tomorrow's shadows (fated_wren) wrote in rrinitiative, @ 2012-09-16 10:59:00 |
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Entry tags: | day four, matt, matt and wren, wren |
connections
Characters: Matt and Wren
Setting: outside Adam's door, morning
Even by his standards, Matt found himself awake particularly early that morning for reasons he couldn't quite fathom. He wasn't the type to linger in bed however and after a quick shower turned his attention to the journals. His eye was immediately drawn to the announcement regarding the facility's layout. Pulling up the map, he scanned over the changes and printed out two copies of the new level, taking one over to the wall to join the others.
Despite only being there a few days, he had already made numerous additions to the map along with his notes and following his meeting with Edan, had gone around taking photos of all the common areas which had been printed out and surrounded the map. The whole thing took up a significant amount of the wall over his computer and with his plan to photograph all of the residents and add them to it too, it was only going to get bigger.
And now there was somewhere new to check out so he pulled on his chucks and hoodie and slipping his camera around his neck, left his room to do just that. Heading for the stairs with the intention of visiting the pool first, he stopped when he saw someone outside Adam's room.
Wren hadn't gotten a response from Adam, which she wasn't exactly surprised about. But, she was still far too worried about the boy to let it go, fully kicking into Prophet mode. He reminded her of people she'd seen, people who had come to the commune, lost souls. And she couldn't not do her level best to help, even if he was resistant at first.
At the moment what that entailed was grabbing up her sharpie again, and she was detailing Adam's door. She was writing runes all over it, starting from the top left corner and continuing on. She was a good four or five lines down when she felt eyes on her. Pausing, she looked in Matt's direction. "Good morning." she greeted lightly.
He had just been considering whether or not to snap a photo of her when she turned around, his finger still resting lightly on the shutter as she addressed him. "Good morning," he replied, relaxed enough for the time being that there was no trace of his stammer. "I wasn’t expecting to see anyone else up and about yet."
"Oh. Yes. I am an early riser." she admitted. "I did not mean to disturb you." she added, in case she was. She didn't mean to disturb anyone, really. Though her work at the moment was very quiet. The marker made no noise as she marked another set of runes, as quickly as she would write her own name.
Matt held up his hands in an appeasing gesture. "You didn't disturb me in the slightest," he told her, smiling a little - this was clearly someone of a similar disposition to his own. "I was just on my way downstairs to investigate the new rooms although..." He looked past her to the marks she was putting on Adam's door, recognising them as similar to those on the door to room 19 though significantly more numerous. "I must confess I am intrigued by what you are doing. May I enquire as to what that is?"
"Certainly." Wren said, seeing no reason not to explain. She wasn't doing anything secretive. "They're runes. They're all meant to focus certain things on this room, and it's occupant. I met him last night and he has me quite concerned for his wellbeing." she said, that concern plain on her features. "I have to help, if I can."
Taking a step forward to get a better look, mindful not to intrude on her personal space or allow her into his, he listened to her explanation with interest. He may not have been a spiritual person but he was curious about things unfamiliar to him and Wren and her runes certainly qualified. "And these will help?" he asked, voice free of any kind of judgement or mockery of her beliefs.
"I hope so." Wren said. "I can't definitively say, of course. After all, a lot of this will depend on him. I'm just trying to draw better things in his direction." she said, marking down more runes. "But he needs something. And as soon as possible. There's so much darkness following him, I want to do my best to dispel it."
"How do they work then? Is it like a prayer or..." Matt let his eyes wander over the symbols, one of his hands absently tracing their shapes in the air in front of him. It wasn't usually the sort of thing he photographed but he found himself itching to take a picture of it and wondered if she would mind.
She paused, considering. "Not quite." she said. "It's more...symbols have meaning. That meaning is channeled through the symbol itself. I believe it's the same sort of concept as other religious symbolism. However there is no 'god' to dictate the influences here. It's just meant to focus positive ideals into this space."
“Oh I see,” he said, turning to look at her and for the first time getting a good view of both her tattoos and also the scars on Wren’s arms. They caught his attention naturally but he was well practiced at giving the impression of not studying something too hard, taking note of all the details as he continued talking. “The symbols are like a conduit yes? A channel through which things can pass.”
She smiled at that, and she nodded. "Yes, much like that." she said, clearly pleased that he'd caught onto the concept easily. "Hopefully it will yield positive results." she said, nodding to herself and him. "Most people think I'm strange for doing anything like this." she said. "You don't seem to, however."
Matt smiled back and gave a little shrug. “No stranger than praying for healing or meditation,” he replied. “And symbols have always had power of sorts, it’s no great leap to what you’re suggesting.” He held up his camera, the success of his conversation with Edan the day before making him feel more confident than he would have been otherwise. “Do you mind if I take a picture of them?”
“By all means.” Wren invited, stepping back away from the door so she didn’t interrupt his shot. She hadn’t seen many photographs herself, though she liked the medium. While she’d been in prison, she’d really loved looking through some magazines, the photography in them proving to be beautiful.
Gratitude flooding his small smile, it only took him a moment to get the camera ready to shoot and he took another step forward into the space Wren had left him. There was a slight tinge of disappointment that she herself was now out of shot, he would have liked to get a picture of the markings on her arms, but the light was excellent for photos and he took solace in that, relishing in the contrast between the black of the marker's ink and the pale door just beginning to warm under the early sun.
Unlike some photographers he'd met, Matt was frugal with his shots, a habit from years of shooting on film rather than digital, and took his time over each, only stepping back when he was happy. "Thank you," he said, the sentiment a genuine one as he gestured for her to carry on.
"You're welcome." Wren said with a smile. Then she stepped back into place and started writing again. It really was as fluid as if she were writing something specific in english, the symbols obviously coming very easily to her as she didn't have to stop and consider any of them. There were repeated symbols, certainly, but all in all it wasn't a discernable pattern. "I would like to see the pictures when they are developed, if you didn't mind?" she asked, ticking her gaze back to him again.
As easy as she made her task look, it took enough of her attention for him to surreptitiously take another couple of photos, this time with her hands as the focus though her handiwork was still clearly visible beneath them. Her request caught him a little by surprise even if it really shouldn't have and a little nervousness began to creep into his voice.
"I d...don't usual show my photos," he said, uncomfortably aware of the shots he'd just taken without permission. "But considering it's your work..." He trailed off and ran a hand through his hair. "It won't be true developing though, it's a digital camera that they gave me."
Wren paused in her work, and looked back at Matt again, surprised by the sudden stutter, and of course that he was saying he didn't usually show his photographs. She tilted her head to the side slightly, a gently puzzled expression on her face. "Why don't you show your photos?" she asked curiously. "Do you not believe in your own vision?"
If he was going to carry a camera around openly, Matt reasoned he would have to get used to people asking him about his work but it was still a new thing for him and Wren's turn of phrase threw him for a bit of a loop. "I d..d..don't know whether I haavve a vision," he said, the scrutiny making his nerves worse. "I'm just p...p..private." His photos were for him, not anyone else.
Wren smiled at him. "Of course you do." she told him with confidence. "If you have a camera at all, you look around the world and see things you want to capture. You see things you want to record, for whatever reasons you have. You have a vision." she said firmly with a little nod. "If it's private, that's fine too. I won't intrude, of course. Though I find it a shame that you wouldn't share what you find important enough to photograph with others. Seems lonely."
He'd never really thought about his photography like that before but the way in which Wren described it, he was willing to concede to her point. He also appreciated the lack of pressure she was putting on him though her final observation caught a little close to home. "I'm a lonely person," he said with the easy acceptance of someone who was well aware of their own flaws even if there was something sad in his expression. "And have been for a long time."
"So am I." Wren told him, which was the truth. Her existence at the commune had even been lonely, something she hadn't even realized until Chester showed up. Then when he was gone, there was something distinctly missing in her life. He'd been the only one who treated her differently than everyone else. Who hadn't been expecting something out of her all the time. Afterwards? Well. Everyone was dead. She felt like she was making some connections here, though that didn't immediately sweep away all traces of the isolation she felt. In fact, some of it was keenly sharpened in her vision, knowing she didn't have a 'normal' experience to draw from to relate to people with.
"It's unfortunate. Why are you lonely?"
Of all the ways she could have replied, Matt hadn't expected her to share his sentiment and felt an odd kind of connection to her because of it, similar but markedly different to what he'd felt with Edan, and couldn't help but wonder if it was going to be a frequent occurrence in this new place. At her query he shrugged, eyes dropping to his camera. "I've always been this way," he replied. "Even as a child I struggled to make friends and as an adult the one friend I did find was taken from me."
Wren watched him, a sorrow showing in her eyes. "I know how that feels." she told him, only genuine sentiment in her tone. "It was awful." She shared. "I don't really smile anymore, like I did." She still smiled. Not necessarily all the time, but she wasn't so mired in depression that she couldn't manage one. It was just that it had been different, before. Chester had made her laugh. Sometimes so hard and for so long that her sides ached. "Why did you struggle?"
Looking back up at her, there was no missing the emotion in her eyes and Matt could tell she wasn't making empty platitudes but that she did understand and he offered her a small smile of sympathy. "You don't really get over it do you?" he replied, leaning against the railing, resisting the urge to take her photo in that moment and capture the way the sadness behind her eyes sat at odds with her smile.
"And a few reasons. My stammer first of all, it was much w...w...worse when I was younger, I wasn't allowed to play sports which set me apart from my peer groups and general shyness I suppose."
She shook her head 'no' at his question. "No." she agreed quietly. Then she moved on, centering herself with a slight shift in posture, even if it didn't quite shake the sadness in her eyes yet. "Why were you not allowed to play sports?" she asked.
"Health problems," he replied, the vagueness of his answer a conscious one - Wren certainly didn't come across as a threat, the scars she made no attempt to hide attested to that as much as her demeanour but certain behaviours were hard to drop after four years in prison and not broadcasting weaknesses was one of them.
"What kind?" Wren asked. "Are you okay now?" she added, a touch of concern in her tone. If there were health issues, then people should know, in case something went wrong. As someone who'd existed her entire life as a pillar of a small community, she knew just how fast health problems could compound or spread.
There Matt came unstuck. He didn't want to lie to her, especially when her concern seemed so genuine but neither did he feel comfortable sharing the details. In the end he went for something resembling the middle ground, hoping she would be satisfied by the answer. "I have much less in the way of trouble with it these days and our doctor in residence is prepared if I were to take a turn for the worse."
Wren accepted the answer, nodding. Her main concern was that things were taken care of, and if the doctor knew about it, and was ready, then she could ease her mind at least somewhat. "I'm glad you're being well cared for." she told him.
Relieved she wasn't pushing for more information, he smiled. "As I am," he told her. "It's very reassuring to have him given we appear to be for all intents and purposes alone here. Our new medical facility is encouraging too I must say though I hope it doesn't become necessary."
Nodding, Wren went back to writing runes. "Are you afraid that things will go poorly?" she asked, tone light. Thoughtful. "Leandro seems concerned for my safety. He's asked me to be careful."
"I think to believe that there won't be trouble at some point is naive at best," he said. "As much as I hope that it won't be the case." Hearing that Leandro had expressed concern for Wren raised the man slightly in Matt's estimation and he nodded. "Personally I feel we all should be but then I've been unfortunate in the past though I'm hardly on my own in that regard." He made a small gesture towards her scars.
Unfortunately, as much as she would like to look on the bright side, Wren agreed with Matt. When he motioned towards her scars, she paused in her writing, and held her arms out, palms up to look at the defensive wound scars. "This was unpleasant." she said. "And isn't the only damage I sustained in the attack." she said, tone agreeing. "I believe we should all be careful. But I also believe we aren't going to get anywhere if we are too guarded. There needs to be a middle ground."
Looking at the extent of the scarring and her comment about there being more damage, Matt was of the opinion that 'unpleasant' was an understatement but that was a thought he kept to himself. His expression grew wry at her suggestion however and he couldn't help but comment, "Easier said than done, habits die hard, particularly for those who have already been in the system a while and I include myself in that even though I like to think I am making an effort."
"Things could be better." Wren told him. "I'll do a reading for you soon. See if there's a direction I can see." she told him. "Maybe it'll help." she suggested. "If nothing else, it could possibly provide insight."
"A reading?" he asked. He faintly recalled seeing something in a book about divination with rune stones and it was hardly a great leap to assume Wren might do the same given the weight she gave the symbols. "With these?" He pointed to one of them which looked like an angular letter 'P'.
"I could." Wren said. "Though my preferred method is with tarot cards." she continued. "I find them a little more extensive. Situations have a lot of nuance, of course, so I like to have a wider array of ways to interpret things."
Tarot he was slightly more familiar with, in so much as it was seen more often on television and in books, and he nodded. “Well you’d known better than I would so whichever you prefer is fine with me. I must say I am more than a little curious.”
Wren smiled. "Tarot it is, then." she decided. "I'll do a reading for you soon. You can choose a time and place, and I'll be there." she promised. She was more than happy to be flexible with such things. It was better for the reading.
Unsure how he had managed to have not one but two conversations that were not only successful but actually enjoyable, Matt still managed to return the smile with ease. “How would you feel about the library?” he asked, the space where he felt most comfortable after his room which had the added benefit of being both public yet not so open that he would feel awkward.
"Oh! I would love the library!" Wren said with a true pinch of excitement. She still hadn't had enough time to truly pour through it, but she was looking forward to that. She really couldn't wait, and the idea of doing a reading there was more than pleasant for her. It didn't for a second throw her that he wouldn't want it done in his room.
Although he was a little taken aback by her sudden excitement, his smile grew a touch wider. “You like the library too?” he asked, a touch of amusement colouring his voice.
Wren actually beamed at him for a heartbeat, laughing slightly. "I do!" she said. "I love reading. There's so much about this world I don't know, and I love finding out about it. I confess that I have gotten lost in books at times. In prison, they would let me read. It was wonderful." she said, finding the positive in there. Her naked enthusiasm for it was clear.
“Then you and I have something in common,” he told her, the enthusiasm she made no attempt to contain as charming as it was contagious. “I’ve always loved reading myself and libraries have been a haven for me for many years.”
"Oh, I wish." Wren said, a little wistful. "I didn't see any til I got to prison. It's lovely! All those books, with all sorts of things inside, you never know til you look! And I loved some of the ones with a lot of photography in them, I'm sure you've looked too?" she said. "Amazing things. Places I've never even heard of, things I've never seen."
Clearly hers had been a sheltered life if a prison library had impressed her so much but then he was willing to admit he was somewhat of a snob in that regard and the way she spoke so passionately about the impact what she’d read had made on her, he hadn’t the heart or the inclination to say anything that might diminish her experience. “I have seen a lot,” he confirmed. “I was lucky that where I studied had an extensive collection of photography books.”
"Sounds really nice." Wren said, smiling as she kept marking Adam's door. "But yes, most definitely, the library. I can't wait." she said with a smile back in his direction again. "I'll bring my cards, probably show up early and you can tell me to get my nose out of a book for your reading."
“I doubt I’d have the heart to pull you out of a book if you looked to be enjoying it,” Matt said, rubbing the back of his neck. “But if I bring you the photos of your runes perhaps it will tempt you away.”
"Oh! You'd show me then?" she asked, pausing in her work once more to look back at him, a tentatively hopeful expression on her face. She didn't want to push, as he'd said he didn't normally show his work. And while he'd given an almost 'since it's your work' he hadn't sounded overjoyed with the idea and she hadn't been going to push.
He nodded. “It seems only fair if you’re going to do something for me,” he told her. “And like you said, making an effort is important and this...” He trailed off, hands wrapping around his camera like a touchstone. “Small steps are easier than big ones.”
Wren looked happy at that, pleased in a sweet sort of way. "Small steps." she agreed, nodding. "I look forward to it." she told him genuinely. "Til then?" she asked. She didn’t want to keep him from whatever he’d been doing, and she still had a lot of runes to mark. But she’d most certainly enjoyed meeting him. Which reminded her. “...I’m unsure I got your name.”
“Til then,” Matt confirmed with a smile, looking forward to their next meeting himself. It faltered slightly at her asking after his name, disliking that he’d made such an obvious misstep when everything else had gone so well. “I didn’t give it,” he said apologetically. “Unintentionally though I promise, my name is Matt. You?”
"Wren." She introduced herself in turn. "It's been very pleasant meeting you." she said with a smile. "I look forward to the next time."