In The Garden || Elizabeth & Sid

[audramya]

The walking area was fairly deserted at the moment and precisely the reason why Elizabeth was there. Her mother was stuck in bed again with an illness that neither her powers nor any medicine she could find would heal. In fact by now Elizabeth was sure that it was simply a mixture of depression from the woman losing both her husband and daughter so close together and hypochondria. Neither one of those things Elizabeth could do anything about and it simply frustrated her to no end.

She stood and stared out over the small area of grain they harvested in Labonita and frowned slightly. It was getting harder for her to remember what a field used to look like topside or anything really for that matter. She’d been too young to remember it. Or maybe she’d just simply blocked it out because she knew that world wouldn’t ever be an option again.

With a sigh she ran her hands through her hair as she tapped the tip of her shoe melodically against the ground. Tired of looking at the bland scenery of grain, she turned around to face the garden and raised her eyebrows. “How does that even work?” she muttered to herself. She hadn’t been in the garden for years after discovering that the small area never had anything she was looking for. But from everything she’d ever read about gardening (and she read quite a bit considering it was one of the few things to do anymore that she enjoyed) she knew that flowers and plants needed sun in order to survive. Sunlight was something one didn’t get very much of beneath the surface. At least she was lucky enough to be able to go topside on occasion as a Scout. She certainly pitied the Civilians who never got that opportunity.

Since it had been a long while since she’d visited the garden, and she certainly wasn’t ready to return home yet, she decided to kill time by checking it out. As soon as she entered the area, she nodded her head. “Ah,” she said as she examined the area. “Heat lamps. Of course. Sun substitute.”

Out of the corner of her eyes she caught sight of a bench. Having been standing for long enough she took a seat and stretched her feet out in front of her. Then she leaned her head back to relax as she stared up at the dark, dank ceiling above her.

[colleen]

"You know Sidney, one of these days someone's going to put a leash on you."
"Ah but then you'll actually have to pay for you cigarettes, old chap."
"Yessh" --coughing, probably from advanced lung disease-- "I'll see you later I'm sure, Sidney."

The stout guard was Joseph, an old-timer who had watch the world burn to shambles from the comforts of his recliner. He was the most lackadaisical tunnel guard of the Labonita, and certainly reaching his prime. Joseph's hair was slowing receding and what was left had faded to a dull gray, matching that of his moustache. If the brass, with their strict rules and harsh punishments didn't kill him then the black tar in his lungs would. Perhaps it was unethical for Sidney to give a dying man his poison, but at least the man was happy.

He yawned and waved a good-bye, working night's was something Sidney may have been accustomed to, but it didn't mean he enjoyed it. Still he had to enjoy the solitude of the Labonita, everyone was tucked away into his or her houses, few awake and many more dreaming of a better life. In a moment of impulse, Sidney decided that perhaps it was best if he actually looked like he was working for once. With a quick stop at his 'home', hardly a home more of a boarding house room. A bed, a dresser, the occasional knickknack and the occasional cockroach scurrying away from Sidney's feet, was all he needed in life. Besides this was a place of rest and personal hygiene, not a home.

Sidney removed the clothes of yesterday and donned a cleaner and fresher appearance within minutes. He made his way to the garden, where he was supposed to be tending to the plants. He hated yard work; he was a fan on condos and lofts where some owner tended to the flowers and grass. If you couldn't smoke it, Sidney didn't see point to it.

That was harsh, rather he could appreciate the beauty of nature and all that jazz, Sidney just wasn't a fan of actually maintaining that manicured beauty. He wandered through the garden, stopping occasionally to step on a weed or water a bush. His attention diverted from the primroses and marigolds to the figure. Sidney had seen her around; her sister was dying, or was it her father? It didn't matter; he knew someone in her family was sick or dying.

Sidney wasn't sure how long she had been sitting there, but she just looked so peaceful, so relaxed; it was only fair for him to disturb it.

"Comfortable there, love? Enjoy having the warmth of radiation bathe you?"

[audramya]

As soon as she heard the voice, Elizabeth’s the corners of her lips lowered slightly into a frown. Lifting her head she stared at the person who’d disturbed her with a stern expression on her face showing that clearly she was unhappy by his arrival. There was also the look of confusion as she wondered why this person had approached her in the first place. Not only that, but the way he chose to strike up a conversation was odd and honestly she wasn’t quite sure if she should berate him for calling her an unappreciated and condescending name or simply ignore his existence all together.

Her eyes moved to his hands to see that he’d been tending to the plants before she finally said, “Don’t you have better things to do than disturb those trying to get a moment’s peace? Perhaps watering the plants as I take it you’re supposed to be doing right now?” She’d never talked to the man before though it was inevitable in such close quarters as the Labotina group that you would recognize someone even if you weren’t acquainted. While she was aware of this person, she knew just by the rumors that this wasn’t someone that she particularly wished to be associated with.

Still she found it hard to be rude and she straightened herself to reluctantly give him her attention anyway. “To answer you question I was quite enjoying myself, though there isn’t any radiation in these parts. And I have a name,” she informed him without any amusement in her voice. “It’s Elizabeth. Please use it next time.”

[colleen]

Well wasn't she the cute and friendly type. Her facial expressions varied from extremely pissed off by his every fiber, to incredibly bored that he even bother to talk with her. She was in his mind asking for every ounce of his wit and charm. Sidney smile politely and pulled at his imaginary skirt, curtseying. "My apologies Queen Elizabeth, I must say though you are looking lovely for 95. Of course now your dear mother must have given you some of her 'centurian' genes. You've got plenty of time to grow old."

He coughed and turned his attention to her questions, most if not all were rhetorical. "Unfortunately I find myself quite bored by gardening, and since my work's done for the day …" Sidney wiped his hands together, crushing the dust a dirt; removal by friction. "I figure hey let's go make friends with the group members, that seems like a sociable idea." Sid chuckled, wandering slightly to his left. He gestured to the ceiling, "Although in hindsight I probably should have started with such a controversial topic as whether or not the brass is covering for radiation poisoning." His speech was quick; most of what he was saying was irrelevant pop culture references. She seemed young and frankly Sidney hoped she at least remembered who Queen Elizabeth was.

"Perhaps I should have started with a simple, how are you Miss Elizabeth? Or what's are your mind fellow garden patron? Regardless, here we are. Sidney, love but Sid will do if you are particularly upset with me."
He chuckled.
"Let's start over, how are you?"

[audramya]

“What?” she asked in exasperation as she tried to follow along with his incoherent babbling (at least that’s what it was in her mind). The man, though he appeared older than herself it seemed by a few years, acted like a child. “My apologies that you have to deal with an old hag such as myself, but at least one of us here needs to act like an adult,” she responded coolly as she crossed her arms over her chest. Lowering her head slightly, she peered up at him through her eyelashes before rolling her eyes at his words.

“It would have been hard to start a conversation with my name considering that you didn’t know it before I gave it to you,” she pointed out while having serious doubts in her mind as to whether or not she should have introduced herself. Now he seemed to be on a mission to annoy her and at that thought she couldn’t help but heave a sigh of frustration. “A simple ‘hello’ while continuing on your merry way would have sufficed. That is what most normal people do,” she informed him.

When he asked how she was, she raised a curious eyebrow. Although her day hadn’t been all that particularly great, she certainly wasn’t going to confide her grievances in him nor was she going to offer up any information that she might deem personal to a stranger. She certainly didn’t trust him with anything other than the most simplest of answers.

Elizabeth stood from the bench and took a step forward. “Well, Sidney,” she said, putting emphasis on his name to show that she was using that instead of 'Sid' which would be used to show her discontent. She had a feeling if she let any more indication of how utterly reprehensible she found his company then he would simply relish in delight at the achievement and continue to aggravate her. However she figured that if she could keep a calm composure then perhaps he’d simply get bored and leave her be.

“I’m fine,” she stated with a slight nonchalant shrug of her shoulders. In an almost challenging way as if daring him to try and get more information out of her, she stood her ground and stared at him. “And how are you on this fine evening?”

[colleen]

"Ah! Details! Details" He shushed her and waved his hands in a sweeping motion. She wasn't any fun, poking holes in his speech. Come to think of it she wasn't much fun at all, she was at least a few years younger than he, if not more and yet the lack of personality aged her to be an 'old hag' as she put it. She needed to loosen up, but realistically Sidney knew that he probably wasn't going to be the man to do it. No she needed someone who could connect with her on that same 'adult' frequency, and quite frankly Sidney enjoyed pressing her buttons way too much.

How Elizabeth did use his name, his full name rather then the shortened Sid, this must have counted for something in her books. She even answered his inquiry, albeit in a dismissive manner, but still a win for Sidney. "I myself am quite tired. Bah! I'll sleep when I'm dead, and all that nonsense." Sidney chuckled, scolding himself. He turned on her, like a predator hunting prey. "How fine can one be when family members are stricken with illness?" Sid raised an eyebrow, poking, prodding; seeing which button released the water works and which one lighted the fires. He yawned, coving her mouth with his hand politely.

[audramya]

The fact that he knew anything about her at all was surprising, but the gall of him bringing up her mother! That just confirmed her suspicions that he was purposely trying to rile her. Her jaw jutted out slightly and her stiffened slightly as he spoke. The thought of how her mother refused to acknowledge her existence did make her eyes shine with the threat of tears, but she held them back defiantly if only not to give him the satisfaction.

“Your concern for me is appreciated, though as I said before, I am fine,” she replied. She rolled her shoulders trying to shake the uneasy feeling she had knowing that he knew more information about her than what she‘d offered. Though she supposed that it was common knowledge around Labonita that her mother was ill, she didn’t like it being used as a weapon against her. Elizabeth narrowed her eyes at the man, wondering if she’d heard anything about him that she could use against him in the same manner. Alas, she had not. Or at least not that she could remember.

“You know more of me than I do of you,” she admitted. “I think it's only fair you tell me a bit more about yourself.” Noticing the yawn, she couldn’t help but smile. Now it was only a matter of time in a game of who could outlast the other. “Of course, if you’re too tired…” she said nonchalantly, letting the sentence hang in the air for a moment as she gave a small innocent shrug. “If you’re too tired then I would hate to keep you any longer than I already have. Especially when engaging in a deep conversation of personal details. You could let something accidentally slip. And a shame that would be with a stranger such as myself. Who knows what I could use any incriminating information I might obtain for.”

Elizabeth smiled up at him as she suggested, “Perhaps you should simply return home and sleep?”

[colleen]

Anger, at himself? Or at her ill family member? Perhaps it was both, a Freudian Slip on her part. Regardless Sidney for a moment had touched upon an 'illegal' subject in his mind. It was quite rude of him to have brought it up; he chastised himself in his mind repeatedly. It was the lack of sleep, he was incredibly manic and disconnected from himself, as if he was drunk or high. Sidney accepted however that despite what he would have liked to have said, he had opened the floodgates.

It was a point in his favor though, he knew things about her, and she knew little of him. Rightfully Sidney could have taken the opportunity to head off to dreamland as she had suggested, but with his inner voice nagging at him to make it up to Elizabeth, Sidney decided against it. He waved away her concern for his lack of attention span mumbling, "Sleep is for the weak."

What could he tell her about himself; in Labonita alone he wasn't exactly an interesting man. He did the required work, often skipped out on group meetings, and kept to himself. He didn't have friends here; this was merely a place to sleep for him. Sidney pursed his lips, wary of her. She seemed the type to rat him out to the upper management, and he would lose his happy little resting place. He could see it now, this conversation would end, Sidney would go off to catch a few hours of sleep and be harshly awaked by guards tossing him out of Labonita.

Vivid, but not the first time the thought had crossed his mind. Most people he met either already knew about his illegal activities or they were introduced at the Market, thus they already had a shared burden of potential exile from Labonita. Still feeling that he somehow owed Elizabeth, Sidney pushed the irrational thoughts from his mind. He began to pace, slowly.

"What can I tell you about me? After all, I am not a very interesting guy. I'm a poor worker and horrible human being, as you probably already have gathered," He smiled and laughed a little, but his flair for dramatics was short lived. He turned into what was probably as close to serious as Sidney could get, his voice dropped that friendly tone and his eye contact was more direct. Sidney watched her closely; years of informal facial study had preened him into someone who could read a person with a fleeting look, an asset in his industry. "But I am a man of business, trading and the like. I operate outside of Labonita, because quite frankly who wants to share profits."

"The Market, have you heard of it? Nah of course you haven't, you don't look like you've ever left this complex. It's basically like every stereotypical 'Black Market' you've every thought of in your wildest daydreams." He stopped pacing facing her, pausing, waiting, and watching.

"Well you see Elizabeth, I have considered the outcome of sharing information with you. It typically ends negatively, but my friend," --although they were hardly acquaintances, let alone friends -- "I believe we can have a wholesome symbiotic relationship." He laughed, how often can you through symbiotic into a sentence casually.

"Your family member is ill. Labonita is a shit place to be come disease. Completely unprepared. Nabila on the other hand, I've heard and seen their wondrous cures, and their wondrous price tag."

She was an interesting woman, certainly aged by this cataclysmic event. It seemed unfair; youth should not be wasted as hers obviously was. Sidney had decided, rather concluded that she need to get out of here, away from her family, if only for a moment. This new information, this potential cure, might allow her to do so, again if only for a fleeting moment.

"But of course dear Elizabeth, everything good in this world has a price."

[audramya]

For some reason she thought, or maybe she’d just had a bit of hope, that he’d leave for the night. However at his mumbling statement her face fell slightly as she’d have to endure him for a bit longer. Elizabeth stood silently and waited, rocking on the balls of her feet as she looked around the gardens at the scenery. It calmed her down, albeit if only slightly. Until he began talking again and she glanced back at him warily as she wondered what on earth he could possibly say to top himself this time.

But in actuality she was surprised. When he mentioned he thought he was a horrible human she wondered if he’d said it because he felt guilty for what he’d said about her mother or if he genuinely knew that some of the things he said crossed the line and he simply didn’t care. Either way Elizabeth didn’t ask, almost afraid to get insight in this man’s twisted mind.

And suddenly he became almost serious, something she hadn’t thought he’d been capable of, but then again she supposed that she shouldn’t have been too shocked considering that she didn’t know him really at all. Elizabeth seemed slightly offended when he brushed off his own question by answering it himself because she had in fact been to the markets and in fact had been there more recently. But she knew the markets were a bit of a shady place and now knowing that Sidney in fact did business there, she wasn’t entirely sure what to think.

When he’d made his proposal, a business deal it seemed, Elizabeth frowned slightly. “I feel now as if you’re taking advantage of my situation and trying to swindle me,” she admitted. “The fact of the matter is I leave Labonita often. I’m more well versed in the ways of the world than I think you give me credit for.” She debated in her head whether it would be wise to delve more information out to him and decided that if he’d trusted her enough to tell of his profession, a stupid move she believed on his part, that perhaps a bit more about herself wouldn’t hurt too much.

“If I can’t find the things that I need topside, because I’m a Scout,” she informed him, puffing her chest proudly at the rank she’d managed to achieve, “then I will occasionally venture into the market for supplies.” Elizabeth deflated slightly and looked away from him, almost as if she were embarrassed at not being that naive girl he’d originally thought she was.

Still she had to admit the offer was tempting. So much of her time was spend gathering items for the Labonita citizens, finding new and exotic medicines for her mother to try, and taking care of the woman that she wondered what it’d be like to have a moment to herself--to have one day where she could simply relax and be selfish without having to worry about everyone else.

“You are indeed a horrible person,” she agreed. “I suppose if such a cure existed, with it’s wondrous price tag, you wouldn’t be inclined to give it away out of the goodness of your heart no matter how much in need a person was, would you?” Elizabeth sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair, giving it more thought. Of course she didn’t want to do any business with this man, but at the same time if she didn’t try absolutely everything and something happened to her mother then she wouldn’t ever forgive herself.

With a frustrated growl she said through clinched teeth, “Fine. Name your price for this magical cure, but rest assured after this evening I want nothing more to do with you, business or otherwise. After tonight we don‘t know each other. Got that?”