The story of a lonesome ol'Jerome

*Owen’s POV*

I wasn’t truly completely miserable. Things were going well with Gwyn. They just weren’t going well with me. I was in so much debt from my little escapades, things were starting to catch up to me. I shouldn’t even be spending credits at a bar, but it was so refreshing not to have to worry about the blood sugar content in alcohol anymore. Ugh. I was about to order another beer when I heard an irate voice yell, “Hey faggot!”

Fuck. I didn’t turn around, but I could guess who it was from the reflection of the glass behind the bar, and he sat right next to me. I had been hoping that asshole had been targeting some other poor sod, but no such luck. What the fuck could Z want with me? He grabbed my arm roughly, “I’m talking to you, fucker!”

I turned to look. I wasn’t scared, but I wasn’t thrilled. Z was infamous. He was a scumbag but somehow untouchable. He was a hateful asshole that drank more than he ate, smoked like a chimney, fought anything that looked at him cross-wise, and hated women. And yet women were crazy for him, he made legendary amounts of money at the bordello with the lady demons who were into his horrible brand of hate-fucking. I mean, he was good-looking, but what the fuck?

He was smiling, I couldn’t read him at all. The only connection we had was Gwyn, and I had died before he even met her. “Yes?”

“I know what you did. ”My face paled. He could have me tortured, who knows for how long. With effort, I held his gaze and didn’t flinch. He stopped smiling and narrowed his eyes. “How much are you into the ferryman?”

I didn’t understand his game, but the jig was up, there wasn’t much point in lying. “1000 credits. I only have 13. I make quarry pay.”

He roared in laughter! I just watched him, confused. My fate in the hands of a madman. “Listen, faggot-“ It occurred to me that now was not the time, nor was he the person with which, to try and attempt to break down homophobic barriers and furthermore clarify the fact that I was, in fact, bisexual, not homosexual, “- you will never pay that off in time.” He pulled out a ratty wallet made of duct tape, and handed me 2000 credits, like it was nothing. “Take this.”

I couldn’t take money from Z, there had to be some kind of catch. “Z, that’s very generous, but I can’t accept-“

He lunged at me, grabbed me by the shoulders, and pinned me against the bar. His face must have been an inch from mine, I thought he was going to eat me! “You’ll fucking take it! You’ll take it, or I will break every fucking bone in your body! And then, when they heal, I will come back and break them again, and over and over again! You will be my fucking punching bag! Fucking got it!?! ”Abruptly, he put me down, sat on the stool, and assumed a very casual tone again. “So, you’ll take it? And if you need more to help Gwyn again, you’ll come find me?”

I sat back down on the stool. He was insane. “Um, yeah.” How do you thank a psychopath? There was only one thing I knew he liked. “Can I buy you a drink?”

Z smiled. “How kind of you! Sure! Let’s see- normally, I’m an Arrogant Bastard man, but,” and here, briefly, I saw a genuinely wistful smile that met his eyes, “Gwyn always liked Goldschlager. So I’ll have a triple!” I’ll be damned, he did know her!

I ordered Z his massive Goldschlager, and I got a single shot. Z drank what amounted to essentially a full glass of the stuff in one go, as though it were orange juice. Damn.

“Well, thanks for the drink, ya fairy. Don’t suck too many dicks, alright? Remember what I said.” And he punched me in the shoulder. Crazy fuck.

“Later dude.” I waved, but he had already made it half way to the door. I could hear him telling a girl he wasn’t interested because she was too fat. Fucking charming.

Notes

*chuckle*

written for funsies

QOTD: do you believe in ghosts? or souls? or any sort of whatever?

my answer- i dunno, i'm agnostic. i believe in energy patterns and signatures that i think can become characteristic to beings. it's a little complicated and i'm working on my senior paper right now, so i guess the short answer is that i can't rule anything out... but religion/metaphysics in general is fascinating.