The clowns are back in town

[innocent_insanity]

WHO: Kurloz and people at or around the Ravenclaw table!
TONE: Light, silly?
RATING: PG-13 for language
WHEN: Morning 17th February
WHERE: Ravenclaw table, Great Hall
WHAT: Herbert extended a welcome to Kurloz to join him at the Ravenclaw table whenever for chit-chats. Kurloz takes him up on it.

Look at that clown. All covered in skeleton-like face-paint so early in the morning, and on a Sunday of all days! Unfortunately for the intellectual students of Ravenclaw table, that there clown wouldn't be sitting with his fellow strangers in Slytherin.

Nope, he's on his way to join his buddy Herbert in the pond of blue and bronze!

Cue one lanky teen flopping gracefully next to said Ravenclaw with a broad grin and a wave of his hand.

Comments

[preanimator]

It's not until Kurloz actually sits down that Herbert even notices him - he's too busy glaring at the book open next to him, not reading the words on the paper at all, just trying to avoid looking up at Tony and Bruce. Instead, he's mechanically shoving quick bites of food into his mouth, determined to get through the meal as absolutely quickly as possible so he can escape to the library.

So when the Slytherin sits down, he glances up clearly startled, and it takes him a few moments to realize what the painted boy is doing there. "Oh. Hey."

[innocent_insanity]

Kurloz noted Herbert's glaring at the innocent book, and blinked curiously at the book, wondering what topic could possibly be pissing off the short boy so much. Out came the notebook along with a quill and ink, Kurloz opting for writing with magic rather than by hand so the conversation could flow more easily.

sup bro - you looking a bit down in the dumps.

[preanimator]

Reading the words, Herbert's shoulders hunch in, and he shoots a glance towards Bruce and Tony, before shaking his head sharply.

"Nothing. Everything's the same as ever, I should have known that, so what is there to be upset about?" he asks bitterly, forcing himself not to look at them again. "Except that this school is rubbish and all these stupid magical accidents are making it very difficult to get anything like a decent education."

[innocent_insanity]

Kurloz's eyes lazily glanced over at the two boys and then back to Herbert's face, startlingly clear in understanding despite how air-headed the boy usually behaved.

had a bit of a not so good heart-to-heart thing?

[preanimator]

Herbert makes a dry, almost barking sound which is only identified as a laugh in context. "What does that even mean? I guess. It doesn't matter now, anyway, I have more important things to worry about."

It's funny, how easily those words used to roll off his tongue, how simple it seemed to shove everything down and pretend like it really didn't matter. He's not sure why, now, particularly, but he feels like one big, raw, exposed nerve, and it feels like he's capable of hiding nothing. He wouldn't normally say any of this to someone he hardly knows, like Kurloz, but it's all just come tumbling embarrassingly out.

[innocent_insanity]

Kurloz laid his cheek on the table and stared up at Herbert's face.

you wanna get it off your blood-pusher? sometimes that shit can help.

[preanimator]

Herbert doesn't say anything for a moment. He's learned to become even more suspicious than usual this last week, and more than that, he doesn't get Kurloz's motivations. "Why do you care?"

[innocent_insanity]

Blinking with surprise, Kurloz answered without pause:

ain't we two fuckers friends? last i checked this is what bros are meant to be getting the low-down on.

[preanimator]

Herbert's face was surprisingly open in his surprise, and soft with a peculiar vulnerability he wouldn't normally let almost anyone see. "I don't have very many of those," he said slowly.

[innocent_insanity]

you got me, for all its worth?

Kurloz grinned, keeping his cheek to the table. He liked seeing his friends drop their masks, even if the moments only ever lasted a few seconds.

[preanimator]

"You barely know me," Herbert pointed out after a moment, but the truth was, he was feeling way too awful and tight and angry and sad inside, and it was turning into a roiling stew that made him want to throw up. Kurloz was always weirdly non-judgmental, and actually seemed interested in his work, even though he really didn't seem the type.

"Anyway, I don't want to talk here," he said after another moment. Not that anyone would notice if he left, or even that he was in an awful mood - Bruce and Tony were probably way too besotted with each other to pay attention, and Sherlock would note it but probably not really care.

[innocent_insanity]

Kurloz blinked, sitting up and leaving a faint white and black smudge on the table from his grease paint.

picnic breakfast sound alright?

[preanimator]

"Whatever. I'm not really hungry," Herbert said. already shoveling his textbook into his bag. "You can, though. Bring food, I mean."

[innocent_insanity]

Shrugging, Kurloz grabbed a couple of pasties and gathered up his writing gear before standing to follow Herbert.

[preanimator]

The smaller boy headed out of the Great Hall with a purposeful stride, which was better than running like he was trying to make a mistake. He relaxed a little once they got out of the room, though, slowing a bit.

"Sorry," he muttered, then sighed, pinching his nose under his glasses and glancing up at Kurloz. "It doesn't really matter where we go, wherever you like. I just. I didn't want to be in there any more."

He felt weak and stupid for saying it, but there it was.

[innocent_insanity]

Kurloz wasn't one for lots of physical contact, but Herbert deserved a pat on the back for that, along with a sympathetic look. Kurloz glanced around and pointed at a window ledge tucked away from the busier castle halls, giving Herbert a waiting look to see if the boy would agree to the choice or not.

[preanimator]

The smaller boy nodded, heading over to the window ledge and sliding up onto it, setting his bag to the side. He settled corss-legged, waiting for Kurloz to join him.

"I'm sorry. This is stupid, isn't it?"

[innocent_insanity]

Kurloz shook his head, setting out his writing things and charming the quill again as he sat by Herbert.

nah - you're just joining every other teenage fucker.

[preanimator]

"I'd rather not, thanks," Herbert said, rather sourly. "Is there a way to opt out? ... you never seem to have a problem with any of this."

[innocent_insanity]

got 99 problems and a bitch ain't one.

Grinning, Kurloz shrugged and shook his head, taking a bite out of his pasty.

been a bit too out of being all sociable and shit to be all tangled up in that sorta stuff. used to angst about it a bit but keep calm and carry the motherfuck on yeah?

[preanimator]

"I wish," Herbert said gloomily, looking down at his hands resting loosely on his ankles. "Loads more sensible that way. Fancying anyone is just a distraction, anyway, I don't see what good can come of it. I might see if I can find a potion that turns those sorts of things off. Attraction and love are mostly hormonal processes, anyway."

[innocent_insanity]

now that's just a recipe for some motherfucking lonely as disaster.

Wrinkling his nose, Kurloz shook his head before continuing:

it's not all bad anyway. you can't say kissing's shit.

[preanimator]

Herbert coughed out another of those dry, barking laughs. "Why not? Maybe it's all rainbows and puppies with someone who actually gives a damn about you, but my experiences with kissing are with two people who were just using me as an experiment and stopped talking to me after, I guess because I was so bad or maybe just so completely underwhelming, and with one person who only tried because he was under the influence of a love potion. As soon as that wore off, he got together with the person I would actually really like to kiss, so I'm not exactly sold on the whole process."

[innocent_insanity]

Scratching his cheek, Kurloz munched on his pasty thoughtfully, gathering paint under his nails.

so you ain't never got a kiss what made you all fucking warm and good inside?

[preanimator]

Herbert didn't say anything for a moment. He had, he'd found it utterly electrifying when he kissed Eriq, his best friend at the time. He'd enjoyed it so much that he'd kept trying to do it with the other boy, keeping himself blind to the fact that Eriq never initiated, only allowed him to do it. And of course, it had made everything hurt so, so much worse when he found out the other boy had actually had a girlfriend the whole time, and had just been stringing Herbert along. The betrayal had wrecked the most important friendship he'd ever had beyond repair.

"It's not worth it," he said quietly.