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Post by DMis on Aug 10, 2015 21:51:31 GMT -5
Beth quietly slid the card key in the lock and opened the door wide for her guest. Pages of music littered the floor. "Forgive the mess. My love recently left and I've been dealing with less...." Beth admitted as she let Jack enter in first.
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Aug 10, 2015 22:24:28 GMT -5
Jack nodded as he casually stepped inside.
"It is quite alright. I'm used to clutter.
I've left enough messes to make anyone shudder."
In one swift movement, Jack removed his hat with his cane handle and set them both down against a wall. Their absence left him looking much more like how Evan usually looked, save for the conspicuous blood that still clung to him. He circled around the room once, calmly taking everything in.
"It's hardly a mess, in your defense.
This is a perfectly quaint residence."
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Post by DMis on Aug 10, 2015 22:29:21 GMT -5
"The bath is to the back. I'll be in the kitchen making a snack. Feel free to use any of the soaps and washes. Towels are to the left and the freshest I know," She offered kindly.
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Aug 10, 2015 22:55:38 GMT -5
"Much gratitude. I will try to make haste.
The night is young, after all; we've not a moment to waste."
With that, Jack calmly made his way down the hall. Once he was out of Beth's sight, however, he frantically dashed into the bathroom, shutting himself inside and pausing to massage his temples.
He never bothered to turn the lights on; his night vision was so finely tuned that he didn't need to. Here, in total darkness, his eyes were well adjusted, but out there, in what little light there was to illuminate the halls and rooms, it was like looking into an ultraviolet explosion. He didn't dare speak up about it, but he was paying the price with a throbbing headache.
"Okay, okay, get it together, old Jack.
Just clean yourself up and we'll head on back.
A little light's nothing compared to the void.
You can breeze through that easy, if slightly annoyed."
Having pulled himself together, Jack gathered up the toiletries he needed and turned on the shower. As he stripped, he took note of the clothes that he pulled off one by one, frowning not only at the blood stains, but at their appearance in general.
"I just don't understand this casual wear.
So tasteless. So boring. It's like you don't care.
Evan, if I may be totally frank,
Tonight we'll liven things up, and you'll have me to thank."
Oh great, now he's talking to me... Evan muttered internally. At least Jack was going to clean him up; he was just as sick of looking at his bloodied form as Jack was.
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Post by DMis on Aug 10, 2015 23:39:03 GMT -5
'Jack must be photosensitive...' Beth thought as she dug in a drawer for a set of glasses. 'I hope he doesn't find this an insult...'
The siren quietly started to sing as she worked on a snack.
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Aug 10, 2015 23:56:58 GMT -5
As the cascade of hot water washed away the dark red markings on his face and arms, Jack smiled and allowed himself a moment to relish the refreshing sensation. Partway through, he overheard Beth singing down the hall. It didn't bother him in the slightest. That voice was golden honey to his ears, after all.
Eventually, as he continued to cleanse himself, Jack began his own song...
"Cross my heart and hope to die
Burn my lungs and curse my eyes
I've lost control and I don't want it back
I'm going numb, I've been hijacked
It's a f***ing drag
"I taste you on my lips and I can't get rid of you
So I say damn your kiss and the awful things you do
Yeah, you're worse than nicotine, nicotine
Yeah, you're worse than nicotine, nicotine, yeah..."
Evan could almost feel the frown he wanted to give Jack. Not only had he just heard the f-word come out of his own mouth, but the song Jack had chosen could only be interpreted as cruel, cruel irony. He had to assume that it was intentionally directed at him.
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Post by DMis on Aug 11, 2015 12:08:27 GMT -5
'Did Kyobee leave any of his clothing behind? Maybe Jack could wear that instead of the stained stuff....' Beth meekly thought not knowing what Jack's intentions were as she set a tray of potato skins in the oven for a few minutes. Her attention turned to what once was her love's closet.
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Aug 11, 2015 12:31:24 GMT -5
Once finished, Jack stepped out of the shower and started toweling off, continuing to hum all the while. He spared a quick glance at Evan's clothes draped over the sink. He was not looking forward to putting those back on.
"Let's hope this city has a decent formal wear shop.
I'd rather walk nude than wear this shabby tank top."
Wow, you are fully prepared to humiliate me tonight, aren't you? Evan grumbled, not that he was expecting an answer.
Jack then turned his attention to the mirror, granting Evan his first glimpse at his altered form. To be fair, there was little difference in his appearance, and the absence of blood was certainly relieving. But those eyes... they were an intense, solid silver, no visible pupils, and glowed bright enough to illuminate most of his face in the dark. That alone was bizarrely jarring to Evan, almost to the point where he couldn't recognize this person in the mirror.
There was no Evan. Only Jack.
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Post by DMis on Aug 11, 2015 12:36:40 GMT -5
Beth meekly knocked on the door. "Hey Jack. I have somethings for you to try. I'm not sure the size is right but they have to be better than those bloody clothes you had on," she offered holding a set of three folded items. A dark shirt with a cerulean symbol, dark wash jeans, and a simple black jacket.
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Aug 11, 2015 12:54:09 GMT -5
"Ah! Yes, thank you. I'd appreciate that.
These dingy old rags are hard to look at."
And then, once again to Evan's surprise, rather than partially opening the door, Jack reached his arm through the solid surface, passing through it as if he were a mere ghost. Once he had taken the clothes Beth offered him, he pulled them back inside with his arm, none of which had been disrupted by the quantum tunneling. He took a moment to study them, his ultimate decision culminating in a shrug.
"A bit blasé for my taste, but better than what I've got.
They will suffice for now. Again, thanks a lot."
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Post by DMis on Aug 11, 2015 13:05:23 GMT -5
Beth blinked seeing the arm go through the wall. ".....How is that possible?" she meekly asked. "I'm sorry they're not up to snuff.... they were my love's before he left...."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Aug 11, 2015 13:31:44 GMT -5
"Quite alright, Elizabeth dear.
I can make do with what you have here."
Jack's tone was surprisingly humble, all things considered, as he truly was grateful to have something to wear other than Evan's attire. In response to Beth's initial question and all those no doubt brewing in his host's mind, Jack took to answering said questions with his usual bravado.
"I suppose it only fair that I elucidate
How I perform such feats in this current state.
For each passing host with unusual skills,
In me, a bit of their power instills.
And through future hosts, I can utilize
All the powers I copy with no inherit demise.
Strength, flight, invisibility, conjuring fire;
These just some of the skills I've acquired."
This newfound knowledge only brought Evan further dread. If Jack could copy his hosts' powers, could he possibly obtain inherit knowledge of how to use the Paramount Key? Evan could only hope that such a thought wouldn't even cross Jack's mind. Initially, he had ignored the Paramount Key when he took it off to shower, so perhaps he thought of it as little more than a trinket. If he ever thought to question it, though...
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Post by DMis on Aug 11, 2015 13:47:34 GMT -5
"I didn't know Evan could do those things," she offered calmly as the oven gave a light ding. "I found some shades for you to wear as well. I saw that you didn't turn on the lights in the rest room...." Beth held out the glasses to him.
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Aug 11, 2015 14:05:45 GMT -5
Graciously accepting the sunglasses through the door as well, Jack continued...
"Thank you again. Yes, it's a bit of a shame.
I find light to be painful. I know, it's quite lame.
I require no light to see perfectly,
But with great night vision comes such a fee.
"And to clarify, no, these skills are not Evan's own.
I can wield them in any body, or even alone."
Once he was fully clothed in the apparel Beth had given him, he took one last look at Evan's discarded clothes, and just as Evan hoped he wouldn't, he picked up the Paramount Key by its string, gazing at it in mild fascination.
"If Evan has powers, I've not yet figured them out,
Though I can't help but ponder why he carries this about."
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Post by DMis on Aug 11, 2015 14:13:39 GMT -5
"I think it was a gift from his grandmother or something. It's important to him. That's all I know," Beth answered softly before getting the potato skins out of the oven. "It seems to be at least. Give him that much rest of mind. Please?"
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