Accord // AU

[birdsbirdsbirds]

Back from a trip to the abyss, and things have already settled back into normality. It's so strange how whole years will just slip away like old blankets and discarded gloves as soon as the surroundings are different.

It's actually kind of... jarring. The most interesting thing today? The sound of crying coming from the kitchen. He'd only meant to go in to get a sandwich or something but, well, if someone's having a dramatic breakdown, who is he to ignore it? Or something.

Whatever. He'll just go take a look. Maybe it'll be interesting.

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[catamight]

Scuffing his feet on the floor, making it as clear as absolutely possible that he's nervous here, he sidles his way closer.

"I'm lost," he finally admits to both of them, though properly looking at the adult. "I just woke up here."

And Rin's words haunt him. He wrings his little hands.

"My mom is going to be so mad."

[prevenge]

"Yeah," she nods. "I just got here. I don't know what happened. My Grandpa lost me, he's gonna be upset. I have to go home!"

Someone just lie to her before she realizes that's impossible and gets really upset.

[birdsbirdsbirds]

"No, no, it's all right. Let me tell you a secret, okay?"

He leans forward, propping himself up over his leg. He grins a little, the epitome of calm and casual.

"Do you guys know what a 'vacation' is?"

[catamight]

Calm and casual completely equates to intriguing and conspiratorial in the elfling's head. The guy leans forward, and Nel's eyes widen accordingly.

He's so listening.

And he shakes his head.

[prevenge]

Rin leans forward reflexively too, getting into it. She's hanging on Robin's every word.

Her family has never taken a vacation. Leaving the city is actually a punishment for courtiers and the like, and although she's not that well-born Rin has it engrained in her: the family needs to stay where the action is, and that's in the city. So she in turn shakes her head. Tell them, Robin. Tell them what a vacation is.

[birdsbirdsbirds]

"Ah..." Perfect. They can start there. "A vacation is a trip to a new place. It's meant to be relaxing and fun, like a long break before going back to work."

So, he'll try to spin it this way-- "The secret? You were both brought here by magic, but your parents couldn't tell you about it, because otherwise the magic wouldn't have worked. They want you to have a nice vacation for a little bit."

[catamight]

"...Really?"

It's that childlike kind of skepticism, where the doubt is just a buffer protecting against the looming desperate belief. He wants it to be true.

"But where are they?"

And this question leads to him turning and looking back toward the door, glancing around like he's waiting for them to come out of hiding. Because he knows that you don't go anywhere without your parents.

[prevenge]

"Wow..."

Rin is not that much of a critical thinker yet. She'll fall forward right into believing this hook, line, and sinker. Her eyes get even more enormous.

"Wooow... cool." But there's a very important question that has to follow all this up: "What do you do on a vacation?"

[birdsbirdsbirds]

"They stayed home, but it's okay. Nothing's gonna hurt you here, as long as I'm looking out for you."

And that is a promise he thinks that he can keep. He focuses in on Rin, since she's the one feeding positive energy into the situation.

"You do anything you want. Do you guys want something to eat?"

[catamight]

He's asking the girl questions, but there are clearly more important issues that still need to be addressed.

He chirps up over the other two, shuffling his weight forward onto his other foot.

"But what about my sister?"

[prevenge]

"Who's taking care of us?" She has questions too, but she's going to inadvertently offer easy answers for them at the same time. "Are you? Did they ask you to?"

It just makes sense; Robin is right here, after all.

[birdsbirdsbirds]

"You're sister's in another tower, and I'm taking care of you until you go back. That's just the way stuff works."

He shrugs and starts to stand. He's going on with his meal plans, even if they aren't.

[catamight]

This answer is good, but not quite enough. When Robin stands, he has an elfling shuffling closer, peering up at his with much expectancy.

"She is? Can we go see her?"

[prevenge]

Rin has already mostly accepted this, so she patters after Robin like the tame kitten she is. The traces of tear trails are even mostly gone now. "Did you talk to my dad? Do you know my mom? How old are you?"

[birdsbirdsbirds]

"We can't, no. They're busy."

He'll run this out as long as he has to. He remembers Nel. He can probably just order him around, and it's good that he's even up to talking. Robin opens the fridge.

"I haven't talked to them, no. I'm three-thousand years old."

[catamight]

"Three thousand? For real? Are you... uh..."

He remembers about things he's not really supposed to talk about though, and trails off. That's one question averted before it's finished.

It doesn't hold off the other ones though.

"Do you know my dad? Do you work with him? And what is my sister doing? Why is she over there instead?"

[prevenge]

"Wow. Three thousand is big." She has no conception really of how big it is, but who cares? "How come? Are you a yokai? Are you a kami? What's that?"

She's pointing to the fridge. That was eight whole questions all together. Impressive.

[birdsbirdsbirds]

He points at Nel first, "I can't tell you. It's a secret."

He points at Rin second, "I don't know what either of those things are. And this is a refrigerator. Do you guys want some cake or something?"

[catamight]

A secret, huh? His hands flutter to his mouth at that. Oh man, he'll be thinking about it for a while. Trying to figure it out, wonder all about it.

And then... "We can have cake?"

For real?

[prevenge]

Wow. The offer of candy blows every other thought out of her head. Rin is an easy child.

"Yeah! I want cake, please!"

[birdsbirdsbirds]

"Yes, you can have cake."

That'll get them quiet, at least until the sugar kicks in. He can find some pretty easily in the fridge, already cut up into slices by whatever controls the food that keeps showing up here.

Two plates later, there's a thin piece for each of them up on one of the counters. He drags stools over, patting the seat of the nearest one.

"Come sit up here."

[catamight]

Nel immediately clambers up onto that first seat, wiggling into place and looking as polite and obedient as a child that small can manage. He tries to keep his hands folded together, though there's a slight fidget to his whole body while trying to sit still.

"Thank you," he blurts out.

[prevenge]

She clambers up like a monkey. Rin is not that good at sitting still; she bounces around in her seat a little. Cake, cake, cake. "Yeah, thank you!" She almost sings it. Good god, but she loves candy.

[catamight]

It's like he can hear the mantra in her head.

"Cake!" They're on a magical vacation! "Cake!"

[prevenge]

She's never had cake like this in her life. She's never been in a place like this in her life. But there's something primal about this. Something integral. Maybe it's something that would speak to all sentient creatures.

She's joining the chant. "Cake! Cake! Cake!"