That's A Problem. (Livewire)

"True, but you do have rather feline esque eyes Jinx." Turning to look at her, he tilted his head to the side before focusing his attention someplace else. Absentmindedly, he reached for another cigarette, but ultimately decided against it.

Laying there for what seemed like hours, Ethan let out a small groan as he stared at the roof with no particular goal in mind. Tilting his head back towards Jinx, however, he blinked a few times and looked her square in the eyes before watching her get up and check out the small space. "Yeah, it's not that big of a deal, but at least it's a temporary homestead I can live in," he stated with a sigh before looking out the corner of his eye at her, watching her examine the small enclosure they were occupying.

"I did only marginally better than most of the kids, which is to say, not that good really," as he spoke his piece, Ethan sat up before tossing his jacket onto a stack of cardboard boxes in the corner. His hat following shortly as he looked himself over then in a rather not so obvious manner, looked her over. "Yeah, I can see what you mean by that. But then again, you could play at being a goth, since you already got the look right."

"Yeah, no problem," shrugging at her response, Ethan simply tilted his head to the side sharply. The sound of his neck cracking, stifled as it was, was still audible, turning his head to look at her, he shrugged. "Minion, slave, thrall and servant." he retorted with a slight touch of sarcasm, coupled with another of his listless smiles before catching the cord and sticking it onto his middle finger.

"Oh, it saves a ton," he fired back with a chuckle, "and the premiums are out of this world. Wait, you still go to school? College or university?" Ethan started to show a little interest in what she was talking about. "Sounds interesting regardless. I'd probably come along too if you went."

"The other mattress is over there," he spoke up, pointing towards the folding table, and the second futon by proxy, which was rolled up underneath it. "Pizza should be done in a few minutes so make yourself comfy. Well, comfier then you already are."

"If you're wondering about my smoking habit, I only bought them cause the place was open," he grunted slightly as he inhaled the wafting scent of bubbling cheese, cooked meats and veggies. Despite his laid-back attitude, Ethan was not for all intents an purposes a super nice guy. Sarcastic, cynical and overall generally irritated with how the world worked - war, crime, famine and disease and bullying, oh, that was a rich one unto itself. But for all intents and purposes that's how the human mind worked and no matter how much good a person does or did in their life, they were just as capable of doing harm.

Listening to Jinx was actually a lot better than sitting alone in silence for five or six hours. It gave him something to do, to keep the boredom away for just a little while longer, "murder, huh? or maybe suicide? The point is, the place is nice, right?" he stated abruptly, taking a deep breath as he looked at her again and sighed. "It was cheap, you took up the offer instead of looking around for something else that may or may not have been cheaper, cause nothing drives down real-estate prices like death."

Ethan shrugged. "good for you, I guess," spoken with a none too subtle hint of disinterest in his voice. "Well, you're not supposed to like school, it's meant to be boring and repetitive. As for goths, you got the dress down at least," he stated matter of factly before getting up and shuffling towards the mini-oven. Pulling the door open, he let go of the cord and pulled the pizza out, setting it down with a slight clatter on top of it's respective box. Looking over at jinx, he began to slice a couple healthy pieces out of the pie and brought them over to her on a paper plate.

"To answer your question, I can't make it cook any faster. That is, unless, you want the oven to explode. Cause I can totally cook it faster with an exploding oven," Ethan's statement dripped with sarcasm as he let out a small sigh before turning on his heel, grabbing his own two slices, and headed to his futon once again, the exhaustion he had been feeling for the last three days, finally overtaking him and causing him to hit the mattress with a thud.

"Shit, I think it's time for a long overdue snooze. Well, after I eat my slices of course," he groaned irritably as he took a bite of it, shuffling the hot chunk of pizza around his mouth without a sound. Note to self: Steal more sleep aide medications, groaning at his own thoughts he simply sighed as he focused on the more immediate thing at hand. His food.

Ethan laid there, a small expression of stoicism plastered across his face as he sighed, living was as hard as giving up, he was a testament to that philosophy and nothing could be said to ultimately change his view of that. He hated people, truthfully, he couldn't stand them, always fluttering about for their own selfish needs, a lie behind a smile, hate behind kindness. So he chose to be an out and out bastard, hurtful in truth and selfish without a second thought. But here he was, being selfless, maybe he was doing it for some company or maybe he really did want to help Jinx when she was attacked by them. Whatever the reason, he just lay there completely awake - mentally alert, with thoughts racing to and fro.

Could he call her a friend, someone to cherish and share laughs and smiles with, could he call her an enemy, someone to distrust and keep always at an arms length? He didn't know, he couldn't know and so in true Ethan esque fashion, would keep her close like a friend, but also closer, like an enemy. It was what he did best, he couldn't completely trust people, not after what happened to his brother, no, not after that. Never completely.

But that was another story for another time and Ethan finally felt some semblance of sleep enter his mind, making his eyes flutter and his brain slowly grind to a halt. Yes, Jinx could be a friend, someone to keep safe and to keep Ethan's sanity in check. He had been alone for so long, so, so long, that while he always kept a stoic, listless expression of unenthusiastic boredom on his face, just beyond that lay a coiled serpent, fangs bared and ready to inject it's insane toxicity into Ethan. No man, no matter who you may have been, can never stay alone and isolated, shutting out most emotions, without succumbing to the taint of madness. It was inconceivable and the few who have succeeded, they are truly madmen to fear.

Slowly, his eyes shut and slowly he drifted off to sleep, a soft gentle sigh escaping his lips with every breath. Yes, a friend is what Ethan needs, someone he could protect. He had failed his brother, let him die, but that was not now and Ethan could at least protect someone else.