Job Hunting (OTA)

[sympathy4buffy]

Tony was starting to settle in to the village. He'd enrolled at Magic School just because, hi. It was like Hogwarts and he was curious, okay? Harry had taken him on as a student, too, and, really, that was even more helpful. Their worlds weren't completely the same, maybe, but their magic seemed pretty similar in principle--at least the things

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[faramir_hurin]

There's a young man who has the look about him, the new look and not really certain where he's going. Perhaps it's the walking with the coffee--I'm not in the habit of walking and drinking. Usually people who do that look busy, but not this one.

"Hello." Not the most brilliant of conversational openers, but I'm on my way to the library. I actually didn't open today. "New to the village?"

[sympathy4buffy]

Tony stopped at the sound of the voice addressing him, and gave the man a once over, just out of habit. You learned to sum people up as fast as possible on the street, and some habits just didn't go away.

Not sensing a threat, Tony gave him a smile. "Sort of. I've been here a few weeks, but I'm still sort of trying to find my balance, I guess."

[faramir_hurin]

"You sort of have the look of new about you. At least, I've not seen you before." That's not entirely it. "Are you getting to know the village, then?"

Library always hiring.

[sympathy4buffy]

"Yeah, I keep meeting new people, even though the place is pretty small," Tony agreed. He shifted his coffee to his left hand and moved forward to offer his hand, giving Faramir a curious look. "You look really familiar, though. I'm Tony."

[faramir_hurin]

I certainly know to shake hands by now.

"I've been here a while and there are others who have also that I haven't met. Always new people." I smile. "Well met, Tony. I'm Faramir... of Gondor. I'm never sure how much of my name to use."

He just said Tony, so I could have just said Faramir.

"Not long ago I met a lady who knew someone who looked like me back home." Or he's seen a movie or two and I look different in a modern shirt and jeans.

[sympathy4buffy]

Oh, Tony had so seen the movies. Film was his life, and they were new ones where he was from, epic in their scale and stunning in their cinematography. It had been required to see them at film school.

But, yes, the modern clothes were definitely throwing him. The name--both his and his home--had him widening his eyes a little. Having met his television hero, one Buffy Summers, he'd managed to learn not to just accuse people of being fictional characters. People had warned him. He still hadn't actually been expecting it.

"Maybe that's it," he said, a little weakly.

[faramir_hurin]

Ah, that look. I return it with one of my own, but an 'oh really?' is what I'm going for.

"Or perhaps you've read a book or seen a film. Then you know more about me than I do, in some things. That's all in my future." It's always so odd to have to say that. "I know some things, but most of it is five years after my time. Please don't say anything about it--I've learned too much from when Boromir was here. After he died. Dies."

It's confusing still.

"Past for him, future for me. My father is here and he doesn't know about the book or films or any of it."

[sympathy4buffy]

Well, that was something of a relief. At least he knew, and Tony didn't have to pretend to be someone who knew him in the future or something, which is what he'd done with Buffy.

"That's gotta be really weird for you. People knowing about your life." He considered. "I kinda didn't even know they were a book, 'til my...friend told me when we went to see the movies."

Henry had been sort of appalled. He'd tried to get Tony to read them, but when did he have time to read?

[faramir_hurin]

"It is odd, even after all this time. Though I knew about the book long before I heard of the films. The book is rather older." Obviously Tony is not much for books. "So I don't suppose I should save a copy for you at the library, then? I've considered hiding them, but never bothered."

Too many people already know for that to be effective.

"The worst is having to ask people not to tell me about things that haven't happened yet. I know too much already." I shrug. "I do what I can. I suppose most of us who are known in this way do. Then again, I more often meet the person first then read about them, like Robin Hood."

[sympathy4buffy]

Tony tilted his head, giving him a little smile. "I've never really had much time for reading, but maybe I should give it a shot here. Though...probably something a little bit less...long." He assumed it was long. The movies were and he'd heard lots of bitching from people about how much got left out.

"I can see how that would be kind of messed up. I mean there are things I wouldn't mind knowing if they happened, but I totally wouldn't want to know if it never did." Like if Lee might ever want him when not possessed.

[faramir_hurin]

"I don't have a lot of time to read back home, but I enjoy doing it. I have much more time here, especially with winter coming." I shrug. "There are a lot of books shorter than Lord of the Rings, and that wouldn't really be the place to start. I enjoyed The Three Musketeers myself."

Even if it wasn't set during the French Revolution like I thought at first.

"It's easier if you're from Earth to start, because then you need not read all the companion history to understand the context of things." It's part of the experience for me. "Obviously you're from very close to 2012, which is what year it is here in the village. Or seems to be."

[sympathy4buffy]

"Um...that's one of those ones written centuries ago, right?" Henry had a lot of those on his shelves, back home. The English was all funny to try and read.

"It was 2004 back home," Tony said with a nod. "But, it's close enough I'm not really weirded out by anything. I mean, some of the tech is sleeker, but it all does the same stuff." He'd seen someone's iPod that was so much sweeter than the one Henry got him for his birthday...but it was still an iPod. Like, he knew how it worked and all. "It must be strange if you're from somewhere really different."

[faramir_hurin]

"It was written in eighteen... something. Then again, I have a book with me that's a copy of one made more than three thousand years ago. We have a different idea of what is old." It's mostly drawings anyway, the plans for Minas Tirith.

"The technology can be very useful, but my favourite thing will always be the hot running water." I'm smiling and shaking my head. "Modern people have no idea what it's like to have to carry water and heat it. Having it come to my room and be hot or cold is like magic."

I'll miss that so much.

"The modern food is often better, with more choices, but some of it tastes odd. Modern bread that comes in plastic packages doesn't actually taste like bread--or much of anything." I do not buy that.

[sympathy4buffy]

Tony looked vaguely impressed with a three thousand year old book, but really...it's an old book. He had only read Henry's novels because they were hysterical, especially when you considered they were written by a four hundred year old vampire who was the son of Henry VIII.

"Yeah, most people take the hot water for granted," he said with a nod. Not him, or not usually. He'd been without it long enough, the four years he'd lived on the streets. Sometimes, he forgot, or he got too rushed to really enjoy it, but most days he just stood under the water until the hot water ran out. Only sometimes was it trying to wash away the lingering past. "And that bread's not bad when it's all you can get."

[faramir_hurin]

"I've had 'all you can get' in the form of dried meat. I might be grateful for some of that bread to break the monotony, but I might not." If it was all I could get, it wouldn't be filling at all. "Though it would be better than nothing."

I doubt he cares much. Most people have no idea what it's like, the modern ones.

"Were you going somewhere? I don't know what the book says, but I am capable of shutting up."

[sympathy4buffy]

"Anything's better than nothing," Tony mutters a little, shifting at the memories. Hell, he'd eaten leftovers out of a trash can a time or two simply because he was so fucking starving. Clean bread, however nutritionally empty, was like manna from heaven the weeks the ache was too bad and even if the johns didn't roll you, very penny went to something to ease that burning in your veins.

He shrugged at the question. "I was just wandering. Sort of need to get myself a job, I guess. I'm used to being busy."