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ceasetoexist[Pokey wasn't exactly the best he could be emotionally. In fact, he never was, but the last week hadn't helped matters at all. Having some of the worst parts of himself thrown at him by the doppelgangers of people he knew and had come to care about, to shrinking for a day (which was probably the easiest of the things he went through), to thinking the few friends he had left might be dead had put an additional strain on him he couldn't really deal with. Since then, he had tried to be as scarce as possible, only occasionally leaving the house or bothering to respond to anything on the phone.
On Friday, he didn't leave the house at all.
On Saturday and Sunday, he won't even leave his room. In fact, it'd be hard to tell unless you checked to see if he was in the room at all, considering he seemed absurdly quiet in comparison to how he usually was.
He won't bother to appear again in town until Monday, when, oddly enough, he'll show up not just for school, but early for class.]
[Action - Mayfield High]
[Seeing Pokey bother to attend school isn't particularly odd. He plays hooky often, but he'd still show up. Usually to be obnoxious to the teachers or other students, or to pointlessly end up just falling asleep in classes.
Today? He's unusually polite. The teachers will find he's incredibly attentive, answers questions correctly and without screwing around, and sits quietly, doing absolutely nothing disruptive. For the moment? He could be an ideal student.
At lunch, he sits by himself. Which isn't out of the ordinary either. He'd usually try and sit by himself. But this time? He's tucked himself away in one of the further corners of the lunchroom, like he's trying to hide.]
[Action - Library]
[There's a boy going through each one of the books he can find. He takes one down, reads it for a little bit, and then puts it back. He does this repeatedly, methodically, almost instictively.
Sometimes, he seems to shift his glances to a certain area of the library: a specific table, or spot on the floor. And just stares for a minute or two, not noticing anything else going on around him. After a moment of this weird staring, he returns to the book he has in hand.]
[Action - Park]
[Pokey paces around the park. There's no real pattern to his exact movements, but he does seem to gravitate towards certain spots that he walks over to again and again and again. He mumbles to himself sometimes, low and usually inaudible. Sometimes it sounds like he's just grumbling. Other times, it sounds like he's imitating something someone has said to him. And others? It just sounds like he's talking to himself, saying things, mulling over things, that don't really make sense to anyone but him.
Sometimes he picks up a branch from the ground and swishes it around aimlessly, not particularly caring if he hits someone or not.
He isn't here right now.]
[Action - 502 Ricardo]
[Pokey can be found sitting at the table, studying. Not goofing off. Not having put something else in his actual textbook and reading that instead. Genuine studying and doing the homework he's been assigned, not making a single noise or distraction. Just being a good little student.
The trashcan in the kitchen seems to have been filled up, mainly with notebook paper and graph paper, detailing designs of odd little devices Pokey had thought up on his spare time. Detailing notes and ideas he had had about the town.
There was no point in keeping them. He didn't really need them any more.]
On Friday, he didn't leave the house at all.
On Saturday and Sunday, he won't even leave his room. In fact, it'd be hard to tell unless you checked to see if he was in the room at all, considering he seemed absurdly quiet in comparison to how he usually was.
He won't bother to appear again in town until Monday, when, oddly enough, he'll show up not just for school, but early for class.]
[Action - Mayfield High]
[Seeing Pokey bother to attend school isn't particularly odd. He plays hooky often, but he'd still show up. Usually to be obnoxious to the teachers or other students, or to pointlessly end up just falling asleep in classes.
Today? He's unusually polite. The teachers will find he's incredibly attentive, answers questions correctly and without screwing around, and sits quietly, doing absolutely nothing disruptive. For the moment? He could be an ideal student.
At lunch, he sits by himself. Which isn't out of the ordinary either. He'd usually try and sit by himself. But this time? He's tucked himself away in one of the further corners of the lunchroom, like he's trying to hide.]
[Action - Library]
[There's a boy going through each one of the books he can find. He takes one down, reads it for a little bit, and then puts it back. He does this repeatedly, methodically, almost instictively.
Sometimes, he seems to shift his glances to a certain area of the library: a specific table, or spot on the floor. And just stares for a minute or two, not noticing anything else going on around him. After a moment of this weird staring, he returns to the book he has in hand.]
[Action - Park]
[Pokey paces around the park. There's no real pattern to his exact movements, but he does seem to gravitate towards certain spots that he walks over to again and again and again. He mumbles to himself sometimes, low and usually inaudible. Sometimes it sounds like he's just grumbling. Other times, it sounds like he's imitating something someone has said to him. And others? It just sounds like he's talking to himself, saying things, mulling over things, that don't really make sense to anyone but him.
Sometimes he picks up a branch from the ground and swishes it around aimlessly, not particularly caring if he hits someone or not.
He isn't here right now.]
[Action - 502 Ricardo]
[Pokey can be found sitting at the table, studying. Not goofing off. Not having put something else in his actual textbook and reading that instead. Genuine studying and doing the homework he's been assigned, not making a single noise or distraction. Just being a good little student.
The trashcan in the kitchen seems to have been filled up, mainly with notebook paper and graph paper, detailing designs of odd little devices Pokey had thought up on his spare time. Detailing notes and ideas he had had about the town.
There was no point in keeping them. He didn't really need them any more.]
no subject
Date: 2011-11-06 07:19 am (UTC)[Wait, wait, four hundred years? Seriously? ...what? Tears are trickling down his cheeks again, if just because he's a bit too befuddled by it all to bother wiping anything away. His hands meet the ground again, and he crawls forward.]
I don't want a better brother! I have YOU! You're the only brother I want! Even when you're bad! Even really bad! Even... even if you didn't tell me where you went! I don't CARE, Pokey!
[He's managing to hold those tears back, now, although he's breathing terribly hard as he does so. Wet, grassy come to rest on Pokey's shoulders, and Picky gives him a shake.]
B-brothers stick together no matter what happens! Or... or how long! Okay? Okay?
no subject
Date: 2011-11-06 07:26 am (UTC)[He can't help it any more. If this meeting had happened months ago, Pokey might still possess the emotional fortitude to bottle his emotions entirely. To kill them. But he can't. Here, they're allowed to run loose and free.
He can't help it. It's like second nature, and when Picky starts shaking him Pokey immediately leans forward and for once he doesn't hesitate, but immediately hugs Picky.]
I'm not going to leave you again, not here, not ever. I'm not going to let you get hurt here, I promise, Picky. I promise.
no subject
Date: 2011-11-06 07:38 am (UTC)And brothers stick together no matter what happens, just like Lucas said.]
We'll watch each other. Like before. [He pauses for a hiccuping, gaspy little breath.] I promise, too.
I needed you, too.
no subject
Date: 2011-11-06 07:42 am (UTC)Yeah. We will.
I know. I was selfish. It...I won't let it happen again.
[He loves you. So much. But he can't say that. It's too hard for him, even if it's you, to say that out loud.
But just because he has a hard time saying it doesn't mean he doesn't mean it.]
no subject
Date: 2011-11-06 07:52 am (UTC)So he has to hug back just about as tightly as he can, in return. To show how grateful he is.]
If you do... [He sniffles, but then makes a sound that's more laugh than sob.] ..I'll go find you. I won't just wait. [That's definitely a laugh, now. And Picky pulls back a little, smiling through the last of his tears.
Maybe he really will be something great, someday. He just has to figure out how.]
no subject
Date: 2011-11-07 06:44 am (UTC)[There's no doubt in his mind that Picky is going to be something great some day. If anyone from his family will, it'll be Picky. And here, right now? It feels like the cloud that had been over him, had been making him retreat into himself, are gone now.
Pokey gives Picky a smile. A real one.]
Wanna get ice cream or something?
no subject
Date: 2011-11-08 03:06 am (UTC)[This was just how it was supposed to work, wasn't it? They'd shout and fight and yell and then they'd make up? And then ice cream, oh yes.]
I know where! The ice cream's really good here! There's this guy, his name is Engie, and we played ball and then went for...
[He trails off uncertainly, and pulls himself slowly out of the hug.]
Uh... I know you said to be careful and I'm being really careful about my name, but it's okay to make friends, right?
no subject
Date: 2011-11-08 04:35 am (UTC)I know Engie. So it's fine.
[And it is. He's always going to worry about you, Picky. But he's not going to deny you friends.]
Just try not to let them know you know me sometimes.
no subject
Date: 2011-11-08 04:40 am (UTC)[Wait, wait, no, that wasn't completely correct...]
Uh... Except for Lucas. Lucas figured out who I was. But he promised not to tell anyone!
no subject
Date: 2011-11-08 04:46 am (UTC)[Well, he guesses it isn't bad here. Not like anyone else in the town knows about Onett.
He pauses at that.]
....He won't. It's fine.
no subject
Date: 2011-11-08 05:52 am (UTC)...besides, it sounds cool, like I'm a detective or something!
[Oh. Little brothers.]
...Lucas is pretty nice. Serious, but pretty nice.
no subject
Date: 2011-11-08 05:55 am (UTC)Alright. He smiles a little bit.]
Yeah. Sure. Just try and not get yourself in to deep, alright?
.....He's alright.
no subject
Date: 2011-11-08 06:03 am (UTC)[And there he is, puffing up with confidence.
And also, getting to his feet and wiping the grass off of his hands.]
Let's get that ice cream!
no subject
Date: 2011-11-08 06:08 am (UTC)For now, he'll just take Picky's hand.]
Yeah. Let's go.