[PP-F01] Laughing Through it All

[Astra 0]

Astra woke up in the morning with a bit of an extra pep in his step. He went through his normal morning routine, eating a small breakfast, showering, getting ready for the day. From there he knew he was going to make his way to the orphanage on Floor 1, where he would normally spend his free time in the past, and got dressed to head there. The white haired youth was adorned in his casual outfit, a black turtlenecked shirt with some buttons on the collar, covered by a white closed vest, and some black pants. In the bag he had carried with him he had all that he needed for the day, his clown costume, and some books, to share with the kids who were living in the orphanage in the Town of Beginnings. 

Astra loved the time he spent at the orphanage. He would entertain the children by dressing up in his clown costume, and performing acts such as juggling, doing handstands on a large exercise ball, or finding other ways to make the kids laugh. When they were all tuckered out from the entertainment, he would spend his time reading with them, and helping teach those who struggled to read. The orphanage tended to be a pretty busy place, and the youth of Aincrad had no shortage of visitors. Astra's friend, older-sister figure and cooking mentor, Ciela, often spent a lot of time there giving the kids treats. Other friends and acquaintances would often come and go, visiting the children and sharing tales of their adventures on the other floors of Aincrad. Astra didn't have many adventures to share, yet, but once he gathered more under his belt he was more than willing to share stories with the children. 

He made his way out of his shared house and towards the teleporter on Floor 22, eventually making his way back to Floor 1; specifically the Town of Beginnings. This place held a lot of memories for him, mainly negative, and some dark thoughts and feelings would come flooding back; but he made sure to remember that he was here to enrich the kids in the orphanage, and show them a good time. When he got into the orphanage he waved to and greeted all those who worked there, before making his way to the changing room, where he would adorn his clown garb. Now, when Astra got suited up, it wasn't in a big red clown wig with a big red clown nose. Alas, he wore a clown suit, a one piece suit with multiple bright colors, and a ruffled collar. On top of that, he would put on some makeup, painting a star over one eye, and adorning some light clown-like makeup. 

After he was fully prepped, he made his way to the group of kids who waited in the main area, and began to entertain them. He would do some acrobatics, juggle, make them laugh with some light jokes, the works. It seems like most of the kids in the orphanage enjoyed this respite, as they didn't often get this sort of entertainment. While he performed his act he made sure to include all of those who wanted to be included, letting them try to juggle, play with the activities he brought, and trying to teach them how to do things such as handstands. After all of that was said and done, it was reading time. Astra would pull out some books and begin to read to the children, after letting them choose what he should be reading. So far, the day was going by as any normal day at the orphanage would, and Astra was just happy to be a positive force in these kids lives. 

Edited March 18 by Astra

[Himiko 0]

Himiko remained in the corridor, half-hidden in the shadows, her fingers clutching the hem of her sleeve. The distant laughter and cheerful voices filled the orphanage, but she barely acknowledged them. Her focus remained on the doorway, where beyond it, Astra was doing his usual act.

She knew the routine by now. The juggling, the handstands, the ridiculous suit that made the others squeal with joy. It was always the same, yet they never grew tired of it. She supposed she understood why. It was easy to get swept up in the fun. To feel like, just for a moment, they weren’t trapped.

But Himiko never joined.
 

She pressed her back against the wall, the cool surface grounding her as she took a slow breath. She had already made her choice the moment Astra arrived. She wouldn’t approach. She wouldn’t be dragged into the center of it all, wouldn’t let herself be pulled into the laughter and joy like the others.

Her fingers twitched slightly. A dull sort of itch settled in her chest

She wasn’t part of it. But she didn’t leave, either.

Her fingers tightened around the worn fairy tale book in her hands. The cover was faded, the edges soft from use. She let it rest against her chest for a moment before carefully flipping it open, her eyes scanning the familiar words.

The story was one she had read before, countless times. A tale of a lost princess, of forests filled with magic and danger, of a home she could never quite return to. The words should have pulled her in, should have taken her somewhere far away, but…

Himiko’s gaze flickered up.

Through the small gap between the door and the frame, she could see flashes of movement. Astra, dressed in his ridiculous costume, juggling effortlessly as the children gasped and cheered. Some of the younger ones clapped their hands, their eyes alight with wonder.

Her fingers curled slightly over the pages.

She could imagine stepping out. Just a little. Maybe sitting at the edge of the group, not too close, not where she’d have to talk or be noticed. Maybe… maybe she could listen to the stories when the games were over.

But the moment the thought crossed her mind, her body tensed.

No. She couldn’t.

[Astra 0]

After Astra performed his usual clown act, he changed back into his casual clothes and began to read to the kids at the orphanage. Generally, the books he read to the children were books that they had picked out, and he didn't mind that. He would read some chapters, and let them read as well, and if they had trouble reading, he would try to teach them and coach them through it. The time had passed, but out of the corner of his eye Astra had noticed one young person who wasn't taking part in any of the activities. She seemed to be hiding around corners, and hiding in the shadows. This definitely caught Astra's eye, as he didn't want anyone to be left out or less included in the activities, but he did know that some people could be shy and hesitant. Still, after reading his last chapter, he decided to hand the book to a group of kids and approach the reserved individual. 

"Hey there," he started, crouching down a bit and putting his hands on his knees. "I noticed you have a book, but haven't joined with the group. Would you prefer to read that?" Astra wanted to make sure he was giving the youngling room for choice, and not making them feel awkward for not joining with the rest of the group. He took a moment, and noticed that they seemed to be incredibly reserved. "I know it's hard to be in big groups, or trust new people, but maybe we could figure something out and get you involved." As he finished his sentence he put on his trademark sweet and warm smile, hoping it would let them know that he meant know harm and just wanted to help. The last thing he wanted was for anyone to feel like they weren't included, but he also knew how it felt to want to withdraw from others.