hadriel_logs | Event Log: The Hope of a Child

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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

A plane? No, not yet.

「... Only, he's definitely not thinking about the modern type of plane more than a different level of existence... Same difference, at the moment.」

He'll always be your dad, even if you grow up.

「At least she has a dad! But it'd be too much for him to say it.」

Not yet? Were you planning on taking a flight somewhere?

[She looks away for a moment.

That's for sure. But other dads let their children become adults. And other dads don't look at their daughters the way..

[She trails off. It's hard to explain how different her father is from a regular dad.]

「Well, if she put it that way...」

Humm... Yeah, I hope so, some day. Then maybe I'll see my father again...

「He takes a look at her, trying to understand what she's saying.」

What way?

[A look of confusion crosses her face.]

Oh...I thought you didn't have a dad.

[She knows she can't say her father looks at her the same way he looks at a dead deer he's butchering, love and respect for the deer, and a desire to eat it.]

It's hard to put into words.

He... died a few days ago.

「That must be even more confusing, but of course, he doesn't realize that.」

I must wait and be a good king so one day the gods let me in where he is now.

「He looks up, as if somehow that place was high above them.」

Ah... well. You don't have to explain if you can't. But don't worry, I don't think he will get mad at you, he sounds like a good dad. He worries a lot about you.

You meant you'd take a plane to visit his grave or his ashes or something? He wasn't buried near home?

[She's trying to make sense of it without upsetting him.]

You believe in an afterlife?

[There's the way her father thinks life continues - 'honouring' the animals he kills by using every part of them. That seems strange to her too. Dead is dead.]

I don't want him to be disappointed either.

[She doesn't want to learn how her father would react to her being anything other than his perfect Abigail.]

「Her wording is so confusing to him, he opts for the easy part instead.」

No, he was buried in the Valley of the Kings. It's close but, not that close.

「He'd go on horse though... He really wished he knew what she's talking about without having to ask and sound ignorant.」

... I... Yeah... You don't?

「He sounds a little skeptical about his own question, it's inimaginable that someone wouldn't believe in the Afterlife after all! But she's nice, so... maybe he can overlook that. Especially because what she wants, is something he wishes with all his heart too, not to disappoint his dad.」

You won't. You're doing your best, so, you won't.

「Right? He tries his very best too to give her an encouraging smile, it's hard, but he must. It's a little pathetic but there it is.」

[Abigail still feels confused but decides to let it go.]

Oh.

[She shrugs.]

I'm not religious. I guess it's hard for me to think of this life as just an audition to try to get into heaven, you know? Besides, I think there's other ways to live on. Your dad lives on in your memory, right? You honour him.

[Or at least that sounds like something her father would believe.]

[She returns his smile slowly. She wishes she could agree, but there's always a lingering feeling with her dad, a constant fear that she'll fail him and he'll become dangerous.]

You're very sweet. Your father must have been very proud of you.

「When it's how you were raised, when this structured way of living has been chiseled into your brain since you were born, it's hard to think there are other ways of living. But at least the kid tries to be open about it, confusion and all, live and let live.

But her kind words have his eyes pricking and soon he's biting his lower lip, in an attempt to avoid tears taking shape in his eyes. He doesn't know if he was proud of him, but he certainly hopes he can make him proud now, to honor him, just as she says. He swallows, hard, he forces that little smile to linger and nods at her. He must not cry, he must remain strong, kings do not cry.」

I will try. Thank you-- 「Ah! How could he forget?!」 ...what's your name?

[Her smile fades and her stomach twists into knots when she notices his reaction. She wonders if should offer some words of comfort or a supportive gesture. She's never known anyone who lost a parent back home and no words come. She suspects she might even make him feel worse if she lets him know that she sees his pain. The men she knows, especially her father, never want to be seen as fragile. So she does her best to ignore it, telling herself that it's only the suns in his eyes.]

I'm Abigail. And you are?

[Other than calling himself a King, she doesn't think she caught his name either.]

Edited 2018-02-21 20:35 (UTC)

「He's just very, very sad. But at least he's trying. It's funny though, he could use a hug rather than her not noticing, in the long run anyway, right now, it's a sign that he's right, must not show those feelings, he takes deep breath and just tries to move on.」

Atem.

「After the whole confusion, he doesn't expect her to know who he is named after, so he doesn't make much fuss about it.」

It's a pretty name, yours. Never heard it before.

Thanks. My dad picked it. Abigail means joy of the father. It's a common name back home. I think it was in the top forty names when I was born, something like that.

[She says it quietly, not wanting to upset him further and because she feels confused by it. Her name bothers her, simply because it's always felt like her mother had no input.]

I've never heard the name Atem before either. Is it a version of Adam?

「He gives a little chuckle at that.」

One of the most common names back home is Nefer. But, I don't think so? It's the name of the creator god... my dad-- my father chose it too.

「That probably should say a lot about what type of father Akhenamkhanen was. But Atem is probably just starting to see how much they seem to be think of their fathers, and even if he cannot see the irony in that — he loves his name just because because of the same reason her own bothers her — but, still, it's something nice to relate to in his eyes.」

Nefer? I've never heard that name either. You were named after a God? huh. I think that's the father from 'joy of the father', like it means joy of God the father - but my dad changed it to mean his joy.

[She pauses.]

I like your name meaning better. Your dad wanted you to aspire to be God-like. It's powerful. Mine just wants me to be his joy, all to himself.

[Ugh. That sounds too bitter when she's talking to someone who lost his own father.]

Do you ever think about what your mom would have named you, if she could have?

「He hadn't thought of it that way... It makes him blush slightly on top of bringing him remorseful glee, if such sentiment exists. But he can hear now the resentment in her voice, even if a little. He wonders why.」

Maybe he just really, really loves you.

「Nothing wrong with that, right? But her question is met with a sentiment he really cannot explain, it's not quite sadness, but it's not quite indifference either.」

Not really. I never met my mother. But... I'd like to think they chose it together.

「He never asked, in truth, no one ever talked about her much, and he never felt lacking of a mother, maybe because so many people watched over him.」

What name do you think she could have chosen for you?

He does. Too much.

[Abigail looks down at the ground for a moment. It feels as if she's always bringing up things that hurt him. She can't imagine her life without her mom; she's the only parent Abigail feels safe around.]

I'm sorry.

[She gives it another moment of thought.]

I don't know. She likes mountains. [She chuckles.] Maybe Everest? Could have been Eve for short. Or Lilly, after the lilies that grow around Eagle Mountain. She wants to climb that someday. Or maybe she would have named me after herself, so I'd always have a part of her. Her name's Louise.

Edited 2018-02-24 18:42 (UTC)

Don't be. 「This time, he means it, it's not that he doesn't feel something, but it's different. He focuses instead in what comes next, it's interesting. He would have never thought of something like that before.」

Why don't you just change it? I like Lilly. Back home we have water lilies and they are really pretty, like you.

「Yeah, he just... said that.」

My dad would never let me change it.

[Some part of her already knows that she'll never completely get away from him,even if she did change her name and run away. It's a happier thought that captures her attention though and her cheeks blush a pale shade of pink.]

You think I'm pretty?

[She gives him a smile. Guys never see her as pretty,or they're too intimated by her father to say it.]

Your dad is not here... 「He says with a hushed voice and bites both of his lips pressing them together, as if he were not going to tell anyone if she changed it.」

Yep. 「Even if her skin is so milky white, and that's might be still a little unusual for him.」 I like the color of your eyes.

「He's not the type that shies away from that stuff. Why would he?」

He's always in here. [She taps her temple. He's in her head, controlling her, weather she wants him there or not.]

[That gets him a big smile. She likes her eyes too, always thought they were her best feature, like her mother's eyes.]

Thank you. I like your eyes too. They're very big.

「Oh, that's... well, he supposes it's up to her to let go, just as him, right? To let go of the pain he feels, just as she could let go of that control, he cannot really do much to help her there, not right now.」

Well, he's not in mine. I'll call you Lilly. I mean... if ... you don't mind?

「He chuckles at that. Big? Is that a compliment? He'll take it!

Seeing her smile, though, it's way better than seeing her cry. It makes him smile in return. Yep, that's... much better.」

Heh... Thanks.

I don't mind. As long as you go back to calling me Abigail around him. That is, if we ever find him, or my home, or your home.

[She hopes she hasn't brought down the mood too much by reminding him that they're lost]

[She chuckles when he does.]

Some people say eyes are the window to the soul. I guess you must have a big soul - full of a lot of experiences, being royalty and all.

[Her own life's been so limited. She's not even sure if she has a soul or anything else outside her family obligations.]

Of course!

「He doesn't seem to mind much, now that he has a friend.」

A big soul?! 「His chuckle becomes a little laugh, that's a really funny thing to say.」

I don't know about that, I have never thought I'm different from anyone else. You and I have the same red blood flowing through our veins, don't we?

Well, yeah. No matte what blood type you have, it's got to be red. People are more than that though. Our biology and upbringing make us who we are. That whole nature versus nurture thing.

[And that's the problem. Either way, she sees herself as her father's daughter. She's too young to have met Hannibal and have him help see her things differently.]

「Oh dear, back to some confusion because what does she mean with types? He was going for something a little more poetic than biology, but that's him, and this is her, and it's not bad, it's just different.」

I... guess? What I meant is... that no matter where we come from, you and I can be friends. Right?

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