[ catchall for april/may ]

[supersweet]

who: Jonathan Kent, Communal Housing; Floor 6 + You
what: Fireflies, meeting the neighbours, other catchall events
when: Late April/Early May
where: Prompt-dependent
warnings: None. Prose is fine but I'll be responding in action brackets. Other prompts may be added later!


[ CLOSED to denizens of Floor Six ]

[ The Kents didn't have much in the way of neighbours. Hamilton was a quiet town and they preferred it that way. And while Jon enjoys Hamilton County, he often daydreams of having friends close by or even playing team sports together. Kathy was great (and it helped that she knew his secret and kept it for him), but it never felt like it was enough.

So having neighbours around was both terrifying and exhilarating. After settling himself, Jon decided to visit each of his floor mates with a large bag of sour candies. After all, it's not like he can buy beer (adults drink beer right??) for them. When he runs into someone, his grin is casual. ]

Hi! I'm Jon. I'm your neighbour. Person.

[ Around the city ]

[ Like his father, Jon's hearing was sensitive. Thankfully, the intensity of the sounds tends to waver from loud to the normal range of a human being. Clapping his hands on his ears as Jon heads back home, he wishes it would remain in the normal range a little longer. He was not used to living in the city and he had only made a few trips to Metropolis when he was younger, none of them long enough to be memorable or familiar to him.

And right now, the city was deafening.

He runs right into anyone standing in his way, bowling them over completely. His expression is unfocused and glazed before clarity sinks in. ]

S-Sorry.

[ Jon claps his hands back over his ears with a wince. ] I'm sorry!

[ Fireflies ]

[ Jon had wanted to see the fireflies, watching the colours weave in and out. He hadn't thought it merited telling anyone he had gone out. After all, it was only fireflies. But then they drifted closer and Jon started to feel nervous.

One yellow firefly stung him on his neck and a flood of repressed feelings come rushing to the surface. Of other realities and forgotten memories. Of fading away. Jon hurriedly wipes away the tears that were starting to spill from his face. He needed to — Where was his dad? Why hadn't he come? He promised Jon. He promised he wouldn't let go. With a hiccup, Jon sits down, trying to wipe away his fears and regain his composure. All the while, hearing the laughter of Mr. Mxyzptlk in the back of his mind. ]

[ Mission, CLOSED to Steve Rogers (MCU) ]

[ Normally, Jon isn't all that keen when it comes to hanging out with grownups. They're boring and they hang over him, trying to keep an eye on him and be responsible. It's no fun and it gets tiring very quickly. But Steve had been nice and had reminded him of his own dad back home. The idea of doing a mission, a real mission meant he could be a real hero.

Plus Steve offered ice-cream, a sure-fire way into Jon's heart. After checking with Miss Jones and his parents, Jon takes part of his allowance and heads over to the ice-cream shop where they were supposed to meet. He climbs onto the stool with a jump in his gait. ]

Hey Mr. Rogers!

Comments

[ around the city ]

[contacts]

[ lois generally walks from the riverview news network back to the communal housing that she refuses to consider home, and today is no exception. she doesn't exactly expect jon to run into her with all his strength, making her wobble for a moment, precariously balanced on heels, before she loses balance and ends up on the ground. ]

Jon, hey. [ she can see that he isn't, but - ] Are you all right?

[supersweet]

[ A heartbeat. Jon can hear it clearly as it cuts through the rest of the noise. His own breathing relaxes slowly. Focus on the heartbeats, his father had taught him, and the rest will follow.

Finally, he smiles, wan. ]

Sorry, mom. Just . . . it's loud.

[contacts]

[ he seems better, but he doesn't seem all right, and lois dusts herself off and moves to stand, holding out a hand to the boy who's her son in another universe. ]

Let's go sit down, all right?

[ fortunately, there's a bench near. ]

[supersweet]

[ He nods and the motion makes him dizzy, the noise still echoing through his head. Dutifully, Jon takes his mother's hand. Her heartbeat is like a steady drum and he latches onto it desperately. ]

M'sorry.

[contacts]

It's all right.

[ she leads him to the bench and sits down, holding on to his hand all the way and continuing to do so once they're seated. he looks like he needs a lifeline. ] What's going on?

Fireflies

[fingerstripes]

Hey. [ He makes a deft landing nearby, tucks his escrimas away as he approaches with a quick, nervous glance behind. It's dangerous for both of them to be seen together while he's in costume.

But Jon is alone right now. Alone, and clearly distressed. Dick can't think of leaving him. ]

You doing alright?

[supersweet]

[ Jon's shoulders hunch as he tries to pull his legs closer into himself. ]

N-No.

[ Quieter, as if ashamed. ] I want to go home.

[fingerstripes]

[ Dick... says nothing or a moment. There's nothing he can say that isn't a platitude. Meaningless to a child forced to leave everything he knew behind. He'd once been that child too. ] ...Yeah. I know.

[ Instinct makes him reach out a hand, but he stops himself there. ]

I'm working on that. I promise.

[supersweet]

What if —

[ The hysteria bubbles up in his throat as Jon sobs, trying to wipe his eyes furiously. He's never held things back before. He's never had to pretend to be strong or brave. His parents have never expected that of him. But here, all on his own, he feels he had to be. He had to be stronger, be braver, be better.

Now he just feels alone and scared. ]

What if my dad and mom forgot me? What if he showed up again?

roomies

[spellslots]

[Taako and Jon don't exactly need introductions, but since he's getting sour candy anyway, he's sure as hell not going to turn it down.]

Is there a special occasion or am I just lucky?

[supersweet]

[ Jon holds the bag up politely so Taako can take his fill. ]

No. I just thought it would make sense to know the people on my floor. Do you know all of them yet?

[spellslots]

[This is dangerous, Jon. Taako absolutely uses mage hand to take as much candy as possible.]

Nope! [so cheerful.] I'm not gonna waste my time on a bunch of thugs just cause we're stuck in a room together. I'd way rather make friends the old fashioned way.

[supersweet]

[ He watches that, faintly entranced. ]

They're not probably thugs. I hope. Besides, being stuck together means we should at least get along.

City!

[finethanks]

[At home and when his health isn't so great, Eichi rarely gets the chance to truly walk around. It's no wonder that he tries to do it so much here, where plenty of people have warned him but no one has actually tried to stop him from pushing himself. There are no restrictions, no rules, and he's feeling just fine today—

Until he's knocked into. It's enough to bump him right over, and Eichi falls back onto his butt with a quiet, surprised noise before he blinks up to find who it was. A child? A child covering his ears and looking a little in distress.

He can't be annoyed at that, so he pushes at the ground to sit up a little further, reaching with a free hand for the stranger's shoulder.]

Now, don't make such a heartbreaking expression. I'm not so fragile that I'd break from just a fall, you know? It's fine.

[supersweet]

[ Jon wavers, biting on his lip. Technically, Jon could break someone that way. He assumes. The finer applications of his powers are still lost on him. ]

Do you need any help, sir? I'm really sorry. I should have looked where I was going.

[ He winces at the last part, the noise still filtering through his mind. ]

[finethanks]

You don't have to apologize at all. I don't enjoy seeing children with such sad faces, after all.

[He manages to stand up, brushing himself off with one hand as the other stays on Jon's shoulder. He's still bent over to be at his height, and his voice is very soft spoken, gentle but still confident. He'd be drowned out by the city noises if they weren't so close.]

Besides that, it seems like you might be the one who's in need of help. Are you running from something? Should I whisk you away and save you from some sort of danger? Fufu, but I'm not that type at all, so I don't think I could pull it off. I do believe I can walk with you, however.

[supersweet]

[ A lot of this goes over Jon's head as he blinks owlishly. But having someone nearby meant Jon could tune out the ambient noises around. The heartbeat is the best way to render all other volume inconsequential. He exhales quietly before fixing a sheepish smile. ]

I'm okay. I'm just not used to living in the city, that's all.

mission!

[starspangled]

[steve doesn't have that much experience with kids, but he can already tell that he likes jon. he's young, too young to be on his own, but the way he talked about his parents and his own situation suggested a maturity beyond that of a ten year old boy.

when jonathan jumps up on that stool across from him, steve's reminded that he is, and he feels a fresh wave of concern that he hides behind a smile and a joke.]

Hey. I hope you didn't have your heart set on cookies 'n cream, because I've got my eye on it.

[even steve couldn't eat the whole thing of it. probably.]

[supersweet]

No way, I'm gotta get strawberry and whipped cream.

[ He waves his money at the counter. They take it kindly, serving it in a cup and spoon. With delight, Jon digs his spoon in. ]

Is cookies 'n cream your favourite?

[starspangled]

Smart thinking.

[strawberry ice cream probably has some strawberries in it, right? it could almost count as a serving of fruit.

okay, he knows better. it's just nice to see him enjoying it.]

It is. When I was a kid, we didn't really have that many flavors. Chocolate and vanilla were pretty much it. [he orders a cone with a scoop of it, thanking the waitress when she brings it back. steve takes a bite before continuing.] Having cookies and ice cream at the same time? I couldn't have dreamed it.

[supersweet]

[ Jon pauses, looking at Steve with wide eyes. ]

How old are you?

[signifies]

[ In Jon's room, waiting for him on his bed, is a sealed package. The note stuck to the top reads To Jon in Clark's handwriting. Inside is a tailored uniform that matches his own, emblazoned with the S. It had taken a few weeks to make because of the material, and the tailor had thankfully not found it a strange request.

Clark had walked him home from school today. He's in the backyard at the moment, checking the fence. ]

[supersweet]

[ Jon had dumped his bag on the bed before flopping onto the bed. School was hard and Jon often struggled to concentrate. He was by no means a bad student but he preferred to be outdoors than inside the classroom and a noisy building. There was no way to run or decompress from all the smells and sounds. He moves his hand before feeling a strange object. Curiously, he lifts himself up slightly to look at the package. To Jon. A present! Immediately, Jon tore it open and lifts up the costume.

No, not a costume. A uniform. Superman's uniform. Reverently, Jon runs a hand over the fabric. This is the real thing. He slips it on with more care than he gave his usual outfit (the one with holes and was too big for him so Jon had to roll up the sleeves). Once he's down, Jon pats it down before grinning and heading outside to see his father. ]

Dad, dad, dad! Look at me!

[signifies]

[ Clark hears the paper tear and Jon's excitement. He's already smiling when Jon finds him, his heart swelling with pride. ]

Hey buddy. How do you feel?

[supersweet]

[ He stops, a few steps away. ]

Dunno. Like a real superhero! With a proper uniform. Maybe they'll let me join the Teen Titans now.