#c: abeljacob

[halfgclden]

“And to tell the truth I don't want to let go of the wrists of idleness, I don't want to sell my life for money,” Abel continued their recitation as they dragged the razor down Jacob’s cheek. “I don't even want to come in out of the rain.” They wiped off the razor on the towel draped over Jacob’s shoulder and then dragged another strip down his face. “That’s the end,” they clarified, in case he thought that the long pause was for dramatic flair.

[halfgclden]

Three Blind Mice | Jack, Jacob, Abel

Date: May 16th, 2020

Summary: A band meeting in the dark.

Maybe it was a byproduct of having worn sunglasses for so long, but Jack could've sworn that lately his eyesight wasn't as good as it used to be. On top of losing one of them entirely, of course. Jack walked up to the front door to make sure the number was in fact the one he had received in the text. He pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to Jacob to let him know that he had arrived. Jack started to pocket his phone then hesitated. Could he see the text? Jack pulled his phone back out and hit the call button instead.

Jacob was a second into listening to Jack's text when the text to speech cut off and his ringtone began instead, interspersed with the announcement that the call was from an unknown number. He raised one eyebrow towards Abel and held the phone to his ear. "Jacob speaking."

Abel raised their eyebrows back at Jacob and smirked at him. "I should have answered and acted as secretary," they whispered.

"Uh, hi," Jack responded. "It's Jack? O'Lantern? I'm outside."

"Ah, it's Mr. O'Lantern," Jacob stage whispered to Abel, loud enough to be heard through the phone, then lifted it back to his ear. "We'll be with you shortly." He hung up. "Would you mind opening the door?"

Abel pressed their lips together, amused. "Of course, Mr. Jain. Shall I grab us some refreshments as well?" They smirked and stood so that they could move to open the door.

"Water shall suffice." Jacob grinned at them.

Abel didn't bother to nod at Jacob since he couldn't see them anyway. They walked out of his room to the door and opened it, giving a bit of a smile to Jack from the darkness. "Hello, Mr. O'Lantern. We've been expecting you. We have quite a selection in terms of refreshment. Would you like... water?"

Jack blinked in confusion when the door opened and the room was pitch dark. "Uh, sure." He looked around the room cautiously as he stepped inside. "Is it regular water or are you poisoning me?"

Abel closed the door behind Jack. "Tap water. If you believe that the government is filling our reservoirs with poison to slowly mind control us, then I suppose we could be poisoning you." They shrugged one shoulder. "Did you want a glass?" They moved to the sink and began to fill two glasses, then tilted their head at him. "Did you need a light, by the way?"

"Uh, yeah, a glass is fine." Jack strolled into the apartment, looking around warily. "Uh, I mean, a lamp or something would be nice. But if this is your vibe, then, like... I guess that's cool."

Abel filled up three glasses and held one out to Jack. "I suppose... this is our vibe, though more out of a lack of need for any other." They shrugged one shoulder. "Can you make it to the back room," they asked as they nodded toward Jacob's open door, "or do you need a flashlight on the way, because I can turn on Jacob's light once we're there."

"No, yeah, I can make it." Jack took the glass and started toward the back. "Are you guys, like... Electricity vegans?"

Abel exhaled hard in a laugh. "No, we just don't see the need to raise the bill when one of us is blind and one of us can see in the dark." They entered Jacob's room. "I'm going to turn the light on," they warned. "If that's okay with you."

"Ah, yes, people can see. One moment." Jacob leaned over and picked up the pair of sunglasses on the table beside his bed to put them on. "Now is fine."

Waiting for when Jacob put his glasses on, Abel pressed their elbow into the light switch, then looked at Jack. "You see, in terms of sight, Jacob and I are diametrically opposed, which turns out to work in our favour." They nodded and then took a seat next to Jacob on his bed, touching a glass to his knee so that he could take it from them.

Jacob took the glass from them and sat back on his bed, cross-legged. He took a sip, then lowered the cup to rest on his knee. "Abel explained our idea to you, yes?" he asked Jack.

"Uh, a bit, yeah." He stepped into the room and leaned against the wall. "They said you were thinking of doing music together? Like a group or something?"

Abel took a few sips of their water and then put it on the floor near their feet, though away from Jacob's so he wouldn't accidentally knock it over. "Just fucking around, honestly. I like your sound though. It's..." They wiggled their fingers. "Crazy? Kiff? Something in between those. Really cool."

A smile smile grew on Jack's face. "Ha. Thanks." He gestured toward Jacob. "Uh, you do music too?" Jack waited a moment, then added. "Sorry—uh, Jacob, you do music too?"

Jacob gestured vaguely in the air towards the small variety of instruments around his room. "One could say so. Music is one of my driving forces in life."

Abel snorted but didn't smile. "Jacob is in a handful of bands. I think he's trying to collect all the musicians at camp so that he can eliminate them all and become the alpha."

Jack nodded as he looked around at the instruments. It suddenly dawned on him that Jacob probably knew a lot more than he had let on during their first conversation about Jack's beats. He tried not to dwell on the thought as he felt his cheeks get warm. "Uh, you guys do stuff together? Like—music. Do you play together? Music?"

It was difficult not to laugh at Jack's questions, but Jacob managed to keep his reaction subdued to an amused smile. "Often, yes. My hope was that you could join us and aid in the creation."

Abel smirked at Jacob before looking back at Jack. "I fear we are encroaching on territory that uses too many innuendos. We really are just talking about music here."

Jack noticed how much Jacob and Abel's turns of phrase reminded him of Kieran. Unsure how he felt about that, Jack shook the thought from his head. "I mean, yeah. I'd be down to be your third. For music. Ugh."

Jacob did laugh now. "Did you come here with a separate goal in mind, Jack?"

"Oh my gods," Abel said under their breath, clearly amused by the whole conversation. "Should we ignore the fact that we sound like swingers or roll with it?"

"Ugh," Jack groaned, running a hand down his face. "Wow. I usually say this kind of shit on purpose and totally own it. I swear that if I was actually trying to hit on you, you'd know." Jack realized that this was probably not helping his case and clarified, "I'm just here for the music."

Jacob smiled towards Jack. "How disappointingly anticipated. We shall have to pour our freshly broken hearts into the craft." He took another sip of his water then placed it down. "Do you collaborate often, or not at all?"

"Not at all," Jack replied, suddenly feeling as though he were being surveyed. "Yeah, I just do music by myself. I do most things by myself, TBH. This is honestly the most socialization I've had in a week."

Abel could have laughed. They rested their hand on their cheek as they leaned forward, staring as their attention was now focused on Jack. "You'll fit right in, then. You can take a seat, by the way, if you wanted. If you wanted to remain standing that's also." They shrugged instead of finishing the sentence.

"What," Jacob began, picking up the extinguished end of the joint beside him and waving it in the air as he spoke. "Is your sleep schedule like?"

Jack drifted over toward Jacob's bed to sit on the edge. "Uh... I sleep at night? I don't know, pretty normal I guess." Jack pulled his legs up onto the bed and shrugged. "Why?"

Abel rested their elbow on their knee as they watched Jack, turning to face him as he sat. "Because we tend to make music during the witching hour when we're both lying awake with nothing better to do. Or in the late afternoon, after work."

"It can depend on the schedule of my roommate as well," Jacob added, shifting barely an inch over to give Jack room.

"Witching hour?" Jack narrowed his eyes. "So... You are inviting me to sleep with you. Like... Essentially."

Abel shook their head and snickered. "No, we're inviting you to not sleep with us. There is a key difference."

"Essentially, we would enjoy your contribution and collaboration in creation." Jacob smiled at him.

Jack grinned. Despite how strangely formal this all felt, he couldn't help but feel excited that somebody he didn't had reached out to him to hang out. "I mean... Sure. I'm in."

"Lekker," Abel said as they leaned back on their elbows, still watching Jack. "Do you smoke? You don't have to, it's just good to know so we don't have to offer you a hundred times before we get the hint."

Jacob paused, lighter already in hand. "Ah, good question to ask."

"Uh, yeah, sometimes." Jack shrugged.

"Would you like to now?" Abel raised an eyebrow. "Also, what do you use to make music? Just a computer?"

"Sure," Jack shrugged. "And yeah, I just use my laptop. I use Logic. What about you?"

"The technology is all Abel," Jacob replied as he lit up the joint in his hand and took a drag. He offered it in Jack's direction as he exhaled. "I simply pluck away at my instruments."

Jack reached for the joint, then hesitated. "Uh, sorry, one second." He patted his pockets and realized that he had forgotten to bring his gloves. "Fuck," he whispered to himself. "Uh... Sorry. Never mind."

Jacob patiently kept the joint outstretched. “Is something the matter?”

"No, I just forgot my—" Jack shook his head. "I just can't touch you. Phobos thing."

“Ah.” Jacob reached down and gathered up part of the flat sheet on his bed over his hand, then took the joint through the fabric and extended it in offer again. “Better?”

Jack laughed and dipped his head sheepishly. "Yeah." He reached out and took the joint. "Thanks," he added, taking a hit.

Abel watched the interaction like a tennis match before answering the question. "I use Ableton. I started because of the name, honestly, but I've found it works pretty well, and lets me record my own stuff, so." They shrugged instead of finishing the full thought.

"I may have a pair of gloves on top of the dresser," Jacob offered as the thought came to him. "They are fingerless, would those still be of assistance?"

“Ableton,” Jack repeated quietly with a chuckle. “Uh, sure. That’d be cool, thanks.” He held the joint out toward Abel.

"It is strange to use a program that uses my legal name," Abel said with a small sigh. They took the joint carefully, then tilted their head at Jack, taking a hit before they spoke. "What happens if we touch you?" they asked through a cloud of smoke.

Jacob climbed up off his bed and wandered over to his dresser, running his hand along the top until he found the gloves. He extended them towards Jack. "That was my next question."

Abel took another hit, then reached up to touch Jacob's hand, tapping the unlit end of the joint to the back of it.

Jack took the gloves from Jacob with a soft thank you. As he slid them on, Jack explained, "Uh, I have fear powers. If you touch me, you'll, like... Get scared." Jack shrugged. "Sometimes it's not that bad? Like, just kind of makes you uncomfortable? Sometimes, it's like... Panic attack level."

Jacob took the joint and returned to sit on his bed, facing Jack this time. "Fascinating. Is there a factor behind that variation?

Abel looked backed to Jack and nodded. "I understand. I can do... something like that. Not quite, but." They opted to not finish their sentence again.

Jack shrugged. "I mean, last time it happened and it was just a small thing, I was touching my friend. And then the last time it happened where it was a panic attack, she Lavagirled my eyeball into soup, so... Maybe it's a trust thing?" Jack nodded at Abel. "What do you do?"

Abel nodded slowly as they listened to Jack. "I can make people around me feel... awful? Dread, really. It's something I can kind of shut on and off, but it's hard to control when my mood spikes or drops, if that makes sense." They rolled their shoulders back. "It could be the same with you? The trust thing makes sense."

"Hm," Jack muttered. "Maybe. I don't know, I never really get to work on it. Not so enticing being asked to sit there like Little Albert while I try not to scare the shit out of you," he joked.

Jacob laughed at Jack's comment. "I would be interested to know if there is an ability that could counteract your own– in the way that should I encounter someone who was able to inflict pain with a touch, I could nullify it with my ability to lift pain. My sister is gifted with a power to temporarily alleviate emotional pain and trauma, there is a chance that she could foil yours in such a manner."

"Huh. Maybe." Jack thought about the possibility but found himself tiptoeing around the edge of an emotional rabbit hole. He decided to stow away the thought for later and change the topic. "So, uh, can I hear some the music you guys make?"

Abel’s lip twitched upwards. “It’s more an ability you practice out of necessity, but mine isn’t just touch, so I guess I had more of a need to suppress it?” They shrugged and then stood to get their computer. They shook out their hands before touching it, typing in their password, and taking a seat on the bed again. The screen stalled for a moment, and they held their breath, but it seemed to just be a case of slow internet connection. They opened the program to their most recent project and pressed play. The track started, stuttered, and then restarted.

"Is something wrong with your computer?" Jack asked.

Abel puffed out their cheeks and gave a small nod. "Yeah, me."

"Uh," Jack muttered in response, not getting what Abel meant.

“Abel is a human glitch,” Jacob explained in a way that explained nothing.

Abel nodded and wiggled their fingers at Jack. "Apparently being dead has made it hard for me to handle technology. Being into making electronic music is my penance, I suppose."

Jack arched a brow in confusion. "Dead, like... Inside?"

"That too," Jacob answered mildly. "But Abel also met an unfortunate end and bounced back."

"Funnily enough, we're making a track with that name." Abel nodded. "But yes, I kicked the bucket a few years ago and was lucky enough to have a father who could repair that. And now, for some inexplicable reason, it makes it hard for me to use my computer sometimes. Keeps me on my toes."

"Uh..." Jack scooted back on the bed. "Cool. Love that. That's great."

Abel laughed quietly and replayed the track, but this time it played through.

Jack nodded along. "This is cool. It's, like... Alt-rock-y? It's like those 2000's rock albums where the album cover was them looking really sad in front of a sunset and there's, like... Pool floaties and random stuff surrounding them."

Jacob snorted. "We experiment too. This is a compromise of our two differing tastes."

Abel smirked. “Funnily enough, that was the album cover that we had in mind for a photo shoot.”

"Seriously?" Jack asked, trying and failing to not sound judgmental.

"We talked about this, Abel," Jacob responded, straightfaced. "The artistic vision was pool floaties in front of a sunrise."

Abel nodded seriously, then smacked their forehead. “Oh my gods, you’re so right, I’m sorry.” They looked pointedly at Jack. “He’s our artistic director.”

Jacob shook his head slowly. "This is why I'm in charge."

Jack grinned. "Cool, yeah. I trust your vision."

Jacob pressed his lips together in amusement. "You would be the first."

"Can't imagine why," Jack responded dryly.

Abel smirked again, looking from Jack to Jacob. “Have I mentioned how well we all match, Jacob?” They looked back to Jack. “Originally, he told me to find you because you fit the whole ghost vibe,” they said, using air quotes.

"It's because no one else understands me," Jacob explained to Jack, tongue in cheek. He raised an eyebrow when Abel spoke. "Oh, please do fill me in. I imagine there is some physical similarity here that has left me in the dark on this joke."

Jack couldn't even be offended because 'ghost vibe' was shockingly accurate. "Uh, I mean, we all have white hair. And, like, half the amount of working eyes that three people should have."

"Oh." Jacob took a long drag from the joint that was still smouldering in his hand, then held it out to Jack. "You have white hair? Fascinating." He exhaled the rest of the smoke. "And I imagine you have but one eye, unless Abel has fallen upon some recent misfortune they have failed to mention."

“Isn’t it amazing?” Abel sighed. “Half the eyes, triple the white hair?” They shrugged and nudged Jacob slightly. “I never thought it was very interesting for me to bring up.”

The thought that Abel didn't think Jack's eyepatch was interesting to bring up put a smile on Jack's face. "Uh, yeah. The three of us look kind of intense, TBH."

Jacob took another hit from the joint when Jack didn’t take it from him. “Good to know. From what I have heard, aesthetics are a key selling point. Do the gloves match yours?” he asked Jack.

Jack laughed. "Uh, yeah, I guess. I mean—they look more expensive than I do, but I'm also wearing black."

“They match his and our aesthetic beautifully,” Abel assured Jacob, only half joking. “We’re literally third eye blind here.”