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 Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2015 7:07 pm
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Jason squirmed at the feel of nails digging into his skin through his shirt, really not liking the 'crazy twins' and especially not liking the fact they also had to comment on his apparent lack of pudge with an abnormal amount of people seemed to care about. Really, it wasn't like people were bears or seals that needed fat! They had clothing for that sort of thing. "Thanks but I already ate breakfast and I have a map--" Really, did they assume he was stupid enough to go out into new territory without one?
The brunette was about to dig his own heels in and put up a hell of a fight, girls or not ... when someone else shouting drew all of their attention elsewhere. He was heavily relived someone with sense was getting the two cray girls off of him, though it seemed this woman was yet another relative of Mana's. He was heavily relived to hear her speak in a manner more like a regular human being, and even chase off the crazy pair ... but of course then he was grabbed yet again. At least Marinea was nice and tactful about saying she wanted to fatten him up; though Jason protested he was still digesting his Breakfast, he was pulled into the diner anyway.
With a heavy sigh, the brunette shrugged the backpack off of his shoulders and sat it down in the empty space of the booth alongside himself, staring at the food served him before reluctantly taking bites of it after the blond glared pointedly between him and the plate.
"Getting to know me I'm alright with ... it's weirder stuff and insults to my person I take a bit more personally. I can take care of myself, and like taking care of myself." Jason sighed, pecking at the big meal. Then he sighed, giving Mariena a small smile. "I know ... I probably overreacted a little bit too. I'm just not really used to people coming on me so ... strongly. Or having such animal magnetism," he snickered then coughed, meal only half nibbled-on and blinking at the topic change. "Um ... no, not really. I've only been here about a week. Any good ghost stories or fishing tales?" he asked, figuring he might as well while they were on the subject and he was being forced to remain against his will. He was pretty sure, polite or not, the tall woman could easily grab him if he bolted. |
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Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2015 12:17 am
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It seemed her siblings were stupid. Gravely ill at that. "Don't take it too hard because really you are a lot thinner than most people who live here, but it's not like you have to be fat to stay warm," she sighed deeply while sipping her hot drink. "But it helps to have meat on your bones in winter..." She looked again at his plate. "If you don't want it I can finish it for you." She offered. Food was never wasted around her. And of course Jason gave it over. Mariena was used to a family with big apatites. "Anyways, stories," she smiled.
"We've got your usual ghost tales then we got the sirens and selkies and stuff," she leaned back licking her lips. "Every sailor is afraid of the Siren's song, leading unsuspecting men to their deaths deep in the navy blues seas. Women who sing from the reefs or rocks bidding and pleading with song for her one love to come to her," she smirked,"either the man jumps from the ship and drowns for her or whole ships run a rock and guts the bowls, leaving them prey to the things of the seas...." she gave Jason a smokey look. "Randy tales by old men of course.
"Then the mer-people and selkies are the opposite. Mermaids and men tend to take the form of dolphins and save those wretched at seas. In some love stories they die from heart break and turn to sea foam, in others they can get legs to walk on land," She wet her lips with another drink. "However a myth special to our parts is about Selkies, seals who can turn human by shedding their seal skins." She smiled and watched his reactions. "They tend to be helpful little things but also stay amongst themselves for the most part." |
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Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2015 5:35 pm
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Gladly sliding his plate over to Marinea's side of the table, Jason then sat back and took a gulp of water from his cup and listened as the young woman went on about the local folktales, legends, and tall tales.
"Like werewolves?" Jason smiled a little smile of his own, remembering fun tales of wolfskins in highschool. "Huh. Interesting. I hope you'll excuse me though; like I told your sisters I kinda gotta go. I want to cover some ground while it's still daylight," he said simply, not seeing much point in lingering there since he was both done eating and saw no reason to continue talking over little niceties. Myth being once such 'nicety'. Of course he had no remote inkling of the possible undertones, seeing as a fur jacket found on the beach didn't even link in his mind to a sealskin ... he pictured a more complete, raw skin without being turned into a real piece of clothes. A cloak, maybe, but not a jacket. Plus, myth was fiction in his mind.
He grabbed his backpack, shifting to get up and go. |
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Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2015 8:53 pm
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The brunette paused, frowning but listening to what Marinea had to add. He gave a little nod, and scampered off as she sauntered away in the opposite direction. Jason marched stubbornly towards the woods and wilds away from town, down a path he'd already trodden that went east. He spent a good half of the remainder of the day walking, cooling off and glancing up at the sun, mentally keeping track of time and where the 'turning back' point was. That 'point' being when it was time to turn around if he wanted to get back before dark.
He fumed at getting his head pat, and still over what both Mana and the twins had said ... clearly not thinking him a capable or self-sufficient man. But ... of course he knew Mariena was right. It would be safer, easier, and just all-around smarter to have a guide, or even just trail-mate. This was an unforgiving country, and even with the gun he had on his person ... and making enough noise as he moved to let most animal know he was there so as not to startle anything predatory ... bears would be a big problem. Luckily not polar bears (those behemoths of the ice live far, far north at the topmost fringes of Alaska and beyond to the Pole) but still. A small handgun could kill rabid or starving wolves ... but only piss off always-hungry and/or mothering bears.
Jason sighed heavily and turned back instead of going through with his hike, despite being fully-packed, grumbling at himself and vowing to give Mana a trial-run but no more. If the guy treated him like glass, the brunette simply decided he'd dump the free guide for a proper paid one ... though saving what money he had for building supplies and help putting his house together a year from now was top priority.
It was evening, near sunset when Jason got back to town, remembering Mariena's directions easily thanks to a mind that had been honed through a lifetime of hiking and absorbing even the vaguest of directions. Jason was cautious though, knowing there was a very real danger of possibly coming face-to-face with the twins again. So he entered the family's shop like a cautious raccoon, poking only his head in at first ... quiet and ready to bolt away if he spotted the troublemakers, eyes peeled for the tall, hot guy. Damn he had to stop thinking of Mana as 'the hot guy'.
"Hello? Anyone here?" |
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Posted: Sat Jan 10, 2015 9:30 pm
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After the commotion the twins caused they were sent off on 'ship' duty, Mana and Russell were left to mind the shop, while Mariena was running the docks. The rest of the day Mana beat himself up over how he'd spoken to Jason, bemoaning the fact he was to be forever stuck to serve the guy since he had his pelt. All the while Russell tried to cheer up his older brother by hugs, nice words, and other adorably little brother things. Yet all he got were strained smiles and pats on his head. Although he was the youngest, and a blossoming teenager, the others didn't seem to rely on him much; so when his cheery personality failed to help he turned to scheming.
By the end of the day while they closed shop, Russell tended the front while Mana did the heavy lifting in back. The little bell rang alerting them to a last minute customer and Russell popped to his feet with a beaming smile. "Welcome!" He scuttled up. "Oh, hey, it's you!" his smile faltered and he looked over his shoulder nervously. If Mana saw the guy again would he get upset? "Er, so what can I do for you, sir?" the young man asked looking up at Jason with big blue eyes, dozens of freckles, and sandy hair. He looked like his siblings but he was less striking since he hadn't matured all the way, still he'd be very handsome when he got older. |
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Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2015 3:20 pm
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For a moment all the kid did was stand there and stare, then his face light up like Jason was his favorite super hero. "Ah, ah, ah!!!" he stuttered out nodding his head. Beaming he grabbed Jason's hand. "Right this way please," he giggled tugging the other towards the back, stopping at the front counter. "MANA! Maaaannaaa! You have a guest!" he called out and waited a few moments wiggling happily, peeking glances up at Jason, his eyes bright.
After a little while Russell huffed and stomped his foot. "He's stocking the back and stuff, maybe he's in the freezer and didn't hear. I'll go get him. Sorry, but customers can't go behind the counter, Mama said so." With that he skittered off around a corner. Only to come skittering back,"Don't leave okay. I'll go get Mana. Don't leave," he held a hand out like Jason was a scared wild animal about to dart.
Mana was indeed in the freezer making sure the fresh fish was packed away and grumbling to them at the same time. About the time Russell showed up he was complaining to a cod about how he was forever stuck slave to a scrawny guy, a cute scrawny guy, but still....
"Mana.... I don't think that's healthy....." was all the little brother said and Mana jumped out of his skin dropping the fish with a sticky plop. "You have a guest at the front counter looking for you. I called but you didn't hear. Please go see them... It might be about a job~" His usually angelic smile turned devilish. "Or maybe just a date~"
A person here to see him? Really? Mana was puzzled. Usually if it was for a job they could just schedule a meeting with him through who ever was at the front. But when Russell mentioned it might be a personal matter he flustered. Out of the whole family Mana liked spending time with other animals than people yet he was super good looking so girls, and guys, would flock to him sometimes. He was usually smooth enough to not make anything of it.... Until Jason. Man did he want to run his head through a wall over him.
"Mana?"
"Yeah, I'm going...." he sighed and pushed passed his little brother easily going towards the front. "Hello, how may I help...you...." he started his greeting as he came around the corner but froze when he saw Jason. "Uh...." he floundered a moment now sure what to say, looking everywhere but the guy. "Er, yeah... um, how can I help you?" he finally managed shuffling a bit closer but still out of arm's length.
((I'm sorry I didn't give you much to work on)) |
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Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2015 4:28 pm
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The brown haired man blinked and looked quite bemused as he was dragged along like a dog walker behind some other-enthusiastic puppy, the newcomer unable to see the boy as anything besides some happy little tail-wagger with how excited the younger male plainly was. Jason waited awkwardly, then began to feel a bit miffed as the boat man didn't appear in a timely manner; Russel clearly feeling the same way.
"It's alright," Jason said easily enough, leaning against the counter and turning his eyes elsewhere--when the kid came back. Raise an eyebrow and trying very hard not to snort through his nose, Jason just gave the little blond a small smile. "Sure. I have time to spare."
Once Russel was good and truly gone, Jason looked around in earnest at the items on sale, and the fish trophies lightly decorating the walls. Not too much; just enough from making the walls look oddly empty while most of the real stock was kept in the back safe and frozen. With a few posters and sign-up sheets for tours and such for tourism, Jason was sure.
Damn, this was a big family. Though likely a well-fed one at that, if they all liked fish ... The brown haired young man thought back to his own family, frowned, and was glad when Mana's voice gave a good excuse to shove those thoughts back into the closet.
Jason turned to look Mana eye-to-eye as the other stuttered off and then looked away. Jason tilted his head, but didn't move away, still leaning comfortably against the counter, backpack weighing on it to give his shoulders a reprieve. "Hi. I'm ... sorry. For biting your head off, and all. But I was thinking ... maybe it would be best if I take you up on your offer. To be a free guide, and all, show me the lay of the land. Not because I'm helpless," Jason asserted sternly, shifting and standing up straight, facing Mana with his arms crossed and a clear frown on his face as he looked up at the blond, "but because it's the smart thing to do. So. I leave tomorrow morning at six. Meet me at the diner geared and ready for a long trip at five-thirty. Got it?" |
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Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2015 6:39 pm
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"Oh, so what's more dangerous then. Going out alone, or out with someone who supposedly makes a habit of talking to birds and may or may not be offering just to get into my pants?" Jason replied flatly and right to the point, frown not upturning. "How could I even know your offer as a guide completely credible and not some bull of a young fisherman who'd never set foot on land longer than a day's hike in his life? I see now it's no joke," The brown haired male admitted, gesturing to the clear evidence of guide advertisement and such around the shop itself, "but all that in the first five minutes of meeting somebody ... it can make a guy suspicious on top of mad, you know?"
Jason sighed, trying to let his hot air out and looking away. It was hard not to get mad at that self-sure, confident, studying smiling face. Though he didn't back away when Mana stepped closer, not giving ground. Once he was sure he could talk a tad more calmly, he went on.
"Overnight; I plan to make it a trip that goes two to three days, at the least. Maybe even more if conditions and land look favorable. A tent could do us good, if you can carry it through the woods and the like. If your parents can spare you that long; I can handle myself," Jason huffed, glancing back up at Mana's tan face.
"... If you call me skinny one more time I'm going to clock you a good one. Got it?" |
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Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2015 8:47 pm
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"Ah, I see..." He nodded agreeing about his cocksure attitude probably being off putting. "And trust me if I wanted to get in your pants... I'd do it with a whole lot less finesse," his face heated but it was the truth. Mana wasn't good when it came to casual sex. Scratching the back of his head he nodded. "It's a small tent that folds real well, waterproof and can squeeze us both in together. I can carry it for sure." He nodded. "So I'll make sure I'm not called on by anyone so I can be free for you." Smiling he leaned away from Jason. "So five thirty in the morning. I'll have all the stuff we need.... Anything you need me to pack? A few days worth of things, I'll bring a bow for hunting if we need it. Fishing, tracking, hunting, fire making, and most basic survival skills: I know a lot about the wild."
Moving around the counter he wrote down some stuff. "Oh?" a sly grin crossed his face and he moved back towards Jason. "Mm, well you certainly aren't cut like the rest of us," he moved a hand up his shirt to show off his tight abs and soft trail of light hair traveling down to the top of his pants. His body was tight and tanned, every delicious inch of it he flashed towards Jason. "Compared to me you are skinny.... Not that it's always a bad thing." He smirked and let his shirt drop.
"So what else do you want me to put on the list to grab?" He changed subjects nonchalantly. |
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Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2015 9:32 pm
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Jason rolled his eyes after Mana's comment and blush. "I'd hardly call that finesse. So if that's your thought of class ... well. We won't have to worry about any chance of eloping any time soon," he scoffed, though truth be told the sea-lover was all kinds of good-looking. Luckily all this craziness with his family and 'magical' touch with animals was kinda making Jason really not want to get in deep with this guy.
He scoffed at Mana's listing of his talents. "I would hope so; guides are supposed to know what they're doing. And just take what you need, and I'll take what I need. Back-up firestarters are never a bad thing--" the brunette couldn't help but stop mid-sentence, eyes flicking down to see ... well. What Mana had to show off, clearly. And 'delicious' it was, probably one of the finer-sculpted sets of muscle Jason had ever seen ... besides one friend who had been on the swim team. Mana probably swam a lot (and hard) to get that kind of definite muscle build that looked like something out of a damn porn magazine. Especially with that near-white platinum colored blond that didn't have a hair out of place. And of course the hard tan that clearly covered every inch of the man (instead of a 'boater's tan' which meant they were tan on the limbs and head but pasty where their clothing usually shaded them from the sun) suggested Mana went around naked on the beaches or in the ice-cold water.
Which was a horribly turning-on image which Jason had to shove from his mind immidietly, but not before he was blushing madly and looking away, flustered. Then the 'skinny' comment finally registered to his scrambled brain. So as Mana was acting so cool and victorious changing the subject, Jason gave him a slow glowering look in the eye.
"... How about some ice." Before Mana could think about it Jason had shrugged his shoulders ... and his backpack hit the floor a second after the shorter brunette had gave Mana one hell of a right-hook. Despite being short and not able to apparently get out of the grip of twin female selkie, it seemed Jason was, in fact, lined with a wiry and tough kind of muscle which meant he did in fact keep in good shape.
"For your jaw." Giving his hand only a little shake at the pain of the punch, Jason then--just as nonchalantly--picked up his backpack and headed for the door. How much that actually hurt Mana, well, had yet to be seen but the brunette wasn't sticking around to find out. "Five-thirty, sharp. IIf you're still up to it."
Then, Jason was out and gone, smiling a little to himself and heading back down the road through the dark to get to his room. As he walked he shook his head. Sure, he was new to Alaska, but he sure as hell wasn't knew to living rough. He'd managed quite a few weeks on his own in the woods once, hunting his own food and living off the land. Having a man-made sleeping bag and a fire starter; even a water filter to help out and such. Though he used a pistol instead of a bow to get his meat; as loathe was he was to admit it asking for pointers from Mana on that front (if the other learned to not be 'stupid' as Jason called it).
Of course the thought of Mana led to thinking about those abs and the hot flush he'd gotten just staring at that much of the man. Especially with Mana leaning that close; he'd been able to smell fish and sweat on him too. Which ... was actually also kinda a turn-on, oddly enough. Jason sighed at himself and cursed his love of sushi as he went into his little room at the inn, let his pack drop, and flopped onto bed; exhausted and feeling too hot in the face.
But by the time the next morning had rolled around and his little watch alarm went off (which was odd, Jason thought foggily to himself, because he usually managed to beat it) the heat had left and a clammy chill had all over the rest of him. With a groan, the brunette ran across his own sweaty forehead and sticky hair, knowing he had a fever. He groped mindlessly for his phone (a little flip-thing with high signal to be of [possible] use in emergency situations) before remembering he hadn't even bothered to get Mana's number. Looking blearily at the time again (5:23 now) Jason debated standing Mana up or laying in bed and wallowing in his own misery as he tried to sleep his fever off.
Maybe a bit of a damned cold shoulder could at least get the guy from flashing me with those damned god-like abs, Jason decided (without full coherency, he knew, but also didn't care at that point), before grabbing a bottle of water he'd filled the day before at a creek and took a few long gulps to hydrate his body and pulled the covers around himself, trying to sleep and sweat the sick out of himself. |
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