dumbshow | Friends of Trains

Trash. [Jacob spent all morning looking for some of those, so excuse the mild offense in his expression. If he didn't want those, he can take them back!! It lasted about two whole seconds, though, because the coins leave him with a ridiculous look of dismay.]

What-- [He's a damn child, with how wide his eyes get while he just gapes. It doesn't occur to him that they're more than likely his right away. Give him a second.] I didn't--

[Wait-- He pats his many pockets, the dawn on him slow but sure.] ... Alright, you got me. Just this once. [Until the next time,]

[Ned smirks to counter Jacob making about half a dozen expressions in thirty seconds, tossing the coins a little in his palm to make them jingle before he holds them back out in offering. He doesn't need this pocket change, so please, buy cheap beer and illegal bombs with it.]

Just this once, sure, you got it. [Ha... Now he tucks the book of flowers under his arm, leaning his shoulder against the shelves.] You didn't come over here just to give me flowers, did you?

[Just when Jacob thought he knew what to say. He blanches, choosing to make a slow deposit of his coin back into his pocket while he tries to find some plausible excuse he was there.]

No, of course not. I'm clearly here to... to... [Say something,] Get you off this train. Stretch your legs. Talk about... other trains. [YEAH.]

[Oh, look at him go. Ned makes a noise of surprise that's completely put-upon, like he has some snide remark ready to go about how he's finally being thrown off the Frye's secret train, but hmm—talking about other trains. Not bad, for something he came up with in half a second.]

Well then, I won't take up any more of your time with my loitering. [He straightens up from the shelf, taking a few steps toward the car door and patting the book at his side as he does.] I'll just take my spoils and go talk to myself about other trains, shall I?

[stare..........say it]

Yeah, you... you do that, you dooo... that... with me. [That's about as smooth as Jacob will get. It's a good thing he's good looking. He stayed put and crossed his arms in some effort to look stern, but it's lost when he's just following Ned like a lost dog.] I meant with me.

[He can last a few hours without Ned, shut up. Just not right now.] If you're going to loiter about waiting for me, it might as well be out in the city. Get your head out of paperwork for a change.

Who said I was waiting for you? [Logic and basic reasoning, but details.] Bad luck if I was, since you gave me this book.

[Now he has to carry it around! He has to go back to his office, or—] I'll pick it up later, the next time I need to get away from keeping this city afloat.

[You Fryes have an alright gang but who is doing the real work around here?? It's Ned. He's just putting this flower book on a shelf casually, like it's really a hassle to carry it around. Smooth.]

Bad luck! I gave it to you out of the goodness of my heart. It's not my fault you don't like getting something you can't sell. [Is it really a comeback when Ned's making money that way? No, but he tried.

But putting it on the shelf... Fine, that's acceptable. He huffs, walking around him to wait at the door. Since someone doesn't just jump off trains.] What's the point in keeping something you hardly see afloat?

[He's making sure his new book is all nice and snug in its new home on Jacob's shelf, where he will come visit it whenever he wants, thanks. Wait a minute for him without whining. He's only laughing a little.]

One of these days you're gonna remember I've been in this city much longer than you have. [He drops this casual reminder as he saunters over to join Jacob at the door, properly. Hey.] Although I'll admit it, I don't see much of it from up on the rooftops, kicking the shingles around...

Right. Like one of the days you'll admit I'm right. [Aka: probably never. Jacob's only sulking a little, leaning against the wall and watching the tracks they pass. He's thinking... he's thinking.]

Should hook you on this thing and let you fly up there. [He finally chuckles, turning the arm with the grappling hook attached.] There's easier ways, if you wanted to enjoy a nice sunset. [Not saying that he would, like, in a gay way, sit at a sunset with him.]

[Okay, hang on, this banter was cute and all up until Jacob started waving that arm hooky thing at him. Ned makes a face - that one he makes when big, oafish dudes jostle him in crowds, but right now it's for big, oafish dudes trying to... what, carry him? On the end of a rope??]

Tell me there's a way that doesn't involve being hooked like bad bait.

I think you'll prefer my nice muscly arm around you over climbing up some stairs. [He smirked, flexing one of the arms in question. Look at him, he's a great specimen.] But... some of the rooftops have trapdoors leftover from the Blighters. Don't see why we can't put them to use.

[Or you can just let him carry you, Ned.]

I like stairs. And I like finding old Blighter tricks and making them mine. [Which, okay... so a trapdoor isn't the keys to the city, but he lives to be petty against Blighters. Carry him some other time, when there isn't pettiness to be had.

Of course, they still have to get off this moving train. Ned here is going to assume they're waiting until it stops, feel free to correct him at any time.]

You just want everything, don't you? [Jacob hums, leaning out of the frame to look how far ahead the station was. If he judged right, it'd be another ten minutes before their stop... That's ten more minutes than Jacob is willing to wait.]

You know, Blighters had a habit of jumping off trains. Saved time to learning secrets faster. [That's a damn lie. No one was insane to jump off trains willingly besides the Frye twins and maybe Henry, so Jacob was putting his arm around a likely unwilling crime lord to pull him into his own.

Sure, he could have just hauled him over his shoulder, but how is he supposed to see his dashing face during an act of ~~stupidity~~ bravery? No, he's bending to lift Ned from his back and the bend of his knees, taking only a moment to make sure he was secure before leaping off. He stumbled, dangerously close to sending them into the ground before he caught his balance.] Easy!

[Well, that makes him laugh again—] I'll let you keep some of it.

[Like that pretty train of his, so Ned can come visit them both. But yes, of course he wants everything. He's gotten really close, since the Blighters and Starrick are out of the picture; there's no one left to stop him who actually will, see... But that aside, he's peering out of the train himself, watching the scenery go by, and so he has time to scoff over his shoulder at Jacob's total bullshit about the Blighters leaping off trains before there are big, oafish hands lifting him up.

Excuse you, Jacob Frye??] What the hell, Frye—put me down! Put— [He's cut off by the sudden literal jump, which has him clutching one hand into a fist in the front of Jacob's coat so that he doesn't fucking die. There's stumbling and stupidity and just how close did they come to death? For fuck's sake.]

Frye, put me down before I have to shoot you. [Even after fearing his life would end with his head cracking like an egg against pavement, he has the ability to sound almost bored with this whole event, like Jacob is playing a game by himself and Ned happens to be there. Please put him down.]

You wouldn't. [Ned can manage to sound bored, while Jacob hasn't caught his breath. Ned was tiny and easy to manhandle, so he'll take another minute to enjoy this. Ned is cute.] I make you too much money.

[But fiiine... let him step out of the dirt and set him down on the pavement. It's not like any adults are around to give them looks- but there are children giggling. They're not going to hear the end of it when it gets back to Clara.] I told you I'd sweep you off your feet, Wynert.

Hmm, [is Ned's only response to that. Jacob does make him a lot of money, that's true... He appreciates that in an entirely different way than he appreciates Jacob's noticeably firm chest, but he really doesn't appreciate being toted around at all, so he's happy to get back on his own feet and straighten out his suit.

Hmm. Will he pay off street children to be quiet? He might. Later.]

I'll be more impressed when I see that sunset. [Adjusting his hat first... now he's ready. Show him the trapdoor.]

Ned Wynert? Impressed? I'll believe it when I see it. [Jacob reached over and tipped Ned's hat forward before sauntering down the street. The groups of Rooks grew more frequent the further they went, coincidentally closer to Southwark. Did he pile them all in Ned's district for protection?

Maybe. Come to one of his shitty hideouts, that's where they'd going.] They'd use these things to come after me, like I wouldn't just shove them off. But I like to sit out here, sometimes. When Evie's convinced I'm wrecking all of London. Or I can't find you to bother.

[Rude, as usual. Ned fixes his hat again, following after Jacob and falling into step with him despite being so short. He's gifted in this art, too. And this is faintly silly; if they were going to go to Southwark all along, he could have brought the book along and taken Jacob back to his office to make stupid bookworm comments or whatever he'd do... Next time.

He's noticed the Rooks, by the way. But it sure doesn't hurt to keep a clean house, and extra muscle goes a long way.]

Because I'm working. You oughta try it sometime—maybe you'll be surprised and take a liking to it. [ha ha] One of these days I'll find you a real challenging job to keep you busy.

[Compliment? Implied.]

Yeah? What's more challenging than assassinating all the Templars that's been plaguing London for years? I'd love to know. [Of course, Jacob continues to brag after a compliment. So humble. So modest.

To be fair, he didn't know where Ned's office was. He'd even refrained from asking to respect his privacy. Believe it or not, some part of Jacob actually cares about other people's feelings.] Maybe being your accountant, but only because it's so boring.

D'you want a pat on the back and a cookie, Frye? You did good. [He's even applauding, but sarcastically. Clap clap... clap. Good job, Jacob, you killed the most Templars.] Nobody's saying London hasn't been choked with all kinds of badness or that you didn't do us all a favor.

[Country boy. Ned and his American accent are more London than that.]

And I still handle some of my own books, you know. You can't climb the ladder sitting on your ass. [He knows math!! He did in fact have several years of a Fancy Education, but nobody has to know that.] Anyway, speaking of climbing, let's get the lead out before the sun sets without us.

Maybe I do want a cookie. [Jacob huffed, turning into one of the yards where the Rook flag flew. They're all settled by the fire for the evening, throwing cards down with their coin up for grabs. Does he scold them? Absolutely not. He'd probably join them if he weren't escorting.]

If you'd let me hook you, we'd be up there by now. [Stairs... Jacob's just complaining to complain, it's not that bad. He's even set up the rooms they pass through to be bedrooms for his children, but shut up, he's tough.] I got shot from this roof. Only way I figured it out.

Not a chance you're getting me up in the air with that thing. I'll get you a cookie sometime instead. [He really will, he'll have someone run it over to the station. In the meantime he's definitely glancing into a few rooms if the doors are open at all as they pass, a little smirk on his face - he knows Jacob is all heart underneath his apparently insatiable lust for vigilante murder, and this place is standing proof of that.

And he wants to know the layout of the place in case he ever needs to commandeer like, fifty Rooks, so. There's that too. Up the stairs... he scoffs at just how casually Jacob reminisces about being shot, leaning over in the cramped stairwell to elbow him a little. Good one, muscle-for-brains.] You sure put the fear of God into 'em after that, according to the flag outside.

[real compliment,]

[Real... real compliment?? Jacob gets that stupid grin he always has, full of pride at the praise. It was't much, but it was more than what he got from his sister. Or Henry. Or... well, he didn't want to think of anyone else.]

You said that like I didn't send them to see God. [They're all dead, Ned. Jacob slowed as they reached the attic, ducking at the low ceiling. There was a messy bed up here for one, and enough bottles for several. Clearly, he's slept here.] It's... right about... here.

[He didn't use eagle vision to find it, shut up. He runs his hand along the wood until it hits metal, throwing it open to reveal the dimming London sky. They haven't missed it, but only barely.] After you.

[Yes, that's it, ten points for Ned... He directs his little smirk at Jacob now, shrugging with his palms up at the rest. Maybe some of their friends who weren't there at the time had the fear of God put into them, okay.

He needs at least an extra half hour to really scorn this attic hideout room, but maybe later - he is staring at the mess before Jacob gets his attention again and he shuffles over to stand under this trap door. He puts his hands on his hips and judges it.

Aha. Well.] I don't wanna hear a word out of you, Frye— [BUT......] But do you have a stepping stool?

[shut the fuck up shut UP]

[It takes everything Jacob has not to burst out laughing. It really, truly does. He's biting his lip, staring him down like he's just going to burst at any second.]

Right here, Mr. Wynert. [He's behaving! He bows his head like he's doing him some sort of service, then kneeling with his hands for him to step into. Let him boost you up. Don't complain.]

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