[ He takes another picture of the wrecked car, turning the viewfinder on Steve. Nature happens, things wear, bleached by the sun or eroded by the wind. But people do this shit to objects. Or, well, something did - but his question still stands. Who even comes here? ]
[ Before dark. Before the junkies show up. He's still got his camera trained on Steve, snapping a picture where he's half in silhouette and he thinks can see something in his face that he doesn't like. Jonathan frowns behind the camera lens. ]
[ Steve uncrosses his arms to scratch at the back of his neck, dipping his head slightly. ]
Hey, I'm only here because you wanted to come here.
[ Which isn't a great excuse, especially when he knew exactly where to park. Of course he did — he hadn't driven over here then, but he'd made sure to get a lay of the land before, when Dustin had laid out his plan to him. ]
[ Jonathan's seen enough body language to read something of what Steve's putting out. He brings the camera down, letting it hang from the strap around his neck. He's not expecting an explanation but he falls silent anyway, to see if Steve decides to say anything about that. ]
[ He can't argue with that, he knows. And Jonathan has this way of just saying some things so plainly, like it's a fact, that Steve doesn't want to try to counter it. So instead, he shrugs, lowering his hands and sliding them into his jacket pockets. ]
[ Jonathan spends another second looking at Steve before turning, and lifting his camera again. No argument from Steve Harrington, wow. ]
You can go, if you want.
[ He can walk home and hitch a ride from his mom to pick up his car. He moves back toward the bus to get another few shots out toward the field beyond. ]
Or just give me another couple minutes. Up to you.
I'll wait for you by the car. We've only got daylight for another twenty minutes though, Byers, so make it snappy.
[ There's no real bite to his words, though, and he saunters back to his car, away from all of it.
Which is good, really, because the bus is just as the four of them had left it last month, haphazard fortifications mostly in shambles at this point. There's a few vicious streaks near the front door — claw marks, and then scratches where nails met metal as Steve had tried to ward the creatures off and keep them away from the three children cowering behind him. Anyone getting a closer look at the bus could tell that some kind of scuffle took place here — here and beyond. ]
[ He doesn't bother to respond, already moving out of earshot. He sees the scars the bus has better when he gets up close - for once the camera didn't do them justice. They bother him a lot, practically getting under his skin, because he can't tell what they're from, only that they look too vicious to be any of the wildlife around here. He can't stop himself from taking a few pictures, like he's unable to look away from what's been done.
He did get a few more decent shots, but he's still stuck wondering what the hell happened.
The light's still trying to hang onto the horizon when he finally pulls himself away from the camera, and goes back to Steve's car. ]
[ He'd debated leaving, he really had, but this place left an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. Like hell he'd leave someone behind here. Idly, Steve wonders if he'd have this same sort of feeling in the Byers house, before deciding that 1) it was a moot point because he wasn't setting foot in there again any time soon and 2) probably not, since both times the house was so ridiculously messed up beyond recognition.
So he sits on the hood of his car and waits, only pushing himself up when he sees Jonathan approaching. ]
Yeah, try hanging around another two or three minutes, see if I'll wait then.
[ He steps over to the driver's side, opening the door. ]
[ Jonathan would sympathize with that feeling. Difference is that he has to live in the Byers house everyday. He can still see where he and Nancy bled on the floor, even if the stains are mostly gone. ]
Yeah. Should be good.
[ He pops open the passenger's side door, sliding his camera into his bag and his bag onto the floor again. He won't really know if the shots were great until he develops them, but he's not gonna get into that. He's not even concerned with doing that today anyway.
Jonathan does take one more look out at all the junk, eyes squinting in the setting sun - and then he slides into the car just like he'd slid everything else in, the door closing behind him. ]
[ Good call. Steve's never really understood the purpose of dark rooms beyond "photographs happen there." Nicole had tried explaining it to him once, but in this really pretentious way that wasn't hot at all, so he'd zoned out within seconds. ]
Great.
[ He starts the car. His nerves have mostly calmed by now, though his fingers curl around the steering wheel a bit too tightly, knuckles paling, and he glances up at the rearview mirror slightly more than necessary as they pull out of the junkyard. It's like he's holding his breath before they finally leave. ]
[ As usual Jonathan is more keen on his surroundings. Steve's white knuckles. The way his eyes glance to the mirror. He feels anxious just being in the same car. Jesus. Jonathan chews on the inside of his lip, glancing at Steve and then back to the road. Nothing about this feels that right, and he's not sure it's Steve's behavior, the gashes on the wrecked car, or just the not-awkward awkwardness from him and Steve hanging out together. His body bleeds that awkward feeling too, Jonathan sort of slouched in the passenger seat. ]
You okay?
[ He feels like he should ask, though he sounds a little doubtful when he does. Because maybe he really shouldn't be. ]
[ He starts at that, like being snapped out of a spell. ]
— yeah. Yeah, man, yeah.
[ His shoulders slouch a bit as the tension leaks from him. They're away from that place. It's fine. Besides, those things are dead and gone. Never mind that he'd told himself the same thing about that creature last year; they're dead and gone. ]
Just— heh. Man, that place.
[ It's an awkward chuckle as he shakes his head. Steve knows he should stop talking, but that's always been his biggest flaw: he never can quite shut himself up. ]
[ That reaction, wow. Part of Jonathan wonders if he's even paying attention to the road but Steve just keeps talking and talking (and yeah, he can't shut himself up). ]
Feel right or look right. I don't think that was junkies. It looked...
[ He brings his thumb to his lips, biting his nail. If it is what he thinks it is, when did it happen? ]
[ Fun fact: while he may have managed to cultivate a reputation for being a smooth talker, Steve Harrington has never been a very good liar. It was something both Tommy H and Carol needled him for endlessly, to his repeated mortification. It never occurred to him that it was actually a good trait to have, all things considered. He'd stumble over excuses before clamming up and deflecting. It just wasn't in him.
He grimaces inwardly as Jonathan's voice trails off. He should say something, right? Shit. He hadn't really thought of it since that long, long night, when the adrenaline had finally worn off and his face ached from Hargrove's fists. They were fine, right? It was stupid, to be feeling like this, and around Jonathan Byers, no less. ]
[ Jonathan had spent enough time in the woods to tell that sort of thing, and well, he'd seen what those damn monsters were capable of. But he doesn't like, make it specific. He's just musing right now. Jonathan shoves his hands in his lap, staring out at the darkening sky. ]
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winterfish
no subject
Date: 2019-07-24 11:07 pm (UTC)[ He takes another picture of the wrecked car, turning the viewfinder on Steve. Nature happens, things wear, bleached by the sun or eroded by the wind. But people do this shit to objects. Or, well, something did - but his question still stands. Who even comes here? ]
no subject
Date: 2019-07-24 11:10 pm (UTC)[ It's a lame excuse, but he could go without ever seeing that goddamn bus in his life ever again, thanks. ]
no subject
Date: 2019-07-24 11:14 pm (UTC)[ Before dark. Before the junkies show up. He's still got his camera trained on Steve, snapping a picture where he's half in silhouette and he thinks can see something in his face that he doesn't like. Jonathan frowns behind the camera lens. ]
no subject
Date: 2019-07-24 11:16 pm (UTC)Hey, I'm only here because you wanted to come here.
[ Which isn't a great excuse, especially when he knew exactly where to park. Of course he did — he hadn't driven over here then, but he'd made sure to get a lay of the land before, when Dustin had laid out his plan to him. ]
no subject
Date: 2019-07-24 11:25 pm (UTC)[ Jonathan's seen enough body language to read something of what Steve's putting out. He brings the camera down, letting it hang from the strap around his neck. He's not expecting an explanation but he falls silent anyway, to see if Steve decides to say anything about that. ]
no subject
Date: 2019-07-24 11:27 pm (UTC)Guess not.
no subject
Date: 2019-07-24 11:51 pm (UTC)You can go, if you want.
[ He can walk home and hitch a ride from his mom to pick up his car. He moves back toward the bus to get another few shots out toward the field beyond. ]
Or just give me another couple minutes. Up to you.
no subject
Date: 2019-07-24 11:59 pm (UTC)I'll wait for you by the car. We've only got daylight for another twenty minutes though, Byers, so make it snappy.
[ There's no real bite to his words, though, and he saunters back to his car, away from all of it.
Which is good, really, because the bus is just as the four of them had left it last month, haphazard fortifications mostly in shambles at this point. There's a few vicious streaks near the front door — claw marks, and then scratches where nails met metal as Steve had tried to ward the creatures off and keep them away from the three children cowering behind him. Anyone getting a closer look at the bus could tell that some kind of scuffle took place here — here and beyond. ]
no subject
Date: 2019-07-25 12:20 am (UTC)He did get a few more decent shots, but he's still stuck wondering what the hell happened.
The light's still trying to hang onto the horizon when he finally pulls himself away from the camera, and goes back to Steve's car. ]
You really did wait.
no subject
Date: 2019-07-25 12:24 am (UTC)So he sits on the hood of his car and waits, only pushing himself up when he sees Jonathan approaching. ]
Yeah, try hanging around another two or three minutes, see if I'll wait then.
[ He steps over to the driver's side, opening the door. ]
You get your shots?
no subject
Date: 2019-07-25 08:59 am (UTC)Yeah. Should be good.
[ He pops open the passenger's side door, sliding his camera into his bag and his bag onto the floor again. He won't really know if the shots were great until he develops them, but he's not gonna get into that. He's not even concerned with doing that today anyway.
Jonathan does take one more look out at all the junk, eyes squinting in the setting sun - and then he slides into the car just like he'd slid everything else in, the door closing behind him. ]
Back to school.
no subject
Date: 2019-07-25 01:18 pm (UTC)Great.
[ He starts the car. His nerves have mostly calmed by now, though his fingers curl around the steering wheel a bit too tightly, knuckles paling, and he glances up at the rearview mirror slightly more than necessary as they pull out of the junkyard. It's like he's holding his breath before they finally leave. ]
no subject
Date: 2019-07-25 09:12 pm (UTC)You okay?
[ He feels like he should ask, though he sounds a little doubtful when he does. Because maybe he really shouldn't be. ]
no subject
Date: 2019-07-25 09:51 pm (UTC)[ He starts at that, like being snapped out of a spell. ]
— yeah. Yeah, man, yeah.
[ His shoulders slouch a bit as the tension leaks from him. They're away from that place. It's fine. Besides, those things are dead and gone. Never mind that he'd told himself the same thing about that creature last year; they're dead and gone. ]
Just— heh. Man, that place.
[ It's an awkward chuckle as he shakes his head. Steve knows he should stop talking, but that's always been his biggest flaw: he never can quite shut himself up. ]
It didn't feel right, you know?
no subject
Date: 2019-07-25 10:16 pm (UTC)[ That reaction, wow. Part of Jonathan wonders if he's even paying attention to the road but Steve just keeps talking and talking (and yeah, he can't shut himself up). ]
Feel right or look right. I don't think that was junkies. It looked...
[ He brings his thumb to his lips, biting his nail. If it is what he thinks it is, when did it happen? ]
no subject
Date: 2019-07-25 10:24 pm (UTC)He grimaces inwardly as Jonathan's voice trails off. He should say something, right? Shit. He hadn't really thought of it since that long, long night, when the adrenaline had finally worn off and his face ached from Hargrove's fists. They were fine, right? It was stupid, to be feeling like this, and around Jonathan Byers, no less. ]
Looked . . . ?
no subject
Date: 2019-07-25 10:29 pm (UTC)[ Jonathan had spent enough time in the woods to tell that sort of thing, and well, he'd seen what those damn monsters were capable of. But he doesn't like, make it specific. He's just musing right now. Jonathan shoves his hands in his lap, staring out at the darkening sky. ]
no subject
Date: 2019-07-25 10:31 pm (UTC)[ It comes out before he can really think about it but, in fairness, most things do. ]
Shit. Can the Chief deal with bears?
no subject
Date: 2019-07-25 10:40 pm (UTC)[ He has a spare bear trap in his shed. After everything, you can't be too careful. ]
Looked smaller than that, though. Maybe a bobcat or something?
[ And that still didn't feel right either. ]
no subject
Date: 2019-07-25 10:43 pm (UTC)[ Is Nancy rubbing off on Jonathan already? Or did he not hear that right? ]
no subject
Date: 2019-07-25 10:44 pm (UTC)A bobcat?
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Date: 2019-07-25 10:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-07-25 10:46 pm (UTC)[ He's weird but he's not crazy. ]
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Date: 2019-07-25 10:48 pm (UTC)[ He shakes his head. ]
Shit looked old, anyway. We can just tell the Chief and leave it at that.
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Date: 2019-07-25 10:53 pm (UTC)[ "Something else." Old or not, it's still concerns him. He doesn't need this shit to come after his family again. ]
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