[ elsa jumps and, although it’s a slight and subtle thing, something constricts sharply in the hollow of jack’s chest. his lips part to give voice to the apology that had leapt to his tongue at the first indication of her discomfort but — no, no, unless he’s imagining things, that’s a smile that flickers its way across her features. it may be a quick and fleeting thing but, all the same, it leaves him feeling pleasantly warm in a way that has little to do with the restaurant’s heating system.
he’s tempted to apologize still, just in case. but instead, he allows elsa her privacy, busying himself with glancing over the menu even as that warmth continues to blossom in his chest. jack’s smile fades, however, as he’s presented with his options for the evening. he’ll have to be careful, he thinks. between the traveling and his nerves, he’d neglected to eat very much for a majority of the day. it would be a stupid mistake for a human to make, never mind a werewolf with a metabolism to match — and now, he realizes, he’s going to have to pay for it.
ah, well. it’s nothing he’s never done before, at the end of the day. and enduring his stomach’s unsatisfied grumbling is far preferable to attracting any unwanted attention or, even worse, forcing elsa to pay for twice the amount of food than expected.
besides — it’s not as if there aren’t far more important matters at hand.
leaning forward, jack tilts his head thoughtfully as he takes in all of the information that elsa has gathered in the time before his arrival. the predicament she describes isn’t an uncommon one. in his experience, most demons tended to feed on the negative emotions of their hosts — and such discord was easily sowed in small towns like this one, especially with religion thrown into the mix. ]
Have you looked into the clergy at all? [ he asks her, deceptively light and conversational as his gaze flickers over the nearby tables. ] I mean — I don’t know. This sort of thing can happen naturally, of course, but it’s a little suspicious, isn’t it? Fear like that, it’s… you know. [ here, he gestures, as if to emphasize his point. ] Easy to create and even easier to take advantage of.
[ and the presence of a demon-worshiping cult looking to make a sacrifice out of the entire town is certainly going to make for more trouble than a simple infestation. but, maybe he’s getting ahead of himself.
as elsa goes on, his features soften. it’s a strange thing, being accommodated, never mind being offered help by someone other than ted. he’s not entirely sure what to do with it, not that it makes him any less grateful. ]
You don’t have to worry about me, Elsa. Even if this takes longer than we expect, it shouldn’t be any trouble to, ah — stay on for a bit, afterwards.
[ the cellar of his current safehouse is strong enough to hold the wolf, should he have to spend the full moon here. and, while it might have been his custom to move on afterwards, lest the hallmarks of a werewolf’s presence attract the attention of a nearby hunter… well. surely, elsa’s protection would be enough to buy him some extra time. provided she’s willing to extend it, of course.
the smile he offers her is faint and perhaps somewhat self-deprecating. ] … I might just be a little out of commission, those three days.
no subject
he’s tempted to apologize still, just in case. but instead, he allows elsa her privacy, busying himself with glancing over the menu even as that warmth continues to blossom in his chest. jack’s smile fades, however, as he’s presented with his options for the evening. he’ll have to be careful, he thinks. between the traveling and his nerves, he’d neglected to eat very much for a majority of the day. it would be a stupid mistake for a human to make, never mind a werewolf with a metabolism to match — and now, he realizes, he’s going to have to pay for it.
ah, well. it’s nothing he’s never done before, at the end of the day. and enduring his stomach’s unsatisfied grumbling is far preferable to attracting any unwanted attention or, even worse, forcing elsa to pay for twice the amount of food than expected.
besides — it’s not as if there aren’t far more important matters at hand.
leaning forward, jack tilts his head thoughtfully as he takes in all of the information that elsa has gathered in the time before his arrival. the predicament she describes isn’t an uncommon one. in his experience, most demons tended to feed on the negative emotions of their hosts — and such discord was easily sowed in small towns like this one, especially with religion thrown into the mix. ]
Have you looked into the clergy at all? [ he asks her, deceptively light and conversational as his gaze flickers over the nearby tables. ] I mean — I don’t know. This sort of thing can happen naturally, of course, but it’s a little suspicious, isn’t it? Fear like that, it’s… you know. [ here, he gestures, as if to emphasize his point. ] Easy to create and even easier to take advantage of.
[ and the presence of a demon-worshiping cult looking to make a sacrifice out of the entire town is certainly going to make for more trouble than a simple infestation. but, maybe he’s getting ahead of himself.
as elsa goes on, his features soften. it’s a strange thing, being accommodated, never mind being offered help by someone other than ted. he’s not entirely sure what to do with it, not that it makes him any less grateful. ]
You don’t have to worry about me, Elsa. Even if this takes longer than we expect, it shouldn’t be any trouble to, ah — stay on for a bit, afterwards.
[ the cellar of his current safehouse is strong enough to hold the wolf, should he have to spend the full moon here. and, while it might have been his custom to move on afterwards, lest the hallmarks of a werewolf’s presence attract the attention of a nearby hunter… well. surely, elsa’s protection would be enough to buy him some extra time. provided she’s willing to extend it, of course.
the smile he offers her is faint and perhaps somewhat self-deprecating. ] … I might just be a little out of commission, those three days.