Post by Prawx on Nov 28, 2012 20:52:25 GMT -5
Travis Skeltz had just purchased a new computer. After a long time of saving and saving money from that part time job he worked a couple days out of the week he had finally enough money. The computer was not the latest model but it would suit his needs just fine. His only worry was if someone hacked his computer and traced him to this location. That would be a deffinate problem depending on who it was. He had asked Dakota to help him set up the computer and had already picked her up. She knew more about computers than he did most likely. He guessed the best thing to do was to not try and hack other systems by himself during his persuit of criminals. Then again he was not a hacker to begin with.
Dakota H. Jackson. The good thing about having a friend that knew about her whole - well, he didn't know about the alien thing, but that was besides the point - deal was that she no longer had to hide her markings around him. She had come along with a sense of content-ness and a significant lack of make-up. Despite having to throw an excuse over her shoulder at her mother (who, thank God, had been looking into plane tickets back to California) and assuring Travis that she wasn't that good at computer tweaking, she was in a good mood. She set her backpack down on the nearest surface once they arrived, already comfortable enough around him and in this space to do so. "So." She said, putting her hands on her hips. Her arms were miraculously free of cloth. Who knew a T-shirt could be so awesome?
Travis Skeltz would laugh. "Well I could have told you that. They breath, their comfortable, you can wear them just about anywhere, and they express who you are or your fandom far better than any punk rocker or skater get up youd find." He would say gesturing at the Cowboy Bebop T-shirt he was currently wearing which had the whole cast on the front. It was one of a kind and he had made dead sure not to let it get stained ripped or torn considering how that anime ended so long ago and merchandise was a pain to come by in the states for it. He currently he was wearing casual clothes after changing out of his costume. It was safe to do so right now. "Thanks for agreeing to come over even though you said you werent really a techy. Having you around still does help." He would say as he kneeled over behind the small desk he had put the computer and the monitor on and made sure everything was plugged in correctly. "This will make things so much easier. My only fear is that it might get hacked."
Dakota H. Jackson. "Yeah, but I either have to put make-up on my arms to wear them or deal with stupid questions about the weird tattoos I have if I wear 'em." She replied. "And school doesn't allow tattoos either, and I don't wanna answer stupid questions from our lovely classmates either." Dakota had quickly made herself quite the loner in their school. She was a little bit unfriendly and a whole lot cold, which made for only a few friends, and even then, she didn't like anyone getting close to her. Still, it bothered her some, but not enough that she dwelled on it nigth and day. "No problem," she said, taking a seat near him. "Why so?" She questioned.
Travis Skeltz would nod. "Yeah that makes sense. Well if all else fails you could try wearing those wierd hipster gloves? At least I think their hipster. Its the ones with no fingers and they go all the way up to your shoulders and come in neon green or other bright colors. Its just a thought so if its not your thing then its not your thing but I see girls with those at school all the time so Im sure their allowed." He would then take a seat infront of his computer on a fold out lawn chair he brought in. Not very luxurious but this was a superhero lair not a four star hotel. "Well...Im afraid the wrong people may trace me here. If they do they may discover this place and if that happens well..."
Dakota H. Jackson. "Eegh. Maybe. I know what you're talking about though." She had seen them. Arm-warmers or what-have-you; she had formed a distaste for them due to the types of people she had seen wearing them. The sorts she didn't get along with; the hipster girls who thought they were special snowflakes and were so damned quirky. She couldn't stand them. "Lawn chair," she said, grinning, "fancy." He went on to talk about tracing, and she shook her head. "I really doubt that. It's not like we're going after government information or anything, Travis." At least, he wasn't. She, on the other hand, could be dissected, but she pushed the thought away as quickly as it came
Travis Skeltz would glance down at the chair for a moment. "Yeah, its the best I could do. Nothing else here is really luxurious but neither was the actual Batcave and Batman did just fine when he had to pull nightshifts there. Come to think of it I think his superhero hideout was the only one that did lack any conveniances. Superman and Iron Man had it easy." He laughed. When the subject came back to being traced he nodded. "Yeah that is true, I guess Im just worried about variables. Like what if the press has computer techy's trying to find people who have accessed public criminal records so they can find me, or criminals who are doing the same. It all sounds paranoid I know but Im trying to cover all my bases I guess. I guess it comes with having to protect your secret identity at ever single twist and turn. I already had to put alot of thought into it when I set up my hideout here. Which reminds me I still need to get some door alarms or something for when Im gone."
Dakota H. Jackson. "Iron Man especially," she recalled. She had seen the movie once or twice, and the memory of Stark Tower came to mind. "Very paranoid," she said, laughing. "I think worst-case scenario is that you get into police criminal records and they find out and trace the IP. But with the press, how many people must check the public records a day?" She mused. Then again, it was a small town, it was hard to find someone you hadn't seen once or twice before. As he went on, she suddenly found herself falling quiet. "Yeah," she agreed. The thought of dissection had come back to her. Maybe she should be actively trying to figure out who sent her the gear.. "Rottweiler." She suggested, grinning.
Travis Skeltz would think for a moment. "Rottweiler? Wait..thats not actually a bad idea come to think of it. I get a guard dog, a housebroken guard dog thats already been potty trained and everything. And I can bring him here to gaurd the place when Im gone. I always did want a dog. Maybe he can be like my canine sidekick. That would be...really really awesome come to think of it. Id still have the dog out for walks, play fetch with him and get him vaccinated though. Maybe if I work overtime at my part time job I can make enough money to take care of a dog as well. Also are you feeling alright? I notice you got kind of quiet a few seconds ago? I hope I didnt scare you with my overly paranoid rantings?"
Dakota H. Jackson laughed as he went on about the dog, watching as he quickly gained an excitement for the idea of a dog. "I can help pay for him if you need," she offered. "I'm making enough now, so." Waitressing sucked, but the manager of the resturant she worked for was nice and paid her a little bit more than she would've for other employees. Getting paid under the table had its benefits. "Oh, no," she said. "Just.. Stuff, y'know." It was just Delilah and she was an alien and Delilah and did she mention she was an alien cause she was. She really did have to tell him.. The guilt began to hit her.
Travis Skeltz would shake his head. "Oh no thats alright I couldnt ask you for money like that it would feel...wrong..and make me feel like a jerk." When she explained to him why she went quiet a moment ago he looked a little confused at first but then nodded. "Ah stuff...its cool." He knew that answer all too well. It was what he told people whenever he didnt want to say what was on his mind. Although he wondered what was bothering her he decided not to pry. Thoughts that she wanted to keep secret were hers and hers alone. If she wanted to share then he would be here to hear her out though. Besides he didnt like people prying either when he didnt feel like sharing what he was thinking about.
Dakota H. Jackson. "Oh, please," she said. "It's fine." After all, he had offered her a place to stay when she had needed it, so why not? "Uhm. Yeah, stuff. I, uh," shit, she thought, how did she even begin to explain? "I should probably tell you. But, uh, maybe you wanna get to the computer first?" She questioned, biting her bottom lip. Maybe this was the wrong time. Maybe she should just shut up. What if he thought she was being ridiculous. True, she had acted kind of recklessly when she had run away, but she had too much damned pride to admit it and.. She simply hoped he wouldn't think bad of her for it all.
Travis Skeltz would nod. "Yeah, we can do that." He knew it was important and he now also knew it was something really wanted to tell him but was afraid to. That was fine with him. He could wait until she was comfortable. So he decided to focus on the computer for now. "Alright I just have to switch it on.." He said pressing a button on the monitor. "And then wait for it to start up and..." He would look at the directions akwardly. "I dont know...program it or something? Make a user account? Im really really not good with this type of stuff. I cant even do that much past typing and thats about it."
Dakota H. Jackson. "Alright." She agreed, nodding. Maybe it would be better if she just forgot about it. After all, if he ended up hating her.. If that happened, she decided, she would just go home. She would pick up the pieces back home and make her parents happy. Maybe it would've made Delilah happy too. Put simply, Dakota realized that he was the only thing keeping her there. Either way, she was some mixture of immensely grateful and slightly dissapointed when he changed the subject. "Dude, have you never used a computer before?" She questioned, raising an eyebrow at him as he clumsily operated it. "Just follow the directions on-screen. You have to make an account and stuff. I'll help if you need it."
Travis Skeltz would nod. "Well this is my first time setting up an account and programing one." He would say as he followed her instructions and did what the on-screen instructions told him to do. "You know Dakota...whatever you wanted to tell me before...you dont need to be afraid to say." He felt guilty about changing the subject now. It felt slightly less about letting her choose when she's comfortable with telling him and more about giving her the brush off now. "I mean I dont want to force you to say whatever it was you wanted to tell me but were too nervious to but...we're friends and Im here for you..." He'd say looking at her now with a look of concern mixed with some personal guilt.
Dakota H. Jackson. She stared at him. He was so nice, and she just.. She really did have to tell him. He deserved to know if they were going to continue being friends.. companions.. Whatever they were, she guessed. "It-I've just never told you why I ran away or anything, and I feel like you should probably know, cause.. Uh." Cause they were together? Was that too forward? She tossed the question away. It could be left for another time. "I just think you should know, if you're willing to listen.." Dakota stared at him questioningly, wondering, hoping he wouldn't react badly..
Travis Skeltz looked at her with more concern now. "Of course I am willing to listen. I'll listen to whatever it is you have to say." He would turn the chair around so he was facing directly towards her now. "Whatever it is Dakota it wont change the fact that we are close friends.." He knew that deep down what he meant to say was boyfriend and girlfriend. Why didnt he admit it openly. He already asked her to the dance, they already knew alot about eachother. Was he afraid? Was he nervious? Either way his focus was still on the subject at hand, and that was Dakota and whatever it was she wished to tell him.
Dakota H. Jackson. She smiled sadly as he promised her things he couldn't keep. He was just too naive to think otherwise, she thought. "Uhm," she pulled her legs in so that she sat indian-style, staring at the ground a moment as she collected her thoughts. "I was born with a fraternal twin, my sister. She didn't look anything like me but, uh," she felt the threat of tears gather behind her eyes and blinked them away. "Her name was Delilah. We were really close. She was always kind of my older sister, even though I was older by three seconds." She smiled faintly at the memory of the simple fights concerning the three second age difference. "Anyway, a couple months back, she and I were walking home from school, and I was so mad at her for something, Travis, you have no idea. We both got sent into the principal's office because I-When I get mad, I don't know if you've noticed, things break or throw themselves across the room. I don't do it on purpose, it just happens. I accidentally threw her boyfriend into the lockers after he came close to hitting her. The kid came out with a concussion and she was just.. She was so patient with me, and I was such a dick to her." She was quiet for a moment, blinking rapidly so that the tears stayed where they were. However, her eyes were glassy. "We were walking home, and we had to take a detour through a bad neighborhood." She took a deep breath. "There was a car..." Deep breath. "..Didn't even see it coming. They shot her." There was so much blood. Her sister's blood was on her clothes. Her sister's blood coated her palms and even now, she still woke up and thought it was still beneath her fingernails. "It was instantaneous." As she spoke, her voice cracked, and that was the end of whatever strength Dakota had. She sat forward, bowing her head into her hands. She tried to choke back the sob, but it came forth from her with a soft gasp as the first tears escaped.
Dakota H. Jackson. The good thing about having a friend that knew about her whole - well, he didn't know about the alien thing, but that was besides the point - deal was that she no longer had to hide her markings around him. She had come along with a sense of content-ness and a significant lack of make-up. Despite having to throw an excuse over her shoulder at her mother (who, thank God, had been looking into plane tickets back to California) and assuring Travis that she wasn't that good at computer tweaking, she was in a good mood. She set her backpack down on the nearest surface once they arrived, already comfortable enough around him and in this space to do so. "So." She said, putting her hands on her hips. Her arms were miraculously free of cloth. Who knew a T-shirt could be so awesome?
Travis Skeltz would laugh. "Well I could have told you that. They breath, their comfortable, you can wear them just about anywhere, and they express who you are or your fandom far better than any punk rocker or skater get up youd find." He would say gesturing at the Cowboy Bebop T-shirt he was currently wearing which had the whole cast on the front. It was one of a kind and he had made dead sure not to let it get stained ripped or torn considering how that anime ended so long ago and merchandise was a pain to come by in the states for it. He currently he was wearing casual clothes after changing out of his costume. It was safe to do so right now. "Thanks for agreeing to come over even though you said you werent really a techy. Having you around still does help." He would say as he kneeled over behind the small desk he had put the computer and the monitor on and made sure everything was plugged in correctly. "This will make things so much easier. My only fear is that it might get hacked."
Dakota H. Jackson. "Yeah, but I either have to put make-up on my arms to wear them or deal with stupid questions about the weird tattoos I have if I wear 'em." She replied. "And school doesn't allow tattoos either, and I don't wanna answer stupid questions from our lovely classmates either." Dakota had quickly made herself quite the loner in their school. She was a little bit unfriendly and a whole lot cold, which made for only a few friends, and even then, she didn't like anyone getting close to her. Still, it bothered her some, but not enough that she dwelled on it nigth and day. "No problem," she said, taking a seat near him. "Why so?" She questioned.
Travis Skeltz would nod. "Yeah that makes sense. Well if all else fails you could try wearing those wierd hipster gloves? At least I think their hipster. Its the ones with no fingers and they go all the way up to your shoulders and come in neon green or other bright colors. Its just a thought so if its not your thing then its not your thing but I see girls with those at school all the time so Im sure their allowed." He would then take a seat infront of his computer on a fold out lawn chair he brought in. Not very luxurious but this was a superhero lair not a four star hotel. "Well...Im afraid the wrong people may trace me here. If they do they may discover this place and if that happens well..."
Dakota H. Jackson. "Eegh. Maybe. I know what you're talking about though." She had seen them. Arm-warmers or what-have-you; she had formed a distaste for them due to the types of people she had seen wearing them. The sorts she didn't get along with; the hipster girls who thought they were special snowflakes and were so damned quirky. She couldn't stand them. "Lawn chair," she said, grinning, "fancy." He went on to talk about tracing, and she shook her head. "I really doubt that. It's not like we're going after government information or anything, Travis." At least, he wasn't. She, on the other hand, could be dissected, but she pushed the thought away as quickly as it came
Travis Skeltz would glance down at the chair for a moment. "Yeah, its the best I could do. Nothing else here is really luxurious but neither was the actual Batcave and Batman did just fine when he had to pull nightshifts there. Come to think of it I think his superhero hideout was the only one that did lack any conveniances. Superman and Iron Man had it easy." He laughed. When the subject came back to being traced he nodded. "Yeah that is true, I guess Im just worried about variables. Like what if the press has computer techy's trying to find people who have accessed public criminal records so they can find me, or criminals who are doing the same. It all sounds paranoid I know but Im trying to cover all my bases I guess. I guess it comes with having to protect your secret identity at ever single twist and turn. I already had to put alot of thought into it when I set up my hideout here. Which reminds me I still need to get some door alarms or something for when Im gone."
Dakota H. Jackson. "Iron Man especially," she recalled. She had seen the movie once or twice, and the memory of Stark Tower came to mind. "Very paranoid," she said, laughing. "I think worst-case scenario is that you get into police criminal records and they find out and trace the IP. But with the press, how many people must check the public records a day?" She mused. Then again, it was a small town, it was hard to find someone you hadn't seen once or twice before. As he went on, she suddenly found herself falling quiet. "Yeah," she agreed. The thought of dissection had come back to her. Maybe she should be actively trying to figure out who sent her the gear.. "Rottweiler." She suggested, grinning.
Travis Skeltz would think for a moment. "Rottweiler? Wait..thats not actually a bad idea come to think of it. I get a guard dog, a housebroken guard dog thats already been potty trained and everything. And I can bring him here to gaurd the place when Im gone. I always did want a dog. Maybe he can be like my canine sidekick. That would be...really really awesome come to think of it. Id still have the dog out for walks, play fetch with him and get him vaccinated though. Maybe if I work overtime at my part time job I can make enough money to take care of a dog as well. Also are you feeling alright? I notice you got kind of quiet a few seconds ago? I hope I didnt scare you with my overly paranoid rantings?"
Dakota H. Jackson laughed as he went on about the dog, watching as he quickly gained an excitement for the idea of a dog. "I can help pay for him if you need," she offered. "I'm making enough now, so." Waitressing sucked, but the manager of the resturant she worked for was nice and paid her a little bit more than she would've for other employees. Getting paid under the table had its benefits. "Oh, no," she said. "Just.. Stuff, y'know." It was just Delilah and she was an alien and Delilah and did she mention she was an alien cause she was. She really did have to tell him.. The guilt began to hit her.
Travis Skeltz would shake his head. "Oh no thats alright I couldnt ask you for money like that it would feel...wrong..and make me feel like a jerk." When she explained to him why she went quiet a moment ago he looked a little confused at first but then nodded. "Ah stuff...its cool." He knew that answer all too well. It was what he told people whenever he didnt want to say what was on his mind. Although he wondered what was bothering her he decided not to pry. Thoughts that she wanted to keep secret were hers and hers alone. If she wanted to share then he would be here to hear her out though. Besides he didnt like people prying either when he didnt feel like sharing what he was thinking about.
Dakota H. Jackson. "Oh, please," she said. "It's fine." After all, he had offered her a place to stay when she had needed it, so why not? "Uhm. Yeah, stuff. I, uh," shit, she thought, how did she even begin to explain? "I should probably tell you. But, uh, maybe you wanna get to the computer first?" She questioned, biting her bottom lip. Maybe this was the wrong time. Maybe she should just shut up. What if he thought she was being ridiculous. True, she had acted kind of recklessly when she had run away, but she had too much damned pride to admit it and.. She simply hoped he wouldn't think bad of her for it all.
Travis Skeltz would nod. "Yeah, we can do that." He knew it was important and he now also knew it was something really wanted to tell him but was afraid to. That was fine with him. He could wait until she was comfortable. So he decided to focus on the computer for now. "Alright I just have to switch it on.." He said pressing a button on the monitor. "And then wait for it to start up and..." He would look at the directions akwardly. "I dont know...program it or something? Make a user account? Im really really not good with this type of stuff. I cant even do that much past typing and thats about it."
Dakota H. Jackson. "Alright." She agreed, nodding. Maybe it would be better if she just forgot about it. After all, if he ended up hating her.. If that happened, she decided, she would just go home. She would pick up the pieces back home and make her parents happy. Maybe it would've made Delilah happy too. Put simply, Dakota realized that he was the only thing keeping her there. Either way, she was some mixture of immensely grateful and slightly dissapointed when he changed the subject. "Dude, have you never used a computer before?" She questioned, raising an eyebrow at him as he clumsily operated it. "Just follow the directions on-screen. You have to make an account and stuff. I'll help if you need it."
Travis Skeltz would nod. "Well this is my first time setting up an account and programing one." He would say as he followed her instructions and did what the on-screen instructions told him to do. "You know Dakota...whatever you wanted to tell me before...you dont need to be afraid to say." He felt guilty about changing the subject now. It felt slightly less about letting her choose when she's comfortable with telling him and more about giving her the brush off now. "I mean I dont want to force you to say whatever it was you wanted to tell me but were too nervious to but...we're friends and Im here for you..." He'd say looking at her now with a look of concern mixed with some personal guilt.
Dakota H. Jackson. She stared at him. He was so nice, and she just.. She really did have to tell him. He deserved to know if they were going to continue being friends.. companions.. Whatever they were, she guessed. "It-I've just never told you why I ran away or anything, and I feel like you should probably know, cause.. Uh." Cause they were together? Was that too forward? She tossed the question away. It could be left for another time. "I just think you should know, if you're willing to listen.." Dakota stared at him questioningly, wondering, hoping he wouldn't react badly..
Travis Skeltz looked at her with more concern now. "Of course I am willing to listen. I'll listen to whatever it is you have to say." He would turn the chair around so he was facing directly towards her now. "Whatever it is Dakota it wont change the fact that we are close friends.." He knew that deep down what he meant to say was boyfriend and girlfriend. Why didnt he admit it openly. He already asked her to the dance, they already knew alot about eachother. Was he afraid? Was he nervious? Either way his focus was still on the subject at hand, and that was Dakota and whatever it was she wished to tell him.
Dakota H. Jackson. She smiled sadly as he promised her things he couldn't keep. He was just too naive to think otherwise, she thought. "Uhm," she pulled her legs in so that she sat indian-style, staring at the ground a moment as she collected her thoughts. "I was born with a fraternal twin, my sister. She didn't look anything like me but, uh," she felt the threat of tears gather behind her eyes and blinked them away. "Her name was Delilah. We were really close. She was always kind of my older sister, even though I was older by three seconds." She smiled faintly at the memory of the simple fights concerning the three second age difference. "Anyway, a couple months back, she and I were walking home from school, and I was so mad at her for something, Travis, you have no idea. We both got sent into the principal's office because I-When I get mad, I don't know if you've noticed, things break or throw themselves across the room. I don't do it on purpose, it just happens. I accidentally threw her boyfriend into the lockers after he came close to hitting her. The kid came out with a concussion and she was just.. She was so patient with me, and I was such a dick to her." She was quiet for a moment, blinking rapidly so that the tears stayed where they were. However, her eyes were glassy. "We were walking home, and we had to take a detour through a bad neighborhood." She took a deep breath. "There was a car..." Deep breath. "..Didn't even see it coming. They shot her." There was so much blood. Her sister's blood was on her clothes. Her sister's blood coated her palms and even now, she still woke up and thought it was still beneath her fingernails. "It was instantaneous." As she spoke, her voice cracked, and that was the end of whatever strength Dakota had. She sat forward, bowing her head into her hands. She tried to choke back the sob, but it came forth from her with a soft gasp as the first tears escaped.
