siryn

“I could make them,” Jeannette grumbled. One scream and they would all be in agony. She supposed that was some kind of overreaction, but frankly, se was not in the mood to care about that at the moment. She shrugged, pouting. “If they are going to dress badly, they should be told. Appearance used to mean something, you know.” She huffed. “And now they are making me sound like an old woman.”

♫

Theresa raised an eyebrow at the woman. Was she capable of hurting others for her own pleasure? The brunnette hadn’t struck Tess as a criminal-type, but she had been wrong before. Hell, she had been a criminal herself once. “Mhmm, o’course.” She decided to play along, still leading the woman away from anyone she might harm. “I’m Theresa, by the way. Do ye frequent this area a lot? Doesn’t seem like yer kind o’ place.” 

“You fancy yourself a hero?” Jeremiah mocked, letting out a sudden laugh. He reached his hand up to cover his mouth as if he hadn’t meant to let out out. “Oh, Red. That’s a dangerous game.” Fingertips dragged along the wall as he took a few careful steps towards her. “Not many heroes left in Gotham. At least, not many who’ve kept their sanity.” 

♫

“Yeah, I tried the whole villain thing and it didn’t suit me.” She said, tossing her hair out of her face. Her gut was almost wrenching with the amount of anxiety flooding through her. “Not a game. A way of life.” Theresa shrugged. She noted his steps and steeled herself, not wanting to show any fear. She readied her vocal cords for a defensive attack. “I can’t imagine why. Most of the people I’ve met have been out of sorts. What’s in the air here that drives ye all mad?” She asked, forcing a nervous laugh.

-

Kori gave a little laugh as the other woman spoke. “Yes, but at times, that is part of their charm,” she said. “They are outstandingly attached to the strangest habits and traditions.” She laughed softly again. “I am Koriand’r, but many people simply call me Kori,” she said. She smiled. “I do not drink, but then again, I have singular tastes.” To put it mildly. 

♫

“Is it though?” She muttered, thinking back on the many drunks that she had known in her life, including herself. “Ye have an interestin’ view on life, miss.” Tess said, shaking her head at the blatant optimism. “Kori. Nice to meet’cha. You can call me Tess if it suits ye, since I’ll likely be usin’ your nickname.” She said, thinking that her accent would just butcher the woman’s name. “Why’d yer mum name ye after an herb?” She asked. 

“They should not be allowed to treat me this way!” Jeannette argued hotly, folding her arms over her chest even as she let the younger woman lead her away. “Or anyone, I suppose, but most importantly, me.” She stomped her foot. “Nothing!” she said. “I merely told the bouncer that his girlfriend was dressed like she was allergic to coordinating her clothes. It was true!”

♫

“Listen, I agree wit ya, but those arseholes don’t care.” Theresa rolled her eyes and patted the woman’s arm in mock sympathy. Or maybe it was real sympathy. She hadn’t decided if she liked this woman yet. She gave the woman a look. “Y’know those folk are thick skulled, ye can’t say that stuff to them. Eejits, the lot o’ them.” Theresa started leading the woman back to her apartment on instinct. She lived pretty close by. 

Skidding across the rough surface of the pavement from the meek limp-wristed throw from the security guards, the black goo that stuck to the pavement to stop Eddie from rolling into the on coming traffic, covered in dirt as he jumped to his feet. Hands gripping the sides of his open baseball jacket to shake the remanence off. He was about to go on a impulse to charge back at them, however a foreign accent shone through the mask of wrath and the hustle and bustle of the street and bar. “No,” Eddie poorly lied, lie that a child could see through and with a mirroring expression of not believing himself. “Maybe. Yeah, totally more then maybe.” He tried to joke, the blurring memory coming back to him. He ate the bartender’s arm off for trying to spike someone’s drink. MY TONGUE IS ALL TINGLY-LEE, LOSER. The symbiote’s blasé voice rang out in his head, was it possible the symbiote was high? how is that possible. The effects seeping onto the host, his head was merely fogging. “Ah, yeah… we’re a little…” He chuckled out slightly dazing over what he was supposed to be saying. 

 ♫

Theresa could tell that the man was all sorts of messed up and she sighed. She took charge of the situation, taking hold of his arm to try and steady him. “I think ye’ve had one too many. Can I walk ye home? D’ye even remember where home is?” She muttered the last sentence as she looked him over for wounds. “And what did ye mean by we?” Tess asked, furrowing her brow. She checked the outside of the pub to make sure that he didn’t have a friend hanging about. 

-

Kori had been about to help the same person, her lips parting as the other woman began to speak. “We can both–” she started, but then the drunk patron wove gracelessly back into the bar, as if neither one of them was there. “Oh, I guess not,” she said, with a little chuckle. “I suppose they’re alright if they are going back for more.” She smiled. “I know the offer was not meant for me, but I wouldn’t say no to some company. If you wouldn’t mind.”

♫

Theresa shook her head, unsurprised by the drunk’s behaviour. “These people really never learn, aye?” She said, a bit of a laugh lacing her words. She smiled at the woman, taking in her height first. She was at least an entire foot shorter than the other. “Sure, I’m not in a rush to be anywhere. I’m Theresa. Local hypocrite. I’ve definitely been in that guy’s shoes before.” 

“Oh, I’m nothing if not sane.” He nearly hissed the words like he was insulted that she could have seen him as mad to begin with. “That advice I gave you is common sense. Especially in a city like this one. Have you lived in Gotham long?” She had an accent. Clearly. “Perhaps it would do you good to be wary of the drunks you pick up off the filthy street.” 

♫

“Okaaaaay. Whatever.” Theresa replied, put off by the stranger’s behaviour. She was sure this was one of Gotham’s many weirdos and Tess was too tired for a fight. “I’ve been here long enough. And I can handle m’self, thank ye very much. I fancy m’self a hero every now and then.” The ginger wasn’t entirely sure why she was still talking. Probably the nerves.

-

Barry looked at her in mild surprise as she took his hands to examine them. He hadn’t been in Gotham for very long, but he could already tell this wasn’t exactly a Mayberry type of place. Although judging by her accent, the young woman in front of him wasn’t from around here. “Oh, no,” he said, with a little laugh. Between the fire in her hair and the fire in her personality reminded him of Iris. “Thanks, though. I get the feeling that he was just…you know, dealing with some stuff. I kinda feel bad for him.”

♫

“Well, that’s awfully understandin’ of ye.” Tess said with a smile. She dropped his hands after ensuring there wasn’t anything that needed immediate attention. “I’m Theresa. Ye must be new here... ye still care about others’ feelin’s.” She laughed, but it was a harsh sound. She wasn’t a fan of Gotham, but one day she had just wound up here and never left.

“No, they thought my card was a fake.” Billy said, shoving his wallet back in his pants. Which was bullshit, because if Billy did have a fake, why wouldn’t he make the picture better? It would have been easy to magic the bouncer to letting him in, but relying to much on his powers probably wouldn’t be all that healthy.

“Can I sulk for a few minutes first?”

♫

The ginger looked at the boy up and down and cocked her head. “Are ye sure it isn’t? Ye look a wee young to be drinkin’, boy.” She said. Not that she could judge; she had been drinking since she was... well, she didn’t want to think about it. “Ye can sulk all ye like, but let’s get a move on. The bouncer looks like he’s in a fighin’ mood.”

-

Jacquetta was on her feet again before the young woman even reached her, a snarl of anger her features. She was deeply tempted to scream at the bartender, to punish him for tossing her out like trash. “I can keep myself safe, thank you very much,” she said, her temper still rising high. “Although that fool of a bartender might need some protection if I have my way.”

♫

Tess put her hands up in a defensive gesture and laughed. “Annnnd let’s steer ye away from the pub now, shall we?” She said, guiding the woman away from a potential assault charge. “What did’ye do?” Theresa asked, amusement on her lips. She had been in the woman’s position a few times.

“Oh, I wouldn’t if I were you. You shouldn’t trust strangers.” Jeremiah spoke out. Leaning against the wall. Drowning in the vibrant green light of the neon sign above him. “At least, that’s what I hear. Mother told me different. Jeremiah, never-mind the nice man in our trailer. He’s only here for the night. He won’t bite.” He said, mocking her voice the best he could. “Well… look how I turned out. I should have never listened to mother and evidently neither should you.” 

 ♫

Tess took half a step back at the tone of the man’s voice.  When she realized it was coming from the wall, she turned to face him, alert. The drunken man lumbered off while Theresa had her attention on the green-haired man. She listened to him talk, staying silent, until he was finished. “Are ye done? Ye sound like a madman, y’know. And ye should prolly see a therapist.”

-

“Ow–!” Barry landed hard on his hands, shocks reverberating up his arms. He clambered to his feet and looked around as the young woman. “Oh, uh, neither,” he said. “There was this drunk guy who thought I was flirting with his girlfriend, and the bartender is his…brother, or cousin, or something, I don’t know, everybody was yelling. Anyway, shockingly he took the guy’s side, and he tossed me out.”

 ♫

“Are ye hands alright?” Theresa asked, moving to take them in her hands and look at them. She was naturally friendly and she hoped he didn’t mind. She looked them over and let out a tsk sound. “D’ye want me to fight ‘em for ye? I’ll do it, y’know. This bar is horrible.” She shouldn’t know that, actually. She was supposed to be sober. But she had it under control this time. 

✧ — ⋆  she has a habit of self destruction ; musings .

✧ — ⋆ everythin’ has beauty but not everyone can see it ; vanity .

✧ — ⋆ i’m tryna fuckin’ scream but the words won’t come out ; convos .

✧ — ⋆  my demons are beggin’ me to open up my mouth ; playlist . 

✧ — ⋆ she’s afraid of talkin’ nonsense ; texts .