raisetheearth | Oh, come on!

Entry tags:

Oh, come on!

Who: Jacob, Tony, and anyone who wants to help out.
Where: Just on the outskirts of Shepherd's Haven.
When: August 30, 2016 Tuesday
What: Coming home only to meet his fears.
Warnings: Language, maybe? And a scaredy cat.
Status: Open!

Jacob is a little ways outside of Shepherd's Haven. As night starts to fall and the stars become visible, he gives his mom and little sister hugs along with goodbyes. He smiles as he waves and starts his walk home, alone with his thoughts, just the way he likes it. He runs over the events of the day in his head. His family was doing well and weren't struggling to stay stable. He'd bring flowers on his visits and see his eldest sister's grave. And the day was easygoing, nothing too out of the ordinary.

Unfortunately, that ordinary is about to change to something absolutely not ordinary. As he reaches the skirts of Shepherd's Haven, he sees something none too pleasant to him, and wheels around to look at the wispy figure. All he can tell is that it's staring back at him before he lets out a yell and runs the other direction. But he sees a second, and a third, and... dear God, they're just everywhere, aren't they?

His face pales and his panic is causing him to feel nauseous. He trembles, not sure what to do. In his preincarnation, ghosts are a force to be dealt with. And he'll deal the only way he knows how - summoning fire. In the middle of a field, he's summoning magic, which will take him a moment to complete.

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He gives a small laugh.

"Alright, you and me, then. We can spar outside." Of course, he's saying it in good humour. He's already settled down and had his coffee, and fights aren't really something he strives for. "And I appreciate that. I don't know if loonies are something I'm particularly worried about, but I just don't like the thought of being known. Hell, I haven't even told anyone on the Network I exist. I just look in every so often for information."

He listens to Tony's awkward answers and his face drops a little in apology.

"Sorry, I didn't realise it would be so uncomfortable. I hope I didn't prod any unexpected places."

And then Tony's back to grinning, which is good. Jacob gets up from the sofa and grabs Tony's plate, heading back to the kitchen. He refills his own coffee and puts another slice of cake on the plate before bringing them both back. He sets the cake back in front of Tony.

"Well, then. Consider this an official invitation. Eat up."

"Maybe later. I just got comfortable," Whining as an excuse to totally get out of a spar they're not going to have? Absolutely. They both knew they weren't going to fight, as much as Tony loves a good fight he knows he gets out of hand, and isn't about to go scaring the hell out of a new friend.

"I can't blame you there. Was about to say I didn't think I'd seen your face on the network yet. Got a few friends who are like that." He'll keep Jacob's secret, not to worry.

At the apology he just gives a vague shrug. "Don't worry about it. Can't be helped." That's the problem with the echoes and numbers, there's a lot that no one has any control over and sometimes it's terrifying. Jacob just caught him at a bad time is all.

Ooh more cake, yes please! That'll cheer him right up. "You don't know what you're getting yourself into, dude." Tony warns with a good-natured grin. Well if he wants help polishing down some of that cake Tony's not going to complain.

Jacob scoots back on the sofa as he chuckles.

"You're interesting, Tony," he says before he sips his coffee. Admittedly, having a walk home and a snarky ghost conversation turn into sitting on the sofa with a new friend was not something he would have expected. And if anyone would have told him it would happen, he would have thought it to be even more improbable.

And even now, he's glad that maybe he did run into Tony, for more than just ghost protection. He could let down his walls and not have to keep a normal, awkward facade.

He smiles a little behind his coffee mug as he watches Tony eat the cake. Being able to do something to make someone else like him happy, or at least forget their troubles for a minute, that was a nice thing, too.

"Hey, do you want to see something interesting?" he says nonchalantly, setting his coffee cup down and leaning a little toward Tony.

"I am? Well that's news to me," Tony, try not to be so self disparaging all the time. He sure didn't expect the night to go how it had, then again he'd really had no expectations. Certainly not finding some dude petrified of ghosts that he'd have to walk home.

Cake is always a good way to spend an evening. Tony is a strong believer in a full stomach makes for a happy person. If only it worked as well as it used to on him. Still, it was doing its job in taking his mind off of more troubling matters and sulking.

"Like what?" He asks dubiously, raising an eyebrow. Suddenly slightly awkward. This isn't one of those trick questions that's an excuse to try to get in his pants is it because he totally doesn't know you that well, dude.

Jacob leans just close enough to not entirely invade Tony's bubble, but still so he has a good look at what he's about to see. He pulls off the eye patch and clearly the eye is different from many. The sclera is black, while the iris is a muddy brown, stony colour. He can blink with it, move it, virtually do everything with it a normal eye would. He waits for Tony's response.

After a moment he shakes his head. Another one.

"It's the source of my power, my fire magic. Supposedly, it's trying to unleash all of my power and it might take over my body."

He sits back on the sofa and grows quiet, waiting to see how Tony reacts to the secret he's never shown anyone before.

Oh hello minor space invasion. Tony tries valiantly to not look troubled but he does appear slightly anxious, strange people in his space is always a bit uncomfortable the first time sorry Jacob. While he's not sure what he's expecting, he's definitely not expecting Jacob to lift his eye patch.

His eyebrows furrow at the head shake, you alright buddy?

"Uh," Well, that wasn't what he was expecting at all. Although, the eye was pretty cool looking. If not the whole story underneath it. "Huh. You know all that already?" Damn, he wished he knew that much about his own state. Oh well.

On the bright side he doesn't seem alarmed? More mildly curious and slightly confused. "Looks cool though, sorry that probably doesn't help..." What do you say to that that isn't spectacularly awkward?

"Yes, well, apparently my past self wore the eye patch to not let it do just that. I just wore it for cosmetic reasons in this world. I guess it's for the better I donned it after all. And, I didn't know it before, except for it being the source of my power. I only now got that knowledge back. My past self showed it to someone, too."

He gives a faint smile.

"Nah, it's alright. I wasn't looking for help. You're just the first person I got to talk with about these things. I guess I got caught up in the moment, you could say." He even gives a humoured chuckle at the thought of gossiping like a school girl with her 'bff'. "Sorry if it was too much for the first meeting."

"Well that's convenient, got a head start." Phew, and here Tony was worried the eye patch came from some kind of trauma. Not just a nifty black eye. "Heh, well, glad I could help?" He's not sure if that counts as helping.

Oh well.

"Heh, don't worry about it. Weird stuff tends to happen around people like us anyway, I'm used to it." At least it offers a little distraction from himself for a while. He could really use a distraction or two. So it's a nice break.

Jacob nods, then, after a moment, he starts chuckling.

"You should have seen the look on your face as I got close to you. It was almost like you thought I might assault you."

Not that he's one to talk, with his own thoughts earlier in the field.

"I have a code, so you know. I don't have sex on the first date." He says it with that same level of humoured snark, not to be taken seriously, but enough to poke a few places on the bear.

Nevermind the fact that he's never actually been on a date or that he just popped that code right out of the air.

"Heh, yeah I'm not too used to people getting all up in my space. Usually I'm the one doing that." What with the arm fling and all, he's not used to having the tables turned on him!

At that comment Tony splutters a little, it's a good thing he didn't have coffee in his mouth. He knows it's a joke, but still! "Wow, a date already? You move fast, d'you always pick dudes up out in the middle of nowhere?" He quickly turns it back into teasing, because reasons.

Jacob almost drops his coffee cup at Tony's retort. Damn, he thought for sure he had the upper hand on that one. Quick, Jacob, think of something witty.

"Only when they're good-looking like you."

Crap, not the direction we want to go with that, Jacob.

Jacob would have smacked himself in the face for such a comment, but he was caught completely off guard by Tony's remark. He'll be kicking himself after Tony leaves. Coming off as a creeper is definitely not something Jacob meant to do. And, now he's hoping he doesn't scare his new friend away in what was a rather poor attempt at being a further prod at a joke.

Blink. Wow that was forward, where did this cassanova come from?

"Wait are you actually hitting on me or are we playing chicken, because I'm not really sure right now and I don't wanna give you the wrong idea."

As much fun as this little game is it's really hard to tell, especially when they're both awkward and bashful the further this goes. Fortunately Tony's hard to scare, but he doesn't want to go making Jacob expect things he can't really offer right now.

Jacob's face goes completely red. For a fleeting moment, he feels like jumping off the balcony. He just covers his face with his hand, instead, letting out a very faint, uncomfortable groan.

"...Chicken, I swear..."

It's the truth, too. He wouldn't know how to hit on somebody, even if he was interested. His embarrassment level must be completely evident by now. He's curled up to himself, his face is still red, and there's a look that could almost be described as ill on his face. Way to make things as awkward as possible, Jacob.

"...Sorry, I definitely didn't think that one through. I'm not used to being beaten at word play."

Terrible as it is, Jacob's horror gives way to Tony's relief, and he even lets out a quiet surprised chuff of a laugh.

"Sorry, man," The guy's cool and all but he's not really in any kind of place to go jumping into that sort of thing. His head's a messed up place, he really can't be taking on any more strain right now.

He leans over to clap Jacob gently on the shoulder, chuckling lightly. "We're gonna have to work on your timing. Relax, dude, happens to the best of us."

Well, at least Tony finds it humourous. Jacob might take a bit more to recover. He lets Tony pat his shoulder. Although still bitter from his mishap, the hand is in fact reassuring and he releases some of the tension he was holding.

"Timing? Ha, are you saying there would have been a time for that?" He gives a chuckle in return, but it's not a good humoured one. He gives his face another rub and tries to let his freak out fade off to nothing.

He briefly looks at Lady, then back to Tony before getting up and picking up dishes to put in the sink.

"If you need to crash here for the night, I don't mind. It's getting to be pretty late. I have extra blankets and pillows." His offer is genuine, the tone soft.

He puts some soap on a sponge and runs the water, scrubbing the dishes while thinking.

Come now, if you don't firmly chomp down on your foot at least once in your life you haven't lived! Tony won't hold it against him, not like he hasn't done the same thing more times than he'd like to admit. Maybe not precisely like this, but he's embarrassed himself.

"Sure there is, you've never played a good game of chicken before? 'Course don't ask me how that timing works I've got no idea." He shoots a goofy grin coupled with a nonchalant shrug. Totally talking out of his rear end here.

"Thanks for the offer," He says as he stretches his legs out then stands. "But I should be getting back. Can't be out playing all night you know."

Jacob gives a laugh, this time a real one.

"No, I can't say I often get to play chicken. I guess I'm usually busy or just with my family these days. And here, I thought you knew from experience, the way you were trying to sound all reassuring about 'timing'."

Can't be out playing all night, huh? Jacob finishes washing the dishes and dries his hands off with a towel. He holds out his hand to Tony, expecting him to give him something.

"Do you have a phone? I can give you my Number. I'd like to hang out again."

Tony was the first friend he's had in a long time. Even with the 'shoot me now' experience, he did enjoy the company and thought Tony was pretty cool.

Edited 2015-09-08 16:02 (UTC)

"What can I say, I can put on a good bluff. That's half the game, isn't it?"

He flashes a spectacularly cocky grin at that. Of course he doesn't know what he's doing, but in this instance he's got enough footing to pretend that he does. And that's all you need for a good poker face.

"Eh?" At first he looked at the hand in confusion, then after the request finally dawned on him he fished his cheap little phone out of his pocket, offering it to Jacob. Never one to buy fancy things, he'd not know what to do with them anyway. "Not that it gets much service out here, but it works for this. And sure, if I'm around."

He planned on leaving New Zealand for a while. But he'd probably be back, that's how these things always ended up working.

Jacob laughs through his nose briefly.

"It's better than mine. You'll have to teach me how to put on a better facade."

Jacob takes the phone and scrambles around on how to put contact information into it for a moment.

"Don't worry. Even if you get no reception, you should be able to get this one. That's how Network Numbers work, isn't it?"

As he says it, he types that very number into the phone before finding himself connected to the Network through the phone. He gives a mild look of irritated confusion.

"Ugh... hang on." He disconnects from the Network on the phone, then kneels beside the table to get out his laptop. He pulls it out, logs into the Network from there, then tries the phone again. His expression lightens.

"Good, this way worked. You're the only that has this, now. So, I'll know it's you if you ever call. Or... stranger things." He's aware of some of the different modes of contact, but doesn't know how many more there could be.

When he finishes saving his name and Number, he hands the phone back to Tony and closes his laptop.

"Learn something new everyday. Anyway, I hope you'll stay safe. You look like you can handle yourself, but if you need help with anything outside of ghosts, you can always get ahold of me."

"You gotta master the art of a distinct air of apathy," Actually Tony had help from his other in that particular department. So he had a bit of an ace up his sleeve.

"Right." That's why he kept the phone, honestly. Quick and easy access to the Network. With helpful audio and even video capabilities. Unlike scrawling in dirt.

"Sure thing, you want mine? I'm pretty bad at keeping in touch on my own." He gets distracted or in strange reclusive moods where he thinks everyone hates him for no good reason. Because he's dreadfully insecure, not that anyone would guess that on a first meeting. He pockets the phone and quietly whistles for Lady to join him.

"Don't worry about me, but you take care of yourself. Try not to get caught out like that too much, eh?" He grins and winks to try to soften the tease a bit.

"Hmph, well you're definitely better at that, I suppose. I'll just stick to snark, if you don't mind." He gives a playful laugh.

"Sure, I'd like that." He pulls out his phone and hands it to Tony. "You can use my laptop to re-login if you need first."

Jacob watches the Wulpertinger scurry over to Tony and gives it a smile, too. It was kind of endearingly adorable for a mix creature.

Jacob nods.

"I will. It's certainly not my intention to get myself in scenarios I can't get back out of." Jacob notices the wink and scoffs. "Now look who's hitting on who."

"Whatever works for you," He agrees, putting on a smug smirk. Okay, maybe learning a few things from his other hasn't completely ruined his personality. Certainly gave him some confidence he didn't have before. Even if it is still a struggle half the time.

"Uh, here, just..." He's got Jacob's number so he just sends him a message, that should do the trick. "There just keep that."

Lady is very adorable, and bouncy. Even if she does look a little unnerving at first. She's largely harmless as far as Tony's aware. At the accusation he puts on his most innocent expression. "What, me? No way. Unless you like it." Whoops did he say that wow what a jerk. Chicken is back on.

But he is going to get going, and he's already sauntering his way back toward the door.

"Oh... that works, too." Jacob smiles a little sheepishly at the fact that he didn't think of that first. He saves it to his phone and tucks it away. That was easy.

Jacob chuffs a laugh through his nose at Tony's innocent expression. "Don't blame me for what happens if you keep flirting."

He hopes that one is considerably better than his last attempt.

Jacob walks to the door and opens it for Tony.

"Thanks for your help tonight. I really appreciate it."

"Don't threaten me with a good time," Yes, that was better. Well done, Jacob. He flashes a positively devilish grin on his way out waving as he goes past. Lady's right on his heels, trotting after obediently.

"No problem. Thanks for the cake, it was good. I'll see you around sometime."

That is... if he ever comes back. But he won't mention that part to Jacob.

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Oh, come on!

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