Mr. highway's thinking about the end

[SIMON CHAPMAN]

The sign said "restricted", Simon said "fuck that". Admittedly, he was hopped on so much LSD he couldn't see or walk straight. He hadn't had one drink, and yet there he was stumbling out the back of the Casino in his snazzy lion costume and eyeing the fire-escape with hungry eyes.

It was really the fire escape that he was that interested in. It was more what it led to. The roof. Simon Chapman had an infatuation with heights. It wasn't that strange if you thought about it. He'd spent the first eight years of his life soaring around in jets, seeing places he couldn't quite put a name on yet. But he knew the sky. He knew it like the back of his hand.

Endless it seemed. Much unlike life. Simon often thought about how fucking amazing it would be to be a bird. They got the best of life. He figured the guy upstairs- whoever that was- favored them above all. That didn't stop him from trying to get in with the winged crowd.

He'd held a firm belief since childhood that he could fly. Lately he only really ever acted on that belief when high. Tonight was one of those high-flying night, and he scaled the fire-escape with unnatural ease, stumbling onto the roof and taking in a breath of air from the best spot in the area.

Loosening the bow tie on his Lion costume and crawling over to the ledge of the building, he gave a curious look over, watching all the tiny cars passing with a sniff.

"Niiiice." He mumbled, as he shifted into a sitting position feet dangling over the edge. Putting out his arms and closing his eyes he imagined the ledge just disappearing. If only. He knew what he really wanted to do, take that step over, see if he could float on air- even for a second. It would be the greatest way to reach the end. Flying and falling.

Scooting back from the ledge now, and taking a decisive breath in he turned and walked away from the ledge. He'd give it a running go.

No wait, he needed people here to see this. Like....

Like Percy. Yeah, he'd wait for Percy. Going back to the ledge and plopping down, he began his wait. Percy'd show up. He just would.

Tagged: Percy~
Outfit: here.
Note: I BELI-IEVE I CAN FLY, I BELI-EVE I CAN TOUCH THE SKYYY

[PERCY YEATS]

Percy had been spending the night in his dorm, slaving away over a French exam he had in two days, when he got the phone call from Tico. Like most of their telephone conversations, it was short lived; Tico was a man of few words, especially when it came to Simon Chapman, about whom the call was - usually those words were monosyllabic and fairly insulting.

Tonight, the message was brief, to the point, and disturbing enough to jolt Percy out of his intense study session. "What?" he asked, mouth slackening in blank-faced surprise.

Tico was kind enough to repeat himself.

"Yo man Simon's trippin' balls. On the roof of a casino."

Percy cursed shortly, glancing at the neat, organized spread of color-coded study material on his desk before sighing. "Where is it? ...Alright. I'm coming. Make sure he doesn't jump before I get there."

He grabbed his wallet, nearly falling out of his desk chair in his haste to pull on his shiny patent leather loafers. He paused briefly in front of the mirror (suicidal Simon or not; this was a party, which meant Percy wasn't showing up looking anything short of his best), thumbing his hair neatly from his face, straightening his vest and bowtie, smoothing the wrinkles in his button up. He tilted his head, considering, before shedding the vest in favor of a pair of pinstriped suspenders.

Proper party attire, check. Mission: Rescue Moron-Simo was a Go.

With that he was out the door and on his way, taking the bus and then walking the rest of the way to his destination. His nose wrinkled a little as he made his way into the party, brushing past people he was vaguely familiar with, raising an eyebrow at the animal-themed costumes and seeming haughty and proud that he wasn't costumed himself.

He passed out through the backyard and turned, peering upwards and taking in a short harsh breath upon seeing what was unmistakably Simon Chapman on the roof.

Percy frowned, anxiety curling unasked for in his gut. "Simon," he called quietly, his voice heavy with chastisement. "Come down from there." He remembered Tico's comment about the boy being high and wet his lips nervously (god, he hated drugs; they were such a damn mess), foregoing his usual snide, venomous wit and instead asking, "What are you even up there for?"

[SIMON CHAPMAN]

Simon was starting to get tired of waiting. There were plenty people milling around below, but none of them were Percy. It was hard to tell the people apart, though, they all looked like giant melting blobs. He was sure he'd know Percy out of them, though. So, he sat a while longer.

Why he thought Percy would show up was a complete mystery. But when he settled on something in this state, he didn't let it go. And it seemed that a blue moon was out today because there Percy's voice came from somewhere down below. He was the rather attractive blob in a bow tie.

"Peeerrccccee!" Simon had called down to the boy, immediately struggling onto his feet and stumbling a few steps away from the ledge, leaning over just to wave an arm fervently.

He frowned slightly when he heard the command to come down, and folded his arms quickly to his chest, flicking his nose up indignantly. Even high Simon was far too prideful.

"No, I can't come down- I hafta show you- I'm gonna fly." He explained matter-of-factly to the boy, words slurring, arms lifting back up to show what 'flying' looked like.

Tagged: Percy~
Outfit: here.
Note: lol simon u crazy

[PERCY YEATS]

Percy lurched forward a step, eyes widening a little when he saw the jolting, precarious way Simon got to his feet and stumbled about on the shingles trying to keep his balance. Percy's breath had gotten suddenly short, and genuine fear closed his throat so that for a brief moment he could only watch, helpless, because Simon was beyond stupidly doped out on LSD, and there was no way Percy could get up there in time if he chose to jump.

He swallowed, and words returned to him after he cleared his throat hazardously.

He glanced around briefly, eyes calculating, before he looked back up towards Simon. "You know I hate when you call me that," he said, trying to shoot for normalcy, which, for them, was the nipping back and forth at one another's egos. "And I don't feel like watching you fly. Come down, you can show me later. Besides, it's too dark to see, anyway. I - I left my contacts out."

He didn't wear contacts, but surely Simon didn't know that.

[SIMON CHAPMAN]

Simon had the dopiest grin of all on his lips, swaying back and forth like the wind was pulling him, watching Percy from the roof. "I'll think of something else then! But I like Perce." He mused. These thoughts from somewhere deep down in his subconscious. The kind of answers he wouldn't give under normal circumstances.

Frown growing on his face as Percy declined the opportunity to see Simon Chapman take flight, he took a defiant step towards the ledge, arms still folded firmly to his chest.

"I'd reach the ground much quicker if I flew there." Came his increasingly insane reply. "It's not that dark out." He pouted, hands steadying himself against the ledge, staring Percy down from where he was perched.

He'd be the best fucking bird there was. He just needed wings. He thought, maybe if he focused hard enough, he wouldn't even need them. Another part of him thought about what smashing into the ground would be like. Definitely a CSI worthy death. But...he was just here to show Percy he could fly. Death wasn't on the schedule for now, really...

Tagged: Percy~
Outfit: here.
Note: Simon= fucking boss bird lolol

[PERCY YEATS]

Percy was trying hard not to panic as it became more and more clear how unreasonable Simon was; trying to appeal against his stubborn nature was something Percy knew from experience was usually fruitless. He took another step towards the house. "Don't! Don't jump, don't jump yet," he said hurriedly. "You stay up there and just wait a second. I told you -" He was thinking fast, looking around until his eyes caught on the fire escape. Bingo.

"I can't see anything down here. I'm coming up. Don't jump till I get up there, Simon!" He used his harshest, most commanding voice (it only quivered a little, towards the end of Simon's name, just the slightest little slip revealing the hysterics going on inside his head). He hurried to the fire escape, taking it three steps at a time until he reached the roof, huffing lightly.

He looked across the roof at Simon, gripping the railing of the fire escape so tightly his knuckles were white. Unlike Simon, Percy did not like heights.

"There," he said a little shakily, trying to regain some of his composure. He couldn't quite bear to let go of the railing, and his hair flopped, begging to be thumbed aside, into his face when the wind blew. "Easier to talk up here." He wet his lips, watching Simon with wary eyes. "Listen, come down with me, Simon." He frowned. "I don't like it up here, come on."

He hesitated and then reached one hand out towards the other boy, palm up and open, fingers trembling visibly from having gripped the railing so tightly. "Come on. Simon."

[SIMON CHAPMAN]

"Yeah, okay, you come up here!" Simon nodded back, uncharacteristically giddy about being joined on the top of a casino by a person he refused to admit he was fond of when sober. Watching over the ledge as Percy went around to the fire-escape, he turned to see the boy appear the other side of the roof.

Dopey grin growing broader, he waited for the boy to come over to him. To watch him fly. But Percy didn't seem to keen on even being up this high and Simon cocked his head as he mused over this, the trembling blob of a boy that he saw was not setting him up very nicely for his leap of faith. Sniffling slightly in the stuffy evening air atop the Vegas casino, he glanced from the ledge to Percy.

"But it's nice up here... We're closer to the sky." He said, head tilting up towards the clouds and admiring them enviously. Maybe he wasn't a bird. Maybe he was a cloud.

Simon considered the hand Percy offered him slowly, taking a hesitant step forward before shaking his head and backing towards the ledge. "I won't go far off the ledge. I just wanna show you really quick. It won''t take looong." He was saying, thinking he was being rather persuasive in getting Percy to let him show off his wings.

[PERCY YEATS]

"Yeah," Percy said a little breathlessly, glancing down towards the ground where a crowd was forming on the lawn. "Shit," he hissed, once again fighting a wave of panic. The last thing he needed right now was a crowd of people to egg Simon into doing something absolutely stupid. And he had a terrible feeling that, just like every other damn time this happened, that's exactly what Simon was going to do.

"I'm afraid of heights," he blurted out, face contracting into something uncomfortable. For once he was telling the truth; admitting something about himself, a vulnerability that usually he would never bring up, especially to Simon. He chewed his bottom lip a moment and said, "I am, so... so, c'mere, Simon, for Christ's sake."He gestured desperately with his hand.

Below someone hollered drunkenly for Simon to do it (and another voice chimed in, "Yeah, do us all a favor"), and Percy growled low and furious in his throat, head whipping around so he could stare down hatefully at the crowd. He looked back at Simon, expression transforming into something gentler, more coaxing.

""I know you can do it, Simon," he said, changing tactics, voice a little uncertain, shaking just the tiniest bit. "You don't have to prove yourself to me, I know you can fly. I know it, so... so come here, Simon." He reached, finally letting go of the railing and taking a few shuffling, frightened steps forward. His face was very pale, hair whipping around his forehead as the night-time desert wind whirled around them. "Listen, I'll owe you, okay? I'll do whatever you want, you can make fun of me all you want, just come down."He lifted his eyebrows. "Well? What do you say?"

[SIMON CHAPMAN]

Simon eyed the group over the ledge, waving at a few people he thought looked familiar. So many people were going to see him fly! Maybe he'd be getting some cred out of this. It was just making him more antsy to get up on the ledge and he started to before Percy stated very hurriedly that he was afraid of height.

Simon's head turned still in the position to get up on the ledge, but unmoving as he mused over this. Percy'd never admitted anything like this to him. The two were always running circles around each other trying to seem less vulnerable than the other. It seemed the boy was sticking his neck out for him here, which was quite shocking, but it was the first time he'd seen this side of Percy. He was starting to get more and more familiar with it.

Stepping away from the ledge as he became reluctantly aware that he should probably go back down the fire-escape with Percy, he sighed a little bit. Glancing over his shoulder at that lovely ledge that was trying to call him back he gave it a little wave like he was going to come back for it.

"You really think I can?" He asked because the last time he'd tried a leap of faith it had gained him nothing but disappointment. He was older now, though. His wings just hadn't grown in fully before...

Reaching out for the distorted form of a hand Percy had held out he took it, image starting to clear of the boy now that he could tell that he wasn't just a blob.

[PERCY YEATS]

Percy nodded vigorously, brows knit with worry and fear, blue eyes fixed with rare intensity on Simon's face (don't look down don't look down don't look down). "I know you can, Simon," he said firmly. "None of the people down there know a thing about you, but I do." He hesitated, his face heating up a little. "And I know you can, alright?"

He nodded his head eagerly when Simon reached for him, moving forward the last inch needed so he could grab the other's hand, tangling their fingers together with desperate relief. A shaky smile managed to flicker across his face, meant to be encouraging. "That's it, come on down..." He backed up, leading the boy by the hand until they were in the relative safety of the fire escape. Percy was shaking like a leaf, and he exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"Thank God," he mumbled, gently herding the drugged out boy in front of him down the fire escape to the real safety of the ground.

[SIMON CHAPMAN]

Simon's eyes widened at Percy's statement about the crowd down below that had been looking for a good show or a slot on the six o'clock new. He was so right. Those people didn't know him like Percy did, yeah? Nodding slowly in agreement he tightened his grip on Percy's hand, partially because the fire-escape was getting exceedingly difficult to maneuver as it tried to melt out from under him, and also because Percy's hand was warm and comforting- something Simon wasn't used to.

"I'm glad you showed up anyway, even if I didn't get to fly." He said aloud lightly, so comfortable in his state of high that he didn't realize how he'd think of this whole episode of his when he was sober again.

"Where're we going now?" He asked curiously, pretty much depending on Percy's direction now. Oh, how he was going to regret doing so many blotters.

[PERCY YEATS]

Percy squeezed his hand back, somewhat distractedly, taking the fire escape one stair at a time. Slowly. When they reached the bottom he blew out another relieved sigh, thumbing his hair from his face with a sharp, jittery movement of his hand. "Me too," he mumbled about his appearance at the party. Likely, Simon would have ended up a much-less-than-attractive splat on the ground had he not. "You know you interrupted my study session," he added somewhat severely, looking at Simon.

He didn't get very irritated, though, because the crazy wild LSD high was still obvious in the disjointed, unfocused look of Simon's eyes. He glanced around at their peers, frowning. "I don't suppose you'll let me take you home to your dorm, will you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. And then he added, "Well, I told you that you could do whatever you wanted if you came down... so what do you want to do, Simon. besides flying?"

[SIMON CHAPMAN]

Smiling calmly, oblivious to his near death experience and the fact that Percy had been scared out of his mind up there, he let Percy lead him along, swinging there hands, watching the way colors swirled around them. His trip was definitely far from finished, that was for sure.

"Study." Simon repeated distantly, the word not familiar to his ears at the moment. "Oh, sorry." He shrugged, biting into his lip and pushing past a group of people who had formerly been waiting for him to splat onto the pavement.

"Home sounds good." He mused, arm around Percy without him even knowing it. "Will you stay with me?" He asked curiously, meaning that he wanted Percy to come sit a while, keep him company because his room mate was always out and he was by himself. Usually he didn't mind, but on acid, that was super boring and a bit depressing. Just made him want to fly off the roof of the dorm more.

[PERCY YEATS]

Percy led his slowly, only tugging on his hand with something almost defensively possessive whenever someone tried to talk to Simon. He'd glare at them sharply, lips curled away from his teeth slightly, and they took their assumptions and egos and contempt away from them for fear of having to deal with Percy-the-mega-bitch.

He fell into step beside Simon, glancing almost nervously into Simon's face as they stepped out into the street together. Simon still hadn't let go of his hand, and although Percy could pull away if he chose, for whatever reason he deigned not to. Instead he laced their fingers together a little, face pink and nose scrunched up.

"Alright, good, I'm taking you home. We'll try to walk some of that LSD off, yeah?" He glanced over at the question, brow quirking and then huffed. "Well I can't very well trust you by yourself, now can I? Yes, I'll stay with you." There was a beat of silence before Percy of course decided he absolutely had to fill it. "I don't see why you take that stuff. You'll kill yourself one day."

[SIMON CHAPMAN]

When Percy's hand tangled a little more in his, he looked down to it intently, lacing their fingers completely and smiling to himself. It was such an uncharacteristic show of an obvious need of the other boy's companionship. It was written all across his face, even in the corners of his eyes which were twitching subtly with the effects of the heavy acid dose he was still running on.

A large smile grew on his lips when Percy made it very clear that he needed to stay with Simon- to keep an eye on him, of course... "Yay, good." Came the mumbly, far-off reply. He walked close to the boy, shoulder to shoulder, refusing to let their be any distance (like their so often was between them when he was in a much better state of awareness). Looking down to Percy beside him, he bit into his lip and shrugged, brows knitted in a futile effort to think of an answer that made sense.

"I dunno, I feel like I'm much less afraid of myself when I'm on 'em. Like I'm actually on my own side for once." He commented lightly, eyes tracing out the path they were walking, which seemed long and winding- when in truth, it was just a short stretch of sidewalk. "Alcohol just dulls the pain, really." He continued with a nod, not realizing the intensity of his own words.