Strangers with candy [Open]

[angelwand]

Name(s): Vash T. Stampede, and anyone else
Location: Around the school
Week: Week 49
Time: Early in the week, after this
Rating: PG. For God's sake, keep it that way, there's children present.

Comments

[amongstheclouds]

Though the crumpets had done their damage on Professor Strife too, he was still reasonable enough. Fifteen and pretty sure there was something bizarre going on in the school (even though he had no idea what) was probably easier for the staff to deal with than an excited or scared eight year old, anyway.

"Aren't strangers promising candy something kids are taught to avoid?"

Cloud had only been passing by, but he couldn't help but ask.

[angelwand]

"...You think so?" Vash tilted his head a bit as he turned to look at Cloud.

Oh god. Professor Strife had shrunk. And he was adorable. It was all Vash could manage to do and not smile or laugh. It was just.... Professor Strife always looked so dour and serious most of the time. How did a face like that ever learn to scowl?

"What do you think I should do to get them to trust me?"

[amongstheclouds]

Cloud didn't answer right away, but the look on his face was enough to suggest he was honestly didn't have an answer at first. Yeah, what did kids like anyway? It wasn't like he babysat before, and he wasn't even that in tune with his own peers to know what created trust.

"Don't they like to play? Maybe that works." The blond shrugged. "It's just... the candy thing is the first thing their parents tell them, right?"

[angelwand]

"I guess..." Vash tried to remember the first thing he was taught by Rem, but all he could remember was his foster parents telling him not to play on the tractor.

Then Vash grinned at Cloud. "Hey, you wouldn't mind helping me out, would you? You're a bit younger than I am, so they might be up to feeling a little more friendly with you. Besides! If it's two of us together, I wont look like a stranger!"

[amongstheclouds]

"O-okay." The answer was a little unsure due to his lack of experience in dealing with kids, but no, he honestly didn't mind helping. He didn't have any homework that he could think of, at least.

"Where are we uh, supposed to be putting them anyway?"

[angelwand]

"Professor Teresa is getting a room together on the fourth floor- I guess at least until we get a head count and everyone's accounted for!"

It could be a heck of a lot of kids to store in one place, they'd have to come up with something else to survive the week.

"Oh man... the only problem is we really don't know how many little kids there are until we've gone over the whole castle with a fine toothed comb." It was getting a bit daunting to think about to say the least.

[amongstheclouds]

...who was Professor Teresa again? The blond didn't find the name particularly familiar, but oh well. A teacher he didn't know, big deal. Maybe she taught something lame, thus explaining his lack of taking her class.

"What did you want me to do, Professor... er....?"

Actually, yeah, who was this guy? Cloud didn't recognize him either. Why did Hogwarts need little kids and new teachers all of a sudden anyway?

[angelwand]

"Vash, just Vash. I'm one of the new counselors! Some timing, huh?" He chuckled sheepishly. "You could say the whole situation is a bit of a mix-up, but with Headmaster Cid around that shouldn't surprise anyone."

Then Vash pretended to be clueless. "Uh, I'm afraid I still haven't gotten everyone's name down yet. Yours is... Cloud? Cloud Strife? ...Ravenclaw, right?"

[amongstheclouds]

"Oh." He couldn't help but feel like he was missing something. Maybe he'd simply lost track of the school's happenings. It did get a little hectic sometimes, right? The blond sighed softly.

"Cloud Strife, yeah, but I'm a Gryffindor. I'd make a bad Ravenclaw."

[angelwand]

"Aha~ So you're one of those brave and bold, movers and shakers, huh? Sorry I mistook you for one of those book-birds. I think you have the brains though, you must be a real asset to your house!" Vash clapped Cloud on the shoulder with a friendly smile.

Besides, the stars were a complicated subject. They almost kept Vash from graduating, and he could envy a man who grasped them.

[amongstheclouds]

"Really?" He'd be lying if he said he didn't appreciate the support, but it still didn't change the kid's lack of self-confidence a whole lot. Vash was the counsellor and was giving off perpetually happy vibes -- he was probably used to trying to encourage kids like him all the time.

"Thanks. I'm probably not really an asset to anything right now though..." But he was trying. "Maybe when I'm bigger."

[angelwand]

"You're helping me, even though you don't have to! That counts for something, right?" Vash grinned back. But, there was a task at hand. Vash scanned the area again, turning in a circle to make sure he hadn't missed anything.

"Oh man....if you were about eight or ten, where would you go in this school? Maybe the great hall?"

[amongstheclouds]

Cloud watched Vash turn around in a circle, also looking around a bit to see if he saw anything the man hadn't, but ended up finding nothing as well. "Um..." He had no idea. "Maybe. It might be a place to start, at least."