Responsibility
By TickingPocketWatches
Young Lavi and Bookman
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This is a 2/2 story, so its short. But chapter 2 will be out soon. Its quite random of an idea, but that's how my brain works. Hope you like!
Tyki x Lavi in 2nd chapter. ::wiggles eyebrows::
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"Grampa?"
A small clear voice touched the ears of the aging man seated a few feet away from the youth. The rustle of leaves shadowed the earth where the man planted his station under the thick oak tree. Papers and books strewed around him with the Daily Press currently in his lap. He moistened his thumb with his tongue, then turned the page as the small child waited for a response.
The boy sat Indian style with a thick book in his hands and a white sheet of paper by his thigh, neatly written on it were reminders he'd most likely had already memorized anyway.
The wind blew meekly but enough to make the tree's limbs dance and sway over the man. After about half a minute, the small boy gave up waiting for a response and went back to his "work". It didn't bother him, for it wasn't nothing he was not used to. When his master was working hard or really transfixed on something, his small questions- unintentionally- wouldn't meet the mans ears. Then, there were times when the boy didn't want to do his home work and tried to find sneaky ways out of it, by talking, then did the man flat out ignore him. Knowing he would eventually get the hint and leave him alone. So the youth would just re-ask his questions another time. When it was suitable or necessary to the elder.
The child had managed to read the first sentence when he was called surprisingly from his book.
"I asked you not to call me that." The voice was smooth like the wind that blew around them. It was actually odd to hear such a strong voice from the elder but the boy found it at times soothing. Like the times when he would read the papers aloud for the youth to listen and quietly learn, but found himself slowly nodding off or just out right embarrassingly falling asleep. Needlessly said, it never ended well for the youth.
The cool words traveled on the wind to the boys perky ears. The red head looked from his reading to his Teacher. He slightly squirmed under the undenying tone of a bitter scolding lacing his words.
"Can I ask you a question?" The small voice asked, a little louder then before. Deliberately avoiding the old mans scolding, about the name the boy started to address him with. It didn't feel right calling the Bookman,..well,...Bookman, as dumb as it was, but he seemed more like a Grampa than a Bookman teacher to him, 'so it would be okay' the youth had decided.
Dark eyes scanned the boys face then went back to the news paper. "And what would it be?" He might as well hummed the words, they had came out so smooth.
"Why am I here?" A single emerald eye blinked innocently as the sentence slipped out in a childish tongue.
"Why are you... here, as in what, Evelynne?" His brow creased.
The youth laid his thick book aside and scurried under the tree over to his Teacher. Sitting by him at a respectable distance.
"I mean, why did you choose me?"
Bookman stared at the news paper. He wasn't actually reading it at this point, but he kept his gaze plastered there none the less. His eyes glazed over, mulling over the simple question.
"I believe it would be best to tell you when your older." He blinked away the glaze over his eyes and went back to reading. Thinking the boy would accept that and leave him be, but he should have known better.
"Why?"
The man sighed through nostrils. Attempting to keep focused on his work. "Because you're to young to understand right now, child."
"Why?"
"Because, Children need to learn the little things, before they can easily consume the big."
"Why?"
Bookman huffed and slightly dropped the paper in his hands in annoyance. He turned his attention fully on the boy and stared intently into his round single exposed eye. He held the adult -I'm warning you- stare. The boy stared back unflinching, waiting for what his mind wanted. Bookman, soon relaxed. Pursing his lips at the round sweet face with unruly red locks framing his chubby cheeks. He sighed deeply. It was hard to be angry at such innocence, for he taught the boy to ask questions and to be assertive enough to learn what his mind hungered...so how could he deny him?
"Because,...I chose you,..because,.." He stopped to think of a simpler way of explaining something so important to a six year old. "-Because, you are just right for the it..."
"Why?"
"You just are."
"Why?"
"I swear boy!"
Evelynne jumped and coward by dropping his head and squishing up his shoulders, but when the elder didn't further his scolding, He peeped his single eye back to him and tried a new strategy.
"Why am I learning sooo much?" He stuck his tiny arms in the air over his head then made a large circle around him. Displaying dramatically at how much he was being taught.
"Someday you'll be as I am now. You are my successor and will go on as the next Bookman. Then, after many years when youth leaves you. You will have your own student, who will learn what you teach, what I taught you and everything my teacher taught myself and so on."
"Oh,...O'day...When I become a Bookman, then who will you be?"
Bookman stared at the child.
"I will be no one. When you become the next Bookman. I will have passed away." His words came out monotone.
The boy chewed on his lip at the depressing words.
"Then who will take care of me? How will I learn if you're not there to teach me no more? What am I posed to do?"
Bookman blinked slowly at the boys small panic, but when he ran out of questions, the man inserted in, his voice an octave louder than the boys.
"You wont need me to teach you. By then, you'll have already learned to care for yourself and to gather information for yourself. My duty of being the Bookman will all pass on to you, so there will be no reason for me. It will all be your responsibility."
"But...but..." The boy stammered, trying to find an excuse for the man to stay at his side but came up empty besides his need for the elders love.
Bookman sighed at the childish manner that was being played out in front of him, but as soon as his apprentices single eye started to bubble over with tears, he had gone to far.
"What have I taught you about getting attached?" The words came out sharp, cutting off the boys tear flow instantly. Trained and getting better every passing day. He sniffled and rubbed his reddened eye. The elder stared silently waiting for the child to collect himself.
"To never to."
"And why is that?"
"Bedause," He shakily started, "...Fweinds and famiwy only cloud our judgment. We, the Bookman, are only here to observe and to collect knowledge for later historwy..." He chewed on his thumb after he finished his shaky sentence. Reciting what he was taught.
"That is correct. You will be the next Bookman and thats that. Do you understand?"
Evelynne wanted to hang his head and shy away from the elder but he new better.
"Yes, Sir..."
"Good, Remember that. Now go back to your study's."
The elder turned his full attention back to the paper. Leaving the boy to mull over the conversation silently. He took a deep breath before letting it out hastily. He looked back up and stared at his Teacher, who was paying him no mind, lost in the paper once again.
"What happens if it forgets?" He asked, taking a dangerous chance of getting even worse in trouble, but he did really want to know.
Bookman closed his eyes, sighing deeply. "What if 'Who' forgets?"
"My heart! I mean...I will wemember to not use it, but what happens if it forgets!?" He asked innocently.
Bookman shook his head, he reached out a hand and picked up a book from off the ground beside him and handed it to the youth, who took it questioningly.
"Then remind it," He softly said, eyes falling into a rueful stare. "Now, go and finish up your work. It's nearly time to start on dinner."
Evelynne clutched his book tightly, eye drooping wearily to the grass. His mind reeling with unanswered questions he really wanted to know. He stood slowly without another word and trudged back to his little patch of grass that had his belongings dropped causally on it. He sat down, laying his new book aside as he picked up the old one and flipped it open to the marked page he had been reading on. He sighed as he rolled onto his belly, reading in a more comfortable position. Not minding the way the feathery grass tickled the uncovered parts of his skin. He yawned heavily as his mind swayed from his book to his own thoughts. Wondering why being a Bookman had to be so difficult. Why couldn't they have friends? It wouldn't distract him that much from his work! it was all just too silly.
It was then, Evelynne decided that, when he got older and became a Bookman, he would make better decisions, he'd fix all those funny rules and make them better. He smiled to himself feeling much better already. He fixed his eyes back onto the words in front of him and started reading. Of course, he wouldn't break any really ' important' rules, but he could make them a bit more flexible, Right?
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Sup!? Did you like?! I wrote this a while ago and decided to work on it more a couple months ago...
If I get comments I'll post the 2nd part of this story! SO COMMENT! Thank you.:)