falnerestate | [closed] and we were feeling very small

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[closed] and we were feeling very small

WHO: Joshua LaRue, Yulia Bostova
WHAT: Someone came home to find no little 8 year old
WHERE: The Falner Estate
WHEN: 13 June 2066, a little past midnight
SAFE FOR WORK? Yup!
OTHER NOTES: Concerning one missing eight year old Changeling

[ This is coming through to your phone a little past midnight. ]

you can scold me later and i will take it without complaint
but i need to know if you've seen lyall anytime at all today?

[ She has a key to the house, she also knows where it is since she kind of lives with him and Hikaru, but he came home to an empty house with no tiny eight year old in sight. He is now officially freaking out.

( Note to self: seriously consider the ethics of putting a tracker on that kid. ) ]

p.s. don't tell anyone else that i'm on the verge of a
heart attack. i'll head to where you are, if ever.

[ Yes, this is a cry for HELP. ]

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[ The first thing Yulia does when she receives those messages is laugh.

Really hard, poise and etiquette be damned. Please excuse her if she doesn't reply as promptly as she normally does, and this series of messages come in a few minutes later: ]

I can't believe you lost an 8-year old, Joshua.

---

Is this how you take care of your baby siblings? You should probably stop going back to the US to babysit them.

---

Why are you asking me, by the way? I am not a search-and-rescue dog.

---

I'm headed back to the barracks, by the way.

---

Does Hikaru know you lost her?

---

Are you planning on having children with him in the near future? You should probably wait until you stop losing children.

[ ...Yes, she's making fun of you. This is your best friend, you're welcome. ]

[ God. You are AWFUL. And he will not acknowledge half those questions and just call you. Pick up, dammit. ]

For the record, I didn't lose her. [ Does he sound like he's walking really fast? Well, that's because he kind of is. ] And I resent the implication that I would ever lose the twins.

But you lost a child! No child can ever be safe around you, now. [ Yes, she's still laughing at you. ]

To answer your initial question, though, I have not seen her all day.

[ He did say you could pick on him. He's going to hop on the tram for the East District now and letting Leo out because an extra pair of eyes will always be helpful. ]

I didn't lose her, okay. [grumble grumble ] She's been off on her own since this morning when Hikaru told her that she should check the festival out.

[ He really sounds worried, okay. ]

Just help me find her? Please? I don't want to drag Makoto, Stan or Tohru into this yet. [ You know how Hikaru feels about that kid. You've had enough time to observe the way he has. ]

[ Sigh. What will you do without her, really. ]

Alright, I will help. [ You probably can't tell, but she's heading off in a different direction, now. ] But if I run into any of them, I will tell them.

[ Pause. ]

You owe me breakfast for the rest of the week, now, by the way.

I will owe you breakfast for the next two months if necessary.

[ Without you? What kind of a question is that. ]

If. I would like to try and find the kid before any of them have to intervene because then it'd get back to Hikaru and I would really like to avoid that.

[ A beat. ] Are you still heading to the Barracks, because I'm close to South District and I'm thinking of looking around the area in case she's there.

[ Can you hear the eyeroll, though. Ugh.

And over the Wolf's Crest, You are such a parent, and you're not even married yet. ]

No, not any more. Heading back North, through Central.

Do you want me to stay on the line with you?

[ He can hear it, but he doesn't care. He's got Worry Over Hikaru's Surrogate Kid on his mind.

He is also not replying to that jab other than a soft, almost-snort. The Are You Getting Married Yet came up twice already ( one, because Stan knows Married Bliss firsthand and has always been invested in the happiness of the people he cares about; two, because Josh personally 'fessed up to Rethe earlier ) he is not going to explore discussing a third time.

( Though this technically doesn't count because you knew from Day One. ) ]

Let's meet at Central?

[ And via the Crest: If she's not in North, South or Central, we can check back East.

He's spotting the stop in the distance now. ]

Sorry about this, [ a beat. ] And thanks.

[ It might strike people who don't know him well enough to see how out of depth he continues to feel with Hikaru's little charge; particularly since he's been the surrogate big brother to Sally and Kitty, not to mention how obvious he is with the care affection he showers his own baby siblings.

Lyall is... difficult though. First time she arrived at Falner and met him, well... he got the impression that she wasn't too sure about who and how he was with 'her King'. It's still the case. You and Makoto have had better progress in that department. ]

After I've checked North, sure. I do not mind.

[ For all that teasing, though, she knows you really do care for the kid. She's a little tricky to deal with, too, so. It's okay, Josh. ]

You are welcome. Just do not forget that you owe me breakfast for the next two months.

[ He will give you breakfast and probably throw in some of your favorite booze. The expensive kind. ]

ETA at South in about five minutes.

[ He doesn't need to move much. He stayed close to the exit. ]

I wouldn't normally be too worried, but there are a lot of people in Falner today.

[ You damn better, LaRue. ]

Taking a shortcut. [ By cutting through the lawns and gardens and through the Greenhouse to get to North a bit faster. A bit. You can probably tell by her breathing that she's walking fast. Or probably running at a steady pace. ]

You should not worry too much. People with ill intent are immediately taken out of Falner.

Besides, a lot of those people are Hunters. They would know what to do when they find a harmless changeling child.

My worry is equal parts Lyall's safety and equal parts the safety of others. [ The girl is harmless, but damaged. He's also had time to watch how prickly she gets around touchy individuals. ]

Just got out at South. I'll go ask around and see if anyone's spotted her.

[ There are sounds beyond his voice. You'd recognize it as the bustle from the South Station. ]

I wish she'd taken her phone with her.

[ Lyall hadn't. He'd found it sitting quietly on the coffee table. ]

[ She laughs, because only Yulia Bostova's kind will find a tiny girl kicking the butts of people larger than her funny. ]

You should teach her to stop leaving it behind.

Or put them on those, mm, what were they called again-- ah, lanyards. Put it around her neck, make her wear it at all times.

[ That sounds a little better than putting a tracker on the kid -- which he is seriously contemplating, Elaine help him. Thank you, Yulia, for being you, warped sense of humor and all. ]

I think I have a spare one from Rhiannon. I'll pick it up from the office on Monday and give it to her. Hold up. Gonna ask around if anyone's seen her.

[ You'll hear it, over the line, the way he says hello, and the answering responses of some young hunters who know him for his reputation with the rest of you. It's a little muffled and there's a lot of white noise in the back ( music, Selene's brand of play, among others; cheers from crowds, snatches of conversation. )

He's back with you though, in under five minutes. You'll hear the hitch in his breath as he switches directions. ]

Some of the kids saw her. She was around here for a bit, I'm going to do a look around and send Leo off.

Call me back in five?

[ While Josh is busy with asking around South District, Yulia's made pretty good distance along the northeast part of Central. She'd have pushed further onto North, but something out the corner of her eye made her backtrack a bit.

And she smiles.

It was Lyall, curled up on a bench by the greenhouses, sleeping under her cloak. Cute, really. But a bad habit to pick up, considering how weak Josh's heart was.

...Still. ]

Five, then, [ is what she says when Josh comes back on the line. She's smiling to herself and hangs up. It takes her five steps in five seconds to reach Lyall's bench, and she dials Josh's number. When he picks up, she says, ]

That was five seconds. You never mentioned what unit I should have been measuring. [ She's not hiding that smile in her voice, though. ]

[ He'd just sent Leo off to one direction when he feels the buzz of his phone.

That smile in your voice is all he needs. Best bestfriend forever, Yulia. BEST. ]

Please tell me you found her.

[ You wouldn't call otherwise. But he needs to hear it straight from you. ]

I have. By the Greenhouse. She is asleep.

[ She's pushing Lyall's hair back and tucking it behind her ear, careful that she doesn't wake her. ]

Do you want me to wait here with her for you? Or I could bring her home. [ To your place, she means. ]

No, stay there.

[ His relief is palpable, and his hand goes out to pet Leo as the Persona comes back to walk at his side like the overgrown feline that he is. ]

We'll go to you. See you in a bit.

[ There's a quiet rumble of amusement in his head, as he disconnects that call, and then they're moving towards the South Station to catch the tram heading towards Central.

He gets to your coordinates in twenty-minutes, max. The lion is still out, and it's bounding over ahead to greet you warmly by sidling up to where you and Lyall are. ]

I owe you big.

[ Yes, this one's so incredibly relieved. ]

[ When you arrive, Lyall's head is on Yulia's lap, giving her at least some comfort on the cold, hard bench she was using as her bed. She'd taken care not to wake her up, but it seems that Lyall was out cold.

She smiles at Leo when he gets there, and greets him by patting him on the head. Then she lifts her head to smile at you. ]

Oh, you do. I suppose this warrants more than just breakfast for the next two months.

[ He is probably going to regret what he says next, but right now he's just dropping to a knee to brush the hair out of the tiny's face and move a palm over her forehead to check her temperature.

Chilly, yes, but the cloak and baby armor was likely affording her some warmth. ]

I'm at your disposal.

[ That's said with a wan smile as he takes her from you, being careful to cradle her head and guide it to his shoulder.

You've seen him do this before, with the twins, but Lyall's much older and the look on his face is a lot more serious. You know him well enough to know that it's not just Hikaru who's getting attached; he is, too. ]

Thank you. [ He's turned to you again, and Leo's stepped away and vanished, clearly settling back into Josh's headspace. ] I was so worried when I got home and she wasn't around.

I know. I could hear it in your voice.

[ Her tone is teasing, but her smile is warm. You're such a mom, Josh. ]

I suppose this means... that all my breakfasts are on you, and that I'll see you in class? [ You know which one. ]

[ ...Oh, man. He forgot about that. ]

I have to get to work by three...

[ Your class ends at three, but really, he is hedging. You know him. He sticks by his word, and he did say that he was at your disposal. ]

You're a Director, and you have a Personal Assistant. [ Eyeroll. ] You can afford to be late.

[ He shifts his hold over Lyall and rolls his eyes back at you. ]

I said I was at your disposal, yeah?

Well. Then I'll be there.

[ It's his first year teaching, and he's assisted in your Self-Defense class on some occasions before. How bad can it be? ]

[ She motions towards Lyall. ]

Go on, take her home. And I'll see you in class. And first thing in the morning, for breakfast. [ :) ]

[ That's a kiss dropped to your cheek in thanks. He is far too grateful for your help to think too hard on anything else. ]

I'll see you Monday then, at breakfast.

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[closed] and we were feeling very small

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