[OPEN] "If I live to grow old, as I find I go down, let this be my fate in a country town."

[spycurious]

Who: Young Ben & YOU!
Where: The library/the kitchens & dining hall
When: Through the event.
Rating: PG!
Summary:

The Story: the library.

Libraries are like churches in that the nature of their usage casts the spell of a gentle hush over all who enter. Afraid and very alone, Ben seized the opportunity to seek refuge in the largest collection of books and written materials he's ever seen.

He walks the aisles on quiet feet in the clothes of a sensible New York colonist, dark and plain but well-made by thoughtful hands; good, stout garb for the oldest son of a reverend in fishing village. They are proper clothes for a simple life and the only familiar things as far as Ben can see.

His hands itch to fetch a book, any book from the shelves and he resists the temptation at first.

... At first.

Ben scans the shelves with his eyes until he spies a beastly tome bound in leather and stamped in Greek. Following a furtive glance, he pries the volume from the shelf, hoists the massive thing into his arms, carries it to a free table, and gingerly pries it open.

As the pages turn, the grief of his mother's death ebbs away as Ben loses himself in the Iliad.

the kitchens & dining hall.

Ben is a growing teenager and is therefore all too easily famished, so with a little exploring the finds the kitchen. It takes him a little bit to work out how these fantastical chilled boxes work, but before long Ben is piling a plate high with slices of sweet gourds, apples, and hard-boiled eggs.

It takes this fourteen year old boy two arms to carry the plate into the dining hall but he does so with pride.

Comments

dining hall

[beautifullies]

It's in the dining room that Claire spots a boy with arms piled high with food, and she recognizes the clothing. Similar to clothing she's so used to, and she steps forward to see if he's a newly arrived resident. It's only as she's about to open her mouth to speak that she realizes with a startling familiarity that this is Major Tallmadge. She's closer, and for a moment simply looks at him, catching those eyes, taking in the clothing. It's him, all right. Which means, undoubtedly, he's a victim of the event.

Clearing her throat gently, one eyebrow arches. "Are you planning on eating all of that on your own?"

She may be dressed in a way that makes sense to him, given where he's from. She's wearing her hair down and loose, but hasn't made the transition yet to casual and more modern clothing.

[spycurious]

Ben freezes when he hears someone clear her throat and nearly drops the plate when she speaks. A vision of his mother freezes him on the spot and he steadies himself (and the plate) before he turns.

"... I was taught never to waste food, ma'am. ... So. ... Yes." He rests his platter on the nearest table and smooths his waistcoat. He knows now that this house--this manor really--supposedly belongs to no one, but perhaps a Queen? He isn't entirely certain of the details. There also appear to be giant lizards stalking the grounds outside, and an ice box that summons all kinds of food.

Whatever the case may be with all these impossibilities, there's no excuse for him to behave poorly--and get caught. And of course, his mother and father always taught him to do good unto others, so he adds, "Perhaps you'd like to share, though?"

The momentary joy of food distracted him from his grief, but unfortunately the sight of Claire, although she's a stranger to him now, brought it back. It slowly drapes over him like a shroud, and though he initially looked her in the eyes, he turns his face away and shifts on his feet. There's more to his body language than confusion at a fantastical change in scenery.

[beautifullies]

Claire's arms cross loosely over her chest, noticing the change in him, the way his eyes shift and his body seems to tense. She wonders why but it doesn't seem polite to ask. At his offer, she does nod, smoothing her skirts beneath her and taking a seat across from him.

"Thank you, though I think the company is a bit more what I'm interested in. Have you only just arrived?"

She knows that isn't entirely accurate, but to him it is.

[spycurious]

Ben nods in answer to her question, though he decides to be more specific. "I visited the library and read for a little while. I also saw announcements made on a certain device..."

A device he carefully produces and rests on the table.

"...and then I discovered the kitchen. I thought, it would be alright to fetch food, if there was no one to ask permission directly available, and if this manor belongs to a Queen, then the Queen should accept that we may be hungry."

Ben calmly states his points, apparently already practicing with his education and debating skills. Though really, it's just a teenager's excuses for why he raided the fridge without asking. To punctuate this, he glances at Claire before he takes a bite out of a warm hunk of bread.

[beautifullies]

Oh, well he's quite the rebellious one, even if it means nothing to her. For all she cares he can take the food and the pictures right off the walls. "She does expect it, and as such you can have anything you'd like here. I certainly don't make the rules."

She looks down at the device and nods in understanding. "It was confusing to me as well. Along with the electricity and plumbing." Which isn't quite true, but she can stretch her tale a bit, for him, to find some common ground with him and gain his trust. "But you'll learn, the longer you're here, I promise. Though I hope you won't have to stay long."

She suspects this is an event, and so assumes he won't remain this young for an extended period of time, but one never knows about Wonderland.

[spycurious]

Ben tries to eat as quickly and politely as he can while he listens. Any work is hungry work for teenagers, even studying. He always swallows before he speaks though, because his parents taught him well. "I would like to go home. I don't want to leave my father and brother alone..."

He trails off and wipes his hands clean with a nearby napkin, deciding that line of conversation might not be the best one to have with a stranger.

"Sorry. I'm Benjamin Tallmadge, of Setauket, in the Province of New York." He extends a hand. He should probably be standing but he's not a soldier (yet) and he's also a teenager. He's doing well enough already.

[beautifullies]

Claire is utterly charmed by him, and she reaches out to shake his hand in return. "A pleasure to meet you. I'm Claire Fraser. And to be perfectly honest, I'm not sure where to tell you I'm from exactly. I was on a ship heading to Scotland when we were shipwrecked, my husband and I. We did wash up on the shores of America. Georgia, I think, but I arrived here still soaking wet from the ocean."

She rests her chin in her hand, elbow on the table. "What might put you at ease is knowing when you arrived here, time effectively came to a standstill back home. No one will ever know you were gone." She has no idea if he necessarily needs the entire welcome packet, not knowing if Wonderland will keep Benjamin this way or if he will, eventually, return to his adult self.

[spycurious]

Ben looks at first alarmed and then sympathetic. Being from a fishing village, he's no stranger to the sea taking the lives of those who dare to tangle with it. She continues on and explains this Wonder Land--a name that sounds like it's derived from a satirical novel.

If she's telling the truth at least, then he has little to worry about at home. It's a difficult concept to wrap his head around, but he seems to manage. "So when I go home," he says thoughtfully, "it will be as if I'd never left. Right? ..." He pauses very briefly and then, he summons the courage to mention it. "My mother died. She fell ill. I'm the eldest son, I should be there to help my father and look after my little brother."

Maybe some part of him just wanted to tell someone, like draining poison from a wound. It won't take the pain away, but it might offer a little relief. Despite his sadness, there is an edge of anger to his voice, not directed at Claire, but at the situation. It's only a hint though. It's evident and clear, but subtle.

[beautifullies]

"Correct," she tells him first, then she looks at him in a new light and she thinks of sweet Elias. So young and in the service, only wanting his mother whom he'd never see again. Claire's face immediately softens further, if possible, and she lightly touches his arm. "You will be. And she will be so proud of you, Benjamin. I believe that only by listening to you speak."

And she knows it because of them an he'll grow to be.

[spycurious]

Ben looks up at Claire, feels the touch of her hand, and suddenly almost reels from the pang of grief that strikes him. He scrunches his shoulders a little and like most boys his age, he looks away and tries to hide the swell of emotion threatening tears in his eyes.

"I..." He swallows at the painful lump in his throat, thoroughly embarrassed. "I guess you're right. She would be. I don't want to let her down too."

[beautifullies]

Oh, no. She didn't mean to make him emotional, and she tries to soothe softly.

"You won't. I have great faith in that, Benjamin. And I have a feeling this won't be a place you're stuck in for long. Trust me, I've been here long enough to know. You'll be back with your family soon." She refrains from saying that she promises because she could be wrong. But this is all too odd and sudden for it to not be an event.

[spycurious]

Ben scrunches his shoulders up again and stubbornly wipes at his eyes. He doesn't even know this lady!

But the more he tries to hold his emotions back, the more they threaten to break free. He swallows at the painful lump in his throat, nodding along with Claire's reassurances. "I-- I'm sorry. You--remind me of her, and I don't even know you. I-I feel so stupid," he huffs, just managing to hold on a little longer.

Just barely. Every little outreach, every kindness, pulls at it. As if beckoned, every part of his grief demands to be felt and experienced, painfully curling around Ben's heart like ropes and chains.

[beautifullies]

"You don't have to apologize," she says softly, pulling out a handkerchief from her skirt pocket and handing it to him. "And you aren't stupid, don't call yourself that," Claire chides quietly. Then, she decides to tell him something she hasn't told him as an adult.

"When I was nine years old, both of my parents died in an accident at the same time. I understand what it's like, to want to see them again. Even if it's in other people." One hand is rubbing is back now, soothingly, just like a parent.

[spycurious]

Ben hesitates, then reaches out to take the handkerchief from Claire. He tries his damnedest to hold out, but the admittance to sharing a loss, and the hand on his back are just simply too much. The tears come swiftly and it doesn't matter how much of a fool he feels himself to be, Ben finally lets out a sob, muffled by the cloth. The grief bubble up in him like a wellspring and tumbles out clumsily as he tries unsuccessfully to hold it all back.

"I--I'm sorry. I miss her so much..."

He cries, and leans against Claire's hand.

[beautifullies]

"Don't apologize," she murmurs, just rubbing his back. And then, she simply pulls him into her arms, one hand on the back of his head. "I know what it's like to lose someone you love very much," she says quietly. "You will always miss her. But as long as you try to be the best man you can, she will stay with you, Benjamin. I promise."

And then, like the mom she is, she kisses his forehead tenderly. "I know you'll make her proud."

[spycurious]

The embrace tugs at Ben's heart further, but it also soothes and he clutches at her skirts all at once feeling like a lost child, and a young man who ought to know better. After a few moments, he gathers himself together with a few deep breaths and he pulls away at last.

"...Thank you, ma'am," he half whispers, his young voice not quite steadied. He clears his throat. "If... I uh, if I can be of any help to you while I'm here, please tell me. It's the least I could do. You're very kind."

[beautifullies]

"I'm sure that at some point, I'll need someone to help me in my garden or the medical clinic. I promise, you'll be near the front of my list for people to turn to."

Claire smiles at him, squeezing his hand and standing to take her leave. "And please, if you ever need anything, medical or just advice, don't hesitate to let me know."

Dining Hall

[beardman]

[News of the new event reaches Caleb's ears and he realizes with a sinking feeling that he hasn't seen Ben all day. He checks Ben's room, the library, Gaius's stall at the stables, but he can't seem to find him. It's not until he peeks into the dining hall that he does, and - Ah, yep. There he is.

He'd know that gangly little kid anywhere, even if he hasn't really seen him like that in years. It's a shock the way all those memories come flooding back...]

...Benny?

[spycurious]

[Ben is enjoying a veritable feast--if a feast can be considered to fit on a single plate--when a somewhat familiar voice has him turning his head and him twisting in his seat.

He's already been dreadfully confused at the witchcraft drenching every aspect of this manor, though he thinks it's better to benefit from it and not worry too much beyond general curiosity. Now his best friend stands, peeking into the dining hall, aged and fully bearded.

Ben squints, chews and swallows.]

... Caleb? Is that you? [He jumps out of his seat to approach him quickly.] When did you grow so old?

[beardman]

[Still polite as ever, the little runt. Caleb knows at that age he probably would have shouted first, then covered his mouth as his manners caught up to him, but not Benny. What comes next though catches him off guard and earns Ben a bark of laughter.

Old?!]

I ain't that old! Listen, it'll happen to you, too, so better watch yourself, little Tallmadge.

[He starts off fighting a grin but gives in about halfway.]

[spycurious]

[Ben laughs and leaps at Caleb for a big hug. He tries to bear hug him, but since Caleb is the fuzzy bear here, it evens out to a good hug from a beanpole of temporarily average height.]

Look at you! Look at your beard! [Ben enviously feels at his own smooth face.] When did you arrive? Have you seen this dining hall? And the library, Caleb! I bet it's bigger than anything on the continent!

[beardman]

[Caleb hugs him back as tight as he can, resisting (but only barely) the urge to lift him off the ground.]

Ah, it's somethin', ain't it? [He strokes his beard proudly.] Me? Oh, a few months now, it's been.

Now how did I know you'd like the library? You bookworm.

[spycurious]

[Ben laughs and lightly shoves Caleb, though now he's big and grown up and far sturdier.] A few months?

It seems so impossible. [His smile begins to fade.] I've heard no one knows how to go home, but when you do get back, it's as if time stopped and nothing happened.

...Is it true there's no way home?

[beardman]

It does, doesn't it? But what they say is true. They'll send you back when they feel like it. If they feel like it...

[He pats Ben's shoulder. He hates seeing that serious look on his young face - It makes him think of all the trials this little Ben has ahead of him, and that thought hits him in the gut.

If only he could protect him from all that.]

...But now's not the time, I think, to worry about any of that. Here, why don't you finish your lunch and I'll join you. You can ask me whatever you like.

[spycurious]

... Sure, alright. Come sit. [There's an empty spot next to Ben and he pushes the big platter with the food on it over to Caleb after he grabs another hunk of chicken.]

I met a lady here. Her name is Claire Fraser. [...] She reminds me of Mother. The way she was. [Past tense, but before Caleb can ask him to clarify, he takes a big bite out of the chicken to excuse himself from answering.]

[beardman]

[Caleb does sit, but he doesn't eat. Lord knows that skinny beanpole sitting next to him could use a big lunch.]

Claire? Mm... I can see why she'd remind you of her. [He regards Ben for a moment, trying to pinpoint his age. Fourteen? Fifteen? Isn't this around the time that Ben's ma... Well, it'd have to be after, since he seems to know. Caleb isn't sure what to say to that. He wasn't sure what to say when it had happened, except to offer his friend a warm hug and a promise that he wouldn't tell anyone if Ben needed to cry. He'd mostly grown up without a mother, but even still he missed her sometimes. He imagined it was much worse for Ben, who'd had his mother most of his life.]