sortinghat_logs | if you're lost and alone

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jake english

if you're lost and alone

WHO: Jake English and the Strilondes (this sounds like a terrible band name).
TONE: Awkward, as most things with Jake tend to be.
RATING: PG?
WHEN: Backdated all the hell way back to Easter. Welp.
WHERE: The Strilonde Residence.
WHAT: Bro has demanded Jake return to the Strilonde residence with him to spend the Easter holiday with them so he's not alone at the school. Shenanigans are likely to ensue.
STATUS: Ongoing!

Jake had, without a doubt, always enjoyed people. But he'd not grown up around large numbers of them, so he wasn't horribly distraught when not surrounded. If anything, he enjoyed a healthy dose of solitude. This had continued even after his grandmother died and he had moved back in with his parents in Glasgow-- he rarely left the house, was rarely seen with anyone but Neytiri.

Hogwarts had changed that. He still got a little antsy around large groups, but now he was essentially part of a family. He'd been adopted, more or less, by the Strider/Lalonde hybrid set of sideshow oddities. And while he certainly didn't quite fit with their pale hair and strange eyes, he didn't mind so much, looking so different. He was tall and built similarly to the Strider father, dark-skinned and dark-haired, but he had just as many quirks about him as Dirk, or Dave, or even Rose.

But he'd never really had a problem with spending odd holidays alone in the school. Bro, on the other hand, seemed to take issue with the concept of him spending Easter on his own. So, here he was, abruptly apparated to the Strider-Lalonde household, Neytiri in his arms and a duffel over his shoulder.

Welp.

[Idgaf how you guys wanna tag, action brackets are fine I just prosed because I'm a proser. Idk what anybody was gonna be up to over the Easter holiday so I left it super open-ended.]

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Jake probably doesn't want to look around the house too carefully- since there hasn't been anyone here for a while, the smuppets have probably managed to get everywhere, and there are probably still traps, magical and otherwise, in various places around the apartment.

But really, it's a Strider apartment, not much can be expected other than that. After being apparated back, Dirk just shrugs his bag up higher on his shoulder, then nudges Jake with an (unfortunately pointy) elbow.

"You can throw your stuff in my room," he says, because of course Jake's going to share his room, right? Or he assumes so.

He'd never had the slightest inkling of feeling unwelcome here, but for some reason this time around it was strange. Maybe it was because it was for a Holiday he didn't typically spend with his more or less adoptive family, or maybe it was because now he was dating the lady of the house. Either way, it was somehow different this go around, and he was looking at the apartment in a new sort of light when Dirk's bony elbow prodded him in the side. He flinched and sulked at him, feigning far more injury than was received and rubbing at his ribs with the faintest of grins.

"Sure," he said. Because of course he was hanging out in Dirk's room-- where else would he be? He was still in the awkward stage of afraid to hold Rose's hand most days of the week. He certainly wasn't ready to sleep in the same room as her. It was strange enough to be staying in the same house, knowing they were together. He tried to keep the color off of his face as he headed for Dirk's room.

Who knows. Maybe Jake was planning on taking the living room, just in case Rose came out of the room she was staying in for the night. But Dirk actually grins for a moment when Jake agrees, although it's gone as soon as he steps forward to go with Jake toward his little corner of the apartment.

It's much like his dorm at school, not that Jake gets the chance to see that very often, but much neater. The bed hasn't been touched in months, everything on the desk is neatly placed, the MLP posters remain untouched on the wall.

There are two smuppets attempting something on the rug on the floor, but Dirk just kicks them under the bed. "Nice of Bro to bring you," he says instead.

Jake was carrying a bit more tension than usual in his shoulders as he wandered stiffly into Dirk's room. Ah, same as usual. Neat and orderly, almost sterile, with just enough disarray (the smuppets) and customization (the posters) to be entirely Dirk. He set his bag down and crouched down beside it.

"Yeah," he offered. "I tried to tell him he didn't have to, but he wasn't having any of it."

It would be a bit more cluttered in a few days, after having been lived in again, considering things like making the bed only happen on special occasions, with him.

"When he makes his mind up, there's no changing it," Dirk commented, setting his own things down on his bed and unpacking a few textbooks to set on the desk. "Not like we mind having you over, dude."

He didn't know what was so awkward about this visit that wasn't awkward in the rest of them. Hell, he really did spend nine out of ten school holidays here, what was so suddenly unusual? Possibly the fact that he was dating Dirk's sister, or that this was one of the few holidays he usually didn't spend with them.

A funny little lesser-known fact about Jake English, you see, is that while he certainly adores the company of his friends and his family (even if most of his family is not of blood relation), he has a rather might solitary streak running in him. Blame it on his largely singular upbringing and the fact that he rarely had companionship outside of his cat, but the boy got overwhelmed when he didn't have a healthy dose of Jake Time. It never stopped him from envying his classmates who had families to go home to and be an active part of, but sometimes he found himself valuing that aspect of his life, since it gave him the chance to roam the halls when they were nearly devoid of people, and have at least a weekend if not more of solitude. It wasn't always the greatest thing for him, but he did generally like it.

But, the reality was just as Dirk said. When Bro Strider made up his mind, there was no changing it. So here he was, in his best friend's bedroom, feeling out of place and vaguely overwhelmed, but managing a smile and a light chuckle.

"I know," he offered. "I just always feel like I'm imposing, somehow."

If he was being honest, beyond his unfortunate feelings, Dirk had little reason to be worried about Jake and Rose, not the way Bro seemed to. He knows Rose can look after herself, and Jake was so painfully sincere about it that Dirk didn't have much room to be worried about his dedication to the relationship.

"Just because things can be difficult to arrange doesn't mean you're imposing," Dirk pointed out, as he continued to lay out his things to his satisfaction. (Anything to keep things casual.) "It's still awkward as shit to be in someone else's place. School doesn't count because it's none of ours."

"Yeah," Jake conceded, watching as Neytiri basked in the sunlight filtering in from one of Dirk's windows. He stayed crouched on the floor with his arms hugged around his knees, frowning a little. "...I just feel really out of place, I guess." Which was strange, because let's be real he's an honorary Strider in the eyes of everyone but Bro. But here he was, awkward and odd-colored, hunched around himself to be as small as his broad-shouldered self could be, worrying at the inside of his lower lip.

"...I mean I guess it's always sort of awkward for me to be here," he said, shrugging with a chuckle. "I don't exactly fit?" Jake what is with your sudden inadequacies.

That's what Dirk was beginning to wonder. He finally looked away from what he was doing, and moved so that he was facing Jake fully. "What even brought this up?" he asked. "You've been coming here for years. I mean, sure, we're weird, but as far as I've observed you're used to that by now."

"Heh," he laughed to fill the silence that fell over them as he thought about that. Frowning, he shrugged his shoulders and hunched them further. "Suppose I'm just not adept at family situations..." He worried at his lip again. "And it's a bit like that, now, I think?" He felt so silly saying all of this. "Like, as children it was just me spending the summer with my best friend and his family. Now that we're getting older, the more time I spend here, the more it feels like I'm actually part of your family."

He was quick to amend that statement with another awkward chuckle and a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Not that you aren't my family, it's just. The formality of spending family holidays with a surrogate family is... terrifying, with as long as I've gone without one. Formally."

Dirk gave Jake something of a look. "This is the kind of thing that's supposed to get easier as you grow older, you know. You're not supposed to act any different just because we're practically your family. That is actually the entire point."

He elbowed Jake's shoulder gently. "Go back to thinking of it as visiting if you like, but you don't have to act like we're going to laugh at you just because you don't use the right fork at dinner. Especially when we don't have more than one type of fork."

"I guess," he said, still frowning. With the elbow to his shoulder he chuckled softly, shrugging. "I worry too much, I think." He turned at the waist and smiled up at him, reaching a hand up. "Come here." Dirk, you're getting a hug. No questions.

Does he have to? Well, he kind of wants to anyway, even if it will in no way be an ironic hug. He still tries to keep it casual by just starting with a one-armed side hug. "Worrying to much is my job, bro."

Come now, Dirk, you should know better than to try that with Jake. He chuffs softly before tugging, pulling Dirk into a full-on embrace because really.

"I suppose I'll taken on the roll of your apprentice in the field, then," he said lightly. "You put up with so much from me. Thank you."

He knows, but he still tries anyway. It's for the sake of his pride. He sighs, but eventually returns it, because Jake would probably start making a disappointed face at him if he didn't. "Yeah, well, I'd be down a damn good friend if I didn't learn to put up with it," he says, slightly muffled.

Rose was usually an early bird. She was a great morning person. Gosh she loved waking up and the sun and light and everything you would associate with the morning.

Once in awhile, though. Rose really doesn't like waking up. She really doesn't. She needs her beauty sleep and she earnestly doesn't like to be bothered when she wakes up grouchy. Hair a bed head monstrosity and looking like she could still use a few more hours of sleep, Rose is trudging towards the kitchen. "What an insufferable morning."

Oh. Well this was an interesting side of Rose he never really anticipated he'd see. Squaring his shoulders a little bit and shrinking back as she trudged by, he chuckled softly.

"Is it really that terrible?" he asked gently. He wasn't sure if she'd noticed him or not.

Pretty sure you can see the ~~Grimdark~~ dark auras of her not so good morning mood seeping out from here. She looks into the refrigerator. What is all this fucking shit? "Their kitchen is not quite up to par to mother's. And by that, I mean they earnestly can't even hold a matchstick to how stocked out kitchen is. Do they live off cereal or something?"

He was a little alarmed, true, but Rose was a bit intimidating anyway so he just gave her a slightly larger bubble than normal. He chuckled at her complaint, though.

"Your mother sounds like a lovely woman," he said, still using a gentle tone, if a bit jesting. "Though if you'd like, I could try to scare up something a little more exciting in the kitchen."

"Lovely is not the word I usually associate with mother, no. I suppose she can be pleasant but she is positively horrendous when it comes to me." She will win their passive aggressive war. She will. "I was hoping for actual food of some sort. As much as I enjoy the sugary cereals of Lucky Charms or Apple Jacks, I do actually enjoy a well balanced meal. Perhaps it was too much to ask for such a thing here."

Jake laughed heartily at that, leaning his weight to the side and sort of bumping into her.

"I do suppose one's guests and friends do have a somewhat different perception of one's parents than their offspring," he offered gently. "But I still find her lovely. Likely because you resemble her." He smiled and tilted his head. "Would you like for me to cook something up for you? I'm not sure what ingredients they have around, but I can attempt to whip something up." Rose, your boyfriend cooks.

"I would like to say now that I rather not grow up to be like my parents. Lovely people, but not the type I see myself as." She's more like them than she really knows though. "A significant other that can cook. How is it that we have not wed yet? If you mention a culinary background in the world of sweets, I think I would demand to have our vows in my father's room right this instance."

"Ah, well. I'm hardly one to judge on that topic," Jake said easily. He... didn't really talk about his parents, but he certainly didn't want to grow up to be like them. He laughed at her verbose excitement of his culinary skills, holding his hands up in a submissive gesture. "Now now, don't judge my skill before I've tried it, I'm no Barefoot Contessa." Jake apparently watches Muggle cooking shows. He smiled. "Though I can make some pretty mean lemon bars. They were my grandmother's favorite."

"I think you're quite fetching, not that I can be much of a judge. I do enjoy your company though." She is secretly a fatty, Jake. She is the fattiest. It is her. Underneath those skin and bones lies a fatty. "I haven't a clue who Barefoot Contessa is, but if you were to learn French cuisine, I would never let anyone even so much bat an eyelash at you." She would murder them.

A quiet laugh, and Jake stared at his feet. Compliments from Rose had always been difficult for him to take without squirming like a schoolboy, but now in particular. "I could take a gander," he offered. "The Barefoot Contessa is a Muggle chef, I watched a cooking show of hers quite often at my parents' home in Glasgow."

"I was never one to really sit and watch television. It isn't really something in my household and I was fonder to just sit and read. Or knit." Or succumb to what is her dastardly yet adorable cat. "I do hope you continue to learn new dishes though." Who doesn't love food, gosh.

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if you're lost and alone

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tags on my phone are H A R D ...

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Sorry for the late reply 0u0

you're fine bb <3

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