Players:
Summary: Kaji gives Jeremy his jacket and Jeremy sees it's past.
Date: December 6, 2009
Log Title About A Jacket
Rating: PG
NYC - Washington Square Park
Washington Square Park is easily identified by the white Washington Square Arch. This park in Greenwich Village has a relaxing fountain in the middle, and benches all around for people to sit and people watch, read, or draw. It is common to find the occasional political protest in this park, as Greenwich Village is one of the more Liberal Area's of New York City.
It's later in the evening and it's just gotten dark, and Jeremy is curled up on a bench with a sign 'hungy, homeless, please help' on the ground next to him. He's getting a few dirty looks from people passing by but a few also drop dollars in the hat on the ground. He's trying to keep warm but it's tough in the cold weather, even with the warmer clothes that Alessia bought him recently.
Seeing as the park is next to his apartment, he does spend a good bit of time there. The artist; as told by his backpack slung from his shoulder, pencils easily visible, looks down at Jeremy. He lets out a soft hm before he walks over towards him. He doesn't say much, but he drops his backpack to the ground and starts to take his coat off to give to him. Leather jacket and all.
Jeremy isn't sleeping, he's just curled up to keep warm, so when he sees Kaji start to take off his jacket, he sits up fairly quickly. He is wearing a jacket that is in fairly good condition but it's not enough to keep completely warm. "So-something I can help you with?" He asks with a nervous edge to his voice.
Kaji lets out a soft laugh. "That jacket doesn't seem to do well enough to keep ya warm." He crouches down, holding his jacket in a hand as he adds on. "Was wondering if you'd like to have a thicker one. Leather always seemed to be the warmest for the weather to me."
Jeremy shakes his head. "I can't take your jacket from you. You need it too." He says as he feels weird taking so many handouts lately. And Jeremy knows how much he could get for a leather jacket in a pawn shop for drug money and he really doesn't feel right taking it knowing he'd probably sell it at some point. "Thank you though…"
Kaji shrugs a bit. "I can handle the cold in my own way. Besides, to be perfectly honest with you, this jacket was bought used so it's not that big of a loss. But a much better gain for you." He hands the jacket over with the question, "So, why aren't you in a shelter. There's gotta be dozens in this city. Why stay on the streets?"
Jeremy hesitates before reaching over and taking the jacket, putting it over his chest almost like a blanket. At least he stops shivering a bit. He takes a deep breath and shakes his head at the question. "I was in a runaway shelter about a year ago but it didn't work out so I'm out here. I don't have anywhere else to go."
Kaji nods softly as he sits down on the ground, resting his arms in his lap. "Ah, I won't press into that. But, I'm pretty sure you could've found a better place to curl up than out here. Or would you rather not try to do it in the city."
"I try not to stay in the same spot twice in a row." Jeremy says adjusting the jacket and it hits his chin and everything the jacket has been through for the past five years flashes in his mind. He's quite for a minute before moving the jacket down quickly. He just stares up at Kaji nervously. "You're….you're…you're a werewolf…you're not gonna eat me are you?" He should know he's a mutant but the wolf part is what's sticking in his mind.
Kaji nods a bit, and then blinks a bit as he goes quiet. He tilts his head down a bit to see if he was alright, and then he leans back as he's stared at. He lets out a soft laugh, rubbing his forehead with a hand before he says, "I'm not a werewolf. And no. I'm not going to eat you. I'd rather eat escargot before I become a cannibal." Then he blinks with a small smirk. "Now, how'd you know that."
"But you turn into a wolf, I saw it." Jeremy says letting the visions sort in his mind, it doesn't take as long as it should for a normal person to sort through five years of memories. "I saw, you, as a wolf. You're a mutant. You go to college around here." He says as he blinks a bit. "And you don't want to know who belonged this coat before you. I know that because I can see the past."
Kaji is curious now, but the fact that he said that; he kinda doesn't want to know. "Now I'm kinda curious about that. But… scale of one to ten. How bad was it." He laughs a bit. "I turn into an /anthro/ wolf. Not a wolf. I can't do that." Least he doesn't think he can.
"Yeah, I saw you turn into a werewolf." Jeremy says as he thinks it's so weird. "Like in American Werewolf in London. Scale to one to ten, about a seven, at least noone died or killed anyone in it. Though there was a lot of leather and fishnet going on." He says looking down at the jacket, not wanting to see more. "I'm a mutant too." He admits quitely while looking down at the ground.
Kaji snickers softly. He quirks a brow and he lets out a laugh. "So, you saw me do this." He looks around for a moment; everyone seems to be inside for the evening as it is a good bit chilly, and he shifts into his anthro form. Shifting his spot a bit as he gets a bit more comfy. "Honestly, fur makes for a better coat. And, as soon as ya said ya could see the past; I figured ya had to be one."
Jeremy tenses up and backs up against the bench, as even though he saw it earlier in his visions and he knows Kaji isn't a bad person, it's just weird to see a giant werewolf in front of you. He just nods his eyes not moving from Kaji. His hand moves over to find his backpack and he pulls it into his lap, fiddling for something. "I…I guess…it does?"
Kaji quirks a brow with a slight curl of his muzzle. "Oh come on. It's not like I'm going to harm you." Even though he could easily. He sits more comfortably on the ground, after fishing his tail out of his pants; least it isn't pinned down a pant leg. "Not many people can see the past, and actually get it right without being a mutant."
"I know, I know you're not a bad person, it's just…" Jeremy shakes his head and finally pulls out a beatup pack of cigarettes and pulls out one, lighting it with a match. He takes a long drag to steady his nerves a bit. "I can't help it, it just comes to me if I want it too or not."
Kaji wrinkles his nose at the sight of the pack before he shifts back into his human form. Having a normal sense of smell would be easier to bear the scent of those death sticks. "But still. The fact that you were right kinda said that you're a mutant more than actually saying it."
Jeremy notices the nose wrinkle and sighs. "Sorry, they just help." He says indicating the cigarettes. "I could have been something else? What, I really don't know. I don't know much about mutants and I'm still dealing with…being one." He says looking down at the ground as he continue to smoke.
Kaji laughs a bit, avoiding the cigarettes as he says, "Ya have to deal with being a mutant, and you have to deal with everyone else if they know." He shrugs slightly. "I've had to deal with being one for about… Ten years now?" He blinks a bit. "Wow, didn't realize it was that long."
Jeremy takes a long drag of the cigarette and as he talks small whisps of smoke escape his mouth. "A little over two years, I've been dealing with being a mutant. I don't know many." He says trying to wrap the jacket around him more. "At least you've had people who've been understanding." He says as he saw a vision of Cid and Kaji.
Kaji lets out a soft ah as he nods a bit. "Yeah, I've had people who've been like that. And I've met others." He doesn't know where Cid's been lately. But he just shakes his head on that and he looks back up at Jeremy. "Well, being a mutant can be hard. If ya don't have people to help ya."
Jeremy nods slowly and his gaze is still focused on the ground. It's obivous he has a lot going through his head but he's keeping most of it in. "I know it's not as hard as turning into a wolf, or always being covered in slime, as long as I keep my skin covered I'm okay."
Kaji quirks a brow at the slime comment and he laughs a bit. "At the beginning, yeah. It was hard to control it. Now, it's as easy as breathing." Though he still shifts in his sleep from time to time.
"When it first happened, it came in waves, but now, I can't stop it." Jeremy says finishing off his cigarette. "I don't even know if I can." He says runing a hand through his tangled hair. He could use a brush or a haircut. "As long as I keep covered, I'm okay, but the skin contact is what triggers it."
Kaji nods a bit. "That must suck then. Not being able to touch anything." He stretches his arms over his head, almost regretting that as he brings them back down with a shiver. Out of reflex to be warm, he shifts into his anthro form once more with a soft laugh. "Sorry. It's a bit colder than I first realized."
"You can have you're jacket back." Jeremy says as he would kind of dislike to lose the warmth but he feels bad about taking his jacket. Which he's decided it too warm to sell for drug money. Stealing from rich business folk is easier than getting warm clothes. "As long as I have gloves on, it makes a bit easier. Seeing the past of clothing just the once is easier than everything you touch. It took me a while to figure out it was skin contact."
Kaji shakes his head, his fur bristling up around his neck to protect from the cold better. "Nah, I'm good. Winter coat came in a few weeks ago, and I'm just fine like this." He does look really fluffy anyway. "It's gonna be a bitch the spring, that's for sure."
"I don't mind the spring, it's not too hot or cold out." Jeremy says as this is almost his second year on the streets. "And the ground gets softer to sleep on when it's not frozen and there's grass." He shakes a bit and rubs his left arm a bit. "Cold." He says even if the shivers aren't exactly from the weather.
Kaji nods a bit. "I can see that. Nights get a bit more bearable and warmer is always a plus." Except when you're covered in fur. A ear flicks a bit before he gets up, and scoops his back up real fast. "It was nice meetin' ya. The names Kaji if ya ever see me again."
Jeremy nods. "Jeremy, I'm Jeremy." He never tells anyone his last name. "It was nice meeting you too. Sometimes I hang around in this park, sometimes the one in mutant town." Since he knows Kaji knows about mutant town. He gives KAji a small smile and nod. "Thanks again for the jacket Kaji, I appricate it."
Kaji nods a bit as he skips backwards a bit. "Don't worry about it. Just make sure it lasts ya the winter." With that, he starts to head back to the apartments with a good bit of speed at his feet.
"It will, it's warm. Thanks again." Jeremy watches Kaji walk away and then looks around. He starts to pack up his stuff and head off to darker area of the park, he can feel that he needs his next drug fix and uses the time alone to get one.
