriend the children of Hadriel (because she's not that good with kids), so as far as she knows this kid has been here a while. still looks way too young to be out without any supervision, though, but a quick glance around doesn't reveal the presence of any adults.

so she crouches down beside him and says] Hey. What'cha doing?

[barold]

[Barry looks up from the castle he's making, and just barely stops himself from gasping at the lady sitting down next to him. She's pretty! Her hair is big and bright, like his mom's, and her eyes are really blue. Crazy blue. Super duper pretty.

It takes a second or three for Barry to kick his brain into gear and answer her question.]

Um. U-Um! I'm makin' sand castles, ma'am!

[He grins at her, a couple missing teeth and all. Pushing his sleeves up to his elbows, he starts pointing to parts of the meticulously detailed castle he's made.] Look, look, I even made a moat around it! It's gonna have alligators in it!

[outofthefire]

[that's Laura--super duper pretty. which has always been the problem, but those problems aren't for children's ears]

I can see that. It's very good. You must've worked hard.

[she smiles back] Moats are important. But where are you gonna get the alligators from?

[barold]

[Barry beams at the compliment, chest puffing up with pride. He did good! He did work very hard!]

Thank you, ma'am!!

[It's not often adults are so nice to him when he's playing. Most of them just ignore him. They don't get down on his level and ask questions like this lady does. Like that very good question about the alligators. Barry hums thoughtfully. They had only been imaginary alligators, but now that she's asking, he has to come up with a smart answer. Where'd he get tiny alligators from...]

Um... M-Maybe baby alligators. Those are tiny, right? [He measures an inch and a half with his fingers, demonstrating.] We just gotta find a mommy alligator first.

ii;

[restinglichface]

[A few days into the event and the pieces are already falling into place. At first, the haziness of her memories of her younger self running around Hadriel had left Lup assuming it was nothing more than a handful of strange dreams. Considering most of her dreams as of late dissolved into nightmares about her time trapped in the Umbra Staff, it was an answer the woman was all too willing to accept. But when her brother had confessed to having the same dreams of them as children, running loose around this city, getting into trouble and attempting to con the very people they knew as friends, her theory quickly changed.

And then she'd talked to Barry about it and things finally began to make sense.

Kids may not be her thing, but there's something about getting to meet her husband's younger self that's just too interesting for Lup to pass up. Also, y'know, there's the fact that an eight year old is running loose in the city, so she supposes that someone should attempt to keep an eye on that round, adorable child.

She finds Barry drawing out the lines for a hopscotch game in the sand, not too far from their home.]

Hey, little guy. Got room for one more to play?

[She's gonna crush him.]

[barold]

[Barry looks up from the squares he's drawn out in the sand, the numbers he's currently carving into each square, one by one. The sight that greets him makes him drop the stick he's holding on the ground, eyes going wide.

It's a lady. A really pretty lady. She looks a little like the elf girl he met a couple of days ago. The also really pretty one, with the huge smile and cute laugh and dirt on her face. This lady doesn't have dirt on her face, though. She's way taller, way older, and her hair is so bright unlike the really dark hair the elf girl had.

Maybe Barry just thinks elves in general are pretty. But that can't be right, that other elf girl he met wasn't nearly as pretty as this person...]

Um... [He shuffles shyly, pushing some sand around with his foot.] Y-Yeah? I guess? [Even though he's all red and his stomach is doing those weird flips again, Barry looks up at the tall elf lady, considering her thoughtfully.]

Can adults even play hopscotch..?

[restinglichface]

[Softening her oftentimes abrasive personality around children is a little difficult to do, but Lup's trying to keep the teasing that comes so naturally between her and Barry to an absolute minimum, just because she does not want to make the kid cry.

She does not need this sweet, round boy's tears on her conscience, thank you very much. Lup will never live it down.

Instead, she just pairs a grin with a slight shrug of her thin shoulders, reaching out to retrieve the stick he'd dropped before holding it out to him. Barry's just so young, still red-faced and bespectacled, but tiny too, with plump fingers and the damn cutest nose she's ever seen.]

Well yeah. What, think I can't jump? I've got legs, don't I?

[barold]

[Barry's not sure he believes that. What kinda adult knows how to play hopscotch anyway? That's a kid's game. His mom doesn't play with him, she's way too old. His teachers don't play with him, they're too busy. Adults have other things to do than learn how to play hopscotch, more important things to do than hang out with little kids.

But she is right. She does have legs.]

... Y'gotta jump on one foot. That's the important part. [Barry nods gravely, taking the stick as she offers it to him. The court is all set up. All they need now is a lucky. He supposes a rock will do, since he's just explaining the rules for now.] And y'gotta jump over th'squares with the lucky in it, on just the one leg.

[He picks up a rock and hands it to her.]

It's pretty hard. It's okay if y'can't do it.

one. I am dying. he's such a cute little nerd

[badchoicesmadeeasy]

[ Alana blinks, looking down at this kid. She's stressed, not sure what to do with all of these kids and the urge to keep them out of trouble. There's just so many. And in a place like this, weird, and off and...so many ruined buildings, where they can get hurt, and she just is flailing inside.

But she crouches down, gentle smile and voice and all. ]

Huh- not sure, big guy.

What's your name?

;; protec the lil nerd

[barold]

[This lady seems nice. Even as she says she doesn't know where the manager's office is, she seems willing to help. Like his favorite teacher back home. Still, even as she addresses him, Barry shyly shuffles a little, hesitating before answering.]

M'name's Finbar. [He remembers something then, and quickly adds:] M-Mom calls me Barry, but-- but that's stupid. I don't like it. That's a kid's name.

[He's almost nine years old, way too old for dumb nicknames.]

[badchoicesmadeeasy]

[ This kid is adorable, she can tell already. So, still, she smiles, arms resting on her knees as she stays crouched. ]

Finbar's a pretty cool name. I'd use it too.

I'm Alana, nice to meet you.

Can you tell me where you're from?

two!

[pocketspa]

What are you doing?

[Out of all the things Taako's seen here, this kid is probably the weirdest. This isn't the first time he's crossed paths with him, and nothing he's done makes any sense. He's not looking for food, he's not trying to find shelter, he's just... messing around in the dirt, building things. Last time he just gave him shit for free. Who does that? He can tell the sand on his clothes is fresh, not ground in from time and time again of sleeping on the grass or by a makeshift fire. He's getting dirty for fun. That's stupid.]

Covering yourself in dirt isn't fun.

[barold]

[Oh! It's the really pretty elf again! Or, well, one of them. He's still having a hard time wrapping his head around it. Barry looks between the elf and his carefully constructed sandcastle, with a moat and windows and crenellations and everything. He's even used little straws of dry grass to carve designs into the walls of the towers, to make it look like vines climbing up the bricks.

He's super duper proud of it. Even if he did get a little dirty.]

It's not dirt. It's sand. [Duh.] And it is fun! Look! I made a castle!

[pocketspa]

[He puffs up his cheeks and crosses his arms, looking haughty and still standing from afar.]

What was the point of that? There's sand everywhere. You can't even do anything with it. It's just dumb sand.

[Doing intricate things for fun sounds like a waste of time the twins haven't had in a long time. It also comes down to the fact that Taako's never really had to entertain himself- Lup has always been there, games made only for two. This idea of just... creation, the time to just make something because you can, is so unknown to him.]

What're you doing just... messin' around?

two!

[hellosirs]

[ So most of the adults in Hadriel have been turned into tiny children, Lup and Taako are running around fleecing everybody, and Angus, who has always been more at home around adults than other kids, is kind of freaking out. He might consider himself to be pretty mature for his age, but he's eleven, and that isn't old enough to be a babysitter! (Nevermind that he's old enough to be a detective, that's different, he knows how to do that.)

In the midst of all this insanity, Angus goes looking for Barry, who is probably the most responsible adult in the household by process of elimination. The man might be a little awkward around kids, but he's solid and thoughtful, and good at coming up with plans. Barry will know what to do.

... Or Barry could be a tiny kid in overalls, doodling away in the sand. That could be a thing, too. ]

Aw, beans. Oh jeez. Um...

[ What's he supposed to say here? 'Hi, sorry, you're supposed to be about 40 years older'? ]

... What're you drawing?

[barold]

[Barry watches Angus quietly for a long time, looking like he's considering whether or not he wants to answer him at all. He's an older boy, looking kinda anxious about something, and Barry has had a pretty bad track record talking to anxious older boys lately.]

... Th'planets.

[He points to the circles he's drawn in the sand, all of varying sizes, some with rings drawn around them. It doesn't look anything like the solar system Angus would call home - but it does look like a plausible solar system, all things considered. The outermost planets are bigger, further apart than the smaller ones closer to the center, clustered around the binary suns. There are even little dots that look like they might be asteroid belts here and there.]

Look, here's the suns, Seotania and Seuyama. And over there's Valia and Clacatera and Aphus, and Hastippe, 'course. [Duh, don't you know the name of your own planet, Angus? The one from a Prime Material Plane nothing at all like your own? Come on now, keep up.

Barry keeps rattling off the unfamiliar names of the different planets, pointing to each one, like he's presenting his homework to a teacher. No kids his age think the planets and the vacuum of wildspace are as cool and interesting as Barry does. He's already bracing himself for Angus to make fun of him.]

[hellosirs]

[ It takes Angus a few seconds to figure out why this situation is throwing him off so much, and the realization hits him like a runaway battlewagon. He recognizes that nervous, wary tension in Barry's shoulders, like the other kid is just waiting for him to make some snarky comment and kick sand in his face... most of the time, Angus is the one bracing himself, but suddenly the proverbial shoe is on the other foot, and now he's the big kid.

Honestly, Angus almost turns on his heel and runs away right there. This is just too much weirdness to deal with in one day, and his weirdness tolerance is abnormally high. Underneath the indignance, horror, (he isn't a threat! ... is he?), and confusion, though, he's a bit curious despite himself. He'd liked Barry almost instantly, from the moment they'd been introduced properly and actually had a chance to talk, and this confirms what he'd suspected: they're both nerds. Maybe Barry spent his scholastic career getting pushed into lockers, too?

... It takes another few seconds of hesitance for Angus to decide that running away would be, as Taako would put it, 'a dick move'. Instead, he slowly crouches down next to Barry, making himself smaller, and points at Hastippe. ]

What's that one like?

two!!!

[knockthemdead]

[Not that their beef is sorted, Kravitz thinks maybe Finbar isn't so bad. He's kind of soft, and Kravitz still stands firm that the jeans are weird, but he's friendly. Nice to be around.

He kicks at the sand a little, screwing up his nose at the thought of how dirty it probably is.]

Hello. Is that any fun?

[He points at the pebbles Barry is lining up.]

YAY THEY FRIENDS

[barold]

[Barry considers Kravitz carefully, hesitantly. He's really not a bad guy, Kravitz. A little snooty, maybe, but that's not his fault. It's just... not often Barry ends up in fights - and by 'not often' he means 'never' - so it's impossible to look at the older boy and not remember all the mean things he said to him earlier. All the mean things Barry said to him. He still feels awful about it. And over a misunderstanding!

That doesn't mean they can't be friends, though. That they can't play together. They did shake on it, after all...]

... Well, it's not any fun yet. [He smiles carefully at the boy. Another handful of pebbles get placed, completing another square of the hopscotch court.] It's gonna be fun when we start jumpin' in'em!

I LOVE THEM

[knockthemdead]

[Kravitz honestly hardly remembers what he said. He is, shockingly, not a stranger to verbal showdowns.

He raises an eyebrow at Barry, but steps closer. He's interested, even if he has no idea what's going on.]

Why do we jump in them? What's the purpose? How do you win?