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Post by Londyn Avery on Jun 18, 2016 21:10:42 GMT -7
The past day or so had whirred by in a blur. Londyn's father was still in the hospital and somewhat stable. Not on death's door, but not great either, from what she understood. But a kid can only spend so much time in a hospital and worrying about their family before it drives them up a wall and through the ceiling, as she had personally come to find out.
Internet searches had done little to nothing on figuring out who the person who had saved them was, and there had been plenty of questions about him. She didn't even have a name or anything, just that long coat with the weird symbols and the assumption he was a super. He had to be, right? But she hadn't mentioned that part to anyone yet. She didn't want to think of what that would mean for her and her father, what other questions there would be or assumptions that would be made. Of course, she didn't find out about the condition of the gang members until much later, and that was by accident. There was no way a normal person could do that.
There was also no way a normal person could hide this well. Frustated with her lack of results, of the mechanical whir and buzz of machines and the beeping that measured her father's heart rate, Londyn broke free of the hospital towards evening, claiming to go home when she in fact was going in the opposite direction. She wasn't comfortable going to the docks alone after what had happened, but she needed to start somewhere, so downtown was her current searching grounds.
She walks past a series of shops, not quite looking lost but certainly frustrated as she looks around, askign people as she passes by about the man named Gilgamesh. Surely someone would have heard of him.
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Post by Sharon Anderson on Jun 19, 2016 19:52:17 GMT -7
Today wasn't going too well. Earlier, Sharon rode her bike all the way downtown in hopes of catching a last minute sale. A less popular grocery store was practically giving away entire bags of potatoes at a third of the usual price. With enough of those, her family would be set for weeks.
Unfortunately, a lot of other people took advantage of the offer, and they had fast cars and a much shorter commute. By the time she got there, the entire inventory had been depleted. They had another, more expensive brand, but who had the cash for that? Probably the same people with those stupid cars. Disappointed, Sharon walked her bicycle down the street, lacking the energy to pedal back home.
Something she overheard caught her attention, and she slowed down in order to listen some more. The description the other girl mentioned sounded familiar. They might be talking about one of the supers Sharon had recently looked up. Although, she didn't hear the whole conversation, so she could be wrong.
Well, only one way to find out. Dinner could wait, and her mother would understand. Sharon rarely got a chance to have an actual conversation about superheroes every day, and didn't want to let this one slip away. She called out to girl with brown hair in front of her. "Hey, hold on." She jogged to catch up with her. It was hard to wave someone down when they weren't even looking in the right direction, but she tried anyway. Sharon was not entirely sure how to start this discussion without sounding like a weirdo, but had faith that everything would work out. "Think I know 'bout this guy, what's he look like again?"
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Post by Londyn Avery on Jun 19, 2016 20:28:29 GMT -7
This was beyond frustrating. Londyn was getting nowhere, and the shadows that reached out from the downtown buildings were starting to stretch out to greet one another. She bit the inside of her lower lip as she pondered where to go next, shaking her head with a sharp gesture as she realized what she was doing. No point in looking like she had a bloody lip unless she earned it, and she'd rather not. Besides, the skin would be another annoyance as it healed.
Though she hears the words, she doesn't heed the other girl's call right away. It was still busy downtown as people made their way home or stayed out late for shopping, so having no name to go off of didn't work as it normally might. And yet, she couldn't help but feel hope at the fact that someone might finally be able to help her find the person she was looking for.
The rhythm of footsteps on the pavement, growing louder with each passing second, were finally what nudged the brunette into stopping. She turned, looking at the pale-haired girl who had apparently made an effort to catch up with her. Hope stirred in her chest like a small butterfly. Would she finally get some news?
"Kinda tall, blonde guy wearing a black coat with weird symbols." She tries to gesture at his height, but it's note quite so impressive. She pauses for a moment, trying to remember anything else that might be helpful, then nods. "Martial artist."
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Post by Sharon Anderson on Jun 20, 2016 12:34:18 GMT -7
In her enthusiastic jogging, Sharon forgot how much her legs already hurt from the earlier exercise. The soreness had come back with a vengeance, but it was worth the effort. The other girl actually stopped to wait.
Sharon nodded along while listening to the description. What she heard lined up with the superhero she expected, but it seemed too good to be true. She might be projecting what she wants the answer to be, and not accounting for any other possibilities. It wouldn't be the first time. She didn't want to give out false information. Sharon considered mentioning the entire list of candidates, but decided that would be too much. As much as she liked the sound of her own voice, that could take forever. "Hmm. That's probably Gil but, like, I wanna be sure."
There was a story she remembered from a while ago. Probably read about it on some blog, but it didn't matter. That's not the important part. All that mattered was how it involved a certain superpowered punching man. Revealing this should narrow down the list of tall blonde guys in their neighborhood. She pointed a finger at the girl, because it felt weird to stand still for this long during a discussion. "Your guy beat people up? And I mean like, you'd be surprised they're still breathing kind 'a beatdown."
If the two of them could narrow down the options a little bit further, Sharon would know for sure which of the three most likely supers it could be. The thought occurred to question why this girl even cared, but didn't want to discourage another potential fan. Maybe later.
Was she stalling for time? Definitely.
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Post by Londyn Avery on Jun 20, 2016 14:29:50 GMT -7
Londyn listens to the other girl's response with a wary expression. This felt too good to be true, despite lamenting the lack of progress five seconds ago. "Who's Gil?" This pale-haired stranger was on a nickname basis with him? That was too easy. Surely there was a catch somewhere. That or it was someone else entirely, but she can't tell from three letters of a name; thre's not enough evidence to be sure. Still, there's hope, and that's what she holds on to.
"Yes." She drags the word out as she thinks back on the fight that had been over in seconds, one body flying into the water and another the shadows. She didn't remember what happened to the other two.
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Post by Sharon Anderson on Jun 20, 2016 20:57:51 GMT -7
"Knew it!"
Sharon pumped her fist in the air, unaware she no longer holding onto anything. The sound of the bicycle's frame hitting the sidewalk brought her back down to earth. Her cheeks turned bright red and she averted her eyes. She stooped down to retrieve her bike before it could sustain any real damage.
"I-I mean, if we're being honest and all, I could be wrong." She shrugged. "Ain't like I met the guy or anything, but the other heroes are too nice for that kind 'a stuff."
Generally speaking, there weren't too many supers around to begin with. The physical description cut out the vast majority. None of the other choices for hood men matched every detail exactly like Gil did. Okay, it was either him or Iskander, but that one left town months ago. Actually, were the two of them really talking about someone in Emerald City? Sharon assumed they were, but that brought up another assumption. It was much more likely this girl was talking about a regular dude who happened to have an odd sense of fashion. At least one of them had to mention the probability before going all in with the crazy option.
"Long as you're looking for an actual superhero, best option's this one called Gilgamesh." She hesitated, but risked asking anyway. "Why, what'd he do to you?"
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Post by Londyn Avery on Jun 20, 2016 21:45:23 GMT -7
Londyn blinks and takes a step back at the burst of enthusiasm, not expecting such a high energy response, let alone a positive one. She watches the girl carefully, as though she might spontaneously combust and take Londyn down with her. It was baffling to think of someone not only openly talking about supers in a positive way, but with such relish.
But the girl was also right in the fact that most "heroes" weren't known for such violent means to an end. It unnerved her to think about it too long, but the fact remained that those methods had been what had saved her. Not some self-proclaimed hero pr an organization. There was no doubt in her mind that he was indeed some form of super, however; the man had moved so fast, almost a blur in the night. Regular humans couldn't do that.
"I am." She takes a step forward as the bike crashes, but keep sa distance so anything that might fall off isn't near her. She looks the girl up and down with a frown at her question, then shakes her head.
"Something I want to talk to him about. Why, what happened to you?" What kind of story is there with this one?
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Post by Sharon Anderson on Jun 20, 2016 23:08:02 GMT -7
Whoa. Sharon didn't expect to see her question turned around on her. The surprise registered on her face for just a moment, before reverting back to her cheerful expression. By now she was used to downplaying her interest in weird subjects, and should be able to give a more typical response that wouldn't drive the other girl away. Considering the current subject matter, it was a little more difficult this time around.
"Nothing fancy, just paying attention to all the supers 'round here. 'Specially those helping out folks like me over by those docks or whatever."
Sharon started to feel uncomfortable with the direction this had ended up taking. She wasn't used to directly referring to her neighborhood to others. It felt wrong actively calling it a slum simply because everyone else did. There had to be a better word for it. . . but she hadn't figured it out yet.
"Though it would be nice to meet someone with powers. she wondered. If she wasn't careful, she'd drift back into full-on fangirl mode. Sharon looked away once more, and started massaging the back of her neck. "But, like, probably start someone easier to find first."
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Post by Londyn Avery on Jun 20, 2016 23:15:02 GMT -7
Her interest shows at the mention of being helped at the docks, and Londyn finds herself nodding along in some form of understanding.
"Looks like we have that in common," she admits, but nothing more. How that leads to her wanting to talk to him isn't for others to hear. Londyn felt embarrassed just thinking about it, let alone saying the words out loud. The skepticism fades from her expression as the other girl continues on, painfully aware of her outburst.
"It might be, yeah. People don't seem very opn to talk about it." She sighs and shakes her head. It's an unfortunate truth of the world.
"So are you asking for help, or offering it?"
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Post by Sharon Anderson on Jun 21, 2016 0:16:02 GMT -7
Did she. . . Sharon never. . .
If she wasn't already scratching her head from before, now would've been a good time to start. A few wires must've gotten crossed somewhere along the way. She didn't intend to relate to the girl. They didn't actually share an experience, did they? Sharon was simply speaking in generalities, but apparently, this was a real thing that actually happened.
Well then, as easy as it would be to correct the misunderstanding, that would be the stupidest decision of her entire life (and she has made plenty of dumb decisions by now). Following this line of thought to it's logical conclusion, the girl in front of her is the closest link Sharon had to an actual superhero. A couple of kids down the street often joked about meeting some bird hero, but they were clearly making things up. This was serious, or a very elaborate prank. If she ever wanted to meet someone with special abilities, she needed to keep the lie going.
"Yes!" It took a moment to realize she was not asked a yes/no kind of question. Sharon shook her head and started over. "Both? Either? Figured it's easier to work with somebody than trying to do it all alone."
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Post by Londyn Avery on Jun 21, 2016 16:22:47 GMT -7
Londyn let the girl work through her confusion, wondering if her assumption had been off. It had seemed a genuine statement, but maybe she meant about people in general? Typically, she avoided the slums, so who knew what would have happened if she'd walked home alone. Maybe she'd still be oblivious.
"That is what you meant, right? 'People like you' getting help?" That might have been the only thing they had in common, if that. Just looking at her told Londyn that their worlds started in different places. "Or are you just a fan with a good luck streak?" Regardless of any misunderstanding, she seemed to be on the right track, and her expression brightens at the enthusiasm.
"It could! He was out by the docks, but I didn't even have a solid on his name until now. I'm not sure where else we could start."
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Post by Sharon Anderson on Jun 21, 2016 19:53:01 GMT -7
Well, she was a fan, and fairly lucky, but Sharon didn't want to use that as a cover. From here on, she decided to be more open and honest than usual. Real friends don't lie try to each other from the moment they first meet. Sure, right now they don't even know each other's name, but she felt as though the two of them were bonding pretty well.
"Nah, you're right. . . probably. Not sure. It was kinda dark, and then everything happened and. . . " Sharon let her sentence trail off as she took in a deep breath. They had reached the part of her career as a stalker that she couldn't talk about. Not here. Not now. Besides, she was getting off topic. That girl didn't ask to know everything in the first place.
After calming herself down, Sharon let out a long sigh."Well, yeah. 'Round there's the safest bet. Best spots are full 'a bad guys, so we can't go there even if I used--"
Thankfully she caught herself in time before finishing her line of thought. She almost said something that would make her sound like the craziest person on earth. This wasn't a thing to casually reference during the first date. "Just ignore the last part, yeah?"
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Post by Londyn Avery on Jun 21, 2016 20:14:38 GMT -7
Her lips quirk in a momentary smile, understanding exactly what it is the other girl means as she gives the vague explanation of what happened. They story was painfully similar. But it seemed she also needed a moment to compose herself, which Londyn was willing to grant her. She herself was still fairly touchy about what had happened in her own experience.
But the idea the other girl offered was cut short as she backpedaled. The brunette wondered what it was she was hiding, what was it she was supposed to forget? Prying seemed a poor choice just now, the girl more open about her experiences but not completely. That was fair.
But was she ready to go back so soon? Only one way to find out.
"Sure." She gives the other girl a doubtful expression, but leaves it at that, instead offering her a polite smile and offering her hand.
"Name's Londyn, by the way."
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Post by Sharon Anderson on Jun 22, 2016 14:11:20 GMT -7
Seeing how the girl didn't ask for clarification, Sharon knew she could relax once again. So much for not lying to new friends. That didn't even last a minute. She could always apologize for being secretive later on, if it ever became important.
For now she accepted the handshake, eyes sparkling with renewed energy. "Sharon Anderson. Glad to finally meet."
While both of them were still on important administrative business mode, there was one other subject worth bringing up right away. If they started talking about magic or superpowers again, Sharon would easily move on and forget that she never asked for a way to contact Londyn in the future. Similar situations had happened before, which only turned out okay because they knew enough of the same people or went to the same places. Sharon didn't want to assume, but it didn't seem like it would out the same this time. At the very least, it was a good opportunity to learn from past mistakes.
"So like, any ideas on how we'd stay in touch later?" She avoided naming anything specific out of habit. It helped avoid mentioning things Londyn didn't use or suggesting things she herself didn't have.
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Post by Londyn Avery on Jun 22, 2016 20:36:16 GMT -7
Sharon had enough energy in her to light up the entire street; Londyn was certain she'd pick up some residual glow from the handshake. But the enthusiasm was also quite catchy, lifting her mood some, however long that would last.
"Nice to meet you." Her hand falls to her side, fingers brushing against her skirt in an absent gesture. The question is a fair one, though the brunette considers her answer carefully. Would Sharon be the type to blow up her phone and be clingy? Would they function on a business only level? She wasn't sure what she wanted from the other girl yet beyond her assistance, but she seemed nice enough.
"We could go by email for now. I'm pretty easy to get a hold of." Her phone had email access, after all, so it was a bit better than texting in terms of keeping her messages organized and away from a casual observer.
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