the graveyard boy

Even if he hadn't been outside much today, Bod knew the island had moved again. For one, there was no snow and for two, it just felt different here. He couldn't really explain it but it felt different. He'd almost miss the cold weather but he was happy not to have to bundle himself up just to hang around his alcove.

And hanging around was exactly what he was doing. He was sitting up in the small bed, reading a book he'd read multiple times already and enjoying the moment of quiet and relaxation he'd been provided this Sunday. He'd learned to take those moments where he could get them.

Things could turn around and surprise you so quickly. For now, things were good and Bod was content.

[Mostly for one person but open!]

Bod was taking his time in getting himself packed up and moved down to the cabins. There wasn't a time limit and they weren't going anywhere so his bag was open on his bed and he was sitting on the edge of his bed, back to the door.

There was a book open on his lap that he'd started to pack but gotten distracted with because he'd shoved Silas' unsettling letter in between the pages. Now, he was reading it again and still coming up empty as to what to do with it. The logical thing would be to find the address and see what was happening but that might also be the idiotic thing. He figured he could write back and see if that got him a response.

Or. Or he could do nothing and wait for Silas to make contact again. That would be the smartest thing but it'd also be the one that burdened him heavily. Curiosity was occasionally unwelcome. Still, he was reading it again, going over it with a critical eye and hoping the words gave him answers.

[Door and post are open. Yay finally home from work.]

There wasn't a lot happening today. Bod didn't have classes, hadn't wanted to go into England and hadn't done anything past getting up and retrieving breakfast from the common room earlier. There had been mail for him yesterday, mail from Silas that he hadn't expected. Most of the time, he got a postcard that had nothing but an 'S' in Silas' signature script.

The mail that had arrived today had been different. It had been a letter but it was...confusing. It didn't make sense and Bod was puzzling over that letter while he sat at his desk. It didn't sound like Silas. It was too open, too glib and far too detailed for someone that kept his life very private. Bod thought he was fairly close to his guardian but even he didn't know that much.

Something was wrong. Something was...off. Bod was squinting at the letter, peering closely at the handwriting and turning over the ramifications of what might be going on in his head. He'd be at this awhile, most likely.

[Door is open, post is open]

After his shift at the diner, Bod hadn't wanted to go back to the dorms just yet. He figured the weekend would be hectic what with the new students arriving and all the festivities that went along with that and with a free evening, he wanted to do something that let him stretch his legs and rid himself of the restless, distracted feelings.

So, he'd ended up in Georgetown. The sun hadn't yet set and the day was warm which helped his mood shift from nominally sad to something better than that. He spent most of his time walking, making notes of different places he wanted to stop into before heading back. Right now, he'd found himself inside Georgetown Cupcakes. Considering he'd taken a class this semester on cupcakes, he couldn't help his curiosity...and his hunger. As soon as he walked in, his stomach lurched and before Bod knew it, he found himself sitting at a table with five cupcakes in front of him.

They just all looked and smelled so good and the clerks had been kind and bubbly at him which Bod figured was a way to get him to buy things but it had been nice enough. Now, the trick with these would be not to make a total mess and not to shove them all in his face. He was a lad that had been raised on junk food so really, eating bad was just his nature. Later, he'd walk more and work these off but...cupcakes now.

[NFB but yeah, open for calls/texts/if you wanna find him, suresies.]

Bod felt like he'd jinxed everything by saying this week had to be better than the last. It certainly hadn't started off that way, not when his girlfriend had turned into a vampire and he'd had to run away from her and not when she'd returned to normal and then run away. Couple that with the heaviness he was still feeling over Katniss and Bod just felt...lonely right now.

Usually cabins alleviated those feelings quite well because you couldn't not feel like you were part of something when you were in such close quarters with other people but Bod just felt lonely and alone. He'd thought about walking into town to the graveyard after class but had decided against it for one reason or another. Instead, he'd found his way back to the cabins and shut himself in his alcove to have some quiet time.

He thought about calling and checking on Kate but her one voicemail made him hesitant to bother her. Times like this, he really wished he had a contact number for Silas but Bod knew his guardian wouldn't carry a mobile phone. Sighing, Bod picked up the cup of something warm and caffeinated he'd made himself and sat back on his bed. Apparently, he was just going to brood quietly. That wasn't his original plan but he was pretty high on it right now.

[Curtain's closed but the post is open for cabinmates and/or visitors, sure]

Eventually, the rain had to stop. Bod still believed that even if he was becoming less and less sure with each new day of rain he woke up to see. It was still raining today and it suited Bod's mood pretty well. He felt quiet and thoughtful, more pensive than not and he'd been dealing with all of that by doing a lot of reading and a lot of thinking.

There was an open book on his desk right now, in fact, but Bod wasn't really reading. He had his chin in his hand and was quietly watching the raindrops hit the window. The rain had to stop eventually. He found himself missing the sun and he missed being outside without returning absolutely soaked. Bod sighed and looked back down at the words on the page before shaking his head. He wasn't going to get any reading done.

[Post is for that one tired and emo girl]

After the events during the graduation ceremony, Bod had offered to take Kate off island for a breather from everything. When she'd agreed, he'd made a few quick phone calls, found a very nice place in Washington DC and was now opening the door to the executive suite. He'd wanted something big and spacious, giving Kate all the breathing room she needed and this seemed to fit.

Carrying both their small bags, he opened the door and gestured her inside, smiling. "I'll order the food as soon as we're inside and settled. I'm sure they have a big, soft robe you can put on since I do remember how much you like those."

And she looked might good in them too.

[NFB and for that one girl]

Bod wasn't that great a date organizer. He knew what sorts of things Kate liked doing but he also didn't want her to get too bored. And he wanted to give her a variety of things to choose from to try and encompass everything in one single day. Bod perhaps just needed to not think too much about these things.

Eventually, he'd decided they could spend the day in Georgetown. He'd never been there before and there were stores to shop in, cruises to take, places to eat and even some historical places to see if Bod was able to convince Kate to let him be a nerd.

Right now, they were just walking along the bustling streets, enjoying the warmer weather and the fresh air. They were on a date and maybe it wasn't the most conventional of dates but it was a date.

[For Greg Maxson's baby girl, please! NFB for distance]

The air from the window was crisp and cool which meant Bod, of course, had to be near it while he was inside his room. There was a box out on his bed in which he was packing a few older, worn books so he could store them and have more space for the newer books he'd been acquiring over the past few months.

When he went to put the box of books into his closet, his eyes caught site of another box he'd put in there and, for the first time in awhile, his heart didn't hammer painfully in his chest. Instead, it just kind of fluttered and he smiled. The box of books got set down and he looked at that box for a minute longer before leaving it be.

With the arrival of the spring season, he figured he could put some heavier winter clothes away now so that's what he'd proceeded to next. It'd be sad to put away his ugly hat but he figured he could find another, lighter hat that would look just as ridiculous.

[Post and door are open]

Bod's early morning trip to the bookstore had yielded seven new books. They ranged in topic from linguistics to geography to graveyards and Bod wasn't even sure he'd like a few of them but they'd been cheap and he'd had money and he couldn't really pass up a book.

Of course, when he'd gotten back to his room, the books got dumped out on his desk, making an already bigger mess of the clutter he had in and around his desk. It was a chaotic sort of organization but it was still chaotic and Bod was beginning to wonder what sorts of things he'd lost underneath all his books, papers, notebooks and other random odds and ends.

Without even realizing, Bod started trying to organize his mess of a desk. He hadn't realized he'd acquired so much over the last year or so and now it was all getting pulled out, looked at and organized. The organization wouldn't last long, he was sure, but he was proud of himself for the attempt.

[Door and post open, sure]

There wasn't a lot to do on the weekends. Bod had realized that awhile ago but just hadn't gotten around to admitting it to himself. None of his books held his attention longer for five minutes, music just seemed to be too loud and cleaning could wait till another day.

Despite filling up his life with employment and extra strides in being social, Bod still found himself bogged down by his thoughts every so often. Most of the more painful ones had been buried deep, only unearthed in his dreams or when he was at an emotional low. Still, that didn't stop thoughts of Silas or Miss Lupescu or even the Jacks from invading his mind.

Bod shook those thoughts away and got off his bed, heading to the window to peer out of it. It was bright but chilly, a perfect winter day, really. The snow from several weeks ago had vanished and he almost missed the quiet it had brought. At least then, he'd had an excuse for doing nothing.

Still standing beside the window, arms crossed, he found his thoughts taking over his attention again and now he was just watching the action out the window while thinking. Not very exciting at all.

[Door and post are open, sure]

Despite the slight hangover, Bod was actually feeling pretty good when he eventually stepped out of Caroline's room the day after. He'd slept later than planned (it had been a late night) and that, coupled with a very good previous night, meant even doing a walk of shame wasn't going to really get him down.

Sure, he knew he looked a little foolish, carrying both his coat and sweater in one hand and his shoes in the other (getting dressed had been hard with a hangover) and the bright light was hurting his eyes but it'd been nice to be close with someone again. He hadn't realized how much he'd missed it. Maybe he'd see if she wanted to do it again sometime.

For now, he was going to shuffle back towards his room, carrying clothes in his hands but smiling a little. It felt nice to do that again too.

[Look, it's his first walk of shame and I'm posting this just for the tag I can make. The post is totally open so you can catch him on the fourth floor, the stairs or the fifth. He's also gonna smell like a vampire STRONGLY if you're one to be able to pick up on that. If not, he just smells like a pretty girl. I'll be around for a little while then AFK for a few hours and the back!]

Bod hadn't done much of anything at the picnic yesterday. He figured it was warranted considering the previous day had been emotional and trying but he still hated the missed opportunity of meeting people.

With his first class of the week completed, he'd come back to his room and left the door open to both listen to the noises from the hall and not make it so quiet in his room. Previously, the quiet wouldn't have bothered him but he found it was easier and easier to think of things that made him upset if it was too quiet. There were a lot of things on his mind and a lot of things weighing on his shoulders.

He was trying to think of good thing, of productive things. His mind was going over his first class and the thrill of being driven and driving. He recalled his first day of work and some promises he'd made about getting more involved.

So, the door was open and the window was too, allowing some cool but fresh air into the room. Bod was stacking books on his desk, rearranging them into one order before deciding he didn't like that order and rearranging them again.

Mostly, it was idle work meant to keep him busy.

[Door and post are open]

It was the day after Christmas, it was snowing, and Bod was sitting in his room, brooding as he tended to be doing lately. Fortunately, he'd gotten off his bed and was now at his desk, book open on his lap. He was ignoring it though, choosing instead to watch the light snow fall outside his window. He'd heard the term white Christmas yesterday but it hadn't really meant much to him.

The light music coming from the radio on his desk only distracted him from the book more. That was probably a good thing considering it was one of the books Kate had given him. He hadn't even realized it when he'd picked it up. Hopefully that obliviousness would continue because it'd only depress him further if he did realize it.

For now, the book was just open and his eyes were on the snow. Maybe he'd go out later and take a walk. Maybe not.

[The snow is falling here too. Door and post are open. Happy snowed in day for me]

Bod wasn't sure what to think of the fact that the lights in his room had morphed into Christmas lights seemingly overnight. They cast the room in alternating shades of red, green, white and blue, making the room seem cheerier than it was.

The fact was, Bod was still miserable. The box of things from Kate was still untouched and Bod himself was sitting at his desk, head bowed and phone in hand, occasionally paging through some of the photographs he'd taken of her. It was silly, he knew, because it was only making him feel worse but he was only human.

Earlier in the day, he'd gotten a postcard from Silas with a few short words and an address. Bod didn't know if it was merely a mailing address or some place Silas was that Bod could visit. He wasn't sure he wanted to find out earlier.

He reached to brush some nonexistent hair out of his eyes, realizing for the fiftieth time that he didn't have floppy hair anymore. It was short and close cropped and strange. Bod dropped his phone with an exasperated sigh. He reached for the postcard instead and fingered it, figuring that was healthier than what he had been doing.

[Door and post are open, sure.]

Bod had been prepared to catch another portal to elsewhere should his attempt at getting back on the island fail. When it didn't, he breathed a sigh of relief and made his way back to the dorms. After nearly a week of camping and hitchhiking, he felt dirty and gritty in places he didn't even realize he had.

So, after making it back to his room (and giving an idle thought to Jacob's whereabouts), he stripped out of his clothes and went into the shower. He stayed there for a long, long while and only emerged when his pale skin was blotched with red from the hot water.

With the door shut and locked, he kept the towel around his hips and wandered around to unpack things and to peer out the window to make sure things looked all right on the island. Whatever had happened, everything looked...mostly in place.

He took a seat on the edge of the bed and closed his eyes, sighing. It had been a long week and he hadn't even been here.

[Door is closed and locked but hey, the post is open, if wanted]

Bod didn't know what to think about what he was seeing. From his view of the window, it looked like parts of the town were just...turning into a mess of walls. Add that to what he'd heard on the radio and Bod was beginning to get that uneasy feeling in stomach that tended to come along with some dire island oddness. The last time he'd felt like this, he'd ended up stranded in an awful world for nearly half a week.

He didn't want that to happen this time but he also...didn't know if he could turn away. He didn't want to end up as he had last time but if there was something he could do to help, he'd want to do that too.

For now, he was at his window, brow furrowed and mind moving quickly to try and figure out what he could do without getting himself into too much trouble. Everything looked calm if different so maybe that was a good thing.

Of course, since he'd had a late lunch that started to take effect at that moment, Bod found himself slumping down against the wall to fall into a surreal kind of dream.

[Door's closed but the post can be open, sure, if you wanna try and get in.]

Last night, Bod had made plans to spend today and most of tomorrow on the mainland. Waking up and finding it chillier than expected, he had to cancel those plans. He still found himself wanting to be off island though so he'd come to the mainland anyway. He just had no plans to camp out.

A hotel seemed like the next best thing and as soon as Bod had reserved his room, he felt a little better. Maybe he just needed a change of pace, a change of scenery. It helped that the room was large but quaint and that the lobby offered comfortable seats and a quiet atmosphere.

That was where Bod found himself now, tucked into a large comfy love seats with a book open in his lap and a coffee steaming on a table next to him. It was nice, Bod thought. He hesitated to think it good but it was nice. He liked it.

Camping could wait till a warmer day.

[Open if you wanna call him/find him. NFB for distance. I'm easy so go for it.]