Stereochrome
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- Posted: Tue, 24 Dec 2013 23:13:13 +0000
- Clyde Kendrik || Classical Studies ♦ Literature ♦ Foreign Languages
Clyde gave the man a sheepish shrug, reaching for one of the small packets of salt he'd brought along and sprinkling the contents over his fries. A second packet soon followed, making the particularities of the boy's palate quite obvious. Not that there was anything mysterious about it -- salt, meat and sugar, those were a few of Clyde's favorite things.
"Aw, well. It's not really all that impressive, what I do. I don't think it is. I mean, I think other people think it is, because they can't do it. Read latin and know the first twenty popes by heart and that sort of thing. But it's not like they want to. I don't have much competition, see. I'm also not doing anything, you know, particularly useful." He looked sideways to the drawing and the wooden box that held the device which had started this whole adventure, tapping the corner of it with one calloused finger.
"There's an app for that."
He had the sense that Mr. Field was going to say something else -- but he held his hand up for silence before he did so. Shrugging again, he offered the man a rarely easy-going smile. Based on the way the older man had brushed off Clyde's enthusiasm about his own impressive accomplishments, he had a feeling that Mr. Field would understand his desire to leave the whole 'aren't you a clever little boy' issue behind.
"I, err, hope you don't think I'm trying to be ungrateful or anything. I'm just, err, not really here for praise. It's just... come on, isn't it just cool?" He gestured at the astrolabe drawing again. And, in case Mr. Field was having any doubts, he finished off with a confident nod.
"I think it's pretty damn cool."
Then, blissfully, they were off the subject of Clyde's apparent ambition and respectability, whispering instead about Mr. Roseberg. He'd had no idea that the man would be so shocked by this sort of revelation, and he wasn't sure how he felt about it. Did Mr. Field think it was wrong? Was that why he'd asked if it was normal for students and teachers to have lunch together? Was he, well, pointedly avoiding some sort of association that could be misinterpreted by the rest of the faculty?
"Yeah, well -- yeah." He shrugged, uncertain this time. "I think they live together, or something. He's got a daughter and... I've seen them together a couple times. I mean, I spend a lot of time around here, even later in the evenings and such, so I can't really help but notice."
He certainly didn't go out of his way to look or anything like that. And he definitely wasn't a little bit jealous. Nope. Not at all. Certainly not.