Jack Of All Trades ✓ | steampunk, dragons, trickery

Chapter 5.3: Stubborn Jack in the Box

Next day evening, they finally arrived at Belvinshire Station after changing trains to go back the right way. Luckily, no policemen were out and about to stop them. It seemed the news hadn't reached the ears in Belvinshire. Looking outside from the tall, wide windows in the station's observatory, Jack sighed. It was a stormy day threatened to be heavy in acid, so they unanimously decided to find a motel and spend time there. It was either that or brave the weather that might open holes in their clothes.

Unluckily, only a single-bed room was available. Jack leaned over the counter to reach for the keys in the gruff man's hands.

Howlers oughtta win. The man thought. Jack noticed the name tag said, 'Scott'. Seemed like Scott was a sportsman. Jack thought he might hear something useful, but only tonight's game seemed to be on his mind.

Howlers Matty Mathews, aye, aye, aye! Bet my shit he's gonna trip again. Shite.

Jack sighed, smiled, and wrote his name on the registry. Well, sort of his name. 'Joe Oaksfeld'.

"Happy stay, Joe," Scott grumbled. Effin' shift. I'm gonna miss the game.

Sometimes listening into other people's thoughts did nothing.

In the room, Jack took the bed.

"Are you serious?" Eli cried out. "You're supposed to give the girl the bed. You sleep on the couch."

"Finders keepers," he said and lay down on the bed. In truth, he was too tired to notice that little couch by the door. He was also too tired to explain himself and too tired to be 'effin nice'.

Eli grumbled and threw her bag on the floor. "I think it's about time you come clean."

Jack turned his head. "I did. You heard all you can hear. So shut up."

"No, you have to tell me everything." She crossed her arms.

"Nope."

"Yep."

Jack groaned. Why was she being so difficult? "I'm tired. Goodnight," he said and rolled over. He really didn't want to deal with this now. He wanted to just forget, for a moment, what happened today. Even anger was too tired to bubble in his chest. Telling his story was none of her business. Couldn't she just forget about it and move on? Wasn't her mission to become some beast seeker and figure out her life instead of butting her head into his?

"Mongrel." He heard her mutter under her breath. "I'm going to keep talking until you open up, Jack in the box. I'm going to keep yapping until you turn your head. And I'm not tired."

"Oh? Then we'll test that theory." Jack kept his head turned and then she did start yapping about all kinds of things. The ugly weather outside, the Scott guy downstairs and how his mustache looked like dust, Ann Smithe and how she seemed dotted on the street artist Timothy, the general politics of Endil and then the detailed mechanics of airships. After that she moved onto going through entire recipes for desserts and then began reciting the alphabet.

Jack grimaced. At least if she keeps talking, I won't hear her thoughts. Sometimes he did hear people's thoughts when they were talking, but it was rare.

"And did you know that the first airships ever to be made didn't even go up in the air? And did you know that there's a flower called dragon's breath and it's the color of soot? And did you know..."

Dungs and apples. Does she ever run out of things to say? Jack tried to ignore her, but her deep voice yapping was unsettling. 

Was she really going to keep talking until he turned his head? He didn't want to give her the pleasure of him giving up. He was Jack. He never gave up. Ever. Him running away from Norman Fellows was not giving up. It was only to put space between and figure out how to best kill him.

"I'm going to take off my clothes now," she announced. "And then I'll be naked. And then you'll see how much of a woman I am. I've taken off my jacket. Now moving onto my dress. One by one, oh, there goes another stocking."

He didn't think she was beautiful. That was what he told himself. But then he suddenly remembered her in that red dress. The way her hair fell, the way her lips were painted red, the way she was unrecognizable until she spoke. Eli was beautiful. Certainly, the kind of beauty he liked, but he didn't like the inside of her. That personality did not do that face justice.

"If you turn around, I'm now completely naked and I'll give you full permission to stare at me."

Jack felt his muscles tense. It was some kind of instinctual reaction. As a man, he was intrigued by a woman's nakedness. It was as natural as rain falling from a cloud.

No, she's bluffing. She can't possibly be naked. Jack shook the thought away.

"It feels weird lying on the couch naked. The material feels so soft on my skin! You know, I usually sleep naked. You wouldn't mind, would you?"

He kept his head turned away. She couldn't be naked. She wouldn't go that far to try to make him turn.

Silence followed.

Did she finally give up? Jack stared at the curtains, finding faces in the stains. He strained his ears to listen to the hushed night. Without warning, his mind pictured Eli laying on the couch naked and asleep. 

He shoved the image away and then realized he didn't know her family name. In fact, he didn't really know her at all. Was she really an aeronaut's assistant? The only thing he was certain of was the memory of how her family got the dragon's tear crystal and that her grandfather was a Seeker. She was also good at keeping her thoughts from him.

Minutes ticked by. He counted. One minute, two minutes, and soon five minutes. She had to be asleep now. He couldn't even hear any thoughts from her. If she had fallen asleep, he wouldn't hear her thoughts. Thoughts went off when the person fell asleep even if Jack was in close proximity with them.

Safe to say? Perhaps. Jack wanted to roll on his back. So, he did. Then he looked.