The Park, Thursday Afternoon

[furnaceface]

So, there was a guy on fire at the park, feeding the ducks. As you do when you're on fire, right?

Okay, fine. With Jono, it was kind of a whole thing, which anyone who had been around long enough to see him would know by now anyway. And sure, it was snowing a little, and sure, his hands were cold, but sometimes, particularly when you needed to get the hell out of the house and away from any more looming conversations about your own potential for going out and perhaps totally hypothetically killing a stranger in cold blood to fill some sort of primal violent tendency that your husband was convinced was still lurking deep down in spite of the fact that it had never really belonged there in the first place...

He was feeding the bloody ducks.

And he'd probably be there for a while. Jonothon had a lot of thinking (and maybe a little avoiding) to do.

[OOC: Open park, guy on fire will totally share the bread for the ducks, it isn't like he's gonna eat it.]

Comments

[spectre_alenko]

Kaidan was jogging through the park because screw you, trees, you weren't the boss of him.

He slowed when he saw Jono and slowed further when he noted his friend doing the equivalent to standing on the beach throwing rocks.

"Hey Jono," he greeted, "Nice day for it?"

No. It wasn't. It was a crappy, cold, kind of miserable day.

[furnaceface]

//The ducks seem to think so,// Jono quipped, tearing off another piece of bread and throwing it for the birds. //I know I shouldn't. They say it makes 'em stay through th'winter when they ought to be moving on, but I've never seen these bloody birds migrate before, I don't think they're about to change up their habits on my account.//

[spectre_alenko]

"I mean, ducks," Kaidan shrugged as though that explained everything, "As long as the water's open and they have somewhere to get out of the wind, they should be fine. They're feathery little liars anyway, acting like they never get fed. Kind of like cats."

[furnaceface]

//Kind of like cats,// Jono agreed. //Should've brought mine along, but I'd just end up having to follow her up a tree or something anyway...//

He shrugged. Threw another handful of bread for the ducks. He was absolutely going to use this entire loaf today, so what?

//Want some?//

He could share his loaf.

[spectre_alenko]

"The cat wouldn't chase the ducks?" Kaidan asked. "Sure, thanks." He took a small handful of bread and began tossing it further out, for the ducks who were more awkward or less pushy about getting a share.

[furnaceface]

//The cat is half th'size of the ducks,// Jono replied. //They just stare at her at this point, she's been tormenting them for years now, they're used to one another.//

It'd be adorable if Jono wasn't so concerned one of them might eat her or something.

[spectre_alenko]

"That's a small kitty," Kaidan noted a little absently, having little idea of the average size of cats. "Though I guess if people's dogs don't scare the ducks anymore, a cat probably wouldn't."

[furnaceface]

//She never really grew beyond 'kitten,'// Jono explained, shrugging his shoulders and throwing some more bread for the ducks. //High school roommate dumped her in my lap one day, and that's how she remained. I'm not going to complain about that... Joni's been the most steady thing in my life since I wound up with her.//

[spectre_alenko]

Kaidan smiled a little. "That's sweet. Never really had pets. Too much time in the military, usually on a ship. I keep thinking of getting a fish, but that's a lot of responsibility."

[furnaceface]

//I've got fish,// Jono noted. //And a frog. Also have a husband who is far more responsible than I am when it comes to pet ownership, on days when I just... don't.//

He had a lot of those. It was easy to not when you didn't have to eat or breathe to live.

[spectre_alenko]

"It would be easier if I lived with someone else, but that isn't going to happen anytime soon," Kaidan noted. "Even if it were just for the times when I had to be on the other side of portal." And also for the days he just couldn't.

[furnaceface]

//Don't know anybody who would pet-sit for you?// Jono shrugged. //I had to get people to look after Joni on occasion for me. Went to war somewhere in there, after all.//

[spectre_alenko]

"If I had enough notice and enough brain to call or text someone, sure," Kaidan answered, "But I can't guarantee that, and right now, thinking about the contingency plans for a pet are.. more than I'm up to."

He knew himself. The chances that something would happen, pull his focus entirely and he wouldn't even think about the pet were pretty high. He had enough trouble remembering to clue in his friends.

[that_oldsaying]

Alluka was out practicing her AirTrek since it was something she could do, and do well, and that sort of certainty was pretty nice these days with the Hunter Exam deadline looming at her.

But, more importantly, was the fact that she was making her way over to hug her Papa.

"Papa!"

[furnaceface]

//Sunshine!//

Well, she was immediately much better company than the ducks, anyway. Jono was pulling himself to his feet and crouching over, holding his arms open for that hug.

//Fancy meeting you out here, luv!//

[that_oldsaying]

See, she had the best papas, it was true. Alluka flung her arms around him, squeezing tight.

"You too!" she said happily. "What are you doing, Papa?"

[furnaceface]

And Jono hugged her close for a few moments - he maybe needed that hug more than he'd admit - before leaning back to beam down at her.

//Feeding ducks. Care to join me?//

[that_oldsaying]

"If you don't mind, I'd love to," she said, though with that smile he was giving her, she knew he didn't. "Why are you feeding the ducks?"

[furnaceface]

//Seemed like a good day for it,// Jono replied, offering her the bread. //I used to do this sort of thing far more often. It's a nice way to sit and just quietly think without being totally alone.//

[that_oldsaying]

She took the bread, looking up at him with serious eyes.

"Yes, I know," she agreed, since that was one of the best things about her room and her toys. Things were only as loud as she wanted them to be and she was never alone. "Can, can I help you think?"

[furnaceface]

Jono hesitated for a few moments before nodding a little bit.

//I think maybe you can,// he said, finally. He tore off a piece of bread. Threw it to the ducks. //I'm trying to sort out my own head right now.//

[that_oldsaying]

Alluka giggled, just a little, as a duck lunged for that bread.

She watched them, before ripping a bit of her bread apart for them too.

"Did something bad happen?"

[furnaceface]

//Not exactly,// Jono said, after a few moments' pause. //Something different happened. And I think there are people in my life who don't know how to handle the change.//

Himself included, admittedly.

[that_oldsaying]

"Change is hard," Alluka said simply.

She knew. She knew a lot about that. It was one of the reasons she still tended to hide out in her room for weeks at a time.

[furnaceface]

//Change is hard,// Jono agreed. //Harder when that change is something in me. Something somebody cared about, I suppose. But it was a part of me that was bad for me, like a poison. I'm glad to have it gone, it can't hurt me anymore.//