Sam (the_cleric) wrote in the_dome, @ 2013-06-06 22:23:00 |
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Entry tags: | 04-01-2017, finn, finn and liam, liam |
The Event
Who: Liam and Finn
When: Morning
Where: There house
Liam had a plan. He was going to get moving, make breakfast, check on the tree and then head to the hospital for a while. He was slow moving, though, with a laziness reminiscent of times when Saturday mornings could be incredibly lazy. Trudging to the kitchen in his pajamas, he started the water for some oatmeal and waited while it slowly crept to a boil.
Finn had been up since dawn. He’d woken with sun, set into a work out, and ran most of the dome before going through exercises outside the house. Just as Liam was finishing putting the water on, he let himself into the house, smiling at his friend. “You’re awake. Good. We have a busy day ahead of us,” he said pointing towards the note he’d left on the fridge the day before about the bachelor auction he’d signed them up for.
A note that Liam had not seen until now. Confused, he moved closer to read the note, stop, and reread the note. “No,” He said, turning to look back at Finn with wide, frightened eyes and a face that he was sure was pale now from the nauseous feeling in his stomach. “No,” He repeated, as sternly as a murmur could sound.
Finn shook his head. “Why not?” he asked, reaching into the fridge to get milk and eggs. “It’s for a good cause.” And in his mind it would meet some sort of achievement, which in his mind they needed.
Liam just stared at Finn, wishing his friend could read his thoughts. They were close and if anyone could, it'd be Finn, but right now they were going a mile a minute. Why would he go to be auctioned off? Why?! No way he was getting up there in front of the whole dome to get laughed off the stage when no one bid on him! "No," He said again, trying to sound more stern but he really just sounded frightened.
"It's for a good cause," Finn tried, repeating the line he'd been given. "Maybe you can make a friend." Another line but that one sounded like something Audrey would say so maybe it was right.
Liam shook his head again. "Don't care..." He said, frowning. "Why?" Why had Finn thought this was going to be good for Liam. He wasn't the same as Finn, no one was going to bid on him. "You do it. They want you."
"They want all of us. You too. Someone will want you." Finn smiled and went to sit at the table. How could someone not? Liam was easily the nicest of them. He was more likely to get attention than Eli who could fly off the handle at any moment or Finn whom people seemed to avoid.
Liam watched his friend for a moment and then moved to sit down beside him at the table. He shook his head, though, and frowned. "I don't want to," He said softly, looking back at Finn. "...I don't think anyone will." He was quiet and awkward and he wore an elastic child's bracelet almost every day, which he loved but was strange enough for people to deal with. "...What after?" If someone chose them, what then?
Finn watched Liam with a frown. "Audrey wouldn’t leave you with no one," he pointed out, thinking that she'd do as much for all of them. The after part, that part Finn wasn't as sure on and he shrugged. "I don't know."
Liam didn't want to tell Finn that he wanted Audrey to pick him but he felt that Finn or Eli had a better chance there. They were fit and now handsome than small, weak Liam. If he had to bid on one of them, it certainly wouldn't be himself. "Is it a date?"
"That's what they said, but I'm sure it could be whatever. I'm still not sure on what a date would be." It clashed with his mock reality and nothing quite replaced it. "Bought courtship I suppose."
Bought courtship. That jolted Liam back to a mindset of concern. Did he need to bring this up, Finn's realities. Instead, he opted for a more runaround topic. "Who do you want to bid on you?"
"Who?" Finn asked, making a face and sitting back in his chair more. "I've no idea. I think the matter is out of my hands is it not?"
He really didn't know? Shouldn't a good first answer be Audrey? "You just want to do this for the good cause?" He asked, thinking the point of this whole auction was for someone to hopefully bid on you... For courtship.
Audrey was a good answer, but Finn didn't think he could speak for her intentions. "It's a side quest," he said with a shrug. That had been his only thought.
“Not a side quest...” He said gently, looking back at Finn. “It’s an event.” He didn’t want to be doing this. He didn’t want to be having this conversation and know that it was just going to go badly, but he felt he owed it to everyone in this house to try, Finn included.
“That doesn’t make it less of a side quest,” Finn said making a face. It was something to do, something different and it gave him something else to focus on even if it seemed trivial.
Liam sighed, only looking up when his water started boiling. He stood and started the process of mixing his oatmeal, frowning a little to himself. What did he say, though? He wasn’t good at this, he wasn’t good at stirring something painful up inside of his best friend. He didn’t want to be good at it. But still, he needed to try. “What do we get from the quest?”
“I’m not sure,” Finn said. “Maybe a treasure, maybe just experience. Is that bad?” He propped his chin on his hand and shrugged.
“Not bad...” He started, bringing his oatmeal back to the table. “Not sure it’s a quest,” He said, but it was quiet, just above a murmur, because this was just really difficult for him. “Call it an event?” Maybe if he could just get Finn to say it was an event, even if he still believed it was a side quest, maybe that would help.
“Well it’s not a real quest no, but....we aren’t going on any of those are we?” Finn said looking up at his friend. “Why would I call it an event?” He might try, but the reason behind it didn’t make sense.
“That’s what it’s called...” He said again, trying to be gentle with the push. He didn’t like pushing anyone, especially not Finn. Looking back up at his friend, he caught his eyes. “Try?” He offered, hoping he would take it, because he wasn’t sure he could stomach trying to tell Finn that they weren’t going on larger quests anymore.
Finn opened his mouth and then closed it. “Try...why?” The conversation was pushing at the edges of the fantasy, making it curl up on the edges. He had an urge to try, for Liam, but the Ranger wanted to know why it mattered. Why his word wouldn’t work.
“It’s better for the others, outside,” He said, looking back at Finn. He had to start somewhere and Liam just felt awful even as he tried. He wanted to shut up, to go get a deck of cards and play a silent game with Finn instead of trying to force something he was still having trouble accepting on his own. “They say ‘event’.”
Finn looked down at the table and shrugged, tracing lines on it with his finger. “Event,” he echoed, thinking the word over. “Is that better?” he asked, not quite looking up, feeling his voice shift. “For me?” He sounded more like he had before, when he was just Finn, scared of his father. The fear wasn’t there, but the boy who wasn’t as secure or confident was starting to slip into his voice.
Liam’s head jolted up and he just stared at Finn for a long moment. That was...That was so familiar, so reminiscent of the friend that he had earlier. Of the Finn that would come to his house sounding like that, but would leave sounding happier, and it broke Liam’s heart and brought some new hope in him all at once. “Sounds good,” He reassured, trying to make sure Finn saw the small smile on his lips. “Event,” He echoed, so Finn wouldn’t feel alone in the change.
There was a silence, fingers in his hair while he listened. “Event.” That was hard. Like something he couldn’t quite grasp, but it kept him quiet.
And this was killing Liam, hating to watch him. “It’s just a word,” He said softly, trying to find Finn’s eyes again but not really be able to. “Event is a nice word.”
For an instant the full crack was there, shining through. “It’s not just a word,” Finn said. He knew better. He couldn’t tell, not fully explain that it was Liam giving him a way to fit in, because he didn’t understand that, but he could tell it was something else.
Oh, God… Liam fought the panic starting to set in and just watched his friend. He needed to do this for him. He needed to try and help, try and keep helping, and as awful as this was it felt like it was better than the conversation they'd had recently where Finn had left. "Just a word," He said gently. "Try it, please."
Finn was quiet, wanting to leave. It was making him uncomfortable. Something felt off in his mind, which was hard to come to terms with. It left him feeling unsettled, rubbing at his forehead. After a moment he shifted the chair back. “I’ll try. For you.” He didn’t want Liam to feel bad, to worry about him. “I’m gonna go shower.”
Liam couldn’t help but watch Finn and then nod slowly. “Ok,” He said, turning as Finn moved. “Hospital,” He said, but his tone was softer, almost questioning. If Finn didn’t want him to go, he wouldn’t. He’d stay right here beside his friend the whole time. Except maybe just...outside the bathroom during his shower.
Finn nodded. “The...event starts at five.” He half smiled at his attempt with the new word. It didn’t sound annoyed but strained, like it was unnatural. He started towards the bathroom, half waving as he left.