Finding Cloe
Beaner-Bop
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A/N: La la la…
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Disclaimer: 'Allo!
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Chapter Three: Not Beautiful
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Ved heard a knock on the door and got up to answer it.
What was behind it was more shocking to him than seeing Ram wearing a dress with a pink wig…that was previously used and not sanitized in anyway.
It was a woman - an OLD woman.
She had a wrinkly face and gray hair. Ved's mouth imitated a fish's for a while before he just shut it and looked at her with wide eyes.
She smiled at him kindly before motioning them to the bed to sit. He did so quickly, having begun to feel the sudden sensation that it was time to fall now.
"How are you, Ved?" He opened his mouth to answer, but nothing came out. She smiled still, "Take your time."
"You're-You're old!" His eyes widened and he brought his hand up to slap it then kept it there. He looked at her nervously to see how she took the comment. Bringing his hand off his mouth he started apologizing profusely, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to - I mean, I was just surprised, and I got lost, and-" He kept falling over his words but the woman just kept grinning at him kindly.
"That's perfectly alright, Ved, I understand. I'm probably the oldest person here." Ved took 'here' to mean 'everywhere'. "So, I'll ask again, as you have forgotten." He looked up at her, lost.
"Wha-"
"How are you?" Ved blushed and nodded.
"I'm - I'm fine, ma'am." She nodded.
"Good, good. That's very good. Now," She looked at him closely, studying the still somewhat damp clothes he was wearing, "What's a boy like you, who clearly has a tribe that he belongs to, doing here?" Ved was about to answer truthfully but in his gut, he felt something beginning to burn. Don't trust her! A voice came from inside his head, do not trust her!
Suddenly, he was assaulted with a memory of him and Jay in front of…Ram.
"What are the two of you doing here?" Ram asked, leaning forward, interested in hearing. Jay answered though Ved desperately wanted too. He could scarcely believe what Ram was offering to him! Technology! Electricity! He could already feel the keyboard under his fingers - and what else was Ram offering?
Food, shelter, and protection.
"We heard you were looking for recruits." Ram nodded.
"I am. Are the two of you interested?" He asked. Ved nodded rapidly, and Ram sent him a smirk. He followed the instructions Jay had given him earlier - let Jay talk.
"Yes." Ram nodded again.
"Good…Do any of you have any experience with technology?" Jay shook his head and Ved looked up at him like he was nuts.
"What are you talking about, Jay? I'm the best programmer at school! I've already made-" Jay put his hand over Ved's mouth, smiling.
"Yeah, I know. I just forgot. I suppose I don't have that much of one, but you definitely do." He looked towards Ram again, "I suppose he does, but I don't." Ram nodded, a smile coming onto his face - genuine. Ved could feel himself trusting him.
It had been ages since he saw someone actually smile. Not even Jay smiled genuinely anymore. He couldn't stop the grin he had on his face from growing.
"Tell me Jay, do you have any hobbies? Any interests of certain topics?" Jay looked confused, as did Ved, but they both seemed to just mentally shrug it off.
"I like history most. When I was younger, I was always reading things on the world wars, not to mention the civil war that erupted in the country beside us-" Ram was nodding happily.
"You like reading about wars? Do you read facts of them? Do you know how the people then…did things?" Jay was looking more confused but Ved was beginning to see where this was going. Jay got a job here!
"You mean like, the orders and tactics and weapons for what?" He nodded. "Yeah, I studied all that."
"Excellent." Ram stated, "You're both in."
"My tribe…it was beginning to do things that…" She leaned forward, interested, "…that I didn't like. I had to leave." He finished.
"What were they doing?" He pondered how to answer this question. He could lie, and unlike his brother, he was good at it. What he said before wasn't a complete lie though, so maybe white lie to tie up the pieces…
"They…were hurting people…for no reason." He reasoned this was good enough. She nodded her head sadly.
"There seems to be a lot of that in the world these days, it's just terrible." She looked away. "I best get going now, must wash up for dinner, as do you. Do you know where your showers are?" He shook his head, and she pointed at a door that was somewhat hidden by the fireplace (it was on the fireplaces right side). "I hope you're comfortable here Ved." She said before getting up. "Good day." He nodded back to her kindly, standing to walk her to the door.
"Good day."
He was alone in the room for another half hour when he heard a nervous knock on the door. His back was to it, he was reading a book he found under his bed and was to captivated in it to even put it down when the other person came in. He turned the page, then put his fingers in between the pages to save his spot before turning around to see who it was.
He dropped the book.
Cloe.
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A/N: Kinda short, but oh well…