Eighth Breeze

[salvagedlight]

Hey, uh... guys?

[It's Ven on the Cambot, looking a little... disturbed, shall we say.]

Anyone who can see the... the ghosts, I guess... [He pauses, looks to the side, then back at Cambot.] Are any of them saying they know you?

[Cam adjusts his camera so he's focusing on the... is that a little girl? It is, and she's standing next to Ven, staring up at him with big eyes the same color as his. Her hair is different, a light brown, almost sandy and pulled back in a short ponytail, but there's a similarity to their facial structures that probably isn't coincidence.]

[She's also covered in gashes that shine red, mostly over her arms and chest. And she just keeps watching Ven.]

Comments

[dadandgone]

[It troubles him to see a small girl with such injuries and, clearly, dead. She's not even much older than Elysia or that girl with the chimera case. He shakes his head, trying not to dwell too much on Elysia right now]

Do you want me to come talk to her? If it makes you feel uncomfortable or I can just come and sit while you two talk? She seems pretty attached to you.

[salvagedlight]

...Do you mind?

[He really has no idea what to do. Or even how to react to this.]

---action

[dadandgone]

No. I'll come by.

[He takes Cambot and heads to Ven's room, knocking at the door]

It's Maes. She still there, Ven?

---action

[salvagedlight]

Y-Yeah. [After a couple of seconds, the door opens, revealing Ven on the other side. He's still looking pretty uncomfortable, and he's not looking behind him. The girl is sitting on his bed, kicking her legs idly.]

[dadandgone]

[Maes sees the girl and then looks down at Ven, resting a hand on his shoulder]

You okay? Do you want to stay here while I talk to her or would you rather go find your friends?

[He looks past Ven to the girl and waves]

Hello, Penna. I'm Mr. Hughes. I'm a friend of Ven's.

[salvagedlight]

I think... I should probably stay here. [He's not really okay, but he knows she'll just follow him if he leaves. And he needs to see this out; he knows that.]

[The girl looks up at the words, getting to her feet and putting her hands behind her back as she watches Maes.]

A friend of Ven's? Don't you mean a friend of Daddy's?

[dadandgone]

[Maes nods. He can understand that, Ven. He'll be here for support and he hopes you can stay strong for this, because right now he has a bad feeling]

[Now his complete attention is on Penna. He gives her a small smile and shakes his head, kneeling down to her level.]

No, no. I only met Ven here, recently. I keep an eye on him since his parents aren't here.

Do you want me to help you too?

[salvagedlight]

[Ven settles down on his bed, back against the wall and arms crossed, watching the two. Penna, though, smiles at the adult and shakes her head.]

Nothankyou, Ven will help me. I just have to ask right.

[dadandgone]

He will? [He looked past Penna at Ven before looking back down at the girl] And how will he do that?

[salvagedlight]

He always does! But Mommy says you have to ask nicely if you want people to do something for you and he knows she won't like it if I don't ask nicely so I just have to ask nicely for him to help me.

[...Yeah, she's six all right.]

[dadandgone]

Hmm. All right.

[He looks to Ven now, he's smiling but his eyes are sad.]

Well, Ven?

[salvagedlight]

[He glances at Maes, then back to Penna, swallowing a little as he does. The reprieve is over.]

What do you need help with?

I don't need help! You said you'd play when you got back, though. Don't you want to play?

[dadandgone]

[Now it was Maes's turn to be confused. Hadn't she just said she needed help? Maybe she was lonely...maybe that's why she wanted Ven to play with her. Although his theory on who this girl is/was was starting to make more sense.

He wasn't sure what he could say though, this was between the two of them, now, right?]