tushanshu | 11 ❄ ( VIDEO )

[ Jack looks better than he has in months and the combination of his newly cooled 3-A treehouse and the wearable unit Jack kept under his hoodie for when he went out meant he was back to his usual good (ahem) spirits. He was busy during the Yard Sale and may have borrowed some of his "allowance" from his shares of SI to fund a few of the things, but he thinks they'll be well worth it. All gifts are delivered overnight with no excess fanfare, just his initials in the corner of each simple folded card. ]

So, someone should catch me up on what kind of summer holiday things should be happening around here. Not that they'll be nearly as good as winter activities, but I'm gonna be gracious and give them a chance.

[ private to Tony Stark (MCU) / basic encryption; ]

[ There's no evident trace of Jack's consternation from a few days ago in Jack's voice -- nor his expression, though he doubts the man has acquired the ability to see him yet. ]

So I wanted to apologize for the mix-up when you arrived and introduce myself properly. My name's Jack, it's nice to meet you. Don't worry about the whole not-seeing thing, that'll probably wear off, it's kind of part of the spirit thing. Also, please don't mind the bed that's in the Stark Building freezer if you go in there, kind of a long story. Anyway, it sounds like Pepper and Bruce have got you settled in, so maybe we'll run into each other at SI some time! Catch you later, Tony.

---

((OOC: Since we have lots of new people, don't forget to check out Jack's permissions post for whether your character can see/hear him or whether they will view an empty feed/audio only/etc. ))

Bean: A small study book of beginner's Greek and a box of assorted sweet treats.
Bruce B: A little fountain for meditating that moves fire as a liquid, similar to the ones in Fire Sector.
Clark: An audio file sent to his console with approximately 30 min of basic sentences first by the Wind, then translated by Jack.
Costigan: A pair of baseball gloves and a ball.
Damian: A fill in the blanks book for creating your own story and a box of assorted sweet treats.
Finnick: Rent in full on the fishing shop paid for a month and dinner at Finnick's favourite place to get food.
Henry: An (according to the kedan, at least!) endless-ink pen.
Ivy: A simple music box shaped like a bird.
Kara: Tickets to a local kedanese play.
Korra: A note for a prepaid outfit of her choice from a seamstress in the Earth Sector willing to match Water Tribe style and a coupon book for "10 free bedtime stories".
Leonardo (2012): Directions to a restaurant where he can get damn-near-accurate-pizza free for a month.
Midii: A book on string games and a box of assorted sweet treats.
Pepper: A large coffee mug with cute sayings like "remember that you make someone smile!" painted in rings on the inside, so the more coffee drank the more of them are revealed.
Percy: Reservations for him and Annabeth at a high-end kedan restaurant where tables are impossible to get and a note marking their dinner paid for in advance.
Renly: Another bottle of the wine he purchased during their conversation at the Yard Sale.
Rose: A paid visit to a local spa.
Santo: A series of hyper-buoyant belts and rings made from a special kedan "foam" that can keep even Santo's weight afloat so he can go swimming if he wants.
Traci: A paid visit to a local spa.
Vanessa: One of the recipe books she had been eyeing at the Yard Sale when they spoke.
Victor: A crate of every sports ball and accessory Jack could think of.
Victoria: A jenga tower and a box of assorted sweet treats.
Zatanna: A new tin of her favourite tea and tickets to (basically) kedanese opera, complete with formal wear required.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I really liked that part too. [It was said under her breath as best she could given how deeply she had been breathing. The half-second of relief she had after hearing that was taken, and it felt as if it had been yanked straight from her stomach when Jack gave his reasons.]

I –

[A myriad of words flowed through her head that she wanted to put after that one word.

‘don’t care’, ‘don’t mind’, ‘don’t want to stop’, ‘can’t control how I feel’, ‘just want this right now’, ‘want to be with you too’

She looked at him as if the slightest gust of wind would make him disappear, forever.]

didn’t mean to do anything wrong. [She wanted to hug him, but he kept his distance on purpose, so she just hugged herself. It didn’t help at all. The only advice that came to her head was Pema’s, which had been a mistake before, but it was all she had in terms of experience.]

I just really like you.

A lot.

And you’ve always been so nice to me, you’re really cute, and you took me from Kyle. I just- [She paused while her blue eyes looked into his.] felt really safe with you. I wanted more of you. As much as I could get. It’s not something I can ignore.

[Her voice dropped to a murmur.]

But I’ll try if you want. [And it will hurt.]

You didn't do anything wrong, not at all.

[ The reassurance is quick and genuine; it's something he sees in her that he knows is like himself, that blame is always first placed on themselves, a defense mechanism (they were alike in many ways, which made this harder) and he settled his hands on her shoulders, pulling her close again-- not to kiss her this time but in a hug. ]

It's fine, I... I said I'd be here, right?

[ Even if an unneeded heartbeat stuttered at the thought that it could have been more but he couldn't, though a not-insignificant part of him was screaming in the back of his mind, stop it, stop, why are you throwing this chance away!? and he had to clench his eyes shut for a moment to contain it, not trusting himself to speak for fear of blurting out something he didn't (or did) want to say. Finally he opened his eyes to look back at her; they were sad, but clear. ]

I do like you too, Korra but... as a friend, not more than that. I'm sorry if, if that's not what you wanted.

[ 'You're Jack Frost, you make a mess wherever you go.' ]

I want to keep being your friend, and keeping being nice to you, keep making you feel safe, keep spending time with you if you'll let me. I don't want any of that to change. But you already have someone special who's more than just friends and, and he's a really lucky guy. So it can't be the same with someone else, you know?

Edited 2013-08-06 00:37 (UTC)

[Hearing those words for the first time made Korra hug herself tighter. Everything that had gone awry in her life had been something of her doing, and the one time someone had absolved her of any fault she couldn't have them.

Her lips trembled and twitched when she felt his cool touch on her shoulders. When he drew her into a hug she felt that large lump in her throat trying to constrict her breathing.

Nodding at his promise of being there, Korra put her forehead against her neck. The apology had severed exactly what she had wanted. That knot grew and she had to open her mouth to breathe and she choked out a muffle cry, her eyes stinging. She uncoiled her arms from herself and put them around Jack, the need to be hugged that everyone felt when they experienced emotional pain.

Unable to do anything but give out giving shuddering breathes, doing her best to hold in the pain that was stabbing at her heart, throat, and eyes. Korra nodded again, words weren't able to make it out of her.

A small, apology was all she managed to croak out. It was all she knew how to do, taking blame was ingrained with her and this was something new entirely. Finally she just gave in and cried openly into the collar of his jacket.]

Edited 2013-08-06 03:38 (UTC)

[ As he had when she'd woken from her nightmare after the fight at the Clinic with Kyle, Jack ran his hands through her hair and let her cry into him, quietly assuring her that she had no need to apologize and that she was not at fault. Murmuring something under his breath, almost humming, it had a lyrical quality to it... hoping she would calm again. ]

Edited 2013-08-06 03:55 (UTC)

[Shutting her eyes tightly was all Korra could do when she felt his cool fingers in her hair, soothing her. When she heard the hum reverberate through him, she was reduced to sobbing. There had only been one other time since she arrived on Tu Vishan where she had been in a similar state and Korra had felt guilty that she laid that burden on Toph.

Now she was trying to mentally repeat to herself what Jack had proclaimed earlier. This wasn't her fault. Deep down there was a guilt that wouldn't let that be entirely true and that it offered the familiar territory, the comfort zone, of blaming herself shouldn't have been so tempting.

But it was.

That hum, that lullaby along with his hands were washing away the emotional distress that was seizing her body. Eventually, she was sure time must have passed going by how her tears had made a noticeable spot on his hood, Korra lifted her head from him. Still, she was looking down at her boots in front of his feet; unsure how looking at him in the eye again would feel after she had just professed her honest feelings for him.]

This is going to be one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life.

[Her voice was raspy and forlorn. Hesitantly, she let him go and dangled her arms at her side.]

I just wanted you to like me as more than a friend too...

[Finally she looked up at him. There was a hitch in her words and one last tear found it's way down her cheek.]

And I can't have that.

[She wasn't hiding or playing along, Korra felt it when Jack kissed her back. For her, it had started when she first talked to him on the network from what feels like ages ago, and she had just let it build up without doing anything about it. When she finally did, Mako had arrived on Tu Vishan after she was convinced she would never see him again.]

...You should just act like this never happened, like you don't know me. Pretend I'm not here. It'll be easier for you.

[She bent down to pick up the bag of candies off the ground with both hands. That sliver of guilt had won out when she looked him in the eye again. She accepted that blame. Her voice was steadying and she was back in the role of being the problem. The way it had always been. It was with an incredible amount of control she didn't even know she had that her next words came out evenly.]

Thank you. For everything.

Edited 2013-08-06 04:44 (UTC)

Korra.

[ Jack lifts one hand to rub away the last tear track on her cheek with his thumb. ]

Even if it would be easy-- and it wouldn't, believe me-- even if that would make more sense, I wouldn't ever do that to you.

[ He steps back, out of the doorway so she can close the door if she wants, the wind gathering around him in anticipation of flight. ]

I'll see you around, when you're ready. Until then, take care.

[Almost imperceptibly, Korra leaned her cheek into his thumb as she felt the moisture be wiped away.]

I wouldn’t want you to. [That admittance made her shoulders slump and she nodded. For an outlandish second, she was sorely tempted fetch her glider and chase after him, using the airbending that she had gained control of.]

You too.

[Waiting until he was gone, Korra closed the door and let her head fall against it loudly and her eyes rested on the bag of candies she held, focusing on the one that had broken by her earlier.]

11 ❄ ( VIDEO )

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