Randomity: Effable, Ineffable, Effanineffable
Note One: I'm not going to publish my works on AO3 for the time being. I won't go deleted my account, but it's going to be in a limbo of sorts. This is why I didn't link AO3, when I usually do here.
Note Two: This makes references to another work in the Randomity Series, Tying Laces, Worrying, and False Names: Not In That Order. While I do summarize the important parts, I recommend reading that chapter first before reading this chapter.
Fiona still can’t believe she had the notion that gas stations either have a nice indoor seating area, or a nice outdoor seating area. All of the gas stations she seen so far, especially since on the trip back westward to the Land of Districts, only had one or the other.
The gas station they’re at has both. And Fiona is eating her two corndogs and lemonade inside at the counter alongside Quigley, who said he wanted to discuss something with her. He’s currently in the restroom, with Fiona guarding his fruit punch slushie and turkey wrap.
Fiona sits at the counter, and unwraps the first corndog, setting it down on the wrapper itself as a makeshift plate. Fiona carefully rips open the first ketchup packet, for she doesn’t want the ketchup to potentially spray over Quigley’s food. And after successfully opening up the packet, Fiona squishes it all out over the corndog in a squiggly line.
“I always squish the ketchup into a pile and dip my corndog in there,” says a familiar voice.
“Well, I like squishing it over my corndog,” replies Fiona, spinning in her stool to see Quigley standing before her, with his slushie in hand. “What if you run out of ketchup to dip into? This method allows me to distribute the ketchup evenly.”
Quigley takes a somewhat loud ship of his slushie. He then sets the slushie back onto the counter, and takes a seat to the stool beside Fiona “Good point. But I never run out of ketchup. I make sure when I dip, I don’t take too much.”
“Never say never, Quigley.” Fiona spins back around to the counter, and picks up her corndog. “So, what it is that you want to talk about with me? I doubt you wanted to discuss how we eat food with condiments.”
“Nope. In fact, what I want to discuss with you is something regarding your stepfather.”
“My stepfather?” Fiona turns sharply to Quigley, who is now opening up the packaging his turkey wrap is in. Why would he want to talk about Stepfather?
“Well, it’s about your stepfather and…” Quigley hesitates a bit, picking up the turkey wrap in his hands. “And Hector.”
“Hector?” Fiona narrows her eyes at the younger boy. “What about them?”
Quigley doesn’t answer her. He instead, takes a large bite out his food, and stares out the window before them. Fiona sees Quigley is chewing slowly, looking outside with a strong intensity. Fiona doesn’t want to say Quigley is glaring, but there is something in Quigley’s eyes that is evoking some strong emotion in him. She couldn’t help but follow his gaze.
Outside, is the rest of the group.
Fernald is not easily visible as the others. He’s sitting inside the front seat of the mini-van, his face hidden from behind the car sun visor, taking a nap.
Duncan and Isadora are having their turkey wraps and soda at one of the two outdoor tables. They’re having what Fiona thinks is a discussion about Stepfather. Isadora is giving Stepfather a particular look, very similar to Quigley’s look from before. This has Duncan slapping her shoulder, which forces Isadora to look away sheepishly.
Stepfather is awkwardly nibbling away on his roast beef sandwich at the other outdoor table. His nose soon twitches, and Stepfather soon sneezes into the crook of his arm.
Hector, who is sitting on the hood of the mini-van with his coffee cup that has no sugar but an abundant amount of creamer (for Fiona witnessed it herself), then talks. Fiona isn’t sure what the handyman is saying, but she thinks Hector is saying, “Bless you.”
Fiona sees Stepfather looking upward at Hector’s directions, and is likely saying, “Thank you.”
“What about them?” repeats Fiona, slowly glancing back at Quigley. Fiona can now see that Quigley’s gaze from before is directed at Hector himself.
“You remember back at Crown City, when we were in Ella Jane Wile’s apartment, while the adults were out doing what was bartered?” Quigley is still staring at Hector. “We got bored of playing ‘Go Fish’ and we elected to watch a movie?”
“Aye.” Fiona takes a rather large bite out of her corndog. She chews for a bit, and then swallows. “To think that of all movies, we watched a movie adaptation of an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. And it’s Cats of all things. Never thought Ella Jane Wile would have a DVD copy of it. I guess she enjoys poetry, like your sister, Fernald, and Stepfather.”
“T.S. Eliot is a popular poet,” says Quigley. “Anyway, for the last few days, I keep on thinking back to ‘The Naming of Cats’ number. About how cats have three different names. A daily name, a fancy unique name, and their secret name no one knows.”
“…And this relates to my stepfather and Hector how?” Fiona is completely lost.
“Do you know your stepfather’s full name, Fiona?” asks Quigley, his gaze now on her. “As in, his biological full name?”
“I only know his biological surname is Heng,” answers Fiona. She takes another bite out of her corndog, deciding to chew and talk this time around. “He says his first name is hard to pronounce due to past experience, especially within the organization.”
“Do you know that your stepfather’s first name starts with the letter V?”
“Of course! Some people call Stepfather by his first initial, but he prefers going by his last name. Your father was one such person to call him by his initial.”
“Dad did refer to him as V a lot,” says Quigley, almost softly. “Okay, so let’s say you didn’t know your stepfather’s first name initial, or his biological surname Heng,” continues Quigley. “Would you have reason to believe that Heng is his first name, had you heard it for the first time?”
Fiona takes another bite out of her meal, and once again talks with her mouth full. “Aye. All of my life, people refer to my stepfather as Widdershins. I would have instantly jumped to the conclusion his first name is Heng. How does this relate to a T.S. Eliot poem?”
Quigley sets his turkey wrap down, and picks up his slushie. He doesn’t take a sip out of it though. “In a way, your stepfather has three different names. The name people call him daily is Widdershins. His fancy unique name is his first initial, V. And his third secret name that no one knows. Or at least partly know about. Like you, and I assume your brother.”
He then stares directly at Fiona. It’s an inquisitive stare, curious of something. “Can you think back to what Hector asked you, when your Stepfather was with Ella Jane Wile?”
Fiona continues to eat her corndog, and thinks over Quigley’s question. She goes back to that moment in time, with Stepfather going with Ella Jane Wile into the kitchen. She thinks to how Hector without hesitation, steals Stepfather’s spot on the sofa, and—
“Care to tell me what why you two are going by different names, as well as to why your stepfather is going by the surname of Heng?”
“Surname…” says Fiona softly. “Hector said surname before I even explained to him.”
Quigley nods his head. “Using your answer as a baseline —especially in regards to your Stepfather’s preference on why he goes by Widdershins— unless I’m overthinking things…”
Quigley trails off, for he looks back out the window. Fiona couldn’t help but follow suit.
Fiona couldn’t help but stare at Hector, who still sitting on the hood of the mini-van hood of the mini-van with his coffee cup that has no sugar but an abundant amount of creamer.
Hector, the poor handyman from the Village of Fowl Devotee, who got suddenly caught in the drama that is her family, the Quagmires, and the Volunteer Fire Department, and took it all in stride when everything came crashing down.
“How could Hector have known in context, Heng is a surname?” finishes Quigley.
Fiona doesn’t know how to answer Quigley’s question.
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