Logs:Backup Power
| Backup Power | |
|---|---|
| Dramatis Personae | |
| In Absentia | 2022-02-22 "{Just borrow a telepath.}" |
| Location | |
There's not many people out in the streets of the section of Riverdale more recently come to be known as Freaktown. A steady rain sheets down over the city, and most of those who have errands out scurry to and from the refitted mansions under umbrellas. Out in the cul-de-sac that plays host to the neighborhood's central market in daylight hours and better weather, one lone motorcycle has parked itself by an empty stall, sleek black and chrome with a license plate reading WIRED. Ion is perched atop the roof, no umbrella or rain gear, just jeans, a lightweight black and grey flannel open over a plain white tee, heavy motorcycle boots. His clothes and hair are plastered down against his skin, and every so often he lifts a hand to wipe at his eyes. Mostly, though, he's just focused on picking his way through a large tray of chili cheese fries in his lap, their half-covering of foil offering them more shelter from the rain than Ion himself. A red umbrella bobs its way down the street into the cul-de-sac. Beneath it and more or less out of the rain in a smart black trench coat, Tian-shin is nevertheless looking just a touch shabby. She walks slowly, her long black hair working itself out of the bun at the back of her head, and her makeup is less than completely impeccable. Her pace quickens slightly when she spots the motorcycle, and she makes her way to Ion, looking up at where he's perched up on top of the stall. "{Not worried about the water?}" There's as much concern as confusion in her voice. Ion peers down from his rooftop perch, one long fry jutting from the corner of his mouth like an unlit cigarette. "{Hell yeah,}" comes his immediate reply as he leans down, hand extending and eyebrows lifting to offer Tian-shin a hand up. "{Worried it's gonna make these fries all soggy before I can finish 'em. You look like hell.}" He, admittedly, isn't looking too much better, underslept and sallow-skinned, but his grin is broad as ever. Tian-shin climbs up, not particularly graceful between wrangling the umbrella and negotiating rain-slick surfaces. As soon as she's found a stable perch she looks down at Ion's hand in hers, blinking. "You're depowered." There's only a very small inquisitive lift to her tone, but she eases down to sit beside Ion, careful to make sure the flap of her coat is beneath her. "{Haven't really been getting enough sleep, I guess. This case is kicking my ass.}" "Yeah look this shit. {Them Guardians fucking love me.}" Ion pokes lightly at Tian-shin's arm, once and then again, his hand turning up incredulously after Absolutely Nothing happens. "Zero juice! {Pretty damn thoughtful of God to make all this rain for me, though.} Like! Damn!" His fingers curl loosely around the raindrops currently falling onto his palm. "{What, Jax? They ain't seriously tryna keep him in there, huh? Want I should zip in and --}" He frowns deep. Drops his hand to his lap. "That plan might have to wait." Tian-shin's eyes widen slightly, but whatever her worries she cannot seem to quite help being swept along with Ion's excitement. "{I'm glad you're enjoying the rain, but maybe I can help keep your fries crispy a little longer.}" She shifts the edge of her umbrella over the carton and steals a fry for herself. "{Yeah, I knew it would be bad, but it sometime it feels almost like this fucking pig has it in for him personally.}" She frowns, too. "{I'm sure he appreciates the thought, but it'd probably hurt his case if you actually did it. If he wanted someone to get him out, I'll let you know. Though I don't trust the 'privacy' the feds give us.}" She groans and digs her knuckles into one temple. "I've never seriously wished I were a telepath before now." "{Help me kill this carton they won't need protecting much longer.}" Ion moves the container from one knee to the other, closer to Tian-shin. "{You can't bring nobody with you? Just borrow a telepath. Tell 'em they your --}" He snaps his fingers, tongue clicking against his teeth as he tries to come up with a word. "{Like a lawyer secretary.}" Tian-shin's smile is tired, but she evinces no reluctance to take more fries. "Paralegal. {Paralegal.}" Though despite this answer she's shaking her head, which does the structural integrity of her bun no favors. "{Actually, I can bring basically anyone as long as Jax consents. It's just usually a bad idea because the prosecutor can force them to testify. It's not very likely, but still risky even if the person is willing to lie under oath...}" Her shoulders hitch up in a small, tight shrug. "{...but I guess less so if they can say we discussed the weather or football scores or hopefully something more plausible and the judge will just magically buy it. I doubt most telepaths are very eager to do something like that. If they got caught somehow...}" "{Yeah I guess Jax don't seem like the football type.}" Ion sucks at his teeth. The sharp shake of his head may be in response to something Tian-shin has said or may just be dislodging wet hair from his eyes, it's difficult to say. "{You hang out with telepaths who wouldn't lie to the pigs? What kind of fucking narcs? Ask Hive, he seem like a real lying-ass motherfucker.}" Judging from his tone, this epithet is meant to be complimentary. Tian-shin snorts. "{Even if he were, I think a lot of people wouldn't believe it.}" She twirls a french fry between thumb and forefinger. "{I don't know. It's not a thing I want to assume someone would be willing to do, but I'll ask Hive.}" She raises her eyebrows at him slightly, a smile playing on her lips. "{Do I seem like a lying-ass motherfucker, too?}" "{You?}" Ion's eyebrows raise hiiiigh, and the guffaw he lets out is accompanied by a slap of hand against wet-denim'd knee. "You think I'd even have a pretend ol' lady seems like a narc? {Cops show up your door you sending them away convinced you ain't even know no Marion fucking Espino.}" Though some might regard Ion's words somewhat dubiously as praise, Tian-shin sits up just a little taller. "{White guys are always telling me I seem too honest to be a lawyer. I'm glad you have faith in me, at least.}" She's reaching to snag another fry when she does a double take and aims a guileless gaze at Ion . "{Who don't I even know, now?}" "{The fuck some crackers know 'bout honest, their entire god-damned race been playing the whole world dirty since forever.}" Ion has difficulty meeting Tian-shin's innocent look, busy as he is with trying not to fall off the slippery-wet roof of the wooden stall with his laughing. "Shit, nobody. C'mon, you wanna get dry? Nobody'll go rustle you up some tea." | |
