ofjacktales-blog

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He raised his eyebrows innocently, waiting to see if Charlie would actually ask for the glass back. Instead the fairy drank from his and Jack took a tentative sip of the one he'd swiped. He didn't really plan to get drunk, but margaritas didn't taste too bad.

"Are you too sloshed to play a game with me?" he asked, gesturing to the deck of cards. He didn't really need a part- ner; he was practicing tricks, not playing anything. But he'd like to play, if only to see if he could cheat without Charlie noticing.

          Though he probably should have expected it, the fairy           still gave the boy a look that was positively offended.           You can’t just snatch someone’s margarita. That was           just as bad as, if not worse then, stealing something           off of someone else’s plate without asking.

          "Hold the fuck up little man!" Charlie gasped, raising a           finger to point at Jack before realizing he had indeed           brought along two glasses and drinking from the one he           still held. “I saw nothing — I’m not wearing my glasses.”

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"Yeah, but..." There was originally an end to the sentence, but he forgot it. But his parents aren't there to consent? They consented to him flying across the ocean, underage drinking hardly compares. His real reason for hesitating is that this feels much too familiar and he's getting much too close to forgetting and treating Charlie like he's Elliot when he's not.

"Screw that," he says, swiping the glass before Charlie can take it back. "It's in private and under supervision, the legal age for that is only five." Yeah, he knows what the exact minimum age is. He's intimately familiar with any law he might accidentally break. He doesn't want to get arrested and sent home.

          “And all the other young boys in this house are under           eighteen but it doesn’t stop them.” But then again, it’s           not as if Sunny or Charlie were the strictest parents.           In fact, just about anything goes in Harlow House. It’s           why the boys could get away with jumping worlds to           film their adventures in potentially dangerous environments           for their ‘fictional’ YouTube channel web series.

          "But you’re right — which means more booze for me."           He’s not an alcoholic though — just very much in favor           of a good, oddly colored drink every now and then.                                                                       Blame Dionysus.

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"Okay... You wanna expand on that?"

"Ever’thing."

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"Look, I didn't say it was a good idea, I just said we could."

❛ That sounds like it’d be even worse if they suddenly catch us somehow. ❜

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"Distract them. Tell them it's closed for remodeling and if it's someone who works here, tell them you got food poisoning here and demand to talk to a manager and get really loud and really shrill and mention poison control until they back off."

“Want me to bite them? Or seduce them? I can totally seduce them. No one can resist my seductive charms.”

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He's staring. Completely unashamed, mouth open, totally distracted from the cards he was messing with. He's not entirely sure if he's about to laugh or cry. He closes his mouth and swallows and his voice actually comes out steady.

"You know I'm still seventeen, right? And unlike everyone else in this house, I'm totally subject to mortal laws?" Technically there are no laws being broken here. It's in private. He's distracting himself.

open

"Now let me get this straight…"

          “You put the lime in the coconut and drink it all up,                     put the lime in the coconut and drink it all up?           Put the lime in the coconut; you’re such a silly one.                     You put the lime in the coconut and drink ‘em up together,                               put the lime in the coconut and you’re feel better.”

                                                            In other words — he’s made midday margaritas.

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"Either way, it works." He followed, trailing his fingers over the shelves like he had the first time he got to the shop. He pivoted as he walked, taking in as much as he could. He didn't know exactly how many of the shop's items were magic and how many were mundane, but anything in here could be magic. It was exhilarating thinking of what kind of story could be in this place-- and nerve-wracking waiting for it.

"Maybe I just like talking to you," he said in answer to the question. It was true, but there was more to it. He had no idea what was in this shop. If the story was something in the front, then it should theoretically have already started. That was the whole purpose of spinning around and grabbing the first thing he saw, after all. Anything within his reach could have started the story, and nothing had. And he didn't know where else there was in the shop.

"You could show me around," he said, speeding up so he was all but stepping on the fairy's heels. "If there's a story to be found it's not out here or I would've found it already. It's got to be somewhere else, so you should show me."

          “You’ll find that there is a fine line between ‘fantastic luck’ and dumb           luck.” The fairy answered, soon turning and existing the aisle they were           in so he could approach the register. Whatever story this boy was babbling           about was something that Charlie ultimately found himself not all that           interested in. What could possibly happen in a bookstore? Or a magical           one at — well, there it was. It was a magical bookstore, anything could           happen and that prospect actually scared the fairy a little as he thought           over the possibilities. Though mostly out of concern for the fact this was           his primary source of income and if anything devastating happened to           threaten that he’d be the one who had to clean up the mess.

          Shaking his head again, the fairy picked up the ledger he had been marking           the first day he and Jack had met and then snapped his fingers in the direction           of a trolley stacked with books before wandering off — the trolley wheeling           after him. “If you want to continue this discussion then you’re going to have           to follow.” Charlie called out “Some of us have jobs to do.” Though it was           moments like these that made the fairy consider just working for the Council           full time as a supernatural investigator. Gods know that dealing with restless           spirits and cleaning up magical messes would be far more easier to handle           than curious children. As much as Charlie loved them, they were trouble.

          "So, if you think there’s a story here why don’t you just go sniff it out instead of           chatting to me?” Because if it was meant to happen then why not go ahead           and force it? If adventure does not come to you then you must go in search           of it. He himself had learned that in Neverland, during times where he would           often delve into some of the hidden places of Neverland with his Lost Boys           and Peter in search of hidden treasures and ancient forgotten places.

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"Me either.." He shrugs. "No time, really. I got nabbed a few days after I got here and I'd really just been trying to make some cash those first few days. And since then I've been doing this community service and trying to make some cash."

'exactly. i don't wanna be coverin' any  more bodies with concrete.’ shrugging,  she puts her hands in the pockets of her  coat. ‘y’haven’t? why not?’

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"If we could break into a crematorium maybe. I don't know how hot those things get and I think the fire's supposed to make the bones brittle or something so they can be smashed easier."

❛ So … Is smashing his    body up with a hammer    out of the question? I    probably could do that. ❜

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"Yeah, but mine works whether they want anything from me or not. It even works on psychotic probation officers--how d'you think I got away?"

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Now that, he wouldn't do. It wasn't that he had some particular qualm about owing things, or that he was worried she'd hold the favor over his head. It was just that he could pay her back, and it wouldn't put him out to do it.

"It's no trouble. I'm just wandering, like I said. It's not like you're taking me from things I have to do, I just explore and find odd jobs until I move on."

Well that was a lot easier than she thought it would be. Though truthfully, actually inviting people into her home was something of an oddity—most just tended to walk in with zero quarrels. Or simply appear, there was an awful lot of just appearing happening lately.

"Oh, don’t worry about it." She replied with a faint smile. ”You don’t have to pay me back or anything—just…consider it a favor, I suppose.”

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"What don't I get?"

"You don’t get it."

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"I touch people, just a handshake or high five, and they feel good. Good enough to do whatever I want them to. See again: Free place to stay."

  “what’s yer special power then?”

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"Me too, and with our track record I really want to avoid any more fights. I'm not looking to hide any more bodies." He grins back at her. "Sounds perfect. I should really get out more, I haven't been able to explore the city like I like to."

'good. i'm so fuckin’ squeamish.’ laughing, she smirks at him, humming as they walk towards the exit. ‘oh, that sounds fuckin’ great. there’s a small pub down the road, they wont think t’look for us there.’

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"You my friend, have nothing on me." He's not.

   ”but i thought i had the magic hands.” He’s slightly kidding of course.

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"My way doesn't even involve blood. I just have to shake their hand and they'll do whatever I want. For about five minutes anyway, which is all we need." He grins. He loves his power. "And I was thinking 'wherever we want' with a side of getting completely and utterly wasted."

'oh, y'will, will you? i do like a man that can  handle things.’ she laughs, shaking her head.  ’where are we goin’, then? if i’m gonna be  skivin’ my community service, i wanna be  goin’ somewhere fun.’

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"I wasn't even involved this time! Talk to Allison, she's the one who decided to trip the bugger! And now that you ask, I say he got a call that had him pretty shaken up, and he was jumping at shadows and shit. Took an early lunch and never came back. This isn't America, they can't just hack his phone and check."

          ❝i think you should’ve consider this before           what happened… am i right? anyhow, if we are           going to lie about it, we need a good alibi. any           suggestions other then 'he went to cancun and           won’t come back’?❞