video;

[givetheslip]

This is dumb. Whoever's responsible for making us this way needs to undo it! I was already a girl once, I don't want to do it again.

[The accent is English. The face is likely unfamiliar to most, but the name attached to the feed reads: Maria Thorpe.]

I'll hit you if I have to.

[And...that's about all. She's normally a little more eloquent than this, but apparently that goes right out the window in the face of preteen wrath.]

[action;

Maria is still too furious to work, even if the people at her job would take her seriously long enough to let her do it. Sam had actually patted her on the head, and she'd nearly wrenched his wrist. To cool down, she more or less stomps her way to a city park in Heropa, walking around to relax and stop being so angry about this.

An hour into it, and she's still waiting for that to happen. She's also not watching where she's going. Has a young English girl just smacked into you on the path? Well, maybe you should have gotten out of the way.]

Comments

[Video]

[equinamity]

[When the young blonde answers, the tag reads Riza Hawkeye. She might look just a hair familiar; despite being over two decades younger than their first encounter, the six year old's bangs still fall in the same way they did when the two met during the FanPort convention.]

Hey, miss? What do you mean, undo it?

A couple of people have mentioned it, but...I don't understand. Undo what? Do you mean send us back home? Papa is going to be cross I've been gone so long.

[Video]

[givetheslip]

Don't you know they can't send us home through the porter? Probably because they're daft, even if they don't want to admit it.

[She sounds impatient; Maria is just barely managing to hold her temper, since the little girl isn't actually all that little. A real six-year-old wouldn't get the same courtesy.]

I'm not really a child so I shouldn't be one! Nor should you!

[Video]

[equinamity]

[The confusion on her face is clear. This isn't the first time someone seemed confused or surprised by her age and Riza is starting to wonder what she's missing.]

I don't...understand.

I... I'm me. I don't... know who the Porter or is or about going home of anything.

[Video]

[givetheslip]

You're Riza, aren't you? That's what this thing says.

[The screen jostles a little as she shakes the communicator, not that that really helps illustrate her point.]

I met you were before when we were both grownups. And now you're small, too.

Re: [Video]

[equinamity]

I can't have met you as a grown up yet 'cause I'm not a grown up.

[Though to be fair she's bright enough to start putting together information--not home and with people who say they're older or younger or just with no memory to support the information one way or the other.

Riza blinks, clearly thinking hard as a small frown crosses her face.]

But... growing up doesn't work that way! You grow up, you can't grow back down!

[Video]

[givetheslip]

That's right, you can't. We didn't grow down, someone made this happen to us. It's not really us—it's like being sick.

[Maria just hopes it doesn't last longer than a fever. With that kind of sickness, you recover or you die—but what happens if they have to grow up over again?]

[Video]

[equinamity]

[Anxiety finally breaks the surface of her expression, and Riza frowns, eyes wide with nerves.]

...will we get better?

video;

[whippings]

You're a feisty one, aren't you?

( Not quite recognizing that this is the same woman who was swinging a sword around in a park some months ago. Her younger form is more... endearing. )

video;

[givetheslip]

I'm angry. You would be too if someone turned you into a girl again!

[ooc: sorry for the overlong delay in replying, I was unexpectedly out of the house basically all weekend!]

video; that's totally fine!

[whippings]

Is it really so bad? No-one's even mentioned if this is permanent yet.

video;

[givetheslip]

I grew up once. I don't need to do it again. Even if I didn't care, everyone treats me like a child!

[She says, turning red like an angry child.]

video;

[whippings]

And?

( She mulls things over for a moment. )

I know it's rude to ask a lady her age, but how old were you before this strange event took effect?

video;

[givetheslip]

Why would I care about you asking how old I am? That's a silly thing to care about. I'm thirty.

[Practically an ancient old crone.]

video;

[crwtyn]

If you're going to hit them then let me know so I can throw a punch too.

[He is definitely not pouting. He's twenty five years old and definitely not a pouter!]

video;

[givetheslip]

[Maria just scoffs at that, somewhat (very much) hypocritically.]

You don't look as though you could reach that far.

video;

[crwtyn]

Same could be said of you but you don't hear me making a song and dance about it.

[Umbrage: he takes it.]

video;

[givetheslip]

Not really. I may be a child, but you're practically a little baby.

video;

[crwtyn]

[Wow. Not cool, love.]

Oh aye? And your twiggy little girl arms are going to send people cowering are they?

video;

[givetheslip]

[Her eyes narrow. How dare he.]

They might send you cowering.

[notonetorun]

[... It's a tiny Maria. Or rather, Maria as a child. At least... That's what the name on the feed leads him to believe. It's... Not a sight Altaïr ever thought he'd see.]

When did this happen?

[givetheslip]

The other day

You don't have to tell me how ridiculous I look I KNOW

[notonetorun]

I do not think you look ridiculous, though?

[She just looks like a child, there's nothing really ridiculous about that, in and on itself.]

[givetheslip]

Don't lie, this is stupid

[notonetorun]

I will agree the situation is stupid.

I still would not say you look ridiculous. You look like a child because for now, you are one, there is nothing ridiculous about that by itself.

[givetheslip]

You wouldn't say so if you were a little boy! I'm not supposed to be a child, but everyone's treating me like one anyway!

[He's laughing, she just knows it.]