A Thoughtful Gift. (DWC8-4.)
[Music]
Jack had left the apartment early that day, entrusting that Jade would be fine by himself. The Raven had yet to emerge from his quarters and Jack was confident that he would be back by the afternoon. With Pepper at his side, the mechanical feline trotted happily, traversing with the dragon as he always did. An endless companion for a timeless creature, handcrafted by Darnath himself, Jack was rarely without Pepper in some form or another. Hells, even a feline who greeted Jade with happy meows, unwavered at the heat the man produced.
Outland was the journey's destination, an old outpost where Ethereals liked to still trade. While Darnath may have been excelling in prosthetics and bringing life into mechanical companions, Jack's tricks stayed closer to his branded 'Ethtech', engineering by Ethereals that he had studied for years before even meeting those in his life today.
The day had been filled with trading and tinkering, gathering the supplies he needed before he was off to Pandaria with Pepper still in tow to head to the Timeless Isle once more. A few weeks there was a mere few hours in the rest of the world, and it would give the dragon time to relax and work quietly by himself.
Each little piece and part was spread out in a familiar cave he and the raven had spent their time in together and one by one, each gear and gadget was placed together, building the perfect shape of something spectacular. Hands became greasy and worn as he worked feverishly for weeks.
Pepper often slept and relaxed nearby, once in a while playing with gears and rivets that rolled around. Jack had begun to wonder if that's what Dar or even Dicenne felt like while working and Jack entertained himself in their workspaces. Such brought a small smile to his face.
Memories flooded his brain during work, some things that he hadn't thought of in a long time, some that he was still angry about, and some that still brought a tint of red to his cheeks even then. He wondered how his friends were doing, those he hadn't seen in ages. Sana, Onyx, Cay... Those important in his life one way or another that he hadn't kept in contact with while 'sorting himself out'. Mayhap a party or a visit was overdue.
By the time he finished his work, Jack packed up the new egg-shaped item and hooked Pepper under his other arm, using a portal to get home once they were clear of the Timeless Isle's magic. He'd set his own companion down and just as he was getting ready to enter, a notification went off on his Tart comm.
Deagra? What did he miss?
"Hey uhh... think I hurt myself a bit in the practice room... little help guys?"
Sent 4 hours ago.
Furrowing a moment, Jackary chewed his lip at having missed the message and typed a quick reply to the group, balancing the attempt to open the door and carry all of his supplies at the same time. A simple 'Everything okay? Just got this' and a hope that someone had gotten to it already.
Naturally the moment he stepped into his apartment, his nose twitched at the scent of the place. Burnt salt, sugar, cleaning products, baked goods, sweat, and ashes... Whatever had happened in here, he was honestly unsure if he really wanted to know.
"Jade?" As he called out and stepped in, his toolbox was set off to the side, followed by Pepper who went bounding into the house to climb his cat tree, initiating weeks of pent-up ZOOMIES all over the house. The mechanical egg was carried over and when he paused at the cookie plate and note scribbled in front of Darnath's door, a small smile crossed his features. With the same amount of care, the item Jack had been slaving over was set in front of Jade's door before he moved his way into his own room. After all, he certainly needed a shower.
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