21st of Spring, 514 A.V.
Leth's Glow/Job Thread
A wild debate was being ferociously argued in leveled voices, the clips of each syllable laced with callous venom. Kol had paid close attention to the heated discussion, letting his mind wander when the argument failed to reach blows. Beside both irritated patrons sat children - toddlers -- three of them in total, jumping harmlessly on some of the cushions scattered about. They giggled easily, a heavy contrast to their parents who bickered for foolish reasons. While Leth's Glow was more relaxed than his first night, it was still busy, with the alcohol flowing and the drums pattering softly. As usual, he stayed to the shadows, eyes scanning for the first signs of trouble.
He was vigilant. He was focused. He was alert. He was-
"Hi."
Kol lifted his arms in response to feeling the hem of his shirt being tugged, staring down blankly at a little girl who looked up at him with a toothy grin. She was perhaps four, lower halve covered with a linen covering and no shirt. Under her tiny arm was a deflated canvas sack that, judging by it's worn state, Kol would have guessed was a makeshift stuffed tiger replica. Her brown hair was a mess and some kind of food, perhaps banana was smeared across her mouth. She patted his knee, "You big."
Yes.
What did she want? She continued to watch him, her expectant wide eyes making the Myrian uncomfortable. Kol had only dealt with his sisters, and for the most part, had been left alone when it came to their younger care. He still remembered running away from Peia when she crawled after him hastily as a baby. Kol understood fear and respected it, but not much in every day life made him nervous. Very few things, in fact.
Children he was not well acquainted with were one of those things.
Perhaps it was the idea that he would break them, or their fickle nature... They were bound to burst into to tears, alarming everyone in a short radius about his own mistakes. Kol did not like that. Kol did not know children wanted and tried to avoid them. For some reason, they always flocked to him instead.
"Wha's name?" Another pat to his knee. Another smile. Kol remained tense, lips pressed tightly together. He ran his hand over his hair and took a step back to reestablish personal space.
"Kol."
The girl took a step forward, much to his dismay, "This is Chupa". The stuffed animal was held out, its head sagging to the side and one of the stitches for its eyes frayed and hanging. It was stained and dirty. Kol's thoughts kept flickering to images of the toy begging for mercy; to be put out of its misery.
'Kill me, please.'
The girl brushed some bangs from her face, breaking her eye contact and going to continue with the explanation, "He's lucky. But sad." She ran her hand over the toy's head to comfort it. "Chupa likes rice." The facts given were laced with innocence, earnest and sweet. A child was a child, Myrian or not. There was a quality of youth that could not be mistaken. When Kol did not grab the animal, the girl pouted, taking his hand in her own and pressing Chupa in the bouncer's large palm. The fabric was softer than Kol would have guessed, some of the scratchiness faded. To amuse the girl he held it up, turning it over in his hands.
When he attempted to return the doll, another child had appeared, crouched and poking at his boot. It was a boy dressed similarly to the girl, dirt smeared across his forehead like a circlet, "You have big feet." Kol lifted his leg, hoping to deter the child from scratching at his shoe. He balanced on one foot, unable to move backwards as the wall was behind him. He searched for an escape route, Leth's Glow fading in the background as he was cornered by youths. The third nearly made him trip when it ran at him from the side.
"Stop."
Kol kept his voice stern, waiting for the kids to back up and resume what they were doing, on the other side of the room. They ignored him and continued to poke, prod, and share the joy of Chupa.
Apparently Chupa liked flowers, too.
---
Myrian
Leth's Glow/Job Thread
A wild debate was being ferociously argued in leveled voices, the clips of each syllable laced with callous venom. Kol had paid close attention to the heated discussion, letting his mind wander when the argument failed to reach blows. Beside both irritated patrons sat children - toddlers -- three of them in total, jumping harmlessly on some of the cushions scattered about. They giggled easily, a heavy contrast to their parents who bickered for foolish reasons. While Leth's Glow was more relaxed than his first night, it was still busy, with the alcohol flowing and the drums pattering softly. As usual, he stayed to the shadows, eyes scanning for the first signs of trouble.
He was vigilant. He was focused. He was alert. He was-
"Hi."
Kol lifted his arms in response to feeling the hem of his shirt being tugged, staring down blankly at a little girl who looked up at him with a toothy grin. She was perhaps four, lower halve covered with a linen covering and no shirt. Under her tiny arm was a deflated canvas sack that, judging by it's worn state, Kol would have guessed was a makeshift stuffed tiger replica. Her brown hair was a mess and some kind of food, perhaps banana was smeared across her mouth. She patted his knee, "You big."
Yes.
What did she want? She continued to watch him, her expectant wide eyes making the Myrian uncomfortable. Kol had only dealt with his sisters, and for the most part, had been left alone when it came to their younger care. He still remembered running away from Peia when she crawled after him hastily as a baby. Kol understood fear and respected it, but not much in every day life made him nervous. Very few things, in fact.
Children he was not well acquainted with were one of those things.
Perhaps it was the idea that he would break them, or their fickle nature... They were bound to burst into to tears, alarming everyone in a short radius about his own mistakes. Kol did not like that. Kol did not know children wanted and tried to avoid them. For some reason, they always flocked to him instead.
"Wha's name?" Another pat to his knee. Another smile. Kol remained tense, lips pressed tightly together. He ran his hand over his hair and took a step back to reestablish personal space.
"Kol."
The girl took a step forward, much to his dismay, "This is Chupa". The stuffed animal was held out, its head sagging to the side and one of the stitches for its eyes frayed and hanging. It was stained and dirty. Kol's thoughts kept flickering to images of the toy begging for mercy; to be put out of its misery.
'Kill me, please.'
The girl brushed some bangs from her face, breaking her eye contact and going to continue with the explanation, "He's lucky. But sad." She ran her hand over the toy's head to comfort it. "Chupa likes rice." The facts given were laced with innocence, earnest and sweet. A child was a child, Myrian or not. There was a quality of youth that could not be mistaken. When Kol did not grab the animal, the girl pouted, taking his hand in her own and pressing Chupa in the bouncer's large palm. The fabric was softer than Kol would have guessed, some of the scratchiness faded. To amuse the girl he held it up, turning it over in his hands.
When he attempted to return the doll, another child had appeared, crouched and poking at his boot. It was a boy dressed similarly to the girl, dirt smeared across his forehead like a circlet, "You have big feet." Kol lifted his leg, hoping to deter the child from scratching at his shoe. He balanced on one foot, unable to move backwards as the wall was behind him. He searched for an escape route, Leth's Glow fading in the background as he was cornered by youths. The third nearly made him trip when it ran at him from the side.
"Stop."
Kol kept his voice stern, waiting for the kids to back up and resume what they were doing, on the other side of the room. They ignored him and continued to poke, prod, and share the joy of Chupa.
Apparently Chupa liked flowers, too.
---
Myrian
