Comments | the_blank_slate: Of all the things I believed in, I just want to get this over with

captainjack in the_blank_slate

Of all the things I believed in, I just want to get this over with

Jun 02, 2008 15:45

Jack had spent the day slowly gathering up House's things from around the hut. Clothes. A watch. An empty vicodin bottle. It wasn't like there was a ton of stuff. He carefully folded the Led Zeppelin shirt, the jeans, the pajamas. He even stipped the bed of the expensive sheets. Everything went into the bag he used for laundry. By the time he was ( Read more... )

mohinder suresh, nancy botwin, bagoas, saffron, charlie jones, jack harkness, jane lipton, thomas hobbes, vincent van gogh

Comments 252

bennet_beauty June 2 2008, 22:58:03 UTC

Jane had first smelled the fire in the distance and it had sufficiently sparked her curiosity that she took Lydia with her in the direction of the smell of ash. It surprised her to find Jack, perhaps as she did not think he would be before such a blaze. "Jack!" she remarked, above the sound of the fire. "What is this for?"

captainjack June 2 2008, 23:02:34 UTC

Her voice snapped him out of his reverie and the cold expression was replaced with a dashing smile and sparkling eyes. Fake it 'til you make it, he'd told Owen once. He could do this.

He'd almost convinced himself of that.

"Cleaning house, Jane. Getting rid of some things, taking some other stuff back to the Compound. Airing out the hut. How are things with you?" he asked, leaving the small fire to burn itself out so he could devote his attention to her.

bennet_beauty June 2 2008, 23:36:33 UTC

Jane had not seen a house-cleaning that involved such a fire ever before in her life and she regarded Jack with curiosity as Lydia softly babbled (fingers pushed into her mouth). "They are quite well, I have no complaints," she said, most good-naturedly. "Jack, what's in that fire?" she asked, as the smell was not foliage, as far as she could tell.

captainjack June 2 2008, 23:40:21 UTC

"Just paper. Nothing important. You know, don't you think it's strange that the garbage doesn't just pile up here?" he asked, deftly changing the subject. "It's good, I mean. It'd probably make the kids sick, not to mention everyone else. Hi, pretty girl...tasty fingers?"

Thread 33

1000_cranes June 2 2008, 23:09:15 UTC

On the other side of the weekend, Charlie was still lying low. She'd been in the orchard, reading a book borrowed from Ianto's little library, and she'd been lying in the grass under the apple trees for long enough that her hair was clinging to the dark green scent. She didn't realise that she'd looped close to Jack's place until she saw him, standing with her back to her. She hung back for a moment, watching him, watching as something burned.

"Hey there, honey."

captainjack June 2 2008, 23:12:17 UTC

He looked back over his shoulder and was distracted enough that he didn't notice the fire coming closer to his fingers until he got burned. He dropped the scrap and shook his hand as he turned around.

"Hi, Charlie. What's up?"

1000_cranes June 3 2008, 00:08:13 UTC

"Not a lot," she said, with a little smile, coming closer. "I can tell lies again. I ain't sure if that's a blessing or not."

She held out her hand to him, the one that wasn't holding the book.

"You need me to kiss it better, hon?"

captainjack June 3 2008, 00:11:07 UTC

"No, I'm fine," he lied, glad that he could. In truth, although it wasn't bad, it stung like a bitch. "Tell me a lie. Something big. I think after Thursday, you've earned it," he grinned.

Thread 38

karmic_darwin June 2 2008, 23:10:56 UTC

Mohinder didn't know what he was going to say to Jack. He didn't even know how to begin. But what lay between Jack and Daniel hurt, and if Daniel didn't understand why... he could hardly talk to Alcuin about it, or Dani. Which left Jack, which made a certain sort of sense.

Of course, he hadn't anticipated finding Jack burning things outside his hut when he decided to go and talk to him. He thought about retreating, waiting for another time, but maybe Jack needed someone to talk to also.

He angled his approach so that Jack could see him in time to watch him burn a piece of paper. "Does it work?" Mohinder asked. Jack clearly had intentions with the fire and it was as good a way to say hello as any under the circumstances.

captainjack June 2 2008, 23:16:52 UTC

"As good as anything else," Jack said lightly as the paper disappered to nothing more than carbon. He pressed his tonge against the inside of his teeth and put on a pretty grin before he turned to face the man.

"How's it going, Mohinder?"

karmic_darwin June 3 2008, 05:58:14 UTC

"Perhaps I ought to try it," Mohinder said dryly. Although what he'd burn, he had no idea. He still had next to nothing on the island. Which was more or less the problem.

That, and Jack's pretty smiles.

He arched both eyebrows, tilting his head in a hint of a shrug. "Better than the last time we met." Jerking his chin toward Jack, flicking out his fingers expressively. "And you?"

captainjack June 3 2008, 06:03:02 UTC

"I'm a lot more single than the last time we talked," Jack replied evenly. He was surprised this didn't hurt more, but as the hours ticked by, he wasn't feeling much at all. Not numb, not hurt. Just...nothing. "Other than that, not much changes from day to day for me."

Thread 41

out_of_realm June 2 2008, 23:21:33 UTC

What made the past weekend so wrenchingly embarrassing was that when you woke up and it was over, the ramifications had only just begun. As it was, honesty had only made Tom feel like he was anchored just below the surface of the water. There was no escaping it; it was there, pulling him down, and the rest of the world was impossible out of reach.

When he saw Jack, he stopped a ways off, a tiny, bitter smile coming to his lips. He'd caught Mike Pinocchio burning a letter more than year ago now, and look what that had done. Look at everything that had done...

Tom had his hands shoved in his pockets, rocking back on his heels. "You look like you're a man with a mission, Jack."

captainjack June 2 2008, 23:27:00 UTC

He waited until there was only a corner left before he let the paper go to finish burning and disappear. With it gone, he cocked his head and smiled at Tom, nodding slowly.

""I've always got some kind of mission," he answered, leaving the big black lab to guard the bag of House's things. He walked closer, eyes raking over the man, then said, "You look like a man without a plan."

out_of_realm June 2 2008, 23:33:54 UTC

Tom choked out a laugh, fingers curling hard against his palms in his pockets. He nodded, looking up to meet Jack's gaze.

"You know..." he muttered tiredly, "I think you got it in one." He nodded over Jack's shoulder where the last of the embers were winking out on the grass.

"What was that all about?"

captainjack June 2 2008, 23:38:05 UTC

"Seemed like the fastest way to destroy the evidence," he shrugged. "You want a mission, I could put you to work. Or, you know, ask you a favor if that sounds more appealing."

Thread 33

wholeinspirit June 2 2008, 23:29:47 UTC

Vincent wasn't walking in any particular direction. He'd spent the day hiking throughout various areas of the island as usual, stopped midday to sleep for a short while outside of his hut, and since waking up he'd idly lain in the sun letting the heat dull his senses and, hopefully, wipe away his thoughts. As valiant as his efforts had been in this pursuit, it had succeeded in nothing but a headache, and sure enough he'd gathered his pad and pencil and began walking.

He didn't walk far. He had known, vaguely, that Jack Harkness' home wasn't far from his own. And while he occasionally passed by, he hadn't ever taken the time or effort to socialise. There was simply no reason to. But as he happened by, he couldn't help but notice the home owner was already outside, and that would make it no effort at all to stop and share a greeting. There was no point in being rude.

Slowing to a stop, Vincent was initially silent as he watched the paper catch fire and the flame spread. "Burn it, not yourself," he warned.

captainjack June 2 2008, 23:33:06 UTC

"Already got burned. But thanks for the tip," he grinned. It didn't take long for the worn paper to burn away to nothing. Now all he had to deal with was a dog, a bed, and a bag of stuff.

"Looking for something to draw, Vincent?" he asked. Of course it was rhetorical. He'd seen the man in the distance more than once, furiously sketching one thing or another.

wholeinspirit June 2 2008, 23:41:36 UTC

"More or less," he agreed, watching the fading ashes gather and escape into nothing. He'd burned a number of things for various reasons. Letters, journals, drawings he wanted to wipe from his memory and the tangible world. There were few ways better to completely lose something so it couldn't ever be found.

"I'd be happier to find paints. Then I could find something to paint. But until then, yes, always looking for something of interest that might be well placed on paper." Even if it wasn't well placed. He'd gladly draw anything, anything he could see and make the lines for. And even if he couldn't make the lines, he'd very well try. There was no point in being an artist without having a challenge.

He eyed the sack and glanced back to where there had once been burning paper in the man's hand. "Spring cleaning are you?"

captainjack June 2 2008, 23:44:47 UTC

"Something like that," Jack nodded, well aware of where Vincent's gaze had wandered. "What have you found to draw, lately? There's some stuff blooming...or are you sticking to people?" he asked, moving the subject of the converstion well away from what he'd been doing and onto the artist.

Thread 20