002 - JACOB SPET. CATCH-ALL

[brotherofagod]

Who; Jacob Miller & YOU! [ota]
What; September Catch-All
Where; Carpentry Shop, Gray Building, Harbor & Market District
When; September 6th THRU September 20th
Warnings; None Yet.


CARPENTRY [OTA] MON THRU FRI; 8AM THRU 6PM

Just south of the Market District is the open air carpentry shop where Jacob has managed to find himself a job. It is a simple ship with the tools required to build anything out of wood and the materials to complete any smaller jobs with ease. The types of wood vary between pine, maple, redwood, cedar and cherry though only a discerning eye can identify the difference between them. There are some unfamiliar types of wood as well, darker and richer, perhaps a variation of mahogany though it is unclear what type of wood it might be.

Jacob is wearing a loose white cotton shirt he had purchased specifically for work and a pair of jeans. His only pair of jeans. He has some other pairs of pants but finds the city styles too uncomfortable for work.

Part way through the day, his shirt is discarded, revealing a simple silver cross that loops around his neck. He is never without the necklace though it's difficult to see without the sunlight refracting off the clean metal.

Sweat dots his skin and cools as the day progresses. Jacob can be caught in between orders, taking breaks to drink some water, sitting on a crate that has been pushed to the left side of the carpentry shop, in view of anyone walking by. Jacob is still proving himself to his new employer but he greets anyone walking up with a charming grin and clear light hazel eyes. He is excited to work and finds himself eager to fill the hours of his job with the more complicated tasks.

LATE NIGHT WANDERINGS

GRAY BUILDING/AROUND [OTA]

Jacob doesn't sleep at night.

He tries but his nights are cursed with nightmares that his medication used to silence. He'll fall asleep in the early afternoon after work, exhausted, and then wake in a cool sweat in the late evening. He starts pacing around his apartment or sitting at his window to watch the empty unmoving streets below. When this isn't enough, Jacob begins to wander around the floors of the Gray Building and then finally expands his area to the outside world.

He enjoys sitting in the courtyard between the buildings, staring up at the sky to find the familiar stars that tell him he's back home. It's a fruitless search but the act of looking is comforting in a strange way.

Jacob isn't focused on the area around him or anyone who might be passing by. If someone gets close enough, no matter how silent, his attention will shift to the company but otherwise, Jacob leaves those wondering the night alone. His thoughts are complicated and the cool night air helps.

A shiver trembles through him as the fall nights grow colder. "Damn it..." He rarely swears but sometimes it's called for. "I'm back to being kidnapped and I don't know what I am doing anymore." Saying it outloud doesn't seem to help but the tension eases from his shoulders as he closes his eyes and tries to sort out his thoughts.

HARBOR/NIGHT [OTA]

The cold air nips at his skin as his wanderings bring him back to the harbor. This is a strange place, one that he finds himself coming back to whenever he lets his feet walk without any input from his head. Jacob doesn't understand why. There have always been lakes or oceans in his life but the large expanses of water haven't held any further meaning to him. Why does he find such comfort from them now?

He glances up at the roofs of the buildings, making sure he's alone or checking to see if he has company? Jacob is unsure but after meeting someone on a roof of a building, Jacob has made a point to look up as well as out and around him. His perception isn't inhuman but he feels comfortable that he's on his own as he walks down to the end of the dock to sit at the cusp of the water.

It's getting colder but a little part of him, a child like desire, wants to jump in.

He waves there, in the middle of the night, looking as if he's ready to jump forward or run back to the safety of his apartment; uncertain but locked in place.

MUGGING [OTA]

It's his own fault. Jacob isn't a fighter and he knows that he shouldn't be wandering alone through a questionable district in the middle of the night but he can't help himself. Walking helps him think and he doesn't always pay attention to where he's going.

At first he's only vaguely aware of the small group of men moving around him. It's only when one of them moves closer that Jacob realizes that he's fucked. The men themselves are nondescript in many ways. They have thick beards and dark eyes, with crows feet around the eyes and withered tanned skin. Jacob assumes that they work at the docks or spend a great deal of time here though that information does little to help him. He stops when one of the trio blocks his path and notes that there are two men standing behind him.

Jacob is deceptively lean but three against one isn't fair odds. He offers what money he has on him but it isn't a lot and the group looks disappointed or perhaps they don't believe him. There is a loud shout as the first man rushes Jacob, grabbing his shirt by the neck and attempting to lift him off the ground but the mugger is too slow. Jacob moves, using his palm to shift the man's weight into his friends. For a second, it looks like Jacob has the upper hand but it doesn't last.

Both arms are quickly restrained, while the third man begins to punch Jacob in the stomach, venting whatever anger his life has left him with.

The strength leaves his limbs as his final thoughts exhale softly from his lips. "This sucks..".

BUYING CLOTHES [OTA]

Jacob doesn't know anything about clothes and his inexperience shows.

He looks like a lost puppy.

He walks from store to store and tries to figure out what he wants to buy. There aren't too many options but he gets the sense that there is clothing for working and then clothing for… not working. He isn't sure why there are such stark differences but he assumes that there might be fancy parties here or something?

Jacob exhales a tired sigh and looks absolutely dismayed. He needs to purchase a jacket for when it gets colder and at least another pair of pants. He isn't interested in fancy clothing but he toys with the idea of purchasing a vest or something to give off the appearance of nice clothing should he need it. It isn't common for him but he can hear his sisters voices in the back of his head urging him to do vear away from the practical path.

It's hard enough with his own thoughts, adding those of his sisters just gives him a headache. He tries to think of what Toby might do but his oldest brother is about as useless when it comes to clothing choices as he is.

Why is shopping so hard?

WILD CARD

[ooc; anything that you want to do through the month can be tossed under wildcard. I want to do all the things with Jacob and I am game with having a few threads going at once since I am sometimes slow. :3 Also anyone is welcome to notice bruising or any injuries from his mugging.]

Comments

Mugging - HE TOLD YOU BRO

[skyward_eyes]

Things Nida had done: Warned Jacob to be careful. Warned Jacob of the possibility of muggers. Been concerned over Jacob.

Things Nida had also done: started following Jacob from the rooftops one evening when he saw the man, once more, being foolish. Noticed the group of ruffians. Cursed Jacob in his native tongue and felt Siren laugh in his head and in his blood.

But that was all in the last weeks, hours, minutes. This is the now. In the now Nida's eyes close while he balances on his rooftop perch, light coalescing around him in motes until they gathered on his fingertips. A flick of the wrist toward Jacob and the spell rushed for the man, consuming one of the precious and hard to replace charges of Nida's rarer magics.

Before the eyes of the brutes a shield of light formed before Jacob, swirling in the air before sinking into his skin, becoming an invisible barrier to take the force off of blows. Protect sent. While the muggers boggled Nida pulled tanbo from the holsters at his hips and jumped down behind them. He lands with a feline grace, spins the metal sticks between his fingers, and grins.

"Hey boys. Did I miss the party?"

And then he's moving. Quick motions as the tanbo strike out, arm, leg, stomach on one man, leaving him doubled over. Another presents a more obliquely angled target. Hip, elbow, shoulder, kick to the stomach, gets the second thrown away. Nida stops, smiles, spins the tanbo again.

"I suggest you drop my friend and his money. Otherwise I'm going to be frightfully annoyed."

Mugging - He wasn't the only one who told him...

[brotherofagod]

Jacob felt the familiar warmth of magic curl against his skin as the protection spell formed around him. The next hit was hard but it didn't knock the wind from his lungs like the previous strikes.

Someone else was here.

His head rose and he whispered a name that came out as an inaudible groan. That was when Nida dropped into view, his staff striking out with the furry and precision of a viper.

Jacob felt the grip on his arm loosen and he took his chance to fight back. He slipped one arm free and turned, pivoting all of the strength he had left as well as the weight of his upper body into a punch at the opposite man's gut. He felt a rib crack beneath his knuckle as his opposite arm dropped free.

He was tired as fuck, too tired to run, but now that the battle had turned, the thieves thought better of it and ran. Jacob didn't bother checking to see if they left his money. It wasn't worth it.

Instead he slumped onto the ground, waiting for the scolding that he'd probably deserve.

[skyward_eyes]

Had they left the money? No. Did Nida intend to let them get away? Also a no. When they run he sighs and reaches for Siren and the magic again. Good thing he knows which asshole took it. The Aero spell is cast faster than even the protect, and is no less impressive here than it would be back home. Winds catch up the mugger and toss him into the air. Not high. Only a few feet. It's more the swirling and being buffeted by magical energy that really hurt. And, when the little twister was done, the man fell to the ground, dazed.

Nida strode over, tucking one of his paired tanbo under an arm, reached down, and plucked Jacob's wallet free.

"Good night gentlemen," Nida laughed as the man, still dazed, pushed to his feet and stumbled off. Only then could he turn back to Jacob.

"Healing first. Wallet when we get you safely indoors."

[brotherofagod]

Jacob stayed seated on the ground, the heels of his shoes resting out in front of him while his arms draped over his knees. He watched Nida with the same curiosity he had when watch Sam perform spells. "You really don't have to-" He cut himself off and ruffled his own hair a bit. "Okay."

It was done.

Oh well.

His head bowed and he shifted, ruffling his hair again, then pushing himself up onto his feet. He was badly bruised, his lip was split and bleeding, but the worst wasn't going to show up until tomorrow. "It's fine." It wasn't the first time that he'd gotten his ass kicked.

[skyward_eyes]

Oh of course he's going to. Look at it this way, Jacob, this time you get to see it up close. Nida tucks his weapons away into the holsters strapped on either leg and goes down on a knee next to Jacob. This close, once more, he can feel the magic bubbling under the surface near Jacob, the wellspring of magic part of him longs to tap. The rest of him just reaches for Siren and lets her power wash through him. For a moment his eyes are light bright, shining brass. The next it's gone and motes of light gather in the air around his hand.

He places said hand against Jacob's jaw. While a physical touch wasn't remotely needed, it was something he did anyway. The magic would be like a strange itch of warmth through his body, and a small boost of energy. Given the level of damage, provided the man hadn't bruised any organs or cracked any bones, it should be enough to get Jacob right back up and mobile, as if he hadn't been struck.

With that he rose along with Sam, smiling at the hint of blood along that possibly healing split lip. IT gave his lips a ruby shine that Nida almsot wanted to kiss away. Which was stupid.

"Come find me in the morning if you're still aching. I'll give you another dose."

<3 sorry for my delay

[brotherofagod]

It was an odd mixture of sensations as Nida gently placed in hand against Jacob's jaw. It hurt but along side that pain was an unexpected spark of excitement. Jacob didn't understand the feeling, it wasn't something he'd felt before. It had to be the adrenaline... that's it.

"Huh? Er, yeah." He licked his lip and tasted the familiar copper tint of blood. That only made everything worse. He thought back to his nightmares, to Amadeus, and he suddenly felt wildly uncomfortbale.

"Yeah. Thanks. Sorry... if I worried you. I was just trying to clear my head."

Jacob dropped his head and looked a bit defeated before he rose to his feet. He didn't want to be more of a bother to Nida, who always seemed to be there when he was at his lowest.

[skyward_eyes]

"Something tells me I'm going to live my life here frequently worried over you, Jacob. The apologies are just a given now," Nida suggests, his voice a soft sigh. He did step back and let Jacob rise, though, giving the man space.

"There are safer places to clear your mind. I could show you a few? Otherwise you're just going to make an off-duty guard very, very nervous, and me not even in uniform to make the nervousness look like quiet intensity."

[brotherofagod]

"Doesn't mean they shouldn't be said." He brushed his palms over his jeans before running his fingers through his hair. He felt better but not great. There was something about having his ass kicked that pushed down the confidence he was feeling in this new place. Maybe he didn't know what he was doing.

"Yeah and yeah. I'd like that." Jacob smiled a bit.

"I don't want to make you nervous when you aren't on duty. Maybe you should text me your schedule." He joked, attempting to bring some levity to the situation.

[skyward_eyes]

It's not that funny, dear. Not that funny at all. Nida sighs and gestures for Jacob to follow him.

"What you really need is a boyfriend to keep you occupied at night, and keep your cute butt indoors."

What? It's a fair observation in his estimation.

GRAY BUILDING/AROUND

[somewhereintime]

Steve is out trying to catch some fresh air. He had an apartment located in the Green part of the building but he just needed to escape it. Time passing here still made him wonder if it was passing at home and he didn't know what to do with his time. And so he walked.

He wasn't worried about finding something or someone he couldn't handle. After all he'd fought a guy who could wipe the population of the world with just a snap of his fingers with that gauntlet. So for now Steve sat on one of the tables with his hands on either of his sides, head down in thought. What did they have to do in order to get home? What was going to be the cost to win their freedom? How did everyone work together in order to achieve that goal?

With a sigh he looked up and saw a kid sitting alone. By the looks of it he was new too but Steve didn't want to approach him because he wasn't the type to bother anyone if he didn't need to. But if something went wrong, or the kid wanted to talk he was okay with that.

So for now he stayed where he was and just kept a look out.

GRAY BUILDING/AROUND

[brotherofagod]

Jacob looked up when he felt the brief weight of Steve's gaze fall on his shoulders. Their eyes met and an awkward silence followed as Jacob debated whether or not to break eye contact.

After about 30 seconds, he decided that he'd been staring too long.

"Hey." It wasn't eloquent but it was all he could think to say. His head was buzzing with thoughts and for a brief moment he defaulted to noncommittal conversation. "Nice out tonight."

Goodness he must be out of sorts, otherwise he wouldn't be as much of a loser as his sister right now. She always talked about the weather and Jacob could never understand why.

[somewhereintime]

Steve wasn't one to follow people unless it happened to be someone he was after, like the time he'd been trying to find 'The Winter Soldier' which happened to be Bucky, or that Red Skull guy way back when. However, there was a small smile and a nod at the breaching of the silence.

"Ya it is." the former avenger wasn't sure but somehow had the feeling this kid might need a friend, not that Steve figured he was that person. He was just a guy stuck here not unlike the kid but he had a war to go fight when he got home. This one didn't even look old enough to join the army legally even though he himself had tried that route..and eventually succeeded.

The nomad got up from where he was sitting and looked Jacob over. "You okay?"

[brotherofagod]

"You could say that." He dragging his palm through his hair before resting his hand on the back of his neck. He was tense but nothing seemed to alleviate the tension he felt. His nightmares had a way of sticking with him.

"I mean, I'm fine. Physically. Just tired." That wasn't all of it but Steve was a stranger and Jacob didn't want to unload on him.

"It's weird being here, ya know?"

[somewhereintime]

Steve nodded sympathetically because he did the whole running a hand through his hair whenever he got nervous or needed to think. "This place can take a lot out of you, especially with being in a new place and so far from home." If Earth was anywhere near this place he highly doubted it.

Blue eyes looked up at the stars and the man took a deep breath of the night air before turning back to Jacob. "Especially when you have other paces to be and other things to do." But if Yuna was right, it wouldn't matter because somehow time had stopped back home. And while he wasn't one to put off fighting Thanos again, at least things would wait if she was correct.

[brotherofagod]

"Heh, you can say that again. It's a little too quiet here sometimes." He didn't like it. Jacob had been living in a city for over a decade. The last time he'd been in the country had been his childhood and that had been a life time ago. He didn't belong in that silence.

"I don't really have anything else to do. I know know a few people who will be worried about me. I don't... really like making them worried." He'd already made them all suffer so much.

[somewhereintime]

"Yeah." Steve said that with a sigh. He put his hands on his hips and looked around. Somehow war had been the only constant in his life. He didn't try to start out that way, but when things were quiet, he was always torn between enjoying it and not. And New York always had something going on even upstate, which was where the Avengers hung out.

A smile appeared. "Well when we all go home, you can assure them you're fine and nothing bad happened to you."

[brotherofagod]

Jacob smiled. "They'll be pissed at me. Airy will cry. She's always been a cry baby." He leaned forward, resting his forearm on his knees. "Everyone else will be happy to see me and force us to have family game night to make up for the time missed." He exhaled a huff. "They're kinda pushy but I'm glad to know that they're waiting for me. Even if it'll take a bit to get back there. I trust them."

It wasn't being here that plagued him. It was a hundred other things.

Shopping

[areasontohope]

Everything had turned upside down on its head. Crazy gnomes, blue crystals and a phone resembling one at home aside, the way people were dressed was way out of his league. So after discovering a little bit of money, he'd gotten food and after that had started wandering the stores. The other shopkeepers constantly repeated the same refrain to Yuki that he was awake, not dreaming, welcome to this place and was also told that he should update his wardrobe to look more modern. He'd been too polite to laugh.

Confused, he headed down a street and landed near a shop full of clothes. The styles were okay..but totally weren't anything he'd wear. Still, maybe they had something more comfortable in the back and this was the only clothing shop he'd seen so far. Taking a deep breath he headed inside and his eyes adjusted to the dimmer light.

That creeping feeling that he was definitely in the wrong place came back to him and the silver head turned to see someone around his age coming out wearing..some sort of odd clothing, akin to the other things he's seeing. Yuki's thin shoulders slumped and with a sigh he turned to look up at a black top hat.

In the brim he found a piece of paper and carefully unfolded it. After reading the contents, his grayish eyes narrowed slightly and he shook his head, talking more out loud to himself though he was audible. "Of course there's instructions on hat wearing etiquette too."

Shopping

[brotherofagod]

Jacob was being fussed over by a seamstress when Yuki had first walked into the store. He was distracted and distressed but even so, it didn't take him long to notice the pretty young man was inspecting a top hat a few feet away from him.

He cleared his throat and offered a soft word to the seamstress. "This seems nice. Could you get me a vest in gray?" The old woman smiled and hurried off while Jacob took a step towards Yuki. He was wearing his blue jeans but his torso was being fitted with a white waistcoat.

"Hey. I see you're new to this too." He also hasn't ever worn a top hat, so he can't really offer Yuki any help in that regard but there was some comfort in being with someone who felt similar when it came to fashion... be it here or back home.

[areasontohope]

Grayish eyes turned at the sound of the unfamiliar voice and somehow he had managed to hold onto both the instructions of etiquette and top hat. They boy was obviously a stranger to him and had correctly guessed that Yuki was new. But while he wasn't going to lie, he could try and squiggle his way out of it. "This is different than what I'm used to."

He then noticed the other's white waistcoat and he himself had worn a black one once. There'd been a blue banded top hat too but it was small and sat off to the side of his head and hadn't been anywhere near the size that was offered here. And Yuki was smart enough to realize this was more than likely the only shop that offered clothing. But his heart stopped as he spied a small amount of silk. And as he saw the price tag he knew he couldn't get it, but made a promise to himself to come back and get it when he had enough currency.

"So I'm guessing this must be the fashion here." he said with a nod at the hat and a small smile. More like it was really old fashioned fashion but Yuki was too polite to say as much.

[brotherofagod]

"At least they have instructions." Jacob exhaled a low huff of laughter. "Yeah. That's a nice way of saying it. I take it that you aren't used to it either?" At that moment the woman walked over to Jacob and began fusing at him to put on the vest that she'd fetched for him.

It looked nice and, as if proud of her work, she turned towards Yuki with a smile. "Tell me what you think young man? Don't you think he looks stunning?"

Now that Jacob was on the spot, he looked a little awkward.

[areasontohope]

Yuki shook his head, both to Jacob's words and the being used to the type of clothing being available. Only Hatori might be able to pull something like this off, and his brother Ayame would either be joyously trying to help the seamstress who came up to Jacob or he'd be crying hysterically and dramatically.

Good thing he wasn't here.

Nervously a hand reached for a strand of grey hair and he tucked it behind his ear at the question from the seamstress. Why was she asking him for his opinion? And then it occurred to him that they were the only ones in the clothing shop for the moment, so of course he would be solicited for his opinion. Ayame had pulled the very same thing on him for Miss Honda's dress up in his store after all.

So he smiled at the seamstress, unsure as to how exactly to reply. "It looks nice." It was true of course, Jacob did look very nice all dressed up as he was.

[brotherofagod]

Jacob was uncomfortable and was trying every option to ending this embarrassment.

"So I guess I'll buy these two. Um... just these two." The woman tried to sell him more but Jacob politely remained firmly set with his purchase. It was only after she left that he exhaled a breath of relief.

"Sorry if she put you on the spot too. I'm not really good at shopping." He didn't care about what he wore and it wasn't like he could wear this at his job.

[areasontohope]

Yuki sensed the awkwardness and knew that one day it was going to be him in front of the woman. But he'd already seen some blue materials and shirts that he liked, so he'd probably just end up going with the same idea that he had worn back home. So maybe it would go a little easier and he'd try to make sure no one else had to deal with the awkwardness of an opinion.

He smiled slightly. "It's alright, I guess that's what shop owners do, to ask someone else for their thoughts." For Ayame it had to just be an ego thing really. As far as this seamstress went, maybe it was to ensure Jacob bought the outfit.

[brotherofagod]

"Yeah. Might be a sales thing." Jacob didn't know. He missed being able to shop through Amazon. It was easier than interacting with people in stores. "I don't know. Oh! Sorry. My names Jacob. I've been here about two months."

He held out his hand to Yuki, his expression open and earnest.