Children waiting for the day they feel good

[start_a_rumpus]

It's not often that Max is quiet. He has his moments when he's sad, or he's thinking or when he's absolutely so happy he can't stand it but those times are few and far between.

But then Jason crawled out of his grave and Max pretty much shut up.  He still doesn't really understand. Why he was in there and why that gravestone says he was dead. All he

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[crazyspacegirl]

River definitely recognized the urge to attack something that belonged to the island, and trees were as good a target for rage as anything. She paused before making her presence known, not sure if any of her understanding would be wanted or needed, and reluctant to go any closer, for fear of waking Zoe, asleep in the stroller.

Simon Chicago, however, did not hesitate. He trotted right up to the boy with a friendly bark and wag of his tail, butting his head up against the boy's leg in a very familiar greeting.

Not for the first time, River wondered what her dog got up to when she wasn't looking.

[start_a_rumpus]

Max almost unconsciously buries a hand in the dog's fur, looking warily up at the new lady. "Hi," he whispers against the dog's neck, still shaking. He wipes at his face with his free hand, not wanting to look like he's crying. Not in front of a stranger.

[crazyspacegirl]

Simon whined and licked Max's face, and gave River a look that very clearly said he expected she'd be over to help him out directly. He was no stranger to being cried on, but it wasn't really his favorite canine duty.

"Hi," River replied after a moment. "Do you think that tree's sorry for whatever it did?" she asked, completely expecting a serious answer. She was sure that even if it wasn't that particular tree who deserved to be punished, it would get the message across to whatever was the problem.

[start_a_rumpus]

"No," he mutters darkly. "I think it doesn't care at all. This whole place is stupid."

He punctuates that by hurling another rock.

"Is this your dog?"

[curiously_cora]

Coraline almost doesn't recognise him without the suit on. He looks naked without it. It's him though, it's Max. She recognises the defiant mouth, the look in his eyes that's so like hers and the way he just is. And he's angry or hurt or both and Coraline doesn't like that. She doesn't want any kid, let alone Max to feel like that.

"Hey! Hey Max, quit it." Coraline said walking towards him. Coraline dropped down to Max's height and looked at him curiously. "What's the matter?"

[start_a_rumpus]

"Nothing," he mumbles, turning to lob another rock. He doesn't want to cry in front of Coraline. Even though she's nice to him. For some reason he especially doesn't want her to see him cry.

[curiously_cora]

"Okay," Coraline said as she pressed her lips together and stared at him seriously. Coraline placed her hand over his as he went to throw another rock. "You don't have to tell me but if you want to tell me you can. You know that right? You can tell me anything."

Coraline smiled at him and let go of his hand so he could throw his rock.

[start_a_rumpus]

"Yeah, I know," he says, squirming uncomfortably. He wants to tell her. But he doesn't want her to see him as a scared little baby. "I don't like this place," he offers up, tossing the rock. "It's mean."

[jdick]

For a few minutes, Joe just watched. Ozzy was wandering around somewhere nearby and he was alone in watching Max throw rocks at the tree, wondering what had caused the mood, if anything at all. Finally, he came forward, hands in his pockets.

"I hear that tree can be a real dick," he said, standing a few feet behind Max.

[start_a_rumpus]

Max can't help but gasp a little; he didn't even hear Joe come up. He whirls around, eyes wide before looking away. "I hate this place," he mutters quietly, quickly swiping at his face. "We shouldn't be here."

[jdick]

"How do you figure?" Joe asked. He could understand all the reasons to hate the place, especially for a kid who'd been taken away from his family, but Joe felt like he belonged there. Being dead back home made it sort of hard to belong anywhere else, he figured.

[start_a_rumpus]

"It's bad Joe. It does bad things," he sniffs, picking up another rock and throwing it as hard as he can. "It kills people."

[_kinginthenorth]

Grey Wind has had a lifetime of experience with children being angry and throwing rocks. So he does not find it especially strange to find this one doing so. He has even got used to people he doesn't know wandering near Summerfell, and as a little boy throwing rocks at a tree is not likely to be a threat, he just sits down nearby and watches.

[start_a_rumpus]

Max notices the big wolf come up and freezes. He thinks it probably isn't bad, but he's not sure. He probably shouldn't throw rocks, though, in case it is. "Go away," he commands, voice not as impressive as he would like.

[_kinginthenorth]

Grey Wind has heard that before, too, but he only listens when he wants to.

His person, however, isn't far off; it takes him a minute to catch up sometimes, but he always does.

"He won't hurt you," Robb assures the boy. Grey Wind, after all, is just sitting there. "...What'd the tree do?"

[start_a_rumpus]

"This place is bad," he softly explains, dropping the rock to the ground. "Is he a wolf? Like a real one?"

[hylianqueen]

Zelda hadn't had much experience with children before coming to the island, too busy to spend time with the few left in the villages during the years of the war and a child herself when she did have time for such things. It was a new experience, though, and she relished new experiences.

She didn't always understand children, however, and Max was no exception. She found him throwing rocks against a tree, splintering the bark.

"What did the tree do that has you so angry at it, Max?"

[start_a_rumpus]

"It's this whole place," he growls, quickly blinking away tears. He doesn't want a Princess to see him cry. Especially not a grown up one.

"The whole place is bad. And it hurts people for no reason. And...and it lies."

[hylianqueen]

Zelda pressed her lips together, unsure of what to do to comfort him. In many ways, Max was still a little boy, and in some important ones he was a growing young man. Zelda didn't want to stifle one for the sake of the other.

"The world can be that way, full of perils. It's the place of good men to try and make it as best they can. Would you like to talk to me about it? We could go have a cup of tea in the kitchens while we do."

[start_a_rumpus]

Max doesn't like tea, but he likes her. She's pretty and even though she's not old like his mom, she's still kind of like that. In a good way.

"Okay," he grumbles, throwing one last rock. "But this place is worse than the rest of the world. It does things just to be mean. On purpose."