(no subject)

[herr_bookman]

[OOM: A KID FUCKING AROUND WITH HIS SYLLADEX IS NOT EXACTLY THE KIND OF GRIPPING ADVENTURE THAT NEEDS TO BE CHRONICLED WITH A FEW THOUSAND WORDS, WHO GIVES A SHIT. -Karkat]

Autor feeds the chicks today, trying not to touch them to set off his allergies.

Later, he curls up on the couch near the fire, listening to Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's cheerful Capriccio espagnol, Op. 34 with his ear buds and playing chess on the netbook Jay gave him. Well, he would be playing chess if he could move. A tiny, gray tabby has curled up on his chest, purring away contentedly, and he’s loathe to jostle it.

The boy coos softly as he strokes a finger under its chin. He cups his hands around the sleepy kitten, shielding it from the harsh glare of the lights above.

He may be stuck there for a while.

[OOC: Catch him in either place!]

Comments

[athelstanthescribe]

"Where", Athelstan asks, settling on the other end of the couch, "did you get a kitten?"

[herr_bookman]

Autor pops his ear buds out with a grin. "I picked it up at home," he explains, moving his hands out of the way so Athelstan can pet him if he wants to. "It's... it's not my kitten, technically--it's just a stray--but I feed it every day so it might be mine."

[athelstanthescribe]

He takes the invitation, reaching over to pet the kitten gently.

"If you feed it and take care of it, I'd say that makes it yours now."

[herr_bookman]

"Oh, no," Autor says, and sighs. "I can't take it home, so I shouldn't get too attached." The kitten mewls softly, rubbing its head on Athelstan's fingers. It stands on Autor, stretching its back and snuggling up under the former monk's hands.

"How are you, Athelstan?" Autor asks, amused at the fuzzy baby's reception of his friend.

[athelstanthescribe]

He's instantly taken with the little creature, and doesn't take his hands off it while they talk.

"I'm well. We've - well, most of us have returned from Uppsala, Ragnar has gone to Gotland to do a task for the king."

[herr_bookman]

The kitten purrs at his touches, rubbing its head and face on Athelstan to mark him with its scent. It arches its tiny spine, padding back and forth on Autor's chest, mewing.

"Most of us? Did the others decide to stay?" Autor asks, tilting his head. "Good luck to Ragnar on his task, though."

[athelstanthescribe]

With a glance at Autor for permission, Athelstan scoops the kitten into his hands.

"I meant that Ragnar hadn't come back with us, the roads parted halfway."

He could mention the sacrifice, but what for?

[herr_bookman]

Autor nods, and the kitten kneads Athelstan's palms, nipping him once. It walks around on his hands, peering over the edge.

"Ah, I see," Autor says, and smiles a little at the way the kitten turns around and around. He sits up, folding his legs under him in a cross-legged position. "Are you using your time here to rest after your trip, then?"

[athelstanthescribe]

Athelstan keeps his hands still, even with the sting of tiny claws and teeth, smiling.

"I had intended to go to my own room, but Milliways intervened, so I might as well."

[herr_bookman]

"Ah, that happens to the best of us," Autor says, nodding. He grins at the kitten as it flips over onto its back, wrapping its paws around Athelstan's thumb to bring it to its mouth to nip.

"Let me know if it bites too hard. I've... sort of neglected to train it out of doing that, mostly because I have no idea how to train a cat."

[athelstanthescribe]

"I think it's only playing", he says easily. "And my fingers are tough, it would have difficulty biting too hard. How have you been?"

[herr_bookman]

"It is, but I don't want its playing to hurt you," Autor explains, resting his hands in his lap. The furry baby continues nipping his thumb, its little butt wiggling and its feet kicking as it rests on its back.

"I'm all right," Autor says, and stretches a little. "I've been dealing with some misplaced memories from my home--apparently I've lived a whole new life that I can't remember--but other than that I've been quite well. Thanks for asking."

[athelstanthescribe]

"Misplaced memories?" he asks, concerned, teasing the kitten with his fingers. "Of how much time?"

[sunbaked_baker]

Rae's movements are more than a little stiff as she makes her way down the stairs into the bar. While Rae likes swimming just fine, she doesn't do it often, and yesterday's rather strenuous swim out at the Caribbean inlet easily wore out muscles not used to that particular activity. Add to that a mostly sleepless night (with nightmares filling what sleep she did get), and you have a very weary, very sore Sunshine entering the bar, today.

At the Bar, she collects a rather sizable mug of strong Assam tea - caffeine is as necessary as air, at this moment in time - and slouches over toward the couch to sip her tea and to gradually wake (and psyche) herself up before she faces the day.

Except the couch is taken, and for a long moment Rae, staring, can't think of anything to say. Can't decide whether anything she could say would be welcome. Many jumbled thoughts make their raucous way through her exhausted mind, but the only one that makes its dazed way from her brain to her mouth is:

"...You made it back."

[herr_bookman]

Autor turns his head to her, his hand coming down to pin the stretching kitten, whose butt wiggles helplessly as it struggles under his palm. He sits up, holding the fuzzy animal close to his chest.

"You're going to have to tell me where I've come back from," Autor says, a bit apologetic. "I don't remember a thing about it."

He gestures to the now opened up couch. "Hi, Rae. We need to talk."

[sunbaked_baker]

She doesn't move, though her gaze darts to the struggling kitten and back to him.

"What do you mean you don't remember a thing about it? How?"

[herr_bookman]

Autor releases the mewling baby, cupping it lightly against his ribs. It stands in his hands and spreads its paws on his chest, smelling him. Its tail sticks straight out and whaps his palms.

"I'm not sure," he says carefully. "I thought I woke up one morning to come to my music lesson, but it turns out I passed out here with people telling me I broke my fingers punching a wall and I've been living a double life. I don't remember it. Any of it. My father's study is wrecked."

[sunbaked_baker]

Rae watches him, unsure of where they stand with one another, unwilling to push in case of being pushed away in turn.

"Holes in the memory are hard to fix," she says, eventually. "They're holes that don't leave any visible edges."

"You remember Milliways, though."

He remember what has happened here?

[herr_bookman]

"I remember Milliways," he says slowly, unconsciously stroking the kitten, who mewls at him again. "But I don't remember what I've done to you. I'm sorry."

He holds the kitten around the waist with one hand and reaches into his pocket. "But I have a way to find out," he says, and flips open a blue compact. "This is a rememberizer. It shows me my memories--some of which I don't have. I just need to watch the right conversation."

[sunbaked_baker]

"I don't know if just one conversation will explain everything, Autor," she says, quietly. "It... depends a lot on how much you do remember, and on how much you're missing."

Some part of her mind wonders, if he watches their last conversation, will he agree with the conclusions he made then? Perhaps remembering won't change anything.

"What are the last things in Milliways you remember happening?"

[herr_bookman]

"True, and it seems I've forgotten a great deal," he says, furrowing his brow. "Still, it will give me a better footing."

Autor slips the rememberizer in his pocket and returns to holding the kitten, brushing his thumbs along its back as it wriggles. "Playing the piano with the Master of Ceremonies," the boy says. "The last thing I remember with you was taking you up to your room after you'd been attacked. I'm missing about a month's time here."

[sunbaked_baker]

"A month here, and who knows how long in your world. We've spoken twice, since the last conversation with me that you remember," she says, trying to figure how to word this. A faint line appears between her eyebrows. "Once when you came in, having bloodied and broken your fingers punching a wall - which you've heard about, from what you say. And the second time... three days after that. Up in your room."

[herr_bookman]

Autor falls silent for a long while, stroking the kitten absently. He cups its bottom and brings it up to his shoulder so it can stalk around and rub its face against his jaw. "I don't remember either of those conversations," he says softly, feeling lightheaded. "Jay told me that you and I had a falling out. That I'd... said something to upset you. Was it then? That second time?"

[sunbaked_baker]

"Yes," she replies quietly, with a slight nod. "It was brought about by our... old disagreement."

Autor's ambitions regarding Spinning were just about the only thing they ever truly and vehemently disagreed on. Apart from laughter in libraries.

[herr_bookman]

Autor blinks slowly. The kitten kneads his shoulder and nips his ear, and he steadfastly ignores it, watching his friend with a furrowed brow.

"Rae," the boy says helplessly. "What old disagreement?"