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[outerfringe]

open post for jeff

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[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.

[hardlydead]

Uh-huh.

[ absolutely not buying it, but he does push his hand up to rest along jeff's jaw. ]

[outerfringe]

Could just shave it, I guess.

[Jeff is good at seeming stoic and aloof until you get close enough to uncover his slightly anxious talking.]

[hardlydead]

You could.

[ mmm david doesn't want him to hypothetically do that though. maybe another kiss will help. ]

[outerfringe]

[Jeff will just mumble between that and a returning kiss-]

Not supposed to encourage me.

[hardlydead]

Just 'cause I don't want you to doesn't mean I'm gonna stop you.

[ hm. ]

But go easy on the stabbing, yeah?

[outerfringe]

[Okay, yeah, he's a little addicted to this. Just one more kiss, really.]

Maybe I'll get rid of the knives. Menace people with watercolours. Worked so far.

[hardlydead]

C'mon now, that's too far.

[outerfringe]

Yeah, probably.

[Jeff shifts slightly, bumps his face against David's temple.]

You gonna show me around Manchester?

[hardlydead]

[ oh, that's nice. david tilts his head a little toward jeff. ]

Can do. Bunch of galleries for you to go stare at paintings if you want.

[outerfringe]

You gonna come with me?

[Galleries, damn. It's been a minute.]