[Open]

[hornedomen]

Date & Time: June 24, during the day.
Location: Within the city.
Characters: Ico, OPEN.
Summary: A group of children bully Ico and a fight begins.
Warnings: Violence.


[Five children surrounded Ico. Their ages varied though they were all near his age. They teased him for his strange clothing and especially for his horns. Ico was smaller than they were and he had a tendency to wander alone, which made the children feel in control. He tried to understand for as long as he could. The recent attack along with the sudden change in the citizens' mood made it obvious to him that most citizens were only looking for someone to blame.

The event escalated quickly when they began to grab his Mark and pull his horns. Within seconds, it turned into a bitter fight. Children, Ico included, shouted at each other while punching and kicking.]

Comments

[mach_n_roll]

HEY!

[Ya don't pick on Sonic's friends like that. Not really thinking, just DOING, he lands amid the circle of kids and counts on the scare and his, well, hedgehog-ness to cause them to stop.]

Think you're all pretty big picking on a little guy, huh? C'mon, Ico, let's get you out of here!

[hornedomen]

[The children were caught by surprise and they stop for only a moment. Sonic's appearance did not intimidate them. To them, they saw another small and weak Transport. After they got over their surprise, they began to advance. Ico reached for Sonic's hand and he tried to get him to run away together. He did not know Sonic's strengths and he did not want to see him caught in the fight.]

Let's go!

[mach_n_roll]

Hold on tight, kid!

[Ico may not know what Sonic is best at, but he's gonna find out! He grabs Ico and they rocket off the tarmac in a cartoonish blur that leave the other kids coughing in a cloud of dirt and soot.]

[After a short little run over the rooftops and a bit of grinding on a clotheline (just because he could) he slows, glances behind him, and sets Ico down again.]

...You okay, kiddo?

[hornedomen]

Ah!

[He shouted when Sonic ran and he squeezed him tightly. His shouting melted into laughter as they went over roofs. By the time Sonic set him down, he had almost forgotten about the fight.]

Yes. [He spoke between laughing.] How did you do that?

[mach_n_roll]

Been doin' this ever since I was a kid! Course, heh, I was a little clumsier back then... What was goin' on over there? How did that fight start?

[His tone doesn't sound accusing, more of a general how-did-it-come-to-that.]

[hornedomen]

I think they were planning it. They stopped me and started teasing and grabbing my Mark and my horns. So I pushed one of them and they started fighting. I think they did it because they know I'm a Transport.

[Sonic obviously did not blend in either. However, he was not worried about him now that he knew what he could do.]

[mach_n_roll]

Yeah, we're not exactly popular right now... Still, 's not fair that they should take it out on you. Maybe it's a good idea to stick close to someone while out on the streets for a while.

[That's a not-so-subtle offer to hang out with him, although he does mean in the general sense as well.]

[hornedomen]

Do you want to come with me? I'm going to the Civic Gardens.

[It was not a safe place even before the tension arose, yet he was confident that Sonic would be safe.]