We work to become; not to aquire. --- Elbert Hubbard

[kent-whitman.livejournal.com]

Monday, June 4th
The cafe', afternoon

The waitress drops off another soda, and I flash her a smile and take a gulp before going back to my sketching. Spent the morning in my office, talking over the prospective ideas for expanding the school house. Now that the town is growing, there really is a need for more than just the one room. The question is; do we build on to the existing school, or build a whole separate building?

I've already sketched out the general idea for building the addition, and set that to the side. But there's a old barn not more than half a mile past the Dormouse. With the right floor plan and enough work, I think it could be converted into a beautiful school, probably for the older children. I find a clean piece of paper in my bag, and start tracing out the general shape. A large, open room, plenty of light, yes.

Besides the school expansion, I also have a meeting later this week with the Abbey. The Titus family just moved out of town, leaving behind their old mill up the river. No one has bought the property yet for it needs work, but if the abbey is looking to expand their cider production, I am sure a arrangement can be made all around. My mind is whirling as my pencil moves across the paper, the soft scratching of the graphite making a pleasing sound...

"Another soda, Kent?" What...? I look up at the waitress, only to realize a good hour has passed and I finished off that glass. "Yes, and may as well bring me a sandwich, too." I say as I sit back a bit to study what I've come up with so far. Not bad, not bad at all. I almost cannot wait to start actually building it.

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[nunaunet.livejournal.com]

To say I ain't pleased to be back in this damn town'd be an understatement, ayuh. Been an interestin' couple of yeahs, had some good times. Some bad an' all, that's always the way on the road, but I've been glad of them. The extra time Management gave me. Nevah been this old in this body befoah, an'm glad to have done it. Now, though, I'd decided I was ready to start again. So I chose a man to go to bed with, an' now'm as big as a hippo, comin' closah to the day I'll give birth to myself. An' now we'ah back in Excolo?

Come into town all mad. Way I look at the moment's all woman, far's most folk can tell, what with the big breasts an' the biggah belly. Oddest looks I get lately are cos it ain't usual to see a woman well into her forties knocked up. Makes a pleasant change. Go into the cafe, looks the same as befoah, an' hiss as I see someone I recognise too - bastard who left Wanda to die. This place really ain't changed. Give him a dirty look an' go sit down far away.

[kent-whitman.livejournal.com]

It has been a long time since I felt eyes boring into me. It happened more than I would like to recall about three years ago, but those that were not close to Wanda figured we reconciled. And then the others, well... it was explained. I am not Him.

Look up to see a very pregnant black woman glaring at me as she goes by and takes a seat. Chew on the end of my pencil as I struggle to put a name to the---

Oh. Oh! Well, this is awkward. Oh course they would not care for me overmuch, and they would not have been informed--

I probably would do best to leave things be, but I clear my throat and look over to them when I speak. "Wanda and Rose will be happy to see you, Nu."

[nunaunet.livejournal.com]

He daring to speak to me? My pie comes an' I jab at it with a fork.

"Like you care if they'ah happy," I mutter. "Don't you get bored of causing folks trouble?"

[kent-whitman.livejournal.com]

"Making sure they are happy has been one of my main concerns for the past two and a half years or so," I comment back dryly as my sandwich is set on the table.

"Don't you get bored of causing folks trouble?"

Consider the question as I take a bite of my turkey club. "Depends on the type of trouble, I suppose." Smile a little. "Do you get tired of mistaking one person for another?" I would really hope someone of Nu's... heritage would be able to tell if they were speaking to another non-human being.

[nunaunet.livejournal.com]

"Making sure they are happy has been one of my main concerns for the past two and a half years or so."

Snort at that.

"Ayuh, sure you'ah real good at playing the husband an' fathah when it suits you," I say. That mean Wanda's taken him back? Well, shit.

"Depends on the type of trouble, I suppose. Do you get tired of mistaking one person for another?"

Give him a mean look.

"Given the circumstances when we met, I ain't evah gonna forget you," I say, thinking of Wanda neah bleeding to death.

[kent-whitman.livejournal.com]

I let the comment about playing at father and husband roll off of me, I got that enough from the causal observers that it's not really a insult anymore.

"Given the circumstances when we met, I ain't evah gonna forget you,"

Now that does sting. That night is burned into my memory, and is as abhorrent to me as it is to them. I would never have done that, but I was not... me when that happened.

I count to ten in my head before opening my mouth. I apparently can have a very cruel tongue when I am irritated. I do get up and cross the café to where they sit, glaring at me.

"You met Rose's father on the night she was born..." I say quietly. the cafe' is not crowded, but it's still not a topic of community conversation. "And it rather sucks having that memory stuck in my head. But I was not there. I did not arrive in Excolo properly until three years ago come September. Around the time they had all that trouble over at the Abbey with the nightmares and dreams, and the carnival rolled out?"

[nunaunet.livejournal.com]

Stiffen up when he comes ovah, an' I glare at him.

"And it rather sucks having that memory stuck in my head. But I was not there. I did not arrive in Excolo properly until three years ago come September. Around the time they had all that trouble over at the Abbey with the nightmares and dreams, and the carnival rolled out?"

Narrow my eyes an' look at him. True enough, he don't feel quite the same as he did when we first met. But I know that monstahs are pretty good at hiding themselves, often enough.

"You claimin' you ain't him? So who are you?"

[kent-whitman.livejournal.com]

They give me a good, hard once over. Yet they do not take me at my word; which is fair enough.

"You claimin' you ain't him? So who are you?"

I pull out a nearby chair and sit down on it backwards, so I may rest my arms on the back. "Well, I am not Him, but I am Kent Whitman. The real Kent that... well, I am..." Realize I am not making sense. I rub the back of my neck and shake my head. Wanda was always better at explaining this, because in my head, I always was; not just for the last three or four years.

"Wanda wished for a real Kent, I appeared. When the wishes ended, so did I. Then Rose dreamed of me, and I was home. When Rose realized I would disappear again once the dreams and nightmares were over.." Spread my hands. "She did not like the idea of my leaving again. So she stapled me here in reality, for lack of a better explanation. And only in Excolo would this have any chance of making sense." I laugh a little, self consciously.

[nunaunet.livejournal.com]

Look at him, eyes still narrow.

"Hm," I say at last. "May I?" Reach out an' put my hand on his arm. I ain't psychic, but I can get a good sense of people from touch. And yeah, he feels new. Sit back.

"Believe you, I think," I say. "So Rose made you? Guess she's youah mother as well as daughtah in a way then, ayuh?" Raise my eyebrows a touch. "Must say, I ain't missed this town, but its oddities do keep ya on your toes."

[kent-whitman.livejournal.com]

"May I?" Nod as they reach out. Their touch feels no different to me, but it's enough that they sit back and the harsh look softens a bit.

"So Rose made you? Guess she's youah mother as well as daughtah in a way then, ayuh? Must say, I ain't missed this town, but its oddities do keep ya on your toes."

"Rose as my mother... now that's a thought I did not need." My eyebrow goes up a bit as well, but so does my smile. The thought of little Rose bossing us around, more than she tries to. It is amusing. "Can't speak as to who made me. Rose, Wanda... the other one." Hate the thought of that, and my smile fades. Shrug it off.

"So. If you haven't missed Excolo, what brings you back? I would think this would be the last town the show would want to come back to. Wanda was talking about walking out and if you were still there. Maybe talking to your managers."

[nunaunet.livejournal.com]

"Can't speak as to who made me. Rose, Wanda... the other one."

"You got strangah parents than some, ayuh," I agree, nodding.

"So. If you haven't missed Excolo, what brings you back? I would think this would be the last town the show would want to come back to. Wanda was talking about walking out and if you were still there. Maybe talking to your managers."

Snort.

"Doubt Management would talk to Wanda. Nevah know, I guess. Just tell her not to expect easy answers, you ken? They ain't straight talkahs." Sip my drink. "As for why we'ah back..." Shrug. "Wasn't told we was coming heah. Not sure why now." Pause. "Suah it ain't for no good, though."

[kent-whitman.livejournal.com]

Nu mentions my parentage and I can only shrug and forget it. Thinking of Wanda in any sort of parental way... just no. \

"Doubt Management would talk to Wanda. Nevah know, I guess. Just tell her not to expect easy answers, you ken? They ain't straight talkahs. As for why we'ah back... Wasn't told we was coming heah. Not sure why now. Suah it ain't for no good, though."

Mutter a small curse under my breath and shake my head. "Wanda's mayor now. She has a lot of people coming to her, scared." I explain as the waitress passes by and hands me my glass of soda from the other table. "And if you had no warning about returning, and think it's not for the best..." Trail off because my mind is racing in a million directions, none of them good. "If you don't think it will do any good I'll try to dissuade Wanda from talking to your management." I sigh. "Try being the operative word." I think Nu has a good idea of how pig-headed she can be.

Look down at their swell as I take a gulp of my soda. Remember that Nu is something more, He knew exactly what, but I only have an inkling. "How much longer do you have to go? Anything you need, or Wanda can do for you?" I ask, and wonder if their being here in town right near the time of Nu giving birth is a coincidence.

[nunaunet.livejournal.com]

"Mayor?" Raise my eyebrows. "Things have changed. Good for Wanda," an' my voice is warm. "You can tell Wanda our Management ain't like folks you can reason with. They is... different. In a lot of ways. An' I know she thinks she knows different, but not like them. Theah ain't no one like them."

"How much longer do you have to go? Anything you need, or Wanda can do for you?"

"Soon," I say. "Wouldn't want to put a date on it," specially not to someone I hardly know, "but it's not long. An' I'll do just fine, don't you worry."

Finish off my drink and heave myself up.

"I'll see you around - wait," I say, and laugh. "Don't even know your name. They still calling you Kent?"

[kent-whitman.livejournal.com]

Nu fills me in a bit more on the show's management, and I make mental notes to relate it all to Wanda. And if they are even more different than what she is accustomed to... well. Shit.

"I'll let Wanda know I ran into you, if that is alright? See does want to see you and Zann." I ask as they finish off their drink and stand up. "And wait till you see Rose..."

"I'll see you around - wait, Don't even know your name. They still calling you Kent?"

Laugh a bit myself and stand as well. "Kent. Mr. Whitman. 'Ent. That jerk that Wanda took back, depending on who you ask." I make light of my odd situation with a joke.

[nunaunet.livejournal.com]

"Ayuh. You give Wanda a kiss from me. No tongue, though; she'll know that's your idea," I say, an' smile. "Will be glad to see Rose." Curious, too, though I don't say that. "I'll see you around, Kent. Glad you'ah a bettah man than the thing that had your face first."

[kent-whitman.livejournal.com]

I laugh out loud at the tongue comment. It certainly seems like this conversation is ending much better than when it started.

"I'll see you around, Kent. Glad you'ah a bettah man than the thing that had your face first."

"Thank you, I do try." I respond warmly. "If you need anything, look for the blur of red hair running about, or the purple house." Shouldn't be too hard to find either; Wanda tends to be everywhere, and we have the only purple house in town. "Have a good day, Nu. Nice meeting you, properly." Nod my head to them a bit, then remember I have my designs all over the other table and turn to gather them up.