ArchivedLogs:Finding Trouble

Finding Trouble
... or avoiding it.
Dramatis Personae Eric, Sebastian	2012-12-16 '
Location <NYC> NY Public Library - Midtown East
Guarded by two lions nicknamed Patience and Fortitude, the main branch of New York's public library system provides a space for New York residents to do more than just check out books. The reference library holds thousands of works, and the reading room is a majestic work of architecture in its own right. The computer lab and free internet access is available to all who need it. New York City's famous library is, in many ways, a microcosm of the City itself. At all times that its doors are open, all different segments of the City come to visit its hallowed halls. From the homeless to the wealthy, brilliant to special needs, tourists and residents, the library stands a much more practical representation of the values championed by that symbol of New York, the Statue of Liberty. The free internet and warmth are, certainly, one of the main draws for the poorer of the spectrum. It is, perhaps, one of the reasons that Eric has found himself in the library, bundled in a jacket even in the warmth. Sitting in front of a computer, idly browsing through apartment listings, he has one elbow on the table and his jaw in his hand. Boredom shows on his face. In fact, boredom threatens to consume him whole. One finger is extended as if pointing, and he strikes the down arrow with it repeatedly, paging past unsuitable listing after unsuitable listing. The boy who slips in towards the computer terminals is easily noted -- though at first nondescript in his oversized grey hoodie and skinny black jeans he is preceded by a ripple of murmurs, people shifting, people staring, people /leaving/. He seems doggedly determined not to notice the change of demeanor in the room, slipping over to take a computer, leaving one free terminal between himself and Eric. He leaves his hood up as he eases into a chair, dropping a bright purple backpack down onto the ground beside him with a heavy thud. He pulls his wallet out of his pocket to retrieve his library card and sign in, and the hands that reach for the mouse and keyboard are very blue. Webbed fingers. Sharp black claws. He reaches up, starting to push back his hood in the warm computer room, but slants a sideways look towards Eric -- briefly lingering on the man's face, then his screen -- then, instead, pulls it a little more firmly into place. Eric turns to look at the man next to him - anything, anything but the god damn apartment listings - and flashes him a grin. "Heya there." he says, Georgia accent showing clear through his words. He glances around the room, looking at the people departing, before turning his attention back to the other man. "How are ya' doin'?" he asks, hitting the down key once more before pulling up the urgent task of Solitare once more. Sebastian looks up, first with a wide-eyed trace of surprise and then with a cautious, tightlipped smile. "You sound like my dad," is the first thing he says, quiet and a little shy. He sneaks another glance at Eric's screen, smile a little wider as he notes the solitaire. For his own part, he is searching the library's journals, tapping at the keys quickly as he prowls the scientific publications. "Homework," he answers, and then wrinkles his nose. "I guess that's what, not how. Um. You're moving?" "I sound like your Pa? Where's he from?" Eric says, giving the other man a surprised look with a wide smile. "All-a my co-workers don't quite sound like me." he leans in, whispering conspiratorially. "Around these parts, none of these Yankee's do." he grins playfully at the other man, leaning back and winking once. Glancing back at his mostly solitare-covered screen, he winces. "Might haf' to. Got thrown out of where I was stayin', again, and the motel is gettin' real old." "Georgia," Sebastian answers, looking amused at Eric's whispering. "He doesn't sound much like northerners, either." Though his voice is soft, a woman at the next row of terminals gives him a sharp look and a sharper shushing, and he hunches his shoulders down into his hoodie, dropping his voice lower. "Thrown out? What'd you do?" Eric gives the woman a winning smile and then turns his attention back to Sebastian. He does not drop his voice from the low level it already was. "Not what - who." he says, having the good decency to look somewhat embarrassed. "Specifically, not the person I should have, apparently." He grins with a half-wince and a shake of his head, turning to move one or two cards around before turning his eyes back on the other man. "You got kicked out of your apartment for sleeping with someone?" Sebastian looks confused, blinking over at Eric with a trace of darker color creeping into his cheeks. "Harsh landlord. Where are you looking now?" "When you're datin' your landlord, it's more reasonable, I thin'." Eric says, with a sprawling smile as he glances back at the screen. "Anywher', really. The trick is findin' some place that'll take me, and be cheap enough for me to stay at. I'ma about to run out of money, so I don't got much for a security deposit. Damn motel." Sebastian winces, coloring darker and turning an awkwardly crooked smile at his computer. He rests one foot on a rung of his chair, pink-and-grey sneaker bouncing up and down, jittery. "Cheap's hard, isn't it? Why won't places take you? Do, um. Do /most/ landlords care about who you've slept with?" And then, as an afterthought: "-- Do you have a job?" "Some do, some don't. But most of the really cheap places aren't the kind'a place I'd want to live, ya' know?" Eric says, shrugging his shoulders and flicking back to the listings page. He scrolls down with the mouse, slowly, eyes flicking over the listings and passing each one by. "Just can't afford most places alone, and I'm not used to livin' with roommates. Girlfriends, yeah, sure, but roommates?" He wrinkles his nose slightly and shrugs again. "Yeah, I do. Good, solid union job. But places ain't cheap." "You should get used to living with roommates," Sebastian suggests, laughing quietly. "If you want to live in Manhattan, and don't want to live in a /total/ dump." He gets another dirty look from the woman nearby at his laughter, and she gets up from her computer. Sebastian shifts uncomfortably, turning his gaze back towards his schoolwork. "Where's your job, are you trying to look close to it?" "My job is all over, so I don't really mind too much. I'm posted right now to the Garment District, but I can always transfer. Besides, the subway goes every'ere here. Not like back in Georgia, where you got'a drive clear halfway 'cross the state to get much of anywher'." Eric drawls, turning to give the woman a glance as she leaves. He turns back to the screen, dragging the mouse down slowly. "Yeah, I know, I shoul' get used to it." "How long've you been here?" Sebastian watches the woman head off, too, but then turns back to his work. He stoops to retrieve a notebook from his bag, mousing with his left hand and jotting down notes from the medical journal he is reading with his right. "And what do you have against roommates? Living with people is nice. It's lonely otherwise." "No, no, you don't understand." Eric says, with a chuckle, as he peers at what the other man is writing down and reading from his screen. Somewhat distracted, he continues. "I'm used to livin' with people. Just not people I'm not datin'." He tilts his head to one side, blinking. "Are you in... what grade are you in? Christ, I can't understand half of what you're reading from, and I know I've got years on you." "Oh. Um. I would think it'd be more awkward with dating someone," Sebastian decides with a wrinkle of his nose, "though I guess I don't know. I've never tried." He blushes a little at Eric's comments, glancing down to his notes. "It's not -- it's nothing that advanced," he objects, a little awkwardly. "I've just got a bio paper due." "A bio paper due for medical school?" Eric asks, incredulously. He crosses his arms over his chest and grins at the other man. "Now why wouldn't ya have done that? A handsome guy like you." he says, grin widening mischievously. "Lack of interest or lack of opportunity?" A pause, and his brow furrows. "Well, I guess you migh' still be livin' with your ma and pa." Sebastian's eyes widen, and he laughs once, quiet. "Medical school?" he says, just as incredulous. "Oh, gosh. I'm still in high school." His head shakes, and for just a moment his smile curls wider, displaying a brief flash of sharp shark-teeth. Only for a moment, and then he is back to keeping his lips as closed as possible when he talks. "Me? I, um," here the teenager shifts slightly awkwardly in his chair, his smile a little crooked, "I mean, I've never dated. /And/ I live with my pa, when I'm not away at school." "You're away at a boarding school /and/ you're not dating?" Again, Eric looks incredulously at the other man. He leans forward, peering a bit closer at him. "I don't suppose you've been hiding away in libraries such as this one instead of goin' out and havin' some fun. Lack of interest, or lack of opportunity?" Sebastian flushes darker, tipping his head sideways towards Eric. "There's a /lot/ of homework," he says, shrugging one shoulder. "And I like libraries. You can learn a --" His words are cut off as one of the librarians approaches, looking a little /nervous/ before she leans in towards the teenager, whispering something to him low and urgent. "But --" Sebastian /almost/ starts to protest, but then just dips his head uncomfortably. "Sorry, ma'am," he murmurs, low, as he jots down one more thing in his book and then closes it. "Excuse me," Eric says, interrupting as he stands up. "May I help you, ma'am?" he asks, giving her a winning smile. He bounces once on the balls of his toes, smile widening. His voice is quiet, making sure not to disturb the other guests of the library, though a tone of steel rings in the back of his voice. "Hey, no, it's okay," Sebastian says, low and uncomfortable, closing his windows quickly and tucking his notebook away into his bag. He pulls his hood up further, frowning at the page one more moment before closing his last window. The librarian gives Eric a small, polite smile. "No, sir, I think we have things taken care of." Eric reaches out and rests a hand on Sebastian's shoulder, heavy and holding him where he is. "I'd like to know what you said to my little brother." he says, taking a step forward and raising an eyebrow. He raises an eyebrow. "If we were being too loud, I apologize. We certainly won't continue." Sebastian shrinks a little under Eric's hand, a ripple of tension shivering through his thin shoulder and his huge black eyes opening even huger. "Hey, please, look, we don't -- have to --" He bites down on his lip uncomfortably, logging out of the computer and closing his webbed fingers tight around a backpack strap. "We had complaints, sir," the librarian answers evenly. "It's been handled." "What library rules were we violating, ma'am?" Eric says, smile still on his face but looking increasingly fixed. "I am more than happy to leave, but I want to make sure that we are sure to not break the rules in the future. I want to make sure that justice is being done." He dips a hand into one pocket and comes out with a black, leather wallet. He flips it open, flashing the silver NYPD badge within for a moment. "And I don't want any trouble here. We were just trying to get some work done. I am happy to talk with the person who complained to resolve any issues they may have." Sebastian's tension rises at the sight of the badge, and he shrinks beneath Eric's hand, quailing slightly. His fingers grip his bag tighter, hard, lifting it to shoulder it carefully and sliiide one foot a half-step back. "We don't want any trouble, either," the woman answers, jaw tightening slightly at the sight of the badge, but her eyebrows raising and her tone steady and firm. "The library has a right to remove patrons who are making others feel threatened or uncomfortable. And we have hygiene standards. There were complaints," she says, almost primly, "about his --" Her fingers uncurl towards the boy, in one quick flick of indication. "Smell." Sebastian just shrinks down further, wriggling slightly away from Eric. Eric's lip curls as he looks at the woman, back straightening. "He ain't what I'm smelling." he says, giving her a dismissive look. "Good evening." He turns to Sebastian, beckoning with a hand. "Come on. I've got a place you can use the computers that'll have access to whatever you need to look up for bio." he says, gesturing towards the door. Sebastian ducks his head, tugging his hood up higher and not making eye contact with the librarian or any other patrons as he hurrries out. It is only once they are outside in the sunlit street that he looks up at Eric again. "I'm sorry," he says, with a lopsided crook of smile and shrug of one shoulder. "You had your apartment hunt going on and all. You didn't have to -- I didn't mean to interrupt." Eric shrugs and gives the younger man a smile. "Don't worry about it. I was probably just going to play more solitare for a while anyway, and then go out to Evolve or some place." He gestures towards the subway. "Do'ya want to keep doing some work? I can take you somewhere I know will have access to all the bio stuff you need and computers." "You go to Evolve?" Sebastian hesitates, pausing outside the library door and giving Eric a long curious look. His teeth scrape against his lower lip, weight shifting between one foot and the other. "I mean, I could just go back to school early," he says with a slight sigh. "Our 'net's just --" There's an awkward beat of hesitation before he continues, "-- down at home right now. I mean. You don't gotta -- I'll -- get my work done." "Yeah, I do. Love it there." Eric says, with a wide grin. "It's a hell of a place to party." he drawls, gesturing to the other man. "Come on. It's no trouble. I'll go bother one of my friends at his gig. He's probably still working. Let's go." He says, heading off towards the subway. "Besides, you'll keep me out of trouble." he says, winking playfully. "I just drink the coffee," Sebastian admits, nose crinkling. The boy is slow as he follows after Eric, a little dragging, a little uncertain. "What gig?" he wants to know, and then offers the man a half-smile. "I don't know about that. Trouble seems to find me a whole lot." "He works for the city, just like me. Different job, though." Eric says, as they head down into the subway station. He doesn't bother with the turnstile - instead, he stands in front of the gate, pulls his badge once more and calls out towards the booth, "On the gate!" He holds it open for Sebastian before stepping through himself and pocketing the badge again. "Well, such things happen, I'm afraid. I'm more of a go-after-trouble kind of guy myself." Sebastian is hesitant, still, to follow Eric through the turnstyle, glancing towards the booth as though the subway worker might up and arrest him. "I don't want any trouble," he says, quieter. "Where are we going? And why are --" He stops with an apologetic glance to the police officer, but then continues carefully: "You don't need to keep helping me." "No, I don't. But I want to." Eric says, smiling at the other man. A train is sitting at the tracks, and he steps into it quickly, holding an arm out to hold the doors open to Sebastian. "We're going to visit my friend. I mean, I'm going to visit my friend. You're going to get some work done. He works a stop or so from here." "But where?" Sebastian presses, slipping a hand into his sweatshirt pocket and then stepping onto the train after Eric. He keeps a small distance from the other man, curling a hand around a pole to keep his balance. "And why?" Eric raises a hand and holds one of the straps, glancing around him. "The crime lab." he says, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "What better place to study biology than in a laboratory?" He grins. "Well, the offices, anyway. I know they'll have whatever source material you need." A pause, and his brow furrows, slightly. "What do you mean, why?" "I mean why are you helping me," Sebastian says, nocking his elbow around the pole and leaning against it as the train starts to move. "We only just met." Eric shrugs his shoulder once, leaning over to ruffle the other boy's hoodie affectionately. "You're like the little brother I never had." he says, playfully, winking once. "Besides, your Pa is from Georgia. We southerners have to stick together when we're up here in enemy territory." "You make family fast," Sebastian says, his laugh quiet but a tinge of nervousness in his smile. His posture shrinks down further, shoulders hunching beneath the large hoodie. "I'm a northerner," he adds with a wrinkle of his nose. "I don't think I'm an enemy." "The South will rise again and all that jazz." Eric drawls, grinning at Sebastian. "Maybe enemy is too strong of a word. We're all just still resentful from the war of northern aggression." he says, a bemused smile on his lips. Sebastian dips his head at this reply, offering Eric a small but not entirely comfortable smile. He glances out the window at the passing stations, standing straighter as the train starts to roll into the next one. "I should go, actually," he says, quietly apologetic. "But I do -- er. Thank you. For standing up for --" He shrugs a shoulder, awkward and embarrassed, shifting towards the door as the train starts to slow. "You sure?" Eric asks, eyes flickering over the younger man's face. He gives him a little smile. "I really don't mind." He pauses, looking at the teenager. "Alright, well..." He then fishes into his pocket to grab his wallet again. This time, however, he fishes out a card and a pen from somewhere in the depths of his pockets to scribble on it before he extends it to Sebastian. Patrolman Eric Sutton, NYPD, 14th Precinct. Sergeant's Phone number. And, on the back, written in pen, a phone number with a familiar Georgia area code. "In case trouble finds you again." he says, a soft smile on his face. Sebastian takes the card from Eric, glancing down at it and flashing the officer a quick smile. "Thanks," he says, voice warmer and more sincere. He starts to reach towards the man, but then pulls his hand back quickly, giving him one last quick smile and then ducking out of the train as the doors open and losing himself quickly in the crowd flowing out into the city.