Smart men are always looking for loopholes.

[itookashot]

WHO: Jesper Fahey and you!
WHAT: Catch-all for October
WHERE: Cadens, Nocwich, Horizon
WHEN: Throughout October (may add event things)
WARNINGS: Nothing right now.





[ooc: feel free to wildcard below or ask me for a custom starter on plurk]

Comments

[itookashot]

"We had to wait awhile before Kaz showed up, and while me and Inej had each other, it's never really felt whole without him. The three of us have been a unit a long time." Maybe a few years isn't that long in the grand scheme of things, but considering those were the most important of their lives, and they're fairly young, it may as well have been decades. "I missed him, there's no one who can make me feel more valued."

It's for a few reasons, and some of them aren't perfect, but it's them. Kaz is the boss. The leader. When he chose Jesper to be his second in command, it made him very proud and he took it seriously. Kaz's protection over him meant that he was wanted, needed.

"I don't know what I would have done without Inej though. She was here alone before me, I hate knowing that." Inej can handle it, and she found connections, but they're gone now mostly. The idea of her being alone is painful, even if she herself was fine. The two of them reuniting was so important. "To be fair though, Hilda, you and I are both friendly and warm people, we would have an easier time than most finding a place here."

Even without their friends! It helps, definitely, but Jesper assumes they would've made it work. They'd be miserable about it, but they're adaptable people. Kaz would've lost his mind if it was only him, that's for sure.

"As for the three of us, well, we weren't romantic before but we are now. Although we were in our hearts, we just hadn't said it out loud. The love I have for them, it doesn't have one definition."

[theidlemaiden]

Something about the way Jesper says that it hadn't felt whole without the three of them resonates with some part of her that she can't explain. It isn't quite the same circumstances as the one she finds herself in with her so-called "roommates"; their history had only just begun to overlap during their year at the Academy before branching off into wildly different paths quite literally because of their multiple timeline issues. But when they had been kidnapped, in the months that she had fought with Claude, she had felt their palpable absence.

It isn't anything to dwell over now however.

Jesper's impression of her brings a bashful smile to her face. "Aw shucks. I think you're giving me too much credit. At least you have a way of being able to fend for yourself." At this point it's no secret that sort of background she had come from; working for something in her life hadn't been a concept that she'd had to listen to or learn about until arriving here. Would she have so easily been talked into helping at the Sarstina were Sylvain not behind the bar the night she had arrived? She'd like to say she would have but she knows Sylvain's influence had something to do with her agreeing in the first place.

"Did the romance start here?" she asks a wistful little sigh in her voice. "If you don't mind me asking that is. I love love."

CW for sex slavery reference

[itookashot]

Jesper does wish like hell that he could see Nina again, and Matthias to have another chance at life. It's strange knowing he was here, in these very streets, and Jesper didn't get to see him before he disappeared. It would feel better with all the Crows, and he does think that overall this place offers a life that wouldn't be so bad. If there is any chance that Nina and Matthias could be together somewhere, he'd want that for them. But he's happy with what he has.

"You're very resourceful, you shouldn't be so hard on yourself. It's not as if anything here is easy." Maybe it would have taken her longer but she would have gotten there, Jesper has faith in her. Hilda is brilliant and she has a good heart, she would have found her way alone. He has a good eye for when people are down on themselves, even those who appear confident. (Same-same.)

"It did for me and them. They always had a romantic element, but there were reasons they weren't ready for that." Jesper hesitates, because he doesn't want to give away too much privacy, but it matters in this case. "They both have painful backgrounds, it gets in the way of their happiness. But we were able to talk all of it out here, and from there they included me."

Inej was a sex slave and Kaz has touch aversion. That does make a romance hard, or at least it might have, if the two weren't able to talk about their comfort levels and what they're happy with. They aren't having sex, but they've found a content level. He's glad for it.

"Communication can solve a lot of conflicts. Imagine it being that simple, right?" And it turned out to be. Jesper may, in fact, be hinting a little bit to her, but not in any overt way. "I am extremely lucky that they not only love me, but they can tell me so now."

[theidlemaiden]

It’s a cruel endless cycle, this need to be humble while also feeling like the faith isn’t warranted at all. They’d be here all day if she refuted Jesper’s kind words so she merely lets out a huff that is neither accepting nor dissuading but rather, relenting.

She’d never pry deep into the details of other’s romantic lives for the very reason that it’s so closely intwined with their lives. Hilda could be nosey, could swoon over a love story and be the couple’s (or in this case thruple’s) biggest fan - but she knows her boundaries. The hope is that others also respect hers in turn. Not that she’s got any romantic relationships to her name at the moment because the mess of whatever it is she’s found herself in with Claude and Sylvain is definitely not that.

Jesper’s subtle comment about communication, the parallels, at least at a base level about his relationship with Inej and Kaz, with hers, Claude and Sylvain’s situation — all of it makes her wonder how much Jesper knows about them. Trying to keep her jealous demon on a leash had meant that she simply didn’t ask about the specifics of what Claude and Sylvain did or spoke about together and by extension what Sylvain did or spoke about with Jesper. She’d like to call it her respecting them; but if she knows herself well, which she sadly does, it’s a familiar mechanism of defending herself too. What was out of sight, was out of mind for her although that had been becoming increasingly more difficult these days.

She knows Jesper cares for Sylvain though and only wants what’s best for him. And he had a right to considering what she had put him through. But if she takes his hint to heart she doesn’t let on. Instead she keeps the picture of someone blissfully unaware by letting out a somewhat exasperated laugh. “The simplest things can sometimes be the hardest. Which is super rude of those things when you think about it. But,” her smile returns to that genuine quality. “I’m glad that you’ve all got one another. That is really lucky - especially after everything you’ve all probably gone through.”

There’s a brief pause as she looks up at him with kind eyes. “I really appreciate you sharing all of that with me, Jesper.” A hint of playful seriousness shines in her gaze. “But I do have one more than I’d love to ask - could you teach me how to shoot a gun?”

And we can wrap here!

[itookashot]

Sylvain and Jesper are very close, closer than people might know, since it's much more than just sex between them. They aren't in love but Jesper would do anything for the people he loves, and he does have it in his heart for the redhead. He has confided in him about some of the complicated aspects going on in his house, and while Jesper has no intention of overtly referencing it, at least not now, he does want the best for all three of them.

If communication could get the three Crows to finally stop hiding their love from each other, surely it could work for anyone.

"I'm glad we have each other too. Not that it means I'm off the market, if any beautiful pink-haired women were to get some ideas." Jesper flirts as easily as he breathes but he hopes with her she knows it's in good fun. They're both like that. He winks at her and then turns toward the shooting range.

"Of course. You'll be a sharpshooter in no time."