Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jul 20, 2021 23:01:07 GMT -5
Nico wasn’t sure he had really followed Kelsier’s brilliant idea, but he did have a feeling there was something going on that Kelsier wasn’t telling him. If he wasn’t telling him out loud, it was because it was something he didn’t want his supervisors to hear, which meant… Nico thought Kelsier might have found a way to let him know whether it was him asking the questions or not. He wasn’t going to fully trust it, but it was a far cry better than having to hope every time that Kelsier was speaking for himself. Nico didn’t know why, but he found he trusted Kelsier more than he trusted everyone else here. They were all working towards the same goal, but Kelsier had proven that he wouldn’t look past Nico’s humanity in order to shove him back with his father. He would, at least, probably feel remorse about it if he found out exactly what he was sending Nico back into. Nico took a deep breath, trying to calm his thoughts. “My plan?” Nico asked, eyes wide as he realized Kelsier was genuinely asking. “I… well, I was going to try to spend most of my days inside malls and the like. There are fireplaces, and as long as I didn’t get caught spending too much time at each mall, I thought… it would be okay. And maybe I could befriend some of the vendors so they could give me a job when I came of age.” He didn’t need to state out loud that he couldn’t do that anymore. Kelsier already knew what he had deprived Nico of. As much as Nico was tempted to make him feel bad about it, he knew well that it wasn’t going to be helpful at the moment.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Aug 6, 2021 19:03:28 GMT -5
Kelsier gave a small nod, acknowledging that. It wasn’t a bad plan, all things considered. The less time spent in the cold, the better he could deal with the time he couldn’t help. But it wasn’t perfect, and they both knew it. It also meant, Kelsier thought, that the kid hadn’t been on his own for too long. It seemed from his reply that he hadn’t handled a winter before, anyway. That narrowed Kelsier’s timeframe by a bit. If he’d only ended up on the street after it had warmed up, that gave Kel a place to start. He had more than he’d had when he walked into this room, at least. He was making progress, even if the kid didn’t want him to. The kid was going to have to get used to that. “You know what?” He said thoughtfully, eyeing the kid for a long moment before he leaned back. “I have got to stop calling you ‘the kid’. It’s just not gonna cut it. I know you don’t want to give your real name, I get that, and it’s smart, but ‘the kid’ is just a mouthful. And a little bit too vague.”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Aug 6, 2021 22:03:42 GMT -5
“Be careful,” Nico replied, just a little bit wryly. “If you give me a name, you might get attached, and then maybe you won’t want to do your job.” It was part wishful thinking and part mocking. He didn’t know if he wanted Kelsier to like him or not, he just knew that if Kelsier liked him enough that he felt bad sending Nico somewhere dangerous… well, that couldn’t be anything but a good thing. Maybe he would throw the investigation so Nico ended up in foster care. The system wasn’t better than being on his own, but it would be a lot easier to escape a foster parent than it would be to escape Hades a second time. He hadn’t even really escaped the first time, but… would Hades kill him if he found out that Nico had gotten caught? He was afraid of what his father would do, but he couldn’t mention it out loud. He was supposed to stay hidden. He wasn’t supposed to be ruining Hades’ public image. “Besides,” he added, shrugging, “’the kid’ is accurate enough. I mean… I am a kid, and it’s not that far fetched as a name. What… would you choose to call me instead?”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Aug 6, 2021 22:41:47 GMT -5
Kelsier watched the kid for a long moment, not looking away. He knew he had a point, on some level. But…maybe it wasn’t a point Kelsier liked much. “You’re not a kitten, you know,” he said after a moment, not looking away for even a second. There was no heat to his tone, no edge to it. He was just…talking. “You’re not a kitten, and I’m not here trying to keep you alive while understanding that it probably won’t work and protecting my heart from it. This…” he stood and gestured to the room. “This isn’t permanent. Hopefully it’s not even going to be anywhere near long term. But I don’t think you really understand why I’m here.” He shook his head a little. “You don’t protect your heart from this sort of job. Not if you’re doing it right. I get invested in every case. In every person. Whether they have a name or not. That’s why I do my job.” He turned to go. At the door, he paused, glanced back…and smiled, “Luck,” he decided. “Suits you.”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Aug 7, 2021 0:13:38 GMT -5
Nico hadn’t been expecting that response from Kelsier. He hadn’t been seeing himself as a kitten, but… well, he figured it was still better for Kelsier not to get attached. If he got attached, then how could he even do his job properly, especially in cases like Nico’s? “I find it difficult to imagine you deal with things like me often and still haven’t hardened your heart to it. I mean… kids like me, we’re trouble, right? Which means that no matter what you do, we’re going to keep being trouble. That has to wear on you, doesn’t it? That you might not be able to make sure I’m safe? And… and what if it turns out that I’m right to want to be on the streets. What will you do then? Because you’ll lose your job if you let me go free. Would you risk that for someone like me, someone who’s just a case? You shouldn’t. Which is why you shouldn’t get attached.” Perhaps Nico was too cynical. He believed quite firmly that it was safer not to get attached to anyone. That getting attached only lead to heartbreak… though he was guilty of caring for people in spite of the danger he saw. The name surprised Nico enough that he didn’t say anything to stop Kelsier from leaving. “You’re wrong,” he murmured under his breath. “I’m anything but lucky.”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Aug 24, 2021 23:21:54 GMT -5
Orpheus had spent days crouching out near a thrift store, darting in and out whenever he thought there might be something worth stealing from the donations pile. If it was being donated and hadn’t been catalogued yet, nobody would miss it, right? He was most on the lookout for books. He had been too young when his mother had left to learn how to read, otherwise he would have suggested writing notes long ago as a way to communicate. After what had happened… a shudder ran down Orpheus’ spine as the memory touched him like an icy hand. He wasn’t going to let that happen again. He was going to learn to read, and the best way to do that was through a picture book. Nobody had donated any, though… he was waiting. He needed to find one. If L didn’t know how to read yet either… then they would learn together. Orpheus didn’t care if it was going to be hard. It would be worth it if it meant that neither of them had to risk getting separated again because they hadn’t been able to tell the other where they were planning on going. There. A lady was handing the donations team a bag that was breaking at the bottom, the corner of a book peeking out. It joined the cart with a bunch of other books, and still Orpheus waited, hoping the cart would be wheeled closer to him. The donation center began to close for the day, and Orpheus cast a nervous glance at the sun. He had to be home by sundown, or L would worry. Suddenly not caring if the team saw him, Orpheus darted forward and pulled the bag out of the cart, then sprinted in the direction of home. He pulled into an alley, breath coming hard as he waited for the sound of pounding feet that meant he was being followed. Nothing. Relief flooded Orpheus as he collapsed to his knees, the bag spilling out and breaking beside him. There, on the cover of one of the books, was the hand signal L had made. Illustrated and stylized, sure, but still the same. A hand raised up, fingers in a fist, thumb off to the side. He didn’t recognize the other two signals on the cover, but… that one had to mean something, right?
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Sept 10, 2021 16:54:37 GMT -5
The thing about being alone was that it was safe. It was the safest thing in the whole world. You didn’t have to watch the other person. You didn’t have to make sure you could get away, if something were to happen. You could make your own decisions, and the only one you had to put up with was yourself. That didn’t mean it was always easier to put up with yourself, of course. It was just that you didn’t have to put up with anyone else on top of it. Everyone was an enemy. They didn’t have the same motives you did. They could make bad choices. You couldn’t control what they did…at least when it was you, you had some say over which mistakes you were going to make. For example, three people once lived in a home all together. They were happy, and things were good, even if the two taller people didn’t always seem to quite understand what the one shorter one was thinking about. It wasn’t their fault. They just hadn’t read enough books. That was mistake number one. Out of the younger one’s control. But they were happy. The two older ones loved each other, even the younger one could tell that much, and he wasn’t the best at understanding what the people around him were feeling. If they couldn’t tell what he was thinking, he did have to admit that the struggle had gone both ways. Until one day, the younger one was the only one awake in what felt like the whole world. The house was dark, the older ones were sound asleep, and not even the window shattering made them stir. That was mistake number two. Sleeping. Being asleep. Being asleep when there was something more important than being asleep to do. Being unconscious when someone was standing in the living room, and not someone who had ever stood there before. But not the younger one. Not him. He was awake. A dog would have barked, he figured. An alarm would have gone off. But him…when he opened his mouth, nothing came out. When he tried to call for one of the two people in the world that he trusted, he found that he couldn’t. He still couldn’t make those particular sounds, that everyone else in the entire world seemed to be able to make. He should have screamed. That was another mistake. His first and only one, that he could think of, anyway. For some reason, he hadn’t. For some reason… Afterwards, he was alone. It hadn’t felt safer at the time. It had felt like everything had ended, and he hadn’t understood why he wasn’t included in everything. But it was safer. It was safer because if something ended, it had to be you. It was safer because you could control which mistakes you made. Because at least you would never have to survive in someone else’s place. L looked at the sky. It was cloudy today, but he could still tell the time, more or less. His friend wasn’t late. Not yet. He might have stayed alone, he knew. He might have made sure he wouldn’t have to walk away again. But… His friend couldn’t make those sounds either. After everything, it turned out it wasn’t just him, after all. Not late yet. Not yet.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Sept 12, 2021 1:14:50 GMT -5
Orpheus always tried to make it back on time. They hadn’t been able to talk about what ‘on time’ was, but they had settled into a routine quickly enough. As long as they were both back before sunset, they were fine. It was harder to find your way home in the dark. It was more dangerous, too. There were fewer people out and about, but the ones that were weren’t exactly the nice sort. They were about as likely to kill a child on the street as they were to offer their help. Sometimes, though, it was the ones who wanted to help that were the most dangerous. Orpheus didn’t want to go anywhere he would have to leave L behind. If they were taken and put into the foster system or something… he would lose his friend. He would lose the boy he had come to see as home, and… and that was the worst thing Orpheus could imagine. Worse than being abandoned. If he was taken away from L, would the other boy think he had abandoned him if he didn’t manage to find him again? That was one reason Orpheus was careful never to get home late. He knew what it was like to be left behind. He knew what it was like to wait long enough that you were forced, at some point, to admit that the person you were waiting for wasn’t ever going to come back. He didn’t want L to doubt, even for a second, that he was coming back. He was always going to come home to him. As long as he had a say in the matter. This time, he was returning with something exciting. Or… at least something that was probably exciting. He had been spending more time around the thrift store donation lot, hoping to find something useful. He had stolen a winter coat there a few weeks before… it wasn’t winter, so they hadn’t needed it yet, but it made a nice blanket. It was too big for either of them, anyway. What he had found this time wasn’t as practical as a coat. He had no way to communicate with L. He wanted to learn to read and write. He wanted to be able to give L notes, to tell him how he felt… he wanted L to know how grateful he was to know him. He wanted L to know that he loved him, as much as he could understand love. Love was having someone to come home to. Love was… well, it was the best word Orpheus had for what he felt towards his friend. He hadn’t ever had a good example of love. His mother and father had loved each other, once. They hadn’t after Orpheus was born. His mother and father hadn’t loved him enough to stay with him. That was how he had ended up here in the first place. He had been sifting through the books that were donated for a few days now. He wanted to find something that would be easy enough to learn from and understand, but it was hard to know what would be helpful when he couldn’t actually read. He recognized a few letters, of course, but not enough to actually know what any of the books said. Until this one. It was tucked carefully under his arm, poised so that nobody could see it and decide to steal it from him. It was the most precious thing he had ever owned. It had the hand symbols L had been making. Which meant… they meant something. Maybe, just maybe, there was a way for L to tell him what. Orpheus broke into a run when he saw the tent. He wanted to get started as soon as possible.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Sept 20, 2021 6:04:15 GMT -5
The fact that returning before sunset was not a rule they had agreed on weighed heavily on L as he watched the sky. He couldn’t help feeling every night that it would be the last. That Orpheus would fail to return. He didn’t worry that he would get lost. He knew that was possible, of course. It was a big place, and they were a lot smaller than the people it was built for. They had already nearly lost each other once, and it had been terrifying, almost the most terrifying thing L had ever faced. But he was too young to fear a loss with no closure as much as he might have, if he’d been a little bit bigger. What terrified him wasn’t the fact that he might never know what had happened to his friend. What he feared, more than anything in the world, were endings. True endings. Goodbyes. Closed doors. Bodies with no people left inside of them. Bodies that would never again have anyone inside. If Orpheus was lost, L could always believe he would find him again. He could look, and he could never, ever give up looking, because lost wasn’t the same as gone. But if he was dead…dead like his parents had been when L had left home…then it became an ending. He hadn’t known people could have endings. The knowledge that they could go away in a way he couldn’t fix frightened him. He didn’t want Orpheus to go away and never come back. And somehow, he knew deep down that if he didn’t come back before sunset, then he would never come back at all. So he watched the sky and silently pleaded with the universe to not let it be today. His eyes moved to the way into their small camp. There were technically a couple ways, but Orpheus was predictable about which he used. It almost always depended on which he had left from. Probably it was because he didn’t wander randomly, and so he usually retire from the same direction he’d left from, but whatever the reason, L had learned to pay attention and predict it, so he was still watching when the small shape that could only be his friend came into view, running towards him. L sprang into action, scrambling to meet him, relief flooding his small body in fierce waves, because it wasn’t today. It wasn’t today, and as long as it wasn’t today, he could keep breathing and imagine it would never happen at all. He brightened as Orpheus came closer, raising both arms above his head and waving them to greet him.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Sept 21, 2021 14:12:23 GMT -5
Orpheus wasn’t nearly as analytical as L was. When it was his turn to wait in camp for L, he didn’t always know which direction L was going to come from. He had gotten better at noticing which direction L left towards, but that didn’t mean he was always able to predict his friend’s movements. He noticed when L started predicting his, though. It was a simple thing – L looking right in his direction and getting up the moment he rounded the corner, for instance. It always made Orpheus smile to know that they had made it through another day. That meant they had to make it through the night, but it was always easier when they were together. If Orpheus got scared at night, he could roll over and watch L. If he got scared during the day, there was nobody but himself as he tried to get enough supplies for the two of them to last another day. He considered getting supplies that would last longer, but that kind of theft was more noticeable, and when people were kind, they didn’t tend to give that much. They always thought it was a scam, especially when there were little kids involved. Being alone in the city at night had been terrifying. When Calpyso had left, Orpheus hadn’t realized it during the day. He had realized it that night when nobody had come to tuck him in to bed. He had noticed it when he entered his parent’s room, only to find it empty. He had noticed it when he realized there was only one light on in the entire house. It illuminated a note that Orpheus couldn’t read, but he recognized his dad’s handwriting. He had waited through the night, but nobody had come. The shadows had seemed darker and deeper that night, and Orpheus had been fairly certain that something was going to jump out at him at any moment. Of course, nothing had… he was here, alive. The dark was still scary. Sometimes, Orpheus had dreams that he woke up in the dark, only L wasn’t there. It had just been Orpheus in the tent, and L had been nothing more than a figment of his imagination. He shuddered, pushing away the thought. It wasn’t night yet. The sun was just beginning to dip down behind some of the buildings. Nonetheless, Orpheus picked up speed, nearly crashing into L as he skidded to a stop. Now was not a time for dark thoughts. Now… now was the time to show L what he had found. Orpheus grinned, hiding the book behind his back. He didn’t know if L could read but judging from how old he appeared compared to Orpheus, the latter found he doubted it. Which meant they would have to struggle through it together. But… at least Orpheus had a way to start learning what the signals L was making meant. Slowly, Orpheus caught L’s eye, his smile widening as he waited to see if he had managed to pique his friend’s interest. And then he presented the book, proudly holding it out in front of him. It wasn’t much, but it was a start.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Oct 7, 2021 22:32:06 GMT -5
The nights weren’t as warm as they had been, maybe, and it wasn’t always very pleasant to be stuck outside with nothing much to protect them from rain or wind or prying eyes, but they were together. L could always lean over and check to see if Orpheus was asleep, yet. He could come a little bit closer and let his presence soothe him. He couldn’t sleep while Orpheus slept, but it was easier to be awake when he was there beside him. It was also easier to sleep when he knew Orpheus already had. He liked taking the first shift, because of that, but he allowed it to vary, because he figured Orpheus might feel the same, and it wasn’t like he could ask to be sure. He barely avoided a collision, skidding to a stop as best he could and bouncing on his heels to get a little of the energy to fade. It may have happened every day, but somehow there was nothing more thrilling than the fact that Orpheus had yet again returned of his own free will. There was nothing at all forcing him to stay. He just seemed to want to. He searched the grin, eyes widening as he realized there was something different this time. His expression…and he was holding something behind his back, too. L leaned to the side, trying to see it, then looked up, trying to figure out what the grin could mean. If Orpheus had wanted him to be curious…he had succeeded. And then Orpheus pulled out the book and L blinked at it, eyes widening. He couldn’t read, and he had assumed Orpheus couldn’t, either, but the way he was holding it made L look closer, trying to see… His eyes caught on the signs illustrated on the cover. His eyes widened. And then his own hands lifted, instinctively making the same signs.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Oct 8, 2021 0:21:50 GMT -5
Orpheus didn’t have a preference for which shift he took. He didn’t like leaving L to stay awake extra while he went to sleep, but he also didn’t like having to wake L up from a restful sleep to take watch. He had gotten more used to it over time, but… it was still hard. In the end, neither of them really got enough sleep. Would it be better as the days got darker earlier? Orpheus didn’t know if the changing seasons would make life harder for them or easier. Harder, probably, but there might be some unforeseen benefits to it. He shook the thought away. He wasn’t there to ponder life. He could think about things when he took watch that evening. Or morning. It depended on which watch L wanted. Orpheus shook his head, instead focusing on the book he had brought with him. It didn’t matter if he couldn’t read. It didn’t matter if he couldn’t decipher what any of the words said. He and L could learn to read together. Maybe they could find someone to help teach them, though that would require finding an adult they trusted. It probably wasn’t worth the risk. But they didn’t need to know how to read in order to use the book Orpheus had found. L already knew what it contained. Which meant… maybe he’d be able to find a way to show Orpheus what those symbols meant. He gave an enthusiastic nod as L copied the signs. He may not have known what they meant, but he did know they were important. He didn’t know how to ask what they meant, so he settled on shrugging his shoulders as he pointed at the book. Would L get that? Would he even know how to teach Orpheus the meaning behind it? Not for the first time, Orpheus was frustrated by his inability to make words leave his lips. It would have been easier if he could just… ask. But then they wouldn’t need the signs in the first place.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Nov 28, 2021 16:47:00 GMT -5
L wasn’t as afraid of the coming winter as he should have been. It was something he knew about, in theory, and the nights were already cold sometimes, but he didn’t wonder how they’d make it through when there was no warmth left at all. He was too focused on making it through each day to spend time imagining the future. And now, he was focused on the book Orpheus had brought back. He felt something, like fear or excitement, shudder through him as he looked from it to his friend. He had tried signing to Orpheus, a long time ago, but he hadn’t seemed interested in it. L hadn’t minded, really…or he had tried not to. If Orpheus didn’t want to communicate, then they wouldn’t. Even if it did make it just a little bit lonlier. He had never thought about Orpheus not understanding what they meant. He had never considered that there could be people who didn’t know how to sign. The thought that Orpheus hadn’t known…that Orpheus had found this, because he had been watching after all, because he recognized it as what L did, because he wanted to understand it. He moved forward, one hand moving out, his fingers brushing the cover of the book for a moment before he moved back and looked at Orpheus again, eyes wide. “Book,” he signed carefully, and pointed to it. He wasn’t sure that was what Orpheus had meant, but…it was a start. It was a start.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Nov 28, 2021 16:54:44 GMT -5
Orpheus had never needed to know how to sign. He had been able to talk when he was younger, it was only finding his father that had rendered him incapable. He wanted to talk. He wanted to tell people what had happened, he wanted to ask his friend’s name and get to know him and share every moment with him that he could, he wanted to be able to tell him which direction he was running when they were cornered, but… he wasn’t able to. This… this felt like a gift. An opportunity. Something that might build a bridge over the rapids he’d been unable to forge. Orpheus blinked, frowning a little bit at the book he had brought back, and the sign he made before he pointed to it. It wasn’t the answer to the question Orpheus had been meaning to ask, but he supposed that question was a little bit too complicated anyway. He couldn’t ask what every sign in the book meant and expect L to have a simple answer, especially when Orpheus likely wouldn’t understand his answer in the first place. For now, though, he would settle for the easier words. The things that were actually teachable. “Book,” he signed back, fingers clumsy with the unfamiliar sign. He pointed at the book again, making sure that he had understood. “Book.” That was the name of that object. Even if Orpheus couldn’t read what was inside it, there were pictures, and there were signs. It was a start. And maybe he’d actually be able to talk to L. Even if it was one word… it was one more word than he’d said to him since they’d met.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Feb 9, 2022 3:15:01 GMT -5
Signing had always been how L spoke. His parents had known how, though they’d still spoken out loud to each other most of the time. It hadn’t occurred to him to think the signing had been learned for his benefit. Anyone he’d tried to talk to had been able to understand it, as far as he knew. It had never occurred to him that his friend wouldn’t be able to understand him. A slow, rare grin spread over his face as Orpheus’ hand moved. It wasn’t perfect by any means, and if L hadn’t known what to look for he might not have understood it, but that wasn’t the point, the point was that, somehow…his friend had figured out what was happening before he had. He’d found the book, even though he didn’t know how to tell what it meant. He nodded eagerly, pointing to the sign Orpheus was making, then signing it again himself. Could they really talk, finally talk, if Orpheus was willing to learn?
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Feb 9, 2022 4:07:06 GMT -5
Orpheus had never known there was an alternative to speaking. He had grown up able to speak, and though his father was often absent, he had made sure Orpheus was always occupied with a guitar and some sheet music. He may not have been able to read, but he could pluck at the strings of the guitar, and he could listen while his mother explained to him how to play. While Apollo taught him chords and told him how to press his fingers against the strings in just the right manner to make it sound nicest. He had been able to ask Apollo all his questions. And then his voice had been stolen from him with the discovery of his father’s body. With the knowledge that his mother was never, ever going to come back. That his father had used his voice to lie to him about where Calliope was. That his father had used his voice to lie and say that Orpheus mattered. “Book,” Orpheus repeated, searching L’s expression. He wanted the other boy to make corrections, to show him how to do it properly, but he wasn’t able to express that. This was going to be more frustrating than he wanted it to be, but it would be worth it in the end.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Feb 9, 2022 4:25:46 GMT -5
“Book,” L repeated, the sign familiar on his fingers. He hesitated, then reached out, gently trying to adjust Orpheus’ sign. “Book.” He pulled back quickly. He still didn’t know how Orpheus felt about contact. He didn’t really know anything at all about his friend. He tilted his head, pointing further into their camp. There was so much he longed to tell him, so many questions he needed to ask…if Orpheus was willing to learn, than that was possible. Wasn’t it? He reached out to take Orpheus’ hand, tugging him further into the camp. It didn’t even matter that he was hungry anymore, or that they were wasting daylight, or that it was getting colder, or… It didn’t matter. The book mattered.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Feb 9, 2022 4:31:54 GMT -5
“Book,” Orpheus repeated once more, adjusting the sign in the way L had taught him. He didn’t flinch away from his friend’s touch, nor did he make the first move to pull back when L was done adjusting. He had rarely touched his friend, with the exception of the hug they had shared when they’d been separated. Something about that hug seemed to have broken down the barrier for Orpheus. He didn’t mind sharing physical affection with L, so long as L didn’t mind it. Slowly, Orpheus followed L deeper into the tent. He didn’t know if that meant L wanted to look at it more in their private space, or if he wanted to leave it behind. Hopefully, they would get to look at it more. Or L would be able to teach him how to say more things… there were words inside of him that had been fighting to get out since he had left home. Even more that had joined them when he had first met L. For the first time, it felt like there might be a way to share those words with someone else. He hadn’t been able to get food. The book had been hard enough to get back without being conspicuous. Somehow, though, he felt they were both more interested in what the book had to offer than they would have been in food.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Feb 9, 2022 4:58:21 GMT -5
L glanced back, making sure Orpheus was bringing the book with him. It would have been easier if they’d been able to communicate already, but… As long as the book was clear enough, maybe it would work. And Orpheus wanted to. Orpheus actually wanted to. He sat down, motioning for Orpheus to join him and pointing at the book. He tilted his head, doing his best to ask what Orpheus wanted to do with it…whether he wanted to use it now, or later. Or not at all. Though L was secretly glad he couldn’t ask that. “Book?” He asked, adding a puzzled expression to make it a question. Though, if Orpheus didn’t know sign language, would he understand that?
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Feb 9, 2022 5:07:29 GMT -5
Orpheus was good at reading expressions. He had spent much of his life before this point with a poet for a mother. She had often had her family over, and they were always quite artistic. Some of his aunts were familiar with theatre, and they had always put on shows just for him when they wanted to practice for actual shows they were doing. He had learned how to read their expressions before he had learned to put words to the feelings they were showing him. Of course, reading expressions was much more difficult in the real world, where people sometimes tried to hide what they were feeling. If Orpheus had to guess, the expression L was making was purposeful. It wasn’t as subtle as many of the other boy’s expressions. Slowly, Orpheus nodded and moved forward so he was kneeling besides L. Once, twice, then a third time more emphatically. He wanted to learn. He wanted nothing more than to learn. “Book,” he signed, then pressed his hands together in the way he had seen people do it in church. They always seemed to do it when they were asking for something, so hopefully L would understand what he meant. Book, please.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Feb 10, 2022 1:02:44 GMT -5
L watched his friend anxiously, waiting to see if he would understand, or if L had misunderstood him somehow. Without the ability to explain, a misunderstanding could be very bad. He didn’t want to risk even a small one. He watched Orpheus approach, eyes wide. Maybe there would be a way to ask, maybe… His eyes caught on the sign Orpheus made next, one he hadn’t been making before. Book…something else. He studied the gesture, searching his memory for anything it reminded him of…and then he thought he got it. “Yes!” He signed eagerly, nodding his head along with his hand for emphasis. If it was a request, would Orpheus understand that this was his answer? He pointed at the book, then reached out a hand instead, wide eyes fixed on his friend’s expression. He wanted to see how much there was inside it. He wanted to try and explain things he’d been trying to explain since they’d met, things he’d assumed after a while that Orpheus had no interest in hearing. He put his right hand in front of him after a moment’s thought, mimicking what he thought Orpheus’ sign for a request had been, without lowering his other hand. His best approximation of can I have it? using only signs Orpheus would know.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Feb 10, 2022 16:31:56 GMT -5
“Yes,” Orpheus repeated, trying out the new sign with his brow knitted in concentration. He wasn’t the best at immediately recognizing and recreating the signs L made, but he was making an effort. He knew what nodding meant, so he had a feeling the hand gesture meant either the same thing or something very similar. Whether or not he understood the sign properly, he did understand the nodding. Which meant that L would be willing to look at the book, and he would be willing to at least show him some more signs. Maybe, just maybe, they would be able to talk. It did occur to Orpheus that they might not get along quite as well if they were able to understand each other, but he pushed the thought away as quickly as possible. They were going to get along just fine, and they would be able to stop themselves from being separated. It took Orpheus a moment to realize that L was asking for the book. He glanced down at it, then gave a slow nod as he reached forward to hand it over to L. He was nervous about this, but the excitement beat it out almost entirely. “Book. Yes.” Orpheus signed once L had the book, tilting his head to see if L had understood. Or if he had any corrections.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Mar 11, 2022 16:51:48 GMT -5
L smiled, pleased as Orpheus seemed to understand. That was good…if they could communicate, even a little bit, then maybe there was a chance of this working. As long as Orpheus wanted to learn…well. What was stopping him? L didn’t know how to teach it. It was something he’d known as long as he could remember, not something he expected someone to have to learn. But he must have learned it once himself, right? He accepted the book, pulling it close and flipping it open. There were words inside - he couldn’t read those, the letters looked odd and meaningless even though they were familiar - but there were pictures too. Almost every page had clear illustrations of signs he understood, many of them signs he reflexively made as he flipped through it. He reached to the side, trying to catch Orpheus’ hand to pull him closer, signing at the same time. “Yes! Book, yes, book, yes!”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Mar 14, 2022 22:32:11 GMT -5
Orpheus grinned as L repeated the signs back to him. Book. Yes. Knowing a few words wasn’t much, but it was better than what they’d been working with before. This… this was progress. This was one step closer to being able to talk to his best friend. This was one step closer to making sure they were never again separated like they had been days before. Orpheus watched as L flipped through, eyes widening with amazement at the excitement with which L formed the signs he was reading. Well… looking at. It would have been a lot easier if Orpheus could read the words the signs were describing, but… if he could get just a few more words under his belt, he could start asking questions and expecting explanations he could understand. For now, though… he frowned, then pointed at the tent wall above them, shrugging his shoulders in his best ‘what?’ gesture. He wanted to learn as many words as he could, and he figured starting with the things around them would be the best way to go.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Mar 23, 2022 1:25:43 GMT -5
The book felt like a gift in L’s hands, heavy with the weight of everything it meant. It felt like a treasure, and the more he read, the more he was convinced that it was one. There probably wasn’t every sign in it, but there was more than enough to start with…and several he didn’t even recognize. He hadn’t even realized there were signs he didn’t know. He looked up finally, eyes wide as he studied his friend instead. Had he known? He couldn’t have…why had he brought the book? Had he been looking for it all this time, unable to tell L he was trying? He looked up reflexively as Orpheus pointed, then glanced back in time to catch the end of the shrug. Which he guessed meant… “Tent,” he signed, dropping the book in his haste. Then, slower this time, “tent. That’s a tent.” He paused, searching Orpheus’ expression to see if he’d understood.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Mar 30, 2022 1:35:52 GMT -5
“Tent,” Orpheus repeated, frowning just a little as he looked up at the tent. He didn’t know how to navigate learning a new language. He had been raised bilingual, but he had never gone through the experience of actually learning a language without the words being fed to him before he was able to understand them. He shook his head of the thought, instead trying to figure out what L wanted to say. What L was thinking, because even though this meant they would be able to talk to each other, they weren’t able to yet. “Tent,” he repeated, trying to make his fingers do exactly what L’s had. He wasn’t used to moving his hands in this way, but he was determined to figure it out. His friend had been trying to talk to him for… for who knew how long, and he hadn’t even noticed. He wasn’t going to keep letting him down. He wasn’t going to let him down ever again.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on May 2, 2022 16:03:01 GMT -5
L nodded, eyes wide as Orpheus signed the word back, roughly but understandably. It was clear he didn’t have the same muscle memory for this that L did - L’s hands knew how to make signs the same way they knew how to pick up a stick or climb a tree - but that was alright. As far as he could tell, they had all the time in the world to practice, and he would much rather think about that than how cold and hungry he was. “Tent,” he repeated, making the sign slower this time, the way his parents had when they were showing him something new. It had always felt easier to learn a sign when he could take the time to see each part of it. It was probably the same way for Orpheus. Which reminded him… He shifted, flipping through the book. If he could teach Orpheus how to ask questions…maybe this could be even easier.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jun 30, 2022 13:42:56 GMT -5
“Tent,” Orpheus repeated, brow furrowing just a little as he tried to copy the sign one more time. He was learning - he could say that much for himself, but he felt as though he was learning too slowly. They hadn’t the book between them for more than a few minutes, but now that they had a way to start communicating, Orpheus wanted nothing more than to learn everything all at once. He knew his friend would be there for him through anything, but that didn’t mean he knew who his friend was as a person. This was a chance… Orpheus pushed himself out of his own thoughts a few moments later, focusing on what L was doing. He wasn’t sure what he was looking for, but if the book could actually be helpful… well, Orpheus would just have to hope that L was actually capable of reading it. He shrugged a little, trying to communicate his curiosity. Trying to get across ‘What are you looking for,’ ‘Can I help,’ and ‘Is this what you want’ all in the same gesture.
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