Land of Tears and Envy
ActII
The shuttle's golden interior was cozy and warm, seemingly heated. Its seating options were much more comfortable than the Squiddles John and Jade had on the battle ship. Although they were benches, it was a step up from plush toys. The conversation was light; John and Jade exchanged plans as for what they would do upon going back to Prospit. It didn't take much for her to get John to want to try Prospitian cuisine. The mere mention of food besides irradiated steak perked his appetite. "Oh, food you say?" Jane was attempting to join their conversation, "I'm a bit of a culinary specialist myself!" she said with a bucktoothed grin. John's stomach growled at the thought of a home cooked meal. Jade took the initiative and asked what she specialized in. "Why, I'm fairly skilled in the art of baking." Jane's reply had caught John's interest. "W-what kind of things do you bake…?" John inquired. Jane's eyes lit up, a fire of confidence in them as she felt she impressed her new friends. "I bake things like pies and cakes!" Much to her dismay John was less than impressed, as he reeled in pain. "J...John are you alright?" Jane said worried by his state. John looked as though he was about to throw up when Jade made him lay on the bench, resting his head on her lap. He was shivering as he lay, contemplating leaping from the shuttle at that moment. She brushed his cheek with her hand as he mumbled to himself. "The cake…can't abscond…it's a lie." Jane scratched her head in confusion "Will he be alright, was it something I said?" Jade shrugged her shoulders and smiled nervously "He must be getting motion sickness or something…" Jane didn't question it, but the conversations stopped there - it was quiet for the rest of the ride.
It was a short flight from the pedestrian transit docks of Prospit to Jake's planet. The automated landing system activated upon entering LOMAX's atmosphere. Jade shook John's arm, "Wake up, John, I think we're here." He woke up and yawned, rubbing his eyes while Jade turned to the window and took in the sight before them. The clouds above were lit by large sources of light from the surface of the planet. As they descended from the clouds they passed a tower covered in vines and foliage, one that Jade recognized to a degree.
The lights from the planet's surface illuminated the hull of the golden shuttle as it hissed, landing adjacent to the massive tower where Jake resided. A boy in shorts, emerald eyes behind scratched glasses ran out to greet them, flowers in hand. The door of the shuttle hissed as it opened itself, letting the light shine in on its passengers. When the shuttle door had opened completely the first to set foot on LOMAX was Jane, she had one hand on the shuttle and another within the grasp of the emerald eyed boy. "I've got you dear." He said with a familiar bucktoothed grin. Even covered in the dirt and grime accustomed to such adventurers, Jade knew her grandfather when she saw him. Jane blushed as he helped her down from the shuttle and looked down at the flowers in his hand. "Are those for me?" she hoped they were. "Oh sorry dear, I was just gardening and these are some weeds I pulled out, heh… "He hurled the bouquet of flowers over his shoulder and chuckled, hiding his blushing cheeks. Jade and John jumped down from the shuttle doorway, landing beside the two awkward teens and breaking the silence. "Hi there, Jake!" John said taking his hand within his own and shaking it with youthful vigor. "Mornin', my boy, how are you this fine and bright day on LOMAX?" Jake smiled but scratched his head as he surveyed the boy before him. "Might i inquire as to what your name is?" John stopped shaking his hand and brought it to his own face. "my bad!" John was interrupted by Jade as she provided his introduction for him, "This is John, you remember, right?" Jake raised his hand to his chin, "Oh yes, of course! I remember that chap, how'd you like terry kiser?" John raised his eyebrow and scratched his head, "who's … terry kis… Oh you mean Liv Tyler!" to which Jake replied with enthusiasm, "Good choice of name, my boy! Might I take a gander that you named it after one of the lead actors from Armageddon? It's a beauty of a movie my friend!" Jake and John laughed as they reminisced about the piece of cinema. Moving the conversation along, Jane suggested that they take John and Jade on a tour of LOMAX, for it was truly a sight to behold. Jake jumped at the chance to go exploring with his friends but he decided against it due to the pressing matters at hand. Jade, his pen pal, grandmother, granddaughter, and daughter had come to visit; she must have important things she'd want to talk about. "Sorry my dear, but I must decline the invitation. I'll catch up with you later. Jade and I have some things we should discuss." At this, John noticed Jane take on a more down demeanor and offered to accompany her, to which she happily agreed. As the two groups parted ways Jade sighed as she watched John go with Jane to explore. As Jane turned the path down from where Jake was going she too let out a sigh, "how does he even feel about me?" she whispered to herself.
The groups proceeded down different paths, John and Jane taking in the scenery, Jade and Jake taking in "the thrill of the hunt." Jake holstered his dual flintlock pistols, Jade shuddered at the sight of them. "Isn't this relaxing, my dear?" Jade nodded as she watched a bull-fairy fly to it's family residing in the tree nearest to them. "Oh, there's another!" Jake drew his pistol and shot the fairy. Jade watched as it fell to the ground and she sighed, killing didn't appeal to her, especially these defenseless creatures. She stopped him before he sheathed his pistol again, "You know, in my timeline, these pistols were your favorites as well." Jake raised an eyebrow, "Really now? This Jake seems to have very good tastes in firearms, if I do say so myself." Jade looked away for a moment and rubbed her eyes. Tears were swelling in them with the thoughts running through her head. She turned back to Jake and couldn't look him in the eyes, "J-Jake, my grandfather, you, you died." He didn't look surprised, smirking he replied, "That's quite the story dear, did I go down guns blazing?" she shook her head, "Y-you were shot…" Jake scratched his head and before he could respond Jade answered his question before he could ask, "by me…" Jake wasn't even fazed by this; he smiled brightly. "Atta girl, I knew you'd have it in you to take me on and win!" This didn't make her feel any better, only confused. With more tears running down her cheeks she explained, "You… it was an accident… I was very young, and… when I found you…" She didn't know how else to reply to Jake's enthusiasm, but before she had any time to think about it she was embraced by him. He was warm and comforting just like how she had remembered him and he was… crying? His words were breaking through the silent choking sobs gripping his throat, "Your story, isn't that far from my own, my dear." He cleared his throat and held her tighter, she met his embrace with her own and he continued his tale. "When I was younger, you were all I had. I didn't even have a chance to say goodbye when I found you dead…" Jake, the sobs acting as a noose, cleared his throat again, "I couldn't even give you a proper buria…" He was interrupted by Jade as she pulled away from him to look him in his eyes. She never imagined her grandfather like this, nor did she know how to help him. What came next was almost entirely instinctual; she brushed the tears from his cheek and kissed his forehead softly. His tears stopped flowing and she held him close, "At least now, we have each other again, and I'll never let you go." Two voices, one statement from the brush near the reunited family members. "How could you?"
A game of hide and seek, playful and joyous in its purpose, the two players found themselves stumbling onto a touching scene. John, confused at what he was witnessing, but even more so confused as to the feelings gripping his chest, let out something of an exasperated gasp. Looking down at his hands in front of him and thinking, he both berated and asked himself, "I should be … happy for her…but why does my heart hurt so much?" he held his hand to his chest to check if his heart was still indeed beating. He had half expected it to have stopped with this strange sorrow sweeping over him. Jane, beaten to the punch, yelled at herself within her own thoughts. "JANE! WHY DID YOU LET HIM GO? STUPID STUPID STUPID! WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU DOING!" she shook her head, trying to shake loose the feeling of defeat that weakened her legs and clutched her throat. She fell to her knees and punched the ground. John looked down from the tree he was hiding in and silently drifted his way to her. Both their eyes, full of a flurry of mixed emotions, made contact and they knew how the other felt. He helped Jane to her feet; she tried her best to hold back her tears. Failing to do so, she tried to hide them, burying her face into John's chest. He gently brushed her hair with his hand. Trying to brighten the situation he whispered to Jane, "At least they look happy together." She nodded slightly, still hiding her face. The voices slowly subsided from her mind; she was comfortable. "Why do I feel like I know him?" she thought to herself. He smelled like cake; it was somewhat delightful. John couldn't help but feel the same way. She felt so familiar to him, but he couldn't put his finger on it. As John and Jane, the two newfound friends, stood there, Jade and Jake, the pair of reunited relatives, stood and turned to them. Far enough away to be out of sight but close enough for the sight to pierce their hearts.
Like a gunshot wound, this physical gesture killed them. They would not act against it. Jade would never want John to be unhappy, and if he had found solace and happiness then so be it. To break the spell this sight had on her, Jake cleared his throat and placed his hand on Jade's shoulder. "C'mon, we'll talk to them tomorrow." She nodded in response and followed him back to the tower, cradling her cracked heart.
A gesture taken out of context, feelings were misplaced and hearts were broken. The four made their way back to the tower slowly. In groups of two, they contemplated how to handle the task at hand. Jade, still with Jake's arm wrapped behind her neck, his hand on her shoulder, stopped to ask what he would tell them, to which he didn't reply. It was almost as if he was trying to ignore what they just saw. Jake spoke up, struggling off the solemn mood. With something of a dead ring in his voice, he delicately tried to confirm his observations with a question. "So, John's your… dearest right?" she looked at her feet, her red slippers matching the tinge of red on her blushing and tear-stained cheeks. Nodding, she continued walking with Jake. "We'll talk to them tomorrow, get it all straightened out." These words didn't bring much comfort to Jade, still believing John's happiness would be sacrificed for her own if Jake were to straighten this all out. Not too far off the path Jake and Jade took, Jane and John contemplated how to get the others apart. John wouldn't admit his feelings, still mostly struggling with them himself, but felt as though he had to help Jane. Compelled to offer his assistance she readily accepted it, still confused as to how to go about it, she contemplated ideas in her head. "What if we made him jealous?" she whispered to herself, but John caught wind of her comment and agreed. "John, why are you feeling so compelled to help me with my troubles?" Jane's words took John off guard. He thought for a second, pushing the thoughts of Jade and himself out of his mind. "It seems like you could use my help." He said, shaking the thoughts from his head. Rose would sure get a kick out of this Freudian crap. He didn't know what to do, how to feel, or what to say. But anything the two could do to mend their broken hearts would be good enough for them.
As Skaia set on LOMAX, and the lights dimmed down, seeming to rest for the night, the teens reached Jake's tower. The pairs made their ways to their individual rooms. John and Jade wouldn't be sharing a room, neither would Jake and Jane, not with the emotions gripping their hearts. They all kept their distance from each other, it was a quiet evening. Only the occasional sound of a whimper or sob would escape the lips of a sleeping youth within the tower. Their dreams were haunted with the sorrows they harbored. They would await the morning for their plans to take action. Each one without their love, and each one without the warmth in their hearts and their bodies, it would be especially cold that night.