Chapter Text
Buses weren’t exactly the most ideal place to rest, but for some the smoothness of a vehicle could rock them to sleep, for others it would churn their stomachs. Nestled amongst his luggage, a short Miq’ote Seeker boy with curly green hair had fallen fast asleep plugged into his earphones with music lulling him to sleep.
His soft tail lightly drumming to the beat on the well used seat, his ears flicked every so often to certain pitches. After growing so comfortable on his long trip, at a particularly bad bump in the road, his body jolted awake letting out a pathetic yelp of surprise. A few of the other passengers looked towards his seat, faced carved in annoyance at the loud yelp causing his ears to flatten down guiltily.
A’pollo A’ffera, fifteen years old with a one way ticket to Revenant's Toll in the state of Mor Dhona. Looking out the window it felt like he was staring at a living postcard, naturally occurring crystals grew in large amounts and size. With extensive training there were even professionals who would care for them, carve them and keep them in prime condition. They looked so unclouded, like ocean water frozen midwave on a sunny day.
Unknowingly his tail began to flick quite excitedly as they drew closer to Revenant's Toll, the main city of the state. Here he can finally go to school, maybe finally find a new family. Cheeks lightly pressed against the cool bus window, fortunately they were not too cold as it was mid spring. Most of his small body was draped over by a large baggy dark green hoodie used to snuggle for warmth.
As the bus began to make its stops in the edges of the city he felt his Tomestone buzz, it was an unsaved number although he did not have many contacts saved in the first place.
Unknown: Lyna are those papers ready for tomorrow's meeting?
He stared at the message, eyes darting between it and the number in confusion. Lyna was an unfamiliar name so.
‘wrong number?’
Unknown: Ah, I’m so sorry about that
‘its okay’
Unknown: This seems to happen a lot though
‘why?’
Unknown: I’m not really sure, maybe I’m just tired
‘sleep?’
Unknown: Pretty hard
‘same’
Unknown: I just cant sleep when I know I have work to do
‘bad dreams’
Unknown: Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. Is there anything you do to help?
‘music’
Unknown: What kind of music do you like?
‘heretics’
Unknown: That rock band? Elezen lady who calls herself Iceheart right?
‘yes’
Unknown: I wish I could see them in person someday, but they’re always performing in a bar
‘not old enough?’
Unknown: Nope, I’m just an intern right now while attending high school
‘im starting school today’
Unknown: Oh wow, nice to hear are you looking forward to it?
‘yes’
Unknown: Which one? I go to St Coinnach’s Academy
‘silvertear high’
Unknown: We’re not too far away then, I know a few friends who go to Silvertear
As much A’pollo wished to continue chatting with this friendly stranger the reading was slowly giving him a light headache.
‘i need to go now’
Unknown: Ah right sorry. Say before you leave what would you like me to name you under my contacts. If you wanna talk again sometime?
‘name?’
Unknown: Yeah like if you call me CExarch instead of all the numbers on the top so you know who I am
‘okay, celery’
CExarch: Celery?
‘yeah’
CExarch: Alrighty then that's your name in my contacts. Nice meeting you Celery.
Celery: same
-
Menphina’s Arm’s the place for Disadvantaged Youths. His new ‘home’ for now hopefully, sounds of a few kids could be heard from its back garden playing though they were all likely much younger than himself. It was a rather simple concrete building, the wooden door cracked with ageing blue paint. Small plant pots were set next to the doorstep with overgrown flowers and foliage.
Lightly rapping at the door there was a loud crash after a few seconds, what felt like a minute passed. A young Miq’ote lady stumbled through the door “Ah so sorry about that I was preparing some pineapple pudding for dinner. I’m Zhloe Aliapoh, I take it your A’pollo right? Not a lot of Miq’otes that match your description” he quietly nodded “Well then uh, come inside”
A somewhat pungently sickly sweet smell filled his nose as he walked through the door, across the walls of the main hallway were many pictures likely drawn by the children living at the home. A couple of them had names with small stick figures however he couldn't make out any words, lots of rainbows and what looked like a castle with wings were up on display too drawn by them.
“Through the right is the kitchen, on your left goes into the main living room and staircase for bedrooms and the toilet. But if you keep going forward you’ll be in our cute little garden! The kids are playing in there right now if you’d like to meet them I’m sure they’d like to meet you” Zhloe clapped her hands together happily, scooting over to an overly bubbling pot in the kitchen of pure sugar and fruit.
“Uhm, what room is mine?”
“It’ll be one of the rooms without a sign on the door, the kids like making little signs for their doors. Most of them share a room though since they’re so young but you should have a room to yourself”
He nodded quietly in response, dragging his belongings up the creaky staircase. The free room, his own room now was pretty barren apart from a simple bed and mattress, a wardrobe, radiator and a few shelves. There wasn’t too much he brought with him, clothes, tomestone and his more fragile belonging, a fiddle.
It’d need to be atop his wardrobe, out of sight and grasp from any of the kids that might come inside his room. Most of his wardrobe was simple baggy hoodies, greens and browns. Zip up black boots and blue jeans, not the most effort put into it admittedly but it was comfortable and quick to put on.
Even after napping on the bus, eyelids were growing more and more heavy as he resigned himself to his fate, lying down onto the mattress. Just a quick nap and he’ll be awake for dinner surely, plugging in his earphones as music slowly lulled him to sleep. Snuggling the best he could inside of his baggy hoodie, tail swishing lazily against his legs.
If only those dreams could be as snug and comfortable as that hoodie. Maybe he should have checked the battery on his Tomestone after such a long trip as once devoid of song the demons would arise. Slightly salty dust blinding even the hand held in front of your face, small ears sensitive to noise to the relentless bangs continuing on in some twisted rhythm.
A small child's cries were drowned out by the loud booms creating a fountain of dust and rocks. The taste of metal slowly filling his mouth, too much he was going to drown with a mouth full of his own blood if he didn’t do something soon. Reality came crashing back down as he parted his jaws back on that mattress, only a small splash of blood dripped from his tongue.
There was no light in the room, but his whole body felt as if it was being weighed down by bricks to turn on the main light. Looking over to his Tomestone it's screen was pitch black, charger somewhere in the bags he dumped near his bed. If he could reach far enough down to hopefully find it. Everything inside that bag felt like the claws of a monster, ready to tear off your arm and take you down with it into the black abyss. Edges of paper lightly prodding against his skin until he found the familiar shape of his charger.
It was going to be a long night.
-
Everything felt like a blur, so many people tightly packed into hallways. A’pollo was running on what he assumed must have been four hours of sleep on his first day of school. His ears flattened tightly at all the noise, a particularly loud set of what he assumed were twins were arguing at their lockers.
He had been given a little map on where his homeroom would be but the place was still a complete maze. While trying to work out the small words on his map he suddenly found his whole body blocked by a locker door opening up. Freezing up confused but unable to move around due to the flood of students he was trapped.
After a few seconds though it was slammed shut by the locker owner, a girl around his age with long black hair and makeup. Most of her outfit was black as well, tights, shorts, a shirt with a pattern or name he didn't recognise with a purple plaid shirt around her waist. Her glare burned through his whole body sending an unknown level of fear throughout him.
“Gaia don’t be so sour, you trapped him” a more friendly voice came from the girl next to her. Long ginger hair with a pink ribbon tied at the front around a lock of her hair, she had a simple white dress with lace edge with a large pink plush looking hoodie that draped over her shoulders, white tights and brown boots.
“Uhm...Sorry?” he responded sheepishly and confused, hoping he hadn’t upset people already. “Are you new? You have a map and all” his ears perked up a little and nodded quietly. At that the ginger perked up quickly “This is great, I’m Ryne and this is Gaia. Are you lost? We can show you around if you’d like” Gaia crossed her arms in a pout only to get a massive cuddle from Ryne.
“Don’t be so grumpy” she smiled poking Gaia’s cheeks which seemed to elicit a small smile from the girl. After a short discussion A’pollo found out they shared the same homeroom teacher, a science teacher called Y’sthola. Ryne dragged him to their homeroom, helping him find a desk near to them.
Those lessons passed by in such a blur, his head was beginning to pound and eyelids growing heavy again. Thankfully Ryne helped him through it, seeming to notice the heavy exhaustion wrapping itself around him. “Once class is finished I know somewhere quiet, okay?” she had whispered at some point. Why was she helping him so much? But he hadn’t the strength to argue or question it.
After the bell everyone in the classroom left with such speed, it was lunchtime and he hadn’t eaten either due to falling asleep through whatever dinner Zhole made for those kids. Almost being dragged by the arm by Ryne through the hallways, eventually it began to get more quiet “Here we go, the library” almost straight away his eyes were drawn to the push seats inside.
“Hi dad! ” Ryne went over to the counter to an Elezen man mid-book with long grey hair and beard going down the sides of his face. He wore a formal long sleeved button-up shirt but seemed to have a grey sweater draped over the back of his chair to wear as well. A gentle smile spread across the elezen’s face seeing Ryne and closed his book to talk to her.
As the two spoke to each other A’pollo and Gaia stood next to each other awkwardly, Gaia was mostly on her phone while A’pollo watched Ryne talk to the Elezen. He gave her a light pat on the head and a book before she bounded back over to them “Go talk to Urianger over there and he’ll let you nap in the library okay? Me and Gaia are gonna have lunch” smiling as she ran out holding Gaia’s hand leaving Celery alone with her Elezen father.
“Uhm…S-so can I n-nap in here?” the Elezen nodded “W-with music on? I find it hard to sleep without…” awkwardly fumbling with his Tomestone “As long as thee keeps quiet” he nodded quietly before going to sink into one of the plush seats, the most excited he had been all day. Plugging in his earphone once again before he drifted to sleep hugging his bag close with Urianger keeping a watchful eye nearby.