The first question to ask was whether the body he was looking at was alive, which was perhaps a question that should have concerned Ed more, but he had grown up in the Narrows. There was a limited amount of empathy he could have for some nameless potential corpse.
However, the body groaned and he realised it was not a corpse. Good to know, he supposed. Moving his foot carefully, he nudged him in the side. Huh. He looked a little bit familiar. What was this about? He didn't smell any alcohol. Had to be other drugs then. Maybe this was related to Mr Crane?
"Ow. Stop nudging me." Harvey mumbled as he lazily kicked one leg out to deter the person manhandling him, his brain not fully awake yet. He wasn't sure what was going on but he slowly opened his eyes and -- shit, not again. Where the fuck was he this time? Harvey sat upright and then looked down at himself, glad he was unharmed for once. He slowly sat up and yawned, looking around the open space around him... lots of water.
Oh God, it was the pier, wasn't it? Great. He was in mob central for this. Harvey squinted up at the kid poking him and raised an eyebrow, not sure what to say to him. "Hey."
"...hi." That was Harvey Dent. Harvey Dent, who looked confused and - by the way - grossly underdressed for the weather. What was Harvey doing here? He knew he wasn't super rich, but he wasn't even Narrows, he definitely hadn't thought he'd be anywhere near gangster territory. And, more importantly, at least at first glance, his pupils looked normal, eyes weren't bloodshot, he appeared to be sober.
Curious. "Did you get lost on the way to your bed?"
"Uhhh... I guess?" Harvey looked just as confused as Edward as he looked about and then down at his feet, wincing when he noticed he must have left the house without shoes. And why did he leave the house to begin with? Slowly, Harvey pulled himself to his feet before looking at Edward closer now. Huh. He knew him, didn't he? "Edward, right? Nash---ton?" Harvey had to think a little but he knew Edward, he was in his lit and math class.
He was like a genius or something. "I'm Harvey. Harvey Dent. I'm class president." He wasn't sure if he'd ring any bells for Ed or not.
"I know who you are." Edward didn't add the 'duh', because he felt it was obvious enough in his voice. Harvey was class president, he was quarterback or whatever the hell, everyone in school knew him. Although he imagined a lot fewer knew that he apparently woke up on the pier sometimes.
"It's more surprising that you know me. Although the real mystery is why you didn't know where you were, isn't it?" He watched him, curious. Of course. "That seems to surprise you less than it ought to. Not your first time?"
"Nope. I think it's aliens." Harvey remarked without any real conviction, tilting his head back to look up at the moon, knowing it was too late and too cold for him to just be hanging around out here. Edward too. "This place is pretty dodgy, Ed. Come on, let's get out of here. Walk with me, yeah? Or the aliens might get me again." Made about as much sense as any other theory.
Walking carefully on the concrete, he looked left and right before deciding what direction to go. "And of course I know who you are, Edward. You're the kid who always corrects the teacher, hard to miss you."
"You'd think I'd be hard to ignore, but a lot of the teachers seem to manage just fine." Or maybe they were just tired of him, but it wasn't as if he didn't have to listen to them brattle on, so he felt he suffered more than them on the whole.
What was intriguing was that Harvey wanted him to come along. Acted concerned even. One of the many intriguing aspects here, not nearly as important as the mystery of how he got here, but it did reveal that perhaps Harvey's white knight persona wasn't just an act. Intriguing.
He put his hands into his pocket and started walking. "Where do you live? I can walk you. Seems as if I know where I'm going better than you do." Given Harvey didn't even seem to know where he ended up. "So, how often have you gotten abducted by aliens?"
"I'd feel better if I got you home first, Ed. Don't take it personally or nothing, I'd just feel bad if I ditched you. Mostly, I just need instructions to find a payphone. Maybe I can call my dad. He always has his phone on loud in case." In case of what exactly? Well, this. He had been doing it for a while now. His dad got pissed sometimes, other wise he just held him. It was weird. He didn't get it much. "Let's see who lives closer, yeah? Now what direction do we go?"
He was hoping Edward could navigate better than he could, he was a little lost. "Aliens have been taking me since I was ... woah, five-six? Something like that. Never used to get further than the garden. Now I'm all the way to the pier. That's progress." Bad progress but progress.
"There is a payphone by a deli down that road." Edward gestured and then walked ahead, looking at Harvey from the side. Frequent blackouts. There were a number of possible explanations for that and his mind was already buzzing with the possibilities. "Congrats on moving forward. Anyway, since I'm the one who's out on purpose, there's no need to walk me anywhere. Just worry about yourself. If you walk around in my neighbourhood dressed like that, you'd learn about an exciting new way to earn pocket money."
Clearly pyjamas, but also-- That was a lot of bare arm. Damn. What a biceps.
"Heh, I guess I would, yeah?" Harvey didn't seem overly bothered by the idea, he was mostly relaxed about all of this, like it wasn't really anything overly special. As they walked towards the city where the lights were on and there was more going on, Harvey felt a lot less freaked out - being out by the pier was like being asked to be whacked by the mafia. "This might be a weird question but, well, you hungry?"
Cause Harvey was. He patted himself down and instead his pyjama pockets was a ten dollar note. Why did he have money in his pyjama pants. Well. Cause of this. He assumed his dad put it in there... or another version of him. "I need to break my ten, is any food place open?"
"...lots of places are open around here. Told you, the pay phone is right by a deli." It was weird, hanging out with Harvey Dent. And not for the reasons he'd have thought it anyone had told him that he'd be hanging out with him. How could he treat this as something so normal when he knew so little about it? Fascinating. "They've got good waffles there."
It wasn't as if he had much money. "My friend likes their chicken and waffles. Looks like a heart attack waiting to happen."
"Ooh, waffles. You want some waffles? Or I dunno, a coffee or something? It's damn cold, why the hell are you even out this late? It's not great." He knew he was a hypocrite, being out this late too, but at least he wasn't intentionally out. His body just had other ideas. Making strides up towards the deli, Harvey paused outside and peered around before locating the payphone. Awesome!
"I'm going to get food then call." Seemed like the better plan. "That way, I technically have breakfast so I can sleep in tomorrow." Loophole.
"And they say I'm the genius." Ed's voice was dry, but he followed Harvey inside the diner anyway, not quite sure what to make of the situation. However, he'd be a fool to say no to free food. "Waffles sound good to me."
Couldn't hurt to warm up a little. He still had time later, if he wanted to look further. Although he may have been stumbling on the most interesting discovery already. "So. How is football going?" He supposed that was what jocks talked about.
"Like me playing it or me watching it?" Harvey asked as he came up to the counter of the deli and looked very apologetic. "I'm so sorry, ma'am, I lost my shoes. Is it still possible to order some stuff?"
"Of course, honey. You go sit yourself down." The lady smiled at Harvey, clearly charmed by his boy scout puppy routine. Harvey grinned and hurried over to one of the booths, dropping down and gesturing for Ed to sit opposite. "Football is okay, I guess. In general. Trying to have as much fun with it while I can, definitely not a career for me."
"Huh. I guess it could be a career." That had somehow not really occurred to him. He knew it factually, obviously, but the thought of that being an option for someone? Just weird. "Good for you." Ed leaned back on the bench, one arm loosely around himself, his hands warming up already. It was cold out there, admittedly.
"You are less stupid than most people. You can do better than footballer." What kind of pathetic career was that anyway? "What do you wanna do?"
He was charming. It was fascinating to see how the woman had reacted before.
"Oh, I'm hoping to go to law school. I'm already going over some of the entrance exam stuff. I know it's early but the sooner I learn it, the better." Harvey was an optimist, he felt like as long as he tried hard from now onward, he could make his dream a reality. The waitress came over and Harvey ordered a coffee, gesturing at Edward.
"Get whatever you want, you're technically my hero. I owe you a good breakfast." Otherwise he'd still be sleeping in the middle if a pier.
Ed ordered waffles with strawberries, but he also ordered iced tea. That was the real treat here, it was rare he bothered splurging on something other than water. But, hey, Harvey acted as if he could afford it. A lawyer, huh? He assumed the abundance of charm would be helpful with that.
"Good luck with that. You are class president and all that, I'm sure they'll take you." He did know that Harvey wasn't stupid. Kind of annoying, actually. Tall, handsome, charming and not an idiot? "You are pretty lucky."
"Other than the alien abductions, right? Cause those are a pain. You know, one day you're fine, the next day you're waking up on a pier. Very inconsistent." Harvey paid for their food ahead of time and tipped as much as he could, saving his change for two possible calls. Worst came to worst, he'd just walk home. "Mind if we keep that a little secret between us, Ed? I mean, it's not that embarrassing that I sleepwalk but I don't like people knowing my business. I'm a private guy."
And the idea of people knowing and wanting to help or get involved? It made him feel very uncomfortable. He didn't mind the episodes as long as it only involved him.
"What would I have left of this secret once I shared it?" Edward shrugged, smiling a little bit. He did love secrets. "I won't tell anyone. Don't worry. I keep a lot of things to myself."
He could be correcting their teachers on so much more, for one thing. "Maybe you sleepwalk. You could use technology to help with that. Trackers. Alarms triggered by lack of proximity to the transmitter. A lot of options."
"It's possible but ... I don't know, it's weird." If he was sleepwalking, actually sleep walking, why did he sometimes wake up having apparently had conversations, done things and driven cars? It seemed very unrealistic. He wasn't sure why it bugged him so much but there was something about it that didn't add up. As far as he knew. "Do people who sleepwalk have like... any awareness? Do they talk to people or do things or is it like being asleep?"
Cause he wasn't sure and this was his first ever sounding board for these issues.
"They can talk to people and do things to some degree, but they'd not be aware and it's unlikely that it wouldn't be noticed." Huh. This was getting more and more intriguing. "Hypnosis can have effects like that. There's some other scenarios. I could do research into it."
And he definitely would, because now he needed to know. "You are sure you remember nothing at all?" Sounded like a blackout, amnesia, something along those lines. "Do you take drugs?"
"God, no. If I did, it'd show up in the drug tests we do. Part of being on the team and all, lots of boys want scholarships." Even in middle school, it was competitive as hell and every year, they had to test. Harvey didn't even take meds that he was supposed to take, he was very hype on that. "I don't do drugs, I just sort of ... I stop and then I start again. That's why for years, I assumed aliens."
When he was younger and more prone to imagination and fantasy. "Now I figure that aliens have better things to do than visit this planet, let alone take a kid like me. So I guess I'm just weird."
"M-hm. Well, there are a lot of explanations for something like that, but I'm no expert." Obviously. He was a kid. A kid with big glasses and clothes too big on him who likely seemed ridiculous talking as if he could be an expert on anything, but that hardly stopped Edward. "If you give me time to do the research and you provide me with all the necessary date, I can likely figure it out."
"Woah, seriously? You totally earned your waffles. If you're up for helping me out working all this stuff out, I'll totally treat you to something better next time." He was already thinking of stuff he could take Edward to eat, like that one great Italian place. The woman came over and set down their food, Harvey getting some extras for being such a sweet boy.
"Do you need to use the phone? You look a bit loss, sweetie."
"I'm okay, I'm with my friend. I'm gonna use the payphone but thank you so much." Harvey smiled at the woman and then turned back to Edward, still smiling. "She's so nice."
"Feel as if a lot of people would be nice to you." So was that it? A charming smile, floppy blond hair and this woman - he knew what a grumpy hag she could be - was all honey and sugar? Fascinating.
Edward took note and started eating his waffle. Friend? Right. He assumed Harvey wouldn't bother acknowledging him again, unless he actually felt he could be of help to him. "It's an interesting way of life. Do you ever wonder what it'd be like if you were less handsome?"
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icebergloungers2021-01-31 12:59 pm
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However, the body groaned and he realised it was not a corpse. Good to know, he supposed. Moving his foot carefully, he nudged him in the side. Huh. He looked a little bit familiar. What was this about? He didn't smell any alcohol. Had to be other drugs then. Maybe this was related to Mr Crane?
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Oh God, it was the pier, wasn't it? Great. He was in mob central for this. Harvey squinted up at the kid poking him and raised an eyebrow, not sure what to say to him. "Hey."
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Curious. "Did you get lost on the way to your bed?"
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He was like a genius or something. "I'm Harvey. Harvey Dent. I'm class president." He wasn't sure if he'd ring any bells for Ed or not.
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"It's more surprising that you know me. Although the real mystery is why you didn't know where you were, isn't it?" He watched him, curious. Of course. "That seems to surprise you less than it ought to. Not your first time?"
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Walking carefully on the concrete, he looked left and right before deciding what direction to go. "And of course I know who you are, Edward. You're the kid who always corrects the teacher, hard to miss you."
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What was intriguing was that Harvey wanted him to come along. Acted concerned even. One of the many intriguing aspects here, not nearly as important as the mystery of how he got here, but it did reveal that perhaps Harvey's white knight persona wasn't just an act. Intriguing.
He put his hands into his pocket and started walking. "Where do you live? I can walk you. Seems as if I know where I'm going better than you do." Given Harvey didn't even seem to know where he ended up. "So, how often have you gotten abducted by aliens?"
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He was hoping Edward could navigate better than he could, he was a little lost. "Aliens have been taking me since I was ... woah, five-six? Something like that. Never used to get further than the garden. Now I'm all the way to the pier. That's progress." Bad progress but progress.
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Clearly pyjamas, but also-- That was a lot of bare arm. Damn. What a biceps.
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Cause Harvey was. He patted himself down and instead his pyjama pockets was a ten dollar note. Why did he have money in his pyjama pants. Well. Cause of this. He assumed his dad put it in there... or another version of him. "I need to break my ten, is any food place open?"
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It wasn't as if he had much money. "My friend likes their chicken and waffles. Looks like a heart attack waiting to happen."
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"I'm going to get food then call." Seemed like the better plan. "That way, I technically have breakfast so I can sleep in tomorrow." Loophole.
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Couldn't hurt to warm up a little. He still had time later, if he wanted to look further. Although he may have been stumbling on the most interesting discovery already. "So. How is football going?" He supposed that was what jocks talked about.
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"Of course, honey. You go sit yourself down." The lady smiled at Harvey, clearly charmed by his boy scout puppy routine. Harvey grinned and hurried over to one of the booths, dropping down and gesturing for Ed to sit opposite. "Football is okay, I guess. In general. Trying to have as much fun with it while I can, definitely not a career for me."
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"You are less stupid than most people. You can do better than footballer." What kind of pathetic career was that anyway? "What do you wanna do?"
He was charming. It was fascinating to see how the woman had reacted before.
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"Get whatever you want, you're technically my hero. I owe you a good breakfast." Otherwise he'd still be sleeping in the middle if a pier.
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"Good luck with that. You are class president and all that, I'm sure they'll take you." He did know that Harvey wasn't stupid. Kind of annoying, actually. Tall, handsome, charming and not an idiot? "You are pretty lucky."
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And the idea of people knowing and wanting to help or get involved? It made him feel very uncomfortable. He didn't mind the episodes as long as it only involved him.
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He could be correcting their teachers on so much more, for one thing. "Maybe you sleepwalk. You could use technology to help with that. Trackers. Alarms triggered by lack of proximity to the transmitter. A lot of options."
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Cause he wasn't sure and this was his first ever sounding board for these issues.
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And he definitely would, because now he needed to know. "You are sure you remember nothing at all?" Sounded like a blackout, amnesia, something along those lines. "Do you take drugs?"
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When he was younger and more prone to imagination and fantasy. "Now I figure that aliens have better things to do than visit this planet, let alone take a kid like me. So I guess I'm just weird."
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"Do you need to use the phone? You look a bit loss, sweetie."
"I'm okay, I'm with my friend. I'm gonna use the payphone but thank you so much." Harvey smiled at the woman and then turned back to Edward, still smiling. "She's so nice."
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Edward took note and started eating his waffle. Friend? Right. He assumed Harvey wouldn't bother acknowledging him again, unless he actually felt he could be of help to him. "It's an interesting way of life. Do you ever wonder what it'd be like if you were less handsome?"
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