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 Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2025 7:27 pm
School had lost some of it's intrest to him, really was it a surprise though? When you fight for your life, for the planet you live on, it wasn't hard to believe really. He was still surprised he'd made it out in good shape, having not wound up vanishing or unconsious on the ground, he didn't chalk it up to skill though as he lacked in that. It was sheer luck if anyone were to ever ask him, and he hoped no one ever did. While some might still have nightmares, or other issues, and many would think and expect that of Kinsey as well. He didn't have nightmares though and he didn't have any issues, at least none that he noticed, perhaps it was because he had other bigger issues? That he suffered far worse on a near daily basis? He was, in his own mind, chalking it up to that. One incident, big as it was, did not compare to the years of shithe'd dealt with.
Walking through the halls, sitting in the class rooms, was a drag on him though. It bored him and while he'd always been silent in class there was a difference in things now. He wasn't just silent, wasn't just bored, but there was an almost annoyed quality to it. It was as if he were offended, or annoyed, with being here...that he had somehere else to be - somewhere better to be. The thing was - he did.
He had gotten himself a job, an apprenticeship, with a watch maker. He'd had the job for months now? Or was it longer...closer to a year? He wasn't even sure anymore, he didn't pay attention really, he just knew he was out of his fathers home. Luciana didn't care so much about his age, she seemed fine with it since he would be sixteen soon enough, they'd allowed him to an apprenticeship with them. He'd been working his a** off ever since. If it wasn't work it was homework or work prepairing his wonder in some manner. He wasn't home more than need be, and most of that was simply to sleep and have breakfast, as he was pushing himself as much as he could in order to get things done...in order to keep himself out of that home.
The make up, still going on the suggestion of the one who'd caught him last year, kept the darkness under his eyes well hidden as well as the few marks he had from his family. The few times he was home, was passing between rooms and doing things, were still a risk where he did get hurt. It didn't happen as often, because he wasn't home as often, but it was impossible to avoid entierly.
It was lost in his thoughts, in plans, that he startled and jumped when the bell rang and brought the last class of the day to a close. In his rush to escape, he had work and such to get to, he nearly tripped as he dropped a book on his desk. Jamming his thigns into his school bag, which he slung over his shoulder, he hurried from the classroom and pushing past people and moving around them with a grace that was hard to believe given his height, the brunette made for his locker and changed out books and notebooks for what he'd need to complete the nights homework. Once done, and his locker was slammed closed, he hurried off down the hall and down the stairs in an rush to escape the confines of this place. It was one place he did not wish to be and he would need to get to work quickly, because he enjoyed the time he spent there.
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Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2025 5:19 pm
Kinsey would soon notice an extra shadow in the form of one Jason Everleigh, a little taller now and still smiling with the firm patience of someone ready to ignore rejection. "Oh good, Kinsey! I've been meaning to talk with you." He had been, but the younger teen had clearly been busy and focused on something for awhile now. Jason might have been a bit more pushy sooner, stuck his nose in a lot more obnoxiously, if Novella hadn't reached the rank of squire earlier in the year. Or if he hadn't done so well and so performed pretty calmly during the Hollow fight, and even revealed he had a mentor of sorts looking after him. Not to mention he seemed the sort to avoid trouble, not seek it out alone and throw himself at it like he was immortal. All in all, Jason wasn't having anxiety attacks or bearing an immense amount of guilt toward Kinsey. But that didn't mean he'd forgotten about him, hadn't kept quiet tabs on him when the school year had begun. And what he'd seen did have him curious. Knowing Kinsey wouldn't offer up much of anything unless cornered, Jason very shamelessly cornered him. "You know the Lucky Duck? Just a couple blocks away? They have great fries! It'll be my treat while we catch up."
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Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2025 8:14 pm
Oh, so that was why he felt like he was being followed. Despite all the people in the school, and how there were people everywhere, it was still easy enough to tell when he was being followed. At least it was for Kinsey, and maybe that was because he needed to be aware of thigns at home and it just carried over. At least he could relax, a bit, because it was Jason and at least he knew him. He did still watch what he said around him, Kinsey always would though.
"Lucky Duck." Parroting the other he shook his head slowly. "No, I've never been there." He had never heard of the place either, not that it should be a surprise, he didn't do much outside of school and Luciana's shop really. He didn't exactly have a booming social life and outside of going to his wonder he didn't power up much eiother, he had no real reason to, he didn't care for fighting and why would he? He got beaten on at home more than enough, he didn't need to go looking for otehr people to hit him, he was just fine with the at home stuff.
"I'll pass on the food." But he didn't think he'd get away with not going, even if he wasn't hungry. "Catch up....?" As if he didn't know. He was certain he knew, the other was a big brother and was trying to play big brother to him, and maybe mentor or something similar, even though Kinsey himself was a big brother...not that he got to act the part like he'd once wanted and hoped to do.
"I've been well." As if that answer, simple and to the point as it was, would suffice and satisfy the other. He knew it wouldn't but he could at least attempt to wiggle out of this. He had to make an attempt.
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Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2025 8:11 pm
"Why pass on the food? Is it a diet thing?" Jason gave Kinsey a closer once over and looked a little doubtful. "At least get a milkshake, man." Fortunately the diner was close, and extremely notable for its cheerful giant rubber duck sign. And then all the rubber duckie décor on the inside, including the booths. Picking a green duck booth, Jason settled in and leaned over, voice low, "The acoustics in this pretty well muffled, it's easy to have a private conversation." The waitress swung by and he ordered himself a basket of fries and a vanilla milkshake with strawberries. Once she'd left, he asked, "Okay so, define well. You've been really busy."
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Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2025 8:38 pm
"Not something I like, that's all." Fries were really not his thing, fried food was too greasy for him really, but he didn't say that. The other did not need to know why he didn't like fries, or what sort of foods he did like, it wasn't information anyone needed to know aside from himself..and no one else knew. Taking his seat across fro mthe other, ignoring how much like a date this might seem to some, he sat there as stiff as he could...until the other leaned in. Brow raised as he stared at the other as they whispered to him.
"I'm always busy." He stated, while wondering just why he'd bothered ordering a milkshake...he wasn't likely to drink much of it. Brushing the thought aside, for now, he kept his eyes down on the other.
"I like to keep myself busy." Because busy meant he wasn't home, or that he didn't feel the void in the house while he was locked in his room, it meant he was safe and away from his family it meant he could relax and smile and enjoy whatever he was doing. Never mind he was locked away in his room, he locked himself away, or that he wasn't able to be happy around his family or freely. It was all fine and good in his mind, because Kinsey was used to it by now.
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Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2025 8:57 pm
"So it's a good busy, then?" Smiling placidly at Kinsey's attempts at not answering, Jason once again prompted, "I heard mention of you having a job now." Resting chin on hand, he watched the other boy's face with a close eye. Didn't look like he was neglecting himself, at least no more than usual. No extra injuries. And if it didn't look like the other was doing intensive physical training, well, Jason had learned to just mind his own business in that regard, at least.
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Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2025 7:46 pm
"A good busy, yes." Because as busy as he was, as tired as he was at the end of the night, it all meant less time spent at home and that meant it was a good kinda of budy. Being out of the house was one of the biggest things for him, because he really couldn't handle it, it was breaking him in small ways and he knew it. As much as he liked to think it didn't bother him, that he was over it, that wasn't always true. Some nights he'd think about how his father had been with him when he was a child, how happy things had been, he'd think about his happy childhood. Those nights hurt and opened the wounds, thawed the heart, and he'd have to repair things from the emotional damage.
So avoiding his father, keeping himself from hurting again and again, was good for him. It meant he didn't feel and he had less dreams and thoughts, because he didn't need those things.
"A job....I have for a while now." But he'd kept it a secret, he was secretly surprised it had remained a secret so long though. The fact no one in school had spotted him walking in, or noticed him behind the counter, was a surprise. But also it wasn't...it was a watch makers shop and what high schooler would be caught in such a place?
"Eveything is fine, you don't need to worry if you are." Though why would he? They weren't that close, not close enough to worry over him certainly. Perhaps he just didn't see others as having a reason to care for him becuase his own family didn't, and because he also didn't want people to care? That he didn't want anyone noticing him or getting close...getting too close.
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Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2025 4:42 pm
The food arrived, and Jason busied himself with ketchup, mustard, salt and pepper packets, and the chili flakes on the table. Then reached for the Cholula as well. A dipping sauce of some sort was mixed to questionable results. Of course Kinsey wasn't going to say even what kind of job or give any details. Considering his dipping sauce and then testing a crispy hot fry in it, Jason decided to let that one go. It wasn't vital or anything. Picking up another fry he pointed upward with it, "What about up there? How's that progressing?"
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Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2025 5:38 pm
Of course when it came to space, to his wonder, he was a bit more willing to speak. His wonder was his pride and joy at the moment, as much as his projects, and it didn't matter what he revealed about his wonder - not really. They all had a wonder and they were all in various states of disrepair, as far as he figured,
"It's going slow, slower than I'd like. I've been cleaning though." He'd brought a whole load of cleaning products with him, as well as the items needed to do said cleaning, sponges and a swiffer or two as well as a mop and broom. He would have a clean wonder! Not only had he been cleaning though, there was so much to do. "I'm working on repairs next, and replacing curtains and other things which need it." He didn't mention ripping up the office carpet, not yet, but he'd fallen on his a** while pulling that thing up so he could dispose of it.
"I'm trying to figure out how to bring things back to dispose of, curtains and carpet." Other fabrics as well, rolls of it, things which had once been used in hat making but were rotten and ruined. He'd replace the fabrics, and learn to sew or something, but the old stuff was no good and needed to be dealt with in order to help in cleaning and dealing with the musty smell to the place. He would have it clean!
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Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2026 7:02 pm
Jason listened with interest, though his eyebrows raised at the mention of throwing out carpet and curtains. He'd just left such things alone at the lodge on his wonder, and they repaired themselves, if incredibly slowly, over time. Then again, Kinsey seemed...particular, and with little use for things outside his interest. If he didn't like the look of what was there, getting rid of it without any sense of reverence, Jason could hardly act surprised. So instead of mentioning leaving his own alone, he just nodded, "The more work you put into your wonder, the more it'll help you by repairing itself alongside your efforts." Trying another fry, he gave a small frown and then reached back into his backpack to pull out a tiny bottle. Tapping some of its contents into the dip, he gave it another swirl with a fry. "You should just bring people up there when you wanna carry back big loads of stuff." Looking up at Kinsey, Jason gave a small, wry smile, recalling the big project he'd had to basically demand to help bring up.
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Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2026 9:22 pm
Repair itself? Magic of course would be the means by which it would do such, a bit of a shame he didn't know that sooner, but he wasn't entierly upset. He himself was the reason he didn't know about this, and he accepted it, it was because he didn't talk to or work with others. He was fine with it, even if it wuold have saved him time and work. Who was to say he'd like the look olnce it was repaird anyway? While he loved his wonder, it was his after all, it was also his and he would make it what he wanted it to be - what he needed it to be.
Raising a brow at the other, as they mentioned him bringing other to his wonder, as if silently asking if they thought he was insane...or expected him to really do such a thing. "I'm not inviting anyolne, I don't need help in making repairs and cleaning." And he was planning to bring a lot of things up there, slowly, things that were person and would no doubt raise some eyebrows. He was sure bringing bedding, which he eventually planned to do, would garner a few questions from others. No, no help was needed or even wanted.
Watching the other eat Kinsey took a moment to take a sip from his drink, it was good at least, he might as well occupy himself while he had to play social butterfly; because for him this was being a social butterfly really.
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Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2026 4:05 pm
Even though he was expecting it, Jason couldn't help grinning at the response. Apparently the Code, his wonder, and a major life or death battle for the future of the world had yet to convince Kinsey of the power of friendship. With a small shrug of I tried acceptance, he offered a potential alternative, "Then you should try carefully going through the things over there. Sometimes you find things that are..." he swirled a fry in the air like a wand, "magic."Eating the fry and doing his best not to grimace at the taste his sauce had taken on, Jason continued, "I once found this like, feather? And when I touched it, I knew, without a doubt, that using it will grant me an extra trip." If he recalled, Kinsey's wonder was a hat making place, full of stuff. Maybe there were some magic feathers mixed in.
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Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2026 4:55 pm
"I would expect to find magic there, the fact these places exist is magic." As it went against science really, or maybe it didn't. Who was to say that beings couldn't exist in space and hadn't. Those who had lived there hadn't been human after all, which meant the rules of what a human needed to live didn't apply, as human was an earth term and defined as the people inhabiting Earth presently. So really it wasn't that these places exsisting wasn't becaue of magic but rather their lack of discovery by science that proved magical.
"So I might find magic things...an extra trip would be nice. Though I admit I'd prefer something more useful." Though what he couldn't say, couldn't think of, as he sat there taking slow little sips of his milk shake. "I imagine there must be a way to active the magic of something you find, of an item, but how do you know what to di? Or that an object is magic or even useful and when to activate it?" Was it just feeling, instinct, or just guess work? What if something blew up in your face, possibly in a litteral sense? Of course talk of his homeworld, and magic, would get him talking, though it really wasn't much and his voice was neither excitted nor emotional in any manner. It was just questions being asked in a rather bland sort of tone.
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Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2026 7:23 pm
"You'll know when you touch it. Like instinctively, but better. I guess some of that stuff just..." Jason gave a small shrug and then determinedly tried fixing his dip sauce with mustard. "Automatically uploads use instructions to you." The dip sauce started to rapidly look like it was meant as a prop in a medical show. "There are some pretty useful ones. Things that clear your head, or refill your energy. I think I saw some really weird ones during that big fight." Though the air was full of lightning and magic at the time it was hard to parse what was what. He had gotten that bracelet at the time, though, and refilling his magic pool with it was a pretty huge advantage.
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Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2026 8:41 pm
It was convenient at least, from the sound of it, which was good. It woud be terrible otherwise, as he could imagine things exploding in peoples faces and other things, but it was also concerning that you just knew ho to use an object with magic and also knew what it did. With magic, like the magic he got by being a squire, that made more sense - it was instinct like a child learning to babble and than speak. This made no such sense but magic never really seemed to make sense, but to his annoyance.
Watching the other fiddle with his dipping sauce, adding more to it, he found himself watching for longer than he'd like. It wasn't interesting but he was just bored really. "Those don't seem useful, at least not for myself." Not unless refilling his energy meant more trips to space, which he doubted it did, the feather sounded interesting but clearing ones head wasn't such a bad idea. It would help if you got tired while working on things, which happened plenty for him.
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