Uhhhh super tentative voice test go! Oh god.

[littlehero]

[Smash Academy is no place for a six year old boy. Then again, it's a hell of a lot less damaging than the world he came from. So here he is, looking incredibly lost and confused. He kind of looks familiar, doesn't he? Not that he's been here before, but maybe he resembles someone who is presently here. Or maybe he doesn't. It is a mystery.]

Comments

[majorcrotchgrab]

[Raikov ain't no pedo but a cute little boy is a cute little boy. And he sort of reminds him of himself.

The Russian approaches and looks down at him]

May I help you?

[littlehero]

[Seere's already filled his quota of pedo BFFs anyway.]

...Where is this place?

[majorcrotchgrab]

Final Destination City. You're new here.

[Have a gay russian leaning over to inspect you, Seere.]

[littlehero]

[And Seere inspects right back... more curious than judging.]

I've never heard of Final Destination City. [But it sounds ominous.] I'm not even sure how I got here.

[Unless... this is the final destination, and he's dead. That would make sense.]

[majorcrotchgrab]

[... HM. Tough kid. Raikov straightens his posture]

It's sort of a messed up place. You probably wound up here for a reason. Most people seem to.

[littlehero]

[Pfft. He hangs with a murderous psycho, a pedophile, and a child-eater. NOTHING CAN FAZE HIM.]

Then that beast... [He tugs at one of his sleeves, clearly troubled.] What's your reason for being here?

[majorcrotchgrab]

Hn...?

[He tilts his head slightly]

I wanted to be a teacher.

[littlehero]

[WOW that is not the kind of answer Seere was expecting, and it clashes so much with his view of what this place is that he can only wonder wtf.]

You... you died to become a teacher...?

[majorcrotchgrab]

What? No. I'm not dead. I never died.

But... there are some people who've returned from the dead that are here.

[loverofinnocence]

[...

This boy is a sight for sore eyes. Kind of. Sort of. No. He's a pretty big sight for sore eyes. Even Caim has to stop for a few moments and gawk.

So he approaches and with that caution, he sets a hand upon Seere's shoulder.]

...!

[littlehero]

Ah--!

[Hopefully this arm is attached to a living person. He has seen too much death lately. Seere turns to see just who's there behind him, and...!]

Caim! What are you doing here?

[Behold, one of the only people IN THE WORLD who could consider Caim a friendly face.]

[loverofinnocence]

[Look, their faces are the same. They're both clueless and oblivious.

Caim's so happy, actually, he almost sweeps Seere up. But somehow he refrains. Instead, he has relief. Finally. Someone who can hear him without actually having to... mouth his words or write.

Thank the... Well. At least they're pact partners.]

A fortunate end to what could have been an unfortunate one. How is it that you have come here?

[Seriously. Caim thought you were sort of dead.]

[littlehero]

I don't know... The last thing I can remember was you taking me to stop that creature from devouring time, then...

[WAIT A MINUTE. If Seere really is dead, but Caim's here too, that means... He failed everyone and is the worst hero ever noooooooooooo everyone's dead because of him noooo.]

[loverofinnocence]

That creature...?

[Kid, yo cray-cray.

Caim's got no idea what he's saying. Consequently, he's just... going to stare. For a time.]

What? What are you speaking of?

[littlehero]

[What. How could you not know, Caim, you were totally there, Seere saw you and everything. It's not like you're from some ALTERNATE CHAIN OF EVENTS or anything because that would be silly.]

You really don't remember? They filled the skies. I... [He furrows his brow and looks away, not really wanting to recount everything that happened. Not really wanting to believe it.]

It was a nightmare, then. [So why am I here?]

[loverofinnocence]

[It's totally not like the entire cast of Drakengard is taken from different endings. No friggin' way.]

I know the creatures you mean.

[The giant babies. The ones who killed Arioch and Leonard. At least, Caim assumes they did. He's actually always thought they got Seere, too...

His expression can't spell his relief enough. It's all of that frowning he does.]

How is it that you escaped them? I thought you had... [No. Don't say things like that to children, Caim.] It is good to see you.

[littlehero]

[Noooo then it did happen nooooo. Way to psych him out, Caim.]

I don't know. All of the sudden, I woke up in this place. [But he brightens up a little bit.] I'm happy to see you too! Who else is here?

[speaknotthewatchers]

[ Manah stops in her tracks and nearly drops the paperwork she's been carrying. Last she saw her brother, they fought horribly. He was the leader of the Nights of the Seal and she was bent on stopping them.

What's with this place? Is it bent on bringing back people from the past to torment her mind? First Caim and the red dragon, now Seere? If she truly is dead (which is her current conclusion of how she got here, though unbeknownst to her completely false), is this a hell the gods created to continue to torment her? Probably.

She bit her lower lip. What could she possibly say to him that wouldn't cause her to start yelling or break down?

[littlehero]

[This Seere is about 18 years too young to know anything about what Manah has been through. Especially since the last time he saw her, she'd been crushed by his own pact-beast. Still, when he sees her, his heart skips a beat.]

...Mother?

[That's not quite right, is it...? But she looks so familiar. Who else could it possibly be? The other man said this school brings people back from the dead.]

[speaknotthewatchers]

[ Manah's heart skips a beat at word ]

Mother? No, Mother never loved me.

[ She always preferred Seere. He was the good one. Manah was a bad girl. ]

I promise I'll be good, Mother. I promise. I've been a good girl.

[littlehero]

[Uh-oh. He's heard something similar to that before. All too recently to have forgotten.]

Manah...?

[He speaks hesitantly, but after saying the name aloud he's almost positive it's true. How long has she been here to have grown so much? That long and she's still...]

Manah, stop talking like that! Please, I- I'm sorry!

[Here is a boy who does not know how to deal with anyone disliking him, especially his own sister.]

[speaknotthewatchers]

[ And in return, here's Manah who has so many issues that she's not dealt with. They swell up and pour out but most of the time, she simply tries to ignore and forget them. She's forgotten then once before and now they just seem to keep coming back. Why won't they just leave her alone?

The past simply doesn't want her to let go. Never let go. Lose touch with reality. Never forget. ]

Mummy always preferred you. Seere's a good boy, and Manah's a bad girl.

I've been good but Mummy isn't listening. I'm still a bad girl. Always a bad girl.

[littlehero]

Manah! You know Mother isn't... here anymore.

[Or is she? This place... Either way, Seere can't bear to see Manah like this. But what can he even do? Run away? He'd have nowhere to go. Even if Golem were here, would he be able to give the command again? Everything that's happened in the past few days is finally catching up to him. He wants to just burst into tears, but boys don't cry. Heroes don't cry.]

Please, stop. I never wanted to hurt you!

[He just didn't want to be hurt, himself.]

[speaknotthewatchers]

[ Well that snaps her back to reality. She realizes that at some point she dropped the papers, but she's not entirely sure when. ]

Seere....

[littlehero]

[Well, she's stopped rambling like a madwoman. That's a good sign... right? Seere hesitantly holds a hand out, but stops just short of actually touching her.]

I... really missed you, Manah.