An APPle a Day Keeps the 5-10 Away

Participants:

delia_icon.gif rue_icon.gif

Scene Title An APPle a Day Keeps the 5-10 Away
Synopsis Need to figure out how to prevent a widespread outbreak of a deadly flu, and coordinate research for a new safehouse? There's an app for that!
Date February 14, 2011

Siann Hall & The Corinthian

The internet is magic.


Technology is a grand thing. When one can't afford to meet in person, there are so many other ways to arrange a meeting. Rue Lancaster, worried she may be coming down with the H5-N10, doesn't dare attempt to come to Delia Ryans' hotel room.

Instead, Rue sits on the edge of her bed with her iPod in front of her, contact information punched in and ready to go. The FaceTime app is placing her call.

The ring is unexpected, certainly the first she's ever gotten on her iPad. Nervously, Delia scans the screen before tentatively reaching one finger to touch on the answer. From the other end of the calls, only the top of her head is in view, a crown of red curls that seem a little dim from lack of light. She hasn't yet opened the curtains.

"H-hello?" The young woman's eyebrows raise as a little more of her comes into view. Only to the middle of her eyes though. She's just trying to see who is on the other end before making a full commitment.

For a moment, Rue thinks she's seeing herself where her conversation partner should be. Her full mop of unruly red girls is in plain view, as her her bright blue eyes and her face in all its freckled glory. "Delia, right? Ryans? I was told I should get in contact with you about… Scouting?" Her own brows come up, questioning if she found the right person. Oh please, oh please say I did.

A stranger saying her name has Delia's head exiting the frame completely in panic. The word scouting however has the younger redhead glancing at the face on the iPad and then finally picking it up to bring herself into full view. "Y-yeah, I— uhm…" A nervous breath outward releases some of the tension and fear from her expression and she takes in a somewhat shaky breath. "I thought someone was going to come by… For breakfast or lunch or something. You know, talk face to face."

A slight smile touches the corner of her lips and she lifts one shoulder in a shrug. "This is good though, it's okay. It'll be fine." Just fine, hopefully.

"Sorry," Rue offers with an apologetic smile to go with it. "There's…" The grimaces, trailing off for a moment as she debates how much to tell the other woman. Eventually, she decides the whole story is the best option.

"There's been an exposure to the H5-N10 back… home." Though she's sitting in her home at Siann Hall, Rue's hoping Delia will understand where she really means. "I didn't dare risk bringing it to your door. Not after what I've heard you've been through already. I hope you understand."

"..oh.." Delia's voice sounds strangled and weak. Her already moon pale face blanches even more as her cornflower eyes drift from the screen and somewhere else in the room. "I thought because it's an island… I was hoping maybe— It's because people keep going back and forth, they'd be safer if no one left or if they kept visitors to the docks." A horrible thing to say, especially in light of her own posh circumstances.

With a shake of her head she presses her lips together firmly in a stern expression before deigning to speak again. "No one should leave, they need to keep it contained. It's cold, that's good… It'll keep fevers broken. But they'll need masks, lots of them, and gloves. Hot water and soap. Are you going back?"

Rue nods her head in response to Delia's advice. Her image shifts as she braces a notepad on her knees to jot down notes. "Yeah, planning on it. I'm visiting my aunt before I go back because I haven't seen her in months. Apart from this call, I've been wearing a mask as much as possible. I…"

Blue eyes lift from their attention to pen to paper, and fix back on the camera so she can seem to look at Delia. "It's really scary there right now. But I'm keen to get back soon. I want to help out. I'm planning on returning with the others after I'm done scouting." Rue sets her notes aside and bites her lopsided lower lip for a moment. "How are things looking on your end?"

"I'll be home sooner than anyone will expect," the words are spoken as though the young woman is making terrific strides toward getting better. "I should have gone back there when I woke up…" These ones are guilty, like the look on her face and the bittersweet smile that wrinkles her nose. "I just thought the stairs…" Shaking her head, she glances away from the screen again to blink rapidly and take a shuddering breath inward.

"Okay, I'm going to call someone and see about getting the things you need to take back, and listen, you can't just wear any mask. The little paper ones aren't going to do anything for you. You need to get ones that say N-95 on them. Those ones are used for TB, if anything can slow down the spread it'll be them." Delia's lips crack a little bit of a wider smile and she pulls a black and white speckled notebook into view. "Alright… I did a bunch of looking, like a whole bunch… I found a few places. I wrote them all down and drew maps in here. Can you stop by if I leave it at the front desk? I'll wrap it up like a present."

Curls go bouncing as the other ginger's head bobs up and down once more. "N-95. Got it. I'll make sure that's what we have on hand." Rue's happy to move on to other business. There's so little they can do about the potential 5-10 outbreak. But this… This they can do.

"Absolutely. I shouldn't have any trouble coming by there. Leave it for Marlene to pick up?" Rue's eyes shut immediately when she realises, "I haven't even said who I am. I just took for granted that you'd be expecting my call. I'm Rue Lancaster. Marlene's my incognito name." Also her middle name, but… "This may sound silly but… You don't happen to have a sister named Lucille, do you?"

"Mine's Robin Bristow, I haven't used it much yet— maybe soon though." The moment she can walk more than thirty feet without collapsing from exhaustion. Delia smiles at the introduction and nods in thanks, "Nice to meet you Rue."

The question about her sister has the redhead's eyebrows twitching together and a slight nod makes its way to the screen before she's even aware that it happened. "Yeah… I— uhm— Yeah I do." There's something of a detached tone to her voice as she confirms the question. "We're not so close."

"Likewise!" A smirk breaks out across Rue's freckled features. "I totally know your sister." She shakes her head. "You're so pretty! Why aren't you a model, too?" A soft laugh accompanies the question. Not the sort that accompanies unkind teasing, but rather what follows a moment of realising just how small the world is.

There's a self conscious pull downward to the younger woman's head as her head angles away, giving something of a sideview to Rue. Delia's lips are pursed in an expression that could be mistaken for annoyed, but it's not. "Too fat," is the answer the model receives, though you wouldn't be able to tell now by looking at her. "Lu's the pretty one, not me."

It seems the subject has put Delia a little bit on edge as she fidgets. She's still dressed in her light cotton pajams and her hair is a rather unruly mess of curls. "I went to college instead…" she explains further, as though she got the brains while Lucille got the beauty. It isn't so, but it gives the younger of the Ryans girls something to hold to.

Her response puts Rue to feeling like she should be on the defensive. What's wrong with not going to college in the face of pursuing one's dreams anyway? "Well, I think you're pretty, too. Luce is conventional. Girls like us are fiery. That's way better than convention." Now it's her turn to fidget, looking a little uncomfortable. "College is good, though." If you're smart or something. Rue doesn't think she is.

The model's reassurance puts a smile on Delia's lips and she ducks her head a little shyly. "Maybe…" It's a small concession, "we'll never know, though. I mean, I couldn't be one now even if I wanted to but it's okay, I won't finish college either so…" A slight titter of a laugh and a small tint of a blush creeps to her features. "Anyway, I'm going to save you to my contacts, okay? I'll give you a call after I make a call or two. I think I might know someone that would help."

Rue brightens when when she realises her compliment's sunk in. Even if neither of them can really pursue modelling careers anymore. Not right now, anyway. The way things are. "That'd be great. It's so nice to finally put a face to the name." Whether she means through the Ferry grapevine, or from Lucille's possible tales of growing up Ryans is up for debate. "As soon as I'm sure I'm not sick, I'll come pay you a visit!"

"Well I might be back home before you know for sure, so I'll just say that I'll see you there?" She is walking, sort of. Placing her hands on either side of her, she shifts in the bed and sits up a little better. The iPad is picked up again and a bright smile delivered to the model on the other end. "I'll have the book at the front desk waiting for you. If you need anything, let me know, I'll try to find some way to get it."

It's odd, seeing the person you're talking to. Like science fiction, in a way. But after a crooked smile and a wave, the young woman presses the end button on the device and lays it to the side. A glance at the clock shows it still early enough to order some breakfast… and if she's trying to gain weight anyway…

"Hello, room service? I was wondering if I could get strawberry crepes to room 504?" Her eyelids slide down a little and she wrinkles her nose in a grimace. "Actually… just toast, if I could. Forget the crepes."


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