savetheearth | [Mission 3 - Nuisance] Action

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[Mission 3 - Nuisance] Action - open / Text later

[Action around Locke City]

It wasn't until recently that Anthony finally gained an understanding for exactly how destructive, and annoying, the strange little monsters infesting the city were. Sure, he'd caught the news here and there and watched the network, but from a distance it didn't seem so bad. That was right up until his hoodie was set on fire while he was sitting on a curb taking a break. The heat and flash of flame were noticed quickly enough that Anthony was able to pat it out before it caused more than a singe, but even so the threat was clear enough. Now that he was back on the street for the time being, suddenly everything was more dangerous that ever before. Exactly what he wanted to deal with right now.

He jumped up, spotting the tiny lighter as it fled into the bushes. Foolishly Tony gave chase, intent to stomp out the animate lighter before it could cause more harm and of course blundered directly into the now burning bush. He gave a shout of surprise and pain, hopping away as he was singed and lightly burned. The fire spread quickly in the still-dry plant, too fast for him to reasonably attempt to put it out. Someone was just going to have to call the fire department or bring an extinguisher, because he certainly did not have any way of doing either of those things at the moment. Besides, as soon as he spotted that lighter moving off again he was after it like a dog on a scent.

Once a threat was established and an 'enemy' detected, something clicked over in his mind that Anthony just couldn't quite turn off. A level of focused aggression that was almost frightening when he wasn't in its thrall. The opportunity for a fight became the most thrilling thing he could imagine, even if only against a lighter that was mostly harmless until it caught something on fire. Eventually he was really going to need to learn how to control himself.

Unfortunately for him self control was the furthest thing from his mind, so as he gave chase again, this time over park benches, rails, and even out in the road completely blind to traffic. Eventually he lost sight of the lighter, but worked up as he was he was quick to go after any further nuisances he encountered. A mob of toothpicks, the occasional pencil erasing crosswalks, running away from exploding Altoids. You name it!

[OOC: Basically feel free to bump into Tony (or nearly run him over) at any point in his adventure against madness! IDK I am so bad at open posts please help yourselves.]

[Text:]

Is it just me, or are these things getting worse? First lighters, then toothpicks and magical pencils? This is getting out of hand. Anyone got any tips for dealing with these things. A repellent, maybe?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"It's good that they never forced the issue, at least... but it's also where the gaps in the timeline become more noticeable. Did you have family that cared for you after the death of your parents, and if so, where are they now?"

"Gaps?" What is this, an interview? You sure are a strange guy. "Nah, at least not as far as I knew. If there were any they probably didn't want to take on a runt they didn't know a damn thing about. Got shoved around between foster homes back and forth until I got fed up."

L was a strange guy, and he knew it, based on the slightly self-conscious way he glanced sideways at Tony's tone. Sometimes he asked things that were too invasive or inappropriate, but the unspoken agreement seemed to be that Tony was free to speak, or not... and L was free to ask.

"How old were you at that point, when you were 'fed up?' That is to say... I suppose, how long have you been homeless?"

L was edging on it, but Tony hadn't stopped talking and he wasn't afraid to stop the conversation as soon as it got to the point of being too uncomfortable.

"I'd been running away on and off for a while, but I guess I was 14 when I finally stuck to it. So it's been what... three years? Somewhere around there."

He tried to look as nonchalant as possible but it was clear he was still a little uncomfortable with the topic at hand. "You know, if you plan on writing a book about this I want in on the profits."

"Sorry. I'm just trying to make conversation..." L mumbled. "And no, you're wrong... if I wanted to write a book, you'd want no part in it. I'm a lousy author."

"Don't sweat it," Anthony was uncomfortable, but not bothered. There was a very important distinction between the two. Besides, he was kind of interested in telling his story, he just didn't really expect it to be to L or today. Maybe he should have had a day to prepare or something.

No that wouldn't have helped. "You say that, but I see a lot of lousy books get published. Besides, you couldn't write worse than that awful romance novel, right?"

"I say that because it's really true in my case. Before I started getting echoes, I tried to publish a novel I'd been working on since I left school. It got rejected 17 times. I've edited it so much I don't even remember what it was about when I started it."

"Alright, in that case maybe call it a lost cause," He won't beat around the bush, that's not his nature. It's okay to fail at something, as far as Anthony was concerned that was really the best way to figure out your strengths. Figure out what you're bad at, first. "What was it about, anyway?"

"Life gets heavy, when you're bad at a lot of things," L said, a slight shadow falling over his pale features. "Maybe you know that... or maybe it was just luck or even totally choice. I don't want to presume to know your situation, when you were between homes. But my novel is... was about a detective. Charismatic, good with women... everything I'm not, basically. It didn't read like someone who knew what they were talking about had written it."

"That's the most depressing wisdom I've ever heard," But it also made a lot of sense. Depressing sense. He didn't really want to think about it too much, but here he was doing that anyway and also looking increasingly sullen over the whole thing. Yeah, life really was heavy when you were bad at everything. "Hm..." He drummed his fingers idly on the table before sitting back with a nonchalant shrug. "You try talking to someone who would know?"

Okay, naive advice at best, but Tony wasn't exactly a novel writing expert. Or an expert in much other than how to slip a wallet out of someone's pocket without them noticing.

"You'll find that most of what passes for 'wisdom' from me is pretty depressing," L confessed flatly. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm not terrific with people, and I'm even worse at cheering them up. And I haven't... I'd need to talk to the equivalent of like... James Bond. Which my other might have been, actually, but... probably not. Just a feeling I have," he said, a quaver of wry laughter punctuating his speech. "I think it's natural to be a little bit in awe of whoever we're getting our echoes from, but I haven't gotten anything to suggest he was a lady killer."

"You? I never would have guessed," One can tell when Anthony is feeling better and less crazed by the degree of sass and sarcasm he throws around. He was actually starting to enjoy talking to L, now that he was past the 'strange guy who almost hit me with a car' phase of their introductions. "Yeah? So you've actually got some memories of what he was like, then? I mean, all I've got is this weird hair and that whole..." He gestured toward the window as if to indicate the entire reason they met up. "Thing to go on. Doesn't really paint much of a picture."

He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "You try asking on the network? Lotta characters there, sure there's gotta be your 007 hiding out there somewhere, right?"

Conversations with L tended to get a little better and less awkward when he ceased being the one aggressively asking all the questions and conceded a few answers of his own. It helped that sarcasm and sass rolled off him like water off a duck's back; whether he couldn't detect them in the tones of others or simply didn't care (both distinct possibilities), he never seemed to get offended at being the target of such jabs.

"Some memories," L replied, a slight frown putting the barest crease in his brow. "He helped children... spoke a lot of languages, and was definitely some kind of detective. But he was secretive... it's not something I want to ask about on the network, especially since... well, frankly, a lot of people wanted him dead, including someone I've already brushed shoulders with."

That was good, because sarcasm and sass comprised a good 80% of Tony's language skills. Everything else had to share that little sliver of 20%, which was mostly complaining or bad jokes. No wonder he was so socially inept.

"Hm..." Tony rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then gave a vague shrug as he let the subject drop. "In that case I can't say that I blame you. Kinda curious to find out why everyone was out for his blood thought, sounds like a pretty good guy otherwise. People generally like detectives, don't they? Unless they're the mafia or something." Oh poor, naive Tony. He does not know.

"I'm sure he was a good guy. Better than me by a long shot, anyway... but there are people who don't benefit from detectives' activities, like... the Mafia," he said, quirking a brow at the odd mention. "Or kidnappers, or drug dealers, or... cheating husbands and wives. Whatever the case, there's someone committing a deed they shouldn't. If people always acted according to the laws of goodness and normalcy, there wouldn't be any mysteries."

"Why d'you say that? You seem alright to me," Though Tony's opinion might be biased. He is pretty easy to buy off with offers of food and mild compassion. You don't even have to be especially nice to him, just not cruel. Either way, he still thinks L is pretty okay.

"I suppose you've got a point there, hadn't really thought about it like that. Well, don't go getting yourself hurt over a book, dude. Not worth it." He'd be kind of upset if that happened.

"Do I? Well... in all fairness, you don't really know me," L said, brushing aside the positive assumption in favor of (in his mind) a more accurate, if less flattering, assessment.

"Regarding the book... don't worry. I've abandoned it. I'm too busy these days to write, anyway."

"True, I suppose not," Tony won't argue the point, but L's self-disparaging comments weren't going to make him change his mind, either. He may seem a little strange and pushy but that didn't necessarily mean he was a bad guy. Far less threatening than the guy who will later run Tony over with his car, anyway.

"With the coffee shop, right?"

"Yeah... starting a business is always hard, but it's unlike anything I've ever done before, you know? A few months ago I hadn't even successfully held a job for any amount of time. But big changes come with the territory of being numbered, so... it's not really something that should come as a surprise, I suppose."

"What, you serious? And now you're starting a business, just like that?" How did that even work? Anthony couldn't even wrap his imagination around it it was so far-fetched. But, well, maybe stranger things had happened. After all, a gigantic pink stone snake rampaged through the city, so why not have someone able to suddenly open a business? "Phew... I'll say."

Still, that was one hell of a big change.

"Yes, I'm serious. I wouldn't joke about that," L said, quirking a brow. "I know it seems unlikely, but it's hardly the strange anymore, by the standards of the times. Makes you think that anything is possible."

This seems to simultaneously disquiet and excite him.

"Still, pretty unbelievable, you know?" But, who was Anthony to argue? If L could do it then more power to him. Hell, good for him, even! Better than Anthony's spot, on the streets chasing lighters. "You've got a point, I suppose if gigantic snake gods or whatever exist, why not you being able to do this?"

Hah, you are a boiling pot of mixed signals, L, but Tony likes you anyway.

L was certainly that, but in his odd way, he wasn't truly unlikable. Perhaps it was the earnestness that managed to shine through past the oddness, but he seemed completely sincere in his desire to be more for the greater good.

"Why not anyone? At this early point in the pulse... process, none of us know what we could get back. I could be a robot tomorrow, or a superhero. So could you."

That was it exactly. L came off as so sincere it would be difficult to not find it at least a little endearing. Besides, though he was a little on the odd side, he didn't really come off as dangerous. There was a huge difference between just weird and dangerous weird. Anthony would like to think he was pretty good at spotting the difference.

"Hah, you've got a point there. Dunno how I'd like being a robot, would I still get to eat food? I'm pretty fond of food you know."

"Yes... it was, indeed, my impression."

L remembered what it was like to be chronically and achingly hungry, after all, to the point where actual restaurant food was so heavenly that even L's finicky rules about food got bent. Instinct was funny that way; if a ham sandwich was the only sandwich, it was getting snapped up.

Things were better now, affording L the luxury of being, once more, picky about what he ate.

"What are your typical days like? I mean... your meals. Where are you getting them? Friends, shelters...?"

[Mission 3 - Nuisance] Action - open / Text later

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