jasperjsmith

[jasperjsmith]

it was the only place, realistically, that jasper would have felt comfortable working. the boy had wanted a job ever since he turned eighteen, but the typical entry-level jobs—fast food chains, grocery stores—weren’t built for jasper and his need for quiet, for familiarity. one thing he loved more than hot chocolate was literature, and so lalita giving him a chance wasn’t just the opportunity for him to earn, but a lifeline to a boy who felt as though the world was specifically built against him. smoothing back his hair, jasper’s lips twitched into a sweet smile. “i’m okay, yeah. i’m really sorry. i didn’t mean to be so late—” a few minutes, inconsequential to an employee who cared less for their job, “—i couldn’t just leave it there. i’m all scratched up from its claws, but i think it was worth it.” they would heal, and his role was still intact. with a firm shake of his head from one side to another, jasper’s freckled nose scrunched. “i don’t know. i’m hardly an employee of the month.” although, it wasn’t like lalita had many to choose from. as though a lightbulb had been turned on behind his eyes, jasper illuminated. “what kind of shipment?”

lalita had grown a soft spot for jasper. fore the longest time she wasn't even going to employee someone else. she liked running and being the only one that worked the bookstore. however she loved having someone else around and was thankful she had given the other a chance in the store. she had grown to care for the boy, he had seemed like a wallflower that lita felt the need to protect time to time. it was silly. "as long as you are okay then i am completely fine with you being late. we all have things that keep up and i cant even blame you for getting distracted by a cat." she nodded, "actually i am more of a dog person so the cat could have stayed in the tree... i joke." she corrected herself with a smile. "you helped it out?" she asked ."how noble of you, oh my goodness. we need to get you a ribbon or a employee of the month thing here." she told him. "i just got a shipment in of new books i figured we could tag and put out today."

#interactions ── jasper smith & lalita kahn .

[jasperjsmith]

he had good intentions to help but, the moment santiago soared over the fence, jasper had his hands close to his chest, helpless. he stepped backwards, eyes wide—how the hell did the other practically fly? "are you like... a gymnast, or something?" he questioned, hurriedly following alongside santiago, boots thundering against the ground, "an olympian? something?" he was so impressed with the fence climb that jasper almost forgot entirely about the issue at hand—the opossum. as they approached his steps slowed. he glanced to santiago, then at the animal. slowly his arms fell from their position against his chest, gearing himself for a grab. "do we just... are we just going to try and get it?" he asked, "maybe one of us can loop around and try and chase it into the other's arms. just so we can get a better look."

santiago had hoped the boy would catch himself when he lifted him up and when he heard the thumb of the boots on the ground he smiled. "see easy peasy as they say." he nodded now looking at a way for him to get over the gate himself. "yeah i think if i give myself a little running start i can jump to reach." he reassured the other. "one, two, three right?" he teased taking a few steps back before running full force and then jumping.

when he jumped his hands grabbed and hooked onto the top. he pulled himself over and dropped down next to the other. a little out of breath he patted his stomach. "let's go before i run out of breath." he joked as he began walking towards the baby animal.

#interactions ── jasper smith & santiago sarto .

[jasperjsmith]

grab, grab, grab. he usually left these sorts of hijinks to his siblings, staying by the sidelines and pointing out exactly which laws were being broken and the sentences attached. now, jasper was willingly being hoisted over the fence by somebody he didn't know nearly enough to trust so dearly. for the first time in his life, he was thankful for his slight frame. like a monkey his hands gripped the top of the fence and he swung himself over, clambering down the other side, boots hitting the ground with a thump. those hazel eyes glanced through the mesh at santiago, the corners of his lips tugging into a wide smile. it seemed he was a whole lot more capable than he gave himself credit for.

"okay." he breathed, relieved. jasper scurried back towards the partition, glancing around to see whether there was anything he could do to help santi in return. "are you good to get over?" he questioned, smoothing down the crazed strands of brunette hair that now stood to every angle as though he had been struck by lightning. the thrill, the adrenaline, was palpable. why didn't he do this kind of thing more often?

santiago would have loved to have turned around and went back home or kept driving. however there was this little voice inside of him. he heard his wife telling him that he needed to stop and help the animal that seemed to be stuck or hurt. he knew that he he hadnt he would never stop hearing her voice all day and then when he told her he wouldnt hear the end of it. so he pulled over and even though jasper had been against it at first he had tried to convince him it was a good idea and here they were. both going into some field trying to rescue an animal who he hoped their mother was no where near.

santi waited as the other had gotten comfortable in trying to step in his hand. once his boot was in his hand he looked up at him ."no big deal.. you got this.. you count.." he reassured jasp and as soon as he had said two santiago just went ahead and lifted him up. "one.. grab grab grab..." he told him.

#interactions ── jasper smith & santiago sarto .

[jasperjsmith]

the woman had given him a chance. when the twitchy, anxious boy threaded his resume through the slat in the door and turned up for an interview, the odds were stacked against him. the only work experience jasper had prior to coastside had been baking with his sisters and yet, in some twist of fate, lalita had taken a chance on him. for that, the least he could do was turn up on time. breath was tugged through his open mouth in ropes. "yeah, i'm okay—thank you. i was going to text ahead, but that would've made me even later. i found a cat stuck in a tree," it sounded ridiculous, but not for his soft heart, "i had to help it out. i can make the time up. where do you need me today?"

if there was one person that lalita could depend on it was certainly jasper. he never called out and he was always on time. freakishly on time sometimes to the very second the clock at turned. regardless it was something that hadnt gone unnoticed so when he wasnt there as soon as his shift started she had felt a little nervous. was he okay? finally he had busted in the door and looked out of breath like he had rushed to work. "calm down.. calm down and catch your breath. is everything ok? what happened? it's fine i'm fine here.."

#interactions ── jasper smith & lalita kahn .

[jasperjsmith]

JACK WOLFE for Schön! Magazine

#── knight in shining plastic ❜ & visage . #long post tw

[jasperjsmith]

coastside books !

jasper was always on time—to the minute—until the one day that he wasn't. he was only three minutes over his clock-in time when the boy sped into the bookstore, soles squeaking against the floor, hair a mess of brown and grey flyaways. doubling over, hands on his thighs, he heaved a few heavy breaths before apologising at a thousand miles per hour. "i'm so sorry i'm late. you wouldn't believe it. there was this cat..." @lalitakahn

#interactions ── jasper smith & lalita kahn .

[jasperjsmith]

the crescent theatre !

as they came up to the entrance, jasper allowed his hands to drop by his side, his head tilting to aysel. "thank you for coming with me. i really thought i'd be outside the entire night trying to convince a stranger to come see the show with me. knowing my luck, i would've missed the entire thing." whether or not aysel was interested was another matter—she came, and that was enough for jasper. a night at the theatre was a lesser-enjoyed luxury that had the bookstore clerk practically squirming in his excitement. @ayseldurmaz

#interactions ── jasper smith & aysel durmaz .

[jasperjsmith]

celestial ink !

"i think i want to get my ear pierced," jasper spoke as he eyed the prices, a familiar and empty sickness filling his stomach. now that he was twenty-five, an adult by any definition, he understood that navigating life didn't mean going into it unafraid, but to feel the fear and go ahead regardless. that was why he stood, flanked by his friend, with his thumb and the knuckle of his forefinger pinching his lobe. "is this a terrible idea? please, be honest with me. i don't want to walk out of there like i have a curtain hook in my ear." @sanem-yavuz

#interactions ── jasper smith & sanem yavuz .

[jasperjsmith]

some people needed coffee in the morning, some needed half an hour of yoga. others could roll out of bed, grab their coat, and face the day without a cushion. jasper smith needed his hot chocolate. it was a wonder the staff didn't know his exact order, from top to bottom, the moment he stepped through the door; perhaps they did, and they were just being polite waiting for him to rattle it off as though it was a daily weather forecast. "well, if i didn't show up you'd probably start thinking something bad happened to me. i need my hot chocolate to survive," a breath of a laugh, although he wasn't entirely sure he had been joking. and all that time, jasper had been biting back the long list of instructions—it was as though his hot chocolates had been ordered from ikea and came with spare parts and a booklet of directions. his fingers knitted together, knuckles cracking, the digits threading within one another. his head of mottled brown tilted as harper began the coveted job. "you know how to make it perfect."

Her gaze remained fixated through the glass window, watching people as they passed the café, attempting to figure out where they were going in the split second it took for them to appear and then disappear. A yawn had managed to escape from her chest, eyes closed momentarily before the sound of the front door opening snapped her back to attention. Finally! Surprised but not surprised to see Jasper walking in, Harper took a single step stride to stand behind the counter, soft smile already gracing her features. "Hey Jasper," Harper greeted smoothly, head tilted slightly as he listed out his order, typing it into the computer and wondered if she sensed if there was something else that needed to be added. "You know, I was wondering when you'd show up next. It's like I manifested your presence." All of her regulars Harper appreciated and enjoyed seeing, happy to help in making their day just a bit better or making it with the perfect drink or pastry. "Anything else you wanna add?"

#interactions ── jasper smith & harper kelly .

[jasperjsmith]

when he returned home, when he was able to reflect on the situation and put space between himself and his panic, he would curse himself for getting so overwhelmed. it was only a drink, after all—perhaps, to somebody on the sidelines, it would seem a silly thing to get upset over. for jasper, though, his hot chocolates were a constant in a sea of unknowns; so long as he had his chocolate fix, cream and marshmallows included, the rest of the world didn’t seem so scary. away from the noise, he took a deep breath and continued twirling those grey-mottled strands around his knuckles. “i wanted a hot chocolate but it’s just… it’s a lot in here, with all the noises, all the people. it’s…” his shoulders shrugged. he couldn’t imagine coming to work each day and having to stay calm in such an environment, all whilst plastering a smile across their features, feigning enthusiasm. “hi camila.” he responded, flashing her a fleeting smile that, if she blinked, she would have missed, “i’m jasper.” 

Camila smiled at the younger stranger, attempting to calm the nerves that she could practically feel rolling off of him "There's no need to be sorry." She reassured "I sorta own this place so it isn't like I'm going to get into trouble for stepping away for a moment." She reassured him. "I was due for a little break anyways." She shrugged. Once they were situated away from all of the noise she asked "What were you wanting to get?" She asked "I could run out and grab it while you wait here." She offered. Perhaps it was the mother coming out in her or perhaps it was simply the fact that she had always been a decent person but she wanted to assure that the guy felt safe for a moment before venturing back out into the world. "Oh I'm Camila by the way." She added, figuring perhaps he might feel better conversing with someone who wasn't a complete stranger.

#interactions ── jasper smith & camila alvarez .

[jasperjsmith]

THE CAST OF SHADOW & BONECELEBRATES GEEKED WEEK : 💣 jack wolfe 💣

#── knight in shining plastic ❜ & visage .

[jasperjsmith]

he was the youngest of four—of course he had never learned patience. it didn’t compute in his brain but, then again, not many things did; small talk, eye contact, the appropriate time to contribute to a conversation. throughout jasper’s life he had been consistently reminded that he was too much, that he was required to stifle or censor himself in order to be complete. his friendship with theo had never once felt as though he was a burden. “you don’t have to apologize,” the boy spoke, plainly, scrunching his nose so that the smattering of russet freckles disappeared into the folds, “i’m just telling you the correct way. there are so many ways it can go wrong. it can be powdery, too strong, too weak, too watery…” jasper could continue (and he likely would have done, if they didn’t have more pressing tasks at hand). when life was against him, when every left turn had the potential to derail him for the entirety of the day, he was forced to rely on the things he could control, no matter how menial they seemed to others. a good mug of hot chocolate—cream, marshmallows—was something he could control. as he observed theo, surrendering his authority, his hands hung at his chest, watching with hazel eyes blown, ready to intercept and yet battling the urge. for now. “two scoops in, yes.” he assured, “then just a little bit of water. the tiniest splash. as long as there’s a thick paste, kind of like a sauce, it should be ready for the rest of the water. and then you stir until everything is mixed so it’s one consistent color,” as they conversed, jasper’s cheeks dipped into wells of dimples. for theo, perhaps asking questions came naturally—them showing an interest had the boy positively beaming. “you’ve got this.”

theo had never been the smartest of the litter, they knew that well. all their abilities were tightly tied to muscle and force, to their capacity to lift, move or hold stuff, and their mind, which was always somewhere up in the sky, flying along imaginary butterflies flickering their wings over an imaginary field, had never been adept to instructions. however, they were trying. for him, this kid that reminded them so much of milán sometimes they had to force themself not to openly stare at him while melancholy tugged achingly at the strings of their battered heart.    “  okay, okay. jasper,  ”    they called, a little bit overwhelmed at the amount of information being thrown their way, his impatience making them purse their lips to avoid the full display of their amused smile.    “  i’m— look, i know i’m slow, and i’m sorry about that, but— just—  ”    a sigh forced a pause, a much-needed intake of breath to restart themself.    “  okay, let me try again. step by step, can i ?  ”    and even when the words were placed as a request, they were pulling out a new mug from the top shelf right in front of them and placing it on the counter before he could reply to it — it always helped them, working on a clean canvas.    “  so it is …  two scoops in, then water, just the tiniest bit, and stir, right ?  ”    they followed the instruction, adding everything carefully to the clean mug, their voice firm despite the uncertainty lighted by the fear of failure always tapping at their shoulder.    “  how long do i have to stir ?  i mean, how do i know the paste is okay, ready to go and shit ?  ”    they had so many questions all of a sudden, but at least they were positive they got the first steps right this time.

#interactions ── jasper smith & theo dawkins .

[jasperjsmith]

jasper wasn't much of an acrobat. he wasn't much of anything, but one thing he took pride in was his empathetic disposition. often, it was more of an affliction—he cared too much for people, so much so that he broke his own heart from letting his brain run free. now, though, he was set, just as santiago was, on saving the helpless little creature. he was even willing to be vaulted over a fence to be able to do it. "yeah, okay. i can do that. i can help you from the other side." santiago had a good few inches on jasper, and plus he very much doubted he could haul himself over the fence without help, given how spindly his upper arms were. instead, he would need a leg-up.

his boot settled against santiago's palms, and he held the other's shoulders as he wobbly stood. one hand transferred to the gate, between the spikes at the stop that prevented anybody from doing exactly what they were attempting. "okay, okay..." he breathed, voice shaky—now wasn't the time to admit he wasn't the greatest with heights. "let me count you in, and then you just need to fling me up so i can grab the fence. three, two..."

santiago hadn't pulled over to try to put the two of them in danger or trouble. though when he had saw the little opossum all alone he had worried. he also knew that his wife would kill him if he had left some poor injured animal to fend for itself instead of carrying it home for her to help. "i promise." he told the younger man, "i wont let you get in trouble or get hurt. just trust me jasper. i have never gotten you in trouble before have i?" santi wasn't a risk tasker, he actually played it safe in his life. he had no interest in danger. "i think i can probably give you a boost and then try to climb over myself. that might be the best choice we have here." he explained the plan to him.

he had knew that jasper was a little hesitating with things and santiago was always patient with how to not make the man feel uncomfortable in situations he found them in. holding out his hands so that he could step in them he looked over at him. "you just have to trust me, when you are ready, okay?"

[jasperjsmith]

that was why they worked so well together. both magpies taking a shine to glittery things, their space was full of thumb-sized trinkets, projects half finished, stacks and collections of god-knows-what. in the evening, when the sky turned from pale blue to bright orange and then descended into a hue of purple, they could lay out the crafts by lamplight and create together. stori could plant, jasper could decorate the oddities he collected like a benevolent vulture. it hadn't been what he expected when he moved out, kissed his mother goodbye, flew the nest—somehow, it was better. "i do. why?" the male asked, as he made his way over to the craft cupboard and started tucking all manner of glues and sheets of coloured paper beneath his arms, "i think you can plant them now. for sure. you haven't missed the window by too long, if i'm remembering right. my mom likes plants," and so the information had embedded itself into his brain like a burrowing weevil.

"I think I have some gold leaf in the crafting cupboard." She explained, waving a hand towards the kitchen. In a closed cabinet by the fridge, the shelves were lined with various crafts. Half-finished embroidery, canvases, paints in whichever colors caught her eye and so much more that you were bound to find whatever it is you needed. Be it modpodge, glitter or gesso. Some sandpaper too probably if she was remembering correctly. "Okay." Stori lamented, "San Francisco has the best vintage stores. Maybe even an oddities shop or ten with other creepy little things you could decorate with." Stori pulled the bag of bulbs from the box and tossed a look over at him, a brief grimace. "Do you have those earplugs-the ones that lower volume? I forget what they are called." She asked as she plucked a bulb from the bag, "I could plant them now yea?"

#interactions ── jasper smith & astoria adair .

[jasperjsmith]

if only it were that easy. jasper had half a mind to snap, to explain to santiago that his mind was a mess of tangled wires—reds and blues crossed and knotted—and that it was impossible for him to not get worked up. instead, a whine escaped his throat as though he was a disgruntled, silk-eared puppy. "you better." he responded. all worry melted, his hands shrugging to his sides, as he caught sight of the opossum, its pink nose burrowing across the overgrown grass. "so how are we getting to it? i'm small. you could throw me over the fence."

santiago couldnt help but let out a soft chuckle. "we aren't going to get caught trespassing, you are just getting yourself worked up over something that you don't need to be so worried about." he reassured them. "but if we do happen to get caught then i will take the fall and neither of us will go to jail. i promise you.. i just wanted to get that little baby opossum over there and make sure that he is ok... can you help me do that?"

#interactions ── jasper smith & santiago sarto .

[jasperjsmith]

how jasper continuously landed himself in situations such as these, he was unsure. the boy stood, hand nestled at the nape of his neck, tugging harshly at the silver-mottled brunette hairs at the root. “i’m not going first.” the male protested, “you dragged me here. you go first. if we get caught for trespassing, you’re taking the fall—i wouldn’t last more than five minutes in jail.”

no cap. open to whoever.. where ever. go wild. kept it basic and we can build off it.

santiago couldn't help but chuckle as the two had stood there. he looked over at them and shook his head. "don't tell me that you are scared.. come on." he teased giving them a nudge. "it isn't a big deal-" he paused. "you just have to go first."

#interactions ── jasper smith & santiago sarto .

[jasperjsmith]

“a girl?” his lips twisted into a smile. jasper was the romantic sort, one that yearned for his own fairytale romance—happily ever after, prince and prince—as though it would leap straight from those storybook pages. so far he had been unsuccessful, but he still held out hope that he would find the beast to his beauty, the eric to his ariel. was romance really all that hopeless? the male scrunched his nose,  before shaking his head once. “first of all, you’re not a barbarian. it can be intimidating.” the walls lined with clothbound classics, six editions of the same text. “i think the biggest thing is knowing what not to say. don’t scare her off straight away and say you’re a huge salinger fan,” a giggle folded his shoulders to his ears, the joke likely alien to his audience, “i really like virginia woolf. i think she’d be a good starting point.”

There was no place that Javier belonged LESS than in a bookstore. He was standing there feeling stupid as he looked around at all the literature on the shelves around him and wondering why in the hell he'd agreed to this. He was about to make a fool of himself, he could tell. The clerk spoke to him and his eyes moved from a wall of shelves to the male smiling up at him like the most innocent little creature he'd ever seen. "Uh..." He sighed and ran a hand through messy curls before shrugging. "I'll be real with you. I'm here to meet a girl. She's really into reading and I don't wanna look like a fucking barbarian so maybe you can help me find something that I can read that'll make me look a little cultured?"

#interactions ── jasper smith & javier castillo .