* chapter ii: life / exploring

[elijah]

[div style="margin: 0 auto; border-width:0; width: 70%; text-align: justify; font-family: arial; line-height: 1.5; font-size: 9pt;"]He is not deaf but his mind works in different ways, filtering sounds he does not wish to hear. His grasp of the world is morphed and strange, molded to fit a universe filled with stars - a canvas for wonders and joys. The demiangel's heart only sees what he wishes to see. A rosy landscape spreads before him, adventure swims within his baby-blue hues. It blurs and meshes with his concept of a physical reality, the true god that acts upon the child. One can speak but they will not be heard by Elijah. The rumble of the dragon is outside of his perspective, strangled by a lack of existence. He simply has not noticed the eldritch creature to have spoken, failing to realise his presence because the skies are dark and mourning. The sky stretches into a grey abyss. It is a beautiful melancholy, a perfect dissonance. Perhaps it is a good thing Elijah has not noticed the dragon, the dragon who drips a rich ebony, because he is still young and not understanding. He would look at the creature and believe him to be evil, see the contrasting scarlet upon his face and be afraid. While he would not have the power to slay the creature, he will think to try and protect the unnamed child he is talking to. The last time he had tried to defend those he cared about, it -... the memories turn to static and the dreary landscape seems to brighten in front of him, a rosy gold.

He doesn't hear the first word that came from the adult, only just realising he is in front of them. He's had another one of those moments. They are moments where he has stopped paying attention to what is in front of him, distracted by the tiniest of details he could gawk about later. He said that they called the turtle Tofu. Elijah has listened to just enough, eyes sweeping towards the giant statue in a starry fashion. Tofu was a food, wasn't it? Giggles intercept his attention and Elijah can't help but keep smiling. He is glad the child likes his presence, remembering way the kit had bumped into him in a friendly return, clearly happy to be around him. Elijah is happy to have found a friend. It is the first friend who has reacted to him the way they have, who don't seem to show disinterest. His first friend he had made walked off with a two-legged drake, left him alone, but this child doesn't seem to be running away and he is grateful. It is a joy that swells within the young boy, he is glad - so glad - that he seems to have someone to share his world with. Perhaps he can invite the nameless child on one of his adventures, maybe...for the first time...he will have a companion who won't get bored, who will actually respond to him rather than remain mute.

Nameless. The child has stopped laughing, the bubbly feelings have subsided, dissipated, retreated. He's ruined it, he has ruined the mood and Elijah's one heart sinks. He wants to go back, play rewind and hear the kitten giggle and purr with the same fondness as before. It had made him feel warm and appreciated, it had made him feel less lonely. He has done it again. He has caused others to grow distant before. The ragdoll does not understand what he has done and why they have gone quiet. Socialising is difficult, he realises, because he often ignores the ones around him. He doesn't realise they are talking until too late. Elijah jumps a little when the nameless child bumps into him again, blue eyes widening slightly in surprise. There is no response. The kitten only follows him towards the shade of the palm tree and he pulls his wing away, shaking it to the side and letting the droplets fall from his feathers. He shivers from the cold before looking back at them. He realises they don't say much to begin with. While they will echo the words of others or express how they were feeling, he notices they have told him nothing about them. Do they have a family? He remembers when he first found them, lying in the sand desperately trying to crawl to shade. No one really asked where their family was.

"You don't have a name?" he asks softly. His voice is much quieter now, almost on par with the sound of the rain, the droplets that collide into the ground. He wonders if they just don't want to share their name, wonders if there are bad memories to it. He hardly knows them, he doesn't know why he puts so much effort into looking out for them but he knows that they seem special to him. He wants to get to know this child but he can't even get a name. "I think there's still a book in mama's house that has baby names," Elijah then says, "After the rain I can take you there and I can find a name to call you." He doesn't know if that will be insulting to the kitten or not - the idea of Eli attempting to name him. He thinks that maybe, at least, he can have something temporary to call them. Then again, does it matter? Are names really that important? He decides he will wait before saying anything, knowing it was best to let them react to it first. His fur bristles from a cold breeze, the remnants of water on his fur still making him shudder. "A-Are you cold?"