aterat | [Open] Delivery Boy Here

Entry tags:

[Open] Delivery Boy Here

Who; Tommy Shepherd, Jacob, Open
What; Cherishment Deliveries and Tommy's Market Stall
Where; Markets
When;
Warnings;

I. Business Gotta Business | Open
Valentine's, but it wasn't really that. still, Tommy had seen this shit before, and honestly, he'd made some spare bucks at this time of the year, going abroad to get certain gifts for people who wanted to impress their partners.

Here at least he had better reasons to do it. The city was full of the joy and gifts and everything else. And Tommy? He had a fleet of messenger girls and boys to help provide for. So their little stall in the market got a minor remodeling with samples of different business's work. Some cloth flowers from that former King's booth, which Tommy had a sign with that explained where to find that stall. There some nice candles with directions to the chandler's shop for those and nice soaps. And of course there was a box of chocolates. or what had been a box of chocolates because Tommy did nothing to stop his courier kids from taking food from the stall if it wasn't a delivery bound to happen. That one had a sign that said 'chocolates so good they didn't last' and directed to the chocolateer's.

"Deliveries," Tommy called out, sounding more bored than anything. "Wanna send something to a secret admirer? We'll get it there, perhaps even in the next second. Surprise them with flowers appearing in front of their eyes."

He knew the kids were mostly out delivering notes and flowers and other gifts as fleetly as their little feet (all booted because Tommy had put no small amount of the business's funds into getting shoes and warm winter coats for his kids), leaving him alone to manage the stall. He hated being alone. Even his smallest kid, a little girl named Jenica, had gone rushing off with a love note, so all he could do was keep the brazier in the covered stall going and try not to go mad with boredom.

Who knew being a responsible adult could suck so much?

II. Commissioning A Gift | Closed to Jacob
If Tommy had one regular business as a customer that wasn't the lodge, it was Gary's. Wood was always needed. Supplies for sealing carvings mattered too. He absolutely had to do regular deliveries, but it was fine. Fine because Jacob was there, and he called out to the young man who was often there to officially 'receive' deliveries from the cart Tommy was hauling behind himself.

"Hey Jakey-boy," Tommy said with a smirk. "You good today?"

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

“I didn’t know there was a word for it.” Mono responded, but… He felt better to hear that. The kid tried to be brave, and considering everything else he’d been through and done? It seemed silly for some things to still get to him. Especially when he knew that everyone here was nice, but it was hard to remember that in certain situations sometimes.

Mono took off his postman hat and messed with the little eye-shaped medallion on the front. “So it’s okay that I don’t pretend it doesn’t make me nervous and be around stuff like that?”

"Yeah, there is. I've got some of those issues. Those traumas. So there are things that upset me a lot to run into. Or to see."

Needles for one. And two. And seventeen. Lots of numbers.

"It's okay, to still be traumatized. People are like that."

Traumatized, that was another word the kid hadn’t known before… Which was a little sad maybe, but he was glad to learn that there were words for what he felt and what he’d been through.

“Oh… I didn’t know that’s what it was, or um… that it was okay to be. Thanks Tommy?” He glanced up at the man again. “Sometimes people don’t understand why I do things or react the way I do to stuff, and I dunno how to explain it… So telling me this stuff kinda helps.” He felt so damn weird sometimes, it was nice to know that maybe there were good reasons for some things.

"Shit, I could have used someone who was as honest with me as I am with you when I was your age. Like, having someone that said all of this was okay may have helped. But it's never really helped me."

He never had someone to help him get strong until he was older.

Mono felt pretty lucky then, to have at least met Tommy, who was willing to tell him these things. Even if… Well, it was a little disappointing to know he’d eventually go home and forget all of this. Though, the kid supposed there it wouldn’t matter as much. Things were different there. “I’m sorry you didn’t have anyone that told you this stuff. It seems kinda important now that I know about it. At least… I’m a little less confused, and feel a little less weird to know why I do or think some stuff.”

But that it never really helped Tommy made Mono tilt his head slightly. “If it never helped, what does help you?” That seemed as important to learn, in the kid’s opinion.

"What helps me?"

Shit now that was a question. How did he answer it?

"Time. Time and love. For me every minute is like a day. I have a lot more distance from my pain."

Mono looked a little confused at that. Time and love made sense… Kinda… But that time worked that differently for Tommy? If the kid understood his own world a little better, he might understand a little better… But as it was, he tilted his head with a questioning tone. “So, time is really different for you than it is for other people? Is it ‘cause of how fast you can go?”

"Exactly," Tommy said. "You ever have that sort of day that feels like it goes on FOREVER? For me, all days are like that."

Everything lasts far too long.

“Every day???” Mono looked at Tommy with some mild-childlike horror. The kid hadn’t a very good concept of time, but since arriving in this world, he had found the odd day that dragged along slowly when he was bored. The idea of everyday being like that sounded pretty bad to him. “That sounds really annoying!”

This time Tommy couldn't force a smile. Yeah, every day.

"When I use my powers, it's worse. The packages, I get across town in seconds. But it's like when you're running. I run all that distance. I experience it like you would. Mabe I'm quicker because I can dodge around people more easily, and jump stuff if I need to, but I experience every moment of it. In some ways, I'm older than I actually am."

Mono’s expression scrunched a bit, clearly thinking harder on the explanation as he tried to think about what that all meant. “So even though to us you’re going super fast, to you it’s just like normal…” That sounded even worse, really. “That would be like dealing with a bunch of extra time! No wonder you get really bored…” And considering that time seemed… terribly broken in his world, he did not like to think of what that would do to Tommy to deal with.

“So if you experience extra time and it means you’re kinda older than you really are… Your powers make stuff kinda bad for you, even when you’re just trying to help people.” That sucked. A lot. More than just being bored! It was honestly a little scary to the kid, too. “Should you use them for stuff like work if you gotta experience extra time, too?”

"I'm still faster, even by my perceptions. It's a rush. It's a thrill. I can't NOT be fast. It's just not possible. That's not what I'm going to do or going to be. I'll never let go of it."

Being without it was just a mess.

“I guess I kinda understand… It’s part of you, kinda like how my ability is part of me.” Even if he couldn’t help but think he would be better off without it himself. He still would always use it, and certainly hadn’t ever been able to deny that there was a particular pull he felt to use them. This world had been the first time he hadn’t had access to them, even if he still felt them there…

Still, he hoped nothing bad would eventually happen to Tommy from using his… That was what scared the kid, really.

Tommy would be nothing without his powers. He at least embraced them, even when they made his life harder.

"I can help people with it too. Behind like I am. So I'd never let it go."

“I guess… it just kinda sucks that it makes your life hard sometimes.” He responded with a little, sad frown. Abilities making your life hard was something he kind of identified with rather strongly, after all.

It was really amazing to the child that Tommy still helped people with his powers, even when it made things difficult.

"Yeah, but that's just what I was born to deal with I guess. I can't let it go."

This was what he was supposed to be. Even if it was painful.

"At least I can take it and not have to worry about my brother.

“I guess I understand…” Mono responded with a small nod. This had all given the kid a lot to think about, really.

At the mention of Tommy’s brother, though, that was a shift in topic that he was curious about and what he meant about not needing to worry. “You don't? Because he's different from you?"

"I don't think he could live like I do," Tommy answered with a shrug. "Or what I've lived through. What I dealt with, I don't want to think about him experiencing."

HE had to protect Billy. Fuck knew Billy never did.

That certainly made sense to the kid. Between the children he’d met around the city, and even some of the older arrivals to this place… Mono didn’t like the idea of the things that happened in his world happening here. It was upsetting and shouldn’t happen. He never had family, at least as far as he knew, but he’d want to protect them too if he had. And… he sort of wanted to protect his friend Six, but Mono knew the ship on keeping bad things from happening to her had sailed even before he met her. “Yeah, I kinda get that… Even if it still sucks you went through stuff, not wanting other people you care about to go through it, too. I think about that sometimes…”

So he tilted his head up. “Your brother’s lucky that he’s got you to think about him and want better things for him.” He added with a small nod.

If only he was lucky while Billy was still around him. But that wasn't going to happen at all.

"Yeah, he is. Poor dweeb doesn't deserve how good I am for him though. He needs to get cool on my level."

A rare, soundless chuckle escaped him at that. “I dunno, Tommy. I think it’d be hard to be that cool, right?” Hey, Mono absolutely thought Tommy was very cool compared to most adults in general. He was sure the guy’s brother was neat in his own different way. But that was the thing. Everyone was different.

Oh man, kid is learning. Tommy grins and offers a fist for a bump.

"Yeah, but you're close, kid."

Mono blinked at the raised fist for a moment. He was pretty sure he’d seen a few other people around here do that… So… He was probably supposed to bump Tommy’s fist back too, right? That was the cool thing friends did. So he raised his fist and carefully bump Tommy’s hand back, looking rather pleased with himself once he had.

“Really?” He was close? He was kinda cool? Yeah, that idea made him feel pretty good. He wanted to be cool, cool was better than what other people seemed to think of him in his world.

"Yep, super really. Coolest kid I know," Tommy promised. "DOn't tell the rest of the crew. Don't need them jealous over being less cool."

Damn, he almost wanted to hug the little guy. Clearly he didn't have enough hugs in his life.

Mono absolutely did not have enough hugs in his life, which was probably why he was so awkward about the idea. That and letting people larger than him get too close felt dangerous instinctively… But he was working on that.

Instead, he gave Tommy something close to a more genuine smile at the promise. That did feel good. Being the coolest kid someone knew? Someone as cool as Tommy? That was pretty great! “Wow, thanks Tommy.” He started, before quickly adding. “Promise I won’t tell anyone. I don’t wanna make anyone feel jealous or bad.”

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