#tmng

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Leo was busy discussing the preparations of an upcoming ritual feast when a handmaiden walked up and cleared her throat to get the spirit's attention. He turned to her, not feeling even an ounce of annoyance, as his duty as master and guardian of Infant Island saw many people needing him all throughout the day, making interruptions like this very common. 

She bowed politely in greeting. “Your grace, you have a visitor.” She gestured towards the entrance, where a small body could be seen leaning up against a wall. 

Minya didn't often come to the worship chamber. While he was thankfully beginning to grow out of his timidness, he had once admitted that the place was so special that he felt wrong being there. Leo had of course assured the child that he was more than welcome in his family's special place, but he still tended to avoid it if he could. So to see him there, wringing his scarf in his hands in his usual nervous fashion, Leo knew it had to be important. 

“Thank you, I'll go handle it.” Turning back to the priest he had just been speaking to, “Go forward with that idea, see what can be done. I'll check in on the progress later, once this issue is handled.” 

All present nodded and bowed once again in respect before heading off to tend to other matters, leaving Leo with the young mutant. 

“Is everything alright Minya?” He made sure to keep his voice soft and kind as he approached the child, kneeling down once close enough so he wasn't towering over him. Not that that was quite as easy these days. 

While still a bit underdeveloped for his age, Minya was shooting up quick, as most mutant children did. At a mere ten years, he was already beginning to match grown humans in height, and would likely surpass them quickly in the next few years. It warmed Leo's heart a bit to remember the scrawny, malnourished little thing he'd been when they'd first found him three years ago, and to see how much he's grown out. 

But it isn’t the time to get overly nostalgic, as Minya turns wide, concerned eyes on him. 

“I'm alright,” he admits, but instead of continuing just bites his lip and looks away. 

He's not saying it, but the specification of his own state, and present concern, is all Leo needs to know what the issue is. 

“Take me to him.” He insists, standing up and following behind as the child quickly begins scurrying off towards some far corner of the island. They travel along the line where the jungle turns into beach, making for faster travel. If he wanted this to be over even faster, Leo could just fly over, but Minya has never enjoyed the process, and he doesn't feel like troubling the child more than he already is. 

As the sound of snarling and smashing begins to reach his ears, Leo can't help the soft, quiet sigh he releases under his breath. While it's been quite a while since the last time this happened, probably the longest since they began, it's still troubling that it's still happening at all. 

Leo knows that recovery can be a slow, steady process, and that it's possible that complete recovery may never be entirely possible, but they've not been doing this long enough for him to come to terms with that. 

They turn a corner when something heavy smashes into the boulder next to them, spraying debris everywhere. It's instinct that brings a brightly colored wing up, shielding himself and Minya from the onslaught. Bringing it back down, he takes in the scene in front of them. 

The clearing is a mess of broken boxes and crumbled rocks, holes and trenches gouged into the ground and boulders shining with claw marks. 

And in the middle stands Godzilla, huffing and snarling, his body tense and a little curled in on himself. A defensive stance, like he's expecting some kind of fight. 

“Goji?” Minya calls out, his voice colored with concern. Leo doesn't like Minya having to see this, and he knows Godzilla likes it even less, but he won't deny his gratefulness of having him there when the man's gaze immediately draws to them. His chest expands as he takes a deep, slow breath, clearly trying to get himself back together in front of them, though still struggling to do so. In these moments he's his own worst enemy, and it will take a bit more to get him back to himself. 

“Thank you for bringing me Minya,” Leo says and rubs his thumb into one of the boy's shoulders soothingly. “Why don't you go into town and play with some of the other children?”

Minya looks uncertain at the idea, looking between the aggravated mutant and the spirit. While bothered by the sight, he was clearly hesitant to leave his guardian behind in such a state. 

“It will be alright, I promise. I'll help him.” With a confident smile, Leo turns the child and pushes him back the way they came, shooing him further when he still stumbled with hesitance. Finally Minya truly began to walk away, allowing Leo to turn back to the matter at hand. 

“Are you good to go, or do you need a bit more time here?”