#skeletom

“Actually, yes,” Jordan said. Tucker sat up and Sonja looked up from note-taking. Tucker moved to stand next to Jordan’s desk as he tapped on a familiar device they had all seen in Ruxomar. A portal. Tucker sighed in relief. “Oh thank the gods,” Tucker moaned in relief. “Do you have all the supplies? Do you think you could reconfigure it to our old land? Could you?” Tucker was leaning heavily on Jordan’s chair and Jordan moved away from him. Sonja was interested, but hadn’t gotten up. She looked over at them, her book still in her hands. 

“Probably, maybe just a couple more weeks, but I’m no Deviser Gaines--I can’t connect the worlds, but I could try.”

“Deviser Gaines…” Sonja hummed in thought. “Guess he’s back with Martha and them?” She flipped a page on her notes, resting her head on her knee as she shuffled through pages and tapped the quill against her lips.

“Well, we’re counting on you, Jordan,” Tucker said and clapped Jordan on the shoulder before stumbling back to his bed. “I’m going to pray to Mianite to kill me in the meantime.”

Jordan rolled his eyes and let the manual fall closed. He had all the iron and steel he could need, some of the machinery was in dire need of repair around here, and maybe he could secure some more redstone and crystals. There was an old wine cellar in the bed and breakfast he could build the portal in--but it might just have to be a secret from the alternates--or at least Honey. He wasn’t quite sure if he had permission to build there and frankly had no intention of asking. 

He went ahead and took the manual with him as he settled into the wine cellar where they had arranged a few chests to shove their belongings in. Jordan wasn't surprised to find his chest had been pillaged. He had to go ahead and find Tom’s chest buried at the back of the room to get the rest of his items out. He lit a few of the lanterns in the room and mumbled instructions to himself as he assembled the supplies. 

He was partially through compiling the blue-prints when he heard a knock against the wall. He glanced up to see SkeleTom holding a small pitcher of what looked to be fruit punch and had a baggie of cookies. “Hey, Jordan!”

“Hey, SkeleTom,” Jordan greeted, pushing his hair back up into a semblance of his usual coif. He got up from his place on the floor and dusted his hands off on his pants. “What’s the occasion?”

“Bored,” SkeleTom admitted. “It’s been so long since we’ve been able to hang around anyone new. And you’re really nice,” SkeleTom said. He set the bag of cookies and the pitcher of punch on the ground. He sat down criss-cross on the floor to stare at Jordan’s blueprints curiously. 

“A portal? Wow--an engineer?” SkeleTom questioned. His mis-matched eyes skimmed Jordan’s curiously. Jordan looked away. 

“Somewhat,” Jordan answered. He bent back down to organize a few of the pages and felt SkeleTom’s eyes still on him. 

“Do you really want to leave that badly?”

Jordan sighed. He tapped on a blueprint and absently consulted the manual beside him. “Yes and no--Tucker’s sick of this place already, and this isn’t the first time we’ve been stranded somewhere for a month or so,” Jordan answered truthfully. “I also kind of want to talk to the Ianite I know and like--not evil Ianite,” Jordan added. His expression shifted and he smiled absently to himself. He was humored by the events that had happened and he felt SkeleTom’s eyes move off of him. Jordan side-eyed him.

The taller man nodded, drumming his fingers on his knees. “I get it. I’d feel the same way if I woke up in a different dimension.” SkeleTom sprawled his legs out. He picked up a blueprint and studied it some, but his eyebrows creased. “I’m not sure I’m the type of person who can read this.”

Jordan looked at what he was holding and just waved it off. “I was just trying some equations like I’d seen some scientist in the old world I went to do,” Jordan offhanded said. “You know, universe portals or something.”

“Huh,” SkeleTom set the blueprint back down. “Well, you really liked the cookies I made last time so I made more. Also, figured you might be getting hungry. You’ve been cooped up all day,” SkeleTom said and gestured to the cookies and punch. “It’ll give you a mental boost at least.”

“Thanks,” Jordan said, and after a moment he decided, yes, he did need that break. He let SkeleTom pour the small pitcher into one of the two glasses strapped on top of it and sipped at it greedily. The wine cellar had little air circulation and it did help his parched throat. He felt his stomach growling and he absently dug into the bag of cookies, eyes locked on the blueprint. It was almost completed--he could get the framework of the portal done in a few days. Some of the programming and the “brain” of the portal would need a lot more thought and work put into it. Jordan didn’t realize how much he was mumbling to himself until he caught himself mid word. He looked up at SkeleTom who wasn’t interrupting him or butting in, but reading the manual Jordan found.

Jordan nodded to himself and went back to working, unbothered. His mind became wrapped up in the plans again and he absently started assembling a rough layout of the framework with spare wood, chewing on a cookie without a thought. SkeleTom motioned to him briefly that he was going to head out, but Jordan hadn’t paid much mind, his thoughts circling back to the portal.

It wasn’t until the cookies were mostly gone and he mumbled a request that next time SkeleTom got the chance Jordan would be thankful for more...that he realized the man had left. Jordan felt pleasantly happy from a day of silence and easy work. The sugar had helped him think and he returned upstairs to sleep...only to see his bed covers gone and on Tom’s bed.

Jordan sighed. Tom was already dead asleep wrapped in a cocoon. Tucker was snoring loudly and drooling all over his pillow. Wag was wide awake in the darkness--with his blanket thrown over his head and a mysterious white light glowing from beneath the thick cover. Jordan couldn’t even imagine trying to sleep in the cacophony of sounds going on in this room. On second thought, Jordan returned to the basement, ignoring the start of dreariness and reinvesting himself in the portal work. 

….

Jordan ended up falling asleep in the basement propped against the chests. Upon waking he took a moment to check to see he hadn’t disturbed his blueprints or the start to the portal frame. Everything was in order. Jordan nodded to himself and climbed the stairs Jordan nodded to himself and climbed the stairs to see Tom asleep. Tucker was still snoring.

He drifted outside and stretched. It was a bright and sunny day out and he let the sun warm his stiff joints as he tried to think of what to do. More portal resources were a must, so he ventured out with the city ordinances and rules in mind to gather them. He couldn’t gather much--there was little to get with the limitations but it was something. 

The first official day of portal recon was uneventful for him. SkeleTom had came by again with a fresh bag of cookies and Jordan had been grateful for the sugar and Sonja had come by shortly after--having spent most of her day elsewhere and snagged a few cookies and her own food before vanishing again.

The only real snag came later in the afternoon. He’d been in the middle of constructing the base of the brain when Tucker had barged down the stairs and startled him, causing him to shatter the last of his important crystals and diamonds onto the ground. Despite his haste to get out of this dimension, Tucker seemed unbothered, or at least distracted, and insisted that Jordan join him for a group meeting. Grumbling, Jordan attended their discussion, sans Tom, without much fuss, but didn’t pay all that much attention. Tucker’s message was clear, however, as he made sure to warn them all extensively about the extremely annoying bad news and Jordan kept it at the back of his mind.

Jordan knew he should be more perturbed by the announcement, but other than his murderous counterpart he felt relatively safe. He was mostly in the basement and soon he’d have the portal working--well, give or take a few weeks now that Tucker had destroyed the brain.

He tried to sleep that night among the chests, staring at the portal framework in dismay. He had gone to the basement again to avoid the chorus of snores, Tom and/or Wag’s night time shenanigans, and Tucker’s dying lungs. As he stared into the portal frame he felt a dawning unease--how was he supposed to come up with the formula? And when he did--would it be the right one?

Jordan fell asleep uneasy.

…

The next morning started abruptly. Tom woke him up, pushing at him and motioning furiously with one of his hands. Jordan awoke groggily and stared up at the zombie. It was too early in the morning for this--that much his brain told him.

Two of his fingers were wrapped in a splint and bandages and his brows were furrowed. He was clearly bruised and battered--more so than his usual undead ugliness. “Sparklez, reach up and get me a healing potion from the top chest.”

“That’s Sonja’s,” Jordan pointed out, but, eyeing Tom’s hand, he did as he was asked. Tom shotgunned the potion bottle and gagged briefly. He shoved the empty bottle back in Jordan’s hand and hissed in pain as he reflexively moved his right hand. The two fingers were well bandaged, but were swelling and purple at the visible tips. “What happened?”

Tom shot him a dirty look. “Honey. I broke one law.”

Jordan was skeptic. “Uh-huh.”

Tom pouted. His eyes welling up. He leaned towards Jordan and crowded into his space. “Jordan, I’m in pain--and suffering. Don’t give me that shit. You’ve been ignoring me the whole time we’re here--because you’ve replaced me!”

Jordan laughed. He didn’t stop Tom from practically leaning on him, but he did shrug his shoulders. “You got yourself in that situation.”

“I didn’t deserve to have my fingers broken. That’s cruel and unusual punishment,” Tom griped. Jordan shrugged him off and started to get truly up, assembling himself the best he could. Tom narrowed his eyes at Jordan’s make-shift kind-of-bed. “Why are you sleeping down here?”

“I don’t like sleeping in the same room as all of you,” Jordan said. He wrinkled his nose in thought. “You and Tucker make too much noise.”

“Are you implying we’re in bed together?” Tom purposely misinterpreted, aghast. Jordan rubbed the bridge of his nose and shot Tom a look. 

“I’m saying,” Jordan corrected, “Tucker snores and you spend all your time grumbling and whining rather than sleeping.” Tom snorted. He let out a sigh and winced as he moved his hand, looking to Jordan again.

“Can you at least kiss my fingers better?”

“No,” Jordan stated. “I’m going to go get portal resources. Don’t mess with the framework.” Tom immediately eyed his progress, squaring it up. After a moment he narrowed his eyes to slits and glowered at Jordan. 

“You’re going to hang out with SkeleTom! Aren’t you!”

“I wasn’t,” Jordan said, “but just for that I’m now reminded I’m craving cookies, so thanks.”

“You just want me to be jealous,” Tom whined. He leaned into Jordan’s space again, but Jordan side-stepped. He shrugged on his jacket and fixed Tom with a grin. 

“You’d be jealous if I hung out with no-one.”

“You admit to wanting me to suffer!” Tom crowed.

Jordan rolled his eyes. He shook his head at Tom. As he climbed the stairs up, Tom followed him ranting loudly about something or another to himself. When they reached the top of the stairs Jordan headed straight for the door and Tom fixed him with a look of disgust. Wag was asleep in bed this time and Sonja was already out of the house. Tucker was sitting on his bed, sniffling, scribbling prayers to Mianite at a feverish pace and still smelling of smoke and ash. Jordan nodded to Tucker and left, ignoring Tom’s start to a comment about SkeleTom.

Jordan had egged Tom on, but he was in the mood for cookies now and at least at SkeleTom’s he know for sure there’d be peace and quiet. Or, at least, Tom wouldn’t be clinging to him and Tucker wouldn’t be sneezing and coughing up a storm that Jordan could still hear from the basement. During the tour, SkeleTom had pointed out his bakery and house and Jordan traveled to the multi-purpose building, the sweet smell hitting him the moment he was on the block. 

With light colors and a well-trimmed flower-bush outside, the bakery reminded him of a summer house--full of promise. The soft-sound of a wind-chime swaying in the breeze and the melodic hum of bird melodies intermixed in the wind. Jordan reached SkeleTom’s bakery and knocked on the door. 

The door swung open, and SkeleTom grinned, pleased to see him. “What can I do for ya?”

Jordan smiled hesitantly at him, “I wouldn’t mind some cookies, but I’m just looking for peace and quiet.”

SkeleTom nodded in understanding. “I swear I can hear Mericho’s alternate--Tucker, right? I can hear him hacking up a lung any time I come near the ole bed and breakfast. I’ll try something else. Guess tried and true green tea and peppermint doesn’t always do it.” He moved aside, holding the door for Jordan to enter. Jordan obliged. He was at ease with the warmth of the place. In the entrance there was a gorgeous kitchen. 

Jordan wasn’t much for cooking himself, but the obvious organization, cleanliness, and function to it all was beautiful. There was a labeled shelf with various jars of ingredients. A smaller open-shelf with plastic tubs sealed tight and neat and polished silver measuring cups of varying sizes dangling from hooks near each one. A laminated recipe book was open on its own stand to a recipe for no-bake drop cookies. An array of bowls was on a rotating display, available for easy access. It was a shame the man didn’t have that many people to bake for--he was clearly made to, everything about the kitchen screamed an immense love of his craft. 

“In the meantime,” SkeleTom interrupted his train of thought gently, pausing as Jordan’s attention slowly returned to him.  “I can give you all three of what you want. Cookies, peace and quiet,” SkeleTom promised. “If you need some resources for the portal still I can get you some, if you have schematics and lists of what you still need.” Jordan’s eyes lit up. SkeleTom shrugged uneasily and shyly fiddled his fingers. “I’m not much into machinery and fighting, so when I go mining all the materials tend to stockpile and lay around. I sometimes go with Mericho for fun--he has more use for that stuff with his farm and what-not. I’m sure I could freely spare some.”

“That would be great!” Jordan said.

“Oh good! I love to help friends,” SkeleTom cheered. He lead Jordan through a modest four-person seating dining room with a red-and-white plaid tablecloth and an old record player to a small room neatly organized with chests filled with various metals, some rare ones catching Jordan’s eye immediately. What also caught his eye was a bow. It was among two-others, both also spectacularly enchanted and designed with amazing colors, but the violet marking and green highlights caught his eye. He looked to SkeleTom for permission to touch it. “Mind if I…?” Jordan asked.

“Feel free, I only really use the one on the right,” SkeleTom gestured to a more sleek red and black bow with less-loud accents of flames. 

“You use a bow and arrow?” Jordan asked curious as he handled the purple bow and examined the craftsmanship. It rivaled his old Bow of Balance. 

“Mainly, I don’t really like swords,” SkeleTom said and he shrugged awkwardly. He had a lean form and Jordan could see from the way he behaved that a reality where SkeleTom ran around with a large sword like Tom didn’t seem all that plausible. The pink jorts also didn’t look like a comfortable place to hang a blade from. 

Jordan almost wanted to ask if he could take the bow, but he put it back on its hooks, gazing at it sadly. SkeleTom caught his expression. “If you want, you can have it. Just don’t go shooting anyone.”

“Really?” Jordan’s eyes sparkled.

“Sure!” SkeleTom offered. Jordan immediately grabbed it again, his fingers running reverently over the weapon more powerful than any of his friends’ current bows or his own one. He knew it wasn’t really a purge scenario and they weren’t all about to go around killing each other for fun anytime soon. SkeleTom watched him amused and Jordan remembered his faint manners.

“Thank-you.”

“No problem. Wouldn’t want it to go to waste. Now about those cookies--I already have some made, but is there a different flavor you’d like. Or even a different treat…”

And that was how Jordan spent the rest of his day. Pleasantly happy at SkeleTom’s, letting the gift-bow sit happily on his lap. SkeleTom promised him more resources if he brought a list of what he needed tomorrow, and so Jordan kept that in mind. He didn’t need to mine for resources and waste time. He could work on the programming if SkeleTom gave him that extra help. The thoughts bubbled happily in his brain and Jordan was sent home with a bag of goodies and the bow with its very own quiver of arrows. 

He walked into the bed and breakfast that night, almost relaxed enough to consider sleeping upstairs. Tom was resting on his bed quietly for once talking with Tucker, and Sonja greeted Jordan as he walked in. He was the last one back and it was well and truly dark outside. Time must have flown when he was finally able to not have to listen to Tucker’s coughing. He had a bag of cookies from SkeleTom. He pulled one free to munch on as he heard Tucker’s hacking and wheezing fill the room. 

“Nice bow,” Sonja commented.

Jordan grinned, and didn’t miss Tom’s immediate bulls-eye attention. The zombie’s black eyes were glittering in the candle-light, the light bouncing across them and hiding his emotions. His head swiveled slightly to look from the cookies to the bow and to Jordan’s face.

“Accepting gifts now, you traitor?” Tom accused. He stood, lurking in the corner.

“Mm-hm,” Jordan hummed and set the bag of cookies down on the desk near his bed. He turned to the others. “SkeleTom offered to give me the rest of the resources for the portal so I’ll be able to start programming it in two days from now. But for now, I’m going to bed.” “That’s great news!” Tucker said with relief. His voice was hoarse.

“Glad to hear,” Sonja added. She lay back on her bed, her mind elsewhere. Wag, further away, was organizing plant seeds on his bed and had building schematics planned out. Jordan almost considered asking him what he planned on building when Tom butted into his thoughts. He had crossed the room to block Jordan’s path to the basement. 

“You know, Jordan, you traitor us all the time. How do we know you’re not praying to evil Ianite yet!” Tom brandished his finger at Jordan’s chest.

Jordan ignored him. He pushed Tom’s hand away from his chest and walked past the zombie. As he went down the stairs, he could still hear Tom still throwing meaningless accusations at his back.

He had a formula to get done and a portal to finish, as far as he was concerned, Tom could prattle all he wanted, Tucker could sneeze everywhere and everyone else could mind their own business--so as long as no one disturbed him.