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kageygirlSanctuary, Will & Kate, 800 words. For the "transportation" challenge at ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
sfaflashfic.
Summary: Maybe “the man who never returned” just really liked riding the train.
Riding the Rails
"There’s really that many abnormals on the subway?" Will asked quietly, as they moved into the next car down. It was Tuesday, between morning rush and lunch break, and the crowds of commuters had faded away, leaving behind only a scattering of people throughout the train.
Kate shrugged, still scanning the passengers. "Some of them like to hang out and still stay hidden in a crowd. Get a little fresh air, go people-watching... Plus, cleaner than the sewers. Mostly."
They passed a guy with no less than seven plastic grocery bags full of, as far as Will could tell, other grocery bags, and Will only caught sight of the tail curling out of his trenchcoat because he was looking for it. Polymer-phage, then. Maybe Kate was onto something, here. He looked back over at her and said, “It really is amazing how often we end up in the sewers.”
Her mouth twitched in disgust. “Not the word I’d use.” Picking up her pace, she headed straight for a guy in classic hippie regalia--tie-dyed shirt, bandana, purple-tinted glasses with round lenses. Kate stopped in front of him and smiled down. "Hey, Sal."
His eyes tracked slowly up to her face. "Freelander." He gave her a huge grin and bobbed his head at her. "You have the grooviest name ever, you know."
"I do know, because you tell me every time," she said, with patient good humor.
Sal bobbed his head again. "No less true."
Kate indicated Will with one hand and said, "Sal, this is Will. Zimmerman."
Another slow track, and Will got the once-over. "Carpenter." Sal slid his glasses far enough down his nose to look at Will over the rims. His eyes were a vibrant orange. After a few seconds, Will apparently qualified for a grin of his own. "I can dig it."
"I brought you some bituminous, Sal." Kate fished a plastic baggie of coal dust out of her pocket and dangled it in front of Sal. It swayed in her hand as the car rocked.
"Oh, Freelander, you know that seeing you is the best reward karma can give me."
"Yeah, but I'd like you to keep wanting to see me, when you've got something to share." She tossed the bag to Sal, who caught it more easily than Will would have given him credit for.
"Solid." Sal tucked the bag into the grubby backpack beside him, and looked back at Kate. "Heard a couple dudes talking, bringing something in hidden on a circus train." He shook his head. "That is so wrong, man."
Will set his feet as the car rocked again. "Did they mention a timetable?"
Kate scoffed up at him. "'Cause there's so many circus trains rolling into town? I think Hank can figure that out." She looked back at Sal and asked, "How about species? Do we need, like, a box, or, like, a Mack truck?"
"Didn't say. Did say a dude with a van was going to make the pick-up."
Kate nodded. "Thanks, Sal. Enjoy your ride."
"Always do. Stay cool, Freelander. Carpenter."
Kate pulled on Will's arm, and he followed her through another connecting door into the next car. She caught his questioning look, and waved a hand at him. "Sal’s not the type to hold out. He gave us what he knew, and I didn't want to keep him from his buzz any longer."
Will set his back against an upright pole and folded his arms together. "So, he's a Switcher."
Kate mirrored him, crossing one boot over the other. "Yep. They're all about motion, makes them super-zen. They've been riding back and forth since the railroads came along, all over the world."
Will nodded. "And the coal dust, is that, like, marijuana for them?"
"Wow, look at the conclusions you jump to." She raised her eyebrows and stared him down just long enough to make Will feel like a complete ass, then shook her head. "From what I hear, it's more like their chocolate."
He grinned at her. "Awww. So you're saying he's sweet on you."
The train slowed down as it approached a station, and Kate pushed herself up straight. "I'm saying maybe you should be nicer to the girl who's got sources you don't."
Will followed her to the doors, pulling out his cell phone. "Well, we are heading to the circus. Cotton candy?"
“Cheapskate.” They stepped onto the platform, and Kate pulled ahead of him as he slowed to relay the news. “Make it the blue kind,” she called back to him, leaving him to explain that to a bemused Magnus on the other end.
***
sfaflashfic.Summary: Maybe “the man who never returned” just really liked riding the train.
Riding the Rails
"There’s really that many abnormals on the subway?" Will asked quietly, as they moved into the next car down. It was Tuesday, between morning rush and lunch break, and the crowds of commuters had faded away, leaving behind only a scattering of people throughout the train.
Kate shrugged, still scanning the passengers. "Some of them like to hang out and still stay hidden in a crowd. Get a little fresh air, go people-watching... Plus, cleaner than the sewers. Mostly."
They passed a guy with no less than seven plastic grocery bags full of, as far as Will could tell, other grocery bags, and Will only caught sight of the tail curling out of his trenchcoat because he was looking for it. Polymer-phage, then. Maybe Kate was onto something, here. He looked back over at her and said, “It really is amazing how often we end up in the sewers.”
Her mouth twitched in disgust. “Not the word I’d use.” Picking up her pace, she headed straight for a guy in classic hippie regalia--tie-dyed shirt, bandana, purple-tinted glasses with round lenses. Kate stopped in front of him and smiled down. "Hey, Sal."
His eyes tracked slowly up to her face. "Freelander." He gave her a huge grin and bobbed his head at her. "You have the grooviest name ever, you know."
"I do know, because you tell me every time," she said, with patient good humor.
Sal bobbed his head again. "No less true."
Kate indicated Will with one hand and said, "Sal, this is Will. Zimmerman."
Another slow track, and Will got the once-over. "Carpenter." Sal slid his glasses far enough down his nose to look at Will over the rims. His eyes were a vibrant orange. After a few seconds, Will apparently qualified for a grin of his own. "I can dig it."
"I brought you some bituminous, Sal." Kate fished a plastic baggie of coal dust out of her pocket and dangled it in front of Sal. It swayed in her hand as the car rocked.
"Oh, Freelander, you know that seeing you is the best reward karma can give me."
"Yeah, but I'd like you to keep wanting to see me, when you've got something to share." She tossed the bag to Sal, who caught it more easily than Will would have given him credit for.
"Solid." Sal tucked the bag into the grubby backpack beside him, and looked back at Kate. "Heard a couple dudes talking, bringing something in hidden on a circus train." He shook his head. "That is so wrong, man."
Will set his feet as the car rocked again. "Did they mention a timetable?"
Kate scoffed up at him. "'Cause there's so many circus trains rolling into town? I think Hank can figure that out." She looked back at Sal and asked, "How about species? Do we need, like, a box, or, like, a Mack truck?"
"Didn't say. Did say a dude with a van was going to make the pick-up."
Kate nodded. "Thanks, Sal. Enjoy your ride."
"Always do. Stay cool, Freelander. Carpenter."
Kate pulled on Will's arm, and he followed her through another connecting door into the next car. She caught his questioning look, and waved a hand at him. "Sal’s not the type to hold out. He gave us what he knew, and I didn't want to keep him from his buzz any longer."
Will set his back against an upright pole and folded his arms together. "So, he's a Switcher."
Kate mirrored him, crossing one boot over the other. "Yep. They're all about motion, makes them super-zen. They've been riding back and forth since the railroads came along, all over the world."
Will nodded. "And the coal dust, is that, like, marijuana for them?"
"Wow, look at the conclusions you jump to." She raised her eyebrows and stared him down just long enough to make Will feel like a complete ass, then shook her head. "From what I hear, it's more like their chocolate."
He grinned at her. "Awww. So you're saying he's sweet on you."
The train slowed down as it approached a station, and Kate pushed herself up straight. "I'm saying maybe you should be nicer to the girl who's got sources you don't."
Will followed her to the doors, pulling out his cell phone. "Well, we are heading to the circus. Cotton candy?"
“Cheapskate.” They stepped onto the platform, and Kate pulled ahead of him as he slowed to relay the news. “Make it the blue kind,” she called back to him, leaving him to explain that to a bemused Magnus on the other end.
***
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2011-03-12 04:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-13 03:00 am (UTC)I'm kind of in love with the idea of a hippie abnormal.
no subject
Date: 2011-03-13 04:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-13 09:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-17 04:33 pm (UTC)<3 <3 <3
Love Kate so much. :D