Author: Chippewa Livingston
Archive: Please ask
Disclaimer: I claim no affiliation or ownership of characters or material related to Dark Angel.
An Unauthorized Genetics Experiment, episode two
Chapter Four: Public Relations
When 'Jack' called again Mitzi said I should just "get my own line already." It was dinner hour and the place was crawling- so was my skin. Everything seemed dirtier than usual and we probably already violated several health code restrictions.
Jack wanted to know what time I got off and if I felt like going to a party. "A party?" I said, trying to clarify. "A room full of people that repeatedly ask the same prying questions- that kind of party?"
"No," he responded patiently (they trained him much better in that area than me), "a small group of open minded, free spirited art students kind of party. Art students who probably have never eaten anything greasier than fried tofu."
It was the set of grease-finger prints on the phone in my hand that convinced me.
I got off an hour and about fifty trips to the kitchen later. Jack was waiting in the fourth floor apartment, ready with hot water for me to wash up. Nathan- the- art- student could keep his party, hot water was all I needed. But I already said I'd go so I changed and we were back down the fire escape in ten minutes.
The address Jack had was for a townhouse at the edge of the sector. It wasn't particularly remarkable- white paint, now more gray than white and uneven front steps. But the skyline created from leftover house paint that adorned the front door insured us that we had the right place as did the music filtering through the walls. It wasn't anything that would attract unwanted attention but it was loud enough to my ears.
'Jack' knocked on the door and a blonde woman answered. "Yeah?" She said suspiciously. "We don't want to buy any kind of insurance or girl scout cookies."
She was about to shut the door when a voice called out, "Jack!" A young man and another woman appeared in the doorway. The woman glanced up and from that point on her eyes were glued to Jack's knee especially when he walked. She must be one of the little old ladies- I'd been quite concerned about his knee the first time I saw it too but then again it was worse than a few scars at the time.
"Hey, Nathan." Jack greeted him and looked past the blonde who'd opened the door.
"Invite the entire city?" She accused Nathan but it lacked any real venom.
"N, just the intelligent life, cuts out 95% of the population." I wanted to ask just how Nathan decided Jack was intelligent by studying his anatomy for an hour, it was something the brains at Manticore would love to know, but I hadn't even been introduced so I decided not to start pissing people off yet.
As if on cue, Jack said, "Nathan Roxanne, Roxanne Nathan." We learned that one in PR 101. Nathan smiled, he definitely had that 'I'm too in to art to shave' look.
The blonde he introduced as Asha. "Another artist?" Jack asked even though I'm sure he noticed the well developed muscles of her arms and the calluses on hands- just right for a pistol- as I had
"Yeah." Asha said quickly and her pupils dilated a millimeter.
"Me too." I might as well perpetuate the bullshit now that it had started.
The pair led us into something resembling a living room minus the furniture. "An artist, huh?" Jack asked quietly. "You know you don't have to go out of your way to lie."
"It wasn't a lie, half the truth really. To hell with the illusions of three dimensions and the insights of surrealism," I said haughtily, "it takes a real artist to make the stuff at the diner appear edible."
Neither of us got the chance to laugh though because someone abruptly turned up the volume on a news report and it immediately got our full attention.
Archive: Please ask
Disclaimer: I claim no affiliation or ownership of characters or material related to Dark Angel.
An Unauthorized Genetics Experiment, episode two
Chapter Four: Public Relations
When 'Jack' called again Mitzi said I should just "get my own line already." It was dinner hour and the place was crawling- so was my skin. Everything seemed dirtier than usual and we probably already violated several health code restrictions.
Jack wanted to know what time I got off and if I felt like going to a party. "A party?" I said, trying to clarify. "A room full of people that repeatedly ask the same prying questions- that kind of party?"
"No," he responded patiently (they trained him much better in that area than me), "a small group of open minded, free spirited art students kind of party. Art students who probably have never eaten anything greasier than fried tofu."
It was the set of grease-finger prints on the phone in my hand that convinced me.
I got off an hour and about fifty trips to the kitchen later. Jack was waiting in the fourth floor apartment, ready with hot water for me to wash up. Nathan- the- art- student could keep his party, hot water was all I needed. But I already said I'd go so I changed and we were back down the fire escape in ten minutes.
The address Jack had was for a townhouse at the edge of the sector. It wasn't particularly remarkable- white paint, now more gray than white and uneven front steps. But the skyline created from leftover house paint that adorned the front door insured us that we had the right place as did the music filtering through the walls. It wasn't anything that would attract unwanted attention but it was loud enough to my ears.
'Jack' knocked on the door and a blonde woman answered. "Yeah?" She said suspiciously. "We don't want to buy any kind of insurance or girl scout cookies."
She was about to shut the door when a voice called out, "Jack!" A young man and another woman appeared in the doorway. The woman glanced up and from that point on her eyes were glued to Jack's knee especially when he walked. She must be one of the little old ladies- I'd been quite concerned about his knee the first time I saw it too but then again it was worse than a few scars at the time.
"Hey, Nathan." Jack greeted him and looked past the blonde who'd opened the door.
"Invite the entire city?" She accused Nathan but it lacked any real venom.
"N, just the intelligent life, cuts out 95% of the population." I wanted to ask just how Nathan decided Jack was intelligent by studying his anatomy for an hour, it was something the brains at Manticore would love to know, but I hadn't even been introduced so I decided not to start pissing people off yet.
As if on cue, Jack said, "Nathan Roxanne, Roxanne Nathan." We learned that one in PR 101. Nathan smiled, he definitely had that 'I'm too in to art to shave' look.
The blonde he introduced as Asha. "Another artist?" Jack asked even though I'm sure he noticed the well developed muscles of her arms and the calluses on hands- just right for a pistol- as I had
"Yeah." Asha said quickly and her pupils dilated a millimeter.
"Me too." I might as well perpetuate the bullshit now that it had started.
The pair led us into something resembling a living room minus the furniture. "An artist, huh?" Jack asked quietly. "You know you don't have to go out of your way to lie."
"It wasn't a lie, half the truth really. To hell with the illusions of three dimensions and the insights of surrealism," I said haughtily, "it takes a real artist to make the stuff at the diner appear edible."
Neither of us got the chance to laugh though because someone abruptly turned up the volume on a news report and it immediately got our full attention.