Runaway Children

[sensiblesusan.livejournal.com]

((Backdated to this.))

To lose one child can be regarded as bad luck; to lose both smacks of carelessness.

It was with this aggravating thought that Susan stormed off into the park, seeking both Pearl and Calvin, or at least news of either. She was worried for Pearl, of course, the girl being new and all; but more than that, the attachment to Calvin that she hadn't quite realised she'd developed was tugging fiercely at her, and though she wouldn't admit it if asked, she was really worried that she'd deeply upset him, and wondered how exactly this could be fixed.

After a moment's pause at the statue, she picked a direction more or less at random and struck out for Fantasyland. Anyone who met her would probably note that she seemed much, much more irritable than usual.

((Feel free to help, hinder, or reassure. I figure Calvin will let himself be found when he's good and ready. ^_^))

Comments

[dog-of-madness.livejournal.com]

For a second, Barnabas thought he was going crazy. Even if any of the other siblings - especially that one, whom he'd never actually met personally but knew just as well if not better than most living creatures - he would have heard it over the PA system, right?

Right?

All he knew was that the woman that had just strode past him smelt - well, sort of right but not-really-although-close-enough.

Having nothing better to do than wait until Leon cleared his joining the police force with Carrot, curiousity got the better of him and he trotted off to follow Susan. "Excuse me, ma'am? What's wrong?"

[sensiblesusan.livejournal.com]

Unlike most people back home on the Disc, Susan didn't react to a talking dog with the automatic human "dogs don't talk, therefore this one can't be talking" subroutine. So when Barnabas addressed her, she pulled up short.

"You haven't seen two children, have you? A little blond boy, with a toy tiger, and a small girl, a little taller?"

[dog-of-madness.livejournal.com]

"I think I saw a small figure headed in that direction early, ma'am." The dog nodded the general direction, roughly south-east. "Couldn't tell what colour hair they had though, sorry. The boy's Calvin, right? I've seen him around...Think it might have been the girl I saw. No stripes. If it helps, she wasn't running."

[sensiblesusan.livejournal.com]

Susan looked off in the direction the dog had indicated. "Yes -- thank you. The girl's name is Pearl. And if you happen to see Calvin, can you let him know I'm looking for him?"

[swordandchalice.livejournal.com]

Hastily written letter in hand, Setsuna was heading towards his mailbox in Tomorrowland, when he noticed Susan.

Was she psychic or something?

Blinking, the kid called out, "Hey! Susan! I was just about to send a letter to you."

[sensiblesusan.livejournal.com]

Susan pulled up short. "Setsuna. I don't suppose you've seen Calvin, have you? Or a small girl, about so tall?"

[swordandchalice.livejournal.com]

"I haven't seen Calvin," Setsuna replied, a little worried. "But I did meet Pearl. She's why I was going to write to you." He lifted up the letter. "But clearly that's not necessary now.

"Pearl came looking for Kira and Sara, and she seems a bit upset," he started, not sure how to word anything, so he just let his tongue take off, like always. "She wants to stay with us for a bit, and we have no issue taking her in. I figured you should get told so you know where she ran off to. Do you wanna talk to her a bit about this whole thing? She's just at the theatre."

[sensiblesusan.livejournal.com]

Susan let out a tiny sigh of relief. "Thank you for telling me. I -- poor girl. I really must find Calvin, but I'd like to have a word with her, briefly, before I go running off again."

[swordandchalice.livejournal.com]

"Well," Setsuna started in a voice that was full of a concern with a dash of you-might-not-like-this thrown in, "she's worried you're gonna be upset at her, or think ill of her for running off. You're not, are you?" He seemed uncertain, but Setsuna was pretty sure Susan wasn't like that, and that she understood. He also felt, though, that it was his duty to make certain before they proceeded.

[sensiblesusan.livejournal.com]

"What? No, of course I'm not." Well, it was mostly true. She could guess why Pearl had run off -- anyone with eyes could see she was a sensitive child. It might have been true to say that she was upset with both the children for doing a runner, but it was that sort of upset that's driven primarily by concern, and would have taken too long to explain.

[swordandchalice.livejournal.com]

That brought a relieved smile from Setsuna as he turned towards the theatre and gestured for Susan to follow him. "That's good, then. I wouldn't blame you for being a bit annoyed by the worry this sort of thing would cause, though. And...somehow I get the feeling Calvin is excellent a Hide-n-go-seek."

[sensiblesusan.livejournal.com]

"Oh, I'm annoyed, don't get me wrong," Susan said dryly. "But I understand how these things work, and shouting isn't as productive with children as it is with grownups."

Susan's patience with children had always been a source of bemusement to her adult acquaintances, several of whom had been on the sharp end of her temper more than once. Susan felt, on some level, that children hadn't had a chance to grow stupid yet, and therefore needed less of the raised-voice treatment.

[swordandchalice.livejournal.com]

"You're a very intelligent lady," Setsuna remarked plainly, with, perhaps, a slightly sad smile. "And I completely agree with that. I especially don't think shouting at Pearl is a good idea. She's been through a lot."

[sensiblesusan.livejournal.com]

"Thank you. And yes, I believe you're right about Pearl." The girl's reflexive obedience was, on consideration, frankly unsettling, and Susan wondered what exactly it said about where she'd come from. "Calvin, on the other hand ... no, I have no plans to shout at him either. Tempting though it may be."

[swordandchalice.livejournal.com]

Setsuna would have said it made him think she was from Japan, but as he wasn't asked....

There was a snicker when Susan mentioned Calvin. "I kind of get the impression yelling at him wouldn't solve anything. It'd be a total waste of your breath and time, and he'd learn nothing from it," Setsuna guessed, just on what he'd seen of Calvin himself.

[sensiblesusan.livejournal.com]

Explaining the detailed vagaries of Japanese culture to an ordinary roundworld westerner was complicated enough; a Discworlder would be another matter entirely. Just as well Susan didn't inquire.

She smiled. "You're not far off. There are ways of having productive discussions with Calvin, but yelling's not one of them. And I'm still learning what the others are," she admitted, with a wry shrug.

[swordandchalice.livejournal.com]

Very much so.

"I thought as much," Setusna muttered with an amused smile. "He seems like a hand-full."

It was about then they reached the theatre (http://community.livejournal.com/dizzy_land/148930.html?thread=9009858#t9009858).

[sensiblesusan.livejournal.com]

Having established that Pearl was safe (http://community.livejournal.com/dizzy_land/148930.html?thread=9009858#t9009858) and in good (and, she hoped, reliable) hands, Susan continued her search of the park.

It should not, she reflected, have been this hard to find a small boy and a toy tiger.