devourthemfirst | Fourth Misfortune - [accidental video/action]

[When the video turns on, all that can be seen is the gray sky up above and all that can be heard is the sound of one of the rivers close by. All else is quiet and nothing is moving.

However, after a moment, there's shuffling along with a few sniffles. It's obvious a person is there just not visible on the camera. Czes had been walking around in the snow when he tripped and fell. More than likely from a root sticking up from underneath the snow.

He sits up, rubbing his arms before shouting out a name.] F-Fermet!!

[He almost sounds like he’s about to cry. Well, okay he is crying. Tears are falling down his cold, red cheeks and he begins to let out a few choked sobs and gasps. He's cold and he's scared. It’s been a little over a half of an hour since he woke up in this forest and all he’s been doing is walking around trying to find someone--hopefully Fermet--but to no avail.

At least the Malnosso gave him a jacket to wear, though it isn't doing him much good in the long run.

The very same strange men had also given him a book before he passed out then woke up in the forest and told him to keep it safe. Why? He isn’t sure, but he’s been carrying it with him ever since. Like it will protect him if he holds it close enough to him.

The crying continues for a minute before he forces himself to calm down a little, mumbling the same name he shouted earlier to himself.] Fermet... [He sniffles, takes a moment to rub his eyes then shuffles over to the journal. His face finally comes into view of the camera but he doesn’t know it’s turned on. The boy looks to be about six years old, his cheeks and nose are red, his eyes are glossy with tears and hold a look of fear in them.

His face doesn’t stay long on the feed as he shakily picks it up, dusts the snow off of it and closes it to hold it to his chest, which there is where the feed ends.

--- ---

A little later on in the day (towards later in the afternoon) anyone close to the plaza may spot a boy kneeling down in the snow. He isn’t making a snowman or snowballs or anything of the like. Instead, he’s pouring sugar and honey onto the snow. And then eating it straight off the ground. At least there's a good few inches of snow and it's not just sitting on dirt.

Snow is delicious, okay?]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

What? But Czes, we--

[The Malnosso must have really messed him up, Firo realizes with a wince. It would probably be easy enough for them to take away someone's memories considering what they've done in the past.]

Well... I'm a friend. You can trust me, okay?

[He tries to smile encouragingly.]

Do you remember what was goin' on before you got here?

[A friend? He can trust him? It makes him wonder if this guy happens to be a friend of Fermet's or his grandfather's. It's possible since they know so many people but he's too scared and shy to just come out and trust him right off the bat.

But considering he woke up with strange people all around him and then ended up walking around in the snow for a good 40 minutes he's allowed to be, right?

He pauses for a moment, still not moving from behind his tree before glancing at the trees off behind the buildings] I-I was... walking...

[Firo nods and takes a cautious step toward the tree.]

Okay. Where were you walkin' from?

[He doubts Czes will remember the lab, but maybe if he retraces his steps Firo can figure out what's wrong with him.

...Fat chance, but he can at least take what he learns to Maiza.]

[He ducks a little more behind the tree as he steps closer] ...The forest...

[Czes doesn't remember the lab in it's entirety. The only thing he can recall were the tall strange people who gave him his possessed book and his clothes. After that he blacked out and woke up in the forest so really that's the best answer he can give]

The forest? Geez...

[It's a dangerous place, especially for a kid who was just being used as an experiment. Fortunately it looks like Czes didn't have the same unfortunate forest experience that Firo had.]

Did you get hurt at all?

[He shakes his head. The only thing he has been for the past while is cold. And a little tired from spending so much time walking around in the forest. Really this thin jacket and shoes that are not meant for snow are doing him no good]

Okay. Have you been home?

[As soon as it's out of his mouth, he shakes his head. Poor Czes is probably getting really confused and Firo fears he's just making it worse.]

...Er, never mind, I guess you don't know what that is. Who else have you talked to?

A-- [He cuts himself off, pauses for a moment then speaks again in his mumbled voice] Maiza.. [He's not used to calling him that quite yet so the name 'Aile' almost came out instead.]

Maiza?

[Oh thank goodness. If Maiza already found Czes, then he probably made sure he was okay and all that important stuff.]

Alright, good. Did he already tell you where you are?

Luceti... [He told him how it was like one of the fairy tales he had read before and how he shouldn't touch his wings. You know, the important stuff that won't scare him]

Okay, good. What else did he say? Did he tell you where you're stayin' for now?

[Firo's going to avoid mentioning that little "you're stuck here" detail if Maiza didn't say anything about it.]

With him... [Duh. Czes wouldn't want to stay with anyone else]

Yeah, and Luke and that Professor guy.

[No more intelligent or useful questions spring at Firo, so he nods as if to close that line of interrogation.]

Looks like you're pretty much caught up. What're you doin' out here? Aren't you cold?

[There's a nod. At least those people seem nice.

He shakes his head. Czes was given a thicker jacket and some boots to wear so he isn't that cold. BESIDES he'd rather eat snow than worry about how cold it is right now. So he points shyly over to where he was before] I was eating snow...

Eatin' snow? If you're that hungry then we can go get you some real food. Come on.

[He offers his hand to Czes.]

But... snow is delicious. [He doesn't take his hand and, instead, stares at it shyly and almost like he's afraid to take it]

[Czes has lost it. Firo's so surprised that he lets his hand drop to his side. It doesn't even hit him that he could use that as possible ammunition to embarrass Czes when he's back to normal.]

...It is? It's just water.

[He nods and points back to the snow that he covered with sugar and honey, almost as if telling him to try it himself]

It's like sherbet...

Sherbet..?

[It seems a strange request when there's snow on the ground, but Firo shrugs and decides to go with it.]

We can probably find that around here somewhere. Let's go.

I can have sherbet? [And with that he actually starts to step out from behind the tree, hopeful]

[That's encouraging! Firo nods quickly, hoping to get going before Czes can change his mind.]

Yeah, they've got all kinds a' food at the store here!

I don't... have any money. [Because that would be an issue right]

[He shakes his head.]

You don't need any. It doesn't cost us anything here.

It... doesn't? [This amazes him, really. Sherbet is so much of a delicacy that even at parties he's rarely allowed to get some.]

No. You can get a lotta stuff for free here, so don't worry about money or anything.

[Were it an issue, Firo could manage paying ~~for his little freeloader~~]

Fourth Misfortune - [accidental video/action]

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