if bucky were a monopoly token he'd be the shoe

[frostythehitman]

WHO: James and YOU!
WHERE: some juvenile detention center somewhere in Recolle, idk
WHEN: 12/23 - 12/30
WHAT: After being arrested for assaulting John Egbert, James is placed in a detention center for a week, pending an actual court date. And while he's there, he'll be open to receiving visitors who can shame him for his poor life choices.
WARNINGS: a depressed angry teenager?


[ When it comes time for visitation days the actual dates of which I'm handwaving for convenience's sake for anyone who wants to visit him, James doesn't expect much in the way of visitors, really. In fact, he thinks he might almost prefer it--the fewer people come here, the fewer people have to see him in this sorry state, the fewer chances they have to tsk at him disapprovingly and tell him what he already knows. Hell, he's not even sure anyone knows he's here. All the better.

(Of course, James forgets that he was in a crowded mall the day before Christmas, beating someone in a Santa costume. There were dozens of witnesses who could talk about it, take video footage and post it online, and it even made local news the next day--his name wasn't mentioned, but it's not hard to identify him from the photos and videos, and not hard to find him from there.) ]

Comments

[standalonehuman]

Togusa is intentionally here out of uniform. He's not pulling his status to get here, and James isn't going to be talking to Togusa the Cop. He'd tried that once before, anyway. He's keeping an eye out for George, because Togusa also doesn't need to run into him again. He'd just be another source of stress to James' father, at this point.

He looks over James before he moves to sit, the pane of glass separating them. How many times have they been in a situation like this? And how come he looks more defeated every time they do? Togusa sighs deeply and has a seat. He can't hide the disappointment on his face, but there isn't any anger there.

"Why'd you do it?" It's the only thing he can think to ask.

[frostythehitman]

James is slouched in his seat on the other end of the glass, trying his hardest to look as small as possible. He can see Togusa from his peripheral vision, but his eyes are trained intently on the table front in front of him instead. He's afraid to see the look on his face, and it's just easier to talk when he doesn't have to look someone in the eye.

Why'd you do it? Well, isn't that the ten million dollar question. Frankly, James has no idea.

"Because he was being nosy. He was pissing me off." And he knows that's a lousy excuse even as he says it. He slouches a little more, feeling even more rotten now that his attempts at putting it to words just sound so petty. He says, more quietly: "I don't know."

[standalonehuman]

There's a difficult rule to follow at a moment like this. That, if someone, especially a teenager, tells you they have no idea why they did something, Togusa has to believe him. A liar will offer another reason, throw themselves too hard into an alternate explanation. Even though 'I don't know' can be the most frustrating words to hear, Togusa needs to believe James.

"I get it. Any possibility of the future, why bother thinking of it, when Retrospec can do anything? What kind of future could there be?" Togusa reaches up and runs a hand over his face. "But things can always get worse." Bite down on that urge to remind James that he's said this before. 'Told you sos' will not help here. God, does he want to for a second, though.

"I'm here because I want to know what it'll take to make it better." Bluntly. He's not giving up on James, he's not here to admonish, hell, the kid feels worse about himself already. "I know you don't know what that is, otherwise we wouldn't be here."

[devilsadvocato]

Foggy takes a seat and holds up a novel and a folder full of papers in his hands. He slaps the book cover up against the glass.

"Pride and Prejudice. I'll expect you to know exactly who Mr. Darcy is when you return to class. The rest of these papers are from your other teachers. All of this should get delivered to you by the end of the day. Give you something to do while you're here. If you get stuck on something. Uh." How much access does Bucky have to a phone? He hadn't asked. "I'll be back in a couple days and I can help you with it then. Or I guess there might be a teacher figure around here you can talk to."

Foggy stacks the novel on top of the folder and pushes in the papers that are sticking out.

[frostythehitman]

James startles at the book's sudden smack on glass. The visitation guards watch them, on both sides of the glass, but don't make a move to interfere. When James realizes that they aren't going to do anything, he relaxes--just a little.

Then he eyes the folder stuffed full of papers on the table too.

"Oh come on! What gives? The rest of school is out on winter break right now anyway, why am I the one getting homework?" This, at least, is easy. It's an easy topic of conversation. He may look and sound indignant, but he's honestly glad--complaining about homework feels comfortable and familiar, when everything else about this situation is so foreign and scary.

[devilsadvocato]

"Why do assistant principals assign essays during detention?" Foggy replies with a snort and a straight face. His eyes give away some emotion. A mix of the sarcasm rolling off his tongue and behind it whatever worry or concern he's trying to keep in check. "Exercise for your brain so it doesn't evaporate while you count cracks in the ceiling. Something to do."

eren would be the dog, because dogs eat shoes

[usurpers]

[ word gets around on base at an alarming rate, so much that eren knew the gist of what went down not long after james’ first day in detention. after his own mess of a few days, eren’s found enough stability in himself to go visit. not that eren would chew out his ass after what he did. punching a mall santa, if given the correct reason, felt like something eren himself would do in his own youth, or if he never got into the air force lifestyle. hell, before he got in, he still needed the occasional low key bail from police friends to keep his records relatively clean for getting into fights. breaking noses is an angry addiction, bro.

anyway— here he is, taking a seat and giving a sigh. ]

I swear I just saw myself.

DO NOT EAT HIM, EREN

[frostythehitman]

[ Oh god, Eren now too? Now Bucky truly feels embarrassed and exhausted. He's getting visits in jail from a guy who he caught trying to bite his own hand off. How badly has Bucky fucked up, that Eren of all people is visiting him here? ]

What do you mean?

that can be an accidental reality

[usurpers]

I was here two months before I enlisted. And a few more times before that.

[ but, he was a very, very lucky one. and maybe rich enough to pay for a good lawyer to make it a valid case of self defense. and what do you know, for someone who tore chunks of meat off his own hands, they are completely healed. it’s even got that fresh baby smell. if you have super smell. ]

The Santa must’ve pissed you off.

[activatingcombatmode]

[Yeah. Zack hears about it pretty damn quickly. News travels fast around base and even if he's not up there as much as he used to be these last six months he's still in the loop when something like this happens. Bucky's got problems but overall Zack always thought he was a good kid under it all. Too bad he doesn't find himself very surprised when he hears the news, though.

So he shows up and flops into the visitor's chair and rests and arm on the table as he leans back against his seat.]

So. Break any knuckles?

[frostythehitman]

[ Oh great, now Zack is here too. Truly, this is a parade of everyone who's ever cared about him, showing up to look the human embodiment of disappointment in the face. He mumbles. ]

No. I know how to throw a punch.

[ Yet another factor to add to how disappointing he is. ]

[activatingcombatmode]

[Good thing he's not really here to razz on Bucky for making bad decisions. He's probably already heard enough from all sorts of people.]

Good. So what's your story?

[Bucky's side of things. Not everyone's rumors and tell-alls.]

[digthefuzz]

[Word travels quickly along the Santa-and-elf hotline. So Kurt eventually manages to come over to visit, wearing some dorky festive sweater as he steps into the visiting area and greets James with an awkward wave.]

Um... Yo!

[frostythehitman]

[ oh god, this is so embarrassing. Kurt's seen him burn an arm and terrorize a diner, and now is visiting him here in juvie? What the hell must Kurt think of him at this point?

James can't bring himself to meet his gaze when he appears. Instead, he looks at a point on the table between them, near Kurt's end but not too close. He's too ashamed of himself to actually look at him. ]

Hey.

[digthefuzz]

[Yeah. Being James these past few months has really been... an Experience. But he knows that a lot of this is rooted in his troubles, so he can't be mad at him. He wants to try to... help him, if he can? His hands are folded on the table as he looks towards James. The hard part is... well, actually getting conversation going.]

...How's it hanging?

[windeity]

[It's probably a Bad Idea for him to show up, but word gets around and he finds himself showing up not long after Christmas. He's still relatively calm as he settles in the visitor's chair and he gives James a mildly appraising look, unsure of what, exactly, he's supposed to say. What might be safe to say without setting him off again.]

I'm going to guess I am probably the last person you want to see, aren't I?

[frostythehitman]

[ To his credit, James does not moan and sink from his chair onto the floor like he really, really, really wants to. Instead, he tries to maintain a neutral expression. (He fails, and instead looks somewhere between trepidatious and nauseous.) He looks John over, searching for something he doesn't find. ]

Not really. The person I want to see the least is my dad.

[ Which he already has, and therefore knows just how much worse that is. At least John isn't giving him the look of parental disappointment. ]

[windeity]

[Instead of whatever James might be looking for, he'll find John giving him a curious look instead as he stays seated and relaxed.]

Sounds complicated. [He's not sure how his father would react to something like this, but he leaves it alone.] Have they said how long you're here?

[covenantal]

[ WELL.

Yu heard about it from John, but given Bucky was his TEAMMATE and his is FRIEND, he likely would have found out anyway. And boy is he not happy! What the fuck, Bucky. Don't attack his friends.

But.

But he'll show up, probably around the middle of the week, sober and serious, and with .... a folder tucked beneath his arm? Anyway, he's just tugging off his scarf as he moves to sit. ]

How are you?

[frostythehitman]

[ well this is just great, isn't it. James heaves a long sigh before he answers. ]

I'm locked up, how do you think I am?

[covenantal]

[ Yu sets the folder down and gets settled, tugging his scarf off all the way and laying it over the arm of his chair. ]

It's a serious question.

[constellates]

[Of course she's visiting.

And if the detention center allows it, because it's the day after Christmas, she's bringing along gingerbread cookies. Are they tasteless? Yeah. Do they still smell good? Yes!! So maybe he'll get to have those once their visit is over.

Regardless she wishes that she knew what to say to him instead of just frowning ever so gently when she gets to see him.]

James...? Mm, how are you...?

[is there a better way to start this]

[frostythehitman]

[ This is it, stick a fork in him, he's done.

James cannot handle Anya coming here to visit him--that she even knows he's in here at all makes him fill up with hot shame. He keeps his head pointed down and mumbles. ]

I'm okay.

[ Physically speaking, at least, it's true. ]

[blessmefather]

[ Matt makes himself comfortable in the seat on the other side of the glass. He has his bag from work with him and there are folders and papers sticking out of it but good luck telling if they're related to your case James, they're all in Braille. He doesn't need prompting to pick up the phone, and he could likely hear everything James says without the phones but their conversation will be a lot more fruitful if it's two way. ]

I read your file. You beat up Santa?

[frostythehitman]

[ Oh great. Now the lawyer's come to talk to him. This can't end well. James shifts uncomfortably. ]

Depends. Anything I say can and will be used in a court of law against me, right?