trans_9 | But Sooner Or Later God'll Cut You Down [Open]

'Running away' is, in Howard's opinion, the most useful thing the human body can do. And unfortunately, he has plenty of reasons to think it will come in handy at some point, or at various points, in the future.

That's why he's set up a 400 yard circular track-slash-obstacle course in Hydroponics, as well as set up markers for hundred meter, two hundred meter, and mile routes. Every other morning, before Med Bay shifts, he's here, improving on speed and stamina. He knows full well that even if he gets into the best shape of his life, he can still be outrun (or outflown) by his super-powered, magical or metahuman peers, but it's better to have that added little bit of competence if and when he ends up sprinting away from danger.

He's feeling the results, too. There's no way to time if he's getting faster, but where he was once just skinny, he's becoming lean, and the mile run that used to exhaust him leaves him considerably less winded than it did a few months ago. And he's getting much more confident going through the tunnels and up the ladders of the obstacle course.

The only thing looking worse for the wear is his shoes. At some point he's going to have to relegate his velociraptor shoes to a beloved keepsake, because the seams are literally coming apart around his toes.

Howard double-knots his shoelaces and stretches a bit before running the obstacle course again.

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There was some disappointment present on her face as she heard Howard's response, but she pushed it aside. She could understand why he felt as he did and she couldn't fault him for it. Trust was not an easy thing to give and she shouldn't expect it. To be fair, it wasn't as though she'd told him everything about herself either, so who was she to ask for any trust from him when she hadn't managed to fully give it herself?

Still, she meant it with all her heart when she told him that she wanted only the best for him.

"You may not believe me, but I don't mean you any harm, Howard," she smiled weakly at him, her voice soft. "I don't expect you to take me at my word though. Words can be too easily ignored."

Cassie shook her head, a frown flickering across her face and sadness entering her eyes. She wished that she could deny Howard's statement in it's entirety, but she couldn't. Not after she'd seen the darker side of life. On the other hand though, she'd seen the brighter side of it too and that was the part that she held onto as best she could. "Sometimes, yes, but... but not always. Not always."

She smiled at Howard as he said hello to the cow, watching as the animal's ears flicked forward at the new voice. "Maybe we should come up with a name for her, so that we don't have to keep calling her 'cow'. We used to name the animals that we took care of in my father's clinic." Cassie knew fear and she understood that she was asking a lot of Howard now, but she was glad that he was willing to extend at least this must trust. She continued to pet the brown cow, who was eying Howard with more curiosity now rather than fear. Cassie made a point of continuing her efforts throughout to soothe the animal just as a precaution to keep the cow calm though. Although she didn't expect it, this could still go wrong if either Howard or the brown cow panicked. "Why don't you let her sniff your hand so that she can catch your scent? Then if she seems calm enough and you feel comfortable enough, go ahead and pet her neck like I am. She's a friendly cow, just a bit nervous."

Edited 2012-01-01 00:52 (UTC)

"You don't mean me any harm now," he says, redefining her words. It goes unsaid that that could always change. Any information she gets on him could, someday, be used against him if things get really bad. Alliances you can count on are few and far between.

And humanity is ugly. "Sometimes is often enough for me."

Howard rolls his eyes at Cassie's insistence on naming it. He holds his hand out, though, and lets the cow sniff it with those big damp nostrils. He uses his other hand to pet it. "Hello, Burger."

Cassie opened her mouth to protest, but then she snapped it shut as she further considered his words. No, she didn't intend him harm now or any time in the future, but she couldn't fault him for thinking that way, even if it hurt some to think that someone who she considered a friend might think of her in such a manner. Still though, didn't she more often than she cared to admit look at the world through those same lenses? Wasn't that why she maintained the secrets of her past from so many? It was a protective measure to keep herself and her friends safe just in case the worst happened.

No, she couldn't fault him for his suspicions and she wouldn't argue. "I understand."

Cassie preferred to be a glass half-full kind of person, even if she didn't always succeed. Sometimes humanity could beautiful too. "If you assume the worst, then that's all you ever see. At least that's been my experience," she mused.

"Burger?" It... wasn't what she'd had in mind, but she had left it to Howard and she wouldn't discourage him by showing any disapproval. At least he'd given the animal a name and he seemed to be a bit more comfortable around the brown cow, which was a step in the right direction. "Okay then. Burger it is."

Smiling at the cow, she patted its neck softly. "What do you think, Burger? Do you like your new name?"

He's about to shoot back that no, she doesn't, but then realizes from the tone of her voice that she actually does. He bites his lip and keep petting the cow. "Even if I tried assuming the best, I can't not see the worst. It's like this, um, like this stain or after-image or..."

He looks like he's trying to find the right words and just getting frustrated. Maybe he could write it down. He's always been better in writing than just talking, but he'd never actually show anyone what he does. He's been working on some short stories late at night.

"That one's Worcestershire and the other one's Ribeye. Maybe this one over here is Babyback." He points to the others, clearly feeling encouraged that Cassie's rolling with it.

"I can understand that," she admitted slowly, sympathetic to his apparent frustration. This wasn't an easy thing to put into words. "For me at least though, it's different. I know the worst is out there, but I know that the best is out there too. I need to know that the best is out there. It's... It's just important to see the light beyond the darkness." And it mattered more to her then she could realistically put into words.

"Okay," she agreed with a smile, motioning to two different cows. "Then how about we name that brown one over there Rose and that black and white one by the fence Patches?" The cows can be named after things that are not meat based products, Howard. Really.

"I haven't seen the best. Or if I have it's not very impressive." She's talking and yet it just sounds like words to him. 'Light beyond the darkness' and all that. Word salad.

He shakes his head. "Nope. Au Jus and Tenderloin. And that one over there is Hollandaise. My herd of cows, my rules."

But Sooner Or Later God'll Cut You Down [Open]

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