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[outerfringe]

open post for jeff

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[outerfringe]

Seems like. Better just take the compliment.

[Jeff is shifting enough to try to loose David's arm from him, to pin them at his sides. He's clearly going more for 'nuisance' than 'threat,' and honestly - it feels nice to have an excuse to be a dumbass for a few minutes.]

[hardlydead]

[ david's still laughing, letting jeff do pretty much whatever he wants with only the barest excuse for resistance on his part. ]

Nah, don't think I will.

[outerfringe]

-come on, man.

[Jeff has gone from looking quietly amused to laughing abruptly out loud when David simply chooses not to fight back. He squeezes his arms.]

I will throw you into the fire.

[hardlydead]

I'll be takin' you with me if you do.

[ he can't get his arms around jeff without fighting back, so david settles for putting his hands on jeff's sides. ]

Fine, fine, okay. I did a nice thing.

[outerfringe]

See? Not that hard.

[Jeff releases him with another quiet laugh, looking fairly pleased with himself.]

Besides, I don't hang out with assholes, so you must be doing fine.

[This isn't some strange threat, just a matter of fact remark. He's seen David risk himself for people he barely knows in the trials. It's unquestioning.]

[hardlydead]

[ he definitely wants to argue, but david stops himself with a huff. ]

[ but also the squeezing was kind of nice? jeff come back-- ]

I guess I could be worse.

[outerfringe]

Can't believe you've got me being a motivational speaker. I'm calling Dwight over.

[It occurs to him that it's probably extremely fucking dangerous to catch feelings in a place like this one, but he's only human.]

[hardlydead]

Oh my god.

[ he is grabbing jeff's face with both hands ]

Stop.

[outerfringe]

[Jeff grins quickly at him, but there's something sheepish about the expression. Silently acknowledging that he knows that he's being a dumbass.]

Sorry. No idea why you're hanging out with me.

[hardlydead]

[ how the fuck did he get so fond of this man so fast? david looks at jeff's face in his hands and for a moment he just feels lucky, because he knows jeff isn't like this with anyone else. in the back of his mind he knows it's probably going to become a problem, but it's hard to think of it that way when david can pull him in for a kiss before releasing him. ]

Guess I'm just weak for artsy blokes with long hair and tattoos.

[outerfringe]

[Jeff's line of thinking isn't far from David's: he's not sure he's ever quite seen David like this before, and he likes this side of him. He also likes this freedom to relax a little around someone, to stop holding his breath so much. There's not usually a lot between trials to enjoy.

Jeff chases the kiss with a second one.]

Yeah? Weird type to have.

[hardlydead]

It's dreadful.

[ tongue in cheek with a barely hidden smirk as he lets his hand run lightly down jeff's arm. ]

There's one who keeps trying to get me to start painting? But he's a good kisser so maybe I'll try it.

[outerfringe]

Probably worth it.

[The touch is nicer than it should be. Jeff tries not to pay so much attention to it and fails.]

-you know, some of my art actually made it into one of the trials.

[This isn't a fun fact that he loves, really, but whatever.]

[hardlydead]

Yeah?

[ that feels ominous ]

[outerfringe]

[He should really stop talking.]

You know the old, uh, ski resort. I'm from there. The town, I mean, it's where I grew up.

[hardlydead]

[ okay. this feels important somehow. david's brows pinch as he listens-- the trial locations don't usually have anything to do with them, it's just some lucky killers get to have a little slice of home. ]

Isn't that Legion's stomping ground?

[ weird ]

[outerfringe]

Uh, yeah.

[Okay this IS weird]

We went to the same high school.

[hardlydead]

[ ... ]

Together?

[outerfringe]

Yeah. I heard they disappeared, but I kinda just figured they ran away or something, I dunno.

[hardlydead]

[ jeff you're glossing over something very important here. ]

But they're kids.

[ y'all showed up at the same time, jeffrey!! ]

[outerfringe]

[He just gives a BIG OLD SHRUG]

If you're asking me how I'm old and they're not, I don't have any answers for you.

[hardlydead]

[ okay... give him a minute here, he's processing. time is weird here, david knows that. plague is fucking ancient, those kids with way too much interpersonal drama are from the 80s. not to mention whatever the fuck is going on with jill and co. someone could turn up tomorrow claiming to be from the distant future and david would have no choice but to shrug and accept it. so a, what, 15 year difference? between when legion are from and when jeff is from? it's not totally out there. ]

[ fucking hell is it weird though. ]

[ david's face goes on a journey while he puts all that together in his head and comes to an important conclusion. ]

So you drew something for 'em back in the day?

[outerfringe]

[It's a journey he's been on several times. This is one of the things that he chews over sometimes in the long stretches of dark and silent peace between trials. What would happen if they were sent home somehow? Would they return to their own time? Rewrite history? How much wiggle room did the entity have for dealing with time when it came to brazenly fucking with their lives?

He puts that all aside.]

You know that mural up at the lodge? The really edgy one of their name.

[hardlydead]

That was you?

[ god he can't even imagine how bizarre that must be for jeff. ]

[outerfringe]

Yeah. I was- god, young. First actual paid commission. Used to be really proud of that.

[He's thoughtful, wistful more than sad.]