The Bus Stop

[brian_campo]

Brian sat on a long bench at the Reno Avenue bus stop. Overhead, an awning lined with fluorescent lights cast a bluish glow on his skin. Behind the bench, a wall of ads hawked hair and skin care products. Someone had drawn a magic marker dick on an ad for Oil of Olay face cream. He flipped through a magazine until he got bored, and then he rolled it into a tube. His Toyota was in the shop for an oil leak, which stuck him with public transportation as a means to get between work, practice, and his apartment.

A bum hunched at the opposite corner of the bench with a boombox playing Lionel Ritchie's "Hello". The man was fast asleep with a half-empty bottle of liquor between his feet.

Brian eyed the power button. 'Wonder if I can...' He narrowed his eyes and focused, but as hard as he stared, he couldn't depress it with his brain. A change in tactic was needed. After a quick check of his surroundings, he flexed his fingers and flung out his arm, pretending to throw an object at the button.

The whole boombox pitched to the side and clattered onto the sidewalk.

The bum jolted upright and looked around for the culprit.

Brian became preoccupied with his hair.

[Thread: Open to Anyone]

Comments

[cian_oneill]

Cian had been walking toward the bus shelter when he witnessed the actions of the younger man sitting there waiting. He bent down and picked up the boombox, handing it back to the old man. "Might want to make some diff'rnt music choices," he suggested, eyeing the young man and deciding this might be a good time to 'rest', and keep an eye on what this guy was doing to the homeless guy.

He settled down on the bench and looked at the young man. "What time's the bus due?"

[brian_campo]

Brian checked his watch. "Uh... five minutes," he guessed. He squeezed the magazine into a tighter roll and stared at the McDonald's across the street, while the only things on his brain were whether this guy saw him toss the boombox, and where the hell he came from so fast. The pages of the magazine creaked under the pressure from his hands.

He gave him a sideways glance. Yeah. Still looking.

Brian's shoes scraped backwards on the concrete. At least the music had stopped.

Mumbling to himself, the bum got up and wandered away from the bench with his liquor bottle.

Brian looked at the blonde man again. He lifted his chin in a nod. "'Sup, man?"

[cian_oneill]

"Y' don't like Lionel Ritchie, huh?" Cian said, eyeing Brian and the rolled up magazine. They were handy weapons and about as unlikely to attract a person's attention as a nun in a church. Unless you had reason to be wary of the person carrying it.

[brian_campo]

Brian's forehead furrowed. He didn't have to feign confusion; he genuinely felt it, because if the guy had seen him knock over the radio, he ought to be more freaked out than that and he sure as hell shouldn't sit down beside him. God, why had he been stupid enough to try that in public?

"Is it that obvious?" He gave the man a hopeful smile.

'Maybe my face gave it away.'

Without taking his eyes off the stranger, Brian tucked the magazine between himself and the arm rest.

[cian_oneill]

When the magazine was tucked away Cian relaxed a little, legs stretching out in front of him and crossing at the ankles. His fingers were loosely interlaced and hands resting on his stomach as he leaned back on the seat and arched an eyebrow.

"Y' really had t' try and break his prized possession?" he asked, throwing a look in the direction of the shuffling figure.

[brian_campo]

"Break it?" Brian shook his head. "I wasn't trying to break it. I was trying to push the power button. He was asleep."

Way to admit it, dumbass.

Still, he'd almost rather the guy know he was telekinetic than think he was an asshole who destroyed the property of homeless dudes. Jesus.

Brian slumped back. His locked hands rested between his legs.

[cian_oneill]

"That's alright then," Cian said, now visibly relaxing more, his head turning to look around where they were sitting, as if checking out the local scene, rather than perusing the scene for any sort of trouble.

"Cian," he said, holding out his hand to the stranger. "An' it was jus' not y' lucky day that I saw y'," he added, giving him a small wink.

[brian_campo]

Brian wondered what was supposed to happen if it wasn't alright.

He shook hands. "Brian," he spoke cautiously, because with that wink-wink-nudge-nudge look from Cian, he knew he had been busted. Lately he couldn't throw a rock without hitting somebody who thought it wasn't a big deal, or had something weird going on themselves.

"You um... you see that a lot? What I did?" The concern on his face made Brian look even younger than his twenty-four years.

[cian_oneill]

"No, not what you jus' did. It's usually been with a little more intent and a lot more success," he told Brian, giving him a wry smile. "You uh, been doing it long?" he asked, curious as to why the man hadn't been able to perform a basic action like turning the power off from a few feet away.

[brian_campo]

"Couple of months," he admitted. Brian opened his palm and rubbed his thumb over the creases. He sat in silence as a red light changed to green and street traffic surged through the intersection, kicking up a breeze that rumpled his hair.

Brian slung his arm over the back of the bench and raised his voice over a stereo. "So you're saying that, compared to a peer group I didn't even know existed... I suck."

[cian_oneill]

Cian shook his head, a small twitch at the corner of his mouth creating the impression of a smile.

"No idea about y' peer group. Just knew someone who c'ld do it. 'nd did. Without riskin' damaging anyone's property."

[brian_campo]

"Great."

Brian tried to see the positive side of this news: it meant that someday, he might develop control over it, or meet a person who had done so.

"Ah, sorry to keep asking you questions, but... Do you happen to know how they did it?" he asked. "I mean, was it some kind of magic spell, were they born like that, or...?" He drifted off because he didn't know what other possible causes might exist. "'Cause I don't know how I'm doing it," he answered sheepishly.

[cian_oneill]

Cian shrugged a shoulder, not completely sure how Mac had done it. "He just did it. Had been able to since he was a kid, and was pretty damned good at it." He looked at Brian and gave him some encouragement. "Said it took practice," he told him, "but he taught himself."

The last time Cian had seen him was when he was taken from court to be detained in a high security prison, that didn't use keys.

[brian_campo]

"That's what my girlfriend says, practice and meditation. But I have a hard enough time settling down to sleep. Meditating?" He fixed Cian with a crooked smile. "I dunno. But she's... she's special. She was probably born meditating."

[cian_oneill]

Cian laughed, wondering if Brian had even realised how that sounded. But he knew the difference it made, and it was something he and Annie had fought about when he'd been learning.

Laddie if'n y' no givin' y'self, or 'im, the chance then y' gonna pay th' price! It had been about then she'd named Siofra.

"F' most it ain' summin' y' can jus' do, but I c'n tell you it's worth givin' it a go."

[brian_campo]

"From what, personal experience?" Brian gave Cian an open but assessing look, searching for clues as to who the man was, why he knew so much. He didn't know what to look for. He wouldn't recognize a supernatural trait if it bit him on the ass. But that was rapidly changing.

The Bus Stop

[cian_oneill]

"That," Cian shrugged. "'nd why not? Haven't heard o' too many folks dead from it. More likely t' cop it by droppin' a grand piano on y' head from what I saw," he told Brian with a grin.

Re: The Bus Stop

[brian_campo]

"Nah, that wouldn't happen," Brian said, shaking it off with a smile. "Pianos like me."

Which gave him an idea. If he learned better control of his ability, he could leverage it to play the instrument better. It'd be like having an extra hand.

'Huh...'

Brian stood up, hands pocketed in his ragged jeans. He kicked aimlessly at the leg of the bench. "This world is a lot weirder than I thought," he said. "Can't make up my mind if it's a good thing. Telekinesis, demons, vampire hunters... what else, y'know?"

Re: The Bus Stop

[cian_oneill]

Cian's eyes came to rest on Brian's as the man asked his questions.

"All the things a vampire hunter hunts," he pointed out, "and those who hunt with them."

Re: The Bus Stop

[brian_campo]

"For instance?"

So maybe the guy wouldn't tell him, but Brian figured 'nothing ventured, nothing gained'. He knew he probably looked lost -- he was a little lost -- but he wasn't a lost cause.

He could ask Valerie. He would ask her. But he wanted this benevolent stranger's perspective, too.

Re: The Bus Stop

[cian_oneill]

"Y' never know what might come outta th' dark," he grinned, eyeing Brian and wondering for a moment just how much, or little, he understood of the world he was just discovering.

"I haven't seen it all, by a long shot, but I've seen enough t' know tha' there's always summin' diff'rent round the corner, and even tha' might change when y' least expect it."

Re: The Bus Stop

[brian_campo]

Brian made a noncommittal noise.

'Got it. No specifics from this guy.'

It was definitely time to head to that occult shop and crack a book. He needed to know what else was on the street. He couldn't afford to wait and see what was 'round the corner', and suddenly find himself staring at an alien or chupacabra or gremlin, with no clue what to do about it.

"I'm no boy scout, but I believe in being prepared," he said. "At least trying to be."

Re: The Bus Stop

[cian_oneill]

Cian was used to operating on his own, so sharing of information wasn't exactly high on his list of 'to do' when he met someone new. Along with a decade of hiding who he was, what he was, and moving around, he took his time to find out whether the one he was talking to was trustworthy. With Rhiannon it had been almost instant, something which still baffled him from time to time when he thought about her. He still hadn't made up his mind about Brian though, but he had to wonder if there was something more to what was going on around here, with the number and variety of types who were showing up. And in all different stages of preparedness, or awareness of what they were and their abilities. He huffed a soft laugh as the face of Echo drifted through his mind for a brief moment, before it scampered away again.

"Nothin' wrong with that." He stood up, an effortless shift of body that had him upright without appearing to have made any movement. "How long y' in town?" he asked.

Re: The Bus Stop

[brian_campo]

Brian blinked and took a step back.

'What the fuck?'

Had he imagined that seeming loss in time? One minute sitting, the next standing. Thumbs rubbed at his eyes. He needed to lay off the illegal meds.

"Ah... permanently. I live here," he said, sniffing and dropping his arm. Whatever it was seemed to have passed.

Re: The Bus Stop

[cian_oneill]

Cian sighed, wondering for a brief moment if he had a big banner on his back for 'infant' supernaturals to come his way. They were certainly appearing to come out of the woodwork around him.

"This girlfriend of yours, she knows what y' c'n do. She helpin' y' learn how to do it? Or she too busy meditatin'?"

Re: The Bus Stop

[brian_campo]

Brian noticed the sigh, which spoke of mental weariness. Anything the sigh didn't tell him, the broad answers did. He frowned, thinking it was a shitty reaction, considering the guy sat down beside him and struck up the conversation.

He tried to give Cian the benefit of the doubt. There was risk involved in sharing what you knew of an unknown world with a virtual stranger. He could handle himself. He wasn't into being anybody's burden.

He put up his hands in a loose backing-off motion. "Hey, man. Don't worry about it," he said. "She's a professional. Anything I can't figure out on my own, she can tell me."

His urge was to get out of there, but he needed the bus. There was always the next station.

"Later."

Re: The Bus Stop

[cian_oneill]

Cian was a little surprised at the man's sudden change - one minute full of questions, next seeming to want to get away from him as quick as he could. He'd been going to offer the guy some help, but just shrugged instead.

"Sure, later."