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Post by skybright on May 29, 2007 23:19:44 GMT -5
"I can just imagine." Daws gave Roger a sympathetic look. "Well, on the off chance that anyone who's unattached and not mentally unbalanced shows up looking to hire a private eye, I'll put in the good word for ya."
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Post by Jordanna on May 30, 2007 20:23:34 GMT -5
Vance chuckled. "In New York, that's sorta like looking for an honest politician in Washington."
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Post by skybright on May 30, 2007 22:26:51 GMT -5
Daws laughed. "You're telling me. The unattached and the mentally stable might exist, sure -- but they're not the ones out looking for private detectives."
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Post by Jordanna on May 30, 2007 22:29:59 GMT -5
"Not that you found yourself somebody 'unattached and mentally stable', either." Roger smirked at Daws from the driver's seat.
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Post by skybright on May 30, 2007 22:44:24 GMT -5
Daws grinned. "No, not exactly. But stability is boring, and I hate being bored."
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Post by Jordanna on May 30, 2007 22:52:40 GMT -5
"Personally, I think a little boring'd be nice at this time of life," Roger replied. "When I retired from the Army, I didn't exactly plan on using my urban warfare training again."
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Post by skybright on May 30, 2007 23:01:39 GMT -5
Daws gave him a somewhat rueful smile. "I gave up on trying to predict my future about ten minutes after I manifested -- but I know what you mean. This still isn't what any of us figured on."
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Post by Jordanna on May 30, 2007 23:11:32 GMT -5
"That's why they say 'May you live in interesting times' is an old curse," Vance murmured philosophically.
They were now in sight of the Latimore Apartments. Roger pulled up to the curb and hauled himself out of the driver's seat with a lazy stretch. "Home sweet home. It's still here, so I guess those Spook brats haven't found the gas main yet."
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Post by skybright on May 30, 2007 23:20:25 GMT -5
"Or figured out how to turn on the fire hoses." Daws added, sliding out of the car. "Thank heaven for small favors, I guess."
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Post by Jordanna on May 30, 2007 23:31:48 GMT -5
"Time to ring the chow bell, I guess." Roger moved around to the back of the station wagon and hauled out one of the soup pots. "You might as well have dinner here, Major, since you're staying to wait for Handy. How 'bout you, Daws?"
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Post by skybright on May 30, 2007 23:34:15 GMT -5
"Oh, why not?" Daws shrugged and reached for a pot. "I guess it's not fair subjecting anybody to my cooking without being willing to take the plunge myself."
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Post by Jordanna on May 30, 2007 23:48:41 GMT -5
Vance grinned as he picked up his own pot. "That's why I made sure the one you cooked is still with us."
The three mutants trooped inside. A group of Spook children were playing in the foyer, and they looked up--somewhat guiltily--when the landlord appeared. Catching the scent of the soup, they perked up.
"Okay, kids." Roger smiled warmly, in spite of his complaints about the unwanted tenants. "Go call your folks down to get some dinner."
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Post by skybright on May 30, 2007 23:56:13 GMT -5
Daws grinned faintly as the group of kids bolted up the stairs of the apartment building. "Where d'ya want to set this up, Rog?"
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Post by Jordanna on May 31, 2007 21:20:59 GMT -5
Roger grinned and waved a hand toward the front desk. "Just set 'em down there. The Spooks can help themselves."
Even as he was speaking, a trickle of Spooks began descending the stairs, bowls and spoons in hand.
"Save that small pot for us, Major," Roger remarked. "For people who've lived on nothing, they really know how to demolish food."
"It's called taking advantage of charity," Vance muttered, half under his breath.
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Post by skybright on May 31, 2007 21:35:55 GMT -5
Daws shrugged laconically and set her pot of soup on the front desk. "Won't be forever, Major." She replied quietly, "Even if it might seem like it."
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Post by Jordanna on May 31, 2007 22:37:19 GMT -5
Roger was watching the Spooks as they gathered around to fill their bowls. There was no thanks from them; only an orderly and polite but still impassive silence.
"So... yeah. Enjoy." Roger shrugged resignedly, turning to Daws and Vance. "Come on to my BQ."
The three made their way down the hall to Roger's own ground-floor apartment. He automatically tuned the television to a baseball game as soon as they were through the door, then headed into the kitchen to collect bowls and utensils.
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Post by skybright on May 31, 2007 22:53:10 GMT -5
Daws glanced at the television as she sat down, noting the score. "White Sox haven't been having a very good season." She noted. "Rumor has it they dropped one of their starting pitchers because he tested X-positive."
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Post by Jordanna on May 31, 2007 23:00:04 GMT -5
"Which doesn't even mean he's a manifested mutant," Vance muttered.
"That's why I want digital cable," Roger remarked, coming back into the room with an armload of dishes. "A coupla channels on there show games from the mutant sports leagues that are trying to catch on. Probably scares the norms witless to watch, but at least we're getting time somewhere."
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Post by skybright on May 31, 2007 23:07:34 GMT -5
"Yeah, it's a start, at least." Daws said, reaching out to relieve Roger of some of his burden. "There's a few mainstream sports teams that're talking about declaring themselves 'safe-haven' for mutant players, too -- mostly in the smaller cities. I'll believe that when I see it, personally."
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Post by Jordanna on May 31, 2007 23:15:43 GMT -5
"I've heard talk about some people wanting to develop a power-suppression drug, 'to let mutants play sports on a level field'," Vance said contemptuously. "We all know where that'd go. Thank goodness society at large hasn't got ahold of anything like the stuff Caddy and Hubert found in our Gray Lab haul."
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