23 Aug 2021, 07:12
Growing Up
The night of August 22nd brought with it strange sights under the light of the full moon. No, it wasn't werewolves...it was something much stranger.
Jake Morris was out on his own near curfew.
He hadn't meant to be out so late...not really. Normally, rules were followed by the boy with an unfailing rigidity, and if curfew was approaching he'd be long in his bed, keeping mental stock on making sure all of his friends were back too (some of them cut it close). And he rarely went off where nobody could see him. But it was August 22nd, which was two days before August 24th, and Jake hadn't been able to sleep.
To some, August 24th was just a day, but August 24th had never been just a day to Jake. This day, just as it had been the past twelve years, was going to be his birthday.
It didn't feel like his birthday, that was for sure. Perhaps that's why it hadn't really hit him until tonight. He KNEW it was his birthday soon, of course, as all kids did, but unlike most years, he didn't have his parents reminding him every morning before HE even thought to say it. He didn't have to work with his mum on designing decorations for his party. He didn't even have that tempting box of cake awaiting him on the top shelf of the fridge. He didn't, in fact, have his parents at all.
He had told his parents he'd be ok at camp. That he'd have his friends there for his birthday and that would be enough. He didn't know how come he'd ever really believed that and thought he wouldn't miss them. But now something just didn't feel right.
It hadn't been that thought which had kept him awake though...not really.
Jake had lay in his bed trying to clear his head of thoughts so that he could fall asleep, though it hadn't even been 9 o'clock yet. The thought had come to him rather lazily...a little thought that just appeared in his head in a sleepy haze. In that space between sleep and wake, he had realized that when he DID fall asleep, he would wake up the next morning for the last time ever as a twelve year old. Tomorrow was the last day before he became a teenager.
After thinking of that, Jake hadn't been able to sleep at all. He'd barely even been able to stand lying in his bed, and not even Freddie had helped. Unable to fall asleep, and unable to sit still, Jake had finally been unable to take it anymore. Everything felt stuffy inside the cabin, though their living quarters were as nice and cozy as any Jake had ever seen, and he just knew that he needed to get outside of it, into the night-time air.
What happened next, Jake couldn't even say. It was like his feet had a mind of their own, marching him along the grass in the cool night air. It was quiet outside, but thanks to the moon it wasn't so dark. It was oddly peaceful, being under the night sky. He was normally afraid of the dark, but the stars were like little nightlights that lit his way. He felt watched over by the sky. He could hear chirping insects, and far away voices. The outside wasn't as scary as a darkened hallway, or a shadowy corner. It was different...refreshing almost. He didn't think to keep track of the time, though he knew curfew was approaching. All he knew was that he didn't want to be at the campfire, and he didn't want to be in his cabin. He just wanted to be alone.
As Jake walked, he thought of the power this surprisingly cool summer night held. Turning 12 had been scary, but it'd also been exciting. Twelve was a bigger kid than eleven, but you were still a kid. Thirteen was different. Thirteen was the most special age he had turned since he had turned ten, and turning ten was so long ago he could barely remember it anymore. Every age was different from what came before it but this was a whole new world he was entering. Thirteen was nothing like twelve.
Finally his feet stopped moving, and he found himself alone, by the trees. This was far enough. Slowly, the boy sat down onto the grass.
Jake had two thoughts as he sat down in the grass. First, was that he was going to get grass stains on his PJs now. His blue Coco pajamas that he'd loved for ages, and still had yet to outgrow. The second was to wonder whether teenagers were even allowed to wear Coco pajamas. Or did they have to wear normal pajamas, without any cartoon characters or things like that? Would he still watch the same movies? Or did teenagers have to watch movies for teenagers? Or would he just wake up one morning, not even WANTING to watch his old favorites, just changing like he seemed to see happening to everybody around him? His mum had always told his dad that he would grow out of things when he was ready. It had been nice to not have to stop liking the things he liked. But was 'growing out of' things just going to happen on Tuesday?
Jake felt an emptiness inside, but it was hard to say why. It wasn't like when he got homesick. That was a feeling he had learned to understand. This was that, but also something different entirely. In some ways it wasn't as bad. In other ways it was almost worse. But Jake didn't have the words to explain what he was feeling. Why this night was different from any other night. He just felt things he didn't understand. Without knowing what else to do, Jake crossed his arms behind his head, and lay back in the grass to look up quietly at the stars and watch the fireflies.
Jake Morris was out on his own near curfew.
He hadn't meant to be out so late...not really. Normally, rules were followed by the boy with an unfailing rigidity, and if curfew was approaching he'd be long in his bed, keeping mental stock on making sure all of his friends were back too (some of them cut it close). And he rarely went off where nobody could see him. But it was August 22nd, which was two days before August 24th, and Jake hadn't been able to sleep.
To some, August 24th was just a day, but August 24th had never been just a day to Jake. This day, just as it had been the past twelve years, was going to be his birthday.
It didn't feel like his birthday, that was for sure. Perhaps that's why it hadn't really hit him until tonight. He KNEW it was his birthday soon, of course, as all kids did, but unlike most years, he didn't have his parents reminding him every morning before HE even thought to say it. He didn't have to work with his mum on designing decorations for his party. He didn't even have that tempting box of cake awaiting him on the top shelf of the fridge. He didn't, in fact, have his parents at all.
He had told his parents he'd be ok at camp. That he'd have his friends there for his birthday and that would be enough. He didn't know how come he'd ever really believed that and thought he wouldn't miss them. But now something just didn't feel right.
It hadn't been that thought which had kept him awake though...not really.
Jake had lay in his bed trying to clear his head of thoughts so that he could fall asleep, though it hadn't even been 9 o'clock yet. The thought had come to him rather lazily...a little thought that just appeared in his head in a sleepy haze. In that space between sleep and wake, he had realized that when he DID fall asleep, he would wake up the next morning for the last time ever as a twelve year old. Tomorrow was the last day before he became a teenager.
After thinking of that, Jake hadn't been able to sleep at all. He'd barely even been able to stand lying in his bed, and not even Freddie had helped. Unable to fall asleep, and unable to sit still, Jake had finally been unable to take it anymore. Everything felt stuffy inside the cabin, though their living quarters were as nice and cozy as any Jake had ever seen, and he just knew that he needed to get outside of it, into the night-time air.
What happened next, Jake couldn't even say. It was like his feet had a mind of their own, marching him along the grass in the cool night air. It was quiet outside, but thanks to the moon it wasn't so dark. It was oddly peaceful, being under the night sky. He was normally afraid of the dark, but the stars were like little nightlights that lit his way. He felt watched over by the sky. He could hear chirping insects, and far away voices. The outside wasn't as scary as a darkened hallway, or a shadowy corner. It was different...refreshing almost. He didn't think to keep track of the time, though he knew curfew was approaching. All he knew was that he didn't want to be at the campfire, and he didn't want to be in his cabin. He just wanted to be alone.
As Jake walked, he thought of the power this surprisingly cool summer night held. Turning 12 had been scary, but it'd also been exciting. Twelve was a bigger kid than eleven, but you were still a kid. Thirteen was different. Thirteen was the most special age he had turned since he had turned ten, and turning ten was so long ago he could barely remember it anymore. Every age was different from what came before it but this was a whole new world he was entering. Thirteen was nothing like twelve.
Finally his feet stopped moving, and he found himself alone, by the trees. This was far enough. Slowly, the boy sat down onto the grass.
Jake had two thoughts as he sat down in the grass. First, was that he was going to get grass stains on his PJs now. His blue Coco pajamas that he'd loved for ages, and still had yet to outgrow. The second was to wonder whether teenagers were even allowed to wear Coco pajamas. Or did they have to wear normal pajamas, without any cartoon characters or things like that? Would he still watch the same movies? Or did teenagers have to watch movies for teenagers? Or would he just wake up one morning, not even WANTING to watch his old favorites, just changing like he seemed to see happening to everybody around him? His mum had always told his dad that he would grow out of things when he was ready. It had been nice to not have to stop liking the things he liked. But was 'growing out of' things just going to happen on Tuesday?
Jake felt an emptiness inside, but it was hard to say why. It wasn't like when he got homesick. That was a feeling he had learned to understand. This was that, but also something different entirely. In some ways it wasn't as bad. In other ways it was almost worse. But Jake didn't have the words to explain what he was feeling. Why this night was different from any other night. He just felt things he didn't understand. Without knowing what else to do, Jake crossed his arms behind his head, and lay back in the grass to look up quietly at the stars and watch the fireflies.
24 Aug 2021, 17:32
Growing Up
|
|
Ruka had been trying.
Despite his general dislike of people, he he done his best to involve himself in camp activities, chat with his cabin mates, be around people. He had tried, but it had been hard and exhausting. On top of it, he missed his brother, had been missing him for a while now, really. Even before camp, Jack had seemed moody and withdrawn, and Ruka clearly wasn't a good enough brother to figure out what was wrong, or how to help him at least. For all he knew, maybe he was the problem.
He didn't like thinking about that, however. The trip to Tokyo and camp had managed to get his mind off of those darker thoughts. He had bonded unexpectedly much with Kazuo and was grateful to be sharing a cabin and bunk with his friend, though he had also realised that he was defaulting to spending all his time with the other boy. Not that he didn't enjoy that or didn't feel comfortable with it, but the last thing he wanted was to be called needy, for Kazuo to grow sick of him or start withdrawing the way Jack had been for the past few months. So that night, instead of throwing himself on his friend's bunk and preventing him from reading a book by starting up whatever conversation he could think of, Ruka had gone for a walk around the campgrounds. He hadn't even bothered to change out of his pyjamas, a fluffy and warm onesie based on a creature in a movie he had watched and loved just last summer. One might have argued that it was too warm to be wearing onesies, but Ruka welcomed the warmth, always had, and he loved the cozy feel of the soft fabric on his skin. Additionally, those things were just really damn cute.
Not wanting to get the fluffy slippers that had come with his onesie dirty, he had put on a pair of his favourite glow in the dark shoes before tucking his trusty plush lynx under his arm, prompting Fuwafuwa to sit on his shoulder and leaving the cabin. He had walked for what felt like hours even if it was more likely just a few minutes, lost in his thoughts as his feet carried him away from the bonfire and the cabins, in the direction of the spot he had spent his birthday evening in. He didn't expect to find anybody there, especially not so close to curfew, but upon approach he noticed something - someone - lying in the grass.
Pushing the hood of his onesie back to avoid scaring the familiar person, Ruka slowly stepped closer and sat down next to the boy in the grass, tilting his head back to stare up at the sky. "That's the Lynx constellation," he told Jake without wasting time on a greeting, lifting a hand and tracing a zigzag line across the stars just barely visible in the darkening night sky. "Named after this little guy, of course." He carefully placed his plush lynx on Jake's stomach and grinned while reaching his other hand up to gently pat at Fuwa's soft feathers. The owl hooted her approval. "What are you doing out here so late? Just stargazing?" He smiled and put his hood back up again, laughing softly at the way Fuwa took the opportunity to press herself against the plush material. "Wouldn't you be more comfortable in your cabin?"
~Hell is other people~ - Jean Paul Sartre
Stamina: 7 ~ Evasion: 10 ~ Strength: 4 ~ Wisdom: 14 ~ Arcane Power: 6 ~ Accuracy: 9
24 Aug 2021, 21:50
Growing Up
@Ruka Burnett-Tân
It was really weird how time worked when you were just staring at the night sky. The more and more you looked, the more everything around seemed to slowly fade into one long dreamlike glob of time, that was both as long and as short as can be. It was like time just stopped existing...so Jake didn't know how long he had lay there, watching the sky alone with his thoughts.
But soon he wasn't alone anymore. The soft sounds of footsteps on the grass hit his ears next, but it was as if Jake could sense the friendly presence, and he wasn't afraid. From the corner of his eye, he saw the newcomer take a seat beside him. It was as if some part of him knew that it was Ruka, before he had even heard his voice. He didn't know how he knew that. He just did.
Jake watched Ruka's finger trace a pattern across the sky, his eyes following along, trying to see the stars like dots connected. 'The lynx constellation', Ruka had called it. Then he felt a soft weight descend onto his chest, and lowered his eyes to watch the lynx face that was regarding him, balanced across his stomach. Ruka asked him if he was just stargazing, and Jake gave a quiet nod. He was stargazing after all...any sign it was maybe more than that didn't come until Ruka asked whether he'd be more comfortable in his cabin.
"Um, I dunno..." Jake answered softly, thinking back to that cabin, and the feeling that had come to him as he lay in his bed. "I just...I don't wanna be in my cabin...I couldn't sleep." Idly, the boy's hands drifted to the soft material of the plush Lynx that had been placed upon his stomach. The gentle weight of the plush toy reminded him quite a lot of his own stuffed animals. His hands instinctively stroked the lynx and brought it further up his chest. He felt a small pang as he held it. But he still had two days until his birthday. He didn't have to stop yet.
It might have seemed early for Jake to have been trying for sleep, but the boy did tend to go to bed earlier than most. Perhaps it was because he was used to an earlier bedtime. He was usually one of the first to get sleepy. But that wasn't the biggest reason...Jake liked falling asleep when others were still awake, and it wasn't so deathly quiet. It was strange how the same silence felt peaceful outside that was eerie indoors. Outside, the sounds were crickets and other night bugs, while inside, his imagination filled in the gaps with all sorts of things, many things that he'd encountered at Hogwarts over the past two years, and the sounds of phantom footsteps.
It was then that Jake finally turned his head to the side and took in the full sight of Ruka, and what the boy was wearing, something that he hadn't truly noticed from the corner of his eye. Surprise showed on the Hufflepuff's expressive face. It was a lot to take in all at once.
"Whoa, you're Stitch...!" Jake said, still staring in awe. A small smile hit his face, seeing the older boy dressed how he was. It was a sight he never thought he'd see. Ruka, one of the coolest boys in the whole school, had Stitch pajamas? And a onesie too? His friends like George or Jack would ever wear anything like that in Hufflepuff. Jake would, but not outside where everybody could see. "Your pajamas are really cool." he said, a little quieter. He felt a little embarrassed but he didn't know why. He wasn't the one wearing them, after all. Maybe because he wished he was. He looked down at his own Coco pajamas for a moment, before sneaking another peek at the older boy's outfit. Was that really how Ruka dressed at night...?
Jake brought himself up to a seated position, because there was something else that had caught his eye - or someone else. And he'd been so busy admiring Ruka's pajamas he hadn't even noticed at first.
"Fuwa!" Jake said, forgetting for a moment about his troubles. He had heard about Ruka's owl, but had yet to meet her himself. The boy held out a gentle finger towards the owl, hesitating to look to the Gryffindor for a moment. You had to be careful with certain animals, and not all owls liked strangers. If you weren't careful you could scare them, or get yourself clawed. He would slowly bring the finger to stroke Fuwa if the older boy's face seemed to allow it, or withdraw if he got something less than encouraging.
After introducing himself to the owl, Jake lay himself back down in the grass. Tonight the grass was cool, and he felt it tickle the soles of his feet (for Jake hadn't even thought to put anything on them as he'd left his cabin). Ruka had already given him a lot of questions, showing up dressed as he had, but Jake didn't ask them. Instead, he looked back up at the sky, where Ruka had pointed before. He couldn't tell if he wanted to be alone, or if he was happy to have Ruka's company. Perhaps it was both.
"I think I see it," Jake said, holding up the plush lynx above his eyes, profiling the lynx against the sky above, and finally pointing a finger. "The lynx constellation," It looked sort of like a lynx anyway.
It was really weird how time worked when you were just staring at the night sky. The more and more you looked, the more everything around seemed to slowly fade into one long dreamlike glob of time, that was both as long and as short as can be. It was like time just stopped existing...so Jake didn't know how long he had lay there, watching the sky alone with his thoughts.
But soon he wasn't alone anymore. The soft sounds of footsteps on the grass hit his ears next, but it was as if Jake could sense the friendly presence, and he wasn't afraid. From the corner of his eye, he saw the newcomer take a seat beside him. It was as if some part of him knew that it was Ruka, before he had even heard his voice. He didn't know how he knew that. He just did.
Jake watched Ruka's finger trace a pattern across the sky, his eyes following along, trying to see the stars like dots connected. 'The lynx constellation', Ruka had called it. Then he felt a soft weight descend onto his chest, and lowered his eyes to watch the lynx face that was regarding him, balanced across his stomach. Ruka asked him if he was just stargazing, and Jake gave a quiet nod. He was stargazing after all...any sign it was maybe more than that didn't come until Ruka asked whether he'd be more comfortable in his cabin.
"Um, I dunno..." Jake answered softly, thinking back to that cabin, and the feeling that had come to him as he lay in his bed. "I just...I don't wanna be in my cabin...I couldn't sleep." Idly, the boy's hands drifted to the soft material of the plush Lynx that had been placed upon his stomach. The gentle weight of the plush toy reminded him quite a lot of his own stuffed animals. His hands instinctively stroked the lynx and brought it further up his chest. He felt a small pang as he held it. But he still had two days until his birthday. He didn't have to stop yet.
It might have seemed early for Jake to have been trying for sleep, but the boy did tend to go to bed earlier than most. Perhaps it was because he was used to an earlier bedtime. He was usually one of the first to get sleepy. But that wasn't the biggest reason...Jake liked falling asleep when others were still awake, and it wasn't so deathly quiet. It was strange how the same silence felt peaceful outside that was eerie indoors. Outside, the sounds were crickets and other night bugs, while inside, his imagination filled in the gaps with all sorts of things, many things that he'd encountered at Hogwarts over the past two years, and the sounds of phantom footsteps.
It was then that Jake finally turned his head to the side and took in the full sight of Ruka, and what the boy was wearing, something that he hadn't truly noticed from the corner of his eye. Surprise showed on the Hufflepuff's expressive face. It was a lot to take in all at once.
"Whoa, you're Stitch...!" Jake said, still staring in awe. A small smile hit his face, seeing the older boy dressed how he was. It was a sight he never thought he'd see. Ruka, one of the coolest boys in the whole school, had Stitch pajamas? And a onesie too? His friends like George or Jack would ever wear anything like that in Hufflepuff. Jake would, but not outside where everybody could see. "Your pajamas are really cool." he said, a little quieter. He felt a little embarrassed but he didn't know why. He wasn't the one wearing them, after all. Maybe because he wished he was. He looked down at his own Coco pajamas for a moment, before sneaking another peek at the older boy's outfit. Was that really how Ruka dressed at night...?
Jake brought himself up to a seated position, because there was something else that had caught his eye - or someone else. And he'd been so busy admiring Ruka's pajamas he hadn't even noticed at first.
"Fuwa!" Jake said, forgetting for a moment about his troubles. He had heard about Ruka's owl, but had yet to meet her himself. The boy held out a gentle finger towards the owl, hesitating to look to the Gryffindor for a moment. You had to be careful with certain animals, and not all owls liked strangers. If you weren't careful you could scare them, or get yourself clawed. He would slowly bring the finger to stroke Fuwa if the older boy's face seemed to allow it, or withdraw if he got something less than encouraging.
After introducing himself to the owl, Jake lay himself back down in the grass. Tonight the grass was cool, and he felt it tickle the soles of his feet (for Jake hadn't even thought to put anything on them as he'd left his cabin). Ruka had already given him a lot of questions, showing up dressed as he had, but Jake didn't ask them. Instead, he looked back up at the sky, where Ruka had pointed before. He couldn't tell if he wanted to be alone, or if he was happy to have Ruka's company. Perhaps it was both.
"I think I see it," Jake said, holding up the plush lynx above his eyes, profiling the lynx against the sky above, and finally pointing a finger. "The lynx constellation," It looked sort of like a lynx anyway.
26 Aug 2021, 08:56
Growing Up
|
|
Jake barely reacted to his approach, and Ruka decided to take that as a good sign. He hadn't startled the young badger, or made him feel unsettled, so he felt comfortable to just sit down in the grass to keep the other boy some company if he wanted it. Curiously, he watched Jake's hands drift to the plush lynx Ruka had just placed on him, watched him giving the soft toy gentle pets, pulling it closer as if holding on to make sure it wasn't going to vanish.
"Too much noise in your cabin?" Ruka asked gently, tilting his head to the side in question. That was how he felt most of the time. Too many people making too much noise. However, he had thought Jake to be quite the people person, surrounded by friends, looking for company. It seemed strange that he would prefer being out here by himself instead. "Or is there something wrong?" With the cabin, with the people in it, with Jake himself. Ruka tried to offer the boy a comforting smile, but it seemed that the little badger had not properly looked at him yet so he wasn't sure how effective it was.
That Jake had already been trying to sleep didn't seem too strange to Ruka. The other boy had always given off strong traces of innocence, of easy childhood. He was young, not just in age but his soul as well. So many of the children in Hogwarts had had to grow up too quickly, tried to be older than they were, glistened with experiences they were too young to make. Not Jake. No, Jake had dressed up his plush dog to the Blossom Ball, had shown Ruka drawings of animals at the breakfast table, had cared so much for a poor bunny's broken leg. If phones worked at Hogwarts, Ruka thought Jake would be the type to call his parents each night before going to bed, just to say goodnight.
Finally, Jake turned to face him, looked at him in all his dressed up glory; the onesie, the glow in the dark shoes, the dimples in his cheeks as he grinned upon the other boy recognising his outfit. "Yeah!" he confirmed brightly, looked down at himself and brushed a hand against his soft onesie. "Isn't it cool? Really soft too, see?" He held out his arm towards Jake in an offer for him to touch the sleeve and feel the softness for himself.
Ruka's face fell a little when Jake's voice got quiet, like something had snuffed out the awe he had regarded his onesie with just moments before. He wasn't quite sure what had happened, but decided not to pry. "I like yours," he said instead, maintaining the excitement in his own voice, just in case Jake somehow thought his own pyjamas didn't measure up to Ruka's. "I haven't seen the movie yet." There had just been so many things for him to watch and do and read, how was he ever supposed to catch up on all the things he had missed out on growing up? "But there's lots of music, right? I love the bright colours." He had always enjoyed colours, particularly orange. The brighter, the better, as his wardrobe could attest to.
Watching Jake sit up, Ruka shuffled into a more comfortable position, right ankle tucked under his left knee while steadying himself with his right hand on the ground. The other boy's attempt at greeting Fuwa was met with a curious hoot from the owl, and Ruka offered Jake an encouraging nod when he saw the carefully outstretched finger. "She likes attention," he told Jake with a fond roll of his eyes. "The more cuddles the better." Fuwafuwa hooted again as if to protest the words, but simultaneously she shifted on his shoulder to be able to press her soft feathered head against Jake's hand. Her claws dug painfully into his shoulder as she did her best to hold on, but Ruka decided to ignore it in favour of allowing Jake and his owl a bit of bonding time.
With introductions out of the way, Ruka tilted his head to nuzzle his owl's feathers for a short moment before giving her a quick command that made her flutter up onto the branches of a nearby tree, hooting happily every once in a while as she marched back and forth on the branch she had chosen. Ruka grinned fondly at her before returning his attention to Jake who had let himself fall back into the grass again. With a small smile, Ruka decided to mimic the position, lying down with only a couple of inches between them as they gazed up at the sky.
"It's very faint," he pointed out gently as he looked up towards where Jake was pointing his finger. "You've got a good eye." Smiling, he turned his head to look at the other boy's profile. "Do you know the story of the Golden Fleece?" he asked. "One of the men who was part of the expedition for the Golden Fleece, Lynceus, he was said to have the best eyesight of all men. Maybe the constellation was named partly after him too. They say you need eyes like a lynx to see it because of how faint it is." He hummed thoughtfully as he turned his sights back to the sky again. "Especially with the Great Bear right there." He traced a trolly like shape in the sky to draw Jake's attention to the constellation. "It's one of the easiest constellations to see in the night sky." He grinned and crossed his arms behind his head. "I still prefer the lynx. It's small and faint but that's what makes it special, you know? Not everyone can see it, most people will never realise it's there, but that doesn't make it any less important or beautiful." He closed his eyes for a moment and hummed happily. "You know it's there now, though. So you're one of the special few who get to appreciate its existence. That's pretty exciting, if you ask me." Opening his eyes again, he looked back at the other boy. "Do you have a favourite constellation? Or star?"
~Hell is other people~ - Jean Paul Sartre
Stamina: 7 ~ Evasion: 10 ~ Strength: 4 ~ Wisdom: 14 ~ Arcane Power: 6 ~ Accuracy: 9
26 Aug 2021, 21:26
Growing Up
@Ruka Burnett-Tân
"I dunno..." Jake mumbled. "Maybe a little..." There was no easy indication of which question the boy had been responding to. But there was a weight in his voice that might perhaps hint that noise was not the biggest problem. In fact, the cabin had seemed positively quiet compared to some nights in the Scamander dorm. The problem with answering though, was that if he said there was something wrong, then Ruka might ask what. If Ruka asked what, then Jake would have to talk about things he wasn't able to talk about, at least not to another person. But he couldn't lie to Ruka either...and he wasn't very good at saying something wasn't wrong when it really was.
Jake reached out to touch Ruka's onesie. Ruka was right...It WAS soft...and it seemed really warm. It was why Jake loved his footie pajamas in the Winter. Just a warm fuzzy piece that wrapped you up, like you were always bundled in a blanket, even when you left your bed. That was another thing the other boys didn't wear a lot...."It is soft," Jake agreed. Ruka gestured to compliment his own pajamas, and Jake blushed slightly, unable to keep quiet when Ruka said he hadn't seen the movie yet.
"Oh yeah, there's lots of music. It's about music," Jake answered him, looking once again at his shirt. "And a boy who wants to be a musician. There's a dog named Dante too. He's a Xolo dog." he said. "It's a really good one...you should see it..." he said, with a nod. "I like the colors too."
Hearing that Ruka's owl liked cuddles brought out the genuine smile that had been only a glimmer before. Jake stroked the little bird gently, watching as the owl adjusted to be pet even more. He was careful - you didn't want to go too far and upset the bird - but Fuwa seemed to appreciate the pets. Silently the two acquainted themselves. After a while though, the smile on Jake's face softened. His heart had been lightened for a bit, but there was still a heaviness waiting inside and it couldn't go away entirely. There was just too much on his mind.
Ruka told Jake that he had a good eye, bringing a small swell of pride to the boy who always seemed to feel such a thing when Ruka gave him a compliment. "Golden fleece...?" Jake repeated, confused. He didn't know the story and he listened curiously. Ruka knew a lot...not just about animals, but about stars too. The only type of fleece Jake knew was a sheep's fur. But it turned out that the lynx constellation was even more special than he had realized. He looked up again, to try and not lose sight of it. He knew what it was like to sometimes be small and quiet and not be always noticed. Sometimes that was nice, when you didn't want attention. Sometimes it wasn't. But he thought that maybe it was even more special if the people who noticed you were the ones you most wanted to be noticed by. Kind of like all the people that he had made friends with at school. Maybe the lynx was shy, waiting in the background...and there was only a small few who even knew the lynx was hiding up there amongst the sky. Ruka was right...it was pretty exciting.
Jake turned his head to regard Ruka, as the older boy asked if he had a favorite star. Thoughtfully, Jake turned his head back towards the dark canvas above them. "I can't always find the constellations...." he admitted. At least not when they weren't being traced out for him. "I do know one...look," Jake said holding his finger up to the sky to try to trace it out to Ruka. It was almost like the shape of a 'w'. "It's called Casseiopeia and it's supposeda look like a Queen but I think it looks like a seagull."
He went quiet for a moment, thinking back to summer evenings just like this one...back when he'd been somewhere very different. "My mum and me used to watch the stars sometimes in my backyard... Sometimes we got to camp out in a tent, in the summer when it was warm. We didn't last year though... I dunno why." Jake sighed. He couldn't help it. Any thought of his parents brought back the homesick feeling that he'd been having the past week of camp. School was one thing...he was supposed to be at school during school. But the end of August was different. He knew he'd hear from his parents from the mail. He'd get a card and a present, but he wouldn't get a hug. It was just different. He'd celebrated every single birthday with his family. And he was twelve, so that had been a lot of birthdays.
But Ruka had given Jake something else to think about instead. The feelings weren't really gone...but they were pushed to the background, like when you needed to clean your room quickly, and the mess got pushed away even though you knew it still needed cleaning. For now, he could look at the sky, and talk about the stars instead of the things that were hard to talk about.
"Sometimes I see things that don't really exist...kinda like looking at clouds. You know when you see clouds and they look like animals...? Sometimes I find them in the stars. My mum says that they haven't found those constellations yet, but maybe some day I can show them. My dad says the stars are always the same...but I dunno, 'cause I always see different ones. Like tonight I see one that kinda looks like a camel," the boy pointed.
"But my most favorite is Polaris, the North star. My mum said that no matter where you go it's always watching you, ready to help you if you're lost. It's always there, and it never moves." The small boy rose a finger up and up until he found the bright star in his pointing line. It was like the boss of the sky, always where you needed it to be. If you could rely on nothing else, no matter what was changing, Polaris would always stay true. "It's the easiest of all stars to find, so you know you'll never lose it."
As they watched the sky, Jake found himself inching closer to Ruka, moving himself ever so slightly in the grass. Little by little, the inches between them faded, until his shoulder touched the soft material that surrounded Ruka's. He still lay, looking up at the sky, but he found that he liked knowing Ruka was close by. Maybe he really DIDN'T want to be alone. The realization only made him more confused, but he didn't feel like moving.
"I dunno..." Jake mumbled. "Maybe a little..." There was no easy indication of which question the boy had been responding to. But there was a weight in his voice that might perhaps hint that noise was not the biggest problem. In fact, the cabin had seemed positively quiet compared to some nights in the Scamander dorm. The problem with answering though, was that if he said there was something wrong, then Ruka might ask what. If Ruka asked what, then Jake would have to talk about things he wasn't able to talk about, at least not to another person. But he couldn't lie to Ruka either...and he wasn't very good at saying something wasn't wrong when it really was.
Jake reached out to touch Ruka's onesie. Ruka was right...It WAS soft...and it seemed really warm. It was why Jake loved his footie pajamas in the Winter. Just a warm fuzzy piece that wrapped you up, like you were always bundled in a blanket, even when you left your bed. That was another thing the other boys didn't wear a lot...."It is soft," Jake agreed. Ruka gestured to compliment his own pajamas, and Jake blushed slightly, unable to keep quiet when Ruka said he hadn't seen the movie yet.
"Oh yeah, there's lots of music. It's about music," Jake answered him, looking once again at his shirt. "And a boy who wants to be a musician. There's a dog named Dante too. He's a Xolo dog." he said. "It's a really good one...you should see it..." he said, with a nod. "I like the colors too."
Hearing that Ruka's owl liked cuddles brought out the genuine smile that had been only a glimmer before. Jake stroked the little bird gently, watching as the owl adjusted to be pet even more. He was careful - you didn't want to go too far and upset the bird - but Fuwa seemed to appreciate the pets. Silently the two acquainted themselves. After a while though, the smile on Jake's face softened. His heart had been lightened for a bit, but there was still a heaviness waiting inside and it couldn't go away entirely. There was just too much on his mind.
Ruka told Jake that he had a good eye, bringing a small swell of pride to the boy who always seemed to feel such a thing when Ruka gave him a compliment. "Golden fleece...?" Jake repeated, confused. He didn't know the story and he listened curiously. Ruka knew a lot...not just about animals, but about stars too. The only type of fleece Jake knew was a sheep's fur. But it turned out that the lynx constellation was even more special than he had realized. He looked up again, to try and not lose sight of it. He knew what it was like to sometimes be small and quiet and not be always noticed. Sometimes that was nice, when you didn't want attention. Sometimes it wasn't. But he thought that maybe it was even more special if the people who noticed you were the ones you most wanted to be noticed by. Kind of like all the people that he had made friends with at school. Maybe the lynx was shy, waiting in the background...and there was only a small few who even knew the lynx was hiding up there amongst the sky. Ruka was right...it was pretty exciting.
Jake turned his head to regard Ruka, as the older boy asked if he had a favorite star. Thoughtfully, Jake turned his head back towards the dark canvas above them. "I can't always find the constellations...." he admitted. At least not when they weren't being traced out for him. "I do know one...look," Jake said holding his finger up to the sky to try to trace it out to Ruka. It was almost like the shape of a 'w'. "It's called Casseiopeia and it's supposeda look like a Queen but I think it looks like a seagull."
He went quiet for a moment, thinking back to summer evenings just like this one...back when he'd been somewhere very different. "My mum and me used to watch the stars sometimes in my backyard... Sometimes we got to camp out in a tent, in the summer when it was warm. We didn't last year though... I dunno why." Jake sighed. He couldn't help it. Any thought of his parents brought back the homesick feeling that he'd been having the past week of camp. School was one thing...he was supposed to be at school during school. But the end of August was different. He knew he'd hear from his parents from the mail. He'd get a card and a present, but he wouldn't get a hug. It was just different. He'd celebrated every single birthday with his family. And he was twelve, so that had been a lot of birthdays.
But Ruka had given Jake something else to think about instead. The feelings weren't really gone...but they were pushed to the background, like when you needed to clean your room quickly, and the mess got pushed away even though you knew it still needed cleaning. For now, he could look at the sky, and talk about the stars instead of the things that were hard to talk about.
"Sometimes I see things that don't really exist...kinda like looking at clouds. You know when you see clouds and they look like animals...? Sometimes I find them in the stars. My mum says that they haven't found those constellations yet, but maybe some day I can show them. My dad says the stars are always the same...but I dunno, 'cause I always see different ones. Like tonight I see one that kinda looks like a camel," the boy pointed.
"But my most favorite is Polaris, the North star. My mum said that no matter where you go it's always watching you, ready to help you if you're lost. It's always there, and it never moves." The small boy rose a finger up and up until he found the bright star in his pointing line. It was like the boss of the sky, always where you needed it to be. If you could rely on nothing else, no matter what was changing, Polaris would always stay true. "It's the easiest of all stars to find, so you know you'll never lose it."
As they watched the sky, Jake found himself inching closer to Ruka, moving himself ever so slightly in the grass. Little by little, the inches between them faded, until his shoulder touched the soft material that surrounded Ruka's. He still lay, looking up at the sky, but he found that he liked knowing Ruka was close by. Maybe he really DIDN'T want to be alone. The realization only made him more confused, but he didn't feel like moving.