daises cats and spacemen, c

He watches and waits patiently as she fiddles with the camera. It looks complicated and expensive, but she keeps her hold on it as she turns the screen to him. Probably for the better, because he has shaky hands and a jumpy nature. She starts flipping through the pictures, and they flash in front of his eyes like slide projections. He doesn't really react to any of them – they're pretty, certainly, but Jamie isn't particularly responsive to anything but the terrifying.

He nods. "They're nice." She hopes she hasn't taken his picture.

When she asks about his interests, Jamie goes silent for a minute. He isn't passionate about anything. It's hard to be passionate about things when your mind is constantly turning somersaults and waving lies in front of your eyes. But he has to say something.

"I like to… read." Which isn't a lie.

He likes to read, he just doesn't have the attention span for it these days.

@nan01

Star is very curious – Jamie doesn't like to talk about himself, he'd much rather listen to other talk. Even if he doesn't really care, it's easier to sit and pretend he does because he doesn’t know what to say about himself. He's hollow.

He isn't used to it either, he's used to not being paid any mind, and he doesn't mind it anymore. Jamie has always been the youngest, the wallflower of the family, and he expects to be the same wallflower anywhere he goes. Not for anyone to peel him off, dust him off and ask him about his taste in literature.

He stares blankly for a few seconds, he can't remember any book he's ever read. Is this a trick question? All he can stand to read these days are menus and road signs. He glances over his shoulder, at the blank slate of a sign behind him.

"Hardy… Wharton? Yeats?" It comes out as more of a question as he tries to dreg up some English authors. "Do you... read anything?"

@nan01

Jamie doesn't consider himself the intellectual type either. He used to be smart, but he also used to sleep. He just sort of stares back at Star, nods along. He can't keep his attention on any books, the words jump around too much, and he can't always keep his attention on conversations either.

He yawns, but he covers his mouth.

"Um, thanks," He said, a bit of a question in his voice because he isn't really sure what she's saying. It sounds nice and he doesn't know why she's being so nice to him. Nobody is ever nice to him.

Jamie bites his lip nervously, glancing back over his shoulder. One of the streetlights has gone out, and he stares at it for a moment before turning back to Star. "What time is it?" He muses. He has school tomorrow. That's probably in a few hours.

@nan01

Jamie's gaze trails off towards the horizon as if he's expecting the sun to rise any moment, in all its blinding brilliance. He wonders if he should scurry home before that happens.

"Maybe." Not that he'll be in trouble, not that he has to sneak in. Nobody gives him a second glance if he walks in through the front door while they're eating breakfast. He'll take a cold shower to try to wake up, it won't really work, and he'll trod off to school.

He just shakes his head slowly under her scrutiny. How much attention he pays to his classes is questionable, but at least he attends. He tilts his head slightly when she smiles, because she's only confusing him.

He doesn't really like school, nor does he see the point of it when he's already slated for the family business and that doesn't require anything they teach you in school.

@nan01

There's something wrong with his answer, he can tell that much from her reaction, but he can't quite grasp what it might be. His thoughts are all a bit muddled, the filter between his thoughts and words has a hole in it, and by the time school starts, he'll probably be seeing things. Again.

He just nods – however many times Star has fallen asleep in class, it probably isn't as many as he has. He can't help it;  when he hasn't slept for days he'll take a nap any time he can get one. Wandering around all night doesn't make him any less tired, but sometimes the fresh air helps, sometimes getting out of the house helps. Though truth be doesn't even know what does and doesn't help anymore – he goes along with the wavering and restless decisions that his body seems to make on its own. He doesn't ask questions.

Jamie is surprised at the offer, though he has no intention of accepting it. "My parents don't care." He replies bluntly. He doesn't even have parents here, really. His mother is dead and his father is back in Italy. The closest thing he has to a parent in Nova is Primo, and he's the sort of man who takes his nephew to his club, drags Jamie along on business. One day, Jamie is going to go into the business, and it's more important to teach him that than anything at school.

What he's just said is a strange thing to say, but he doesn't quite process the fact. He just thinks he should be polite. "But, thank you." He adds.

@nan01

He watches and waits, not quite sure what she's going to pull from her pocket and whether or not he should be afraid of it. It's a little rectangle of thick paper, and he reaches with spindly fingers to take it from her.

He stares down at it, but everything blurs and jumps around. He frowns, blinking a few times as if that might make whats written down clearer, but the ink spreads to the edges, no longer taking any shape as it creeps towards the edge of the card that he holds.

He drops it as if it has bitten him, jumping slightly.

Star is still standing in front of him - he glances up at her with wide eyes, then slowly bends over to pick it up. "Sorry." It's a business card with her number, is all. He sticks into the breast pocket of his blazer.

That's the final act of Jamie's freakshow, fumbling with a bit of paper. "Thank you. For everything." She has been nice to him, something he isn't really used to. He doesn't know if he'll ever call the number, whenever he's well enough to read it. Maybe he'll forget about it by the time he gets home, and find the crumpled card falling out of his pocket one day.

He says goodnight, and stares down at his own feet as he turns and goes back the way he came.

@nan01