InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Domo arigato, Mister Roboto!"

Graham Comma Will (6ismynew5) wrote in chaosunraveled,
@ 2008-05-12 01:47:00

Current location:	room 303, room 307
Current music:	the coffee percolating
Entry tags:	finished thread, henry, rating: pg-13, setting: room 307 within asgard, will

I'd tell you could I only speak:
Who: Will and Henry [open]
Where: Asgard, Room 307
When: Will's first day (May 12)
Rating: PG13 for now, just to be safe
Warning: None yet; maybe just cuteness.
Summary: Henry tells newcomer Will about the strange Room 307, and Will gets curious and brings over coffee.

Will was a little more at ease now that he was doing something: namely getting coffee and checking out this man, Henry's- claims that his ceiling was magic. While most would find the relative peace he found in such small things inane and beneath them, Will had been living second to second for years.

As he got out two mugs (porcelain, in a nice shade of dark olive green) and started to fill them with coffee, calling over his shoulder to ask the other man's preferences, he remembered in vivid detail the box of hair color back under the sink at his house in that same shade as Henry's. That box was sitting on top a print-out of the requirements needed for a name change. Both had been sitting there for almost a year now.

He wasn't about to tell Henry any of that. The man had to look at his ugly face and his ugly scar: why freak him out even more? And especially when he was just invited into the other's apartment.

Holding the steaming mugs in both hands, he offered one to Henry and wondered if he could manage a smile.

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my_private_life
2008-05-12 01:58 am UTC (link)

"Thanks for the coffee." Henry was grateful for the small gesture. Without a kitchen in his own living area, he'd fallen back into not bothering to make much of anything. There was food in the mansion, of course, but he'd fallen into snacking on whatever didn't need to be cooked or brewed or put together.

"So, this is it." He gestured with his hand that wasn't occupied by a coffee mug. He really did forget he was inside. The grass, the flowers, the towering trees and open sky... even the furniture - what little there was - didn't spoil the illusion. "Uh, we just use tree stumps for chairs."

This was the second time he'd had someone over. He was used to Kamina, but multiple visitors to what was more or less his home was something Henry was still getting used to.

He wondered where Will came from - Earth, it seemed like, since he was familiar with TV and coffee makers and phones - and why he had chosen to take up the gauntlet for heaven.

But those weren't things Henry ever felt he had a right to ask.

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6ismynew5
2008-05-12 02:06 am UTC (link)

Will nodded at the thanks as the two men walked down the hallway. Will was busy watching Henry out of the corner of his eye (it was such a hard habit to break, and he really didn't want to break it) and it took him a minute to realize that he was walking on grass. He brought up quickly, the high-filled mug splishing some of the dark coffee onto his hand. Henry wasn't kidding.

Will felt something shift inside him, a bit of his old self that would have had a fit at being able to live in such an apartment. Any questions Will had about the other man were dashed aside in his sudden desire to explore. The desire was, however, a faint thing heavily blanketed in the haze of despair and loneliness that clouded his days, and Will easily quelled the question to stomp around the apartment like a child. He was really trying hard not to come off as a stalker.

"This is... wild, I've never seen anything like it. It's almost like something you'd see out of a story book, or a museum." Will said, still unable to meet Henry's eyes despite his curiosity as to whether or not Henry liked being here.

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my_private_life
2008-05-12 02:13 am UTC (link)

"Kind of like a fairy tale," Henry said, smiling just a little bit. Yeah, he would guess Will was definitely from Earth. And hadn't had any brushes with the bizarre before. At least not the bizarre like this. He knew what kind of shock that could be - suddenly learning for sure that the world wasn't all it looked to be.

"It took a little getting used to. But it's nice - peaceful." Sometimes, anyway. Henry liked his roommate, but the other man was...boisterous. Enthusiastically boisterous.

"Look up," he suggested, gesturing with his chin towards the not-ceiling, where the sky above Asgard was clearly visible. There was a certain pride in showing off the room. It lacked in modern amenities, but...

There was nothing else like it.

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6ismynew5
2008-05-12 02:26 am UTC (link)

Unthinking, Will brushed aside his light blond bangs to get a better look around him; warm coffee in his hands forgotten in his interest in the place. Henry was right, it did look like something out of a fairytale. It felt a bit like home, sitting in a lawn chair under the stars, listening to the ocean.

He glanced at Henry first at the other man's voice before following his suggestion, the first smile in a year appearing on the older blond's scarred face as he looked up at the clouds drifting lazily overhead. The overhead part was what got him.

Will swayed a bit as his neck craned up to take it all in and he took a deep breath, realizing for the first time that the air was fresh as it would be outside. He ducked his head with a nervous swallow, suddenly feeling as though he shouldn't be here. He didn't deserve Henry's kindness and he didn't deserve this room, but it was so hard to try and excuse himself away from both the company and the view.

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my_private_life
2008-05-12 02:38 am UTC (link)

"It's really something, isn't it?"

Henry took a seat on a moss covered stump, balancing the coffee cup on his knee. "I like to lay down by the pond and watch the stars." And usually fall asleep there, which was fine by him. He watched Will quietly, falling into his habit of studying other people. He didn't mean to, but it was easier to watch people than talk to them sometimes.

"Where I used to live you couldn't really see the stars. Lights from the city blocked them out." And he knew they were here to compete in holy (or unholy) trials, but...

For now, it felt like a vacation.

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6ismynew5
2008-05-12 02:48 am UTC (link)

Will refused to let his uncomfortableness show as he followed suit, a little unsurely on a log across from Henry. He let his bangs fall back over the scar on his face, adjusting himself and taking a drink of coffee, glancing over at Henry and taking in the sight of the other man: quiet, unused to company, something of the artsy type who spent a lot of time in their own head, and liked to put some of the stuff there on paper. Will always found artists interesting, even if they often couldn't understand what he did as an investigator, or what he'd been through. Not many people could, but Henry gave off a different feel from anyone Will had ever met outside of questioning a victim.

He leaned forward on his knees, unconsciously following witness and victim questioning procedure to the smallest detail, opening his stance to the other man. "The city? Can I ask where you lived?"

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my_private_life
2008-05-12 02:56 am UTC (link)

"A town called Ashfield," Henry answered, easily, unaware how intently he was being studied. He didn't know if the name would ring a bell to Will, but it had to Alessa. Who knew? "It's just a little New England suburb." One of those dime a dozen places, not quite a city, not quite a town, and with all the urban sprawl and residential quietness of both at once. Nothing remarkable had ever happened there, as far as the rest of the world was concerned.

But Henry knew better.

"Uh, what about you?"

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6ismynew5
2008-05-12 03:04 am UTC (link)

Will nodded quietly, trying to remember if he'd seen the name anywhere and coming up with nothing. From how Henry'd described it, a town rather than a "place" or a "city", it seemed quiet. Then again, New England was a place he was well-acquainted with, and he knew firsthand that it loved its odd sorts of tiny, off the beaten path towns and almost-cities. New England was a place he'd never visit again.

He again ducked his head, almost instinctively wanting to avoid the subject. "Florida... I'm from Florida." He could give a sociopath the name of his town, but a nice man who'd invited him in? Who also might have heard of the horrors that happened in the town close by? He didn't want to go into that.

"This apartment reminds me a bit of Florida... well, parts of it. The trees , mostly, we didn't have a lot of grass down by the beach."

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my_private_life
2008-05-12 03:11 am UTC (link)

Henry knew three things about Florida. People went there when they retired, there were alligators, and it was the home of Disneyworld.

"I've never been to Florida," he said, finally taking a sip of the coffee. It was good. For whatever reason, Will seemed almost uncomfortable to talk about where he was from. Taking the cue, he didn't ask any more questions along that vein. "I haven't traveled very far. I'd like to, though. But the beach down there must be pretty. Uh, I've been to Cape Cod a few times, and I've done a lot of shoots along the coast."

And he was once more rambling, saying whatever came to mind that was shallow and impersonal. But he was enjoying this. Just sitting down and talking with someone. He'd realized, when talking with Alessa, that he did honestly like other people's company.

He just liked his own just as much.

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6ismynew5
2008-05-12 03:23 am UTC (link)

Will nodded, swallowing down some more coffee. Contrary to popular belief, not all cops took their coffee black, and Will sometimes put in more cream and sugar than coffee into his cup.

He watched the other, truly interested in what he was saying. Will's own voice was scratchy and rough from a year of near-silence and alcohol abuse, and it was simply very nice to hear another person's voice that wasn't the occasional call from Crawford or Bloom.

"You're a photographer?" It seemed like such an obvious, stupid thing to ask, but he hoped it would open up the other man and get him to tell Will more about himself. Will was still fighting between wanting to stay here and out of his own self-imposed hole, and wanting to go back into the blackness and all the comforts of complete hopelessness and monotony.

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my_private_life
2008-05-12 03:30 am UTC (link)

Henry nodded. "Yeah, I freelance. Architecture and nature, mostly." In all his collections of photographs, there were scant few pictures of people. Maybe just because there were scant few people he wanted to remember.

"It's pretty much brochure and magazine work. And some newspaper stuff." Nothing exciting. He wasn't shooting scantily clad models in exotic locations. Not that he really wanted to, but sometimes it made for a nice fantasy. "It was a hobby when I was younger. I kept up with it through college, and now..."

It suited him well. It was solitary work, which he enjoyed. He was his own boss, he made his own hours.... He couldn't really imagine doing anything else.

"There's some amazing places around here for photography. I've already done a little, actually." He sounded almost sheepish as he admitted it. Here he was, in a realm created by the holiest of holies, and he was taking pictures like some sort of tourist.

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6ismynew5
2008-05-12 03:42 am UTC (link)

Will started to wonder how long he could be here without over-staying his welcome. From the looks of things, Henry had a room mate, and that seemed enough people for the other man, especially on such a regular basis.

As he listened, he felt his mouth tighten without being able to stop it at the mention of newspapers and magazines. He used to like that line of photography, it wasn't flashy or presumptuous. Now he always felt that same thrill of anger at the thought of it.

The fact that they were in- literally- Heaven still hadn't hit Will. Or perhaps, it just didn't phase him as much as he thought it would, or simply couldn't just yet. He was still too lost in alcohol and his own thoughts for anything- especially anything this odd- to hit him.

"That sounds really interesting." He said encouragingly, trying to put the other man back at ease. "It's the perfect place to do so."

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my_private_life
2008-05-12 03:48 am UTC (link)

"Some things just need to be photographed," he said, knowing that probably sounded strange. But it was true. There were things he looked at, places he saw that he felt physically compelled to capture on film. This place was one of them.

"And sometimes the weather goes strange and everything looks different, like something that should only happen in a movie. Last week it snowed feathers. These beautiful white feathers that just kept falling from the sky...." Like angels dropping their winter coats.

He shook his head, as though coming back to the present. "It's beautiful here," he finished, lamely.

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6ismynew5
2008-05-12 04:00 am UTC (link)

Will nodded, he could understand the feeling, the need to make something permanent.

Will gave an odd mix of a smile and a wry look at the other man, as though this room was the weirdest thing that could happen and nothing stranger (like raining feathers) could exist along with it.

He had to admit though, Henry was sort of cute. He reminded Will a bit of his son, Josh, who could go on and on about a subject until he noticed everyone was actually looking at him; at which point he would sort of peter off. Will pulled back, physically distancing himself from Henry because of that sudden thought, and the unbidden question in his mind, Would Dr. Lecter like the sight?

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my_private_life
2008-05-12 02:20 pm UTC (link)

Yeah, Will had to think he was a little bit nuts now. Henry scrubbed a hand through his hair and ducked his head.

"You get used to the strange things," he said, finally, remembering to curb his tongue. "And none of it's the bad kind of strange." That was said a touch quietly. Henry knew all about the bad kind of strange, and he was glad there wasn't anything like that here. But why would there be? He just couldn't help but make comparisons. Everything else in his life had been normal, mundane.

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6ismynew5
2008-05-12 02:38 pm UTC (link)

Will schooled the expression that threatened to form- the one he couldn't resist wearing at conferences when confronted with someone completely off the mark.

The bad kind of strange? Okay, maybe Will would need to re-evaluate this photographer. He sighed inwardly and changed tack, back-pedaling to get Henry comfortable with both of them again.

"I know what you mean by a good and bad kind of strange. For the longest time it was in fashion in Florida to spray on your tan, despite a working sun right above you. You couldn't walk down the street without seeing someone orange."

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my_private_life
2008-05-12 02:51 pm UTC (link)

"Fake tans?" Henry snorted a little, grateful for the change in topic. He knew people had to think he was crazy. It wasn't like anyone with half a brain couldn't see that there was something he was avoiding talking about. But he didn't know how, or even if anyone would ever understand. So it was just easier not to bring it up.

"Why would anybody want to do that to themselves? I guess I just don't understand people."

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6ismynew5
2008-05-12 02:55 pm UTC (link)

(OOC: Gwah, my HTML.)

Will nodded softly, glad to see Henry was a little more at ease. There was something very strange about this man, and if it was easier for him to avoid the subject (a thing Will could understand perfectly) then Will would help direct the conversation away.

"They want to be like everybody else. People now want their hair to look terrible and frizzy, it's the new style." He'd searched a bit for the last word. He'd spent his time watching people, not interacting with them in the past months.

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my_private_life
2008-05-12 03:01 pm UTC (link)

(OOC: No worries!)

"I've never really kept up with fashion," Henry admitted. He wasn't a fashion photographer, and he really just didn't understand it. It seemed like it was always changing. As long as clothes were comfortable and fit, did it really matter?

But he couldn't deny there were some good things about fashion. He had lived next door to a very pretty woman, and he'd be lying if he said she didn't look really nice in her clothes....

He also didn't understand the desire to be like everyone else. It seemed like too much effort. Wasn't it easier to just be yourself?

"Guess I wouldn't make a very good mainstream photographer."

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6ismynew5
2008-05-12 03:12 pm UTC (link)

Henry obviously had his own take on fashion. It hadn't mattered much in his life, either of them. Molly would bother him about it, but he couldn't help it, it just didn't appeal to him to dress normally. And by normal, he was sure she meant not sleeping in a hoodie and having to crank up the AC on his worse nights, when everybody was out to get him. He thought he wore a hoodie, shorts, and sandals rather well.

"No, I guess not... At least you have the power to choose, though." Will assumed that photography was like his own line of work: there were different avenues to follow and not all of them were something a person would enjoy.

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my_private_life
2008-05-12 03:20 pm UTC (link)

"Yeah, that's why I like freelancing," Henry explained. "It's just easier. I can take pictures of the things I know I can do the most justice. Some things... just don't photograph well. And not because of the thing."

If there was no desire to show something to the best of its potential, then that would show in a photograph. Too many people thought it was just pointing a camera and pressing a button. But it was so much more.

"Uh, what do you do? For a living, I mean." Henry knew the dangers of talking about photography. He'd end up going on about things Will probably didn't care about at all.

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6ismynew5
2008-05-12 03:24 pm UTC (link)

Will would really have preferred talking about photography. When asked his job, he still would open his mouth with the intent of talking about the FBI, and that was somewhere he didn't want to go for a very long while. Maybe not ever again. That would be great.

"I fix boat motors." He said a little lamely. He liked what he did, it kept his mind off other matters, and it was good work, but compared to photography, who would really care?

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	my_private_life 2008-05-12 03:34 pm UTC (link)
	"Oh, really?" Henry smiled a bit. Boats weren't cars, but he knew his way around an engine. How different could they really be? "Is it anything like cars? I like cars. Old ones, mostly. I'm kind of handy with fixing them up." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	6ismynew5 2008-05-12 03:39 pm UTC (link)
	There he was, rambling again. Will was starting to find it endearing, again thinking of Josh. "I like old cars, too. Expensive old cars, which makes them quite a dream." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

my_private_life
2008-05-12 03:43 pm UTC (link)

"Yeah. The real nice ones are a lot more than I'd ever make. But sometimes you can find beat up ones kind of cheap. I want to get one, one day, and fix it up myself." But most of even those junk buckets were out of his price range.

"But right now I don't have the money or the room. But there's a great car show in Boston once a year I like to drive up for. I've done some shoots with cars, but... well, not exactly the kind I'd like to do." He flushed a little bit, mentally kicking himself for bringing it up.