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Post by Charlotte Jacobs on Jan 17, 2011 20:19:56 GMT -8
“I’m sorry if that’s what he did. If I’d known I would have said something to him. Tried to... sway him from that course of action. I’ll do my best to prevent him from doing it again. I can’t promise anything... but I can at least try.”
“Yes he’s my friend. But he doesn’t do my thinking for me.” She laughed. “That was the funnest conversation I’d had in days, honestly. And you didn’t make a complete ass of yourself at breakfast.” She tilted her head, studying him thoughtfully. “I’m sure David has his reasons... but I’m not worried about them.”
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Post by Wes Uccello on Jan 17, 2011 21:31:46 GMT -8
Wes actually looked over at Charlotte as she apologized for the other man's actions. His almost-happy look returned; he was kind of touched. Even if she was just saying it to appease him. There were two sides of the coin when it came to not dealing with people much... he wasn't used to the way that they would lie, pry and generally bother him, so they would get under his skin easily... but he wasn't used to them having kind moments, either.
Like he had with Todd before, he struggled to figure out the proper response. "I... It's... not your problem. Something between the agent and me, remember?" He turned back to the bookcase and ran his hand through his hair. "But... I appreciate it."
He responded to the rest of what she said in plain succession as he crouched down to start looking at books on a lower shelf. It seemed that he was still trying to keep the illusion that he wasn't really having a conversation with her. "Glad you enjoyed the conversation. No, I really did, and called way too much attention to myself too..." He sighed. "He has a reason. But he also has a grudge."
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Post by Charlotte Jacobs on Jan 20, 2011 19:48:42 GMT -8
Charlotte wasn’t quite sure what to say. She’d been surprised when he actually looked at her; she’d grown accustomed to the pretend not-conversation they were having. He... looked almost happy again. Was kindness really that much of a surprise to him?
She offered him another smile, though he couldn’t see it.
“Still... I can try, at least.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “And his grudge isn’t mine. For what it’s worth.”
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Post by Wes Uccello on Jan 20, 2011 21:38:53 GMT -8
Wes remained eerily quiet, save for the same light banging of the books he looked through. Charlotte finished speaking again, and he swallowed. She probably couldn't see the look on his face; something of confusion and conflicting emotions, fear of both destroying this bit of encouragement and of looking weak.
"... You can try, and... I would appreciate it, like I said, but he seemed pretty set in his ways."
She may or may not have noticed that he said the next thing through grated teeth.
"It shouldn't be yours. You don't even know what it is, do you? The reason he hates me."
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Post by Charlotte Jacobs on Jan 20, 2011 21:53:26 GMT -8
Charlotte shook her head. She noticed the grated teeth, certainly, but was unsure of the cause.
“No, I don’t. And whatever it is... It doesn’t matter to me. Everyone has their past, their secrets. Maybe you made a choice that most would think was wrong, or bad. And maybe it’s not pleasant, or nice. But it’s not the entirety of who you are. Maybe it helped shape you. Maybe it taught you what not to do. Or maybe it just taught you that people suck. But it’s not all that you are.”
She sighed.
“Even if it sometimes feels like it is.”
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Post by Wes Uccello on Jan 20, 2011 23:24:04 GMT -8
"Thank you, o nonjudgmental goddess of virtue. I wish it was a secret, or some stupid choice I made, or something else that I'd had control over," Wes responded quickly, his voice venomous. He started looking through the books faster; quickly reaching the end of that row, he crouched down further, arching his spine.
"You're right. It's not all that I am. I don't care, I think it's not my problem. But your agent does, and he's the one with the badge and the gun."
He tilted one book too far, and it fell over.
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Post by Charlotte Jacobs on Jan 20, 2011 23:47:36 GMT -8
A part of her bristled, but she managed to keep that part firmly in check. “You’re welcome,” she replied drily. Well, mostly in check. Something clicked into place for Charlotte with Wes’s venomous words. It... would explain a lot, she supposed.
“It’s family. Isn’t it.” It’s not like you could choose who your family was. And if his family was... something less than lawful it would explain why David was as intense as he was about Wes. And why he thought she should stay away. Why are you trying so hard to befriend him? she asked herself. She didn’t know. She kept talking.
“I don’t care either. Your dad could be the fucking real life equivalent of Keyser Söze and I wouldn’t give a damn. For better or worse, I’d like to be your friend. Or something resembling such a thing.”
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Post by Wes Uccello on Jan 21, 2011 19:09:33 GMT -8
Wes casually kept going past the knocked-over book. He kept very quiet as Charlotte spoke, though the arch of his spine seemed to relax. However, his shoulders shot up at her last comment. His first thought was that people in this town were pretty direct. His second was why this apparently intelligent person wanted to associate with him anyway. He hadn't done anything for her; he'd been more rude than anything, and she was set enough on this that she was ignoring her friend's request!
When she had finished, Wes slowly nodded. "Comparing him to Söze would be giving him too much credit. Or not enough, depending on how you look at it. But you're on the right track." He hesitated to respond to her real point, trying to think through what the most appropriate reaction could possibly be.
"You ignored your agent's wishes to talk to me, so I guess that I already consider you... something like that."
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Post by Charlotte Jacobs on Jan 23, 2011 1:17:12 GMT -8
The fingers of Charlotte’s free hand (the one not wrapped tightly around the books in her arms) beat an odd rhythm on the bookshelf she was leaning against. So, she’d been right. About it being family. Seemed like whatever it was... wasn’t all that great. Is that why he’s here in Greenvale, she wondered. Everyone’s running away from something... The image of a body, lying motionless on a bloody desk passed through her mind for a moment.
My agent? She had to admit that the thought amused her. Well, you’re his, aren’t you? Your heart, anyway, her subconscious chimed in quietly. Everything went very still in her head for a moment. Is that... was that possible? They’d only just come into each other’s lives again. Could she?
There’s time to figure this out later.
Pensively, she returned her attention to Wes’ words. She couldn’t help the smile that appeared at his final words. Who would have thought that being oddly forward about wanting to be friends with someone actually worked?
The question was... what did she say?
“Okay,” she said, the smile evident in her voice. It was short, and generally made sense... and was the first thing that came to mind. She didn’t like the whole being unsure of words thing, she really didn’t.
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Post by Wes Uccello on Jan 23, 2011 1:38:28 GMT -8
The tapping of her fingers and the falling of his books played a sort of tune; unpracticed, played by ear, and a little off-beat.
That was also how Wes was approaching this whole thing. He was still nervous about ignoring the agent's wishes, but he figured that Charlotte was the one who started it. She was to blame, if anyone. It occurred to him that, however it was happening, he was sort of making friends, and that was why he'd come into town, wasn't it? To make some friends to use as a buffer?
"Okay?" he echoed; if her voice had a smile, his had a sarcastic grin trying to cover up the same. "Is that all you have to say? What's okay, me not hating you or the mobster father?"
He stopped looking through the books to shrug casually, holding his hands up.
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Post by Charlotte Jacobs on Jan 23, 2011 17:17:44 GMT -8
Charlotte laughed, a quiet little amused chuckle. He still wasn’t looking at her, but hell, progress had been made. And in keeping with their previous encounter, it was a little bit odd. Of course, this was new-ish territory for her now. The whole voluntarily trying to make friends thing was not something she normally tried. That was why she’d hardly met anyone over the course of the months she’d been in Greenvale. Until a few days ago, anyway.
“Either,” she said. “Or both. Though I do appreciate the not hating me.”
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Post by Wes Uccello on Jan 23, 2011 19:15:13 GMT -8
Wes thought that he heard her laugh; she was enjoying herself, he guessed. He was still feeling anxious about the possibility of the agent showing up the berate him. It wasn't likely, but the tiniest possibility was enough to put him on edge. The anxiousness was difficult, but not impossible, to pick up from behind. But... he almost always seemed anxious about something or other.
He resumed looking through the books on the shelf, close to reaching the end of the bottom row.
"So we both appreciate not being hated by each other. Seems like a sound basis for a relationship," he remarked with light-hearted sarcasm.
He tipped over the last book on the shelf, and hesitated.
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Post by Charlotte Jacobs on Jan 23, 2011 19:27:05 GMT -8
Charlotte noticed he seemed a little anxious... but of course she had no idea what was the cause. She could surmise, though. It was either the something resembling a friendship thing, or David. Maybe both. Or something else she hadn’t considered. That was also a possibility. Hell, it could just be his natural state of being, and therefore not actually need a cause.
She smirked.
“Oh, I don’t know... Not hating people is a wonderfully sound basis for a relationship. With hatred there's always that annoying desire to punch them in the face.”
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Post by Wes Uccello on Jan 23, 2011 20:01:03 GMT -8
Wes spent a moment remaining crouched and quiet, trying to decide where to go. He could step over and look at the bookcase to the left. Or...
He stood up, stretched for a second and turned around to start looking though a bookcase on the same side as Charlotte. He was still too far away to touch her (which he figured would have made it an even worse offense in the agent's eyes), but she could see him in profile, and he could look at her sidelong.
There was still a bit more mock-thoughtful pause before he responded. "Well, that's true... A friendship based on not wanting to punch each other sounds so desperate, though."
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Post by Charlotte Jacobs on Jan 23, 2011 22:05:38 GMT -8
Charlotte watched him start perusing a bookshelf on her side of the row of books. At least now she could partially see his face. It was a little less of a not-conversation than it had been. Or more of a normal conversation. She tilted her head back against the books.
“How about a friendship based on sarcasm and interesting conversation?” she asked, “And a lack of fisticuffs, of course.”
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