Players:
Summary: As July tries to get Jeremy to come to the school, Jeremy sees too much of John's past for comfort.
Date: December 11, 2009
Log Title Deadly Secrets
Rating: PG-13
/NYC- Thompson Square Park//
Thompson Square Park is a small park in the middle of Mutant Town. The benches might need a fresh coat of paint, the fence might be rusted in places and the pavement is raised and has cracks but it's all part of the mutant haven and fairly relaxing. Trees and grassy areas are in between the many paths, there are a few structures and benches along the path as well as a special area of the park that is marked 'the dog walk'.
It's mid-afternoon and even though it's quite sunny out there's a cold bite to the air. During the more active hours of the city, Jeremy can't find as many places to hide where it's protected from the wind. He's recently had his fix so he won't feel the cold as much, but he's still sitting curled up against a tree with a ragged blanket around him. Jeremy's got a ski cap, scarf and a pair of gloves on leaving just his face exposed.
July decided to try Mutant Town for a bit. A place outside the school that, while she still has to be careful, she doesn't have to be thoroughly secretive about her mutant-ness. She smiles a bit, looking around as she adjusts her leather jacket, zipping it up to her collarbone to keep herself warm. "Ahh… I don't get out enough of the school." she sighs, and then giggles softly.
John is walking through Mutant Town wearing blue combats, a black shirt with the top button done up, black sneakers, eyeliner and black nail varnish, he isn't wearing a coat as he doesn't really feel the cold. He is listening to his ipod at full volume and is singing along.
From his curled up spot on the ground, Jeremy can't help but look up as he hears John singing as he walks along. It's been quite some time since he's gotten a chance to listen to music that he likes, the mp3 player was one of the first things he pawned when he got to New York City. His eyes eventually find July and he just watches her for the moment, both of them look familar to him.
July walks by John without noticing him. Actually she wouldn't notice him if it wasn't for his very loud Ipod. She turns to frown at the inconsiderate guy hearing music that loud when she notices it's John. "Oh, hi, John!" the rubber girl says as she recognizes her friend, but blinks as she gets no reply. "Ah, the music." she mutters to herself as she approaches him from behind and pats his shoulder gently, "Hey, man." she says, smiling, once she gets the guy's attention.
John jumps in shock and spins around eyes flareing red, seeing that its July calms straight down his eyes going back to blue. He pulls out his earphones "Oh hey July, you made me jump" he adds what brings you here?"
Jeremy goes to get a cigarette from his pack to realize he's run out. He pushes himself up and rubs his arms a bit in his leather jacket, before cautiously approching July and John. "Hey, sorry to bother you, do either of you have a cigarette I can bum?" He doesn't have the nine bucks to buy a pack for himself.
July smiles, "Well, I called to you, but you were listening to music too loudly, my friend." she giggles softly, shaking her head softly, "So what are you doing around Mutant Town? Out for a stroll? I—" but then she's interrupted as Jeremy approaches the two asking for a cigarette. "I'm sorry, man." she says to Jeremy, smiling a bit, "But I don't smoke." but then she blinks softly, "Hey… We met before, right?"
John smiles back at July "Oh yea, sorry i get quite into the music, it helps keep me calm" he shrugs "I felt a bit clostra back a school so i came to…" he stops as Jeremy comes over recognising him from the last time he was in NYC "Oh hey again, Jeremy is it? no sorry i dont smoke" he grins "well not with a cigarette anyway"
As Jeremy is closer he has a few noticable bruies, that are healing, on his face along with a cut on his lip and above his eye. He looks at July for a few seconds before nodding. "Yeah, I think we did. Now I remember, you didn't want me smoking." There goes that for his cigarette fix. He looks over at John and blinks. "Yeah…" He says nervously cause the kid only looks vaguley familar but then it could be one of those faces.
July sighs softly, "Jeremy, right?" she asks softly, her eyes closing for a moment before she opens them again, and notices his bruises, making her frown a bit, "Are you alright, Jeremy? What happened, you look quite bruised…" she asks, sounding concerned about the guy before her.
John shakes his head "you dont recognise me do you? here let me try and remind you" his eyes flare red again. He then spots Jeremy's bruses as July points them out "Yea dude you look bad, what happened?"
Jeremy shakes his head as John's eyes glowred and he seems a bit nervous by it actually. "I don't know anyone with eyes like that." He ran away before the real fighting began. He just shrugs casually as they ask what happened. "I got into a fight, that's all. I'm fine."
July sighs softly, her shoulders slumping a bit, "Honest, man… why do you not want to go to the school?" She asks, smiling a bit, "It's a nice place, full of friendly faces, and lots of fun to be had there!" she tries to offer it to him again.
"Did you get hurt the other night when those robots attacked the other night?" He nods agreeing with July "Yea dude you should come back to the institute with us"
Jeremy shakes his head, to both questions. "No, I ran away and just kept running. I'm not as good a runner as I used to be though, smoking and not keeping in shape messed that up." He's still decent though but not at the competing level he was. "No…" He says taking a few steps back, he's nervous about this 'school'.
July blinks as Jeremy takes a step back, "Relax, man. We're not going to take you there against your will. I just want to understand. That place is not a prison. It's a place of learning, where we learn what's taught normally on a school, plus how to properly use our powers." she says softly, offering her hand to him, "Come with us. If you don't like that place, you can leave."
John smile reassuringly at Jeremy "Yea dont worry we're not gonna force you mate"
Jeremy tenses up a bit and looks at July for a long while. "No, I'm fine where I am." It's quite a lie but he's not comfortable going to a school with a bunch of other kids and he's got issues of his own he needs to work out without being in a school. "Thanks but no thanks." It's obvious he's uncomfortable and he doesn't even make mention of his powers, just that he doesn't want to go.
July sighs gently as she drops her hand, and she loosens her shoulders again, "Jeremy… you're not fine where you are. You may say you are, but your bruises clearly say you're not. We're not akin to problems, man. Everyone in the school is thre to learn to overcome their problems and control their powers and life. It's all to help you. You'd not be the first, nor the only troubled person in that school."
John shakes his head "Fine, at least let me look at those bruses" he reaches out to touch one of the bruses to see how bad they are.
Jeremy reaches out to stop John from touching his face, but he's not fast enough and as John's hand touches his skin, Jeremy starts to 'see' the last few years of John's life. He only catches the last two and a half years before thirty seconds later he's able to step away. "Please…don't touch me.." He says while his mind starts processing all he saw in rapid fashion.
July blinks softly as Jeremy seems afraid of the touch, and then as he recoils from John's hand. "What's wrong, Jeremy?" she blinks, looking at John, to see if something happened to him, and then to Jeremy. "What happened here?"
Jeremy has a distant look on his face before shaking his head. After what he saw with John, there's soemthing that'll cause him to definately not go to the school. "I know you weren't, but you triggered mine. I can see things, the past of things."
July blinks softly, at that, "Oh, really?" she asks softly, tilting her head a bit, but then she smiles, "It's okay. There is someone at the school with powers kind of similar to yours, only… a bit stronger." she chuckles softly. "She might be able to teach you how to control your powrs. She's one of the teachers."
John scraches his head "That must of been a boring flashback then" he adds still "You should come with us to the school, even if its just to get your injeries treated"
"I already went to a doctor." Jeremy mutters to John looking at him cautiously. He's pretty secretive about his past so he doesn't enjoy seeing others people, even if it is an accent. He watches John for a bit as if trying to determine if he's being serious about the borning or trying to get him to say nothing because July's there. "It's not about my powers, okay. It's…other stuff…and why did you hate your uncle that much John?"
Slime dripping, coat bundled, and an actual hat on today. Tim Olsen's out in Mutant Town today. He'd been hoping to 'accidentally' cross paths with Aaron to pass along a little gift but he's not seen the florakinetic cop yet. Detouring through the park and leaving a trail of slime, Tim's just enjoying the day. When two familiar faces come into view up above, the slimey mutant starts to head over casually.
July huh's softly and blinks, "Jeremy.. the school is a haven. A place where you can learn, and not have to worry about people wanting to cause you harm." she offers, smiling again. "Why don't we—" but then she's interrupted by Jeremy's question directed at John. "Huh?"
John blinks in confusion "When my grandmother was dying of lung cancer which had spread to her brain and my uncle was stealing and selling her things to feed his drug habit and telling her shed not had them for years" not sure why he's telling someone he barely knows this he asks "Why do you ask?"
Jeremy nods slowly. "That's what I thought, no reason." Jeremy's done the same thing, stolen from people to feed his drug habit, he still does too. He's very uncomfortable around him at the moment. "I should probably just get on my way, and I you don't know that for certain." He says to July in regards to the school.
"Hey, Jeremy," Tim chimes in as he comes up behind the psychometric mutant. He offers a wave to John as well and starts to say something. Whatever it was ends up unsaid as he takes one look around the group. "Err…something wrong?"
July blinks softly, "Don't know for certain?" she asks softly, but then she giggles softly, "No, you're wrong, Jeremy. I DO know for certain." she nods gently, smiling. "I do know for certain. Would living in a school with us really be worse than living on the streets, man? Having to steal to survive? Is that really what you want for yourself? Pleas, be honest…"
John stares in confusion "Jeremy why did you ask about my uncle?" He sees Tim and nods in greeting.
Jeremy shakes his head. "Nothing John…just something I saw is all, I..gotta get going." He looks at Tim and shakes his head. "Hopefully I'll run into you again." He says, meaning it, before just turning and trying to book it away from John and July as quickly as possible.
Tim blinks a few times. "Uhh…hey, wait up!" he says. "See ya, John and random girl," he says before quickly following after Jeremy. He wants to know what's wrong with his friend!
