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Post by sloth on Apr 12, 2011 2:55:52 GMT -5
Michael McBride walked along the lawns, a slight smile on his face as he puffed on a cigarette. He blew the smoke out of his nose before taking another breath of the air around him. The grass, as green as a lime, reminded him of his beloved Ireland so.
Michael took another puff of his cigarette, enjoying the peaceful walk along the Lawns. It wasn't often that he did this, since he was so busy with the jobs and the recruits lately. Seriously, it was almost as if anyone was allowed to enter these days. Michael laughed to himself as he puffed again on the small tobacco filled stick.
He saw movement out of the corner of his eye, and saw an old friend of his. He waved to him, smiling.
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Post by Zeno on Apr 12, 2011 3:04:13 GMT -5
Zeno sneezed. He hated the lawns now... The Boss had apparently decided to add a little spring feeling to the place, and had ordered some flowers to be grown here and there. Sadly, Zeno had turned out to be allergic to those flowers.
Spotting a friendly face some distance away, he noticed that it was Michael McBride, one of his few friends in this place. He waved back as he walked over to him, lighting a cigarette. "Hey, Mike, what's up?" he asked, nodding in greeting to the man.
Zeno turned his head away from Mike and let loose another loud sneeze, before letting out a few choice curses under his breath, cursing the Boss and his/her need for flowers.
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Post by sloth on Apr 12, 2011 19:24:12 GMT -5
Michael smiled. "Not-" His comment was unfinished as Zeno sneezed. The Irishman raised an eyebrow.
"Allergies?" Michael blew out a cloud of smoke from his nose, flicking ashes from his cigarette onto the lawn, making sure to stomp it out. He didn't want the Boss on his ass if he accidentally set fire to the place.
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Post by Zeno on Apr 12, 2011 19:36:29 GMT -5
Zeno growled to himself as he nodded. "Yeah... I don't know why the Boss wants flowers here. He or she never comes out of his or her office anyway," he muttered, shaking his head. "Not only that, but my lung augmentations need replacing."
Zeno took a long drag on his cigarette, then exhaled slowly. "Lately, I've found that I've been coughing a lot of blood, and discovered that the augmentations keeping my lung cancer in check are still doing their job, but are tearing up my lungs in the process..."
Zeno sneezed once more. "Ain't life just a fucking bowl of cherries?"
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Post by sloth on Apr 12, 2011 19:45:21 GMT -5
Michael puffed on his cigarette again. "Wow... that really does suck."
"What I don't understand," Michael began, blowing out smoke. "is why you keep your original lungs. Don't they have a cybernetic equivalent?" Michael looked at the flowers blooming. He wouldn't have minded trees, but flowers? A strange man, the Boss was. Even in all of his years o' service, he had never once seen the Boss.
Michael puffed on the last of his cigarette before throwing it on the ground, stomping out the ashes.
"They have cybernetics for everything now, don't they?"
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Post by Zeno on Apr 12, 2011 19:48:17 GMT -5
"They've got all kinds of cybernetics and augmentations, yeah," Zeno said, nodding. "But these are my lung. They're the lungs my mother gave to me, and they're the lungs I'm gonna keep. Only if they get blown out will I replace them," he said.
Zeno had always been adamant about that. He hated cybernetics. They made him feel less like a man and more like a machine. He only chose them if he had no other choice.
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Post by sloth on Apr 12, 2011 19:53:37 GMT -5
Michael nodded. He could see the logic - and sentiment - in that. Especially for his gunslinger of a pal.
"Aye, I can see how you're so attached to them." Michael paused, then let out a chuckle. Heh. He made a funny.
"So, when are ya gonna get them replaced?" Michael asked, looking around the Lawns.
They weren't alone.
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Post by Zeno on Apr 12, 2011 19:58:58 GMT -5
"Later today. My appointment is in three hours, so I'll have to endure for-" Zeno froze, and let out another powerful sneeze, followed by a long string of curses that could make a sailor blush. "Fucking flowers!"
In a fit of rage, Zeno upholstered both his revolvers and spun around, opening fire on every flower he saw. Sadly, though, he could only empty both guns once before his rage died down, making way for another sneeze.
"Ugh... I hate it here..."
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Post by sloth on Apr 12, 2011 20:05:12 GMT -5
Michael sympathetically patted Zeno on his shoulder.
"You know, a wise man once told me a saying, whenever I had problems." Michael said, clenching his fists. He could swear someone was watching them.
He shook his head. He was probably just being paranoid. The Irishman took out another cigarette. Wasn't the first time.
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Post by Zeno on Apr 12, 2011 20:10:32 GMT -5
Zeno waited for Michael to tell him the saying, but nothing came. Instead, he was just being nervous-ish about something. This wasn't the first time he'd acted paranoid around Zeno, so this didn't really bother him. The only problem with that was that Mike was right sometimes, so Zeno never knew if someone really was watching them or not.
"And that saying was...?" he urged, trying to get Mike's mind off his paranoia.
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Post by sloth on Apr 12, 2011 20:15:40 GMT -5
Michael snapped out of his trance, an unlit cigarette in his mouth.
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Whenever I had a problem with my training, this wise old man would always say six words of wisdom." Michael grinned a little, remembering the old Chinese man that he had encountered during his days as a spy.
"Suck it up, you little bitch." Michael laughed at the end, somewhat because of fond memories, but mostly because he remembered that little old man would give such an ass whooping every time he had complained.
Good times, good times.
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Post by Zeno on Apr 12, 2011 20:19:28 GMT -5
Zeno snorted at that. That was some good advice. Then again... "Yeah, but you didn't have malfunctioning augmentations that were destroying your lungs, on top of a mean case of lung cancer, did you?"
Zeno sneezed again, growling. "And allergies..."
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Post by sloth on Apr 12, 2011 20:22:22 GMT -5
"Why no, no I didn't." Michael lit up his cigarette, puffing on the cancer stick.
"But still, if you don't like the flowers, then why are ya out here?" It was a valid question. If he was allergic, then why didn't he just stay inside?
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Post by Zeno on Apr 12, 2011 20:38:07 GMT -5
"Because I can't stand all the constant chatter from those fucking rookies inside!" Zeno growled out irritably. "I tell ya, I didn't think it was gonna be annoying to be well-known around here..." he muttered as he put out his cigarette, immediately fishing out a new one and lighting it.
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Post by sloth on Apr 12, 2011 20:46:16 GMT -5
Michael's face became one of relaxation and puzzlement to dread and fatigue within seconds. He sighed as he took a long drag on his cigarette.
"Why am I a fuckin' teacher again?" Michael said, looking around. Oh, how he'd like to shove all of those recruits to World-889. Lots of beasties to nibble on their bones there.
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