the graveyard boy

"This is Bod. Sorry to have missed you. Leave a message and I'll either call you back or just come find you. It's a small dorm, it won't be that hard. Bye now."

One day, Bod hoped that he and Kate had enough of a savings, enough of a comfort cushion that they could possibly afford a house. Just something small that would be theirs. Something that they could fix up and decorate that highlighted their own likes and dislikes.

Something with a backyard.

Bod loved his dog. He loved Seamus but Seamus seemed to delight in staying outside when it was freezing outside. And while Bod didn't much hate the cold, he had to admit that his nose was frozen, his fingers were numb and Seamus was still happily sniffing the shrubs outside their apartment.

"Come on, boy," Bod tried to encourage, peering up at the apartment and imagining the warmth and light within. "Come on, relieve yourself so we can go back inside."

Seamus yipped and trotted down the path, sniffing shrubs and making no move to do anything but sniff and stand there. Bod shivered and tried to hide his face beneath his scarf a little more.

"I'm going to freeze."

Seamus barked happily.

[NFB but open for calls/texts/visits/anything]

Bod remembered it was his birthday about fifteen minutes after he'd woken up. He'd been in the shower when it'd just popped into his head and he'd spent a few seconds just staring at the wall. Apparently, he was twenty one now and he had to marvel at how quick time had passed.

He'd finished his shower, dressed and was now in the kitchen, making some coffee. Seamus moved around his feet, rubbing against his ankles and hoping he was going to be the next person to get attended to. Food was important, all right?

Bod knelt down and scritched Seamus' ears and gave him a few kisses before getting to work on the food that Seamus so desperately wanted. Then, maybe he'd think about making breakfast for the humans in the apartment. Was this typical birthday behavior?

Probably not but Bod didn't really care.

[NFB but open for the girl/calls/texts/whichever]

With Kate's change in jobs, it meant things were a little different at home. Not hugely different and nothing terrible but different nonetheless. It meant that Bod spent several hours at the end of the week making enough food to send her to the island with so she wouldn't only eat junk food and it meant making enough food for himself so he'd remember to eat when Kate wasn't around.

His Saturday night was a happening night. The kitchen smelled good though and Seamus was an excellent helper with the occasional yapping and getting underfoot that he tended to do. Bod didn't mind too much since Seamus was well behaved otherwise.

This week's food consisted of a lot of casseroles and pastas to pack up in a specially designed lunchbox that would keep Kate's food until she could get it refrigerated. All right, maybe it wasn't specially designed but Bod thought it was pretty innovative when he'd found it at the local department store.

Seamus yipped and Bod held a plain piece of pasta out for him. Seamus ate it happily and Bod laughed and went back to cooking.

[NFB/NFI]

Bod was pretty sure that he and Kate and Seamus were completely ready for Christmas this year. The (small) tree had been put up and decorated, the presents had been wrapped and there was some snow on the ground, leading to the thought of a possible white Christmas. Bod had baked some cookies and Kate had found the best holiday movie around to watch for the both of them: Die Hard.

She'd had to do some convincing to sway Bod over to the thought that that was indeed a Christmas movie but Kate was Kate and always won those arguments. So, that's what they were currently doing. Bod was asking too many questions about the logistics of the film while Kate was into it.

Seamus, for his part, was more into the tree. He kept sniffing the ornaments and pawing at the gifts so much that Bod missed a few parts of the movie while trying to get him away. Kate was more than willing to backtrack and watch again.

She even said that this was going to be one of their traditions! Bod was skeptical but he went with it. He had to admit that the movie wasn't bad. There was just a low of explosions and gunfire and walking on glass in bare feet.

Christmas Eve in Kansas City was on.

[NFB, NFI. Kate modded with kind permission!]

It'd been a quiet month at the shared Gregson-Owens household. Seamus was growing like a proverbial weed even if he was still a puppy. Work continued apace for both of them and they tended to spend the quiet down time together or with her parents or with the puppy.

They were so boring and Bod loved it that way.

Today, Bod hadn't had to work. Sundays tended to be his day off and he'd spent most of the morning out and about. He'd done the grocery shopping, gone for a walk or two into town to take care of some other odds and ends, and even helped some of their neighbors move some furniture that they'd just purchased.

He was finally making his way back up to their apartment, tired but pleased. He had a lot of reasons to be pleased but it was still so weird to be content with life in general.

He'd take it though.

[NFB but open for the other person who lives there and calls/texts as well]

So, Silas was visiting the apartment today. Bod didn't know how to really feel about that. On the one hand, he was excited because any opportunity to see his guardian was treasured. On the other, he and Kate had never really gotten along so that made him nervous.

But, things were different now. The past was the past and they were in the present where they were happy and had an adorable little puppy who was currently tugging very ferociously on a toy in the middle of the living room. Seamus really was the best dog in the world.

And Bod, well, he was in the kitchen, having a drink and waiting for the knock on the door. He wouldn't have put it past Silas to actually just appear in the apartment without knocking but he'd asked that Silas knock when he'd talked to him last.

Now, it was a waiting game.

[NFB but open for the girl and the guardian]

Bod probably shouldn't have been sleeping. There were things to do around the apartment and a shift down at the graveyard later in the day. He probably should have been awake and getting things done in a timely fashion but he wasn't.

Because he was sleeping. He'd worked late last night, staying to help the cemetery's owner with the books. There'd been a lot to do and he'd been exhausted when he'd finally dragged himself in last night. And he was going back today for more of the same.

So, he was indulging in a bit of a lie. Silas would, no doubt, shake his head and sigh at the boy but Silas wasn't here and this was Bod's life.

He burrowed under the thick blankets and pillows to keep warm. That was one thing their bed had in spades: pillows and blankets. Being warm was awesome. At this point, Bod was just a lump under the bedding.

And he was comfortable that way.

[NFB but open for the girl or calls/texts]

It was still fairly early in the day which meant there was still time before they were to head over to Kate's family's house which meant time to relax. Or, in Kate's case, time to try and bake a pie.

Bod was just going to stay out of the kitchen because he knew what was good for him. He was spending his time alternating between the living room where the parade was airing and the bedroom where he'd been folding laundry and getting himself ready for the holiday dinner.

Currently, he was standing in front of the television, arms crossed and watching the Rockettes with amazement. They certainly did kick rather high, didn't they?

[NFB but open for the usual stuff, of course]

Bod was never more grateful to have had a job in Fandom than he was when filling out job applications. He was also never more grateful to Silas for the same reason because he found that without experience the application would look very blank and without Silas, he wouldn't have any truthful personal information to fill in.

He'd picked up a couple from around the area and was now sitting and filling them out slowly because he was both trying to be precise and trying to put every single bit of experience down. He thought it'd help him stand out. The jobs varied from working in diners to working in bars to sorting mail and delivering things.

Bod just thought he'd apply everywhere in the hopes of giving himself a better chance. He'd taken over the couch for this process and looked pretty focus on the task. His poor hand was starting to ache from writing the same thing over and over again though.

[NFB but open for calls/texts/emails/people]

Even though he had no memory of it, knowing there was (or had been) a universe where he'd been dead was still a little strange to know about. But, he wasn't dead in this universe and most of the past week had been spent keeping close to Kate to make sure she knew he wasn't dead. He was alive and he wasn't going anywhere. And if she needed to cling to him or to have him be around a lot, he'd do that.

Right now though, he was in the backyard, doing some of the yard work that her father would probably do were he to be home. He'd mowed the lawn earlier and now he was spreading some fertilizer down and raking some errant leaves here and there.

It was a nice day and Bod didn't have any other plans. Maybe later he'd find a book and read it while he lounged on the couch. Right now, he'd just get his exercise and make sure the yard looked good while he did it.

Good plan.

[NFB but open for texts/phone calls/visits and people that are already here, of course.]

So, it was Bod and Kate's one year anniversary. And, after research and thought, Bod had decided to whisk them both away to a hotel that looked to be both luxurious, fun, interesting and far, far away with the issues they were both currently facing. The Madonna Inn was something Bod had stumbled onto accidentally, really. He'd been trying to find something new and different for he and Kate due to this being such a big anniversary and he hadn't been able to resist the allure of something like the Madonna Inn. He'd been saving money anyway for this day so it was easily affordable and he hadn't told Kate a damn thing about the inn besides the fact that she had to pack a swimsuit, had to be ready to be open minded and couldn't be mad if he kept this a secret for her.

They'd already both gawked over the outside of the inn and now Bod was actually leading them down a quaint trestle bridge to their room. The specialization of the rooms was something he'd loved about the Madonna Inn and after a lot of thought, he'd chosen this specific room for their anniversary. He hadn't been able to resist. And this room along with the other amenities, dining choices, and other activities the hotel offered would hopefully make a great anniversary outing for the both of them.

If Kate didn't like it, well, he'd book her into the jungle rock room and let her have her fun there. But, he thought she'd like this. He already liked it, after all.

[For the aforementioned anniversary mate and some serious SP!]

The weirdness of the island hadn't touched Bod this time around. For that, he was glad. He hadn't even ventured far from his room thus far. He'd gone out and gotten himself some food and a drink but he was back on his bed, sprawled out on his back with a book in one hand. He hadn't had a lot of time lately to just sit and read and he'd fallen behind.

So, he was going to rectify that this weekend. He'd already gone through three books and was currently working on his fourth. His phone was nearby though, able to be easily accessed if needed but he was otherwise feeling and looking like the quintessential lazy teenager.

[Mostly for a phone call but open post (though the door's closed)!]

Despite the early hour, Bod was feeling more relaxed and more together than he had since before the weekend of insanity. He still didn't feel great but he felt better. He didn't know if it was due to the distance from the island or if he'd finally gotten out of his own head but whatever it was, it'd helped. He'd ended up here immediately after his shift at the library and besides a few walks, he hadn't ventured very far at all.

He'd discovered peach fuzz on his face that morning which made him laugh some. He didn't grow facial hair easily but a few days without shaving left him slightly ragged looking. He didn't smell though since soap and water were readily available and he didn't want to sleep in a smelly tent.

He was sitting down by the lake, enjoying the cooler temperatures and wondering how long he could stay before he missed class. His mobile phone had a clock but he'd turned it off on Saturday and hadn't really looked at it since. If he missed class, he'd make it up, he supposed. There was an well worn but unopened book near his hip and Bod's attention was mostly on eating a few of the crackers he'd brought with him while he drank orange juice. It wasn't the world's most nutritious breakfast but he hadn't wanted to leave once he'd arrived.

Shortly, he figured he'd go for a brisk swim to wake up and then he'd think about leaving and hope the time away had helped solve the issues and annoyances that had been plaguing him. He wasn't sure but he was hopeful.

[NFB but open, sure, if someone has a reason to find him. His phone's off though so, yeah.]

Bod was awake. He was awake and fully aware but he was pretending he wasn't awake. If he stayed asleep, he'd stop remembering shoving Kate and accusing her of stealing his memories (really?) right before he'd gone into town and hit someone with a rock. That had led to pushing poor Juliet off the roof and Bod just wanted to die. He wanted to curl up and die and he wanted the blankets act as a shield so no one could see him.

Bod really missed the days when this sort of island weirdness decided to skip him and leave him normally. He knew his luck was due to run out some day and apparently this past weekend had been that day. Bod moaned and pulled the blankets up and over his head. His blanket fort would protect him.

He couldn't even really say it was unfair since he wasn't the only one dealing with all these memories and even if he was sure that Juliet was fine and Kate was fine and everyone was fine (though embarrassed and exhausted), it didn't really help him get his focus back. He would just stay under his blankets and sulk.

Sulking was a good plan...until he had class.

[Door closed, post open if anyone's looking for him.]

I'm gonna go ahead and toss this up now because tomorrow's probably gonna be insane and I don't want to forget. So, Hurricane Irene. You might have heard of it and if you're on my Twitter feed, you've definitely seen me talk about it. Well, that thing is gonna rumble over me come Saturday as either as strong cat 2 storm or a cat 1. Either way, it's gonna get nasty here.

I'm heading out to my dad's tomorrow (he's local too) just because I'd feel more comfortable not being alone when this thing shows its ass. But, the situation here after could be pretty bad. I don't know when I'll be back around because of damage and power situations.

As of right now, there probably won't be any evacuations (save for the super coastal areas) and the tidal surge isn't supposed to be awful. The big things with this are gonna be that it's the FREAKING SIZE OF TEXAS and it's gonna dump huge amounts of rain on us.

Seriously, this thing is bearing down (link jacked from notlikejack on Twitter). I'm not excited at all. Wish me luck!

Bod hadn't been able to sleep last night. There didn't seem to be a rhyme or reason for it which just made the fact that he couldn't sleep more frustrating. There were no nightmares, no lingering thoughts that needed to be dealt with, no worries that needed to be addressed. And that just made Bod unusually cranky. He didn't really like not being able to see potential answers to problems.

Before the sun had even risen, he'd packed a bag, packed his tent and headed off island. The private little spot on the mainland always seemed to help and he hoped that he either felt a little better when he was there or was able to fall asleep once the tent was set up and secure.

Once he'd arrived, the tent setup went smoothly and Bod had climbed inside with the hopes of getting some sleep. He dozed, which was good, but he could never quite fall all the way to sleep which meant his eyes felt gritty and tired when he eventually gave up. He rubbed at them and slid out of the tent. The sun had risen by this time and Bod wandered down to the edge of the lake, moving to sit down and stretch his legs out until his toes hit the chilly water.

Autumn was coming soon and then winter. The water was already cooling down in preparation. Bod shut his eyes and just enjoy the chill of the water on his toes and the sun on his face. He had no idea why he was so out of sorts today but something was there. Hopefully it revealed itself soon.

[NFB but open for calls/texts/random visitors, sure. Early morning creativity hi-yah!]

Bod could have easily stayed around the cottage for the entire time he and Kate were there but he knew there were amazing things to see all over the Big Island. And while he could have easily called for a taxi to get them to a few other places around the Big Island, he'd convinced Kate to go for a hike on the promise that the view would be brilliant and that they'd have the chance to see go swimming on a black sand beach. That had been enough to convince her so they were on their way up to Pololu Valley Lookout

Bod was carrying their bag of things on his back but made sure Kate was walking in front of him in case she slipped or needed help because of her hand. Everything seemed to be going just fine though and Bod knew they were almost at the summit where they could enjoy the sun, eat, and take pictures before heading back down to the black sand beach.

"We're almost there," Bod said, stepping up behind her and resting a hand on her back. "It'll be worth it, I promise. You can get a suntan."

[NFB & for that one girl there who's with him!]