"I would introduce myself but I already did that today." The teacher made him stand up in every new fucking lesson and introduce himself. And when he just said his name and age, they made him list where he came from and fucking hobbies. He didn't have hobbies he could share, he just kept saying reading. That's why he got beaten with a book. The teachers were really not helping. "I assume you know but you can say Jon, I don't care."
He really did not. He shoved his hands into his pant pockets. His clothes had seen better days, his pants were faded and ripped at the knee, his hoodie was faded too and the print was flaking off. Overall, he wasn't exactly dressed to impress. And yeah, he kind of smelled like weed. Big shocker there. "There ain't no sun here, I know that much. Gotham rains all the fucking time."
"Oh yeah. Although it's been pretty sunny lately." For Gotham, which was probably saying a lot. Poor Georgia boy, if he was missing the sun so badly. Not that he looked as if he'd seen much sun, so there was that. Ed was pretty sure that he was tan compared to Jonathan. He walked next to him, hands in his own pockets, playing around with a little puzzle he carried around, casually solving it again and again. Helped him stay focused, he felt. "If you ain't got a weed guy yet, I can tell you where to score some."
The smell was kind of obvious. "Home-growing here is impossible unless you've got a whole set-up."
"I got a set up. All you need is a basic 150-watt LED and a crop." He was the weed dealer in his old town and now, he figured he'd probably only grow for personal use. Gotham had a monopoly on so many things, it wasn't something to mess with. There was probably a gangster controlling even high school weed business. "It's easier with the sun but I don't mind. I like it indoors. I'm in a basement set up now so it's nice, no natural light."
His father found it was better for experiments and Jonathan agreed. It was cheap because of the lack of light too so it was a fucking steal for them. "Cities are always so boring. The drugs are just -- dull." Less wiggle room for experimental. "I heard Gotham had a wild scene but half that shit is cut with SSRIs. And yet, everyone here is an anxious, nervous mess. Ironic."
"I don't know. You should meet me during test season high on coffee. Anxiety can be quite the ride too." Edward was joking, not aware what kind of interests might be being pinged here. Mostly he was taking note of Jonathan's interests, because clearly he knew a thing or two about weed growing, about other drugs. Interesting. "I'm saving my drug phase for after school." Hey, he was trying to indulge one thing at a time. More or less, anyway. He knew he'd want to experiment eventually. "But if you're worried about boredom in Gotham... Don't be. Half the time, even the water can send you on a trip."
"I know, I tested it the other day. The water quality is bad - the ED and TDS were in the toilet and the PH is acidic. Too far acidic." He had been bored waiting for school to start. He was used to exploring the country, sitting outside with a book, talking to his crows. He didn't have that now, he had to find other hobbies. As they got to the exit, he assumed the exit no one used, he frowned and gestured ahead.
"So you can get out of here without triggering the fire alarm?" Wasn't it a fire door? Woah. Unsettling and unsurprising. "Well. Thanks for the heads up." Jonathan pushed the door open, not really waiting around. "I reckon I will walk home now, I think today is just a hurt train and I don't want to be on it." He'd just have to hop back on tomorrow.
"Wow. Look at you, knowing chemistry." Where the hell did that come from? Edward felt as if he must have made him up, because that seemed too good to be true. Definitely feeding into the country boy fantasies he was currently developing. "You're all that and a bag of chips, aren't you?"
He was intrigued, because this was all very new. He knew the people here, even the ones he never talked to, they were usually not that difficult to figure out. Turned out that Jonathan had quite a few question marks surrounding him and, naturally, that was like catnip to him. "You'll just have to hop down the last bit. Fire escape is broken."
Edward was still following Jonathan, so clearly he planned on taking the same way. "I used to leave like this almost every day, a year or two ago."
"Then you got a girlfriend and the menfolk all high five you? I reckon that's it, ain't it?" That and Edward was very handsome but he figured that played a role - the sooner a guy scored, the more acceptable he was. Jonathan knew he would never be acceptable in that sense. Dating... ugh. He couldn't imagine anything worse. Jonathan looked down the fire escape and then nodded, approaching slowly and then just hopping down. He was glad he wore his sturdy boots today, they'd come in handy.
"You play the game and you can probably live a good life, that's what you wanna do. Play to the crowd, make lots of friends, get out of high school alive."
Jonathan pulled out his cigarettes and then raised an eyebrow when Edward followed him down. "You loving my company that much, son?"
"I dunno. I don't think they started the high five until after the second girl. And I don't much care for high fives with them, they are not the best about washing their hands." He'd just leave it at that. Edward climbed down after Jonathan, shrugging his shoulders. "It's a game, people are. Not a game you want to play, I imagine, if that impressive sneer is anything to go by, but they can be as fun to experiment with as chemicals."
Sometimes even more volatile. Especially around these parts. He glanced at Jonathan, amused by the 'son'. "Yeah, daddy, I just crave your attention." This accent was entertaining. "I'm headed vaguely homewards now too, I wasn't gonna walk all the way back down. Besides, I live in this direction anyway."
"I never said I didn't like to play with people, just said I don't like people. Doesn't change the fact you play, just changes the game and the rules." Jonathan had a lot of hurt to give back and not enough space and time to do it. He had to be patient, wait it out and then go for it. Then he'd hurt them all. Maybe target an event. Prom would be awfully amusing.
Jonathan put a cigarette in his mouth and lit up, raising an eyebrow at Edward. God, he had to stop calling him son, he was having far too much fun with it.
"That direction? Same as me? Well, shit. Ain't you an unlucky one. I'd stay at school, if I was you." Better anywhere but the Narrows, honestly.
"Don't knock the Narrows before you know how to play there. Ain't so bad." Anywhere but home, at least. "Never boring." There was that too. Dangerous, likely toxic, all sort of dangers, but still. "We've got a good KFC place too."
Many would probably be more likely to consider that the only positive about the Narrows, but Edward genuinely thought there was more to it. Always something to explore, people to watch, information to gain and perhaps use. Just had to steer clear of some spots and stay out of the way of any stray bullets. "What games do you play, Jon? Colour me intrigued."
"I don't play together, I'm selfish like that. I like single player experiences." Jonathan remarked as they walked along the car park. The streets were quiet this time of day and Jonathan blew smoke away from Edward, trying to be as considerate as he could be but he wasn't stopping. He'd been craving since school started and there was no good place to sneak one in. Nowhere that hadn't been conquered by the sort of guy who'd tape him to a bathroom stall.
On the street, near a trash can, was a set of crows and Jonathan watched them curiously. He slowed his steps and frowned, cigarette hanging loosely in his mouth. Huh. "You get many crows in Gotham?"
"Corvus brachyrhynchos, Corvus ossifragus, Corvuc corax, as far as corvids are concerned." Edward had so many specialised interests, he didn't wonder too much at the question. Country boy like that, probably just missed the more direct touch of nature. He turned his head to the side as the wind blew a cloud of smoke his way, holding his breath for a few. Ugh, he would never be a fan of that smell. "It's like ninety percent pigeons, but the remaining 10 percent is actually pretty diverse. You get quite a few corvids, anyhow."
Jonathan lowered his cigarette and then suddenly, without warning, he made a crow call. And it was quite hauntingly similar to a crow's call. He made it a few times and then crows were now watching him. Jonathan stuck his hand in his pocket and tossed out a handful of sunflower seeds. Yes, he had fucking seeds in his pants pocket. One never knew.
One brave crow flew over and Jonathan made a slightly different once, watching it for a few moments and then looking at Edward. "I like ravens better. Corvus corax. Though I reckon if you're seeing them in the city, it's Corvus cryptoleucus. You can tell by the beak and the range but they look pretty similar." Jonathan turned back to the crows, now four of them were in front of him. "Hello, beautiful. You're definitely Corvus brachyrhynchos. You got any fancy calls from the Gotham streets, eh?"
Jonathan called again and the bird responded. Heh. Good. He missed his ravens.
Huh. Well, that was the most interesting thing that happened to him. Edward couldn't remember being this intrigued since Echo and Query had their cocksucking conversation the other week, that had also been fascinating. Albeit in a very different way. Edward was watching Jonathan more so than whatever bird he was talking to. More and more appeal to that accent. More and more appeal to the man. "Look at you, making friends today after all."
Who'd have thought? "You always travel with seeds?" Because that was weird and he loved it. "Jonny, I know we've just met, but I'm beginning to like you." Seemed fair to tell him. "All that, the accent, the eyes and the weed? Fucking swoon."
Jonathan pulled more seed out from his pocket and held his hand out to the bravest crow, patiently waiting. He knew it was difficult to wrangle one in but he was determined. He made a gentler call now and then looked up at Edward. "I always do, yeah. In case I meet a crow or a raven. They don't love this quite like they like dead chicks but I ain't walking around with meat in my pockets."
The crow hopped right up to his hand and started to eat the seed from him. Jonathan huffed in approval. "Thanks, girl. You really made my day, eh? Be smart, same time tomorrow. I'll bring you something better."
Once he was done crooning to his crow, he looked up at Edward and pulled a face. "You're an odd one, y'know? You like me now, maybe, but give it a week. You can do better." Once the seed was gone, Jonathan stood up slowly so he didn't scare the crow, putting his cigarette back in his mouth. "Trust me."
"Can do better with what? Ain't anyone else offered to be my daddy yet." Edward winked at him, then turned to watch a crow fly away, glad that Jonathan drew a line around carrying around baby chicks. That seemed a little bit too gruesome. Also quite unsanitary, impractical and, not least of all, smelly. The seeds were definitely preferable. "Anyway, I get attached to people. It's one of my... quirks."
Flaws, he supposed, but he'd stick with quirks. He didn't much like to get into how fallible he was.
"Dangerous quirk. It can backfire easily. You gotta rely on people not exploiting it. Tsk. Wouldn't fancy that quirk." Jonathan did see it though, he could see how Edward found interest so easily and how he was so friendly and personable but not in the traditional extrovert way. There was something. Jonathan started to walk again, silently thinking over what he could do with someone like Edward. Nothing good, he knew that much.
"We won't be friends." He wondered how Edward would react to such a claim. Would he double down? Would he see it as rejection? Fascinating. "I don't do friends. Too much work."
Probably for the best too. "You got a lot of friends too, you don't need me."
"Eh. People say these things. See, I say that I don't do being anyone's boyfriend. Sometimes you're better off alone." He could relate to the general sentiment. Of course, he didn't actually care for being alone, pretty much ever. And while he may not be particularly good at the boyfriend thing where commitment was concerned... "If you change your mind you know where to find me."
His mind on friendship or whatever else that Edward was maybe talking about in a roundabout way. He didn't much care for speaking in a straight-forward manner, held very little interest. There was always so many layer to any conversation. Especially any conversation to the chemist kid with seeds in his pants.
"It's a firm no from me, son. Don't come to me again, yeah?" He braced himself for the inevitable daddy retort as he finished off his cigarette and flicked it idly on the floor. Well, it was a city, no risk of forest fire here so who cared? "I ain't personable. And besides, if the law of the jungle is anything to go by, you don't align yourself with someone on bottom rung."
He was at the bottom of the heap right now and he was going to be suffering through some fun hazing so he figured keeping a wide berth was good. "We don't gotta walk together, you can leave any time."
"I will, actually, I got a lunch date." Of sorts, anyway. "I'm telling you, try the KFC some time. You won't regret that."
He swirled around on one foot, walking backwards a few steps so he could still keep up with Jonathan. "If you want me to listen to you, daddy-o, you've really gotta get a firmer hand. I'm a brat, can't you tell?"
He winked at him, because he might as well, then he blew him a kiss, turned, and walked off, hands in his pocket.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
jonboy) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
icebergloungers2022-10-21 07:57 pm
no subject
He really did not. He shoved his hands into his pant pockets. His clothes had seen better days, his pants were faded and ripped at the knee, his hoodie was faded too and the print was flaking off. Overall, he wasn't exactly dressed to impress. And yeah, he kind of smelled like weed. Big shocker there. "There ain't no sun here, I know that much. Gotham rains all the fucking time."
no subject
The smell was kind of obvious. "Home-growing here is impossible unless you've got a whole set-up."
no subject
His father found it was better for experiments and Jonathan agreed. It was cheap because of the lack of light too so it was a fucking steal for them. "Cities are always so boring. The drugs are just -- dull." Less wiggle room for experimental. "I heard Gotham had a wild scene but half that shit is cut with SSRIs. And yet, everyone here is an anxious, nervous mess. Ironic."
no subject
no subject
"So you can get out of here without triggering the fire alarm?" Wasn't it a fire door? Woah. Unsettling and unsurprising. "Well. Thanks for the heads up." Jonathan pushed the door open, not really waiting around. "I reckon I will walk home now, I think today is just a hurt train and I don't want to be on it." He'd just have to hop back on tomorrow.
no subject
He was intrigued, because this was all very new. He knew the people here, even the ones he never talked to, they were usually not that difficult to figure out. Turned out that Jonathan had quite a few question marks surrounding him and, naturally, that was like catnip to him. "You'll just have to hop down the last bit. Fire escape is broken."
Edward was still following Jonathan, so clearly he planned on taking the same way. "I used to leave like this almost every day, a year or two ago."
no subject
"You play the game and you can probably live a good life, that's what you wanna do. Play to the crowd, make lots of friends, get out of high school alive."
Jonathan pulled out his cigarettes and then raised an eyebrow when Edward followed him down. "You loving my company that much, son?"
no subject
Sometimes even more volatile. Especially around these parts. He glanced at Jonathan, amused by the 'son'. "Yeah, daddy, I just crave your attention." This accent was entertaining. "I'm headed vaguely homewards now too, I wasn't gonna walk all the way back down. Besides, I live in this direction anyway."
no subject
Jonathan put a cigarette in his mouth and lit up, raising an eyebrow at Edward. God, he had to stop calling him son, he was having far too much fun with it.
"That direction? Same as me? Well, shit. Ain't you an unlucky one. I'd stay at school, if I was you." Better anywhere but the Narrows, honestly.
no subject
Many would probably be more likely to consider that the only positive about the Narrows, but Edward genuinely thought there was more to it. Always something to explore, people to watch, information to gain and perhaps use. Just had to steer clear of some spots and stay out of the way of any stray bullets. "What games do you play, Jon? Colour me intrigued."
no subject
On the street, near a trash can, was a set of crows and Jonathan watched them curiously. He slowed his steps and frowned, cigarette hanging loosely in his mouth. Huh. "You get many crows in Gotham?"
no subject
no subject
One brave crow flew over and Jonathan made a slightly different once, watching it for a few moments and then looking at Edward. "I like ravens better. Corvus corax. Though I reckon if you're seeing them in the city, it's Corvus cryptoleucus. You can tell by the beak and the range but they look pretty similar." Jonathan turned back to the crows, now four of them were in front of him. "Hello, beautiful. You're definitely Corvus brachyrhynchos. You got any fancy calls from the Gotham streets, eh?"
Jonathan called again and the bird responded. Heh. Good. He missed his ravens.
no subject
Who'd have thought? "You always travel with seeds?" Because that was weird and he loved it. "Jonny, I know we've just met, but I'm beginning to like you." Seemed fair to tell him. "All that, the accent, the eyes and the weed? Fucking swoon."
no subject
The crow hopped right up to his hand and started to eat the seed from him. Jonathan huffed in approval. "Thanks, girl. You really made my day, eh? Be smart, same time tomorrow. I'll bring you something better."
Once he was done crooning to his crow, he looked up at Edward and pulled a face. "You're an odd one, y'know? You like me now, maybe, but give it a week. You can do better." Once the seed was gone, Jonathan stood up slowly so he didn't scare the crow, putting his cigarette back in his mouth. "Trust me."
no subject
Flaws, he supposed, but he'd stick with quirks. He didn't much like to get into how fallible he was.
no subject
"We won't be friends." He wondered how Edward would react to such a claim. Would he double down? Would he see it as rejection? Fascinating. "I don't do friends. Too much work."
Probably for the best too. "You got a lot of friends too, you don't need me."
no subject
His mind on friendship or whatever else that Edward was maybe talking about in a roundabout way. He didn't much care for speaking in a straight-forward manner, held very little interest. There was always so many layer to any conversation. Especially any conversation to the chemist kid with seeds in his pants.
no subject
He was at the bottom of the heap right now and he was going to be suffering through some fun hazing so he figured keeping a wide berth was good. "We don't gotta walk together, you can leave any time."
no subject
He swirled around on one foot, walking backwards a few steps so he could still keep up with Jonathan. "If you want me to listen to you, daddy-o, you've really gotta get a firmer hand. I'm a brat, can't you tell?"
He winked at him, because he might as well, then he blew him a kiss, turned, and walked off, hands in his pocket.