Post Office And Television

Participants:

brian_icon.gif graeme_icon.gif

Scene Title Post Office And Television
Synopsis Lunch, and discussion of Graeme's less favourite topics.
Date February 20, 2011

Springtime Sushi


"Did you know, that in Thailand a few years ago, when terrorism was real rampant in the south. People were so scared of being victims of bomb attacks that restaurants started losing a lot of money. They found out that families were opening their homes up as places to pay to get food. Less likely to get bombed since it is so much less in the public eye. So it kind of turned out like these families were like drug dealers. You had to know someone to eat there. Except. It was food. Not meth."

Brian's chopsticks close around a piece of the Nuclear Roll a specialty sushi roll developed by SPRINGTIME SUSHI. The piece is dropped back down onto the small plate. It is soon quietly stabbed with one stick and dragged unceremoniously around the plate. Through soy sauce and wasabi before brought up to his mouth. Taking a bite, he takes a deep breath, eyes closing and starting to water. His hands gripping hard around the chopsticks.

"You really load up the wasabi it takes you for a ride." Brian murmurs, letting out a light breath. "Did you know, that in the majority of most sushi bars in America they don't give you real wasabi? It's a imitation paste." Swallowing the chopsticks are set down and the glass of water is picked up. Pouring some ice into his mouth he takes a deep breath peering down at his wasabi. "Real stuff is much more potent, I've heard."

Glancing across the small table at Graeme, Brian sets his chopsticks down. "I'm guessing you don't go to the post office much, or watch a whole lot of TV, do you?"

Graeme opted not for sushi, but for some noodle dish with salmon skin, which he has been slowly but surely eating. And a side, and a soup that is long gone. The man curtails his usual appetite for food when he's out and about, but. The man has let Brian do much of the talking, at least so far, but his own chopsticks are carefully set down as he considers.

"Just half a second." Graeme grins, though the look on his face is more confused than anything else. "Just what does going to the post office have to do with watching television?" His head tilts to one side as he poses the question to Brian. "But no, not either. Technically, as far as the post office cares, I still live in New Mexico. And there are more interesting things than television in this world." Though he has left the skateboard behind, today, for meeting for lunch, and is dressed casually but formally.

"Oh I'm glad you asked Graeme, let me tell you." Brian sounds delighted, laying his chopsticks down next to his plate. Leaning back in his booth some, he taps his fingers idly on the table. "The post office has Wanted ads posted on the walls. You know.. Suspect individuals. BOLO's. Be on the look-out… for. And the TV also has a list of most wanted individuals." Brian smiles gently. Chopsticks going to grab up another piece.

"If you were familiar with either, you would probably know my face. Because I'm on those lists." Winters explains gently. Picking up his glass, the water is tilted back into his mouth. Eyeing Graeme for a reaction, he tilts his head to the side. "I divulge this information because I sense you might be sympathetic. Someone who calls a thieves parents rather than the cops… You seem like you might have your heart in the right place. Believe in what is right." He leans back against the booth again.

There's no visible reaction from Graeme, merely thoughtful consideration, a long moment of consideration punctuated by Graeme taking another bite of his food, and a disappointed look down at the plate that there's less food left than he'd like to be. "Ah."

There's a particularly long pause. "But yes, pretty much." Graeme speaks, quietly. "I believe that right is something we can try for. Not necessarily something we can all achieve, but it's something we can try for." He eyes Brian, and shrugs.

Brian remains silent, allowing Graeme to absorb all this. "I take care of a group of children who have lost or otherwise been disowned. The government won't take care of them. Or they will but it won't be in that nice way, you know? I take care of them. And they need an education. Of course when you're hiding kids from the government you need to be careful. So if you sign up, I will obviously have to make sure I can trust you. You can say you want nothing now and I will leave you alone, and you will never see me again." Brian goes to take another bite. "If that's the case, you'll have to pay. Because I will run away. But.. Your call Graeme."

Graeme nods. "All kids deserve an education," Graeme says, quietly. "All of them." He considers. "Trust's a tricky thing. I can understand you not giving it too easily. I can, and I do. I suppose you prolly want to know a bit more about the man you're possibly going to trust near vulnerable kids." His fingers tap on the table, and he grins, though there's another frown at the empty plate in front of him. "Damn metabolism," he mutters absently.

"You want some of this?" Brian motions at his Nuclear roll, pushing the plate midway across the table. Putting the chopsticks down, Brian's hands fold over each other on the table. Letting his head dangle on the side he waits quietly. "Yes I would love to know a little about you. If you would be willing to submit yourself to a background check, that I will run, that would be just great."

Graeme smiles sheepishly, carefully picking up a piece of the sushi, dipping it in soysauce before setting it in his mouth. "Thanks." He eats a second piece of the sushi before continuing to answer Brian. "You can run a background check if you want. I work for the public school district, I'm used to them. Annoying, yes, but I can understand." He smiles.

"I've only been back in New York a short while, although I spent the later part of my adolescence in Manhattan." At that, Graeme grimaces, a bit. "I went to college in New Mexico, and taught there after … but." He shrugs. It's a topic he's avoiding, just a little.

"I would like to know your dark secrets obviously. The things you don't want to talk about.. Those are the things I need to talk about. If you're honest with me, I'll feel more at ease with you around my kids." Brian gives a somewhat apologetic smile. "I understand they can be hard things to say, in front of a total stranger. I just want to reassure you, that I wouldn't ask for anything like this if kids lives weren't at stake." Brian gives another smile. "I hope you understand."

Graeme nods. "Dark times, really," Graeme murmurs. He speaks, though. "I'm evo." Not that Graeme expects a particular reaction from the words. "And New Mexico … it isn't the friendliest place. It wasn't terribly friendly even before the bomb. They don't like men like me to begin with, there, and that I'm evo made it a lot worse when all of that came out." He pauses, taking a deep breath. "The climate spread to the school administration, and out of a job, I figured that I ought to get out of there, you know."

"I am as well." Brian states amiably enough. "Replication." A little toss of his hand. "Yes I can be everywhere at once, yes I have died, no I do not know what heaven is like." A little smile curls up. Gesturing his hand towards Graeme. Introduction of abilities are basically greeting etiquette these days.

"Makes sense. I am completely off the record. If you come on board with me, you'll have to follow strict guidelines. You can never be followed, you can never talk about our arrangement, et cetera. And still I will need to vet you for a while." Winters murmurs quietly, cocking his head to the side.

"Physical endurance," Graeme says, with half a chuckle. "Fun except that it gets boring, and I pretty much have to eat half my weight in food a day, most of the time. That, and it's hard to sleep if you're not tired, so with martial law … I end up spending a lot of time needlessly awake, doing little. Thinking about things I prefer not to, sometimes. Students I've lost; people who shouldn't have ever been involved, whether this is a war or not." He sighs, quietly, almost an apology for going on in more detail than he'd meant to. "Of course." There's a bit of a tilt of his head to one side, and he picks up the last piece of sushi from the plate, a bit of a sheepish smile now.

"I have to eat a lot too. Not.. In several bodies. So I'm also awake all the time. In one body or another. And being awake while you dream? It can be very insightful as well as very disturbing. Just in case you were wondering." A little grin is given to the other man. His lips tighten up, giving a little shrug. "I think this is a war." Brian admits sadly, watching his last piece of sushi get engulfed by the other man. Winters places one arm on the table. "So you got family in New York or anything? Why did you come back here?"

The question is given careful consideration. More careful than any of the previous questions. "I've been asking myself that, often enough. I grew up in New York, but that's not a great reason to come back. Not these days," he says. "I had to settle some of my adoptive mother's business affairs … Jessa passed away, a little over a year ago. Stroke. And I can't go back to New Mexico, so I might as well stay here. As good a place as any to find something." Graeme's tone suggests he's not sure what he's looking for. "I've got a half-sister around here, somewhere, barely met her once."

Brian gives a light nod. "I'm sorry." He murmurs quietly. One hand going up, calling over the waitress. "Sorry. Could I get a Lion King, and another Nuclear Roll, please?" He smiles lightly to the waitress before looking back to Graeme. "I love the names at Sushi places. So much better than like juice bars, you know."

"I don't feel like I can ever order at a juice bar without sacrificing my testicles first. The fruity mango-ago-go-go-twirlie-swirlie." He gives a little laugh before bringing his hands up, resting his chin in his palms. "So Physical endurance. You would make a good cop. You never want to do that?"

"Not … not really. I settled into coaching. It was important, you know? Being a positive influence for the kids I worked with, being there. Stuff I'd wanted to do before, it mattered less." Graeme has to grin, and it's clear that Brian's lighthearted comment about the names of things has the man a little more at ease, leaning back slightly in his seat. "More important now than ever. Plus." Graeme gives a little, self-deprecating laugh. "No evo cops in Cibola County. Or most of that geographic area. Prejudices run too deep."

"Makes sense. Not everywhere is as… progressive as New York City. If progressive is the word you want to use." Brian glances to the side. "So most of my kids are evolved, as well. Um.. One little girl I usually use as my background checker is sick right now." He taps the counter, while his eyes go down looking more than a little depressed. "She's a postcog.. so if there's a bad person. She usually knows pretty quick. But unfortunately she can't do that right now." His eyes avert before slowly coming back. "So I'll have to do this the old fashion way."

Graeme nods. He's chewing on his lower lip a little, distracted. "Sorry," comes the apology, after a moment. "Lost in thought a little." He offers Brian a smile. "I worked as a bouncer, through college, but that was before … all of this was public knowledge. What little progressiveness there was soon faded, there. And then, as I said. Teaching was more important."

"Right. Okay." The new plates are delivered and Brian pulls his in front of him happily. Pushing the other plate of sushi in front of Graeme. Chopsticks are picked up anew as Brian goes back to digging in. Looking up at him as he chews, his words come through the mouthfuls. "Our kids are a variety of different ages. From seven to seventeen. Is that okay with you?"

There's a bit of pleased surprise at the plate of sushi that's been pushed in front of him, and a grin. "It is. As I said, my credentials are in high school single-subject for English and as a substitute for grades six through eight, but." The man is thinking, considering as he chews on a piece of sushi. "Oh, it occurs to me. I happen to live with a telepath, and … well, there are very few things I bother to keep from her. But she is trustworthy, and her heart's in the right place."

Brian pauses. Eyes widening some. "And… I suppose she doesn't bother in trying to keep away from your thoughts?" His lips tighten as he glances this way and that. "I guess I haven't really told you anything you could use.. I guess this means I'll have to do a background check on her too." Another bite is taken before his own plate is pushed in front of Graeme some. "I'll be in touch, Graeme. I should go. I'll get the tab, enjoy the rest of your food."

"She doesn't pry," Graeme says, pursing his lips, with a bit of a sigh, and a gesture for Brian to stay a little longer, rather than Graeme have to raise his voice for what he says next. "Amongst other things, her registration is … tentative, and partially …" he doesn't say falsified aloud. It's merely implied.

Hanging back, Brian gives a little nod. "Understood." He murmurs before giving Graeme a polite smile. The table is tapped twice. "Alright well don't worry about it. I have your number, I will give you a call. Have a good day, man." Brian is then getting up and heading over to pay the bill.

Graeme watches Brian go, and with a small, frustrated sigh, turns to finish the food in front of him, after another glance at Brian. As always, he's found himself with far more questions than answers.


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