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 Posted: Fri Apr 09, 2021 7:12 pm
Jace had lost his mind.
He was absolutely, certifiably, insane.
He’d thought it was weird when he’d run into that strange--magic person!--fighting that strange--magic thing!--a while ago, but for the second time in a month, he’d run into what he understood to be a youma.
An evil thing, out for--
Well, he didn’t really know, and if he’d been told, he couldn’t clearly remember. It was a monster, and it was bad, and he’d just been chased by one. When he’d had a few moments of clarity, he’d thought he could call that strange guy, but everything was really such a blur.
He went from Jace, to someone else. He’d felt the surge of power, the strange energy signature from the monster. Everything seemed all mixed in his head, and he’d barely had time to process any of it before he realized he’d texted Holden.
It was brief, and Jace didn’t even seem level headed enough to know how bad it sounded.
Quote: I need to see you. Need to talk. Please let me in. Back door. Be there in two.
He didn’t know why he was afraid to see Callan; Jace was in his running clothes, at eight thirty at night, and he felt like Callan would take one look at him and just know something was wrong, and banish him from Holden. But Jace really needed to see him. Never mind that his knees were--shamefully--scraped and bloody, or that his hand had blood and dirt and gravel jammed into the palm. His hair was sloppy and he desperately needed to fix it, but it was hard enough to focus on anything beyond just getting here. He was disheveled and nervous and could not go home in this condition, not when Xander was just as likely to see as his mother, and if either of them saw him hurt…
He checked his phone when he approached the back door, hopeful that Holden had gotten his text, that he was waiting for him. He was afraid to knock, afraid to alert his brother, and anxiously texted a brief, ‘Here’ when he arrived, looking over his shoulder to make sure he wasn’t followed.
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Posted: Fri Apr 09, 2021 7:24 pm
Holden for his part - stared down at the phone with a sort of dazed, well it wasn’t quite wonder, it was somewhere tottering back and forth between wonder and fear. Jace, needed to see him. NEEDED to see him, to talk… and he was going to be there shortly. Not the front door either… the back. There was no way he’d realized that he was Garuda, right? The cat had said not to share that information… but.. To say he hurried down to the back door as quietly as he could manage was almost an understatement, furtive looks to make sure he wasn’t observed before he stood, just a little on tip toe to peer out the back door window. He sucked in a breath when he saw Jace, god! If something had attacked him… He’d had the burner phone though! Why hadn’t he messaged!? He fumbled open the back door, almost forgetting to be quiet about it. “Jace… Jace! Oh my god what happened?” He said in what couldn’t be called anything but a ‘stage whisper’.
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Posted: Fri Apr 09, 2021 7:40 pm
”Can we go to your room?” he asked, and slipped inside as quietly as he could manage. He spoke in a gruff whisper, and seemed antsy. He scanned the house to make sure Callan wasn’t there, and while he ordinarily might have waited to be invited in, he instead just closed--and locked--the door behind him, took Holden’s wrist in his good hand, and began to quietly lead him up the stairs.
He didn’t speak again until they were in his room, and the door was locked behind him--and then, he went to the window, peered out, and then stepped away from it and tried to make sure it was closed so no one could see in.
“I’m sorry,” he said, voice still soft, but just slightly louder.
“I didn’t know where else to go.”
He was out of breath and tired, so he did the most logical thing--he sat down on the floor and then flopped backwards so he was staring at the ceiling.
“...I think I’m losing my mind. I think I’m crazy. I think I’m insane. Tell me something sane, Holden. Pinch me. I need to know this isn’t a dream.” No, it couldn’t have been a dream, because he looked a little green, suddenly, and maybe was trying to force himself not to throw up.
“I got attacked,” he said out loud, barely more than a whisper, because he really didn’t need to find out that Callan had superhero hearing after tonight. “I think. Do you believe in Monsters?”
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Posted: Fri Apr 09, 2021 7:51 pm
“Y…yes of course.” He whispered and glanced around as well. “You creep up first, stay to the left of the stairs, they won’t squeak that way!” He whispered, more a true whisper now. “I’ll go get the bandaids and things.” He whispered “And then I’ll be right there, the better kit is down here.” He reached and brushed a hand gently, he wanted to brush Jace’s cheek, he settled for his arm, gentle and worried. The last question… he really had been attacked again, and Holden had again, failed to protect him properly. His heart twisted in his chest, a painful spasm behind his ribs. “I… I think I do….yes.” He said softly. “Go, I’ll bring water and supplies, you can borrow clean clothing, anything that fits after we clean you up.” He promised and glanced around one more time before heading to the cupboard under the lower bathroom sink. Easy access in case of Kitchen ‘accidents’. He took the whole of it out, hesitating to listen again before pausing once more to get a little bottle of juice and a reusable bottle of water that he’d left chilling. Wrapping his arms around his precarious cargo and tiptoed as best he could up the stairs with as much haste as he could muster.
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Posted: Fri Apr 09, 2021 8:29 pm
Jace had complied with Holden’s instructions, carefully creeping up and doing his best not to cause any sort of noise or trouble. He felt safe in Holden’s room; it was so warm and different from home, and even laying on the ground, he still felt comfortable. He hadn’t wanted to be alone. He understood that Holden needed to fetch supplies-- supplies? Jace lifted his head so he could see his knees, looked at his open, bloodied palm, and would have groaned and flopped his head back on the floor if he wasn’t afraid of Callan hearing the thump it would make. When Holden returned, he was afraid it would have been with bad news, but he relaxed shortly after his eyes landed on him. “Oh,” he said softly. “I’m sorry, Holden. I--I should have gone home, I just. If my mom, or Xander saw me like this. I don’t know. I--” he clearly wasn’t proud. “I freaked out. I--something weird happened earlier. I don’t know how to explain it. It doesn’t make sense.
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Posted: Fri Apr 09, 2021 8:33 pm
“Don’t you EVER say sorry for coming here.” Holden whispered, forgetting that his room was at least relatively safe. “Ever.” He repeated. “Even if I make your Brother jealous, I’m glad you came here.” He hurried over and settled carefully beside Jace, divesting himself of the things he’d carried with him. “Now let me see, you can tell me while I tend to these! I want to make sure you haven’t got any gravel in these cuts, you are NOT competing with Xander, ever for ‘worst job leaning an injury. At least not on my watch!” He opened the kit and started fishing for the disposable antiseptic wipes and then grimaced. “I get to be sorry, this is probably going to sting terribly.” He added. “Knees? or hand first?” He offered.
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Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2021 2:03 pm
Jace’s brows were knit, not in the grouchy way that seemed to settle so naturally on his face, but in the way that was strangely vulnerable for him, strangely worried. He nodded, as he laid on the ground, and just held up his hand because it was closest.
There was gravel. There was dirt. There was blood.
Jace hardly seemed concerned with any of that, and just drew in a breath and looked up at the ceiling.
“...Thank you,” he said, and it seemed like his mind was all over the place. “Can I compete with him for the best cleaned injury?” he asked, and looked up at Holden for a split second, but it didn’t even seem like his heart was in it, and he squeezed his eyes shut as he settled himself back on the ground. When he opened his eyes, he was staring up at the ceiling again.
“I got chased by this weird dog a little while ago. And then tonight, it was this big--there was this thing. This big, freaky, thing. Like right out of a horror movie. Like almost as big as a car, big. Like--a monster, Holden. And before you think I’m crazy, I didn’t have too much coffee. I’ve been sleeping. And this is twice now. And I just--I--tell me I’m not crazy? Because that’s not even the crazy part, Holden. But I need you to believe me. Please.”
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Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2021 2:08 pm
Holden sucked in a breath to hear what had been chasing Jace, his eyes widening, his face loosing some of it’s color. He hadn’t been there, Jace could have… it might have done so much more than this. “I … believe you.” He said after a moment, and then repeated himself to make sure that Jace didn’t have room to doubt that he was being sincere. “I believe you, I… I found a blog recently, things people say they see but that people won’t report because it just sounds too crazy, it goes… so far back for this city. Years!” He bit at his lip and took a breath. “I’m so glad you’re ok! H…how did you get away! I… I couldn’t stand it if this happened a third time. Look I’ll start running with you! Or something!” He had no idea why the monsters seemed to think Jace was delicious, but they were absolutely not allowed.
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Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2021 3:06 pm
Jace sucked in a breath, because what else was he supposed to do! How was he supposed to just come out and say how he got away. He still held his hand up, like he’d forgotten about it, but didn’t want Holden to fuss over it if he tried to lay it down.
“--Will you send me that blog? I...I want to read it. It’s--”
He sounded stupid. He should be committed. He should be on medication.
“--I was running,” he answered, “Because this thing was huge. And it had this tentacle thing, it grabbed my ankle and I fell, and I guess I landed on this thing? I was trying to reach for my phone, I was going to call for help, but I grabbed something else, instead. And it was like--Holden. Please.” He was deadly serious. “Do not tell anyone else.”
He didn’t wait for Holden to promise because he already trusted him. “Whatever I grabbed, it was like--it was magic or something. My clothes changed. It was just like--a stick! I was just going to hit it! But--It was so messed up. And then a car hit it. The monster, not the stick. And then it came after me in the woods, so I just kept hitting it, and then--It just sort of exploded into dust, and it was just me, standing there. In this weird costume. That I didn’t pick out. And it’s like--my nerves were on fire, I could feel things prickling in my mind, and--I’m not crazy, I can show you.”
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Posted: Sun Apr 11, 2021 7:37 pm
“I… yes, I’ll do that as soon as we bandage you up.” He promised. “I’m… really glad you made it here? I… I never expected I’d be glad you were safe after being molested by a tentacle monster though.” He felt, ridiculous after saying it aloud but he meant it. What else Jace said though, reached out and grabbed, something. Oh god… oh god, was he, what if he were… But he’d beaten the Youma to death.
“I don’t think you’re crazy I promise.” He said almost a whisper. “but… show me? I, I think need to see what you mean.” He dabbed carefully at the scrapes, gently as he could trying to rinse out the dirt and the grit. “I believe you… I promise.” He added again.
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Posted: Sun Apr 11, 2021 9:25 pm
Jace looked agonized, horrified, but nodded.
Of course Holden would need to see it, of course Jace would need to relive this insanity.
But, he was in a safe environment now, he knew that. It wasn’t like a monster was going to jump out and attack him here.
Though, while he was on the ground, he rolled his head so he could try and peer under Holden’s bed and clear any dark shadows in the room.
His face was red, either from embarrassment at Holden thinking he was felt up by some tentacle monster or anger that he’d had to deal with any of it at all. Probably both.
“Don’t think less of me,” he insisted, because he didn’t know what to make of himself at all.
And then, out of instinct and some strange knowing, he powered up. He lay on Holden’s floor, in his tunic, in his outfit so unlike anything he’d have chosen for himself, holding a wooden stick.
He was Jace and not Jace, and his brows were knit with an unreasonable worry as he tried to read Holden’s face. He held his breath, and that only added to the redness of his face, but he seemed nervous to make a move or say anything until Holden did first.
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Posted: Wed Apr 14, 2021 6:01 pm
Holden watched, and… stared, because whatever he expected, it wasn’t… what he was looking at. Jace was not a senshi. Somehow, he’d half expected ‘senshi’. But he got an actual… stick? That just seemed unfairly better than ‘launch magical bird’ at his opponents. He let his gaze drift the whole length of the uniform, taking in the astrological symbol, the color, the cut. “…Well.” He said carefully. “You look very nice in a … tunic.” He said carefully. Because Jace had very nice legs from all the running he did. He reached out carefully and touched the fabric, just to see what it felt like. He did sort of want to know since he was out of uniform after all. “… And you always look well in purple. I would give the outfit … 4 out of five stars, only because I’m not seeing any practical pockets.” He said solemnly. Now... how to slide into the subject that he too had such a strange and magical outfit. Hmm...
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Posted: Fri Apr 16, 2021 1:40 pm
A splash of red spread quickly across Jace’s face. “I--I didn’t pick this,” he said, and was absolutely, positively embarrassed. He felt so exposed, and only a few seconds afterwards, shifted back to Jace.
He seemed too flustered to hold up that form, and couldn’t make eye contact with Holden afterwards.
“Don’t--tell anyone. Please. I don’t--I hardly know what this is. It feels like a dream. I don’t get it! I--please don’t tell anyone. I don’t know what I got myself into. But I know there are people out there that--I don’t know, are like this. I ran into one the other day, so I--I have his number, I--I don’t know, I’ll call. I’ll ask. Maybe. I don’t know.”
He groaned and flopped his head backwards, but froze, like he just remembered that he was supposed to be quiet and hiding up here.
“Tomorrow. I don’t think I’m in a good place to be trying to figure this out tonight. My heart feels like it’s going to explode. I just wanted to go for a run! I was supposed to be blowing off steam, not--ugh, I look like a kid who doesn’t know how to use a playground,” he said, mad at himself for getting hurt. Who skinned their knees! Their hand! What a kid thing to do!
Not cool! And he’d run right to Holden!
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Posted: Fri Apr 16, 2021 5:29 pm
“I’m not going to tell anyone! I promise! They have that… specialized task force after all! It’s not like you chose to go running around in an outfit well suited to conquer most of Europe!” He reached out and plucked at Jace’s hair tie with one finger, half a threat and half an offer to brush it out like last time. “I’m certain there are much stranger outfits out there, and I’m very glad to whatever caused this that it gave you a tangible weapon.” He said softly but sternly as well. “And clearly, I should just start joining you on runs, maybe if there are two of us, it will be safer!” He nodded like that made perfect sense. “I know I don’t run as far as you can, not -yet- but I at least do some exercises with my Brother, I’ve been trying to take that more seriously too! Being in shape is super fashionable you know… Besides, nothing that has happened to you could possibly be more ‘kid on a playground’ than the last Spar that my Brother did with one of the Dojo blackbelts that got cocky! They not only have to repair a large piece of dry wall, but they’ll need to repair the air ducts, because apparently you can punch through one with your butt…” He offered a small smile he hoped was reassuring, or at least distracting while he braced himself to show off his own ‘costume’ to Jace. Maybe they’d both feel better if they knew that they were in it together.
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Posted: Sat Apr 17, 2021 5:18 am
While Jace was genuinely appreciative of Holden’s effort, he doubted there was any way Holden could keep up with him in a meaningful sense. Of course, he’d appreciate spending the time with him, but he couldn’t imagine actually forcing Holden to keep up with him.
...And, what would have happened if Holden was attacked.
The thought nearly nauseated him and he groaned, reaching up to rub at his eyes with his good hand.
...He’d just have to figure out what this was--what he was--and get stronger. Strong enough to protect him? From monsters? Ugh, he’d have to fight, though? He’d have to, what, take lessons? Classes? He didn’t want something public, maybe he could ask--
There was a knock at the door, loud and firm, and then Callan appeared, and Jace suddenly wasn’t certain that just by thinking about him too hard would summon him.
“Holden, are you decent? Can I open the door?”
Jace was frozen, rigid on the ground, and suddenly felt like he’d been caught in a trap. For a split second, he eyed the closet like he thought he was going to run in and hide before he remembered that he’d never been an unwelcome guest by Callan’s standards.
...But then, he didn’t always show up, unannounced, after dark--and this was the second time he’d done it in a too-short time span.
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