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

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."