Tʜᴇʀᴇ's ᴀ sᴘᴀɴɴᴇʀ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀᴋs, ʏᴏᴜ ᴋɴᴏᴡ (closed)

[stations]

who: Jack Townsend & Co.
what: catch-all
where: thorne; the horizon
when: december
warnings: mental health issues, drug abuse

Lᴇᴛ's ɢᴇᴛ ᴛʜɪs sᴛᴀʀᴛᴇᴅ, ɢɪʀʟ
Wᴇ'ʀᴇ ᴍᴏᴠɪɴ' ᴜᴘ, ᴡᴇ'ʀᴇ ᴍᴏᴠɪɴ' ᴜᴘ
Iᴛ's ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴀ ʟᴏᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ, ʙᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜ
Wɪʟʟ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏs ɢᴇᴛ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ

Comments

he's perfect u shut ur mouth

[stations]

( Judging by how perfectly calm and unaffected he is, it's not the first time he's seen Kyle do this. It barely even registers, actually, and he doesn't miss a beat when he casually answers the question suddenly coming from just over his shoulder. Sort of answers — probably an incorrect interpretation of the question. )

Bayonetta 2. Apparently it's kickass, but I stopped paying attention like twenty minutes ago.

( Jerry's been showing a largely unresponsive Jack, who's been staring down at the open book (Space Nuns: 2077) on the counter in front of them next to the Switch. Evidently Jack's got no reservations outright saying he's been completely ignoring him. That's kind of their dynamic at this point. It works for them, this is how they bond.

Anyway, the point is, show off all you want, man. He would too, if he were a teleporting ninja priest. )

[marlbro]

Holy shit!

[ Jerry shouts, spinning around and pointing. He finally grabs the cigarette as it falls out of his open mouth, so it doesn't end up dropping on the floor. ]

Dude! You have to show me how you did that.

[ He doesn't pay Jack any mind, despite his rudeness. Whatever, man. There are more important things going on right now. Like a real-life fuckin teleporting ninja. ]

[ushiri]

[ Kickass. Nayeshi words are fun.

Since no one seems to mind he picks up the Switch and starts messing with the buttons. Nintendo. He remembers these things being much bulkier and the screen much smaller, less color.

A glance up at Jerry, and a grin. ]

Here, it's easy. Just think about where you want to be. [ He raises the device. ] Just like you think this up.

[ Outside of Horizon, though, he's out of luck. A small shrug, and he looks back to the screen where the incredibly tall woman is undulating. ]

Do you both work at the gas station?

[ Jerry seems comfortable behind the counter. ]

[stations]

( So, Jack sees where he's going with this. The whole... it's the Horizon you can magically do anything you want thing. Yes. He understands.

However.

It also suddenly occurs to him that they're in a place where Jerry can learn actual magic, like. Out there. In the real(?) world.

And so with great earnestness, he ignores Kyle's question to instead calmly plea: )

Please don't teach him how to teleport. I can't handle the thought of the things he'd do with that power on an emotional level.

( The stress of this concept alone is genuinely, legitimately physically strenuous. Just. Immediately. )

[marlbro]

Ohh, I get it. [ He drops his voice to a stage whisper, easily heard throughout the whole gas station, and nudges Jack (gently) with an elbow. ] Reverse psychology.

[ The ninja master never gets an answer to his actual question. Instead, merrily ignoring the attempt at starting a normal conversation, Jerry decides to try these hot new tips. ]

It is true that we're in the Mind Realm. [ He somehow manages to pronounce the capital letters. ] Ergo, anything I can imagine should be possible. If I wanted to turn this bag of chips into a bag of worms, it should be as simple as thinking it into existence.

[ He scrunches up his face, which is probably an unnecessary steps, concentrates with the bag of chips he'd grabbed from a nearby rack in hand, and-- doesn't go anywhere.

The bag of off-brand potato chips makes a menacing crinkling noise. From the inside.

He offers it to Kyle. ]

Et voilà!

[ The bag wiggles again. Jerry waggles his eyebrows.

If Kyle is brave enough to look inside, he'll find it full of worms decidedly off the string. ]

[ushiri]

[ His gaze flicks between them. Truthfully, listening to Jerry speak is almost as entertaining as listening to Julie's musical accent, albeit in a different way. Jack sure does attract interesting people. Should he be surprised? Maybe his power calls them to him...

He sets the Switch down and somewhat dubiously takes the shiny, crinkling bag before pulling the sides and looking in.

With one hand he pulls one out, it's googly eyes googly-ing as he gives it a little shake. ]

Did you mean them to be... fuzzy?

[stations]

( Jack very nearly asks why would anyone want a bag of worms? but then considers who it is he's talking to, and opts to disregard the question. It's Jerry. The inner machinations of Jerry's mind are an enigma, and he has long since accepted it.

He leans over Kyle's direction gently, carefully, just close enough to get a vantage point that he can see down into the bag.

He's braced to be disgusted, expecting the same kind of earth worms they sell for bait or something. Instead, he gets... )

Aw, they're cute.

( Props to Jerry for that. Oh, you know what- )

Hey, maybe you should give them to Rousma.

( Evidently Jack's getting a little fond of Kyle's sister-dog. )

[marlbro]

Yes, obviously. They're worm on a string, man. Classic.

[ Jerry pulls one out too, giving it a little shake and wiggle with a sort of huh? huh?? face and another eyebrow raise. C'mon, dude. These things are hilarious. ]

See? Jack gets it.

...What's a Rousma?

[ushiri]

[ He hands to bag to Jack. Jerry's enthusiasm over his joke is kind of adorable, but Kyle isn't sure if he's missing something here, so he just sort of... smiles back at him, nodding. Yes, of course he gets it.

At Rousma's name, though, his brow furrows for a second before he offers a kind of explanation: ]

She lives in my domain. Maybe you'll meet her sometime.

[ He glances at Jack, frowning slightly. He's protective of Rousma and Jerry is... so much. ]

[stations]

( So, here's the thing: Jack isn't great at picking up on subtle social cues. He does spot the frown, he does pick up some kind of vibe, but it doesn't occur to him that he should drop the subject.

To Jerry: )

She's Kyle's not-dog.

( And then a quick swap to Kyle, reassuringly: )

It's okay. Jerry's my best friend, you can trust him. I know he seems like a lot. ( A beat. ) Because- well. He is. But he's good, I swear.

[marlbro]

Cool.

[ He doesn't follow this up with any questions, though he does look somewhat impressed. Definitely interested, eyeing Kyle expectantly. ]

Thanks, bud. I love dogs.

And... not-dogs.

[ He is assuming one is about to appear any moment now. ]

[ushiri]

She's not really -

[ It's complicated. He gives both of them a slightly exasperated look, then shakes his head.

To both of them: ]

Bring the worms, and nachos to my domain. Next time.

[ With that he slashes a tear in the fabric of reality and jumps through, closing it behind him.

An easy out from awkward conversations. ]