AGE-DOWN MEME

[devoutish]

Inspired by this and this! Post top levels of your characters as they were when they were younger - it's up to you whether that means "when they were a kid", "six months ago", or something in between. Then tag around, either throwing kids together or throwing normally-aged current CR at people in order to "????" about how their friend/enemy/casual acquaintance is suddenly bitty.

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Royce

[bywolves]

[ Bitty Royce can't be older than eight or nine. He's small, gaunt, dressed in what amounts of black cloth rags, and his hair droops in his face, just a little too long and in his eyes. Dirty and underfed, Royce looks more like a stray alley-cat than a child, and he behaves more like one, too. He's also impossible to find, if you're looking specifically for him. Kid's a hider, under tables and chairs and whatever he can find, like a damn cockroach.

The best way to find him is to leave anything out, anything that looks like it could be valuable, and pretend like you're not paying attention to it. Especially food. Because once you do, he'll crawl through whatever hiding places and shadows he can find to try and lift it, shove it in his pockets and flee. ]

[devoutish]

[Alfie isn't particularly fussed about drawing the kid out - until he gets a good look at him, and realizes that it's Royce. Then he tries the food trick. He wanders around the house, pretending he has no idea that Royce is there - and during one pass through the kitchen, he lays down half an apple on the table, muttering:]

I'll finish that later.

[Then he half-turns away - not enough that he won't be able to see the table out of the corner of his eye, but hopefully enough that Royce will think he's not watching.]

[bywolves]

[ Aha. Finally.

Normally, Royce might be a little more cautious with coming out from hiding, but that's food. And Royce has learned never, ever to pass up food. Not when he has no idea when he'll find it next. The apple is far too tempting to leave, which is why when Alfie turns around, Royce carefully and silently crawls out of the cabinets and sneaks his way to the table.

Eyes bright, Royce snatches the apple off the table and immediately shoves it in his mouth. He's so hungry that he forgets to account for the crunching sound it makes as he bites into it, but - he doesn't care. Food. At least if he gets caught he got to eat something. ]

[devoutish]

Hello there.

[Alfie doesn't turn around, but who else would he be talking to?]

[bittytsun]

[ FREEZE. Maybe... if he doesn't move, Alfie won't see him. There's a pause, where he thinks that might work, and then he bolts. He runs right past Alfie, though, since there's not really any other place to go. ]

[devoutish]

Hey.

[He steps quickly in front of the door, blocking his past.]

Slow down. I'm not gonna hurt you.

[bittytsun]

[ Royce stops, dropping down to almost a crouch, hands curled so that he can claw and rip at things should he need to. He doesn't speak, just stares up at Alfie, completely still except for the heave of his chest, breath harsh and panicked. He's frightened, in a way his older counterpart wouldn't have been. ]

[devoutish]

It's just me here. Nobody's gonna jump out of the corner at you. I've got a friend who's here, sometimes, but he's out tonight - not coming back until tomorrow.

[bittytsun]

Get out of my way. [ His voice is small, but he's trying to make himself sound scarier. It's... not incredibly successful, since he looks like a light breeze could knock him over. ] I'll hurt you.

[devoutish]

You can't go outside. There's gonna be lockdown in a few minutes. That's when they lock the doors, right, and you're not gonna be able to get in anywhere else.

[bittytsun]

I've been in the cold before. [ But not like this, he knows. He's frozen to the bone indoors, and he's seen the snow starting to fall. He'll die out there, but he'll probably die in here, too. He can't trust adults any more than he can trust little kids.

A beat, and then he makes another break for it, this time trying to go through between Alfie's legs. ]

[notyetmightyratslayer]

[Jeez, where'd that weird kid go? Charlie's snowball is melting in his hand as he creeps through the little house. He's checked, like, every possible hiding spot, he's sure of it. Where the heck could he be?

He decides to try out the kitchen again. He gets down on his belly to army crawl across the floor for no real reason. He's making more noise than he would be by just walking. Gonna get you, kid.]

[bittytsun]

[ Poor Charlie. This is a game, but for Royce, who is used to other children stalking him around houses to mug him and steal his dinner... it's not so much. He's hiding in the kitchen, in a cabinet, and he definitely has a stick that he will whap Charlie with, should he open that cabinet. ]

[notyetmightyratslayer]

[Charlie freezes suddenly and then dramatically barrel rolls under the nearby table as if he's heard a noise. He hasn't, really, but he's getting super bored. Time to spice things up a bit. After a moment of surveillance, he scoots out again and starts flinging open random cabinet doors. He's making good use of those sweet karate moves Mac taught him. Heeee-YAH!!]

[bittytsun]

[ LORD, hello small child. Royce nearly dies of a heart attack from the random cabinet doors flinging open. When Charlie opens the one that Royce is in, Royce immediately whaps out at Charlie with his stick and slams the cabinet door closed again.

Hissss. ]

[powersouls]

[Tifa is the exact opposite. She's maybe a year younger, and everything about her appearance says that someone is taking care of her, maybe even doting on her. Her clothes are clean and bright, and her hair has been pulled back into a neat braid finished off with a little bow. She also has no awareness of her surroundings, so when she leaves a bar of chocolate out and plops down on the floor, it's not to lure him out into the open. It's because she genuinely doesn't know he's there, and even if she did, she wouldn't expect him to steal it.]

[bittytsun]

[ Royce has no idea what that bar of chocolate is but it looks good enough to steal. He's so hungry at this point that he'll eat anything - and this girl looks like a great target. She's not even dusty, and she's not paying attention, which means she must be a noble's kid. Easy picking.

Royce crawls out from the cabinets quietly, and while she isn't paying attention, snatches the chocolate bar and RUNS FOR HIS LIFE. Bye, he's going upstairs. Clearly he's thought out this clever plan. ]

[powersouls]

[Tifa spots Royce out of the corner of her eye, but he's fast. She just barely registers that he's stolen the chocolate before he darts upstairs, and then she's scrambling to her feet, chasing after him.]

Hey! Give it back!

[bittytsun]

[ Like hell is he giving it back. He gets all the way upstairs and slams the door to the bedroom, and then hides under the bed. She can't get him under here. Obviously. ]

[powersouls]

[OBVIOUSLY. Except every kid's first instinct is to hide under the bed, so Tifa finds him pretty immediately. She drops to her belly on the floor and wiggles halfway under the bed, letting out a pouty huff.]

That's mine! You can't just take it!

[bittytsun]

[ SCREAM! Royce practically slams his head on the bed trying to get further underneath it. Do not touch. Do not get close. Do not pass Go, do not collect 200 dollars. ]

Not yours. You left it out. [ Royce says, in a small and defensive voice. ]

[powersouls]

Just because I left it out doesn't mean it's not mine.

[Tifa frowns, giving him a haughty look as she scoots the rest of the way under the bed.]

You're supposed to ask.

[bittytsun]

[ Tifa!!! Don't get closer! Royce presses himself up against the wall, staring at Tifa with big, slightly frightened eyes. ]

Go away. Don't come closer.

[powersouls]

[Wait. What? Now she just looks confused.]

Are you scared of me? I'm not that mad.

[bittytsun]

Go away. [ Royce practically hisses. Sorry, Tifa, he's a little... flight or fighty. She chased him up the stairs! It was scary! ]