(no subject)
Evan runs into Connor-Finn and is... not particularly comforting, but seems to help a little. Maybe?
looking to run into Finn'>
Evan isn't really looking to run into Finn, as he walks in the garden, but he's met Finn there before, so he's open to the possiblity. He hasn't been getting out of his rooms much, and he remembers vaguely hearing that Finn and Alden are back from their mission early.
And Finn is, in fact, there, sitting beside his rose bushes with an oddly puzzled look on his face, knees curled up to his chest.
Evan has seen that sort of oddly puzzled expression before, although admittedly not on Finn, and it's never been a good thing.
"...Finn? You okay?"
Finn blinks and turns to him.
He stares at Evan for a long moment, then says apologetically, "I don't recognise you."
Evan blinks, looking mildly confused, then understanding dawns.
"...somethin' happened while you an' Alden were on assignment, then."
"I guess it did." Finn gives him another apologetic little smile. "I don't remember any of it. Or anything, really," he adds unhappily.
"...that's all sortsa messed-up. Do they know why, or do you just got some sorta amnesia thing goin' on?"
He sits down near Finn, not close enough to be threatening.
"Well. M'Evan. We're friends."
Finn swallows. "They said there-- there was a woman, yesterday, and I do remember what she looked like, but the people here said she messed around with my mind. Took away my memories." He looks disconsolate.
Evan carefully reaches over to awkwardly pat Finn's shoulder.
"They'll work it out. They're good at that. An' they'll make her put things right again. I sure as hell ain't gonna let her not fix you, 'cuz you don't look happy like this an' that don't sit right with me."
"I don't think they know where she is," Finn murmurs. "And I don't like not being able to know anything that's happened since I was sixteen. Everyone's looking at someone I don't know, and Alden can't even look me in the eye."
"Someone knows where she is, or she wouldn't've been able ta get ta anyone," Evan says sensibly. "An' it won't take long f'them ta be found out, not th'way people here work. As for th'other... ain't much comfort, prob'ly, but I ain't lookin' at nobody but you, if you think you're sixteen or thirty or five hundred. All th'same ta me."
Finn gives him a confused little smile. "Thank you," he says. "I'm sorry I don't remember you. Her name is Sabina, I believe."
Evan shakes his head. "Don't reckon I've heard of her. An' it ain't your fault, so you don't gotta apologise ta me. I can recap, if you want: Evan Archelos, new-ish, got some sorta healin' magic that has ta do with fire, an' it ain't all that controlled but I'm workin' on it. That's... 'bout all that's important."
"Thank you," Finn says again, with the same apologetic smile. "I wish that meant something," he added, sighing.
"Would it be better if I pretended we'd never met before?"
Evan's beginning to get very angry with this Sabina person.
His hands are beginning to itch.
"I don't think so," Finn says, puzzled. "I mean, you still have all your memories, and that must affect how you act."
He shrugs. "It means I trust you more'n I trust most everyone else, that's all."
"Oh." Finn only looks more apologetic at that.
Evan's hands are moving from itching to burning.
"Look, you can stop lookin' like you've done somethin' ta hurt me, 'cuz you ain't."
"It's just-- you said you trusted me," Finn says, ducking his head. "Except it's not me you trust. I'm-- I'm sixteen. In my head. The person you trust doesn't exist right now."
Evan shrugs.
"Same basic person, when you get down ta it, really."
"I think fourteen years has a lot of effect on a person." Finn shrugs and lies down. "F'r instance, my job sounds cool, but I don't know how to actually do it. Or deal with people."
"Well, yeah, that's true enough, but you're still th'same basically. I mean, I don't reckon you went from bein' an axe murderer at heart ta bein' a diplomat, yeah?"
He buries his hands in the grass, pressing them against the ground and hoping it'll stop the burning sensation.
"I guess? That makes sense." Finn chews on a blade of grass. "I do things with my magic I don't remember learning," he murmurs confusedly.
"Least you can do them. Could be worse, right?"
"Better than accidently throwing stuff around the house."
"I can see where that'd be awkward, yeah."
The heat is moving from his hands and into the dirt. He doesn't look at his hands; doesn't really want to see what he does when he's this angry at some woman he's never met.
Finn nods and says, "I can't go back to the rooms."
"'Cuz of Alden?" Evan hesitates. "You can come back ta my rooms if you like."
"Maybe for a while?" Finn bites his lip. "He just seems so-- sort of shattered that I'm not me."
"S'long as you need," Evan says quietly. "An... an' it'll get better. He'll be okay."
"But I don't want to be like this forever," Finn says plaintively.
"You won't." Evan's voice is quiet but forceful. "You don't know th'way these folks work right now, but they ain't gonna let you stay like this f'good. You got folk who care 'bout you, an' they ain't gonna let this Sabina girl keep you fucked-up. There's gonna be a way."
"That's what Harper said. And Alden said he wasn't going to let me stay like this." Finn smiles sadly at him. "I guess people like me when I'm older. It's nice to know."
"People like you. Prob'ly like you just fine as a sixteen-year-old, 'cept you ain't s'posed ta be a sixteen-year-old no more, so they're freaked."
"Yeah," Finn agrees. "Plus part of the reason for having friends is because there're memories and stuff of why you're friends, and I haven't got those now."
Evan shrugs uncomfortably. "Yeah, well. It ain't your fault. Um. You wanna come back to my place for a bit? Since you prob'ly shouldn't be sleepin' out here or nothin'."
"Sure," Finn says. "Um. You have one of those handheld things, right? You should probably let Alden know I'm going."
"I got one back in my rooms, yeah. Don't really carry it 'round or nothin', not yet. I don't got th'trainin' ta be a full agent yet, so it ain't like I'm goin' on missions an' stuff."
He stands, brushing off his hands.
"Okay," Finn says amicably, rising and following.
It's disconcerting, the way he looks around the garden like he's never seen it before, as they make their way back. Once he trips over a bush that Evan's fairly sure he planted.
Evan keeps his expression fairly calm as they head back. He's had the practice, after all, so it's easy.
"I think I got some food back in th'rooms, but I ain't much of a cook, so... dunno 'bout that. Might be safer ta risk th'cafeteria."
"I'm not hungry," Finn says, shrugging and ducking a palm tree.
"Yeah, well, figured I'd offer."
"It was nice of you." Finn gives him a sheepish little smile.
He's even more lost in the hallways.
Evan's a little lost himself, but he knows the way back to his rooms, at least. And he's cleaned up the shattered lightbulbs and mirror, so it looks...
...well, it looks like a teenager lives there.
"Cool," Finn says cheerfully, as they go inside.
Right. Finn's thinking like a teenager himself right now.
"I got some sorta cartoon-y type things from the Australian guy who watches TV at 3am," Evan says, switching on the living room light. "He said someone my age should at least know who Batman is."
"I know about Batman!" Finn looks pleased.
Evan shrugs. "I don't know all that much 'bout cartoons an' stuff. We can watch if you like."
"I don't know what I know," Finn says, sitting down.
Evan locates the first DVD and sticks it in the player, sitting on the sofa.
"You remember Batman, though, you said. With me, I jus' don't know all that much you'd expect someone my age ta know, apparently." He shrugs. "Diff'rent circumstances an' all."
Finn nods politely, settling back on the sofa.
Evan glances at him. "We don't gotta do nothin', you know. Jus' tryin' ta be a good host, an' all. Whatever."
"Frankly I'm being confused by everything and trying not to show it, because if I do I'll blow things up and that's bad," Finn says.
"Blowin' things up is bad, yeah." Evan looks at his hands for a moment before turning his gaze back to the television. "Still. I reckon they'll work things out. S'what they do, apparently."
"I hope so," Finn whispers.
He doesn't seem to focus much on the movie, and by the time it's half-over he's dozing, curled in the opposite corner of the sofa. There is a faintly confused look on his face even now.
Evan stands, finding a blanket and spreading it over Finn, turning the sound on the movie down.
"Don' forget ta tell Alden," Finn mumbles, Irish accent thick and sleepy.
Evan nods, getting his handheld and typing out a quick message before settling back to watch the rest of the movie and let Finn sleep.
looking to run into Finn'>
Evan isn't really looking to run into Finn, as he walks in the garden, but he's met Finn there before, so he's open to the possiblity. He hasn't been getting out of his rooms much, and he remembers vaguely hearing that Finn and Alden are back from their mission early.
And Finn is, in fact, there, sitting beside his rose bushes with an oddly puzzled look on his face, knees curled up to his chest.
Evan has seen that sort of oddly puzzled expression before, although admittedly not on Finn, and it's never been a good thing.
"...Finn? You okay?"
Finn blinks and turns to him.
He stares at Evan for a long moment, then says apologetically, "I don't recognise you."
Evan blinks, looking mildly confused, then understanding dawns.
"...somethin' happened while you an' Alden were on assignment, then."
"I guess it did." Finn gives him another apologetic little smile. "I don't remember any of it. Or anything, really," he adds unhappily.
"...that's all sortsa messed-up. Do they know why, or do you just got some sorta amnesia thing goin' on?"
He sits down near Finn, not close enough to be threatening.
"Well. M'Evan. We're friends."
Finn swallows. "They said there-- there was a woman, yesterday, and I do remember what she looked like, but the people here said she messed around with my mind. Took away my memories." He looks disconsolate.
Evan carefully reaches over to awkwardly pat Finn's shoulder.
"They'll work it out. They're good at that. An' they'll make her put things right again. I sure as hell ain't gonna let her not fix you, 'cuz you don't look happy like this an' that don't sit right with me."
"I don't think they know where she is," Finn murmurs. "And I don't like not being able to know anything that's happened since I was sixteen. Everyone's looking at someone I don't know, and Alden can't even look me in the eye."
"Someone knows where she is, or she wouldn't've been able ta get ta anyone," Evan says sensibly. "An' it won't take long f'them ta be found out, not th'way people here work. As for th'other... ain't much comfort, prob'ly, but I ain't lookin' at nobody but you, if you think you're sixteen or thirty or five hundred. All th'same ta me."
Finn gives him a confused little smile. "Thank you," he says. "I'm sorry I don't remember you. Her name is Sabina, I believe."
Evan shakes his head. "Don't reckon I've heard of her. An' it ain't your fault, so you don't gotta apologise ta me. I can recap, if you want: Evan Archelos, new-ish, got some sorta healin' magic that has ta do with fire, an' it ain't all that controlled but I'm workin' on it. That's... 'bout all that's important."
"Thank you," Finn says again, with the same apologetic smile. "I wish that meant something," he added, sighing.
"Would it be better if I pretended we'd never met before?"
Evan's beginning to get very angry with this Sabina person.
His hands are beginning to itch.
"I don't think so," Finn says, puzzled. "I mean, you still have all your memories, and that must affect how you act."
He shrugs. "It means I trust you more'n I trust most everyone else, that's all."
"Oh." Finn only looks more apologetic at that.
Evan's hands are moving from itching to burning.
"Look, you can stop lookin' like you've done somethin' ta hurt me, 'cuz you ain't."
"It's just-- you said you trusted me," Finn says, ducking his head. "Except it's not me you trust. I'm-- I'm sixteen. In my head. The person you trust doesn't exist right now."
Evan shrugs.
"Same basic person, when you get down ta it, really."
"I think fourteen years has a lot of effect on a person." Finn shrugs and lies down. "F'r instance, my job sounds cool, but I don't know how to actually do it. Or deal with people."
"Well, yeah, that's true enough, but you're still th'same basically. I mean, I don't reckon you went from bein' an axe murderer at heart ta bein' a diplomat, yeah?"
He buries his hands in the grass, pressing them against the ground and hoping it'll stop the burning sensation.
"I guess? That makes sense." Finn chews on a blade of grass. "I do things with my magic I don't remember learning," he murmurs confusedly.
"Least you can do them. Could be worse, right?"
"Better than accidently throwing stuff around the house."
"I can see where that'd be awkward, yeah."
The heat is moving from his hands and into the dirt. He doesn't look at his hands; doesn't really want to see what he does when he's this angry at some woman he's never met.
Finn nods and says, "I can't go back to the rooms."
"'Cuz of Alden?" Evan hesitates. "You can come back ta my rooms if you like."
"Maybe for a while?" Finn bites his lip. "He just seems so-- sort of shattered that I'm not me."
"S'long as you need," Evan says quietly. "An... an' it'll get better. He'll be okay."
"But I don't want to be like this forever," Finn says plaintively.
"You won't." Evan's voice is quiet but forceful. "You don't know th'way these folks work right now, but they ain't gonna let you stay like this f'good. You got folk who care 'bout you, an' they ain't gonna let this Sabina girl keep you fucked-up. There's gonna be a way."
"That's what Harper said. And Alden said he wasn't going to let me stay like this." Finn smiles sadly at him. "I guess people like me when I'm older. It's nice to know."
"People like you. Prob'ly like you just fine as a sixteen-year-old, 'cept you ain't s'posed ta be a sixteen-year-old no more, so they're freaked."
"Yeah," Finn agrees. "Plus part of the reason for having friends is because there're memories and stuff of why you're friends, and I haven't got those now."
Evan shrugs uncomfortably. "Yeah, well. It ain't your fault. Um. You wanna come back to my place for a bit? Since you prob'ly shouldn't be sleepin' out here or nothin'."
"Sure," Finn says. "Um. You have one of those handheld things, right? You should probably let Alden know I'm going."
"I got one back in my rooms, yeah. Don't really carry it 'round or nothin', not yet. I don't got th'trainin' ta be a full agent yet, so it ain't like I'm goin' on missions an' stuff."
He stands, brushing off his hands.
"Okay," Finn says amicably, rising and following.
It's disconcerting, the way he looks around the garden like he's never seen it before, as they make their way back. Once he trips over a bush that Evan's fairly sure he planted.
Evan keeps his expression fairly calm as they head back. He's had the practice, after all, so it's easy.
"I think I got some food back in th'rooms, but I ain't much of a cook, so... dunno 'bout that. Might be safer ta risk th'cafeteria."
"I'm not hungry," Finn says, shrugging and ducking a palm tree.
"Yeah, well, figured I'd offer."
"It was nice of you." Finn gives him a sheepish little smile.
He's even more lost in the hallways.
Evan's a little lost himself, but he knows the way back to his rooms, at least. And he's cleaned up the shattered lightbulbs and mirror, so it looks...
...well, it looks like a teenager lives there.
"Cool," Finn says cheerfully, as they go inside.
Right. Finn's thinking like a teenager himself right now.
"I got some sorta cartoon-y type things from the Australian guy who watches TV at 3am," Evan says, switching on the living room light. "He said someone my age should at least know who Batman is."
"I know about Batman!" Finn looks pleased.
Evan shrugs. "I don't know all that much 'bout cartoons an' stuff. We can watch if you like."
"I don't know what I know," Finn says, sitting down.
Evan locates the first DVD and sticks it in the player, sitting on the sofa.
"You remember Batman, though, you said. With me, I jus' don't know all that much you'd expect someone my age ta know, apparently." He shrugs. "Diff'rent circumstances an' all."
Finn nods politely, settling back on the sofa.
Evan glances at him. "We don't gotta do nothin', you know. Jus' tryin' ta be a good host, an' all. Whatever."
"Frankly I'm being confused by everything and trying not to show it, because if I do I'll blow things up and that's bad," Finn says.
"Blowin' things up is bad, yeah." Evan looks at his hands for a moment before turning his gaze back to the television. "Still. I reckon they'll work things out. S'what they do, apparently."
"I hope so," Finn whispers.
He doesn't seem to focus much on the movie, and by the time it's half-over he's dozing, curled in the opposite corner of the sofa. There is a faintly confused look on his face even now.
Evan stands, finding a blanket and spreading it over Finn, turning the sound on the movie down.
"Don' forget ta tell Alden," Finn mumbles, Irish accent thick and sleepy.
Evan nods, getting his handheld and typing out a quick message before settling back to watch the rest of the movie and let Finn sleep.