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 Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2020 8:34 pm
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Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2020 9:12 pm
 Koray was finally safe... After all that running, and the feeling of rocks being thrown at his back, he finally found somewhere he could rest. It wasn’t anywhere clean; an abandoned back alley that had a small opened door that he could crawl into was the best he could do in such a short notice, especially when he couldn’t see all that well through eyes clouded with tears. “It’s okay... It’s okay....” He softly whispered to himself, pulling the bag that was on his side to his front, and rummaging around it. Ilkay always told him it was best to be prepared for the worst, especially when the worst liked to happen to them a lot. The world was much kinder now than when his Ma, Papa, and Dad were younger, but sometimes, the hate could run deeper than the years could wash away. And those who held hate in their hearts taught it to their children, creating an elitist mindset against those with mixed blood. But like Ilkay said, you can’t always change people, but you can protect yourself. Koray was still working on the protecting part, but he could run. And bullies eventually tired themselves out and left him alone, especially when he could hide as well as he did! ... Now it was time to patch himself up. From his bag he pulled out some clean water, healing salve, and bandages, slowly, but surely fixing his broken skin and cleaning up blood off where he could reach. It was then, when he finally began to sob. None of it made sense to him. He just wanted to go to the festival! Maybe he should have waited at his home for Ilkay or his parents to come back, but everyone was having so much fun with themselves, and he was plenty old enough to go on his own. The festival had been advertised for weeks! Food, games, lots of music and dancing. What was wrong with wanting to have fun? Koray didn’t know. Now he was here, lost, curled up in a dark, bleeding and sobbing as he tied off bandage after bandage. More than anything, Koray didn’t want to be alone. He missed Ilkay... And he missed the new big-sis he made.. His mom, his dads... He missed them all dearly, and the thought of being lost here, alone, only caused him to sob harder. Hopefully, when he calmed down, he could somehow make it somewhere safe and wait for them to come find him. But what if the bullies were still there? What if this time, they tossed him into the ocean like they swore they would? He didn’t know... For the first time in a long, long while, he closed his eyes and wished with every bit of his heart, for someone kind to find him. Koray would give anything he had to be safe once again.
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Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2020 11:37 pm
Oduin had never been to Oba before, nor had he been this close to the sea. Jatine was an overload of new stimuli to his senses. The sheer number of people was astounding. They were everywhere, and so close to each other, jostling back and forth. Sounds were everywhere. The briny smell of the ocean hung in the air. And the colors! Oduin was amazed and impressed, and with every step, he felt more assured in his decision to leave Sauti - at least for now. That rocky, windy wasteland could barely support a medium-sized settlement, and he'd spent his whole life moving about anyway. Roots were a thing that he had never set down, and he was glad. When there was this much wonderful chaos out there, why would he not take advantage of it?! The young swordsman had been in town for a couple of days, having been directed here as a spot with lots of employment opportunities. He'd spent most of the first two days exploring, walking through the winding streets and alleyways with wonder, trying to learn this place, with all its intricacies. The part of town where the nobles lived was likely where he wanted to look for jobs, but the second nearer the ocean had captured his heart and imagination. There was so much life here. It was amazing. He walked through the streets with his sword sheathed on his back and a pair of handaxes hanging at his waist, always prepared, just in case. Oduin had just turned down a new alley when he caught the sound of... sobbing? A small frown knitted his thick eyebrows as he moved to follow the sound, hoping it wasn't a small, abandoned child. Stuff like that happened in the city sometimes, right? "Hello...?" he said gently, his voice ringing out down the alleyway as he peered into boarded up windows and old doorways in search of the the crying one. "Is everything alright?"
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Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2020 5:48 am
Koray nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard that voice call out in the darkness. He held his breath, covering his mouth in hopes to stifle the sounds coming out as he cried. While it didn't sound like one of the people who chased him in here, it was still a stranger's voice! Papa told him never to simply trust anyone just because they asked how he was doing. People sometimes had bad intentions. And even if he had just wished for someone to come help him, he never thought it would actually happen! His little heart couldn't take the sudden surprise! "I-I'm okay..." Koray called out from his little hiding spot, voice cracking thanks to the only recently stopped crying. "I... I just fell... You don't have to worry about me, thank you..." Lying certainly wasn't a strong suit of his, but that's all strangers needed, right? They'd go about their business, and leave him alone, and maybe that would mean the bullies wouldn't find him again.
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Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2020 6:06 am
Oduin was glad to hear a response. Crying alone was generally pretty miserable. He followed the timid little voice down the alley, until he found the boy huddled behind an old, rotting door. His face was tear-streaked, and he was patched up here and there with some shakily-done bandaging. Poor kid. Oduin crouched down, balancing on the balls of his feet, with his forearms resting on his knees. "There you are!" he said. When he smiled, he seemed to manage to do so with his entire face. The motion crinkled the corners of his eyes and there was a warmth to his gaze. Not concerned at all, just happy to see Koray, as if he'd found him after a good deal of searching. He peered into the doorway, arching his brow as he scanned about with a low whistle. "This is some hideout you found, huh?" he said, massaging his trimmed beard in thought as he took it all in.
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Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2020 6:35 am
After having told the man he was fine, Koray had no intention of saying anything else. It was easier to just curl up there and hope that the man would leave him be, and eventually his family would find him. Sadly, it was not to be. Somehow, that man found him and he didn't make any move to get away. If... If he really wanted to beat him, Koray new he wouldn't be able to fight back. But he didn't hurt him. He smiled, and... Koray felt his heart throb just a little bit. "... Sir, I said I was okay... You can go, I'm sorry my crying bothered you.."
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Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2020 8:10 am
Oduin reached up to push his hair up and back out of his face. He'd remained adamant the whole time he'd grown it out - it stayed loose, unless he was working out or training. Which happened to be a significant amount of time in his life, but he quite enjoyed the feel of letting the hair do its own thing. He returned the arm so it could rest on his knee again. "Here's the thing, see," he said cheerfully, perhaps hoping that sheer force of positivity would help banish the boy's tears. It usually worked when his own little brother was down in the dumps. "I'm a bit lost, and I was hoping someone might help me." He tried to peer at the cuts on the poor boy's skin without seeming too obvious about it. Those certainly weren't injuries from a simple fall, so it seemed likely that he'd been chased into this alleyway. "I went to ask a group of Oban kids the way, but when they saw the sword, well... they ran off, and now there's no kids out there at all," he said. "You might be my last hope. Would you mind terribly?"
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Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2020 8:42 am
"... You're lost?" Koray tilted his head, a little confused himself. Why would someone lost ask someone crying for help? It didn't really make sense at all... But his Papa did say he should do his best to help people, so he simply nodded at it. "... I don't think I can help you. I'm lost too... If.. If it were the same group of Oban kids as the ones I saw, then I'm sorry... Maybe you can ask an adult to help. I think the festival is somewhere nearby."
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Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2020 9:05 am
"I think everyone's at the festival," Oduin said, picking up on it right away. It hadn't necessarily been his planned destination, but he knew an opportunity to pivot when he saw one. "That's where I was trying to go too. I wouldn't mind some help finding it. Festivals are always more fun when you can go with people, right?" He held out a hand, palm up, and extended it toward Koray. "Listen, if I help you get up on your feet, would you help me find the festival?" He smiled again, warm and comforting as he held out the proffered hand and waited for a response. "It's got to be a little bit more festive than this alleyway, right? It'll be a fun time - they promised it in the ads."
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Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2020 5:01 pm
“If everyone’s at the festival, then those kids would be there too...?” That was even more reason not to go back out there. Everything started when he tried to go to the festival in the first place. That hand was inviting though and he had been desperately wishing not to be alone.. And the more this man spoke, the more he still really wanted to go with him. Just because some people were jerks, didn’t mean he should hide away. Ilkay told him the very same thing before. “... How are you gonna help me?” Koray asked softly, putting his hand gently on top of the strangers, but making no move to leave his spot in the dust and debris. It was warm, and rough... Comforting and familiar in a way. The hand of someone who knew how to fight. “... Having me around wouldn’t be very fun if I was found by them again...”
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Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2020 5:28 pm
"You ready?" Oduin asked, giving Koray's hand a gentle pull to make sure there was some resistance on the boy's end. Then he stood, pulling Koray up as he went. The boy was so light compared to Oduin that he came up easily, almost as if he was weightless and gravity had stopped holding him down just for a moment before he alighted on his feet. Oduin went to steady him by the shoulders, bending just a bit to peer into Koray's face, searching it for cuts and bruises. "Well, you look none the worse for wear, after that fall you took," he said, smiling gently as he stood up straight again. Koray's own words were basically an admission that he hadn't actually fallen, but had been beaten by those kids, but Oduin let that pass in unspoken understanding. "Those can hurt, but you've done a real good job of patching yourself up." Then he laughed, the type of laugh that starts deep inside and manages to ring out with joy, and gestured to the sword strapped to his back. "I guess you'd better stick with me, then," he suggested. "Besides, those little idiots are going to be too busy having fun to pay attention, so you might as well enjoy yourself too."
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Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2020 5:52 pm
Koray nearly went flying when Oduin pulled him up. Was he truly so light? In that brief moment of near weightlessness, he got a good glimpse at Oduin’s kind, gentle eyes, and again, his heart throbbed. A soft gasp left his lips, and when he was finally set down, his face clearly flushed red. Why would a stranger treat him so nicely? Why would anyone who didn’t know his family, or Ilkay, or one of Ilkay’s friends go out of their way to help him? He had no idea at all, but against any better judgement, once he heard that sweet, deep laugh of his, Koray’s body moved on it’s own. Thin, frail arms hugged Oduin, tight, and a final, shaking breath was released, as he finally brought himself down from that panicked, frightened state he was in. “Thank you... I-I’m ready... And.. Um... What’s your name? I’m Koray, and I really, really want to thank you for helping me... You’re very kind, sir..”
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Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2020 6:13 pm
"You're very welcome, Koray," he said, seeming unfazed by the sudden hug. He returned it, wrapping his own muscular arms around the boy and giving his shoulders a squeeze. "My name's Oduin. I just figure, you never leave someone upset and alone in an alley, you know? We don't do that where I'm from. Of course, we don't have alleys where I'm from..." He chuckled and released Koray from the hug. The poor kid still seemed like he was only barely recovered from his harrowing experience, but he was standing and talking, which seemed like a two very good signs. Oduin had no doubts that even if the bullies were to run into them, they'd know well enough to stay away, so there was only one thing left to do. "Shall we go find this festival, then?" Although he hadn't been outright lying before - he did not, in fact, know where exactly this shindig was happening - he did happen to have a well-honed sense of direction after his semi-nomadic childhood in Sauti, and his intuition for where things like a massive mid-season party might be tended to be pretty good.
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Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2020 6:31 pm
This was wonderful. Such a pleasant hug easily pushed away the thoughts of being hit with rocks and shoved around right out of his mind, and he felt another soft gasp catch in his throat. “I-I see... I.. I mean.. Um.. You’re from Sauti, right? N-not to assume anything!” People could come from all over, but the Wind tribe was primarily from there. Was that assuming? It seemed like it... Had he ruined his friendship with this stranger already? The new panic was beginning to settle in again, but he was quickly distracted again by the offer to go to the festival. “... Sure. we can go. My brother says you can follow the sounds of music and the smells to get to the festival. It has a lot of really good food, so it can waft out for a long time.” As if it were a habit, and in a way it was, Koray easily slipped his hand into Oduin’s, finding the size difference between them comforting and reassuring. No one would attack him with a big man like this by his side, and that thought made it easier to smile. “I’m sure my family will be somewhere around there too.”
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Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2020 6:57 pm
He might have been a little surprised to find Koray gripping his hand, but the kid seemed to need all the reassurance he could get, so Oduin went with it with an easy smile. "Perfect," he said, glancing about him at the way the streets wound and the way the houses kind of changed from one end of the road to the next, and he pointed in a direction that he suspected might be where the festival could be. "That way, maybe?" As they walked, he nodded, returning to Koray's earlier question. "I am from Sauti, yea. No cities to speak of there, just lots of open land and little settlements. There's not a lot of people in Sauti. But then, I think, that makes it easier to know the ones who are there," he said. "What about you?"
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