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[liberatedpet]

Jeroen was bored. He kicked at a book on the floor, where he'd discarded it. It wasn't anything interesting anyway, just another book he didn't know enough English to read. He kicked at it again, a little more viciously, then pulled his foot back at Walt moved to investigate the book

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[traveltobelize]

Belize walked into the room and saw a very young boy and a very small dog.

Looking at the boy apprehensively, Belize inched forward.

"Are you lost?" He asked with concern. He knew the little boy wouldn't be here by himself. Surely, his parents had left him or are missing.

"Do you need me to help you find someone?" Belize looked around the room to see if he could spot any parent-types. None were in sight.

[liberatedpet]

Jeroen looked up at the voice, almost proud that he'd caught nearly every word. "Not lost," he said with authority. He hadn't been in months.

[traveltobelize]

Belize smiled. The little boy was foreign.

"Oh." He said, approaching him a slow step at a time. "You're here alone?"

[liberatedpet]

"Not alone," Jeroen said, looking down at the dog in his lap. "Walt."

[traveltobelize]

Belize smiled at the boy's innocent confusion. Thinking of a new way to ask the question so that he'd understand a little better, Belize stepped forward again, changing his eyes from the boy to the dog in his lap.

He didn't want to attract the attention of the animal.

"Parents?" He asked simply. "Do you have parents here?" He pointed to the ground and spoke slowly, making sure he was understood.

[liberatedpet]

Jeroen shrugged slightly. "Eostre," he finally said, because most people knew her. Or at the least, they knew of her. That tended to make things easier to explain.

[traveltobelize]

Belize sighed a bit of relief and then smiled at the young boy. He surprised himself with his concern for the small boy.

"Easter?" He asked, confirming. "Is she your mother?"

[liberatedpet]

Jeroen didn't answer for a moment, quiet, his fingers moving slowly over Walt's fur, before he finally nodded. She sort of was. The closest thing he had here, at least.

[traveltobelize]

Belize continued to look at the boy.

"Easter is your mom, right?" He asked once more. The boy petted his dog and didn't seem in any real danger. If he didn't want to talk, Belize would just leave him alone. He obviously was safe.

[liberatedpet]

Jeroen shrugged with one shoulder, almost lazy, before he nodded again. "Stay with Eostre," he finally clarified.

[traveltobelize]

"Alright, so Easter isn't your mother but you stay with her. Good." He nodded. "And she is older, right?" He looked at the boy. He hadn't wanted this small boy to be with others his own age; that wouldn't be good for them. Who would look after them and care for them? "She is like a mother?"

[liberatedpet]

"Eostre is goddess," Jeroen told him helpfully. He wasn't sure when he'd gone from rolling his eyes at her saying that to actually believing it, but it had happened at some point.

[traveltobelize]

Shocked, Belize raised an eyebrow and reared his head back.

"A Goddess?" He smiled and sat down next to the boy. "Tell me more...."

[liberatedpet]

"Eostre is goddess of..." Jeroen paused momentarily, trying to remember the word of the preceding season. "Spring," he said finally, more questioning, not positive he had the word right.

[traveltobelize]

Belize looked out in front of him and smiled slyly. "I love that..." He said honestly, thinking of how beautiful this Goddess of Spring probably was. "Spring? How beautiful. Flowing white hair that falls on her shoulders like flowers?" He asked not sure if the boy understood or not but still playing with the imagery.