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 Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2024 9:41 am
Nick had gone overboard…but. What else was new. He had a bag filled with four new puzzles, three that were twenty five hundred pieces, and then a 3-D puzzle that would eventually be the shape of a castle. He was eager to start on that one. It was a candy castle, and for some reason, the details absolutely delighted him…and it was getting closer to Halloween. Sort of. He could justify it. Plus! It would look good in the bakery!
Maybe…if he and Arias could spend some quality time working on the other puzzles…
If he could convince him to maybe get it framed…it would look good in the baby’s room, if they were able to work on things.
He hoped they would be able to work on things sooner rather than later.
He wasn’t paying attention, because of course he wasn’t, and when he walked out of the store, he walked right into someone who was apparently going into the store, or maybe just passing by…it was unclear, but Nick gave a very undignified yelp and stumbled backwards. He raised his head, ready to apologize for his clumsiness, but paused and his eyes lit up.
“Hey! Jasper!”
Well, at least it was someone who he knew, and hopefully he wouldn’t be too angry for Nick’s absentmindedness.
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Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2024 4:37 pm
Finally, it was a day off and a long one in the making! The weirdness of the dream was far past him now as the normality of life kept him going. It’d been a long time since he’d been to the puzzle store and an ad in the paper for a new train 3d print had his attention. Money was a little easier for him to breathe so a bit of a treat would set the pace right for his day off. As Jasper tried to grab the door handle to the store, it vanished as someone knocked into his stiff body sending the poor person tumbling backwards. Fixing his hat in surprise Jasper looked on the blonde the face was familiar and clearly recognized him. “Oh hi, sorry are you okay? I was in a bit of a rush.” His mind scrambled to remember the name, this person shared the bakery….NICK! That was his name! “Nick, it’s good to see you!” Stepping off to the side to let the man out of the store and not block the doorway.
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Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2024 4:47 pm
“It’s good to see you too!” Nick grinned and chuckled. “How have you been? It’s been quite a while, tell me everything!”
He shuffled his bag a bit and shook his head. “Wild. We seem to just keep meeting up here. Maybe it’s fate or something.” The shop was closing, and he looked back as the store owner flipped the sign from ‘open’ to ‘closed’.
“Aw crap. I should have just let you go in, I’m sorry.” Rubbing the back of his head he thought for a moment. “Can I make it up to you? Want to go and get a drink or something? My treat for making you miss your puzzles?”
It wasn’t the best way to apologize, and honestly, it might be a bit much but. Hey. It was a good day!
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Posted: Sat Jul 27, 2024 6:02 pm
"Everything? I think that's a short story. Shop finally opened and I've been picking up a lot of work and staying busy. Finally gave myself a day off." He grinned back as his hand went to take the door only to see the sign flip over. "Aww come on, I'm right here!" Checking his watch and back at the sign he sighed in disappointment, he knew sleeping in was a bad idea.
Nick however didn't let him be sad for long as he offered a drink. Jasper started to perk up at the offer before the memory of that night flashed over his eyes. The dullahan, children, and that strange woman. Threatening and dangerous. Fixing his hat to clear the memories, That was Months ago. Nothing weird had happen since, it probably was safe to go out again. "Yeah, where did you have in mind? You know of a place close to here? I've heard there was trouble in the west side a few months back...I ah...rather stick to this side of town. if that is cool?"
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Posted: Sat Jul 27, 2024 6:36 pm
“Staying busy is always a good thing, always a good thing.” Reaching out, Nick patted Jasper’s shoulder in sympathy. “We’ll meet up here some day and come early. I really didn’t mean to make you miss it…but, yeah I know a pretty good place around here.”
He gave a smile that showed understanding and then gave a sigh. “I get it. The city…has some weird s**t. I know that really well too. But.”
No, Nick kept the words to himself. They would have sounded so flirty, and that…honestly wasn’t what he wanted to do. He hardly knew Jasper, and it just…
No.
“If anything bad happens I’m pretty lousy at running so you just have to be faster than me, no worries, right?”
There. That sounded a lot less…stupid than saying that he would protect Jasper. Ugh. Oh well. “Come on, it’s just a few blocks away.”
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Posted: Sat Jul 27, 2024 7:47 pm
There was comfort in knowing he wasn't alone in his hesitation of the city's weird parts. Nick joked about Jasper leaving him behind and he returned the chuckle clapping the blonde on the shoulder. "You say that but I come from a strong Military family. You are going on my back and we are running out of there. I can't leave a puzzle buddy behind." He confirmed with a nod as he followed Nick to their destination.
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Posted: Sat Jul 27, 2024 7:57 pm
Nick snorted and shook his head. “Military family or not…if it’s a…” He broke off, wrinkling his nose, trying to figure out what to say. How much he could say…and finally.
“If it’s a bear or something, you’re not going to be able to just fight it…”
There were bears. Not really in the city…often. But out in the mountains…it was…reasonableish. Kind of.
He continued walking but froze when there was a strange rustle from the shrubs they were walking next to. Well. s**t. If this turned out to be…something. A youma…not a bear, he was sure it…didn’t sound big enough but.
“Ah, see? Creatures live here! I bet it’s going to be a pissed off raccoon! You should start running!”
It was not, in fact, a pissed off raccoon that came out of the bush, but one that was far more terrifying.
It was round, and red, and could have been cute if it didn’t have dozens of legs like some kind of squat centipede. There was no eyes to be seen on the youma, but three…yes three mandibles that seemed to be glistening with something that Nick absolutely did not want to touch.
“...Okay. Not a raccoon, but I still recommend running!”
…If he could just get Jasper to leave...he could handle this.
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Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2024 1:21 pm
Jasper was pretty sure the comments about the bear were a hyperbole as they were deep in the city. Yet he couldn’t quite hide his smile, maybe Jasper couldn’t but Mercamac. He might be able to take the bear. His thoughts were interrupted as the same rustling in bushes caught his attention. Nick seemed on edge for it to be a Raccoon. Taking his arm trying to encourage his new friend to start moving “If it’s a raccoon then let move—” This city was very very strange, how much Jasper wishes it was a raccoon. A monster clicking it’s mandibles. He didn’t think, Jasper moved in front of Nick to shield him. “Remember how I told you something weird happened that night? It’s about to get weirder.” Jasper pictured the small gear, calling for it’s power to protect once again. “Time Jump, Meramac!” he mentally called out. It took only a second for him to transform, the loud bell gong once again ringing in his ears. Purple fingerless gloves clenched into fists as Meramac Page of Pluto stepped up into a boxer stance. “I’ve got this thing Nick Run!” Meramac told him and charged at the creature. He had to avoid the head and those three weird mandibles. Not wanting to get his arm caught in, Meramac chose instead to deliver a kick to the creature.
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Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2024 4:45 pm
“Ah.”
Nick took a moment to rub his eyes, feeling…a lot of things at once, and when he realized that Jasper just…powered up willy-nilly…he just.
Thank goodness Nick was a Knight too or this would have been horribly dangerous for the poor guy. And not just the youma. The situation in general.
“You…ah…I wouldn’t…”
He drew in a breath and glanced around, hoping that there were no prying eyes as he transformed into Whisler, shaking his head. “I’m not running. I’m too used to these things to just, run away.”
With a sigh, the Polaris Knight began to spin his weapon at his side, drawing the youma towards him and stomping down hard on it, once, twice, and then slamming his weapon down, causing the youma to turn to dust with a squeal.
“....I think. You and I should talk, if you have time? And maybe…we can take that drink somewhere else?”
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Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2024 10:24 pm
The creature roared as Meramac kick recoiled it back. The creature was quicker than the inexperienced knight as its tail lashed forward and knocked him back off his feet. Gasping as he struggled to get the wind back in his lungs, Meramac watched as a gold…star? On a chain sung in the air as it spun and the creature was yanked to a new person. Wait–was that? NICK? Eyes wide and mouth Open as Meramac saw in gander of a Knight. He wasn’t like those twins from the ally way. Nearly too quick the purple knight put down the creature. As easy as stepping on a bug while Meramac was taking a second to regain his footing. “You-you're one of them…us…too?” He stumbled over the words because Meramac himself couldn’t quite understand what he was. “Is everyone in this town a knight?” A thousand questions were floating in his throat wanting to spill out when a letter landed in front of him, it distracted the man for a moment as he saw his name Meramac written on the front of it. How, did a letter get? Lost and confused He heard Nicks question about talking and somewhere else. “Y-yeah, I’m free.” This was the weirdest day off yet--
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