Log: Nando & Jacob Who: Jacob & Nando When: Jan 14, 3P Where: Jacob's room What: Nando has information about Ethan.
Nando walked down the hall slowly, pausing with his toe on the floor and heel in the air. He stared at Cree's door, at the locks that were there, to keep him safe. To keep him...imprisoned? Shaking his head, Nando moved one door down, tapping his knuckles gently against the frame, furthest away from Cree's room as he could. He felt like he was tattling, but it was important and he was doing it for Cree, not for Ethan. Cree was the important one, but Ethan was the threat.
Jacob looked up from his crossword puzzle and remembered that Nando said he'd be stopping by. He had gotten wrapped up in a two letter word for lifeforce, though he had an inkling it was Qi. He would have to inspect the words that it shared the boxes to be absolutely sure. The puzzles were time consuming, but that was one of the things Jacob liked most about them. Walking over to the door, he undid the one lock he kept engaged and opened the door. He saw Nando with his finger over his lips. Of course, the boy wouldn't want Cree to know he was visiting...but only if Nando wasn't going to stop by afterward?
Once the door was closed, Nando sighed, his shoulders slumping forward as if he'd just been relieved of a huge boulder settled on his back. "Please, sit," Jacob said, gesturing to one of the chairs at his table. Nando had quite possibly spent as much time in the room as Jacob had, given the fast friendship he and Cree had seemed to develop. "Now what's bothering you? Did Ethan emerge?" Why the boys needed to sleep in the same room was beyond him.
The seat was taken and Nando nodded, trying to get all the facts straight in his head. "We'd been asleep and I felt Cree get out of the bed but...then I saw him walk. Like a cougar. Ethan didn't try to hide who he was this time around." Nando still remembered the meanness, the way Ethan had brought it out in him as well. It tasted like bile in his mouth. He looked up at Jacob who was sitting down as well, waiting expectantly for the tale to continue.
"Ethan said that he was there now, in Cree's body. Permanently." He wasn't making any sense. "That Cree was in the back of the mind now, that Ethan was in control."
Jacob's forehead creased. This was disturbing news. "Go on," he urged.
"He said that we were keeping Cree locked up and even if Cree didn't admit it, he felt it too. That we were giving him a gilded cage or something and that it wasn't any better than a cell. He said that their minds were becoming mind like they were melting into one another. He's a horrible person. What if Cree goes away forever and all that's left is his face with Ethan in charge?" Nando could feel himself getting worked up, leaning in a little toward the older man, as if he was some safety net from the very words he'd just spoken.
"I need you to calm down, Nando," Jacob said, managing to not raise his voice and keep the timbre of it level and steady. He was worried, of course, but showing the teen that Jacob was fretful wouldn't help the situation, only exasperate it. "Now, could you be more specific?"
Nando took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. Jacob was safe, and Nando had no ne else to really talk to about Cree. "Ethan said that he knew Cree better than we knew him, and that we're locking him up. That Cree wants to live, and not be trapped in a room. But I don't know if that's just Ethan wanting to go out or both, or just Cree. But I can't imagine that Ethan would want to stay locked up in a room either."
"Hmm," Jacob said, working the boy's words over in his head. It was quiet possible it was all a lie, and if what Nando had said earlier about Ethan being the dominant personality, then there probably wasn't anything that he could say that Jacob would actually believe. Or the dominance could have been a bluff, just to work over Nando's nerves. The boy was obviously upset, and that was what Ethan may have been after most. The short-term anguish of Nando losing his friend. "Did Ethan mention just how they were merging?"
Nando shrugged his shoulders. "He just said every day more of Ethan slips into Cree. Personality? Meanness? I..hope not." because if that was the case, that was someone Nando didn't want to be around.
"Try not to give his words more credit than they merit, Nando," Jacob said gently, patting the teen on the shoulder. "Thank you for telling me all this. I'm sure it was hard for you, but I'm glad Ethan didn't hurt you." There was no way Nando would have stood a chance against someone who played as dirty as Ethan did. "I'll look into it, but I may have to bring Dante in. He may know more about what's actually happening." Bishop would obviously be the first choice, but Jacob was still wary of that man - not only with Cree, but anyone he cared about.
"Try and get some rest, Nando. If Cree tries to contact you, feel free to talk to him, but I would ask that you didn't go to see him for a little bit. Just a few days - a week at the most. If he asks why, tell him about Ethan, even if it is Ethan and that should explain things." Jacob hated to punish Cree for Ethan's actions, but there was something big going on in Cree's head, and Jacob needed to sit and reflect upon it. He stood, a sure sign that the conversation was at an end. "You did good by Cree, Nando. He'll thank you, I'm sure." He opened the door before Nando could argue that particular point, because Jacob wasn't so certain of it himself.
"Thank you for listening," Nando said quietly, brown eyes looking up to Jacob's face. "I just want to help him, if I can. He's...he's my best friend." Nando's head lowered slowly as he stepped out of the room, hurrying down the hall and not even looking at Cree's door.
Jacob shut the door gently and leaning against it, his palm on his forehead. Things would get messy before they got better. There would likely be several conversations that were going to get ugly, from both Cree and Ethan. If what Nando said was true, Jacob would be losing something as well.
He suddenly realized that he may soon be of no use to either boys. The sudden feeling of relief surprised him, but it quickly turned to an uncomfortable sinking feeling. He strode over to his bookshelf and began to pull of his psychology books from college. The best way to begin, was with what he knew.