Participants:
| Scene Title | Origami and Burglary |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Tony and Melissa discuss the flu and plans on how to fight it. |
| Date | March 29, 2010 |
*cue the music* Everybody who is anybody will soon walk that door. At Slim Mel's Grand Slum Safe Hoouuuuuuse. In this instance, humming something (London Calling?), it's a tall, dark, handsome….. okay, it's Tony, pulling his gloves off.
And Slim Mel is sitting on the couch downstairs, a laptop out and being worked on, while the users scarred brow is furrowed in concentration. A pair of earbuds connect to the computer, and blast music loud enough that it can be heard a few feet away, albeit faintly. It must be deafening to Melissa!
Tony pads closer. Although, frankly, tapdancing closer would work. Or can-can dancing. His presence is announced when a red rose is passed into her line of vision, in front of the laptop screen.
Melissa jerks back and blinks at the appearance of the rose. "Holy shit," she says too loudly, in the way of anyone who's wearing headphones. The earbuds are tugged free of her ears and she looks up at Tony. "You scared the crap out of me." She eyes the rose then. "What is that really?"
Tony laughs, "Oh, you suspicious woman. Why would it be anything else?" The rose shimmers and becomes a little origami crane.
Melissa points at the crane. "That's why. Seriously. What is it really?"
Tony rolls his eyes, "A little bird, made of paper. Geez, woman. What do you think it is?" He seats himself on the table, beside the laptop, "Got a thought."
Melissa laughs. "It could be anything. But what's the thought?" she asks, reaching out to take the crane.
It feels like paper. "Fancy doin' a bit of burglary, honey?"
Melissa pauses and glances up to him, brow arching. "What sort of burglary?" she asks, instantly suspicious. Or rather, more suspicious, since she still doesn't believe the crane is a crane.
Tony says, "Well, I _say_ burglary, but I was thinking a bit of sneak thieving really. Of information. About the virus. I figured me, a telepath, if we can find one, and someone for muscle."
Melissa frowns and goes quiet for a minute. "Why would you need muscle? I mean, you can make any guards or whatever see no one there, right?"
Tony says, "Probably. Unless they've got someone with a clear sight power. Or something. I believe in planning, sometimes. Allowing for…. things not going right. I just have this sneaking suspicion…." He pauses, "Uh… ever had herpes?"
Melissa blinks, then looks offended. "Of course not. Why would you ask that?"
Tony says, "Never had a coldsore? Well, that's good to know." He lets that one hang for a while, and then says, "They advertise cream, right? Which kills the virus?"
"Hell if I know. Like I said, never had it," Melissa says, still looking offended. "And why the hell are you asking me this kinda shit?" she asks, eyes narrowing.
Tony waves a hand, "Right. So. Neither have I, and I ain't a doctor, so I was gonna talk to Abby about this shit, but she was working. Anyway. So… there's this nasty flu shit, knocking our people down. So why is the only shit on offer a vaccine? Ain't there no drugs they could be getting to cure 'em?"
"If you don't have it, then why are you asking me about it? I seriously doubt that herpes is anything like the flu," Melissa says, still eyeing him.
Tony says, "It's what had me thinking. The coldsore cream. I saw this billboard for it, when I was heading up to Canada on my last trip out of town. And thing is, I just don't _know_. But there's also drugs which they use against HIV. Again. Virus. Drugs for it. So… is there shit already out there which we could give folks, cos right now, it just seems a _touch_ too coincidental, you know?"
Melissa shrugs. "Hell if I know. But think about the regular flu. There are vaccines for it, but the only medicine out there is stuff to treat the symptoms, not to kill the virus. If they can't cure the regular flu, why would they be able to cure this flu?"
Tony says, "Aren't, or aren't _worth it_?" He grins faintly, "There's kind of a difference, ain't there? And simple answer is, I don't know. But…. something about this just seems wrong. Is it just the Evolved getting really sick from this?" The grin is still there, but it's a bit forced, "Because to me that says something. And what it says is, 'Weapon'."
Melissa tilts her head. "It certainly could be a weapon. It would be an effective one too, since it's contagious and leaves us powerless and weak. Is that what you're going to look for? Proof that it's a weapon rather than a natural mutation?"
Tony says, "That's part of it." He grunts, "And frankly, some way of doing something about it. Because to be honest, I don't care if it's natural or not, as long as we can treat it."
Melissa glances towards the doorway to the tenement building, and her eyes grow sad. "I wish we could treat it," she murmurs softly.
Tony says, "Don't wish. Do." He reaches over to pat your shoulder gently, "Don't get mad. Get even. Right, Mel? You in for this? I kinda need brains, and your power is… uh… useful too."
Melissa looks back to him, arching a brow. "Gee, stop with the flattery. It's making me blush," she says dryly. "I don't know. Give me a little bit to think about it. I try not to rush into anything."
Tony says, "Well, no rushing possible. I kinda need a telepath, or an emotion manipulator or something. Maybe a cyberpathic, too, cos my illusions don't fool machines too good."
"Only telepath I know currently has the flu, so she's out. Not sure on the empath or any of the rest though," Melissa says, shrugging.
Tony rubs his chin, "Damn. I was hoping you had some candidates. Keep thinking about it. Ask around. Worst comes to the worst, I can go alone, but… well… ain't ideal. Together, we're stronger, right?"
Melissa's brows lift. "Why would you think that? I've only been in the city for like two months. Doesn't mean I've met everyone yet. Hell, I'm still being surprised by new Ferry members."
Tony says, "Well…. you run one of the safe houses?" His hand idly starts drifting from the shoulder. Downwards, as though he'd forgotten about it, and it was falling under gravity. "I figured that might help?"
Melissa shakes her head and reaches up to stop the descent of his hand, moving it to the arm of the couch. "Not really. Mostly what I get in here are the flu victims and a few others."
Tony glances down at the hand contact, and looks all surprised. Hand? What ha… oh. THAT hand? What was that doing there? "Hrm. Right. So, who do I gotta talk to, then?"
Melissa shrugs slowly. "One of the others, I guess. I don't know for sure."
Tony grunts, "Well… like I say… have a think about it. Ask around. I don't want to leave it until I'm the only uninfected guy in the city."
Melissa shakes her head. "You won't be. Some people are avoiding those who are sick, some are getting vaccinated."
Tony says, "You know what I meant. I mean… I guess it's only a matter of time, but still…. I wanna get it dealt with"
Melissa nods. "Yeah, I know. I can't blame you there. I have sick kids upstairs, Tony. One little girl died. She was only three, and has a twin who has now lost her sister and her parents. I want this dealt with too."
Tony says, "Is that biologist… you know… the guy who talked about us years ago still alive?"
Melissa shrugs. "Hell if I know. Something else you could check into, I guess."
Tony makes a little face, "Hey… I'm the artist, not the investigator, you know?"
Melissa smiles a little. "So broaden your horizons, Tony. Everyone needs to be well rounded."
It's too much to resist. Mel suddenly looks more…. rounded
Melissa glances down at herself, then back at him, eyes narrowed. "Drop it."
Tony obliges, and looks hurt, "Hey. It was _funny_!"
"I happen to like my figure just how it is. Do you know how much dancing I gotta do to keep it looking like this?" Melissa mutters. Then the laptop is closed and she rises to her feet. "I gotta go check on the kids and head into work for a bit. But I'll let you know, on the info gathering mission thing, alright?"
Tony says, "Well, I could just make you more rounded… you know… in good places?" He nods, then, seriously, "Thanks. Not too long, eh?"
"I'm fine how I am," Melissa says, smiling. "But yeah, I won't take too long. You take care, hmm?"