ArchivedLogs:Of Your Dreams

Of Your Dreams
Dramatis Personae Flicker, Joshua, Tian-shin
In Absentia	2015-04-07 "Plenty of rabble around here." (Part of Future Past TP.)
Location <NYC> Harbor Commons - Courtyard - Lower East Side
This courtyard is the lush central hub of the surrounding Harbor Commons, bound in on three sides by rows of duplexes and triplexes, cutting upward at the sky with the sharp thrift of a minimalist's style, neat lines and bountiful windows, boldened with accents in wood towards the upper stories, stone towards the base, the whole of the compound sealed in by a low stoneworked wall that opens entrance gates to the streets beyond at its two far corners, smaller gates at building back doors. The fourth side of the courtyard is open to the East River, the ground forming a slight decline, controlled on one side by micro-retaining walls to form wide steps where picnic tables sit beneath the nominative shelter of a trio of dogwood trees, accessible by ramp. The other side is allowed to slope at its natural angle, a wide open yard space, until its cut off at the river's edge, where a massive pair of oak trees stand, a staircase leading away up one of their thick trunks. The yard itself is carpeted in an organic flow of emerald grass swirled through with wending channels of smooth-paved cement walkways, flowing naturally away from the building's front entrances, where some are arced by trellis, some flanked by hosta plants, fern and lilies, a few laid in gentle switch-backing ramps for wheelchair access, before forking off at matching angles to sites of small garden installments. Bird feeders and baths suspended from the necks of small lamp posts, a rock-lined koi pond, a sleek gazebo tucked to one side in simplistic varnished wood, its southern side overgrown with a mass of thriving grapevine and a caged-in barbecue pit under its sheltering roof. A play area and proper garden are within sight off another branch, until finally all paths spiral in like wheel spokes to a shared common house at the center of all traffic flow. Possibly it's going to rain -- eventually -- maybe. But just right now? Maybe not bright, but it's /warm/. Muggy. Still light out, late-afternoon even if the grey sky makes it look later. It's not all that crowded out in the courtyard. There's a pair of people sitting in the gazebo off at the side, but it's quiet other than that -- save for Flicker, draped over the rocks at the side of the pond. He's in khakis, a green-and-white plaid button down, mechanical hand -- his old model, not his new one -- holding a Nook up in good reading position. His flesh hand is dangled down to trail fingers lightly against the water, occasionally brushing aginst a the leaves of a lotus plant floating nearby. Tian-shin lopes into the courtyard on long, languid strides, probably a cool-down from a much more rigorous pace if her breathing gives any indication. She has twisted her black long hair up and slotted the whole neat bundle into the gap on the back of her ballcap--black, also, with a bronze mockingjay emblem embroidered on the front. She wears a short-sleeve cyan t-shirt featuring a cartoon goat (mid-charge, looking absurdly pleased with itself) and knee-length athletic pants, both close-fitting if not tight. Her sneakers look incongruous with the rest of her outfit, all metallic rainbow grandients and neon pink laces. Jogging to a stop, she checks the phone clipped to her belt, taps at it a few times, and walks slowly toward Funhaus. Then stops. Stares at Flicker. Continues toward Funhaus, then turns on her heel and approaches the pond. "Ah, hi," she says, "this may be a really bizarre reason to introduce myself, but I think I've met you. In the future." The color on her cheeks might owe more to her workout than embarrassment. Might. Flicker's eyes open wider, head tipping towards Tian-shin quickly. The smile that flashes across his face is warm, if automatic. A moment later though it shifts into uncertainty. The blush that darkens his cheeks throws the heavy scarring on his face into garish relief. "Oh!" His hand presses the nook hard against his chest as he sits up. "Oh -- yeah, we. Woah. You're -- Tag's. Sister. Right -- hi. There's -- nothing not-bizarre about all of that." Still damp, the other hand circling his chest leaves wet spots dotted against his shirt. "Yes! I live him and Joshua." Tian-shin nods vaguely in the direction of Funhaus. "In the present," she clarifies, smiling dubiously. "So...I'm Tian-shin--though, you already knew that. Nice to meet you." This with a deep bow. "I didn't want to interrupt your reading, but I felt kind of weird not saying hi. Considering...you know." The red on her cheeks flushes darker; not from exercise, clearly. "I'll let you get back to it, if you'd like." "No, no. Not at all." Flicker slides his legs down to set his feet back on the ground. He sets his reader on the stones beside him, and wipes his left hand dry against his pants before extending it out towards Tian-shin for handshake. "I'm Flicker. I don't really know what etiquette is here. I guess we fight together some day. That seems like more than --" His eyes flick down, blush deepening. "A handshake." Tian-shin also wipes her hand on a corner of her shirt before shaking the offered hand, her grip firm and confident. "I'm a little damp," not quite an apology, though she hastily adds, "from running. Which I was doing before now." And /her/ blush also deepens. "Wow. I swear I'm not usually this awkward. Also, if we're blushing /competitively/, I'm only losing due to complexion." Her smile comes more unguarded this time. "Going on that theory, you'll save my life someday--that's /definitely/ more than a handshake." She glances over at Geekhaus. "You live with Dusk and Hive, right?" "It's sort of an awkward situation." Despite the words Flicker's smile has eased. Less uncertain. Back to warm. "And if there was some kind of blushing Olympics I -- probably only wouldn't take gold because Jax and Micah are in my house too? But I'd medal, anyway. It's genetic." His eyes shift over towards his house. One quick nod. "Yeah, that's us. And I don't know, that future? I get the impression life-saving, it's just kind of -- you know, like, a /Tuesday/ by then. -- You didn't move in too long ago, right?" "I wouldn't even /qualify/ for the blushing Olympics. Strictly amateur blushing." Tian-shin snickers, tugging at the bill of her cap as if she would pull it down to cover her face. She does not, though, and her hair would have kept the cap firmly pinned in place anyhow. "You're probably right; I haven't seen a lot of that world, but what I /have/ seen..." She does not bother finishing the sentence, but shakes her head. "Yeah, I moved in...well, a few weeks back. I've been scarce due to work, but am now happily unemployed--I freelance, so work kind of comes in fits and starts. I love it here, though." "I thought amateur was meant to be the point of the Olympics. If we were talking about the NBA, now, that would be another story." Flicker drops his hand back to the water, fingers trailing lightly against its surface again. "I've seen too much of that world. It's not..." He trails off. Flicks a finger absently at the lotus flower. "Happily unemployed. I like that. I /would/ like that. Freelance what?" "Oh! Hm..." Tian-shin tilts her head, brows wrinkling lightly. "That's true. I /might/ not actually know anything about sports." She breaks into a self-conscious grin, briefly augmenting her resemblance to her brother by orders of magnitude. "Lawyer. Also blogger, rabble-rouser, and zombie-slayer, but I only get paid for lawyering--sometimes. I don't always charge." She shrugs. "But in between work-binges, I'm enjoying the novelty of lounging around all day in my pajamas, yelling at people on the Internet, and welcoming The Menfolk home with a nice supper." Her eyes stray to Flicker's prosthetic hand. "So what do you do when you're not rescuing people from killer robots in the grim darkness of the future?" << He's rescuing people from killer humans in the grim darkness of the present. >> Joshua hasn't appeared. But his voice has, drifting dry and amused into the others' minds. "Plenty of rabble around here." Flicker's grin quirks more crookedly. "... plenty who could use lawyering often enough, too. -- Oh, man. Zombie slaying, rabble rousing, internet fights, /and/ supper? Really is practically like --" Despite his sudden and sharp blush, he isn't /actually/ cut off here by bashfulness. Just Joshua's voice intruding into his head. The end of his thought -- << -- you just walked out of a dream. >> gets finished for Joshua's hearing only. Outwardly, his head dips, hand rubbing at the back of his neck. "The present's pretty bright. No robots, anyway. And I'm in school. And a guard down at the Mendel Clinic -- but, mostly, I'm in school." Which puts a strange new smile on his face. Half proud. Half uncertain. "About to be in a lot more school, maybe." "I'm not a very /experienced/ lawyer, but I have a particular focus in genetic discrimination and mutant issues." Tian-shin adds a pair of air-quotes to the last phrase with the index and middle fingers of both hands. "At least when I'm not cranking out legal documents for a paycheck." She goes still for a moment, looking around as if she expects to find Joshua just lurking behind a shrub in the courtyard. << What /is/ the range on your...brain thing, anyway? >> she thinks /firmly/, perhaps uncertain whether Joshua would pick up on it otherwise. "I guess the rescuing mostly comes up at Mendel. Hopefully not so much in school! What are you studying?" "/Practically/ like your dream girl?" This time it's audible and not mental, though just as dry. Now Joshua has appeared, in track pants and plain grey tee and sneakers. Slightly sweat-damp. He's perched on the edge of a picnic table not far off, feet planted on its bench. "You'd be surprised where the rescuing comes up. Aren't you graduating, dude?" "/Definitely/ no shortage of clients around here. Really you could just go to Jax's family and they'll keep you employed a while." Joshua's reply doesn't help with Flicker's blushing. His smile remains just as bright, though. Just as warm. Not much /denying/ Joshua's words, anyway. "Well, bio. But I'm pre-med. And I kind of just heard back --" The elation in this statement is quietly tinged with guilt. "So. A lot more school. Which -- I guess is for its own kind of rescuing. But -- less flashy than -- the sort of thing we got into with Prometheus." Tian-shin had only just recovered her normal skin tone when Joshua's maybe-rhetorical question flushes her face dark again. "Because this conversation wasn't awkward enough, right?" Though the look she shoots Joshua is far more amused than miffed. "I'm kind of getting that impression, yeah. I'm kind of startled there isn't /more/ trouble with the law here..." Her mind sketches a jerkily imagined scene of Tag pinned down by two faceless cops, though outwardly she only bites her lower lip, eyebrows creasing together slightly. This eases as quickly as it came, though. "Congratulations? Maybe a bit early for that, but you look confident!" But then, "Prometheus--oh, you were on that team..." Her eyes grow wide. "That's some serious rescuing." Joshua's hands spread. Innocently. His eyes shift to Flicker next, brows lifting in silent questioning. "Still more trouble than I'd /like/." Flicker looks down to his prosthetic hand. Dips his head in a small nod. "Yeah, I'm on that team. Fast, you know? Helps with the -- rescuing. Are we past tense, now? I'm not quite sure. They still /feel/ like my team. And they say Prometheus is over, but --" Quick-shrug. He's smiling again when he looks up. "No, it's -- thanks. I mean, I got in to -- I guess my top choice. It's a great school. So congratulations are -- well. Thanks." "I didn't mean that...you don't have trouble here, only I kind of imagined..." Tian-shin pauses, searching for the right phrasing. "...there would just be cops here day-in and day out. Tickets flying everywhere, best case scenario." She shakes her head, arms crossed so that only the goat's head remains visible, peeking up enthusiastically over one of her wrists. "No, I guess it's not quite as past tense as all that, even with Prometheus dismantled. And if they continue to detain people indefinitely...well, it little matters what name they don't put on it, then. But...if you got into your top choice--that's wonderful!" A faint twinge of disappointment, not firmly anchored to any thought, there and gone. "What school is it?" Joshua's arms cross, too, at this news. His brows furrow, lips pressing together thinly in an expression that doesn't at all match the genuine warmth present in the tone of his: "Congratulations." "This is private property, though. The mutant powers thing is only for in public -- but they are through here pretty regularly for everyone's unpaid violations. Which is stupid they shouldn't /have/ to send cops to --" Flicker grimaces, shaking his head with a quick motion that suggests this is a well-worn irritation he probably doesn't want to start rehashing. "If they aren't open about who was still in there and exactly when they're getting free -- I guess my team's still going to have a lot of work to do." Which rustles up that stirring of guilt again. Stronger with his answer: "The University of Washington. It's -- it's /really/ good and I," his blush is rising together with the self-conscious knowledge that his tone is already shifting into defensive as he looks at Joshua, /determinedly/ does /not/ look back towards Geekhaus, even more determinedly doesn't reach for the lotus flower he's been toying with: "haven't given them an answer, I just. Haven't /heard/ from Columbia or NYU yet..." "There's a lot they do that they needn't," Tian-shin says evenly, though her mind has spun off into a tangle of legalese and profanities and 'quis custodiet ipsos custodes?' "Yes, you probably will, and...oh. Right." Her dark brown eye skip between the two men. "UW is /kind of/ in Seattle." "It's a little bit in Seattle." Joshua doesn't look towards Geekhaus, either. His head has tipped back up towards the sky, fingers lacing together and tightening there. "Being a doctor /is/ like a kind of rescuing, though. And our team --" His shoulder lifts. "We're not the /only/ ones who need good people." He rises, first standing on the bench then hopping down off it. "Oscorp, apparently." His head tips to Tian-shin. "If," continues, wry, "that's reassuring at all." "I haven't made a decision yet." Flicker's fingers twitch in his lap. Slide out again to drop back to the water, skating against its surface once more. "Huh?" He gives Joshua a confused look at the Oscorp comment. Manages to summon back up half a smile after this, though. "/Existing/. Kind of the baseline. Extraneous NYPD action." "I don't envy you that decision." Tian-shin releases her elbows, shaking her shoulders out. "But, yes, you'd be studying to do a whole lot of people a whole lot of good." She tilts her head at Joshua. "I'm sure they're as keen recruit people and look good doing it as any other megacorp, but I'm guessing you're on about something more specific." "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?" Joshua repeats aloud for Flicker's benefit. "And if naming those monstrosities /Sentinels/ isn't the /creepiest/ fucking thing --" His teeth clench. "Rumor down at my station is they're going to start shipping them out with us soon enough. Guess it looks they're getting the go-ahead from the government, anyway." "-- Oh." Flicker shudders. His fingers clench -- admittedly, on nothing but water. "Oscorp is trying to claim they're for our own good. Looking out for our rights where /you/ heartless people," he nods towards Joshua, "just let us die." His brows furrow. "It's how it starts, though. They add them to MID, next. And then --" In his mind there's an alley, expressionless faces painted white, repulsor blasts fired from metal arms. "Maybe," he suggests lightly to Tian-shin, "you should start brushing up on your robot fighting skills early." Tian-shin tugs at the bill of her cap, once again as if she would rather pull it down over her face. "Well..." << ...fuck. >> She sucks in a long breath and lets it out in a slow, measured stream. "I'll fight anyone, honestly, but in all seriousness? Yeah. I wanna learn to take those things down." This last less grim than determined. "Maybe after supper." "/Anyone/? Seriously? You don't want to fight Flicker, he only /looks/ like a sweetheart but that fight will wreck your week." Joshua starts to head back towards Funhaus. Actually walking this time! He nudges Tian-shin's shoulder lightly with his own in passing, though. "You want to learn, though, we can make that happen. I /hear/ my team might have a vacancy soon anyway." He's not saying bye to Flicker, see. Just heading on home. Flicker's blush has returned. The motion of his hand too quick to really catch, just one sharp shift as Joshua passes by. The spray of water that splashes up from the surface of the pond towards Joshua's back is easy enough to feel, though. /Probably/ some of it might catch Tian-shin in the crossfire. Whoops. "Did you have plans? -- For supper, I mean. I was going to grab some Indian." "It's a figure of speech, and I'm /fairly/ open-minded..." Tian-shin's smile comes out wry this time. "...but yeah, I do. Want to /learn,/ I mean, not necessarily have my week wrecked, though I've done enough martial arts to know that just comes with the territory sometimes." She does sidestep Flicker's splash, but not quite fast enough to avoid it entirely. "I didn't have any specific plans beyond getting out of my running clothes." Pause. "And into the shower. Then into /other/ clothes." Somehow she manages to not turn red this time. "But, Indian sounds great! After I do those things." Also not saying bye, she darts off after Joshua.