|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2007 4:59 pm
It felt like it was far to early in the morning to be up and moving around intelligently. Charlot was leaning against one of the park bench style tables, cigarette hanging limply from the corner of his mouth. He'd been out too late last night drinking and had little sleep to catch up between- it felt like a marching band had set up camp between his ears.
He let out a sigh, closing his eyes for a few moments trying to 'zen' the sensation of pain away. It wasn't really working.
The day was far to warm and sunny for his hangover. He ran a hand across his chin, idly wondering where he'd find a razor to shave the bit of prickles that had begun to form.
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2007 5:06 pm
It may have been too early for the general populace, but Hadrian had been practicing since he'd woken up. When there was nothing to do, he retreated for water.
Dripping and half-naked, it took him a moment to notice Charlot looking not-so-very happy. It wasn't hard to assume why, and it was because of this assumption he approached slowly and spoke comparatively softly.
"Hi."
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2007 5:17 pm
It was a quiet morning, no doubt to Charlot's relief. Actually it was rather beautiful outside - one of those clear, sunny days where you wanted nothing more than to find a patch of good grass and watch clouds trawl slowly across the horizon. Peaceful. Pleasant. Serene.
"JOOOOOOOOOHN JACOB JINGLEHEIMER SCHMIDT! HIS NAME IS MY NAME TOO!"
Someone, a good distance away from the bench, was "singing." It was hard to tell what the words were exactly through the nigh-impenetrable Russian accent, but the sound alone was probably enough to make anyone want to run away.
"WHENEVER I GOES OUT, THE PEOPLES THEY ALWAYS SHOUT, THERE GOES THAT JOOOOOOHN JACOB JINGLEHEIMER SCHMIDT LALALALALALA!"
The source of the voice soon stepped into plain view - a large man, missing an eye (Iosif had decided not to wear his eyepatch that day) screaming a children's song at the top of his lungs. His trademark grin was pasted onto his face, though only between verses; the singing itself was gratingly off key, and more than enough to instill a headache in the sober, let alone the hungover.
For a moment it seemed like Iosif was going to march right past Charlot and the wet man, but he came to a sudden halt and reached into his shirt pocket, pulling out a cigar and holding it out towards Charlot. "Hey you maybe got fire?" he asked, sounding hopeful.
At least if he was smoking a cigar he wouldn't be singing. Hopefully.
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2007 5:41 pm
Holy Mother of God.
Charlot's eye twitched visibly at the noise, head tilting lightly as if pushed by the sound. His teeth had bit so hard into the cigarette... he'd managed to snap it in half. He spit the pieces aside with a sigh, glancing at Hadrian with a reply- only to be interrupted by the Russian thrusting his cigar forward.
"Ello, er... " His brow knit slightly at the LOUD creature, then he pasted on a pleasant smile and nodded, reaching into his back pocket to produce his lighter.
"A'courz mate." He stepped forward, snapping the fire to life and offering it out toward Iosif.
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2007 5:45 pm
Hadrian's ears were ringing, his eyes set wide. WhHen he recovered from the immediate shock, he saw spots.
Only for a moment did he suspect the singing.
Mm. Here for two seconds and already snapped to the third wh-OH SHUT UP. Hadrian scolded himself mentally. He wanted to say something, anything, and found that nothing was proper.
'I now understand why you lost your eye' seemed barely kind.
"...ow," was all he voiced, and shielded his eyes from the spots and flame for a moment.
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2007 5:56 pm
"You are a pal!" Iosif replied, tucking the cigar between his lips and bending forward a bit until the end of the cigar glowed red. Straightening, Iosif inhaled deeply and blew smoke upwards, holding the cigar between his thumb and index finger. There was a brief, blissful moment of silence.
Apparently Iosif was allergic to quiet, as he soon began speaking again - loudly. "Eh, your problem is what?" Iosif asked, wagging his cigar in Hadrian's direction. "You make this funny face, eh? You not know the words to the song? I teach you! JOOOOOOOOOOOHN JACOB - " A merciful pause as Iosif took a puff from his cigar, and immediately turned his head to the side, coughing daintily into his palm.
Hmm. Perhaps he ought to smoke his cigar first, then sing. Content with his new logic, he pat Hadrian on the back. "I teach you later, this is all right? We sing all day! Is like party. You can come." Iosif motioned with his head towards Charlot, grinning broadly. There was something a little menacing and devious about his expression, as if he were some crazed supervillain. Perhaps it was just the scar.
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2007 6:01 pm
It took him a few moments to actually take in the scene around him. His head had stopped pounding enough to be a dull ache in the list of his current 'problems'.
He cast a glance toward Hadrian, wondering if the poor kid was dying on him or something. He couldn't blame him for croaking on the spot.
"Y'alright, 'Adrian?" He murmured softly, compared to the boisterous sound of Iosif across from them. Charlot's attention snapped to the cigar, eyes narrowing a tick as he attempted to distinguish what brand it was.
"Oi, got one a'those oi can 'ave?" He gestured toward the cigar with a finger, eyebrow raised slightly.
He avoided the song completely.
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2007 6:06 pm
Hadrian, feeling completely alienated and replying anyway, removed his hands from his eyes. They twitched rather violently back and forth now, the nystagmus he was generally afflicted with was running rampant in response to the light.
"I'm fine," he nodded, laughing nervously for a moment, "and I know the song, sir. The light hurts my eyes, that's all."
His brain tweaked at his marred sight. New guy's shoulder, new guy's neck, new guy's shoulder, new guy's neck...all in less than a half-second.
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2007 6:21 pm
Iosif raised an eyebrow in Hadrian's direction, though he hadn't quite caught the constant vibrations of the wet man's eyes yet. "Light hurt eyes, eh? Then maybe you should not be in the outside, yeah? 'Cause it is morning and morning usually has the light!" It made sense to Iosif, anyway. Or wear glasses! Something. It just seemed silly otherwise.
He didn't seem put off by Hadrian calling him "sir." Perhaps he was used to it.
Iosif was briefly distracted as he searched his pockets for another cigar. The one in his shirt pocket was the only one he remembered bringing, but his pockets often had contents that surprised him. In his quest, he found the following: a balled up wad of tissues (unused, thankfully), some bullet casings (which he dropped idly on the ground in a strange sequence, creating a series of tings that were almost musical), and a chewed up pencil. Other pocket! Stuffing everything save the casings back in his pocket, Iosif reached into the other and, with a cheerful "A-ha!" pulled out a cigar. It wasn't even squished.
Beaming, he offered his prize to Charlot, taking a victory drag off his own cigar. "Lucky you," he said, grinning. Then he turned back to Hadrian, prepared to offer more suggestions on how to handle sensitivity to light, when he paused. It was hard to tell whether his eyes were playing tricks on him, but were his eyes... moving? Not in a normal fashion, mind. In a weird kind of way.
Iosif stuck his hand back into the pocket from which he had procured the cigar and pulled out his eyepatch. He held it out towards Hadrian - an innocent, if not somewhat unusual gesture.
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2007 6:36 pm
Charlot accepted the cigar with a smile, nodding his head in thanks. He didn't want to smoke Hadrian out, so he decided to enjoy the special smoke later.
He tucked it away, turning his attention back toward Hadrian who appeared to be having some... issues. The way his eye twitched it look painful. He looked upwards at the sunlight, figuring it must be damn painful with his skin condition and all...
"Oy, 'Adrian..." He tugged his hat off, setting it on his head. The brim of the cap provided a bit of shade from the sunlight... it was really all HE could do. He grinned at Iosif and the patch. "Mmm... y'got one of them with two patches?"
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2007 6:43 pm
Hadrian gave a short bark of laughter at the offering of the eye patch, a pleasant but unusual sound, and clapped a hand over his mouth.
"No, I have a conditio--oof!" He looked up and took a moment to register what had just been shoved on his head.
"Thanks," he nodded, blushing slightly and pulling the brim lower in an attempt to shadow it. He was grateful for the shade and, of course, for preserving his precious lung capacity. His sore eyes began to slow.
"What's your name?" he asked the new guy, not quite sure how said new guy was going to interpret Charlot's question and thusly providing a backup.
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2007 7:00 pm
Iosif, realizing his eyepatch was no longer needed since a better solution had been provided, smiled haphazardly and tucked the accessory away. He used to wear it all the time, until Iosif realized that there was such a thing as an "eyepatch tan" and that it was the least flattering thing known to man. Besides, air felt good on his face.
He didn't seem to quite understand Charlot's question. "Two patches? What is it you talking?" Iosif asked, laughing loudly. "I have two patches I wear? I can't see! I walk around and then I would bump into things." Closing his good eye, the Russian provided a quick demonstration, taking a few steps forward and bumping (intentionally) into Hadrian. Cracking his eye back open, he grinned childishly at Charlot and took another puff off his cigar before responding to Hadrian's question.
"Iosif Davidovich Zaslavsky. I am the new man here! I shoot things." 'I shoot things' was almost becoming his catchphrase. "Who you are, eh?"
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2007 9:23 am
Charlot regarded the Russian with a grin, watching him bump into Hadrian. He was an amusing fellow, Russians always tended to be either CRAZY as hatters or fair weather friends, good drinking buddies too. They could hide a body like no one else...
Charlot blinked, snapping back to attention. I shoot things? Fascinating. He offered his hand out to Iosif, eyebrow cocked.
"Me names Charlot, plea'sha t'meet you. I throw knives at things."
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2007 2:41 pm
Hadrian gave a strangled cry, his personal bubble exploding momentarily. But then he laughed.
"I'm Hadrian," he stated simply, not offering his hand as Charlot had already stolen Iosif's, "and I feel very, very vulnerable at the moment. Guns, knives..." He trailed off and itched idly at the large scar on his chest.
Only then did he realize that he had no shirt on.
His hands moved frantically to find the bit of cloth hanging from his back pocket. He unfolded it, wrung it out, and pulled it over his head.
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2007 4:12 pm
Iosif was having trouble interpreting Charlot's thick accent, but soon as the man offered his hand to Iosif the Russian eagerly seized it, shaking it up and down with an admirable vehemence. Hadrian was spared having his wrist nearly fractured - instead he got a powerful clap on the back, and Iosif rumbled out a laugh. "Is pleasure! Is really very big pleasure, though maybe you not need be nervous eh? Is too early to be shooting the people anyway."
Wasn't a good idea to do his kind of work in broad daylight, out in the open like this. Though that probably wasn't very reassuring.
"Knives! Guns!" he exclaimed, expression bright. He turned to Charlot, twisting his cigar between his fingers and grinning as if he wished to break his own cheeks. "Is dangerous crowd here, yes? We maybe have draw, like the cow children in the West." Laughing again, he took another drag off his cigar; the cigar itself was dark and well-made, and Iosif smelled faintly of it and coffee. "Maybe not to dead though. Aim for leg. No kneecaps, eh?"
The scary thing was it seemed almost like a serious offer.
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|