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 Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 12:36 pm
Portals were open. While Jerry's Fear Shield had done a lot to heal his abused frame, the worst damages were still tender. But Portals were open. He needed out. He needed away. But while relying on a crutch he was a sitting duck for anything that might try to spoil his short leave time. And besides... it wasn't as much fun to go alone. And dammit he needed some fun in his life or he really would go crazy. Text to Jordan Would you like to go stateside with me? I'll be at the portals. Need new pants bad. After a moment, he flushed and clarified in a second text: Quote: I've been mostly wearing jumpsuits, I mean.
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Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 12:42 pm
Quote: Text to Jerry: I assumed you meant you were replacing those terrible shorts. Be there in ten. This was a good excuse for a number of things. Hanging out with Jerry without anything awkward to deal with, getting some shopping done, and getting some very specific shopping done. Jordan showed up at the lighthouse at the appointed time, dressed casually in jeans and a hoodie. He'd left his coat in the room, but he wore his scarf wrapped around his neck. It wasn't singed or bloody, and he felt weird without it.
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Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 12:51 pm
Jerry on the other hand was wearing the wool trench coat he had bought last Christmas with his own orange scarf tucked in to hide it's blood and soot stains. Under that, though, was the tell-tale baggy grey jumpsuit legs and his worn loafers. "I missed Hanukkah," Jerry smiled weakly. "Didn't even know when it was this year until I checked the calendar in the Life Labs." He shifted his crutch under his arm as he hoisted himself up from the chair he waited on.
"Thanks for coming- it's more fun with company ahaha. Any idea where we should go?" He was tempted- s tempted to type in the coordinance of South Street, Philadelphia. But it probably was a bad idea to go to your home town. Even if he was pretty sure absolutely no one would recognize him.
Maybe Jordan had a better idea.
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Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 12:58 pm
"You did? That sucks. I should've checked about that, but we've all had a lot on our minds." Jordan had meant to do something about Hanukkah, but it had slipped his mind in the stress and chaos. Guilt pricked at him, and he gave Jerry a sheepish smile. "You doing okay?"
He considered the question. "I'd say L.A., but last I knew, my oldest cousin was talking about attending a college down there, so I guess we'd better not risk it. New York? Um - New Orleans? Some major city, anyway," he suggested.
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Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 1:01 pm
"All things considered, yeah, I'm fine, ahaha," He smiled a bit more honestly before checking the system, "New York sounds great! I haven't been there since I was a kid. I miss Philly a lot, though. I'd love to see the orchestra there again one day." He sighed and shook his head. "I doubt anyone from home would recognize me now anyway." He typed in their trajectory, ready to be off that island as soon as possible.
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Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 1:23 pm
"Too much shitstorm potential on the off chance." Jordan shook his head. "Anyway, I've only been to New York once, when I was a kid. Kind of curious to see it again. The magic of portals," he chuckled.
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Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 1:29 pm
Jerry grunted, holding his wounded ribs a moment as he stood back for the portal to flare to life. "I saw the ball drop on New Years back in 2000!" He beamed, letting Jordan lead the way, "Can't say I have much experience shopping there beyond FAO Schwartz. OH! I almost forgot, I was going to get bongos for Otto- we need to find a music shop." He was a bit too enthusiastic at the end, but his heart was in the right place.
"Um. So how are you doing?" He realized he had never asked. Jordan just always seemed so... cool and calm and in control. He could only assume the younger man was fine.
But a lot had happened in a year.
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Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 1:39 pm
Jordan's eyebrows arched, but he stepped through the portal before replying. As they emerged on the other side, he said, "You too, huh? Funny how that works out. My family made a special trip to see that. You know what else, I found out that I'd actually met Before that night. When we were kids. He was staying at the same hotel, and he hung out with me and my brother that evening."
The portal had opened into Central Park, the hole in reality concealed by a stand of trees. He'd been half afraid they'd come out in some unsavory alley; this was much better. The snow was fairly deep, but there was a footpath nearby. Jordan picked his way out to the path, considering Jerry's question. "Getting better," he said. "I've been keeping to myself too long, but I'm done with that."
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Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 1:57 pm
Jerry fell quiet as he listened to Jordan's story. A familiar youthful dark face dancing in his memory, swathed in purple and fast food.
He waited for Jordan to clear a path before limping his way to the opening, "I didn't miss snow, that's for sure, ahahaha." He forced another smile. "Fate is... strange. I can definitely tell you, though... keeping to yourself? Never a good idea. It'll drive you crazy ahahahha."
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Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 2:07 pm
"Snow was always something that happened in the mountains, man." Jordan shook his head. "It's still weird to see so much of it."
He nodded. "Yeah, I'm figuring that out," he said ruefully. "I guess I fell back on old habits for a while after the Lair. Pretend everything's all right and it'll be close enough."
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Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 8:08 pm
Jerry paused his limping for a moment to catch his breath, brows furrowed as he looked his friend over, "And um. Are you okay? A... a lot of people who had been captured... um. Aren't. Or weren't." He said gently. Jordan had good support... and Sasha and Wash had had... each other. Otto seemed to be his grumpy old self, but some people were better at pushing those things into the background than others. "If... if you do ever need to talk to someone, you know I'm always open."
Maybe not here in the middle of New York but... the offer still stood.
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Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2012 6:20 am
The urge to say yeah, I'm fine was still there. Smooth the moment over, pass it off. Don't burden anyone else. "Most of the time," Jordan said instead. "I get nightmares. Flashbacks, sometimes. It's getting more manageable. Slowly." He tucked his hands in his pockets. "Thanks, dude. That counts for a lot."
That had made him think of something else, an idea he'd been mulling over. "I heard you were fixing up the schoolhouse," he said, the slight lift of the words making it into a question.
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Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2012 7:33 am
That made Jerry quiet as they trudged along in the snow, concentrating on solid ground for his crutch. "I um. I was. For a while. Kind of... a fool's chore I think. Um. Wash was helping me. Why?"
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Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2012 10:07 am
"I was thinking ... well. A lot of us could use someone to talk to. Or a place to just relax and hang out. And I hear Sun had a common room at some point, but it got wrecked. So I thought maybe I could help you fix up the schoolhouse, set up a comfortable common room, maybe set a room aside like the meditation room Killzone had set up in the bunkers."
He glanced away, looking vaguely embarrassed. "Maybe a room where I could set up just to be available to listen to people. I'd like your help, too," he said, and looked back at Jerry. "Music seems to help some people calm down and focus, and you're the music man, man."
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Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2012 10:18 am
Once again, Jerry paused in his tracks, shivering a bit as the wet snow seeped into his socks. "That's... that's a brilliant idea, actually... I.. I don't know why I wanted to clear it out, I guess it was just... I mean. I had that mission years ago now to clear it out of shadows I just felt like... like it was there for a reason. I didn't know what I would do with it, but we finally cleared it and it's still booby trapped- it would take a good team to disarm the place." He wobbled a bit, his expression shifting from one emotion to another, "But... I... that sounds... amazing, really. I'm... I'm flattered you'd want to involve me."
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