Will Graham (purelyempathic) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2013-09-10 00:31:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, turin turambar, will graham |
Who: Will Graham and Turin Turambar
What: Turin meets a fan
Where: A jewelry store near Rancho San Margarita
When: 9/8
Rating: PG
Status: Complete
Will had decided that it had been long enough that he wanted to get Lilo a gift of some kind. So he was in a jewelry store, looking at the earrings. He wanted to get her something beautiful, but nothing that could be misconstrued as too serious.
Turin had decided he needed to get a ring for Yuriko. He wanted some sort of proof that he was serious - as much for anyone else as for Yuriko and himself. He was looking at some rings thoughtfully.
Eventually, Will found what he thought was appropriate - a simple pair of sapphire earrings, with no further adornment. But there were no salespeople around. “Excuse me,” he said to the only other person nearby, a black-haired man, “but would you mind looking at these for me? Would you give these to a lady friend when the relationship isn’t to the point of moving in together, or anything equally serious?”
“Yes?” Turin looked at him, then came over to look at the earrings. “So you want an ‘I like you’ gift that isn’t a promise of anything more? I think these could work. Diamonds are always loaded with meaning, and these are very simple.”
“That’s what I had thought.” Will seemed relieved. “I’m sorry to disturb you, just ... I’m not the most ... au courant with what works in these situations.” Most men would probably know better than him, never mind most women.
He smiled at Will. “I’m Turin. I’ve had some experience with this, and some research, too. You’d be surprised at the odd things you have to look up when you do the work I do.”
“My name is Will.” He would have said more, but he stopped and thought for a moment. “Your face is somehow familiar. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Do you read mysteries at all?” He asked.
In an instant, it clicked. “Turin Turambar.” Will nodded, smiling a little. “I enjoyed your last. I’m a bit of a true crime buff, but occasionally fiction will catch my eye.”
“Most of mine is based on either a real crime, a ‘real’ ghost legend, or some combination of the two,” Turin explained. His research was meticulous. He’d been tempted to write something medieval but the research in that was daunting.
“Yes, I enjoy your forewords. I appreciate that you go into your research, even in a perfunctory way.” Will hesitated. “That is, I imagine your research is a bit too complex to tell your readers all of it.”
“Some of it is sitting around with those crazy cameras you see on ghost hunter shows.” It was an aspect he kept meaning to take Yuriko on. That might be kind of fun, actually. Now that he thought about it.
“Seriously?” Will blinked. That somehow seemed absurd.
"Helps get in the mood. Mostly it's an atmosphere thing. Your mind starts playing tricks on you. You feel spooky, see things that aren't there. It helps me get in the mood."
“I suppose playing tricks on your mind might help.” He didn’t want to trick his mind; he didn’t trust it most days. “Do you find you need to be in a good mindset in order to write? Or are you one of those who can just go?”
“It depends on which part of the story I’m writing,” Turin admitted. “There are parts where I can just write, and then there are those parts that require the right mindset to make them feel correct.”
“I was merely curious. I can tell sometimes when the words come easier to you.” Hopefully that didn’t sound odd. Just, for him, it really was obvious - the sentences became tighter, crisper. Will smiled awkwardly. “I’m a homicide detective, so one might think reading mysteries would be a busman’s holiday, but I enjoy them anyway.”
“Thanks..I think.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I try to get law enforcement information when I can. It’s more believable and you do so much work. Sometimes it needs to be glossed over for the narrative to make any sense, though.”
“I can understand that.” Will kept looking at the earrings. “I personally would rather have you gloss over it than just make things up. Most just do that.”
“I try not to make up anything that I can’t find a realistic explanation for,” Turin promised.
“I appreciate that, both as a reader and a policeman.” Will smiled a little. He saw the man looking at rings. “Do you have a girlfriend, if I can ask?” Call him curious. He’d been eyeing the engagement rings when Will had come up to him.
“I do. We’re going to get married, but I want to make it official. She’s..very elegant and refined. I’m looking for something to suit her.”
Will smiled shyly. “That’s nice. I hope you can find something she’ll like. And congratulations,” he added belatedly.
“Thanks. I can’t believe my good fortune. It’s the first good thing that’s happened to me in years.”
Will’s first impulse was to doubt that, but he realized it might be rude to say so. “She must be wonderful,” he said instead. “I hope I feel that comfortable with my girlfriend.” Or any girlfriend, for that matter, if this didn’t work out.
“When you find the one, you just know. It hadn’t even started…” Turin shrugged a shoulder. “It wasn’t supposed to be more than mutual need.”
Will nodded. “One tends to think that ‘love at first sight’ or other tropes like that are ridiculous, but people do hit it off very quickly. That’s not unreasonable.”
“It was pretty quick,” he admitted. “But I think it might have been just fast enough. If that makes sense.”
“I think so. One has to decide what’s best for them.” Will shrugged. “I’m not much for societal conventions. Lengths of time for relationships or commitments seem individual in my mind.”
“My last marriage lasted five years. It ended amicably, though,” Turin replied. “I’m aiming for a much longer time, this time.”
“One would hope.” Will chuckled a little. He saw the rings the other man had been eyeing. “If it isn’t rude to say, the two in the front there look very elegant. You said that was the kind of thing your lady might enjoy.”
“I think you might be right.” He turned his attention to those. He liked the style, and he thought they would look very good on Yuriko’s finger. The price was a little steep, but you weren’t a man until you spent four digits on an engagement ring.
“An elegant lady doesn’t appreciate too much in terms of jewelry,” Will said. “They prefer to let lean lines speak for themselves.” That was just simple common sense.
He took a better look at them, even having the owner get them out. It would take part of the advance on his next book, but it would be worth it. “On closer glance, this is perfect.”
“Good.” Will smiled a little. “I’m glad, sir.”
“Thank you, Will.” He eyed the man, then nodded to the clerk. “I’ll take these.”
“And I’ll take these,” Will added, handing the earrings over to be boxed. “I sincerely hope your lady friend likes it, and it’s been nice to meet you. I’ll await your next with interest.”
Turin nodded at him. “Thanks. Stay safe.”
Will offered a handshake as they waited for their jewelry. “If you ever need a law enforcement question answered. You, uh, can feel free to get a hold of me on the network.” Awkward, maybe, but he meant it. He respected Turin as a writer. He hoped he took him up on it.