BirdyBoiWonder

ชิ้นChîn: Chapter 8. Together Ye Fulfill

Added 2025-03-31 00:58:24 +0000 UTC

Late noon

A car in a dark garage, the door opens, and the light flicks on.

Kate: "And here it is."

Kate and Charlie stand at the garage door, an open residential country area behind them.

Kate: "The bane of my adult life."

Charlie: "1979 Ford Mustang notchback coupe, nice~"

Kate, affectionately: "Dork."

Charlie opens the hood and eagerly looks it over. Kate watches him with affectionate amusement.

He ties his hair into a bun, then jacks the car up. He slips himself under it to change the oil.

Kate steps over, kneeling to watch him. Charlie, focused on his work, a bit of oil and dust on him.

Kate: "You know, this angle is kinda hot."

Charlie is momentarily surprised, then grins.

Charlie: "Not ruined by being sweaty and covered in car oil?"

Kate smirks: "No, that adds to it."

Charlie snorts and puts the filter and nut back on. He slides out from under the car and sits up, his face close to Kate's.

Charlie smirks: "So, is that what you're into?"

A car pulls up into the driveway.

Kate leans in: "I'm into a lot of things."

Kate grabs his shirt and pulls him into a kiss.

Kate hears the car door shut behind them and pulls away.

Catherine, carrying a grocery bag, stands by the garage entrance.

Catherine: "Cody."

Kate looks over their shoulder at the woman with mild agitation.

Catherine, disapproving: "What are you doing?"

Kate, cold: "Getting my car fixed."

Catherine, suspicion: "How are you planning on paying that?"

Kate sneers.

Catherine: "Keep it out of my house, Cody."

She turns and walks to the front of the house

Kate watches her leave. Their sneering anger turns to hurt.

Charlie: "Everything alright?"

Kate turns: "Yeah."

They stand up, and Charlie stands with them.

Kate: "So, how much to fix it?"

Charlie: "Uh—parts are probably several hundred. But I can keep an eye out, and I should have some spare—"

Kate: "I mean to pay you."

Charlie smiles: "I didn't think this was a business transaction."

Kate: "Well, no, but I don't want you to think I wouldn't pay you. Besides, maybe it can help you get that medication?"

Charlie: "No, Kate, it's fine. If money is tight—"

Kate: "It's not, I can afford it."

Charlie: "She sounded like it was."

Kate agitated, mutters: "That's not—"

They sigh: "Ignore her. I want to pay you."

Charlie half grins: "But isn't manly acts of service how I'm supposed to woo the pretty person I'm interested in?"

Kate grins and grabs him by the belt of his pants, tugging him forward and leaning in.

Kate: "Keep it up, and you'll be paying me to keep off of you."

Charlie leans in: "That's a bet I'm willing to lose."

Kate shuts the garage door.

Kate: "I would invite you to stay for dinner—but I was hoping it would be just us."

Charlie: "Is she your mom?"

Kate, snide: "Unfortunately."

Kate: "Anyway, your place then? The least I can do is buy you food."

Charlie: "Hard to say no to that."

Charlie lays his arm over Kate's shoulder, and they walk away.

The two stand at a bus stop.

Charlie: "Why such an old car?"

Kate: "You seemed to like it."

Charlie: "Well, yeah, I'm just surprised you want to fix it up and use it."

Kate: "It was my dad's. He gave it to me."

Charlie: "Oh, makes sense."

They stand waiting.

Charlie: "Your dad has good taste in cars."

Kate: "Had."

Charlie: "Oh. Sorry."

Kate: "It's fine. You two would have probably gotten along."

Charlie: "I'll take that as a compliment."

The two enter Charlie's apartment.

Charlie: "I'm going to shower."

Kate: "Alright."

They take out their phone.

Kate: "Hello, I would like to place an order—"

Kate steps up to the bathroom door.

Kate: "I'm going out to get the food."

Charlie shouts through the door.

Charlie: "Okay!"

Kate leaves the apartment.

Charlie stands in the shower rinsing shampoo from his hair, eyes closed. His eyes peer open to his feet, a faint static overlay of the tunnel. He jerks his head up and quickly finishes rinsing off.

Charlie steps out of the bathroom, drying his hair. He steps over to his kitchenette and looks at where the hospital bill used to be. He looks for it under the hospital summary but doesn't find it. He sighs and sits at his dining table, pulling out his phone and calling.

Charlie: "Uh, Hi, This is Charlie. I had a bill I need to pay. Do you do any sort of financing?"

…

Charlie: "Paid? That can't be right—"

His lip tightens in realization.

Charlie: "Never mind, thank you."

He hangs up and stares at the phone.

Charlie mutters: "Nora…"

Kate walks back into the apartment, Charlie turning his head as they sit at the table, pulling out Chinese dishes from a paper bag. Charlie sits down.

Kate, sudden realization: "Oh—! Uhm—"

Charlie looks up.

Kate: "I got Chinese, I hope that's Alright? I wasn't even thinking."

Charlie, confused: "Why wouldn't it be?"

Kate: "I mean—look, most of the dudes I meet at the bar are white. And my mother isn't exactly a role model of racial sensitivity."

Charlie raises a brow, mildly amused.

Kate, meek: "I just don't want to come across as insensitive."

Charlie grins: "Are you showing support by harping on it?"

Kate, embarrassed: "Maybe. I'm making a fool out of myself, aren't I?"

Charlie chuckles: "It's fine. I'm not going to think you're racist because you ordered Chinese takeout to eat with an Asian person."

Kate stays silent in embarrassed relief.

Charlie shrugs: "And Chinese food is good—I'm not Chinese though."

Kate looks up, listening.

Charlie: "I'm Thai—well, half Thai. Not that it matters. I don't have any connection with my family or heritage."

Kate: "Why?"

Charlie shrugs: "I don't know them."

Kate: "Oh—Were you a foster kid?"

Charlie: "...Something like that."

Charlie: "By the way, there's a pretty diverse queer bar by the bowling alley up north."

Kate smiles: "Cool, noted."

Next morning

Charlie and Kate step out of the apartment building, Basit walking towards them down the street.

Basit: "Charlie."

Charlie looks up: "Hey—"

Kate, standing behind him, looks over at Basit.

Kate: "Oh, you're pretty!"

Basit blinks, taken aback: "Uh—"

Basit to Charlie: "Are you free today?"

Charlie: "Er—"

Kate puts a hand on his shoulder and kisses his cheek.

Kate: "I can get to the bus stop on my own. I'll see you later."

Charlie: "Alright—see ya."

Kate leaves, waving at them both with a smile.

Basit to Charlie as they turn to leave.

Basit: "Who's that?"

Charlie: "Their name's Kate. We've uh—" flustered smile, "been dating for a few months now."

Basit: "Oh, they seem nice."

They walk for a while.

Basit: "I'm not used to people calling me pretty."

Charlie: "Because of the scar?"

Basit: "Mhm."

Charlie: "Nora can change the mask, right? If you can choose it, why keep the scar?"

Basit: "Nora didn't give me a mask. I do it myself."

Charlie: "Oh, so it's fake?"

Basit: "No. It's real. I just choose not to hide it."

Charlie: "Why?"

Basit: "Because people don't typically like someone who isn't appealing. They either leave me alone or the really shitty ones basically announce how much of an asshole they are."

Charlie: "Fair enough. Can I ask how you—?"

Basit: "Volcano."

Charlie, surprised: "What—?"

Basit: "And you? How do people respond to your marks?"

Charlie: "Everyone assumes they're tattoos, so I get a mixed reaction. Some think it's cool and want to talk to me about them. Others get judgmental, like I'm damaged or I'm trying to get attention."

Basit: "Tsk. Humans."

Charlie gives a silent shrug.

Basit leads Charlie to Connor's car parked by the sidewalk.

Conner: "Get in."

Charlie: "Can I at least know where we're going first?"

Basit: "To get some information—"

Conner: "Espérons..." {Let's hope}

Charlie: "I uh—I would rather sit this one out."

Conner agitated: "You are a part of the investigation, whether you like it or not."

Charlie: "Yeah. I know—But I don't see how I can help."

Basit: "Anything helps."

Charlie: "But—I'm not a tough bad ass or smart guy—"

Charlie, discouraged: "I wasn't even much help last time."

Conner: "You don't have to be any of that to simply contribute."

Basit glances toward Conner with a tight lip, then looks back at Charlie.

Basit: "You did help last time. But it's up to you, Charlie."

Charlie hesitates, then sighs, getting in as two black cars drive past, a Volkswagen and a Toyota.

Charlie is on his phone, texting with Kate.

-Kate-

Yesterday

[Kate] Sure, you can come by and see it tomorrow morning.

Now

[Charlie] I can probably get it fixed. I have some basic tools, but not everything I would need for that kind of job.

[Kate] What else would you need?

[Charlie] Transmission jack, replacement transmission, a couple of 10-ton jack stands, fluid

[Kate] I'll see what I can do

Charlie looks up.

Charlie: "Where are we going again?"

Conner: "A library, I need to look up some information; make sure I know what to look out for."

Charlie: "There's libraries back in the city."

Conner: "We are going to a specific library."

Basit: "It's owned by an Abnormal and has a lot more in it than a human's library would."

Charlie unenthused: "Neat. I'll add another library card to my collection."

Silent pause.

Charlie: "How far is it?"

Conner: "I estimate we have an hour and fifty-seven minutes to go."

Charlie, disheartened, leans back and pulls his phone back up.

They park in front of the large library with old-style architecture. Everyone gets out of the car and heads inside.

Demetrius the Librarian stands at the front desk. He looks up.

Demetrius gives a wide, welcoming smile.

Demetrius: "Conner!" His smile and arms drop, "Basit."

Basit smirks: "Hey D."

Demetrius: "Demetrius."

Basit: "Whatever."

Demetrius: "I told you, you're not welcome here anymore."

Conner: "What's the problem?"

Basit: "That's D's gratitude for you. You spill a bit of blood on a book while protecting it, and he goes nuts."

Demetrius shouts "It was an entire shelf of rare tomes!"

Basit: "You asked me to guard the library from burglars—"

Demetrius: "Guard! Not eviscerate them all over priceless—"

Conner interrupts: "Demetrius, Mon ami, I would owe you a favor if you let me and my companions browse freely. I promise I'll keep Basit from making any form of mess." {My friend}

Demetrius frowns: "For you, Conner Edwards. But she is still unwelcome if not with your company."

Conner: "Understood, thank you, Demetrius."

He walks past, the others following him.

Demetrius: "And not freely, you're still limited to your credentials!"

Conner waves in acknowledgment.

Conner: "Of course."

The three are in a room with walls lined with shelves. The books all contain subjects of cultures and religions, of both human and Abnormal. Basit leaned back, feet on the center table, Conner poring over a few books, beside them a few papers and photos.

Charlie sits, clearly bored, and on his phone.

-Kate-

[Kate] That’s why I need to get the car running. If I have a working car, I can finally move out.

[Charlie] :sadface: If living with your mom upsets you that much you could always stay with me. :heart:

[Charlie] :sweat: sorry, that was a joke i think. was that too forward?

[Charlie] :exclamationmarks: I don't mean to cross any boundary

[Charlie] :prayhands: Sorry

[Kate] I appreciate it, but I prefer not to rely on my boyfriends. Maybe I'll land a better gig, buy a big house, and you all can rely on me instead. ;)

[Kate] If you don’t mind sharing a space with Ayden, not that he’d accept the offer.

[Charlie] :thinking-face:

Basit: "Conner, what are you looking for here?"

Conner: "Information. There's something familiar about those scriptures."

Basit: "Familiar how?"

Conner looks back at the book.

Conner: "Confirmation first."

Charlie looks up: "Why did I need to come along for this?"

Conner: "Because you may recognize something I might find."

He looks up to Charlie with an unfriendly stare.

Conner: "And I need to ask you a few things."

Charlie: "You couldn't ask me back in town—or over the phone."

Conner gives a disapproving frown.

Conner: "What I ask may change based on my findings."

Charlie: "Right, because a phone is limited to one question a day."

Conner glances over with a disapproving glare.

Charlie leans his head back and sighs, clearly bored.

A long, silent moment while Conner skims the books, writing down notes.

Conner: "Charlie, were you ever involved with any other Abnormal communities?"

Charlie: "No."

Conner: "What about before? Any religious affiliations—cults?"

Charlie: "Before?"

Conner: "When you were a human."

Charlie: "I don't remember being a human."

Conner: "What about your family?"

Charlie, frustrated: "What's the definition of insanity again? Asking me something over and over, expecting a different answer?"

Conner: "What about your college? Were there any social groups?"

Charlie: "What college?"

Conner: "The one you graduated from as a human."

Charlie, uncomfortable: "Why are you asking me this? Clearly, you know more about my past than I do."

Conner: "I know your name was Boonruang Chîn—"

Charlie grimaces and looks away, avoiding the information.

Conner: "Your father was a Thai immigrant, and your mother was Irish-American. Your father died from cancer a month before your graduation—"

Charlie, low: "I don't want to know this."

Basit's brow furrows with concern.

Conner, stern: "You lived in a small town in Pitt County. And the trail of who you are ends when your home was burned down with no known survivors. Reports concluded arson."

Charlie's brows furrow: "I don't remember a fire."

Conner insistent: "So you DO remember something?"

Charlie looks up, his frustration growing.

Charlie: "No!"

Basit's concern grows as the two get more riled up.

Charlie covers his ears as Conner continues.

Conner: "You graduated from Duke University with a master's in Biological and Biomedical Sciences—"

Charlie mutters: "Stop."

Conner: "—and you were engaged to—"

Basit moves to speak up—

Charlie stands up and shouts.

Charlie: "Stop! Just shut the fuck up! I don't want to hear it, I never want to hear it! I don't remember it! I don't want to know it!"

Conner: "Why? So you don't have to think about it? So you can stay in blissful ignorance while people die?!"

Charlie tears up, a mix of sorrow and anger.

Charlie: "I'm not the killer!"

Conner: "Killer or not, you were involved before any of this started. If there's any answer to this, it's in your past! So buck up, and jog that memory of yours! Because no matter how hard you run from this, you will never escape it. You'll just let others die while you plug up your ears and pretend everything will just be okay—for you."

Basit stands up: "Hey!"

Conner: "He—"

Basit stern: "Conner—cool it!"

Charlie drops into the chair, covering his face. Conner goes back to his book, still angry.

Basit looks between them.

Basit: "Who skipped breakfast?"

Both don't move their gaze.

Conner: "Why does that matter?"

Basit: "I'll take that as two 'yes'. So let's go get food."

Conner: "No, thank you—"

She reaches over and closes the book he is staring at, Conner pulling back with annoyance.

Conner: "You two go ahead—"

Basit staring at him: "Let's. Go."

She turns and walks to the study's door and stands expectantly waiting.

Charlie gets up first, walking past the door and leaving without waiting for them.

Basit watches him leave, then looks to Conner with crossed arms.

The two have a stare-off for a moment before Conner silently concedes and steps away from the table.

He walks past her, head held high. She rolls her eyes behind him and follows him out.

Demetrius watches them leave.

Basit: "We'll be back later, D."

Demetrius displeased: "Lovely…"

Demetrius looks back down at the paperwork and books he's sorting.

They drive away from the library, the library in the distance behind them. In a visible off-road beside the library is parked a few dark colored cars and a few white ones are parked on the opposite side.

Basit: "We'll drop you off at a diner, Charlie. Me and Conner will find our type of food elsewhere."

Charlie says nothing, his eyes still down.

Conner's car stops in front of a breakfast restaurant. Charlie gets out.

Basit: "Do you need cash?"

Charlie ignores her, walking into the diner.

The car pulls out of the parking lot and drives off. Charlie sits at a booth.

He looks down at his hands, fidgeting. The world blurs out around him, and a vague silhouette of a figure stands in front of him, bright static. The faded memory echoes faintly in his mind.

"...ruang …at …es … …me …en?"

"Sir."

"... me.. li…"

"Sir?"

"... Chîn?..."

"Sir!"

Charlie's head bolts up, staring at the waitress.

Waitress impatient: "Do you want to order something?"

Charlie: "Uh—pancakes… and coffee."

He looks back down, and she walks away. He rubs his face aggressively and leans back, looking out the window.

Basit and Conner walk down a downtown street.

Basit: "So what are you in the mood for? Dog?"

Conner grumbles.

Basit: "Are we really going to do the silent game, Tangles?"

Conner low: "Stop that."

Basit eyes him, and they continue walking.

Basit: "You should be easier on the kid."

Conner, annoyed: "I'm solving the case."

Basit: "You're berating a victim."

Conner shouts: "If you don't like the way I do things, then you can just leave me be and let me do my work in peace!"

Basit, hurt, stalls behind as Conner continues walking.

Basit: "You want to know why I left?"

Conner stops but doesn't turn, his anger mixing with grief.

Basit: "Because of shit like this, you get so fucking obsessed with solving a case that you stop giving a shit about the people around you."

She approaches him.

Conner: "People are dead."

Basit: "Welcome to life."

Conner turns: "So I should just give up?!"

Basit: "No, but not every case can be solved by banging your head against it and everyone around you! It hasn't worked finding that kid, and it isn't working now."

Rage flashes across Conner's face, and he grits his teeth, baring fangs, and goes to swing at her. She dodges and quickly returns a punch to his nose. He recoils with his hand on his face. He tries again, and she grabs his wrist. He swings with the other, and she catches that one too. Gripping both his arms, she pushes him up against the alley wall.

They stare at each other in a huff. Their anger soothes, and they mutually lean in to kiss each other. Basit lets go of his arms to grab his waist, and he cups his hands around her face. They both push their bodies closer together. With a growl, Basit grabs him by the upper arms. Conner lets out a meek gasp as Basit forces him around and pins his chest against the wall.

Early evening

Charlie is at the diner, his plate empty with only syrup. He looks down at his phone.

-Basit-

20 minutes ago

[Charlie] I'm done

Now

[Charlie] so no rush but I don't think this place doubles as a hotel :yawn:

[Basit] Otw

Charlie stands outside the diner. Conner's car pulls up, and Charlie gets in. Conner's hair and clothes are slightly, but not blatantly, less tidy.

Charlie: "Ya'll were gone for a while."

Conner looks away, and Basit lightly smirks.

Charlie: "Bet you're full—"