(no subject)

[exanimatus]

[there's some stray noise over the journal. pillows getting moved around, the kind of dictation of someone not particularly paying attention to their journal...]

The question is, do you call this spite or predictability?

[there's some quiet, toddler-ish humming before said toddler shrieks into girlish giggling. because Zelman knows that tickling is extremely effective.]

I'm a little disappointed.

Comments

[bedninja]

[Pharos chuckles. He isn't really paying attention to the journal, either, although he's noticed that it's open. But watching these two seems much more entertaining than worrying about that thing.]

It seems somewhat more like predictability to me than spite. Unless you have a reason as to why spite might be more fitting?

[He's looking over the little girl. Young, black hair, red eyes... She's actually rather pretty.]

Why are you disappointed? Had you hoped the child from last time would return?

[exanimatus]

People kept talking about it. A little while ago, and then earlier...

[he's just sitting cross-legged on the bed, letting the kid roll away from his tickling clutches and try to get back up. which is hard, because the bed is super-squishy. he looks very nonchalant about this whole thing, because he's ignoring all the implications right now.]

He was quiet. Easy to keep out of trouble. [so, yes.]

[bedninja]

[Pharos, meanwhile, has yet to actually look away from the kid, though conversationally speaking he's not ignoring Zelman in the least. He's just kind of fascinated by the kid, and - perhaps - a little flattered by the combination. Just a little.]

He was a rather quiet child... I enjoyed his company quite a bit. [A pause.] He had red eyes as well, did he not?

[It takes a moment for him to realize the girl is having trouble, but when he does Pharos reaches over and takes her hands, pulling her upright and then helping her to stand. He hasn't seen a kid this small up close in a fairly long time.]

[exanimatus]

[oh, he's not taking his eyes off the kid either. he's just being very casual about it, and assumes that Pharos knows he has his attention.]

He did.

[he pauses on that for a moment, thinking of something and then debating whether or not it would be worth it to voice that thought... and ultimately decides against it. he settles on something else.]

There's a good chance she possesses some level of Eye Ignite.

[bedninja]

"Eye Ignite", is it? [He's not sure he's heard the title before, although it certainly sounds like it's the sort of skill that Zelman uses whenever he sets something on fire. He could be entirely wrong about that, though.]

Perhaps you should show her how to use it. [Oh... but wait. His gaze drifts down to her hands - she's settled on falling back onto the bed whenever Pharos pulls her up, and they mostly just keep repeating that - and he frowns. They were rather tiny...]

Or do you think she would be too small?

[exanimatus]

[...he smirks a little (the kid has the right idea, at least) and points to his eyes as a sort of unconscious gesture of explanation. it's a very self-explanatory power, to him.]

I suppose if she starts accidentally setting the place on fire, then I'll have no choice. Given that such a situation has not occurred yet, however... It'll be fine.

[he shrugs a little.] I'll deal with things as they come.

[bedninja]

[He looks over at Zelman this time, and decides that the next time Zelman was setting something on fire himself, he'd have to pay closer attention to his eyes. Usually it was the fire that caught his attention, or just Zelman himself - not his eyes.]

It is not a great issue if you do not mind some of your things being burnt, I suppose.

[Eventually though, he stops lifting the child and lets her tip back again, though she's intent on holding on to his hands.]

...Do you have a name?

[She just stares. O_O So after a moment of waiting, he looks at Zelman.] ...She is at an age where she should be able to talk, is she not?

[exanimatus]

[he only nods to the first part. the second, well...]

Hm. [he has to think about it for a moment. human children are all so varied.] I think so. Not very complexly, but still.

[bedninja]

I do not believe she has actually said anything since she woke up. [He kind of has to think about it too, though, because ages are strange and weird and who even knows what the difference between four-year-olds and ten-year-olds is.]

If she does not tell us her name, what are we meant to call her?

[moonlightmagician]

How do you mean disappointed?

[exanimatus]

Hm? [oh, the journal is open!] I mean that I would have expected someone else instead of... this particular child.

[moonlightmagician]

Do you know yours? I got landed with two that keep calling me 'daddy.' I tried to set them straight but I'm sure you can guess how well arguing with a two year old works.

[exanimatus]

You must be new.

It's yours, for all intents and purposes. I haven't met this one before today, but there was another child that'd shown up once a year for a while.

[moonlightmagician]

Yeah, only been here about a month.

You mean they? It isn't that I don't like kids-kids are cute and respond well to even the simplest of tricks. But I'm kind of young to be a dad-stuff like this gets you shunned back where I'm from.

Ah, what happened to the other one then?

[exanimatus]

Our host here in Paradisa must have a very different opinion of you, then.

[there's a little more toddler-y noise as Zelman pokes her in the stomach. nicely.]

I have no idea where the other kid went. I suppose it went where all kids go when they aren't here, if that's anywhere at all.

[moonlightmagician]

Well.. sounds like you at least know what you're doing. [ Dryly. He's jealous because he is not so lucky. ]

[exanimatus]

You pick up on these things when it happens to you enough.

Dictaaaaated

[i_got_this]

Are you fucking kidding me? [South, language.] This is spite. This is all stupid fucking spite.

dictated to infinity! and beyond!

[exanimatus]

Agent, please. Language. [you can hear the smirk in his voice. he doesn't mean it with any sincerity.] There are children around.

o/

[i_got_this]

Oh. Right. I hadn't noticed. [So so so deadpan.]

[exanimatus]

But yes, spite. [you may continue.]

[i_got_this]

Why else would it do this?We can't just be happy on our own, it has to saddle us with needy little creatures who kill our eardrums for no good reason.

[exanimatus]

The most succinct definition of children I've ever heard.

For the record, though, it's done this for several years running. This year the date is a little off.

[i_got_this]

Wait, it does this every year? [Oh fuck.]

[exanimatus]

Mmhm.

[...in the background, you can hear a little girl trying to copy him. mmmhmmm.]