29 Aug 2024, 16:38
Time and Tide Wait for No Man
Place: Elizabeth Tower; the Great Clock of Westminster: Big Ben
Date: Wednesday, July 10th, 2024
Time: Midday
Staring up at the Elizabeth Tower, Kit studied the clock face of the Big Ben, amused that the roman numerals seemed to depict an 'F' instead of the letter 'X' for 10. Despite how many times he had watched Disney's Peter Pan - or, really, any version of Peter Pan - with his family, he had never noticed such a thing. Needless to say, it had been a lot of times.
London was so fascinating to Kit because his father had lived there for a time when he was younger, but he had disliked the experience so much (as well as the British) that he hadn't wanted to return. Of course, that had only made Kit even more curious about the city and its mysteries. It didn't help that his and his siblings' favorite stories also took place in or had to do with the city: alongside Peter Pan, there was Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The Chronicles of Narnia, A Charm of Magpies, Good Omens, and - Kit's personal favorite book series ever - The Bartimaeus Sequence. That series in particular made him wonder if it was written by someone who was involved in or at least was aware of the wizarding world's existence.
There was also a series called the Timekeeper Trilogy in which each town or city in that world had a clock and each clock had a clock spirit. The spirits were the clock and time manifested into a person, and if something happened to either the clock or the spirit, time was stopped for that clock's town or city and everyone in it. So, when people fell in love with clock spirits...problems tended to crop up.
It was so fascinating how so many stories had ties to time and its passage or lack of it - and how clocks were a visual representation of that time. Thus it made sense that the Big Ben was such an iconic symbol and famous landmark known throughout the world and humanity in general. Intrigued, Kit went to go sit at a bench and take out his sketchbook to start sketching the large clock.
@Astra Norrick
Last edited by Kit Paine on 6 Sep 2024, 13:34, edited 1 time in total.
When you think you're alone - that no one cares and you don't matter, please remember: You matter to me.
30 Aug 2024, 04:25
Time and Tide Wait for No Man
Today was the final day of Paige's conference, and while Elias by no means wanted to be left out of his New Yorker aunt's fast-paced recap of all things fashion, he would also much rather continue to sightsee as his family had been for their stay thus far. So while Brendon and Parker accompanied Paige to the venue where Elias was certain they were descended upon by fashion's almost-elites, the boy and Lance decided to take a trip to Big Ben. It was the major landmark Elias couldn't wait to see, and for some reason kept getting put off.
roleplaying as approved inpc elias travers
Eli's ASL + Eli's BSL + Eli's Writing + Eli's Speech
Lance's ASL + Lance's BSL + Lance's Speech
Well, the ever patient boy had burned his whole fuse, and he was determined to see the gigantic clock and "hear" it ring. He hoped his eyeballs wouldn't fall out from the vibrations. It had to be as loud as the sun, right?
Elias had to hold Lance's hand else he run so far ahead in the crowds he'd be lost to the people as they moved from bus stop onto bus then off of bus to bus stop and then finally to clock.
Why did we stop so far away?
I need to get my steps in.
You're crazy.
You're lazy.
Elias shook his head vehemently, holding back a giggle. Lance only nodded in turn, sticking his tongue out at his young charge.
All tomfoolery ceased, however, as Elias realized just how close he was to Big Ben. He stared up at the tall, tall tower as they approached the castle, walking right over the River Thames. Lance tugged the dumbfounded boy along, laughing still, a fond smile on his face. Come on, we can get closer!
They stood there, looking at it, way way up above their heads, as people walked, jogged, cycled, drove by. Elias didn't feel any major vibrations. Nothing to indicate the bell had rung.
Elias was starting to get a crick in his neck, but he wasn't leaving until he heard the bell toll. Preferably on the hour. So he tugged on Lance's hand and nodded towards some benches nearby, one of which was occupied.
Elias felt his gaze drawn to the young man occupying it, with a sketchbook in his lap and the most interesting eyes Elias had ever seen, one a bright blue that reminded him of pictures of the Caribbean and the other dark and deep like a black pool. He could feel Lance trying to get his attention, probably signing something to him, but Elias simply removed his hand from his and, trying to catch the stranger's attention with a few awkward almost chicken-like movements, then signed Your eyes are very beautiful. in BSL. He didn't want to take his pencil and notebook out of his backpack right now, plus he'd had a lot of luck with British strangers so far, meeting several nice deaf folks and some others who knew sign enough to hold a conversation.
@Kit Paine
9 Sep 2024, 06:07
Time and Tide Wait for No Man
Kit, who made a habit of people-watching and being on the look-out for even the smallest signs of peculiarity, was quick to notice a boy suddenly making some interesting movements in his peripheral vision and quickly shifted his attention from the Big Ben to said boy. He had thick, brown hair, and expressive blue eyes which gave Kit an impression of being kind, endearing the stranger to him immediately. His usual smile, which had dimmed to a faint, absent-minded one while he had been drawing, immediately brightened as if switched on when he focused on the kid.
While Kit recognized sign language for what it was, he had no way of telling American Sign Language from British Sign Language because he was unfortunately unversed in either. The most he knew of sign language was that of what some distant relatives from California had taught him of ASL in his youth, but it had mostly just been how to sign the alphabet and spell his name. Sadly he had forgotten how to do even those things.
However, that didn't mean the artist was about to give up on communication. Flipping his sketchpad to a blank sheet, he began to write on it before offering the whole pad - pencil and all - to the boy. The paper read:
Hello! Sorry, but I don't know how to sign. Would writing work instead? My name is Kit Paine, by the way. Pleased to meet you!
He also tried to look around for the boy's family, not wanting anyone to get concerned about him exchanging messages with some random street artist.
Elias Travers (@Astra Norrick)
When you think you're alone - that no one cares and you don't matter, please remember: You matter to me.