Jack Holden (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
250mhzwabl) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
lucetilogs2013-05-02 11:00 pm
250mhzwabl) wrote in lucetilogs2013-05-02 11:00 pm
so I'll love whatever you become and forget the reckless things we’ve done
Who: Jack Holden, Eugene Woods, and all interested parties
What: A very large purchase.
When: May 2nd through 3rd
Where: The paths to and from the tunnel entrance in the town square, as well as the square itself
Summary: Jack has the points to buy a personal shift that gets Eugene his left leg back, but sitting at home and waiting for the Malnosso to be done with him isn’t his favourite option. (or, Eugene Puts Up With So Much Nonsense, part 17)
Rating: PG?
There had been no great lightening bolt of revelation, when the idea had come to Jack. It had been sometime in the unsettling week after the mission that had veered from cargo and transports into a haze of nightmares and blood-spatters. Before that, he'd been enjoying all sorts of fancies about what he could spend eighty points (eighty points-!) on, but afterwards, the value of those points had appreciated considerably. And he'd decided, somewhere in that week, that he'd be damned if he spent money earned so hideously on entertainment goods or something of that nature. No, he would wait and find something that was worth the trouble, not just a pat on the head in return for horrors.
It has been a little while after that, when it had occurred to him that the Malnosso did not seem to have any particular problem with attaching limbs. And it had been the morning of May first - yesterday - when he’d finally had both the points and the sanity to bring the idea before Eugene
Eugene, for his part had listened, intrigued by the possibility, but part of him still found the idea somewhat ridiculous. A pipe dream, surely, but one that he did want to believe. Given how Jack did tend to overthink some things, he didn’t have the heart to outright... seriously tell him he was ridiculous, which is why he found himself contemplating the idea seriously. Automail had been his first choice for prosthetic, but Ms Rockbell had told him to give it serious consideration-- which he’d had to place on the backburner with the draft and ensuing fallout from that.
Still, a chance to walk on his own two legs, it was a far better option than automail could ever present. Even with the risks involved, Jack wouldn’t present this scenario to him lightly. Not unless he had a hope that their gamble would work out. Something seemed wrong about the ability to restore a long-lost limb, and he couldn’t help but wonder about the exact logistics of it all - where or when it would be taken from, never mind how exactly they planned on getting the thing attached again. But there was not a doubt in his mind that no matter the outcome, he’d still have Jack at his side.
Thus, the morning of the second found them walking together down the paths, Jack bearing the umbrella, all the way to the tunnel entrance they’d been shepherded into at the beginning of the draft. It was an ominous sight to return to, but in the end, Jack had to agree with the smiling cynicism of Eugene’s final assessment. One couldn’t expect to win the really important things easily.
- - -
Eugene had said, in no uncertain terms, to just go home and wait. It was rainy, he said. It was still cold at night. And even with the safety-in-numbers of the village, it didn’t bear thinking, he insisted, what could be out roaming the enclosure at night. All of those things, to be fair, were true. But the problem was that they just made Jack think of Eugene out in the wet, the cold, with no protection and in who knew what state and at the mercies of whatever was lurking behind every blind corner-
The end result was that Jack was barely away from the tunnels’ entrance for half an hour before he was back with his bug-out bag and a tarp, more than enough to last the night. He anticipated maybe a day or two of camping out by the fountain like a homeless person, but at least he had the assurance that he would be right there when Eugene returned.
But that was the trouble with having friends. A solitary, wet, chilly, self-inflicted watch in the town square had an unexpected way of turning into a vigil warmed by food, music, company, and enough magepower to have the heavy rain cascading over the arch of a broad, invisible dome and streaming away from the assembled party.
It was as hospitable a scene could be imagined, given the circumstances, with an extra seat always available for any visitor arriving that night through the following midday.
- - -
Coming to had been surreal, the fact that they had him already up and on his way out even moreso. Sure, it wasn’t precisely how he remembered before his fall, but the sensation of having his leg where it had been merely phantom prior was elating. It made the near day’s worth of nothing much happening, finished off with some disquieted moments of terror once they’d gotten him prepped, all worth it. Silent, efficient, distant, this would be his first and hopefully last encounter with the Malnosso surgically. Balance was a memory of muscles that weren’t what they used to be, and he found himself leaning heavily on the crutch for support. But there was elation in this unbalance - he could walk on his own two legs, a right and a left one. Which was something he couldn’t even stomach dreaming about prior to yesterday.
Walking with both legs, even if it was assisted, was a far cry from the previous modifications he was considering. How Jack had heard of this process, he wasn’t sure, but he wanted to find out. Two things, however, were more pressing. He could feel an intense humidity in the tunnels, the scent of rain strong enough to let him know he’d be soaked on the way back. And the next-- the Malnosso had returned him clad in those simple linen white pants again. Hardly something he wanted to be traipsing about in any adverse weather. But Jack was waiting for him, probably working himself without rest and he wasn’t going to force him to keep on with that unnecessarily.
Approaching the end of the tunnel did bring to his attention a certain amount of commotion. Enough to have him squinting to try to see down the distance. It struck him then that perhaps he hadn’t been returned to Luceti-- or at least, the capricious will of the Malnosso could catch them all by surprise and he’d suddenly been sent home sans Jack. It was a fate he didn’t feel he’d ever be ready to face, but keeping to the tunnel also seemed foolish. The only way to find out was to keep pressing forward, and forward he went, slowly but surely.
What: A very large purchase.
When: May 2nd through 3rd
Where: The paths to and from the tunnel entrance in the town square, as well as the square itself
Summary: Jack has the points to buy a personal shift that gets Eugene his left leg back, but sitting at home and waiting for the Malnosso to be done with him isn’t his favourite option. (or, Eugene Puts Up With So Much Nonsense, part 17)
Rating: PG?
There had been no great lightening bolt of revelation, when the idea had come to Jack. It had been sometime in the unsettling week after the mission that had veered from cargo and transports into a haze of nightmares and blood-spatters. Before that, he'd been enjoying all sorts of fancies about what he could spend eighty points (eighty points-!) on, but afterwards, the value of those points had appreciated considerably. And he'd decided, somewhere in that week, that he'd be damned if he spent money earned so hideously on entertainment goods or something of that nature. No, he would wait and find something that was worth the trouble, not just a pat on the head in return for horrors.
It has been a little while after that, when it had occurred to him that the Malnosso did not seem to have any particular problem with attaching limbs. And it had been the morning of May first - yesterday - when he’d finally had both the points and the sanity to bring the idea before Eugene
Eugene, for his part had listened, intrigued by the possibility, but part of him still found the idea somewhat ridiculous. A pipe dream, surely, but one that he did want to believe. Given how Jack did tend to overthink some things, he didn’t have the heart to outright... seriously tell him he was ridiculous, which is why he found himself contemplating the idea seriously. Automail had been his first choice for prosthetic, but Ms Rockbell had told him to give it serious consideration-- which he’d had to place on the backburner with the draft and ensuing fallout from that.
Still, a chance to walk on his own two legs, it was a far better option than automail could ever present. Even with the risks involved, Jack wouldn’t present this scenario to him lightly. Not unless he had a hope that their gamble would work out. Something seemed wrong about the ability to restore a long-lost limb, and he couldn’t help but wonder about the exact logistics of it all - where or when it would be taken from, never mind how exactly they planned on getting the thing attached again. But there was not a doubt in his mind that no matter the outcome, he’d still have Jack at his side.
Thus, the morning of the second found them walking together down the paths, Jack bearing the umbrella, all the way to the tunnel entrance they’d been shepherded into at the beginning of the draft. It was an ominous sight to return to, but in the end, Jack had to agree with the smiling cynicism of Eugene’s final assessment. One couldn’t expect to win the really important things easily.
- - -
Eugene had said, in no uncertain terms, to just go home and wait. It was rainy, he said. It was still cold at night. And even with the safety-in-numbers of the village, it didn’t bear thinking, he insisted, what could be out roaming the enclosure at night. All of those things, to be fair, were true. But the problem was that they just made Jack think of Eugene out in the wet, the cold, with no protection and in who knew what state and at the mercies of whatever was lurking behind every blind corner-
The end result was that Jack was barely away from the tunnels’ entrance for half an hour before he was back with his bug-out bag and a tarp, more than enough to last the night. He anticipated maybe a day or two of camping out by the fountain like a homeless person, but at least he had the assurance that he would be right there when Eugene returned.
But that was the trouble with having friends. A solitary, wet, chilly, self-inflicted watch in the town square had an unexpected way of turning into a vigil warmed by food, music, company, and enough magepower to have the heavy rain cascading over the arch of a broad, invisible dome and streaming away from the assembled party.
It was as hospitable a scene could be imagined, given the circumstances, with an extra seat always available for any visitor arriving that night through the following midday.
- - -
Coming to had been surreal, the fact that they had him already up and on his way out even moreso. Sure, it wasn’t precisely how he remembered before his fall, but the sensation of having his leg where it had been merely phantom prior was elating. It made the near day’s worth of nothing much happening, finished off with some disquieted moments of terror once they’d gotten him prepped, all worth it. Silent, efficient, distant, this would be his first and hopefully last encounter with the Malnosso surgically. Balance was a memory of muscles that weren’t what they used to be, and he found himself leaning heavily on the crutch for support. But there was elation in this unbalance - he could walk on his own two legs, a right and a left one. Which was something he couldn’t even stomach dreaming about prior to yesterday.
Walking with both legs, even if it was assisted, was a far cry from the previous modifications he was considering. How Jack had heard of this process, he wasn’t sure, but he wanted to find out. Two things, however, were more pressing. He could feel an intense humidity in the tunnels, the scent of rain strong enough to let him know he’d be soaked on the way back. And the next-- the Malnosso had returned him clad in those simple linen white pants again. Hardly something he wanted to be traipsing about in any adverse weather. But Jack was waiting for him, probably working himself without rest and he wasn’t going to force him to keep on with that unnecessarily.
Approaching the end of the tunnel did bring to his attention a certain amount of commotion. Enough to have him squinting to try to see down the distance. It struck him then that perhaps he hadn’t been returned to Luceti-- or at least, the capricious will of the Malnosso could catch them all by surprise and he’d suddenly been sent home sans Jack. It was a fate he didn’t feel he’d ever be ready to face, but keeping to the tunnel also seemed foolish. The only way to find out was to keep pressing forward, and forward he went, slowly but surely.
[Morning of the 3rd, early]
So after she showers and dresses for the day, intending to head back out to the cafe again, she detours through the plaza first, toting two large thermoses - one of coffee and one of hot tea - and a stack of styrofoam mugs.
It's still raining, but she's covered under a wide red umbrella as she approaches curiously, uncertain of what she might be interrupting. Still, she calls out a greeting in a wry tone all the same, when she's close enough to be heard.]
Is it a party or are we protesting something?
[Morning of the 3rd, early]
It's Luceti, isn't every day a sort of Malnosso protest? Come in, come in.
Re: [Morning of the 3rd, early]
I've brought caffeine. And hot tea, for you strange British people. [She says it teasingly as she holds them out to him.] You've been out here all night. I thought you could use something to warm you up.
Re: [Morning of the 3rd, early]
[Jack takes the thermoses and leads her to the "communal provisions" area, putting down the coffee and pouring himself a tea. It's as good a place to chat as any, crouched by the empty chocolate wrappers and within audible range of one of the small and sugar-sated dragons snoring softly]
And actually, it's less of a protest and more of a . . . vigil-turned-camping-trip? We're waiting for Eugene to come back from the Malnosso putting back on the left leg he's been missing for a year and some, now.
[He takes a deep breath, then half-smiles, vaguely apologetic.]
I've . . . maybe had a bit of practise explaining it since yesterday.
Re: [Morning of the 3rd, early]
[She follows him over to where the other refreshments are set up and pours herself a cup of coffee of her own, crouching down with him, her voice hushed. She hazarded a guess as she glanced towards the tunnel entrance.]
Mission points?
Hope it's okay to crash :3
He's heading out of the grocery store to meet up with Tasha when he finds her standing near a huddled group in the centre of the square, and heads over to take a better look.]
Hey. Jack, good to see you. Having a party?
no subject
[It's all he manages, sipping his actually-rather-decent tea and sighing in content, before he sees movement coming his way and looks up. It's Clint - which is good. Except that he knows that every meeting with him runs the risk of lessons being re-instated and showing just how out of practise he's become. That, and there's still the faintest Valentine's memories of how maddeningly he'd wanted him, which is not quite as easy to brush into forgetfulness as all his attractions to women.]
Sort of! [He grins up at him, slight and drooked, gesturing him down to join the huddled hot beverage service.] Welcoming Eugene back to the land of the bipedal, once he stops being a nuisance and actually shows up.