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 Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2010 6:08 pm
..~* Assignment *~..
Link: The Lethality of Wordplay
Participants: Fage, Card, Merit, Halo, & Kayen
Stage: Toddler
Status: Ongoing
Premise: Halo got a letter from a weird laboratory... and Card managed to rope her into going. Who's bright idea was it to leave a kid with her!?
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Posted: Sun Dec 18, 2011 10:07 pm
..~* The Mother's Role Model *~..
You sure aren't going to find it here
~ November 2010 ~ The day seemed unusually bright and festive for one who had awoken to it with such a nagging headache. Halo growled in response to the ceremony of sunlight, readjusting the curtains with a single swipe of her arm to preclude it from entering uninvited. Mornings weren't her cup of tea, and she would have been tempted to remain enveloped in the warmth of her bed if it wasn't for the fact that she had a job she needed to get to. As she maneuvered over to the coffee pot in the kitchen to turn it on, scrambling through the cupboards for a mug, she mulled familiar thoughts over in her head. It was funny -- in an unamusing sort of way -- how she hopped to a dreaded subject such as work when she would normally vehemently object to such interaction with the general public. She snorted at the thought as the steaming, dark liquid was poured into her mug. Bills. Everything had a price. It was a few more hours of getting herself around before it was time to leave. Lighting a cigarette, she took a brief look around the place before she was on her way out. But, hold a minute... It was then that she had first noticed that the television set was on, and not on any channel she tended to keep it on. Her eyes narrowed for a fraction of a minute before everything started coming back. The slits grew wide, and she made her way out into the living room to find who she nearly dreaded to find. Amber eyes peeking up from the back of the couch, the starry-haired toddler almost seemed to cower as she neared, as if afraid of a scolding instigated by the assumptions the child had wielded. But they weren't to come. Against all odds, her face seemed to almost show concern over what it was that she saw. She was apparently about to leave, as a coat was already around her shoulders. This didn't lessen the nervousness felt by the younger company as Merit's muscles tensed, ready to run into the makeshift room prepared for the unexpected child. Frowning, she just about smacked a palm to her forehead in aggravation; it hadn't been a weird-a** dream after all. "Well... s**t," she hissed, the last half of her sentence lowered to a deep breath in a partial attempt to hide the words a toddler shouldn't be repeating at such an age. A moment's pause in frantic thought before she said anything further, "Look, I'll... ahh, I'll be back later. I'll drop something by for lunch, but I gotta go to work. You can have, err..." She made a dash for the refrigerator and shoved a few loud jars aside, but came out empty. Searching the counters next, she snatched up a bright, round fruit and handed it to Merit, who glanced, utterly perplexed, up at her from the couch. "Eat that orange for breakfast and just..." she motioned to the television set, "Just keep doing that. Watch that. Sorry about this, but I will be back later, okay? Then... I dunno, we can do something when I get home tonight. I'll be better at this tomorrow, I promise." Merit flinched when Halo closed the door, staring at where she had disappeared for an interim before speaking its first words that day to the woman who was no longer there, "...Good morning." Attention back on the orange she had given the toddler, Merit proceeded to try to figure out how one was supposed to go about eating one of these things. It had such a rough texture! "Damn you, Card," Halo spat, venom tipping her words, "This is what happens when you put some defenseless kid in my hands!" Word Count: 627
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Posted: Sun Dec 18, 2011 10:08 pm
..~* 'Tis the Season *~..
Your gift is insanity
~ December 2010 ~ While the preceding weeks' mornings went substantially better, mainly because Halo wasn't about to forget such a mishap again, it was still a great struggle to get them both into a routine way of life that they were comfortable with. In fact, it was hard enough just for Halo to think of someone else's well-being other than her own. While she despised the fact that she was thrust into this role without consent, she also didn't very well want to neglect the kid. That, and she didn't know anyone else she could trust enough to pawn the kid off on. So, she was stuck with this obnoxiously pink toddler. Not only that, but a pink toddler who wasn't female. In fact, Merit didn't even act like there was really a gender it leaned more towards, sticking on the silently diligent side. Bookish, probably, but it wasn't like the kid could actually read. It was with that that Halo decided to start referring to Merit as a boy, partly for the sake of not wanting to refer to the toddler as an 'it', but also because she REALLY didn't want to take care of a girl. Maybe it was damaging to Merit's psyche, but she didn't think she could handle the frills and the talk of boys and the PMS. ...Not that leaning toward the feminine aspects of one's being ultimately resulted in, well... any of that, but Halo's brain could only utilize her imagination so far. She didn't want her charge to end up like any of the customers that she abhorred. So it was when these thoughts were put to rest, a sense of accomplishment achieved, that Halo realized what time it was nearing in the year. "Aw hell," she said, the words tumbling out of her mouth before she had the sense to stop them. "December? Really?" sighing, she turned to look around the house. Did Merit even know what Christmas was? Maybe she could sidestep it, even just this once, and forget about the holiday this year. There was way too much stress as it was, what with moving, adjusting to everything, and... heck, she didn't even know what Merit's interests were enough to get him anything worthwhile. Did Merit even know that much himself? Glancing back out to the living room where Merit seemed to station himself much of the time lately, she lost that fragment of hope she was clutching to. Of course she couldn't ignore the holiday, and of course Merit had some sense of what it was about. Damn television stations, they just had to constantly play Christmas specials. They never let up on that sugary-sweet stuff; they started playing those specials earlier and earlier every year. Did Gaia even celebrate Thanksgiving anymore? Merit was scribbling with a set of crayons in an activity book in front of the TV. The wax utensils seemed to be getting rather miniscule as of late, the toddler using them to such an extent that Halo could not remember ever seeing, so frequent. She could get him... one of those large packs of crayons, but it seemed like such a cop-out of a gift, so cheap and with such little thought put into it. She could maybe get him something new to work on, but there was always the chance with trying something out that Merit wouldn't like it. She could get help from Card, as he seemed to be more creative in departments such as this, but... but it was Card. "Arrgh!" she growled, ruffling her hair in frustration. Why couldn't parenting be easy!? Word Count: 599
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Posted: Sun Dec 18, 2011 10:09 pm
..~* Playdate #1 *~.. Link: The Joys of Holiday MadnessParticipants: Tamara, Risa, Fage, Card, Merit, & Halo Stage: Toddler Status: OngoingPremise: Christmas shopping, complete with all the hazards of the holiday rush when one is accompanied by small children. ...And one man who thinks he's a small child.
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Posted: Sun Dec 18, 2011 10:11 pm
..~* Sugar Crash *~..
Time to put on your hard hats
~ January 2011 ~ Well, this was great. Halo heaved a sigh, utterly exhausted after the past rigorous month, only to find her home just short of trashed. Not that it was in prime condition before the holidays, but there were some things you just didn't give a child for Christmas. Card had insisted they spend some of the holiday together -- after all, it was a holiday you were suppose to spend with family, and he still insisted on calling her a sister. Whatever, let him do that, but did he have to go and give his charge a freaking skateboard!? And of course the little nuisance was going to bring it over with him; he probably had the biggest grin she had ever seen on the toddler, which invariably didn't end up being a good thing. It could have gone worse. At least Card had had enough brains to tell him to keep it outside, but that was only after he had already done some damage indoors. Merit, on the other hand... wasn't much help in the matter, she begrudgingly admitted. She had hoped the kid would have been better behaved, but he had gotten into a little too much sugar that evening. It wasn't surprising, now that she looked back. She didn't think he'd actually ingest that much of the stuff, as she never was all that fond of food so sweet, but he didn't mosey through the week without causing some destruction of his own. Granted, a lot of that destruction was caused to himself, making himself sick with so much candy. However, he had still been hyper enough to scuff up and break a few things, and she was planning on making him work off those 'debts.' "Merit, get up. I told you we were going to be cleaning the house today. You're not making me do all this myself," she stated firmly to the toddler, who was busy playing with a long piece of string around his fingers. Halo already had a bandanna wrapped around her head and clutched various cleaning utensils in her hands. "Pick your poison." "Do we hafta?" Merit grumbled, wrapping a loop around an index finger before trying to yank it all off his hands to sit upright. The toddler knew it didn't have a choice in the matter, but it still wanted to voice disdain for the task-at-hand. There was a twinge of shock that passed by the child's shoulders, and an apologetic look was tossed toward the tall woman with the variety of potential weaponry. "Th-The towel," Merit quickly followed up, reaching for the raggedy, dark blue cloth. Halo frowned, but slowly nodded in response to the rephrasing. She didn't need that mouth of his today; she didn't want to be working on this today any more than he did. "That's more like it," she murmured, turning to point him toward the kitchen sink full of pots and pans, "You're to do the dishes with that. Use the soap on the counter and the water from the tap. Once the dishes are in the dishwasher, you clean the sink. Got all that?" Merit stared at the pile in the sink, giving it an unmistakable expression of contempt before it turned back to Halo, "Yup, got it!" The Mixer was quick to hop to its battle station, balancing tiny golden hooves on the stool. After all, why dwell on the negatives of a situation when you can just get them over with? There was time right then where Halo managed to feel a touch of pride at the sight. However, he sure hadn't learned that technique, that way of thinking, from her of all people... right? Word Count: 612
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Posted: Sun Dec 18, 2011 10:12 pm
..~* Playdate #2 *~.. Link: Don't Scare Me Like That!Participants: Abigail, Fage, Merit, & Card Stage: Toddler Status: OngoingPremise: One should think heavily about it before applying the phrase "a walk in the park" to a situation.
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Posted: Sun Dec 18, 2011 10:13 pm
..~* A Day of Pink *~..
Can't we paint it a different color?
~ February 2011 ~ It was a very long day. It had no chance of being anything other than a long day. Halo needed to do some grocery shopping, then she had needed to drop off some paperwork (and wait for an hour before anyone would actually take said paperwork), and finally, renew her ID. Maybe she should have listened to that nagging voice that told her that she was focusing too much on getting it all accomplished in a single day, but dang nabbit, she wanted it over and done with! She didn't want to get up tomorrow and have the same set of circumstances, minus one or two errands, to look forward to! As it had turned out, she and Merit didn't get back home until dinnertime, and she wasn't in any mood to do the cooking. Not that she was... ever in the mood, but that was beside the point. In all honesty, she really wanted Chinese. Why did it have to be so expensive? "Hey kid, how about some pizza?" she asked from the dining table, having taken up residence in one of the seats to catch a breather. "Sure," came the simple reply. What had thrown Halo off in that moment, however, was the gruff tone of the voice. Was he angry at her for dragging him all over creation or something? Or was that just fatigue she heard? She took her time in standing up, and even longer to head to the telephone to order their dinner -- especially with the stretching she did in between. In the span of time, she decided to query, "Everything okay?" She was answered with a sigh. Merit had yet to turn on the television -- something Halo had been hoping he'd do, to preoccupy both their minds from the day -- but he was already seated in the sofa to stare ahead at the blank screen. "There was so much... pink," he explained, "Red and purple, too, but a lot of pink." He noticed the themes to much of the town, decorated for something that Merit didn't fully understand. Although it was obvious that it wasn't the case, Merit felt as though the world were pointing out the first aspect of the kid's own appearance that Halo had voiced as well, when they had first met. It was becoming a sore spot in the toddler's mind, something that it might feel shame about. Was it a bad color? "Ah yeah. Valentine's Day. Some places go ga-ga for that sort of thing. The grocery stores soak up holidays; they feel as though they can sell more if they go with it. They like to celebrate all of them, even the stupid ones," she snorted with a touch of derisive amusement. When she was met with a confused tilt of Merit's head, she elaborated, "It's almost Valentine's Day. Y'know, the one that's suppose to make a big to-do about love and all that bull." She cringed, almost slipping in her careful monitoring of her spoken language. "What's that gotta do with pink?" the toddler asked, finding it bizarre. "They like to pair holidays with colors. You noticed, around Christmas, that a lot of places used red, green, and gold, right?" she offered, almost physically with a toss of her hand. The midnight-crowned child nodded, and after a moment, it's eyes shone in understanding. "Well," she continued, "for Valentine's Day, they use red, pink, and purple. And white, I guess. They're suppose to symbolize love and passion, for some reason." "Seems weird," Merit sighed, sliding back into a comfortable -- if rather lazy -- position on the sofa. The child listened for Halo to pick up the phone before hastily calling out, "Don't forget the olives!" Attention turned back on to the nearest pink object, the toddler started poking at its vividly-hued skin irritably. "Why'd it gotta be pink?" Merit grumbled. Word Count: 642
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Posted: Sun Dec 18, 2011 10:15 pm
..~* Refuge *~..
With an iron-fisted rule, it might not be any consolation
~ March 2011 ~ If it wasn't for the fact that it actually was a dark and stormy night, one may consider the statement to be a little over-the-top. However, an adult and toddler had been all but run out of the house on tight notice, and situations were very dire due to it. Lightning never seemed to be so terrifying before, but when one was directly under the flashes, it seemed almost surreal. Especially when one was on the doorstep of someone who could be just as dangerous. "Merit, hey kid, could you get the door?" Halo hissed from the couch. She didn't want to be interrupted during such racket outside, but there was little choice. Using the night-haired toddler to run minor errands like this seemed the better option, especially since she had a clear view of the doorway from where she sat. Merit glared in her direction, but the face made didn't get past the child's shoulder, to keep the image hidden. The hybrid wasn't going to take these ridiculous jobs up without silently protesting, but knew better than to go up against such authority. The child knew that it was probably better that it answer the door anyway, what with how Halo acted on a good day. Standing on liquid amber hooves, Merit tried to step over the fortress it was trying to build with a set of wooden blocks, only to accidentally trip over an outer wall, having it crumble on one side as though hit with a natural disaster. "Aww!" Merit huffed, briefly glancing back to see the destruction in disappointment before continuing to the predetermined destination. It was hard to reach the door knob at such a measly height, especially when one was robbed of the ability to stand on tip toes, so Merit ended up hopping a little to turn it. The toddler opened the door quickly, thinking the rain would make otherwise normal cautionary measures a little too aggravating and tedious. With what little knowledge as Merit had of the outside world and its inhabitants, the child was surprised to note that it actually knew the pair outside the doorway. "What're you doing here?" the wide-eyed toddler asked before it was able to think the statement through first. Card, despite his desperate situation, had to snicker at the question. A cold and miserable Fage was on the man's back, Card's tail over the boy's left shoulder while the blonde child's head was over Card's right. The half-dryad was gripping a tattered umbrella, holding it over the both of them, but swung an irritated -- if tired -- glance at his guardian. Card looked apologetic, despite not actually catching the glare, "We're... in a bit of a bind. Merry, can I talk with your, um... parental figure?" " Mom, you mean?" Fage scoffed, finding the fancy language a bit too much, although agreeing that the word didn't suit Halo very well. " Gawds, Card, don't you dare tell me..." Halo bristled from where she was seated. Although she projected to all around the door that she didn't want to get up, she was already rising to her intimidating height, pulling a cigarette from her mouth, "There is no. Way. Don't you say it!" The warning words were coming from her mouth as she reached the door, Merit taking a step back and out of the way, as though her venomous speech could bowl the toddler over. Of course, the man was not intimidated, but remained apologetic, "We need a place to crash for a bit." "I told you not to say it!" Halo shouted; it was even enough to make Fage shrink back. "Augh... Go... just go somewhere else, why don't you? Stay with Star or something." "You weren't, by any means, my first choice. I couldn't get ahold of Star. I rarely can, but I tried." "...Memo? What about her?" "She couldn't. Too busy, and not enough room." "And what makes you think I'm any different than that? Card, you're just about the only one that isn't busy all the time!" He flinched, his eyes darting briefly to Fage at his shoulder, "It's... not just that." She hated, absolutely hated the fact that she had to be so careful with her language around kids. If Fage and Merit were anyone else, she wouldn't hesitate to speak her mind, but they had to be so impressionable, so delicate, that it couldn't be that simple. "Again," she seethed, exasperated, "What makes you think I'm any different?" "Experience," he stated flatly, "Star wouldn't be able to handle it, even if I could get ahold of him. Memo values her hobbies more than... well, anything. Anyone else, I either don't have readily-available contact information for or am currently on bad terms with." It was at that point that Halo had an intense urge to punch Card, just for how easily he was able to filter his language. It all translated simply enough: they either couldn't stand Card, or they couldn't stand Fage. No punch to the toddler's pride at all. So she let the silence drag on uncomfortably long, noticing that the umbrella was lowering little by little in an attempt for Fage to hide himself. After she deemed it was adequate time, she lit another cigarette, took a drag of it, exhaled, and made a firm judgment, "Down payment of a thousand." Card glanced up, surprised, and she continued, "Monthly interest of thirty percent while you're here, fifteen when you get out. You pay when you can, but until you pay in full, the interest stays." Card gave a meek grin, "Giving me mercy?" He was expecting any payment she put forth for him would have been much steeper. Merit was watching its guardian from its station, holding the door open for the toddler's uncle and cousin, with a mixture of relief and terror both. Turning back inside, she waved a hand dismissively, "You'll be sleeping on the couch, so yeah." Word Count: 989
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Posted: Sun Dec 18, 2011 10:16 pm
..~* Easter Egg Hunting *~..
Light Manor Event
~ Easter 2011 ~ There hadn't been any question about it: Halo had only agreed to the terms of this event under a single assumption. Merit perhaps knew this fact better than anyone else, assuredly more so than what everyone thought the toddler knew. The neutral hybrid was rather good at hiding the knowledge it possessed, a strength and burden both. Halo just wanted a day to herself, where she didn't have to play into the holidays. Well, no matter. It wasn't exactly a loss for the toddler, though there was still a mild sense of betrayal at the thought. Oh well, Merit actually liked it here, and most of the people who worked in the labs tended to be quite inviting. It was a nice change. Quote: Originally Posted: March 31st
Merit's small hands wrung around the handle of a baby blue basket, complete with light green Easter grass as a blanket to the bottom. The toddler didn't exactly know the purpose of the holiday they called 'Easter,' but wasn't about to argue the point. After all, how often could a small child get free candy out of it, let alone with such a strict guardian?
Starry tail flicking with glee at the thought, a small smile tugged at the sides of Merit's mouth idly. Golden hooves hopped to the closest hiding spot the kid could see in the garden-like area of the labs, which happened to be a rough patch of grass that nearly made a bush of it's own. No such luck. "Next, next..." Merit mused to itself, amber eyes looking around to where other children refrained from venturing thusfar. Quote: Originally Posted: April 7th
"Hey, kid." Merit stopped cold in it's tracks, momentarily confused about where the voice had originated from. In an interval of time where the kid thought that maybe the voice was talking to someone else in the area, it lifted it's foot to continue on it's merry way. But the voice interjected again, "Yeah; you, kid!"
Merit's amber eyes focused on a young man under a tree, almost hidden by the shade but still visible. The smell of leather from the jacket he bore was unmistakable. Pointing a reddish-pink index finger to it's own chest, Merit mouthed to the man, "Me?"
He nodded in response, flashing a toothy grin. It was very white. Winking, he stated in a hopeful manner, "Hope you have nice teeth." Unsure on stable footing, Merit managed a mild smile and waved good-naturedly before starting back up on it's way.
Despite the awkwardness of the moment, it couldn't help but feel better about it's own teeth. The unicorn-genie child mumbled under a half-breath, "Weird..." Quote: Originally Posted: April 9th
Coming up to a surprisingly large tree in such an enclosed area that was the labs, Merit peered cautiously into the boughs. There must be something up there... the toddler mused to itself, looking around to see if there was a foothold near the bottom. It was only then that the toddler realized a fault there was to having hooves, noticing that it would be useless to attempt, even if there was something up there.
A little disappointed, it tried to find another place to look for a hidden goodie. As the brightly-skinned toddler was about to wander off again, something caught it's eye. At another angle, there was a just-barely-visible hollow of the tree, partially obscured by a patch of tall-growing grass. Pulling the blades apart, Merit spotted a chocolate bunny in the tiny alcove, as if it was in it's natural habitat. "Gotcha!" chirped the toddler, finally having an occupant in it's basket. Quote: Originally Posted: April 11th
Trying to fight it's way through a patch of flowers that were much too tall for the toddler, Merit was starting to get irritated with the lack of progress. Batting at a tulip in frustration, it's starry head jumped back as a tiny visage appeared amongst the foliage.
It also looked rather annoyed, but more so at the fact that Merit had woken the small creature up instead of not being able to find a piece of candy. Spotting the hallowed chocolate bunny in the child's basket, it lunged and bit off a piece of it's ear, scowling in protest. It seemed to be saying that that was payment enough for waking it from it's slumber. Quote: Originally Posted: Continuing from above
Merit pouted in reaction at first, grumbling at this turn of events. After a moment, the toddler noticed that the creature was trying to maintain it's own stare at the pink one, but it's eyes were blinking more slowly, more frequently.
Giggling, the toddler lowered the basket to the floor and slid it in the direction of the small creature. "Getting sleepy?" the kid said, crouched to the ground and watching. The little thing seemed to toss it's head arrogantly at the question, but the Easter grass seemed so inviting... Before it knew any better, it was snuggling cozily into the plastic greenery of Merit's basket, the child attempting to move with greater grace so as to give the creature a better snooze. Quote: Originally Posted: April 12th
It was slow-going for Merit now that it had to be mindful of the cargo it carried within the baby blue basket. With these circumstances, it made it difficult for the toddler to keep up with the others, lagging far behind in the area in comparison.
However, this also made it possible for Merit to spot the things that the others had missed in their quick searches. It was only because the toddler could see the standing shape move at a different pace in relation to the shadow that surrounded it that Merit realized that it was another chocolate bunny -- something that seemed as though it would be unnoticeable if one was at a quick pace. Gently, Merit wedged the second chocolate bunny near the first with the notched ear, careful not to jostle the Easter grass too much and wake the creature sleeping within. The event seemed to be over before it had a real chance to get started, but with the way that Merit had been initiating careful judgment, practically turning over every stone along the path, it was really no wonder. The sigh that escaped the toddler's mouth was almost one of disappointment, but it couldn't really call the day a lost cause. After all, it was a greater haul than the child was expecting, and the smile that plagued the pink face wasn't hiding any emotion.
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Posted: Sun Dec 18, 2011 10:18 pm
..~* Comet Pass *~..
Avoiding crash-collision, the best way the (un)knowledgeable know how
~ April 2011 ~ A heavy fog had rolled in that day, making it difficult to see more than a yard in any direction. While Halo's abode sat near a harbor, just mere miles from a set of hills rising into a dinky couple of mountains, she had never seen fog this thick. She contributed it to the fact that she hadn't actually been living in the area for more than half a year, but it still unnerved her. After all, she had to drive in that mess! "Better not hit a customer..." she muttered to herself as she slipped a jean jacket on. "Can't you just call in sick? It's really bad out," Card winced, trying to decipher anything in the streets through the newly-cleaned windows. He could hardly make out the outline of Halo's vehicle, for Pete's sake! Merit was scribbling slowly in a large coloring book, but glanced up then from the pages, both worried and fascinated about the conditions outside. It was still rather early, but the starry toddler was used to getting up at such a time; Fage, on the other hand, was losing the battle of consciousness on the couch. Halo snorted in response, grabbing her supplies and reaching for the door knob, "Extra pay on days like these. Someone's gotta get the money to keep all ya alive around here." She glowered at the man, though he could have sworn he saw the edge of a smirk through his own grimace. She was out the door in a manner most adept at halting further conversation, but before the door was completely shut behind her, it bounced back again. "Auf! H-Hey, what's the big--" she stumbled in her confused rage, about to strike out at the one who blockaded her way before the familiar, frantic voice was able to focus her attention -- and her anger. "Eek! Sorry! I'm sorry, I didn't know you were heading out. I just needed... help," the tall obstruction breathed, the exertion of his hasty speech seeming to leave him altogether out of breath. It was no stranger, though Merit itself didn't recognize the lanky individual. The toddler was quick to toss its materials aside at the conversation outside the door, always seeming to be on edge in this living environment, and was already clinging to the front door standing ajar to get a better look. Halo readjusted her posture in realization, however was no less frustrated than before; she was still on a fierce defensive. "You can't be serious. Don't tell me you, too!" she snarled. His eyes went wide, showing a mix of fear and confusion; they looked as though they were stolen from the face of a scolded child. His attention twitched to the doorway, and Merit was suddenly aware that Card had come to join the toddler in curiosity. "C-Card?" the man squeaked. "You are not staying here," Halo stated dryly. The perplexity on the tall, child-faced man only deepened with the sentence, nervousness lingering. "H-Help, I said help. I dunno what I'm supposed to do here, because..." he tried to explain, his words coming slowly but the elaboration not reaching them. Halo growled in reaction, the explanation sounding just like what she had warned against happening. The road block twitched his tails, grasping at words that just weren't there. "What's the matter, Star?" Card asked, voice level as he smiled. Star couldn't help being afraid of such an unpredictable element as his sister, after all; he was more comfortable talking to the lax brother. Or showing, as he seemed to be doing instead. He pointed a shaky finger behind him, to something that was, invariably, blocking Halo's car from getting out of the driveway. "I don't know what to do!" he repeated, whimpering. It was only as Card was walking over to the Star's small scooter that he was able to begin to understand the weight of the situation. Halo was too busy getting increasingly agitated to bother, deciding that, if she hopped in the car and waited, the situation would blow over sooner rather than later -- or she would ram said situation with the bumper of her car. The flat surface behind the single seat was occupied by a small, dark form. Card nearly jumped when he realized that the shadow in the fog was alive, something he hadn't been immediately anticipating. The child glanced groggily up at him as he neared, a vertically-striped tail wrapped around the body as a defensive measure, minutely tightening in reflex. Card paused, refraining from nearing the dark-haired boy to give him some breathing space; he didn't appear to be too thrilled with this particular happenstance. "Hey," the man broke the silence after a moment, "What's your name?" A set of faded eyes turned to him as if to try to deliberate what sort of man Card was, though focus was limited due to the weather as well as the boy's own debilitating fatigue. He almost offered a snide retort in response, but thought better of it, if only because it would be too much effort -- effort that he was tired of wasting. "Kreutz," he murmured, the name almost engulfed in the thick atmosphere. "Kreutz, huh?" he repeated the name, nodding as if to say that he made a note of it. "I'm Card, Star's brother," he exchanged the introduction, stabbing a thumb over his shoulder to indicate the driver of the scooter. Star, meanwhile, had inched closer to the conversation to take note of what was going on in the hopes that he could acquire pointers. "Got yourself into a bit of trouble, did you?" Kreutz frowned at the question, mildly confused as to where the accusation had come from, but Card was continuing regardless, "He's not the most social of people. I'm not sure why else he'd be asking for aid with a kid..." "I didn't ask him to," Kreutz grumbled, irritated with the quick conclusion though refusing to answer with a definitive. Card only grinned back, just short of appearing smug. He waved a hand, turning, "It really doesn't matter, either way. Any friend of Star's..." It didn't sound as though Kreutz had the option -- or intention -- of ditching Star at all. Card wasn't getting any vibe from the child that made him worry, like Fage could give off, either. It didn't help matters that he didn't like giving up on anyone, and he rather enjoyed it when he was given a challenge; the only question was whether or not Star could handle it. But, then again, that was where Card came in to the picture, after all. Facing Star once more, the taller man flinched, nerves on edge. Card found it almost comical, considering that his brother didn't make it a habit to be in such a tattered wreck, preferring to give off a sense of confidence instead. "Sure thing," he responded, "I'll help you out. Won't be a problem." Star brightened, "Really?" He didn't need clarification on the subject, giving the shorter sibling a hug as a thank-you. Word Count: 1,171
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