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Post by zuyuri on Oct 28, 2023 18:39:10 GMT
It wasn’t always glamorous being a teacher. Jack was experiencing g this as he stared out at the superpowered teens eating their midday meal. The smell of stale hash browns hung in the air. To think, when he was younger, he found the smell inviting. A far cry from his mother’s frijoles.
Two boys walked by him. One was tossing an uneaten apple. Before it could be tossed into the trash bin, Jack extended a long bony arm and caught it. He stared at the apple in case his powers accidentally caused decomposing, but saw no blemishes and set it in a green bin that he saved for food that could be donated to charities. Some kids in the streets or couldn’t afford food would be grateful.
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Post by skyeknight on Feb 13, 2024 4:43:45 GMT
"Need a cig," Constantine grumbled.
He had drawn the short stick and was also tasked with lunch duty. He stood with his hands in his pockets, watching with an expression of gloom on his face. His five o'clock shadow was a little more pronounced. His shirt was untucked and there was an unidentifiable stain on the front of his tie. Basically, he looked like he was hung over.
And he was.
This was a special Hell on earth to torment him.
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Post by zuyuri on Feb 13, 2024 14:28:57 GMT
“Painkiller?”
While he couldn’t supply his duty partner with the requested cigarette, Jack could at least provide an inkling of support for John. In the form of a tiny white pill that he hid in a breath mint container; he had to pull a fast one as kids were smarter than given credit. It was no surprise that the other super was hung over. Honestly, the bigger surprise would be if he cleaned up his act and went to some kind of superhero alcohol anonymous.
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Post by skyeknight on Feb 14, 2024 2:10:32 GMT
"Yeah, I'll take ya up on the offer, mate," Constantine sighed.
He had taken one earlier, but it had clearly had no effect on the massive headache he was nursing. Then again, he drank so much that he blacked out. Thankfully, there had been no drunk shenanigans, but now he was suffering for it. And tonight, when he went back to his room, he would just repeat the cycle.
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Post by zuyuri on Feb 14, 2024 4:18:10 GMT
“Be glad you don’t have this duty every day this week,” Jack reached his long arm over to John and dropped one of the pills to one side.
It had been a hectic lunch week. Several girls had come to him and asked his input on someone calling names. He kept saying that they needed to sit far away from each other, and yet they were still at the same table, complaining about the same problem. Why was it that teenagers acted like elementary school kids?
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Post by skyeknight on Feb 15, 2024 4:11:13 GMT
"Cheers to that," he sighed. "But they know better than to keep me 'round the little wankers more than I need to be."
John took the pill and swallowed it dry. It took a few years of practice before he had been able to do it back when he was younger. Now it was second nature. At this point, he was still amazed he had a job. He wasn't the best of teachers, but he couldn't be bothered to put in more effort. Not when he would much rather prefer to drown himself at the bottom of a bottle. It was better than coping with life.
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Post by zuyuri on Feb 16, 2024 1:59:24 GMT
“By the way, how are your elemental classes going?”
Better to chat about something that wasn’t making their attitudes look bad. Just because the principal wasn’t in the room didn’t mean that he wasn’t watching them on cameras. Then again, the cameras were silent. Or do Jack hoped.
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Post by skyeknight on Feb 16, 2024 2:57:59 GMT
"For some bloody reason I haven't been let off," John shrugged. "So, your guess is as good as mine."
He was barely doing anything remotely close to teaching. What was he supposed to show a bunch of kids? He was a washed-up loser at best. At worse, he was a danger to the students under his care. He certainly wasn't about to volunteer to lead students out on patrols. He wouldn't be able to handle what happened with the Hydra. He would probably drink himself to death if the students died under his watch. The thought of getting the brats killed made him itch for a drink.
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Post by zuyuri on Feb 16, 2024 4:53:42 GMT
Jack paused to snatch a milk carton that was about to be chucked by a teenager that seemed much more invested in their phone than actually seeing where the trash cans were. A bucket filled with a “king’s cup” assortment sat close by. He lifted the carton and dumped the contents into the bucket. Skeletal fingers crushed into the carton. The paper began to blacken, the touch spreading like a virus against the white. All that remained eventually was a blackish ooze that he wiped off with a napkin that was disposed of properly. He looked at the teenager coldly.
“Excuse me, did you think we’d just let you toss that without even finishing it? Stinking up the school is the fastest way…” Jack cut off as the teen, without even looking up, slowly raised a hand that was curled into a ‘flip off’.
Now Jack could tolerate a lot of disrespect. One had to. However, the act of showing indifference to teachable moments was something he could not stand. In a motion so quick, he had snatched the boy’s phone. He gripped it and gave a withering scowl. As withering as a skull face could muster.
“Ah, good, we have your attention.”
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Post by skyeknight on Feb 17, 2024 5:37:14 GMT
John watched the exchange silently. He wasn't sure who's side he was on really. He had been the kid who flipped off his teachers for being told off, but also, he had also been the kid who literally did anything he could for food because his dead-beat parents weren't about to feed him. The waste of food sat poorly with him. John wasn't exactly known for being a 'strict' or 'rule-abiding' teacher. No one would listen to him if he intervened.
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Post by zuyuri on Feb 17, 2024 17:52:07 GMT
The phone was set carefully to one side of the table, far away from the student’s desperate reaching hands. Jack stared at the teenager with a stony, Mott expression. Benefits to looking undead was that it could put the fear in most people. Even the “Goths” who were afraid of death got slightly nervous whenever Jack put on the stern pants. He spoke calmly, but with a hint of an edge to prove he was being serious.
“Listen here, son. You’ll get your phone back at the end of the day. It’ll be locked in my classroom until then, so it will be safe. As for wasting food, there are other ways of pawning it off. The next time I see you attempt something like this again, I will have you spending the weekend serving soup to the homeless, who would have gladly eaten your food that you simply threw away because if wasn’t in your tastes.” He gestured grandly to the bin. “Next time, put food you don’t want in here. Do you understand?”
Wide eyed, the boy nodded. Jack gestured to the tables. “You may go.” The boy hustled back so quickly that he nearly tripped over his own feet. Jack exhaled and popped a painkiller himself.
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Post by skyeknight on Feb 19, 2024 4:44:54 GMT
"Are you good?" John asked. "It's just a bit of food."
Even John knew that food scarcity was a thing to be concerned about. He had been one of those people who would have died for those meals before his powers kicked in. That almost felt personal when Jack scolded that kid. Like the thought of wasting food was the most blasphemous thing that child could do. Aside from kicking someone's dog across the face.
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Post by zuyuri on Feb 19, 2024 7:17:18 GMT
“Sorry you had to see that, John. I don’t often pull the ‘strict teacher’ card.” He flicked off a piece of lint from his coat pitcher and tucked the phone into his pocket. The firmness was part of his upbringing. His own mother had been a firecracker when angered, especially when he had been told to eat what she had prepared for him. Funny seeing the great La Muerta - known as Mama to Jack - go from caring and sweet to fiery. He figured he got it from her.
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Post by skyeknight on Feb 22, 2024 4:39:05 GMT
John shrugged. "No skin off my back, mate."
He didn't really care either way. He told himself he didn't care. That this was a Jack problem to take care of. Wasn't like he had much room to talk. It didn't bother him that the calmest teacher in school was very strict. John rubbed the back of his neck. Maybe he worried a little. But only a little. Not even really worth bringing up at all. Nope.
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Post by zuyuri on Feb 22, 2024 4:52:48 GMT
There was a beat of silence between the two of them. Students continued chattering. Trash was thrown away in a respectful manner. Probably because Jack’s example had scared all of them straight. After thanking one student for respectfully putting her uneaten fruit in the donation bin, Jack stole a look into the meager amounts being placed in. At least the menu had come a long way from counting 13 packs of ketchup as a vegetable. “Well, at least some people will have something on their plates tonight.”
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