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 Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 5:43 am
Free tour! the brochure had said.
Educational! the brochure had said.
Fun for the whole family! the brochure had said.
It hadn't mentioned the veritable smorgasbord of sweets that the children would be offered before even starting, or the guide with the smile glued to his face, or the purple top hats all the kids were given (free of charge, of course) or the cheery little jingles that played over the loudspeaker.
Ranza was loving it.
Eshaa was in hell.
The parrot girl was happily pressing her nose to the glass, watching a worker assemble an enormous chocolate dragon. It had sugar glitter scales and a gold truffle eye.
"The chocolatezilla," Eshaa read off the plaque, "Is our signature item. It contains roughly ten pounds of chocolate an other confectionaries and is a staple at birthday parties across Gaia."
She had never seen, or eaten, a chocolatezilla, but the idea of it made her slightly ill.
"Can we get one?" asked Ranza.
"I don't think so." she replied.
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Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 7:22 am
((I haven't yet done an entry discussing David and Aaron's first few days, but I'll play this RP as though they've settled in a steady state.))
David was having a little bit of trouble that a third hand would have greatly assisted with. In his right, he held a clipboard with a stack of half-filled-out forms attached. in his left, he held a pen and a huge mug of thick cocoa that had been forced upon him upon entry to this strange place. He would have preferred coffee, but years of company training had made him understand the benefits of humoring the higher ups...and if he wanted any chance to score the high paying inventory management job being offered at the huge chocolate factory, refusing their product would probably be a bad call.
Two hands were coping with the paperwork decently fine (though a few sheets bore spill marks), but the small boy playing at David's feet could definitely have used a taming hand. Feeling a brush on the back of his leg, David peered down around his shoulder just in time to see Aaron pull a sticky lemon gumdrop out of his mouth and thumb it onto the back of his black slacks.
"What the-" David balanced precariously on one foot and raised his affected leg up. The entire back of his left leg was covered in a yellow, red and purple pattern of stuck on gumdrops. As he watched, a red one fell off, and Aaron grabbed it, lifting it up to his mouth.
"Aaron! Don't put things that have touched the floor in your mouth!" David reached down and snatched the gumdrop from where it was impaled on one of Aaron's claw-like fingernails. When did kids finally realize that the floor was filthy? He sincerely hoped it was soon as he picked Aaron up with a little effort, taking the opportunity to toss his cocoa in the trash-can. After the upcoming tour into the factory itself, David had the feeling that it would be even harder to lift Aaron up. neutral
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Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 4:28 am
"At least do something with her..." Lizzie's words still echoed in Frank's mind as he shoved some sugar-coated peanuts into his mouth. After all he wasn't fine with the decision that he had to take care of this freaking mutant girl, but he had had no choice. And then he had noticed that advertisement on the internet which sounded as if he could bear it for a day. All kids loved chocolate, didn't they?
Dalal stared at him with narrowed eyes and then turned her attention back to the ground which was plastered with sweets and chewing gums of all kind. She still moved kind of wobbly, because of her inward turned feet and the large behind, but she refused to take the fat ones hand. He smelled.
Frank offered some drops to the girl as a peace offer, but all he got was a snort. Women were always afraid of him, but this little one literally seemed to hate him. Great.
Luckily there were other people around. Pointing at Ranza and Aaron he pushed Dalal forward a bit. If she played he could go around without her. It was a master plan. "Look Dalal, there are some other children over there."
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Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 5:40 am
Ranza new better than to press the issue. If mom had said no to the dragon, then she'd just have to find some other way to get it. She hopped down from the window and looked about, wondering what else there was to do here.
She spotted other children nearby, and that was exciting, because Ranza didn't really have any friends. Nahuel had friends, and Orli had friends, but somehow Ranza just hadn't gotten to make any because she always clung to her brother.
But now, she really wanted some, only after she had realized their absence.
She ran over to the first girl she saw, who was standing next to what had to be the biggest man she had ever seen. The girl had four legs, and antenna sticking out of her hair. But, Ranza had feathers, so it was all good fun.
"Hi!" she said happily. "I'm Ranza!"
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Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 9:57 am
Hearing the sound of children behind him, David seized upon the chance to put Aaron back down and pat him forward towards the others. "Go play, we'll get some chocolate or somethin' once I finish up these papers." Turning back to the clipboard, he sneezed, the aftereffects of spending too much time with his face pressed up against Aaron's...feathers catching up with him.
Aaron followed a twisting crack in the floor over to the two girls, eyes fixed on not stepping too far to either side of the crack, resulting in him walking quite suddenly into Dalal's behind. Looking up, he blinked.
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Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 10:45 am
Frank smiled as his plan worked out and another feathery something ran towards the little girl at his side. Was this a freak show? Actually it reminded him of a cosplay of some sort where he had been Darth Vader and looked awfully ridiculous.
Dalal looked at Ranza curiously. She was quite colourful and appeared to be nice. Straigthening up a bit she balanced her weight and cocked her head to one side. "Dalal." The toddler replied and looked at the feathers with interest. She totally seemed to ignore the man who was with her.
It was just that moment when somebody bumped into her back. The girl stumbled and almost hit Ranza who was standing in front of her. Glaring eyes turned backwards and widened as she noticed that the stranger who had pushed her was male.
A quite scary hiss escaped her lips as she glared at him. He had feathers too. Did he belong to Ranza? What kind of stupid place was that? "No!"
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Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 2:19 pm
There had been a looming sense of doom to the object of lingering within a chocolate factory. Olivier could feel the dryness of his mouth from the moment the smell had wafted through the air. He could sense the sickening nature of chocolate, and all it had to offer with is sugar, and its variety, and its mass quantity. His head had been spinning as he passed through the door, accepting whatever promotional artifacts were given with mild disdain.
That morning he had found a brochure advertising free tours, which had naturally led to some curiosity. He had sat down on the floor of the old junction, ate his jam carelessly, and listened to the jabberings of three excited (well, two) kids blubbering about chocolate. It'll be fun!, Caps had insisted. Button had ignored the matter entirely, but Luc, the strange little beagle-boy, had made up for the lack of enthusiasm by bursting into glee about the industrial matters. It had been striking that a child who had so recently come into consciousness would have any idea as to the inner workings of a factory, but Luc had masterfully gone off on the potential mechanical abilities and what wonders they held. In the long run, there had been no protest. Olivier, Pockets, had been bombarded with the request for the venture. Despite his better judgment on public appearances, he had ended up agreeing simply to have some peace with his jam.
Unfortunately, as they passed through the doors, he had grown to regret it. Everything had seemed to happen in a flurry of excitement. Caps had darted off in one direction, carrying Button away with her and promising to bring back a lot of chocolate. Luc had almost immediately pressed his face against a window to meticulously analyze something he had 'thought he had seen'. The people walking all about seemed to swirl, and Olivier felt dizzy from the sheer rush of anxieties. He felt almost as if he had been swindled into attending the fantasies of two immature beings.
He needed to work on being more assertive, that was the lesson he had gathered out of the ordeal. With a sigh, he had stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans and had hurried off to gather Luc. The only one of his crew remaining in view.
"And so the ..." Luc had been mumbling to himself, as if preparing for an advanced lecture. He had paused only a moment to look away from the window and glance towards the advancing young man, nervous and fidgety. It was enough to make him laugh. He seemed so grumpy.
"Get this over with." Olivier had grumbled, scratching his ankle with the tip of his shoe. His eyes had flickered in every which direction until again returning to the small, strange child standing in front of him. They barely knew one another, and every look seemed to encompass that distant peculiarity. "Take that hat off, you look stupid." He had murmured about the little top hat, which sat upon the baseball cap the boy donned.
"Caps likes it." Luc had stated bluntly, licking a tooth before grasping his wrench in his hand. He had waggled it carelessly, grinning from cheek to cheek. "You want it?"
"No." Olivier had murmured under his breath. He had heaved a greater sigh before rubbing his temples. The day was proving long. Reckless. Mindless. There was no plan. There was nothing, and that was enough to bother a man such as himself, who was settled into the realms of strategy, order, and logic. "I don't want it." That purple top hat. It was almost creepy.
"You sure?" Luc had persisted, removing the thing and twisting about his ball cap. "Because I'll ---" He had stopped dead in the middle of his sentence. His nose had wriggled, and without further statement he had dropped the hat to begin running.
"H-hey! Hey! Don't just run off like that!" Olivier had howled, staggering along after the boy. He had tripped and caught himself a dozen times while trying to keep up with the boy, but, in the long run, he had fallen against the floor.
Luc had spotted children. Without mind or thought, he had made a quiet approach, standing a short distance to look around. There was the large chocolate dragon, which seemed interesting, and a variety of other things ... But there was something interesting afoot with the looks of the small group of young kids congregating. Again he had licked a tooth. He had set his wrench back into his cover-alls before rubbing his lanky shoulder and biting down on his lip. Indeed, he did find something interesting there, as any child would. Play. The object of play.
Olivier had pushed up, crawling towards the boy before grasping the back of his shirt. He had breathed, laughing bitterly. "Don't run off in crowded places; it isn't safe." He had frozen a moment. Oh, god. Caps and Button had run off - what if? No. Caps was a woman, not a child. They would be fine. Button wouldn't run off like Luc had, that was a guarantee.
Quietly, he had stood up, fighting to keep a hold on the kid. "That's rule number one: don't run away unless I tell you it's okay."
Luc had not responded, his ears perking up as he gave the chocolate dragon glance, then the crowd again. He seemed confused as to which was more interesting to approach.
"What are you looking at?" Olivier had began, glancing up himself. His face had grown long with mild surprise, as if he hadn't been expecting something different than what he had found. "Oh. So it isn't a machine."
Luc had given a quizzical look to the man before gulping. Without a word, he had turned to head for the chocolate dragon, only to pause again and rebound for the group. He had stopped, remaining put.
"Be my guest; we got all day." Olivier had insisted, folding his arms across his chest. "Go play." Play. Good! He could sit down, regather his senses, formulate a form of order to the immense chaos that seemed to have taken over his day. It was the perfect scenario in his mind. And it saved him from the possibility of more promotional chocolate.
Go play. Go play? Luc had seemed all the more confused by the matter and his feelings of interest, but before he could ask about it, he had felt a shove against his back and he had gone staggering towards the little group, his baseball cap falling off of his head and rolling against the floor."A-ahroo!"
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Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 10:24 pm
Aaron looked at the angry Dalal for a second, blinking once more, before smiling widely and stepping to the side. A hat skittered to a stop beside him, and without looking at it, he hooked it awkwardly on his foot and tossed it upward, barely catching it. He then looked at it, very carefully, rotating it and peering at it from all angles before turning it inside out and then right side out again. Then, he held it out to Dalal, still smiling.
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Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 6:52 am
"You should apologize," said Ranza, staring the bird boy down. He had feathers like her, but his feathers were dark and she was colorful and therefore hers were better. She was a middle child, so she knew her manners. And besides, he was a boy, and a strange one at that, and therefor inferior.
Someone barked. What?
Ranza looked over at the dog boy and picked up the hat. She examined it, decided she liked it, and plopped it down on top of her top hat.
"Finders keepers," she said to the dog boy.
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Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 9:32 am
Whereas Frank wondered if the other parents thought that he had a breeding partner which looked like a mantis, Dalal was completely occupied with her task of not freaking out. Why was that one with the feathers smiling so stupid and where did all the people come from?
This was indeed her first trip to the outside besides going to the supermarket with Lizzi and so she was wondering if everybody was just as stupid as her caretaker. But wait...that girl seemed alright until she had taken the hat which had been offered to HER.
Anyway. There were two boys who didn't seem to know about their own stupidity and there was only one way to deal with them. Ignore them. Yes.
Turning to Ranza Dalal smirked a bit and pointed at the hat. "Nice."
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Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 9:42 am
Aaron's eyes cut over to the rainbow-y girl wearing the cap and his smile faded a little. He hadn't been giving it to her. She didn't need something to hide weird things sticking out of her head. How greedy. He would have to set things even sooner or later. Taking out his colourful pocket calculator, he stuck his tongue out to the side of his mouth, chewing on it as he punched numbers before his smile returned and he stuck it back in his pocket. Turning to view the boy with long flappy ears, he stuck out a chubby hand in silent greeting.
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Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 11:50 am
Luc's head was spinning as he gave himself a moment to recuperate. His fingers had attempted to smooth out his wild hair, which had only again proceeded to fluff itself out in its awkward manner. Almost habitually, he had licked one of his teeth again, as if the protruding extension of his mouth were somehow part of a habitual ritual. In worrisome wonder, he had searched for his hat, finding no avail until he had witnessed its soft colors atop a head other than his own.
His eyes were wide and perplexed with an unusual stare towards Dalal and Ranza, who he had noted were seemingly ... Playing with his hat? It was a feat from which Luc was uncertain if he were to allow. The hat was his, and it had always been his. Finders Keepers was not applicable to something he deemed a vital extension of his body. The hat was for thinking, and for taming his hair, and for many other things his mind dared not process. He could not permit the rule of Finders Keepers, which he had learned early enough in life to understand what it entailed.
With his eyes fixated on the hat, he had shaken his head sternly. "It's my hat; you can't have it." His voice had been firm and decided on the matter, though his tail had sunk low in the manner of fear. Fear of something. "Give it back or I'll ---" What would he do? It seemed a delicate situation, and when he glanced back towards Olivier, he found the man hardly flinching. He was only paying so much attention as to keep the situation low key. Luc could read that. He was on his own with this.
Before he could continue with his demands, he had found a pudgy little hand extended in his direction. His ears had perked somewhat at the silent greeting, which had thoroughly appeared more polite than that of the colorful girl and the four-legged one who had seemed to disregard entirely. Luc had hesitated but a moment to check his hands for filth before extending his in the same manner, as if he truly thought the object of greeting was simply the extension of a hand or something of that sheer nature. A weary smile had been born upon his face as his feet scuffled the floor. Occasionally his eyes had seemed to calculate, shifting back to Ranza and Dalal anxiously, then towards Aaron again.
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Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 12:07 pm
"I like it," said Ranza, adjusting it on her head. She looked at Dalal "How does it look?" Her big brother Nahuel had a hat. Maybe it was about time she got one for herself, after all! And this one was already nice and worn in.
She frowned at the boy who was trying to take it back. "You really want it?" she asked, a bit crestfallen. He didn't seem so bad. He hadn't bumped into someone and not apologized like the boy with the black feathers.
She looked back at Dalal again. "Do you want to try it on?" she asked.
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Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 1:27 pm
Aaron's eyebrows bunched up. The boy with the weird ears was supposed to shake his hand! Were all other children this weird? He hadn't had that much contact with other kids aside from wide eyed stares from those sitting in the basket next to him when David brought him to the supermarket with him. These children weren't staring, but they also didn't seem to understand what you were supposed to do. That colourful girl was not supposed to take the hat that he was giving to the girl with the weird head things. He dropped his hand in frustration.
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Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2008 1:10 am
Dalal watched her caretaker wander off towards a nice lady which handed out chocolate before she turned her attention back to Ranza and the bunch.
"Finders Keepers." Dalal echoed the words of Ranza to stress that she shouldn't give it back to the boy - never! The hat looked quite used though and actually she didn't want to have it at all. She already had some stuff on her head and the hat would only disturb her little antlers. "No. You can have it. Better for you."
Glancing at Aaron's calculator the mantis girl wondered if it was some kind of magic thing like Frank's computer. He used it all the time and she hated it, because she was abandoned and had to be silent when he played. Lizzi also very regularly hated the computer. "You can play with his stuff." She added as she turned to the dog boy.
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