2007-11-05: Eyes Wide Open

Starring:

Elena_icon.gif Ian_icon.gif

Summary: Elena gets a visit from a concerned, Californian straggler. They end up catching each other up with their lives, banter, and that pesky, but potentially deadly virus. In the end, Elena asks Ian to keep an eye out on a possible outbreak in the city.

Date It Happened: November 5th, 2007

Eyes Wide Open


Outside of the Petrelli Mansion, Hyde Park, New York

The sun had already sunk, and it was dark, but Ian wanted to visit. So long as she doesn't touch him in any way, she should be fine, right? It wasn't airborne. So Elena remains waiting for her friend at the driveway, rocking back on her heels. Bundled up in a black jacket, jeans, and a thick scarf, a pair of gloves are visible from the cuffs, gray and warm. It wasn't even that cold yet, but Elena looks like she's dressed for winter…..in Alaska.

Ian is in a black hoodie, Jack Skellington knit skullcap, and fatigue pants and combat boots. "You….man, what's wrong with you?" Ian, always the soul of delicacy, right? He comes clomping up, breath clouding in the chill air, peering at Elena rather nervously.

"You -know- what's wrong with me." Elena looks up at Ian's nervous face, and she gives him a small smile. "How was your trip?" she asks, leaning against the nearby wall and crossing her arms over her chest instead. "Have you managed to meet up with the crew, yet? Monica's been wondering where you've been."

Ian shakes his head. "Been trying to get over a cold. And yes, a real cold, nothing more. Had mt head to my books. I know, I suck," he says, spreading hands that are clad in black fingerless gloves.

"Oh good. 'Cause apparently it robs people of their powers too. You sure it's a real cold? You won't be able to tazer anyone with the kind of cold that…you know." Elena couldn't help but smile a little faintly. "That's good. Finals season's almost upon us anyway." She rubs her face. "I'll be lucky to keep my scholarship at this rate."

Ian holds up a fingertip. Little sparks dance over it, for a moment. "I'm still amped and ready, right?" he says, blithely.

"Looks like," Elena returns with a hint of a smile. She rolls her head back against the wall. "It's good to see you, Ian. And …you know. Glad that it's just a regular cold. So tell me about your trip….was it fun?" Small talk. Friendly chit-chat. Normal topics between friends. The young woman seems adamant not to talk about the illness anymore, drifting forward to other things.

"IT's really beautiful there, like I said," he says, face softening. "The water's too cold and the coast too rough for casual surfing, but the hiking and walking on the beach almost makes up for it. It's….it's actually where the world's finest pot is grown, I shit you not. I mean, I don't really partake myself, but it's like the Napa Valley of marijuana. So, nearly everyone is really stoned and really laidback. IT's like where all the hippies went to die after the sixties were over."

She chuckles. "Ah huh. Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuure you don't," Elena teases. This is the part where she should nudge him, especially when he talks about the pot. "But I guess if people partake all the time up there, they would've told you about it so….maybe you didn't." She winks at him playfully. The urge to cough is there, but she doesn't, swallowing it back and keeping herself from spreading her germs further. "I'm glad you had fun. Sounds like it's absolutely beautiful. I've never…actually been to California. The furthest place I've been out of New York before Spain for work was New Jersey."

Ian bounces a little on the balls of his feet. "Then you gotta come see me there, sometime. It's really cool. Used to be a whaling and fishing town, but those industries faded. Now it's tourism and pot. And I don't, I swear. I don't really drink, either. Not with my stupid person trick, y'know? I don't wanna suddenly have a party turn ino that part at the end of Return of the Jedi." He licks his lips, and quotes, "Who would've thought that HEll was real. And that it was in New Jersey?"

She looks over at him, Elena giving him a faint smile. California, where it was reputed to be always sunny. Drake had moved there, and he probably didn't intend to move back to gloomy New York. Thinking about it was enough to relax her. She could almost see it. Though at the visual he gives her, she can't help but laugh hoarsely. "Oh god. I can see it now. I'll just be there, taking a drink, and all of a sudden, I see you Windu Miki out the window." She snickers softly. "Jersey isn't that bad." There's a pause. "…okay it's pretty bad. But there's good stuff around there too. Like…..pizza. And…uh…deer. And…" She pauses. "….actually there's some sort of urban legend there that the Dunkin Donuts around Morristown is haunted by a 6'3" crossdresser with a hairy back."

"I've never seen any of it but the Newark airport," IAn says, making a face. "Where I had the worst hotdog of my young life. I'm sure if you get away from the part of it that is basically where New York City metastasized, it's cool. Lots of California is boring, for its part."

She lifts her brows at that. Elena can't help but grin. "What, even Los Angeles with all its eyecandy and San Diego which is a stone's throw away from real tequila?" she teases. "….eh, I'm the same way. I don't really drink either. It doesn't….affect me like normal people do. …well. Normally." She scritches the back of her neck with her gloved fingers. "…worst hotdog huh? Must be really bad if you remember it."

"The cities are neat. I love San Francisco," Ian enthuses. "But the great central valley is flat and blah. Nothing there, you know? The North is beautiful. IS it worse, for you, or easier? I mean, with the booze?" He nods, pulling that grimace of disgust again. "Yeah. I was on a layover, and it was what was by my gate. Fucking awful."

"My little brother would probably love it. Flat areas like that are perfect for just gunning an engine and taking off without worrying about the speed limit….if you didn't care about the law anyway," Elena says. "I've never been to San Francisco, but one day, I want to go. I hear Boston and San Fran are the places to get some really good seafood." ….oh Elena, always with the food. "And it's easier. I can't get drunk at all, really, if they're active."

Ian eyes her speculatively. "Angel, I see drinking contests in biker bars in your future, if that's true." Now there's an image. "Boston's cool, too. I've got family there. IT's little and clean compared to New York, but very fun."

"Really? That's another place I want to visit someday," Elena says wistfully. But when Ian calls her Angel, she grins. "Don't look like much of one right now," she teases him. "So what do I start calling you? Razor? Blazer?" Yes. She is quoting Dodgeball. As much as she loves her action movies, comedies are up there too.

Ian smirks. "I don't have any cool nicknames. Ian doesn't lend itself to much, y'know?" he says, putting his hands comfortably back in his pockets.

"Sith Lord," Elena says with a nod. But she does grin at Ian and steps back before he's tempted to zap her and live up to the name. "But I'll think of something. Static Shock is too cartoony…that and you're no brother." Ian was as pasty as they come. She smiles after though. "Glad you could stop by though. I was going a little crazy being cooped up like this."

Ian just grins at her, amused. "What's the story, morning glory? I mean, you're better, right? Or close to? Your tricks working again?"

"….I…" Elena hesitates, but she does flash a small smile at him. "We know more about what hit us, so that's good. And no, not working again as of yet. In fact it's getting harder and harder to…do what I do the longer this goes. But the people looking into it are close to figuring this out." At least, she hopes so. She doesn't want to just flat-out tell Ian it was potentially lethal. He just got back from California, she didn't want to bog him down.

Ian leans in a little, as if he might somehow see better. So much for personal space. "Wait. IT's not gonna leave you permanently, uh, disabled, right?"

"I hope not. I'd be pissed," Elena tells Ian with a small frown. Though when he leans further in, she leans back. So her personal bubble is invaded, but she doesn't want to breathe on him. "I've…they've been extremely helpful in the past. Would be a shame to lose them now."

Ian takes a step back, as if finally remember his manners. "Yeah," he says, mournfully. "I never thought that something might actually take 'em from us, you know?"

"Well…it's man made. God knows what the fuck they intended this for," Elena mutters under her breath. The use of the f-word probably only belies the frustration she feels in her situation, but as always she's trying to pass it off as 'just one of those things.' She looks up at him, and her expression softens. "Just do your best not to get it, okay?"

"I ….was about to say any number of really crude things, and now I won't," says Ian, eyes rounding. "I'll bet it was intended to do just that it's doing. Be a safeguard against us."

"Yeah, maybe." Elena pauses. She looks over at Ian. Finally, she rakes her hand through her hair. "Anyways. Nothing for me to do but wait." She pushes away from the wall, inclining her head at him and giving him a small smile. "I'll be back before you know it, though," she offers. "I should go back inside. Would invite you in but…the inside of the house is full of cooties. Take care of yourself, okay? Keep me posted on the campus happenings. I miss you guys."

He offers a crisp salute. "Will do. Can I bring you stuff? I mean, games, take-out, something?" Yeah, Ian's groping for a way to be useful.

There is a pause. Elena looks over at him. "Well, you're pretty active, yeah? I know you, you hate being cooped up on campus." She pauses for a moment. "If….you see signs of this going on, just…more and more people getting sick in one of your haunts, could you let me know? Apparently….they found someone who had the same thing we had. Except that he wasn't…you know. Like us. And we've never heard of him before, never come in contact with this person that we know of. He worked at the meat packing district. We don't know if he managed to contain what he had or it's out there. Just…" She pulls her scarf off her face, so Ian can see how pale and gaunt she is. "If you start seeing more and more people looking like this…could you let me know and where? But…don't try to touch them or anything, just…just do your best to stay away. But keep your eyes open. I don't really….I can't wander far from here most days."

"It'll be okay," he says, gently, leaning in as if to touch her arm. "I promise. And I will do. They found a variant of this in the normal humans, is that what you're saying?" Ian just looks puzzled, for a moment.

She hesitates at that, chewing on her bottom lip. At the touch on her arm, Elena looks up to meet his eyes. "….I don't know if it's the same or if it's a variant. I don't remember the explanation but it affects normal people faster. They….it can be fatal, Ian. On a normal person. So if you see a bunch of people really bad off all of a sudden…" She shakes her head. "I…just promise me if you do this, you'll be careful, okay?"

Ian's voice is equally uneasy. "You're making this sound like some crazy Hot zone stuff, kiddo," he notes, frowning. "But I'll be good."

"I'm sorry. I don't really know much about this either," Elena confesses. She knows more than most people but what she knows isn't on the level as everyone else in the know. "You don't…even have to go actively looking for anything, you know. Just keep your eyes open."

Ian lifts his hands. "I won't. I mean, hey, I'm pretty oblivious, but I'll keep my eyes open, my hand to god."

"Thanks," Elena says, flashing Ian a smile. She points a finger to him. "And hey. You asked." He was fishing to be able to help in some way, so she's giving it to him. She gives him a wink, rubbing her face. The day had been exhausting, what with fighting with Gene, and staying here after the sun's gone down. It was cold. It was only getting colder. "Anyway I better go rest….I'll see you later, okay?" she murmurs.

He actually pushes her gently, like a mother duck shooing a duckling into the pond. "Yeah. Feel better. We'll play games on line, and I'll bring you soup," he says, grinning, though it's a bit uncertain.

"Sounds good," Elena tells him with a smile. Her body feels heavy. Bed sounded good despite the fact it was probably only seven or eight in the evening, and there was a faint buzzing at the back of her head. She shuffles on when she's shoo'd back to the house. "I'll see you, Ian. I'm glad you stopped by," she says over her shoulder.

"I'll come by again," Ian assures her, chuckling. "Feel better. Tell that mope of a boyfriend to take better care of you."

"Hey. He takes care of me just fine," Elena tells him, sticking her tongue out at him, though…there are two Ians in her vision now instead of just one. With a wave, she turns around, shaking her head and wandering back to the house in slow, measured steps. She needs to get to a bed. She needs to sleep. Or medicine.

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