Video: 004 Calling all children!

[did_i_say_percy]

[Armand waves at the camera, then shrugs.]

I, uh, have seem a few extra children around lately. If you have unexpected children on your hands, I could watch them. Sometimes anyway.

It's Armand, if you remember me. If you don't, I just woke up again about a week or so ago. I'm good with children.

[Another embarrassed shrug, then he switches off.]

[private to Todd]

[Armand is less nervous for this message.]

Todd, I hear you still have one of those huge beasts. I've been wanting to say 'hello' again. Do you have time to come by? I'm staying above Callahan's for now. Until I get my bearings again.

I hear a lot has happened, and I'd love to hear what you think about it all.

[He gives a sudden smile before turning the device off.]

Comments

[Video]

[catchingflies]

[Todd looks a bit frazzled, but still pleased, at being thought of, him and Thing One. He grins at the message, if a bit sheepishly.]

Hey. Uh, sure. I'm kinda busy a lot, but if you wanna come down to the mammoth pasture, I'm there, like, every morning. Or almost every morning.

Or I guess I could meetcha, I dunno, at the west fields around sevenish? Can't bring Thing One into Callahan's, you know. He's kinda too big, and he freaks people out.

[Not that he really minds freaking people out, but Pepper gets upset, and she's kind of his boss.]

[Video]

[did_i_say_percy]

[Armand has to review the options a few times in his head before answering.]

How about the fields? I should be able to find my way there. How is Thing One doing?

Of maybe I should ask you that later. Are you working with the--wait a moment--you said mammoths?

They don't talk do they? [He's heard of the wild dinosaurs around here, but he also remembers talking to Darwin before.]

[Video]

[catchingflies]

Naw, they're like the Things, just animals. Cool animals, but still animals.

[Yeah, he remembers Darwin, too, vaguely.]

So see you tonight, bro?

[Video] // [Action]

[did_i_say_percy]

I'll see you then!


[Action]

[Armand found the western part of Poseidon easily enough, and then some fields. He walked out into the opening, looking through the growing dark for his small friend.]

Todd! Are you here yet?

[Action forevah!]

[catchingflies]

[It wasn't hard to find him, really. He was perched up on Thing One, who was much larger than Armand would remember him-- roughly the size of a clydesdale, at this point-- and lounging on the edge of the field, giving Todd a sizeable boost to get to various flying evening bugs. His tongue shot out once, within Armand's view, to catch a particularly large mosquito.

Then, after gulping it down, he waved.]

Hey, bro. Over here!

[Action forevah!]

[did_i_say_percy]

[Hearing the voice, Armand ran toward the shapes he can see across the field. He deliberately didn't take much notice of Todd catching his supper. The other teen had some strange habits which Armand didn't quite understand, but he didn't have any idea what to say about them. So he kept his mouth shut and pretended not to notice.

He waved.]

You were right. It's amazing what a few months growth will do for a creature like that.

How are you? It seems you're busy. Busier than I am anyway.

[He didn't want to get to close to the creature until after he'd learned how much it had learned during the last few months.]

[catchingflies]

Well, I got two jobs and I gotta keep this big guy fed.

[Todd thumps Thing One on the side fondly, and Thing One grunts, sniffing in Armand's direction. Then he gets up and trots over to stick his huge head and long, toothy muzzle in Armand's face. Todd doesn't bother to stop him, looking rather like he does this all the time.]

He's friendly. Friendlier than last time, too.

[did_i_say_percy]

Two jobs? What are you doing? I would assume one is looking after mammoths, from what you said earlier. What's the other?

[Armand stumbles back from the friendly overture from Thing One. Then he tentative reaches up to scratch his muzzle.]

You have changed, old Thing. [He grins and chuckles.]

[catchingflies]

Workin' for Edmund running errands. I had that job before the mammoths showed up, but he said he'd share me with Pepper so I could help out there. Cuz I figured, if anybody's gonna hang out with mammoths, it's gonna be me, yo.

[Because Todd likes the idea of being the resident large-animal-associated person. Even if he's not really that great with them. Thing One was kind of luck, and the mammoths are almost as smart as he is, so he gets by.]

[did_i_say_percy]

They all seem like happy animals. I remember Edmund. Tis good to know he's still around.

Are-have you been safe through the trouble there's been lately? I don't like what I've heard. [This really was just hoping Todd had not been in any danger. He obviously was alive and seemingly-well just now.]

[catchingflies]

Oh, yeah, I'm fine. I just, y'know, keep outa the way when there's trouble happenin'.

[It's smart to do that. Not cowardly. Smart.]

Unlike some people who keep... runnin' into trouble and gettin' themselves smashed up.

[did_i_say_percy]

I know I'm no fighter.

[He stares at the sky a long while, and nods.]

Who's been in trouble and hurt? Did you see some of the trouble?

[catchingflies]

Pietro and Molly both, uh, died. A bunch of people did, when the bone things attacked. But they pretty much all came back.

[Most of them, anyway.]

And people are being kind of weird, right now, too. Pietro thinks he's an Avenger, whatever that is, and Kurt turned into a jerk. That ain't the same thing, though.

[did_i_say_percy]

[Wince.]

I suppose the ship brings people back. Why didn't I realize that before? [Still, he knows that death is still dire.]

Bone things? I'm not sure I've heard of those.

I've heard a little about people being strange. Have you talked to anyone about that? [He gives a dry, self-mocking little chuckle.] Besides me, that is.

[catchingflies]

Who's there to talk to about it?

[Todd shrugs that off.]

'Sides, Pietro made his weirdness public already, so all there really is left'd be Kurt. Who's turned into a big jerk. He dropped me off the roof!

[He sounds indignant, and hurt. He'll get back to your other questions, Armand, he's just busy feeling things first.]

[did_i_say_percy]

Somebody more-- [Armand doesn't want to suggest to Todd that he doesn't think he's an adult. Armand doesn't think of himself as one either, but he knows how frustrating it is.] It's just that I think there're some people who are trying to find out what is happening with all these changes.

[He frowns in sympathy at what Todd says about Kurt. He doesn't remember a Kurt, though if someone described him he might.] That's terrible. I'd be made about it too, if I were you. Did he know it wouldn't hurt you much?

[catchingflies]

Yeah, I guess so, since he at least still knows who I am.

[Todd sniffs, at that, focusing more on the injury to his person (well, not physical injury) than the suggestion he ought to tell someone about it. Who would he talk to? Edmund? Pepper?]

I mean, I was fine, but it still was a jerk thing to do!

[did_i_say_percy]

Is there someone Kurt would listen to? Even if you weren't hurt, that was a nasty thing to do to you. [It's a lot meaner than something Armand would put up with from a friend.]

[catchingflies]

Not really. He wasn't horrible to Pietro, but I bet he wouldn't do anything he didn't want to just because Pietro said he should.

[did_i_say_percy]

How do your friends normally act?

[catchingflies]

Pietro's the jerk, usually, though he's gotten better since he got here. Kurt's the one who'll put up with, like, anything, he acted like we were friends from the very beginning, even when we kinda weren't.

[Because Todd doesn't usually admit that he and an X-Man are friends.]

And Pietro's totally afraid of Thing One, but yesterday he scratched behind his ears! While Kurt, who usually, y'know, gives him scraps and stuff, tried to avoid him.

[did_i_say_percy]

They do sound changed then. I don't know either of them, not really. [He worried for his friend.]

You'll be in no danger with them, yes? [He didn't mean to insult Todd by dwelling on this, but the situation sounded so unpleasant that he wanted to find some way to help.]

[catchingflies]

I'll be fine, geez. If all Kurt does is drop me off roofs and out of windows, it's not too terrible. Just startled me, ya know?

[Todd bounces, after all. Landing from great heights is part of what his mutation lets him do, given he can jump almost that high, himself.]

[did_i_say_percy]

[Armand was merely expressing his worry.] If he upsets you too much, you can always come tell me. It might make you feel better.

[catchingflies]

[Todd may have gotten a little more used to people caring what happened to him, since he got to Verdana, but Armand is still a kind of new variable. He's still working out the guy's place in things and just what all he really does care about.]

... sure, okay, if you want. I'll probably be okay, though. It's just annoying, ya know? Friend suddenly goes all total opposite-day on ya.