Chapter One:
Chapter One:
It was a brisk winter’s day, the sky was clear of clouds, the sun was bright, and the ground crisp with frost alone. For the students of Demont City University, there couldn’t be a better day to begin their winter break.
Save for one, who was nursing a very deep, rather infected bullet wound.
Rick Maine tenderly sat up from his bed, his right arm throbbing. He rubbed his left arm across his short fur covered forehead, grumbling with a long felt annoyance.
I HAVEN’T SLEPT WITHOUT PILLS IN A WEEK Rick thought to himself, gingerly swinging his legs off of his bed and onto the floor. THE PAINKILLERS JUST AREN’T HELPING ENOUGH, AND THE ANTIBIOTICS ARE LIKE SWALLOWING STONES
Rick walked slowly out of his room as he fitted his right arm back into the sling the hospital had lent him. IT WAS ALMOST FORTUNATE THE BULLET THAT POLICE OFFICER SHOT ME WITH PASSED THROUGH MY SHOULDER- IT MADE MY EXCUSE THAT I’D BEEN HIT WITH A STRAY BULLET BELIEVABLE
Rick stepped into the bathroom and downed a capful of mouthwash, reflecting on his sleep deprived visage thoughtfully. ALMOST A LITTLE DEPRESSING THAT AN EXCUSE LIKE THAT COULD FLY SO EASILY IN THE INNER CITY
Rick spat out the mouthwash into the sink and proceeded to open the pill containers on the sink, grimacing at the size of the pink pills before snapping them in half and downing them with a glass of tepid water. DISGUSTING IN BOTH TASTE AND TEXTURE- I GUESS THAT’S HOW YOU KNOW THEY’LL WORK
Rick left the bathroom and tapped the door to the guest room across the hallway, gingerly laying his pointed left ear against the white painted wood. "Jack..." he spoke in a fairly loud, but soft voice. "Do you feel like coming downstairs for some breakfast today? Just breakfast. You can come back upstairs when you’re done."
There was a long silent pause before Rick heard a bit of shuffling behind the door. "No thanks, Rick." Jack’s voice called out, groggily. "Just bring me up some pop-tarts, I’ll be fine."
Rick was hesitant to leave, but did so just the same, walking down the stairs and into his living room. IF ANYONE WOULD WIN THE HORRIBLE BURDEN CONTEST IN THIS HOUSE, IT’S JACK, RIGHT NOW.
Rick passed through the living room and found Jamie, his house-mate and best friend, sitting at the kitchen table and eating the cold chicken left over from the other night. Jamie’s dog-like visage would lead one to believe he was as simple minded as the canine’s he resembled, but Rick had long ago come to realize his fellow animutate was much smarter, and far more troubled, than he let on.
"Jack’s still not leaving upstairs, is he?" Jamie asked, chucking a cleaned chicken bone across the room, into the waste can.
"Not as far as I can tell," Rick told him, slowly easily himself into the chair across the table from Jamie. "I don’t think we should we pressure him anymore, either. Given his- condition."
Jamie looked down with a bit of disgust at the unpleasant looking chicken wing at the bottom of the bucket, but began to gnaw at it just the same. "Yeah, I gotta admit, the side-effect of my sound powers as been no picnic, but Jack got the rawest end of the deal, not bein’ able to turn off his antigravity powers, no doubt there."
Rick frowned, taking the last drumstick from the bucket. "Jamie, do you think given the fact that I’ve been a costumed vigilante for half a year, and that you’ve gotten suprahuman powers, is starting to make us talk like- well... comic book characters?"
Jamie looked thoughtful, then continued to eat the chicken. "Well, what doya want, man? Our lives are fucking WEIRD."
Rick cocked his head to the side, then shrugged and begin to eat as well. "Yes. Yes, they are."
Jamie looked uncomfortable for a moment, of which Rick took notice. "What is it, Jamie?" he asked, a bit unwary.
Jamie put his chicken down, wiping his mouth off and looking uncomfortable. "Well- you got a phone call last night... it was Ariel."
Rick put down his own chicken and sat up straight in the chair, Jamie having his full attention. "And?"
Jamie held his hands out, looking a bit unsure of how to express himself. "She said she’ll be at the Alumni’s bridge, at the college campus today, around noon. Assuming you’re up to seeing her- she wants to talk."
"Talk?" Rick asked him "Or... talk."
Jamie gave Rick a sympathetic look, before repeating. "Talk."
Rick slumped back into his seat, touching his chin with his free left hand. "Terrific."
It was a brisk winter’s day, the sky was clear of clouds, the sun was bright, and the ground crisp with frost alone. For the students of Demont City University, there couldn’t be a better day to begin their winter break.
Save for one, who was nursing a very deep, rather infected bullet wound.
Rick Maine tenderly sat up from his bed, his right arm throbbing. He rubbed his left arm across his short fur covered forehead, grumbling with a long felt annoyance.
I HAVEN’T SLEPT WITHOUT PILLS IN A WEEK Rick thought to himself, gingerly swinging his legs off of his bed and onto the floor. THE PAINKILLERS JUST AREN’T HELPING ENOUGH, AND THE ANTIBIOTICS ARE LIKE SWALLOWING STONES
Rick walked slowly out of his room as he fitted his right arm back into the sling the hospital had lent him. IT WAS ALMOST FORTUNATE THE BULLET THAT POLICE OFFICER SHOT ME WITH PASSED THROUGH MY SHOULDER- IT MADE MY EXCUSE THAT I’D BEEN HIT WITH A STRAY BULLET BELIEVABLE
Rick stepped into the bathroom and downed a capful of mouthwash, reflecting on his sleep deprived visage thoughtfully. ALMOST A LITTLE DEPRESSING THAT AN EXCUSE LIKE THAT COULD FLY SO EASILY IN THE INNER CITY
Rick spat out the mouthwash into the sink and proceeded to open the pill containers on the sink, grimacing at the size of the pink pills before snapping them in half and downing them with a glass of tepid water. DISGUSTING IN BOTH TASTE AND TEXTURE- I GUESS THAT’S HOW YOU KNOW THEY’LL WORK
Rick left the bathroom and tapped the door to the guest room across the hallway, gingerly laying his pointed left ear against the white painted wood. "Jack..." he spoke in a fairly loud, but soft voice. "Do you feel like coming downstairs for some breakfast today? Just breakfast. You can come back upstairs when you’re done."
There was a long silent pause before Rick heard a bit of shuffling behind the door. "No thanks, Rick." Jack’s voice called out, groggily. "Just bring me up some pop-tarts, I’ll be fine."
Rick was hesitant to leave, but did so just the same, walking down the stairs and into his living room. IF ANYONE WOULD WIN THE HORRIBLE BURDEN CONTEST IN THIS HOUSE, IT’S JACK, RIGHT NOW.
Rick passed through the living room and found Jamie, his house-mate and best friend, sitting at the kitchen table and eating the cold chicken left over from the other night. Jamie’s dog-like visage would lead one to believe he was as simple minded as the canine’s he resembled, but Rick had long ago come to realize his fellow animutate was much smarter, and far more troubled, than he let on.
"Jack’s still not leaving upstairs, is he?" Jamie asked, chucking a cleaned chicken bone across the room, into the waste can.
"Not as far as I can tell," Rick told him, slowly easily himself into the chair across the table from Jamie. "I don’t think we should we pressure him anymore, either. Given his- condition."
Jamie looked down with a bit of disgust at the unpleasant looking chicken wing at the bottom of the bucket, but began to gnaw at it just the same. "Yeah, I gotta admit, the side-effect of my sound powers as been no picnic, but Jack got the rawest end of the deal, not bein’ able to turn off his antigravity powers, no doubt there."
Rick frowned, taking the last drumstick from the bucket. "Jamie, do you think given the fact that I’ve been a costumed vigilante for half a year, and that you’ve gotten suprahuman powers, is starting to make us talk like- well... comic book characters?"
Jamie looked thoughtful, then continued to eat the chicken. "Well, what doya want, man? Our lives are fucking WEIRD."
Rick cocked his head to the side, then shrugged and begin to eat as well. "Yes. Yes, they are."
Jamie looked uncomfortable for a moment, of which Rick took notice. "What is it, Jamie?" he asked, a bit unwary.
Jamie put his chicken down, wiping his mouth off and looking uncomfortable. "Well- you got a phone call last night... it was Ariel."
Rick put down his own chicken and sat up straight in the chair, Jamie having his full attention. "And?"
Jamie held his hands out, looking a bit unsure of how to express himself. "She said she’ll be at the Alumni’s bridge, at the college campus today, around noon. Assuming you’re up to seeing her- she wants to talk."
"Talk?" Rick asked him "Or... talk."
Jamie gave Rick a sympathetic look, before repeating. "Talk."
Rick slumped back into his seat, touching his chin with his free left hand. "Terrific."
posted by Brian at 12:07 PM
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