gentlemen do not beg

John Darling | 22 | Student in Walt Grove

[wendymadarling-deactivated20241]

@johnndarlings closed starter

Wendy dabbed the last bit of eyeshadow onto her eyelid as she heard her phone buzz, signaling her brother’s arrival. It had been a hassle to get John to agree to going to the prom with her, but she reminded him that Dungeons and Dragons would still be awaiting him when they got back. Besides, after what she had told Tink, Wendy wouldn’t be caught dead at the prom without John. The only thing worse than going with her younger brother would be going alone at this point.

Shuffling down the stairs, she replied to John’s message and threw her phone in her dress pocket. (Pockets! In her dress! It was the most wonderful invention.) Wendy opened the front door of the complex to the sight of her brother as dressed up as she’d seen him in ages, and she couldn’t help but smile. “You look wonderful, John,” she said earnestly. The two had decided to walk, as her apartment was only a few blocks from the community center. Linking her arm in his, Wendy took a step forward. “Shall we?”

[johnndarlings]

If John wasn’t good at convincing himself that formalwear was a game, he would have felt probably the most out of place he’d ever been. Not only was he going to a ‘prom’, but he was going with his sister. A party. With his sister. Because he’d not been asked or thought to ask anyone else. Truly, John thought he might be suffering through one of the levels of hell. But at least he’d owned a suit, and the rainbow tie he’d found wasn’t awful.

When Wendy opened the door, it took most of his energy not to sigh, but to stand up straight, as he should, and let Wendy pull him by the arm. “I look like a...John Darling,” he answered stubbornly, not quite willing to call himself a nerd, but definitely also not admitting that he looked nice. “We shall, but I would like a reminder of what I’m in for...”

[johnndarlings]

wendymadarling​:

Wendy tapped her brother’s nose before he sunk his head again, sticking her tongue at him. “Hm,” she hummed, “well, I haven’t eaten much all day,” she pondered, looking at her watch. Time seemed to slip by when she was writing. “So, I’ll go for anything. How about nachos?” Wendy suggested, her favorite post-drafting snack.

Snatching John’s book from the table, Wendy leafed through the pages as she started ahead toward the restaurant. “This looks interesting,” she mumbled, handing it back to her brother. “So, mother tells me you haven’t called in a bit. She’s quite the nag, you know.”

John felt a grin spread across his face. “Nachos sound perfect.” To be honest, anything that he would get told off for eating too much of sounded very nice right now, but he wouldn’t tell Wendy that. She would probably just worry.

At the mention of their mother, though, he ended up scrunching his nose and shrugging, not very happy at the thought. “I don’t have much to tell her, really. I’ve mostly been doing my school work.” And his other research, but that was another thing he kept to himself. “I don’t regret being a double major, but it does take a lot, you know.”

[johnndarlings]

wendymadarling​:

Wendy had been looking forward to seeing her brother all week. It had been ages since the two crossed paths, and their parents had been nagging her about how he was doing; he apparently didn’t call enough for their mother’s liking. Though Michael had spent most of his time by her side, John was a wildcard. But as Wendy approached him, she was greeted with his nose in a book, and she expected nothing less of her younger brother.

“Oh, John,” she sighed, “do look up when someone is greeting you.” Wendy had been trying to get better at not scolding her brothers; they were adults now, but sometimes she slipped into her old habits without second thought. “I’m well, thank you. My novel, on the other hand, is not. But we can discuss that after you tell me where we’re going to eat.”

Unable to resist being a younger brother, John marked his place, said a very formal “Righto,” and looked directly up to the sky, head tilted all the way back. “I suppose this would be up enough?” he teased, staying that way for a moment before letting his head fall back.

“It’ll get there. You’re good at stories.” Fingers tapping on the hard cover of his new book, John quickly tried to figure out what he was actually hungry for, that wasn’t expensive. “I’ll eat just about anything right now, honestly...but I had Pizza Planet yesterday, so maybe not that. How hungry are you?”

[johnndarlings]

John sat cross-legged on the picnic table bench, flipping through his newest purchase. He’d been wandering around looking at different tabletop rpg books before coming to meet with his sister, and this one had caught his eye. The book came with a rainbow of pages, and even a ribbon for a bookmark. Something they could both enjoy, if they couldn’t settle on where they were going to end up eating. Either was very likely.

“Good afternoon, Wendy,” John said, not looking up from his book as his sister sat down. “How have you been?” @wendymadarling​

[johnndarlings]

tinktess​:

     She was nodding slightly as he spoke in a show of sympathy, but there was a tangible change in atmosphere when he suggested that they stop studying. It wasn’t the idea itself, but the fact that it was John who brought it up. If he was giving up, Tessa didn’t stand a chance finishing this reading tonight; so it was behind her. There was already a impish grin on her face when she answered, “What should we do instead—besides run loose on the streets causing mischief?”

John, mind still fuzzy, tried to come up with a decent idea and just ended up shrugging. All he knew at the moment was that he didn’t want to keep trying to read for either major. “You know as well as I do that I never have plans,” he answered, already closing his notebooks and stowing what he could easily reach. “To be honest, I was going to go to the comic store, but we could go literally anywhere else instead, if you’d rather.”

[johnndarlings]

vidiaduhhh​:

Vidia cocked her head to the side the moment she realized who dared to bump into her. Of course it was John Darling. He was a little spineless, a little wimpy, and Vidia almost felt bad for making his palms sweat on purpose. She liked to mess with him because she knew it would cost no effort and he normally brought it upon himself somehow anyways.

“I’m fine, hun. Are you though? You seem to be the one acting like you’re staring at a ghost? Am I spooking you, Johnny?”

John felt the tips of his ears go red, but he shook his head. “I’m perfectly fine. I thought I just passed you at the Zipper, that’s all,” he replied, a hint of stubbornness in his voice. It was probably just another girl with dark hair at a distance, but it was close enough to true. He had thought she was still over there.

“I’m assuming the whole volunteer thing has been going well?” he ventured after another small pause, trying to avoid being awkward.

[allishaw]

@johnndarlings​  ||  carnival starter

     “Hey, I think I’ve seen you at the library before,” Allison greeted casually as she and the other guy both joined in line at the same time. It was a relatively small town, and she was pretty sure the whole of its residents had shown up for the fun today; seeing familiar faces wasn’t an uncommon thing. “I guess you study hard, play hard?”

[johnndarlings]

John, as always, hadn’t been expecting anyone to go out of their way to talk to him. When the girl spoke, he couldn’t help but look a little surprised. “Hm? Oh, yes, probably. And...definitely study hard, I don’t know if I’m the hardest player.” He’d tried to make that sound like a joke, but it was completely true. “You work at the Mystery Shack, don’t you?”

[johnndarlings]

tinktess​:

     Her eyes were bright with excitement as she watched the cars on the ride flip over themselves again and again. Waiting in line was the worst part of any attraction, but it sure was good for building up anticipation. Tessa bounced on her toes impatiently as they moved forward way too slowly. John’s question was a welcome distraction; the time would fly faster, talking.

     “Yeah—so, listen. The more you flip, the more fun it is, so you have to know how to shift your weight to get the best ride.” She looked up at her friend with a grin, only realizing when she saw his face that he didn’t look quite as eager as she was for the Zipper.

“Right,” he said, a little too shortly to seem casual. John shook his head like he was trying to clear it, and made himself grin. “So...what, I guess you’ll show me what to do? It’s not hard or anything?”

At least, John thought, he wasn’t going on the thing with Peter. Not that Peter would be seen with him. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to get sick or anything, it’s just...that looks like quite a lot.”

[johnndarlings]

John had thought that Vidia was going to be busy at the Zipper for the next while, so when he nearly bumped into her in front of the cotton candy stall, he practically felt like shriveling up and dying. He didn’t have a problem with Vidia, per say, but she definitely was one of the more intimidating girls that he knew through Tess.

“Ah, s-sorry,” he stuttered, taking a decent step back and feeling just as awkward as he usually did around her. “Are you alright?” @vidiaduhhh​

[johnndarlings]

John stood in line, looking up at the ride and feeling a little nauseous already. The Zipper. He’d been on plenty of rides in his life before, and this was the only one that made him nervous. But the problem was he was near someone, and had so much to prove. So he stood straighter, took a deep breath in as the line inched forward, and decided to be thankful that he hadn’t eaten any of the carnival food yet.

“So, Tess, I assume you’ve been on one of these before?” he questioned, turning to his friend and doing his best to look like a normal human being. @tinktess​

[johnndarlings]

tinktess​:

     Their study dates were mostly useful; it was easy to work together even if they didn’t have many courses in common. But right now Tessa was struggling. She must have read the same passage twelve times because she couldn’t focus—her mind was just overrun with so many other things. As John looked up to check in on her, she shook her head.

     “Not good. I think I’m in a relationship with this page now…I haven’t stopped staring at it for twenty minutes.” She would return the question to him, but the fact that he was taking a break was enough to tell her that he wasn’t any more ‘in the zone’ than she was.

John allowed himself to slump forward, forehead banging lightly on the table. “I think I spent too much time reading other stuff, and now my eyes don’t work.” He’d been researching magic again last night, into the early hours of the morning, but considering he was with Tess, he wasn’t going to say that out loud. “I don’t think I can remember one more dynasty no matter what I try.”

With a small sigh, John sat back up. “We could always....not do this right now. I suppose.”

[johnndarlings]

 John ran a hand through his hair, flipping back and forth between pages of notes. The class he was trying to study for, one of the required ones for his history major, wasn’t particularly difficult, but as it stood, he couldn’t find the one date he was worried about. With a small sigh, John looked up from the pages of hastily scribbled notes, tempted to rub his eyes to try and clear them.

“How are things over there, Tess?” he asked the girl across the table, deciding to adjust his glasses instead. @tinktess​

[runaway-pixie]

at once, she pulls a leg in and rests her chin to listen as zarina believed it helped her absorb things much better. she loved to hear people talk as it gives her an excuse not to at times. zarina also really simply loved pirates. she wanted to go on adventures with friends more than anything. when he goes to stop himself she sits up a bit and her look is anxious.

❝ no it wasn't ! uh, i like to learn as much as i can about about everything so please, go on if you wanna ... ❞ she says softly.

@johnndarlings

[johnndarlings]

John grinned, a little shyly. “Well, it’s nice that I’m not being obnoxious,” he said, with a little hint of a chuckle. He was bad for that. Or, at least, he thought he was bad for that.

“Well, if you want to know more about Davis...” he started, sitting up a little straighter, “he became a pirate when Edward England captured the ship he was working on. And very quickly, England realized how talented Davis was, so England gave him control of the ship he’d just captured. He went from not being a pirate to being a captain...well, almost immediately.” Which John had imagined as being quite the adventure. One he’d like to try. “Which is fitting, because he wasn’t a captain for very long, compared to others.”

[runaway-pixie]

zarina was playing with the ends of her flowy bandana as he talked and was surprised to hear something quite different. he wasn't humoring her, so much in fact, the pirate name didn't ring a bell and curiosity twinkles in her emerald eyes. ❝ oh , um , can i ask why ? ❞ her way of knowing more about this pirate without letting on she didn't know. she is also curious as to how they hadn't met before then.

❝ it would be so wild and fun to live at sea. ❞ she says fondly looking up to the sail. zarina was nearly there with her home that was quite literally a boat.

@johnndarlings

[johnndarlings]

“Why Howell Davis?” he asked, already running through the list of reasons in his head. “Well...I think it’s how he went about being a pirate. He didn’t do brute force, and I wouldn’t be good at that either. He would bribe people, or use disguises, or just...tricks.” John crossed his legs under him, trying to remember all the little things he’d picked up when he’d read all of the pirate books he’d begged for as a child.

“There was one thing that he did that I really liked. He encountered two French ships, and one surrendered to him. So he had them raise a pirate flag, and the second ship surrendered, too, because they thought there were two pirate ships. All without a shot fired.” Supposedly. But it wasn’t as fun to tell stories and add things like ‘allegedly’ and ‘supposedly’ at the end. “That was a lot, I’m sorry.”

[johnndarlings]

worldcfmyown​:

“I’m sorry you’re not,” she said simply, giving him a small smile. “I think being seven feet tall would be quite fun. And adding a pirate to the mix just makes it more interesting. I do love when people have interesing dreams.”

“I’m sorry I’m not, too, now that I’m thinking about it again.” John felt his eyebrow raise, clearly able to imagine what he’d look like if that had been his life. “Still, I guess I’m not doing too terribly. How about you? What would you look like?”

[runaway-pixie]

❝ but if you had to choose , it would be blackbeard right ? ❞ she asks very seriously, she swings around the sail rope of an old abandoned boat in the docks. she sat herself beside him. zarina was skeptical of anyone who didn't have a favorite pirate and certainly that was plenty of people, if not MOST. hers of course was anne bonny. she found most men chose black bart , or , notably the most famous, blackbeard.

@johnndarlings

[johnndarlings]

John thought for a moment, taking this new assignment fairly seriously. Blackbeard was an obvious choice, and he shook his head at it. “I fancy myself a fan of Howell Davis, to be perfectly honest.” Most people didn’t know about Davis, but he’d been smart, able to capture a ship without firing a single shot. John would’ve liked to be a pirate that didn’t have to hurt people. A gentleman pirate was always his favorite. “Edward England is my second choice.”

[thecleverestt]

“John Darling,” Peter bellowed in… some sort of accent, not passable for anything, as he entered the boy’s room, hands out to his sides in a grandiose gesture. “I have a proposition for you, I scratch my back you scratch y– no, other way around. We scratch each other’s.” He frowned, shook his head. “Anyways! Mutual favors, not like that, mind out of the gutter, and I’m not scammin’ ya, this is a name your price kinda situation we got goin’ on here.” He plopped down on the edge of his bed, clasping his hands like he was making some sort of business proposal. “Been talking to this girl, she’s big into some nerd shit. I may have said I was into some of the same nerd shit ‘cause I heard you say some shit about it. I am not, in fact, into it. Catchin’ my drift?” @johnndarlings​

[johnndarlings]

John had been trying to read when Peter burst in, so he narrowly avoided dropping a fairly heavy book on his face. Eyebrows pulling together in a frown of his own, he sat up, trying to process what Peter had said, exactly. First there was the mixed up metaphor, and then...whatever ‘nerd shit’ was. “Um...what exactly are we talking about?” John questioned slowly, sitting up and crossing his legs, suddenly taking up a lot less space. He’d always felt a little small around Peter, especially since the magic thing. “I can try to help, I suppose?”