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“I can’t promise I’ll be very interesting but I might be better than nothing.” He laughed a bit as he spoke. “Consider yourself saved. You want to hear a fun fact?”

“I’ll still take better than nothing,” Akumi replied. She nodded at Loren’s offer, sitting up in her chair as she did so. “Yes, yes, yes, please.”

have they ever cheated on a partner?

have they ever been cheated on by a partner?

“No and no. I may not be, like, a good person but I’m not shitty enough to do that to somebody, and anybody would be an idiot to cheat on me.”

“Have to agree with you on that one.” Bennett appeared strong but he didn’t have a violent bone in his body. He feared that might have to change. “Then the body turned up in the park. Is nature so unsacred these days?“ Shameful. “It’d get you out of the sun… and be quiet.” Actually, that seemed like an ideal place for someone like her with the current malady. He grinned. “Are you seriously not the least bit interested in reading?”

“Ah, I’m glad to have a fellow old timer in my midst. I should specify that while I might not have years on my side, I do have experience.” Klamenth had managed to collect a strange handful of residents, many of whom seemed to date back centuries. Fox laughed dryly, his voice hoarse with a hint of nervous energy. Telling her might be foolish, but he had spent too long trying to deny who he was. He fought the urge to scratch at his cheek, give into an itch that had begun to gnaw at him. “It’s my mutation. Diseases, plagues, manifest inside of me, and for a time, were beyond my control. I can however, attest to the fact I am not responsible for the current out break.”

“I’m the exact opposite. I’ve got too many years on my side and not enough experience to keep me from doing stupid, childish things,” Akumi laughed and shrugged at her statement. As old as she was, she probably should be more mild, but instead chose to use her endless years of life by mingling with humans and getting into trouble. “Ahh, I see,” she nodded, “well, at least you didn’t cause this whole mess. Thank god for that, too, because if it turned out that you were the cause, I’d be morally obligated to turn you in or something and I’m honestly too lazy to do that.”

Bennett gave a soft nod. It was clear she had a method of coping. Whenever an animal he looked after got sick, rare as that was, he hardly slept. At least in the realm of animals he could actually help. Humans simply never seemed to be his place. He smiled as she made such a bold statement, “That is one way to put it.” Ben laughed to himself, finding that sort of statement refreshing. “Now if only there was somewhere worth going. I don’t trust the forests right now. Not with… everything that’s happened.”

“Gosh. That’s horrible.. probably worse than being sick yourself I feel.” It could just be him. Her compliment of sorts made Bennett snort. “In societal terms I’m a fairly worthless individual. ‘gotta say being cooped up indoors even when under the weather is my least favorite thing to do as well.”

“I’ll take it this is your first rodeo then.” He had hoped to find a home here, among those who were as alike to him as possible. Fox knew finding a mutant who shared the same unfortunate condition was unlikely, but he’d settle for anything. What he hadn’t counted on, was finding a warzone, the very thing he’d turned his back on. “Truthfully? I’m bored, and I’ve got nothing to lose when it comes to infections. That’s kind of my thing, actually.” 

“Not the first, but definitely the first in a while,” Akumi replied with a nonchalant shrug. She had seen far worse epidemics and catastrophes in her plenty years of immortal life. She had finally experienced a nice breath of peace during her time in Klamenth, only to find that it’d be a very fleeting breath. “Bored, you say. That makes two of us, which means we can find someway to change that. How can infections ‘be your thing’, then?”

He laughed gently and decided to leave it at that. This was a familiar scenario for the zoo keeper after all. “Oh…” The human had failed to notice. A bad habit. Maybe it was for the best he remain within high security walls, oblivious to town as he could be. “I’m so sorry. ‘it’s brave of you to come out and I’d say the fresh air and sunlight could give your body a boost.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Akumi stated with a wave of her hand. “In all truth, I’m out here because I’ve just visited a friend who does happen to have it worse than me,” she replied, a soft smile playing upon her lips as she remembered the girl lying in the hospital bed. “And also because my house is boring and there’s interesting people like you out and about.”