hollower | ☠ 5th Haunt ☠

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☠ 5th Haunt ☠ - [Action]

[Locked to Mihawk

It's early morning - around nine o'clock, maybe ten - when Perona wakes up. She's cold, and she's wet, and she's in some weird little white dress and most definitely not in her room, or her comfy bed with all her stuffed animals and blankets and pillow. No, she's not where she should be at all! Sitting up, the Ghost Princess, now a truly little princess of just five years old, she looks around with wide eyes, confused and a little apprehensive. Where is she? Where's her mommy? Where's her house?!]

Mom...mommy? Mommy! Where are you?! [She stands up, shivering, and begins to sniffle and rub her nose, to warm it up. Why's it so cold? It shouldn't be the season for all this snow!] I'm cold! I don't like this! Where's my bed, and my clothes, and all my dollies?! I want my crown! And my--

[What was that? Perona knows that grunty, growly sound! Her face splits into a wide and happy smile as she perks right up, scuttling toward the sound. It sounds like him! He has to be him! Maybe her darling pet followed her to this place!] Bearsy! [Or, well, a bear. A very large brown bear is lumbering through the forest the small child was in, probably back to its burrow for more sleep. Sadly, Perona is used to her tame, adorable little pet bear, not the wild, ferocious, dangerous kind. And she follows quickly with a giggle.] Bearsy! Bearsy, come here! Let me ride on you! Where's your hat? Did you lose it, too? Weeh, stay still!

[The bear listens, only because its finally caught the little girl's scent, and obviously heard her voice, but it turns to face her with a snarl, and a soft roar. Perona skids to a halt, blinking her wide eyes again. What's...going on? Why is her pet growling at her like that? Ah--oh...o-oh. Maybe it's not her pet. Oh, dear.

The color in her face drains and Perona takes a step back for each step forward the large animal takes. Its breath is practically reaching her face that's how close it is, and there's thick and drippy slobber forming along its teeth and jaws. It...i-it can't be planning on eating her, can it?! No. No, no, no! She's not a good snack! Stupid bear! It's not cute at all!]

Go...g-go away! Go away!

[Trying to be brave doesn't exactly work when you're tiny and edible, and when your opponent is sizing you up for an early spring snack, and just within gobbling distance. The bear grunts, then roars loud, pushing up so it can stand on its hind legs and loom above the small child. As it rears back one arm, claws ready, the little girl screeches, covering her head and squeezing her eyes tightly shut. No, no, no, no...!]

[Open to All | Action

It's noon now. Perona's been taken back with the big, scary-looking man with the black sword - his home, she assumes. She hasn't done much around the place, just wander around looking at everything and trying to stay away from and observe the big, scary-looking man at the same time. It was really hard, though...he always seemed like he knew when she was there. Maybe that's why his eyes were all funny? Maybe he was magic or something. Perona was almost certain he may be a vampire, like in her awesome picture books, but he did walk out in the day-time...so that can't be right. But maybe, if he was magic, he could do that! She's gotta find out sometime.

But first, she's gotta explore the place outside. It's awfully boring being stuck inside, once she's calmed down, and there are no toys or storybooks or cute animals, or even crayons and paper to draw with! And there were no snacks, either! She was hungry and all that there was were bottles of that icky sour grape juice. And she couldn't reach the other shelves.

So! Using all the stealth a five year old skilled at hide-and-seek has mastered, Perona sneaks right out of Mihawk's apartment and bounces down every flight of stairs until she reaches the outside and begins to wander down the path, past houses, benches, trees... She doesn't go too far, and makes sure to keep the second community housing building in her sights, but passers-by are welcome to find the small child rolling a snowball in a big circle to make a snowman by the bridge near the plaza.]

---
[OOC: Hello, people! Perona's been returned from her mallynap ~~finally~~ as an adorable little girl - five years old. This means two things, first and foremost. First, perona is a normal little girl, meaning she has not yet consumed the Horo Horo no Mi from her canon and gained its power. Nor has she joined Moria's crew or even knows much of anything at all about him. Second, replies will come from

tinyhollow so yes. ♥]

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[ Ikki is one such passer-by - especially since she enjoys hanging out at the plaza when she can. It's a public area, so it's relatively "safe" (and is within the village boundaries, which she never leaves without one of her guardians, if then), and it tends to have the most interesting things going on.

Like this! A little girl maybe her age, whom she'd never seen before. Of course it was probably just someone being de-aged again (UGH) since the new feather cycle was mostly over, but...well, that was no reason not to go over and greet her! Especially since she clearly could use some help with that snowman.

Presumably it was going to be a snowman, anyway! ]

Hiiiiiiiiiii! What're you making? What's your name? Are you new? I'm Ikki, I'm not new!

[Sadly for Ikki, it is just another young adult aged down by the Malnosso, but Perona is and forever will be a lover of fun, cute things, and a mischievous youngster at heart. Always and forever.

The bright, loud, and squeaky wave of questions and exclamations startles Perona a little - so that she comes rather close to dropping her (now rather large) snowball - but when she sees it's not anything scary or dangerous, she settles down considerably. And oh! It's a girl like her! Around her age, maybe? Perona's face brightens like the sun itself and she hops right up to introduce herself.]

Hello! My name's Perona, and I'm making a snowmonster! A biiiig one! With teeth and horns and fangs! But it'll be cute, too!

[ A snowmonster? That was a new one! Usually Ikki just made snow people (or snow bison). ]

Cute? With teeth and horns and fangs? [ NOT TO DOUBT YOU, PERONA, but...well, okay, it was Luceti, and scary things could probably be cute here. ] Well, d'you want any help? I have free time right now!! Although I've never made a snowmonster before!

[You gotta think outside the box, Ikki.

And hmm...usually she's pretty solo in her playtime, but having a friend to play with and help build her snowmonster would be pretty awesome. After a brief moment of though - accompanied with a hum - Perona finally nods her heads and throws a thumbs up to Ikki.]

Okay. But you have to do as I say or it won't look right! It has to be really big, so we have to get a lot of snow, and things for fangs and claws and eyes, too.

[ Does asking her grandpa to find icebergs to make into floating snowmen count?

And the instant she gets the thumbs up Ikki beams and goes to collect some snow herself. ]

Okay!!! Or, um, aye-aye, captain! There're lots of pretty stones on the riverbed we could use for the eyes!

[Captain? Oooh...that sounds fun! She could be a ship captain, or a pirate ship captain, like all the stories and wanted posters she's seen and heard around! She could have a large ship with a mass of servants! Or animals! Or, or...animal servants! Fluffy and cute and scary and big and obedient! They have to listen to her exactly.

Perona puffs up with a proud smile and bounds forward to collect and roll more snow herself. They have to make it really big! It can be the leader of her crew!]

Oooh, pretty!! If there's red or green, then it's perfect! Or yellow! But I guess any color will do... And the ones that aren't pretty can be the teeth! They have to be long and sharp!

[ It's a habitual sort of comment, probably gleaned from her piratical friends as well as her non-piratical friends. Ikki immediately starts rolling her snow up int a ball, though, following orders. ]

Yellow is one of my favorites! So's red! I think we can find stones like that...and if not, we can paint them! Or check the item shop!!

[ ...Long and sharp teeth. How is that cute???? ]

So it can eat people who're mean to us?

[Perona's busily making her own snowball even bigger, thinking about how to make their snow monster the biggest, cutest, and also the scariest snow monster ever forever. It can't be too scary, otherwise that'd be no good at all...it has to be just right. But what to make its arms of? Twigs sound too...twiggy.]

Mmnn...I can't go too far... [Otherwise she might get in trouble. Leaving her snowball, Perona points in the distance, where the top of the second community housing building looms.] I have to be able to see that. I'm staying there.

Ah, is that where your family lives?

[ ...She's not sure she knows anyone there, hm. ]

Mm-mm...my family isn't here on this island, I think.

[She shakes her head, her tone dipping down into a sort of sad whisper. It stinks not having them here to give her things, and take her places when she asks...]

But the big, scary-looking man with the sword is taking care of me until they come here and pick me up! But he's not very fun so I went outside to play when he wasn't looking.

Well...you can be part of my family, then, if you want!

[ That's an offer she's made countless times before. And maybe she keeps making it because...well, she hasn't seen her parents in half a year, or her sister, or her brothers. ]

Big, scary-looking man...? Um, I'm not sure I know that person. But at least there's someone you're staying with, then!

[Whoa, be a part of her family? But that's silly! She can't be part of another family if she already has one! ...Right? A-And it's not like she's going to stay with the big, scary-looking man forever. Her parents are going to pick her up once word gets out that she's lost! She just has to find an actual Den Den Mushi and call them or something. But maybe a "just for now" family would be okay? Yeah, that should be okay.]

Mm-hm, he's really boring, but he saved me from the stupid, mean bear that tried to eat me. He's boring and unfun, and doesn't have any games or toys to play with, but I think he's nice. He carried me back to the big building and slept with me because I was scared. And he got me my clothes, too!

[She huffs, standing up real straight to show them off - a simple, ruffly dress with black little tights and boots, and a thin white coat with fluff around the wrists. And pink gloves!]

[ Ikki's family is the most eclectic, when it comes to Luceti... ]

A bear tried to eat you?! Where was it? What happened? Were you okay? [ She's totally settled in for a storytime, now. ] It's great that he took care of you, though! And your dress is super pretty. I really like the gloves best, though! Pink's a great color, right?

Mm-hm...I thought it was my pet, Bearsy, but it wasn't! It was big, mean, ugly, stupid bear! [She furrows her brows and scrunches up her nose, then points in a random direction towards the forest.] And it was in the woods where it tried to eat me! I was really scared and closed my eyes tightly and told it to go away, but it didn't because it was a stupid bear!

But then the big, scary-looking man came and saved me with his big sword! [She holds her hands together, like she's holding a sword and with a "hyaaah!" battle cry, sweeps her imaginary sword down in a devastating strike!!1] He cut up the bear with it - right in half! It was really smelly and yucky and I started crying because it was scary, but he picked me up and took me back to his room.

You have a pet bear?!?! [ She sounds super impressed, now. ]

...wow, you're really brave. It's too bad the bear had to die like that, but it's really good you're safe!

Mm-hm! But my Bearsy isn't big, mean, or scary! He's small and cute and has a little hat with horns on it! [She demonstrates, by curling her two index fingers by her head to mimic little devil horns.]

And it was icky and smelly, I've never really seen anything die, just in my scary stories...so I got scared and cried. But the big, scary-looking man picked me up and held me so it wasn't so bad.

...He didn't have cocoa, though. [POUT.]

A hat with horns on it? [ She's beginning to STRONGLY SUSPECT what Perona finds "cute"... ]

Cocoa...? I think the bakery sells it, if you wanted some.

[Perona nods, about to go into detail about her adorable pet's squashy, horned hat and his spiked collar and the like, but her thoughts are derailed at the prospect of getting what she wants. Perona is very used to that, being kind of spoiled by her family back home, so she immediately brightens.]

Really?! And we can go and get it? Just us together?

Yeah! I mean, unless you wanted someone else to go, but it's in view of that place you have to stay near, and we don't need money or anything so it'd be simple! Besides, we can get cookies or cupcakes or something from there, too.

[You had Perona at cookies and staying near to where she's supposed to. She inhales sharply, like she's inflating herself up before she bursts, then hops up and down a little as she claps her hands together. her pigtails bounce in time with her.]

Okay, okay, let's go right now! I want cocoa and cookies and cupcakes and brownies and everything sweet and yummy! Take me there right now, please!

[A-At least she said please?]

Sure! Just follow me! The bakery is one of my favorite places in the whole wide world!

[ ...of the barrier, anyway. Ikki starts to walk away, waiting for Perona to follow - apparently she isn't taking offense to the near-demand. ]

Okay!

[And off they go. Perona makes her most valiant attempt at trying to skip ahead or stay at Ikki's side, but the icy snow and slush make that a little hard. She stumbles once and forgoes her skipping to just walk quietly, wide eyes looking at everything, and I mean everything, around her. She also looks back at the looming building getting progressively smaller (but not by much) in the distance, wondering if she should bring a cookie back for the big, scary-looking man. Maybe she won't get in trouble if she brings him back a cookie.

Oh, but wait--]

Do you have any berri? I don't have any...I showed up here without my clothes, or my crown, or even my dolly!

[ Ikki, on the other hand, makes her way with ease. She was no stranger to icy snow and slush, even back at home, and she seems exceedingly comfortable and familiar with the streets of Luceti. She's been there long enough to know them like the back of her hand - and to have crayon-drawn maps of the place, squirreled away back in her room.

She grins at the question, not quite laughing. Though she only knows about "berri" because of... ]

Berri...? Ah, are you from the ocean place? With pirates? But, you shouldn't worry. Everything here is free.

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☠ 5th Haunt ☠ - [Action]

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