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 Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 3:45 am
Gaunt nodded slowly as he passed Prince over. Prince was still upset and seeming to be in some pain, but there didn't seem to be physically hurt badly. His shoulders were bruising where the impact was the hardest, but they weren't dislocated or anything. Perhaps the shock that it happened made it feel worse than it really was.
It just didn't feel right to Gaunt, either, to leave Ian alone. Sure, he was the root of this problem, but it also wasn't right to just alienate him. He smiles to Ian - as warmly as he could manage, given the situation - and opened his arms to the surprise as he crouched to try to be at his level. "Come here."
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Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 12:28 pm
Serenity gathered the Prince into her arms and held him like an infant in the crook of her arm, and with her other hand she began to gently rub his shoulders.
"There," she murmured soothingly, smiling warmly at the small boy. "No damage ... you're going to be all right."
His jacket made it difficult to see if there was any bruising, but even if there was, there was nothing that could be done about it. She continued to rub his shoulders carefully, trying to soothe away the pain.
Ian sniffled and rubbed his toe in the dirt. He couldn't bring himself to look at Gaunt, not after he had just injured his son.
"I didn't mean to hurt him," he mumbled miserably, wiping tears from his eyes. "I just was trying to get to the top ..." All he had wanted was a bit of extra leverage, he hadn't meant to push off so hard.
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Elnara Aldrich Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 1:58 pm
Gaunt nods slowly as he sits down on the grass near Ian, reaching out to get his arm around the little guy, tugging him close against his side. "I know, Ian. I know. You didn't mean to hurt him. And inside, I think Prince knows it too. He's just upset because it hurt. After the hurt is gone, I'm sure everything will be back to normal. Okay?" Prince was young, and the young were often quick to forget who wronged them, as long as it wasn't a repetitive thing.
Prince sniffled softly as he was cradled in Serenity's comforting hold. He turned toward her a little as he was rubbed and he nodded slowly, muttering softly. "O.. okay.. Serenity.." Now that the heat of the moment was cooling, he was starting to regret his outburst. But so far he really wasn't willing to admit his own wrong. At least not until he was satisfied, in his childish way, of how sorry Ian was.
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Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 2:07 pm
Serenity smiled and kept rubbing the Prince's shoulders. If he was as new as Gaunt had said, then it was probably the first time he had gotten hurt playing with someone else ... that said, it was also Ian's first time ever playing with anyone else, and she suspected that he was going to be feeling very awful at the moment. She turned to look and see how he was doing, and she smiled with relief when she saw Gaunt trying to comfort him.
Ian turned his face to Gaunt's side and wiped his tears on his shirt.
"You're sure?" he asked with a sniffle. "He's not gonna hate me?"
He didn't want to be called names either, but he was willing to admit that he deserved it. He just didn't want his only friend not to like him anymore - that would have been more than he could handle.
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Elnara Aldrich Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 2:17 pm
Gaunt nodded as he softly patted Ian on the top of her sleeping-cap-covered-head. "Mmhmm. I'm sure he's not going to hate you. I'm sure he just yelled at you because he was hurt and he didn't know what to do." He smiles as he keeps comforting the small boy, not minding the wet spots on his shirt now that he was being used as a handkerchief. Meanwhile, the Prince just stayed in Serenity's comforting embrace. It was warm, and soft. Real nice place to hang out for a while as he cooled down from his flash-in-the-pan anger outburst.
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Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 2:23 pm
Ian sniffled and nodded, holding his hands up to Gaunt to be picked up. He was used to being comforted like Prince was at the moment, and he needed something to really make him feel better ... since it didn't seem like Prince was going to be talking to him any time soon.
Serenity smiled down at Prince. She was so tempted to hug him ... just as she would Ian, if it had been him in her arms and not Prince. But Prince wasn't her son, and it would have been a little awkward, to say the least.
"What do you say?" she murmured quietly. "Shall we go over and see if he'll apologize? And then keep playing?"
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Elnara Aldrich Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 2:45 pm
Gaunt smiles as he comforts Ian, lifting him up in his arms and gently holding him against his chest. Not so much that he was suffocating the boy, but trying to be a comfort. He, himself, didn't see any harm in this. He and Serenity were the responsible parties, and they were obviously looking out for both each other and their Surprises. Of course, that was the male way of thinking; there was a task to be done, and it was being done. Mission accomplished.
Prince nodded slowly and he shifted in Serenity's arms to look over toward Ian and Gaunt. If it was okay.. then.. maybe.. "Oh.. okay.. y.. yeah.." He wasn't in a hurry to get down unless Serenity put him down, though. He took a slow breath and he called out. "H.. Hey! Ian! D.. do you want to go play on the other slide?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 4:45 pm
Serenity smiled warmly, and seeing Gaunt giving Ian a hug, decided that it would be all right if she did the same. She squeezed Prince lightly.
"See?" she murmured proudly. "You're fine." And she headed over towards Gaunt so that the boys could be near each other while they made up.
Ian pressed his face against Gaunt's chest, feeling better already - though still not all the way better. He still felt bad for having hurt Prince in the first place.
But when the Prince asked if he wanted to go on the other slide, he looked over at his friend, eyes wide in amazement. "You ... you're not still mad at me?" he asked, hardly daring to believe it. He wiped the last of the tears from his eyes and smiled, nodding eagerly. "Yeah I want to play with you!"
He bit his lip and lowered his eyes suddenly. "And I'm really ... really really sorry I hurt you," he murmured, "I really didn't mean to ..."
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Elnara Aldrich Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 5:14 pm
Gaunt nods and he slowly puts Ian on the ground. "Alright, you two. You run off and have fun now, and remember to be careful, okay?" He smiles softly as he watches the two.
Prince nodded and he looked up at looked up at Serenity. "S.. Serenity? Can you put me down please?" And, assuming she did, he runs over to Ian and gives him a big hug. He smiles a little through happy tears and he nods a bit. "It.. it didn't hurt that much, Ian. I guess I was surprised that you did it and I got too angry. I'm sorry for getting so angry at you, Ian!" He gives the little fellow Surprise another tight hug.
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Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 5:22 pm
Serenity put Prince down obediently and smiled, watching the two of them.
"I wish all troubles could be solved so easily," she murmured softly, smiling at Gaunt. "I wish people would keep the same mindsets that they had as children, when they grow up. The world would have so many fewer problems."
Ian hugged Prince just as tightly. "I'll be very careful from now on!" he promised, squeezing his friend with all of his strength (which wasn't much at all). "I'll try never hurt you ever again!"
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Elnara Aldrich Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 5:32 pm
Gaunt nods as he stands next to Serenity again and he chuckles softly. "I know what you mean. But when people grow up, they become increasingly aware of their own interests, and increasingly competitive to see that those interests stand on top of everyone else's. It's a shame to watch it come to that, but that seems to be simply human nature, for the most part." It could even be argued that people who bow to everyone else's interest are just trying to play a game where they're trying to get someone else to champion theirs.
Prince nodded and he took Ian's hand after the make-up hugging was over and ran with him over to the corkscrew slide. It was just as tall as the other one, but since it curled up on itself, there was a lot more sliding to be done. Once they made it to the top, Prince sat down and motioned for Ian to do the same. "Lets do it together, Kay~?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 5:56 pm
Serenity had to think about that for a moment. In a way, she agreed with him ... but in another way, she didn't.
"Not everyone is like that," she shook her head. "I mean, of course it depends on the situation ... but ... there are some people who would gladly step back and let others take their place ... husbands and wives, for instance, or lovers, or boyfriends and girlfriends ... but even outside relationships like that, good friends, or sometimes just people who are humble."
And some people just didn't like arguing with others.
Ian ran after Prince happily and climbed the other slide with him. But by this time, he was getting a little tired - all that running around, laughing, dizziness, running up the slide, and then the accident ... the weak little Second was running out of steam, and when Prince made it to the top of the slide, he was still quite a ways behind him.
"Okay," he agreed, smiling through gasps for breath. "Just ... gotta wait for me then, okay?"
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Elnara Aldrich Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 6:11 pm
He smiles softly and he shrugs. "I might be getting jaded, Serenity, so forgive me on this. But even then it's not all the time. At least, not here, nowhere close. To some people, marriage is just something you do. Or there's a point in time where someone lose social status if they're single, so they gotta get married to avoid the shame. Or being in a serious relationship is just a way to get what they want, or a way to control someone else. I wish I could believe all husbands, wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, and close friends were willing to back each other up unquestioningly, but I guess I just don't see it playing out that way."
Prince blinked when he noticed Ian was tuckering out. He looked concerned and he peered toward the edge of the ladder to look down without being in the way. "Are you okay, Ian? Do you think we need to take a break after we finish going down the slide?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 6:20 pm
Serenity lowered her eyes sadly. "I think it's awful," she murmured. "That people could be like that, I mean. Mama and Papa only married a few months ago, but ... they would die for each other. To think that people would ... pair up just for a social status, or ... or anything other than the purest love for that person ..."
She shook her head. "Every marriage should be like Mama and Papa's. Based on love. Without it, what's the point? It can't bring anyone happiness otherwise. They're better off alone. And if they have children ... what are the children going to learn? To do what they need to get what they want? It's a horrible way to live."
Ian paused, arms draped over one of the steps, and nodded up at Prince, wheezing slightly. "I think," he panted, "I might need ... a little nap ..."
He took a few deep breaths, then forced himself onward, until at last he sat beside Prince at the top of the slide.
"Just ... let me catch my breath," he smiled at his friend, "and ... and then we can go ... down, okay?"
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Elnara Aldrich Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 6:31 pm
He shrugs and he smiles warmly at her. "It is awful. And I wish there was something that could happen to make people change the way they think. But I think along the same way that you and your mom and dad do. I want my girlfriend, when I get one, and eventually my wife to mean the world and then some to me. And I think what you just said is part of the reason why this world is in a sorry state. By-and-large, people just look out for themselves. So they end up teaching their children that themselves are all that they can depend on. So the cycle goes on and on."
Prince nods and reaches down to try to help Ian up, giving him a concerned look and a soft smile. "Alright, Ian. We can take a break after this. And we got all that food to eat! Gaunt brought some stuff too to go along with your mom brought, so we have a big meal ahead of us! And maybe then we can all nap in the sun!"
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