GRAVELLY WAYPOINT ☆ OPEN

[nyme]

[JUSTIFY]

I HAVE MY SHADOWS AND MY COLORS
AND THERE IS THE SMELL OF TIME PASSING

── ⋅ ⋅ ── ☽ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──

JIN . 20 MOONS . HE/HIM . LONER
BEWITCHED

"Poor, poor Snake."

Jin can no longer help but voice his pity, extra saccharine and doting like he's soothing a fussy kit. He's drawn his forepaws in, tucked them neatly under his broad, downy chest. Black eyes have only left Snake to blink—and even those come rarely.

"Snake," he continues, suddenly sounding all chipper as though he's just come up with the best idea. A real award-winner. Something to really knock Snake's stripes clean off. "You should stay here. Then you can have me. I'm someone. I'm Jin. You know me." He presents the notion with a smile that he thinks must be charming, but it's all wrong around the edges. Not really a smile; just teeth.

"It's safe here. You saw. It's good here. Here's a home. Your home, if you let it. I'll share. You'll be so happy." He continues, all dreamy, awkward enthusiasm. Jin's swaying to the beat of his own hushed words, rocking in place like he just can't stand to sit still. Like all the excitement's just too much to bear motionless.

"You want that, right? You're lonely. You were lonely wandering anywhere and nowhere, so you came somewhere to meet me. Right? You're home now, Snake. Isn't that nice?" Jin sounds like he's made his mind up for the both of them, or like he's carrying out a conversation with someone who isn't there. Silly! Snake doesn't need to say anything, Jin already knows they're delighted to be here with such a gallant and generous host!

"Do you want to nest here? You can. There are other places too though—should I show you?"

@Idiotic.Bean101 ; SNAKE

☽

Jin flinches and falters at the sound of his own voice. Where did that come from?

He's grave-silent for the beat that follows, stunned into a long moment's hesitation. He has already been reminded once, today, that he has nowhere to run and very few places to hide. Once is enough. Jin does not want this guest to be a danger to him but there'll always be the awful part of him that knows better. But he hadn't wanted to be alone, and now he isn't, and that's what has to count. So he pretends he hadn't heard what he knows that he did, chalking it up to fatigue and nerves. Besides: when she talks again, it's most certainly not with his voice. So...so, it's good. It's okay.

Jin plays at bashfulness because he doesn't want to explain what got him so grimy-looking, but he doesn't want her to think less of him for it, either. Naturally, he's got another lie spilling off his tongue to excuse his state: "Someone...needed my help. In the mud. So I..." Jin peters off, hoping his guest gets the gist of his tall tale. He's not sad and dirty, he's a hero. So there.

Jin eyes the ember-bright sky for a moment. He doesn't want to go to the speeder shed, despite that being where he'd typically sleep if the world weren't burning down. He doesn't want to bring a guest into the tunnel-drain either, though. Jin throws a long and pensive glance into the dark, down the tracks. Through the distance and gloom and brambles, he can't make out the unnatural edges of that shelter. Maybe it's hidden from the fire, too.

"This way," Jin beckons, shaking off and sparing a half a second to cleaning his chest and his paws and his face. It's hasty and barely effective, but he hopes the gesture is appreciated if nothing else. Then, in the interest of winning this visitor over with his unquestionable politeness and charming demeanor (he does seriously believe this), he adds, "I'm Jin, you know," as he leads the way into the dark, over the tracks.

@Rose ; SWEETBRIAR

[Idiotic.Bean101]

Snake-He/They
15 Moons


————————


Poor poor Snake?
He isn’t a little kitten that needs pity.
He’s been perfectly fine on his own for this long.

He then felt disbelief at Jin’s offer.
Stay here?
Permanently?

Before he could even answer, Jin started blabbering on like Snake had already agreed.

How was he meant to go about this?
If he said no, Jin might kick him out, and he wouldn’t have a place for the night.

Hm.
“I’ll stay tonight, see how I like it.” Snake stated “And even if I don’t stay, maybe I’ll visit you. You seem to feel more lonely than I do.”
Best offer he could give right now.


@nyme

[nyme]

I HAVE MY SHADOWS AND MY COLORS
AND THERE IS THE SMELL OF TIME PASSING

── ⋅ ⋅ ── ☽ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──

JIN . 20 MOONS . HE/HIM . LONER
BEWITCHED

Jin's disappointment is palpable, as real and as earnest as a cutting edge. He looks at Snake like they've struck him, and then he looks at the ground. The sense of betrayal sours quick; his next glance up at Snake is withering, accusatory.

"You won't come back." There's no honey in the way he says this. No hate or malice either—not yet. Only frustration. Jin paws at his face, scrubbing his cheeks restlessly. For that moment he is dull and charmless and tired, and he's silent as though Snake is no longer in the shed with him. He has to think positively about this but he doesn't want to. Isn't good at it. He needs to think: what can he say, and what should he do, and what will keep Snake here?

Tufted ears twitch. Violence occurs to him, but it hasn't ever worked particularly well in the past. Few things do but some have, at least for a time. He has to think, is all. He just has to think. Jin clears his throat and straightens up and pretends to have not missed a beat.

"Alright. You'll stay tonight." He confirms cheerfully, not bothering to address what Snake had said after that. "Where will you nest?"

@Idiotic.Bean101 ; SNAKE

[Idiotic.Bean101]

Snake-He/They
15 Moons


---------------------


'You won't come back'
Who's Jin to say what Snake will and won't do?
Now he will just out of spite of that comment.

He's about to let out a snarky reply, but Jin just continued, as if that hadn't happened.
Snake looked around with his eyes at possible places to nest.
He couldn't decide on one.
"I don't know." He replied bluntly "How 'bout you pick."


@nyme