-Overflow- for 016 | The Good Old Days

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone!
What: Ageswapping
When: July 15-17
Where: Everywhere
Summary: A breach in the space-time continuum is messing things up.

Continuing from HERE!

Comments

> Carl

[reformedsinner]

(( from here ))

[That rumble was audible even this far away from the boy. Gonou smiles at him cheerfully. He's not so bad! Shy, but not rude, and not trying to steal anything. And not nearly so grubby as some of the kids who've wandered in.]

Would you like something to eat? I've made extra.

[inatimepast]

[ Carl has manners, and it’s best to be polite to strangers as far as he knows. It gives them less reason to turn dangerous.

This with his stomach being so loud is embarrassing though, and the blush on his face isn’t going away any time soon. He bits his lip as he hesitates. But after a while, he nods. ]

Th-that would be nice. Thank you.

[reformedsinner]

[Well, the boy's trying to have good manners, anyway. That's nearly a first among all the children he's run into today. Smiling, Gonou waves him towards the sink.]

Wash your hands and I'll make a plate. I think the rice is almost done.

[He grabs a towel as a makeshift hot pad and pulls the broiled fish out of the oven before turning to get a plate down for the boy.] What's your name? I'm Cho Gonou.

[inatimepast]

[ He carefully makes his way toward the sink, without getting too close to Gonou. ]

….Carl Adler.

[reformedsinner]

It's a pleasure to meet you, Carl.

[He keeps his tone briskly cheerful, and his attention focused on arranging a bed of rice and a broiled fish next to it. A spoonful of spinach with sesame finishes off the plate, and he rummages for chopsticks before pausing and glancing at the boy.

Blond hair, named Carl....]

Would you like a fork and spoon, or chopsticks?

[inatimepast]

Ah, um, likewise… [ He supposes.

And that smells and looks delicious, which does nothing to stop his stomach from making loud noises. ]

I… I’m good with either or.

[reformedsinner]

[Fork and spoon it is. Gonou sets the plate and utensils in front of him, smiling cheerfully.]

Here you go. Are you a student here, Carl?

[inatimepast]

[ While Hakkai looks for utensils, Carl finds a seat. He’s still feeling really awkward about this, but this stranger is being really nice. He shakes his head as he pokes at the fork handle. ]

I don’t know.

[reformedsinner]

Do you remember anything before today?

[Gonou doesn't. He keeps his tone mild, though, sitting down across the table.]

[inatimepast]

[ He shakes his head as he finally picks up the fork. ]

I don’t.

[reformedsinner]

That's happened to a lot of us.

[Gonou leans back against the counter, eyeing the boy a little uncertainly.]

From what I've heard, we might remember sooner or later, though.

[Whether it's because they return to their proper ages, or -- well, it should wear off. Probably.

If not, he'll decide what to do next from there.]

[inatimepast]

Is that so?

[ He doesn’t know anything about that. All he knows is that he found himself in a castle, wondered if he had been kidnapped, and bolted. He doesn’t really know what’s going on beyond that.

He picks up some of the food with his fork, and once he tastes it - still a little wary, sorry - he thinks it’s pretty good. Maybe the best thing he’s ever eaten. It's making him all warm inside. ]

But what if they don’t return?

[reformedsinner]

If they don't return, then we'll have to figure out what to do from there. I think it's safe to give it a day or two and wait to see what happens, though.

[He smiles, a little worriedly, at the boy. He's trying to stay calm, he really is. It is sensible to wait. And yet....]

Doing anything drastic when we don't know what's going on yet is dangerous, right?

[inatimepast]

[ There’s something about his smile... ]

I guess so... So you’re going to wait too, uncle?

[ Because it’s sort of as if he’s saying that thing about not being drastic more for his own sake. ]

[reformedsinner]

[He is not anywhere near old enough to be your uncle, Carl -- Gonou sputters briefly, then rubs the back of his neck with a rueful expression.]

I'm missing someone. I'll look for her, but if I can't find her --

[He hates that idea. He hates it a lot, but he has to face the possibility.]

Then I'll wait a few days too, yes.

[inatimepast]

[ You call people who are a lot older than you either auntie or uncle, there’s nothing weird about that. So Carl looks at his rueful expression with confusion. ]

Have you put up a missing person flyer?

[reformedsinner]

I think I might be the one who's lost, and not her.

...But a flyer isn't a bad idea.

[If dangerous, when he doesn't know where she might be or what might have happened. Still, maybe it'll reach more people than he's managed to contact on his own...

Firmly, he adds:]

Yes, I'll do that if I can't find her today.

[inatimepast]

But you can’t put up a flyer about yourself, right?

[ He thinks while he eats a bit more. ]

Or maybe you could put one up with you asking if anyone is looking for you.

[reformedsinner]

"Gonou, looking for Kanan -- I'll be waiting at the school...."

Yes, that should work. [He offers a thin little laugh, uncertain, and glances away.]

If she's here, she should know where I am. But she might have forgotten, too.

[Like Carl. Like most of the children he's encountered today.

... Like himself, in fact. His smile is as shaky as the laugh.]

[inatimepast]

[ Do adults need head-pats sometimes, too? He sort of looks like it. But Carl isn’t brave or impolite enough to do that. ]

Does people know that this is a school?

[ So this is a school. ]

[reformedsinner]

[Sometimes they do, and seventeen isn't as close to 'adult' as Gonou would like to pretend it is: but he's pulling himself together regardless. He's talking to a kid. He's not going to unload his real worries.]

Yes, I think so. At least most people seem to.

[inatimepast]

[ It’s adult to a child, anyway. And Carl isn’t a wild child, unlike a lot of the other children. He can follow serious topics. ]

Then that’s good, even if she doesn’t know, she can get directions.

[reformedsinner]

Yes, exactly.

[He smiles briskly.]

Speaking of which -- have you met anyone who knows you here yet, Carl? Do you have someplace to stay?

[inatimepast]

[ He blinks up at him and his chewing turns slower. He shakes head as he swallows. ]

No, but I’ll manage.

[reformedsinner]

Hmm. Well.

I've been making extra food, so if you need a meal, feel free to drop by.

[He'd offer a place to stay, but there's not that much room in the school, and he's not certain the delinquent occupation of the second floor won't cause trouble. Better to not bring too many others in, just in case.]