Better Than Anthrax

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lynette2_icon.gif toby_icon.gif

Scene Title Better Than Anthrax
Synopsis Lynette and Toby find they've both received a strange piece of mail and make plans to figure it all out.
Date September 01, 2010

Gun Hill


Wednesday morning, shortly after the mail arrived, has Lynette sitting in her brightly colored office, still in her pajamas, her feet propped up on her desk. The door is open, which is rare enough that it gives away just where the woman is. Currently, she's fingering an odd envelop with no return address in one hand, and a puzzle piece in the other. Normally, she might consider this some sort of harassment ploy, but what's so bad about the word Better. Unless it were some sort of commentary. But then, if it is, it's a very vague insult and therefore, hardly one at all. Hmm.

Fashionably late, as always, Toby wanders out to the mailboxes with key in hand. "Good morning, Lynnie," he calls to the open door, bright and cheery to match his pink silk polo and khaki pants. "What's going on with my favorite co-super?" He offers her a bright smile as he starts to unlock his mailbox and pull out his own mail.

"Hey, hun," Lynette says distractedly as he comes into view. "Hmm? Oh, I am just brooding over the oddities in the world," she says, putting her feet down to come over to join him, puzzle piece still in hand. "I got some very odd mail this morning." When she reaches him, though, she greets him with a hug before she adds, "And how are you, darling?"

"Brooding? Brooding's no fun." Toby starts flipping through his mail, unconcerned with the amount of bills in the stash. But then there's an envelope without a return address that he plucks out, remarkably similar to her own. Still, he's distracted by the hug, which he happily returns. "I am sunny today, is what I am. Have you seen the temperatures outside? My god, it's enough to make you boil out there!" He looks back at his mail, and starts to open his mystery letter. "Odd mail, you say?"

"You're always sunny. It's part of your charm." Lynette glances to that envelop, too, and a frown comes over her face. "Yes. Maybe you'd better come inside…" A fingernail taps against her own piece, and she nods him toward her apartment.

Toby grins at her, and winks for her compliment, but as she nods him to her apartment, he blinks. "Is that a puzzle piece you've got there?" he asks curiously, heading to her apartment as bidden. He handles his stack of envelopes, and opens the door, which earns an eager bark from Rugby, who's still visiting Lynette. BARK BARK :V

"Yes, that's my odd piece of mail. It came in an envelop just like that one there," Lynette notes, glancing back at his stack of mail. Inside the apartment, she reaches down to ruffle Rugby, faithful companion, on her way to set down her puzzle piece on the table. "I have no idea what this is about. I suppose we should ask around."
Poseorder is not enabled in this room.

"Huh." Toby also ruffles Rugby, who squirms for the attention. But he approaches her table, and finishes opening his strange envelope, fishing out his puzzle piece. "…Huh." Glancing at the back, he frowns. "This-period." Indeed, it says 'this.' in permanent marker. "Does yours say anything?"

"It says 'Better'," Lynette says, flipping it over so he can see the word there. "I dare say someone has a jigsaw fetish," she says as she pulls herself up to sit on the table. "They're a little late for April Fools. What do you think?"

"Better, huh?" Toby looks at the flipped over piece, and lays his beside it to see if it fits. "I think… I'd like to know who else received pieces. Because it doesn't seem our pieces fit, so I suspect… we're not the only ones who's received these. Either it's a very intriguing marketing ploy, or there's a message here… and I confess, I'm intrigued."

"Or it's a crazy person with too much time on their hands. But. I agree. We'll put the word out through the Ferry, see who else might have gotten something. Maybe we can start a collection." Lynette picks up his piece, too, to take a look at it. "And maybe someone can tell where they ca- You know, I think I know just the woman." Barbara is, after all, a very talented woman.

"Hm, a good idea. Maybe we can start piecing this together. Oh I love a good puzzle!" Toby looks over as Rugby jumps up onto the chair by the table, ears perked as he peeks over at what's going on. Table means food! And Lynette's table means lots of food! Food for Rugby! … But there is no smell of food here. Just paper and ink and old crumbs. The corgy forlornly licks at the wood a little, turning big brown begging eyes at the pair. Cruuuumbs. Puppy is staaaarving. Feed the puppy. You know you want to! "You do?" Toby asks Lynette, grin on his face as he ruffles Rugby sympathetically (which is not what the corgy had in mind). "Well, do tell, darling!"

With a glance toward Rugby, Lynette smirks and walks to the kitchen to get the puppy a snack. Because she's a sucker. "I met a woman at the last meeting I went to, she can see the past around an object. Her name's Barbara. Perhaps she would be of assistance." When she comes back, she sets a handful of little doggy bones down on the floor by the chair Rugby's in, giving him a little scritch before she looks back to Toby.

Yes! Lynette is Rugby's best friend. The dog bunches up at the edge of the chair and looks down, squirming as his paws slide over the side of the kitchen chair. He is, after all, a squat little dog, and that's a bit of a way down. But after readjusting his position a few times, he finally works up the courage and jumps gracelessly down. And then those snacks are wolfed down with crunching. Nom nom nom!

"Ah! I see," Toby says with a grin. "That would be wonderful. Where can we locate this Barbara? And… do we have the key to the mailbox panel? Perhaps we could see if anyone else in Gun Hill got puzzle pieces. Or is that illegal?"

"Through the network, I imagine." Lynette lifts an eyebrow as he goes on, then looks amused. "How about we just ask, darling?" She chuckles a little bit, patting the man on the arm. "But I love your energy and dedication," she adds teasingly.

"Oh, I suppose so," Toby agrees, but he smiles warmly. "We could, yes, that's a good idea. But you know patience has never been my virtue. Shall we put the word out, then?"

"Want to draw up a flyer we could put by the mailboxes? Something about trying to figure out what these are all about and to come forward if they're comfortable?" Perhaps he will feel more patient if he has a job. >.> Lynette nods, though, "I'll make some Ferry-type calls around."

"Oh that sounds like a brilliant idea!" Toby beams. "I'm good with a word processor, you know." He will feel more patient, yes. Thankfully. "Wonderful. This is quite the intriguing thing. It's like a mystery! I feel like Nancy Drew!"

"Fantastic, darling. By this afternoon?" Lynette can't help but chuckle as he goes on, and she nods her head, "The case of the puzzling pieces? Something like that, yes?"

"Absolutely!" Toby grins, clapping his hands a little. "Yes, oh I'd certainly read that. It's too bad Nancy Drew never had any Evolved in her books. Don't you think I'm a dead ringer for her?" His hands goes to his head and his hip, which cocks out. Yes. He's teasing, but how much?

"I don't think you wear enough plaid, darling," Lynette says, moving to sit herself back down. In a chair this time. "Perhaps the next generation of Nancy Drew books will have Evolved. Ten bucks says they're the bad guys, though."

"Plaid looks unsightly against my skin," Toby sighs, straightening and taking a seat across from her. "I'm simply not scottish enough." He scoots back a little as Rugby makes to jump into his lap, the potato-dog flopping and resting his head at the table, making those eyes at Lynette. More treats? "Rugby," Toby huffs, bapping his nose a little. "You don't need more treats! You're getting fat enough as it is." The dog looks back at him like, says you! But the man looks to Lynette. "Not if I write them! You know I've always wanted to be a writer. I mean, I got halfway through a story… I could do better. Nancy Drews are short, right? An Evolved mystery. What fun!"

"He's not fat, he's delightfully fluffy, isn't that right, Rugby?" Yes, the woman spoils the dog rotten. She can't help it. Lynette smiles over at Toby, more than aware of the man's flightiness when it comes to his many, many projects. "They are short. Young readers, all that. You should think about it. It could be fun."

For that matter, who knows how long she'll have a co-super, with that flightiness. But he's here for now! "You're not the one with Delightfully Fluffy here on your lap!" Toby laughs, scritching the dog. Scritchscritch. Rugby just pants and yaaaaawns with a pitched sound. "Children's books! Those could be fun! Oh! Goodness, now I really want to do this!"

"We'll just have to go for more walks, huh, Rug?" Lynette shifts to rest an elbow on the table and her chin in her hand. "Then do it, darling. And then you could go read your books to the children at the lighthouse, wouldn't that be adorable?"

Rugby perks. Walks? Time for a walk? He jumps off Toby's lap and lands with a thump, before scampering to the door and looking back at her. Walking! "Not now," Toby chuckles to Rugby. "Hold your horses, Ruggy. Anyways." He turns back to Lynette. "I will do it. And oh that would just be so precious! I'd love it. Love it! Then, it's a deal. I'll do the sign for the mailboxes, and then start working on some Evolved kids books!" He stands, there, though and smiles. "Mind if I walk Rugby? He wants to get out and I haven't been able to for a bit!"

"Oh course, darling. He's yours, after all. It isn't like you have to ask permission." Lynette smirks a little and moves to stand up to grab his leash and things for going out, including the sunglasses, to hand over to Toby. "I'll let you know if I hear anything about the puzzle while you're gone." She could, frankly, use a moment to herself. Not at all for drug use.


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