I only love it when you touch me, not feel me.

[hostage]

WHO: Jesse Pinkman & OPEN
WHERE: various locations
WHEN: late October - early November
WHAT: A catch-all log!
WARNINGS: TBD

NONAH - DIVE BAR - OCTOBER 17 ( CLOSED TO SARAH )

[Jesse's chosen a more intimate locale this time around. Nothing fancy, but there's no live band to drown out conversation in this bar, and there are booths to offer a little more privacy. The place suits his needs for tonight. He selects the booth that's farthest from the crowd, guaranteed to keep them away from prying eyes and ears. The server brings them two bourbon on the rocks, because Jesse remembered that's what Sarah ordered last time. He pays attention to things like that.

Once they're settled, he takes a sip of his drink and turns his gaze to Sarah.]

How's your sister doing?

HEROPA - XAVIER SCHOOL - OCTOBER 21 ( CLOSED TO KOTETSU )

[Jesse ducks out of the infirmary as soon as classes are finished for the day. It's not that he's in a particular hurry to get anywhere tonight. He just doesn't want to spend more time in the school than he has to. It's getting to feel a bit oppressive, if only because it's the place where anyone can find him. He doesn't like being so easily found these days.

He passes Kotetsu on the way out, though, and raises his hand for a customary high-five.]

Yo, hit it.

[Not really intending to stop and chat, but it'd be rude not to say hi.]

WEST VIRGINIA - WILDERNESS - OCTOBER 24 ( CLOSED TO WALT )

[Wrapping up their cook for the day, as the chemicals are going to take about twelve hours to process, Jesse waits until Walt gives the go-ahead and then strips off his ventilator and Tyvek. Once he's out of his gear and back in his street clothes, he hops out of the RV to catch some fresh air. It's not quite dark yet, which is nice. He hasn't had much of a chance to appreciate the autumn colors, and the trees here are already turning in fiery reds and yellows. He leans up against the Airstream and lights up a cigarette, staring at the leaves overhead.]

CAPE CANAVERAL - BEACH HOUSE - OCTOBER 26 ( CLOSED TO ELLIE )

[It's Jesse's turn to make breakfast... which means they're having huevos rancheros, because that's his specialty and he doesn't know how to cook much else. He's the first one in the kitchen, anyway, and just about finished grilling up the eggs when Ellie makes her way into the room. He glances over his shoulder.]

Oh, hey. There's coffee. This is almost done.

[He just needs to scrape this egg off the skillet without making a mess of it.]

HEROPA - ARCADE - OCTOBER 30 ( CLOSED TO HARLEY )

[Ah, the Friday night before Halloween. It feels like everyone's got a date except for Jesse, and even though he hasn't prepared a costume or anything, it's a waste to lock himself up at home. When Jesse realizes he hasn't seen Harley in forever, he shoots off a quick text for her to meet him at the arcade in town. She might be busy, but she seems like the funnest company for a holiday like this when getting wasted is off the table. He'll wait outside for a while, and if she doesn't show... Well, he'll figure something out.]

CAPE CANAVERAL - BEACH HOUSE - NOVEMBER 3 ( CLOSED TO JOEL )

[It's much later than usual when Jesse finally walks through the door. He likes to make a point of being at the beach house by dinnertime. Not tonight, though. He spent the day in Skye's company, trying and failing at the whole honesty thing, and he's emotionally drained by the time he gets home. He makes his way up the stairs and straight to the bar, where he pulls out a bottle of whiskey and starts drinking. Straight from the bottle, because it takes a lot to feel so much as a buzz. And even then, not for long.]

MAURTIA FALLS - HERODOTUS ANTIQUES - NOVEMBER 4 ( CLOSED TO BELA )

[Time to get to business. Jesse's been preoccupied with the distribution end of things, which means money laundering has fallen by the wayside, leaving the cash to literally pile up, sloppy and useless. That's about to be corrected. He enters the shop a few minutes before closing time, a backpack slung over one shoulder, and makes his way to the register where Bela's wrapping up for the day. He flashes her a smile as he approaches and leans up against the counter.]

Hey, gorgeous.

MAURTIA FALLS - JEFF'S OFFICE - NOVEMBER 4 ( CLOSED TO JEFF )

[Part Two of these business doings involves a stop by Jeff's office. This visit should be considerably more cordial than last time. Jesse's in a good mood and that backpack of his is still heavy with cash. He gives a light knock on the door and takes a step back so Jeff doesn't get the impression he's about to storm the place. Not that he's a particularly intimidating figure to begin with, but... Well. He thinks he left an impression.]

HEROPA - DIVE BAR - NOVEMBER 7 ( CLOSED TO WILL )

[The meeting of the dogs has become something of a ritual. Therapeutic, in a sense, though Jesse has no idea if that was Will's original intention or whether it simply worked out this way - by chance or because of their nature. But Will's been absent for a while, and so has Walt, and both of those things have Jesse feeling nervous, praying that's pure coincidence. He's waiting at the bar with a scotch and hoping Will's going to show up tonight, allay that anxiety at least halfway. There's nothing worse than two friends killing each other. And he does, in fact, consider Will a friend.]

HEROPA - DIVE BAR - NOVEMBER 24 ( CLOSED TO REGGIE )

[Jesse isn't exactly "on-duty". He rarely conducts business on the street level anymore, certainly not face-to-face. He has people lower than him on the food chain for that sort of thing. But that doesn't mean he stays out of the scene. The way an artist loves seeing people enjoy his art, Jesse loves seeing people enjoy his product. He picks a booth in the back of the bar and spends his evening watching people surreptitiously do rails off the tabletop in between drinks. Occasionally one of his dealers will check in with him, but for the most part, he looks like a king sitting on his throne and watching his subjects go about their business.]

HEROPA - XAVIER SCHOOL INFIRMARY - ANY WEEKDAY ( OPEN TO ALL )

[Jesse can always be found in his office during school hours, a reliable nurse despite all the other goings-on in his life. Given the small population of the school and the limited threats to the student body when there isn't some citywide crisis going on, Jesse's usually bored out of his mind. He spends most of his day surfing the network or finding creative ways to waste office supplies, like wrapping gauze around pencils to create an army of miniature mummies.]

Comments

[textualhealing]

[Even with everyone else sent home, Jeff is far more at ease than he might have been weeks before. Everything is fine, everything is good, an easy thing to tell himself as he breezes over to the door and swings it open despite the closing hour. Not even the sight of Jesse has him faltering. The guy's a client now, that makes him good people, even if he is good people that Jeff won't be fucking with.]

Jesse, hey. [No chest puffing or wary glances, just stepping aside and jerking his head towards the office in invitation.] Leaving it a little late, aren't ya?

[The three-piece he's wearing might suggest he's ready for business, but the loosened tie knot says he's totally done with today.]

[hostage]

[Jesse's honestly glad that Jeff's not scared of him. He feels kind of bad when people give him that are you here to kill me? look. It brings back terrible memories. A comfortable relationship with a healthy level of respect for the hierarchy is always preferable.]

You in a hurry or something?

[He's noticed the tie. But he steps into the office, because he'd rather not carry around this much hard cash any longer than he has to, and Jeff can make time for him.]

infirmary of course~ (if this works!)

[akito]

[ Akito and Agito do their best to make up for the small number of students at the school - or rather, they don't actively seek to get injured but it just sort of happens. Since they're both adrenaline junkies and far too curious about the limitations of their powers.

This visit isn't the usual need for bandages and antibacterial ointment, but for the far less common dislocated arm. To them it's not a big deal (when you're kept in a straitjacket for years it's something that happens every now and then) but it's annoying, and had it been the arm not connected to the collarbone that was snapped a few years ago they would have slammed it back in its joint on their own.

Despite the current inconvenience of his right arm, Akito is perky as ever when he trots into Jesse's office. ]

Mr. Jesse! My Roombot finally blew up, so I'll have to start over again! [ he sounds happy about this because, well. if something is going to stop working it may as well stop working spectacularly ] It was so cool! I think I'll do more research on plasma before trying again though - it's still too unpredictable to me!

[hostage]

[Jesse can't exactly call it a blessing whenever a kid walks in sick or injured, but he's always grateful to have something to do. He gets to his feet when Akito enters, and at the words "blew up" he immediately scans for signs of a burn. And though he finds none of that, he does notice how... funny Akito's arm looks.]

Dude, be careful. Are you okay?

[cleptes]

[After a fairly steady day, Bela was looking forward to going home and settling down for the evening. No staying in the store after hours to get caught up on paperwork for her today. She'll make up for it sometime later this week. As for Jesse, it isn't the first time that Bela has seen him around her store, though he usually went upstairs to talk to Jeff.]

Hello, Jesse.

[She gives him a smile in return, closing up the cash register.]

What can I do for you?

[hostage]

More like, "What can we do for each other?"

[He sets his backpack on the counter, but it only serves as an arm rest for now.]

I'm gonna pitch you a sales speech right here, but stay with me: What if I told you I've got a hell of an opportunity for you to make a load of money? And I'm not just talking once. Like an ongoing deal.

[coppelganger]

[ Sarah is a little surprised when he orders her favorite drink, but she hides it well enough, just giving him a smile as she reaches for her glass. She's still not entirely sure what to make of Jesse, but it's getting a little easier for her to simply accept the way he treats her—like he's genuinely interested in who she is, what she likes. ]

She's doing well, I guess. She's living in Heropa.

[ She hasn't heard about anything crazy happening on Helena's end, which can only be a good thing. ]

[hostage]

Not with you?

[It's likely none of his business, but in his experience, families like to stick together in this place. They don't even have to be blood-related.]

[infomodder]

[Friends killing each other, or at least sincerely and earnestly wanting to kill each other with every fiber of their being, isn't an uncommon idea to Will Graham. Fortunately, his absence had nothing to do with Walter White. So Jesse is in the clear there, and anxieties about that are hopefully allayed when Will wanders in ten minutes later than usual. He's here just the same.

Well, not really the same.

He's older. The scar along his forehead shows every sign of being older as well, unlike the freshly stitched up cut along his right cheek. For all the years gone by, for the telling new additions, Will still slides up to sit next to Jesse without any reservations. Like they did this just last week, like he hasn't been gone, like nothing has changed.]

Just gimme whatever beer you've got on special tonight. [Directed at the bartender with a voice that truly means it. He doesn't care as long as its alcoholic, give it to him. Turning to Jesse, eyebrow raised in the first sign he acknowledges anything is out of the ordinary...] Good to see you.

[hostage]

[Jesse can't help but stare. It's rude, and he knows it, and he's still incapable of keeping himself from doing it. Because - goddamn, where does he start?

The fresh wounds capture his attention first, because those are the things he's trained to tend to. The scars are next, and then all the signs of time gone by, and it strikes Jesse's that it's downright ridiculous that Will's here right now. That Will remembers him at all.]

Jesus...

[Hi, Will.]

[kingpawn]

[ Walt follows Jesse outside, heading over to where he left his pants hanging -- stripping down and redressing. ]

How far did you get? Before, that is. When you were running things on your own. How many states had our product been introduced to?

[ Once he's fully dressed, he moves beside Jesse -- leaning against the side of the RV and staring off into the same distance, looking over the same scenery. ]

[hostage]

[Jesse never gave much thought to it before. Distribution was the Penguin's business. All Jesse counted was the money. Now he has to take a moment to count off in his head. There's Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, New Jersey, New York, Kentucky, North and South Carolina...]

Eight. I think.

infirmary; morning of the 5th

[5055034455]

[Saul thought — swore, in fact — it'd be impossible for him to slip back into his old life, should the opportunity ever arise. Saul Goodman, after all, was dead; missing in action, presumed deceased (but still very much wanted by the authorities), all traces of his face vanished from Albuquerque's billboards, bus benches, and business pages. His wardrobe turned drab, his occupation mind-numbingly normal, his day-to-day life as average as any other Midwestern schlub's.

But here he is, clean-shaven and freshly-cut, donning his old uniform: a bright shirt, a mismatched tie, and a crooked, amused-at-nothing-in-particular smirk. He leans against the door frame, folds his arms over his chest, and waits just long enough to take in the sight of Jesse and let his brain re-calibrate.

None of that happened, he tells himself. Ignore the past few months. Jesse's fine, you're fine, Walt's still alive. There's no time for panic. You have work to do.

He clears his throat.]

Uhm, 'scuse me, nurse? My tummy hurts. Can I lie down?

[hostage]

[Jesse practically jumps out of his seat, knocking the chair over in the process. He doesn't even care. He rushes around his desk like he's going to dive at Saul and give him a hug - though he stops just short of that.]

Oh, Jesus - Is it really you?

[He's about to ask if Saul actually remembers him this time around, but then of course he does, because he's here, and that means he knew where to find Jesse. What a fucking relief.]

[itistolaugh]

[ Harley hadn't made any pre-holiday plans. In fact, she hadn't made any plans for a long time. After Scarecrow's little debut and Batman's little oopsie, it seemed like a good idea to keep her Gotham butt out of the public eye for a while.

But the problem with playing it safe and staying quiet is that it is freaking boring, so she jumps at the chance to actually hang out with a real person. ]

Just so you know, I'm gonna kick your ass.

[ Games. At the games. It's worth clarifying when Harley is involved. ]

[hostage]

[He figured. If she was going to really kick his ass, he doubts he'd get a warning.]

Um, I dunno if you know this, but I'm pretty much a pro. I had the top high score on Tekken 2 for like six months at my local arcade, so... You're dead meat.

[That was literally in the year 1996.]

[nohalfway]

[ It's been... Decent, she supposes. Ellie has always been used to moving from place to place at the blink of an eye-- After all, it's the life that not only she and Joel led for over a year to find the Fireflies, but when she'd been shipped off to three different schools. Ellie learned to never get too comfortable anywhere-- But why does it feel so different now? ]

[ Needless to say, being in hiding hasn't been simple for her. It never is. Even if she can find herself okay with being in a new place out of no choice, she would be a liar if she said she didn't miss Heropa. Her friends... Her awkward boyfriend. That's another thing that's been looming on her mind, but her being half-asleep as she pads down the stairs, it's not a heavy thought at the moment. ]

[ She's graced by the smell of breakfast sizzling on the stove and coffee. Strangely enough, she's grown to actually like the stuff, bitter as it may be. Of course, she can't have a cup without a copious amount of cream and sugar. Ellie sniffles and rubs at her nose and eyes, trying a sleepy smile for Jesse. ]

Shit, smells good.

[ Her voice is raspy and cracked, those being her first words since waking up. With a nod, she takes to the fridge and grabs a jug of creamer-- Hershey's Chocolate flavor, the only kind she can take with her coffee. Ellie stands on her tip-toes to grab a mug from the cabinet and grabs the coffee pot, pouring that and her creamer. Once she's stirred everything together, she sits at the table. ]

You're up early. Did you even sleep?

[ Even if they don't necessarily have to, Ellie kind of likes getting her rest. Now that she can. ]

[hostage]

Um... Kinda.

[He has an easier time sleeping in this house than he does in most places, but there's also more to occupy him. Sometimes that means swimming in the pool or stargazing from the balcony, sometimes just TV or video games.

Most of time, though, it's Joel. They're together for as long as Joel will tolerate him, and Jesse will usually sit awake with him even long after Joel's fallen asleep.

None of that's getting shared with Ellie, of course. Jesse focuses on fixing her plate, then turns to set it down in front of her with a exaggerated flourish.]

Bon appétit, madame.

[He didn't quite succeed in terms of not-messy presentation.]

[earnedmystripes]

[Kotetsu, on the other hand, looks like he definitely might not be satisfied with just a quick hallway-high-five today. It's been awhile since he's seen his friend; they're both busy people, and then there was that trip Jesse had gone on sometime back.

But it's evident from Kotetsu's grin, from the energy behind his high-five, that he's happy to see Jesse.]

Heeeey, welcome back! How was your trip?

[hostage]

[Well, if Kotetsu's that eager to chat, Jesse can spare some time for him.]

Oh my god, it was exactly what I needed.

[And it wasn't much of a trip at all, considering most of it was spent a few miles away in Cape Canaveral. The main thing he needed was some time away from Walt, some time alone with his "family" in a place that felt safe for once.]

[biteouttagrimes]

[ At some point after Rick's conversation with Carl, Rick decides to pay their school nurse a little visit. He hasn't really talked to Jesse. Maybe a nod in passing, maybe a 'how's it going' here and there. But nothing of real note.

Not until today.

He stops by the office, knocking on the open door to draw attention. ]

Got a minute? I got a headache, thought you could take a look.

[hostage]

[Jesse sits up straight when he hears the knock. He recognizes Carl's dad, sure, but it's the first time the guy's shown up at his office or spoken more than a couple words. Jesse would prefer to give the impression of an attentive nurse.]

Ah, yeah. Come on in.

[He gestures to the chair in front of the desk as he rises to his feet.]

[shittybirthday]

[ Yeah, Joel doesn't like it when Jesse does things like disappear for hours after than he'd normally be back. Sudden changes in routine always means something bad. Even after living in this place for over a year now, Joel can never shake the feeling of dread that drops heavy in his gut when there's a sudden change in routine. The amount of goddamn times Tess used to do this sort of shit, disappear for hours without a word and without a trace, leave Joel wondering sick in the back of his mind if something bad had happened to her. Jesus, that always pissed him off, and he's that kind of pissed off with Jesse right now. Goddamn it, that kid's a goddamn asshole, getting under his skin and making Joel do things like worry.

He's messaged Jesse, several times. Each message, gone unanswered. By the time the front door is finally opening, Joel is loitering aimlessly in the kitchen while brewing himself a coffee, leaning back against the edge of the kitchen bench with his arms crossed over his chest and his jaw set. The sound of the door shutting startles him, instantly followed by relief, instantly followed by irritable anger. He's expecting Jesse to come into the kitchen, so he just waits there with a pissed off look ready for Jesse…

And sees him heading straight for the bar instead. Thank Christ Jesse seems okay, not harmed or anything, thinks Joel with sick relief. Goddamn fucking asshole. Pushing away from the counter, he starts towards Jesse and comes to a slow stop halfway there at the unexpected sight of Jesse chugging whiskey straight from the bottle. Where the hell've you been? is the demand that's on the tip of his tongue, but-- ]

What the hell're you doin'?

[hostage]

[Attempting to get fucking wasted? Jesse swallows and slams the bottle down on the counter, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.]

...What's it look like?

[He has no idea Joel's been trying to reach him. Hasn't even checked his phone. He needed time alone, time away from anybody needing his help or contacting him for some shit about distribution or territory or whatever fucking complications came up that day. And now it looks like Joel's about to lay into him, and it's not the fucking time for that.

So Jesse turns his back on Joel, leaning up against the counter, and picks up the bottle again.]

[mantlepieces]

[ For eighteen, Reggie looks pretty rough -- not that he doesn't take care of himself as any guy up on his own looks would, from his styled hair to the designer jeans, but the slight dissociated glaze to his insomnia-circled eyes is unmistakable, as is the tense-but-restless way his hands twitch and flex at his sides.

While most of it is nerves, built up internal stress and conflict, another part of it is what he's been using to try and help with all those things. So far only painkillers and, a while ago, a little weed, but the trouble with looking to substances to solve your problems is that they don't -- not that Reggie isn't desperate enough to keep trying until something works.

Which is what brings him over by Jesse. Reggie doesn't know him, per se, but by hanging around in the bar a little bit Reggie determines he might be a person worth talking to regarding the kind of thing he's looking for; the guy's no Matthew Lin, but looking around this place it seems unlikely he doesn't at least know something about what the barflies are busying themselves with. ]

Hey. Mind if I sit down for a second?

[hostage]

[Jesse recognizes Reggie immediately from the network. He might not chat much anymore, but he does pay attention. What he didn't notice over video, though, is just how strung-out the kid looks. All it takes is one glance at those twitchy hands and Jesse figures out that Reggie's jonesing. Hard.

Which is good news for him, so he smiles and waves his hand in welcome, gesturing to the seat beside him.]

It's a free country.