Skippin' this town -- Jake

[Oliver Wells]

Though it wasn't the first thing on everyone's mind when they thought of the blonde boy that inhabited the M.S.A.D. compound much like many other people, but everyone did know that he rarely left the building. He left when told to go on missions, which wasn't a bother, but Oliver never really did enjoy going around Pilot Ridge. He preferred the warmth of the compound where he could just sit quietly and stare off in space. Oddly enough, that's generally what the teen did - he never much wanted to read the copious amounts of books lingering in the home, or watch the movies so many members took delight in. He stayed out of everyone's way, and rarely joined in with group activities. It was easy to forget him.

Which was why he was so completely surprised when one of the elder members of the group had snuck up on him and declared that he was going on a walk with him. Oliver had shook his head, politely declining, but evidently it was not a request. Jacob was a bit odd, the blonde knew he had a certain dislike for particular members of the group, but he didn't really know the man's opinion on himself. It had taken more than twenty minutes to round up all the dogs in the compound, and then another ten more to actually convince Oliver to get out of the house - he didn't like it outside. There was a chance of seeing someone he recognized from school that would be awkward and unpleasant. But, for whatever reason, Jake had dragged him out of the comfort of the home and into the humidity of the midsummer mountain air.

Making a face, the blonde tried desperately to keep hold of the three dogs that were all going in different directions. Why did Gabe have so many of these things? Sure, they were nice when they were just lounging around, but walking them was difficult as hell. He made a strange noise with the back of his throat, finally untangling the leashes and continued being pulled helplessly along by the three canines. He looked over at the brunette tentatively, wondering his motives for inviting him out, but from his quiet nature, did not inquire aloud. The expression on his face, with his creased forehead and pursed lips, was questioning enough. Oliver was roughly pulled from his thoughts as the dogs nearly tripped him, a sharp squeak coming from him as he struggled to keep his balance. He gasped, exasperated, figuring now that he had wronged Jacob in some way and this was his torture.

[Jacob Lawrence]

Jake, for the most part, had generally set opinions on the people that he lived with. Some he liked, some he didn't, some he tolerated, and others... well, one other to be precise, he just didn't know. Oliver had been with the organization for a while now, but Jake had rarely interacted with him. He'd learned early on that Oli was a quiet kid, he rarely joined in during the boisterous gatherings that some of the other members indulged in. Hell, half the time Jake wasn't sure if Oliver was even in the house or not.

It was today that he decided to change that. He didn’t know why the idea struck him, but as he was laying on the couch with Beta dozing against his chest, he decided he would get the dogs together and have Oli help him take them for a walk. It wasn’t often that he took the entire group out, it would be impossible for him to do it himself, and Gabriel hadn’t been talking to him much lately, so he’d make Oli come with him. Surely it would do the kid some good, to get out of the MSAD compound without the weight of a mission on his shoulder. Some fresh air and a herd of trouble-making dogs would be good for him; there was no way this could possibly get out of hand.

So here they were, their hands full of leashes as the dogs pulled them every which way. Jake was used to the dragging, he’d been at the mercy of Ein, Alfredo, and even Gambit before. He was lucky his arms were still attached after the three of them caught sight of a squirrel. Oli, on the other hand, seemed to be struggling with maintaining his trio of canines. Jake laughed when he heard the squeak and paused. “Here, trade me.” Untangling the leashes proved to be a difficult feat, but when he finally found the leads for Beta and Mirage, he handed them over to Oliver. “These two should be less of a pain for you.”

He grinned rather brightly at Oli, stumbling a little when Alfredo attempted to wind his leash around his legs. “So how come you don’t come out more?” He asked, trying to step out of the loop before Alfredo could tighten it around his knees. He swore that dog was a bit off in the head, not as much as Ein, but still.