Players:
Summary: Jeremy and Shane talk a bit about being on kick and getting over it.
Date: April 11, 2011
Log Title: Recovering From A Kick
Rating: PG
NYC - City Hall Park
In front of the large white building with pillars, American Flags, and bell tower on top, is City Hall Park with its extravagant fountain. Four sets of black iron gas lamps sit on the four corners of the fountain, there the only gas lamps left in the city. Four spouts of water shoot in the center tier of the fountain and shower down into the water below. Four smaller pools sit on each side of the fountain where water pours into them from the main part. Benches sit all around the fountain with trees and flowers covering the grass behind.
Jeremy really isn't supposed to leave Barnes without supervision but the person supervising him needed to do some errands of his own and left Jeremy in the park. He's sitting on a bench staring at the fountain as he slowly smokes a cigarette, the only vice he hasn't been able to give up. He has a flat brown bag in his lap that looks like it might be holding a book of some sort. At the moment his gaze seems transfixed on the water and most things around him are blocked out.
Two weeks of the shakes and feeling horrible and sick and wanting to die, and pretending none of it is nearly as bad as it is. Whether or not Security or Medical know the truth, by this point Shane can't be bothered to care. Nobody asks about it, which is good enough for her. But two weeks of that is enough for *anyone* to want to crack, so, a mumbled excuse and a day of hooky in the City has proven a badly needed exercise. And while she's still in street clothes — Today, a Misfits tee and dark blue jeans — she felt okay enough to dye her hair again, and the neon-pink head feels almost normal to her, as she mooches through the park on her way to the subway.
Taking one last drag off his cigarette, Jeremy tosses it to the ground and leans back. Even though he's over come one obstacle he's got a few more to get passed. The shock of pink hair catches Jeremy's eye for a second and then the face looks familiar to him. He just doesn't know the girls name at all. His eyes follow her for a bit and there's a small wave he hopes might get her attention.
Shane glances up at the motion, eyes catching Jeremy's face. There's a moment of confusion, as she searches her memory for why this kid ould be familiar to her, and then recognition strikes. Altering her course, she comes to a halt a few feet away, eyes on Jeremy's shoes. "Hey," she murmurs, shoulders hunched and hands jammed into her pockets, looking to have been put thoroughly through the wringer and back again on the other side.
"Hey." Jeremy says back to her giving her a small smile. "You've been okay lately?" He asks her giving Shane a concerned look. "I know I don't even know your name but I've been worried about you."
Shane frowns faintly, eyebrows drawing together… as though she doesn't quite buy the idea someone actively worried about her. After a moment's silence, she lifts a shoulder. "Fine," she murmurs, lifting a hand to tuck a lock of hair away from her eyes. "…It's Shane."
"Jeremy." He says giving his name. "Last time I saw you everything was kinda crazy." He says pushing his hair back with a gloved hand. "I…didn't want to hear I was right but, you're no longer taking the stuff right? It's…really dangerous."
The girl's face tightens, shoulders hunching further. "….Yeah," she murmurs, wrinkling her nose. "Had the shakes for like a week, and I still want it bad… But I've been clean. You?"
"I….I overdosed." Jeremy says. "But it wasn't just kick but I've been clean for eleven days. I ended up getting sent to rehab cause of it. I don't think I could have done it on my own. A part of you is always going to want it."
Shane nods slowly, looking away. "…That's what I heard… Sorta wished I wouldn't, but, it's what I get, right?" She lifts a shoulder. "…I'll deal, I guess. Good that you're clean."
"I don't know if the feeling fades, longest I was clean was eleven months before dropping the ball but…it does get better." Jeremy says. "It's just easy when you've had a shitty day just to grab a needle or grab the inhaler and just…have it all go away." He shakes his head and frowns. "Sorry, you probably don't care about my issues. Yeah, I'm glad I'm clean. Glad you are too."
Shane shrugs. "…No, it's fine," she says quietly. "Like I said… you told me so. …. ….Glad you did."
Jeremy nods and looks down at his lap for a bit, not really sure what to say. It comes with the territory of being shy. "I just wish I could have convinced you before you did but…" He shrugs.
Shane snorts, shaking her head. "Doesn't matter. Soon's I got a faceful, that was it. Can't remember the last time I didn't care about anything, before then. Iunno what I'd've done to get more."
"Be glad you didn't find out." Jeremy whispers as he reaches into his pocket to pull out a pack of cigarettes. "That feeling of not caring, it's nice. I miss it." He admits. "But, it causes more problems then it hides. I…did a lot of stuff I'm not proud of to get heroin."
Shane lifts a shoulder, clearly as uncomfortable with the conversation as Jeremy is. "Wouldn't've made a difference. Not proud of a whole lot anyway."
"My powers aren't easy to live with." Jeremy explains. "I can see the past of anything I touch and it all gets into my head and I can't figure things out so the drugs really helped with that. Combined with everything else….so, I'm not really a proud of a whole lot either."
Shane snorts. "Probably I'd be happier with your powers," she says, nose wrinkling. "Least I could keep my clothes on, 'stead of ruining 'em every time I blow up. 'S why I don't bother wearing my costumes anymore; no point is ruining clothes I actually give a damn about."
Jeremy shakes his head and whispers. "You wouldn't." He still holds onto his pack of cigarettes tight but he doesn't light one. "I can't touch anything without seeing the past. Most of it is ugly. Watching someone murder someone and having it stuck in your head…" He shakes his head again. "No..I wouldn't wish this on anyone."
Shane lifts a shoulder. "You'd probably know better than me," she says, tone unconvinced. "Anyway…. Um. … …Yeah." Rather a lame conversation topic, but, the pink-haired girl clearly can't come up with something better.
Jeremy looks down at his lap and fiddles with his cigarettes for a bit before. "Sorry, I shouldn't assume your power is worse to deal with then mine. Just, grass is always greener."
Shane shrugs, settling herself on the ground. "Mmn. Just try imagining being a grenade every time you get too angry. Then imagine the only thing that made you happy was making costumes."
"I don't know what makes me happy anymore." Jeremy admits. "I think both of us got the short end of the stick somewhere." He says finally taking a cigarette out and lighting it. "I guess playing the violin is the only thing I really have anymore."
Shane nods. "Well, clean now, right? So save up 'n get a new one. That way all you'd get's it being like handed off to a few people. Bam, you c'n be happy again."
Jeremy looks up at Shane and gives her a doubtful look. "It's not that easy. Getting clean is the first step to not feel so shitty about myself."
Shane lifts a shoulder. "Just sayin'. Violin'd make it easier, right?"
"I own one." Jeremy answers. "First thing I bought myself after I got clean and had the money the first time. Just hard to play with gloves on but, it's the only thing I really have." He sighs as a man walks up behind him and puts a hand on his shoulder. "Come on Jeremy time to get back to the school." He says as the post-cog stands up. "It was nice formally meeting you Shane. Have fun with your sewing." He says giving her a small smile.
Shane squints up at the man, frowning slightly, and nods. "…Yeah okay," she says, levering herself to her feet and slapping the dust from her jeans. "You too. And hey," she says before she turns, "thanks for… y'know. Giving a shit."
Jeremy nods. "Wait one second." He says fishing around his pockets till he finds a pen and scribbles it on a piece of the paper bag and hands it to Shane. "If you ever need to talk, about..ya know. Might be easier to talk to someone whose going through something similar."
Shane frowns at the bag for a moment, then nods. "…Just warning you," she says, folding up the paper and stuffing it in her pocket. "I'm paranoid. Not like needing medication or anything, but… Try not to, y'know, get upset if I'm not all talky and friendly and shit."
Jeremy shrugs a shoulder. "I don't trust anyone." He says with a straight face. "That's just if…you need someone who understands…what you're going through." He says before going to head off. "Nice finally meeting you Shane."
