[Flashback] Boys being boys... (Bob Barton)

[Leigo]

Spring 494 AV, date to be provided by Bob “Come on Max, get a move on already!” Leigo commanded his little friend. Well, it was not really a command as much as it was a really straightforward suggestion. Alright… it was an order. Leigo was an only child and well used to getting everything he wanted without losing his comfort zone too much. “Yeah, I’m coming!” the boy’s response was weak, as was he, but at least Leigo knew Max was loyal. That was truly the best human quality. Even when they were below him, if they were loyal he would stoop to their level. However, it was not like he didn’t care for the boy. It was just that he didn’t take him seriously most of the time. It was the same when Max fell while running after his older buddy. His knee was scraped a bit, but judging by the manner Max sobbed people would think he was struck with fatal wounds. “Come now, don’t be a crybaby! Get up quickly; we still need to get Bob and the Lancy twins! Oh for god’s sake, are you alright?” Even though he spoke really loud, the genuine concern Leigo felt for his weakling friend got the best of him. After all, he didn’t want the others to poke at Max again should they get there while he was still crying. So he improvised… “If you don’t stop crying right now, I’ll never play with you again!” blackmail some would call it, but boy considered it merely good management. After all one needed to know how to move people around him, and sometimes it could be done for their own good too. His parents for example were under his influence heavily, that was a given. After all they felt guilty for never being home. Other people required more effort. Still, it was achievable. Max stopped crying momentarily, but he sobbed for three more filthy streets before they reached the Lancy house. Patting the boy on the back, he went on after leaving him with instructions. “Tell the twins to meet us at Bob’s as soon as they’re able to ditch their folks. Oh and Max, I’m sorry.” Few chimes later and five more streets into the city, Leigo finally stopped in front of Bob’s front door. He would probably need to hear another one of the old man’s lectures for something his nephew had done. Since he wasn’t in the mood for such things, Leigo instead grabbed a couple of pebbles, and threw them at the window to his neighbor’s room. Hopefully he wouldn’t break anything this time…

[Bob Barton]

48th day of Spring 494 AV

The old man was always horrible to his nephew, this time it was forcing poor Bob to be indoctrinated, again so that he would also end up as a doctor in the future. He was stuck in the room and was not allowed out right until he successfully made some medicine, or faint from the horrible smell of the ingredients. Struggling to follow through the instructions shown by the unintelligible writing that all doctors had Bob was in the middle of deciding which to add into the vial. On one hand he could get rid of the smell before it becomes a permanent roommate of his and on the other his uncle might force him to work on the concoction all over again. Decisions, decisions. "Mightaswellgetitoverwith" Bob told himself taking a deep breath before tipping the greyish liquid. Did Uncle Marny want a fast acting one? Better safe than sorry, so Bob dumped in as much as the vial can fit especially since it had the added bonus of taking in all the bad smell too.

However before he was even halfway through he heard the pebbles knocking on the window. Opening the window to get the much needed fresh air, Bob was finally able to breath properly and ask "didn't you learn from the last time? Or do you want to help me with my...homework..." which was still in his hands fouling up his nose. He could not take it any longer and closed the cork to put it into his pocket. Everyone knew what the boy thought very well and that is "petch the homework. Let me get out" without his uncle finding out that is. Fortunately the means that Bob used to sneak out of the house was unknown to Marny or there would be hell to pay.

Quickly locking the door, Bob went to the window once more to look at his friends and then to the tree at the side. It was done in less than a minute with the movements that have been practiced for seasons when Bob grabbed on to the old tree's branch and waited for his body to stop swinging around when he got off the windowsill. Another minute, he was able to shimmy himself towards the trunk and support himself on it to look down. The part after always scared him because his uncle would be the first to know when he failed for good reason and he doubted that the madman would actually administer treatment when he knew that his nephew's sense of urgency would force him to perform.

Taking a few moments to prepare himself, Bob started to climb down the tree as quick as a boy who looked like he was doing the dirty with a tree could with that wild method he used until he was finally down to ask "what do have planned today?"

[Leigo]

Leigo watched Bob’s inglorious descent, stopping laughter behind his clenched teeth. Perhaps it wasn’t right to laugh at the boy, but there was only so much one could ignore. When Bob asked what they had planned for today was it was hard to answer the question properly. On one hand, there really was a preplanned game of hide and seek, maybe some tag, a scary story or two and then the dreaded bedtime. That being said, Leigo disliked the Lancy twins enough to leave them with Max and go interrupt students around the University. That always promised some fun times, even if it usually left him there alone as none of the others ever wanted to go there. Perhaps Bob would like to do it? “Er… we had plans with the Lancy brats and Max, but I thought we could go and mess around at the University a bit?” Leigo’s tone was uneven and he kept scratching himself the entire time. But as uncertain as he sounded, he really did want to go there, and he didn’t want to do it alone again. “They should come here any minute now, so I understand if you don’t want to. That old hag of yours can be really scary. I get it if you can’t go…” trying to get Bob to say yes, the other boy poked at his childish pride; hopefully it wouldn’t land them in a fistfight… Leigo always lost those.

[Bob Barton]

"Did you just climb down too?" Bob asked after he caught his breath to poke some fun. He could tell that there was something wrong with Leigo's plan because of the way the boy told him. Frankly everyone their age, especially Bob who most of the time when he was trying to lie his way out of something did it. All of that was forgotten however when Leigo made a quip about Bob's uncle. "You think I'm scared?" he asked as loud as he could to get everyone's attention. Leigo, Max and even the Lancys wherever they were. Big mistake because Bob heard an even louder shout of his name from inside the house.

"Petch..." he muttered to himself before making a break for it down the street towards where the Lancys lived hoping to group up and use them to hide especially since Leigo and Max were not too useful. Uncle Marny never stood a chance because Bob's feet were already on the move before the man could even get out of the door. However, the scariest of all were actually the twins because getting on their bad side would mean always being outnumbered, when any of them were caught alone. After getting some distance from the house and finally looking at whether his friends followed since Bob knew from experience that running while looking back was dangerous, he suggested that "why don't we do both?" That way they would get to satisfy the twins and actually do something that was fun. It would be pretty easy to give the excuse that they were tired and wanted to go home so that they can sneak away.

[Leigo]

OOCOne of the twins just became an ugly girl – go figure. In any case, move things forward as you see fit. Playing to Bob’s pride seemed like an incredibly bad idea very moment the boy’s mouth opened. Yelling and dispelling what little head start they still have over the geezer, Bob singlehandedly ruined their slip-by-unnoticed (sort of) routine. Not waiting for scary ol’ Marnie to show, Leigo let everything go and ran. His legs flexing under the weight, he felt surprised. Normally when he and Bob raced to something Leigo would win no questions asked, but Bob’s wish to stay away from his uncle seemed much more potent than his desire to evade an unpleasant conflict. But was Marnie really so scary? Not giving it enough thought, Leigo kept running until they both stopped. His idea of fun and sharing it with the Lancy idiots displeased Leigo, but who was he to say no? He could figure out why Bob was scared of the twins to an extent, he had no father after all and probably even his as well absent mother would make a better patron than Marnie. Leigo on the other hand had Igrodoth, a respected member of the community and one of those people with whose family you just don’t mess on his side – still even then he dreaded the Lancys. “Yeah, I guess we could.” Without saying much more, Leigo kept walking towards where the rest of the gang would be waiting in hope that none took offense just yet. Upon finally arriving, he couldn’t see Max, but the two pig looking creatures before him were none other than Lancy twins, Miranda and her stupid brother in the flesh. Upon seeing them one could argue that the brother looked more vicious, but it was in fact the sister that greased the cogs that moved every bad thing forward. Looking to Bob, he shot him one of those I’ll kick you if this keeps being this unpleasant looks and turned back to the morons that pestered his sight. “Where’s Max?”

[Bob Barton]

The lot of Marny and Lancy were scary enough to occupy the young boy's thoughts. So much that he was elated that he was able to get out of trouble with not one but all of them, so far. Even seeing the twins was not too bad. When they were not all evil even Miranda looked like an angel. An angel that was bright enough that the shadows it creates concealed that ugly face of hers for all the good it would do.

Before Bob could go on any further, Leigo had to ask the question. "Again?" Why were they keeping that guy around? Sometimes, Bob had the idea that Max was Uncle Marny's version of the ball and chain. The old man was the one who introduced the both of them, indirectly but then Leigo was the one who was with Max more than Bob. Unless being a doctor meant you have to be very sneaky, that was definitely not working out according to plan.

"We're going to have to look for him?" Max should know where they were meeting. Either the twins knew, or did not care because they immediately said no being the bullies they were. Their opinions never really mattered anyway but "...Leigo?" At least that way they could get a tie and leave it up to a coin toss, or try to anyway.

And as ugly as they were, the twins should be able to listen to reason. A few years down the line, Bob might have been able to come out with an argument more fitting than "the more, the better" but even as a child he knew that someone like Miranda might take it with an accompanied smile and the fact that "Max would be grateful for it?"

[Leigo]

oocSorry, forgot I even had this thread. PM if you wish to discontinue. The boy knew something was wrong very well. It didn’t take a whole bunch of wisdom for him to figure out it was one of the Lancys that made him disappear. Possibly Miranda, but then again, she was always the only suspect in such dealings. Deciding momentarily, he would not leave Max wherever it was that they had sent him. They might’ve been the monstrous twins from that house down the street, but Max was a friend almost. Even that almost had to count for something. “We’ll go look for him” unlike Bob, Leigo wasn’t afraid of getting on the twins’ bad side. Not that this would land him there immediately, but it was likely to. Still, Leigo had his father behind him. Were it the other way around, he would’ve probably made himself unknown too. Perhaps try and play to common sense as well? But that wasn’t the case, and it was Igrodoth behind the boy’s words, not Marnie. Turning to the siblings, he knew just what he needed to say. “This’ll be a long and boring thing…” pausing “…unless you tell us what you did to him right about now. Otherwise you can just go home, I aint playing with you!” well searching Zeltiva wasn’t really his goal. Max probably went straight back home – what a crybaby. Regardless, there was pleasure in making those two monsters do what he wanted them to, for a change.

[Bob Barton]

Looks like Leigo was with him on this one so he was definitely his parents' child who would do whatever it is that he wanted regardless the risk which was surprising because Bob would not like be his family's namesake until years down the line. His uncle, while family was nothing like him either and never will be. The man had a respectable practice and wanted Bob to do the same but what child would want be interested in how to properly prepare medicine? The responsibility of it turned off Bob interest of his uncle, avoiding him when he could. Not privy to his nephew's life would cause the feeling that Marny would not be behind Bob would of course make a boy more apprehensive to dangers even if the man could actually fix him up if the twins decided to try anything too rough.

But even if Leigo still had his father behind him the man was not here now. Would that knowledge actually help against the more confident twins that supported each other? Flattery from Bob did not work out too well and Leigo tried common sense which Bob tried to make even more effective against by giving a scene of a yawn that the both of them will not have anything to do with the twins. Also putting his hand in front of his mouth was like raising his hand up for the twins to see that he was with Leigo on this one although it was also more of him hiding behind Leigo, the instigator of this pretty obvious blackmail in case there might be any repercussions in the future.

Either way it would have worked out for Bob, looking for Max or ditching the twins for the day. Since Leigo has done more than enough here and Bob felt it would not be too good if he went overboard with it he put his hand on the other boy's shoulder tugging him towards the direction they came from because "we can go work back and maybe find Max on the way." Pointing to the opposite direction he told the twins that "you can look over there" like the decision has already been made because that was what Bob did even if he did not do it directly. Splitting up from the twins would make things less troublesome for him in the long run.

And in case they did not want to take Bob's offer to safe them a little face he suggested that "whoever doesn't bring Max back here in a bell loses" like it was a game. It was a game Bob intended to win over the twins anyway. If Max had any brains in him, he would be avoiding the Lancys right until Bob and Leigo found him which should happen if things go according to plan or Bob would not bother helping him out next time.

[Leigo]

The twins seemed to get the cue. At least Miranda did. Pulling away, the two overshadowing creeps left the boys alone. It probably wasn’t the best way of dealing with it and they could end up eating a fist over it, but Leigo couldn’t help himself every now and then. Turning to Bob, he’d ask in a bit of a reassured voice. At least he wasn’t eating dirt at the present. Strangely (not) any and all mentions of how intimidating the Lancys were ended back at eating. “Straight to his house or should we take our time with something else first?” the only reason Leigo even asked for the other boy’s opinion was because he wasn’t any longer sure what he wanted to do. Hopefully Bob could have some clue as to how they would proceed. Not likely – but the blond remained hopeful. The twins were gone by this point. No goodbyes, no anything. Overgrown bears! It was an incredible relief to see them go. Although he could never quite shake off feeling sorry for the brother – Miranda was quite… stubborn?

[Bob Barton]

Waiting until the two were no longer visible, Bob showed one of the dirtiest gestures that he knew at that age while calling out "diseased mules" since unfortunately one of the people he spent most of his time was with his uncle. After that then maybe some people he would call his 'friends' like Leigo here. But Leigo did not seem like a really good 'friend' since he so easily suggested that they ignore Max. Neither was Bob.

Because in his opinion, "Max would know better than to follow the twins..." unless he was caught. Bob in his belief that his whole plan cannot be wrong agreed that "we can play now and later" when they meet the twins again as they eventually have to "we can go home and rest." But what to do until then. Neither wanting to meet the twins or finding Max until then the options are quite limited for them.

Ah! Maybe Bob can benefit from all of this. "Let's go back to my place. I think my uncle will be out so we can play with all the fun things," fun only when Bob was not supposed to study them to make things less 'dangerous'. However maybe Leigo is smarter to not play with the stuff or maybe he has something else that he might want to do that Bob will not think is fun. Nah! Just in case, Bob gave a suggestion that will definitely be refused. He hopes.

"We can always go into the woods." Two children should know better than to go there alone...or not. It was too late now. "There's hunting, picking herbs, fishing..." all the manly activities that cannot be done in Zeltiva. That should be enough hints. Now to go home which was back that a way.