Informal visit (For Metody)

[evillurks]

The Shadow is hard at work coordinating things from the Rettigue apartment, today. The break from hunting out Khan's activities in his alternate's world is merely an opportunity to chase criminals in his own. Unavailable to gather forces for multiple raids and without the time to head up those operations himself, he's stuck compiling information and passing it to legal authorities through very careful channels. It's a lot of paperwork, and very tedious, but it gives him a physical rest he needs from his other activities.

When Metody arrives, he's in the most worn spot in the whole place; the center of the black plush sofa, bent over the coffee table. He regards his visitor over the rims of his reading glasses. "You've looked better. Coffee or tea?" The paperwork is shuffled neatly into a folder, out of sight.

The apartment is spacious and spartan, with sleek dark furniture. There's a grouping of the sofa and a few black armchairs around a black metal coffee table, all arranged on a vast Oriental rug. A bookshelf built into the wall opposite the sofa holds a television set that is archaic by Metody's standards, fewer books than one might expect, a sleek stereo system, and in spots of honour a card bearing Chinese calligraphy by Myra and the wrappings and knife Metody sent for Christmas. A floor to ceiling window dominates another wall, but the drapes are only open a crack. Apart from the kitchen doorway and a hall, there's little else to be seen in this room. It has quite a bit of open, empty space and the feel of somewhere that is only sporadically lived in.

Comments

[metody-green.livejournal.com]

"Mmm, but I've never felt more beautiful."

He sits, hunching over a little bit and jiggling one of his feet in an absent way. As often happens when he is ill, he feels resentful towards the entire world for existing. Stupid effing world.

"Coffee, please."

On the other hand, there is now a cup of coffee in his future. How bad could things be?

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

"...Hm." The old man gives him a long, unreadable stare, then stands and stretches, spine popping. Working hunched over at the coffee table is a terrible pose for a tall man, yet it's become a familiar habit. He has an empty coffee mug amid the folders and papers, which he retrieves for a refill.

Only when he's reached the kitchen doorway does he elaborate, over his shoulder. "You look like somebody tried to decorate you with their fists. Or possibly like you're suffering major circulatory failure." There's no venom in his tone, and only a mild hint of disapproval, but it's just possible this is his way of showing concern. He did just invite Metody over for a social visit, after all.

[metody-green.livejournal.com]

"It's a side effect of an internal cleaning process."

That, he realizes, is probably not helpful.

"The place I used to live in, it poisons you after a few years. There are things to clean out your insides - lung washings and blood filtration and - other things. And there are medications to draw out the things that tend to lodge in fat and bone. This - " he waves his hand at himself and pauses, briefly distracted by what the motion does to his vision. "Part of it is from all that. And part of it is from - there was a ceremony before I went to do my new job, and in retrospect, I should have called for a stand-in for certain parts of it. There was a bit of a - a kind of delayed reaction."

He smiles with a sudden cheer that comes through in his voice.

"It's getting much better, though. I was completely gray a few days ago."

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

The kitchen is not large, and The Shadow can hear his voice from the other room as he sets up the coffee maker. Metody may be able to glimpse his back as he works. As soon as the pot begins to brew, he comes to lean in the doorframe, watching the younger man with a critical eye. He has forgotten to remove his reading glasses, and is thus forced to peer over them. "You... mentioned something about that in your world. For my own lungs. This isn't a winning endorsement. Your latest reports were..." Blue eyes scan the ceiling absently while he searches for words. There are cobwebs in the corners. He hadn't noticed until now. "I would have excused you for medical reasons, you know. I'm not a slave-driver."
That point could be argued, by some of his more heavily relied-upon agents. At least he never asks any more of them than he gives.

"What kind of new job?"

[metody-green.livejournal.com]

"Wh- no, no, not at my home. In the Nexus. They'll clone bits and put them in. I just can't do it for a while because it'd cause enormous problems. Unless you mean the lung cleanings. Those are actually effective."

He clasps his hands together, studying how his fingers interlaced. "And - I've got to come to the Nexus anyway for food. I might as well be useful while here."

Metody looks up and smiles happily. "I'm a Warden now - essentially, I've been given guardianship of a patch of the wilds to clean it out, pacify what needs pacification, and document what's on it. I'm pretty happy about it."

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

The angular masklike features of The Shadow are difficult to read, but the idea of having his lungs scoured clean or replaced does not sit well with him. He's managed well thus far, but nurse Branigan has made it clear that as long as he continues to do work that puts him leaping and running and breathing in smoke or worse, the condition will very certainly worsen with time. It might be better to look into such a solution before he comes to the point of actually needing it.

"I'll... look in the medical section of the Nexus library, first. The doctors are starting to flee every time I step in the Clinics." This is delivered in a deadpan tone, and is not really intended as a joke.

"That sounds important... I'd be interested to see the wilds of your world, some time." The cities sound less than pleasant, but the religious culture and the proliferation of spirits Metody's spoken of intrigues him.

[metody-green.livejournal.com]

"I kind of freak them out, too," he says. "Which is fair, because they freak me out." And they started it! his tone adds.

He is much happier talking about his world. "I would love a guest." Especially one he can trust to not go hieing off into the woods at the first shiny thing he sees. "It's pretty awesome, actually. Since I'm new to the job, they've given me a patch up in the Appalachians that's been pretty much cleaned of the really ominous things. It's incredible. I come out of my - my house" - calling it a 'house' is gross overstatement, really- "and I can just see about forever. It's amazing."

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

He lets Metody's choice of phrasing pass without comment. He has a reputation as an impossible patient more so than a 'freaky' one. That's no surprise to anyone who knows him, of course.

Instead of lingering on thoughts of the Clinics and other unpleasant medical details, The Shadow's gaze goes peacefully distant. "That sounds beautiful. I made a flight up to the Catskills a number of months back, but my opportunities to get out of the city are rare." That was a lovely day, and spent with Myra at that. He seems briefly lost in memory. As devoted as he may be to this city, there is something about the mountains that calls to him. It may be an echo of his time in the Himalayas.

[metody-green.livejournal.com]

He's glad to leave the subject behind.

"The Catskills are a little gentler than the Appalachians - they're technically a vast plateau that's been worn down into hundreds of valleys by rivers, while the Appalachians are true - I'm sorry." He smiles sheepishly. "I taught Geology for a while. They're beautiful - covered in snow right now, very dark and quiet and sleeping. There are deer, and little birds."

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

The Shadow merely shrugs, as he is interested in all fields of study and knows a smattering of geology himself. "I miss Tibet. Those are mountains." There are fleeting moments when he worries, should he ever have the chance to return, that his lungs may not be able to handle that sort of elevation now. He was a younger man when he was in the Himalayas last.

"It sounds wonderful, very peaceful, but does everyone have to go through that," He makes a vague gesture in Metody's direction, to indicate his current bruised state, "to visit the Appalachians of your world?" The coffee maker is burbling to a finish, and he moves to fill mugs for them both.

[metody-green.livejournal.com]

"Those are amazing mountains. I've seen pictures of them - just incredible. I'd love to see them..." he trails off. "I guess I can, in another world."

Metody pokes at the edge of the bruising, grinning a bit. "Nope. This is purely health-related. You won't even have to get painted, either. No chanting or other things, either."

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

"I keep a painting," He makes a vague gesture towards the hall, which may or may not be visible from where Metody's sitting, then picks up both mugs to deliver them to the living room. "But I haven't been back in a long time. The politics changed for the worse."

"Painted? Do you need cream or sugar?" He offers Metody his mug, and assumes it will be understood those questions are not related.

[metody-green.livejournal.com]

He lifts his head and looks blearily in that direction, then settles down. Keen as his interest in the Himalayas is, he's going to stay where he is. The painting is unlikely to vanish in the next few minutes.

He gestures to his face, then realizes The Shadow can't see it. "Most people get signs of protection painted on their faces and hands before they go out to the wilds. At home, they do. Though mine kind of, ah, melted into my skin cream and then there was this reaction that - it was remarkable. I puffed up for a bit. But there's no evidence that they actually do any protection. They're more a social thing. May I have some both, please?"

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

With a nod he deposits his own mug on the table, and goes back to the kitchen. What he brings back is a bag of sugar, and a carton of milk, and he pauses briefly to inspect the expiration date on the latter. Both are set on the coffee table within Metody's reach. He's forgotten to bring a spoon, as well.

"That's part of why you're... mm." He makes a vague gesture to his face. "I'm not good at social things." He is also fairly confident of his own ability to protect himself from spirits by psychic means.

[metody-green.livejournal.com]

He restrains the impulse to say something like, 'lovely as a flower.' He should not poke at The's discomfort with such things.

" - yes. The chemicals in the paint - dye, really - interacted with the chemicals in the cream, and then they reacted with the chemicals in me."

Metody wouldn't realize it if the milk was expired; his sense of taste was still quite bad. He poured a little milk in, then cautiously tipped in some sugar, then pulled a pocketknife from his pocket, opened a blade, and used that to stir.

"At home, I'm okay if there's a set role for me to play. Otherwise, not so much. Here- er. In the Nexus. It's easier for me, somehow."

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

It is, in this case, more an attempt at tact than any personal discomfort. He assumes that harping further on Metody's current appearance would be pushing things, but was unsure how to put it more politely.

The description has him wondering how such things would interact with his ever-present disguise, however, so he's just as glad Metody's said it's not necessary.

"I could get you a- nevermind." The Shadow sinks back down on the sofa with his own coffee. The milk should still more or less be good, but since he takes nothing in his own coffee he's out of the habit of serving it properly. "I used to be better at it, when I was playing at Cranston all the time. Now if there's information gathering that requires social charm, I send one agent or another to do it."

[metody-green.livejournal.com]

"Meh." He's fine with the knife. He wipes the blade off on his pants, folds it up and tucks it away. The coffee is warm and he's sure it's delicious.

"I've gotten better at it as I've gotten older, thank goodness. There was a time when I was afraid to talk to anyone other than my family and my partner. I think part of it is that I'm slowly learning that, taken one by one, people aren't that bad. Usually. And the Nexus has helped." He grins. "When you've just spent the day speaking to rather touchy leather-clad sword-bearing warrior, suddenly the cute girl at the grocery store just isn't that intimidating."

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

The milk may be getting close, but one can always be sure The Shadow keeps good coffee on hand.

One eyebrow quirks slightly, and while it's not precisely a smile, something of mild amusement softens his impassive features. "That makes sense. I'm not intimidated by anyone, I just... tend to operate on a different level, I think. The average perspective is too far from my own. I do appreciate that the average perspective in the Nexus is more varied than in my own world, at least." This isn't quite the direction he anticipated the conversation going in, but as long as things are interesting he seems content. Metody is making more sense in person than he was in his earlier missives.

[metody-green.livejournal.com]

He laughs. "Oh, oh, boy, is it ever. It is liberating."

Metody takes another sip of his coffee, relaxing a little bit. In this case, the time difference has certainly worked in his favor - it gave him time to quiet his clattering mind.

"It's kind of funny, though. I've never felt so human as after I've been in the Nexus, talking to people who aren't. I suppose it's a matter of contrast."

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

"It alters the standard of normal." He shrugs, but after spending much of his life feeling very much an outsider to the human perspective, he can empathize with Metody's statement. Empathy is a very rare sensation for him.

[metody-green.livejournal.com]

He laughs happily. "Yes. And I think it helps to see so many different views on what qualifies as human. Back home, too much divergence gets clipped off, but in other worlds, they have magic users wandering around freely, and people like you, and mutants and cyborgs and things. It's amazing. And very comforting."

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

"I'm very curious to know what you mean by 'people like me'." The Shadow shifts to rest an elbow on the arm of the couch, knuckles against his jaw. It is a casual, Cranston sort of pose, and it carries an air of friendly amusement. "It's fascinating, I don't know about comforting."

[metody-green.livejournal.com]

"You - " He waves his hands in the air in a manner meant to be illustrative. It doesn't work so well. " - stand in the shadows and talk to people and scare the holy crap out of them, from what I understand. You've mentioned you meditate, and I know in some worlds, the yous have mental powers. That would be - that would be a bad thing at home, unless you worked for the government. But you don't. That's nice."

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

One eyebrow quirks as Metody's hands wave erratically through the air. He makes a very entertaining distraction from work, and The Shadow is glad to see him being marginally more coherent. "I do that. Throwing them off with Judo or shooting them tends to have more effect than just talking, sometimes." Even in his old age, The Shadow is a more physical fighter than Metody seems to be giving him credit for, at least at the moment. All of that old bone damage was probably telling, though. Even now he's a little bruised and stiff from more recent work, although he hasn't broken anything since that last incident Metody was present for.

The psychic powers are not even addressed, an unspoken sidestep that will be left to the young man's imagination unless he chooses to pry. "I don't trust the government as much as I used to, and I've never taken orders well."

[metody-green.livejournal.com]

"Only on the stupid people. I've found that, when dealing with the more thoughtful kind of person, hinting at things and talking works much, much better than hitting them."

Metody was under the impression the Shadow hid in the shadows talking, and got in a violent fight with anything that actually got near him, and was starting to get the worse of it as age crept in and guns became so much more common. It explained the physical damage, and it explained his reputation as some kind of ghost.

"The government back home is very trustworthy, if you're a human and not at all involved in the supernatural beyond the normal stuff. I guess I can sort of understand their stance because supernatural things can be so dangerous, but still - you know. Laws don't seem so just when you're on the short end of them. That's why I like the no laws in the Nexus."