beneath the stars came falling on our heads

[bumbles]

Date & Time: throughout September.
Location: various.
Characters: Donny Casey/Atlas and assorted unfortunate souls.
Summary: Going to be throwing individuals starters in, but slam me a pm or grab me on plurk if you would like a thread sometime during the month! c:
Warnings: I will add these as necessary!

( Donny's actually feeling pretty good about this month.


But we all know that's going to go up in flames so let's prepare the popcorn. And here is a sly link to his appearance page in case you need to know what Atlas' uniform is like, ohoho. )

Comments

[bumbles]

It's o-okay. I-- you, um, d-don't-- don't have t-to do it all.

( quietly, as he picks up one of the pieces of equipment and frowns a little at it, but says nothing, setting it down before going back to cleaning. Just because she's doing the clean up stuff doesn't mean they can't make her job easier if they aren't busy. Besides, he's had enough cleaning jobs that leaving her to do it on her own makes him uncomfortable, like guilt is clinging on for yet another reason.

Excuse him as he stares for a second, fumbling something and catching it before it hits the ground.)

It's, uh-- I d-didn't have anything else. T-to do.

[quackery]

Well, that's kind of my job...

[She doesn't move to stop him, though, instead working alongside him as they both tidy up. She pauses for a moment to look towards him again, shaking her head with a small smile.]

Are you immune to compliments? It really is a good thing, so it's okay to accept it! [Her tone is light and cheerful.]

[bumbles]

Yeah, b-but-- I m-mean, um.

( Just ignore him, he just feels bad, okay? Okay.

And then, deer in headlights. ) Um. It's, j-just. It w-was the uh, right thing t-to do.

( His gaze drops back down. It doesn't seem like something deserving of a compliment, when he knows how to do the job. ) Sorry. ( he makes things awkward. He knows. )

[quackery]

I know it was the right thing to do, that's why I'm saying it was good of you to do it!

[A little laugh, but not really laughing at him. She glances at him again, tilting her head.]

What are your tattoos of?

[bumbles]

( Laughing 8(

He wilts a little. ) Oh.

( Donny glances down. ) This is uh, the T-Tree of Life? It's Celtic. Like um, the d-druids and stuff. It was-- it was p-part of their religion. M-magic and stuff.

( A little sheepish, but a slight smile. )

[quackery]

[She takes note of it with a small frown. Note to self: don't try to joke around with this kid.

It isn't conscious, but she leans towards him a little as she listens, interested.]

I've never heard of that! Can you tell me more about it?

[bumbles]

( People being interested is still weird, but he watches her for a couple of moments, curious. )

Are-- are you from Earth? Or, uh-- d-do you know Ireland?

[quackery]

[She nods, slowing in her work so she can make eye contact rather than pay attention to what she should be doing.]

Yeah, I know where Ireland is. [She doesn't say more, waiting for him to go on.]

[bumbles]

( Okay, cool. He's not exactly huge on eye contact, but sometimes-- sometimes when he gets nudged towards topics that he has a lot of thoughts about, that resonate for him? Even if he doesn't make eye contact all that much, there's more energy in him, more vibrance. It's all wrapped up in shyness and everything else, but it's still there. )

The uh, the d-druids-- they were like the um, the r-religious leaders for the Celts. In the Iron Age, roughly? N-not um, not that m-much is really known about them, b-but-- they were important. And-- the gods and stuff.

( He sort of makes a face, a little-- bothered, by himself, because he can't articulate it all that well. ) They were all t-tied up with n-nature and magic.

[quackery]

[She can tell he's more enthusiastic than he had been a second ago, so she continues on, smiling.]

Tied up with nature and magic? Like how? Does it have something to do with the tree you mentioned?

[bumbles]

Yeah. Um-- trees w-were sacred? And uh, symbolised stuff.

( "stuff." Oh, Donny. )

Like a uh, a link, b-between our w-world, and the n-next. And like--

( God, he is so bad at explaining, and he gets it all muddled around, but he's tracing the tattoo. ) T-trees symbolized everything. Renewal and life and-- shelter?

( He's been talking too much. And he's a little embarrassed, fingers closing around his wrist. )

[quackery]

Mm.

[The noise is thoughtful, and her expression is the same as she stays silent for a moment or two.]

Do you believe in it, or do you just think it's an interesting point of view?

[bumbles]

( Being interested in this stuff, trying to read about it and all-- hadn't made his time at school any easier. A couple of people made fun of it, Phoebe was brutal about it.

The look he gives her is sort of nervous, hesitant, and he licks his lips before dragging at them with his teeth, trying to work out whether he should be honest or just keep his mouth shut. )

Um. ( Well. ) I um, I n-need to-- to l-learn um, learn m-more about it. My p-parents are C-Catholic um, so.

[quackery]

[There's nothing but curiosity here; no judgment, no bias.]

Have you been to the library here before? I bet they'd have something about it! What are your parents like?

[bumbles]

( A little nod, though he tilts his head. )

They aren't um, there's a l-lot of-- ideas? B-but n-not much is um, known for sure.

( But he isn't quite sure what to say about his parents, because every time he thinks of them, remembers them, there are nightmares that crawl their way up his spine, more visceral and real than actual memories, and he has to try and pick his way through them to find the truth. )

Smart.

( That's true. They're both really smart. ) W-what about um, yours?

[quackery]

Well, they sound like really interesting ideas! It's too bad nobody knows a lot about it.

Oh, they're smart? What do they do for a living?

[And she pauses, looking back down at the supplies, a bit hesitant.]

Oh, um, I don't - have any.

[It's said quickly, skimming over the subject as fast as she can. There's a note of apology in her voice; she's found that she's always met with sympathy or pity when she brings this up, and she hadn't meant to say something that would bring such a response.]

[bumbles]

( He pauses a little, and frowns. ) I g-guess, uh. I m-mean, um, people-- p-people here are from d-different times, and stuff?

( So maybe they'd know, understand. Maybe he could ask Morgana. Even if they're from different worlds, if it's not exactly the same with how it would have been in his world... he's about to get lost in a tangent of thoughts tumbling after one another when her words snapping him back to reality.

There's something crestfallen in his expression. ) W-what?

( His parents terrify him, his family can be awful, but-- it's still family. )

[quackery]

[She forces her voice to sound casual, trying to demonstrate how totally and completely fine this is. Her body language betrays her, though; there's a tenseness, a nervous air that hadn't been there a moment ago.]

Oh, they're just not around. I don't really remember what happened. But, hey, I can't complain or anything! I've got really amazing friends. I'm lucky.

[bumbles]

( Tenseness is something he recognizes, has an intimate relationship with. Donny's head is tilted, that sort of lost puppy expression that he has so often, as he takes a few moments to just watch her. )

It, um, it's o-okay if you um, if you d-don't want to uh, to t-talk about it?

( But, this is important, too: ) It's um-- don't w-worry about n-not complaining. You c-can uh, you can have a lot of g-good stuff and still be sad.

[quackery]

No, it's not that! It's just that it really is fine.

[She nods, avoiding eye contact still.]

Thank you. But I'm not sad.

[bumbles]

Oh.

( .... Oh. Well, he's a little embarrassed. )

That's uh, g-- g-good.

( Earth pls swallow him now, too much presumption)

[quackery]

[Two really socially awkward people walk into a clinic...

There's no punchline, they're just both really awkward.]

Yeah. Um, it was good if you to make sure, though! Nice to ask and all that. So thank you.