Jacques "Jack" Vernadega is a redheaded protagonist born by a couple that died from (seemingly) unknown causes when he was six. At twelve, he ran away from his foster home to pursue a better life. He was stuck alone and wandering the streets until h...
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Jacques hadn't questioned the shop, nor anything else on the way. The rain beat hard against the concrete, and the young boy quietly stayed under the large umbrella held over his head as he walked with Ensley out to the streets. Lips quiet, he looked down and opened his palm, the blue gem resting tightly in his grasp before looking up at the taller. He saw that the elder was looking straight ahead, cautiously watching the roads. The city was wet and chilly, and Ensley's flame burned brightly to stay alit. He was looking out down the intersection as they walked along the familiar crosswalks along the rain-soaked asphalt as the duo trekked towards the subway.
Baby blue eyes saw as they passed a large clock mounted on a nearby building and checked it. It was just grazing past four, and he noticed the shopkeeper glancing as well. Ensley was completely quiet. Jack looked down at his feet and quietly thought to himself once more, stuffing his blue gem back into the pockets of his parka.
He didn't know much about Ensley, nor Oculatum spirits. The other must of had said what he felt was necessary then, and that itself was self-explanatory. The man basically found an orphaned child, running from a misfit of employees and saved him. Totally not off-putting at all. He said his name, explained who... or what he was, offered to bring Jack with him on some kind of business trip as extra help, and that was it. Any regular kid would have been scared of going off with a stranger, especially alike Ensley, but the young boy grew used to it and didn't seem to mind. His life in its entirety was filled with enough strangers as is.
He felt a stir, watching raindrops pelt against the chrome cane in his view and glanced up. Ensley had been looking down at him- flame small and waving slowly - then he glanced down at the ground and took a limber step over a large puddle that stood in their way. Jack had to jump over it and stumbled, yet caught his balance and continued walking. The sun reflected off of the puddle's surface and Jack had to squint, yet Ensley seemed unfazed by it.
They eventually reached the train station: a large historic building with giant brick columns at the front. Above its entrance was a giant clock and an electronic screen, giving out numbers for arriving trains. Ensley waited on Jack, the rain stopping slowly as they soon headed up the concrete steps, the soft shuffling of footsteps and the click of Ensley's cane echoing off its walls. They stepped into the large station and Ensley closed his umbrella, before handing it to the boy beside him. With a creak, he leaned down to him quietly.
Glancing at the crowds in the room, he opened his gloved hand and held it next to his face to keep nosy eyes from seeing the occasional breath of thick smoke that left his lips. "There's a bench over there," he whispered to the redhead. "You'll be in my view while I purchase our tickets. Don't speak to anyone. There's nobody at this station I know, and I don't want you in trouble." A heavy cloud of spoke escaped him yet he quickly aired it away from Jack, before standing straight and pretending to cough in his palm. Jacques looked up at him for a moment, before giving a quick nod. Holding onto his parka and the black umbrella, he shuffled over to the wooden bench mentioned, and sat down.
Jack didn't quite understand why the limber man covered his mouth, and subtly put his hand in his pocket to grab his gem. He looked around at the passerby, before putting the item in front of him on the bench, taking it off his person. He was cautious, keeping it safe as he looked up at Ensley. The male had soft, chestnut brown hair once more, slicked back with what looked like hair gel. Weird. He was talking to a woman at the counter, two tickets in his hand. If anything, he looked disinterested in whatever the woman was talking about, a flirting glance across her face. Whatever conversation they seemed to have was cut short as Ensley soon started walking over to the bench with the tickets, and Jack put his gem back in his pocket and shifted to make room for him. The tall man shifted, sitting down next to him, and the curious child looked at his hand and started talking. "So... what was that woman talking about? She looked really strange."
The man made a low grunt, a visible puff of soot escaping the metal bars of his lantern. "She wanted my phone number, yet I told her I wasn't interested." Jack kept his eyes on him, and Ensley looked forward, yet felt his gaze. For a moment, it was almost as though the young boy could see a soft pink tint in the lantern's flame, and Ensley looked back at him. "I also don't use phones."
He spoke in a curt English accent, and the boy let out a bright chuckle before he rose his head. "Haha, old man!"
"Don't call me that." The Englishman spoke sharply, yet gave the boy a soft, gentle nudge with his elbow. A chugging sound echoed in the distance and the two glanced in the direction of the noise, until Ensley stood back up. "Come on, then. Train's arrived."
He heard a laugh from Jacques and the short, freckled boy got up from the bench and followed as the other started walking once more. The train pulled into the station and its doors creaked open, the two stepping in.
