greatestdisappointment | o v e r f l o w

o v e r f l o w

We are a little overdue for that, yeah?

[ granted, for a little while, he’d been under the impression that she probably wouldn’t want to see him again and, had that been the case, he wouldn’t have blamed her for it.

but, he’d been quickly disabused of that notion, in the days following ulysses’s funeral. after all, elsa doesn’t really seem like the type to give another person the time of day unless it was her express desire. ]

I certainly wouldn’t mind telling you. So long as it’s all safe for you, of course.

[ there are a good amount of people out there who wouldn’t be too happy to catch the bloodstone heiress sitting down to dinner with a werewolf. but, provided said people aren’t lurking around the local thai restaurants, they should be okay. probably. maybe. ]

If someone has something to say about it then should expect I'd have something to say back to them.

[ Anyone left worried about the Bloodstone legacy isn't going to be quite so fond of her anyway. She's used to it by this point. Maybe it was a favor Verussa did for her: making things absolutely unbearable from such a close distance. Now? She's prepared for anything and anyone. ]

That being said, I wouldn't put you in a situation where you were in danger.

I dare not incur the wrath of Ted.

[ And she likes you, Jack. Please don't get killed out there. ]

Oh, I don’t doubt that. You’re very good at getting your point across.

[ it’s a strange thing, feeling protected. feeling safe. he and ted, they do what they can for each other — but as elsa has already seen, it isn’t always enough. and for her to all but come right out and say as much… it both worries and warms him in a way he’s not entirely familiar with. ]

And, hey, I don’t get into half the amount of trouble Ted does. [ ~~he gets into double~~. ] So, you don’t have to worry about him.

Besides, he likes you. [ they both do, of course. but he hopes that goes without saying by this point. ]

[ There's that warm and fuzzy feeling creeping up again that gets her thumbs tapping on the side of her phone with some enthusiasm. If she bothered to look at herself now she'd see that smile persisting in a way that it hasn't in a long time. ]

I feel lucky then.

Which, for the record, isn't very often.

[ As for Jack, well, waltzing into a nest of hunters isn't exactly a resounding testimony to his ability to stay out of trouble. She sees you. ]

Thank you. For your offer to help. I don't imagine that it sounds like a very pleasant situation to deal with. But you'll be helping me out as well as the locals. They can't be too upset at that.

Well, that kind of thing can change, you know. Speaking from experience.

[ god knows he hasn’t had much cause to feel lucky over the course of past two and a half odd decades of his life — unless one counts the general sort of luck a person might need to stay alive for so long in a world full of people who’d sooner mount their head on their wall as look at them.

and yet… ]

It’s no trouble, Elsa. I meant it when I said I was happy to help.

And it will be good to see you again, either way. No matter the circumstances.

[ he’s missed her. perhaps almost a little too much, for someone who he’s only been in the same physical space with for a handful of hours but he’s just. not going to think about that one too hard! ]

Hey, I’d better get going if I want to make it there by tomorrow but… I can get in touch later tonight, maybe? Once I’ve found somewhere to stop.

[ so she can be sure he’s not, y’know. dead. or anything. ]

[ Instinct tells her these sort of things never end well-- Bloodstones, for all their efficiency in killing, have their share of collateral damage. But Jack Russel is a grown man responsible for making his own choices.

Anyway what's the fun in cheating death with someone once if you're never going to end up in the situation again? ]

Right. Keep me in the loop about the drive.

[ Her fingers tap the edges of the phone. Part of her wants to keep the conversation going relating to his eagerness to help, the excitement of seeing him again in an atmosphere with (somewhat) more space to breathe.

The easy way to reconcile these thoughts is by being brusque. Surely he'll be able to spot some sign of care in there without making it an ordeal. ]

You better at least sleep in an actual bed with a roof over your head. I'll need you well-rested if you're going to be helping me.

[ Dead is not going to work for her. ]

Edited 2024-05-03 04:18 (UTC)

[ oh, he most definitely spots it — and while his instinct is to lean right into that hint of affectionate concern behind her texts, he knows elsa well enough to pull back a little. wouldn’t want to spook her, after all.

but it does warm him, all the same. aside from ted, he can’t really remember the last time anyone cared much about where he’d be resting his head on any given night. ]

Threatening me already, huh?

[ he hopes the teasing translates, but just in case: ]

I’ll find a motel for the night, I promise.

[ he’s as good as his word, too. later on that evening, elsa will receive another message from jack, letting her know that he’s made it safely to a motel about half a day’s drive from five mounts of the maple mission church and its surrounding town. for good measure, he sends her another the next morning before he leaves, along with the address for the nearest thai restaurant.

the bundle of nerves and anticipation gathering in his chest makes the drive feel far longer than it actually is — but, eventually, jack makes it to his closest safehouse, a shabby but solidly built little cabin sitting innocuously on the outskirts of the town. if he’s lucky, he thinks, this investigation won’t attract so much attention that he’ll need to move on right away. but, all the same, he makes a point to mentally chart where best to run next, should he have to make a break for it before the turn of the moon.

thankfully, the hour of his arrival affords him some time to freshen up — shower off the drive and painstakingly select the least threadbare pieces of his wardrobe to wear for the evening. the end result is, somewhat predictably, nowhere near so put together as he had been the night of ulysses’s funeral. but jack takes some comfort in the knowledge that it doesn’t really need to be, no matter how much his anxious thoughts may try to convince him otherwise.

it’s close to sunset by the time he finally strikes out for his and elsa’s appointed meeting place. the restaurant is close and the weather pleasant enough that he’s able to walk there without much difficulty — and, as while does so, jack also takes it upon himself to do some preliminary investigation. at a glance, the town seems not unlike any other that he’s passed through on occasion. it’s small,which doesn’t particularly bode well for their intentions given that most communities like this tended to be close knit — but, other than that, there’s nothing particularly unsettling about any of it.

to human senses, that is. jack’s canine nose, on the other hand, is quick to detect a faint whiff of sulfur lurking beneath the commonplace scents lingering in the air around him. there could, of course, be some sort of rational explanation. but, regardless, he files it away to bring up to elsa later, once the evening’s conversation inevitably takes that turn.

there doesn’t appear to be any sign of elsa when he finally arrives — no hint of her perfume in the air of flashes of red leather in the parking lot. a glance at his phone doesn’t reveal much either and so, with a semi-cautious glance around the darkening street, jack settles himself on a nearby bench to wait for her.

… god, he hopes he doesn’t look as nervous as he feels. ]

[ Long jobs like these are no fun. The research involved is thorough and, as anyone who has spent enough time in a small town will tell you, people are not keen on answers nor help. It's safest to keep them in the dark, Elsa has found, so so busies herself with investigating as discreetly as she can. It's fine, she doesn't enjoy small talk much.

The day seems to fly by between pouring over the town's historical archives at the library and observing the church at a distance from the coffee shop to see if there is anyone noteworthy who might be coming and going. There has been days of this, but today feels different. Today she can look forward to seeing someone, maybe even chatting in a setting that doesn't found like pulling teeth.

She returns to her hotel to change for the evening finding herself switching between jackets maybe one too many times before leaving the room with a quick fuck it chiding herself for being so fussy. She's been to this restaurant before, even, and yet when she pulls up in her rental vehicle and sees the salt-and-pepper-haired man on the bench waiting for her, Elsa's stomach does actual flips.

This feels so childish. He's got a keen sense of smell, no doubt, and has sensed her by now: no sense in dragging this out. Heaving in a deep breath and closing her eyes, she steps out of the vehicle and closes the door with a lingering touch: she may as well be stepping into space rather than a vehicle with these nerves.

The closer she gets the more the stomach turns seem to stop. Hands stuffed in her coat pockets and shoulders high she approaches the bench. This is the cold nature she is notorious for, the attitude that takes a moment to defrost: Bloodstones aren't a friendly people. ]

Hello.

[ That's what people say to each other for pleasantries, right? It feels a little off, maybe colder than she intends. Raising a hand to just below ear level Elsa offers something close to a wave. ]

Glad you're not dead.

[ Is it strongly worded? Maybe. But it's honest and comes with a smile. ]

Let's go inside before someone else decides to change that.

[ it ought to feel almost comically mundane, the sight of elsa emerging from her car across the way — and yet, all the same, it steals the breath straight from jack’s lungs. the last rays of the setting sun catch delicately in the red-streaked strands of his hair, her shoulders rise and fall with the steady, gentle rhythm of her breathing and she is so gloriously, impossibly alive.

he’d been told as much and, in his experience, texting a dead woman is an incredibly difficult thing to manage without the help of a medium. even so, jack can’t help but beam as she nears, looking more like a man stepping out into sunlight after weeks spent in darkness than someone greeting an acquaintance, no matter what sort of life-threatening circumstances they’d forged a bond under.

god, but she’s a miracle — the first glimmer of hope he’s been granted in the twenty-odd years since his life had been torn from his grasp and thrown to the jaws of the wolf that maybe, just maybe, things could be different…

… and also probably not at all equipped for such a warm, earnest welcome, judging by the awkward edge of her tone as she greets him. ah.

too late to let it deter him now, though — and, really, jack doesn’t think he could, even if he wanted to. ]

Elsa!

[ he has sense and manners enough, at least, to hold himself back from anything further. there’s a part of him, small and buried so deeply that it might as well not exist, that yearns desperately to reach out, to solidify the reality of her presence with touch. but, he knows better — and, frankly speaking, he’s sure he’d deserve to lose whatever limb elsa deigned to remove, should he have tried.

he’s perfectly content to let her set the pace here. the fact that she still wants anything to do with him at all, that she still offers him a smile and her company after everything that transpired at her father’s funeral, is far more than jack could ever ask for. ]

Not dead and well-rested, as promised. [ he replies with a good-natured chuckle. schooling his expression into something perhaps a little less radiant proves to be a far more difficult challenge than expected, as does refraining from informing her exactly how good it feels to see her again. but, jack does his best. god knows the last thing he wants is to overwhelm her.

at elsa’s suggestion, he nods, stepping aside with a deferential gesture to allow her to take the lead. ] Please -- after you. [ as she passes, he casts a brief, wary glance around the surrounding street — but, if anyone nearby has given the two of them more than a cursory glance, they’re hiding it well.

near-instinctual caution mollified, he matches elsa’s stride as they near the restaurant, hands tucked easily in the pockets of his jacket. ] It's an interesting place, this town. I can see why it caught your attention.

[ given that there’s very little to differentiate this small town from any other, jack hopes this will serve to subtly inform elsa that he’s managed to pick up on something strange in the air already. once they’re inside, the busy restaurant will hopefully take care of any potential eavesdroppers. ]

[ Jack's wide-eyed expression has her smiling still but casting her eyes down to the ground seems more... doable. Truthfully the enthusiasm he radiates, including the nervous energy, make her feel nothing but that damned fondness she couldn't shake if she wanted to.

Fortunately the reflex to babble like an idiot is squashed by pure agenda. She steps into the restaurant upon his queue keeping the door open for him when she enters to let it be known they are both in this together. ]

A bit sick, actually. It's like fish in a barrel: easy prey.

[ Her crassness appears not to consider the petite hostess who keeps her eyebrows raised but offers a pinched-faced smile as she greets them. While Elsa might have people's best interest at heart she can't say any sort of personality trait with her heart on her sleeve has ever stuck. ]

...Two, please.

[ Upon being seated at the booth she takes off her coat. There is a steady hum of conversation, kitchen chatter and music that fills the dining area that will shroud their conversation quite nicely. Elsa considers the man across from her again: he seems to flicker in the soft restaurant lighting somehow-- maybe it's just a pleasant sight of seeing him well-rested. ]

You look good.

[ As soon as the words leave her mouth she's ready to correct them. ]

Well-rested I mean. That is good. I'm going to need you sharp.

[ She slides one of the laminated menus left on the table in Jack's direction, hand lingering on it as if hoping they might accidentally touch in passing. ]

I hate anything demonic. Really gunks up the air of perfectly fine places.

[ easy prey. from the lips of any other hunter, elsa’s words would have undoubtedly sent a chill shuddering down jack’s spine — but, here and now, he only nods in agreement. in his experience, small towns were all too often a breeding ground for all kinds of darkness, supernatural or otherwise. it doesn’t surprise him in the slightest that this one, innocuous as it appears, may or may not be playing host to a cadre of demons.

at elsa’s behest, he follows her inside, all too content to allow her to take the lead. while she speaks to the hostess, he takes the opportunity to assess the dimly-lit dining room and its occupants. none of the other diners have spared them even a passing glance and, better still, jack doesn’t see anyone eating by themselves. good. that, coupled with the typical din of a busy restaurant in the middle of dinner service, probably means a very low chance of any curious ears picking up their conversation.

it’s not until they’re settled across from each other that jack finally turns his attention from his surroundings to the far more favorable option of his companion for the evening. despite the quick correction, her remark is enough to instantly brighten the smile that’s been playing on his lips, tension unspooling from his shoulders as he allows himself to relax. it’s so rare that he gets the opportunity, especially in such a public place — and, here and now, he certainly has reason enough to let his guard drop for a little while.

strange, to think that this is perhaps the safest he’s been in years, possibly even decades. there aren’t many people that he can trust like this — but he’s all too happy to add elsa to the list, so long as she doesn’t object. ]

So do you.

[ the words drop easily from his lips, earnest and genuine. she does look good, after all — healthy, vibrant, alive. she’s done well for herself in the wake of the acquisition of her birthright, that much is certain. ]

I mean— [ here, he pauses just briefly, mulling over his choice of words before settling on: ] … It really is good to see you again, Elsa. [ in hindsight, he won’t be able to rightly say if he plans for their fingertips to brush when reaching out to slide the offered menu closer to himself. but, in the end, maybe it doesn’t matter so much. what does is the unexpected rush of warmth that practically sings between them as his skin makes contact with hers.

jack does his level best not to draw attention to it — but, it’s more difficult than he’d care to admit, after nearly so many years of being recoiled from by those aware of what he was. by the time he draws his hand back, he’s already committing the sensation to memory. ] Thank you, again. For having me.

[ right, though. down to business. ] Oh, trust me — I’m the last person you need to tell that to. Demons or no, there’s definitely something here. [ sulfer and canine senses and such. there’s probably some dumb joke about dogs being able to sense the paranormal in here somewhere. ] What have you managed to come up with, so far?

[ The touching of their hand causes her to jump only slightly. Her fingers curl in to themselves and a smile fleets past her face before she feels...oh god it's embarrassment. Her face is getting hot, eyes darting around with cat-like precision as she is insistent on finding the closest thing to expel this nervous energy onto. ]

They're resting under the church I told you about. Because the congregation is held together with fear of fire and brimstone, our little friends have never had an easier network into the homes of some of the residents.

[ Grabbing onto a cloth napkin, Elsa shakes it out perhaps one too many times before placing it on her lap. ]

I'd say I arrived at a 5% infestation rate. Hiked to about 10% of the people in town in only a couple of days.

[ Part of her wants to entertain the it's so nice to see you familiarities, to fall into casual conversation. But she can't, or perhaps won't let her guard down so soon. ]

You see the value in doing this quickly.

[ And yet she recognizes he's come so far, that he's quite easy to talk to. Perhaps she can be more personable and on topic of the job. She's been accused of being icy to many: Jack isn't one she wants to join that club. ]

I'm also keeping in mind your schedule. So if you do have to move on for your own reasons, I understand.

[ It's odd still, thinking of a werewolf's timetable as something amicable rather than a time to be vigilant. But Jack is her friend not some mindless creature. ]

Or if I can help in any way.

[ 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.

Edited 2024-06-23 16:13 (UTC)

[ She's glad someone can understand and pinpoint fear so... clinically. It really is a pain in the ass to fight with, whether it's dealing with the merely ignorant or putting something in harm's way due to the emotion's carelessness. Immediately a weight is lifted from her knowing Jack isn't so naive to think none of this wouldn't be frightening, disgusting and disturbing. Elsa has to squash that all down constantly in order to rectify the situation.

Having a partner who can do the same? She's grateful. Knowing one will be safe because they know how to be smart in the face of fear? Even more grateful. ]

The clergy's a bit of a boy's club, it would seem. I never had the meek sort of demeanor they love for a woman in church. I was hoping you could be an inside man-- just get some general information about what they're looking for in a flock. What normal looks like around here.

[ She looks into his eyes as he mentions the three days. Part of her can see the creature in him, the relentless one who barely recognized her scent and abstained from tearing her limb from limb. Mostly she sees those large, beautiful brown eyes that seem both sad and ecstatic.

Her cheeks feel hot again. There's one aspect of his eyes she can safely call attention to: they're hungry. She looks away at the menu continuing to bite back a smile, one that's relieved to be in Jack's company again. ]

I've heard good things about their family-style dining options. You're welcome to any take-away, my room doesn't have a fridge.

[ Thank god doggie bag isn't a colloquialism she's ever cared for. ]

[ it’s far from surprising, elsa’s description of the church’s clergy. jack may not be particularly inclined towards religion these days — hadn’t been, really, since his eighteen birthday. but, his catholic upbringing had supplied him with more than enough knowledge of the way these things tended to function, information that will likely be a boon in the coming days. ]

Oh, sure, sure. I can do that. [ he offers her a smile, all too pleased with the assurance that he’ll be of help right away. ] I’ll have a look at the church schedule tomorrow morning, see if I can’t attend a few of the services. That should give me a few opportunities to talk to people, see what they’re all like.

[ granted, he’s not so sure that he won’t face some trouble in taking them. it’s always a bit of a gamble, whether or not his accent and unmistakable air of foreignness is going to attract the wrong sort of attention in isolated little american towns like this. had jack still possessed any modicum of shame after a little over two decades of waking up naked in strange places every month, he might have even balked at the idea of playing humble new convert for the clergymen and congregation alike, no matter how vital it was that he do so.

but, as it is, he isn’t so bothered by the idea of swallowing what little remains of his pride, especially if it’s going to keep innocent people from getting hurt.

for a few moments more, jack studies the laminated menu in front of him, attempting to quickly calculate which of the restaurant’s offerings was going to get him the most to eat without being inordinately expensive. at length, however, he finds himself unable to resist sneaking another glance at elsa across the way — and, entirely by either coincidence or accident or both, locking his own gaze with hers.

had he been asked at the time, he’d hardly have been able to say exactly why it was that his heart nearly skips a beat as their eyes meets. just briefly, his mind’s eye conjures hazy, fleeting images of flashing light and bloodied corpses, of fear and pain and frenzied desperation — and the same dark, fathomless eyes that watch him now, filled with equal measures of sheer terror and compassion, gazing up at him amidst it all.

it’s only when elsa looks away that the spell abruptly breaks and before jack has time to contemplate any of it, she’s moved on. ]

Oh, I — ah. [ if his cheeks weren’t burning before, they certainly are now, forcing him to duck his head under the pretense of looking over her suggestion. ay, god — he really must look like a mess, if it’s that obvious that he’s been neglecting himself all day. ] Are you sure? I mean — I wouldn’t want to be a burden on your wallet.

[ no sooner have the words left his mouth than he realizes exactly how absurd they sound being spoken to a woman who was now in possession of what was no doubt an ungodly amount of money. but, even that knowledge doesn’t make him feel much better about taking advantage of her, especially considering that she was, in all likelihood, more than familiar with a werewolf’s physiology.

… then again, he does have to remind himself that this is the same woman who had been insistent upon his getting a decent night’s rest the night before. it’s probably just that same practicality driving her now. ]

[ The earnest look he gives, the scrambling for words of not to be a burden...it's sweet. She's not used to this sort of presentation, someone considerate to a fault. Somehow the world has not chewed up and spit out this man yet and she finds this to be a relief.

She laughs with fondness realizing only too late that her mind, in fact, doesn't present all the information she's thinking aloud like a broadcast. It's something she's always struggled with, training and general tendency to just keep things in.

Now she's scrambling, wide-eyed and tense. ]

I'm sorry. I'm not laughing at you. That would be... incredibly rude.

[ She's mortified at herself. What can she do here to refocus the conversation? Slam a fist down on the table to cement. Jack is a man but his instinct does err towards animal. Too much force and she'll scare him off. Taking a deep breath and fanning herself with the menu for a second (is it incredibly hot in here suddenly?), she collects herself before speaking again. ]

Just... let's not worry about cost. You're doing me a favor now in a very thankless job. The least I can do is buy you a substantial meal. You won't find a Bloodstone in the entire line willing to pay for anything, I'd venture to say. Best not say no to a very rare opportunity.

[ Who are they kidding? She's fond of him. Why laugh at him and put him at a distance.

Elsa averts her eyes to the menu as she starts to curl a loose strand of hair around her finger. ]

Not saying I'm some sort of pushover. Perhaps I'm...quite fond of you.

[ There's a clenching in her stomach. At this rate Jack will be eating the entire dinner by himself anyway. ]

[ elsa may be mortified by the sound of her own laughter but from the moment its first notes ring out in the din of the crowded restaurant, jack’s heart leaps, all at once, in his chest. a more prideful man might have found himself flustered by it, might have imagined more than a hint of mockery in its tone and drawn an instantaneous conclusion. to jack, however, it’s nothing short of music, an oft-imagined cadence drawn into reality — and by him, no less! he thinks. maybe.

for an instant, every thought of their impending meal vanishes and, despite a mild sense of bemusement, jack finds himself smiling tentatively (~~besottedly~~) alongside her, utterly enchanted. which is, really, what makes her reaction even more bewildering — at least, until he realizes how exactly this situation must appear to her. ]

Oh — no, no, don’t worry. [ briefly, he finds himself fighting the urge to reach out, to rest a soothing hand on her arm or some other such gesture. but — no, best not. he’s quite fond of his fingers, after all, and for all that elsa has been kind to him thus far, he’s much rather not breach that boundary without express permission. ] Really, I—

[ he cuts himself off, snapping his jaw shut before he can finish that sentence. i’d like to hear it again. ] … I don’t mind, I promise.

[ because he is being a little ridiculous, honestly. and who is he to turn down this kindness that elsa is offering him, now that he’s certain that he won’t wear out his welcome accepting it? he chuckles quietly as she goes on and, nearly without his notice, finds himself leaning forward slightly. ] Well — there’s a first time for everything, no? [ he quips, doing his level best to set her back at ease. it’s the least he can do, after all of this. and, offering her a soft, genuine smile: ] I’m honored.

[ and maybe that’s what makes her next remark hit him all the harder. for a moment, he finds himself distracted by the movement of her fingers, the soft shine of her hair as it catches the light from overhead. somewhere in the recesses of his mind, jack can’t help but wonder just what it might feel like beneath his own touch. like silk, maybe. softer, even.

her words don’t register at first — but when they do, jack blinks rapidly, lifting his head a touch as his lips part in muted surprise. perhaps it shouldn’t come as such a shock. after all, she’d invited him here, taken up his offer when she could have just as easily turned him away. god knows she had — has reason enough to hate him. his lies by omission had nearly cost her everything, and yet…

it’s a near-herculean effort to swallow the part of himself that fears nearly everything she offers, that begs in ragged howls for him to turn, run, flee from the prospect of letting someone in. too often has jack found himself drawn to people, desperate in his loneliness, only for his condition to force a rift between them or, worse still, actively place the other party in danger. he does his level best, of course, to keep the wolf in check but sometimes… sometimes that isn’t enough.

but elsa had survived the wolf. elsa is different — she has to be. ]

Only perhaps? [ comes jack’s teasing reply as another smile tugs gently at his lips. ] You wound me, Elsa. Should I consider this an opportunity to prove myself, then?

[ he’ll infiltrate that church So Good, just watch him. ]

Edited 2024-07-07 00:55 (UTC)

[ Her heart swells automatically when she realizes any image of that sweet face contorting with hurt are all in her head. Instead she sees... a smile. It's not the nervous sort either, it's... composed. He's even a little suave there.

Well, cheeky. She doesn't think the other man could be suave if his life depended on it: it's part of the charm.

She smiles herself and a short chuckle leaves her. ]

I'd rather you be done with any heroics and play my plan as safely as possible. I was in the hopes that we might spend a little more time together after all this is done.

[ As she goes to reach for his hand the server returns. Before they get a word in the menus are thrust in the direction of the server like a dagger that doesn't quite leave her hand.]

Family style. Option A.

[ The employee seems to know they just dodged some unknown but dangerous activity and skitter away with no further questions.

Elsa just wants to be left alone with Jack for the moment, to let them have this small thing in a world of idiots and misery. Hell, she even needs to be free of her own thoughts at times.

So she reaches out like she intended to before, ignoring any bad manners on her part to the staff, any reservations from herself and places her hand on Jack's arm.

Truly difficult. ]

I'm... happy to see you.

[ ah, but she does have his number, doesn’t she? it’s true that jack may not be one for dramatics — prefers, in fact, to employ a silver tongue against any trouble he might find himself in because he’s much, much better at that than anything involving physical altercation. but, at the same time, he’s not the sort to stand back and do nothing while the people he cares for are in danger. and, despite the rather tumultuous start to their friendship, elsa has become just that: someone he cares for.

he doesn’t doubt that he may have to throw caution to the wind, should things get more dangerous than they expected. but, until then: ] I defer entirely to you. [ he puncutates his reassurance with a brief dip of his head and, when he inevitably looks up again, he’s still smiling, if a touch bemusedly. ] And — I’d like that. Once we’re through with all of this and the moon.

[ it’ll be nice, he thinks, to have something to look forward to, something softer and kinder than another lonely drive to whichever safehouse he’d be holing up in, once the third night of the full moon had passed. frankly, he’s grateful for the simple pleasure of elsa even considering spending more time with him, given how much she must have on her plate, these days. jack is, in fact, so taken with the thought that he barely notices elsa’s hand reaching for his own until it’s much too late.

for all that jack does feel bad for the server - enough so that he gives the poor girl an apologetic smile as she slinks off with their menus and makes a mental note to ensure that she’s left a healthy tip - it’s difficult not to feel some measure of fondness as elsa soundly dismisses her. let it never be said, he supposes, that elsa bloodstone is a woman who does not know exactly what she wants, whether it be a mystical artifact turned family heirloom or a few more moments alone with the werewolf she’s dining with, and how best to get it.

but, then she reaches out again to clasp his arm — and, in that moment, the world around them falls silent.

it’s not often that jack is touched. people that know what he is tend to recoil from him, as though a brush of his fingers might pass on the curse that he bears and people that don’t… well. usually, he’d prefer for them to stay away, for both their safety and his peace of mind. and yet, here is elsa — elsa who wields her abrasive nature like a dagger to keep an uncaring world at bay, who has been taught since birth that people like him are not people at all, but heartless, ravening beasts with no thought in their minds besides violence, who had faced the wolf and had every reason to fear him — reaching out and resting a hand on his arm as if it’s nothing at all.

just briefly, jack feels something catch in his throat and, for a moment, it’s all he can do to meet her gaze, caught almost entirely off-guard. there’s a beat of hesitation, a flash of uncertainty behind his eyes — but, ultimately, he can’t stop himself from allowing his free hand to rest (softly, tentatively) atop elsa’s, his touch more than light enough to grant her the ability to pull back, should she so desire. ]

So am I. [ he tells her, fingers curling slightly over her hand as he relishes the warmth of it through the sleeve of his threadbare jacket. ] I mean, I know we’ve been — talking, since that night but… I don’t know. I wouldn’t have blamed you, if you didn’t want anything to do with me, after everything.

[ in fact, jack had been more than prepared to accept the fact that he’d never see elsa again. such was the way with most of the people he met — but, then again, perhaps he ought to have known that fate had something else in store for them. ]

Edited 2024-07-08 12:54 (UTC)

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completely up to you of course but i am super down to switch to prose once these two wrap it up 👀

I am 100% in if you are okay with some slow tagging c:

but of course!! take as long as you need, i’ll backtag literally forever ❤️

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