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[outerfringe]

open post for jeff

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[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.]

[hardlydead]

[ well first he's going to kiss that face, lingering close after. ]

Gotta be weird for you.

[outerfringe]

[The kiss surprises him, makes him blink every bit of the wistfulness away. He smiles, briefly bumps their foreheads together.]

I mean-

[He wants to say 'everything is weird for everyone here,' and instead says-]

I didn't really know them. But I did wish I was part of their little gang, you know? Just seemed like a nice thought, having a group like that. And Susie was always nice enough. Into art, too.

[He doesn't think it's in him to just kill for the fun of it. But maybe he'd think differently if he'd had an in with Frank's friends? Who knows.]

[hardlydead]

[ it's so strange to think of any of them being 'nice enough' when the majority of his experience with them is being stabbed about 80 times in some of the longest trials he's ever endured. but he'll take jeff's word for it. ]

Selfish of me, but I'm glad you weren't in their little gang.

[outerfringe]

[To be fair, he's got a bit of a mental disconnect there for his own sanity.]

Dunno man. It's gotta be like having a bunch of cats, right? You already got four deranged teenagers in masks running around, I don't think a fifth would have made that much of a difference.

[hardlydead]

[ he chuckles a little at the mental image and shakes his head. ]

S'not what I meant.

[outerfringe]

[It takes him a second, but he gets it and smiles briefly in a way that's almost bashful.]

So you're sweet, too. Learning all about you, man.

[hardlydead]

[ he laughs and shoves jeff's arm. ]

Shut up.

[outerfringe]

Yeah, alright, too far.

[But the little smile is still there- he doesn't seem too chastised.]

[hardlydead]

I take it back.

[ he's smiling too, obviously not serious at all. ]

[outerfringe]

Guess I'll go start on my mask.

[He's not moving.




Is this trauma bonding.]

[hardlydead]

Gonna be real uncomfortable in one of those masks with that beard.

[ he lifts a hand and combs his fingers through it just below jeff's chin as if that illustrates his point. ]

[outerfringe]

[He leans subtly into the hand.]

Gotta suffer for fashion.