"Just One Bad Day"

He blinks and shakes his head. “I mean, we have bars.” Who even has a tavern here? Jeremiah was uncertain. “And clubs. But taverns not so much.” 

“No. Have never been.. can’t tell what a clown is thinking-” The engineer’s heart dropped some at the name mentioned. It was the only circus he knew that came through Gotham, a common coincidence. But, while he smiled. “Yes, never been much of a circus fan either..” He was afraid, not of the circus but of someone from there, his mother was not his fear anymore.. no, it was his twin brother.. the mad self-titled clown prince of crime. Jeremiah kept his neutral expression while under it he panicked. “Can’t say I’ve been to Haly’s Circus” Lies lies lies.

“You said a tavern.. You have one from where you came from? We don’t have any here.” He was trying to change the subject from clowns and bad memories. Jerome wasn’t here, Haly’s Circus was gone. Jeremiah was safe, yet why must this clown have known of all the damn circuses and carnivals?!

“–Tavern, bar, same thing–” IT said shrugging off the word “–Maybe small towns like Derry- that’s where I came from- are a little old fashioned. Don’t really have ‘CLUBS’ but there’s a few nice bars and a couple historic taverns–”

“Come.” Jeremiah walked, leading the way. He knew of the right bars to head to that had less drunk morons in it. His mind focused on finding the closest one and heading inside, holding the door open for It.

Based on the Gotham character. 

https://www.etsy.com/shop/RedCapArtDolls 

one special starter for @sanestbuilder​;

          😇Jerome Valeska was dead. Well at least that was what the report of the GCPD claimed, truth was different, but who stays dead in Gotham City anymore? The reason of why his body has been digged up had an ulterior motive - as it happened whenver someone dig up a body, but this time it wasn’t to steal belongings as some lowlife would do, it was to recover his life.

          He didn’t asked for that when he left his diary to Jeremiah - his twin brother, asking him to continue with his legacy, because he was sure he time has been up. Didn’t thought that - after opening his eyes one second time, he would meet face to face with no one else other than the Prince of Gotham, Bruce Wayne himself.

          The reason of his awkwening, like any phoenix was simple and old as time, he was going to be used to stop the only person he could stop, the one whom he himself created, his twin brother. Unfortunately for Wayne, the Lazarus’ Water had changed Jerome, not just physically - as now most of his scars were gone except for those on his mouth, but also mentally.

          He was sane now, and sane he was vulnerable, he couldn’t cause harm, but he could be hurt. Bruce tried to sent him past the bridges of Gotham to main land, but he was unable to do so, and thus a very sane Jerome was left wandering on the no-man’s land. Gotham has always characterized for being violent and dangerous but not like this.

          With the Prince of Gotham busy helping out the city, Jerome was left on his own, without means to survive, except for the old building that belonged to Wayne Enterprise, where he was asked by Bruce, to find shelter. It wasn’t in the Green Zone of the GCPD, because no one could know he was alive, it was near the Narrows, a place that has been abandoned by the society, and the gangs.

          Jerome knew he needed to learn to survive on his own, even though Alfred visited him from time to time to drop canned food and water at his door, they didn’t got to talk much. Alfred mistrusted his sanity, and Jerome mistrusted the man. He dealt well with the food that was provided, but sometimes he needed to go after it on his own.

Of course, the news eventually found him.. the news that everyone dreaded to tell him. So he heard it from her, his Ecco who told him without getting killed for it.. only some annoyance crossed his face. “He needs to learn to stay in the dirt with the rest of the warms” He muttered without any mercy.

It was a simple declaration, and one for the desperate. Jeremiah’s announcement spread. He is offering food, shelter, and protection for anyone that brought him Jerome.. alive, torture and some missing limbs were fine as long as the twin still had breath in him.

Of course, he wasn’t going to sit back and wait. He searched, remaining in the shadows.. like some ghost ready to pounce on unsuspecting people. “Come out come out wherever you are~”

    His knees are getting weaker. And though he chortles under a raspy breath, his expression frozen in an abhorrent grin, indignation taints his features at his brother’s retorts. That traitor, that snake ! Spitting lies as Sheba would venom; a cold-blooded reptile harboring nothing but a misguided sense of self-preservation. He loathes him with every fiber of his being. And yet, even when doused in burning hatred as such… he couldn’t bring himself to decapitate the treacherous pest as he should.

    For a long time Jerome kept chasing after him. Shoving his face in the cameras to shame his twin for the appearance they shared, hoping to drive him in some dreary rathole. And though he succeeded, it still does nothing to fill the void in his chest. Jaw hangs agape when he spots the pooling blood close to the exit. The sight snaps him out of bitter thoughts; but a new cycle begins.

   Suspicion; could Jeremiah really have ran off into the woods ? Though Jerome wouldn’t hold it past him to attempt a taste of recklessness — even if it came in stark contrast with his presumed cowardice — if it meant saving his skin, he does hesitate to follow the steps towards the exit. Something is off. He leans against the nearest wall, free hand pressing down on his bleeding shoulder. Panting breath grows hoarser.

    It takes him a few agonizing seconds to figure it out; a devious smile slowly creeps up on his features. Dead giveaway; that’s too much blood shed in a specific spot. Considering how Miah’s wounds had only been dripping on the floor up to that point, it makes no sense for him to suddenly splatter so much blood, so close to the exit. It almost looks as if his wound suddenly started gushing; and.. pointing to the woods, that would be too convenient.

   The jester lingers. Broad shoulders squeeze some oozing crimson out of his own wound. Oh, this is a mess. A raw, disgusting, lovely mess. Back pressed to the wall, he succumbs to shaky knees and allows himself to slide down. Stained white shoes squeak as they kick against the floor. He sits clumsily, head tilting to the side, gaze still sparkling with life as he observes the bloodstains mix. It’s almost poetic.

He couldn’t see the other in the darkness, hearing was his friend as he heard the steps that were slow and stumbled. He hadn’t realized he held his breathe until the steps became less and less, only then did he breath out slowly.. though he was sure even if he was breathing heavily, the walls wouldn’t give him away as easily.. it was dark and almost peaceful.. and he couldn’t see how much blood he was still losing. 

There was one thing.. he felt his gun that had become hidden again. Could he do it..? Could he muster the strength and will to end the man? Judging by the sounds, Jerome’s back would be to him.. Jeremiah could finish all of this.. cut off the head of the vile snake as it were, and make sure no other head grew back.. he’d leave the corpse to rot or be eaten by the wildlife, making sure that the evil mistake was never going to return..

Slowly he got up once again, maybe this was better. They both die... Jerome could mock all he wanted, but Jeremiah would die to.. ending a possible repeat if the engineer ever turned mad. Yes...

Forcing himself to open the door, Jeremiah fell when it opened, Jerome’s back was to him even for this second.. and he was sure he looked white as a sheet and much worse, even his green eyes losing their life. He forced the gun to be pointed at the other, forced his vision to focus. “If only you were never born.” He said it, glaring at the evil and deranged twin. 

There were foot steps behind him and he smirked. It wasn’t an enemy. Her eyes glared coldly at Jerome, her steps coming to a stop a mere inches from her boss as she pointed her own gun at the injured twin. Not taking her eyes off him as she silently awaited orders. If her boss missed, she sure would not..

“You need me. I’m the answer to your life’s question! Without me, you’re just a joke. Without a punch line.”

He stared, very unconvinced. If anyone was able to learn magic then why hasn’t anyone? Listening was quite an interesting turn. They aren’t just little beings that can use magic, they are magic. He was good at being quiet and listening, taking in the information like a sponge.

Dream Fae, it explained how he was able to be like a shadow at times, like dark vapor. It was because of his.. magic, talent, whichever. All Fae are Fae, but they can be different. Makes sense since humans are human but not all the same.. even identical twins have slight differences, be it from a birthmark to different personality. “I think I understand now.” So basically if he wants to study the other, he is pretty much just studying magic that is taking form of the boy before him.

“Air and dream is your magic, or you rather. That is actually quite interesting. So, let me try to understand. If I were to learn magic.. that’s all I would be doing. Using magic, never will I be magic. I will always be human.” Now if said that to dear Poison Ivy about her and her plants, she’d try to prove him wrong.. via J killed by Crazy Plant Lady… he almost giggled at the idea.

“You truly are one of a kind.”

He was glad to see that the man was picking up what he was putting down, but when he almost began talking about using magic himself, a wild flare of anger shot up Kheelan’s spine. Glinting black wild eyes darted in the direction of the man. Ooh, he was walking a very tight thin line of respect right then, and Kheelan had no qualms about putting him in his place if he stepped one foot over that thread.

“You will not be using magic,” he stated as more of a demand than fact. Jeremiah was a smart human, perhaps he could piece that one together, for if magic was them, and people used magic, might he see how it would be considered a bit rude to do without Nature’s Permission and good graces.

THAT’s where humans fell thin, presuming they control anything.

“You truly are one of a kind.”

Jeremiah was an example as a sort of magic in a way.. after all, he wasn’t born with the pale skin and madness. And his aura was so twisted and wrong, sane aura being smothered over and over, crushing it again and again with black goo that almost mocked Kheelan’s shadowy tendrils.. “We can’t control everything, yet humanity sure believes it can. We are stupid creatures.”

He blinks, now very interested and a little uncertain. Humans couldn’t do magic.. if they could, maybe life would be a tad easier. Still he also reminded himself this was a Faerie and they had a way of twisting stuff around to have the deal that is in more their favor.. Jeremiah may have also snooped in Oswald’s precious notebook to learn all this, but would he admit that? Nope.

“You. I can’t learn magic. Human remember? Very boring, rude, and mundane.” Jerome would have jumped on the chance and he knew it. “…. I doubt I’d be any good at it anyway. No. I want to know how you can do all this, if that isn’t to rude or bold” Or stupid. 

Luckily, Kheelan had no idea about such a journal or how it even related to his son or Jeremiah. If he did, this conversation probably would have been over.

Dream Fae, it explained how he was able to be like a shadow at times, like dark vapor. It was because of his.. magic, talent, whichever. All Fae are Fae, but they can be different. Makes sense since humans are human but not all the same.. even identical twins have slight differences, be it from a birthmark to different personality. “I think I understand now.” So basically if he wants to study the other, he is pretty much just studying magic that is taking form of the boy before him.

“Air and dream is your magic, or you rather. That is actually quite interesting. So, let me try to understand. If I were to learn magic.. that’s all I would be doing. Using magic, never will I be magic. I will always be human.” Now if said that to dear Poison Ivy about her and her plants, she’d try to prove him wrong.. via J killed by Crazy Plant Lady... he almost giggled at the idea.