Fanfic 100, 25. Strangers.
Sep. 20th, 2006 10:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dolevalanTitle: Hands
Fandom: Sweeney Todd
Characters: Pirelli, Tobias
Prompt: 025, Strangers
Word Count: 374
Rating: G
Summary: A chance meeting changes both lives.
Author's Notes: Gah, I hate having to put things here. Fend for yourselves on this one.
There was a hand, first. He had felt it more than seen it, reaching for him. The voice was not loud, but was brassy, like a well-polished trumpet. “And what-a have we here?”
Toby looked up, trying to keep himself from shivering with his arms wrapped tight around his gawky knees. He was small enough to pass by, curled in the gray dust of the deserted alley, but the man who belonged to the now withdrawn hand was peering down at him with a sort of bemused curiosity, twirling his substantial mustache. His age was impossible to judge; he could have been anywhere between 25 and 50. But then, he was an Adult, and age didn’t matter as much to them.
The boy sniffed, wiping his nose on his formless grey sleeve. “Yer not…yer not ‘ere for me old man, gov’ner?”
Chuckling, the man took Toby’s elbow and hoisted him to his feet. “No, no, bambino. Not for your father.” He took the boy’s chin, turning his head from side to side, inspecting the features. “Run-a away from home?”
Sniffling a little, Toby nodded as best he could with his chin still firmly between the man’s deft fingers. They smelled slightly of ink and soap. The man raised a well-formed eyebrow, considering.
“Well-a, bambino, I happen to be on-a my way outta da city. If you want-a a job, I could use-a somebody like yourself. Though you can no come home again for-a many years, no?” He put his lithe hands together. “You might miss-a London, eh?”
Toby stood on his tip-toes in excitement, awkward in the wake of his first growth spurt. “Oh please, gov’ner, take me! I’ll be ever so good, I will. Quiet as a mouse, sure, and no trouble, no sir.” He bit his lower lip, tasting the grit that had settled there.
“Hm.” The man flicked a bit of dust off his jacket. “Well. I suppose-a I can see how good you really are, if you like-a.” His eyes flicked somewhere behind Toby’s shoulder, and then he smiled wider. “Come-a, my boy.” He reoffered his hand.
Tobias Ragg only hesitated for a fraction of a second before taking it. After all… anything had to be better than home.
Didn’t it?
Fandom: Sweeney Todd
Characters: Pirelli, Tobias
Prompt: 025, Strangers
Word Count: 374
Rating: G
Summary: A chance meeting changes both lives.
Author's Notes: Gah, I hate having to put things here. Fend for yourselves on this one.
There was a hand, first. He had felt it more than seen it, reaching for him. The voice was not loud, but was brassy, like a well-polished trumpet. “And what-a have we here?”
Toby looked up, trying to keep himself from shivering with his arms wrapped tight around his gawky knees. He was small enough to pass by, curled in the gray dust of the deserted alley, but the man who belonged to the now withdrawn hand was peering down at him with a sort of bemused curiosity, twirling his substantial mustache. His age was impossible to judge; he could have been anywhere between 25 and 50. But then, he was an Adult, and age didn’t matter as much to them.
The boy sniffed, wiping his nose on his formless grey sleeve. “Yer not…yer not ‘ere for me old man, gov’ner?”
Chuckling, the man took Toby’s elbow and hoisted him to his feet. “No, no, bambino. Not for your father.” He took the boy’s chin, turning his head from side to side, inspecting the features. “Run-a away from home?”
Sniffling a little, Toby nodded as best he could with his chin still firmly between the man’s deft fingers. They smelled slightly of ink and soap. The man raised a well-formed eyebrow, considering.
“Well-a, bambino, I happen to be on-a my way outta da city. If you want-a a job, I could use-a somebody like yourself. Though you can no come home again for-a many years, no?” He put his lithe hands together. “You might miss-a London, eh?”
Toby stood on his tip-toes in excitement, awkward in the wake of his first growth spurt. “Oh please, gov’ner, take me! I’ll be ever so good, I will. Quiet as a mouse, sure, and no trouble, no sir.” He bit his lower lip, tasting the grit that had settled there.
“Hm.” The man flicked a bit of dust off his jacket. “Well. I suppose-a I can see how good you really are, if you like-a.” His eyes flicked somewhere behind Toby’s shoulder, and then he smiled wider. “Come-a, my boy.” He reoffered his hand.
Tobias Ragg only hesitated for a fraction of a second before taking it. After all… anything had to be better than home.
Didn’t it?
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-09-21 07:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-26 11:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-26 11:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-15 10:10 pm (UTC)After all… anything had to be better than home.
Didn’t it?
Gah, sorry Toby, but probably not! (Unless, home WAS much worse. What do you think Toby's at-home situation was?) Anyway, I really liked that that particular line closed the fic. And, generally, just anything involving Pirelli and Toby. I always liked to amuse myself with the idea that Pirelli was drawn to huddled-up-on-the-street-Toby as opposed to any other urchin, because Toby was young and had a nice head of hair. And you've got to have nice hair to be the elixir spokesboy, right?
no subject
Date: 2006-10-16 12:24 am (UTC)