lostandfinder: (✗ if you call)
Chivy Darrell ([personal profile] lostandfinder) wrote in [community profile] windandstorm2009-10-02 08:28 pm
Entry tags:

first encounter ; 0 days

If there were any luck in the world, Chivason would have been sound asleep by now. He'd had a wonderful dinner — courtesy of sweet, old Mrs. Jann — and he'd eaten enough to be pleasantly drowsy, and then some. To cap it all off, she'd offered him a bed (a bed) and tucked him in as only a grandmother could. He didn't really have much to worry about, still having a few valuables tucked away in his knapsack, enough to cover a few weeks even if she decided to change her mind about letting him stay free-of-charge, and he certainly hadn't been here long enough to need to think about moving on.

Whatever the reason, though, he stayed in bed long enough to need to roll over half a dozen times before he finally gave up. Carefully tucking the blanket back under the pillow, he snagged his knapsack and tiptoed outside. He let his mind drift as he walked, hoping it would help him relax enough to actually sleep. He had liked his last stop, even gone so far as to make a few friends. He should have known better than to try helping Lia find her necklace. She was too excited when she asked him if he would walk with her. He scoffed softly at himself— then tripped, tried to catch himself, and faceplanted in the dirt.
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second encounter
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twelfth encounter
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polarization: (〉 on the borderline of the edge)

[personal profile] polarization 2009-12-06 07:21 am (UTC)(link)
"So?" It didn't matter if someone couldn't get past the outer defenses in the first place, after all.
polarization: (〉 can't you see i'm a fool?)

[personal profile] polarization 2009-12-06 07:29 am (UTC)(link)
Sefton watched, a bit surprised at the abruptness. He masked it by asking, "How much longer've I got to sit here before I get chased out?"
polarization: (〉 but it doesn't mean that i'm serious)

SEVEN DAYS LATER ...

[personal profile] polarization 2009-12-06 07:54 am (UTC)(link)
It looked like the universe was finally allowing him a break. After his fall off the pier (and subsequent loss/retrieval of his wallet), life had been relatively normal for the vagrant teenager. Work when he could, travel when he'd stayed too long, and occupy himself enough to keep him from remembering why he was on the road in the first place.

Of course, maybe the universe wasn't being as kind as he had figured. As soon as he had thought that, a familiar voice echoed across the street into the outdoor section of the café where Sefton was cleaning, calling his name. He whipped around to face in the direction of the voice—Jeremiah's voice—and saw his old friend excitedly waving at him from the other side of the crossing.

This couldn't be happening. This could not be happening.

Except that it was, and it continued to happen when Jeremiah ran into his personal space and clapped his hands around Sefton's shoulders, serving as both a greeting and a way to straighten Sefton in preparation for a hug.

"Hey, man! I knew it was you! What are you doing here?" Pulling back, Jeremiah readjusted his glasses while Sefton stared. This... was a nightmare. That had to be it.
polarization: (〉 whatever's in my head won't go away)

[personal profile] polarization 2009-12-06 08:09 am (UTC)(link)
Swallowing back his rapidly rising urge to scream, Sefton managed to answer with only a little of the panic felt inside his voice. "I, uh... I'm working. What's it look like?"

"Well, duh," Jeremiah said, laughing. "But why here? You just disappear on all of us last year and now you show up halfway across the country cleaning tables?"

"There's nothing wrong with cleaning tables," Sefton muttered. He then shook his head, almost-violently pulling out of the grip Jeremiah still had on his shoulders. Jeremiah looked surprised and raised his hands in a gesture of no harm. Sefton frowned and looked away, moving to once again keep cleaning.

"Maybe not," his friend allowed carefully. He still seemed ecstatic to see his friend, but that little outburst had been surprising. "But we're nowhere near home, Sef."
polarization: (〉 all the lights that lead us there)

[personal profile] polarization 2009-12-06 08:18 am (UTC)(link)
Sefton didn't reply, apparently concentrating on making that table the cleanest table in the State. After a moment, Jeremiah tried again with, "You know, Mrs. Lowell is—"

That got an immediate response. Sefton's attention locked onto Jeremiah and he interrupted with, "You can't tell her I'm here."

"What? But she's a wre—"

"No, Jeremiah," Sefton said with quiet force. "Please."

There was a pause, but not nearly long enough of one to say Jeremiah was even debating the possibility of insisting further. "Okay, Sef. I won't."

Sefton slipped into one of the chairs at the table. A crack in the mask was all he could allow, where he looked nearly sick from nerves. "Thank you," he murmured. Glancing in any direction that wouldn't have him looking at his friend, he spotted Chivy... and froze.
polarization: (〉 on the borderline of the edge)

[personal profile] polarization 2009-12-06 08:27 am (UTC)(link)
Sefton narrowed his eyes, yet refrained from returning the greeting. That was all right, though, because Jeremiah filled the silence with an utterly confused, "Who's this kid, Sefton?" while looking between the two of them.
polarization: (〉 where the city sleeps)

[personal profile] polarization 2009-12-06 08:34 am (UTC)(link)
"Yeah?" Jeremiah asked. "How long would that be?"

"Three months 'r so," Sefton replied, hoping to shoo Chivy out of the conversation. Being confronted with his past was not what he wanted to deal with, but his past confronting Chivy was even worse.

"And how'd you guys meet?" asked his friend, turning his attention back to Sefton. It seemed he was more than willing to entirely ignore Chivy as long as Sefton wasn't regarding the kid too favorably.

"Oh, you know," Sefton dismissed, mentally wincing at the excuse he was about to give, "s' just one of those things you stumble into."
polarization: (〉 see my problem is this)

[personal profile] polarization 2009-12-06 08:44 am (UTC)(link)
"So... is that what you've been doing?" Jeremiah asked, pulling a chair up next to Sefton and elbowing him in the side. Sefton pulled away uncomfortably. Jeremiah continued, "Making friends out in the middle of nowhere while we all wonder where you disappeared to?"

"S—s'not like that," Sefton murmured tiredly.
polarization: (〉 the fire in your heart is out)

[personal profile] polarization 2009-12-06 05:47 pm (UTC)(link)
"Then what is it like?" Jeremiah looked both surprised and horribly confused. Sefton hadn't been this antsy before he'd disappeared. What changed? Was it him...? Was he doing something wrong? Had he gotten out of practice of reading his friend's signals?

"Hard to explain." Sefton shook his head. "B-but—what are you doing here?" he asked, trying to not-so-subtly change the subject. "Of all places..."

"Oh, that?" Jeremiah grinned proudly. "Basketball. What else?"
polarization: (〉 that is just so typically me)

[personal profile] polarization 2009-12-06 10:01 pm (UTC)(link)
"Still playing, huh?" Sefton asked quietly, a small smile on his lips.

"You know it!"

Sefton shook his head, seeming fondly amused above the fear and reluctance. "Still the star player?"

Jeremiah frowned. "Of course! I'm not gonna let any ol' rookie take my place," he huffed proudly.

"Good to hear," was the murmured response. It hurt so badly to have a reminder of his past here, but there was little he could do. If he tried actually running, Jeremiah would follow. Maybe make a scene, and Sefton couldn't afford that.
polarization: (〉 the fire in your heart is out)

[personal profile] polarization 2009-12-06 10:17 pm (UTC)(link)
Sefton looked surprised that Chivy spoke up, but Jeremiah took the opportunity to boast about the length of his friendship. "The longest! Man, we've known each other since we were... what, eight?" he asked, glancing over to Sefton, who nodded mutely. "Yeah," Jeremiah agreed happily. "So, about six years now."
Edited 2009-12-06 22:18 (UTC)
polarization: (〉 on the boulevard of broken dreams)

[personal profile] polarization 2009-12-06 10:25 pm (UTC)(link)
"Yup," Jeremiah said with a nod. Sefton had taken to slowly circling the towel he had been using around the surface of the table with his pointer finger.