[Her mouth opens and closes like a gaping fish as she stares at Teo like gears are slowly, slowly, excruciatingly slowly turning around behind her eyes.]
Rrrr.
[Something, despite already being partway through the window, wrenches one hand free so she can make a weak reach for the handle again. Let her in! She wants to read! Moving it isn't easy, even with her brain ignoring the pain of it, and she's given up by the end of her groan. It's just in time for her to look back and realize she's not outside anymore. Something's head tips the way a puzzled dog's would, then she's back to blinking stupidly over at her fellow undead.]
[His mouth presses and he tries very hard not to laugh at her for reaching back for the door. He can only imagine, as a newly awakening undead, he was likewise pretty stupid. Maybe even extremely stupid. But hey, they were trying.
He nods his head, pulling her further.]
Reading... It's where... the words you hear... and think... are written... And they become... stories...
[He doesn't know if she'll be able to do it. He was capable of reading, but he's not sure how along she is. The page could be nothing more than a page to her, or even simple "not food" and so uninteresting. But she's surprised so far.
He grabs the first one in reach, a little picture that was left to moulder with it's spine up. He picks up and turns it over to her.]
[Reading. Words. Stories. All important, just like the thing he's reaching down for that she tries to assess with narrow-eyed bemusement.]
Rrhm.
[Not just reading. The way her hand comes up, it must look like she's about to go back to chewing on the bitten off stump, but instead, it's the rest of her fingers that touch her lips, just the tips. Something's familiar about it, and something wonders if it really will make thinking easier like she feels it will. Something else he'd said. It wasn't quite right, but it...
What was it?
Written, but not.
It's you, the voice prompts, trying to be encouraging but coming off glum with how unfair all of it was. She'd never get her dream. Hell, she doesn't even know if dreaming is a thing. Back to the point -- Or me. Who you used to be.]
Ruh... Ryyyy...er. Ry-der.
[Not knowing what purpose they were meant to be fulfilling, her fingers move away again to reach for the page. There were friends on there, even if something struggles to recognize them. She feels like...maybe they were the only friends she ever had. Faces certainly don't come to mind if she dwells on such an alien concept. Her dirty nails fall away with a scraping sound as they miss their target. Still, they're back soon enough, joined by her other hand jerkily trying to reach with even less precision and coming with a soft click from her collar. Somehow, something is able to eventually find a way to dig her fingers into the outer edge, holding the book aloft in a way that makes the voice inside of her make some satisfying death gurgles. She huffs out with triumph as she stares at the pages. Yes, this is right, and she did it.]
[She's trying to work through something. He can't always tell, with how very blank she is, but this time he's sure of it. She touches her lips like she's trying to feel the words that have fled, as if she might find the tracks in their shape.
She says her name. He doesn't know if that's what she was looking for. She tries to reach for the book and misses much how she misses the words. He keeps holding it out, patient. Or maybe just desperately hopeful.
He winces at the click of her collar but he doesn't move until the book is in her hands. In this way, something is complete. He smiles.]
Ryder... the writer... You liked to read... You told me... before... You wanted to be... a writer... I wished that... I could read... your stories...
[Her blinks are slow and catlike again, first to the book, then go Teo as she turns to watch him with that puzzled feeling that's getting too familiar. It's friendly, this time. Whatever his words meant, they were a welcome surprise, she thinks. A welcome lie? It's hard to tell for sure. Harder still to tell what these strange feelings actually are. Her voice quiets, almost like the word is a blessing rather than something that's barely more than parroting.]
Read.
[Something lowers the book until the bottom rests against her stomach and watches it. If someone taught a mannequin how to act in the role of "reader", it would probably look an awful lot like her in that moment. Mind, even a good mannequin actor couldn't act it out very well... Something dismisses the nonsense with a moan to herself, trying to shut out the noise in her head with the noise outside of it. It works well enough for her to get distracted by the book again. One hand lets go, unsteadily reaching for the page while she struggled to keep it from slipping out of her grasp completely. Her fingers bump against the picture of a cat until she tires of it after a few times. Not knowing to turn the page, and certainly not having the dexterity for it, something crouches so that she can lay the book down reverently -- still open, but face up this time, unlike how they found it. It was nice, but it wasn't what he said he wanted to read. Somehow she's sure of that.]
Mmm...
[When she looks to him again, it's really the space just behind him that's hot her attention. It should be there, on his back, right? Except it was always with her. Clouding eyes narrow, the task of unraveling this mystery proving to be too much for something on her own. Instead, she reaches out to claw a different book over to her and hugs it against her aching, empty stomach. This is her story now, even if it wasn't her story she had been looking for.]
[He watches for a bit as she tries to rediscover the act of reacting. He can't say whether it counts as getting far or not, but it seems like progress to him. It's a sort of working of the muscle memory and that was at least one step in the right direction.
She sets one book down and picks up another. He smiles at her.]
I'm gonna... pick some out too... It's been a bit... since I stopped... just to read...
[He goes to search, imagining that she'll follow him. He's not quite sure what he wants, but he finds himself captivated by a thick romance with a torn cover. He holds up to her, just for fun.]
[As expected, something toddles along behind him, looking all around until she finds something to trip over or almost bump into, when the sound of him isn't enough to keep her or her wandering mind on track. When presented with another book, something leans a little to the side rather than just tilting her head, as if furthering the action will make it so she can get a better idea than before. The cover is torn up, but the part that she can see... There's a groan inside that manages to crawl it's way out of her closed mouth. The same nagging insistence from before was telling her that sure, this one might technically be a friend, but it's that messy bitch in middle school that kept causing problems and their moving away wouldn't be the end of the world. Whatever that means...
Still, Teo is kind and knows more than her, so one of something's arms drifts back out as if to take this book as well.]
[She doesn't object, even though she watches his every move with that inherently unimpressed stare. Sure, sure, keep your book. Something clumsily tries to find her own hoodie pocket, pawing useless at her stomach before giving up and lolling her head to the side.]
Uhhnnn.
[As if in agreement, she jitters to a start again, tripping over herself for a second before moving along with the forward momentum. Maybe she doesn't know where she's going, and maybe she'll never have somewhere to go, but something doesn't seem to mind it, in the moment.]
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storywalks) wrote2022-02-14 11:30 am
no subject
Rrrr.
[Something, despite already being partway through the window, wrenches one hand free so she can make a weak reach for the handle again. Let her in! She wants to read! Moving it isn't easy, even with her brain ignoring the pain of it, and she's given up by the end of her groan. It's just in time for her to look back and realize she's not outside anymore. Something's head tips the way a puzzled dog's would, then she's back to blinking stupidly over at her fellow undead.]
Rrr...? Reee.
no subject
He nods his head, pulling her further.]
Reading... It's where... the words you hear... and think... are written... And they become... stories...
[He doesn't know if she'll be able to do it. He was capable of reading, but he's not sure how along she is. The page could be nothing more than a page to her, or even simple "not food" and so uninteresting. But she's surprised so far.
He grabs the first one in reach, a little picture that was left to moulder with it's spine up. He picks up and turns it over to her.]
no subject
[Reading. Words. Stories. All important, just like the thing he's reaching down for that she tries to assess with narrow-eyed bemusement.]
Rrhm.
[Not just reading. The way her hand comes up, it must look like she's about to go back to chewing on the bitten off stump, but instead, it's the rest of her fingers that touch her lips, just the tips. Something's familiar about it, and something wonders if it really will make thinking easier like she feels it will. Something else he'd said. It wasn't quite right, but it...
What was it?
Written, but not.
It's you, the voice prompts, trying to be encouraging but coming off glum with how unfair all of it was. She'd never get her dream. Hell, she doesn't even know if dreaming is a thing. Back to the point -- Or me. Who you used to be.]
Ruh... Ryyyy...er. Ry-der.
[Not knowing what purpose they were meant to be fulfilling, her fingers move away again to reach for the page. There were friends on there, even if something struggles to recognize them. She feels like...maybe they were the only friends she ever had. Faces certainly don't come to mind if she dwells on such an alien concept. Her dirty nails fall away with a scraping sound as they miss their target. Still, they're back soon enough, joined by her other hand jerkily trying to reach with even less precision and coming with a soft click from her collar. Somehow, something is able to eventually find a way to dig her fingers into the outer edge, holding the book aloft in a way that makes the voice inside of her make some satisfying death gurgles. She huffs out with triumph as she stares at the pages. Yes, this is right, and she did it.]
Read.
no subject
She says her name. He doesn't know if that's what she was looking for. She tries to reach for the book and misses much how she misses the words. He keeps holding it out, patient. Or maybe just desperately hopeful.
He winces at the click of her collar but he doesn't move until the book is in her hands. In this way, something is complete. He smiles.]
Ryder... the writer... You liked to read... You told me... before... You wanted to be... a writer... I wished that... I could read... your stories...
no subject
Read.
[Something lowers the book until the bottom rests against her stomach and watches it. If someone taught a mannequin how to act in the role of "reader", it would probably look an awful lot like her in that moment. Mind, even a good mannequin actor couldn't act it out very well... Something dismisses the nonsense with a moan to herself, trying to shut out the noise in her head with the noise outside of it. It works well enough for her to get distracted by the book again. One hand lets go, unsteadily reaching for the page while she struggled to keep it from slipping out of her grasp completely. Her fingers bump against the picture of a cat until she tires of it after a few times. Not knowing to turn the page, and certainly not having the dexterity for it, something crouches so that she can lay the book down reverently -- still open, but face up this time, unlike how they found it. It was nice, but it wasn't what he said he wanted to read. Somehow she's sure of that.]
Mmm...
[When she looks to him again, it's really the space just behind him that's hot her attention. It should be there, on his back, right? Except it was always with her. Clouding eyes narrow, the task of unraveling this mystery proving to be too much for something on her own. Instead, she reaches out to claw a different book over to her and hugs it against her aching, empty stomach. This is her story now, even if it wasn't her story she had been looking for.]
Ohh...kgh.
[Okay. She's ready.]
no subject
She sets one book down and picks up another. He smiles at her.]
I'm gonna... pick some out too... It's been a bit... since I stopped... just to read...
[He goes to search, imagining that she'll follow him. He's not quite sure what he wants, but he finds himself captivated by a thick romance with a torn cover. He holds up to her, just for fun.]
Good choice...?
no subject
Still, Teo is kind and knows more than her, so one of something's arms drifts back out as if to take this book as well.]
no subject
Come on... they're fun...! Don't be... like that...
[He slips the book into the front pocket of his hoodie. It's a bit of a tight fit, but he makes it work.]
Well... Your loss... Guess we'll... keep going then...
no subject
Uhhnnn.
[As if in agreement, she jitters to a start again, tripping over herself for a second before moving along with the forward momentum. Maybe she doesn't know where she's going, and maybe she'll never have somewhere to go, but something doesn't seem to mind it, in the moment.]