Realistic or Modern The Chance for a Cure

[WildCatin']

Time window 5pm to 12pm Friday night

Ann Tanusan, human (age 25)

RiverStone restaurant had better food than Ann had expected. Really it catered more to tourists and out-of-towners more than anything. She was hungry, it had been close and so here she was. The small wooden building was set right on the river bank. Ann might have been more appreciative of the view if she wasn't aware of the sewer overflow the recent rainstorms had flooded into the Columbia River. Late winter wasn't exactly the best time to be outside cataloging anthropological material, but Ann had a deadline. At 25 she was easily the youngest person in her department set to get her doctorate this upcoming spring. In fact the yearly graduation ceremony wasn't until June. She didn't plan on attending though.

Ann tucked into her pasta Alfredo hungrily. Seven hours of trudging though underbrush and mud works up one hell of an appetite. All the photos from today were stored in the mid-quality camera stashed in the backpack sitting next to her. Along with a few tracings. Carvings in this area were fairly rare after all. As much as she liked the outdoors, the woods were no fun this time of year. She didn't care to think overly much of the fact she would need to take probably at least 2 more trips to gather enough material to complete her doctorate. Right now she would rather think about showering off this mud and picking the spruce needles out of her hair, then going and getting a much earned drink in downtown Portland.

 

[Compass]

The ancient would never admit it, but actions spoke louder than words. "The very idea of a cure is ridiculous," he had said, and yet he sat in RiverStone, his dark eyes on the link to the very cure. A coffee sat before him, untouched and cooling, a sketchbook beside his right hand for show. He was definitely the out-of-towner sort the restaurant welcomed, well groomed and out of place in a small town. He dressed in smart casual, dark colors, and his dark brown hair styled out of his face. His eyes, a simple brown at a distance, remained steady on Ann, but would occasionally flicker down to his sketchbook as his hand created mindless lines, slowly turning them into an empty table. His skin was a light olive, and a light layer of facial hair decorated his upper lip and chin.

When the waitress came up to him, he was polite but unsmiling. It encouraged her to be elsewhere, so attention wasn't on him for more than a moment at a time. He had finally found Ann Tanusan, and he wasn't going to lose out on a potential cure. He knew others against it could bring the ridiculous idea to a swift end if they found her. And while one of the oldest, he was not one of the strongest of his kind. Others were intimidating and frightening to him at times, but here sat his chance to unassociate with them. He'd work to protect it. He wrinkled his nose as he watched her , though: she was a bit of a mess.

WildCatin'

 

[WildCatin']

Ann was well into her meal before she noticed the attention of the man seated a little ways away from her. It was unusual for diners to glance around, but this man's focus seemed fixed on her. How long he had been watching her, she wasn't sure. He could easily blend into a crowd. Nothing about the way he was dressed or his manner made him stick out. His eyes however, were remarkable. She was hard pressed to explain why. The color and shape were nice enough, but what caught her attention was the strange intensity they held. He made some attempt to hide his glances looking preoccupied with a sketchbook.

Why he was looking at her she had no idea. He didn't seem impressed with her underbrush-beaten appearance. Her nearly black hair was still tied up in the quick bun she had threaded it into this morning, but loose tendrils trailed down and snagging branches had ruined it's symmetry. Eyeliner highlighting her blue-green eyes that had not come off with washing the night before was the only makeup she wore, if it could be called that. Her pale skin did not maker her look out of place living in Portland. Everyone there was at least 2 shades lighter than they would be living elsewhere. Her muddy clothes smelled of pine and sweat. She hadn't been embarrassed until now. She had assumed anyone would think she had been hiking; not reason for distain given how common hikers were in this area. She was suddenly self conscious.

Now that she was aware of this stranger she almost couldn't help herself from looking over at him a few times. Her slight embarrassment was written all over her. She ate a little more hesitantly, and asked for a check the next time the waitress drew near.

Ann wasn't sure why a random stranger had rattled her, it wasn't like her. She thought about his piercing gaze as she walked out to the parking lot. The average stranger didn't have a stare like that. She shivered as she made her way to her green subaru.