Credence Barebone Potter (obscurence) wrote in thedisplaced, @ 2017-05-30 15:27:00 |
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Entry tags: | !log/thread, anakin solo, credence barebone, nico di angelo |
RP Log; Credence Barebone & Nico di Angelo
May 30
Credence Barebone & Nico Di Angelo (& Anakin Solo cameo)
Tumbleweed High • Lunchtime
Low • Complete |
Credence had really been hoping that things would get better the longer he was in Tumbleweed. In the last few days on the ship, he hadn't had his powers, or any ability at all, and that had locked the obscurus in place as well it seemed. Which - in hindsight was probably good as if the Black Hole hadn't killed them all then Credence's obscurus might have done. But it was like it had disappeared completely, and if Credence hadn't been so anxious about what was going on outside, that might have been a relief. But now he was back in Tumbleweed, and it seemed as if the obscurus was back in place as well. And the downside to this - or one of them - was that Credence could really feel it being there. And it was anxious, maybe even more anxious than Credence was. To make matters worse everything had been off since he'd gotten back. At first he'd been glad to have the schedule back. School had its place, one thing after another, a schedule, rules to follow and behavior that (at least most of the time made sense), but the fact that somehow another him seemed to have continued living here and doing things that other people knew about and he didn't, kept throwing a wrinkle in everything. It had first come up in class when he'd said something to Tristan and received a snotty reply in return. Credence hadn't been entirely certain what that had meant, but he'd backed away, trying not to get too anxious about it. The other boy was maybe younger than he was, Credence was old for a school student, and Credence was pretty certain would have no interest in him - in the way that Tristan continued to haunt Credence's dreams anyway - but he had thought they could still be friends. And what he remembered from before space had been that they'd had at least a couple of friendly exchanges. Tristan was popular, and he'd been decent to Credence. Initially. The weekend had been a series of reminding Credence how far he was from a friendship with Tristan. He'd said something to him at Prom and been laughed at not just by Tristan, but by the three other friends that were with Tristan, for his troubles. And then Sunday night he'd ran into Tristan and Tristan had made a remark about Credence having to retake Chemistry next year and Credence had been more humiliated than he'd been for a long time. He knew he wasn't as knowledgeable as everyone else there. All of them had been taking classes for years, and Credence just felt fortunate that he knew how to read and had Albus to help him. It had made him feel like he had at times when he'd been handing out pamphlets and folks had made comments about them. And there had been a sort of wild fury that he'd done everything he could to clamp down on and control. That fury could be dangerous - was dangerous - and Credence knew it. Maybe it had been good Monday had been a school free day under the circumstances. He half wished today was as well. His face in the bathroom mirror felt more pale than normal, and he couldn't help but wonder if people would notice. He felt terribly off and he felt out of place. At times as much as he ever had at home. The routine of school was nice, but he still didn't entirely understand things like films and mobile devices. He didn't understand the social order of things, and Credence mostly felt older than, and dumber than, most of the kids here. Add onto it the creature that had latched onto him and sat in the back of his mind reminding him of all the ways he didn't fit in. Nico kicked his toe against the floor as he sat at one of the tables in the cafeteria. As nerve-wracking as the spaceship had been, he missed it. Even if they’d been stuck inside it and the thought of it still creeped him out, it held a level of freedom that he was more accustomed to. Unlike in Tumbleweed. The law seeing him as a kid and no Mist to help turn a blind eye to that. School. He wrinkled his nose. Yes, he liked learning and figuring out new things, but this really wasn’t the method for him. At all. Even so, he had to admit it did have its good parts. Like lunch with friends. Well, friend. He waved as he saw said friend come through the cafeteria doors. Meeting up for lunch was becoming a thing. Or at least Nico was trying to push it into being a thing. Hang out, talk, not have to have Credence worry about that awkward dance of figuring out what table to sit at. Give him a little bit of stability considering that the other boy seemed to like and need that more than other people Nico knew. Plus… He waited until Credence was within hearing distance before holding up a box. “I’ve got something new to try from the market,” he called out. Sighting Nico was a relief and there was at least an instant where Credence felt distinctly less anxious than he had a moment before. It maybe wasn't a super lengthy moment, because somehow he was struggling to not think about the fact that they'd all nearly died in a ship in a black hole, or Tristan, or honestly the entire weekend. But at least for the moment he had someone to sit with for lunch. He slid into the seat across from Nico. Anakin wasn't with him, at least for the moment, but Credence suspected they would likely be joined at some point. "Hey," he greeted his friend, pushing back the feeling that he didn't have everything together and wouldn't and worse couldn't. "What's from the market?" Opening the box, Nico slid it across the tables. “Fajitas,” he proclaimed before shrugging. “Probably not as good as the stuff at some of the restaurants around here, but it’s a starter for a taste of Texas. Supposedly.” It was definitely something that wouldn’t have existed in Credence’s time. At least he thought it wasn’t. He hadn’t done a whole lot of food timeline research and what was available in Italy a few years later wasn’t really comparable, but it didn’t seem like something that’d be in New York at the time. He liked sharing new things with the other boy too as, well, he got the floundering sometimes. His experience hadn’t been as bad because of the effects of the Lotus Hotel and memory wipe, but he’d had moments and he’d seen where Hazel had stumbled. Plus an extra treat might be nice. It was hard to read Credence sometimes, he kept so much in, but it felt like he’d been acting more like when he’d first gotten pulled through. And in some moments, just… off… Which could just be his way of coping with everything that had happened in space, but it still sparked that little bit of worry. Especially since, well, he tried not to eye the other boy too much, but Credence didn’t look his normal self either. Maybe it was just a lack of sleep taking its toll. Maybe it was something else. Either way, the drawn look felt far too familiar. Yes it was settled on an older face, but it pulled at memories of looking in mirrors when he was bad off and running from whatever problem he was trying to hide from. Credence pulled his thoughts out of his brain and into the moment in front of him. He knew whatever Nico was offering it was to be nice, to help him figure out this place, and Nico had been really good about helping with that. As had Albus, and Charlie, and Emmeline, and Lily, and really Credence wasn't certain why he felt as if he were working harder to keep afloat than he had prior to being on the spaceship. "Fajitas?" Credence asked, reaching to the box and taking a look inside. He wasn't as hungry as he probably should be, but Nico didn't know that, and Credence wanted desperately to pretend things were normal. "I don't think I've ever had these before. You're sharing with me?" “Tex-Mex food. Which is Texas-Mexican,” Nico said with a nod as he leaned his elbows against the table. “It’s steak, onions, and peppers grilled up and you roll it in tortillas. Those.” He pointed to the flat white pieces of ‘bread’, just in case Credence hadn’t seen them before or caught the name. Sometimes it was just a matter of seeing things and not knowing what they were called. He couldn’t help rolling his eyes slightly. “Yes, I’m sharing. With you. Despite the rumors, I’m not that mean.” Especially considering there might be ulterior motives. He wasn’t sure if something was off or what it might be if there was, but… well… he remembered trying to cope on his own. How he hadn’t really started to get better until that trek with the Athena Parthenos despite the shadow travel. And most of that had been Reyna and Coach Hedge. Making sure he was comfortable when he slept. Pushing food into his hands. So maybe he realized the importance of little things like that. Credence cracked the barest of smiles at Nico's response. Possibly he'd just been too tense the past few days. Everything had been difficult and he was beginning to get used to feeling as if he didn't belong - again. It was odd to feel suddenly as if he were welcome here. "Thank you," he ducked his head as he looked at the tortillas and the meat and peppers. He didn't know quite how to put them together, but he supposed you put some on and then tried to roll it up. It couldn't be that difficult. He pushed a slightly longer hair back from his eyes and reached for a tortilla. "I don't think you're mean. I don't think there's even a rumor like that." Or maybe that had been a joke, Credence sighed slightly. "But thank you anyway." “You’re welcome.” Nico shrugged, taking that slight upturn in mouth as a success. “You’d be right there. They tend to stick with creepy, scary, and freaky,” he admitted as he reached for a tortilla himself, pushing some of the filling into it. “At least that’d be the general population.” He wrinkled his nose. “Don’t believe any rumors that Anakin tries to spread. He’s trying really hard to ruin this whole darkness image I have going.” Credence actually smiled at that. He couldn't entirely keep from it because whatever Nico might say, he and Anakin were cute together and Credence might be just a little bit jealous. He was sidetracked from this thought, and from the putting together of the fajita by an entrance into the cafeteria of the object of Credence's current discontent. Tristan had walked in, and Credence's shoulders tightened slightly. "You're not freaky," he said aloud. And Nico really wasn't. Credence might be. Certainly it seemed that Tristan thought so based on current interactions. He folded over the tortilla and half of it fell out as he lifted it up. He let out his breath in an irritated huff. "Anyway, they're idiots if that's what they're saying." Nico’s eyebrow raised slightly. He wasn’t quite so sure about how freaky he was himself, but he’d learned he was his own worst critic when it came to that. Or rather on assuming what everyone else thought of him on that matter. The statement might’ve been reassuring still if not for… that off thing… It was subtle and he couldn’t be so sure about it, but this felt like the start of one of those off moments. Even if Credence had come a long way since he’d landed here, calling people idiots didn’t seem like the level he was normally running at, even if it was being said to defend Nico. Or was it more? Credence went for freaky but left creepy and scary alone. Maybe he was reading too much into this. But when you kept everything so close to your chest, the only way to find out something was to overread sometimes, wasn’t it? That was one of the differences between Percy and Anakin after all. While Percy had some intuition sometimes, he was… dense… He’d missed plenty that Anakin had picked up on, even if Anakin might then work himself up trying to figure out what those things he picked up on meant before finally blurting out questions. Pulling the napkins out of the bag, he placed them on the table in offering. “Considering the amount of these they gave me, I think this is meant to be a messy meal,” he said before shrugging. “Maybe not idiots. Or not all. Some are, but most just don’t understand.” Credence reached for a napkin and tried to clean off his hand as he tried to calm down. It wasn't the worst thing in the world. Certainly worse things had happened to him. Even worse things than Tristan whom he had thought maybe there was the possibility of at least a friendship with prior to space. But then whatever had happened during the time he was in space had changed everything and Credence didn't know exactly how, except Tristan seemed to think he was a freak now. It would be nice to consider him an idiot and be done with it. Sadly, Credence didn't think he could really do that easily. He piled up filling again and tried to roll it up again, this time mostly succeeding. At least there was something he could do without making a mess of it. And it gave him something to focus in on that wasn't Tristan's impossibly good looks. Credence eyed him over the fajita, watching him for a minute. "I guess nobody would," he chewed his bottom lip melancholy. Nico did. At least as much as it was possible he thought. Now that… that sent off warning bells. Nico had said those words enough himself after all, right? Whether they were just in his head or yelling them at someone because something finally snapped. Pulled out of his time, used by multiple people, in love with the wrong person of the wrong gender at that, power over the dead and darkness and so many things people feared and wanted to avoid. How could anyone understand what he was going through? But people had surprised him. Far too often. Yes, there were still the people freaked out by his powers, but the ones who weren’t made those not matter. He glanced over to see where Credence’s focus had been and… ah… He wasn’t sure what was going on there. The gaps in what they remembered and what had happened in the town while they were ‘gone’ still hadn’t all been filled in, but it was a situation that Nico was used to in a way. Life as a demigod meant working on half known details a lot of the time. And half was generous. But if this was like his experiences, well, it was harder to get out of those funks. It had taken him four years to get out of his, but he also hadn’t known that what he was feeling was ok. That it was something that could have a happy ending and not just make him separate from everyone else. Seeing Billy and Teddy together and then getting more memories had helped him and all he could hope is that Credence knowing it was ok and seeing him and Anakin would help the other boy in the same way. There was more to this though, wasn’t there? He remembered the space ship. Talking about how neither of them liked it. Both of them afraid to be cooped up like that. Nico never found out what Credence was fully afraid of with what he was hiding. He never asked. He hadn’t wanted to pry as he understood. It was based on emotions and he trusted when Credence said he had it under control. Isn’t that what you always tell yourself though even when you don’t? “You’d be surprised how many would,” he said quietly before leaning forward. “Credence… is everything ok?” Credence snapped his attention back to Nico, forcing himself to put the fajita down as he realized his stomach really wasn't going to be okay with him eating anything right at that particular moment. Nico's question bordered on things he didn't want to talk about. Faint memories of last night that he wished he could just push away. If he didn't remember it then it hadn't happened, right? Except of course that wasn't how it worked. That wasn't how it ever worked. If Newt had been there maybe Credence would have found the courage to talk to Newt. But even though he knew now that Albus and Charlie knew about the Obscurus, he didn't want to talk to them about it. He didn't want to disappoint Albus at all. But he was disrupted from even saying anything at all, or even really coming up with an excuse by Anakin Solo slinging his messenger bag into the chair next to Credence and sliding into the chair next to Nico. "Fajitas," Anakin grinned. "You're pretty much the best, Nico." Credence found himself a little envious of the easy way Anakin's hand found Nico's and squeezed it. He supposed it was possible that he'd have that someday with someone maybe. Although he could imagine his mother's face if it were with another boy like this. He could imagine his mother's face at such an easy touch in public even if it were with a girl in all honesty. And certainly it wasn't going to be with anyone he knew right now. "Hi Anakin," he offered quietly, and pulled his attention back to the fajita. "They're kind of a mess to eat. Or I haven't figured it out." "Obviously it's going to take Jedi skills," Anakin tore his eyes away from Nico's face, a slightly serious expression fading into laughter as he reached for one of the tortillas. "Let me see if I can make it work." Nico started out of his stare when Anakin’s bag thunked down in the chair across the way. His mouth pulled down a moment in aggravation. He wasn’t certain what sort of answer he’d get or if the direct approach would even have worked, but the interruption certainly meant he’d never find out. At Anakin’s questioning look, he was tempted to ask his boyfriend to go get something. But the temptation was only a second considering that he knew the moment was broken. Whatever steam it might have had was fully let out and there was no telling how long it’d take to get it going again. Or if it’d work at all. He squeezed Anakin’s hand back reassuringly, bumping his shoulder against the other boy’s lightly. He’d circle back to it later. Maybe with some added ammunition. See if it was just a school thing or if this funk was going on while Credence was at home too. So for now… He scoffed. “As if your Jedi skills could do better than my demigod skills. C’mon, Credence. Let’s give these ‘Jedi skills’ of his a run for their money.” |