tushanshu | 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

[ 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.]

[ kindly: ] Victor, unless you start eating other people or anything like that, nothing's going to gross me out.

[He makes a face.] Thanks, Jack. Man, it's bad enough when people made jokes that I should eat bugs but that is just a nasty thought. [He shudders...but then laughs.]

[ thoughtfully: ] Mavis eats bugs, though.

[ Then he grins to let Victor know he was only joking with the people eating thing. He bounces to his feet and holds his hands out to catch the ball again. ]

Besides, I'm always up for some fun.

She does? But she's a vampire.

[Victor tosses the ball to Jack and hops to his feet.]

That's good to hear, Jack. And I'm always happy to have some fun with you.

Yeah... I guess it's like an alternate diet thing; I thought about asking her but I couldn't find a way that didn't seem rude.

[ Jack catches it again, once more resuming their way to the park. ]

Maybe she just eats bugs that taste like blood. [He shrugs a little.] Either way, as long as she's not like most of the vampires back home it's cool.

[Vic smiles and falls into step next to Jack.]

[ Jack seemed to consider that for a moment, then shrugged. ]

Maybe! That would make a lot of sense, actually.

[ He lobbed the ball back at Victor, grinning. He felt much lighter than he had before; this entire week had been nothing but a rollercoaster of ups and downs for him. ]

[Catching the ball, Victor grins too. His mood's improved from the darker one it had been in during their conversation and it he's hoping they both stay in high spirits.]

Maybe we can ask her sometime.

05 ❄ ( voice )

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