Trouble with a capital 'M' (Kiyr, Open)

[Your Mom~]

(Backdated)

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Madelyn Van deBogart-Blaze, or as she liked to call herself Maddie Van deBlaze, liked to think that she had run of the ship. Sure they didn't let her on the bridge or in the engine room or any of the REALLY fun rooms, but as long as she promised not to touch anything that looked really important, she was given a bit of independence. With Olesya missing and David running things again, Maddie found herself in the company of August and Youichi most days. Today was August's turn to 'watch the kid.'

Except he made the mistake of dozing off while she was coloring in the mess hall...after giving her some candy because she had ask soooo nicely.

Noticing her caretaker's mistake, Maddie grinned to herself, pocketing a couple crayons and quietly sliding out of her chair to the floor. She crawled past his snoozing form and bolted out the door into the hall. Now, time to explore!!!

[Kyrie Blaze]

Kyrie wasn't at the bridge, but following along with her routine of checking on and interacting with a portion of the ship's populace of 2300+.

It was a habit that was serving her well; it put the civilians at ease and let them realize who was watching over them and making sure their needs were being met. And today she was heading along towards the mess hall, intending on eating something and starting there.

Behind her, her Titan Shadow followed, all six feet, two inches of his shrunk-from-eleven-feet moving with a slight swagger and watchful eyes. Was that a kid?

Kyrie blinked at the child before beginning to recognize some of her features as they drew nearer.

She was running pretty fast, and Kiyr couldn't see her expression. Her heart began to pound and she picked up her pace into a rapid jog. Einrik followed.

"Maddie..?"

[Your Mom~]

BUSTED! Hearing the adult's voice, Maddie had two options...run away or stop and be punished. With sugar coursing through her veins and making her little child mind race, she decided to have some fun with this grown up!

With a squeal, she picked up the pace and dove around a corner, trying to find a clever place to hide. She weaved between a couple civilians who were standing and having a civil conversation, startling them from their talk about gardening.

[Kyrie Blaze]

The squeal. She wasn't sure if it was panicked. It kind of was, actually, and so Kyrie started to sprint. The girl was quick and small, but so was the blonde that now raced after her!

Winding around the corner, Kyrie's eyes shot wide—but before she could crash into the civilians, she disappeared with a few shadows curling in her wake, only to reappear in a roll to continue the chase! It was now obvious that nothing was terribly wrong, unless it might happen to be a personal thing for Maddie. She called out the girl's name again!


Einrik didn't fare so well. He careened around the corner and had to fling himself to the side, hands lifting to provide balance and a bit more room.

"Whoa! Why are you standing right there!"

Bumps on logs! Morons! Einrik bit the floor and scrambled to his feet to tear after Kiyr and he mischievous munchkin!

[Your Mom~]

'Oh no no no no!' Maddie looke dbehind her, watching the lady disappear into shadow and reappear. Was that Kiwi?! Maddie would have to keep up the game, she couldn't quit now!

The munchkin turned another corner toward the living quarters area of the ship. There was a lounge to her right, and Maddie dove into the room and behind a couch, trying really hard not to giggle.

[Kyrie Blaze]

Kiyr followed, racing into the room but missing where, exactly, the child had hidden herself. She took a couple rapid, deep breaths and listened. She couldn't hear Maddie running so...

"...Maaaaaaaaddie..~?"

Where'd you gooooo~?


Einrik dashed in and slid to a stop, looking around as Kiyr called out, coaxingly. But he didn't help look.

[Your Mom~]

Maddie pressed her lips together, the sugar making her practically vibrate with energy. After a couple of seconds, the girl let out a gigggle, clasping her hands over her mouth to try to stifle it.

She frantically tried to crawl beneath the couch, but the space was just too small.

[Kyrie Blaze]

Kyrie perked at the half-stifled giggle and looked towards the sound. But she didn't move directly towards it...but rather stepped to the armchair right beside it.

"Come out, come out. Maddie, where did you goooo..~?"

Now that she was certain nothing was wrong...her heart rate slowed so she could enjoy herself and entertain the girl that was so dear to David, Olesya, August, and Youichi.


Einrik crosses his arms with a smirk. Damn kid. That giggle was cute.

[Your Mom~]

A squeak came from behind the couch as the little girl failed to crawl beneath the couch. She crawled as fast as she could from behind the couch to the other chair opposite the one Kiwi was looking at. A movement in her pocket reminded her that she had crayons from the mess hall.

...Crayons!!!

Taking a pink crayon from her pocket, Maddie forgot about Kiyr for a moment and started drawing a flower on the wall behind the chair she was now hiding (very poorly) behind.

[Kyrie Blaze]

With the scrabbling behind the couch, Kiyr resisted the urge to laugh softly. Instead, the tricksy hobbits stepped onto the chair and then over to lightly traverse the couch...

...and step onto the other chair. She put one hand against the wall and peered down with a smile, and—

"Boo~! I see you!"

They would have a chit-chat about the crayons, after.

[Your Mom~]

Kiyr moved so silently, and maddie was so engrossed in her pretty pretty drawing that she didn't notice her until she said "boo!" Maddie jumped, the crayon leaving the wall in her surprise.

"Kiwi!!"

The munchkin shrieked, throwing her hands up and dropping the crayon. She knew she shouldn't be drawing on the walls, Madam Butterfly used to yell at her and the other girls all the time about it at the orphanage. But the wall was so BOOORING and her drawing was so pretty!

[Kyrie Blaze]

"Hah~! I found you and caught you pink-handed~" The blonde teased, nothing about her tone accusatory. "How about you come out and bring your crayons with?"

The blonde stepped back and off the chair to wait, doing the girl a favour and pulling the chair out a bit.

[Your Mom~]

Maddie sighed dramatically, her shoulders falling as she crawled out from behind the chair. Kiyr's tone didn't sound like she was being scolded, she maybe she could get away with it afterall!

Tucking her crayon back in her pocket, she leapt forward to give Kiyr a hug. "Hi Kiwi! I never see you anymoreeee~"

[Kyrie Blaze]

Einrik grinned, glad it was her and not him.


Kyrie felt her breath whoosh out of her lungs as she was bombarded with the rambunctious girl's hug! She managed a light laugh and returned it, though she felt internally solemn, despite not projecting it on the outside.

"I am sorry, Maddie, I have been busy taking care of all the people on the ship. And you see how many people there are; a whole lot, right? Over two thousand!"

She would pat the girl's head and despite feeling lingering awkwardness, didn't discourage the hug. She would let the girl choose when enough was enough.

"I try to talk with as many people as I can, to make sure they are alright. So, I should do the same for you, now, right? How have you been..?"

She was making Maddie feel important - as she was! - by including her after giving her the reasons she hadn't been around. There were quite a few people, indeed, but Maddie was one of them, too!

[Your Mom~]

Two thousand was a number that Maddie could count to if she focused really really hard, but most of the time she liked counting to numbers like infinity and a bajillion. She'd seen a whole bunch of people here, and a lot of her school friends from the territory. Most of the time was spent with Youichi and August now though, and it was so boring.

"I'm bored a lot." Maddie was never one to mince words. She got her bluntness from Olesya. "Without Mom and Dad, all I do is hang out with August and Youichi and they never let me have any fun-" like drawing on walls, for example. her tone was pouty though, she missed her parents. Her classmate Johnny said that they weren't really her parents, they weren't even married, but Maddie had just punched him in the nose and earned herself a time out for it.

"Can we go outside sometime or do we have to be in here forever?" As a rambunctuous kid, Maddie craved grass and trees and sunshine. She also didn't understand the coldness of space and just how far they truly were from home.