[Action | January 27th, Morning]

[z_jay]

Food really had a way of drawing people's attention no matter what age they were. A growling stomach would be the first sound made while Eugene peeked out from the trees at this strange town. He didn't remember coming here, he didn't really even remember much of anything from a few minutes ago, a lot of it was fuzzy. But the desire to eat was real.

So he made it to this shop that smelled nice, watched as people came and went and got hot drinks. Hot drinks sounded good right now, it was too cold outside, so he made his way to the counter, ordered a drink, and went back outside with a warm mug to sit at a table.

His feet didn't quite touch the ground when he sat, but that wasn't unusual, he wasn't tall enough yet to have that luxury. In fact, someone might begin to wonder who this kid is that's arrived. His wings look familiar, black with blue tips, dark curly hair, brown eyes... drawn to food.

[OOC: Action and prose are both welcome. Eugene will likely be making his way around the town in small spurts in an effort to keep warm. Feel free to bother him

Comments

[z_jay]

[Somehow he feels like he's been recognized and he isn't quite sure how this guy would known him. He sounded funny, looked a little unkempt, but at the same time something was intense about his eyes. Which culminated into Eugene glancing down into his cup, noticing his hot chocolate was gone]

I think so. How I got here.... I dunno.

[He smiled a little nervous but putting on a brave face]

I thought I was kidnapped, but then I'd need captors to be kidnapped. I think. Did you kidnap me?

[250mhzwabl]

What-?

[That startles Jack out of his reverie immediately and has him practically choking on his desire to deny it, waving his hands.]

No, God no! I'd never kidnap a kid, that's just- that's detestable. Absolute scum of the earth stuff.

[z_jay]

[Now there was something more animated to Jack, and it suited him better than whatever it was before that he'd seen. He grinned and leaned forward, elbows on the table and not bothering to correct the bad manners]

You sound funny. Are you from here? Where is here on the map? is it always this cold?

[Somehow he felt at ease around Jack, like meeting an older big kid who understood how it was to be a kid.]

[250mhzwabl]

[Man, Jack is never going to let Eugene live down being such a weird kid. Especially being such a weird kid to him,/i> in the midst of some very real emotional duress. For the moment he just pulls a face, responding almost petulantly.]

You sound funny. [That can't get much more immature, so he sticks out his tongue anyway.] And hey, one at a time on the questions, all right?

[z_jay]

You sound funny times two.

[But the fact that Jack gave back as good as he got made Eugene smile and keep that going. It was nice to have a big-kid to talk to, usually he had to be so serious]

Nu-uh, you're too slow to answer them, not my fault, eh?

[But it was cold, and he hadn't shown up with a jacket, just some pants and these wings, though he had located a jacket, it wasn't enough.]

[250mhzwabl]

Ouch, all right. Sorree.

[Jack is all mock-offence, but manages to get in an exaggerated Canadian apology, all nasally drawn-out vowels.]

But in answer to your question, no, I'm not from here. I'm from England. Do you know where that is?

[z_jay]

[For a moment he paused, that utterance a passable impersonation of the Canadian that Jack Holden never was. It was fun, though, to poke fun at him]

England is far, far away from where I'm supposed to be.

[But he'd leaned forward enough to threaten to topple his mug over and he quickly sat back to catch it... and to stare mournfully into the emptiness. He had finished it and he'd wanted more]

D'you work here?

[250mhzwabl]

Yeah. Just until the owner gets back, though.

[Jack almost-smiles at the irony of that one, then reaches out for Eugene's mug, lifting it away from him and gesturing for him to follow behind the bar while he made another.]

[z_jay]

[Details were unimportant to him, what mattered most is this Jack sorted out what he wanted and he didn't even have to ask or say please. Without further prompting, he made his way out of his seat, feet finally connecting solidly with the ground as he rounded to follow.

Without hesitating he came behind the bar to have a look around, sitting on his haunches to try and sound out some of the flavors that he could read.]

How much is a hot chocolate?

[250mhzwabl]

Oh, just the same price as everything else here. [He barely has to wrestle with the milk steamer anymore, and smiles down as he works, watching a brighter echo of the same curiosity he's seen in Eugene a thousand times before.] Absolutely free.

[z_jay]

Did you make the last hot chocolate?

[Jack should know this was a potentially loaded question, no matter how innocently Eugene might ask it.]

[250mhzwabl]

Nope! But, hey, I make a pretty fancy hot chocolate myself.

[By which he means that his hot chocolate won't necessarily taste any different, but he can definitely make it as fancy-looking as possible. Which is probably cheating, but heck. He knows how kids think.]

[z_jay]

[A fine answer, Eugene grinned more once he realized Jack knew how to play this game just as well. Now he wanted to see what Jack could do, though, so he waited, raising both brows, eager for a culinary demonstration]

...I want marshmallows, too. Make it fancy Mr Just Jack Holden.

[250mhzwabl]

[Jack does cheat a little, knowing just what Eugene likes,. So in a few minutes, what the kid has is a butterscotch hot chocolate with rainbow marshmallows, whipped cream, sprinkles, and a cherry on top, plunked down in front of his seat.]

Et voilà~

[z_jay]

[It was a rare day indeed where Jack could leave Eugene speechless with being impressed. This isn't to say he wouldn't quietly marvel at Jack's aptitude for electrical engineering or learning how to fix things in a pinch, but with food...

This looked almost too good to eat, the rainbow marshmallows leaving multicolored streaks in the whipped cream as they sunk in, the cherry glistening in the light and the heavenly aroma of something butterysweet combined with chocolate. Truth be told, it was a thing of beauty, and Eugene watched it for several moments, hesitating as he looked up at Jack]

Is it really okay to drink this?

[250mhzwabl]

[For the first time in days, it feels like, Jack laughs. Really laughs, not just a pale crackle of sound, tumbling out of him gigglishly as he watches the awe on Eugene's face.]

I didn't make it just so you could stare at it! [He nudges it closer, temptingly. Maybe it's weird to find the child version of the future love of your life so cripplingly adorable, but right now he doesn't care.] Go on. I can always make another.

[z_jay]

[This was practice for when science could achieve the impossible and they managed to either reverse time itself or have children. His smile blossomed completely, still having all his little-kid teeth before he began sipping with gusto. It was the perfect heat, and he had to break away for a moment to savor the flavor, milk-moustache and all.]

You made it so I could stare at it a little, don't lie.

[It was fun to have people admire the things you made... like scribbles of art on paper or the folded origami animals they helped him make at school. Jack was a big kid, he understood these things.]

[250mhzwabl]

[Jack gives a little 'ohoho,' of mock-intimidation, eyebrows lifting.]

Well aren't you the little detective. But fine, you've got me there. I do aim to impress.

[z_jay]

Are you my partner, then?

[Detectives always had partners who looked after each other on those TV shows he saw grownups watching.]

If so, I want a donut.

[He liked sweets, and if he could convince someone to go get it for him, then...]