A/N: Hope you enjoy chapter 2. To help set the mood, here is a famous scene from Bambi (1942). Cute Disney woodland creatures, depicted alongside the nightmarish creatures of Jhonen's mind... Why not.
Besides, we all know NNY has a soft spot for small animals, anyway. RIP Nailbunny.
Not even the most torturous of devices could steel NNY against the storm of emotions raging through his system right now.
And after all that careful reprogramming, too.
Sigh.
NNY would not succumb. Not when he was so close to becoming the optimal being. One that could function without the superfluous need for anything...
One day, NNY would become as cold as that big white ball in the night sky.
He just had to keep on trying.
The contraption he was trapped inside today was a particularly very gruesome one. It served as a cruel reminder of the pain that only love can bring.
It helped to detox NNY. Remove all the excess humanity until he was nothing but a cold, unfeeling machine, so to speak.
The clamp around his head pressed on his skull. The pressure wasn't enough to kill him, yet it was enough to distract him from the painful ache in his chest.
Too many disappointments and too many nights spent alone wondering and waiting. And don't forget all the nights he spent gazing up at the stars too, hoping that someone would just drop by.
The physical pain was not enough. He needed more...
NNY fastened several hooks to his mouth, and they stretched his lips until they were taut. Saliva dripped down his chin as the hooks tore at his jowls, yet NNY persevered.
Soon, he would be numb again. And then he would feel no more. When he re-emerged, he would be born anew.
No more pesky emotions, and no more desire.
It all started back when he met that Jenny person at the CD Cesspool. What was it about her that NNY found so magnetic? Was it her sweet baby voice? Her floral scent? Or her bright pink hair?
Or was it her adorable laugh, her eyes, her nose, her lips, or her rosy cheeks?
Fuck. It was all of those things. It was as if she'd cast a spell on him or something.
NNY didn't even like flowers, yet he was curious about her. And he definitely didn't like sweet, flowery women who smelled like cherry blossoms either.
Yet the more he thought about her, the more the device crushed his skull. His heart pounded through his chest, and he could almost see it through his ribcage.
That bothersome organ. It was the reason why he was feeling like this.
Yet it wasn't the only organ giving him trouble...
The other day, NNY had imagined what Jenny would look like without her brightly-coloured clothes on, and the horror!
He hadn't left the torture chamber since.
Three days had passed since he had that absurd thought, and now he was getting rather tired. But he persisted like the stubborn mule he was.
Once again, he squeezed his eyes shut, fighting off the unwanted image of her taking her poofy dress off. Bit by bit, she exposed her milky white skin until she stopped at her small, narrow waist, leaving just enough for the imagination.
Now NNY's goggles were steaming up.
This was all just so wrong; he was not that kind of guy. NNY never cared for human flesh. The only time he had ever shown any interest in another human body was when he was cutting them up with a knife.
The epidermal layer had no appeal to him whatsoever. All the good stuff was beneath the skin.
His dick twitched next as he thought about what was beneath Jenny's skin, and it was happening...
NNY was getting... aroused.
No thinking about another person's body, period! Not even a gross pig or that ugly neighbour lady next door with the huge boil on her face.
Still. It couldn't hurt to be a little curious, right? What would happen if he cut Jenny up? What would she look like beneath her fair skin? Would she be as sweet on the inside too? Would her warm blood look just as beautiful as it did when she blushed?
The device crushed his head and yanked his lips, and NNY groaned in displeasure. Even thinking about murdering wasn't good for him now.
It was just another crutch in the end. Just another vice.
So that settled it. No thinking whatsoever.
Be like Mr. Samsa. That irksome cockroach who just wouldn't die!
A few more hours passed and NNY finally had enough. It seemed he had exhausted his mind and body long enough.
Would he be re-born? Only time would tell.
He unfastened his restraints, wiggling free of his leather straightjacket like Harry Houdini. Then he removed the clamps from his head and the hooks from his mouth.
Every inch of his flesh hurt, yet he didn't feel better at all.
In fact, he felt worse!
Well, that was three days NNY would never get back.
What a waste of a weekend.
Cutting his losses, he changed into a fresh set of clothes, then went upstairs. He passed many of his 'guests' on the way up to the house.
Many were still alive, shaking and cursing in their chains, but others had long stopped moving.
It looked as if NNY had some cleaning up to do. A pile-up of dead bodies never did anyone any favours.
Plus, the smell...
NNY was surprised to find that it was daylight when he emerged from the basement. He had shut himself away Friday night.
Today was Monday.
Hey, Johnny... been up to much?
NNY exhaled, pinching the skin between his eyes.
That stupid burger figurine. It had just started talking again...
He thought it died like all the other voices, yet it seemed that Reverend Meat hadn't gone anywhere after all.
The fucker had just been hibernating.
"No. Leave me alone."
You're looking a little famished. Why don't you go out for a bite to eat? All that food just begging to be devoured...
"Fuck off!"
Resistance is futile, Johnny C. You know you'll only cave again. So why bother fighting? Go for a stroll through the park. Eat a hotdog... or maybe go and buy some pretty flowers...
NNY's eyes widened. Flowers?
He ground his teeth, knowing exactly what the Reverend was doing. So he rushed towards him, almost knocking him off the cupboard when he pointed his bony finger at him.
"You piece of shit. You don't know a thing about me. Get out of my head!"
The creepy figurine sneered, baring a pair of sharp fangs. Its eyes glowed ominously. Oh, but I do... and I know you were thinking about flowers... pretty pink flowers the colour of cotton candy...
NNY staggered backwards, getting away from the Reverend. "That's... not true. I would never think of such a thing!"
Oh, but you would.
"No, I wouldn't."
Would.
"Wouldn't."
Would.
"Wouldn't!"
Would.
"Wouldn't!"
Wouldn't!
"Would!"
Wouldn't!
"Would!"
NNY kicked the cupboard. The Reverend wobbled on top. "Enough! When I say I would think about buying some pink flowers, then I mean it! So, fuck you, Reverend, and your shitty fucking hamburger! Which has most likely spoiled by now... Hope you enjoy salmonella!"
He turned on his heels, exiting his house in the most epic of fashions. He ought to buy himself a mic just so he could drop it on the floor.
That will show Reverend Meat.
NNY stood on the sidewalk, gazing up at that pink and blue building on the other side of the street.
He was just going in to buy some flowers. That was all.
A busy road was the only thing getting in the way of his buying flowers, and maybe NNY should just cut his losses and go home.
Yes, that is what he should do. Who cares about stupid flowers anyway? He didn't even like flowers.
And he definitely didn't like the girl who worked with them.
What girl...?
Who said anything about a girl?
Shut up!
NNY sighed, gripping his head. Why was this so goddamn hard? All he had to do was go inside that shop and buy some flowers, and then he could go back home and prove the Reverend wrong.
He just couldn't move his feet. His heart felt as if it was stuck in his throat.
Was he afraid?
The door of the building opened, and NNY ducked behind a street lamp. A true master of stealth indeed.
Now Jenny wouldn't be able to see him.
Carefully, he peered around the post, spotting the small, pink-haired woman. She was watering a pair of hanging baskets, and something warm trickled through NNY's bloodstream.
How could she make something as mundane as watering plants look so graceful? She truly was an alien.
Maybe she really did come from the stars...
Invader Jenny. How quaint.
A pair of mating butterflies fluttered past her next, and Jenny stopped to admire them.
NNY's heart skipped a beat. So precious.
"Why don't you go over and talk to her?"
NNY startled, turning towards a bench. An old lady sat on the vandalised wood, tossing seed at a flock of pigeons.
They cooed, pecking at the pavement, and did she want a tuppence to go with those dirty birds?
"Where you talking to me?" he asked, keeping his tone neutral.
The old woman kept her head forward, throwing seed aimlessly at the ground. It may actually be illegal to feed pigeons in this part of town, but NNY didn't bother informing her. She hardly looked like a lawbreaker.
Unlike NNY. The creepy serial killer who was currently stalking a young woman outside of her place of work.
"Yes. And I'm telling you to go over there and talk to that girl."
NNY raised a brow. "Why? You don't even know me. Why do you care whether I talk to her or not?"
"Because, you've been staring at that building for an hour, yet you've still made no attempt to talk to her. What's stopping you?"
NNY's eyes widened. Then he hung his head, sighing in defeat.
There were so many things stopping him...
The old lady nodded. "I get it. You don't want to get your heart broken. Trust me, you'll regret it. Take it from this old bag of bones. I've lived a long time. So I know a thing or two about regret..."
NNY gritted his teeth. Now he was getting life lessons from some old biddy he met on the street. He ought to pull his knives out and kill her, yet he was tired.
It's not as if his wanton killing would help him now (no matter how good it felt).
Maybe it was about time NNY retired.
"Look, sonny. I'm blind as a bat, but even I can see how much you like her. She's a keeper. I can tell. Such a sweet little voice..."
What? Blind?!
NNY focused on the old lady again. She wore a pair of black glasses, and there was no mistaking that white stick in her hand.
Something strange came over him next. His cheeks flushed, and then he hid behind the street lamp again.
So it was that obvious? So much to the point that even a blind person could see it.
Shit.
NNY had no choice; he had to go inside that building now.
Maybe he was mistaken before. Maybe they didn't really hit it off and he had just imagined their whole conversation.
Just talk to one pretty girl. What could go wrong?
Everything...
Without thinking, he stepped onto the road. Several cars hit the brakes. Many honks and shouts followed his stupid actions, but NNY only had eyes for Jenny now.
"Good luck!" the blind old lady cheered for him, and it looked as if NNY had found himself a cheerleader.
Fucking cheerleaders.
Finally, he made it to the other side of the street, barely noticing the pile-up of traffic. There was an explosion at one point, and then a car tire rolled to a stop beside him.
But it was done now. No going back.
NNY was seeing this through.
Before he entered the store, he gazed at his reflection, smoothing back his hair. Then he checked his breath, which was minty fresh, per usual, then gripped the door handle.
The brass seemed to burn his palm, but to hell with it. He was going in.
A small bell signalled his arrival when he stepped inside, and then he was hit by a myriad of aromas.
There were all kinds of flowers, and it was like an enchanted forest. There were portraits of woodland scenes hanging on the walls, and it truly was magical.
It was definitely one of the nicest shops NNY had been in.
Jenny was nowhere in sight, and he thought about bolting out the door. But he was already here; he may as well see this through to the end.
It would be like sticking pins in his eyes, but whatever.
There came a humming sound from the back of the shop, and he stopped to listen. It sounded like Jenny.
She wasn't half bad. Even though she was just humming, she was pretty good. She sounded like a totally different girl from the one he met at the CD Cesspool.
Here, no one judged her for being different, and that must be nice.
Jenny could truly be herself here.
"I'll be out in just a moment!"
NNY's pulse stuttered when he heard that sweet, angelic voice. He hadn't been able to get it off his mind since he met her.
Sweat dripped from his face as his eyes darted around the room. They fell on a painting. They were spectacular and so life-like.
He felt as if he could step inside them.
As a matter of fact... it looked as if he already had...
There was a small, dark figure in one of the paintings that kind of resembled him. It stood in a field of flowers, looking so dejected and miserable. Yet everything around it was bright and cheerful.
Before he could investigate the strange figure further, someone pushed through a pair of saloon-style doors behind the counter, and there she was...
Jenny.
It seemed NNY hadn't overexaggerated her appearance at all. She really was exquisite.
Her long, wavy hair was still as pink as cotton candy, and her bright eyes matched the colour of the sky.
Even her clothes were still as bright: a lemon dress with daises, and she truly was a breath of fresh air.
It was about time some new air blew NNY's way. The air in this city was stifling.
Her eyes enlarged, and then a sweet smile spread across her face. "It's you... Johnny!"
NNY stammered, scratching the back of his head. "Uh... yeah... surprise!"
What the fuck was he saying?
Jenny's smile curved into an innocent little smirk, and she even made smirking look graceful.
Unlike NNY, who smirked like the Grinch.
"No. Not Johnny. NNY..."
NNY's jaw hung loose. Then he closed it again, releasing a hysterical laugh. "Yeah... NNY... ha-ha-ha!"
Marry me!
Jenny giggled, giving him her undivided attention. "So, what can I help you with today, NNY?"
This was it. NNY's big moment.
Time to sink.
"Um... flowers... I seek flowers..."
Drowning.
Jenny's grin widened, and she had a nice set of teeth. Cavity free.
Again, very unlike NNY, who had cavities so wide, you could fit a whole school bus inside—school children included.
"Well, you've come to the right place. What flowers do you like?"
NNY gazed around. Shit. He had no idea what flowers he liked. He didn't even know half the names of these plants.
His best bet was to go by colour.
"Uh... pink?"
Jenny moved around the counter to help him pick some flowers. NNY stepped back a little, trying to keep some distance from her hair which smelled like cotton candy.
"How about these ones? Gerberas. My favourite."
"What a coincidence... they're my favourite, too!"
No, they weren't. NNY didn't even know what a gerbera was.
Jenny laughed, plucking up another flower. "And lilies. I just love lilies..."
She stopped to smell a lily, and NNY gave an ecstatic smile. "Me... me too!"
Now he was starting to sound like a broken record.
She picked more flowers, and soon she had a whole bouquet ready for him. NNY didn't know a goddamn thing about flower arrangements, but the bouquet she made for him was absolutely stunning.
She truly was an artist.
His eyes landed on a painting again, and there he spied her signature. NNY bit his lip.
Fuck. She was a painter and a damn good one too.
She put Happy Noodle Boy to shame...
"Here you go." Jenny passed him the large bouquet, and NNY had a real job of getting it home.
It was bigger than his head.
Well, it looked as if he'd gone a little overboard with the flowers. How much would they all cost?
He went to give her cash, but she waved him away. "No, it's fine. My way of saying thank you. You didn't laugh at me the other day, and I'm grateful."
NNY peered around the bouquet, raising a brow. "Why would I have laughed at you?"
Jenny shrugged, twirling a strand of pink hair. "Because most people do? Everyone thinks I'm weird because I talk to flowers, but it's okay. I'm used to it."
Something heavy weighed upon NNY's shoulders next when he heard her sad little voice, and he knew the emotion he was feeling.
Empathy.
He hadn't felt empathy for a long time. He hadn't met anyone who deserved his empathy lately.
People laughed at NNY and called him weird too. Even on his way here, someone had stopped to snort at his boots, but NNY killed them. It was fine.
Now he felt awful for judging her at the CD Cesspool. She was not like all those other goblin people.
NNY should say something to cheer her up. "You're... not weird..."
Jenny stopped twirling her hair, looking at him in disbelief. Then she blushed, glancing away. "Th-thank you, NNY. You're too kind. I... hope she likes them..."
He pulled a face. Who?
Jenny caught on. "Oh, I'm sorry. I meant he... Whoever holds your heart is a very lucky person. That's a beautiful bouquet you handpicked. They'll love it. I'm sure."
NNY blinked, shaking his head. "No! I'm not..."
He sighed. Why did she say he?
"These are for me. I'm... I'm single..."
If NNY weren't mistaken, then she actually looked relieved, but he was probably just seeing things.
He knew there was a 99% chance that she would reject him anyway if he asked her out on a date, which he wouldn't.
Dating was for normal people, and NNY wasn't normal.
He killed people.
NNY was stalling for time. Should he just ask her if she wanted to go out? It would just be a date between friends.
That was all.
He couldn't even remember the last time he asked a girl out. He got lucky the last time because the girl asked him out.
But that date turned out to be a disaster.
Maybe it was a sign.
Besides, it didn't look as if Jenny was going to be asking him out anytime soon. She was just too shy.
Time to put himself out there. NNY had a feeling she would let him down gently. She was kind that way.
"Would... would you like to go out sometime? As... as friends!"
Jenny beamed, clasping her hands. "I would love to!"
NNY's eyes widened in pleasant surprise. He definitely didn't expect that response, and now a smile formed across his own face.
"Then it's a date... between friends!"
Jenny wouldn't stop smiling at him, and just like that, she came to life again.
NNY watched her, mesmerised. Was she really that excited at the prospect of dating him?
"I look forward to our date, NNY."
NNY shared the sentiment. "Me too."
She grabbed her pink locks again, twirling them around her fingers. She batted her eyelashes. "Well, see you soon..."
"Yeah... you... you too..."
An awkward silence followed, and it looked as if their conversation was over.
Finally, NNY started backing away, trying his best to get his new bouquet out of the door. He was aware of Jenny's eyes on him the whole time, so he couldn't mess this up.
After all, she had agreed to go on a date with him. It still didn't seem real.
He just had to ensure that he didn't try and kill this one this time.
That doesn't come until the third date...
A/N: Thank you for reading. I loved writing their interactions here. There's just something so humbling about a shy, awkward NNY, and Jenny is just too sweet.
NNY was that way with Devi too, and he was bloody adorable. A shame he tried to kill her in the end, but NNY has Jenny now.
NNY won't make the same mistake again... or will he?
Stay tuned for more... tales of interest! (Futurama reference).