eswareinmal | (no subject)

Today is the... erm.. uh...

Well, to be frank, since Old Man Sign Changer quit his job, noone's quite sure what day it is any longer. Some people think that's a good thing. A lot of good pesky things like numbered days do in a place like the Kingdom. It's not right, trying to number something as natural as the sun and the moon, after all! And besides, if noone know what day it is, noone can get angry that someone else forgot their birthday.

Or at least that's what Old Man Sign Changer said as he quit his post and went off to the bar. Been there ever since. Misses Sign Changer doesn't seem to mind either, which has set up all sorts of gossipy whispers.

So instead of the date, there's just a sign reading "time is a cloud, we're all birds and nothing matters." When asked, Ole Man Sign Changer just repeats it, gestures vaguely and repeats "Birds, I tell you. Birds."

The weather report has also given up and just says "Sun. It's always sunny, even when it's not, stop asking me!"

There's quite a lot of space on the board for other postings, signs and rude doodles. Someone should put something there before Ole Biddy starts posting her weird art up there again...

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I'm Stone.

[For whatever that's worth here. He doesn't release her, either, since she at least seems to want to stay there for now. She may not be his, but he's not a monster. He's even a little apologetic-sounding when he explains:]

I'm pretty sure I don't have any non-Raksuran grandchildren, though.

...But Stone is my grandpa. And you smell like him and look like him.

[This makes no sense.]

Then I'm probably still me, I just don't recognize you.

[Makes no sense, indeed. But it does remind him of the brief happiness he'd seen on that other groundling child who'd greeting him in his room. Garren. So he asks, hoping to maybe stir up a memory:]

What's your name?

I'm the little one. Saffron.

[This is very strange, and very bad, and very upsetting, and her expression becomes increasingly distressed.]

[Though he's known a couple of Saffrons in his time, none of them are this little girl. He shakes his head regretfully. He doesn't want to hurt her, but he can't lie, either.]

I don't know how you know me, but I don't know you. I'm sorry, child.

I know you because you are my grandpa! Because we met and your tree is in my dad's wilderness and you visit us and we visit you. And you are friends with my dad.

[None of that makes much sense to Stone. His "tree" is on his own world, and his world doesn't have humans on it. (Though she admittedly doesn't really smell "human", more like some kind of predator. He's still pretty sure he doesn't know that smell.) He scratches his head with one hand, the other still holding her.]

I don't know what to tell you, Saffron. I don't remember any of that. But I can try to be friends with you and your dad again.

[It's the best thing he can offer, really, and he has no idea if it will help the girl feel better.]

...Okay.

[She still doesn't look happy, but that's better than nothing, she guesses.]

Why do you not remember any of that?

Don't know, Saffron. I've been dumped on a couple different worlds now, without warning, kind of like what happened here. But neither of them before had you in them.

Maybe you're just from too early then! Before I started to Travel!

[He's not sure what that means, but he's just going to roll with it, since it seems to have put her in a slightly better mood. So he agrees:]

Maybe. Just means I'll have to get to know you again. Can you be patient with me?

Sure!

[That's what family is for. Looking after one another.]