Fresh Off The Boat

Participants:

sw_dirk_icon.gif sahara_icon.gif

Scene Title Fresh Off The Boat
Synopsis After successfully evading … himself, Dirk-in-Isis navigates conversation with Sahara and learns a little more about 'Jo'. He's not impressed.
Date February 22, 2019

Rose and Trellis


Sahara looks over her shoulder for the umpteenth time to make sure that creep isn't following, and tugs on Isis's arm to pull her into the front entryway for a flowershop long closed for the day. She would normally find the visions of terracotta and flowers enticing and file away plans to return another day, but she's more concerned about the woman before her at the moment.

"Jo, I am so. sorry." She does feel responsible, because it had been her idea to go to the Nite Owl. In retrospect, she should have invited 'Joanne' over directly. It would have avoided distractions, and apparently also have avoided slice bullshit.

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you? What even happened?" Her usual honeyed tones are strained with concern, looking the other woman over for signs of harm.

Shit

Dirk sucks in a breath as he's grabbed and pulled into the nook. "I—" still not his voice, so he clears his throat and tries to be as sweet as pie. In his real form it usually comes off as sarcastic but he's not sure how Not-Hot-Yoga will react. "I don't know, he touched my arm and I just felt so sick all of a sudden."

Ducking his head out of the entrance, he checks to see if they were followed. As much as he loves himself, he hasn't had a full test drive yet. If he's going to be taken out by someone like this, he's going to take advantage. "Do you think he can make people sick or something?" Dirk lowers his voice just a touch, to a loud whisper. "I heard there are people that can do things like that."

"Yes. Freaks can do things like that." Sahara states with some distress. Isis felt sick?!

"As far as I've heard it, there's a mutant for just about everything you could think of. There was that story in the paper about that boy who radiated viruses from him… ugh, what if he's like that but he does it by touching people? How do they let people like that even walk around? And to think, that slimy son of a biscuit was in my studio." She's shaking her head, looking about ready to start making the sign of the cross to coat herself in protection against the scourge of Dirk. "Lord, I'll have to go back and sanitize everything again just for peace of mind."

"If you feel ill, we should get you to the nearest hospital to make sure you're safe." she insists, and then carries on with a touch of vitriol, "And report him for causing that on you. I knew he was shameless, but never did I expect that to carry as far as being some careless slice menace!" As far as Sahara's concerned, SESA is there to stand in the way of the Evolved bringing harm on ordinary folk, not the other way around.

Now that's a reaction that Dirk didn't expect. Eyes wide and innocent, he places a hand to his chest and shakes his head just a touch in disagreement. "I don't want to cause any trouble. I mean, I'm fine now." Still, he's giving Sahara the side eye. Freaks? Really? Who even does that anymore. He might be old but at least he's with the times. "I'm sure he didn't mean anything, he looked just as surprised as I was."

Reaching into his pocket, Dirk flips through his wallet for a few dollars and a cursory check of what's there. A small bundle of bills, driver's license, a well worn letter… not much else. This poor girl could be a street walker for all he knows. With a tsk and a shake of his head he lifts his gaze back to Sahara. "We didn't pay the check," he sighs, deflecting from the real problem at hand. "We'll have to go back tomorrow or something and settle up."

Sahara's shoulders level and lower at the glance from Isis, her attitude quickly chastening. Had she said all that out loud? She had gotten a little carried away, perhaps. Nonetheless, she remains insistent. "You feel fine now, but what if something long-term comes from that little brush? Promise me you'll go get looked at, Jo." She can't force the other woman to go, but she'll worry and check up on her.

And as for the unpaid coffee, she waves a hand. "I'll apologize for the trouble the next time I stop by. The cost of two cups of coffee won't put anyone out of business, and it'll all be made right soon." Looking down at her bag for a moment to adjust the folder sticking from it, Sahara pulls it free and offers it out to the other woman.

"Make sure you take this with you. Based on what you told me, I looked up all kinds of jobs around town. There's caretaker positions at different daycares, school assistant jobs it didn't look like you'd need a degree for… failing that, I slid in some other office assistant postings I saw, too." A wry tug at the corner of her mouth is visible before she adds, "And as an absolute backup, I did make a shortlist of the most popular bars around the Safe Zone. That Cat's Cradle place is close by where I live, and it's … lively."

Even if she didn't think much of what she'd heard of its owner, she couldn't deny it was a place that got its fair share of traffic.

Dirk wrinkles his nose at the list, no job? What the heck kind of voodoo trick is being played on him? Not registered, no job, and fresh off the boat; this woman, whoever she is, is in dire need of some help in the life skills category. "Thanks,” he says, still a bit jarred to hear his voice coming out as a woman. “I’ll have to start looking through these tomorrow.” Kids? No thanks, there’s only one that he can stand.

His eyebrows perk at some of the office assistant postings. If he were himself, he could get any of these with only a call to the right person. His eyes squint just a little, trying to pinpoint the locations of one of them in his mind and then he flashes Sahara the biggest smile. “I think I found the one I want most,” he’d risk a hug but it’s already cold outside and as much as he’s fantasized about moments like these, it’s best not to ruin a good thing before he’s milked it dry.

Sahara looks relieved that at least one of the job opportunities she'd found seemed promising to Iris. "You call me if there's anything you need. I'll be a reference if you need one. Couldn't hurt to have an in-town name on your list." She smiles just was warmly in return. Her worry is mostly gone as she asks, "You think you'll be all right to head home, or do you need some company?"

Either way, she wasn't fixing to stand out in this cold much longer. It might have gotten to be more normal temperatures the last few days, but New York winter are something she figures she'll never get used to.

“Yeah, I think I’ll be good. I just have to get my bearings,” Dirk’s smile doesn’t wane, even in the face of a possible night out in the cold. “New York City is so big, you know?” The he turns, digging through his pockets in the most nonchalant fashion he can muster to find a hotel key or house key.

If all else fails, there’s the giant wad of cash in the wallet. And, he does know where he can get more.


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