Weird-looking, half blind, spook wrangling world-walkers that smoke.

[goldeneyeball]

THREAD DIRECTORY

One Fine Day
A Taste of the Future
Pumpkins
Aches
Trauma 50% Off!
I Got a Disease and You're the Cure
Taco Night
Buck Eyes
The Turns Have Tabled
JW and Ginko's Fancy Dinner Date
You Know What They Say When You ASSume...
Sit, Stay, Beg

Comments

[goldeneyeball]

And here you thought you were a magnet, Ginko.

Letting the subject go on down the stream of conversation, JW bent down to line the shelf's end up with one of the pre-drilled holes and hold one of the painted screws in place.

"Hand me that screwdriver?" He pointed with his head since his hands were occupied. He'd even steadied it with one of his feet. JW did things by himself more often than not and sometimes alone tasks just looked weird don't judge him. "If you could chase off whatever keeps making our dishwasher break down, that'd be great."

[onegreeneye]

He nodded and passed the screwdriver to JW, then gave a laugh that was even quieter and more distracted than usual. He was still thinking over that weird feeling he kept getting, right on the edge of sorting it out. Part of him (a slightly less stupid part) had already realized it, and may have been a little scared of letting the rest follow suit.

"I'll see if I can look into it, but that may be more a technology issue than a mushi one."

[goldeneyeball]

"That would be my luck." Tool in-hand, he went to work. His grandfather had taught him to do many things--sing, whistle, cook, and woodwork. He had to admit that even though his favorite thing was carving, putting things together was still fun. He could build all day if he had the energy.

And since he had stopped worrying about impressing Ginko, he let himself hum an old Beatles song--one the mushi master might recognize from their various trips in the van.

"They had a program on the other night about those fish that live at the bottom of the ocean? Looked kinda like what you talk about. You think that could be where they're all hiding? The ones people like me can see?"

[onegreeneye]

"I wouldn't be surprised if there are some down there... I know there are mushi that some people can't see down there." And one had tried to eat him before, but for once WORK STORIES were not the main thing on his mind.

That quiet humming seemed to keep the slight smile in place on his mouth; it was a familiar tune by now, alright, and it was nice to see JW this relaxed. It was actually kind of...

...Oh, no.

Oh no.

If JW said anything else, Ginko didn't respond to it, instead just staring at the floor with something like horrified embarrassment. How could this happen? How could he let it?!

[goldeneyeball]

By this point, JW had about four screws poking out of his mouth as he moved down the length of the bookshelf. He wiggled them from side to side as he puzzled over what he had to do next. This shelf had some doors that slid forward and closed over the shelves themselves and the grooves were throwing him off.

"So you're a deep sea diver on top of bein' an exterminator." How ELSE would Ginko know what was down there? "Your resume must be prit-tee impressive."

[onegreeneye]

Technically, it had come up to him, but when he tried to say that the words just kind of... didn't happen. His voice was stuck in his throat. He looked up at JW again, which turned out to be a mistake because goddammit he was being adorable again how did he keep doing that oh god

Ginko stood up, very suddenly, barely remembering to set his lemonade down so as not to spill it everywhere before he headed for the door. "Sorry I just remembered something I need to do thanks for having me over bye."

1/2

[goldeneyeball]

JW startled and a screw fell from his mouth.

"Er-- see ya?" That sure wasn't much of a visit. He hoped Ginko hadn't thought he was mocking him about the deep sea thing. It must have been a big something he'd forgotten. And if it was important enough to rush off across time and space something must have been wrong to make him forget. He looked at the lemonade glass as Ginko's coat disappeared around the corner.

[deuteronomy]

Ginko the mushi master did not get far because a shape emerged from beneath the porch as Gink made his way down the steps and nearly sank its long crooked teeth into his calf. She settled on his pants leg instead.

"What's the hurry?"

[onegreeneye]

Ginko stumbled, almost tripping when she grabbed his pants leg. He managed to regain his balance a moment later, spinning around to catch sight of his not-quite-attacker.

"--Deuteronomy. I, uh... I just remembered something I... need to do. Back home."

It didn't even sound convincing to him. Normally he was an alright liar on the occasions when he put his mind to it, but he was still a little shaken by his recent Feelings Revelation.

[deuteronomy]

She let go of the fabric and strode out into the open on her long, skinny legs. "Must be mighty important," she said as she rolled her yellow eyes up to meet his single green one. "Seein' as you just got here and all."

SHE WAS INVESTED IN THIS, DAMN IT.

[onegreeneye]

This seemed sort of threatening. Why did this seem threatening.

Granted, there was the fact that he was talking to a reanimated taxidermy wolf (and, perhaps more to the point, she was talking back), but he KNEW her.

"Yeah, it's... pretty important." He resisted the urge to take a step back. "Look, I just... I really need to go now, okay?"

[deuteronomy]

"Pretty important...you know, he'd go with you if you asked. I'm sure whatever's so important to you is more important to him than an old bookcase I'm going to chew the sides off of in a month."

She circled around in front of him, firmly planting herself in his path even though the yard was pretty big.

[onegreeneye]

"...Yeah. He probably would. Hell if I know why." He sighed and shoved his fingers into his bangs. "But..."

But he didn't actually have another excuse saved up, given how sudden this whole thing was.

[deuteronomy]

The wolf's brows quirked. So he wasn't being contrary.

He was being dumb.

Deuteronomy's expression softened and twisted into one of mischief. She pointed her long muzzle toward the little path that had been worn from the back porch to the old fence at the treeline over the past few months by the two of them. "Hell if you know...well, I know."

[onegreeneye]

Ginko, pulled again from his thoughts, gave her a look of vague surprise. "...You do?"

[deuteronomy]

Deuteronomy idly dragged a forepaw back and forth across a tuft of dead grass as she recited her observations.

"You know, the first time he came back from Nowhere Japan," It was the only place he ever referred to it as. "He didn't stop smiling that whole day. I think he dug through the junk drawer half the night to find something to bring you. He kept putting things back saying they weren't good enough and then turning back around and taking them anyway. And wouldn't you know it, he came home with scarf next."

She looked away from the trees to watch Ginko's face.

[onegreeneye]

"Yeah, he did seem pretty excited to show me stuff..." But that didn't explain why he was so excited. Of course, maybe it would have if Ginko would think about it for a few seconds, but as it was he didn't really see how that was any sort of explanation.

"You mean when I lent him my scarf? What does that have to do with anything?"

[deuteronomy]

Her ears fell back, but not in anger. Oh, wow, Jimbo really knew how to pick 'em.

"Maybe because he likes being with you. Maybe because he wants to be with you. You should see his face when he tells me about your adventures."

[onegreeneye]

Ginko stared blankly at Deuteronomy, trying to process what she just said.

Aaaand a little longer.

Give him a few moments, it's still sinking in.



Ginko started slightly, his one eye widening and his mouth starting to just fall open before he caught it. "Wait, he... JW--"

From the look on his face, she may as well have just told him that JW had been a pile of chipmunks in an ugly shirt all along (except less disturbed than if that had... actually been what she just told him).

[deuteronomy]

Deuteronomy waited.

And waited.

THERE IT WAS.

A dark chuckle started up in her throat. Oh, humans. They always made things so complicated. She then made matters worse by doing an admittedly poor imitation of JW's voice.

"Ginko's so nice. Ginko's so smart. You know what Ginko showed me today, Deut? I need another library book about fish for Ginko. I want to make sure the cooler in the woods is stocked for Ginko. Ginko, Ginko, Ginko."

[onegreeneye]

His shoulders started to pull up slightly, staring in shock in Deuteronomy's general direction but not quite at her. He didn't even notice his face slowly flushing redder by the second.

JW actually... felt that way. About him. Why? How? How long had this been going on with Ginko just not noticing, the whole time they'd known each other?!

He sort of looked a little like he might be about to panic again.

[deuteronomy]

Deuteronomy's ears moved forward again and for a moment, she worried that she'd broken him. While she didn't know Ginko well, JW sure was fond of him and it wasn't the same as when he'd pined over that hot nurse that one time.

She rared up on her hind legs and waved a paw, not nearly close enough to Ginko's face for it to make much difference.

"He's not a bad guy. He's weird and selfish and petty and lies a lot but...you could do a lot worse. Just saying."

With that, she dropped back down and started padding away, having said her piece.

[onegreeneye]

He flinched anyway, blinking away whatever state of shock he had been in. And, as he listened, his shoulders sagged slightly.

"...You don't have to tell me that." He already knew, way too damn well. That was kind of the problem here.

He looked over his shoulder, back at the door, and his fingers curled and uncurled by his sides. Part of him was tempted to leave anyway; get out of here, don't let himself think about it too much, and...

And what?

Not coming back... as much as he may have hated to admit it, it just wasn't an option. And besides, if JW came looking for him in Japan, he knew he wouldn't have the heart to drive him away.

Part of him asked why he would drive him away to begin with. The rest, of course, knew that the answer was because Ginko was a goddamn disaster who really shouldn't have been wanting a relationship to begin with, let alone pursuing one, and who even knew what must be wrong with JW for him to want that too.

He walked back up the stairs and pushed the door open again.

[goldeneyeball]

He heard the screen door creak.

"Deuteronomy? That you?" He'd gotten two of the shelves in place but now he was crawling around on his hands and knees squinting one eye and then the other because he'd dropped a one of those little finishing nails and DAMN IT THE WOOD GRAIN AND THE NAIL WERE GOING THE SAME DIRECTION FUCK EVERYTHING. "I need a pair of eyes! And don't actually pull 'em outta your face this time."

[onegreeneye]

Ginko walked hesitantly back into the living room, tilting his head slightly at JW crawling around on the floor and barely catching a smile that he probably wouldn't have even noticed a few minutes ago. He squatted down next to him, resting his elbows on his knees.

"Think just one might be of some help?"