(no subject)

[longfaced]

CHARACTERS: Jean and Eren
UNIVERSE: Late 1920's...
WHERE: Amurica
WHEN: When they're seventeen???
WHAT: Eren is a punk who's in Levi's gang -- the restaurant Jean works at is in their territory, so naturally they're going to butt heads.


[ Jean's family doesn't have a lot of money. He's basically lived on his brother's hand-me-downs all his life, and being the youngest, he was fortunate to not have to work until he was a teenager. He went to school, got an education, and is currently working at a restaurant belonging to a friend of his dad's to save up money to go to university. He's hoping to go to a good school, maybe in a city full of opportunity -- but with the way the economy is going now, he's not sure if it'll be at all possible,

To make matters worse, a few members of Levi's gang had been loitering around the business, scaring off customers. It just happens to be his luck that he's the only guy on shift, meaning it's his job to go outside and tell them to scram.

He pushes the door open to do just that, eyes wild with the nerve he built up just to come out here. ]

H-hey. Can't you guys take this somewhere else?! If you aren't buying anything, then you gotta leave!

Comments

[bulwarks]

[It had actually not been a huge thing, just someone new from a rival gang getting caught in a crossfire because they didn't know they shouldn't be there. A swift punch to the chin and a kick to the stomach was enough to teach them a lesson for now, but maybe he shouldn't have been too hard on him if they were just starting.

Violence, he had learned, was the most affective method of keeping someone in line.

When Jean's voice hits his ears he twists around, face distorting to anger too. The other man is still on the floor, coughing as he tries to right his breathing.]

Do you own this street?

[Meaning fuck you, he'll do what he wants.]

[longfaced]

[ Jean may be a smart kid, but he has a temper that counterbalances his common sense. The guy who turns on him looks absolutely insane; his knuckles are split open, smeared in blood, and his face is filthy from supposedly rolling around in the dirt during the fight. Jean's not looking to actually get into a fight, especially with someone who could potentially sic an entire gang on him if he so wanted, but... ]

What the hell kind of question is that?! You don't either!! So quit being a damn eyesore and scram!

[bulwarks]

[It's a bad decision, something that Jean will soon come to learn thanks to the fact that Eren only becomes more stubborn over things like this. If he doesn't want to do something, he won't, someone screaming at him will only make him more stubborn.]

I'm not going anywhere.

[longfaced]

[ He has to actively stop himself from yelling in return. It's that wild look in his eyes that helps him stop, because they have some kind of paralyzing effect. Not because he's scary -- but because they're the biggest freaking eyes he's ever seen.

And the greenest. Go away gay thoughts ]

... Then you're just gonna have to buy something. [ There. A compromise. ]

[bulwarks]

[Eren just deadpans back at him, face flat.]

I don't have any money.

[Well, he's not the one handling things in the gang, especially not finances. Eren probably hasn't touched money in his life okay.]

[longfaced]

Huuh? Seriously? [ It's not that it's unbelievable, but it ruins the effect he'd been going for. ] Then, I don't know, have a glass of water. It's free.

[bulwarks]

[Yeah, sucks to be you.] Is something wrong with you?

[You know... his head???? How many people casually offer stuff like that after someone gets in a fight outside their establishment?]

[longfaced]

Is something wrong with you?

Just take the offer already. [ AND STOP FIGHTING OUTSIDE OF THEIR BUSINESS!! He's glad to make the sacrifice, if it means splitting up a fight. ]

my paid ran out LMFAO sorts this in a min jfc

[bulwarks]

Fine. [He doesn't get why he's agreeing to this. His hand is starting to throb and the guy is slowly crawling away, grateful for this newcomers interruption. Eren barely notices.]

I'll take a glass.

[longfaced]

... You have to come inside. [ He looks at him like he's an idiot, but he holds his tongue. Working in the service industry has trained him to do so. ]

[bulwarks]

I'm not stupid. [Well you'd think otherwise with the way he was waiting, but it was more that he was checking the area.]

Really shouldn't you be more careful?

[longfaced]

Careful about what? I'm not the one picking fights with thugs. [ Well, Eren himself is a thug, but his point still stands. He's being plenty careful... offering a criminal a free glass of water.

He steps to the side, holding the door open. Come on, now. Don't dawdle. ]

[bulwarks]

I said I don't have any money. What if I try to mug you? [There's a point too, this isn't careful at all.

Then again, Eren himself might be walking into a trap. He steps into the place anyway, eyes sweeping over the area.]

i don't understand why i'm not getting notifs for this thread...

[longfaced]

If you try, then you'll find yourself on your ass outside. I'll boot you out of here.

[ He's going on break soon, but he'll put it off to keep watch over the kid. He lets the door close behind them as he walks past Eren and over to the kitchen area, behind another door.

Seat yourself, Eren. ]

idk either........ it's your post too so ?????????

[bulwarks]

[Only that forces an almost cocky smile to his face. He pushes it.]

You'd try to.

[He doesn't start rummaging, but he doesn't sit down either.]

[longfaced]

[ Eren, please. You might have a mean look, but you don't exactly have a face that people tremble before.

Jean, on the other hand...

He scoffs in response and disappears into the kitchen. He'll come back out shortly after, glass in hand. It's filled to the brim with ice. In his other hand is a pitcher of water.

He spots Eren... and raises an eyebrow. ]

What are you doing? [ Sit down... ]

[bulwarks]

[Um he'd still kick his ass??? Cute face or not???

Either way, he doesn't get what the problem is here.]

Waiting?

[longfaced]

Sit down, would you? [ It's... an invitation, not a demand. He gestures to one of the tables. They're pretty empty in here, save for a few elderly ladies enjoying their tea. ]

[bulwarks]

[Eren gives the elderly ladies an awkward glance, sitting down woodenly at a table that's further away from them and much closer to the door. He eyes Jean warily.]

What kind of idiot gives away water anyway?

fuck these notifs in the ass

[longfaced]

What the hell? Who are you calling an idiot?!

[ He slams the cup down on the table, setting his eyes on his with a bit of a scowl. Eren might not be paying, but he's still a customer he's supposed to be serving. He should be treating him with the utmost kindness -- scratch that, it's Eren who should be treating him with the utmost kindness. He just invited him for a cold glass of water and he gets called an idiot? ]

Water's free, asshole! It doesn't belong to me, so I'm not giving it away. It's yours. It's theirs. [ He gestures to one of the old ladies. ] It's everyone's.

yeah 4sho

[bulwarks]

[Eren presses his chin to his hand, watching him for a moment. The cup rattles with the ice inside.]

You don't own this place do you?

[longfaced]

If I did, do you really think I'd be out here serving drinks to assholes like you when I could just pay some poor schmuck to do it?

[ He crosses his arms with a raised eyebrow. Though, he turns away for a moment as one of the other servers comes out from their break. They pass by to tell Jean he can go for his now, to which he says 'yeah, later'. ]

[bulwarks]

That explains it. [Eren watches him quietly for a moment as the server comes out. Then:] You're really naive, aren't you? You just invited a gang member into a place that isn't yours. If that guy scrambles off to tell his leader what will you do if they come here and wreck this place?

[longfaced]

What?! [ He blurts out. ] That won't happen!! Come on, how petty can somebody be? Besides, isn't this your territory? They shouldn't be coming around here in the first place!

[ That's admitting he knows who Eren belongs to. Which gang, that is. ]

[bulwarks]

...You know which one I'm in? [For all he knew Eren could be trespassing, at least that's the impression he'd had. Then again, Eren's earned a title for himself lately, it wouldn't be surprising if he knew.]

[longfaced]

Yeah? [ Oh shit. Did he just say something he shouldn't have? He pauses a bit, giving in to slight panic as it wells up in his chest and reaches his expression. ] I mean, I've seen you around... so...

[bulwarks]

Yeah? [He returns the question.] Where abouts?

[It's interesting to see what Jean will come up with, because knowing him like this it seems pretty shady. Eren feels a little cornered too.]

[longfaced]

Around. [ Well, that's not a reaction he'd been expecting. His voice grows quiet. ] You hang out with that Levi guy and his crew, so I made the assumption.

Are you going to drink your water?

[bulwarks]

[Look Jean doesn't know about his tendencies to end up kidnapped, alright? He probably wasn't supposed to leave the safe house to begin with.]

Do you even know the first thing about any of this? [He takes a hesitant sniff of the water before sipping it, trying to be wary enough to get by. Alcohol is banned in most places, but rival gangs would use that or drugs to make someone unable to fight back. He's learned that much.]