Photo album spread out on my bedroom floor...

[almost_knightly]

There was nothing remarkable about the day when Break got up this morning. There was nothing remarkable lying in wait in his bathroom, and nothing remarkable between himself and the kitchen, and nothing remarkable between the kitchen and the library.

The library, however, held something new today. It was lurking on the bottom shelf, easily missed but for Break's habit of crawling around on the floor -- a large binder, sedate red leather and several inches wide.

Break knows that binder.

Fingers shaking, he snatches it up out of the shelf. He fumbles it, and it falls open, and the first thing he sees is Faneuil Hall at Christmas, covered in snow. Below that is a photograph of Shelly, his own Shelly, dressed in winter clothes and laughing with Sharon when she was still small, and there's his ponytail in the photograph next to it because no one could ever get him to look at the camera that first year and he's seen these pictures a thousand times --

He slams the book shut, suddenly unable to look. A cruel gift, in a way; there are days that he wonders if he'll ever see this place and these people again. But on the other hand, now -- now he can show people, he can let them see things he's only described. It's as precious as it is mean.

Gathering the photo album up close to his chest and clutching it as though he's afraid it'll vanish, Break leaves the library, in search of some of the people he trusts most.


[ooc: Locked to hadengineered, retraced, of_murder, standstilltime, smallkindnesses, info_barma]

Comments

[hadengineered.livejournal.com]

He'll find Knave in one of the music rooms, playing a slow version of Canon in D by Pachelbel. He's found the sheet music inside one of the piano stools, and is now trying to see how many variations he can make out of it.

"..."

He tilts his head towards the door, curiously, when he hears footsteps nearby.

[almost_knightly]

Break doesn't recognize the song at first; it's one of those that puts him right to sleep unless someone has had the sense to make it loud and give it drums. But he follows the music anyway, just to see who's there, and by the time he peers around the door and sees Knave he knows what it's playing.

He lingers hesitantly in the door, still holding the book close. He doesn't want to interrupt.

[hadengineered.livejournal.com]

Knave finishes off the current measure, fingers stilling on the keyboard, and nods at Break.

"Yes, Mister Break?"

[almost_knightly]

Break hesitates, uncertain; he's wearing sandals today, so Knave will see it when his toes curl up.

"The mansion gave me photographs from home," he blurts at last. That's as far as he gets; asking outright if Knave wants to look at them with him is a bit too much, just now.

[hadengineered.livejournal.com]

He stares at him for a moment, before turning slightly to face him properly. That's piqued his curiousity.

"May I see?"

[retraced]

Gilbert is wandering through the hall on his daily patrol. Nose and cheeks a little red where he failed to put on enough sun blocking lotion the last few days, but otherwise looking the same as always.

"Break?" he calls out from across the hallway as he turns a corner and spots the man.

[almost_knightly]

Break stops short for a moment. Then, as though he'd never stopped walking himself, he moves quickly forward and grabs Gilbert by the arm, dragging him into the nearest open parlor.

"I've got somefing to show you."

[retraced]

He doesn't protest the dragging, but he also doesn't stifle the small noise of surprise as he's pulled into the parlor. Whatever it is, he's expecting it to be trouble, and prepares himself for such. Another dead body, maybe? Or just another stupid prank of the mansion.

"What is it-?"

[almost_knightly]

Break lets him go only long enough to snatch a pillow from a couch and chuck it on the floor by the coffee table; he wants something comfy to sit on. Then he reaches out to tug at Gilbert's coat, insistently, pulling the taller man down next to him as he plops down.

The heavy book is dropped onto the table, and Break opens it up and flips through it until he finds the photograph he's looking for.

"That's Boston," he declares, almost breathlessly. "That's Boston, that's where I live. See?"

[retraced]

"That's..."

Holy crap, huge buildings. In color! And...are those boats? In comparison, the buildings and the bridge are even bigger than he thought! He just stares down at the image, reaching forward to let his fingertips rest along the bottom of the photo.

"Where did this come from?"

[smallkindnesses.livejournal.com]

[bittyrainsworth.livejournal.com]

[Sharon will just be seated beside her, trying to behave like she knew she was supposed to when they had teatime.]

[almost_knightly]

[Break toddles by in the hallway and almost misses them entirely at first; then, having caught sight of a couple of poofy dresses, he backtracks and pokes his head out onto the balcony. The photo album is still clutched in his arms.]

Who wants to see pictures of my Shelly and Sharon?

[He sounds just an eensy bit hopeful, and is making that cute face he makes when he wants something.]

[smallkindnesses.livejournal.com]

I would love to see! Won't you join us?

[almost_knightly]

[That's all he needs. Moving forward, Break sets the book on the table and picks Sharon up instead, scooting her chair closer to Shelly's and setting her on his lap so she'll be able to see better. (He also quietly snatches a cookie and stuffs it into his mouth as he clears room for the album in front of them.]

This one has all my Shelly's favorite pictures in it, over years and years. It starts just as I came to live wiv 'em.

[He'll let Shelly open the book herself. The very first picture on the very first page is an 8x10 of the three Rainsworth women -- Sheryl in her chair, Sharon on her lap, and Shelly smiling vibrantly behind them. They're wearing modern dresses, and from the 90's, no less; but they are just as ladylike and beautiful as the ones Break has seen around the mansion in their fancy frilly numbers.

Obviously, they're born with it.]

[of-murder.livejournal.com]

[Gil is in the kitchen as usual, putting something into the oven.]

[almost_knightly]

[The kitchen, as it happens, is one of the first places Break looks. There is usually someone he likes to be found in the kitchen. But, seeing that Gilbertine is cooking Real Food™, Break hesitates.

Well, if whatever it is has just gone into the oven, that means she's done for a bit, right? Timidly --]

Gillie? Are you busy?

[of-murder.livejournal.com]

[When isn't she busy Break? But it is a relative term and she shrugs as she stands up right.]

I have to be here in ten minutes when these cookies are done.

[almost_knightly]

[...cookies would be a nice thing to go along with this. He slides hopfully into the kitchen, setting the book down on the table and tugging a chair over with one leg.]

The mansion gave me photographs from home.

[of-murder.livejournal.com]

Eh? [She's seen modern photographs from that Liam but she knows despite her curiosity it's not polite to pry.] Really?

[candycoated]

*it's been quite some time -- well over a month, in fact -- since the photo album first showed up in the mansion. In that time, the Break who occasionally and grudgingly goes by "Stuffy" has largely kept to himself. When he wasn't laid up resting in his bedroom, he was dutifully avoiding everyone he could manage during his visits around the manor, trying to relearn the place's layout without his sight -- in particular while staying clear of one especially nosy older self always ready to get him into embarrassing hijinks, who, he has to admit, is probably the most likely to see right through him.

By now, though, he's feeling much improved and much more knowledgeable, and starting to get back into his regular routine again. He can't help but wonder just a little bit how his older counterpart and Liam are getting on after the latter's recent arrival; hence he's been making sure to put himself in public places for the last few days -- such as today, which finds him sprawled on a couch in one of the parlors with a pot of tea, curtains thrown open to enjoy the sunshine's warmth as he cleans his sword.

(Of course, he couldn't just go find them and ask how they're doing or anything -- that would imply a rather unseemly level of caring on his part. ......not that he actually cares about the state of other-Break's romantic relationship or anything. It's more like... an idle curiosity. Yes.)*

[almost_knightly]

[It's been -- well, rather a glorious week-ish, really, for the elder Break in question. The mansion has finally produced his Liam, and Liam is the same as Liam always is, and has forgiven and even encouraged some of the questionable shenanigans he's been getting up to. Liam is already meeting people, the cats like him, the David Bowie bat-Chain who lives in the bathroom likes him, that diva of an iris likes him. Break has been catching up on all the sleep he hasn't been getting since he arrived, and he hasn't woken up alone once this week, and he's just -- ah! He feels like a lovesick teenager. He's pretty cheerfully disgusted with himself, actually.

Obviously he should go inflict himself on some poor fool. How about Stuffy? Stuffy probably isn't unhappy with him at the moment; he should help get things back to normal.

He never did get to show him the pictures from home, and he'd wanted to very much, so he leaves Liam napping himself and saunters out, armwarmers off so all the world can see his ring. The one on his hand, that is; he still has the other one round his neck. The photo album and an orange kitten are clasped close to his chest; Mordred latched on to his pant leg when he tried to leave, so when Break tracks his younger counterpart down -- oh! There he is -- looks like he gets to meet a kitten, too.]

Oi oi, Stuffy-Xerk! Are we busy~?

[Look, he's even compromising on the name. The cat tacks on a meow right at the end of his greeting. You're not fooling anybody, Stuffy, you know that.]

[candycoated]

*have a long-suffering pout in return, Dork. You make it so hard to be happy to see you :|*

I suppose I can suffer just Xerx, if you insist. *pausing for emphasis* Just. Xerx.

*sitting up a bit more properly on the couch then, setting down his polishing cloth and reaching over for where he's left the swordcane's sheath. His voice turns rather dry* And if you're about to ask whether I am in the mood to adopt a cat, the answer is no.

[almost_knightly]

Noooooo, no no. This is kitten number two; Gillie brought her to me. Her name is Mordred. [Once the sword is out of the way, he lets the kitten plop onto the couch, and she immediately trundles over to investigate this strange almost-Xerxes and his flapping sleeves omg.] She's a bit of a handful. Didn't want to be left behind when I went out today, I s'pose~

[He makes no comment about the name thing; he will handle that when it comes up again next. This is what you were very much not secretly waiting to interact with today, right? .D ]

[candycoated]

I don't believe I've met kitten number one... *faintly he can hear the little feet scrabbling at the upholstery, and then feel the slightest tug on one of his sleeves. For now, he leaves that arm lying limp on the couch with a somewhat tolerant sigh. Speaking dryly*

Well then, what is it that I can do for you today, and are you sure you wouldn't rather ask Liam? I find myself a smidge surprised to see you unglued from his side. *there's no malice to the words, only fairly-good natured teasing. He assumes other-Break is unglued, anyway -- there doesn't seem much chance that that particular Liam would have walked into the room without making himself heard.

also please note he is not going to admit he isn't busy until he hears what it is you have in store exactly. :|*