InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "I'm sensitive & I like it"

Fletcher Tringham (fraudulence) wrote in remodeled,
@ 2010-10-22 20:33:00

Entry tags:

#action, fletcher tringham

[action]
Who: Fletcher and people
Where: Library
When: Evening
What: Fletcher is looking for books

Fletcher had spent a couple of hours at the beach, but had gone back inside before long; being around so many people was dizzying and made him nervous. Now he was alone and that was much better.

He was in the library, going through the aisles and shelves looking for something to read. So far he hadn't found any books on alchemy, which was worrisome, and none of the science books he'd found mentioned it. So in the end he was just standing there uselessly, looking up at the bookshelves, looking rather pitiful.

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chatty_eyes
2010-10-23 04:15 am UTC (link)

The lack of socialization had made Chane regret going outside in the first place. She should have just stayed inside from the beginning.

But now that she was inside, what should she do? She didn't want to go back to her room. She didn't want to go back inside.

The library?

So she went. She figured it wouldn't hurt. It was a quiet place, after all.

She didn't expect to see a rather lonely-looking boy in one of the aisles. Chane wondered if she should do anything to help him. Though what could she do?

she went up to him and gently tapped on his shoulder. She typed out a small message for him on her communicator and held it up for him to see.

"Are you alright?"

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	fraudulence 2010-10-23 04:17 am UTC (link)
	Fletcher jumped when he was tapped. He turned and shrunk backward from her, watching nervously as she typed on her communicator and then showed him the message. "Um--" He bit his lip and then nodded. "Y-yes, ma'am... I'm fine." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	chatty_eyes 2010-10-23 04:23 am UTC (link)
	Chane cocked her head to the side. She'd never been the best with kids, but she knew something was up. And she felt an odd sympathy for him. She typed once more. "`Please, just 'Chane'.`" She stopped a second to think, and typed, "`Are you looking for something in particular?`" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

fraudulence
2010-10-23 04:26 am UTC (link)

He shook his head. It helped to keep his eyes focused on her communicator rather than looking directly at her; he'd always had trouble making eye contact. "No, I... I just wanted something to read."

He was getting more and more convinced that he'd just dreamed up all he knew about alchemy, despite what Mr. Muraki had said the day before. Bringing it up wouldn't do any good.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	Does it help that they have alchemy and homunculi in Baccano? D: chatty_eyes 2010-10-23 04:30 am UTC (link)
	She shook her head at him. Some part of her didn't want to keep talking to the boy. But part of her told her she had to. "`Is there something you're not telling me?`" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	Perhaps :D fraudulence 2010-10-23 04:37 am UTC (link)
	He shook his head again, averting his eyes from the communicator to the floor. He started to realize that it probably wasn't ordinary for a boy his age to be found browsing advanced science books in a library, but it was too late for that now. No point in bringing it up. If it wasn't real, he had to let go of it. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Okay, cause Chane is a bit interested D:

chatty_eyes
2010-10-23 04:43 am UTC (link)

Chane gave a small sigh. She set the communicator on the ground, and dropped to her knees.

She put her hand on top of the boy's head, and looked at him straight in the eyes.

Lying.

Or maybe not lying, just avoiding the truth.

Her inner voice told her to just leave the poor kid alone. But her curiosity as to what a kid his age was doing with said advanced science books got the better of her.

She picked up the communicator again. "What's your name?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

D'aww

fraudulence
2010-10-23 04:47 am UTC (link)

He flinched when she put her hand on his head. Why did people keep doing that? He turned his face downward and grabbed at the bottom of his shirt with nervous, clenched hands, and then she asked him that question and he just had to look up and read it. He was starting to hate that question, because irrational as the concern was, what if Russel found out he wasn't lying anymore?

"Fletcher," he mumbled. If she'd been any further away, she probably wouldn't have been able to hear.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	She's trying her best to be social, tis all ;_; chatty_eyes 2010-10-23 04:51 am UTC (link)
	Okay. This was good. She had his name now. Maybe they were getting somewhere. "`And Fletcher, what family did you live with before coming here?`" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	Sob it's his fault for failing at being social :( fraudulence 2010-10-23 04:53 am UTC (link)
	Oh, what a question. He fumbled with the bottom of his shirt. "Um-- I don't know. I, um... I think I had a brother... Probably." He hoped he had a brother. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	That's ok. She's think he's kind of cute in an awkward little boy way~ chatty_eyes 2010-10-23 05:01 am UTC (link)
	Seeing the boy get nervous, she tried softening up her expression a bit. and she tried thinking what it would be like if she were his age. If a strange woman came up to her and started prodding in on her life. "`Ah, I have a brother as well.` " She paused to think. "`Did your brother get you interested in science, Fletcher`?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	fraudulence 2010-10-23 05:07 am UTC (link)
	Fletcher continued to fidget. What was the answer to that, anyway? He didn't even know if he was "really" interested in science. He answered noncommittally: "I guess so... And, and my dad." His voice strained at that last word, though; there was a lot of pain there. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	chatty_eyes 2010-10-23 05:13 am UTC (link)
	Chane jumped at the word "dad." "`Then, it would seem we have a good deal in common.`" She struggled to think of something that would get the boy to talk more. Maybe...no. She shouldn't. After all she had been through, she shouldn't go back to...but, if it worked... "`My father is in a branch of science as well. He is an alchemist. What about yours?`" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	fraudulence 2010-10-23 05:25 am UTC (link)
	Fletcher's eyes went wide when he read that and his head jerked up so he could finally look at her face. "He's an alchemist? Really?" Could she be telling the truth? But why would she lie about it? "Is-- is alchemy even real? There's no books here about it..." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	chatty_eyes 2010-10-23 05:30 am UTC (link)
	"`He is. And I know several others who are.`" She thought, and very small smile rose on her face. "`So alchemy was the subject you were searching for after all. ...Tell me, what do you know about it?`" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	fraudulence 2010-10-23 06:35 am UTC (link)
	And he flinched. He hadn't intended to let that out... "I, um... I don't know, I mean, it doesn't work here so I don't know if it's real, I..." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	chatty_eyes 2010-10-23 06:51 am UTC (link)
	"`If you believe it's real, then it must be. In some shape or form. [...] What makes you so nervous?`" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	fraudulence 2010-10-23 06:54 am UTC (link)
	"But if it doesn't work anymore..." He swallowed. That question was a doozy. What didn't make him nervous? He didn't answer. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	chatty_eyes 2010-10-23 07:17 am UTC (link)
	Chane sat down and crossed her legs. "`Maybe your alchemy doesn't work here. But it worked where you were before. Do you doubt that?`" She purposefully chose to forget her second question. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	fraudulence 2010-10-23 07:18 am UTC (link)
	He finally stepped backward, getting more and more uncomfortable. But he kept answering. "Maybe. I mean--I was dreaming, right? And--if alchemy works, it, it should just work. It should work here, too." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	chatty_eyes 2010-10-23 07:21 am UTC (link)
	Chane scooted back a little bit, trying to give the boy some space. "`Do you believe that you were actually dreaming, is the question. I for one, don't. I can't accept that my whole life has been nothing but a dream. So perhaps, whatever world we are in now, alchemy simply does not work.` " (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	fraudulence 2010-10-23 07:23 am UTC (link)
	He nodded as he read her first question, but then stopped. He didn't have any reason not to believe it. His eyes scanned her words over and over, but in the end all he could ask was, "Whatever--world?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	chatty_eyes 2010-10-23 07:26 am UTC (link)
	"`I'm afraid I cannot give you any advanced theories on that. It is simply an idea.`" She tried to smile again. She could tell he was just getting more and more afraid. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	fraudulence 2010-10-23 07:33 am UTC (link)
	An idea he couldn't hope to understand. It had to have been a dream. It had to. Fletcher couldn't live with himself if it hadn't been. He clenched his eyes shut and whimpered a little. "It's not real..." He didn't even realize he was saying that part out loud. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	chatty_eyes 2010-10-23 07:44 am UTC (link)
	She was going to type up a few words of encouragement when the boy shut his eyes. Had she made him cry? Crap. So what should she do now? Give him a hug? He'd probably get scared and run away. So she typed up "`My apologies for upsetting you.`" and waited until he calmed down. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

fraudulence
2010-10-23 07:50 am UTC (link)

He was only crying a little, really. He plopped down sitting right there in the middle of the aisle and wiped his eyes on his sleeve.

It took him a couple minutes to be able to read her message through his blurry eyes. He just shook his head, as though to say it wasn't her fault. He couldn't open his mouth, though; there was a lump at the back of his throat that was practically painful.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	chatty_eyes 2010-10-23 07:55 am UTC (link)
	she felt a bit awkward. she wanted to do something for him, but she felt that if she tried to do anything, she would just make him more upset. "`Do you want to talk about this? Maybe it will take some of the pressure off of your shoulders. [...] You remind me of a good friend of mine. Please don't cry.`" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	fraudulence 2010-10-23 08:00 am UTC (link)
	He sniffled, and shook his head again. Talking was the last thing he wanted. He just wanted it all to be over, to forget about it and go home and see his family again. He wanted to know what was real, and to get out of this place. "S-sorry," he finally squeaked out. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

chatty_eyes
2010-10-23 08:06 am UTC (link)

"Don't apologize."
Chane felt that if she said any more, things would get worse. She rose to her feet.

"I'll leave you to your book-hunting. Again, I apologize for upsetting you."

She got up to leave, but as she was just exiting the aisle, she typed something out.

"If anyone gives you trouble, any kind of trouble, please tell me, Fletcher."

She intended to keep a watchful eye on the boy.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	fraudulence 2010-10-23 08:16 am UTC (link)
	Fletcher looked up with an expression that looked very much like a puppy who had been kicked. He shook his head at her first message, but then nodded when he read her second. Not that he wanted to get people involved if something happened to him, but if he'd argued the point it would have just upset her. "Um-- thanks," he said. (Reply to this) (Parent)