[ There's nothing fun about the storm currently crashing through camp, even with the Hosts' assurances that all will be well. Enjin, stretched out in a corner of one of the larger tents, watches the shielded walls shudder around him, feeling rather like he's caught in the belly of yet another massive beast — and that was supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, thanks. A crazy story to retell with the team.
But he's down a team, here — though he is up both a bottle of oddly colored liquor and a high-tech tablet, so. After fumbling through the default apps for a few minutes, thinking of the people he should, but can't, keep an eye on from so great a distance: ]
you up? and alive ig but ik you wouldn't leave jonas jr and the boys all alone like that
[ What time is it, anyway? Sometime post-dinner, at the very least; one of the Hosts brought him a dry, crumbly, allegedly nutrient-dense bar not so long ago, but he spies just enough movement in the corner of his eye to think that it can't be too late to check in on a guy he does-but-doesn't know. ]
b/c i spy with my little eye something green and i'll give you three guesses
( The text notification wakes him from the weakest nap of his life. He's propped up in a makeshift camp chair in the tent, swaddled in a blanket, blinking alert with a backward loll of his head. )
Ugh, ( he grunts eloquently before squinting at his communicator. )
[At some late hour, after the Wayfarers' camp has settled in the cool desert dark, Cain takes a picture of himself. He's sitting in the cockpit of his ship — he'd wandered back earlier just to get some space and decided to stay the night. The chair isn't as comfortable as a sleeping bag, but it could be worse and it affords him privacy as he strips off his shirt and angles the device's camera down the front of his body.
The photo shows his face, since he's not that precious about it — black eyes slanted down in a sultry look, shadows from pale interior lights revealing the dark line of skin from his throat to his navel. He's tanned a little from being out in the sun every day; his complexion looks healthier than how much more pallid it seemed back on the Theorem. Hip bones are cut sharply, abdomen muscles defined, curve of a narrow waist showing just the beginning of that intimate trail of hair low on his belly.]
see? not frowning, and no wrinkles
[Oh no, too bad this got dropped into the group chat by accident.]
[ Sometime after dinner on December 24th a present makes its way into Jonas's tent, left atop his cot for him to discover. The note on the top, in clean elegant handwriting, specifies only to open Dec. 25th.
Inside the shoddily wrapped gift, which is hidden only by the empty plastic wrappers that clearly housed large boxes of Jonas's preferred granola bars, he'll find two separate items.
One is a simple compass, steadily pointing north, and the other is a single right-handed glove. Beneath both, another note: Turns out Benjamin means "son of the right hand" or "son of the south". Pretty sure you can figure out which gift is which. If you find yourself getting turned around again though maybe this will help you out. ]
[Sometime in the evening of December 26th, Jonas will find a small bag sitting outside his tent, complete with a note emblazoned with the letter 'J'. The handwriting isn't much better than Jonas's own, and reads:]
J,
Just so you know, my people don't celebrate this holiday until Jan 7th. But since you wrote me a cute letter and already gave me a present, figured I should return the favor.
Can't read your fortune or sing you a carol (I mean, I can, but I won't)... so here's the next best thing.
PS. Ты тоже привлекательная. (you're hot too) Keep the ribbon, I have an idea for it later.
PPS. Cigs are native, gonna taste different and give you a headache first hit but it goes away and feels the same in the end. Let me know if you need a light. Got one from this cute guy I met.
C праздником. (holiday greeting)
- K.
[Inside the bag, Jonas will find an unopened bottle of vodka tied off with a red ribbon. Beside it is a box of hand-rolled cigarettes made with the Sun's Lace plant. And last but certainly not least: a sleek, black bottle of water-based lubricant.]
[He knows he needs to do this, but the sick feeling in his stomach is almost — almost enough to convince him back into silence. Yet he's faced this before, in a memory still as clear as a new wound, when bravery was demanded of him and he rose to the attempt despite so many past failures and consequences.
It nearly killed him that time, but he'd still do it again. Maybe it's different now, or maybe it's not. He just knows he has to try.]
[ It's night, days into their travel with the caravan, and well after they shared in a difficult conversation and a torrent of emotions. And out of nowhere Jonas gets the following text: ]
[It's felt unbearable, this distance. The cold and loneliness even when he isn't really alone, or really cold — near a campfire drunk on some caravanner's spiced wine. Chain smoking cigarettes, standing off to the side, watching time wear on. Seeing glimpses of a lean silhouette he knows too well. Sometimes on its own, sometimes with other people. Yazat's name floats around a lot. The ritual goes until sunrise and picks up the next night, all over again, one continuous party in a blur of intoxication.
Cain should stop being a coward, but he doesn't know which way will hurt more.]
( Considers ignoring the text from Cain, still embarrassed, still heartbroken. It kills him to have to ignore both him and Noctis, though, and he's been on-and-off drunk, high, and everything in between. It's not a spiral, he tells himself; Cain told him never to try hard drugs, especially to cope. So, he listened, and he still listens, as much as it bothers him to do so.
Staring blearily at his phone screen, Yazat asks him what's wrong when he's wearing his emotions on his sleeve. His hand flaps in an unconvincingly dismissive way, and Jonas rises to get some privacy. )
Super busy My friends' dicks aren't gonna suck themselves lol
((ooc: pls don't feel obligated to respond given how backdated this is; it was just something I meant to do a month ago but between being out of town and being sick forever i just never got to it and suddenly remembered today ))
[ Later in the day after the latest glass storm has settled and the creatures chasing it have long since passed, Jonas receives a message from Sunday. ]
Good morning, Mr. Jonas. I hope I am not disturbing you and that the day finds you well. I listened to and recorded the sandwhales this morning and thought you might be interested to hear their real song was the same as before. I have attached the sound file (though unfortunately the quality is not great as they were much further away) and a copy of a quick notation of what I heard in person this time vs what the recording picked up. Please feel free to add it to whatever else you may have on them in the R&A files
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
un: umbreaker;
But he's down a team, here — though he is up both a bottle of oddly colored liquor and a high-tech tablet, so. After fumbling through the default apps for a few minutes, thinking of the people he should, but can't, keep an eye on from so great a distance: ]
you up?
and alive ig but ik you wouldn't leave jonas jr and the boys all alone like that
[ What time is it, anyway? Sometime post-dinner, at the very least; one of the Hosts brought him a dry, crumbly, allegedly nutrient-dense bar not so long ago, but he spies just enough movement in the corner of his eye to think that it can't be too late to check in on a guy he does-but-doesn't know. ]
b/c i spy
with my little eye
something green
and i'll give you three guesses
MY BOY!!!!!
Ugh, ( he grunts eloquently before squinting at his communicator. )
omg This early
( It's, like, 10 pm or something. )
If it's another big evil lizard, dude, hard pass
a 28yo bro? uncle? bruncle...
bruncle enjin...
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un: ward, un: reliant, un: darknight
un: ward
True to the facts he put out there, the real melody is different from what Cain and Noctis remember. )
Here, before you both ask me again for the clip
It's cool right?
un: darknight
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un: reliant
The photo shows his face, since he's not that precious about it — black eyes slanted down in a sultry look, shadows from pale interior lights revealing the dark line of skin from his throat to his navel. He's tanned a little from being out in the sun every day; his complexion looks healthier than how much more pallid it seemed back on the Theorem. Hip bones are cut sharply, abdomen muscles defined, curve of a narrow waist showing just the beginning of that intimate trail of hair low on his belly.]
see? not frowning, and no wrinkles
[Oh no, too bad this got dropped into the group chat by accident.]
un: darknight, tl;dr
1/?
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on the morning of jan. 1
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un: ward
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un: ward
Asa is a lunatic
Stay away from her
She just told me she killed 2 people and threatened me so
un: darknight
un: reliant
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@darknight
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[not here]
Inside the shoddily wrapped gift, which is hidden only by the empty plastic wrappers that clearly housed large boxes of Jonas's preferred granola bars, he'll find two separate items.
One is a simple compass, steadily pointing north, and the other is a single right-handed glove. Beneath both, another note: Turns out Benjamin means "son of the right hand" or "son of the south". Pretty sure you can figure out which gift is which. If you find yourself getting turned around again though maybe this will help you out. ]
audio;
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How are you, man? Getting by alright?
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cw: brief emeto
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NOT MY OVERT BABY GAY FEELINGS
He's got your number, Baby J
😳
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no subject
J,
Just so you know, my people don't celebrate this holiday until Jan 7th. But since you wrote me a cute letter and already gave me a present, figured I should return the favor.
Can't read your fortune or sing you a carol (I mean, I can, but I won't)... so here's the next best thing.
PS. Ты тоже привлекательная. (you're hot too) Keep the ribbon, I have an idea for it later.
PPS. Cigs are native, gonna taste different and give you a headache first hit but it goes away and feels the same in the end. Let me know if you need a light. Got one from this cute guy I met.
C праздником. (holiday greeting)
- K.
[Inside the bag, Jonas will find an unopened bottle of vodka tied off with a red ribbon. Beside it is a box of hand-rolled cigarettes made with the Sun's Lace plant. And last but certainly not least: a sleek, black bottle of water-based lubricant.]
un: darknight
[ shortly after this disaster ]
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un: reliant
It nearly killed him that time, but he'd still do it again. Maybe it's different now, or maybe it's not. He just knows he has to try.]
hey
we should talk
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If this is about Noctis man, I already know
You got in a fight and you're both done
I get it
I'll butt out, you two can handle it
👍🏻
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@darknight
Is Bonnie okay
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Who
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@darknight, post Cain convo, it's me AGAIN
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misfire; un: thunderbeast
how fast do you die in space
no subject
Never mind finding out who this is, his answer would be the same. Probably. )
Well xX_thunderbeast_Xx
There's no air and it's like -50000º
So
Guess
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@darknight
Yo
What's up
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Hey nm hbu?
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don't break up with me we haven't even started dating
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un: reliant
Cain should stop being a coward, but he doesn't know which way will hurt more.]
hey
busy?
PUT A SHIRT ON
Staring blearily at his phone screen, Yazat asks him what's wrong when he's wearing his emotions on his sleeve. His hand flaps in an unconvincingly dismissive way, and Jonas rises to get some privacy. )
Super busy
My friends' dicks aren't gonna suck themselves lol
What?
( Confirmed: STILL MAD, )
no 😔
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un: networkday - backdated to Jan during the caravan travel after the storm
[ Later in the day after the latest glass storm has settled and the creatures chasing it have long since passed, Jonas receives a message from Sunday. ]
Good morning, Mr. Jonas. I hope I am not disturbing you and that the day finds you well. I listened to and recorded the sandwhales this morning and thought you might be interested to hear their real song was the same as before. I have attached the sound file (though unfortunately the quality is not great as they were much further away) and a copy of a quick notation of what I heard in person this time vs what the recording picked up. Please feel free to add it to whatever else you may have on them in the R&A files
[ attached: sandwhales_[date].wav, whalemusic04.jpg ]