hadriel_logs | Event Log: The Hope of a Child

Entry tags:

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

Atem coughs and moves away from the smoke that so rudely got on his face! But he cannot keep his frown for long, not when he sees the fire in Yehudit's hands! There is worry and excitement washing over him.

"Are you okay? Did you burn yourself?" He tries grabbing her hands and looking at them, but he also has to stare at the fire. It's such an awesome feat.

"Yehudit, you're so talented... Can you teach me? After you have eaten?"

Oh, right! The fish! He goes grab the shawl, which, thankfully, is not moving anymore. He is tempted to let her cook it, since, he's never done something like that either, but, she looks so tired. It must not be difficult. Surely, he can do this alone.

His concern for her is flattering. While Yehudit wasn't entirely without companionship back home, kindness isn't always something she inherently expects from people. Sometimes she'll get a flicker of a thought or a vision she's not supposed to see, but her abilities are only budding, and that scares her a lot. It scares her more that she can't share her secret with just anyone, for fear of being deemed mad or possessed...

"I can, if you want..."

After everything he's done for her so far, how could she tell him no?

Yehudit hesitates when Atem goes to retrieve the fish in the shawl, as she reaches for the sharp narrow rock she had collected from the riverside. "Do you know how to gut these? I can do it if you don't."

She is tired, and the hunger doesn't help, but she's had to push herself through pangs like this before and she managed to survive.

Gut... Gut? For real? Gut the fish?

Gut.

Ew.

"Just guide me through it." He gets the rock from her — a knife should be better but this will have to do — he unfolds the shawl and... oh dear, look, a dead fish. This should be nothing.

For real.

Yehudit thinks, though.

"There may be a better way." She takes a narrow stick and hands it over to Atem. It's probably a good thing that he's helping her now, for many reasons. "Here. Use the rock to sharpen the tip."

Atem does as told, making the tip as sharp as possible. It might not be too hard to guess what he will be doing with it, but he still waits for her guidance. He doesn't want to make a mistake and disappoint her.

When he believes the task is done, he lifts it proudly for her to see.

"What now?"

She makes a face, clearly not favoring this part of the process.

"You must... run it through, with the pointy end." Yehudit gesticulates at the sharpened tip of the stick. "Starting from the mouth, then out from the... tail end."

At this point she almost wishes they had set the fish free before leaving it to suffocate on land. She can't help but feel guilty for its suffering, but the only thing worse they can do now is to waste what precious life it gave them.

That sounds a thousand ways better than gutting the thing, it's not the first time he's seen fish served whole after all, and it wouldn't be the first time he's eaten it that way either. It's better for him, maybe not so much for Yehudit.

It goes smooth at least, fish are squishy even in this world and thankfully they are mostly bloodless too. He doesn't need to be told what else to do, he could probably look for suitable twigs to put the stick on but he instead holds it over the fire as close as he can, all his attention on it. There isn't much else to do but to cook this fish, is there?

Sooner than later it starts smelling different and looking different, it'll be done soon.

Even without the blood, Yehudit could stomach watching this better. She should have made something so Atem wouldn't have to keep holding it the whole time, but he doesn't seem to have any complaints.

Instead, she goes and searches for some large leaves or flat rocks to set the fish on once it's done, and carve it up with the stone Yehudit had given to sharpen the stick.

By the time the meat is cooked, she's gathered what she could find and sets everything down so Atem will have someplace to transfer the fish onto. She decides to use her shawl to cover the flat rock.

It can't get any dirtier than it already is, anyway.

Atem would have prefered for the to stay put and rest, but cannot stop her, can he? Nope, he has a fish to look over.

"You could have eaten it from the stick," He says as he "plates" it on the shawl, carefully with help of another stick. He manages at least, he's always had dexterous hands. "Be careful, it's hot." He should know it, he burnt the tip of his fingers trying to get it off the first stick.

( ooc: a thousand times* i dont even)

Nope, she would have gone regardless, if only because she has trouble staying still for long.

Yehudit glances up at Atem sheepishly at his comment, before ducking her head. The crown keeps slipping down her forehead so she has to push it back up, but doesn't have the heart to remove it yet. It's nice. This is nice. She likes having the companionship of another, even if it's someone she never would've expected to even see her, let alone cook food for her.

As she goes to grab the fish, her eyes dart up to Atem again.

"Don't you want some...?"

After all, he caught it for her. He must be hungry too, right?

Atem shakes his head a little, "No, I'm good. It's all yours."

The fish is all hers, sure, he caught it, but he did it for her. If he's hungry or not, he can wait. He keeps his eyes on her, as if expecting her to start eating.

Much as she wants to insist, Yehudit can't deny her own hunger. She gives Atem an appreciative look, smiling as she holds the stick in both hands before sinking her teeth into the scales of the fish.

Not too fast, she can almost hear her father's voice telling her. You may--

But Yehudit stops, jaw clenched a moment as she already feels her stomach turn. It only lasts a few seconds, before the feeling passes.

"It... It's good," she finally tells Atem with a sheepish look, when she's no longer afraid of losing the food he so generously caught for her. "Tastes strange, but it's good."

She's used to making do without any fancy seasonings.

Fish has never been his favorite, so he totally believes her when she says it tastes strange, but he smiles widely at her when she begins eating, it's a very rewarding sight.

In which world is salt fancy, though?

"I'm glad. You seemed very hungry." He makes a little pause as he glances at his headpiece on her. "You should come live with me. You'd never be hungry again."

Salt is fancy enough to people who don't have it.

Yehudit pauses to stare at him, as if expecting Atem to be joking. When he doesn't follow it with good humor, she makes a small, crestfallen smile.

"I'd like that."

Even for a child, she knows that's not possible. But that's not the point.

It wouldn't be the first time that Atem offers her to come with him after all, (it probably also won't be the last) not that Yuhudit remembers at the moment. But at her answer, he smiles at her widely. He can already see himself taking care of her, making sure she's happy.

How naive.

If not for the time dilemma, it's almost appropriate due to the relationship between Egypt and Jerusalem at the moment Yehudit remembers. It doesn't matter, but that's not the point.

After a moment, she smiles back at Atem weakly, before she goes back to working on the fish. Truth be told, she's more ravenous than she expected... like she hadn't eaten in such a long time. Not that she could recall her last meal; she tries not to keep track. It's less sad that way.

Yehudit doesn't give much pause until she finishes the fish, completed with a burp.

Totally dignified compliment to the cook.

Watching her eat is quite the spectacle, it's like she hasn't eat in forever! He thinks is a little funny, unfortunately, unaware of how bad it's been for her. The child even giggles at her hardly sophisticated behavior. He can already see his uncle and Seth frown at him if he did that on the table.

"Should have gotten you two of those."

Atem's amusement doesn't go unnoticed, but Yehudit isn't about to take offense. Not when the very person who caught and prepared her first meal in a long time was him. Considering where he came from, this had to be plebeian compared to what he's used to. It's only natural he would find these things trifling and silly.

When there's nothing left of edible meat, she gives Atem a slightly embarrassed look. Not because of her manners, but...

"Oh, no, you didn't have to... You don't..."

She shakes her head when she can't use words. Stupid, stupid words.

"I don't what?" He's truly curious about what she has to say, given that she doesn't seem to speak much.

"Why didn't you get food before?" Maybe a little more curious and a little more demanding than usual, since he doesn't even let her answer that first question.

You don't have to trouble yourself for me anymore, she was about to say. But then Atem speaks further, and Yehudit is more than happy to abandon the thought.

"It... feels wrong to simply take things you did not work for." She frowns at the fish gripped in her hands. It's not that she earned this, either, but it was a gift.

Or a charity.

Yehudit tries not to let the shame and embarrassment anchor her down or curdle her appetite. It's hard, though.

Her answer has Atem thinking for a moment, he never, ever had thought of that before, he never had the need and it's a confusing thought. He deserved all what he had gotten, hadn't he? He has never worked for anything, and of course he's not gonna.

"You could have died if you didn't eat something, though..." His brow barely furrows.

Is that really so bad? Yehudit thinks, and winces at the thought. She shouldn't have such terrible thoughts, especially when she knows they are hers and not just someone else's.

"I know..." Her eyes soften, hands lowering the fish to her lap. She had seen people starve before. The agony in their contorted expressions, the raving animal thoughts and instincts that take over near the end... They become savage beyond all reason.

She... doesn't want to end up that way, either.

The young prince gives his friend another minute of thoughtful staring until he finally stands, he goes put on the rest of this clothes (at last) then goes to her, picking up the crown from her (as gently as he can not to pull a single hair), putting on with obvious easiness. He will be needing it.

"Come. We'll get you more food and... some clothes. No one will tell no to me." He offers his hand at her; the resolve he speaks with makes it sound as if were true, well, it is, in his mind. That alone has to count for something.

Instinctively, Yehudit's face scrunches, eyes squeeze shut when Atem goes to lift the crown from her head. But then finds that he takes care when doing so, and she relaxes again. One eye peering open at the boy reaching a hand out to her.

A quiet smile stretches her mouth as she sets the remains of the fish down. Despite how fast she had eaten, she can't deny her hunger and physical discomfort. It had been a long time since she had slept somewhere soft and nice, and had a proper bath. Atem's commanding tone should be intimidating, but she just laughs weakly to herself. It's not a game to him anymore, is it?

"All right," she concedes, accepting his hand so that she can finally get back onto her feet. He won't find any defiance from her here. "I would like those things."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Event Log: The Hope of a Child

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject