tushanshu | 05 ❄ ( voice )

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05 ❄ ( voice )

[ Jack has come back to the city after his fight with Kyle and his talk with Bucky at the shell's edge. He isn't quite ready for video replies yet, knows that despite the usual cheerful timbre he's forcing into his voice it won't cover the fact that his eyes are sad and hollow. ]

Has anyone seen Periwinkle? I went to her suite to give her fresh snow but she's not there and it looks...

[ he fumbles for the right description ]

Unused.

[ private to Finnick ]
Sorry I haven't figured out those other lures yet, I... something-- kind of came up. I take it you saw the announcement?

[ private to Damian ]
I... wanted to apologize, for what I said to you on the sled hill. When you brought up-- I, I just shouldn't have snapped back at you like that. I don't have any right to say who trusts you and who doesn't. I'm sorry.

[ private to Kyle ]
... please don't tell everyone about the snow. I get it, okay? It was wrong and fake and cheating and a horrible thing. But just let them have a good memory of it and-- and I won't spread any more snow like that around. Please. I'll... I'll do whatever you want.

[ He doesn't think he could take it if all the people who thanked him for the snow day suddenly turned on him for it. The ones who'd had their hearts lightened enough to even be able to see him for the first time. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Now Vic's a little worried.]

Who's so angry? And is this about the snow?

[ Jack thinks, well shit. ]

... you know too?

Know what? [Causing snowfall is just the only thing Victor can think of that Jack could have done that would get people mad. It made him pretty grumpy until Jack convinced him to come out and play after all.]

[ Jack is clutching the ball tightly, his gaze fixed wide-eyed on Victor. All the worst scenarios were playing through his mind. ]

Jack? [Victor looks pretty worried now.] What happened, Jack?

You know about the magic in the snow?

[ The ball falls unnoticed from numb fingers and Jack takes a step towards Victor, a myriad of painful emotions -- shame, worry, fear -- playing through his expression. ]

Please, it's-- it's not what you probably think...

Edited (WORDS IN THE RIGHT ORDER PLZ) 2013-03-23 03:55 (UTC)

Magic in the snow?

[Victor just manages to look confused as well as worried. When he sees how Jack looks, Victor moves to meet him for a hug since it looks like he needs one.]

Jack, please tell me what you're talking about.

[ Jack's so confused. Does Victor know or doesn't he? (Although Jack pretty much just told him, so maybe that removes some of the mystery.) He quivers before Vic can hug him, like he's ready to bolt right out of non-existent boots at the first opportunity. ]

That... that helped-- made people happy...

[ The shift in language is conscious from "helped" to "made", courtesy of conversations with Bucky and Kyle, but Jack still stumbles over it because the latter still feels wrong to say when in his heart he knows there was no force in it, no matter what he's been browbeaten into believing of himself in light of what's happened. ]

[Vic's still confused himself, trying to make sense of what's being said.]

How about starting from the beginning? You made magic snow that helped something and it made people happy?

[ Jack hesitates, but his eyes settle on a nearby bench and he gestures to it, feeling that this isn't really the conversation to have standing in the street. It looks like their game of catch would have to wait. ]

You won't get angry?

[Victor looks towards the bench and nods. He heads over to sit down, still watching Jack.]

I won't.

[ Sitting on the bench with his legs tucked under him, Jack took a deep breath, eyes focused on the wooden surface and then his words came out in a huge rush. ]

Part of having winter's magic is the ability to give people a little boost when they need it, to help them feel happy so they can have fun and not have to worry about things. When I create snow from nothing like that, there's always a little bit of it and to give Keeliai that kind of snow day there was more than usual in it and so people had a really good time and I don't want to think it was all the magic, I thought people were really having fun and enjoying it, but then when Kyle found out about it he was so angry and he said it was abusing my power and was like controlling people even though I tried to tell him it wasn't like that, but when I told Bucky his reaction was pretty much the same except he didn't shout at me so I guess... I guess that's really how people see it so I didn't want to tell anyone else because people, they seemed so glad for it and I don't want them to think it was fake or, or a lie and now every time that someone brings it up like you did, it's the only thing I can think of...

[ His bare toes have curled against the bench's seat, and he's hesitant to look back over at Victor. ]

[Victor stays quiet as he listens. Both brows arch up when Jack mentions what the magic did. He didn't remember feeling like he'd been influenced by anything. His mood only improved when Jack showed up at his suite with the warm clothing.

When he hears that Kyle and Bucky were angry and one of them was yelling at Jack, Victor's thoughtful expression becomes a deep frown.]

Jack, you said it was just a boost, right? It only helped and didn't control?

[ The winter teen nods morosely, but he feels a lot better now that Victor knows the bulk of the tale and seems to be just as calm as he promised he'd be. ]

Right. I don't know how else to explain it, I know it doesn't seem like a big difference but I can't control people, not even a little. What kind of fun would they have if they can't think for themselves? It just... just shows them that they can have fun, and nothing bad will happen, it's their choice whether they want to go with it or not and that's all it does and I shouldn't have to be watched for that like I'm some-- some kind of threat to people!

[ His voice ratchets up slightly by the end and he breaks it off quickly, looking away. ]

Actually, it is a pretty big difference. [Victor's surprised by the sudden ratchet up, staring.] Someone said that to you? Kyle or Bucky?

[ Jack's first instinct is to clam up again, keeping that part private but now it's no longer a question of who said it but a comparison and Jack can't risk there might be repercussions for Bucky, even though he wants none for either of them. Still, it's with the utmost reluctance that he speaks, his voice pitched low and ashamed as though he was admitting his own name as the culprit. ]

... Kyle did. He said that he wouldn't be lenient if it happened again, and--

[ And "My ring can hurt spirits just as badly as it can hurt people." But Jack just shakes his head, head sinking down into his shoulders defensively. ]

Wouldn't be lenient? And what, Jack? Was he threatening you?

[Vic's angry someone was threatening his friends but he's trying not to show it. The whole situation reminds Vic a little too much of some of the attitudes towards mutants back home and it's got him in a pretty bad mood.]

He was just trying to... to make a point, that's all. To make sure I'd listen.

[ Which isn't a no thus making it pretty solidly a yes. That and the fact that he's layered about an inch of ice over the entire length of the hooked staff in his hands and the temperature around the pair is falling like a stone. ]

That doesn't make what he did right, Jack.

[There's a slight cracking sound as Victor's claws dig into the bench a moment. He said he wouldn't get angry so he takes some deep breaths. The chill makes him shiver but he's ignoring it for right now. Reaching over, he places his normal hand on Jack's shoulder in what he hopes is a supportive manner.]

Jack...listen, okay? What Kyle and Bucky said? It's not true. You weren't controlling anyone and don't let them make you think you were or that you were abusing your powers or anything like that. You did something good for everyone and I think we all needed it.

I was planning on thanking you, myself. It felt great being able to get out there in the snow and actually do things while not worrying that I'd freeze.

[ Jack uncoils slightly from the hunched posture he'd unconsciously adopted as he spoke, took Victor's reassurance and thanks and pulled them in like a life preserver and the casual touch means just as much because Jack knows the mutant's aversion to cold. ]

But Kyle's my friend... [ he can't quite make himself switch to past tense there, leaves it ambiguous ] He's been a big help to me and he gave me good advice and he was worried about me after... [ after the thing with Oliver ] ... after I got hurt.

But then it was like he was a whole different person who didn't know me at all and just-- just assumed without a second thought that I'd try and hurt people.

[ And only then did Jack realize he'd finally put into words the hard knot in his stomach. It hadn't been the threat or even the construct chains that had burned, it was the suddenness and ferocity of someone he trusted turning on him. That was the feeling that wasn't going away even as people were slowly helping put his confidence back together after it'd been broken. ]

Him being a friend doesn't give him an excuse to do what he did. He was being an asshole and...[He sighs.] He shouldn't have done it. I really doubt you'd ever try to control or hurt people like that and you didn't deserve to be threatened and yelled at like that.

[Victor just looks at Jack in concern when he says that. He's planning on having some words with Kyle but he won't tell Jack that. He doesn't want to upset his friend.]

[ The winter teen nods, agreeing with Victor's assessment both on himself and, far more reluctantly, on Kyle. But when he looks back up, there's a very real shade of relief on his features. ]

Thank you, Victor.

[Vic smiles. He's happy he made his snow bro feel better.]

You're welcome, Jack. But you don't have to thank me.

[Looking around, he smiles when he spots the ball where it stopped after being dropping. He takes a breath before opening his mouth and letting his tongue lash out clear across the street. It sticks to the ball and brings it back to Victor's waiting hand. He wipes it off on his shirt and turns back to Jack with a smile.]

Still up for some fun?

Whoa.

[ Jack blinks at the display for a second, then his face lights up. ]

Victor, that was awesome! I didn't know you could do that. That must be really useful sometimes!

[Victor's a little confused by the initial reaction but then he just smiles sheepishly and rubs the back of his neck.]

It comes in handy when people aren't grossed out by it. [He laughs a little at that.]

05 ❄ ( voice )

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