(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

[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.

[bachjones]

"It is." He shrugs. "My mother had big plans and bigger disappointments when it comes to me. I usually shorten it to Bach. Easier to call out."

[just_another]

"Just a bit," Joel agrees with a faint smile, pleased the other man doesn't seem too offended by what he's said. "Are you... were you born here?" he asks. "In Siren Cove?" He thinks this is what most people do when they meet someone new for the first time, though he's done so little of it over the years that he's not sure. He feels rusty.

[bachjones]

"Nah. Been here for the past five years. You?"

[just_another]

"Just over ten years myself," he says with a nod. "My entire family moved here." He almost adds where he's from, but he's been doing that too often lately, and especially with the letters that have been coming in, he's not sure he wants to say too much about his past.

[bachjones]

"Aha." He scratches his temple. "Ever get used to this place?"

[just_another]

It's probably due to the fact that he's a witch, but Joel's never felt that Siren Cove was so strange. Different, maybe, but nothing he couldn't settle into. He smiles a little and nods. "The dramatic lives of others makes it easy for another person to live quietly."

[bachjones]

It takes Bach a moment to work through what the man's saying. "Yes, yes. That's exactly what I want. Just my apartment, my cat, my music. But some people just keep butting in and demanding things of you and other people start talking about all kind of weird shit coming from the ocean and suddenly you wonder why you ever arrived."

[just_another]

With a soft huff of laughter, Joel nods, because he knows this place certainly has sides to it that other small towns don't. Yet he doesn't think he could ever leave. This place has become his haven, a home even without a family. "You could cultivate a reputation for being grumpy and short-tempered. More people might leave you alone that way." He smiles a little and shrugs. "It's mostly worked for me."

He certainly can be short-tempered, but not nearly to the extent he's led people to believe.

[bachjones]

"You're grumpy?" He gives Joel another look. "But you have a sweet smile, man. Why wouldn't people try to make sure you laugh all the time?"

[just_another]

That's certainly unexpected and it surprises another laugh out of Joel, even as he feels his face flushing faintly. "I don't give most people much of a chance," he settles on saying. It's not true of everyone, of course, he's having this conversation now and both Cosette and Lara can make him laugh. He knows the real reason he's smiling more often lately, though.

[bachjones]

"You would have walked away by now, you mean? Usually? Don't feel bad, I have something people want to be around for."

[just_another]

It's more than just that; Joel's been trying a little harder lately, partly because he's told Cosette he would and partly because it's turned out not to be such a bad thing. But his eyebrows lift anyway. "Yeah?" he asks, his tone curious. "What's that?"

[bachjones]

"I don't completely know, although I have a teacher who's sure that I have a talent for making people want me around. But talent is a pretty big word to say, right?" He taps his mouth with his thumbs.
"Maybe it's all in my head and people just can't resist self-confidence. That's possible, right?"

[just_another]

"It's possible," Joel agrees, which could explain why not that many people seem to want to be around him for all that long. He isn't particularly down on himself most of the time, but he's also not the most confident person in the world. "A teacher, though. You mentioned something last time about Lara..."

[bachjones]

He makes a face, pushes his hands in his pockets. "I did mention something about Lara last time, but lets keep smiles all around, right, man?"

[just_another]

Joel nods his understanding, raising a hand to indicate he isn't about to push. It would hardly be fair, given his own secrets that he holds close and refuses to let go. "We'll go with self-confidence, then," he says with a bit of a smile.

[bachjones]

"Tons of it. Like people are fighting to touch you sometimes." He winks. "I almost stopped wearing my scarf because people were pulling so hard on it."

[just_another]

"Is that so?" Joel asks with a muffled laugh. "I can't say that's something I've ever experienced." He's had people interested in him now and then, but until Spencer he's done everything in his power to discourage such interest. And it's not as if it's happened very often. Two awkward dates when he was twenty-three barely counted as anything at all.

[bachjones]

"I don't like lies nor liars." He strokes his scarf. "It is so. And it's easy getting used to."

[just_another]

"I think it would make me uncomfortable," Joel says honestly, shaking his head in amusement. "I'll leave that sort of thing to you." No one's shown any real interest in him in a long time with the exception of Spencer and he doesn't imagine that changing any time soon.

[bachjones]

"Why? Don't like compliments? If I'd tell you right now that you have eyes that could inspire a group or composers to praise body parts, you wouldn't understand?" He grins. "I know this is cruel but I like making people blush. Have you never been cherished and adored?"

[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."