no.0001

[glasgowgrin]

[The child steps onto the starry plane, blond hair swishing as he looks around and blue eyes blinking as his mind adjusts to the strange, unfamiliar sight. The scars on his face stretch his lips into a faint smile, but he doesn't exactly appear to be pleased. He says nothing until he spots the Kiosk and wanders over, speaking only to the machine to receive the brochure. He stands still and reads the paper for about ten minutes before it's folded up and shoved into his pocket.]

Whatever. [That's a mumbled comment.] But I won't say no to free food, as long as it's not poisonous. Haha! [That part is louder, and accompanied by a grin.]

[The boy walks. His first destination is the Kitchen, where he digs through the fridge for something he thinks he might like and plops himself down in a corner to eat. It's good enough. He grumbles about how "Chris" still makes better food than this and frowns himself for a few seconds, but after stuffing a sandwich into the backpack he carried, he returns the dishes to the sink and sets off again. His grin is bigger.]

So this place is just a big stretch of nothing, right? [He looks excited, once having arrived at a spot on the Plane that isn't too close to any of the locations. He sets his backpack down and rummages into it with a mischievous grin on his face.] Then that means I can do whatever I want without Sickle or Chi stopping me, haha!

[Minutes later, the sound of explosions rings across the vast nothingness. It's a fairly large, strong explosion, accompanied by the ringing laughter of a child who is having way too much fun letting bombs go off in a place he just arrived in.]

Comments

[glasgowgrin]

I don't care. You know I don't read a lot anyway, so why don't you choose something you want me to read?

[inhumanity]

Ah, free choice. [Christopher hums happily and yanks a book off a shelf. It's the Lorax.] We can read this one.

[glasgowgrin]

... What kinda book is that?

[He stares at it. It's really weird looking, like no book he's ever seen before.]

[inhumanity]

It's a book about the environment.

[He is happy with it.]

[glasgowgrin]

[... Of course.

He takes it and looks around for somewhere to sit, looking down at it too.]

... Did the Poet write this?

[inhumanity]

No, it was written by an American in the future. [Christopher ushers Rail over to some of the comfy chairs and then sits down beside him.]

[glasgowgrin]

[But Rail is too busy looking at Chris. Did he just say what he thought Chris just said?]

What do you mean, the future?

[inhumanity]

Oh, you didn't get that far in the brochure, did you? [He opens up the book to show him the publication date: 1971.] Long after 1932. But we'll be around to see it.

[glasgowgrin]

--!! I-I got bored of it.

[He climbs onto the chair though, drawing his knees up to his chest while putting his backpack down on his lap. (Story time with Christopher, story time with Christopher...!)]

So... is that why you keep saying the wrong date?

[inhumanity]

[Christopher opens the book and readies to read it and—]

What do you mean by 'the wrong date'?

[glasgowgrin]

[By the time Christopher asks, Rail has already pushed the backpack aside and throw himself sideways to press against Chris' arm, his hand clutching the sleeves and head tucked comfortably in the crook of Chris' elbow. Posture's not important to him.]

The wrong date. It's 1934, for me. Do they do weird stuff like that? Like time doesn't flow and you've been here for two years??

... oh but you were still around in '33...

... I don't know.

[inhumanity]

[Rail doesn't get a lecture on posture, not from Christopher. It's nice to have Rail close like this. He hums at Rail's suggestion.] It could be something they could be why. Though maybe it isn't, and my future self has just gone to explore the Dreamtime in Australia.

[glasgowgrin]

Why Australia? What's there in Australia anyway?

[He frees one hand from Christopher's sleeve and pushes Christopher to the first page. Read.]

[inhumanity]

Kangaroos and koalas live in australia, and spiders as large as your head. Nature produced all variety of strange and disturbing creature to inhabit Australia as punishment for humans for trying to invade her island paradise. I'd like to visit it some day and wrestle with a crocodile.

[He's not reading he's talking about Australia, sorry]

[glasgowgrin]

Mmm, I'm only interested in that if you take me with you.

[He shakes the book a little.]

[inhumanity]

[Christopher grins.]

Is there something you want, Rail?

[Use your words, Rail.]

[glasgowgrin]

[What. He was waiting for you to finish grouch grouch grouch.]

I want to hear the story. Let's read, Chris.

[inhumanity]

[Rail gets a hair ruffle for his troubles, and then Christopher begins to read out loud. Hand gestures are plentiful and ridiculous, and he does different voices for every character.]

[glasgowgrin]

[... Appeased, he rests himself back against Christopher's arm again and listens to him read. Christopher reads much more nicely than he can stutter through a single page of this book and he likes it better. Besides, reading is a chore. Besides besides, Christopher owed him this. He was gone for a year and he should spoil him a little for it.]

[inhumanity]

[When he is done, he closes the book.] Well? What did you think? Wasn't it an exciting story of the battle between mankind and nature?