Ramsey Farm open mingle

[levelshift]

WHO: Etrayans!
WHEN: Post-mission.
WHERE: Ramsey Farm.
WHAT: An open mingle log for people to hang out and do stuff at Ramsey Farm. See Accelerator's network post for details.
NOTES\WARNINGS: None, please put any CWs in subjects.




An idyllic, well loved little farm house that looks like it has been transported right from the fields of Kansas. The garden in the front has flowers and the back garden is chock full of vegetables. There is a chicken coop and a bale of hay is strung up from a tree like a tire swing for a little goat's enrichment. There is also a shed in the back, designed to look like a small version of the farm house, with a summer outdoor couch set up shoved against the back wall, piled with all weather cushions, and various lawn and small gardening equipment hung on the front wall. Towards the edge of the grounds, in a patch of large wildflowers, sits a large stone acting as a grave marker. Instead of names, it has been engraved with "#1 - #10 031."

The farm is being used as a safe space for children by Accelerator. Kids under 15 are allowed to use it as they wish. Kids over 15 are allowed to use the space if they help with upkeep. Adults who have been vetted by a kid are allowed on the ground to do work. A security system has been added to the farm house that sends messages to Accelerator's ear piece depending on the threat level.

The goat's name is Mena.

Comments

[hexcope]

It's not really a "you did a good job at fixing the floors," food. It's a "they didn't have anything left on the shelf," food.

[levelshift]

Maybe in fucking Piltover, but in Japan they're really popular.

[He rolls his eyes. Sheesh.]

If you're gonna be picky I can get you something else. What about a katsu sandwich?

[hexcope]

[Setting the record straight, egg salad is actually great, and it's just Jayce who's slandering it. But he hears the magic word, 'sandwich' and that has him looking much more satisfied.]

Yeah, that sounds good. Thanks!

[levelshift]

[One day he's going to make Jayce eat his words (that is, eat an egg sando). One day.

He lets out an exasperated noise, then starts up the stairs, careful about the problematic one.]

Fine. I'll be back soon.

[hexcope]

[With a nod, Jayce gets to work on the stairs as Accelerator leaves. He fixes the unstable step. And then he checks the rest of the steps, and re-stabilizes a few that weren't broken yet but could have broken in the near future. Then he goes upstairs to find that loose floorboard, and finds about five more along the way.

By the time Accelerator gets back, he's actually going to be dismantling one of the ceiling fans.]

[levelshift]

[Accelerator is eternally grateful the farm isn't that far from the main part of Etraya, which means it's relatively close to the 7-Eleven. He doesn't bother using his ability to get over there quickly, preferring not to waste his limited battery life on something so frivolous. That means he'll be a while, having to get over there, pick up lunch, and walk all the way back. On the way he finishes the coffee Jayce brought him.

When he returns he's got a bag in his free hand, and in it is clearly more than one singular sandwich. As he enters the living room he balks at what Jayce is doing.]

The fuck? What happened to the loose floorboard?

[hexcope]

I fixed them already.

["Them." Not one.]

And I noticed your ceiling fan takes more than one pull to turn it on, which means a faulty pull chain. I tightened it for now, but it'll go slack again with a few more uses if you don't get it replaced. Just putting it back together now. What's katsu, by the way? I forgot to ask before you left.

[levelshift]

[A blank look overtakes Accelerator's face. Fault pull chain? That's a thing? He had no idea.]

... A breaded cutlet. The one in the sandwich is pork.

[He steps further into the living room, dropping the bag onto the coffee table so he can start pulling stuff out: one katsu sando, one egg sando, two canned coffees (BOSS Black), and some Jagabee potato sticks (butter soy sauce flavour).]

I got you a coffee, too. [But he's mostly still distracted by the ceiling fan.] Do I have to ask Aurora for a new pull chain, too?

[hexcope]

That sounds great.

[Jayce finishes reattaching the ceiling fan parts, and once again rubs his face with his hands. He's getting dirt all over himself.]

At this point, it might be cheaper to ask for the whole hardware store. But this isn't a big problem. Just the nature of an old house like this. Won't fall apart just because it takes three or four pulls to turn on a fan.

[He'll take a seat in the living room by the coffee table, cracking open the can of coffee to start with.]

Hey, uh. Thanks for inviting me over.

[levelshift]

[Accelerator drops down into a chair, grabbing the potato sticks to open up as he watches Jayce. Should he tell him he's got dirt on his face? He's mulling that over as he nods at the whole 'home maintenance' business. Maybe he should ask for a hardware store....

He pauses.]

Why the hell are you thanking me? This stuff has to be a lot more boring than what you're working on over at the lab.

[The coffee is Accelerator's favourite brand. It is also bitter as hell.]

And you might wanna wash your hands first. And your face.

[hexcope]

[Jayce drinks the bitter coffee with no problem. It's only a little worse than what he drinks himself. It's Viktor who's the one putting a whole cups worth of sugar into his drinks.]

Oh. Yeah, right.

[He should wash his hands and face. He usually just wipes his hands all over everything when he's doing work and forgets to clean it up right away sometimes. As he steps away to wash up, he calls out from the other room:]

This work being boring is what's nice about it. It's straightforward and easy to do. I don't have to rack my brain over a math problem to know how to nail in a piece of wood.

[And all cleaned up, he can enjoy his sandwich in peace!!]

[levelshift]

[He sits back, starting to munch on the potato sticks as he thinks about Jayce's answer.]

Do math problems really get that tiring for you?

[Being an esper, especially a high level one, means that math is an intrinsic part of his life. Calculating, equations and formulas are all second nature to him. He gets that won't be the case with normal people, but it's a bit surprising to think of someone nerdy like Jayce needing a break from math on occasion.]

[hexcope]

Yeah. [He says between chews.] It does for most people. Even if it's something I like doing; when it gets complicated, I have to still solve for it. The answer doesn't just land in my lap.

There's some things that do feel like... an instinct, a second-nature to me. But math's not one of them.

[levelshift]

[Huh, this is news to him.]

I wouldn't have guessed that.

[Which is a kind way of saying he's always thought of Jayce as such a big nerd that math would be second nature to him.]

If that's how it is how come you spend so much time doing math? Why not stick to fixing stuff if it comes easier to you?

[hexcope]

[That gets an exhale of a laugh from him as he reaches for his drink again.]

You sound like my ma. "Why don't you just take over the Talis hammer business! You're good at it, you know how to run it!"

[He sighs, taps his can against the edge of the table in thought.]

It's not enough to be good at something. You have to want to do it, or it's not fulfilling. I would rather struggle with math problems and experiments that don't work all day just for the chance that some day, it will, than spend my life doing something I can do easily but feel nothing for.

[levelshift]

[He blinks a little at being compared to Jayce's mother. It's weird and unexpected, and despite that he understands what Jayce is getting at. He'd be a very different person if he only did what came easily to him.

He'd be a far worse person if he did.]

... Right. Is that struggle part of the appeal for you?

[He has to wonder about that, because for him it's intensely difficult and something he has to suffer through every day.]

[hexcope]

Not the appeal really, but there's a sense of accomplishment. It's wow, I did it! instead of well, it's done. Even then, I didn't get into doing math and science for the sake of it. I wanted to create magic. Those areas of study made sense as the closest I'd get to it. It started as a means to an end, but then I realized I liked how it felt when I succeeded.

[levelshift]

Can't say I've felt that kind of accomplishment much in my life.

[He's muttering that under his breath, reaching to grab his sandwich and unwrap it.]

A shithead I know back home has said stuff about magic and science being different ends of the same spectrum, so I suppose that makes sense.

[hexcope]

Both science and magic require a belief that what you've been told might not be the full truth. That there's a scope beyond your current understanding, and that you might never see everything for what it truly is. I'm sure your powers take away some of that mystery and the pursuit for you, but you know you don't know everything, too. Our curiosity is what makes us human.

[Chew chew chew.]

What do you want to do with your life? Forget your actual responsibilities. Hypothetical scenario.

[levelshift]

[Jayce has a point. Science is all about seeking out the truth of the universe in order to better understand it. And that piece of shit Aleister had said something similar, that despite his ability being that of a particle accelerator, there are still (magical) things he may not necessarily understand. Then again, that had been before that whole mess on that battleship, so who the hell knows anymore....

Accelerator takes another bite of his sandwich, considering those thoughts, and nearly spits it out at the question. He gives Jayce a bewildered stare in silence for several moments.]

........

[Of course, he has thought about this before. Despite being forced into roles that don't allow for a lot of wiggle room, Accelerator has still thought about what he wants most out of his miserable life. That had been the driver behind him willingly going along with the Level 6 Shift project. But saying it out loud....

That feels too difficult.]

I don't see why that matters.

[hexcope]

So you’ve thought about it.

[Avoiding the question like that says more than it doesn’t. Jayce finishes his food and wipes his hands off on his pants. They’re already dirty enough, it’s fine.]

Having aspirations matters. It’s not like I can help you achieve them back home, so why not try here? Wouldn’t it be nice to know?

[levelshift]

[There's no argument from Accelerator. To confirm Jayce's suspicion he just scowls and reaches for his can of coffee. Caffeine will help his mood (no it won't).]

I already know it isn't possible, so it's not worth talking about.

[hexcope]

I won't believe you until you tell me. You've said some pretty inaccurate things before.

[levelshift]

Fuck you.

[He's giving Jayce a sharp glare as he pops open his coffee and takes a long sip. God, he's sure if he actually says it out loud he'll never hear the end of it, but Jayce is asking and people don't usually ask him this kind of thing. He knows it's coming from a good place, even if it makes him uncomfortable.

He shifts in his seat, thinking about how to word it.]

When I was younger sometimes I thought it'd be nice to have a normal life with a family.

[He is distinctly not making eye contact when he says that, inwardly cringing at how ridiculous it sounds.]

[hexcope]

[Jayce listens, waiting for the rest of it. After a few extended seconds of silence, he blinks.]

... Oh, that's it.

[There's no part two, is there? Certainly nothing he can really see how he could help with. Which is a bit of a disappointment; he did want to help, if he could.]

Like with a mom and dad, and normal high school?