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[just_another]

It's been a strange, confusing, amazing and horrifying few days.

For someone who generally keeps to himself, Joel's not sure how so much has happened at once, but no matter how he looks at it, there's enough going on in his life right now to satisfy him for years to come. The ball had been both a disaster and one of the more gratifying nights of his life and while he hasn't yet spoken with Lou since sending her home in a cab, he knows he needs to find the courage to visit her at some point.

He needs to speak with Lara as well. The truth is, he's been avoiding her, still not entirely sure what he feels. He's angry, but more than that, he feels betrayed, and that's a feeling Joel has gone out of his way to avoid, it's why he's kept himself so closed off from most people in Siren Cove.

The threatening letters he's been receiving aren't helping matters and although he's handed them over to the police, he'd still spent most of the night in his work room, crafting witch bottles that he's hoping he can convince people to put in their homes or bury in their yards. Something is coming and he doesn't know yet if that something is coming for him or the people he cares about, but he's not taking any chances.

With the bottles in his bag, he locks the door to his store and heads into town. He needs to find a few specific people, he needs to run some errands and he wants to stop by the library to see Spencer, maybe bring him lunch. Even as he thinks about that, he finds himself smiling and he has to duck his head as he walks. The premonition he'd had the night of the ball had disrupted things a little, but even with that, he feels a lot more certain of where things may be headed.

[ooc: Joel can be just about anywhere in town. There are some specific people he needs to speak with, so find him wherever suits! He's also made witch bottles for people he cares about, so come collect your protective charms. And no matter what you read on google about making a witch bottle, he did NOT pee in them.]

Comments

[asharpertongue]

Lara's getting out of her car to head into Watersong when she spots Joel. She smiles cheerfully and grabs her bag out of the car, Osha jumping out of the door before she closes it. The huge dog follows her line of sight to Joel and lets out a happy bark.

Rolling her eyes, Lara made a noise in the back of her throat and Osha settled into step beside her as she walked up to Joel.

"Hello stranger." She said, smiling at him. "What brings you to town?"

[just_another]

Now that he's here face to face with Lara, he still isn't sure how he feels. She's his friend and she doesn't wish any harm to come to him, he knows that, but at the same time he still feels like he needs to distance himself. She'd told Lou and he doesn't know what that means for him. Lou has assured him she won't do anything with the information, but the way she'd reacted at the ball, that she thought he might hurt either of them, it doesn't sit well with Joel.

Before anything, though, he needs to give her something. "I had some errands to run and I wanted to give you these." Digging into his bag, he pulls out two of the witch bottles, the rusted nails clinking around inside. "I've, uh... they're for protection. I've been seeing some things that... well, they don't look good."

[asharpertongue]

Lara frowned as she took the bottles from him. "You've had visions?" Well shit...that wasn't good. Joel only gets visions if things are looking particularly dire. On top of that he looked grim. grimmer than usual, anyway and Lara did not like that look on his face. "Anything you can tell me or would that make things worse?"

[just_another]

Joel shakes his head, worrying his lower lip between his teeth. "They're still not very clear. I've been trying to get better at reading them, but they're still pretty vague. I just... there was a lot of pain. Broken bones. Someone saying my name. It felt like a threat, something to do with me and I... wanted to make sure no one else was caught in the crossfire."

Because with the latest letter, he's not sure the threat is entirely directed toward him and he's genuinely afraid of someone he cares about getting hurt.

[asharpertongue]

"That's..." she blew out a breath. "That's not good. Shit." She played with the bottles in her hand and mulled it over, replaying what he'd said. If Joel was this affected then it was serious. She got the impression he wasn't telling her everything though. His visions weren't often specific enough to be classed as a direct threat so there was something else at play here. "You said it felt like a threat. That's specific, Joel. Something's targeting you specifically." His inability to meet her eyes is proof enough. "Joel...what happened?"

[just_another]

He almost doesn't want to tell her, he wants to tell himself that he can't trust her anymore, but he does. Even though he needs to talk to her about what she said to Lou, even though he feels betrayed, she's one of the few people who's been good to him and he does still trust her.

"I got some letters. The first one I wrote off as a prank," he says. "The second one specifically mentioned my spending time with the librarian and little blonde girls. I don't know if they meant you or Cosette, but I'm not willing to take the risk." He pauses, then says, "I think it's someone from where I grew up, but I don't know for certain."

[suchgoodluck]

Cosette is on her lunch break, strolling through town while munching on a chicken sandwich from her favorite food truck, raspberry iced tea perched in her other hand. When she sees Joel coming towards her, that small smile on his face, she beams, hurrying over to him at once, for she can only assume he brings good tidings with that grin.

"So did you two smooch yet or what?" She says by way of greeting.

[just_another]

Though Joel is still fairly certain the second letter is at least a thinly veiled threat directed at Cosette as well as Spencer, he can't help the way his mouth quirks into a smile at her question. In comparison to some, he knows there isn't much to tell, but at the same time he feels like everything has changed.

"No," he says, but that's really his own fault. Or the fault of his premonitions, anyway. "But we... we left the ball together. Holding hands." It feels both silly and exciting to say that out loud and Joel's gaze flicks over to Cosette, waiting for her reaction.

[suchgoodluck]

Cosette notices instantly the way he actually smiles at her question, something she is certain he wouldn't have done just last week, when he was still wringing his hands over whether Spencer liked him or not. She has to refrain from letting out an embarrassing noise the could almost be mistaken for a squeal at the sight of Joel.

"Holding hands?!" She doesn't care; with drink and sandwich both in hand, she leaps on Joel and throws her arms around his neck. "I'm so proud of you two dorks, you don't even know! Forget Hydra attacks; this is real, groundbreaking news! Tell me all about it, and don't skim on the details, either."

[just_another]

"Jesus," he says with a huff of surprised laughter, but he wraps his arms around her in return, afraid if he doesn't, she's just going to knock them both over. She might be a tiny woman, but there's enough force behind her that Joel stumbles a little, then shakes his head, laughing softly.

"There's really not a lot to tell," he admits, but in his way, there actually is. "I ran into him at the ball, which was really the only reason I went in the first place. We had a drink and he... he said seeing me made coming to the ball worthwhile." He's smiling at the memory, his cheeks flushing with pleasure. "So I took his hand and asked if he wanted to leave."

[suchgoodluck]

"Ugh, don't talk about Jesus to me," she groans as she at last pulls away. "Too many girls married to him last night." She shakes her head with a sigh, her long, loose hair flickering in the breeze. She says this all with a grin, happy to see Joel and proud that her tiny size almost knocked him on his ass.

At that, Cosette does emit a noise vaugely resembling squealing, stuffing her sandwich into the hand with the drink so she can squeeze his shoulder.

"Joel, that's fantastic," she tells him, bouncing up and down like an over caffeinated child. "So did you go home with him or?"

[just_another]

"We walked for a bit. It was really nice," he says, looking down at his feet, still smiling. He feels like a teenager, like he's fumbling along down a road he doesn't understand, but it's one he's happy to walk with Spencer. It feels a little like gossip, which he's never much liked, but at the same time, he can't stop himself. He wants to talk about it and Cosette is easily the person he trusts the most.

His smile fades a little, though, and he shrugs. "But I had a pretty awful premonition. It was strong. I wasn't in the best shape following that. I've been looking for you, actually."

[bachjones]

Bach is just on his way to Corrine, one of the few people in town he still feels comfortable with. The scales are still there, itching down his spine.

[just_another]

Joel can't remember if he got the other man's name the day they'd run into each other on the street after Tristan had been killed, but he figures with all the talking he'd done that day about magic and sirens, he at least owes the man a hello. Lifting his hand, he waves with two fingers, offering a faint, awkward smile.

[bachjones]

It takes Bach a second to recognize the man waving at him. "Oh, hey man. Better day today?"

[just_another]

There's something bad coming to Siren Cove, something Joel is sure is directed at him or someone close to him, but he nods anyway. Because despite the premonition he'd had that night, the ball had definitely improved a few aspects of his life. "Not bad," he agrees. "I don't think I got your name the last time we ran into each other."

[bachjones]

"Yeah, I should start looking where I'm walking." He offers a hand. "Nebuchadnezzar. Or Bach."

[just_another]

"Joel," he answers, shaking the offered hand. "That's quite the name." He says it before he has a chance to think, realizing how it sounds as soon as it's out of his mouth, but even as he cringes, he realizes he can't very well take it back.

[jaimewhy]

Jaime almost bumps into the guy, then has a moment after she steps back where she actually looks at him and what the fuck, are those potions?

(She's usually better at stopping her mouth moving than right now.) "Oh god, are those your potions? You're going to sell them to comely lasses at the faire, aren't you."

...

um.


"Or maybe you're into homebrewing and I'm just an asshole."

[just_another]

The comment about comely lasses makes Joel laugh, more out of surprise than anything, though he can feel his cheeks burning for being so stupid as to have one of the bottles out in the open. He's near the library now and he'd been looking for the one he'd made for Spencer, but now he's been caught with it in his hand and he doesn't tell many people about what he can do, but that's usually through avoidance. He's not a very good liar.

"It's, um... a witch bottle," he says, figuring he might as well be honest about that. "You can buy them from the Coombs." Maybe it isn't fair to drag their name into it, but they've never been quiet about being witches and Joel thinks it's easier than trying to say stupid ridiculous like I found it or stumbling over his own words. "I bought it for... a friend."

[callmeemily]

She's been at the bakery night and day, working on pastries for the Art Festival - but that doesn't mean she's forgotten the people she's friends with, albeit new friends. She's sort of avoiding everyone the best she can, given that she's still figuring out how to get her head on straight after the ball, and so she's been the baked-good fairy to Joel and Spencer and Levi and the occasional person looking for a snack. She's got a bag of little pastry boxes, and she's planning to leave Joel's at the shop - nevermind if it's probably outside of his hours, that would just mean that she'd get to just hook the twine on the doorknob and leave and not have to worry about awkward conversations.

However, there he is, and she actually draws up short as she blinks, before she moves forward to catch him anyway. "Hey, Joel! I was actually just coming to stop by." She sounds a little more bubbly than usual, but she totally blames that on the latte she'd had this morning as a treat for herself.

[just_another]

"Hi," he says, smiling at the sight of Emily. He hasn't seen her since the night of the ball, but he figures that's his own fault, given how wrapped up he's been in the letters and the premonition and Lou finding out his secret and Spencer. He usually doesn't have so many things going on that distract him, but the past few days have been a little overwhelming and he knows he's kept to himself more than usual.

She looks better than she had at the ball. Happier. Maybe in a little less pain. Joel has to resist the urge to read her aura again and wonders if he should give her one of the bottles. He can say he bought it from the Coombs, pass it off as a gift instead of something he's made himself. "How are you?"

[callmeemily]

She digs in her bag, not even caring that they're in the middle of the sidewalk. She's both happier, and in less pain; she hasn't really been taking it easy, but there's taking it easy, normal, and on the other end of the spectrum, down the hall and in a room labeled Bad idea, is where she was at the ball.

"This," she says matter-of-factly, "Is for you." It is - it's labelled with his name, and everything. "I had extra when I was making pastries for the Art Festival." She's doing her absolute best to be social, and if that means she needs to use baked goods to grease the way.... so be it. "And I'm okay. Busy, but... you know. You?" He looks a little... stressed. Tired. She doesn't know him all that well, but he's someone she'd like to get to know better, so her brows furrow in concern.

[just_another]

Joel isn't used to anyone bringing things to him -- Cosette and Jacob both do from time to time, but he's known them for long enough that it doesn't surprise him anymore -- and he smiles, pleased to see his name on the box. "Thank you," he says, taking it from her. Lately it seems that he's been making more friends, new friends, and it's not entirely a comfortable experience for him, but it isn't one he wants to completely avoid anymore either.

"Oh, it's..." He rubs one hand against his eye, then shrugs. "It's been a weird week is all." He can't tell her about what happened with Lou, because that would mean admitting he's a witch, but the letters are ominous enough without involving magic. "I've gotten some strange letters. Kind of threatening. It's been... unsettling."

[callmeemily]

She's glad he's smiled - they've only talked three or four times, so it might be weird that she brought him pastries, but he seems like a really good guy and she likes him - she likes thinking of him as her friend, sort of.

Her brows furrow with concern when he says it's weird, and her eyes widen. "Threatening?" She resists the urge to look around. "What kind of threatening?' She's ignoring the way that her heart spiked with fear. It's his letters, not her letters. It's his life, not her life. She doesn't need to be afraid (even though she absolutely is.) "Are you okay? Can I help somehow?"