[ He hadn't heard Jack approach, but somehow he's not surprised when he turns and sees that familiar face, bright and open beneath the flicker of the two moons. Jesse blinks once, squinting up like he might be seeing a mirage, but nope, there he is. Jack, the...what was it...Nephilim? All sincerity and damp denim.
Jesse straightens up, wiping his hands on his jeans, eyes dragging briefly past Jack to the pool lit by artificial underwater glow, then upward to the moons - one familiar, one strange. It makes his stomach twist in that quiet, uneasy way this place always does. The way everything feels almost right. Almost safe. Almost real. But not quite. He wonders how long it'll take before the seams start to split.
Jack's voice pulls him back. That genuine warmth, like he really means it. Like he's not just making small talk while waiting for his weird tofu-meat-stick to char. Jesse isn't used to that earnestness. It makes him fidget, running a hand through his disheveled hair before rubbing at the back of his neck, a nervous tic. Not because Jack makes him uncomfortable - he doesn't. Jesse is just still not sure how to have normal social interactions. Because it's been so long since he's needed to. Most of his interactions are transactional. Or used to be. He's had to start over before, but it was never like this. ]
Hey, man. Thanks. It was mostly just guesswork. Y'know, fiddle with it 'til you figure it out. If all else fails, a swift kick usually gets things started. Or yelling. Yelling at shit works, too. Grill didn't explode though, so I'm countin' it as a win.
[ He looks toward the nearby lounge chair where his hoodie lies slumped like a person who's given up. The androids haven't moved, but he still keeps his eye on them, just in case. Something about them definitely feels off. Jesse looks back to Jack, and something in him eases. Jack's presence cuts through the static in Jesse's chest like a clear station on the radio. Like maybe the night won't unravel just yet. It's good to see a familiar face. ]
You hungry? [ He gestures toward the grill, where the fire is finally catching right. ] There's, uh, hot dogs. Or things pretending to be hot dogs...I think.
never annoying!!
Jesse straightens up, wiping his hands on his jeans, eyes dragging briefly past Jack to the pool lit by artificial underwater glow, then upward to the moons - one familiar, one strange. It makes his stomach twist in that quiet, uneasy way this place always does. The way everything feels almost right. Almost safe. Almost real. But not quite. He wonders how long it'll take before the seams start to split.
Jack's voice pulls him back. That genuine warmth, like he really means it. Like he's not just making small talk while waiting for his weird tofu-meat-stick to char. Jesse isn't used to that earnestness. It makes him fidget, running a hand through his disheveled hair before rubbing at the back of his neck, a nervous tic. Not because Jack makes him uncomfortable - he doesn't. Jesse is just still not sure how to have normal social interactions. Because it's been so long since he's needed to. Most of his interactions are transactional. Or used to be. He's had to start over before, but it was never like this. ]
Hey, man. Thanks. It was mostly just guesswork. Y'know, fiddle with it 'til you figure it out. If all else fails, a swift kick usually gets things started. Or yelling. Yelling at shit works, too. Grill didn't explode though, so I'm countin' it as a win.
[ He looks toward the nearby lounge chair where his hoodie lies slumped like a person who's given up. The androids haven't moved, but he still keeps his eye on them, just in case. Something about them definitely feels off. Jesse looks back to Jack, and something in him eases. Jack's presence cuts through the static in Jesse's chest like a clear station on the radio. Like maybe the night won't unravel just yet. It's good to see a familiar face. ]
You hungry? [ He gestures toward the grill, where the fire is finally catching right. ] There's, uh, hot dogs. Or things pretending to be hot dogs...I think.