inthecoldlight (inthecoldlight) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2016-10-23 15:50:00 |
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Entry tags: | !partner thread, alecto carrow, presto |
Who: Alecto & Presto
What: Random run-in
When: Recent!
Where: The paaarrrrk
Rating/Warnings: Some talk of blood and being morbid, but nothing really outside of that
Status: Complete
Presto was running down the park trail when he spotted Alecto, and he grinned. She was an interesting person, one of the first he had talked to about the dreams, and someone he sort of hung with, vaguely, at a party once. He thought she was cute, but mostly, he just liked her style. She seemed like a good person, and he enjoyed talking to her when he saw her on the net.
Swerving out of his path, he headed in her direction, slowing and stretching before approaching her.
“Hey! How’re you doing? Enjoying the park?”
***
Alecto, meanwhile, was taking pictures. She sometimes came to the park to take pictures for fun, but today was more an exercise in distracting herself. She wasn’t really the best at emotions or expressing them, so it was easier to ignore things that didn’t line up with the way she felt things should be.
She’d just brought her camera down when she heard a voice. At first she didn’t respond because she thought it was probably someone talking to someone else around the park. It usually was, but when she turned, she noticed a familiar face and she quickly went with, “Oh, you know. It’s very park-y. Lots of trees and dogs and people.” followed by a quick shrug. “And you?”
***
“Alecto, hey!” he grinned, and shook his head. “Just out enjoying the weather with a run. I love this time of year, and this area for running.” he nodded around them.
“Do you take a lot of pictures? When not working, I mean?” He thought her work, from the words she used on the net, fascinating, but he knew that he actually had no idea what it involved. So he was curious.
***
It was easy to have people talk to her about their lives because it meant that she knew more than she did. Which was probably not how normal people dealt with other people. Or at least that was what Rebekah said. Or someone. “I’ll leave the running to you. I only run when I need to.” Which was almost never.
She considered the question, hmming thoughtfully. “I guess I do. Sometimes. If I’m bored or something.” Which was a half truth. Sometimes she did take pictures when she was bored, but she took a lot of pictures of people and dogs and the neighbour’s cat with the missing ear. She also photoshopped that cat into various pictures so it could live out its secret desire to strike fear into the hearts of many. No one said she was a normal person.
***
“Okay. I like it. I didn’t used to as much, but after dreaming of running for my life, it grew on me.” He was pretty sure he would never have to do that in real life, but… still. He shook his head. Just in case.
“How long have you been taking pictures?” He was a curious sort.
***
“I don’t think I’ve dreamt of running for my life as of yet. Too much apparating to be running, really.” And she really hoped she didn’t have to do any running. “But I guess sometimes things are crazy outside of the dreams.”
Alecto resisted the urge to arch an eyebrow as she turned to look at him for a short while in silence. When she decided to speak, she said, “Not for that long, I guess. I forgot when I got here, though, so my time-o-meter might be a bit off.” She shrugged.
***
“What’s apparating?” He blinked, curious. “I suppose, I haven’t encountered any craziness here, yet.” He was a little worried it would be like his dreams.
He stared back, grinning at her, eyes curious as he waited in silence. He nodded when she spoke. “I, ah, meant… like, how long have you been taking pictures… total, like, how long have you been into photography?” He had to struggle to keep from blushing at how very fumbly his conversational skills were.
***
“Where you disappear and reappear somewhere else,” she replied as if it was the simplest, most obvious thing that anyone had ever said. “And believe me. It gets crazy and weird here. All the time. I’m sure something else will happen before long. That’s California for you.”
Oh. Not today. “I got into it in boarding school. My teachers and parents thought it would make me a little less morbid and less interested in serial killer books.” She shrugged. “I guess the joke’s on them. Still morbid as ever and now I take pictures of dead people and crime scenes.”
***
“Oh, cool. In my dream, they call it teleportation, but I like your word for it, better.” He grinned, listening. “Yeah? Hopefully it won't be for awhile.”
He laughed. “Good on you. Never let someone push you where you don’t want to go.” He nodded.
***
“I guess it is a bit like teleportation,” she agreed. “But I only know it as apparating. I’ve only been able to do it once. It’s pretty loud. Like a gunshot or a car backfiring.” She wouldn’t mind a looong break from OC nonsense. Especially considering she’d gotten so sick. “Yeah. Remember that sick thing? Totally OC madness. It’s the worst.”
She picked her camera up quickly, taking a picture of Presto before he could react. “I don’t usually. I’m bad at being told what to do.” Maybe it was why things weren’t going as well as normal for her at home. There was probably a lot more to it than that, though. She offered a smile, not letting her thoughts show on her face. “I tried it before, but now that I don’t have to listen, it’s a lot nicer.”
***
Presto nodded, blinking, then grinned a little. “The sick thing was... wow. Man, I felt so bad. Take you to a party and you end up getting sick as a dog.” He shuddered.
Her taking a pic of him had him stumbling back, hands coming up like in his dreams. Words flowed in his mind, and for a second, he actually thought he felt something… and then nothing. His hands dropped and he flushed as he shook his head. What the hell was he thinking?
“I’m not exactly a good follower, myself. I usually end up doing better creating my own thing.” It didn’t hurt that he had inherited money, but he had been doing this before that.
He grinned a little unsurely. “I should get back to my run. It was nice seeing you again.”
***
Alecto shrugged. “It happens. I got somewhere, but it was a mess. Blood everywhere. I threw up so much blood.” It was the worst.
The reaction to the picture was almost a normal sort of reaction, something she’d expect would happen. Only he seemed pretty unsteady after. Perhaps she should have been more polite about just taking pictures of people by surprise, but there was something about his face in the moment.
“Following is for sheep and children playing games. Unless you are a shitty leader. Then probably you shouldn’t do that. I guess dream me would have done better if she’d followed a little less.” She studied his smile for a moment before nodding. “All right. Have a nice run.”