❥ 001

[pickedapocket.livejournal.com]

[There's a slightly green boy squatting just at the edge of the lake, giving it a very suspicious look. He warily dips a hand in the water before scooping up a bit to examine. Not seeing anything immediately wrong, he takes a few more handfuls and splashes himself with them, not paying much attention to the fact that he's still fully dressed.] Where am I? This is too big to be the pond...

((OoC: Not going to type out the lisp, but he does have one, just to mention.))

Comments

[painlessfighter]

[Natsuo stares for another few seconds... then shakes his head. He squats down by the water's edge, one arm wrapped around his knees and his other finger poking at the water.]

It's where a bunch of people live. Except here, I think. We were just brought here.

[pickedapocket.livejournal.com]

[He frowns a little, not understanding.]

[painlessfighter]

[After a little bit of time spent sitting with the silence, Natsuo finally looks up at Jimmy and blinks.]

What?

[pickedapocket.livejournal.com]

So it's not a normal town?

[painlessfighter]

Normal towns don't take people away from home and keep them there.

Where are you from? How come you don't know what a town is?

[pickedapocket.livejournal.com]

The pond. A lot of people live at the palace, but this doesn't look like the palace.

[painlessfighter]

Palace? There isn't a palace here. Just the mayor's house. People keep going there to look for a way home, but I didn't find anything.

[He stands, walks into the lake until the water is almost to his knees.]

What's your name?

[pickedapocket.livejournal.com]

Jimmy. [He watches Natsuo, curious. He still doesn't understand about half the things he's being told, but at least a little is making sense.] What's yours?

[painlessfighter]

Natsuo. [Small smile] Did you just get here? To Luministi?

[pickedapocket.livejournal.com]

Luministi. That's the town? Or the lake?

[painlessfighter]

The town. You really must be new...

[pickedapocket.livejournal.com]

[Jimmy doesn't feel very new — he's already to his first summer, after all — but this Natsuo might know better.]

Is that bad?

[painlessfighter]

[He shrugs.]

It's just boring. And no one can get home, like I said. We're stuck here.

[pickedapocket.livejournal.com]

How do you know we're stuck?

[painlessfighter]

Because we've been trying to go home. I said that. But we can't. I think we need to find whoever is really keeping us here and hurt them. I bet that would work.

[pickedapocket.livejournal.com]

You don't know who they are?

[painlessfighter]

No. They won't show themselves. Cowards, I bet.

[pickedapocket.livejournal.com]

Or smart.

[painlessfighter]

Or stupid. [Mumble, mutter...]

[pickedapocket.livejournal.com]

Why is it stupid?

[painlessfighter]

Hiding is stupid. If you're going to do something to other people, you should show yourself.

[pickedapocket.livejournal.com]

If they're going to hurt you, you should make sure they can't catch you.

[painlessfighter]

They started it! [Huff!]

[pickedapocket.livejournal.com]

That doesn't mean they're stupid. [This is starting to feel similar to an arguing with Sally.]

[painlessfighter]

[There's an instant shift in his attitude from aggravated anger to... calm, eerily serious anger instead.]

They still started it. And I'll make them hurt if I find them. They can't keep me here, I want to go home. I want to find Youji.

[It's said more like a promise than a threat, but it's still just as intense. And hey, have a tiny little smile to just make it even better.]