maskormenacelogs | Used to be a lovely boy

WHO: Sorey & open
WHERE: De Chima
WHEN: Pull-point plot
WHAT: Sorey has regressed to a much younger age. And isn't sure what any of this is or where it is for that matter. And where did all these humans come from?!
WARNINGS: n/a aside from possible potential spoilers from cast maybe?

Initially:

[Honestly, this whole situation has him both excited and terrified at the same time. Excited, because of course after reading about all those other places and ruins in the Celestial Record, the young boy who isn't yet the Shepherd wants to see them. See all of them, the whole world! But.....this also means he is decidedly not at home. Which means he has no idea where this is or where Mikleo or Gramps is. They're probably mad. And worried, looking for him. But Sorey has no clue where to go, having never left Elysia at all before his sudden appearance here.

But well. The first thing is obviously to find.....er, one of them? Or someone to ask how to get back home. Right? It can't hurt to explore for a bit and take a look around. Only. This means Sorey heads outside. And finds other humans. Excuse him if he might be kind of. Staring in confusion and amazement because he's never actually seen another human before in his life at this point.

It's debatable as to whether he bounds over to tug at them and ask them about a million questions all at once or if he tries to hide, unsure what to make of this. Either option is entirely possible, really.]

Later Days:

[Once Sorey gets more used to things, he's much more enthusiastic, much more likely to be found wanting to explore everywhere, to meet everyone he can. Chances are he is also rarely if ever seen out of the presence of a particular seraph, or one of his other two friends from home. But he's still definitely seeming to enjoy himself and trying to make the most of being in this strange new world like this.

Find him at the library, outside near the parks, or perhaps he's attempting to make some sort of fort, pretending to explore some old ruins or something. Some sort of make-believe game. Join in, ask what he's up to, where the heck his parents are?]

[ooc: So, for reference in his younger appearance: here, here and here.]

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[areyoufuckingkiddingme

This is a joke, right? Riku can't help the look he gets on his face at the knowledge -- but after a moment he sighs.]

... Riku.

[Of course, Sorey is oblivious, simply remaining smiling, but it does falter slightly as he blinks, considering this. A new name he hasn't heard of before. He pauses, tilting his head slightly as he sounds it out, repeating the older boy.]

Ri~ku. Riku! Got it! Hey, did you want to play?

[Can't hurt to at least ask? Mikleo doesn't seem to mind, but maybe Riku and some others might not so enjoy playing with a child so much younger than them. Sorey can't be sure. But it doesn't stop him from at least asking.]

... Why?

[He can't do that anymore. He has too many things that need to come ahead of any kind of activities. And... his eyes are the wrong colour, but this kid, if he let his eyes unfocus, might as well just be Sora. Sora from before, though -- not the Sora that abandoned him in Traverse Town so he could play hero. His Sora.

Which makes him totally uncertain as to what to do.]

Well, you're alone, aren't you? That's no fun. So I figured, if you wanted to, you could come play too!

[It's really. Just that simple. At least, it is to Sorey anyway. Probably due to his younger age, but also in just how naive, trusting and sheltered he has been thus far in his life. The idea of playing with most anyone besides Mikleo is something of a revelation, a novelty for him yet.]

Ah....d-do you?

[Riku sighs, and then admits it:] I don't know.

[But... it seems like this kid is alone. He doesn't see anyone around watching him, at any rate. As much as he'd like to just leave him, he kinda feels bad. Which... is pathetic.]

... what do you want to play?

Maybe tag? Or explorers! I haven't found any actual ruins to explore here yet. But we can pretend.

[Mikleo is probably multitasking, trying to read while keeping an eye on Sorey, not immediately and constantly hovering over the kid. Which is probably both a good and a bad idea, in not smothering Sorey but at the same time being aware that Sorey has no real concept of danger, the potential risk in talking to strangers like this.

But it's obvious he's just as much of a daydreamer, just as adventurous as the younger Sora Riku knew in the past.]

[Ruins?]

There's nothing like that that I've seen here.

[If there were such a thing, it'd be like in a museum, or cordoned off for tours. This world is very big on keeping things one way, it seems.]

... Are you by yourself?

No...maybe not. But we can pretend there is! Mikleo and I explore around Elysia all the time! And there's books and all sorts about all the ruins people have found so far!

[It's pretty amazing, really. Finding stuff so old it really does seem like it's from another world, being from another time entirely when things were so different it almost might as well be another world.]

By myself? Ah, no. Mikleo's here too.

[He has some supervision. Mikleo's told him to keep close.]

[He has absolutely no idea about ruins. But at least he's used to a world whose technology is much closer to this than the world Sorey comes from -- so he's got that under control, more or less.]

... Okay. Someone from your world, then.

[Which is more than what he can say for himself. Because at the very least the person who's here... doesn't want to speak to him, and he doesn't really want to speak to him.]

Yeah! Like I said. It's still weird how he's all older now though. But it works out, cause he's staying with me!

[You know. To keep Sorey from running off, getting in trouble trying to explore on his own or something. Which Sorey wouldn't end up doing intentionally to worry anyone but. Well. He's still a child, at the moment.]

What about you? Your friends, are they here?

[Riku hesitates at the question -- it's too complicated for simply yes or no. But he knows also that Sorey probably won't really get it if he tries to explain. So he simply shrugs.]

I don't know.

[It's not a lie, not exactly -- what he doesn't know is whether he should call this weird Sora his friend.]

You're not sure? Maybe I can help you find them!

[Evidently the concept of Stranger Danger eludes him. Or he just wants to help and that's over riding that initial instinct to be wary around people he has just met. It's hard to say with Sorey, exactly. But he still puts out the offer all the same.]

Or we can use the thingies?

[He means the phones. Which he pulls out of his pocket to demonstrate what he means.]

[He's just digging the hole deeper and deeper, isn't he...?

Riku sighs quietly, then shrugs, taking a step forward.]

... let's just walk.

[He doesn't want to find him. He does, but he doesn't.]

Walk? Okay.

[So long as they don't go too far. Sorey might get lucky and be able to help find Riku's friend or friends, if anyone else is here. At the park, anyway. Because he's pretty sure Mikleo won't let him go wandering off with strangers without stepping in or coming with.

Sorey is quick to follow, almost instinctively reaching for Riku's hand to help him keep up with the teen's longer strides.]

[Sorey's tiny hand curls around his own and Riku looks down at it like it's something he's never encountered. He's not alarmed, he's just -- confused. First of all, they've barely met. Second -- no one has tried to hold his hand for a very long time. He and Sora used to, when they were smaller, and the two of them and Kairi, though she still liked to position herself between them and do that on occasion, even -- well, not now. She can't do anything now. But... before everything changed.]

Not outside the park. Just -- around.

Okay!

[Even just around the park is fine with Sorey. And probably best, that Mikleo keeps him in sight and doesn't have a heart attack with Sorey wandering off. He of course doesn't register how potentially significant this simple act is, of reaching for Riku's hand. Something he barely has to think about, since he does all the time with Mikleo, especially at this current younger age.]

Just around the park there's a lot! We didn't have parks back home.

[Well, maybe the humans did but not around Elysia. Though Elysia in and of itself is pretty open and green anyway, really.]

Used to be a lovely boy

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