Running against the tides

[David Loki]

“They said they were my uncles and dad”

“They said they were”, not “My uncles and dad”, “they said they were”  subtle terminology that Loki didn't fail to pick up on.

“I had a mom too, and some sisters but I lived downstairs cause they didn’t have room for me upstairs”

Everything he was hearing wasn't right and raised so many more questions, but Loki kept an even face being careful not make Charlie aware of that, not while he was actually starting to talk.

“Surname?”

Loki saw the look of confusion on the lad's face, he genuinely didn't know what a surname was. That was a new one and said a lot in itself.

Loki's brow raised with mild astonishment as he momentarily lowered his eyes before looking back at Charlie, his hands and forearms gently rested his on the desk, “A last name.” He offered, in case Charlie knew it as last name rather than surname, though he highly doubted it.

“No?” He asked, shaking his head 'no' as he said the word, “That's ok.” He said, as if it was no big deal.  

Loki didn't want to throw him or make him feel abnormal. If he didn't know that his situation hadn't been normal then it had to be dealt with delicately, in the right way and at the right time.   

But then Charlie suddenly cringed and began cowering.

"They're gonna come for me, they're gonna come for me, they're gonna come for me"

“Oh, hey. It's okay.” Loki began.

He tipped his head slightly, trying to get the lad to make eye contact with him, “Hey. Hey. Hey.” He said trying to get Charlie to calm down and focus on him, “Hey, it's okay.” He reassured him.  

“You're safe here. No one's gonna get you here.”

He gave the lad a moment before he continued. Skilfully pressing the lad for answers without pushing him, “Can you tell me about where you lived, Charlie? What was it like there?”

He looked at the lad reading him, though he was sure not to stare in a way that might intimidate him  or make him uncomfortable.

“What were the people like? Were they nice to you?”  He gently probed, keeping the feel of the conversation more like simple chat rather than an interrogation.

Tag: @cal

[Deleted]

“Oh, hey. It's okay.” Charlie just about heard Loki speak, completely freaked out “Hey. Hey. Hey.” As Loki tried to meet his eyes Charlie hesitated between cowering more and trying to meet Loki's eyes, almost too afraid to even try “Hey, it's okay.” swallowing Charlie shuddered slightly “You're safe here. No one's gonna get you here.” there was something reassuring "They won't?" he asked curiously “Can you tell me about where you lived, Charlie? What was it like there?” Charlie frowned as if considering Loki's question “What were the people like? Were they nice to you?”  Charlie didn't know the difference anymore between the right and wrong kind of behaviour, he'd gotten so used to the way he was treated that he figured it was normal, well it had to be right? "They said that I had to stay locked up for my own good, cause I was naughty all the time. They said I couldn't go find my sister, that I was too bad and that she didn't like me anymore" though he hadn't directly answered the question there was a lot in what he had said without himself even realising it "Sometimes they gave me food, sometimes I was too bad to have food" he cringed again but this time held Loki's gaze, suddenly a little more confident.

Cal had returned from the fingerprint lab and was hovering by the doorway, watching. He was too far away to hear but he wasn't too far away to see, and he was watching everything - he'd seen Charlie almost freak out before Loki had calmed him down and decided to wait to allow the conversation to continue. He had a thing against walking right in when it seemed like a connection was being made. 

Charlie swallowed "I ran away so that I could find my sister, but then I got lost" he'd no idea how long he'd lived there for, let alone how long it had been since he ran away, he had no concept of time and date anymore, cause he never used it. 

OUT OF CHARACTER NOTES

CREDIT SAM !? of A Changed Hogwarts. Don't remove the credit or I will find you. LYRICS never gonna be alone - nickelback NOTES have anything to say?? WORD COUNT how many words? [/center][/size][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[David Loki]

"They won't?" Loki shook his head 'no' reassuring Charlie that nobody was gonna get to him. "They said that I had to stay locked up for my own good, cause I was naughty all the time. They said I couldn't go find my sister, that I was too bad and that she didn't like me anymore" There was so much for Loki to take from that answer, almost too much as his mind started methodically dissecting it as he sat their listening. Loki couldn't help but feel bad inside, his stomach dropping a little as his mind dismantled the different types of systematic abuse Charlie was describing without even realising he was. In fact he gave no true indication that he realized that it was abuse...only the effects the abuse seemed to have had on him were apparent the way he cringed and coward as he sat there. "Sometimes they gave me food, sometimes I was too bad to have food" Loki blinked hard then sat back in his chair. He gently rolling his fingers into a loose fist and put them to his mouth, almost shaking his head at what he was hearing. His body language and expression lightly conveying how he felt inside as he sat there listening, remaining silent as he let Charlie speak without interruption. "I ran away so that I could find my sister, but then I got lost" Loki remained silent for a very short moment, hard blinking a couple of times and nodding very lightly. He lowered his hand from his mouth before speaking, “I see.” He looked at Charlie encouragingly, “Running away must have been scary, huh? But you did good to get away from there, Charlie.” He wanted him to know that he wasn't in trouble in any way for running away from the house, and that he wasn't going to be punished for it, that he was in a safe environment and that he could talk without fear. Loki looked to see Cal back in the door way and he let him approach at his own pleasure. Charlie seemed to be growing a little more confident and he didn't feel that Cal's presence would affect that or he would have motioned for him to give them their space. He regarded the lad for a moment, there were so many questions to be asked but he had to take it slow, “You said you where going to find your sister, where were you going to look for here before you got lost?” He kept it calm, being careful not to pressure the lad. But if he had been so mistreated then there was a chance that his sister might be in the same situation and they needed to get to the bottom of it, however much time and patience they needed to take to do so. Tag @ Cal ~*~

[Deleted]

“I see.” Charlie watched cautiously, carefully “Running away must have been scary, huh? But you did good to get away from there, Charlie.” Charlie shrugged, he remembered vaguely something about running away, it seemed familiar somehow - but he’d no recollection or understanding of why he felt it was familiar.

Seeing Loki look his way Cal gave a discreet nod before strolling over once Charlie had also seen him, but Charlie looked back at Cal as he heard the man speak again “You said you where going to find your sister, where were you going to look for here before you got lost?” Charlie shrugged “I just got out and started running” he said quietly. He had no idea where he was when he got out but hearing voices and cars he'd just ran without looking.

Cal regarded him “Gimme a sec Charlie” he said as he sat down beside Loki and held out the file to him, he saw Charlie watching curiously and smiled “Remember I took some fingerprints from you?” he showed his fingers for emphasis and Charlie looked down at his own which were slightly smudged from the ink and nodded “Well, we got something from them”

Charlie’s eyes widened in amazement as if awed “Magic?” he asked and Cal grinned chuckling, clearly the kid had not had any access to the outside world “Charlie, you know that place you ran away from?” Charlie nodded “Do you remember anything from before you lived there” he asked and Charlie wrinkled his nose as he creased his brow in thought and shook his head as if confused “No?” he asked and Cal sighed.

Charlie watched him “Am I in trouble?” he asked and Cal shook his head firmly “No Charlie, but I want you to help me with something okay?” he asked and Charlie nodded

“When I saw you at the cafe, before you ran, you grabbed a lady. You thought was someone else?” he asked and Charlie nodded “Everybody looks like her, but I cant find her” he said weakly.

-
Inside the file.

-- Match found --

100% fingerprint match

Grier, Adam Joseph - MISSING

(Theres some information on his parents, where he used to live - Chicago)

Age at time of disappearance: (You choose, think it was 8?)

And theres a huge amount of information on him and about disappearance etc etc

Notes: Birthmark on left shoulder blade, long scar on right ankle. (theres a small description below both describing what they look like plus a close up photo of them)

((Feel free to add anything else you want to be in the file. 

OUT OF CHARACTER NOTES

CREDIT SAM !? of A Changed Hogwarts. Don't remove the credit or I will find you. LYRICS never gonna be alone - nickelback NOTES have anything to say?? WORD COUNT how many words? [/center][/size][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[David Loki]

“I just got out and started running” Again Loki nodded. Charlie had obviously been through a lot and it wasn't unusual that his memories were currently repressed. That was one of the many things Loki knew they would need to bring a psychiatrist in for. But at the appropriate moment, they had to do it delicately, one step at a time. Loki glanced up at Cal as he stepped over to him. "Gimme a sec Charlie” Loki took the file Cal handed him as he took a seat. He noted the considerable amount of pages it held before he opened the folder and set eyes on the first page. “Remember I took some fingerprints from you?” Loki looked up at Charlie who looked at his darkened fingertips. “Well, we got something from them” “Magic?” “No. No, it's not magic.” Loki assured him with a gentle smile, though his strong, magnetic eyes gave way to a look of sadness. Charlie's response would have been funny if it hadn't been so sobering. It clearly showed how shut off the poor lad had been from the rest of the world. Loki listened, repeatedly glanced up at Charlie to catch his responses while he read through the file as Cal was talking with him. Then he sat forwards attentively, his eyes fully absorbed in the file he was holding as he saw the match that has came back. He read on intently, quickly turning the page then another page before looking back up at Charlie, looking into his face. Fingerprints said the lad was Adam Joseph Grier, he could hardly believe it. After all this time could it actually be him? Loki placed the file down on the desk, resting his hands either side of it and lightly fidgeting his fingers, doing his best to remain composed, “Charlie, could you roll down your right sock for me please?” He asked calmly. Checking to see if there was a scar on his ankle. It wasn't unheard of for a missing person to just show up after so many years, but it certainly didn't happen often and he wanted to be sure. He needed to be sure before he informed the boys parents. Before he could start looking for his abductor...or abductors. Tag: @cal ~*~