Fandom Library, Wednesday, February 4th

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

Arden couldn't skip two weeks of work, even though she felt 'bitten by a gremlin' was a really good excuse for missing one, and so she was back behind the circulation desk today. With a book. And determinedly ignoring everything the gremlins did, so long as they were doing it more than five feet away from her. See if the little jerks got any attention from her for awhile.

Comments

Re: Talk to the Aide

[not_a_haint]

"Granny Amburgey. She takes in kids who've 'seen the worst that man or god could visit on a person'. In my case she had a bit o' help. Guess I'd call Miss Ellie an' her sister Miss Marcie my third family an' they couldn't keep me on account of the Dead Queen's cult huntin' me but they kept in touch.

"An' then Mr. Bartholomew came by to teach some of the kids how t' control some o' their abilities."

He might have gone on another huge lore dump but decided to take another drink just in case.

Re: Talk to the Aide

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"It sounds like you had a lot of really great people in your corner," Arden said, the tiniest bit wistfully. "That makes a world of difference, I bet."

Re: Talk to the Aide

[not_a_haint]

"I try t' remind myself of that. I..." he was back to feeling like he was bragging, remembering the look on one youngin's face when they saw the letter in Caleb's hand. He stopped himself with another swig of water. (He was going to have to excuse himself before too long, he was drinking so much)

"I guess you had a rough time of it yourself."

Re: Talk to the Aide

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"Is it that obvious?" she laughed. "Yeah. My favorite part of being in Fandom is the not having to be afrain that someone's gonna pop up and execute me for the crime of existing, so..."

Oh look. More water.

"...Yeah," she said when she'd finished about a third of the remaining water and her mouth felt like her own again. "Been a time."

Re: Talk to the Aide

[not_a_haint]

"Part of livin' in the Devil's Cradle was that we were hidden from anyone lookin' for us. I s'pect that's part o' why I was sent here for schoolin'. Course at th' time I just thought it was as far from th' center o' power they could get me on the map. But I think...I dunno if it was Miss Ellie, Miss Marcie or...I think she was Miss Dooley...whoever it was signed me up for this I think they knew they were sendin' me off th' map."

Re: Talk to the Aide

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"Miss Dooley?" Arden asked. "Isn't that your last name?"

Re: Talk to the Aide

[not_a_haint]

Well, in for a penny and all that. "It is now. I was born Caleb Gibson, then I was Cowboy Absher for a while an' Miss Ellie still calls me Cowboy in her letters. A few months before I turned 18 a woman came with Mr. Bartholomew t' see me. She asked me how I was gettin' on, if I'd given any thought as t' where I would go when it was time for me t' move on, then she left. When I got th' admissions paperwork for Fandom, I was put down as Caleb Dooley. I'm only guessin' that was her name."

Re: Talk to the Aide

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"Or maybe she just made one up on the spot if it was to help cover your trail from cults and stuff," Arden mused. "Finch isn't my real last name, either. I was Arden Doe until I was seven and then I was told to pick a last name that I liked. I like birds, so...Arden Finch it is."

Re: Talk to the Aide

[not_a_haint]

"Also a possibility. Either way I kinda like it. It's much better than the fake name I chose for myself in Mr. Constanine's class. Rockston." he grimaced.

Re: Talk to the Aide

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

Okay, Arden did have to giggle at that. "Taken by surprise and it was the first thing you thought of?" she asked.

And took a drink before she could mention that it was better than the name Cowboy.

Re: Talk to the Aide

[not_a_haint]

In his defense, he hadn't chosen the name Cowboy, but he hadn't argued with it either.

"There was a pulp hero Floyd's friend Shane loved t' read about named Dirk Rockbone." he chuckled. "That popped immediately t' mind an' I'm pleased t' say I thought better of that. So someday I may be tryin' t' pass myself off as Derrick Rockston."

Re: Talk to the Aide

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"That does sound very fake," she told him, still laughing. "Like, that's a name straight out of a sports romance novel. I assume your playboy alter ego plays hockey or soccer and doesn't believe in love?"

Re: Talk to the Aide

[not_a_haint]

"Fortunately I also thought t' get credentials as Caleb Dooley. I kinda pictured Derrick more as the treasure huntin' youngest son of a rich family, who just ain't met that certain special someone yet." The treasure hunting part was true at the time, the rich family part he'd come up with later. "I'm also takin' creative writin'."