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Apr. 19th, 2025 at 7:28 PM
[A few hours of open road makes for easygoing fun. It's great to be traveling again, and the feeling of Chrissy leaning up against his back, holding on tight while he whips ahead on a wide-open freeway through the pitch black of night is like nothing else. The last time they were racing up and down this freeway, they were on the way to go burn a bunch of people's lives down - but now that's hours back, back with the rest of the city. They've left the lights and have nothing to look at but the pavement in Johnnie's headlight, the glimpses of stars shining weakly through hazy clouds, and occasionally an oncoming car.
Johnnie hasn't exactly been trying to tune in to his senses or abilities or whatever it is he has - he's just been cruising, letting the night go by, enjoying their plunge northward without a care or a thought. So it is deeply irritating when the pavement quickly fades to a well-worn dirt track that almost tosses him and Chrissy to the ground, and it takes all of his skills to get the front wheel under control and to slow down before they hit a rock that really might launch them into the nearest alfalfa field. Or whatever it is that's here, whenever they've found themselves. Somewhere pre-freeway. Boo.
But there are a few lights ahead, and he did need a stop to pee, so, fuck it.]
Well, shit. Y'know, I dunno exactly where we are. Last sign said San Jose was still fuckin' hours off. You good? That was kinda shaky.
[As long as this dirt road stays packed, they can drive it, but it's going to be slow. Good thing they're almost to somewhere.]
Johnnie hasn't exactly been trying to tune in to his senses or abilities or whatever it is he has - he's just been cruising, letting the night go by, enjoying their plunge northward without a care or a thought. So it is deeply irritating when the pavement quickly fades to a well-worn dirt track that almost tosses him and Chrissy to the ground, and it takes all of his skills to get the front wheel under control and to slow down before they hit a rock that really might launch them into the nearest alfalfa field. Or whatever it is that's here, whenever they've found themselves. Somewhere pre-freeway. Boo.
But there are a few lights ahead, and he did need a stop to pee, so, fuck it.]
Well, shit. Y'know, I dunno exactly where we are. Last sign said San Jose was still fuckin' hours off. You good? That was kinda shaky.
[As long as this dirt road stays packed, they can drive it, but it's going to be slow. Good thing they're almost to somewhere.]
Comments
[And her own. Better in her own given her personal loyalty to the gang now, but his dick prefers that little pleasant sensation when she wears something of his and looks all cozy in it.
Buuuut, since his dick is sated for now, he just grins and gives her a squeeze and a kiss to the back of the head, before eventually releasing her and ushering her along to follow him. He's been leaning there long enough he forgot how spinny the world gets right now when he walks, though, so two steps and he stops to brace himself against the wall with a hand, laughing.]
Shit. Fuck, that vodka. Okay, no, I'm good. I wanna go see the city! One wobbly fuckin' champion step at a time!
["Champion" only because he will defeat the spinning. He really will.]
Let's go somewhere we can walk, babe!
[There may be lots of alcohol in her system right now, but she knows neither of them should be driving. He can't even stand up very well. Driving is out of the question for a little while.]
I bet there's plenty of other places to check out just up ahead.
[And just in case he needs extra convincing, she pulls him in for a kiss. Fuck that vodka. They're still going to have a great time.]
Uhh, yeah, okay. Sure, there's gotta be lotsa stuff around here! Downtown!
[Are they downtown? Well, they're close to it anyway. Party central. Shoplifting central for sure - it's not all that late out, but it's late enough that just about every place that isn't a bar or club or late-night movie theater ought to be closed.]
Hey, we oughta find a park. I wanna see what kinda drugs they got here!
[A park, a street corner, someone who looks bored - but parks are always pretty easy magnets for that sort of thing after dark. Sure, it's also a way to run across the local gangs, but if they're just here to buy and if the World Enders haven't made a bunch of enemies this far north by the eighties, the it's fine. Hell, it's a shame this city isn't already run by the Enders here and now - but he would've seen tags saying so if it was.
Or it's a different version of the world entirely, like Chrissy said. Anyway, doesn't matter. Hurts his head trying to think about it. First task is to keep walking down the sidewalk.]
[She squeaks out the word in a near shout, then winds up giggling at how loud she is. Sure, if he wants to walk around and find a park and some drugs, they can do that. She's sure it'll be fine.]
Do you think people in parks are gonna hate us because of your jacket? That would be really mean, baby, I hope they're nice to us.
[Her head turns to glance over at him, and she realizes he's having some trouble walking. He definitely had more to drink than she did. Her head is still swimming, but she's able to more or less navigate her way around. She's just giggly and floaty, and that means she takes charge by holding his hand and guiding him in the direction a park must be in.
There's a couple getting into a car parked on the street, and she points over at them before shouting.]
Hey, you two! Yeah, you! White couple!
[She conveniently forgets she's white these days, and doesn't really get why both the man and woman look at her like she's crazy.]
Where's the nearest park, huh?
[The woman shakes her head and gets into the car, but the man is nice enough to point off to the left. Chrissy calls out her thanks and marches her way forward to round the corner off the left. They're gonna be at a park in no time at this rate.]
"White couple!" Fuck! An' they fuckin' looked, they know they're "white couple"! That's the best fuckin' part!
[He catches up to her with a hand on his shoulder, and manages to get himself into a slightly more controlled snicker.]
What's that make us, huh?
[He'll ponder that while winding their way through the city streets. Maybe he'll figure it out before they get to the park.]
[She draws out that last word, trying to think of the best way to describe them. Obviously they're not a white couple. They're something else. But she doesn't like trying to put a label on them like that. So she brings their joined hands up to her mouth and kisses at his knuckles with a chuckle.]
We're better than they are, that's what we are. We're like a hurricane.
[A force of nature is exactly the best way to describe them. The thought makes her smile, even as she realizes she doesn't see a park up ahead. They stop at a corner so a car can turn and drive past, and she proceeds to keep heading straight ahead. If that guy sent them in the wrong direction, she's going to find him and make him sorry.]
[Better than anything else she could have said, and better than any dumb shit he might have come up with in the next few minutes. He tries to do a spin, arms wide, as if to demonstrate his hurricane-ness, but immediately loses his balance and topples to the sidewalk, laughing. He lets himself lie there for a second before picking himself up and brushing off his jacket. No harm done.]
Hey, that made me sober up! Perfect. Now, where's this park?
[It did not make him sober up. He's still pretty teetery as he walks along. But a little bright spot of subdued pain at contact with the pavement must have cleared the haze for a second or two.]
You're so not sobered up.
[The accusation makes her laugh, and as they reach another corner she points up ahead.]
The street sign says there's a park up ahead. It's not far. Are you sure you can make it?
[She's only teasing of course, he's done a lot more than just walk when he was a lot more messed up. But his spinning and falling is hilarious to her, even if it's in a concerning kind of way. He's the one that makes sure neither of them get hurt. And here he is all funny and they're going to buy drugs from people who might think they're a threat.]
[He loses track of his sentence midway through but then course corrects as he stumbles forward with confidence. For a short guy, he holds his alcohol well, he'd like to think, but maybe sitting down at the park for a while will do him some good anyway.
Behind the buildings past that sign, dark shapes emerge in the night, silhouetted against the city - trees, looking mostly black in the dark but for where moonlight or street light shines on their crowns. It looks mostly quiet here for now, but there's a couple of people strolling past farther down on the sidewalk, out enjoying the summer night. Light shimmers off the surface of a dark pond in the middle of the grass, too - and in the middle, a concrete protrusion that must be a fountain when turned on and running during the day.
Johnnie manages to find himself a bench and sits down, tipping his head back to enjoy the cool breeze. That might do more to help him come to his senses than, say, falling over.]
Well, I don't see anyone selling but maybe they're just waitin' for someone like us to sit down. C'mere, baby girl, you gotta come back in my arms an' stay warm.
Let's give someone five or ten minutes to show up. I bet someone will.
[And sure enough, within a few minutes, a couple walks by and eyes them as they pass. The woman whispers to the man, and he looks back over his shoulder their way. Chrissy catches this and gives Johnnie a little nudge, before smiling and waving at the two. If she needs to play up the innocent and sweet thing to get these people to sell them drugs, she'll do whatever it takes.]
I don't think we've seen the two of you around here before.
[The woman says as they approach, and Chrissy shrugs.]
We're not from around here. We're just visiting and are trying to have some fun. Right, babe?
He grins, on Chrissy's cue, and gives her a pat on the thigh.]
Yeah, night's still young. You two dunno where we could score somethin' to make sure we have a good time, do ya?
[The man answers verbally first, as the woman taps her purse.]
Sure, we can help you out with that. What kinda party are you after?
[Johnnie considers the question for a moment, his tongue muddled by alcohol. What kind of party? What an annoying question. Future pushers like these two need a menu or something, how does he even know what to ask for?
Well, he'll wing it. He'll figure it out.]
I'm thinkin', something to keep us dancing all night long! Or at least somethin' to let us enjoy the sights while we wander around. But no boring shit, I ain't lookin' for pot, man.
How about something that takes you all the way to outer space? You can dance all night with the stars. It's totally radical.
[The woman drawls, and Chrissy gets a little tense because that description sounds an awful lot like -
Her eyes widen as the man unzips the purse and situates himself so no one can see the woman pull out a little vial with black liquid. Chrissy has to bite her tongue to keep from gasping in shock. That definitely looks like vide noir. But it can't be, they burned it all in 1967. Didn't they?
She doesn't say a word. She goes absolutely rigid in Johnnie's arms and waits to hear his reaction before speaking.]
[Wait, he hadn't meant to say that out loud, but there it is, along with his raised eyebrows. Yeah, he's pretty sure he knows exactly what that stuff is.
The woman takes his response as enthusiasm and gives the vial a little wiggle just to make the liquid inside shimmer ever so slightly as it catches the dim light - though it doesn't catch much. This stuff never does.]
Tried it before? It's good. This one's a new formulation, gets you out there on a real smooth ride.
[Is that bullshit? Seems like it could be bullshit but he doesn't actually know the first thing about how this stuff is made and bottled. Are there formulations or does vide noir just run raw through the earth in its secret, hidden places?
He's not going to take it. He's not. He wants it. He really is not going to take it though. Probably.
He nods at the bottle.]
That's what, an ounce? How much?
[She smiles, anticipating a sale.]
Forty. Best price you'll find out here tonight. Especially given those Jawbreaker kids sell it diluted with motor oil. This is the real deal.
That sounds like more of an adventure than I'm wanting to take. Do you have anything not so...
[She hesitates, unable to find the right word. It's not like she wants to offend a nice, honest couple out trying to earn money. She just isn't going to be the chump that buys black sludge she can get for free from the place the Ender sent them. Surely he'd kick them back there if they really wanted another dive into the darkness.
Wouldn't he?]
So what? Are you looking for something a little less dangerous?
[The woman tries again, smiling as she taps her purse.]
You looking for something you can breathe in? Or wanting something you can mainline right into your system?
[Mainline? That sounds new and potentially exciting. Chrissy glances over at Johnnie with a shrug.]
Whatever's cheapest.
Wait, hold the fuck up, I don't fuckin' want less dangerous, that's bullshit! I live for danger, you kidding me?
[And fuck cheapest too, cheapest is shit, cheapest is how you get the bad shit that gives you the runs and a bad hangover or whatever.
His insistence makes the man chuckle, though it sounds like there might be an edge of frustration there at these two not buying already.]
Maybe we'll do a deal then. A little of this, a little of that, right?
[As he says it, the woman sorts through her purse until she pulls out a vial of clear liquid. Heroin, or morphine, Johnnie recognizes that. And he snorts and shakes his head.]
No fuckin' downers, man, I ain't lookin' to have a nap here even if it's a real nice one. Look, you got coke?
[Not exactly as dazzling as something like vide noir but it'll keep him going while they race through the streets and explore on his bike, and maybe that's the best alternative here.]
It looks like you'll need it to get through tonight.
[A tiny clear bag is just barely pulled out of her purse so he can see, and her tone takes on a sharper edge. If this little shit doesn't buy something in the next ten seconds, she's walking.]
Six hundred, it's yours.
[Her partner insists, giving a chuckle with an edge that says if six hundred isn't handed over as quickly as possible they might have a problem. Chrissy recognizes the threat there and eyes him critically. He looks like she could take him in a fight if she needed to.]
So the laughter fades, and he takes in the seriousness of it all over the next two or so seconds before bristling, eyes narrowed.]
The fuck do you mean, six hundred? That shit ain't worth that much, it's just fucking cocaine! What, 's it made from fuckin' ground up angels or some shit? Diamonds? I fuckin' sell that shit at home, I'd get fuckin' stabbed if I tried to sell it for anywhere near that much! Fuck, I oughta gut you for even suggesting it!
[Booze keeps his chatter going long after he should have stopped, and allows his hand to slip toward the knife at his belt.
And, seeing this, the woman stuffs the bag back in her purse and quickly turns to leave. Her partner backs off a step as well, but keeps his eyes on Johnnie just in case.]
Fine. We've wasted enough time on this. Good luck, kiddos.
Did you really want to buy the vide noir?
[It's impossible for her to hide the worry in her voice, but she does them both a favor by not looking directly at him. Staring straight ahead at the darkness that couple disappeared into is just fine by her. The distress in her eyes probably is showing and that will ruin their good night.]
Come on, let's go find somewhere else to buy something. We'll get high and keep having a good time. We don't need to sniff six hundred dollar junk. I bet we can find vide noir just about anywhere if we really wanted to.
[But if he's doing it, she's doing it too. And she knows he doesn't want her to touch it.]
[Did he really want to buy it? Maybe, for a moment, when presented with the opportunity. The shit is good.
But he shudders at the memory of it, too.]
When it's good, it's perfect, that's the thing. An' there's no fuckin' way I'm payin' six hundred for coke! Shit, they better not have only expensive drugs here. San Francisco's bullshit.
[And he's just mad about it. With a sigh, he gives her a nudge to get up as he stands too. At least he's less wobbly now after sitting a while and letting the alcohol boil off in his anger.]
What'd she say, Jawbreakers? Must be one a' the local gangs. They'll know better than those two assholes.
[This area is pretty nice. There's probably only one gang around here, right? There must be. She's wearing a hint of a smile as she stands up and stretches, but turns it into a smooth move where she takes hold of his hand and leans in for a quick kiss at the same time. He doesn't seem like he's really in a bad mood, which means they'll have fun no matter what.]
If we did find vide noir, would you still tell me not to take it? You used to tell me to stay away from that shit.
[She pauses, head tipping to the side as she laughs at some memories of their early conversations.]
I think you used to tell me to stay off the hard stuff too. Like cocaine.
[And now he wants to buy it for a fun and romantic night out stealing.]
[Look, he knows he's not being fair or logical here and he doesn't care. Nobody should take that shit. He wants it, but he shouldn't take it. It's just that he does a lot of things he shouldn't do, and following shoulds and should nots is fucking boring, while going against them is way more interesting.]
I mighta warned you off coke at first too just so you don't get hooked on it, but it seems like you're doin' good there. It's not as addictive anyway y'know, that shit's just an easy good time.
[Tags, tags. Well, they probably have a long way to walk. At least this way the cool night air and all the city lights will give them some taste of what he was after - and especially now it actually does seem like it's helping him sober up. Or at least helping him walk a little straighter.]
We never need to take anything to have a good time.
[That feels important to point out, but she knows whatever they take always amplifies their enjoyment. She doesn't mind it, and he knows that. She's just giving him a hard time to try and make him smile too.
They head out of the park and she leads the way further down the street. Things go from nice to run down within a couple of blocks. Her eyes are peeled for signs of tags, and she thinks she spots one on a trash bin at the side of a gas station.]
Hey, what about that? Do you think that means we're getting closer?
[He looks it over a second, hands in his pockets, then shrugs and withdraws his hands really just to light up a cigarette.]
Maybe. Might have to see some more to figure out if it's a one off, they don't have the same style here as what I'm used to. Or maybe it's your time, things changed, I bet.
[Graffiti is still fairly new in his neighborhood in general, and who knows how the styles of turf marking have evolved over the years.
But it does get him looking more, as they walk - not just at walls and sidewalks, but at the people who might be watching and lurking, just in case some of them decide to become trouble.
There's a more obvious example as they make it down to the corner of the next block. There's a roll call sprayed on a lowered garage door facing the street, some ten names in blue, but two are crossed off in red with a large JB sprayed over the top of the rest.
And so just in case, Johnnie brushes the pistol in his jeans with his thumb to make sure it's still there. Just in case.]
We prob'ly wanna keep walking. Keep your eyes open.
[These people have no reason to know or think about him whatsoever but it's only smart to be a little careful in a contested area. Every shape could be trouble.]
[A soft sound of understanding is his only response, as she pauses in walking long enough to try and figure out what's going on with that garage door. She doesn't realize he's walked on ahead until she can't sense his presence next to her anymore. It's only then that she jogs to catch up to him.]
Hey, why were all those names crossed off like that? I haven't seen anything like that back home.
[It's not like she's an expert on graffiti or anything but at least she's not staring at it asking is this tagging? all over again.]
[And that's why he's watching the shadows and tugs her along with him, at least until the tags become more consistent. JB on every wall - so these guys are sure of themselves, and prolific enough that even here in San Francisco, their tags last long enough before anyone bothers to paint over them.
There's a trio of boys laughing across the street, sitting on the sidewalk with their backs to a wall. They have paper bags in their hands - hard to see, but easy to hear with the crinkle of the paper. Their voices don't sound like they've even dropped in pitch yet. Kids huffing, Johnnie has to figure. Not all that threatening, but confident enough to hang out in the open here. They belong.
He walks on up and knocks on the building wall like it's a door, though he's obviously been seen. The giggling only pauses slightly.]
You boys know where I can go if I'm lookin' to buy somethin' to spice up my night a little?