just_muse_me 27.1.5.
"Laughter - An interior convulsion, producing a distortion of the features and accompanied by inarticulate noises. It is infectious and, though intermittent, incurable." - Ambrose Bierce
For those who know about the Sons of Ipswich - not just the outer story, old money and old families and all that, but what lies within - Reid probably comes in as a surprise.
They could have expected somebody like Caleb. Deep and steady and channeling even his insecurity into something at least potentially positive.
They could have expected somebody like Pogue, deep and passionate, love for life and people making him rich and bright.
They could have expected somebody like Tyler, deep and calm and innocent despite the unusual burden he carries, heart open to the rest of them.
They could even had expected somebody like Chase, or in his way William, a little (or more than a little) crazed, a little rebellious, muchly seduced by what none of them can escape from. Not like rejection of the Covenant's instructions hadn't happened in the past.
But they probably wouldn't have anticipated Reid.
Maybe that's why it was so difficult for Caleb to get. Or maybe not.
For Reid's the one who takes the crap that life throws at him and laughs in its face. Infected by a disorder of laughter, infectious, spreading it among anybody who was near enough to catch it from him. Under normal conditions, far from intermittent. He'll go and poke at things and people, whether in verbal absurdities or pranks or just clowning around, he just loves to make people laugh. Really laugh.
And laugh with them.
Unless they're bullies, in which case it's definitely laughing at them. Okay, maybe some of the rest of the laughing might be at people, too, but he gives a fair chance for people to laugh at him, in turn, so, fair play!
It's not even so much that he has a gift for comedic timing or something like that. Okay, so he has a pretty good timing sense, but it's not something he relies on. Mostly because of all the time he's been snapped because what he does is too well-timed.
Instead, he takes a... sort of a brute force approach. Meaning, he'll spurt out any and all nonsense and absurdity and start any kind of trouble and make all sorts of silly to stupid to interesting things, until he gets to everybody. Or somebody.
Sometimes, it spectacularly doesn't work out. Not in the least because some of what he does say or do in those absurd ways hits very, very close to home.
But most of the time, it does work. Some people laugh and some people giggle, and the hardest of all may sometimes just start with a snort and be reduced to a snicker, but he's content as soon as he sees the little glimmer in their eyes that says laughter's been restored. The state which makes things, all kinds of shit, a little easier to bear. He doesn't need the sounds.
... okay, 'content' might be a little misleading. Not that he doesn't stop. He does only shut up when his mouth is otherwise occupied or when he's asleep.
It helps with those that have as much to deal with as he has. More, some of them. It helps with them, it helps them. And when he can see the most familiar eyes, blue, and hazel, and brown, crinkle helplessly and light up with mirth, he knows, knows, that it might as well be his greatest work ever.
Greater even than if he becomes the best doctor in the world.
It really feels that way. When something as simple as a raised glazed donut, or running his fingers just so over the seat of a bike, or ... sometimes summing up a book just with that twist in a single sentence could ease up or chuck pain to go sulk on its own in the corner...
Well. He just keeps on keeping on, the only way that breathing doesn't hurt too much to go on trying.
Loud. Obnoxious. Mischievous. Lecherous. Observant, way too observant.
Incurable. Shameless.
It's who he is.
And if you try to keep from laughing, just because you know he'll be doing that... well. One way or another, he's gonna get you. And the more you resist, the more absurd what he gets you with will be.
Watch out for water, tea, or alphabetic noodles sprouting out of your nose.
Don't say I didn't warn you.
Muse: Reid Garwin
Fandom: The Covenant
Word count: 726
For those who know about the Sons of Ipswich - not just the outer story, old money and old families and all that, but what lies within - Reid probably comes in as a surprise.
They could have expected somebody like Caleb. Deep and steady and channeling even his insecurity into something at least potentially positive.
They could have expected somebody like Pogue, deep and passionate, love for life and people making him rich and bright.
They could have expected somebody like Tyler, deep and calm and innocent despite the unusual burden he carries, heart open to the rest of them.
They could even had expected somebody like Chase, or in his way William, a little (or more than a little) crazed, a little rebellious, muchly seduced by what none of them can escape from. Not like rejection of the Covenant's instructions hadn't happened in the past.
But they probably wouldn't have anticipated Reid.
Maybe that's why it was so difficult for Caleb to get. Or maybe not.
For Reid's the one who takes the crap that life throws at him and laughs in its face. Infected by a disorder of laughter, infectious, spreading it among anybody who was near enough to catch it from him. Under normal conditions, far from intermittent. He'll go and poke at things and people, whether in verbal absurdities or pranks or just clowning around, he just loves to make people laugh. Really laugh.
And laugh with them.
Unless they're bullies, in which case it's definitely laughing at them. Okay, maybe some of the rest of the laughing might be at people, too, but he gives a fair chance for people to laugh at him, in turn, so, fair play!
It's not even so much that he has a gift for comedic timing or something like that. Okay, so he has a pretty good timing sense, but it's not something he relies on. Mostly because of all the time he's been snapped because what he does is too well-timed.
Instead, he takes a... sort of a brute force approach. Meaning, he'll spurt out any and all nonsense and absurdity and start any kind of trouble and make all sorts of silly to stupid to interesting things, until he gets to everybody. Or somebody.
Sometimes, it spectacularly doesn't work out. Not in the least because some of what he does say or do in those absurd ways hits very, very close to home.
But most of the time, it does work. Some people laugh and some people giggle, and the hardest of all may sometimes just start with a snort and be reduced to a snicker, but he's content as soon as he sees the little glimmer in their eyes that says laughter's been restored. The state which makes things, all kinds of shit, a little easier to bear. He doesn't need the sounds.
... okay, 'content' might be a little misleading. Not that he doesn't stop. He does only shut up when his mouth is otherwise occupied or when he's asleep.
It helps with those that have as much to deal with as he has. More, some of them. It helps with them, it helps them. And when he can see the most familiar eyes, blue, and hazel, and brown, crinkle helplessly and light up with mirth, he knows, knows, that it might as well be his greatest work ever.
Greater even than if he becomes the best doctor in the world.
It really feels that way. When something as simple as a raised glazed donut, or running his fingers just so over the seat of a bike, or ... sometimes summing up a book just with that twist in a single sentence could ease up or chuck pain to go sulk on its own in the corner...
Well. He just keeps on keeping on, the only way that breathing doesn't hurt too much to go on trying.
Loud. Obnoxious. Mischievous. Lecherous. Observant, way too observant.
Incurable. Shameless.
It's who he is.
And if you try to keep from laughing, just because you know he'll be doing that... well. One way or another, he's gonna get you. And the more you resist, the more absurd what he gets you with will be.
Watch out for water, tea, or alphabetic noodles sprouting out of your nose.
Don't say I didn't warn you.
Muse: Reid Garwin
Fandom: The Covenant
Word count: 726