Log }{ Complete }{

[oshutup.livejournal.com]

When; Saturday
Rating; General audiences approved? IDK guys lol, low-key log is low-key
Characters; Peter Pevensie and Charles Chuck Bass
Summary; Chuck goes to find Caspian. He runs into Peter instead. Nothing very exciting, but awkward is as awkward does...and formatting was a bitch so I gave up 8| haha...I'll probably go crazy and fix it later but this is up late enough as it is...etc.
Log;

Things have been quiet in the wake of Ed's departure. Though they will continue on, though it could be so much worse, it remains a fact that the absence of the Just weighs heavily on all of them. They handle it in different ways, each member of the household trying to do his or her best to not dwell or brood too deeply. Edmund is where he is supposed to be, technically speaking, and to Peter's knowledge, nothing of mortal harm can come to him for quite some time, as he is destined to return to Narnia one day. In theory, they are all there with him, or at least the blond is, while the girls are at their school, but the point is that the separation isn't as complete on both sides. The best they can do is to remember that one positive and if selfishly Peter would have to admit he would like Edmund to return, he can also accept that where he is, he will be fine, not just because they are together, but because he trusts his brother. They are not the children they used to be, in so many ways, and if anything, they are capable of taking care of themselves, together or individually.

This day he has spent trying to keep busy so far, considering going to see Merlin--but not--and visiting the library for an unnecessary amount of time, and walking through the wood without seeking anything in particular, keeping greatly to himself. This is something he probably should not do, and it is with that thought in mind that the eldest Pevensie is on his way back to the house. Spring makes the day clear and warm, no need for a jacket, and one would think he might expand his closet a little, but button-down shirts and jeans alone are still rather a new thing to him, and clothes are just clothes. What's the difference? Well, he would admit that he is glad to be rid of the tie and not having to do up the topmost buttons (that being too much like school uniform and the stifling quality that goes with it.) Half way across the vast front lawn, he notices someone else approaching, still a good thirty feet or so away, and he pauses, turning to stare at the figure pointedly, trying to figure out who it is. A friend of someone's, he supposes. If there is a brief flash of protectiveness if this is a friend of Susan's or Lucy's, well, that's just normal. It's his prerogative as older brother, or something to be on the defense and a little assuming. He could as easily be a friend of Caspian's or someone Reepicheep met, the blond reasons further, and then it occurs to him that maybe it is one of Edmund's acquaintances and his brow furrows. The bearer of bad news is not a fun role to play, but if that is the case, then he will do so as well as he can. Watching the still approaching person, he digs his hands into his pockets absently.

Chuck wasn't entirely sure if he was doing the right thing. Getting
used to people actually *wanting* to get to know Chuck Bass was enough
of a challenge. Chuck realizing he actually *liked* people that
weren't his family or Nate... He found himself being nice to people he
should consider complete strangers. It was unsettling at best.

It didn't change the fact that after their conversation, Chuck wanted
to show Caspian at least some parts of New York, if he couldn't take
his newest friend out on a night of clubbing. The book he was holding
was the best he could find in the City's bookstore. Full of colorful
pictures, showing every side of New York. From night sky, to Upper
East Side, to even Brooklyn. It even had one photo of the Palace
Hotel, which made Chuck mark the page and make a small note "Chuck
lives here". Not the most mature thing to do, he wasn't afraid of
admitting that, but it made Chuck smile. And Caspian would probably
react in a similar fashion.

He noticed a blonde boy, in a close proximity to the house and he
slowed down. Did he got the right house? Impossible. Getting lost was
Nate's, the other one, domain. Chuck Bass was never lost.
He slowed down, frowning, not recognizing the boy. He was Chuck's age,
maybe. His clothes looked more or less like Chuck's, so maybe he was
in luck and they were from a similar enough world.

"Hi," he said carefully. "Is Caspian living here?"

With a shallow nod at the stranger, Peter stayed where he was while the other person finished his approach.

"He does," he affirmed, a little relieved to find that it wasn't one of Edmund's friends, and simultaneously realizing he would have to try to take care of that in some way as well, as a courtesy to those who did know his brother. Filing that way on a mental to-do list, the blond tilted his head slightly. "He lives with us," he clarified as to why he was there too and then offered with an outstretched hand, "Peter, Peter Pevensie." All the other parts, details of title and so on, that could go with that name, he left out, a vague level of wryness to the absence, waiting for the still nameless individual to return the gesture.

Chuck noticed that the other boy, Peter, seemed somewhat preoccupied.
But he didn't really care for the reason; he befriended enough
people. And he was never desperate for attention...

He shook Peter's hand after a moment of hesitation. This guy was after
all living with Caspian. Being decent was probably among the things
Caspian would ask of him. "Chuck Bass," he said. His tone clearly
suggesting this should be enough of introduction. He still couldn't
get rid of the habit of assuming that people will know who Chuck is,
*how* Chuck is, immediately after hearing his name.

"I... was wondering if Caspian is around..."

Hand falling to his side again, the blond arched a brow.

"No, he's not," and this was something of a white lie, because Peter well knew the Telmarine was upstairs speaking with the Valiant, but considering all that had happened so recently, he had no guesses what they were talking about, and took the authority upon himself to have them uninterrupted, even by a friend. "Did you want to leave a message for him or something?" he prompted after a few moments, arms now folded casually across his chest, eyes still ever neutrally on the brunette.

There was something off, but Chuck didn't know Peter well enough to be
able to tell in no uncertain terms that he was being lied to.

So Caspian wasn't around... And now Chuck was faced with a dilemma.
Give the book to Peter, hoping it would get passed along. Or return
later. Even bring it with him to the next sword lesson.

He looked down on the book and handed it to Peter. "If you could just
give it to him…Cas mentioned he wanted to see New York and that Aslan
of his isn't so open about traveling between dimensions... I figured
he'd like to see it anyway..." he shrugged, trying to be casual about
it.

"Sure," was the simple agreement as he accepted the book, eying it a little curiously in spite of himself. Thumbing open briefly, he could tell it was from a time ahead of him, even having never been to New York. Interesting. Maybe he'd borrow it from Caspian afterward for a closer glimpse. For the moment, he closed it again before returning his focus to one, Chuck Bass.

He had the vague feeling that maybe that meant something where he was from, but as Peter was not from that time or place, he had both little idea what that might be or reason to care. As for Aslan’s take on traveling between worlds, well, if there was one thing Peter tried not to think about at all—and there are actually a few—that would be it, and let it look that way, he thought, not commenting further. That this Chuck or Charles or whatever spoke the name so blithely was enough to prick a nerve, but being seemingly new and as most people so far, ignorant of his existence altogether, Peter couldn’t really blame him for it. In addition, he was a friend of Caspian's, and that was something. Turning the name over in his head, trying to remember if the Telmarine had mentioned him before, he blinked before peering more pointedly at the other man. "Chuck, sometimes known as Charles?" He could as easily have asked if he was one of the people Caspian was giving lessons in swordsmanship to, but that wasn't the question that came out first.

Chuck smirked before he could stop himself. He remembered immediately
under what circumstances Caspian called him 'Charles'. He didn't have
to be cursed to be completely amused by the Telmarine's blush and
oblivious behavior.

"Yes," he confirmed. "That's my name. I don't use it often though."
More like never. It was other people who used it. Mostly when he was
in trouble. "I take it Caspian talked about me..."

It didn't take a genius to notice the mild sense of self-satisfaction in Chuck's tone, but among many other things, Peter had mastered the art or ignorance of breezing past such things without so much as the quirk of a brow. Sometimes, or even often, he did not, choosing to up the challenge, but in this case, not really knowing this person beyond their status as one of Caspian's students and probably friends, the blond refrained from the usual dry remark he might make about that tone.

"He mentioned you are under his instruction, yes," he replied, still bordering on passively neutral, but anyone who knew Peter would be able to tell he was just doing what he preferred to usually, given the opportunity----assess the company, figure out something about them without asking, There was a note of curiosity piqued already at the self-assured way this person carried himself, but Peter chalked that up to what could potentially be ego alone, something he was familiar with, if unimpressed by. They probably looked a little odd, having a conversation in the middle of a lawn that might as well be a field, but few people wandered out here, so there was, as usual, no one to see the unplanned meeting anyway.

Unaware of the fact that he had met a person who was perfectly capable
of meeting every possible remark Chuck could've make with their own,
Chuck only smiled.

Trust Caspian to be vague about things, obviously the Telmarine was
practicing the silent and mysterious routine with others, not giving
information he wasn't ready to share. Chuck wanted to shake his head
at the wording Peter used. It was similar to the way Caspian spoke and
it made Chuck wonder if this Peter was equally oblivious in the some
areas of social interactions.

"That's one way to put it," he agreed, though he would really call it
Caspian making Chuck's life miserable. Semantics.

Funny to think that if Chuck had phrased it that way back to Peter, Peter probably would have laughed and brought the matter to Caspian himself, all accompanied with an amused half smile and pointed inflection that would say, really now. Not being able to read minds however--and thank goodness for that--the blond still found something to be entertained by in that phrasing, a slight arch of his brow indicating this.

"And the other way of putting it?" he inquired, having some idea of the reply. Never would the blond consider himself on the same level of social obliviousness as Caspian X. Then again, it could easily be translated as actually meaning that he didn't care enough to notice the difference or similarity. He hadn't remained a rather resilient and insistent bachelor for fifteen years in Narnia for nothing, a fact his sisters knew well, and Ed too, and Caspian even to a certain extent, though there yet remained stories for telling on that matter.

Chuck shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets. Various answers he
could give, running through his head. There was the one about being a
pincushion. And the one about being a victim of Caspian's sadistic
tendencies, but in all honesty he couldn't blame the Telmarine for
being enthusiastic. Like a puppy, really. With knowledge and skill to
kill people. And an unhealthy obsession with his hair.

"Cas... he's very enthusiastic about those lessons," he said instead.
"I just go with the flow," again with a shrug. "And he's a difficult
man to say no to," he found himself adding. More to himself than to
Peter, though. Maybe trying to excuse himself why he was still taking
the lessons, when there were other ways to spend your time with a
friend.

Cas? Really. Well, that was different. No, wait. Karolina had called him that as well. Peter never even tried it, finding the shortening of Caspian's name a little unnecessary, as it wasn't long to begin with, and unlike Pete, it didn't really stand well on its own, in the blond’s opinion. Technicalities. Bias. Anyway, other than a cursory interest in the Telmarine's undertaking, he held little attention to it, nodding absently.

"He knows what he’s doing, if that makes you feel any better," the compliment sounded more like a fact. "But if you at any point didn't want to continue, he would certainly rather you tell him so than not," came the pointed other truth, a mild if meaningful look sent current company's way, as if to also say, trust me, I know what I'm talking about or the like.

"I know," Chuck laughed at that. The way Caspian asks him after each
lesson if he wants to continue... Despite Chuck telling him
every time he should wait with that question until Chuck can
move, can breathe again. "But right now he's more of a challenge. And
I... don't back down from a challenge that easily," he admitted
freely. He prided himself in that and he saw no problem in sharing that
particular information with Peter.

He looked around hoping Caspian would be coming home soon, at the same
time wondering if he should come up with an excuse to stick around for
a moment or two.

"Something he can appreciate," the blond nodded at the remark about not backing down from a challenge, not reading into it, though some people certainly might. Such things, though, Peter Pevensie was and would seem to remain blissfully oblivious of, unfettered by double social meanings, if sometimes only be sheer, dumb, luck. In this case it was more just the fact that Chuck's tone was lost on the High King, but listening all the same, he watched as the other man looked around. Then he sighed.

"I'll tell him that you were by, and deliver this," he waved the book pointedly. "But he seems like he'll be occupied for a while yet," and with that he hoped to have made it clear enough that waiting around, if Chuck was considering it, was not an option, not today at least.

Chuck knew when he was being sent away. Years of experience with his
father, you might say. Chuck nodded. "It's okay, I have some other
errands to run, anyway," he said casually. "I'll see him next week at
the Academy," at the latest. And there was the Network. Though in all
truth, he wanted to see Caspian's face when he got the gift. It was
half of the pleasure when you were bothering with gifts.

"It was nice meeting you," he nodded at Peter. It was polite thing to
do, safe choice given that he didn't know the boy well and he didn't
know how Peter could impact his friendship with Cas. Better safe than
sorry.

"I'm sure he'll contact you before then," he replied, half to Chuck, half to himself, knowing how the Telmarine chose to follow up on things, and not with a week in between them happening.

Nice meeting you.

To that courtesy, Peter bowed his head forward just a fractional amount, enough to say he acknowledged the words without returning them, but noting them clearly. Though he offered to deliver the book, the blond supposed it would be better for Chuck to do so himself next time, but as he had taken the hint to depart, he didn't call him back, just adding another mental note for 'next time' supposing there was one. Glancing just once at Charles (Chuck) Bass, or rather, his retreating back, Peter brushed off the slight awkwardness of the entire conversation and turned back toward the house, book in hand.