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 Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2020 5:51 pm
It had been building up to this, and he knew that. It was a bit of a headache sometimes, but someone had to do it, even when it could be hard. He stuffed another few items into the bag and sat back to think about what he’d already packed, he squinted, nodded decisively and started doing up the little buckles and zips before shouldering one of the pair and marching down the hallway towards a familiar destination that was currently, radiating stress. He rapped his knuckles on the door frame but, for this time at least barely waited to be acknowledged before swinging the door open and shoving the second pack forward. “Come on, get your comfortable shoes.” He demanded. “Swap to a braid too if you keep your hair pulled so tight you’ll en up with a a headache AND sore feet.” He quipped, “I brought snacks too so we’re just waiting on you.”
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Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2020 7:29 pm
Hunched over his desk and squeezing a stress ball so tightly it was a wonder it hadn't torn, Jace raised his eyes to the doorway to glare at the intrusion. The laptop in front of him was on the same page it had been twenty minutes ago, and he'd managed a measly twenty four words for his essay since then.
He wanted to yell about how many times he had to remind anyone not to come in his room and had opened his mouth to go off on some poorly founded tirade when he realized, just a second before his voice fell from his lips, what was being offered.
"I'm busy," he bit, "I told you, I have to finish this essay before midnight."
This essay that he couldn't focus on, in this room that was suffocating him, with a body that was screaming to move.
He remained sitting for a few seconds more and then stood up abruptly, closing his laptop with too much force. He stomped around his room, like this was a massive inconvenience, and protested the entire time it took him to pull his comfortable shoes from the back of the closet. He didn't touch his hair, he couldn't give in to too many demands.
He did, however, snatch the pack. "--And if I don't finish, it's your fault," he continued, though much of his complaining had been little more than half-hearted muttering.
The pack was familiar. The shoes were familiar. This was ritual enough that he understood--hiking. Somewhere. Somewhere out of this room, away from his essay. Somewhere where the air was clean, and the sun was warm, and he could breathe.
But he couldn't look too excited, too grateful. He wouldn't give his brother the satisfaction. Not yet, at least. For all he knew, the pack was full of rocks.
He unzipped it to check and began fishing around in the bag even as he asked, in a more muted tone than his previous griping, "Why are we going, did you break something?"
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Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2020 7:40 pm
He could have said something, the quip was right there, but he just had to wait. Now wasn’t the moment to pick or needle. Jace was already doing well enough on his own. As soon as the laptop slammed shut he knew he won, and though he would never admit it, so Had Jace. “No, but something probably will if we don’t get a little air.” He said stretching. “I don’t know about you, but I need to get my head on strait and making you walk and talk always works.” he didn’t… he didn’t need out at all but there were rules. Besides, I spotted what might -actually- be a good lake on the trail map, and it’s not close enough to the trail proper that people will probably be there all the time. If it’s nice we can use it as a swimming hole, maybe it’d even be good for camping!” He said cheerfully. “C’mon, if I make you late I’ll HELP you finish, you know a good hike needs a buddy.” He arched an eyebrow and yanked out his own hair tie, letting it fall loose and doing it up in a rather messy but workable braid.
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Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2020 7:48 pm
The bag was not full of rocks, or potatoes, or any other unsavory, tricky thing. Satisfied with both that, and the answer, Jace nodded and zipped the bag up. Xander's answer was clearly satisfactory, and Jace was won over on the spot to fix his hair as well. He was not kind to himself when he did it, tugging his hair out of the tight bun it had been in since he started this project. His braid was done too quickly, and was barely less strain on his scalp than what it had been a moment earlier, but it was something. Already he seemed to be shifting out of his sour mood.
"Only 'needs a buddy' so you don't get lost or fall and break your neck somewhere." But, he didn't sound unhappy. He was eager to get out of his room and shifted the pack so it was over one shoulder. "You keep talking about camping. I'm starting to think that you're planning to run away and live in the woods." He shifted the bag so it was a bit more comfortable and seemed eager to get out of the house. "You aren't, are you?"
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Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2020 7:57 pm
“You like my neck intact, if I fell and broke it then just think how mad ‘Mom’ would be, no one would ever sleep again while she complained that I did a half arsed job on the fall.” He quipped. “And lord no, I like the IDEA of camping, but we both know that I am just graceful enough to wild up on ‘unsolved mysteries’ as both the mysterious cryptic and its victim. It’d be like… Mud monster last seen rolling down hill at phenomenal speeds, and then I’d turn up floating face down in some mountain stream, clean but …absolutely toast.” He led the way, plotting a better time to yank the hair tie out as casually as possible, and to then ‘re do’ the braid in apology. If we did camping I’d plan it out, there is this very cool spot up in the mountains, some small natural caves, I just have to make sure there aren’t like…bears you know? Imagine camping, making s’mores… Oh a bear!” He shook his head like that would clear the idea from the air. “That -said-, I’m sure if you saved me after a fall it would build SO much character.” He grinned, eyes creasing at the corners with the familiarity of the gesture.
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Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2020 8:13 pm
It was easier to breathe already, and his body already felt like his muscles were easing up. He even managed a little smile at the images Xander conjured for him.
"I think if you broke your neck, you'd be the one complaining. You'd be more annoying with every bone in your body broken. I don't need any character building. You do, maybe you'd learn to pay attention before rushing into something."
Or not. He couldn't see Xander changing. Couldn't even imagine.
Which was annoying, but maybe a little bit of a blessing, because if he wasn't so pushy and set in his ways, Jace would still be sitting on front of his computer, tearing his hair out and glaring at an essay that wouldn't write itself.
The weather was almost perfect today, and took long strides as he walked, eager to make as much distance as possible. "I'm surprised you're not out with one of your friends today."
His hand twitched, like he wanted to check his phone and see if any of his friends had texted back, but it hadn't gone off in some time. He'd been glued to his phone all day, checking every few minutes, and there still wasn't anything. Either they were busy, or they were completely aware that he was supposed to be working and supposed to be focused. He forced his hand to stay on the pack straps instead and pursed his lips tightly, as if such stubbornness would give him the strength to avoid temptation.
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Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2020 8:24 pm
“I mean, I’d have reason to complain, It would be -really- hard to hike with a broken neck, I’d have to make you carry me, it’d be awful.” He grinned. They walked a little longer, and he grinned at the next comment. “I am though, I just had to get him away from his laptop.” He laughed again, ducking away in a preemptive dodge from any retaliatory strike that might have come out of sheer embarrassment. “How are your buddies doing? I know Mine said he and his sister were like… in signal eating land, he looked SO SAD.” He shook his head and jutted his lower lip in sympathy. “I think he was threatening to write a letter.” He laughed. ‘I wonder if your pals will too, I have a hard time imagining ‘Q’ doing it, for all that she’d probably like… grab a quill from a passing bird or something to be extra badass.” “Soooooo… now that we’re out and about and you can’t escape, what do you want for your… oh what is it, 8th birthday party!” He threw up his hands and turned so he could walk backwards just a half step ahead of his adopted brother. “… you know they’ll never let you get away without one. You know too I’m absolutely helping them plot against you.” He pushed fingers into his cheeks to create fake dimples. “So what do you want, I’ll even put in a request for cake flavors, because there WILL be cake.”
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Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2020 10:10 pm
Xander was wise to duck; Jace swept a hand at his arm, trying to smack him for even insinuating that they were friends. He missed the first time, but he swiped again when Xander had finished speaking.
"Your birthday's before mine, I don't know what you're going on about. Tell them not to plan anything, I don't want a party. If you want cake, just buy yourself some cake! Don't use me as an excuse. And--you don't even know if they'll be back in time for my birthday."
He scoffed, more for himself than anything else. "So you're planning for nothing."
Birthdays didn't really mean anything to him; he was one year older, so what. Until he had something to show for it, he dreaded each new birthday. The day itself wasn't important to him; it meant more to his friends, who chose to fuss over him and give him more attention than he knew what to do with.
His birthday didn't mean anything if they weren't around, and he didn't want to be reminded that they weren't around.
"--And," he added abruptly, unwilling to allow a suspicious pause to permeate the conversation, "Stop walking backwards. We were just talking about how much of an inconvenience you breaking your neck would be. It's like you're trying to do it now."
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Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 10:59 am
“You just don’t like the idea of people celebrating you, You’ll fluster about it but I bet you like it in the end, besides, they’ll enjoy it too!” He slid to one side and turned back to face the right way. “I mean, if I DID break my neck, then I wouldn’t be able to plot about your birthday, maybe that’s my gift to you!” He offered. “And They’ll be back, you know they will, ‘Q’ at the very least.” he nodded. “I’ll go get her myself if I have to. Maybe that’s part of your birthday present.” He grinned. "What else is on your mind?" He asked tipping his head, voice more serious.
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Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 1:47 pm
Jace made a low, grumbly sigh instead of answering; this was a situation where words might have only made it worse, and while he was usually quick with some sort of response, he just looked at Xander suspiciously.
"Nothing," he answered, but it didn't take long for him to relent, at least a bit. He shrugged gruffly and kept his eyes in front of him, very specifically away from the man at his side.
"You said you wanted to go out to get your head on straight. Mine's fine."
It wasn't; his thoughts were a tangle of business practices and law terms, smashing against each other in his mind and fraying every train of thought until he felt like he was holding a bundle of exposed, live wires that zapped him any time he tried to unscramble them.
It didn't help that his favorite distractions were too far away to be of any help. The friends that chose him, not the adopted brother that was saddled with him. Not that Jace had any intention of admitting that he considered his brother among his best friends; Xander just had a different approach than the others.
His hand twitched again and he almost reached for the phone that still hadn't gone off.
“What are you getting at?"
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Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 1:57 pm
“Check your phone for starters, I’m not gonna be offended, and it’s not like we’re at the dinner table.” He said with a casual point towards the pocket it lingered in. “And two... if you tell me what’s rattling around your head, then maybe I can bump some of the mess out of mine.” He offered with a shrug. “But I’ve no idea what is on your mind right now so that’s as direct as I can be.”
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Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 2:36 pm
Jace suspected whatever was troubling him was different from whatever was troubling Xander, but not knowing just made him feel a little more anxious. If it was about who could stomach taking the plunge to go first, he wasn't going to be outmatched. With a drawn out sigh, he shrugged--and then his words tumbled out in a flurry, like he had to get it all out in the single breath before he changed his mind.
"Mom's going on about the bar again. She thinks I should try to take it early. Before law school. Because it's not enough to be trying to get a degree in Criminal Justice and Business Administration, and with all those extra classes she keeps pushing. I thought she was just nagging, you know. Like how she does. But she keeps reminding me that I'll be twenty one soon, like that's supposed to magically make me ready? And she's gotten two more books for me to read, but I haven't finished the last one she gave me a week or two ago. And she's just grilling me. And I don't know when I'm supposed to be reading these because she keeps dragging me into the office, too? I don't get it. And I have that stupid essay, and I hate it. It's not even hard. I just hate it. It's almost exactly the same concept as an essay I wrote half a year ago, and I can't believe I'm wasting my time repeating myself. But I have to rewrite it so it doesn't sound like the other essay, or else they'll accuse me of plagiarizing. Myself."
His lips pressed shut suddenly and he didn't know if he felt better or worse for saying it; he wanted a good excuse not to look at Xander so instead he finally pulled out his phone, rapidly unlocking it to scan for new messages.
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Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 3:10 pm
“Ah…” He said softly, shoulders dropping a little at the idea of so much pressure on his friend and brother. He pulled a face and sighed. “… I…damn, I wish there was something I could do to help with that, short of breaking my neck I mean.” He gave a half hearted smile. “… can you site yourself as a resource?” He grinned. “Since they don’t want you copying yourself, you can at least acknowledge yourself and point out their own silliness. Hell, half the time I listen to them do a brief it sounds like they just keep repeating the same things till you agree with them.” He sighed and tipped his head back to the sky. “… Sometimes I wish we could all run away for a bit… find ourselves. It’s so awful…I shouldn’t want that at all.” He admitted. But…he did want it, for Jace’s behalf more than anything. At least there were new messages, One picture from your longest standing friend, currently ‘trapped’ apparently with his elder brother, there was a fuzzy photo and a text over lay that said ‘oh god help, there is a slide show.’ And from Q, a multi paragraph text chain, part of which said “remember to breathe! I know you aren’t!!’ and then showed a photo as well, black smooth stones lined up on a bench. ‘Hot rocks… you’re a test subject when I get back. No arguments Bond! Tell Moneypenny he’s next!!
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Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 3:26 pm
He didn't want that pressure on his brother, and he regretted saying anything as soon as he saw Xander's shoulders droop. He wanted to snap and chastise that it was so childish to want to run away, but the reality was that he would have killed for a week away from all of it. A hotel room the next city over, everyone could cram into one small room and watch movies and eat take out and explore like tourists.
Or, maybe an actual camping trip, shut off from the bustle any city life. Unreachable and far away, like living another life.
Any scathing retort slipped away, if not because he was currently dreaming of how nice it would be, at least because his friends hadn't gotten in some horrible car accident and/or were ignoring him.
The first message warranted a silent chuckle; he was distracted by replying so only grunted to his brother in response as he replied to the text, 'I told you that you should have faked a kidney stone to get out of it.' To the second message, he did suddenly remember that he should breathe. One big breath in, one big breath out. A weight lifted from his shoulders a bit and he texted back, 'I'm breathing. Maybe not for long.'
He held the phone up, as if to take a selfie. It wasn't common practice, but he was in a good enough mood. "Xander," he commanded. "Come here, smile for Q."
He didn't wait for very long for Xander to comply before he snapped the picture, managing a partial smile. As he sent it, he explained, "That way if this is some secret plot to murder me in the woods, she'll know to hunt you down."
The picture was sent and the phone pocketed again; he walked with a bit of a lighter step and tried to pick back up on the last thing they'd been talking about.
"Where would you go to find yourself?" he asked, and already it seemed like his sour mood was evaporating under the sun; he looked at Xander with genuine curiosity.
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Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 3:54 pm
“DAMN, you would pick her to avenge you, that’s just cold!” He too had managed a quick smile, they slid easily onto his face where they didn’t so much for Jace, he’d probably smile through a compound fracture honestly. “Me? Uh… Not sure.” He admitted. “Just… somewhere, I’d rather have you there mind you, Talking like this always makes things feel better.” He too took a deep breath and let it out again, closing his eyes for just a moment to drink in the sun on his face, the feel of the well worn earth of the path. “Coming places like this helps, don’t you think? Maybe just… maybe just wandering for a bit, think what we could learn you know? Culture or something… But just, to experience more than… than… “ He trailed off with a guilty smile. “I sound ungrateful.” He huffed.
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