hadriel_logs | Event Log: The Hope of a Child

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ 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?

[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.]

[ 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?

Thank you! [Gosh, it is a cool name, huh? Get with the program, mom.] A-Alana's a cool name too.

[He shrugs a little. That's a tricky thing to answer.] Fairbreach. I dunno where that is though... [Certainly not close to a desert. A weird desert where the sky's the wrong color.] I dunno when I got here. And I can't find anybody.

[This is a weird summer camp.]

[ Welp. That sure isn't a name she remembers seeing on the maps. Which she expected, truth be told, but it's still something a part of her was wishing didn't happen.

She bits her lip, worried about the kid, trying to think of a way to make any of this less upsetting. She can't just tell him.... ]

Were you with someone before?

Um... [Barry's face scrunches up in thought.] I-- I went to bed in my house. Mom was there an' said good night. And then I was here.

[He points down the street in the direction he came from.] In that house over there. I was all alone, um... figured everyone'd gone to th'mess hall. Or on a hike. But I can't find any of th'buildings or-- or even a counselor.

[ It's dawn incredibly clear on Alana that she absolutely doesn't know how to do the whole "hey, you're trapped away from everyone you love" thing with a kid. It breaks her heart just thinking about it, and this kid just...he just thinks he's at camp.

Why can't he just be in camp?]

Well, hum...

[She bites her lip, thinking.]

Maybe they just let you sleep in.

[Oh, Alana, no.]

[Oh, Alana, yes.]

Oh! [Barry seems to brighten at that, his whole body perking up.] That makes sense! Um, if-- if I did get here real late, it makes sense I wouldn't remember a-and would wanna sleep. Huh. [He stuffs his hands in his pockets, smiling with relief.] That's real nice of'em, lettin' me sleep in like that. Still kinda weird there aren't any counselors around...

[Barry looks up at Alana then, all small and trusting in front of her.] Do you live around here? Oh, a-are you one of th'parents maybe?

[Alana smiles, partially in relief as the kid goes along with the story and seems cheerful enough, but that also means that he'll probably eventually find out it's lie.

Welp. They'll cross that bridge when they get to it.]

Hum, yeah. I'm...one of the locals?

[Sure? Sure.]

Cool!

[The fact that she phrased her answer like a question isn't something Barry seems to mind. Sometimes adults are a little weird with how they talk to kids.]

What's it like livin' in a desert? This is my first time in a desert. I live in a valley. There's trees there, an' grass an' rivers, lots of animals. Do you have any animals here?

[ Oh lord, it's a rambler. Though, so be fair, most kids are around this age are. ]

Huh, some of them. Mostly birds and bugs I guess?

[ She doesn't even know what kind of monsters are in this place, but she's not about to tell this kid.

She also doesn't want to think about how long she can really keep this ruse up. ]

[What do you mean, rambler. This is normal and completely fine.]

Bugs are cool! Do you like bugs, ma'am? I do. A lotta kids think they're gross, b-but I think they're real neat.

Um! Did-- Did you know that three out of four creatures on th'planet are bugs? 'Cause there's so many of'em! Or, well, insects. A bug is just a type of insect. There're so many different types, y'could look at insects all your life a-and never get t'see every single type! Isn't that so crazy rad??

[Barry, meanwhile, seems to be adjusting well to the whole abandoned-in-a-strange-desert thing.]

[ That's good! That's perfect. Though she's not sure how to go about dealing with this rambly little nerd, it's a lot better than dealing with an upset kid she can't comfort.

This is good. This is fine.

Her smile might be a little awkward, but she's genuinely relieved that this is what's happened, as opposed to the alternative. ]

Is that so? That's pretty neat.

What's your favorite?

Right?!

[She asks for his favorite, and Barry's little face scrunches up in thought. Does he even have a favorite? He likes all of them, he think!

Well, not all all of them. Mosquitoes are pretty annoying. Wasps are really scary. And don't even get him started on fruit flies! Okay, so maybe he does have a couple favorites.]

Um, I like dragonflies. And beetles with huge mandibles, and caterpillars that turn into butterflies! What's your favorite, Alana?

My favorite? Hmmm...

[ She takes a moment to think about it.]

Fireflies, maybe?

Fireflies are cool! Did-- Did you know? Um! They glow 'cause of somethin' called biolumiosis!

[That's how you say that, right? Probably. Barry beams with pride at how smart he is. Not that he knows what bioluminescence is or how it works. That's not as important.]

Some kids think it's magic, but it's not. Some mushrooms have biolumiosis too!

Event Log: The Hope of a Child

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

;; protec the lil nerd

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