(no subject)

[isaysimplewords]

Cal has a new book.

This one is different from the others. He didn't choose it to learn something about someone else, or someone else's world. He didn't choose it at all. Bar gave it to him, about two hours ago, and he's reading it with a deeper level of absorption than he's ever had with any book.

It's an autobiography. The author is one Calvin Chandler, Junior.

He's been reading for so long that his head and vision are swimming. He may not want a distraction, but he needs one before he gives himself a headache.



tinytag: hey arnold

[OOC: Open for as long as it's on the front page.]

Comments

[waylostandfound.livejournal.com]

He had found a clean shirt with no blood or bullet holes on it. Same for his pants. Still looking paler than he ever had, but he felt more together than he was last night.

And Nathan needed a distraction before he dwelled more on being well... dead.

He tilted his head at Cal, "Interesting method for self reflection."

[isaysimplewords]

Cal looks up, blinking.

"Hm?" he asks intelligently.

He lacks the long-time reader's practice with emerging from a book to interact with the world around him, so this is gonna take a minute.

[waylostandfound.livejournal.com]

He gestured vaguely to the book, "Reading about yourself? Some might think you had ego issues. Or are you just checking for all i's dotted and the t's crossed?"

[isaysimplewords]

"What? Oh. No." Cal looks back at the book for a second and smiles. "This is my son's," he explains. "I'm the Senior."

Which is a little strange to think of, but then he never had to get used to it in any meaningful sort of way.

[waylostandfound.livejournal.com]

Nathan's expression immediately softened, and he looked wistful.

"How old is he now?" Thinking of when the last time he saw Simon and Monty. On the other side of the gate of their school and only for brief minutes.

[isaysimplewords]

"Almost four," Cal says softly. Then he holds up his book. "And this will be published when he's sixty-two. Milliways, huh?"

His smile this time is proud and achingly sad all at once.

[waylostandfound.livejournal.com]

"Simon's almost 13... Monty, he'll be turning 9 soon." Dammit he missed them. It was a faint and dull ache. Barely anything but it was closest to feeling right now.

[isaysimplewords]

Cal tilts his head a little, studying Nathan. He knows that look. He's worn it a lot recently.

"Are you okay?" he asks.

[waylostandfound.livejournal.com]

He just shook his head.

"Thought I was. Didn't last long."

[heyfootballhead.livejournal.com]

Is a rogue football to the leg a sufficient distraction?

If not, the extremely apologetic boy running after it should be, not least of all because his head is the same shape.

"Sorry--I'm really sorry," he gasps.

[isaysimplewords]

Cal looks up, then does a startled doubletake.

"Uh, it's - okay."

The kid's head -

- even for Milliways, that's different.

[heyfootballhead.livejournal.com]

Arnold mistakes the doubletake for irritation and plows on.

"And I really didn't mean to interrupt your reading, mister, honest."

[isaysimplewords]

"No, uh." Cal realizes he's staring and rubs his eyes, partly as a way to stop himself from staring and partly because they're getting tired from the reading. "That's fine. If I wanted peace and quiet, I'd be upstairs." He looks back up - well, down - and offers the kid a smile.

Milliways. Yep.

[heyfootballhead.livejournal.com]

"Okay," he says, relieved. He's used to running away when things like this happen, not sticking around to apologize.

"Can I, uh, have my ball back?" It seems like it would be a little rude to grab it from right at Cal's feet.

[isaysimplewords]

Cal peers under the table. "Oh, yeah. Of course."

He gives it a nudge with his foot. It, being a football and not something more conveniently round, sort of wobbles instead of rolling out toward the kid. Cal snorts to himself and leans under to retrieve it. This is an awkward process, but it works out.

"Here you go," he says, handing it over.

[heyfootballhead.livejournal.com]

"Wow, sorry for the trouble. I guess I shouldn't be playing inside," he says with an apologetic grin as Cal goes digging for the ball. "Thanks!"

[isaysimplewords]

Cal smiles back, rather more naturally this time. It's amazing, how quickly you can get used to a football-shaped head. The kid's probably an alien or something.

"Eh, don't worry about it," he says. "You should be careful, though, you don't want to break anything."

Why, yes. Cal is a parent.

[necessary_child]

The book is clocked: Sam's good that way.

Not that Cal would probably notice it immediately, though, from the way he says 'Boo', and drops into the nearest chair.

[isaysimplewords]

Cal starts in surprise, looking up from his book, then smiles. It's a bright, warm, relaxed smile, the kind of smile he hasn't had much chance to use in Milliways. Or, for that matter, before Milliways.

"Hey," he says in greeting.

[necessary_child]

It's also very attractive, but that goes without saying, really. Sam grins back at him.

"Hey." He stretches his legs out.

"Good book?"

[isaysimplewords]

"Best book." Cal holds it up so Sam can see the cover more clearly. The author's name is emblazoned across the bottom in bold letters - CALVIN CHANDLER, JR - and the picture is of a cheerful-looking middle-aged blond man who looks like he's accustomed to posing for cameras. There is also a title, but the mun can't even title works that actually exist, let alone fake ones.

(The astute observer might spot that the man pictured doesn't bear even the faintest resemblance to Cal, but that's neither here nor there, now, is it?)

"Calvin's autobiography," Cal says helpfully. He offers the book in case Sam wants to have a look through it. He totally does, right?

[necessary_child]

Far be it for Sam to point out the lack of resemblance: he figures Cal's almost certainly already noticed anyway.

"I noticed," he says, and what was originally going to be a hair-ruffle turns into a brief running of his fingers through Cal's hair.

Teasing: "He's better-looking than his old man."

[isaysimplewords]

Cal did the math regarding his and Deborah's lack of a marital sex life a long time ago. He just prefers not to look too closely at the issue of questionable paternity.

He grins.

"You'd like his mother, then," he says. "He looks just like her."

[necessary_child]

"Maybe," Sam allows. "Pretty sure I'd still prefer his dad, though."

[isaysimplewords]

"Oh, I don't know about that," Cal says. "I mean, Mother did pick Deborah based on maximum appeal to the public. She did a pretty good job."

His tone is quasi-serious. His expression is not.