blueberry cheesecake and strawberry shortcake with sprinkles
Story: Timeless { backstory | index }
Title: Much Less Nervous
Rating: PG (language)
Challenge: Blueberry Cheesecake #18: meeting of minds, Strawberry Shortcake #13: be our guest
Toppings/Extras: sprinkles
Wordcount: 1,583
Summary: Taisy Daniels meets Victor Blackledge through other people, mostly.
Notes: Wasn’t as back as I thought I was, I hopefully am now! This piece is because Victor is my go-to for easing back into writing.
“You’re not nervous, are you?” Adele Merritt asked in that sneering sort of voice that always came out to play around the black ops members of staff. Though she shook her head determinedly, Taisy knew that her quick glance towards Merritt-which was caught instantly-betrayed her.
“Maybe a little,” she admitted. “I just don’t want to screw up.”
“Here’s the run-down on screwing up,” Merritt said, suddenly stopping and putting her hands on her hips. Taisy stopped too, trainer’s bottoms squeaking on the gleaming tiles of the narrow corridor. “If Dekeynel seems pissed off at you, it means he likes you. If Walshe seems pissed off at you, it means you’d better clean up your act. And if Blackledge seems pissed off at you, it’s time to hit the fucking deck.”
Taisy opened and closed her mouth. “Victor? He doesn’t seem type that gets pissed off…”
“No.” Merritt cast her a sharp, feline smile. “No, not usually. But I know his kind; I’ve seen that type of person before. Someone that scared and that brittle-they snap. It could be days or years but they snap, alright… and when Blackledge does, it’s not going to be pretty.” Eyebrow arching, Merritt leaned forwards. “Actually, I’d wager that people are going to die. He’s going to go off like an atom bomb.”
It was almost funny in an absurd sort of way.
“Are you stereotyping him on being a Blackledge?” Taisy asked uncertainly. The PA actually laughed out loud, which was even scarier than her smile.
“Not at all,” she replied slickly. “I’m stereotyping him on being a total fucking nutcase, and that’s the truth.”
-----
There was a brief whump as Bradley threw himself into the sofa seat next to her.
“Hey,” he said lazily. Taisy looked up, still chewing on her lip.
“Hey.”
“Something bothering you?”
“Oh, oh dear, did you just notice something about someone other than yourself?” Taisy joked weakly. “Maybe I should call an ambulance…”
“Have you ever considered going into comedy, Taz?” he asked. “Because, well, don’t. It wouldn’t end well.” He shifted position to get more comfortable, slumped languidly with his arms behind his head, and cocked an eyebrow at her. “Now, what’s wrong?”
Taisy pulled a face and fiddled with her fingers for a couple of moments.
“Do you think Victor doesn’t like me?”
For a short while the only response was a sort of astounded silence; then Bradley laughed-which Taisy had been completely expecting, not that it made her any happier. She frowned at him.
“Do you think Victor doesn’t like you?”
“I wouldn’t know, Brad, he hasn’t said a single word to me yet.”
“So? He’s quiet, not full of indiscriminate loathing.”
“I didn’t say he-…”
“It takes him a while to get used to people. Relax.”
“I’m relaxed,” Taisy sighed. She had a natural will to show her best side to people, a craving to befriend and connect. All she wanted was to feel less of an exception. “I just… he talks to you guys, right? I feel…”
“Left out?” Bradley pulled an irritating pouty face that made Taisy want to hit him. She rolled her eyes instead.
“Kind of, I guess, yeah.”
“I know it seems sort of… rude and aloof and really far from normal, but he’ll get over it. He’s just sussing you out.”
“What’s there to suss?”
“A lot, if you’re Mister Magic Brain.”
“…what does that mean?”
“You’ll find out.”
-----
She did, from Adam.
“Perfect eidic memory,” she repeated slowly, mainly to herself.
“It’s a strange thing,” Adam said, seraphic blonde head lost in the belly of some strange machine-of-the-week, voice bouncing like a ball-bearing inside a tin can. “Don’t you think? Being able to remember every detail, every little fact…”
“It must be awesome.”
There were a few clangs and a ripping noise-and then Adam resurfaced, a little oil-stained but looking no worse for wear. He looked at her inquisitively.
“Must it?”
“Well… yeah,” Taisy said. “He must have sailed through his exams.”
“From what I hear, he did, yes,” Adam replied mildly, a careful sort of undertone to his voice, the kind of undertone that suggested he wasn’t giving her the full story. “Anyway, I’d say it must have profound effects on how well he knows people.”
“I guess he’d remember their birthdays and details about their lives and stuff, yeah.”
“Not just things like that.” Adam walked around his machine, eyeing compartments of it thoughtfully, running a finger along some sort of grid. “Every facial tic, every vocal idiosyncrasy… he can tell whenever someone’s lying, you know, if he’s seen them lying before. He can read people like books.” His lips tugged downwards at the edges slightly. “He just… isn’t so good at processing what he sees.”
Taisy folded her arms, more unnerved than she’d like to admit by the thought.
“Oh.”
“Considering just how well he can read the people he’s close to,” Adam said, “I think it makes sense that he’s taking his time with you.”
“What, he’s watching me?”
“Getting to know you,” Adam corrected her soothingly. “He uses his memories like a crutch and he can’t rely on it with you. I mean, you might as well be an alien to him. Worse than a stranger with what he’s used to. A confusing, uncontained mess.”
“Welcome to the human race,” Taisy snorted.
Adam gave a slightly muted smile at that. “Indeed.”
-----
“Are you and Victor friends?”
It seemed a simple enough question to Taisy; she didn’t think it merited Robyn Walshe slamming her wardrobe door shut and levelling her a look that, while it wasn’t a glare, certainly had some heat in it. She gets defensive, Bradley had warned her, but Taisy hadn’t taken it seriously. Perhaps she should have.
“I suppose so,” she replied coldly. “Why?”
Robyn scared Taisy slightly, and it wasn’t only because she pipped the six-foot mark. She was a bit gruff, a bit straight-talking and didn’t seem to like her very much. Also, she was the team leader, making her effectively Taisy’s boss. Of sorts. Though she didn’t feel much like one. More like the tough-as-nails popular girl at school that developed a reasonless grudge against you.
Off-hand as always, Bradley had remarked that it was probably to do with her being Wolfgang’s ‘replacement’. Taisy was starting to think there was something in that.
“Just wondering,” was about all Taisy could mumble, alarmed.
“Just wondering?” She wasn’t buying it.
“He’s just… not so easy to befriend.” Taisy hadn’t meant it insultingly but if anyone could get insulted on Victor’s behalf, it was Robyn.
“Not when people don’t try.”
“I do try.”
“It’s not all about you.”
Talking with Robyn could go around in circles for hours. While not particularly academic, she was constantly astute and nothing got through her defences. The most absurd thing about it all was that Robyn was generally likeable; genuinely likeable. Even Miss Merritt liked her, and the people she liked could be counted on the fingers of one hand.
“It’s not all about him, either!”
The words had burst out amidst a wave of frustration. Taisy regretted them instantly, though admittedly that was mostly because of the slow look of hostility that dawned across the team leader’s face. After a moment, however, it vanished and Robyn sighed.
“It takes time,” she said. “Don’t think about it so much, it’s ridiculous. He’ll come round. I’m sure he thinks you’re very… sweet.”
‘Sweet’ sounded almost like an insult coming from Robyn but Taisy accepted it, along with the ‘happy now?’ half-smile that accompanied it before the leader strode out of the room, boots thumping against the floor as usual.
-----
Breakfast was always a barely-remembered affair for Taisy. She was not a morning person. Robyn seemed to spring out of bed ironed and pressed and mind as sharp as ever; Bradley was chattering happily moments after appearing from his room. Taisy didn’t understand it.
Communal breakfasts at Nutriware was something else Taisy was yet to get used to. Everyone in the building worked there, ate there, slept there… lived there, basically. Everything was public; it was easier that way, not to mention cheaper. Short russet hair dishevelled, unashamed in her baggy pyjama-bottoms and an old hoodie, Taisy meandered up to the cereal counter and started pouring herself some breakfast.
She turned around and found herself almost headbutting Victor Blackledge in the chest. He quickly stepped back from her, nodding as though politely acknowledging that she had some sort of highly contagious flesh-eating disease that he didn’t want to bring up.
“Hello,” he said. She nearly dropped her spoon! He looked as neat as ever, too, apart from his dark shock of hair that always seemed quite keen to defy gravity. He was looking her in the eye for the first time; his were an almost colourless grey but were abnormally intense, seeing everything, storing it forever.
“Hi,” she replied. He smiled a little, discernibly uneasy, before ducking his head and walking off towards a table. Taisy followed after him, wondering to herself what exactly all the fuss had been about. She wasn’t sure if that had been an invitation but sat down opposite him anyway. Somehow, she hadn’t really imagined that Victor ate at all, let alone scrambled eggs. She’d never seen him around at mealtimes before.
“Cornflakes are my favourite,” she offered. He looked up from his plate and smiled at her again, this time much less nervously.
Title: Much Less Nervous
Rating: PG (language)
Challenge: Blueberry Cheesecake #18: meeting of minds, Strawberry Shortcake #13: be our guest
Toppings/Extras: sprinkles
Wordcount: 1,583
Summary: Taisy Daniels meets Victor Blackledge through other people, mostly.
Notes: Wasn’t as back as I thought I was, I hopefully am now! This piece is because Victor is my go-to for easing back into writing.
“You’re not nervous, are you?” Adele Merritt asked in that sneering sort of voice that always came out to play around the black ops members of staff. Though she shook her head determinedly, Taisy knew that her quick glance towards Merritt-which was caught instantly-betrayed her.
“Maybe a little,” she admitted. “I just don’t want to screw up.”
“Here’s the run-down on screwing up,” Merritt said, suddenly stopping and putting her hands on her hips. Taisy stopped too, trainer’s bottoms squeaking on the gleaming tiles of the narrow corridor. “If Dekeynel seems pissed off at you, it means he likes you. If Walshe seems pissed off at you, it means you’d better clean up your act. And if Blackledge seems pissed off at you, it’s time to hit the fucking deck.”
Taisy opened and closed her mouth. “Victor? He doesn’t seem type that gets pissed off…”
“No.” Merritt cast her a sharp, feline smile. “No, not usually. But I know his kind; I’ve seen that type of person before. Someone that scared and that brittle-they snap. It could be days or years but they snap, alright… and when Blackledge does, it’s not going to be pretty.” Eyebrow arching, Merritt leaned forwards. “Actually, I’d wager that people are going to die. He’s going to go off like an atom bomb.”
It was almost funny in an absurd sort of way.
“Are you stereotyping him on being a Blackledge?” Taisy asked uncertainly. The PA actually laughed out loud, which was even scarier than her smile.
“Not at all,” she replied slickly. “I’m stereotyping him on being a total fucking nutcase, and that’s the truth.”
-----
There was a brief whump as Bradley threw himself into the sofa seat next to her.
“Hey,” he said lazily. Taisy looked up, still chewing on her lip.
“Hey.”
“Something bothering you?”
“Oh, oh dear, did you just notice something about someone other than yourself?” Taisy joked weakly. “Maybe I should call an ambulance…”
“Have you ever considered going into comedy, Taz?” he asked. “Because, well, don’t. It wouldn’t end well.” He shifted position to get more comfortable, slumped languidly with his arms behind his head, and cocked an eyebrow at her. “Now, what’s wrong?”
Taisy pulled a face and fiddled with her fingers for a couple of moments.
“Do you think Victor doesn’t like me?”
For a short while the only response was a sort of astounded silence; then Bradley laughed-which Taisy had been completely expecting, not that it made her any happier. She frowned at him.
“Do you think Victor doesn’t like you?”
“I wouldn’t know, Brad, he hasn’t said a single word to me yet.”
“So? He’s quiet, not full of indiscriminate loathing.”
“I didn’t say he-…”
“It takes him a while to get used to people. Relax.”
“I’m relaxed,” Taisy sighed. She had a natural will to show her best side to people, a craving to befriend and connect. All she wanted was to feel less of an exception. “I just… he talks to you guys, right? I feel…”
“Left out?” Bradley pulled an irritating pouty face that made Taisy want to hit him. She rolled her eyes instead.
“Kind of, I guess, yeah.”
“I know it seems sort of… rude and aloof and really far from normal, but he’ll get over it. He’s just sussing you out.”
“What’s there to suss?”
“A lot, if you’re Mister Magic Brain.”
“…what does that mean?”
“You’ll find out.”
-----
She did, from Adam.
“Perfect eidic memory,” she repeated slowly, mainly to herself.
“It’s a strange thing,” Adam said, seraphic blonde head lost in the belly of some strange machine-of-the-week, voice bouncing like a ball-bearing inside a tin can. “Don’t you think? Being able to remember every detail, every little fact…”
“It must be awesome.”
There were a few clangs and a ripping noise-and then Adam resurfaced, a little oil-stained but looking no worse for wear. He looked at her inquisitively.
“Must it?”
“Well… yeah,” Taisy said. “He must have sailed through his exams.”
“From what I hear, he did, yes,” Adam replied mildly, a careful sort of undertone to his voice, the kind of undertone that suggested he wasn’t giving her the full story. “Anyway, I’d say it must have profound effects on how well he knows people.”
“I guess he’d remember their birthdays and details about their lives and stuff, yeah.”
“Not just things like that.” Adam walked around his machine, eyeing compartments of it thoughtfully, running a finger along some sort of grid. “Every facial tic, every vocal idiosyncrasy… he can tell whenever someone’s lying, you know, if he’s seen them lying before. He can read people like books.” His lips tugged downwards at the edges slightly. “He just… isn’t so good at processing what he sees.”
Taisy folded her arms, more unnerved than she’d like to admit by the thought.
“Oh.”
“Considering just how well he can read the people he’s close to,” Adam said, “I think it makes sense that he’s taking his time with you.”
“What, he’s watching me?”
“Getting to know you,” Adam corrected her soothingly. “He uses his memories like a crutch and he can’t rely on it with you. I mean, you might as well be an alien to him. Worse than a stranger with what he’s used to. A confusing, uncontained mess.”
“Welcome to the human race,” Taisy snorted.
Adam gave a slightly muted smile at that. “Indeed.”
-----
“Are you and Victor friends?”
It seemed a simple enough question to Taisy; she didn’t think it merited Robyn Walshe slamming her wardrobe door shut and levelling her a look that, while it wasn’t a glare, certainly had some heat in it. She gets defensive, Bradley had warned her, but Taisy hadn’t taken it seriously. Perhaps she should have.
“I suppose so,” she replied coldly. “Why?”
Robyn scared Taisy slightly, and it wasn’t only because she pipped the six-foot mark. She was a bit gruff, a bit straight-talking and didn’t seem to like her very much. Also, she was the team leader, making her effectively Taisy’s boss. Of sorts. Though she didn’t feel much like one. More like the tough-as-nails popular girl at school that developed a reasonless grudge against you.
Off-hand as always, Bradley had remarked that it was probably to do with her being Wolfgang’s ‘replacement’. Taisy was starting to think there was something in that.
“Just wondering,” was about all Taisy could mumble, alarmed.
“Just wondering?” She wasn’t buying it.
“He’s just… not so easy to befriend.” Taisy hadn’t meant it insultingly but if anyone could get insulted on Victor’s behalf, it was Robyn.
“Not when people don’t try.”
“I do try.”
“It’s not all about you.”
Talking with Robyn could go around in circles for hours. While not particularly academic, she was constantly astute and nothing got through her defences. The most absurd thing about it all was that Robyn was generally likeable; genuinely likeable. Even Miss Merritt liked her, and the people she liked could be counted on the fingers of one hand.
“It’s not all about him, either!”
The words had burst out amidst a wave of frustration. Taisy regretted them instantly, though admittedly that was mostly because of the slow look of hostility that dawned across the team leader’s face. After a moment, however, it vanished and Robyn sighed.
“It takes time,” she said. “Don’t think about it so much, it’s ridiculous. He’ll come round. I’m sure he thinks you’re very… sweet.”
‘Sweet’ sounded almost like an insult coming from Robyn but Taisy accepted it, along with the ‘happy now?’ half-smile that accompanied it before the leader strode out of the room, boots thumping against the floor as usual.
-----
Breakfast was always a barely-remembered affair for Taisy. She was not a morning person. Robyn seemed to spring out of bed ironed and pressed and mind as sharp as ever; Bradley was chattering happily moments after appearing from his room. Taisy didn’t understand it.
Communal breakfasts at Nutriware was something else Taisy was yet to get used to. Everyone in the building worked there, ate there, slept there… lived there, basically. Everything was public; it was easier that way, not to mention cheaper. Short russet hair dishevelled, unashamed in her baggy pyjama-bottoms and an old hoodie, Taisy meandered up to the cereal counter and started pouring herself some breakfast.
She turned around and found herself almost headbutting Victor Blackledge in the chest. He quickly stepped back from her, nodding as though politely acknowledging that she had some sort of highly contagious flesh-eating disease that he didn’t want to bring up.
“Hello,” he said. She nearly dropped her spoon! He looked as neat as ever, too, apart from his dark shock of hair that always seemed quite keen to defy gravity. He was looking her in the eye for the first time; his were an almost colourless grey but were abnormally intense, seeing everything, storing it forever.
“Hi,” she replied. He smiled a little, discernibly uneasy, before ducking his head and walking off towards a table. Taisy followed after him, wondering to herself what exactly all the fuss had been about. She wasn’t sure if that had been an invitation but sat down opposite him anyway. Somehow, she hadn’t really imagined that Victor ate at all, let alone scrambled eggs. She’d never seen him around at mealtimes before.
“Cornflakes are my favourite,” she offered. He looked up from his plate and smiled at her again, this time much less nervously.