JASON TODD, new thorn in his side

[malewife]

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[malewife]

[ JASON SLAPPED HIS CHEST TO STICKER HIM WITHOUT ASKING? And now he’s expected to use words and ask politely like a normal person?

Also, Jason acts like a stray feral picked up from the streets, so Joonghyuk lets him go before he gets himself tangled in his jacket somehow. Niah settles by the shoe storage, pointedly. ]

I’m not asking.

[ They are Demands. Crossing his arms, he waits with a lash of his black tail. He at least fulfills the no more yanking around part. Good job, Jason. ]

[unrecked]

[He is a feral stray picked up from the street actually. Very funny. He does settle down a bit when Joonghyuk lets him go, though. He shakes out the hoodie, grumbling under his breath as he moves toward Niah and the shoe storage.

The ears are fanned beside his head like plane wings, the tail irritably swishing.]

Would you leave me alone and just tell me what you know? About that damn sticker. Where did yours come from, the one I saw on you when you came back from your trip?

[He unties the boots and twists out of them, putting them away.]

[malewife]

The sticker was not related to our trip, but it was on our person when we were spat out. The same could be said about the polaroids.

From asking the other group, they did not receive a sticker.

I had thought it may be consolation. From my previous round, there were trips related to a player’s memories or trips related to our version of the staff. The staff-related trips were important.

[ So the sticker magically appeared! Wow. Niah watches Jason carefully as he puts the shoes into the storage and then pads deeper into the room.

…
……
………

Sighs. ]

Are you all right?

[ YOU ARE SO TOUCHY TODAY ]

[unrecked]

[This just makes him stand there and frown. His expression looks like wtf; the ears are still semi-planed, the tail swishing.

He ignores the question to start pacing idly around the room, eyes studying the things inside it, the layout. Mostly he's ignoring the question because he was fine until Joonghyuk riled him up. BUT HE DOESN'T WANT TO ADMIT JOONGHYUK CAN GET UNDER HIS SKIN.]

I woke up with mine stuck to my forehead this morning. What did I even try that someone's being sarcastic about? I don't get it.

[The ears are now up and forward-facing, alert.]

[malewife]

[ A wolf ear flickers as he watches Jason just pace around his room. Niah plants himself on a beanbag chair and watches. ]

You ignored my question.

[ Joonghyuk is actually the most insufferable man. ]

[unrecked]

[This is why Joonghyuk is Bruce.

Jason shoots him a look, but doesn’t answer on purpose right away. Instead, he has looped around to the desk, and he sort of drops himself into the chair like it is his to do so. But he slumps in it kind of like a teenager, head rolled back. The tail hangs off the chair seat to the side. The ears drop down a little.]

M’fine. […] Just frustrated.

[malewife]

[ Niah looks over to Jason who has taken the throne, then back to Joonghyuk. There’s a long silence… His ears pin back as he considers some more. ]

Ask one of the staff employees. I only have theories. [ He was going to ask some NPCs, but anyway: ] Come with me.

[ FUNNY CAUSE HE TOLD JASON TO TAKE OFF HIS SHOES EARLIER.

Back on the shoes. They’re leaving. ]

[unrecked]

Theories are better than nothing.

[His brows dip together at the answer though. He has that expression which says he doesn’t want to ask the stupid employees, but he does not say this.

Joonghyuk gets an incredulous look, and Jason doesn’t move yet.]

—What? I just took my shoes off! [HE IS GOING TO KILL THIS MAN.] Where the hell are we going?

[malewife]

[ Why are Jason and Joonghyuk the same brain stop that Joonghyuk doesn’t like NPCs by default. He’s already putting on his shoes. ]

Kitchen.

[ Without saying more, he leaves. Niah follows after him. Sometimes you just do what you want cause you give yourself a permit. ]

[unrecked]

[Jason has very fragile and very terrible trust. So yes.

Luckily, as soon as he sees Joonghyuk start putting on shoes, he is smart enough to realize he will simply get left behind. That is the only outcome here. Unfortunately, he wears stupid combat boots, so it takes him a bit longer to put his on.

It’s very hilarious to see how quick he shoots out of the door and after Joonghyuk and Niah. He isn’t running, but he’s sprinting to catch up.]

Why?

[malewife]

[ They’re actually not that far ahead! But that’s cause they were walking. Niah looks up at Jason as Joonghyuk gives him an incredulous look. ]

… I’m hungry.

[ Why else? They cut through the restaurant and here they are! Kitchen.

… The kitchen staff don’t kick them out. ]

[unrecked]

[??????

Jason exchanges a look with Niah and has no other thing to do except simply accept this is happening. His ears fold back briefly.

WaaAARGHBBL. He hates how he is being lead around!!! Stupid Joonghyuk—hold on, they are not getting kicked out. He glances around slowly.]

…Whose ass did you have to kiss to finally get kitchen privileges?

[malewife]

[ Joonghyuk's ears and tail are the same, finding this all normal. And yes, they are not getting kicked out. Fastening on an apron, he looks to Jason with a raised brow. ]

Does that matter?

[ THE POINT IS HE HAS IT NOW. Watch him cook very efficiently, such skill. Much cooking mama/iron chef. He just feeds Niah raw meat every now and then. ]

Getting kicked out was annoying.

[unrecked]

I mean, I guess. They serve food. At least be glad you have anything at all.

[He watches Joonghyuk just be at home here in the kitchen with an apron. There is a kind of "kid warily watching out for parents who might find him being naughty" expression as he glances around the kitchen.

He is waiting to get thrown out. But it does not come.

So then he gets curious, and he does a little meander around to be nosy in a place he normally would get ushered out of. He comes back around to stand near Joonghyuk beside Niah and watch.]

[malewife]

I'm never going to be grateful while we're in this situation.

[ Joonghyuk is a toddler, really. He feels how they're entitled to use the facilities however they want if they're pawns. Niah, while basically eating some chicken, follows Jason around the kitchen with careful steps.

ROARING FLAMES!! When Jason comes by, but only a second. ]

I made too much.

[ Jason gets a plate of noodles. ]

[unrecked]

[...He looks at these noodles, skeptical. Not of the noodles, of course.] There's no way you aren't smart enough to know how to make the right amount of food. [He isn't stupid only because he knows how precise and particular Joonghyuk is. BUT.

He will take this plate of noodles after a second. And he will use two fingers to eat a noodle. It's like he knows this will probably get under Joonghyuk's skin.]

Is this for pulling my tail?

[malewife]

[ Why does Jason decide to be smart right now? Why does he just have a feeling about all the stupid things that makes Joonghyuk frown. Normally, he doesn't care about how someone eats... He comes from an apocalyptic world.

However, they have utensils. He puts a fork in Jason's hand. STOP THAT. ]

You're overthinking this.

[unrecked]

[This just makes him kind of grin, subdued. Like he thinks he's won a small battle. He takes the fork, though, despite being an American.]

Where'd you learn to cook?

[This gives him time to taste-test some of the noddles. With the fork, of course. He does not say right away if it's good. Maybe he never will.]

[malewife]

[ Jason doesn't need to say it's good. Joonghyuk has enough ego and confidence to assume Jason thinks it's good. ]

The First Murim. [ Basically, a martial arts world. ] After the regression where I died from poison.

[unrecked]

[Honestly, the fact that Jason is even eating it at all means a lot. Then again, he was present when Joonghyuk was making it; that helps.]

Yeah. I'd imagine poison would be a great motivator for learning to cook. [He leans against one of the counters with his lower back while he periodically eats.] It took me a day or so before I'd eat anything on the island.

Not until I made sure everyone else wouldn't keel over at the dining table.

[malewife]

[ Joonghyuk would never poison food. He will just poison Jason with his existence. ]

I knew the basics before when I lived a normal life with my sister, but basics are basics. Poison is a good motivator and the Murim had the most delicious dumplings.

[ Sometimes fear of death, love for a thing, and necessity mix. ]

You all had to gather your own resources on the island?

[unrecked]

[Yay.]

Yes and no. [A careful shrug.] They'd feed us meals at the mansion in between us dragging ourselves out of the jungle, half of us dead; finding corpses; and pointing fingers at a fake trial.

Anything else you had to scavenge, or see if Ivan would give you. But it wasn't like here. There was only one place. Just the island with the jungle, the beach, the mansion, and a hole you figured out later was where the dead went. You know, if you died.

You came with what you had one you, so I had more than only my gun.

[malewife]

A hole.

[ HOLES, EVERYWHERE. He remembers Jason saying maybe he'd prefer the island.

... One week like that. He imagines for maybe a moment. Niah tilts his head. ]

What have you been doing here?

[unrecked]

Yeah. A hole.

[Which is why he had been so ???????? about Joonghyuk's hole (stop) until it seemed like it was unrelated. It's fine. There's more than one hole.]

With what? Am I supposed to be doing something?

[He glances from Niah to Joonghyuk, slowly, like he's waiting for Joonghyuk to try to pry.]

[malewife]

[ He looks at the plate Jason is eating from.

Then back up at Jason. ]