(open)

[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

[just_another]

Joel has no idea how to respond to the comment or the question and he opens his mouth, then abruptly shuts it again, a flush rising on his cheeks. It's been seven years since he's slept with anyone, eleven since anyone has loved him and while he knows Spencer likes him, he doesn't exactly want to assume anything there. Finally, awkwardly, he mumbles, "It's been a long time."

[bachjones]

"I'm sorry, curls. Are you always so good in doing what is asked?" He puts up his hands. "I guess a small compliment on how alive and appealing you look won't be appreciated either? Man, everyone needs to know they're seen sometimes. At least, that's what I think."

[just_another]

He squirms faintly, looking everywhere but straight at Bach. "It's not that it's not... appreciated," he says carefully. "I'm just... I'm not used to it." With Spencer, he doesn't think either of them can be considered more aggressive than the other and the way they compliment each other is usually careful. And sweet in a way he didn't even know he wanted until now.

[bachjones]

"That's clear. Okay, I'm dropping it and won't even be hurt because you're not returning the favor." He makes a move to squeeze Joel's shoulder, but decides against it and puts his hands in his pockets.
"So, great weather today we're having, right?"

[just_another]

Joel laughs again and rubs the back of his neck. "I'm even worse at giving compliments than accepting them, I'm sorry," he says. "And it's not that you're... not that you're not... I'm just... I'm bad at it. And there's someone..." He really is terrible at this and he laughs, mostly at himself. "Jesus Christ, yeah. The weather is great."

[bachjones]

"I'm glad that you not think that I'm a not. Thanks, man."

He tuts and looks up to the sky. "Always liked how soft and welcoming the air's here."

[just_another]

Joel's truly not even sure how they got into this conversation, but he's more amused than embarrassed, he finds, and he wonders if that's due to whatever it is Bach can do. Whatever he's working on with Lara. But if Bach doesn't want to talk about it, that's none of Joel's business.

"It's a good town," he says. "Most of the time."

[bachjones]

"Yeah ..it's easier to say that when you don't know what's going on around you, I think. A friend -" He feels strangely proud of being allowed to use that word -
"told me about creatures from the sea and I heard something about curses and suddenly you decide that it's better to just stay in, you know? But then there's people worth going outside for and you're part of it, if you want it or not."

[just_another]

Joel has spent a lot of time inside, like Bach says. Not necessarily avoiding the curses or the sirens or the magic, but avoiding people and since Cosette and Lara have come into his life, that's become more difficult. Even more difficult still since he's met Spencer, and he nods his understanding.

"It probably doesn't surprise you that I've spent a lot of time inside," he says. "I know what you're saying."

[bachjones]

Bach meets the man's eyes. "It's a waste for this world, but I'm not surprised that you don't come out often. Why don't you come out often?"

[just_another]

Joel's not sure why he says it, but there's something about Bach that puts him at ease, even after all the things he'd said earlier and all the blushing Joel had done. "Something bad happened to me," he says. "A long time ago. And since then it's just been easier to keep my distance."

[bachjones]

This is a nice guy, calm in the shape of a hurt man.
"Bad happens everywhere and every time, but it still sucks to have you be the one it happens to. And it sucks how long it sticks with you even while you're trying to shake it off.."
Bach lifts the corner of his mouth. "I don't want to stand under your cloud, man. Let's get some food somewhere and pretend it's the only great thing in the world, okay? Or a drink?"

[just_another]

He still has to go see Cosette and Spencer, but neither of them are expecting him and he doesn't think they'll mind if he shows up a little later in the afternoon. "Alright," he agrees with a nod and a smile. It'll probably help to take his mind off things for a little while. "Food sounds good."

[bachjones]

"It's really been a long time for you, hasn't it? Follow me. Only certain places here that always offer me more than I can eat by myself."
He waits for him into he starts walking towards the slightly newer part of town. "You like it here?"

[just_another]

"In Siren Cove? I do," he says with a nod. He's not sure there are many places he'd feel as secure and even though he still wants to keep what he can do a secret, if it were to come out here, it might not be quite so bad. "It's comfortable. I don't often leave."

Which, given how rarely he gets out of the store, probably isn't much of a surprise either.

[bachjones]

"Haven't left for the past five years, but sometimes ..it's a scale, you know? And I can't see what's on the heavier side."

He steers him into a small hole-in-the-wall place and greets the woman behind the counter. "Small hunger, big hunger?"

[just_another]

Joel nods at that, thinking the same can be said for most of life. Still, maybe he's ready to see the heavier side for the first time in a long time. "Me? Oh... small, I think," he says. "You haven't left at all?"

Most people are willing to travel to some of the larger towns and Joel's often one of the few people who never seems to leave. He has left recently, notably to get Spencer's ice cream, but before that it had been over a year since the last time.

[bachjones]

"That surprises you? My mother sent me here for a reason, but just being somewhere turned out to be surprisingly nice. And besides that, time moves quicker than you can. If I wouldn't have met Lara Quinn in the supermarket, I still would have been an almost hermit in my apartment, with my cat. Maybe I should leave a while .."

He asks for two day offers and smiles when the woman offers some extra fries on the side.

[just_another]

"I don't have a leg to stand on," Joel says, waving it off. "It's not as if I leave very often. The last time I was outside of Siren Cove... well, actually, it was fairly recent, but I was picking something up for... for a friend." He thinks he can call Spencer more than just a friend now, but he doesn't want to overstep just yet.

"But before that it had probably been three years since I'd last left," he says with a shrug. "I understand."

[bachjones]

"If I'd had money, I would have left a long time ago. There's no proper instrument maker or music shop here, but ..anyway, dig in." He gestures at the plates. "Doesn't look that great, but the taste is a ton better."

[just_another]

"Thank you," Joel says, doing what he's been instructed to and digging in. "You could probably order instruments," he says after a moment. "I order all my stock online or over the phone, I'm sure there's someone who would ship instruments to Siren Cove for you."

[bachjones]

"No phone. No computer. Both a bit expensive to me right now. And you don't order instruments without touching and feeling them, man. You just don't."

[just_another]

"I'm not much of a musician, so I'll take your word for it," Joel says with a huff of laughter. "If you need to get online, though, there are computers at the library. Or I have one in the store you can use."

It's not as good as the one he has upstairs, but no one goes upstairs except for Cosette and Spencer.

[bachjones]

"Oh. Oh, nah." He waves it away. "Never touched one. No clue how those things work. But thanks for the offer, man."

[just_another]

"Really?" Joel asks, surprised, looking up at Bach. "They're easy. If you ever wanted to learn, I wouldn't mind showing you." He loves computers. Maybe not as much as he loves books, but they certainly come close.