F-E-A-R

-Thomas Johnson. -Thirty-Three years of age -Kindred Witch -Fear Absorbent

[thomasthewitch]

“Damn skippy,” she said, trying to look fierce when a sudden laugh interrupted it, as she heard herself. “Uhh. My word choice there kind of ruins the badassness, doesn’t it? Please don’t tell anyone I said that.” She was a little bemused by his logic—but supposed that coming out to the second kitchen was at least one step closer to civilization than his room, even if it wasn’t joining them for mealtimes. “Well, there has to be some better incentives than that. What else would get you out?” She didn’t really think that introversion was a problem to be solved exactly, especially since he probably had his reasons, but she did want to offer anything she could to make him more at home around here.

Thomas laughed again, unable to help himself in the face of Aleda’s fierceness. “I am very good at keeping secrets, I will take it to the grave.” To emphasize, he held up the three fingers for scout’s honor. He had never been a boy scout, but he figured that it still worked. More or less. “Not much, honestly.” Thomas shrugged. It was the trouble with being content. There wasn’t much to be used for incentive. “I generally rely on the knowledge that I really should come out and talk to people every now and then.” It wasn’t always enough, but it would work eventually. “My anxiety isn’t always this bad. It comes in waves, you know.” 

[thomasthewitch]

“If you had been here ten minutes ago, you could have saved me from myself,” she spoke when she heard the presence of another, “I had my fucking legs stuck behind my head.”

“I have learned from experience not to even try to save you from yourself.” Thomas was less focused on her and more on the phone in his hands, but he did glance up when stated what the problem had been. “How would I have helped with that?”

[thomasthewitch]

“Put the water in a pot and let it get hot, put the ramen in and start to grin…” Spencer sang softly, changing the words of a melody to fit the situation. Better get off the time talk before Thomas actually caught onto something Spencer didn’t want known. “True, not nearly as much.”

“There’s a song for it.” Thomas clarified. That was new. It had a good tune at least, and he wasn’t bothered by it. He opened up the package, dumping the uncooked noodles into the pot. Spencer was clearly avoiding some subject, but most people at the ranch were hiding something, and Thomas was never one to pry. “Then again, I just have a normal lifespan, so I wouldn’t know how it is for a lot of the people here.”

[thomasthewitch]

“You should, if they’re trying to—or point them out to me and I’ll…” She mimed punching in the air, and then grinned, dropping her hands sheepishly. “Talk to them politely, probably.” But Thomas was sweet, from what she’d seen. She hoped he stuck around for a while. There wasn’t really much worry that anyone would bully him here, but still she’d keep an eye out. “You know, I can always make up a plate for you and bring it up here, at meal times. If you want. You’re not the only one who isn’t usually up for how busy it gets downstairs. It wouldn’t put me out, at all,” she added, honestly.

Thomas laughed. Other than himself, Aleda was one of the least threatening people on the ranch. He was half tempted to sick her on someone, just to see how it would end, but he wouldn’t subject her to that. “I’ve survived worse. But if I ever need a badass to have my back, I know who to come to.” He hoped she wouldn’t be offended at that. Of course she was a werewolf and could do a lot of damage, he just didn’t think she would. “I appreciate the idea, but I don’t want to be enabled when it comes to hiding in my room. I need some kind of incentive to come out eventually.” 

[thomasthewitch]

Spencer nodded. It was kind of like that all the time for him, days just blended into weeks which blended into months that blended into years. It really be like that sometimes. “Exactly. This place feels kinda the same but different, if you know what I mean.” How the conversation went from food to time and space was beyond him.

“Not quite as extreme.” Thomas agreed, shuffling over to glance at the pot of ramen that was finally starting to boil. He was relaxing little by little as more time went by, something he should have expected. He knew that facing fears head on was typically the best way to go about it. This sort of thing was usually a little more tricky, though. 

[thomasthewitch]

Spencer had no reply for a moment. When you’re like, practically immortal, time really didn’t speed up or slow down. In his personal opinion, of course. Then he nodded. “Makes sense. There’s some places I know where it seems time is altered. You ever been in an airport in the very early morning?”

It took a moment to remember that he was in a place where time literally didn’t affect some people. He didn’t have the eyes to see if this was one of those beings, but from the pause in his reply, he could guess. “A few times. It feels like a place outside of time and space.”

[thomasthewitch]

It was late and yet, another sleepless night for the blonde. Even the medication that she was prescribed, no longer seemed to work. Mira ventured out of her room and into the dark hallway towards the kitchen. The blonde had cleared her throat when seeing another body blocking the way ,except she didn’t expect the reaction out of them. “No.. no.” Mira waved her hands frantically. “I’m sorry for startling you. I just… midnight craving.” She gestred towards the fridge.

Thomas pulled his hands together, doing his best to keep them from nervous movements. Despite his best efforts, they pulled against one another and fingers tapped on wrists as an outlet for nervous energy. He was exhausted and hungry from being so tense for so long. He needed a break from jobs for a while, he was starting to wear thin again. “It’s alright, I startle easily. Sometimes. I’m not always this jumpy.” What he needed to do was learn to talk without stumbling over his words. He took a sidestep to allow her to get to the fridge.

[thomasthewitch]

“You always so jumpy and absentminded?”

“It comes and goes. But, usually a little, yes.” 

[thomasthewitch]

“I forget sometimes not everyone hears like wolves do, so I’d say it’s still partly my fault.” She was kidding, of course, but there was no need for Thomas to feel he was imposing on anyone. He offered to help with the dishes and she smiled at him. “Sure. Second cupboard, first and second shelf,” she instructed. Glancing at him, she asked, “Is there anything you were looking for, in particular?” He had been extremely withdrawn from the main areas of the house lately, but she wasn’t going to comment on it. Some people were just more private than others.

“I rarely blame anyone for scaring me. Even if they’re trying to.” It was a weak attempt at a joke, but it wasn’t entirely untrue either. At least it was just Aleda, and he knew her well enough to relax a little, even with his last job still affecting him. He started taking glasses, opening up the cabinet and putting them away. With something to do, his nerves calmed a little. Good, these were the first steps to working through it. “Oh, I was just making some food real quick. I haven’t been in the mood to be around people lately.” 

[thomasthewitch]

“Four years? Damn. I’ve only been here, like, a week? Maybe two? Time sorta slips right on by with me.” Spencer said, thinking. He didn’t really know anyone. Although he didn’t really go out and make himself known either. Spencer just didn’t really like crowds, which is also why he never tended to stay long when he chose to live in cities. “Well I’ve got pretty low standards for food. Like really low.”

“I’m still considered new by plenty of the residents. I think time moves faster here on the ranch. Like it’s in its own bubble.” He couldn’t explain it, but it was always like entering a different time speed when he stepped off of the ranch. People moved faster and time moved slower and it made for chaos. “Better than some, I guess.” 

[thomasthewitch]

One problem with two and a half kitchens was that dishes tended to migrate. People would carry things up and downstairs all the time. After she checked, and saw they were out of glasses on the second floor again, Aleda went downstairs and loaded a tray with about a dozen. When she got back to the upstairs though, someone was already in there. And apparently she’d managed to startle him—which startled her right back. Narrowly keeping the tray from unbalancing, she quickly set it on the counter. “No, it was my fault. Are you okay?” 

Thomas felt doubly worse when he realized she was carrying a tray and he’d nearly managed t make her upset it. He shoved the loose hair out of his face. “Not your fault for walking in a public place.” He pointed out. “Of course, yeah, I’m good.” Aleda was one of those who had been around longer than him, which lately seemed to be growing rarer. She never did ask questions about him, which he appreciated. With how close she was to the alpha, she could already know, but he had never bothered to ask. “Can I help you with that?”

[thomasthewitch]

“Nice to meet you Thomas. How long have you been here?” Spencer asked, curious. He was a prying kind. Know thy enemy better than thy self Not that they were enemies per say, but it at least gave them something to talk about. It did not escape Spencer’s notice that Thomas glanced at the door. Was he expecting someone else or something?  “Some ramen tastes more like cardboard and chemicals than others, that’s what makes it the good kind, Surprise ramen. That sounds horrible.” 

Inwardly, Thomas counted up the time, realizing it had been a while since he’d thought about it. “About four years, now. It doesn’t feel like it’s been that long.” It still felt as though he had just arrived at the ranch, learning both the place and it’s inhabitants. It came with his lifestyle, he supposed. Long bouts of keeping to himself and traveling often. He might as well be known as the ranch hermit, if a few of the vampires or nephilim didn’t compete for that title. “That makes it the good kind?” Thomas repeated, wondering if he’d heard right. He shrugged, shoulders tight around his neck. “It’s food.” 

[thomasthewitch]

Aesthetic - Thomas Johnson

[thomasthewitch]

Leander held up his hands to show he had nothing, an instinct at this point.  “Sorry man,” he said then when the other guy had leaned back against the counter.  He moved quietly, but now with his hearing enhanced and still unused to it, he tried to move even quieter now. Which ended with a lot of accidentally jump scares.  “I just smelled food and was coming by to see if there were leftovers. Didn’t mean to scare ya.”

“Don’t worry about it.” He really did try his best to at least act like he was normal, in a group of supernatural beings. Sure, he could be honest about what he did, but he didn’t want his safe haven to become another place of work if he could help it. “It’s just ramen, but you’re welcome to some if you’d like.” He shot a glance at the pot, still not boiling. “I scare easy, it’s not your fault.” 

[thomasthewitch]

“Nah, I snuck up on you, no need to apologize.” He said, shifting his weight to the other foot. The other guy seemed like he was scared of his own shadow. “Oh, since I haven’t seen you around before, my names Spencer.” The nephilim had been at the ranch for a week and he was acting like it had been two months. It was kind of weird being at the ranch, because there was so many people around, something that Spencer experienced only when he felt like living in a city, but still he lived alone when he lived in cities, not with like, 20 other housemates. 

 “What kind of ramen? The good kind or the crappy kind?” Spencer said. Food? Yes.

“Eh,” Thomas shrugged. He knew he was little more jumpy than most people, but that wasn’t always the case, He’d calm down after a while, it just took working through the fear. “I spend a lot of time in my room, sometimes. I’m Thomas.” He smiled, hands moving from his pockets to cross his arms, arms tucking into elbows instead now. He caught himself glancing at the door to be sure nobody else was coming in, before drawing his eyes back to the current other resident of the kitchen. “Isn’t all ramen crappy?” He asked. “I think it’s spicy chicken. I already through the wrapper away, so I guess it’s a surprise.” 

[thomasthewitch]

Spencer smiled and lifted his hands in a show of surrender. “Sorry, my bad. Didn’t mean to startle you, I just wanted to grab some food…” He didn’t really think he ended up sneaking up on the other guy, to Spencer, his own feet sounded like duck flippers slapping the ground. The upstairs kitchen was where the good microwave meals were kept (which were a main part of his diet), and Spencer had a hankering for cheap mac and cheese.

Thomas shoved hands into his pockets. He had done this hundreds of times, but somehow that never made it any easier to face fresh fears. It did make it a little easier to hide, at least. “I get startled easy, it’s not your fault.” He admitted with a hunched shrug. “I’d um, I’d offer you some food, but I’ve only got ramen so...yeah, most people don’t care much for that.” It wasn’t that he couldn’t afford to get better food. It was more about the effort it would take to make better food. 

[thomasthewitch]

Thomas had spent nearly the entire past month barricaded in his room, with only the occasional escape for food or, well, bathroom breaks. They had been mostly during night hours, or moments when the ranch seemed quiet. It wasn’t him, really. A particularly bad batch of social anxiety had kept him from stepping out if at all possible. However, if anyone knew how to deal with fear, it was him and that meant he had to face it eventually. Still, facing a fear or not, when someone cleared their throat behind him in the narrow upstairs kitchen, Thomas nearly jumped out of his own skin, spinning to face the intruder. “Shit!” The curse came on instinct, and he leaned back against the counter in an attempt to appear less rattled. “Sorry about that.”