Groovy Tunes, Monday

[furnaceface]

Jonothon was in a weird mental place, today.

For a start, he'd woken up this morning with what was left of his cheeks covered in stickiness from yesterday's candy apple, suffering one hell of a sugar crash. It had been a bloody long time since Jono had felt the sugarcoma aftereffects that came from having entirely too many sweets over the span of a few days, and so it was hitting him a little harder than it might hit most. That had been extra special first thing this morning, when he'd stumbled out of bed, tripped over an already traumatized cat, fumbled with his bandages for a good hour, and had ultimately stumbled into work today with a creative combination of t-shirt and turtleneck covering his flames instead.

To top it off, he was pretty sure that he'd traded his Prom King crown for that candy apple, which bothered him more than he'd care to admit. Apparently his wedding to Karla of all people had been officiated by a pirate, and had taken place because there had been promises of cake. And this was the last week of classes, which meant, to his great dismay, that this was going to be one of his last shifts here at the Groovy Tunes, as well.

And, like the icing on the cake, he had Dire Straits stuck in his head.

If anybody needed Jono, he was going to be draped over the counter at the Groovy Tunes in an entirely dignified and not at all possessive manner.

[OCD free!]

Comments

[glacial_queen]

"Kiss kiss?"

Karla wanted ALL THE THREADS showed up in his doorway, a pretty prom tiara in her hands and a sheepish expression on her face.

"So, I was hoping to talk to you about an annulment..." she said, trying not to laugh.

[furnaceface]

It was a crown, dammit.

//On th'grounds that we were under the age of ten, that our judgment was clearly clouded due to high amounts of sugar, because we were married by a pirate, or other?//

Jono was now only somewhat draped over the front counter, now. Hello, Karla.

[trigons_child]

Raven had heard about the wedding on the radio. And after giggling herself silly about it, she headed into town to find Jono at Groovy Tunes.

Her expression was Very Serious as she entered the store. "Jono?" she said quietly. There may even have been a sniffle.

[furnaceface]

... There was a sniffle. Oh, lord. Jono wasn't even looking up yet, and he was terrified of the potential Sad Girl Eyes.

His secret weakness.

//Raven, luv?// Quick glance, right there. So doomed. //Is everything alright?//

[trigons_child]

Raven moved toward the counter, sad eyes at maximum. It was taking every measure of self-control she had not to smile and spoil everything.

She was so very very cruel.

"Is it -- is it true what they said on the radio?" she said in a small voice.

[furnaceface]

This earned a long, long pause, while Jono found himself caught somewhere between a facepalm and a flail.

//... That I read young adult novels?//

He was so not acknowledging that his nine year old self had considered cake to be a suitable dowry for marrying his girlfriend's best friend.

[trigons_child]

Raven shook her head with another sniffle. Azar, pretending to be upset was so hard!

"No," she said. "That you -- that you married Karla?"

She turned her head away, lower lip trembling, hand dramatically pressed to her chest.

[furnaceface]

Oh, yes. There came the facepalm.

//If it makes you feel any better, I complained about cooties th'whole time?//

That meant the marriage had probably been doomed from the start.

[trigons_child]

Her lips began twitching with the effort of not smiling.

"But she is my best friend," Raven said, utterly failing to muster any tears. "How could you?"

[furnaceface]

Oh, Jono noticed those twitches, and his slump over the counter shifted a little, as he propped himself up on his elbows and rested his... for lack of a better word, his chin, in his hands.

//I suppose being nine years old and not knowing you from atom isn't a good excuse?// There was a pause, and then he felt compelled to add, //She promised me cake.//

[trigons_child]

Raven finally allowed the giggles to burst free. "Well, I suppose I cannot compete with that," she said, looking back to him with mirth in her eyes.

She turned back toward him and leaned over the other side of the counter. "How is your stomach this morning?" she asked. "Did you find the pizza I had sent to the library for you?"

[furnaceface]

Jono's expression went a little squinty for a moment, there.

//My stomach has no complaints,// because it wasn't there, //but I did find th'pizza. It didn't last terribly long, really.//

It had been the best pizza he'd ever had. Possibly because some little part of his tiny child brain hadn't had pizza in ages, either.

//Thank you, luv. You... really went out of yer way this weekend. It means more t'me now than it did yesterday, but still.//

[trigons_child]

"You were adorable," Raven said, reaching out a hand to cup the side of his face. "How could I resist giving you everything you wished?"

She feigned a very bad pout again. "Although you repaid me by marrying Karla. I know now that you do not prefer older women."

[furnaceface]

//Well, I wouldn't go so far as to say that,// Jono replied, a chuckle almost sneaking into that sentiment.

He had dated an Endless before Raven, after all.

//I'm amazed, really, that I didn't spend more of th'weekend just absolutely terrorizing the island. I wasn't that adorable as a child, was I?//

[trigons_child]

"I have little doubt that given time you would have caused uncountable acts of mischief," Raven said, rubbing her thumb over the top of his cheek.

"It was fortunate you could be kept distracted by candy."

[furnaceface]

//And burgers.// His voice absolutely did have a dreamy note to it, yes.

Burgers.

//I don't remember burgers ever being so good.//

Mostly because it had been years. Years since a good burger. Food in general tended to get this reaction out of him. He'd figure that much out, eventually.

[trigons_child]

She hadn't shared his love for the burgers, but she had nibbled on a few fries, mostly just watching him enjoy stuffing himself.

"I am merely glad you were not too put off by the strange woman who had taken an interest in you," she teased. "I almost feared you might run away from me."

[furnaceface]

//I'd thought about it,// Jono admitted, after a moment. //It probably would've come with a kick to th'shin. Telling me that you knew my family was probably not th'best way to earn my trust, really.//

Jono and his family issues. They were a special, special place.

[trigons_child]

"I was not thinking," Raven agreed with a nod. "It was the first thing that came to my mind. I should have known better."

To be fair that had been about the last thing she'd expected when she'd walked into the common room that morning, but such was life in Fandom.

[furnaceface]

//Well, for as often as it happens, I'm not too concerned about it.// There was a moment's pause, and then he shrugged. //And it isn't as though I ever really launched into great detail about my family in th'first place.//

Beyond Akkaba, which was completely defunct, so far as he knew. Except for how it apparently wasn't. In at least two possible futures. Ugh.

//I think I owe you some thanks on Joni's behalf, at any rate. Lord knows how long she would've lasted without a bit of intervention.//

[trigons_child]

"But what little you have told me has not been pleasant," Raven said.

She moved around the counter so she could give him a proper hug, glad, for all of wee!Jono's adorableness, that he was back to proper Jono size. Especially since Fandom had spoiled their handwavey plans for Saturday.

"Joni has survived your gremlin bite and now this," she said. "She is learning to be a true Fandom resident."

[furnaceface]

Oh, hugging. If Jono settled into the hug and decided to just never let go, that would be fine with Raven, right?

It was nice, here. Hugging sounded like an excellent idea. Just so long as he didn't end up doing something ridiculous, like doze off while standing up.

//I imagine she wouldn't be too horribly heartbroken if none of this strangeness ever ended up following me off the island,// he noted, wryly.

[trigons_child]

"She might get bored in the basement by herself, though," Raven said. "Perhaps you should get her another kitten as a friend."

She was quite happy to keep up with the hugging. After meeting young Jono and having her heart broken after hearing of the dreams he'd given up once his powers manifested, she'd decided there could never be too many hugs.

[furnaceface]

//Another one? I've barely got my affairs in order enough t'be able to handle th'one, Sunshine.//

Really, he barely had his affairs in order enough to be able to handle himself.

//I haven't got a clue what I'd do with two.//

[trigons_child]

"Perhaps that would just give me an excuse to visit more often then," Raven mused. "To see how they are doing."

This close to Jono now and since I had totally forgotten until now, god, self, the faint brown squiggly lines and blotches on her face might be more evident. She'd done her best to scrub off the markings Karla had put on her face, but the brown henna had refused to come off completely, though she'd tried to cover it with makeup.