estoria | this is an afterschool story ( closed )

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this is an afterschool story ( closed )

Who: Elle

foodcritic, Heung Soo

changeably
When: IC 11/19, late afternoon
Where: Around the shopping and residential districts.
What: Making friendlies with people she hasn't seen in a few weeks!
Rating/Warning: rated c for cute.

( for heung soo/unathletic; )

[ceres academy is a bit of a ways from the shopping district, especially for an eight year old. and especially for an eight year old who should probably be going straight back to ludger's apartment afterwards. but knowing he'd probably be at work at that time, and also knowing she's hungry for a bit of a snack?

well, maybe it wasn't always the best thing that elle had learned how to ride the trains pretty well back in elympios. besides, if she just went there really quick and came back, nobody would know, right? right? everything is pretty safe when it's not being weird, and she may or may not have taken a few detours out of her own desire to not have to rely on ludger and milla so much. the problem with this is the fact that she can't actually remember where the food stall is that has something she likes.

instead, she finds herself in front of a stall with some pretty unfamiliar food. well, unfamiliar to her at least, and she can't help but scrunch her nose at the very red looking food. food, right? it should be.]

Ick. That looks really spicy... [how do people eat things like that? too spicy! it doesn't smell that spicy, though. it smells kind of sweet, like peppers... but it looks spicy. she should probably stay away, huh? help. please take the small child with no spice tolerance away from the giant vat of tteokbokki...]

( for cynbel/changeably; )

[elle manages to make it back to the residential district undetected and without issue... somehow. maybe it's best not to question these things, or even talk about them for fear of giving ludger, milla, or anyone else she knows from back home a small heart attack. either way, she's quick to head into the apartment she shares with ludger, throw her things down where they go...

and immediately run back out to head to the playground while there's still some light left. going to school all the time is hard! she's still not really used to it since her situation was so different back home, even if that's what the normal kids all did. so losing out of valuable playtime when there's not really anything else for her to do (it's not about saving worlds or helping ludger with jobs to pay off massive amounts of debt at this exact moment), seems silly. why waste it? she's not planning on it, so elle heads to the swings.

...but when she gets there, she spots a small, but familiar face hanging around. right, she was the one who showed him where this place was. now... what was his name again? it was pretty unique, so it doesn't take her long to remember—]

Cynbel! [she calls out, waving an arm at him with a grin. she's in a pretty good mood right now, so her sass levels are a little bit lower than their last encounter. well, for now at least. it's amazing how much can change with the passage of a few weeks and a lot more caring and familiar faces trying to distract her from her problems. they're all but absent right now; if anything, she's excited to have a playmate for a bit.]

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[ Moving through the shopping district has become a lot easier for Heung Soo by now, at least. Through his job he's managed to get to a point where he can navigate it pretty well, walking through it day after day - when nothing weird is going on, at least. But thankfully things seem at least a little quiet for now, so he's gratefully accepting the relative peace and quiet for a few moments.

.. even though it doesn't really help make his job anymore fun. But he doesn't feel like getting in trouble with paying for their apartment, and he doesn't just want to rely on Nam Soon either, so he's just walking there like usually again today.

Until he spots a slightly familiar face among the people around there. Mostly since it's an eight year old face - the eight year old that doesn't share an apartment with him, anyway. That girl from a while back.. she's here alone?

Heung Soo blinks at it, and after a moment he decides to head in her direction. Maybe as a momentary distraction, but of course it's mostly just that the sleeping mother hen inside of him can't just let an eight year old walk around by themselves and stare at tteokbokki and feel okay with it. ]

.. Hey.

[ He at least squats down to be on a more even level with her.. being over six foot is not exactly productive in communicating with literal small children. ]

Are you alone today again, too?

[well, elle isn't exactly expecting company on her little adventure, and while she's not always the most cautious about dealing with strangers, she reels a bit, jumping back when she realizes someone is addressing her.

...but then she actually looks, and she does remember heung soo. she hasn't seen him since the day she got here, but her memory isn't that bad. her expression brightens up as he squats down to her level. considerate, since now she doesn't have to strain her neck to look up at him.]

Oh, it's Golem Guy! [sorry heung soo, that's your nickname now. she means it in the nicest possible way, really. it's easier to remember that than his actual name though, and... well, it's still true. either way, to answer his question, elle's nodding her head, but also bringing her index finger to her lips in a "shh" motion.]

Just me! It's a secret, though.

[The playground is deserted when Cynbel gets there, and he spends the better part of an hour just sitting in a swing, until he hears the crunching of someone's footsteps on the path nearby. He sits up and listens, turning around fully when he hears his name. It's someone he knows, so he puts on a smile, not sure who it is from just the voice.]

Yes?

[Oh, it is someone he knows, even if it's been a while since he's seen her. He stands up, off the swing, and waves back. She was a friendly, but still obviously scared girl when she first arrived, but perhaps now he'll get a better idea of what sort of person she is, now that she's had time to settle.]

Oh, it's Miss Elle. Hello, again!

[ There's a moment where he makes a bit of a Face at the name.. seriously, is that going to be his nickname here. Of all things she had to pick the least flattering part about their last conversation. Sure, she's a little kid and it's just how little kids work and all that, but still.. why him, why this.

Maybe she just forgot his name, let's try that. ]

Park Heung Soo. [ ... ] That's my name.

[ With an "in case you forgot" kind of tone added to it, yes.. but he's not going to press it too much, since it's not really common for people to brighten up when he's around. Well, aside from Nam Soon, but he doesn't count in the "most people" category.

And after a quick, cursory glance around, he notices she really has got to be alone. Did she sneak out by herself? In that case it's definitely better that he keeps an eye on her.. he knows how weird this place is, and how dangerous it can be because of it. Especially for little girls out by themselves, surely. Maybe he can look after her for a bit until she's tired and goes back home.. ]

[a day like this is definitely a much better gauge on who she is compared to before. she's in a good mood, she's neutral about the overall circumstances around her—it's a pretty big and obvious change from the day she met. on that day, she'd been doing her best to swallow her feelings and worries for ludger's sake.

but now a lot more is out in the open, and other friends are around, so while her concerns still exist, she feels okay about keeping them buried until they can get back to their own world. and all of that shows, because she seems much more like an average eight-year old this way, giving cynbel a grin and a wave as she plops on the next swing.]

It's been a while, huh? [things happen so much and so fast that sometimes it's just hard to keep track of people and what they're up to.] I don't think I saw you after I showed you where this place was!

[...and she's still proud of that, yes.]

Okay.

[elle nods and shrugs a little. there's a pretty good chance that even if she remembers his name (she will... probably), that she's never going to call him that. she's more likely to call him dinosaur guy than by his actual name too, but she can't really remember what that thing was actually called either.

golems, though? yeah, she's got this. heung soo's just going to have to deal with this. but hey, at least she's pretty straightforward about it, instead of giving him a host of smartass remarks like his other eight year old friend probably would do. this absolutely counts for something, right?

in any case, elle's going to just tilt her head a little at heung soo as he looking around. it may be a quick enough glance, but it doesn't slip past her. the kid is a little too sharp for her own good sometimes, even if it's for things that aren't necessarily important.] Are you looking for someone?

[After all that happened during their first meeting, he really should have expected this level of pride. It's kind of endearing, when it's at this reasonable sort of level, so he lets her remind him of that little "debt" and nods.]

Indeed, it has been! And much has happened, so I have not had the time to come here and enjoy it properly in between then and now. It's much too nice to simply run through without taking the time to enjoy it, after all.

[He leans against the metal legs of the swing set, letting it take his weight while he looks at where she's sitting. He's as relaxed as ever, but since this is only their second meeting and she did him a favor last time (technically), he tries to remember his manners.]

Have you been well since then, Miss Elle?

[ Yes, Elle is definitely the more mature eight year old here.. he'll take what he can get in that sense.

When she speaks up though, he quickly looks back to her and shakes his head a little. It's not like he's really lying, he wasn't looking for anyone in particular, just seeing if she really was alone.. ]

Just looking.

[ But while he was doing that, he also definitely noticed what she was looking at, and he tilts his head a little in the direction of the food stall. ]

.. were you interested in that? [ Because he's not so sure if that's a great meal for eight year olds who are actual eight year olds. ]

[it's the little things in life that she has to take pride in. she's still just a kid, after all... and with very few people knowing of the bigger acts of pride she's capable of, this is the best she can do—especially when she's putting those things out of her mind.

it's good to hear that cynbel's doing okay. or at least, okay enough that he can still find some time to enjoy himself despite whatever weirdness is usually going on around them. she's largely managed to avoid traumatic experiences, so she's a lot better than she could be.]

Yep, I've been right as rain! He probably doesn't always look like it, but Ludger's really good at taking care of people. [because honestly, he looks like a slightly incompetent twenty year old to plenty. he was basically a NEET up until just before she met him, so it's not really inaccurate.]

["just looking?" just looking at what? geez, heung soo. that's so non-specific that elle just sort of makes a face. a 'well, whatever' type of face before shrugging her shoulders a bit and looking back towards the tteokbokki.]

It's smells good, but... [she scrunches her nose a little. maybe if she had grown up with the high spice levels like the korean kids did, she'd be able to handle it without a problem. but even the tales classic mabo curry is served to her in an ultra-mild, "elle-style," so she's got virtually no tolerance for it.] It looks like it's pretty spicy. Even if it doesn't smell like it, I'm just that good. I can tell.

[a sixth sense for knowing she shouldn't eat that at all.]

[ At least she got that one spot on.. maybe she does have more survival skills - if you can even call them that.. - than he initially thought, and he gives a small nod. ]

It is. [ Thankfully you ran into an actually good guy and not someone who's just going to make you eat spicy food just for the funny reaction, Elle.. Heung Soo isn't as ~~golem-y~~ scary as he seems, honestly. Not by a long shot. ] If you're hungry, it's better to find something else to eat. It's probably too spicy for you.

[ She doesn't look like someone who grew up with Korean cuisine, anyway. ]

[did the distinct lack of any korean features give that one away, heung soo?]

Hmm... I wonder what I should eat. [that is why she came, after all. she just wants a little snack before she goes back to the apartment! so elle folds her arms over her chest, tilting her head and pursing her lips as she considers this.

and after a second, she'll make eye contact with heung soo again. maybe she just got an idea.] If you were gonna get a snack, what would you get?

[that isn't spicy, obviously. but she's not going to say that and assume that heung soo is not that dumb. isn't that nice of her?]

[ Don't worry, it's true that he's not that dumb. Especially not when it comes to caring for others - despite her asking what he would get if he'd want a snack, he's sitting here and thinking what would be best for her. Something hot, maybe, since it's getting a little bit cold already now winter is getting closer.. and then something definitely not spicy. Maybe sweet? Kids like that, right?

Sounds like the best plan. ]

Maybe some hotteok. [ If there's a stand with tteokbokki, then there's got to be that somewhere around here too, right?

He glances at Elle. ]

You want something nice and warm, right?

[He smiles, please that she's been well, but it's replaced with a look of slight confusion relatively quickly.]

Ludger?

[His ears twitch at the sound of the name, but he doesn't recognize it. He frowns in thought, trying to remember, but he's fairly sure he's never met the guy. He'll just have to take a guess.]

Is that the name of the one who is caring for you, then?

[It must be, or else she's made other friends. And since there are so few actual children, or even child-looking people, around, it must be an adult.]

Yeah... something like that sounds good.

[warm, maybe sweet. his suggestion mostly sounds right up her alley. well... except for one thing.

the fact that she has absolutely no idea what hotteok actually is. she folds her arms over her chest, tilting her head and looking at heung soo, confusion clearly present on her face.]

What's "hoe-tuck," though? [it sounds like something you use on a farm. never mind the fact that she's pronouncing it kind of wrong since she's trying to imitate the sounds he uses.]

Yep, Ludger's my partner!

[she offers a wide grin at that. there are a lot of things that are complicated about her situation with ludger—in nearly every way imaginable. that had even been a big reason for her melancholic state the first time the two of them had met. but right now, none of that is present in her expression.

for a kid, elle can be pretty good at biting back her negative feelings, especially for the sake of the greater good. she understands that it's something she needs to do right now, so without complaint, she lets it be. having had a few weeks to come to terms with the current situation helps. and honestly? well, she cares about ludger a lot, so she's really happy in her way to be able to spend time with him again.

so of course there's something genuinely happy about that proclamation. they are partners, after all. even if it's hard to explain how that works.]

We're a team.

[ Okay, there's something oddly adorable about her mispronouncing it like that.. not that he blames her, since she isn't Korean in the slightest. He's more patient than what he seems like, so at least he doesn't mind explaining. ]

It's.. dough on the outside, but then there's something sweet in it. Like honey or brown sugar. [ At least that should be familiar to her, he's sure. Otherwise she'll just have to try and see, not like it could hurt. ] And since you eat them while they're hot, they're good for warming you up.

[ You know, without moving up on the Korean Spicy Scale of Spicy. You don't want to go there, Elle. ]

Oh...

[she's taking a second to consider this—not that it takes very long at all. elle's eyes light up. she may not know how to say it, but she'll definitely be able to eat something like that.] That sounds good!

[ a small nod. ]

Then let's get some. [ And yes, he's paying.. since he's not even sure if she came out here with money to begin with, so whatever, he'll be the proper oppa here if he has to be.

Which means that he's standing up again now so they can get moving, although after noticing just how many people are out here in the shopping district today, Heung Soo glances down at her. ]

You can follow me without getting lost, right? [ Being responsible does not involve losing small children in big crowds and abandoning them again, he knows... ]

[wow, even if he's kind of scary, that's a pretty good oppa...

not that she knows what an oppa is, she's going to have to learn all of these things. either way, once he's standing and asks that question, elle will just casually fold her arms over her chest and give heung soo a bit on an incredulous look.]

I'm a kid, but I'm not dumb, you know. I got here by myself too! This is nothing compared to other places I've been. [she's a tiny adventurer who has seen many alternate universes. going through this one area with a single other person is a cakewalk.]

[Partners? Cynbel takes a second to process that, trying to fit it into his experiences, somehow. Romantic partners are right out, since this is an adult, which leaves... Work, perhaps? That seems to be the simplest explanation, and it makes sense that they work together, if Ludger is caring for her.]

I take it you know one another from your home world, then?

[That's just his guess, and it doesn't matter much, since Elle seems genuinely happy to have him around. He smiles again for her.]

To have a friend from home here with you sounds like a lovely thing, so I am pleased for you.

Edited 2015-03-07 00:39 (UTC)

[ Wow, this actual small child is more independant than his usual small child.

Go figure, really.

He at least doesn't want to discredit her entirely, even if he's still doubting that claim a little bit.. sure, there might be a lot of people around who look like they belong in some sort of videogame, but surely the same can't count for the little kid, right? Even if she knows about golems or whatever, she probably still isn't too used to direct danger.

So instead he gives a small "if you say so" kind of nod before he starts walking. ]

Come on then.

[ At least he's tall, so unlike her he can look out over the crowds to see if he can spot a stall with some. Although he's definitely glancing back at her to make sure she's still able to keep up, sssh. ]

Mm! Ludger and I have known each other for a while now. It's pretty convenient, huh? He was here already when I got here... I didn't even have to go looking. Some other people we know are around now too.

[she seems wholly pleased with this--even if there are a few issues that it definitely raises, they're not the sorts of things elle is going to bring up, especially not right now. she can't even do that with people she knows better than cynbel.

she may be a kid, but she still understands the weight of the burdens she carries. it's easier for her to just keep them entirely to herself whenever possible. still, even though she may know that much, she does still lack certain types of tact and awareness. it doesn't really occur to her immediately that talking about people from home may make him feel upset or lonely; maybe it's because he doesn't seem bothered by it at all. still, there are things to be asked.

she's not totally inconsiderate, after all.] What about you, Cynbel? Have you met anyone you know from home here?

[wow, rude. excuse you, heung soo. how many people have you seen brutally slaughtered in front of you? how much mass genocide via completely destroying dimensions have you been tangentially part of?and how many times have you crossed a dimension by yourself? yeah, that's what i thought!!

elle may be a little bit on the huffy side, because she does kind of feel like he's not taking her very seriously. even if she gets that grownups don't always believe kids, it's still rude to her to shrug it off that way. but she's not in much of a position to argue right now despite that, so she huffs a little, pouting... but still following his lead.]

My legs aren't super long like yours, but I'm not gonna get lost. Even if we got separated, you're pretty hard to miss.

Oh, that does sound terribly convenient! Perhaps whichever person that brought the both of you here brought him first, to make it simpler.

[Ouch. It just like young kids to have the grace and lack of tact to ask that sort of question and not realize the damage it can do, but Cynbel takes the little hit in stride. He doesn't look immediately upset by the question, at least, even if he's now missing his family back home significantly more than he was five seconds ago.]

But unfortunately, Miss Elle, I'm the only representative from my home here, as far as I'm aware! I'm afraid I'm all on my own, but I manage well enough, so I don't mind!

[He grins, wide and cheerful-looking, but he doesn't mean for it to go that large. It ends up letting his sharp, needle-like teeth show, and that doesn't help his image at all.]

[ Okay, but has Elle faced the true horrors of high school. Nothing is worse than that...

Also, why is everyone always so ungrateful about his motherhenning.. at least outwardly, anyway. He puts in so much effort and look what he gets back. It's a good thing that Heung Soo would truly and fully feel too bad about abandoning a little kid, even by accident. ]

Since I'm like a Golem? [ Dryly.... ]

[heung soo pls, an eight year old seeing bloody murderdeath and genocide is way worse get over yourself! just because your stupid bastard boyfriend manages to make high school problems colossal doesn't mean it's really The Worst. okay!!!

still, she's not totally unappreciative of the motherhenning. she's used to it more than she can really put into words. everyone does this to her, even when they respect her boundaries. she gets it: she's a kid. but that doesn't make it any less annoying. but hey, if heung soo is gonna bring the golem thing up again her response will come with a knowing smile.

at least she doesn't stay too huffy for long, right?] Yep! If you were any taller, you'd probably be a tree, or a skyscraper or something like that.

Oh...

[elle doesn't seem too bothered by the show of teeth, maybe because she already knows that cynbel is a nice person—fairy, whatever—so even if it can look kind of scary, she remains unfazed. if anything, her expression is falling a bit from that belatedly. elle may not have necessarily picked up on what she initially had asked being inconsiderate, but hearing cynbel say that he's alone here makes her realize it a bit more.

he must be kind of lonely then, right? to not have anyone from home when she's got ludger, milla, jude, and leia seems kind of unfair.]

I wonder how they pick those things...[she muses aloud almost idly, looking upwards at the sky while she considers it. how can some people have to be here and go through this alone while others get all their friends and family?] Those CERES guys seem like real jerks about it.

[ There we go, at least that seems to make her less huffy. He totally has parental skills, okay.. even if in this case they're more just Give In To Huffy Children To Make Them Less Huffy.

It's one he's honed through interactions with his dumb five year old bastard boyfriend. ]

Glad to see you can keep the comparisons coming.

[ HE DOESN'T ACTUALLY SOUND GLAD. More just.. slightly.. sarcastic but not fully rude since there's some slight indulging in it.. but only slight. It's hard being a motherhen and no one understands. How does he always end up caring for the little kids, seriously. ]

I'm just calling it like I see it. You can handle the truth, right?

[she really does have so much sass for an eight year old. but she doesn't mean any harm by it—he's just really tall and scary looking, okay! they're defining traits that make him stand out in the crowd.

it's not a bad thing, but she's like 4'3", she needs these things.]

[ He's had worse comparisons, so don't worry. There's no way a little kid calling him a golem is going to hurt then - it's more on level with the teasing he's used to than with the real insulting. Especially since even though she's being a little sassy, she does sound somewhat genuine about it.

So he'll bear it. Whatever. Putting up with little kids somehow turned into his speciality. In.. a way, anyway. ]

Yeah.

[ He sounds pretty genuine about that too. ]

But if I'm a golem, then what are you? [ Since she's so tiny... Especially next to him of all people. ]

Me? Hm...

[this is something she has to think about. if this guy is a golem, then what is she?]

A rappig? No... Maybe a bunniekins? No, not that either... [she mutters that quietylu to herself, under her breath while she considers her options for "what is really cute and small?" and then like a light bulb over her head, she's got this one.]

I'm Elle!

[ .. are those her world's versions of pigs and rabbits.. it does sound like it, huh. Makes sense why a little girl like her would consider those first - especially a rabbit, considering her hairstyle and all. If those ponytails were pointing up, he'd see it.. ]

You get to stay yourself?

[ Not like he really cares about the unfair factor in all of this, but it's something good to focus on as they walk, if not just to keep her occupied. ]

Aigoo.. isn't that cheating.

It can't be helped. There's nothing out there that's quite like me!

[she is a unique and special snowflake with a very particular purpose in life, okay. deal with it, heung soo! some people are just gifted that way.]

[ Some people are just anime that way, more like. Or jrpg, in Elle's case.. ]

Don't go around saying that about yourself while comparing other people to monsters. [ It doesn't sound like true scolding though. Heung Soo makes it pretty clear when something annoys him, and this doesn't seem to be on that sort of scale at all, judging by his tone. ]

.. you're a bunniekins. I've decided.

[ Okay, maybe he's even slightly teasing her now, but.. in his own sort of way. Which means that it all still sounds sort of flat. ]

[well, she can at least tell the difference between being legitimately scolded and whatever this is. heung soo really isn't all that scary and intimidating to her because he kind of acts like gaius in some ways.

even though gaius can be way more intimidating being a powerful king and all, but he's usually pretty serious and even-keel, has a somewhat strange sense of humor when it shows itself, and is nice despite how scary he can be.

but hey, that's not even important when elle has a reason to sass him.]

Do you even know what a bunniekins is?

[ He's not going to let her walk all over him twice in a row, okay!!

Probably not. Maybe. He's going to try, anyway, since he'll just look pathetic if he can't even out-sass a little kid even though he's a kdrama.. ]

They have long ears and hop around. [ If they're anything like rabbits, anyway.. he's bluffing so hard over here. ] And they're pretty cute.

[ The only reason he can say that so easily is since it's for the purpose of sassing her, honestly.. it's sort of amusing and oddly endearing in a way he'll never admit. ]

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this is an afterschool story ( closed )

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don't judge me unni i know nothing about korean food the way you do....

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it's okay, i'll be your korean food sunbae

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sunbae... please be gentle with me

i'm always gentle with you!!!

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