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it's a long way forward
[It's been days since he left that village behind, and he hasn't had nearly enough time to stop and rest. Every village or town he's run across has chased him off for falling out of the sky, too poor to offer any help of their own and too afraid to attempt to question his state. Desperately, he's kept his presence disguised, hiding from those other colored entities that were part of this destiny he wanted nothing to do with. He slept in trees for a couple hours at a time, moving again before too long when it no longer felt secure enough.
He was running from something he couldn't escape, but each time he tried to find somewhere to go, it wasn't right. Maybe his predecessor was right. Maybe there wasn't anyone who would take him like he is, green leg showing in the spot that his shoes don't cover. Maybe he was too much of a monster.
No. Determined, Jae-Ha urged himself forward despite that worry. No matter where he ended up, or if he had to live alone for the rest of his life, it was better than existing and waiting in that prison of a village. He wouldn't become like his predecessor. He wouldn't wait around to take it out on the next generation.
When he spots a blonde boy crouched near something in a clearing of the woods, Jae-Ha's chest tightens. This could be a chance, couldn't it? He was his age— younger, clearly, but not an adult like all of the ones that have chased him off. And better than that, he was alone. Maybe, just maybe, he could say something to reach him, to get some food other than the occasional bits of bread or fruit he's stolen from carts or nabbed from trees along the way.
His appearance comes in a flash, a green blur dropping out of the sky and right in front of Sanji. He's a mess in his dirtied robes, his face and body still badly beaten from a few days prior, his hair dirty and sticky even tied back, and heavy bags beneath his eyes from the lack of rest. When he drops down to a knee, both to temporarily hide the green of his right foot and to humble himself, it's more of a fall of pure exhaustion.
He doesn't bow his head like you should with a gesture like this, instead staring directly at Sanji with determined eyes.]
Please, let me stay with you, at least for a night. I'll do anything.
[It's about time for a desperate offer like this, isn't it?]
He was running from something he couldn't escape, but each time he tried to find somewhere to go, it wasn't right. Maybe his predecessor was right. Maybe there wasn't anyone who would take him like he is, green leg showing in the spot that his shoes don't cover. Maybe he was too much of a monster.
No. Determined, Jae-Ha urged himself forward despite that worry. No matter where he ended up, or if he had to live alone for the rest of his life, it was better than existing and waiting in that prison of a village. He wouldn't become like his predecessor. He wouldn't wait around to take it out on the next generation.
When he spots a blonde boy crouched near something in a clearing of the woods, Jae-Ha's chest tightens. This could be a chance, couldn't it? He was his age— younger, clearly, but not an adult like all of the ones that have chased him off. And better than that, he was alone. Maybe, just maybe, he could say something to reach him, to get some food other than the occasional bits of bread or fruit he's stolen from carts or nabbed from trees along the way.
His appearance comes in a flash, a green blur dropping out of the sky and right in front of Sanji. He's a mess in his dirtied robes, his face and body still badly beaten from a few days prior, his hair dirty and sticky even tied back, and heavy bags beneath his eyes from the lack of rest. When he drops down to a knee, both to temporarily hide the green of his right foot and to humble himself, it's more of a fall of pure exhaustion.
He doesn't bow his head like you should with a gesture like this, instead staring directly at Sanji with determined eyes.]
Please, let me stay with you, at least for a night. I'll do anything.
[It's about time for a desperate offer like this, isn't it?]
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[Gently, he drops to his feet in the forest, but he won't make Sanji get off of his back unless he moves to hop off on his own. Otherwise, Jae-Ha will keep carrying him piggyback as he walks through the trees and towards the buildings.]
Don't worry about anything. I've done this before, and thanks to you, it'll be way easier.
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What did I do?
[His arms give an unbidden twitch. Of course Jae-Ha means it as thanks, but the truth of that doesn't stop the younger's voice from sounding small and quiet, like he expects to be berated rather than praised.]
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[He keeps Sanji up even if he's exhausted, knowing that what the boy is going through emotionally is more than any physical exhaustion. He'll carry him to help him with it. If this is all he can do, then he'll do it every bit he can.]
Now we're both dressed better and I'm a little used to talking to people. I owe a lot to you.
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Except he isn't allowed to think about her, they're not siblings anymore, he has no sister. The ground is suddenly too hard to look at, and he buries his face into Jae-Ha's neck instead.]
Your leg is cool. [It's all he'll say in a petulant voice]
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[Jae-Ha still smiles a tiny bit at that. When he enters this town, a lot of people on the street ignore them. It's getting late, and they're probably worried that Sanji might be ill, but when Jae-Ha finds a kind woman owning an inn, she agrees to let them stay for the night for free if they'll do some chores for her in return. Jae-Ha agrees, since he won't mind doing dishes on his own. He just assumes Sanji needs to rest.
But they have a room now, and so Jae-Ha can let his friend off of his shoulders and let out a tired little sigh, blinking around it. Just one little bed, more like what Jae-Ha is used to.]
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But he's already tired of being a crybaby, of looking ungrateful, so that even when his eyes begin to water, the boy sets his chin and walks to the bed without complaint.]
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No matter what happens, we'll get through things together. I'm not gonna leave you. I meant it from the start. [Slowly, things will get better. He'll make sure of it.]
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Were you happy when you got to leave your village?
[Did you cry? Did it hurt?]
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[He's quiet as he speaks, just focused on keeping his arm around Sanji. Even if it does nothing right now, even if he gets nothing in return, he knows what he would have liked in this situation.]
My heart felt like it would crumble to pieces, but I also felt free. I knew that outside of that village, I would be able to find somewhere that treated me better. Even if I was a "monster," anywhere would be better than that prison.
...I was happy when I found you, though. After I found out you wouldn't chase me away.
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But when he tucks his head again, this time he'll scoot closer to the other boy, more into the hug. He doesn't really mind it so much.]
I'm happy you found me, too.
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I'll show you all the cool things we can do now. It may not get easier immediately, but I'm not going anywhere, no matter what.
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... Will I still get to cook for you? [It's not the same sad, defeated voice from before, but Sanji is still apprehensive all the same. After all, it was him who insisted they not swing by the kitchens to grab any of his favorite recipes, and their absence weights heavy in his mind]
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[So, he'd just be eating bread or apples... Whatever he could find.] But only if you want to.
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Of course I'm gonna! [For Sanji, it's not a question so long as he has the permission, and Jae-Ha's admission goes a long way into breathing some life back into the child. He's lost part of a family, but in return has been given duty and friendship, and his hands balls into determined fists at the weight of that responsibility.
He can't whine about this, not when he has to take care of Jae-Ha.]
we could always switch to teen leggies now if u want!!!
One day at a time. [That's what he manages to say, and he hopes the meaning gets across. They'll get through this, thanks to each other. He's determined to help Sanji, and it seems that Sanji still wants to help him, too. They're going to stay like this, no matter what happens.]
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[Four years later, there's an incident with a dog.
Some weak, half-starved beast that had been abandoned, but still knew the comfort of humans. It had trotted into a small village only slightly larger than the town Jae-Ha and Sanji had fled to after Judge had disowned his son, sniffing through garbage and the doorways of homes, until landing at the door step of the only village restaurant.
The restaurant has seen better days. The building slouches at an angle, roof peppered with holes and paint chipping from the walls. Not that its appearance matters; with money scarce in this broken economy, no one has the coin to visit one of the more famous chefs in all of Kouka Kingdom (and hardly anyone even remembers he was once famous).
Not that the dog knows this. It smells food being cooked and whines, paw pressed against the lopsided wooden door, and still has the nerve to dart back when it actually opens. A boy of 12 sticks his head out - face powdered with some white substance on his cheeks, robes stained with sauces, and mouth twitching into what will be a signature frown when he's an adult. The look doesn't soften, not even for the mutt.
... But he doesn't chase the dog off, either. He disappears for a moment instead, shouting something to the other man who frequents the restaurant, and minutes later comes out with a bowl of rice. The moment he places it down is the moment the dog lunges and nearly swallows the bowl in one go.]
Relax, I'm not gonna take it away. [The blond boy sits crosslegged, hand wiping at his face to clear some of the flour off it] Don't expect more than that, though. Owner says we ain't got the money for it.
[Yes, because the dog is obviously going to reply. Heh. Well, the boy's on his break, anyway, so rests his chin on a knee and waits for the dog to finish eating, looking at ease with the situation.
-- At least until the older kids arrive. Three of them, gruff-looking assholes who never liked him. Probably because he sometimes speaks and acts like he has authority (old habit), and most people in the town don't take kindly to it. And today, to add insult to that injury, they see him feeding a dog, when he's made it clear he's got no interest in feeding assholes who keep making fun of his eyebrow.
Or Jae-Ha's slanty-eyes. But that's another story.]
Go screw off, I don't want trouble today! [He can feel the power of their sneers from here, and groans to himself, standing to his full height... which isn't much. While he's a bit taller than his eight-year-old self, his face has kept some of its baby-ish appearance, and he's as scrawny as ever.] Can I finish my break first?
[No, apparently not. The mocking starts once they're in hearing distance, and the boy - Sanji - well, there's a reason he managed to apprentice at a restaurant no one ever goes to, owned by a gruff man who dislikes most people. It's only been a couple of months since he arrived in town, but everyone knows of his temper by now, and that he doesn't back down from challenges.]
Oi, shut up! You wanna go?! Eh? I fed the dog because it's got better manners than you ugly assholes!
[Whelp. It's gonna turn into a street brawl if someone doesn't break it up quick]
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[It's really unclear if Jae-Ha is the best person to "break up" something like this, since his first line of action is to drop out of the sky and kick one of those older kids directly into the other two. Hopping back and landing gracefully on his feet, Jae-Ha grins and raises one of his hands, like he's mock apologizing.]
Sorry about that. There was no other place to land.
[Jae-Ha hasn't kept very quiet about his powers at all, so his slanty-eyes aren't the only thing that might earn scorn from people around here. It's impossible for him to stay grounded, as he's tried and it only results in him restlessly taking out at night to jump wherever he can.
Now, as a young teen, he's not worried about hiding it anymore. As long as Sanji accepts him, he doesn't care if anyone else does, and he has no trouble standing up to a bunch of tough guys who don't stand a chance.
Anyway, standing between Sanji and the dog and these kids recovering from his kick, he covers his mouth a little with a hand, smug.]
The three of you should probably walk with a little more space in between. Am I interrupting something?