Log: Jeanne-Marie and Walter Summary: Right after this exchange, Walter brings Jeanne-Marie some crackers and milk. What Jean-Paul told him is confirmed. Jeanne-Marie thinks she's two people. One of which is apparently and 80 year old woman.
WALTER. There was no time to quickly check Wikipedia for this sickness. What was it, multiple personality disorder? No wait, they changed the name of it. Sybil had it. The blonde chick on Heroes has it (right? Or is she three people? Walter forgot). And Aurora apparently had it too. No time, no time!
After messaging her, Walter went out of his way. He had his own little stash of cheesy Goldfish crackers, but he went down to the kitchen for a glass of milk. Hopefully, milk would be all right. He hoped he looked fine-- Jeanne-Marie seemed a little more uptight than Aurora. His glasses were crooked but his shirt was clean. Bag of crackers and milk in one hand, knocking with the other. A habit of announcing himself when outside your door, "Jeanne-Marie?" Gee-Anne Marie. Crap, they're French Canadian! Should it be Jean? Crap.
JEANNE-MARIE After Jeanne-Marie had blinked and found herself no longer at the library but down in the hotel courtyard, being forcefully man-handled by her brother and someone else, she's been hiding out on the journals which are a nice way of appearing sociable when you're not really at all. Still...somehow, she's agreed to break bread (or...fish crackers?) with some complete stranger. If this Walter fellow had not indeed been a friend of her brother, she would have flatly declined - especially considering he initially mistook her for that foul mouthed harlot.
Its too late to reconsider now, though because she can hear him at her door. Oh Heaven help her, what is she doing? Checking her appearance - hair pulled tightly back into a bun, shirt buttoned to the neck and skirt touching the knees - Jeanne-Marie takes a breath and then moves to open her door a crack. "Bonsoir..." She dips her head nervously, "Walter, n'etes-vous pas?" Oh, right. English. "You...are Walter, yes?"
WALTER. When dealing with a small woodland creature, you want to keep your distance. Offer the food and make sure they know you're not trying to trick them. Walter takes a few steps back when the door is opened.
"Oui!" Sounds like WEE! "I'm Walter Langkowski. I brought you a snack." He jerks his head towards the hall he stands in, "Do you want to come out here?" Too forward! Too much! "Or you can just take it into your room. And I'll go. Sorry." Apologizing randomly, you're such a dork, Walter.
JEANNE-MARIE Hmm. Her eyes flick up and down his bulky frame, the corners of her mouth twitching downward as she silently judges his appearance. He looks friendly enough, and he made an effort with her language and so the door is opened fully and she offers him a brief, very fleeting smile, "Oh, non...s'il vous plait...come in." Stepping to the right, she waves him inside.
"What have you bought along with you then, Walter?" She's kind of awkward, but manages to hide it behind a stiff politeness. Jeanne-Marie doesn't get out much, and really hasn't had many conversations with many boys in her life - not that one would ever really want to talk to her. Boys were all hands and glands and eyeballs, and Jeanne-Marie, in her opinion, is certainly not pretty enough to be looked at twice by one. Thank the Heavenly Father for that. There are two old, stained chairs across the room, which she points him toward, "You are welcome to sit, if you would like."
WALTER. With a sigh of relief, Walter enters the room. He passed the test! Right? Sure. He wants to at least get her to trust him. He's not really even sure why he's trying so hard anymore. Is it to please Jean-Paul? Is it to root himself further into her life? He'll figure that out later.
Walter takes a seat in the chair, shifting a few times as if he's never sat in a chair before. "I brought a glass of milk," which he raises, "And some crackers." Little orange crackers, shaped like goldfish but taste like cheese. "Thank you," for letting him in, mostly. This feels like hostage negotiations.
JEANNE-MARIE Watching him sit, Jeanne-Marie takes a moment, before lowering herself into the chair opposite, smoothing her skirt down and folding her hands in her lap. "Thank you?" Why is he thanking her? She shakes her head, "Non--no. Thank you. I probably would not have eaten tonight...if you had not have offered." She speaks slowly because her English isn't all that amazing when she doesn't have a dictionary right beside her, or time to formulate the best response.
Then she smiles a little ironically staring down at her hands, "It would seem you have taken to feeding the Beaubier twins when we do not feed ourselves, Walter. Certainly you are a gift from God." Then she looks up, eyeing off those fish crackers a little dubiously, "Goldfish?" They do not sound very appetising, but Jeanne-Marie is fussy.
WALTER. "Thank you for letting me come in." Walter hopes that soon enough, he'll be back on good terms with both Beaubiers. Jean-Paul seems a little peeved at him. Maybe he's just being moody-- Walter's sure if he were in his shoes, he'd be a little cranky too.
A gift from God nearly gets a chuckle from him. Ah, just let her. It seems harmless. "Yeah! They are just the shape. Similar to animal crackers. They don't taste like hippos or giraffes." He holds his offering out to her, "If you don't like them, I can eat them." Human garbage disposal!
JEANNE-MARIE Jean-Paul's always moody, Walter, and his sister would be quick to leap to his defence, regardless of her feelings on the matter. (Really, though. The boy should learn to be thankful for what he has.)
"Merci." She takes the box, hesitating, "I am sorry...I do not have a bowl to put them in." She hopes he doesn't mind her sticking her fingers in. Then she selects one sniffs it, before popping it into her mouth. "Oh!" Once again, she smiles down at her hands, "They are not so horrible." Not that she thought you were going to poison her, Walter.
"Mon frère speaks often of you..." Dear Lord, Jeanne-Marie is attempting conversation. "Nice things. It is good for me to finally put a face to the name, pour ainsi dire." As it were.
WALTER. Walter mouths that sentence to himself. Pour ainsi dire. What the heck did that mean? "That's good to hear. I know he thinks the world of you, as well." Enough to take care of your crazy-- er. "You can keep the crackers, it's all right." She can fondle each and every cracker if she so felt the need.
Boy oh boy does he ever want to ask about Aurora. No no, talk about the weather, have a normal conversation. "Just recently, my glasses fell into a mailbox." He pushes his glasses up his nose just then, hoping she doesn't ask how they got there. "He was nice enough to retrieve them." Doesn't she know this story? You're repeating yourself! "I fixed his iPod, too. And now here I am feeding you! Heh."
JEANNE-MARIE "Well...one would hope so..." She really does hope he thinks the world of her! Sometimes she doesn't feel like a very good sister at all! "Apparently I--" She's not sure exactly what she is going to confess here, so stops herself, and just offers him a little smile, "It is good that we found eachother." God bless family.
"Ah...oui. He mentioned he helped you get your glasses out of---" Wait, did Walter say mailbox? Jean-Paul hasn't related the entire story back to her, yet. "One would wonder how your glasses fell into the box in the first place?" And then she glances up, and actually looks at him with a smile, "Or do I not want to know?" This is the most amount of funny you will probably get out of her, Walter. Enjoy it.
Shyly offers the box back to him so she doesn't appear greedy.
WALTER. Walter tilts his head, "Found each other?" He wasn't really paying a lot of attention, now was he? Ooh, crackers. He reaches into the box and reconsiders. Takes the whole thing, shakes a few into his hand and holds it back out to her. "I was looking deep into the abyss and it looked back at me." Oh please, please, get that.
Just in case, he adds, "I was just looking inside it."
JEANNE-MARIE "Mmm," She nods, "we have not known each other long, mon frère and I...we were separated soon after we were born. It is only recently that we found each other once more." Her expression softens at this, and she sighs a little.
When he shakes the crackers into his hand her mouth quirks up in approval, and she takes the box back. The abyss? What? Surely he isn't talking about hell? "--oh. You must...have had your head quite far...into it." She's looking a little confused at the moment - why was his head in the mail box in the first place?!
WALTER. "I was curious." He wanted to make Jean-Paul smile. "That's really cool about how you guys didn't know each other! I mean-- er, not that it's cool you were separated, but I've read a lot about twins and stuff." Walter did hear about that married couple who found out they were twins. He'll leave that part out of the story.
This leads him to wonder if twins were the wrong word. Does she think Aurora is a part of the equation? Are they triplets? "And... about Aurora." He licks his lips nervously. "I'll see if I can get her to be nicer to you."
JEANNE-MARIE "I think some things may be better left to the imagination, cher Walter." ...is she warming to him? The shy smile she's offering him says maybe she is. "Mailboxes included." You have learnt your lesson and you are better for it, Walter. Amen.
Aurora does not belong; Jeanne-Marie wishes she would just go away and leave she and her brother (and her belongings) alone in peace. Demon hussy. At the mention of her name Jeanne-Marie frowns stiffly, fingers tightening around the box of fish crackers. "I do not know if that one is even capable of showing kindness." Devil spawn.
WALTER. "I'm nice enough for the both of us. I'll try and talk to her. For you." And right after he leaves here, he's hitting up Wikipedia. "I'd like to think I'm a people person." There's a little grin as Walter is feeling a little confident. Of all the people here, he's only managed to make one of them angry. And that was Jared, so it's not saying a lot.
JEANNE-MARIE She lifts a shoulder in a tiny shrug, "Well...If you feel that she will listen to you, mais certainement." Subject yourself to the horror and abhorrent immorality of that one if you dare, Walter, do not blame Jeanne-Marie if Aurora leads you into the pits of hell for it. "Merci, Walter." She means it, too. Not many people have been so nice to Petite Mademoiselle Jeanne-Marie.
WALTER. "I'll do what I can." For yoooou, crazy girl. Walter gestures with a jerk of his head to the glass of milk. "You can have the rest of the crackers. I'll let you finish up in peace." Enough of his damn talking about the damn Aurora.
JEANNE-MARIE "Oh, oui. Merci..." Again. Jeanne-Marie is very polite. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Walter. I appreciate you bringing me something to eat-- you are a very thoughtful young man." She sounds about eighty, now. Oh well.
WALTER. It's adorable. And disconcerting to Walter that he finds it adorable. "Perhaps I'll see you again later! Have a nice night." Showing himself out, rising and going to the door.