don't know who I am right now [open]

[vibing]

Who: Yuri Lowell, but as a child, & you!
What: Yuri attempting to train with a sword and stealing some jerky
When: January 12-19
Where: Crenshaw, Willful Machine, the beach

Content Warnings: N/A

A. Training
[ When Yuri first woke up here, he woke up in a room with a lot of weapons in it. At least three swords, two shields, and more knives than he could count. He immediately took one of those swords. He doesn't have one yet at home, but it's a dream, a dream to have a sword and become a knight and change the Empire for the better.

With stolen sword in hand, a ten-year-old Yuri is out in some barren area of Trench, whatever greenery was there killed by the cold and snow. The sword is too big and too heavy for him, more than half his height in length, and his arms are shaking from the exertion, but he needs to learn. He needs to fight. He was told that this place is dangerous, and he needs to be able to fight, to defend himself, and defend those who can't defend themselves. That's what he's going to do. That's part of the oath he swore with Flynn: to make the world a better place for everyone.

He slashes down with a grunt, but with too much force, and the tip of the sword lodges itself in the ground ]

Stupid-- sword--!

[ He grumbles and tries his best to get it out, but the ground is frozen and hard around it ]

B. Haggling
No, that's too expensive.

[ Maybe it isn't that strange of a sight in Trench to see a child haggling for food. Here is a ten-year-old, bundled up in a coat that is too big for him, sleeves bunched up on his arms, the shoulders hanging off his thin frame. He's trying to buy some jerky, something that seems practical and filling and he's ten and doesn't know how to cook yet.

The Trenchie doesn't look very enthused by this kid who only has a few stones to his name, and rejects his offer. Yuri's little hands ball into fists ]

Fine.

[ He turns on his heel and stalks away, making a show of it, only to twist on his toes a few yards later, and lurches back toward the stand to grab some of the jerky, making off with it before the Trenchie can grab him. Who knows if this is even illegal in Trench?

Yuri dodges through the crowd, clutching the jerky close. Do you stop him? ]

C. Wildcard
[ Want to run into tiny Yuri somewhere else? He can be found around Crenshaw, Willful Machine, and by the beach. Hit me! ]

Comments

[firstroar]

[his eyes crinkle with some amusement as he sips.]

...I got old. And my kind of people...we are very frail naturally. It is just the way my life has gone.

[vibing]

You don't look that old.

[ He looks old, but not like... Hanks old. ]

The lion is cool. I didn't know there were monsters who don't want to eat people.

[firstroar]

[the bluntness is endearing, and Blue does not balk from it.]

I'm sure there are other things to eat besides people and cake.

[vibing]

Obviously there is.

[ Rude, Blue. Teasing him! ]

But cake is good. And eating people isn't.

[ He punctuates his point by finishing off his cake. It's really good, and so sweet, and the sugar is running through him, his usually pretty sedate countenance squirming in his seat ]

[firstroar]

[Blue chuckles, delighting in his bluntness and the honesty he exudes even without meaning to.]

How much have you seen so far? Of this place.

[vibing]

...some of it.

[ He's been exploring a little bit each day, but always coming back to that attic Smokey found for him.

But he perks up, Getting It ]

Can we go?

[ The "we" isn't really thought about, but he does kind of want to see more with someone who knows the city ]

[firstroar]

[his eyebrows lift a little. "we," hm?]

Where is it...you wish to go?

[vibing]

...I don't know. Where's your favorite place?

[ Because that seems like a good place to start ]

[firstroar]

You were already there. [the house, of course! the safest place, especially when everyone is together.] But...you want to see other things, don't you.

[hm.

Blue sets the teacup down and considers the options.]

...Have you seen the shore? You didn't...arrive here the way others normally do.

[vibing]

[ Yuri's going to ask where that place was, but he's distracted ]

The shore... [ He frowns, then gasps, looking up at Blue again ] There's water? A lake?

[ Even that's exciting, wait until he finds out that there's a whole ocean ]

[firstroar]

[with a smile:] An ocean, actually. A long stretch of sand...craggy cliffs...a seemingly endless sea.

[vibing]

An ocean?

[ Yuri gasps, and he's out of his seat immediately, raring to go. But, there's a lion there, and he almost steps on it, and yelps, stumbling back away from it. He knows Blue said it wouldn't hurt him, but still. ]

[firstroar]

[Blue breathes out a gentle laugh. under the table, the lion groans, shifting and climbing out to his feet with a yawn, unfazed by Yuri's continued apprehension.]

There's a lantern that can take us to the boardwalk quite quickly. Would you like to go?

[he already knows the answer, but come on.]

[vibing]

[ Well, the ocean is worth being scared of the lion. Yuri still shies away from him as he steps over to Blue, looking up at him with an eager expression ]

Yes! I mean. Yeah, I want to.

[ He tamps down that eagerness a little, trying to school his face back into some semblance of coolness, but as a 10-year-old, he's not nearly as practiced as 22-year-old Yuri is ]

[firstroar]

[with a smile playing on his lips, Blue leaves behind the remainder of his sea glass before getting out of his chair. he gives the proprietor a polite nod of acknowledgement before starting for the door, letting Yuri bustle out ahead of himself and the lion.

once outside, he looks about and starts toward the nearest lantern, the boy on one side, the lion at-hand on his other.]

Have you used them before? The lanterns. Or...seen others use them.

[vibing]

[ Yuri looks up at the lantern with a frown. He's seen it, and tried it once, but he didn't understand it. ]

Yes. Those little people, they seem so unhappy.

[ The little lantern people. He's a bit worried that they're slaves or something. ]

[firstroar]

Their appearances are quite...unfortunate, yes. [he frowns down at them as they approach.]

Yet...I sense delight when we or other Sleepers draw near. [as if to emphasize this, the little groaners wiggle a bit more energetically now that there's a new job to do. some even have little hats, courtesy of more adventurous Sleepers.]

[vibing]

[ Yuri pays more attention to them, now, and crouches down by the little guys, who make groaning sounds and reach up toward him. It's kind of creepy, but also kind of cute. ]

So they like this? Doing... whatever they do?

[firstroar]

It seems to be the case. [he lifts his hand away from the lion to set it on the lamp pole.] Their feelings don't come across the same way humans' do...

[he extends his other hand to Yuri.]

But I know this doesn't harm them. They'll help us get to the sea.

[vibing]

How do you know that?

[ Yuri doesn't automatically take his hand, looking up at it for a moment. He wants to go to the sea. He really does. He wants to see it, and he asked Blue to show him it.

After a long hesitation, he stands and takes the offered hand, even if he wishes he didn't have to. But the last time he used the lamp, he has no idea how he ended up where he did. ]

[firstroar]

[Blue smiles gently, hoping go pass along a sense of ease to the boy while thinking on their destination. the fog materializes, thickens...and then disperses without much sense of time lost at all. right away, they're battered with a fresh, chilly sea breeze, prompting the Mu to shiver, but he can stand stable while his hand is on the lamppost.

he lifts his head and looks toward the horizon beyond the boardwalk, the seemingly endless ocean stretching outward, its hazy edges kissing the afternoon sky.]

...Because they've just done it. So easily. See?

[vibing]

...I guess.

[ It still seems strange to Yuri, his innate sense of justice railing against these existence of these little creatures who have no say in their lot in the world.

But that's at odds with his trust of Blue, and his deep desire to see the ocean. He steps away from the lamp, and is immediately lost for words.

It's so large, so vast, stretching out as far as he can see. He's never seen anything like it, his world defined by the walls of Zaphias, the barrier that surrounds the city.

He takes a step, then another, then he's running down toward the water. He just wants to touch it. It's icy near the shore, and the sand crunches with cold under his boots, but he doesn't care.

He makes it to the shore, and out onto the ice, all the way until he's close to the actual water. He isn't thinking about how dangerous it is, not really. He's only thinking about the fact that he wants to touch it. He wants to touch the ocean. ]

[firstroar]

[Blue doesn't pipe up to protest, simply watching the boy make a break for the sea. that swell of wonder and determination to embrace this sight...it's refreshing, fills the Mu with a fresh, humbling feeling all his own. it reminds him all over again to not take these sights and moments for granted.

now, while Blue lingers on the boardwalk, the lion is the one who slowly ambles on down to the beach, standing as sentry within leaping distance of the boy, just in case he were to get too adventurous and rogue undertow (or tentacle) were to rope him into danger. he shakes his head and snorts into the breeze, ears flicking while watching Yuri explore.]

[vibing]

[ Yuri takes his time. He crouches down by the edge of the ice, touching it, touching the water. He might fall, but he isn't really afraid. He is never really afraid when he's in control of a situation. It's other people who scare him. It's the power they might have over him, but right here, it's just him, him and this lion, who still puts him on edge, but he as a grudging respect for him, now.

He's distracted, looking out at the water, contemplating how vast it is, wishing, vaguely, that Flynn was here to share this with, when smoke starts pooling over his chest, and a small bird bursts out of it. He takes off with a loud caw, soaring up into the sky before swooping back down toward Yuri.

Blue said not to be afraid. That the bird is part of him, which makes sense, since it just came from him. He holds up his arm, and the bird lands there, talons gentle on his sleeve. He grins at the bird, then at the lion, before looking all the way back up the beach to spot Blue standing there.

Maybe this place isn't so bad, after all. ]