[PRP] Teeth (Jordan/Rep)

[prolixity]

As usual, they'd been placed in the woods close to the scarefari gates. Jordan opened his eyes and looked down, checking what body he'd gotten this time. He seemed to be about the height he was used to. That was a relief, at least. Adjusting to being much smaller or much larger was always weird. There was an uncomfortably familiar weirdness, though, and he confirmed, with a sigh, that his golem was female.

It was a lean and nearly androgynous female, at least, small-chested, dressed in a short, light robe over a body covered in fine, pale-blue scales. He raised a hand and discovered that he had long, curved, rather elegant claws; there was an odd weight on his head, and he lifted his hand to find that he had a double pair of blunt, curved horns on his temples. When he checked behind himself, he found a long, sinuous tail and a pair of large wings. Dragon, I guess, he said to Ferros.

Ice dragon, I think, the weapon replied.

Not bad. Jordan stretched and looked around to see what Rep had become this time.

((Hunters in golems~))  

[Baneful]

Rep was expecting a female golem, he'd had one once and expected it was the start of a run of bad luck. When he opened his own eyes he was pretty sure he was a female golem. A bit of investigating proved he wasn't actually female, just a very ******** effeminate one, all long delicate fairy wings and branch like fingers. Almond shaped ethereal eyes and long narrow features completed the look. Rather than the poised dignified expression his appearance seemed to demand, he looked stroppy and irritable instead. He was a ******** fairy.

Eyeing the other golem, he curled a lip jealously, female or not, as far as he was concerned Jordan had lucked out. Jordan always lucked out.

"Right. Where to?" he stated coolly.

 

[prolixity]

Jordan checked behind the tree he'd awakened beside and opened the box, taking out his trapping kit and checking the folder underneath it. "Frozen Wastes or Southern Beach," he replied. "Got a preference?"

He replaced the folder and held out the second trapping kit from the box, not commenting or teasing about the fairy golem, businesslike.  

[Baneful]

Rep crossed his slender arms and looked away with an expression which actually did suit the golem this time. "Either or. I get plenty of both."

 

[prolixity]

"Frozen Wastes, then." When Rep didn't take the kit, Jordan tucked it under his arm along with his own. "We're looking for rare elemental types if we can find them, but they want uncommons as well, since a lot of the specimens melted." His expression stayed neutral, but the golem's wings tucked in and its tail lashed once as he thought of the foxfires.

He cast an unreadable look at Rep, then turned to head towards the scarefari gates.  

[Baneful]

Rep shrugged and followed Jordan's lead. "Whatever. Lead the way. You'd think they'd have Life cronies to do this s**t for them." he found himself flickering the strange bug-like wings whenever he felt particularly irritated, which right now was all the time. Being near Jordan reminded him how much he disliked the void the other man's absence left and when he was stinging emotionally, he did his best to make it justified.

 

[prolixity]

"It's extra money and time away from the island." Jordan's tail waved as he made his way down the path. He didn't turn towards the lodge, instead taking the northeast path towards the icy, mountainous area they were headed for.

He hadn't really expected Rep to be friendly towards him. Hoped, maybe, just a little. But not expected.  

[Baneful]

"Maybe." he said as gruffly as he could, the result dissonant with the golem itself. "Wasn't there anyone else you could have taken? I'm no even very good with minipets other than Mass." It hurt to be here, to remember the first time they'd come to the scarefari and the optimism he'd felt, the certainty that it was right and true. Compared to how he felt now it felt a world away, like another person entirely.

He was quiet for a short time and then added. "I don't even know where the ******** you've been."

 

[prolixity]

"The other people I asked were busy during this time frame." It was true, though he'd checked schedules to arrange that. Jordan glanced back at Rep. "I didn't want to come without any backup."

His wings bundled in tighter at the statement. "Down the hall," he said. "I've been staying in an empty room."  

[Baneful]

"Shame." Rep said, clipped and cold. "Where the ******** did you get an empty room from?"

 

[prolixity]

"I asked Robert," Jordan answered. Though he was trying to keep his tone neutral, traces of tension were creeping in; they might have gone unnoticed by anyone who didn't know him well, but he was painfully aware that Rep was far more likely to catch the faint edge of hurt in his words.

A few feet apart, and it felt more like miles. Maybe he shouldn't have done this. But if he owed Rep anything, he owed him some kind of explanation, at least.  

[Baneful]

Rep narrowed his eyes at the mention of the word Robert. "Yeah of course you had somewhere to run to. Someone to run to." It was petty but he didn't care. He hated the idea of the guys having friends, it rankled him, it bothered him, because at the end of the day, outside of the guys he had Melvin and Rin but he wouldn't go to them with personal grievances. If he didn't have something, no one had any right to have anything. "I'm glad ******** Robert put you up at least. You might have left a note saying you were moving out."

He grimly lowered his head and walked on, shoulders hunched and moody.

 

[prolixity]

"I wanted to tell you personally," Jordan said quietly, keeping his eyes on the path ahead, noting that frost was beginning to show on the bent grass beside the path. "Not in a note or a text or anything. You might not want me there any more, but I didn't want it to be ... that impersonal." His tail swayed, the very tip flicking in rapid short arcs, betraying the unhappiness he was trying to keep out of his voice.  

[Baneful]

"And were just happy to leave us, or at least me - I can't speak for Ace - ******** oblivious in the meantime." he didn't uncross his arms, he felt more vulnerable than usual in this effeminate body, as if there wasn't enough substance to him to be imposing, as if the layers were stripped away too far, leaving him open.

"But its nice to see you looking so ******** normal. So indifferent. I guess you never really needed me anyway."

 

[prolixity]

Jordan slowed, then stopped. "It hurt too much," he said. "I couldn't come back, knowing I'd see you together, knowing I wasn't welcome any longer. If I'd come back, I would have fallen apart. I couldn't stand it."

He twisted around to face Rep, the golem body's wings flaring open and then pulling in defensively to wrap around him like a cloak. Underneath, his free arm was held tight across his body, restraining himself, hugging himself. "You know how high my walls are. How thick. You know why, you know how it feels. If I don't have you, I have no reason left to let anyone in." For a moment, his neutral expression crumbled into sheer, angry misery. He took several deep breaths and hauled it back under control. "It's - this is a mission, and if we're nothing to each other, then I can damned well be professional about it. Even if it's just a goddamn minipet trapping outing."