☆ thirteenth | voice

[outwalks]

-an' stay there, all right? Keep readin'. Or whatever. [. . .] S'dumb to just follow me around. Ye got no clue. Could prolly sell you or dump you somewhere before ye blink. Jus' like your old parents did, I bet. En't like we got money for anythin' else. Then what'll ye do, huh?

[ Quiet, watching Xion eradicate tsun just by existing mess with the

Comments

[Action]

[oda_hates_me]

[The chef's a little busy shopping, you see, casually walking through the plaza, so his child radar's currently off]

[Action]

[poppetry]

[ until this particular child spots him. ]

Aaa!

[ without even thinking she drops her journal and runs off after him, trying to get his attention. ] Aa! Aa!

[Action] 1/2

[oda_hates_me]

[Huh, someone nearby is Aaing. It's a sound he immediately associates with a child, so guess that radar is back online.]

[Action]

[oda_hates_me]

[... Hello, adorable girl approaching him! Out of habit he scans for a guardian first]

Awaaah~! What a cute little princess~!

[Action]

[poppetry]

[ ... stares at him, uncomprehending. but he seems happy, and she feels happy to see him, so she attempts a smile and makes a slightly more cheerful "aa" noise. The smile quickly fades, though; she doesn't seem to know how to maintain it.

taking a few steps closer, she holds both her arms up to him in that universal "pick me up!" gesture. ]

[Action]

[oda_hates_me]

[He's not sure how to feel about picking her up without consulting invisible guardian, but he can't ignore that obvious demand for attention.

First things first; the cigarette's stomped out (not smoking in front of tiny kids), smoke's waved away, and then he scoops her up on the crook of his right arm]

You're even cuter up close! [He grins again, through that niggling feeling that he knows this face.]

Does the little princess have a name?

[Action]

[poppetry]

[ being actually picked up surprises a real smile out of her, her first one, and it turns out that when she smiles she gets dimples in her cheeks. aww.

she reaches out to pat her hands on his face and hair, tilting her head to the side as her smile fades again. a name... she doesn't remember having one, so she doesn't respond to that in any way. ]

[Action]

[oda_hates_me]

[It's the smile that does it; he'd recognize it anywhere.

And it's a testament to how used he is to this happening, that he doesn't outwardly react save muttering her name to see if she'll recognize it]

... Xion?

[Action]

[poppetry]

[ she puts a hand right on his nose. ] Aa.

[ ... but if that's a response to his question or simply a noise, it's hard to tell. she doesn't seem to recognize her own name, though. ]

[Action]

[oda_hates_me]

[......

He pokes her nose with his index finger, in revenge.] Beep.

[Action]

[poppetry]

[ ... what. that wrings another real smile out of her, and she pats his nose again. ] Eep!

[Action]

[oda_hates_me]

So you can make other sounds. [He sounds pleased by this, and a little relieved.

Jury's still out on what she can understand verbally, though. Or if that noise was her rendition of "beep" or just a random utterance.

When he pokes her cheek this time, he utters a different word all together] Cheek.

[Action]

[poppetry]

Aa... [ what's he doing. she pokes his cheek, too. ] Eek?

[Action]

[oda_hates_me]

[His grin gets wider and then he points to himself]

Sanji.

[Action]

[poppetry]

Aaa...nji. An... ji. Ssss... an... ji. [ trying very hard to get this right. it feels important, somehow. ] Saaa...nji? [ she points to herself ] Ee-on?

[Action]

[oda_hates_me]

[*_* s-so proud. He's literally beaming at the connection she made all by herself and starts hugging the girl out of reflex]

Yes~! Tiny Xion-chwan is so smart~!