Cute Kids

1311 AE

Everybody was very large. Dorian found this quite unfair, as he was very small. 

Yes, he was quite small, and there were very many large people, and his mother was refusing to pick him up. She was honestly giving him very little notice at all, so he just clung to her skirts, hoping he wouldn’t get stepped on.

Sometimes people would come over and fawn over him, gushing with his mother about how big he was getting for a five year-old, and how he was going to grow into a fine young man. He didn’t like the strange attention, so he attempted to hide behind his mom further, but she only scolded him and pointedly stepped away. The others just laughed at his shyness, saying he’d grow out of it. It sounded like they were trying to assure his mom, rather than him.

That was unfair too, he pouted. 

His crowd seemed to sympathize, however, and they dispersed a few moments later, calling goodbyes to his mother as they searched for other people to bother. 

Relieved, he made for his mother’s skirt again, to which she tut’ed him, saying things like “How could your father’s son be so cowardly?” and “You have to stop hiding behind me all the time!” 

He shook his head with a small whine. He never liked these gatherings. If his mom was going to make him come, he was going to hide as much as he could. 

“Dorian,” She said, voice low. “I mean it, you have to stop being such a wimp. Why don’t you go find those Rosato kids and play with them? I have some important people to speak with.” And with that, she tugged her dress out of his hands again, and walked away. 

He started walking after her, panicked, but when he lost sight of her, he just stood there, glancing around. He should stop bothering her if she has work to do… He couldn’t help a little sniffle, however. 

Rosato kids? Who were they again? He was very bad at remembering people. He didn’t remember meeting too many other kids, though… but how was he supposed to know who they were if he hadn’t met them. He huffed a little bit through his nose, and started wandering around, giving all the adults a wide berth.

After a few long moments, he didn’t find anybody, so he found a quiet spot and sat down, resolved to pass the time alone. Unfortunately, in line of sight from where he sat was the food table, taunting him each time his stomach growled. He was too nervous to get up and walk up to it. 

After a half an hour or so, a brunette boy with chin-length hair, who looked to be a few years older than Dorian, walked by with two plates. He almost didn’t see Dorian, but he did a double-take and slowed to a stop. He followed Dorian’s gaze to the food table, then looked down at Dorian, then down at the plates in his hands. 

Dorian also looked at him, painfully shyly, and couldn’t help a glance at his food either. He wasn’t so shameless as to ask for any of it, however. 

“... Are you hungry or something?” The older boy asked, perplexed. “You’re Count Myron’s son, aren’t you?” 

Dorian nodded, only a single time to answer both questions. 

“The food table is right over there. You can get some, you know.” 

Dorian sheepishly squirmed a little, not wanting to admit why he didn’t. He shrugged, and a puff of amusement escaped the other boy’s mouth. 

“Here, you can have this one, I can go get more for me and my sister,” He said while offering one of the plates out. “I’m Leo.” 

Dorian’s face lit up with an earnest grin as he accepted the food from him, swinging his feet rather improperly in his small joy. “Dorian,” He answered, finally speaking. “You have a sister?” 

Leo nodded, lifting the remaining dish of food in emphasis. “Her name’s Felicity. We’re from the Rosato family. You two seem pretty close in age, do you want to meet her?” 

Rosato! The mystery children! Now he was certain he’d never actually met them before. He slid off the half-wall that he’d made his home for the past half-hour, food in one hand as he latched onto Leo’s hand with the other for him to lead the way. Leo made a surprised little noise and tried to pull his hand back, but Dorian stubbornly clung, having decided he quite liked the older boy for giving him a meal for no real reason. 

Resigned, Leo sighed and pulled him across the plaza, skillfully dodging the many adults in the way, politely excusing themselves when they needed to. Eventually they came to a similarly quiet garden where a young girl was sitting on the ground playing with a few toys. When she saw them, she gasped and made grabby hands towards them. 

“Leo, Leo, Leo who is that?” She asked, climbing to her feet. She must’ve been a little too excited, because she stumbled and almost ended back on the ground before she caught herself just barely. Her two short pigtails were flailing all over the place. “Hi! Hi! I’m Feli, who are you?” She asked Dorian directly this time, waving one of her toys at him. 

“I’m Dorian,” He answered, a little taken aback. He’d dropped Leo’s hand, but he also took a half-step backwards, somewhat hiding behind him. 

“Dorian? Hmm… Dori, Dori, Dori, Dori come play with me! I’m playing a hunting game. This one’s a ranger and her pet wolf! You can be a um… um… You can be a warrior!” She gushed as she continued to wave her small dolls about. 

“Why don’t you two eat first?” Leo cut in, stepping forward to hand Feli her plate of fruit too, which she immediately dug into. “Dorian’s pretty hungry right now, but then you can play.”

“Are you gonna play too?” She asked, staring inquisitively up at her big brother. 

“Only if I can be the strong monster you’re hunting,” Leo laughed. 

Dorian watched them a little bewildered as he began eating the meal that he’d almost forgotten he was holding. He didn’t have any siblings, so he didn’t have anyone to play with, so he didn’t really play to begin with.

“How?” He asked, taking shy steps towards Feli’s dolls, eying them curiously. 

“You don’t play dolls?” Feli asked, sounding a little outraged at the thought. “You hold ‘em and…” She trailed off as she made the one in her hand walk across the air, making little sound effects with her voice that he didn’t quite follow. 

He still didn’t really get it. Oh well. “My dad wants me to study a lot…” Was all he said in response to her question. 

“That’s lame,” Leo said, shaking his head in disappointment. Dorian felt his face flush at the insult. “You should come over and hang out with us to get away from all that studying.” Felicity eagerly nodded her approval. 

“Umm… I’ll ask. Maybe,” He said, doubting that he’d be allowed to. 

“And then you can meet our puppy! He’s such a big dog, you can throw the ball for him,” Feli hummed, sounding very pleased with the day she’s already imagining. 

Dorian couldn’t keep the jealousy out of his voice when he said, “You get to have a dog? My mom hates them, I’m not allowed to get one.”

“That’s stupid,” Leo interjects again, making Dorian blush once more. 

Feli shouted her disbelief, pulling on her pigtails, and said, “By the Six! You really need to come over soon! Everyone should have dogs!”

The older boy was giving him a thoughtful look, however, mixed with an emotion that he’d come to learn means pity. “If your parents are like that, and won’t let you play with us, tell them we’ll practice sword fighting together, so it’s like you’re studying away from home. I’ve already started my lessons,” he pointed out, matter-of-factly.

He opened his mouth to respond, but Feli whined and ran over to him first, grabbing his free hand with both of hers… the small plate of fruit forgotten on the ground where she was standing. “But I have to show you how to play dolls first! Before you learn sword! Leo is always learning sword and never plays anymore!” She was pouting, dangerously close to bursting into tears. 

Panicked, Dorian nodded and let her drag him over to the pile of dolls, willing to do anything to pacify her away from her near meltdown. “O-okay… You said I’m a warrior right? Can I be a guardian? I want to be a guardian.” 

“Okay!” She chirped, handing him one of the dolls. “We’re hunting a big… bad… bear!” As she said this, she pointed firmly at Leo, who chuckled a little bit. 

“Actually, Feli, I’m gonna go see mom for a little bit. I think Dorian will be happy to keep you company though… I’ll be back in a little bit.” 

She sighed, pouting her bottom lip out as she stared at him with puppy dog eyes. He was not moved. She lowered her pointed finger in defeat. “O...kay.” 

They watched him leave, then she looked up at Dorian, looking upset. “Does your big brother leave you a lot too?” She asked mournfully. 

“I don’t have a big brother,” He answered.

“Then do you leave your little sister too?” 

“I don’t have a little sister.” 

“I’m sorry,” She said, suddenly. He was perplexed by that.

“Why are you sorry?” He asked, tilting his head.

She hummed and played with the fabric of her dress, thinking about her answer. “I like my brother. I’m sad when he’s not here, and you don’t have one at all.” 

He didn’t know what to say to that. He didn’t really see it that way. He wasn’t aware he was supposed to miss what he didn’t have. He shrugged it off. 

“That’s why you have to play with me one day!” She insisted, earnestly. “So you aren’t lonely!” 

He blinked, then nodded once, slowly. 

“Promise!” She said, holding her pinkie out. A little smile came to his face, then, and he returned the pinkie promise with a more confident nod.

“Alright, alright, I will.” 

She smiled too, then set about properly showing him how to play with her little, shabbily painted wooden dolls, eventually taking down the big bad bear.