Terrorism And Flowers Rarely Go Together

Participants:

edgar_icon.gif melissa4_icon.gif

Scene Title Terrorism and Flowers Rarely Go Together
Synopsis A phone call leads to flowers for Melissa, and a new family for Edgar.
Date September 10, 2010

Little Green House


Edgar received a phone call the night before from Melissa, just asking him to come by sometime today. It was a short phone call, just the request and her address, but it had all the necessary information. And when today rolled around, it actually found Melissa awake before noon. Who knew it was possible without the threat of death looming?

She's dressed in jeans and a tee-shirt, both black of course, but is barefoot and just relaxing today. Everyone needs a relaxing Friday from time to time. She's curled up on the couch watching a movie, while her dog, Jerry, plays in the back yard, digging holes that Mel will curse before filling in. Blame the OCD.

Unlike Melissa, Edgar's been awake since before dawn. Finding a place to sleep at night without getting caught sort of necessitates it and the phone call after curfew almost lost him the place he'd scavenged. To be completely honest, her voice took him by surprise. He hadn't expected to hear anything about the job for a while, at least the picnic. Then his mind started to work, man is man, and it started working in one direction.

Actually taking the time for a shower and changing his clothes into a more… curious… attire, his smile in the mirror shows him quite pleased. His clothing is a black t-shirt with some sort of design on it meant to attract a teenager. It was easy to grab, which is why it's on the carnie. His pants are navy blue, pin-stripe, and made of polyester. His boots are the same brown workboots that he always wears and over all of it, he's wearing a three quarter length fitted wool coat. All he's missing is the top hat and he'd look perfect for a hobo party.

After a thorough examination of his looks, he set off for her place. It never takes him long and just before noon finds Edgar at the front door of a little green house. In his right hand he carries a bunch of wild flowers, it's only polite after all. A gift to his hostess and who knows, it could be a date… It doesn't even occur to Edgar that the reason his mind wandered that way is because she reminds him a little of the woman who stole his heart so very long ago.

While Melissa has spent a good bit of time thinking about this meeting as well, her thoughts have gone in a totally different direction. Which is probably why she's barefoot and just hanging out. The knock on the door has her glancing over and rising to her feet to pad over thataway. A friendly smile is on her face as she opens the door, then she just…stares. She manages to break that stare after only just a few seconds, and drag her gaze up from his clothes to his face.

"Hey Edgar. Find the place okay?" she asks, stepping back so he can come inside. It seems as though his clothing has sufficiently distracted her enough that she didn't notice the flowers. "And c'mon in. Make yourself at home."

Edgar follows Melissa's eyes down to his outfit and he looks back up after a few seconds to meet her eyes. There's a rather pleased look on his face, "Pretty fancy, eh?" His smooth voice and English accent just completes the picture of a ringmaster. "Oh… I brough' you these… I didn' know if yeh liked.. Well.." He takes a deep breath inward and just holds the bunch of flowers out with a straight arm.

There couldn't be a more perfect bunch of flowers for the occasion. Perhaps they were pretty at one time, when they were in the ground, but picking posies at top speed doesn't do much for presentation. Some of the petals are missing on some flowers. Others have broken stems which causes them to bend and fall over his large hand. Finally, when he holds them out, some of the dirt still clinging to the roots of others falls on Melissa's clean floor. "I 'ope you like 'em.. Flowers tha' is. Ne'er met a lady tha' don't."

Lips twitch as Melissa takes the flowers. "Very fancy. And of course I like flowers. Thanks." She nods towards the couch. "Just have a seat while I go get something to put these in. Want anything to drink?" she asks as she heads off towards the kitchen to retrieve a vase.

Stepping gingerly into the home, the usual clomp of his boot is practically silent. He stands uneasily just under the threshold before leaning in a little further to take a careful glance around. Where he would usually speed through for a cursory look, he's trying to be a little more polite. "Uhm.. Yeah, if you don' mind. Water'll do."

Edgar doesn't know too many people that live in/own/rent houses. He comes from a place of trailers and tents, which suits him fine. A man who runs with a mobile family, it fits. The sofa is eyed carefully before he sort of slides over the arm and sits down in it. Bouncing a couple of times, he tests the softness of the cushions as though he's in a store and thinking of a purchase.

"Just water? You sure? I've got soda and sweet tea and beer," Melissa calls out as she grabs a vase from one of the cabinets and fills it with water before sticking the flowers in it. "And glad you came by. Wanted to talk to you about something before the barbeque on Monday. Lots of people around, yanno? Makes it hard to really talk about anything without it being a group conversation."

"Li'l too early in the day fer me teh be drinkin' bu' thank you for the offer though. Water'll do fine." Edgar is still seated on the sofa and gazing around the room. His sharp azure eyes pick out a few details, a stray hair of dog here and there, a stain on one of the chairs, a fingerprint on the screen of the television. "Abou' the job?" His voice, though curious, has a distracted quality to it. He doesn't even seem to notice the switch in conversation when he asks, "You go' a few livin' 'ere then?"

A bottle of water is taken from the fridge and Melissa brings it out, offering it to him before she sits down. "Nah, not about the job. You've got that. I'm looking forward to seeing you in action, actually," she says, smiling reassuringly. "And yeah, got a few people. Could say that this is like a long term bed and breakfast or something. Started off with just me and…one other, and I started collecting people here and there. Almost full up now, just got the attic left. Thinking of adding on to the house because of it, actually."

She studies his face for a long moment before she shakes her head. "But no, the job isn't what I wanted to talk to you about. Actually had a bit more serious topic in mind." She reaches out and, if he allows, lightly touches his Moab scar. "Was more about this. I know you said you weren't exactly a legal citizen, but I was curious about how you felt about things, after having been in that place." With the last word is a tone of digust. Clearly she isn't fond of any memories of that place.

Edgar's just twisted the cap off the bottle of water when Melissa reaches out to touch his scar. At first he flinches a little, like the touch burned or hurt in some way. After that brief moment though, he relaxes and a grimace touches his lips. "Felt abou' other things? You mean Moab an' DHS?" The words are practically spit from his lips like venom or some bitter poison.

"I sho' one'v'em when I lef' Florida. Smashed another one'a thems heads into the floor. If they find me, an' I know they're lookin', they'll pu' me back in there or a place like i'." His eyes narrow a little as his brow comes down, giving him a rather dangerous countenance. "An' I'll kill as many as I can before tha' 'appens again."

Melissa relaxes at his answer, rather than seeming worried about that dangerous look. "I was hoping you'd say that. I feel the same way. All this shit just because we happen to have a funky gene that gives us a super power," she says, shaking her head. "I swear this government has one hell of a god complex. And to think people originally came to this country for freedom," she says, sounding disgusted.

"How intent are you on doing something about it though? You like the single vigilante life? Or do you support those people I've seen in the news lately? That Messiah group?" she asks, leaning back and drawing one leg up beneath her, making it easier to face him directly.

Melissa's questions have Edgar frowning a little and he looks away from her. There's a pang of guilt and pain that's clearly visible in his expression that clears before he turns back to face her. "I use'teh be a member of a carnival, a fam'ly. I ain't been this alone my entire life an' I ain't ashamed teh say I don' like i'."

There's a shrug of his thick shoulders as he begins to answer her next line of questioning. "I don' much pay attention to politics an' the news. 'Til Moab, I didn' care abou' the outside world at all. All tha' ever mattered was me fam'ly. If Messiah is workin' agains' the people who stole everythin' away from me, then they've go' my support." Whether it's simply words or actual action that would carry through, Edgar's never done much to stick his neck out since the mass release from the prison.

A small, sad smile curves Melissa's lips and she nods. "Yeah, being alone sucks a big one," she agrees. "Would you like to be a part of a family again? Not the one you knew, but another one? One that does its best to kick the government where it hurts? It involves violence against Homeland Security agents, occasional beach parties and a place to hide out if you ever need it." Because really, who can dress like that and have a regular place to stay?

"And I can personally vouch for all of those. It's good people, doing good work." Okay, so that good work involves explosions and murder, but the end justifies the means, right?

"Are you askin' me teh join Messiah, Melissa? Are you a part of 'em?" Something in the way he asks and the narrow eyed expression on his face hints that he doesn't quite believe it. After all, someone as dainty as the woman across from him doesn't look like she's got enough mass to her to hurt a fly. Then again, if she was incarcerated in Moab, she'd have to be dangerous in some respect.

His gaze lingers on her for a long while as he contemplates the matter. Without visibly moving, he's suddenly looking out the window and raising himself from the couch an inch or two. The bright expression on his features holds a bit of hope that she's never seen before but then it falls away. He sits himself back down and frowns deeply, his eyes have a hardness and his jaw is tense. "Yeah, I'd like to do i'. I want to stop i' all. Even if i' kills me."

That disbelief has Melissa laughing softly. "Yeah, I am. Should I show you my scars to prove it?" Though only one of them was actually received on Messiah business. Then she sobers and nods. "Well, we do our best to cover each other's backs so we don't die on the job. It pisses me off when we lose someone. Anyone. I'd even protect the biggest jackass of the group."

Hesitantly Mel lifts a hand to settle it on Edgar's shoulder lightly. "I understand, Edgar. I do. Moab and the government cost me a lot too. We may not be able to bring back the things either of us have lost, but we can make them pay. We can keep others from losing as we have. We can keep the people we care about safe," she says softly.

Melissa's hand slides off his shoulder as Edgar stands from his seat and zips to the other side of the room. With the dark blur and the rush of wind in his wake, it shouldn't be a mystery to her anymore what his ability is. He's looking out the window, peering at something quite intently down the road but his attention is turned to Melissa for a brief enough moment that he nods.

"I'll do i', I'll join up if yer askin'." Finally, he tears his eyes off the outside world and lowers his chin to look back at her. "If only to stop some'un else from losin' wha' they 'as."

"I am. And I'm glad you're joining. If only so you can stop being alone. No one should be alone because of the government," Melissa says quietly. "You'll get to meet a few other members at the barbeque actually, if not before that. And you'll get a special phone that'll let you contact any other Messiah member on a secure line."

There's a long pause before she hesitantly asks, "Edgar? Do you have a place to stay right now?"

The question catches Edgar by surprise and his left eye twitches just a little at it. "I go' a few places, but I ain't rentin' if tha's what'cher askin'." His suspicious nature takes over and his eyes narrow, causing the little wrinkles at the corners be more pronounced.

Suspicion. How cute! Melissa smiles and shrugs. "Just asking if you had a regular place to sleep. You know, keep your stuff, sleep without fear of being found…" Regular access to a shower… "That sort of thing. Because I do have that room in the attic, and you'd be around other Messiah people."


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