Participants:
| Scene Title | Claim It's Typhoid |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | A coughing Anders finds no compassion in a certain fugitive Evolved teen. |
| Date | March 18, 2010 |
The low brickwork walls flanking the entrance to this subdivision pronounce it to be 'S MMER ME DOWS', black metal letters pitted by age and each tilted slightly askew by decades of weather and neglect. The rest of the subdivision echoes this theme — pavement cracked, its lines worn and faded nearly into obscurity; small lawns littered with autumn leaves and dying grass, shrubbery poorly pruned or not trimmed back at all, such flowers as there are in most cases long since grown wild. The buildings are a mix of townhouses, duplexes, and quartered apartments, most of them with paint peeling at the edges, a few boarded over and sporting jagged holes where the windows weren't quite protected enough. Feral dogs slink at the back of the streets; their feline counterparts are less commonly seen, usually visible as no more than a streak of motion disappearing into the bushes or someone's cracked-open garage door. This isn't a neighborhood where people are seen lounging on their porches as the sun sinks low in the sky; to stay out as darkness gathers is to risk unwanted attention, and the consequences thereof.
It's evening, and down past freezing. Luke is currently trudging through Summer Meadows towards the butcher shop, looking strangely comfortable despite the cold weather. He looks around almost furtively, quick glances in an attempt not to be conspicuously suspicious, and pauses just outside the door, shoving his hands in his pockets and frowning.
Out of nowhere, from behind him, comes a coughing, and then a familiar, if raspy, voice. "Dude," Anders calls, his own hands shoved in his worn leather jacket, a tuque on his head to keep it warm in the ridiculously cold mid-March night. "It's good to see you — I wasn't sure what happened to you after that party-turn-riot, man! They didn't arrest you or anything, did they? You doing all right?"
Anders looks like hell — bloodshot, watering eyes and flushed cheeks. He's either been crying or he's caught a cold. Or something. "I took off with those two girls, the tall brunette and the cute little blond. But I was worried about you, kid."
Luke jumps when someone appears from behind him— oh it's THAT guy. Luke steps away once his condition becomes apparent, and he lifts his hands in an almost… defensive position? Maybe? "Eh, they tried chasing me but I got away, easy. I left with Melissa." he smirks. "Didja see that weapon they were using on people get destroyed?"
"Yeah, what was that thing? That was fucking awesome!" Anders says, eyes lighting up despite the fact that he looks like a case for the CDC. "Glad you got away. Wait. You left with Melissa? Did you hit that?" Is there envy in his voice? He looks impressed, not angry at least. It's not like he had a chance. "Gloomy Gus and Melancholy — who woulda thunk it!"
"Wouldn't you like to know." sneer. Luke's not entirely brave enough to say 'yes' and risk Melissa's wrath if she ever found out, so he'll keep it ambiguous. "I don't know what that thing was, but it got melted, did you see that? Cool, huh?"
"Yeah, it was cool. I wish I could do something like that, man. All I can do is like, disappear and shit, but even that… not so good right now," the older man says morosely. "Can't rely on it. But man, my boss? He doesn't know I'm evo and he won't give me time off work, and I got bills, you know? Not sure what to do." He sighs, turning away to cough into his arm, making sure to angle away from Luke.
Luke drops one hand, smirking in satisfaction at hearing the praise, but eyes Anders strangely. "How would knowing your evo get you time off work?" he asks, confused. "Wait, disappear? How?" Luke looks interested despite himself.
Anders smirks. "Disappear." He closes his eyes, furrowing his brow as if concentrating — he begins to fade, until he is transparent, but not quite invisible. But then he exhales as if someone punched him in the stomach and shakes his head. "I can't do it right now. It's been a bit shaky lately, dude. Sucks. And they say some people are losing them totally… That'd suck. I hate being evo sometimes but I like the ability, you know what I mean?" He brings a scarf up and wraps it around his mouth as if he just realized he might be breathing out germs. "You're not evo, though? I thought maybe. Meadows here is 'evo central' I guess. My boss — if I tell him I'm sick with this, he might fire me, and I need that job. If it was just any flu… he probably wouldn't think it was that big a deal and tell me to suck it up."
"Yeah, I am, but mine is lame. I can't even show it to other people." fortunately for Luke, he's good at lying. When Anders mentions he's sick with that, he takes a step or two away from him, keeping a hand up to ward him away. "Huh, stupid losers. Scared of anyone better than them."
"Well, there's lots of cool ones you can't show… I mean, one of those girls, she has a mind like a trap. Doesn't show, but she is pretty damn smart. Hot, too." Anders says with a grin, then turning his back to Luke to cough some more, doubling over as he gasps for breath. "Oh, shit, man…" he moans, coughing again, and then spitting into the snow — against the stark white, it's not hard to see the sputum is red. "I might have to call in…" Anders adds, laughing a little weakly before going to one knee in what appears to be a half-swoon.
Luke takes another step back. "Dude, just do that when you go in to work and claim it's typhoid or something." gross. "Go away, you're certainly not making matters better by being outside."
"Compassionate, man, real compassionate. I was on my way to work, but yeah, I need to call in," the kneeling man says. "Where you off to anyway? Don't worry, I won't breathe on you," he says with some irritation. "Getting dinner? Steak tartare?" He stands, wiping his mouth and nodding to the butcher shop.
"I was going to see if they had an octopus. Those things are delicious." Luke replies, tone heavy with sarcasm and he rolls his eyes. "None of your business."
"All right, bro. Take it easy," Anders says, his own hands coming up as if to ward off the other man's rage. "I getcha. Going now. See ya. Unless I die or something, and then you will feel like shit for being a hater." He starts to stride off in the other direction.
"Or, y'know, not care." Luke retorts as the other guy walks off, and Luke snorts again and goes into the butcher shop. Hey, he could be going to get some meat, what's so strange about that?
After Luke heads into the butcher shop, Anders fades from view, coughing a bit and shaking his head. Kids today. Don't they teach them any manners anymore? He watches from his invisible post for a few minutes before making his way toward the QuickStop for the night shift.