10/16 Instance: Conspiracy Club

[tears~fall~like~glass]

Timelined the day after [fic]Blood Will Out.


<Adam> It was a quiet day in the cafe, something Adam was very grateful for as he concentrated on his job. Not many customers in, very few orders meant he could make sure the entire place was completely spotless and organised and everything in its place. He was sat behind the counter now, with a cup of coffee in his shaking hands, staring into space and strangely pale and thin-looking.

<Clarice> "You look like I feel," Clarice remarked to her friend from her seat at the bar, nursing an americano. She knew taking the pill wasn't pleasant, but it had left her feeling like hell even the day after.

<@Jessica> Jess ran a hand through her hair as she stepped into the cafe to fix it after the wind. She had some time to kill between classes and she was sure she should eat lunch even though she wasn't really hungry. Glancing around, she headed for the counter, giving Clarice a small smile.

<Adam> Adam's gaze flicked to her, focusing worryingly fast. "Bad night." His voice was low and still hoarse. His parents had tried to make him stay at home, but he'd insisted - he had to get away from them and the house, oddly jittery. "H-hey Jess."

<Clarice> Clarice gave Jess a tiny wave, sipping her drink, "Bad how?"

<@Jessica> "Hey..." she gave Adam a smile too, "I'm supposed to be getting lunch, but I'm not really hungry... Any suggestions?"

<Noriko> Noriko was trying this whole outdoor thing, despite having a bad day as well, though hers was just her energy. She couldn't wake up properly, she felt sore doing anything. Even the tiny walk to the cafe was wearing her out. Coffee was needed.

<Clarice> "Adam's paninis are the stuff of delicious legend," Clarice prompted with a smile.

<Adam> "I can fix you a cheese panini?" He suggested. "Bad as in I needed a shot bad. I haven't slept." He rubbed an arm, the bandages hidden under the sleeves of his uniform. "Hey, Noriko."

<@Jessica> "I don't know if I'll eat a whole one... share with me?" She took a seat.

<Clarice> "I am all for paninis, even half a one," Clarice took a mouthful of coffee and then added some more sugar, "How's the dance school coming along?"

<Noriko> "Hey," came the quiet reply followed by a yawn. Coming up to the bar, she looked over the entire menu. She was hungry, and she needed coffee and another nap, dammit. "Hey Jess, Hey Clarice."

<Adam> Adam put his coffee down and started woodenly preparing the panini. "Anyone else want anything? I mean it's my job..."

<@Jessica> "Hey, Noriko," she gave the other girl a smile, "The school's going fine... The kids are really coming along well.... Could I have a cup of tea as well, please?"

<Clarice> "Hey, Riko," Clarice smiled back. Despite the fact that she hadn't known the girl long enough to be using shortened names, it was automatic. "I think she could do with a couple of shots of espresso, Adam."

<Noriko> "Everything and many, many coffee?" She had the quiet, cushioned sound to her voice of someone only just got out of bed. "Well, actually a grilled steak and cheese chili panini, like, 4 cookies, and a double shot of espresso. Clarice is right, I need it."

<Noriko> She blushed a little at the shortened use of her name and reminded herself that's what people do here in America.

<Clarice> "... Now that's what I call an order," Clarice nodded approvingly at the girl, "You sure you can put all that away?"

<Noriko> "You ever seen anime characters putting it away in the films? I make them look like they're eating finger sandwiches with their little fingers sticking out." Being as tired as she was, her accent showing through today.

<@Jessica> Jess laughed a little, "Sounds like we're in for a treat then."

<Adam> Adam put the panini in to toast after cutting it in half and started on the teas and coffees before going to do the food. As he pulled out a knife, his arm spasmed and he swore, dropping it. He managed to catch it before it hit the floor, going back to the food.

<Clarice> "You mean Japanese people do that in real life? This I gotta see!" She shifted a little so she could watch the girl.

<Adam> He hadn't noticed that his hand had blurred.

<Clarice> "Adam? You okay?" Clarice called over.

<Adam> "What? Yes...yes, I'm fine. Just...out of it still. I'm meant to sleep for at least twelve hours after the shot, and I haven't slept at all." He pushed the cookies over the counter along with everyone's tea and coffees.

<Clarice> Clarice frowned at him, "Then, what the hell are you doing here? You should be at home!" She scolded him.

<@Jessica> "Don't you have anyone to cover for you? You should probably rest....." Jess gave him a sympathetic look as she pulled her tea to her.

<Noriko> "I don't know about all Japanese people, but your food contests over here? Are a piece of cake. Thank you, Adam." Her smile was replaced by a concerned look, "How come you can't sleep?"

<Adam> Adam shook his head. "Don't feel safe there." He said quietly, before giving Noriko a wary look. "Nightmares. Hallucinations, that kind of thing. I'm drugged up to the eyeballs, but they still happen."

<Noriko> "Awwww, poor you, maybe some of my mom's herbal tea would help you sleep a bit better? It's what she gives me when I'm too tired to sleep." Now all she wanted to do was give him a hug, hallucinations or not.

<@Jessica> "I'm sorry.... I've not been sleeping well lately either...."

<Adam> Adam finished up the rest of the orders and handed them out, forgetting to charge for them, more concentrating on getting more coffee for himself. "Tried everything, Noriko. Dr. Trask thinks he's found the best meds for me, but they don't always work...he had to do a house call last night, I got so bad."

<Adam> He rubbed his arms again, the underlying ache not so bad today, but then the bandages covering the other problems was probably helping.

<Clarice> Clarice hissed, "Shiiiiit," she eyed the bandages but had enough tact not to bring them up in front of the other girls, "You as well? I've just been having funny dreams lately."

<Noriko> "Maybe we should have a sleepover where we all don't sleep together?" She said yawning before pulling the cookies to her and wrapping herself around her espresso. "Awww, that's sad." She pouted a little for him in sympathy. "I have to see Dr. Trask in a few days. Is he nice?"

<@Jessica> "You have?" she looked over at Clarice, putting half the panini onto a napkin and sliding the plate with the other half over to her.

<Adam> "I just keep dreaming about things burning." And exploding, but he wasn't going to mention that part. "He's wonderful. He does his best to help."

<@Jessica> "He's nice... always willing to help." She assured Noriko.

<Clarice> "Like an anti-sleep over?" Clarice chuckled, picking up the panini with a thank you to Jess, "Yeah, just like ... random stuff. Like last night, I was flying with Paul .... like, he was flying and carrying me ... I think it was in New York, too. I could see the Statue of Liberty."

<Noriko> "Oh good, mom wants to see if American doctors can actually find drugs that work on me. I hate going to doctors and having to lie on those silly beds." Pulling the panini over to her, she pushed money at the till and went to town on the bad-boy of a steak sandwich.

<Adam> "Had this dream I was doing some serious Prototype free-running once..." Adam blinked at the money, before suddenly remembering it was his job and ringing it up. He pushed the change back. "Thanks."

<Noriko> Noriko frowned. "I had a horrible dream the other night, but it wasn't real. I was in an evil scientist lab, and there were, like, Resident Evil monsters everywhere. Then, this pink, mutated, human thing burst out of a room and, like, destroyed this other monsters skull."

<Clarice> "Sometimes I dream that I'm running over roofs ... and then, sometimes when I do, I'm Batman."

<@Jessica> "I've been dreaming about a car accident... and a man..." she frowned, shaking her head. "I don't... it seemed so real... but I know it isn't..." At least she thought she did. She took out some money for her own purchases and set it on the bar for Adam.

<Clarice> "Eww, pink mutant?" Clarice wrinkled her nose, but it tugged at something, "Could you imagine being pink? Selena would probably try and use you as a plushie or something."

<Adam> Adam smiled at Jess. "Well, everyone has weird dreams and nightmares, right?" He rang up her purchase and gave her the change. "I'm just screwy in the head. God knows where mine come from." He frowned for a moment. "...I dunno, pink's not so bad..."

<Clarice> "I'm sure it's a perfectly fine colour ... it's just Selena would put anyone off it."

<@Jessica> "I suppose they do...." she rubbed a hand over her scar over the top of her clothes.

<Noriko> "Yeah, like, bright, hot pink with green hair. It's how I know that one was a dream because it was silly, even if it was scary." Head tilting, she licked her fingers clean and started on the cookies. "I have this really nice one though where I'm back in preschool, and I have an older brother to walk me to school every day. Boring but cute."

<Adam> "Selena would put someone off breathing." Adam muttered darkly.

<Clarice> Clarice frowned, taking another mouthful of coffee, "... I dream about frogs sometimes ... randomly."

<@Jessica> Jess laughed a little, "Frogs, huh? That's.... unusual..."

<Noriko> "I like frogs. We have them in our garden." Aaaand cookies finished now. Onto the espresso.

<Adam> "Bunnies for me, no joke."

<Clarice> "And then ... when I wake up, I'm looking for something ... something important, to do with frogs ... and then, when it's not there, I almost feel like crying, but I don't know what it is ..."

<Noriko> "Ooooo, usagi!"

<@Jessica> "I like spiders... but shh, I'm not supposed to." She cast a shifty look around the cafe.

<Noriko> Noriko shuddered.

<Adam> "Really, Clari?" Adam frowned. "I keep thinking I've lost something too..."

<Clarice> Clarice laughed, "Why are you not supposed to like spiders? They're pretty cool ... Not as cool as frogs though-" Wait ... where the hell did that come from?

<@Jessica> "They're way cooler than frogs! More legs! Buuut, my mother says it's not ladylike...." she rolled her eyes, "She has some funny ideas."

<Noriko> "I don't feel like I've lost something after my dreams but....I always feel really lonely when I wake up. I'm probably just pining for a boyfriend or something." She shook away the odd feeling.

<Clarice> "Seriously, Ad? Like what?" She chuckled at Jess, but she had the ... nagging feeling that they'd had this discussion before, "No offense, your mom sounds weeeeeird."

<@Jessica> "Oh she is. Without a doubt... but I love her anyway." She smiled, a slight sadness behind her eyes and a slight feeling of wrongness that she couldn't put her finger on.

<Adam> "I dunno, that's just it." Adam shrugged helplessly. "But I keep looking for something, and I'll be fu-" A customer walked in. "...Damned if I know what. Be right back. Hey, Mrs. Feeley, what can I get you today?" He went to serve the little, old lady.

<@Jessica> Jess picked up her change and put it in her pocket, running a hand through her hair again and actually taking a bite of food. She still wasn't hungry.

<Clarice> Clarice snickered as Adam caught himself. The last time Mrs. Feeley had caught him cursing she's whacked him on the leg with her walking stick.

<Noriko> Sipping her espresso with two licked clean plates in front of her, she sighed. Now, she really wanted a hug. A boyfriend would be a fine thing, someone to make sure you're not alone or afraid of the dark or to hold you while you sleep....

<Clarice> She couldn't help but be a bit annoyed at the old bird though. For some reason, it didn't feel ... safe to talk with any of the adults around.

<@Jessica> Jess was right with Clarice on that. She hunched over her tea, wrapping her hands around the mug and taking a careful sip. She hadn't been to the doctor about the nightmares or the headaches that had been plaguing her, and she hadn't wanted to tell her parents because they'd make her go.

<Adam> Adam came back once the old dear was seen to and seated in her usual booth. "Sorry about that." He gave them all a weak smile. "Hey, cheer up, I'm the one that's supposed to be the morose, emo nerd of all of us."

<Clarice> "You're not that emo. You haven't cut yourself with a sharpened stirrer and bled on our paninis yet," Clarice took a bite out of her half panini.

<@Jessica> Jess offered Adam a smile over the top of her mug, "Sorry... it's been one of those days..."

<Noriko> Why was it bothering her so much that she didn't have a boyfriend all of a sudden? She'd done well enough in Japan without one. Not that there'd ever been an interested party, but today it was hurting that she could never get a date and no one ever wanted to cuddle her. She was pretty, right?

<Clarice> "Been one of those weeks ... been one of those lifetimes."

<Adam> Adam would have found it funny any other day, but today he just gave Clarice a sad, little smile and rubbed his arm again. "Free coffees for all, how's that?" On a whim, he lent over and hugged Noriko.

<Noriko> She hugged back and smiled. "Thank you, Adam." She tried not to squee. A guy had hugged her!

<Clarice> Clarice rubbed her forehead, "Thanks, Ad. I dunno .... You ever, like ... get the feeling that none of it's real?" She waved a hand airily.

<@Jessica> "What, like we're living in the matrix?" She raised an eyebrow at Clarice.

<Noriko> "There's never enough going on for me. Everything's so boring, slow, and dull." She couldn't stop smiling shyly over her espresso now.

<Adam> "Deep shit already, Clari?" He started getting the coffees. "We haven't even got the weed out." He frowned, though. "I...know what you mean, but then my reality's broken, remember?"

<Clarice> "I dunno ... maybe? I keep on, like .... sorta ... there's, like ... stuff I know happened but can't remember," she moved her hands in front of her, like she was trying to shape the invisible dough of her thoughts, "like ... bouncing off the back of my head, so I can only get the echoes ..."

<Adam> "You know, if I was a conspiracy nut..." He smiled a little. "I mean, come on. All having weird dreams, all missing something, and now you're questioning reality? Next we're going to start thinking we're being drugged and watched..." Okay, that made a scary amount of sense.

<Clarice> Clarice blushed, "Oh God, I hope no one's watching me!"

<Adam> "But you and me've been living here our whole lives. Come on, Clarice, I knew you in kindergarten."

<Noriko> Feeling highly unnerved, she listened to them talk, "...See, that just makes me want my teddies."

<Noriko> Then she blushed, what a stupid thing to say aloud!

<Clarice> "Yeah, I know. It's just ... huh, maybe some kind of phase?" Damn, that sounded lame.

<@Jessica> "I think it's probably just that I'm new here... everything's strange... so maybe that's why I'm not sleeping well... and all the other stuff is just a side effect..." but that still didn't explain what she did to Scott.

<Adam> "Have you been watching The Prisoner stoned again? You've been watching it, haven't you?" He put the coffees out, smiling at the others, though it was very unsure.

<Clarice> "Maybe it's something in the water?" She joked.

<Clarice> "I have not! ... At least not stoned anyways."

<@Jessica> "I am not a number?" Jess tossed in with a grin.

<Noriko> Noriko finished her espresso and took the new coffee with a smile. "I'm putting it down to moving, stress, and arguments with my parents, but it's still kind of weird we're all having them at the same time."

<Adam> "Don't tell me that. Remember when I got paranoid about some kind of weird ink-zombie things and refused to go out?"

<@Jessica> "Well I've only recently moved here, too..." Jess reasoned out to Noriko, "And it's the time of year for being crazy and scared for no reason..."

<Clarice> "That's probably right in your case, Riko .... hehe, yeah I do, Adam. Now you gotta watch out for Rooooover coming for you," she made scary fingers at her friend.

<Adam> Adam gave Clarice the finger, which earned him a high-pitched 'Adam! You wait until I tell your mother!' from the old lady.

<Clarice> "Muwahahahaaaaa."

<@Jessica> Jess flinched at the yell from the old woman. It sounded unnaturally loud.

<Adam> Adam rubbed an ear. "Sorry, Mrs. Feeley. Clari, quit getting me in trouble."

<Clarice> "But it's what I do best, Ad, you should know this by now."

<Adam> "Had a bad enough time without having little, old ladies tell on me, Clarice." He muttered quietly. "Not that Mam cares, but it's the principle of the matter." He sighed. "So...what, we going to start a conspiracy club now?"

<@Jessica> "I think if we start a club they might notice..."

<Clarice> "Do we get tin foil hats?"

<Noriko> There was a disgruntled beep from Noriko's pocket. Pulling out the latest high-tech touch screen phone, she huffed and shoved it back in her pocket. "Stupid thing. Battery lasts, like, 30 minutes, I swear. Oooo, a conspiracy club." She giggled a little at the idea of a fun secret society.

<Clarice> "Hehe, they might notice?" Clarice chuckled at Jess, "You're getting into the spirit of things, aren't ya?"

<Adam> "Only if I get to make them." He grinned, then felt odd for a moment, before shaking his head. "I do have access to a whole kitchen, after all."

<@Jessica> She laughed, "Well you know the saying..." she shook her head a little and took a sip of her tea.

<Noriko> "Well, we could disguise it as an anti-sleep over party club, right?" She was still really hungry and tired but smiling after some food.

<Adam> "That would be awesome. Anyone doing anything tonight?"

<@Jessica> "Well I don't have plans but... Scott has a tendency to surprise me after work..."

<Noriko> "I'm free..... and my parents are out." She felt a little bad but also kind of sneaky. A party without her parents permission. Heeee!

<Clarice> "I'm free tonight," Clarice smiled. The chance to hang out and relax with friends was just what she needed after the clusterfuck with Eddie and Jean-Paul Ummm, don't you mean Edward and Paul?

<Clarice> "Play hard to get by saying you have a 'previous social engagement'."

<Adam> "Yeah, come sleepover so we can be insomniacs at each other."

<@Jessica> She nodded, somewhat reluctantly, "I'll see what I can do..." she gave a small smile, "I might be able to do both."

<Clarice> "Epic wiiiiiin," Clarice finished off her coffee, "Well, I gotta run. Momma's expecting me back at the salon."

<Noriko> "Well, see you all at like 8ish? I'll cook if you like?"

<Adam> "Sure thing...well...I'm not going anywhere, am right here, doing my job." He blew hair out of his face and smiled, thin hands around his coffee.

<@Jessica> "I don't finish work til then... I can maybe make it some time after nine?"

<Noriko> "Whenever, hehe. we'll be up anyway... Ooo, I'm not sure how many spare sleeping mats I have, so bring a sleeping bag, ok?"

<@Jessica> "Okay, no problem." She smiled, eyeing her panini. She'd only had one bite, and she wasn't interested in even trying to finish it.

<Clarice> "Sure thing. I'll bring the popcorn too, not a proper sleepover without popcorn," she made her way to the shop door, "See you guys la-I mean," she grinned, "Be seeing yoooooooou," and she was gone.

<@Jessica> Jess laughed and shook her head, finishing under her breath with 'in the village'.

<Adam> "...Nutter." Adam shook his head, rubbing his aching arms and checking the time. Hand going under the counter, he pulled out a pill box, swallowed a couple and put it back. "Right...what can I get you guys before you head out?"

<Noriko> "I'll have another panini, please. That last one was delicious, and I'm not really going anywhere. Not got anything to do today except unpack." She got comfy on her seat and smiled at him. "So, if you don't mind, can I stay here with you?"

<@Jessica> "A hot chocolate would be nice... It's sooooo cold out there...."

<Adam> "Hell yes, I could do with company. Means I don't have to think." He smiled at Noriko, doing both for the girls.

<@Jessica> Jess smiled, taking her hot chocolate and handing over some money. "Keep the change, Adam... Thanks for the chat, I'll see you later..." She gave a small wave over her shoulder and headed for the door.

<Noriko> "Cool. Well, means your stuck with me for the day." There was another shy smile as she waved goodbye to Jess, "Have a nice day Jess!"

<Adam> "Have a good one, Jess, and say hi to Scott." He grinned at her, before sliding back into his seat. "Wouldn't call it stuck." He smiled tiredly at her, rubbing his face.