chimerical

jesse teague 19 son of morpheus

[jesseteague]

maliacashe:

“Oh.” Malia paused, looking at Jesse carefully. “Is this because Parker and Amber broke up?”

Jesse blinked slowly a few times. “Oh. Uh, no. Nothing to do with that.”

[jesseteague]

maliacashe:

“Of course we are.” Malia puts the tips of her fingers against his as she talks. “I don’t think we work unless we’re friends.”

“Right, so.” He exhales and looks at their hands. “Do you think we would work better just as friends?”

[jesseteague]

maliacashe:

“Yeah, something like that,” she giggled and gave Jesse a quick kiss. “So what did you want to talk about?”

He leans one elbow on the table and looks at the sleeve of his sweater, picking at an imaginary thread near his wrist with his other hand. “Yeah. We’re good friends, right? I mean, along with everything else.”

[jesseteague]

maliacashe:

“Ugh, my phone dies so fast.” Malia frowned at the low percentage and cleared the screen of her father’s text.

“Whatever,” she said, tossing it on the table in front of her. “Life’s better face to face, right?”

“Right,” he agrees easily, watching the clouds for a few more seconds before he turns to face her. He smiles. “Living in the moment and all that.”

[jesseteague]

brent-vale:

He can sense Jesse’s concern becoming more focused on him and looks in the direction of the cabins. For the first time he notices the cold, as if the attention is exacerbating the aftershock of Jack’s power. Brent nods, and hopes he’s right. “Yeah. I think I just need to… go home and, sleep it off.”

Jesse nods when Brent mentions sleeping it off, and rubs his hands together before tucking them under his arms to warm them. “Hey, uh–” he bites the inside of his cheek, hoping his request isn’t too odd. “Can you- can you not mention my part of this to anyone? I know some people saw, but- if they didn’t... Especially Jack. If he doesn't know.”

[jesseteague]

planned curiosity {jesse & elliot}

[jesseteague]

demixgxds:

Elliot shrugged. “It’s hard to talk about it y’know, without bringing back the feeling of how much it hurt… but you deserved to know, it was hard to keep it from you guys though” she replied. Elliot looked at the brother before her. It was odd, the two. Ellie knew Jesse cared for her and all but she really now realized how much the two seemed like strangers. Ellie was much closer with Chase and Caspar than she was with Jesse and she couldn’t help but feel like maybe it was her fault that they weren’t as close. She wondered if maybe it was her fault that she didn’t have a connection with her siblings like she had with Ethan. 

Elliot looked down for a moment, playing with the hem of her shirt. She looked up again. “Hey, uh, do I seem like unapproachable?” she asked. “It’s just, I feel like we never do this, y’know. Like I know that we hang out but that’s when the whole cabin is around. I’m just realizing I really don’t know anything about you. Like where your from, or your family, or anything besides like Mal and Chase, and that you’re really bad at technology. Did I do something wrong? I know I can be distant, it’s hard to get close to people for me. I just I do want to be close with you Jesse.”

The repetition of how sorry she was to keep it from them and how difficult a big secret was to hide was beginning to whittle away at Jesse’s desire to be a part of this conversation. It was one of those comments that wasn’t intended to hurt, but still slipped through the defences and settled on his heart. Of course Ellie deserved to know the full truth about him and his life, but that didn’t mean he was willing to sacrifice the illusion of a new life he had built just to tell her. Besides, bringing up his own past out of nowhere in a conversation that was centered around his sister was one of the most selfish paths he could take. He didn’t want to be the kind of person who thought every little comment was directed at them, and he certainly didn’t want to make every conversation about himself and his own life.

That excuse went out the window when she continued to directly ask him about it. Jesse turned his gaze down to his bed automatically, shifting a little when she questions him. “You’re not unapproachable,” he said after a second too long of silence for the pause to be comfortable. Already, he was working out what kinds of things to tell her that were personal enough she was satisfied but didn’t reveal so much that he crossed the line and couldn’t stay where he was, safe and wrapped in everything he was hiding. “It’s just, y’know me. Like to keep to myself.” He coughed. “I’m from San Francisco?”

[jesseteague]

planned curiosity {jesse & elliot}

[jesseteague]

demixgxds:

Ellie sighed and shook her head. “No, no, you have a right to know, he was your brother too, I just didn’t want to hurt you guys even more, I didn’t mean to keep it from you so long.” She dug through her bag searching for her notebook once more and pulled out a picture of her and her brother together, she ran her fingers over it before handing it over to Jesse. “That’s Ethan and I at our 14th birthday party,” she smiled. “It was snowing and he was really happy because we didn’t get a white Christmas that year. So he built this huge fort and made me get in with him.”

She smiled thinking about that day. “You would’ve like him, you all would’ve. He was kind and happy but he was also incredibly stubborn, would push me to them him whenever I was feeling upset or just hug me when I didn’t understand what I was feeling. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier.”

Jesse reached over to take the picture, holding it along the edges carefully so he didn’t leave any fingerprints over the actual image. Something heavy settled in his chest when her words sunk in, and the small smile that had been growing at the picture of his half-sister when she was younger disappeared. “Right, he was your twin.” Ellie had mentioned that at the campfire, but he had been more preoccupied with the thought that she had another brother at all. That he had another brother, as she had just pointed out. The resemblance between Ellie and Ethan was evident in the photograph, but Jesse had a hard time connecting that the relation was just as strong between him and this boy he had never met as between him and the sister right before him.

“He sounds like he would’ve fit right in here,” he said carefully, not sure if he was referring to the cabin or camp as a whole. While holding the picture out for her to take back, his eyes caught on the only picture he has taped to his wall, and he frowned when he realized the two photos weren’t too different. “Sounds kinda like Koda, actually.” He cleared his throat. “It’s fine, you don’t have to apologize. I’m sorry if I, uh, pushed you.”

[jesseteague]

jacobriveras:

“Really. Yep, I just solved your phone problem and I didn’t even ask for a thank you.” Why was he talking to Jesse? In another universe, maybe two or three universes over Jacob was currently in the process of beating this kid’s ass. However, since that would do nothing to help his current love sickness or make Brent or Macey proud of him… He had no plans on doing it. Instead, he’d help him with his phone. “You never used a cell phone before or this a newer model you’re not used to?”

“Thanks,” he says immediately, feeling a tug of embarrassment curl inside of him. Not even a couple minutes into the conversation and he already felt like he was a couple steps behind. “First phone, kinda. I mean, I’ve had it a month or something. But haven’t really put much into figuring it out.”

[jesseteague]

old friends {jesse & laurel}

[jesseteague]

ichorvcined:

Laurel could come up with a few different reasons why someone would want to change their name, but none of them quite made sense in Christian’s case and she knew there was nothing like the truth to set her at ease. She had remembered him as a lively individual who was always full of stories and imagination. A bit shy at first, but she had thought he had opened up to her when they were first friends. They had talked about dreams and their hopes and wishes. It was surprising that the two still remembered one another, even if it took them a long moment to place their finger on exactly who the other was. She could practically feel the distraught expression on the other demigod’s face as she pitched both of Jesse’s names to him.

She was mostly confused, but found herself in a predicament where she didn’t know everything and that made her ache with contempt. Laurel’s eyes remained on Jesse’s face even as he dropped his gaze to the ground. “It sounds like it certainly is complicated,” She stated, still watching him. She paused for a moment, wheels in her head turning and then she spoke again. “—I wasn’t planning on telling anybody,” She confessed and crossed her arms against her chest. “I hardly know anyone here yet and it’s not like they would listen to the new girl go on about some guy she thought she knew…” Laurel mentioned but didn’t give him back any sort of smile when Jesse offered. “Do I get any sort of explanation?” She questioned.

Jesse barely noticed that his smile wasn’t returned, he was so relieved when Laurel said she wasn’t planning to tell anyone else. If he was lucky for once in his life, that also meant that up until now she hadn’t mentioned it either. The best case scenario would also involve Laurel and Chase never meeting, but he doubted that wish would come true. He didn’t trust his brother not to ask her what he used to be like, now that Jesse had brought up his connection with her.

Right, of course, Laurel would want an explanation. With what he remembered of her personality, it was no surprise she ended up being a daughter of Athena. “I was in a… rough place, the last time we saw each other,” he started tentatively, hoping he could give her an outline and she could fill in the blanks herself. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to dredge up old memories- he felt like he spent half his life in thoughts of the past- but speaking it aloud to someone who not only knew him at the time but knew him well, that was bizarre. “I didn’t tell you everything, I know, and you hated that, but I’m sure you figured most of it out.” He exhaled slowly, his shoulders dropping. Barely a ghost of who he was when they first met, he was sure she saw. So much had happened since then. “I just- I needed a fresh start. And no one here knows about that

[jesseteague]

brent-vale:

It seems a little obvious, though he may be reading too much into it, that Jesse means more than help bringing Jack to the infirmary. But again, in the spirit of not prying, and because he’s frankly too spent to do much else, Brent just nods. “Of course. Um,” he rubs his face, searching for the words there. “Tomorrow. Let me know how you’re feeling. If you can’t shake it off.” He hopes to all the gods that care that this is something he can recover from in a night.

“Okay,” he replies, already knowing he isn’t going to take Brent up on that offer but doing his best to sound appreciative anyway. Brent appears far more shaken up than Jesse feels, so it seems odd to be accepting any kind of help from him in this state. He picks at a stray thread on his jeans. “You’re sure you’ll be alright?”

[jesseteague]

jack-switch:

“Lucky me.” Jack looks at his hands. Dried blood is caked under his fingernails from when he clawed at the ice. He hides them under his blanket and turns away from Jesse again. “You don’t have to stay if I make you uncomfortable.”

Jesse isn’t sure how to tell Jack that it was what he said that make him nervous, not his presence, so he doesn’t. “It’s fine.” He hesitates, then gives it a shot. “I mean, you’re far from the scariest person I’ve met. Especially,” he exhales and looks to Jack again. “I mean, especially right now.”

[jesseteague]

jack-switch:

Jack shrugs. “A few days?” Jack relaxes his neck slightly, slowly allowing himself to face Jesse. “They said it’s so my scars fade but I think they’re just worried if they let me go someone is gonna do my other eye. Or I’ll shoot myself or something.”

Jesse nods although he’s not sure why. He has no clue how long people normally stay in the infirmary, so he doesn’t know if a few days is a long time or not. The latter part of what Jack says falls especially flat to him, and he looks down, rubbing his hands together again and trying to shake the feeling of unease. “Don't think you have to worry about anyone else coming after you. Everyone's pretty shaken up.”

[jesseteague]

jack-switch:

“I don’t know, it was like mac and cheese or something.” The taste was distinct in his mouth the night before, but as Jack speaks now, he realizes how ridiculous that sounds and wonders if his memory might have been affected. “I don’t know what they gave me.”

“Ambrosia, I think. And something else to make you sleep.” He rubs his hands together and looks at Jack again. “Did they tell you how long you’re going to be here?”

[jesseteague]

jack-switch:

“Nobody ever gave me company when I was normal.” Jack looks down at his lap, letting his hair fall over his face. “I’ve been asleep, so,” Jack shrugs. “The day went by.”

Jesse wants to question what he means by when he was ‘normal’, be it before his new injury or something else entirely, but it seems too close to prying and the thought of working out how to phrase it in a non-invasive way is already draining. “Oh, yeah, they gave you something that knocked you out, right?” he asks without thinking, his focus drifting from his hands to a spot on the floor by his feet.

[jesseteague]

jack-switch:

Jack nods, keeping his head turned to the side. “I feel like shit.” Jack looks at Jesse in his periphery. “Why are you visiting me? You don’t even know me.”

Jesse watches his hands, linking them together. “I don’t really know,” he says honestly, not sure what drew him back here after he was certain the night before that he never wanted to step foot in the infirmary again. It would have been easy to just check with someone else to see how Jack was doing. “It seems boring, lying here all day. Guess I figured you could use some company.”

[jesseteague]

jack-switch:

The hesitation in Jesse’s voice sounds familiar, but Jack shrugs it off. “I’m not dead. I just look like Quasimodo.” Jack turns his head so he can drop his hand. “Might as well go ahead and throw me off a tower.”

There doesn’t seem to be any motivation for Jack to pretend not to remember him, so Jesse exhales, taking a seat on a chair by the bed. It appears he’s off the hook. “You look better today. Can you see?” The question is redundant since Jack had made eye contact with him earlier, but he wants to check anyway. 

[jesseteague]

jack-switch:

Jack awakens to a startled cry that is not his own. Lifting his head, his gaze meets the frightened eyes of a nurse who has flinched away from his touch. “Why is everything… So flat?” Realizing that the pain has faded from his face, Jack lifts his hands to touch his burn, but when his hand passes over his nose, it leaves his line of sight. He touches his brow bone tentatively to feel for the bandage obstructing his eye, but meets only skin. “Why—” The nurse doesn’t wait for Jack to finish to hold up a mirror. Her apology is drowned out by the cry that erupts from Jack’s throat. Across his left eye and over the bridge of his nose, a grisly, pink scar stretches over his pale skin. His left eye, which has remained intact, has become mottled grey, like tarnished silver. The nurse cannot bear to hold the mirror up for longer than a few seconds before she lays it down on the table beside him, shuts the curtain, and leaves him alone to wail himself to sleep.

When Jack awakens again, the cry that startles him is his own. He lifts his head and now meets the eyes of another camper. Jack buries his face in his hands obscuring his scar and blind eye from the other. “Don’t look at me.” Desperate for privacy, he cracks his fingers and shoots the other a glare. But when their eyes meet, the fear inducing shock Jack expects is seemingly absent. Jack drops his right hand in defeat, making eye contact for the first time in a long time. Keeping the left side of his face obscured, he groans, “What do you want?”

Jesse slouches a little more, not wanting to seem like he’s towering over Jack while standing beside him, and averts his eyes a few seconds too late. He glances back at Jack a moment later, eyes skimming over his face in search of any recognition from the other. When he doesn’t find any, he relaxes. “Uh, just passing through. I saw what happened last night, wanted to, um– to see how you were recovering.”