One Of These Things Is Not Like The Other

Participants:

abby2_icon.gif cardinal_icon.gif huruma_icon.gif magnes_icon.gif

Scene Title One Of These Things Is Not Like The Other
Synopsis It's a regular night in Old Lucy's. Magnes brought pizza, Huruma's coming on shift, Abby's sneaking in and Cardinals getting lucky.
Date April 25, 2009

Old Lucy's

Old Lucy's has a vibrant and lively feel to it, from the dark wooden floors to the shady crimson walls lit up by neon lights and many times, the flashing of cameras from the oft-crowded floor. The mirror behind the bar reflects prices of various drinks, bottles lined up, as well as the entire saloon as seen from the bartenders; bolted-down stools line the other side, and there are loose tables and chairs placed all around, though many times they find themselves pushed back for more space within the center of the saloon. A few speakers are placed at strategic places and around a raised stage to the far corner from the bar. Above the counter, an obviously well-used bar is hung; it is this that the girls working will use should there be dancing, which is one reason many patrons choose to come aside from the drinks. Across the bar and near the back, there is a door that leads to the owner's office and just inside a stairwell that leads a apartment on the floor above the bar.


Old Lucy's has been hopping, the regular crowd and then the peepers. The dances happening on the hour across the bartop and then quieting all since noon. Isabelle is gone, but the bar's still rocking and channeling her pyrokinetic vibe. Thank to the hair under the hat, sneaking out the back door and sneaking in through the fire escape upstairs, Abigails sneaking in through the back room door. Reporters stupid enough to even think of coming into the bar have been sorely made aware of their unwelcome in the place of business.

The TV on in the corner but volume down, BRenda the redhead is getting her flirt on with yet another male patron, alcohol is flowing over the bar top and keeping all the customers in high spirits.

At one end of the bar is seated Richard Cardinal, who happens to be the patron that's currently flirting with Brenda between sips of bourbon; a smile tugged up at one corner of his mouth, eyes regarding her over the edge of shades pushed somewhat down the bridge of his nose as he hits on her in a playful give-and-take of compliments and teasing. Don't mind him, he's just a semi-regular.

Pizza boys have a special way of avoiding reporters, namely, wearing his oval silver-rimmed glasses, a Superman hoody with a large S on the front, and the blue hood pulled all the way over your head, and carrying four large pizzas so people just get the hell out of your way. Magnes quickly enters the bar from the front, skates across the floor to an empty table, then lays the stack of pizza down. "Free pizza!" he offers, to get the attention on to the pizza and away from him.

Huruma many times comes in the back, however today she files through the front just a few minutes after the bouncer before her has departed, granting reporters a slight minute of reprieve- only to be shunted away once Huruma makes it to the door. She manages to come in moments after Magnes, or else he may have met a swift backhand for his skating through the establishment. Pizza or not.

As soon as the tall woman gets inside, she coasts over towards the bar on tall heels in order to clock in, her eyes grazing over the current set of patrons.

Aha, Huruma. "Huruma" Not that the woman couldn't feel ABigial brand of emotions. Nuntm. Cardinal is spotted too but from under the military style hat peers Abigails blue eyes. "Reporters in here?" Pizza! oh sweet jesus, it's magnes and with something not home cooked.

Brenda still leaning over the counter as best she can, show off her assets as she bats her brown eyes and gives a shimmy. "So thats what you do for aliving huh. Busy tonight tiger?"

Hey, it's true, technically. Cardinal's work can certainly be called 'Acquisitions' if one were being charitable. One arm rests on the bar's edge as he leans forward just a bit, appreciating those assets with a shameless grin, "Not a thing planned tonight, hot stuff… what about you?" At the shout of pizza, he twists slightly, glancing over. Oh, it's Magnes in… "Jesus," he mutters, "What the hell's the kid wearing?"

Magnes keeps his hoody up, sitting at the bar while he lets people go at the pizza. He looks around, straightening his glasses as he tries to look 'mysterious' in a Superman hoody. It's clear he doesn't want to be recognized, but his cheeks flush the second he spots Abby, and gives her a slight nod.

Lingering behind the bar and dealing with some of the paperwork to do with her payroll(not that she inherently worries about such things), Huruma watches Abigail for a few moments longer, eyes glancing up past the bar down to Cardinal, his brand of voice ringing familiar in her head. So the shadow-man does have a face. She may have seen it long ago, but never after their altercation in the graveyard.

"They are ou'side. I threatened them wit'bodily'arm shoul'they try t'come inside…" The dark woman finally answers Abigail, and it is exactly what the redhead might want to hear.

"Oh bless your soul Huruma" Off comes the hat, the layer clad woman coming fully into the bar. "I can't hide out in chinatown forever or hide in my house" Abigail goe sup on her tippy toes to drop a kiss to Huruma's cheek, the first time she's ever done such, very quickly before she's darting to the bar and the pizza. "They bugging you Magnes?" Fishing a piece of pepperoni from the box and grabbing a bar napkin. "Cardinal, she hits on anything that moves, your not special" Not the cardinal didn't probably already know that. But she shoves Brenda a wink who only laughs back. "Please tell me how the real world is doing?" questioned offered up to eveyone.

"Your point?" Cardinal's lips curve in a grin over in Abigail's direction as she points that out, noting shamelessly, "I mean, I may not be special, but her breasts certainly are." The smile fades a touch as his gaze settles on the dark-skinned woman, chin lifting up in a slight nod, "Huruma."

Magnes awkwardly straightens his glasses at the mention of breasts, but tries to focus on Abby's question instead. "They keep asking me questions about you, so I try to skate away and ditch them. God, the whole world, all the girls on the entire planet, saw me without a shirt…"

Granted, Abby has quite a few inches to go- it is her own luck that Huruma had been putting the sign-in back under the bar and is within easy reach. The face that the older woman makes is somewhere between wariness and mild distaste. Rather like a housecat being smoo-ed on in the middle of its afternoon stroll. Not particularly wanting the affection, but not protesting it either.

Trying to distract herself, Huruma simply lids her eyes over at Cardinal, turning to look down at Magnes. "You will live." She drawls at him, with somewhat of a sigh.

"I have a friend working on it. Maybe it'll abate soon. I promise. Something bigger will come along soon. I wouldn't be surprised if those explosions that happened in the city might not make them back off" Always the optimist, most of the time. The underlying anxiety is at a low today, Abby running on neutral today. "Your forgetting about Xiulan" Because in Abby's eyes and heart, you don't screw more than one person. It's just not done" Blue eyes glance towards the door when someone enters, but so far so good, doesn't seem to be anyone with a camera. But she's distracted by something on the TV, the newscaster for Channel 4 followed by… Herself? Neutraliy is replaced by surprise, pizza stuck in her mouth, watching.

"You know, not everyone practices monogamy," Cardinal replies in a wry drawl of voice, before he notices her distraction— and his head lifts to regard the television, a single brow arching upwards. "Hm. Giving interviews now, Abigail?"

Magnes stares up at the television, tilting his head at TV Abby, then looking at the one right in front of him. "You sure are wearing a lot of black. Is this like, um, the red head thing?"

Huruma , naturally, turns her attention when Abby's surprise registers on her emotional scale. Her eyes go up to the screen, followed by a step closer to tap the volume up a couple of notches. And just one more thing- Huruma turns her head to squint down at the redhead, then back to the screen- and then she stands back with a new measure of curiosity. She has obviously noted something, judging by the smug look on her face.

She's watching, just like the others. The black clothes, the hair, the accent even. Everything. Abby bites off the piece of pizza she was eating, other people around the bar looking too, someone cheering. The redhead just swallows. "I.. yup. I gave one" No she didn't. What the hell. Already her mind is trying to figure out how the hell this is happe… oh. wait. Surprise is replaced by annoyance then intrigue. "They didn't like what I was wearing, was all they had in my size" Little white lies. please god don't hit me with lightening. She's making darned sure though to keep her eyes on the TV and not at anyone else. Yup. That's her. How surreal is this… is that what she sounds like. Another bite off hte pizza is chewed and swallowed.

After a few moments of consideration, Cardinal observes casually, "I kind've like it. Red hair, black clothes, not a bad look on you, Abigail…" Then his gaze falls from the monitor to her, head canting to one side as he tries to figure out her nonverbal reaction. It's a rather interesting one, after all.

"Hey, Abby's not a bad girl, she doesn't need black." Magnes defends, pulling his hood down once he's a bit more comfortable that no one's going to make fun of his previous public toplessess. "Stupid news people. And hey, isn't that like, live? They really need to add that 'previously recorded' thing."

Not only does the screen labels put Abigail in two places at once, there is just one more thing. As Huruma glances to the girl next, the hand closest to her lifts up, fingers trailing over to try and pick up the chain attached to Abigail's golden cross, knuckles likely to brush into her neck. Provided Abby doesn't shy away, Huruma holds the charm between her forefingers, eyes down on the young woman's face.

"Not live" That's her story and she's sticking to it. Even as Huruma's plucking gently at the little gold cross so conspicuously absent on the screen. "It's .. inside my shirt" Lie. Huruma can sense that. Lets add another mark to Abigail. She's clued in, somewhat, what could possibly be happening, but she's not about to say it outloud. Another bite of pizza. if she keeps her mouth full she can't tell bad lies.

"Mm." Cardinal turns his head a bit — ah, his flirting partner's moved on — and then he pushes to his feet, stepping over to wrangle himself a slice of pizza while it lasts, nothing more to add for the moment at least.

"I still think the black is bad for you, but I can live with it." Magnes says with a shrug, not bothering to get any pizza himself, he looks behind the bar. "This place have anything non-alcoholic?"

Oh, Abigail. Why are you lying so much in so little time? Huruma has no inkling to find out, assuming it to simply be the hazards of being famous. As for Magnes- though Huruma does not deal with the drinks herself, she is able to rattle off alternatives out of habit. "Soda, juice, water." Need something to mix drinks with, after all.

Brenda's back, blocking Cardinal's hand, to get a piece of pizza herself and offer to feed it to him, seems she's on her break as some other bartender shifts in to take her place. "Huruma's listed them all. I think we even have some milk somewhere…" Because that "abigail" up there on screen is likely, in her mind, none other than Sylar, and she hasn't a clue as to why he's doing it. Maybe it's part of Cat's plan?

"Hey, Magnes, you talked to the person about the thing yet?" Yes, that's vague. It's probably a not-so-subtle hint to keep it so. Cardinal looks up as his hand's blocked, and he laughs, reaching out to try and lure the bartendress fatale into his lap even as he takes a bite of the pizza. Ah, life is good.

"Aren't Shirley Temples non-alcoholic? Or maybe it's Virgin Maries…" Magnes clearly doesn't know his drinks, but wants to try something new. Cardinal's vague question catches his attention, and he gets offered a vague answer, "Their sibling said they're indisposed right now, but will tell them as soon as possible."

talking in riddle. Cardinal and Magnes. Abigail takes a second slice of pizza, smushing the hat back on her head. Live. God. Can't even give her a heads up. So she could have stayed home. Idly the young woman checks her cell phone, looking to see if she's got a message but she doesn't. "I'm going to try and sneak back home you two. Magnes, it'll be over soon, or a lot less. I promise you okay" Brenda gets a glance from Abigail as the woman parks herself firmly in Cardinal's lap, ignoring the secret banter back and forth between the men, and feeding Cardinal. "Huruma, can I see you in the back?"

"Ah, alright." It's an easy allowance, perhaps because Cardinal is entirely distracted. Hey, who wouldn't be with that perched in their lap? An arm around her waist, his voice drops to a more private level as he returns to hardcore flirting.

Hey, some days you plot criminal activities, inter-factional politics and how to save the world.

Some days you get off. No, not that — well, maybe, if he plays his cards right.

"Hey, Abby, I could take you home, you know, the fast way…" Magnes offers, since that's how he aviods reporters, but doesn't push the issue if she rejects it. He's content with sitting in the nice, safe, bar.

Huruma cranes her neck just enough to follow Abby's movements, blinking slowly at the beckoning. "Mmmmm? Of course…" At that, the woman even sidles closer to the door leading back, arm unfolding to even open it for them both.

" I'll make it back fine Magnes. I can't even access the roof so. But thanks. Make sure someone pays you for the pizza okay?" There's a wave of her hand to Cardinal before the healer ducks into the back room, heading for her locker to switch out some things in her locker with stuff in her bag. It isn't until the door is closed that Abigail looks over. "That.. was not me"

Huruma stands like a pillar in front of the closed door, just a shade darker than the wood. "I know." Pipes out when Abby addresses her, and the woman seems hesitant to glide further into the room. "So…tha'begs th'question- who was it?"

"I think…" Because really who else can it be? She's here, not there, so it can't be that one .. body jumper?

"Sylar"

Abigail doens't seem too happy about that. Because if he's doing it now, will he do it in the future? What if he comes and takes her ability. Won't that be scary. He could imitate her near perfectly. "How'd you know. Wihtout being able to feel what I was feeling"

"The 'live' broadcast, f'one." Sylar? The one that wanted Adam, those months ago. The exploding man? There are holes in what Huruma knows, the narrowing of her eyes giving that fact away. "You said it was under your shirt. I've not seen you cove'it up once. Ever." Her fingers trace along her own collarbone, where a pendant might be were she wearing one.

"Sometimes I do, but usually it's because it's slipped beneath a shirt. The chain is long enough it doesn't happen very often" In situations where she doesn't want to be marked as Abigail. "I own also maybe.. two pieces of clothing that are black and I … would not be going onto a newscast. I don't want to do anything of that sort" Abigail closes her locker. "And he just might have saved me from doing that"

"If you will b'left alone, why d'you worry?" Sure, he mimicked you, but he also did you a huge favor. Huruma's breath leaves through her nose in a sigh. "What is done is done."

"Because he has my face now, and there's an unfinished promise between us. Because now, this either wipes the debts between us or it puts me in his favor, I don't really know" But she' right. He just did her a big favor. "It's just.. it's strange is all. How many people are going to think that that is really me. if I hadn't been here, would you have thought that was me and believed it?"

Huruma curves her neck to the side, eyes crawling the length of the wall in thought. "Per'aps. Though I suspect I would'ave found out eventually, mm?" Of course she would. "Would it do much'arm t'let everyone just think it was you? Strange or not…" A flickering smile grows. "Could b'worse."

"Could be worse" Messenger bag secured, hat taken off and hair twisted and tucked under, Abby adjusts all her layers. "Okay, i'll call when I get home. Let you guys know i'm safe. Take care and thanks, for keeping the reporters out. It helps to get out a little bit" The healer starts her shuffle towards the door that leads up to izzy's flat above the bar.


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