Voice testing. For the given sense of voice testing, that is.

[morethanadream]

[Don't mind Sandy. He's just going to float in the air, napping quietly.

Until his mun gives him a nice metaphysical tap on the arm.

He shakes himself awake, then blinks sleepily, glancing around the new place. Huh. He didn't think his mun would actually try playing him, but okay. It's flattering that she wants to try, although it would have been nice if she had dropped him off somewhere near his friends. Speaking of...

Pictures made of golden sand start flickering over his head. An Easter Egg. A tooth. A Christmas tree. A snowflake. All of them are followed by a question mark while he floats around the area, searching for the other guardians. Or anyone at all, really. Despite not speaking, Sandy likes meeting new people.]

Comments

[icy]

[ It's a hell of a thing to be telling the friend that your other unreformed and mildly psychotic acquaintance is a fair-weather buddy, but. Well, Jack has long since been convinced his life is a massive joke.

He leans in at a crouch, earnestly trying to make eye-contact. Letting Sandy down isn't what he wants at all. ]

I know about the things he's done. How he created the Nightmare Men, the galleon and ... all of that. [ Wincing, Jack wishes Pitch could just go poof and stop being such a cruel asshole, but realistically he never will. It's what makes Jack want to try with him, because sometimes (on extremely rare occasions) they wind up sharing a joke or chatting amiably. It always ends in bickering of some sort or outright arguing, yet even so. ] I still don't want to give up on him and leave the guy all alone.

[ That notion underscores a lot of Jack's incentive to stick it out, obviously. He won't abandon anyone just because no one else likes them; he'd be a hypocrite if he did. ]

[morethanadream]

[Sandy makes eye contact. He cares about Jack, and he genuinely wants what's best for him. It's not about letting him down, it's about Jack's safety.

You see, this is what Sandy's afraid of. Jack, no matter how he denies it, is vulnerable because of his history with loneliness. Of course he doesn't want anyone to feel the way he did: it's partly that desire to take care of people that makes him a Guardian. The issue is when the person he tries to take care of is dangerous or takes advantage of his good nature.

Sandy takes Jack's hand and pats it gently, but above his head forms another caution sign. Be careful, Jack. None of the Guardians want to lose their newest member.

He wishes there was a way to tell Jack to do what he feels is right, but to not allow himself to become consumed by Pitch.]

[icy]

[ Jack sometimes wonders if people don't underestimate him a little more than they themselves realize. Putting his staff down, he places his free hand atop Sandy's and smiles for him. See? Still himself, worries and cares aside. ]

When am I ever not careful?

[ It's intended as a tease to inject a little levity (because lbr, if Jack still has the impetus to be a lil shit then he's doing alright). ]

[morethanadream]

[Oh, Sandy doesn't think he can't physically take care of himself. He's done so for three hundred years. He just doesn't know if Jack is ready to deal emotionally.

Sandy rolls his eyes and gives a sardonic smile. Do you really want him to answer that?]