[ There is some strange sense of deja vu here. It had happened soon after Jack had come to El Nysa, but he'd been named a criminal and had been forced to become a fugitive. Fleeing Olympia, he'd left all of his gear with Ana to take care of for him. Of course Gabriel would know to grab Jack's equipment, if he came across it. There's still a sense of relief that he actually did; he could have left it all to rot in the woods just to be difficult.
That's a lot of what Gabriel's done since he came here, after all. He's found ways to needle Jack and work his last nerve, even in the smallest of ways. So the fact that he not only collected his gear, but came out here to find him in the first place is unexpected.
What are friends for, right?
The question jars him out of his thoughts. One corner of his mouth twists into a half-smile. ] Didn't take you for a prude, Reyes. [ He's been technically naked for something like a month now, so it really hadn't occurred to him to do anything about it. (He doesn't seem bothered to be walking around barefoot, either.) Now he pulls the blanket down and cinches it around his waist. There, presentable.
There's a lull of silence where they walk for a bit, but Jack won't be able to just let this go. He has to know what Gabriel's motivations were in all this, not that he expects a completely honest answer. He glances over at Reyes as they walk. ]
It's not about being a prude, Morrison. It's about not wanting to look at your old man balls.
[Least of all him, apparently, despite the fact that they're fairly close in age, even with all the time shenanigans between them. But that seems to be all he has to say, and he waits patiently while Jack readjusts. Satisfied with the new configuration, he continues on and walks in silence until Jack pipes up again.
He can't really say he saw this one coming, and it takes him a moment to answer.]
I figured you would've done the same for me.
[Gabriel isn't entirely sure of that, given everything that's happened between them, but it seems like the right thing to say. Maybe he just hopes it's true.]
[ Jack could make some comment about how there really wasn't much to see because of how cold out it was, but he isn't going to indulge Reyes too much. He rolls his eyes and shakes his head, but otherwise leaves it at that.
There's a somewhat more important subject at hand, and Jack hadn't known what response to expect from Gabriel when he asked the question. The fact that he gets something he's fairly sure is actually the truth is unexpected.
There's no getting around it, they have a whole lot of unresolved shit between them. Some of it has come out, through strained explanations or punching matches, but that's only the tip of the iceberg. The basic sentiment that when all is said and done, they'll still look out for each other, serves as one good thing to come out of this month-long mess. It probably shouldn't have taken him transforming into a wolf and disappearing into the wilderness for them to get there, but so it goes. ]
Yeah. [ The confirmation probably isn't necessary, but he nods all the same. ] With the way this place gets, I might be returning the favor sooner rather than later.
[Now that the somewhat awkward confession is out of the way, Gabriel keeps his eyes trained forward. They aren’t out of the jungle yet, though the immediate threat seems to have passed. They’ll go home, get cleaned up, reunite Jack with his gear, and then what?
Keep going the way they’ve been going, he guesses, perhaps with one less thing unsaid between them.
For now, he’ll fall back into the comforting familiarity of putting up a front.]
Yeah, well, it hasn’t hit me yet.
[No strange transformations, no spontaneous de-aging. He’s got a new power, sure, but Gabriel most certainly isn’t going to make that known.]
[ It's true that so far Gabriel has managed to avoid the strange alterations that El Nysa can make, though Jack is fairly certain that his luck will run out eventually. He hasn't come across anyone who's remained immune during their stay here. Pointing that out isn't going to help the mood, though, and so he leaves it alone. If something ends up happening to Gabriel, he'll be there to deal with it.
As they make their way through the forest, the ground becomes dusted with frost, a sign that they're getting closer and closer to Nadril proper. It isn't easy on Jack's feet, but he doesn't complain, figuring that the sooner they reach the city the sooner he can get himself some clothes and feel like a person again.
There's still a bit of way to go, though, and they need to fill the silence somehow. ]
So what have you been up to the past month while I was busy gallivanting in the woods?
[ Again, he isn't expecting a completely honest answer, but he'll take what he can get. ]
[Gabriel says it like a joke, but it's mostly true. Jack has been his main concern this month, especially when it became clear that he was not going to be able to reverse the changes himself. He'd kept Jack fed and made sure he wasn't slipping his lead or otherwise escaping, but the rest of the month had been spent keeping his ear to the ground for the inevitable solution.]
You remember any of it?
[He's more curious about that than anything else.]
[ It's hard to believe that Gabriel hadn't been busying himself in some other way during all that time, but if he was up to anything else, he isn't sharing it.
At the question, Jack nods slowly. It's a blurry set of memories, but they're still there. He can recall that Gabriel had shown up periodically to make sure that he got some food, enough for his wolf self to get by. As a wolf, he hadn't understood why the strangely familiar man kept him chained up yet fed him at the same time. ]
Yeah. It's fuzzy, but I can remember. Mainly the run-ins I had with other people. The rest is kind of one big blur of hunger and running around through the woods.
[ He sighs and drags a hand back through his hair. ]
[It's a halfhearted attempt at a joke, but he hopes it deflects from the fact that Jack possibly remembers all the time Gabriel spent making sure that he was secure and fed. It's over now, and that's what matters the most.]
Do me a favor and try to stay out of trouble from here on out.
[ No, Jack hasn't forgotten any of that, and he's not likely to at this point. He's not one to brush off a favor done on his behalf, and he'll be looking for a way to repay it. Not only because he doesn't want to feel indebted to Gabriel, but also because it's the right thing to do.
The next remark tugs a wry smile out of him before he thinks better of it, and he shrugs. ]
I'll do my best.
[ Given that they both know he's terrible at staying out of trouble, Gabriel should know what to expect, going forward.
There's a turn in the forest path, and then Jack's able to make out the edges of Nadril in the distance. He lets out a relieved breath, though it's a little shaky from the cold. ]
Now let's see if I can find a change of clothes. You'll spot me, right?
[ The answer is "pretty damn cold," but Jack isn't about to complain. For one, he usually isn't the type to whine even when he is suffering, but he also doesn't need Reyes giving him a hard time.
Causing a commotion while he steals clothing is definitely not the same as lending him some silver. He can't fully tell if Gabriel is joking or not, but he doesn't give him that hard of a time because he's already gone out of his way for him multiple times over. ]
Yeah. What a pal.
[ He shakes his head at Gabriel, only slightly exasperated, and then focuses on the task at hand. ]
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That's a lot of what Gabriel's done since he came here, after all. He's found ways to needle Jack and work his last nerve, even in the smallest of ways. So the fact that he not only collected his gear, but came out here to find him in the first place is unexpected.
What are friends for, right?
The question jars him out of his thoughts. One corner of his mouth twists into a half-smile. ] Didn't take you for a prude, Reyes. [ He's been technically naked for something like a month now, so it really hadn't occurred to him to do anything about it. (He doesn't seem bothered to be walking around barefoot, either.) Now he pulls the blanket down and cinches it around his waist. There, presentable.
There's a lull of silence where they walk for a bit, but Jack won't be able to just let this go. He has to know what Gabriel's motivations were in all this, not that he expects a completely honest answer. He glances over at Reyes as they walk. ]
Why'd you come after me?
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[Least of all him, apparently, despite the fact that they're fairly close in age, even with all the time shenanigans between them. But that seems to be all he has to say, and he waits patiently while Jack readjusts. Satisfied with the new configuration, he continues on and walks in silence until Jack pipes up again.
He can't really say he saw this one coming, and it takes him a moment to answer.]
I figured you would've done the same for me.
[Gabriel isn't entirely sure of that, given everything that's happened between them, but it seems like the right thing to say. Maybe he just hopes it's true.]
no subject
There's a somewhat more important subject at hand, and Jack hadn't known what response to expect from Gabriel when he asked the question. The fact that he gets something he's fairly sure is actually the truth is unexpected.
There's no getting around it, they have a whole lot of unresolved shit between them. Some of it has come out, through strained explanations or punching matches, but that's only the tip of the iceberg. The basic sentiment that when all is said and done, they'll still look out for each other, serves as one good thing to come out of this month-long mess. It probably shouldn't have taken him transforming into a wolf and disappearing into the wilderness for them to get there, but so it goes. ]
Yeah. [ The confirmation probably isn't necessary, but he nods all the same. ] With the way this place gets, I might be returning the favor sooner rather than later.
no subject
Keep going the way they’ve been going, he guesses, perhaps with one less thing unsaid between them.
For now, he’ll fall back into the comforting familiarity of putting up a front.]
Yeah, well, it hasn’t hit me yet.
[No strange transformations, no spontaneous de-aging. He’s got a new power, sure, but Gabriel most certainly isn’t going to make that known.]
no subject
As they make their way through the forest, the ground becomes dusted with frost, a sign that they're getting closer and closer to Nadril proper. It isn't easy on Jack's feet, but he doesn't complain, figuring that the sooner they reach the city the sooner he can get himself some clothes and feel like a person again.
There's still a bit of way to go, though, and they need to fill the silence somehow. ]
So what have you been up to the past month while I was busy gallivanting in the woods?
[ Again, he isn't expecting a completely honest answer, but he'll take what he can get. ]
no subject
[Gabriel says it like a joke, but it's mostly true. Jack has been his main concern this month, especially when it became clear that he was not going to be able to reverse the changes himself. He'd kept Jack fed and made sure he wasn't slipping his lead or otherwise escaping, but the rest of the month had been spent keeping his ear to the ground for the inevitable solution.]
You remember any of it?
[He's more curious about that than anything else.]
no subject
At the question, Jack nods slowly. It's a blurry set of memories, but they're still there. He can recall that Gabriel had shown up periodically to make sure that he got some food, enough for his wolf self to get by. As a wolf, he hadn't understood why the strangely familiar man kept him chained up yet fed him at the same time. ]
Yeah. It's fuzzy, but I can remember. Mainly the run-ins I had with other people. The rest is kind of one big blur of hunger and running around through the woods.
[ He sighs and drags a hand back through his hair. ]
Can't say I'd recommend it.
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[It's a halfhearted attempt at a joke, but he hopes it deflects from the fact that Jack possibly remembers all the time Gabriel spent making sure that he was secure and fed. It's over now, and that's what matters the most.]
Do me a favor and try to stay out of trouble from here on out.
[That sounds like SEP, too.]
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The next remark tugs a wry smile out of him before he thinks better of it, and he shrugs. ]
I'll do my best.
[ Given that they both know he's terrible at staying out of trouble, Gabriel should know what to expect, going forward.
There's a turn in the forest path, and then Jack's able to make out the edges of Nadril in the distance. He lets out a relieved breath, though it's a little shaky from the cold. ]
Now let's see if I can find a change of clothes. You'll spot me, right?
no subject
[Then again, he doesn't expect to stay out of trouble either. Trouble seems to find them, more often than not.
The closer they get to Nadril, the colder it gets, and Gabriel casts Jack a glance, as if assessing how cold he must be.]
Yeah, I'll cause a commotion while you steal some pants.
[How does that sound?]
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Causing a commotion while he steals clothing is definitely not the same as lending him some silver. He can't fully tell if Gabriel is joking or not, but he doesn't give him that hard of a time because he's already gone out of his way for him multiple times over. ]
Yeah. What a pal.
[ He shakes his head at Gabriel, only slightly exasperated, and then focuses on the task at hand. ]