The Beach, Wednesday after Sunset (NFB)

[tyler-gone.livejournal.com]

Tyler was dismayed that his karate class was canceled and the gym was busy with cheerleader activities all afternoon; he wanted to work out some stress and wasn't sure how. Off-balance, he spent most of the day roaming around the island, thinking about his conversations with Alec and Peter.

And other stuff.

He felt very alone -- and sticky with figgy pudding -- as he landed on some rocks at the shore that evening. Head balanced on his hands, Tyler sat and watched the waves roll in.

[OOC: Locked to those who knew who they are for now.]

Comments

[tyler-gone.livejournal.com]

Always on guard, Tyler noticed the scurrying, though he didn't see what was causing it. He jumped off his rock and began pacing towards the source of the noise.

"Hello?"

[fh_extras]

The wee thing stopped scampering, and turned to peek out at Tyler from behind a rock.

It cautiously moved out from behind the rock, and scurried a little closer, making strange, slightly shrieky noises.

[tyler-gone.livejournal.com]

Tyler looked at the wee thing with some distaste. "I have no idea what you're trying to say," he informed it. "Are you a student? Nod or shake your head."

[fh_extras]

The wee thing gesticulated. Perhaps it was trying to communicate. Or perhaps it was dancing. The world may never know, but the important thing was that is was getting closer to Tyler in the process.

[tyler-gone.livejournal.com]

Tyler was not without compassion. He knelt and reached out a hand to the little ... thing. "Did somebody hurt you? Somebody blonde?"

[fh_extras]

The little...thing was not all that good with English. Or, you know, normal speech. It made more shrieking noises.

It's very likely that it was trying to say, "I am wee and would like to go run around in circles for I am wee and that's what entertains me and do you have candy yay and also I didn't get this way by taking a bath kthnx!"

But it was a wee, incoherent thing. So it probably just kind of sounded like shrieking with a healthy dose of flail.

[tyler-gone.livejournal.com]

Tyler was smiling a little as he took another step to the creature. "People say you're ugly, right? They don't trust me either. Morons. Let me pick you up and take you to the clinic. Maybe they'll know what to do."

Trustingly, he reached to pick up the baby .... thing. "C'mon now."

[fh_extras]

The wee thing didn't like that plan. It skittered back a little, frowning at Tyler.

Of course, given that its face was all attractively decayed, it's not like frowning looked a whole lot different from smiling. But still.

[tyler-gone.livejournal.com]

Tyler sighed. Clearly it didn't want to be picked up.

He realized its face looked kind of rotten. Almost antique.

Ah well.

He leaned closer, pasting on a big smile so the mummy would know he wasn't a threat. "Are your mommy and daddy somewhere?"

[fh_extras]

The wee thing stumbled back a little, recognizing that its new friend was baring his teeth and that was scary!

So the wee thing adopted a defensive posture, and made a few more shrieky noises - slightly more ferocious and less inquisitve, this time.

[tyler-gone.livejournal.com]

Tyler was now out of patience, and moved quickly to greab and hold the ... thing. "How the hell are you making those noises?" he demanded. "I want to help you."

[fh_extras]

The tiny thing flailed upsettedly at him, and made what passed for a roar for something its size.

With a few more ferocious movements, it scurried away as fast as it could go in the direction from which it had come.

[tyler-gone.livejournal.com]

"Hey, don't -- don't go," Tyler called after the fleeing ... thing, then gave up.

He blinked into the clear-with-occasional-pudding day. Had he fallen asleep? Had he graduated from imaginary friends his own age to imaginary baby creatures?

He glanced down in his hand, noting a tiny piece of tea-colored gauze that must have come away when he touched the being.

So it was real, then.

Laughing manically, he began walking back towards town.