I feel kind of bad now. ;o;

[tinythirdchild]

[Marlicks hate the dark! Even little ones who haven't needed to take an initiation.

If you're fumbling through this hallway, a tiny personball in the corner is sniffling and shaking.

Then, suddenly:]

I'm sorry! Rishid, I'm sorrrryyyyyyyyy!!!

Daddy, it was me! I ate the extra fruit! I blamed Rishid, but it was meeeeee.....

Just stop!!!!!!

[

Comments

[rookiegamer]

-Mali??

[He swears he just heard her someone- But there's definitely a little boy stalling his search for light for a crying friend hunt!

(Even if it is hard to place direction with his backpack giving off whines.)]

Where are you?? [Stumble stumble wall grab.]

[tinythirdchild]

H-Hello?

[Her voice is wet and wavery, but strong. She sits up, rubbing her face to peer into the dark.]

I-I'm right here! I'll wave my hands around!

[Wave wave wave. Part of her wants to swallow her pride. But most of her is just sad. Why won't the awful voice stop?]

[rookiegamer]

Where?!

[Gah, he can't see! But, he did hear her voice pretty close by! So he follows the wall a little farther, a little more, a lil-

Hey, how pleasant, his hand finds what must be hair a split second after he dopped his face on the other wall of the corner!]

wuaah!

[ow ow ow- oh, please excuse the mumbling as he "looks" down. He's covering his nose.]

You're noff hur ur you??

[tinythirdchild]

[That sounded painful! She waves her hands around and hits shirt. There he is.

Her fingers clench into a fist around whatever he's wearing.]

Not like you.....make the voices stop.

Make them stop!

[They're saying she's a bad girl, after all. Which she isn't. Nope. Not her!]

[rookiegamer]

Huh?

[mff- Nice Mali, shirt & jacket in the same grab. The clumsy attempt to kneel by her with that grip would be funny, except for the night blindness.

And the crying.]

W-what voices? There's nobody talking but us.

[tinythirdchild]

You don't hear that?

[She wipes her teary hands on her skirt.]

It's getting louder....

It's just me...?

[She stifles a cry and holds on tighter.]

Why?!

[rookiegamer]

N-no?

[No he can't hear it but it IS really dark so he guess he gets why she's so scared she hears stuff.

So instead of squawking he just tries a slow drop of his backpack on the ground and gives a, well, awkward pat at the hands grabbing him. Then a proper hold, because she's upset!]

I dunno... What's it sound like?

[tinythirdchild]

[She swallows some more tears. It's time to be strong! Besides, someone is here now. Another kid or no, she's not alone, and she's going to be okay.

Everything's going to--

But they start up again so she talks: loudly, to drown out the sounds.]

M-my family. Saying....things about me.

Stuff I've done, and...

[She holds his hands.]

Y-you like being around me....right?

[rookiegamer]

{He near jumps at the sudden yell, but she's got a grip on him and all, and once he hears her he's not looking to go anywhere.

W-what family says things mean enough to keep a girl crying and scared like that?

But, he's breaking out of his awkward silence pretty fast at the question.]

Course I do! You're my friend!

{Hello assertiveness where have you been? Oh hey, did he just yell now? He'll quiet down, while kneeling down closer to her.]

Hey, why don't you come with me, and look for some light? [Grin- wait what's the point of that she can't see it.] Even if we don't find any, it's better than sitting still.

[tinythirdchild]

[Friends....she's got friends. Friends like her, and help her, and follow her advice. Mali likes having friends.

You can't see this nod either, but she'll hold your hand tightly and try to get up.]

O-okay.

[I hope you don't mind her being clingy...]

[rookiegamer]

Hn!

[-now would be a good time to get vocal, Upwords. Grins aren't a big help. Especially if you've got troubles holding it, with your friend holding onto you.

Not that he knocks her off, just. o-o everywhere.

At least until he starts feeling around behind him.]

Okay, there's nothing back near the arcade - I think - but, if we can find, the front doors...

H-hey, can you feel my bag anywhere?

[tinythirdchild]

[Hey, you're squirming---oh. Oh. He wants...why?

She pats around until her hand hits something.]

Is this it?

[Tug tug tug. It's helping a little bit to focus on something other than the voices in her mind.]

[rookiegamer]

Is what?

[He reaches around for whatever she's found, and yeah, it is his bag!]

Thanks, I can't go too far without-

[But when he starts going through the thing? It should be open and there's still the blanket in it but-

...oh...no.]

Temari's gone!!

[tinythirdchild]

[This sounds distinctly NOT like her issues. :( Don't get distracted, pay attention to her!

And yet....inevitable curiosity triumphs.]

Wh-what's a Temari?

[She claps one hand to one ear as if that'll make the voices stop.]

[rookiegamer]

It's my pokemon- N-not what Ara called her but-

[But this is neither here nor there because wherever he got her she should be here now! Gah, he thought she WOULDN'T get lost this way!

But a little extra frantic hands searching the dark, and he plops]

What am I going to do? This place is bugging even you, and she's just a baby!

[tinythirdchild]

[This is all wrong! He's supposed to be looking after her, not having a crisis himself!

Mali's face sets. There's only one thing to do.

Prove the voices wrong.]

I'm gonna find her. A baby can't go very far.

[And then he'll be focused just on her again.]