savetheearth | [closed] the best introductions are the oddest

Entry tags:

[closed] the best introductions are the oddest

Who: Banagher Links, Kanti Singh, Richard Locke
When: 9/24
Where: By Tuning Towers
What: Best way to start a conversation is by throwing up on someone's shoes. Oh glowing a bit helps, too.

[Today had felt a good day to do some snooping around the tower. Yesterday had been one of those days which made any investigating impossible given the fun incident with Miles. Now, with some time to spare before having to do anything important, Richard had decided to drive on over to the area. A nice and smooth drive it had been, the increasingly loud buzzing aside.

Walking around for a few minutes had caused a small internal scolding for not remembering to bring earplugs. The buzzing sounded as irksome now as it did yesterday. Ah well, it would be tolerated once more. Small annoyances were not enough of a cause to call this look around quits. The desire to know what was causing this and, potentially, why overpowered any desire to get away from the noise. As he walked down the street, Richard once again mused on the irksome noise while wishing he had brought those earplugs.]

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

[Kanti and the buzzing noise that can't be recorded have a very long and confusing history. Actually, they don't. She heard it in the mines and now she's determined to follow it to it's source. Or at least, she was up until it turned out to be a terrible idea. She wishes she'd thought to bring a thicker coat and... well, she isn't sure what else. She brought the lipstick, even though it weighs down her coat and is essentially useless, but for some reason it is also comforting.

Somewhere near the Towers, just a few feet away, really, she starts feeling sick and achy. Her stomach suddenly feels like it's being half-heartedly clawed at from the inside, and her legs and arms ache dully. The latter passes, but the former does not.]

Is this...

[Her words sort of slur together and she shakes her head. She's hungry. She just ate and she's famished. It's ridiculous.]

Edited 2013-09-26 03:11 (UTC)

[ It's entirely by trial-and-error that he's ended up here. Banagher's pretty used to the city by now, or at least with the surrounding areas of major landmarks downtown, where he'd frequent on the weekends after school. Tuning Towers was one such landmark, though he's never had a reason to be so up close and personal before. He's seen it from afar on numerous occasions, that design jutting up into the skyline, unique as far as silhouettes went, but somehow, today, it seems all the more imposing.

Since the lights, the buzzing had been easy enough to ignore. Stick a headphone in, study, work hard... but when he'd gotten off work and decided to take a walk, he found the noise uncomfortable in his ears. Squirming.

So he'd followed it, right up to the front door of the Tuning Towers. Which is where he's standing now, the strap of his shoulder bag gripped in his palm, looking up at it kind of apprehensively. He only stops — freezes up, almost — when something sticks out to him. Like a buzz of its very own bouncing around the inside of his brain. This... was the feeling of a pulse, right? He'd felt it in other people before. Bakura, Audrey, Colette.

Blinking, he scans the milling public for the source. His gaze finally settles on a tall girl who looks the vaguest bit familiar to him, even as she takes on a somewhat sickly-looking hue. ]

Hey... [ Okay so it's probably not the smartest thing to just approach, but c'est la vie, 'smart' has never been his forte. ] Are you okay? You look...

[ BANAGHER YOU DON'T TELL GIRLS THEY LOOK AWFUL. ]

You don't look so good.

[Tuning Towers coming into view may have not been anything extraordinary normally, but today it feels both a blessing and curse. How much louder could this wretched noise get? And what could possibly be emitting the godforsaken, selective noise? Richard partially wish he could be blissfully unaware of the noise like most of the people walking by.

Any further wishful thinking gets derailed upon getting even closer to the imposing towers. The sight a girl appearing rather ill some distance away catches his eye instantly. Someone else seems to have come to assist her, but that doesn't stop Richard from walking over (from the direction opposite the boy who'd come), as well. Old habits of helping those in trouble die hard. Then again, maybe it's just an old habit of being a good cop.]

[Kanti wants everything in the world to stop so she can get her bearings and stop making such a fool of herself. She would very much like to be in the presence of mind to stand up straight and stop looking rather literally green in the face. Unfortunately, that's not likely to happen given the current state of her stomach and the fact that suddenly nothing is sitting well. At the sound of a voice, Kanti's head snaps away from the sidewalk and towards the person addressing her.]

I- I'm fine. It's- Everything is very much under control.

[She looks around, just mildly panicked, and cringes. A few people are staring, but most don't feel responsible for her well-being, except this gentleman and apparently whoever is heading towards them. There are equal parts of her that want to hunch down until everyone goes away or thinks she is just a normal teenage girl having a mental lapse in public, or that wants to defiantly stand up and shake off these feelings so she can go.

Neither of these looks like they're going to happen.]

[ If he were to rate that, it'd top out at something like a 3.0 on the convince-o'-meter. As it is, they're rarely left with the saner of a few options lately, so Banagher's gotten pretty good at improvising. ]

I told you that much coffee would ruin your stomach! Before lunch, even...

[ Once he's close enough to adopt a more covert tone, he does so, unsure of who around them were legitimate bystanders, and who might be looking for a reaction. If it happened with the cops and the water, he has no doubt it could happen here, too. For the moment, his attention was too occupied to do much more but glance up at the other figure approaching. A bee-line, even. ...Should he be worried? (Worry or no, it does make him cut right to the chase:) ]

Hey. It was a pulse, wasn't it?

[ Probably the quickest way to say, 'What's up I'm a networker don't sweat it, happens all the time'. ]

Edited (hey yo wanted to include mr. locke in there somewhere) 2013-09-30 23:43 (UTC)

[Hearing the coffee comment makes Richard draw the conclusion that they may know one another. What causes that to get second guessed is, once he's close enough, witnessing the boy whisper something in a more serious tone. Hardly the tone of voice used if this might be all coffee related and... had he just caught the word 'pulse'?

No, assuming it may be network related would foolish when the only detail known is the fact the girl looks ill. That whisper could have been misheard, as well. For now, aiding her takes priority. Whatever that aiding may entail (whether it be driving her to the hospital or to the clinic) time will tell. Richard speaks as soon as he's close enough.]

Do you require any help?

[Obviously, but the question still beats asking ARE YOU OKAY. Although, she really doesn't look good. At all.]

[Kanti stares at the stranger with a sort of boggled look, then looks at the person coming over, and then one more time at the person next to her because what. What did he just say? Kanti is hilariously paranoid and doesn't confirm or deny so much as play along.]

Well, it's rather hard not to. It's not as if I've been getting much sleep lately.

[She grits her teeth and bears it for as long as it takes for it to feel like a meat-hook has jerked her stomach in a completely different direction. Kanti is suddenly very aware that she is going to vomit.]

I'm sor-

[And then she does.]

[ OH. CRUD.

On impulse, Banagher rears back as soon as the vomit happens, failing to notice right away that it happens all over this imposing guy's shoes. ]

Whoa, hey! Kanti?!

[ His mind is quicker on the uptake than he is lately, supplying the name that hadn't immediately struck him at first. That's right, he'd seen her leaving the band room occasionally, on his way in to film, which shared the room during off-hours. Talked with her over the network twice that amount — white bellflowers, those were last. Snapping to, he flashes the most alarmed and apologetic expression he can muster at the poor guy whose shoes just took one for the team, given the circumstances. Even as he sort of steps between them, just incase. ]

She didn't mean that.

[Ah! ...Ah. Ah...

Reflexes fail Richard as he doesn't move out of the way quickly enough. As a result, a nice layer of throw up now covers his shoes. How nice. Better she let that out than keep it in, but that knowledge hardly makes this situation more plea--

Wait, Kanti? At the mention of the name, he first looks at the boy who said it before turning to the girl. Might she really be the same one from the Network? If that were the case, then maybe he had heard correctly earlier, as well. Both of these individuals may be the same as him, something which shouldn't be difficult to determine (in regards to Kanti, at least).

As noble as the guy stepping between them is, there's no need and Richard makes certain to show just that. Everything about his body posture continues being relaxed and no hostile movement gets made towards either of them. He can't say he looks happy about what happened, but he gives Kanti a weary smile.]

...It seems your miraculous abilities only work in regards to coercion and not settling your own stomach.

[Should this indeed be the same Kanti then the wording ought to ring a bell.]

[Kanti's hands immediately fly to her stomach, curling around it like she's trying to keep it from undulating up her throat and out onto the floor. She heaves a couple of times and slaps her hands to her mouth until she feels the wave of nausea settle in her stomach like sand on the ocean floor.

After that, she can focus on three things. The first is that she knows these people, both of them. The first from vague passes in the hallways at her school, and the second (and more terrifying one) apparently knows her. The second is that she has just ruined someone's shoes. The third is that she has touched her mouth with her hands and now they have small amounts of vomit and drool on them.]

This is disgusting. I just... My hands.

[She stares at them and licks around the inside of her mouth before cringing. She has just thrown up on someone she knows. In front of someone else she knows.

Kanti cannot deal with this right now. She wants to focus on something else, and luckily she is just capable enough to do that.]

I touched my hands to my mouth and now I have vomit-hands.

[She looks between them both and resists the urge to just bury her face in her hands and never come out. She instead screws her eyes shut and makes a high-pitched distressed sound, not unlike that of a tea kettle.]

Edited 2013-10-09 06:52 (UTC)

[ Well, alright. He wasn't mad. A turn in their favor. Sort of.

All Banagher needs is the high-pitched noise to set him back in motion after a stunned glance between the two. If this man also knew her, then... okay no, no time for this, he's thinking this might actually be the sound of a vomit-induced detonation sequence or something and that is the thing they need least right now. Swinging his school bag around, he digs in it, pushing aside some pens and books and papers. ]

Hang on just a second, we can fix that. Don't do it again!

[ He knew he should have kept hand sanitizer on him, why does he not listen to his mom sometimes. What he does finally dredge up is a small pack of tissues; they're not nearly enough to clean up the disaster that are those shoes, but he just has to work with what they have. ]

Hold still and take these, okay?

[ Ripping the package open, he tugs half of the tissues out and pushes them into Kanti's hands. Then he turns to the guy with the vomit-shoes and offers up the remainder. A tissue olive branch. ]

Here, um...?

[ Not the most graceful way to fish for a name, but hey. ]

[Nothing on his person could help with the vomit-hands situation, but the only one of them lacking vomit on their person seems to have that covered. Helpful and resourceful: Richard can't help but be impressed by this sort of behavior.

Oh, some even get extended to him. The action is unexpected enough to momentarily take Richard aback. As kind and appreciated an offer as this is, it does not get accepted.]

Richard Locke and thank you, but she may need the remainder of those more than I.

[Dirty shoes could be cleaned later. Unpleasant as it is, vomit on shoes is tolerable; Kanti, however, may always vomit again and could use additional tissues. Not to mention this may be a sign to buy some new shoes. No sign to do so can get clearer than this.

Attention gets diverted from the tissues and back onto Kanti. Her appearance simply screams unwell. Medical attention may be necessary, especially if any further vomiting occurs (though preferably not on him again). Dehydration while already in this state? May end badly.]

I'm parked not too far from here if you would like a lift to the clinic.

[Lucky for everyone involved, it is less a noise implying vomiting, and more a noise of general distress and mortification. If Kanti was the sort of person to cry, she would probably be doing that now, but instead she just whines. Because obviously a high-pitched whine is so much better than crying.]

Thank you. [She says, addressing the boy offering her tissues.]

I'm sorry, I just... I don't remember your name at all and my hands are just- [She cuts it off there and snatches the tissues, violently wiping her hands and wishing she had hand sanitizer in her backpack for once. She stares at them once she's done, and then just drops them on the floor and steps on them. Tissues decompose. This makes it okay. ]

And you... [She stares at Richard, completely mortified, then at his shoes, then back at his face.] You can't drive. Your shoes have throw up on them. Have I mentioned how sorry I am for that? Because I am terribly sorry. I'm not sure if I am sick or horrified or both.

[It is probably the most honest she has been in quite some time, and the most straightforward too, but the situation warrants it. She goes a little green, literally green, in the face at the whole situation.]

What? Clinic?

Edited 2013-10-17 09:57 (UTC)

[ Instantly, the way Banagher regards the third party changes, even as Kanti relieves him of the rest of the tissues. His expression smooths out into vague surprise and recognition. ]

Mr. Locke?

[ So their situation was still sort of awful and uncomfortable for all parties, but as far as worst-case scenarios went, this was probably the best that they could hope for. All of them were from the network. On impulse, he takes a quick glance around, but no one's outwardly reacting to them, seeing that Kanti at least had some sort of support effort going on. Satisfied with that, he gives her his attention again. ]

It's Banagher, by the way... um, for the both of you, I mean.

[ Not the most graceful answer to supply the both of them with, but relief has made him a little more clumsy with his wording. The general distrust of the people around them (which he's never been any good at, anyway) could come in a little bit. ]

And he means the LSR Clinic, the one Dr. Strider runs. [ He flicks a glance at Richard. ] Right? For people with numbers.

[ Banagher frowns. Don't go green, don't go green(er)... carefully, he puts a hand on her back. ]

[Is she really that concerned over mere shoes? Even Richard feels sympathetic when someone is panicked to the point to fretting so severely about shoes.]

Dirty shoes do not impair driving ability, you needn't worry nor apologize.

[He REALLY tries to make this sound as gentle and non-intimidating as possible. Not only would his shoes rather avoid a second round of throw up should anything remotely anger-sounding induce further panic, but Kanti didn't need to freak out more than she already had. Really. It's only shoes. Old shoes. Very old shoes. ...Yes, he needs new shoes.

The third member of their little gathering introducing himself definitely rings a bell. Banagher? Yes, they had spoken before. It seems the assumption that they were all in the numbers club had proven correct. Good. And lucky.

A nod gets send Banagher's way. Mentioning numbers had been risky (hence why he'd been avoiding it), but no one seems to be paying them much mind.]

And yes, that's the clinic I'm referring to.

[Kanti cringes and ducks her head. Ugh, clinic. Not that she has anything against Mr. Strider and Mr. Solus, but she was hoping to avoid any sort of medical examination by people she would need to see more than once a year.

And then she realizes that it is so much worse than that, because Banagher just called him Mr. Locke, and Mr. Locke is a chemistry teacher at her school, as far as she knows. She opted to take anatomy following biology instead, saving chemistry for next year. Somehow, that fails to make this any less embarrassing.]

Oh. Mr. Locke? [Her voice squeaks and she cringes, rallies and lifts her hands in a gesture of surrender. Kanti Singh is 100% done with this shit.]

I take that back. I am both horrified and sick. Why am I the only one preoccupied with how horrendous this is?

[She twitches a bit at the hand on her back, but otherwise doesn't move to take it off. It's a grounding gesture, though she's not used to getting them often.]

I'm not sure a clinic would help. I'm feel better anyway. [She puts on a good show, standing up straighter and squaring her shoulders, but her stomach feels empty and there's an ache, like someone clawing at her insides with blunted claws.]

[ When she makes the effort to stand up straight, Banagher moves back, lifting his hand away again. He hadn't exactly been sure of the gesture to begin with, and didn't want to patronize her. Still, he can't help continuing to hover close. ]

You don't look like it. [ Welp. ] ...No offense! It's not like we can just control this stuff, so blaming you for it doesn't seem right.

[ Which is how Richard seems to feel about it too, luckily. Despite himself, he can't help a cautious glance upwards at the exterior of the building. The windows were numerous, uniform, and tinted. Combined with the peripheral awareness of the rumbling, he's just about had it. ]

But even if you don't want to go to the clinic, we probably shouldn't stay here. Standing here makes me kind of uneasy, nevermind that you should probably sit down for a while too.

[Her touch act can't be called bad, but it cannot be called overly convincing, either. It isn't enough to get him to back down, either. Someone having been ill enough to throw up on a stranger's shoes? Yeah, leaving them alone so easily won't be happening.

Richard makes this point clear by his face remaining as firm, if somewhat gentle, as before. Leaving her side won't be happening any time soon, a sentiment seemingly shared by Banagher.]

Banagher's correct. Your appearance aside, standing around as we are in the middle of the sidewalk will draw unwanted attention, if not from pedestrians then from police officers.

[Maybe this a low move, but Richard can't help hope that mention of police involvement may get her to become more agreeable. The underlying motive doesn't make the statement any less true; she had drawn his attention easily enough, after all.]

[The look she shoots them both would probably be sharper if she wasn't feeling so tired and fatigued. As is, it looks mildly put-out and generally irritated. She feels sort of bad though, throwing them that sort of look, and her face screws up in something a little conflicted before she sighs.]

Fine, fine. We can leave at least. I'd rather not go to the clinic just this moment though. It's probably nothing.

[There is a tiny, tiny irrational part of her that wants to stay to be contrary. Maybe stomp her feet a bit. But in the end it is small and Kanti is ultimately rational.]

Sorry. This must all be rather... inconvenient.

[ Almost instantly, underneath that look, he regrets his word choice. Even though it was out of concern for her wellbeing and not her appearance, and generally... in favor of them not getting sniffed out by the increasingly freaky cops. ]

This tower doing what it did is what's inconvenient!

[ Okay, maybe not helping their case either, but he's fast approaching a state of not believing in coincidences. ]

Still, are you sure it's alright for you not to go?

[ Not entirely convinced, but ultimately he just frowns pointedly and looks back to Richard for confirmation that he was still willing to stick with them and provide the slightly less urgent getaway car. ]

[Moving away from here is still progress so Richard can't complain. May a medical trip would behoove her, but ah well. If she's willing to compromise then so is he.]

If she doesn't deem it necessary then we cannot force her.

[She's agreeing to something and this something is enough for now. Whether Banagher shares the sentiment, however, is up in the air. Although, if her condition worsens, it isn't beyond Richard to pick her up and carry her there. Being understanding is one thing; allowing another person to suffer is another.

Now, where to go? Somewhere out of sight preferably. And nearby giving how questionable Kanti's walking abilities appear right now. Hmm that still leaves his car as the best location, unless either of them may have a better idea in mind.]

Would you be willing then to come to my car if only to rest for a moment?

Edited 2013-11-01 16:46 (UTC)

I will go eventually, just... not now. [She says it to Banagher with a look on her face that definitely doesn't say "I am going to put this off as long as possible".]

[She knows she should be grateful, and she is, but mostly she is annoyed that she still feels sick and that this is a situation that is actually happening.

Kanti would like to say something cheeky. Maybe something about how talking to strangers in inadvisable and getting in their cars is even less so, but they aren't really strangers, so it's hard to bring that up as an excuse.]

Fine. Would you be willing to throw those shoes out and let me pay for new ones?

[ Well, it was... something. And seeing as how he really doesn't want to force anyone into anything, least of all now, he simply exhales to steady himself. One step at a time seemed like the only way they were going to get out of this.

He still can't help casting a disparaging glance between the two, however. ]

So... compromise?

[Maybe there's a small frown at her offer. No, taking money from a kid for new shoes isn't happening in this lifetime. Unlike him, most kids aren't fortune enough to have money to blow on needless crap like shoes.

Saying as much now, however, feels a bad idea. Her agreeableness may not last if he opposes this suggestion. Hmm... Maybe actually agreeing wouldn't be necessary so long as he doesn't outright refuse.]

I'll consider it once we're reached my car.

[Which cannot be called a complete lie. He'll more than happily consider it again; the answer will just continue to be a no.]

Yes. Compromise. [She stares at Banagher and offers him a tiny and awkward lopsided smile.] Thank you.

[And then to Mr. Locke.] Both of you. Considering isn't agreeing, but that's fine.

[Because while she would very much like to just buy him new shoes and be done with it, if he's not keen on it she can't bring herself to care too much right now about putting her money where her mouth is.]

Edited 2013-11-11 21:52 (UTC)

Don't worry about it. [ Somewhere down the line, when he's in a better position to offer up a healthy dose of mischief, equaled only by a propensity to do-good, Banagher might suggest buying the shoes anywhere and leaving them somewhere conspicuous. There's no fight if he can't say no, right?

But those are thoughts for a day where they probably shouldn't continue to loiter around in the thick of enemy territory. And also in vomit. ]

Anyway, I can at least walk with you to the car. Then you can decide what you want to do from there.

[ Which was hopefully accept a ride home, but he's not counting his chickens before they hatch. ]

Not at all.

[Buy him shoes and he's at least buying you lunch in return. Not excepting charity from kids, nope (and anything younger than 24 counts as a kid). He'll actually just hope the whole shoe matter will get forgotten entirely in a few days.

A good way to lead the discussion away from that is to probably tell them where to go.]

It's this way.

[He starts to walk, slowly, back in the direction he'd come from. It's a slow pace so Kanti could easily keep up in her state (and carrying her was always an option if this proves too much).]

I'm probably not going to do that. Not worry about it. [She is going to fret for days. Days.

Good luck with that lunch, though, Richard. Good luck.]

You could stay a little longer, Banagher. I wouldn't mind. [Which is her way of saying 'Please stay and be the buffer between me and the guy with vomit-shoes'.

She follows after Mr. Locke anyway though, because she doubts she can run off now that they're expecting her to rest. She doubts she could run off at all, actually.]

Sure. [ In turn, he moves off with the both of them, satisfied that they were moving at all, and that no one was finding anything interest in paying attention to them regardless. Shifting his bag around to his side again, he swivels to take a look around at the other building fronts. ]

I don't think we were going to find out much about that noise by looking at it anyway. We'll have to try again some other time.

[ It's innocuous enough musing. ]

For now, let's see if we can spot a vending machine on the way. Water will help.

[The mention of exploring the towers reminds Richard of his own purpose for coming here. Sigh. Yup, exploring was not happening today, especially not with vomit all over his shoes.

Oh well, no point in crying over spilled milk or over vomit on shoes.]

Agreed. When vomiting, the best thing one can do is keep themselves hydrated.

[Had there been a vending machine around here? Maybe, maybe not. Although, there had been a convenience store nearby, if memory serves correctly. Ah, yes, it's right up ahead along with Richard's car parked a short distance after it.]

Neither do I, to be honest. It's odd though. It sounds so similar to what I heard before. Maybe I missed something...

[Kanti wants something to bite down on oddly enough, and she's feeling surprisingly hungry for someone who's just thrown up. At least for someone who is her.]

I can pay for my own water, though. Maybe some temporary sandals or something to clean that up.

[She shoots a glance at Mr. Locke's shoes and then at the man himself along with Banagher, as if daring them to stop her. She holds it pretty well for someone still looking pretty damn sick.]

To what you heard before? That rumbling? Or buzzing, I guess...

[ Maybe now was the time to invest in crazy straws. Though her second comment gets him to lighten up and laugh, despite the unfunny ridiculousness of the situation leading up to it. ]

I can't imagine Mr. Locke in sandals.

[ Granted, for all he knew, he could be that guy with the vacation sandals and Hawaiian shirt stowed away for summer. But just attempting to envision it makes him have to stifle himself. He has a mission to accomplish and that mission is a vending machine, so he schools his gaze forward again. ]

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

[closed] the best introductions are the oddest

no subject

now in the correct spot

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

and iiii totally used the wrong icon for my last tag /fails

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject