mallow_logs | a welcome;

Entry tags:

a welcome;

Who: Everyone and everyone!
What: Welcoming in the new members to Mallow Hallow
Where: Everywhere!
When: March 2nd.

[ Once everyone’s settled in their particular districts, no doubt thousands of questions running between each individual mind, there’s an announcement. Not over the devices, but rather in speakers all over each and every district. A familiar voice should ring out—you did, after all, hear the voice of your Queen earlier today. ]

Ahem! Can you hear me? Ah, right then.

Hello loveies! You might recall this particular visage which speaks before you—that is, I am your Queen. Call me Queenie, if you must! I’ve met you all on this particular day, and I find it important to bestow some of my boundless knowledge onto you, sweethearts.

Now! Done with formalities, let’s see where we stand… ah, yes! Might I be the first to welcome you all to Mallow Hallow, our wonderful little country. Not too big, not quite too small either! It’s just lovely, isn’t it? Oh, how all my new babies will love it here! Or—perhaps not. [ She clicks her tongue. ] Either way, it doesn't really matter. You're stuck here for the time, so do try to make the most of it, dears.

Of course, there are our sectors within Mallow Hallow. Six… [ There’s silence for a short moment. ] Yes, there are six, aren’t there..? Well, six different communities you might stem off from! Surely you remember the name from our meeting earlier? If not, I’m sure one of the regular inhabitants of each particular district will assist you in naming your new home!

Live where you’d like, eat what you’d like, do what you’d like! Our homes are now your homes, so please, consider us all a big happy family to you! Remember you can reach me or any of the other rulers of any of the districts, over at our voicemails! [ Somehow, that seems sarcastic… ]

Also, don’t cause any trouble, or I’ll personally end you. [ There it is. ]

I suppose that's all. Well then, bye now, dears! And let the word spread—Mallow Hallow is up and rising once again!

[ ooc: Quick links: Lochwell | Mallowhallow | Orlea | Astralfield | Crystalden | Highcrest | Whitewood | Network ]

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[Briefly, Jim wondered the depth of what he had just asked. If he had to guess, maybe it was giving this kid a better chance. When Jim was his age, or what he had to guess was his age, it'd been rough. His parents had been accepting of Karen into their home, both of them similar to Jim with their adventurous nature and love of animals. Other people around his home? Not so much, and Jim knew their words of panic and fear were somewhat well-justified, but being only a kid, he had took those words to heart with a fierce anger. Karen was family, family was important, and he'd accept no treatment of her that was less than that.

And with that personality, that over-protective persona he developed, made some people give up and gave both him and Karen a wide berth. So he adjusted. He adjusted to living with her and his parents, and between the sacrifice he had made to save her that had cost him his right eye to him moving up the ranks at South Academia, he'd dealt with the fact that despite his calm and kind nature, his 'charming' persona as his mother called it, his choice to have a crocodile meant he wouldn't be a people person.

Truthfully, even though he didn't have that many friends, he was damn happy about his life.

Going to Duel Academia had gave him experience with people who didn't care all that much, Jim finally able to call more people than a few 'friends'. But even now, with the knowledge that the people he knew back home were ones he could count on, he wouldn't take it for granted. He wouldn't be dependent on people who he knew probably wouldn't leave, but sometimes couldn't be there. He'd take what would come, good or bad - it was how he was raised.

With Oliver, Jim just supposed his offer meant he was hoping the kid wouldn't have to be alone here.]

Hahah, I believe you, Oliver! Also, you don't have to call me 'sir' if you don't want to. ...But thank you, though.

[His smile, absolutely genuine, grew at the sight of the outstretched pinky. A gesture of a promise? A notion of a pact? Whatever it was meant to be, Jim found it childishly endearing, despite the story behind it being anything but childish. So he extended his own, all fingers curled in but his pinky, and wrapped the finger around Oliver's with a chuckle.]

So...shall we start exploring?

[The boy easily returned the smile. He was not going to lie to this person. At least, not when it is deemed unnecessary. He was not going to laze about when they spend their time together for however long that would be. All he would do was the make the most of it. It would be like a survival vacation that he never asked for.

When he pulled his hand back from the pact it was then brought up to his hat, giving the brim a bit of a tug. He was ready for anything. Well, 'anything' was a rather vague term that he didn't need to be throwing around but he at least knew what he meant and that was what mattered. And James' would possibly understand him, too. Maybe. They weren't exactly in tune.]

Maybe we will find a place to settle for the evening!

[Not that sleeping outside would bother him any. The ground wasn't agreeable to everyone, however, and there were probably other things he wasn't bothering to factor in. It was simply better to try to set a goal to have somewhere to sleep that wasn't completely outside or something relative. Not to forget some other things. A hand was slowly brought over his stomach.]

And maybe some food. Maybe we can find some berries or nuts...somewhere along the way.

[He was not trying to set expectations too high or anything like that.]

[The sight of Oliver tugging on his hat made Jim self-cautious of his own, a callous hand going to rest against the rim, adjusting it carefully until he was certain it was in place. The same hand fell over his bandages, and with a slight press of his fingers, he sighed with a smile. Chuckles followed at the enthusiasm of his new friend, and at his feet, Karen (who had been watching the whole conversation curiously) perked up at the sound.]

I sure hope so, although sleeping outside wouldn't be too bad. Well, for me, at least.

[Child of the Outback, he spent countless nights under the stars, sleeping in dirt patches and bundles of leaves, learning to live off the land. Even at South Academia and Duel Academia, when he had furnished rooms and luxuries, sometimes he'd find himself on a grassy field with Karen's back as a pillow. Although now, he didn't have those same luxuries like beds and -

Yeah, food. They would need food.]

Hopefully we'll be able to come up with something more filling than that, although I'm not marking those out yet. Remember the Queen's words? "Live where you’d like, eat what you’d like, do what you’d like."

[It was a straightforward statement, one he couldn't help guessing wasn't so simple.]

Maybe she meant there could be some pubs near by, or a marketplace. Someplace with people to ask and hopefully food to eat.

[He wasn't trying to set his expectations too high, neither.]

[We was watching the man. There was no intention on staring and asking any questions. Nothing was peculiar to him. But he mimicked the man and brought a hand up to the bandages on his face as well. It was like looking into a rather distorted mirror with the possibility of it being the perfect reflection. How backwards and nonsensical. The person before him was his own person. He was Jim. The boy was Oliver.

Those thoughts were disturbed when Jim spoke. Oliver dropped the hand from his face before puffing out his cheeks. Now he realised he sounded like a real prissy! He wouldn't need a bed. Look at him, he didn't even wears shoes. A bed wasn't necessary, not for someone like him. He had only been trying to act considerate for the man but that was a mistake on his part.]

I don't mind it outside, either!

[It was merely the truth and not something stated to try to impress. There was no way he was going to weigh down the person by accident. Yeah, he didn't exactly know what was happening but he was going to just make the best of it and not be demanding at all. Heck, did he even need food? Well, maybe-- no, he did need it. What a life. For someone like himself it was somehow still necessary.

He turned away from Jim in direction of the dirt path he had come down earlier. A foot was kicked in front of him as he took a giant step. Oliver glanced over his shoulder. Maybe he did forget what the Queen had only recently said but it didn't matter. She didn't know him or anything like that. But it wasn't like he knew the Queen of England, either. No big deal. He was still able to eat at home, at least.]

C'mon, Karen-- Jim! Things can't be too off!

Edited 2013-03-03 03:52 (UTC)

[Aware of the slightly endearing scrutiny he was placed under, Jim ducked his head with amused chuckle after Oliver's own hand met his bandages. Again, he had to compare it to a mirror or perhaps a reflection, the sides showing subtle similarities but the viewer would be able to tell the different between the two. A kinship, if you will, of the similarities, and while it was a bit ridiculous, he didn't care. The amusement he felt then had Jim looking down at his crocodile. Karen met his gaze with tired but equal amusement, clearly interested in the boy instead of cautious.

No words needed between the man and reptile, Jim turned his attention back to Oliver. The puffed out cheeks were a childish sight, laughable in a good way, and Jim just supposed he was embarrassed or something. The following words supported it, if he had to guess - he liked kids, but they had a talent of posing themselves as hard to read sometimes.]

Glad to hear it.

[He could see the geniosity behind Oliver's words, and that was more than enough for him. Reaching in his vest pocket, he found the scroll device and patted it, securing its safety - he'd need it for information later. His wallet, filled with some currency, rested in one of his pant's pockets, right below his deck holster, but he doubted his money would be good here. A job might be in order, but he'd wait and see.

Blinking as Oliver suddenly turned, Jim watched his actions. It reminded him of his friend Judai, the one he had known before they had went to Dark World. The carefree, curious one with a big heart. Laughing at Oliver's words, he bent down to quickly attack Karen to his back harness, allowing her a good few seconds to adjust against the leather before Jim sprinted off to walk beside the boy.]

We're right with ya, mate.

[It isn't a mirror at all. That was an idea that had to be abandoned. Things were certainly not the same, no matter the circumstances. Unless he was making his own false assumptions in the back of his mind. But what were the odds of that actually being the case? Well, that wasn't important. The person was nice and there was a possibility of progress in the future and that was all that mattered.

He began to swing his arms while he walked. It was partly due to a pleasant mood that had settled in and the fact that his arms just needed to be doing something. He was happy enough with his own thought process. But he was making sure not to swing too hard in case of somehow smacking something or whoever.]

Hey, Jim? What did you do in Australia? Did you have a job or something like that?

[Hopefully that wasn't too much of a personal question as there was no mind for him to be cautious about it. He deemed it as something to ask to learn about the other. Maybe favourite colour would have been a better topic but Oliver knew what it was like to do some sort of business. It could not have been nearly as exciting as what he imagined Jim doing back at his own home. Either way, he was interested. And it was a way to not think about his hunger.]

[The child's glee was easy to take as his own, Jim humming softly to himself: a rhythm light and airy, one he'd sung to Karen many times after his accident with his eye. Expectantly, he felt her slacken against the harness and with a spared chuckle, hummed it in earnest. Boots crunching slight gravel under the leather heel, Jim skimmed a gloved hand over his deck holster resting at his thigh, a motion of comfort that said a duelist was nothing without his deck.

Well, apparently it was time to share that beloved fact.]

I'm a duelist. Back home, there's a game called Duel Monsters, a card game that's just as popular as soccer or football. I mean, it's known all around the world. Anyway, before I graduated from South Academia, one of many schools that teaches Duel Monsters, I was the champion there.

[He spoke those words not with bragging nor snobbishness, merely treating his known skill in the game as a fact, not a trophy. He had learned bragging wasn't something to do unless you could deal with everything to follow, and since he didn't know the future, why brag?]

Even though I'm out of school, I still duel, and I was planning on entering a tourney before I arrived here. But when I'm not dueling back home, I'm looking for fossils and dinosaur bones - I'm a paleontologist. Karen here helps me with my excavations.

[Now that he could talk about with equal glee; he loved fossils as much as dueling, and his excavation finds back home sure proved that fact.]

My life's fairly simple. [He stated that with a chuckle.] Mind if I ask you the same thing?

Wait, what? That wasn't simple at all! There is a card game that people went to school for? That definitely was...different. He had never heard of such a thing or maybe he had in passing as the name sounded like he heard of it before. Or maybe he wanted to convince himself such as to understand. The game itself must have been truly difficult if there was a need to have schools for it. But there was one thing he did understand:]

You're a champion at that game at your home? That is incredible!

[He has never been a champion of anything, really. Not that it bothered him one bit. He could always be the champion of something if he actually took the time to think about it. That could be something he would tend to once he somehow got home. And he should have anticipated that there would be much more to Jim than going to school at some point. Not that there had been anything wrong with that, of course.]

Blimey! You do all of that? Your life...it's rather amazing! That means you must get to go out often!

[Envious? Maybe. But everyone has some sort of responsibility in life. It is not as though he does not contribute to society, himself. It wasn't the same as what Jim did but it seemed that he would be asked about it. Oliver took a moment to think about it though he knew what he did with his own life.]

...I'm a singer.

[Jim could only laugh at Oliver's enthusiasm as the kid spoke, and Jim made a mental note to show Oliver his card deck whenever they'd get the chance to settle down for the night. He didn't have his duel disk with him in his pack, and he highly doubted the technology to create the holograms didn't zap here with him when he arrived. Oh well, he could make due with cards - sometimes simple was more fun.]

Hahah, I suppose so. The other champions are more impressive, though. [Like O'Brien and Johan, and Am - wait, no...Amon was gone.] The ones at other schools.

[His smile faltered at the thought of the late duelist - even now, the memories of that world seemed either to haunt him or confused him further. Sometimes he doubted if his memories were correct, but that was purely wishful thinking. Luckily, he didn't have to dwell on it, instead allowing himself to pick up his steps again to where he was scuffing his boots in the dirt before.]

It's just how I've always lived, mate. But yeah, guess I do go outside a lot.

[Although he didn't know what the significance of going outside meant to Oliver; the kid seemed to stuck a bit on that point. He knew everyone had paths in life, choices to make and responsibilities to handle, but surely he wasn't that busy or prestigious of a kid? (Not that being that was necessarily a bad thing.)

Well, then again, maybe he was.]

A singer? Heh, now that's impressive to me. I can't carry a tune at all!

[On his back, Karen wholeheartedly growled her agreement.]

[He had been listening intently to the other but it seemed that it wasn't enough. Oliver looked over his shoulder when he realised that Jim was no longer walking. It prompted the boy to stop as well. Something had went wrong when he wasn't looking but he wasn't sure what it was. The kid was no mind reader.

It had to be something back from home. They had lives prior to arrival. Oliver did not properly know the person despite getting some insight about the other. Someone's life could not easily be discussed in a matter of minutes. There were so many things, people, it was just hard to let it all out then. Maybe Oliver's own life hadn't been the same way but he could at least understand that.]

Hey, hey, there are a lot of singers out there, you know that! So, it is simply...what it is! I may be succeeding in my field compared to the others who work under the same name as myself but when looking at the big picture there are many others who are much more renowned than me. I guess it's always like there will always be something above of you. But it doesn't matter. It's no big deal. As long as you're happy with what you do. You're a champion in something and you're good in something and I am proud of you!

[Himself on the other hand was something different. His job was not always a fun one even though it was his purpose in life. Results were not always pleasant. But it made the people who listened to him happy enough in some cases. People wanted different things.]

[A look of pure apology was sent Oliver's way when Jim noticed the boy had stopped too while Jim was lost in memories he'd rather not remember right now. But never forget - he never would forget. Instead of clarifying why he stopped, he just shrugged, smiling a bit when he heard Karen blissfully asleep in the back harness, little hitches in between her snores. Then it was forgotten for now, Oliver speaking gaining his attention.

And Jim couldn't help the smile on his face - sure, the kid had missed the actual reason for his momentary melancholy attitude; he knew that someone being better at him in Duel Monsters would never truly bring him down. Yet, it was nice, hearing what Oliver said. For starters, Jim got to hear more about his new friend which was always good, but hearing someone was proud of him - he hadn't heard that in a while.

Maybe it made him think of home. Just a bit. Maybe.]

Thanks, Oliver.

[Finding the old bounce in his steps, he chuckled to himself. It'd all be fine for now, it would all be okay. Sure, life was tough. It'd beat you down or go a different direction than what you had hoped. It'd make you wish things you'll regret later, and you'd do things you'll either praise yourself for or beat yourself down due to. It was life, and Jim knew life wasn't easy. But worrying about it? He'd learned not to do that so much, and if it was wrong not to fret, then he'd be gladly wrong.]

Position, who's better than who - it's trivial sometimes. Ah, anyway, that's great that hear you're doing well with your career - I can be proud of you for that, my friend. But wait, you're a singer with other people, like a group; is that what you meant 'by under the same name'? Or is it one of those solo groups?

[He was nowhere near as smart with musical education then he was with fossils, and unfortunately, that fact was now showing. Sure, he could pluck a string or two on a guitar if he tried hard enough, but if you asked him to name what he was playing, he'd stare at you. But still, knowing his new friend was a singer? That was a first; hopefully he'd sing for Karen or something one day. Well, that is if they stick together that long.

Oh, well. Come what may, right?]

[It was a bit difficult for him to be worrying about something outside the current situation. Or, at least, from his point of view. But Jim had gotten upset about the game even though it isn't here. Right now should have been about trying to leave this place but since 'home' was the objective maybe such thoughts were bound to come up. And maybe he simply didn't understand that sort of thing. Definitely wouldn't be the first time.

Oliver would soon sigh. 'Doing well' was a questionable term. It would probably mean that it promised a particular kind of release that would not happen. However, the industry was allowing more singers to be like him under particular functioning. Maybe that was 'doing well' for them, however. He wasn't quite sure with that technical talk of business. And there was the matter that plans changed often within that sort of work.]

There are nearly fifty of us who operate under the name that allows us to be a singer. I suppose it's like a competition. But three of us represent the same company but I guess we may be competition to each other as well.

[Not as he saw a point. All the money ended up in the same place, somehow.]

Al and Ann are the other two who sing for the same company as me. But they've been doing it longer and they're both much older than me. I think we're supposed to have another man join us, soon.

[But those are more details that he didn't understand so much and maybe he didn't need to. The new person isn't going to have the same voice type as himself and it's pointless to worry, anyway. When did things become so serious? It wasn't like he had anything to worry about.]

[The sight didn't go unnoticed, but Jim decided that now wasn't the time to comment on it. Instead, he listened carefully as Oliver spoke, slightly adjusting the weight of Karen on his back as the pair - trio? - walked calmly through the streets. It was only fair to listen; the kid had listened to Jim, and who would Jim be to deny the same courtesy? Besides, he was curious.]

Sounds like a complicated process there, Oliver. [He wasn't quite sure he really understood any of it; then again, it'd be like showing someone Duel Monsters the first time - it takes time.] While it sounds like a competition, the fact that you sound like you're still on their roster is a good thing. Sure, you might not be the top idol but who says you won't make it there one day? Besides, the more you work at it, the better you'll get. [Cue sheepish laughter.] Or so I'm told.

[He's not completely sure if his words would be comforting to his new friend - despite a bond forming, he knew little of what would sadden the child or what would make him happy. Shrugging to himself, Jim reached over, and going with a gut feeling, ruffled Oliver's hair carefully, gently.]

I've got faith in you, though. You'll do fine, if that's what's worrying ya, mate.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

a welcome;

Sorry for the delay!

I don't mind at all!

<333

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sorry my L key likes to act as the enter, sometimes

Haha, you're fine! :3

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Cue big bro Jim time?