Out Of Commission

Texas State Fairgrounds


The Texas State Fairgrounds is an educational and recreational complex, as well as a National Historic Landmark. Within the grounds are nine museums, six performance facilities, a beautiful blue lagoon, and the largest Ferris Wheel in North America. The most notable buildings in the area are the planetarium, the Hall of State, the D.A.R. building, and of course the Cotton Bowl.
The grounds are beautifully kept, and there are many pathways leading around and through the lagoon for those nature lovers that just want a bit of time away from the busier areas of the city.


Jamal enters the fairgrounds with Austin. Their pace is very slow, because Austin is on crutches, and Jamal is ambling along at his side. Topic of conversation: basketball. Very animated.

Austin hobbles along with Jamal, chuckeling, "Yeah, I almost quit the other night, but Andra begged me not to. Said I'd regret it and she's probably right, but with the knee and the idiots at school and stuff, I just got tired of the bullshit."
Dietrich has disconnected.

Austin is not the only one who's tired of the bullshit. The sun has set over the fair state of Texas, and a comfortable darkness has creeped over the streets. The lagoon is only illuminated by the scarce streetlights from afar, as well as the shining stars and the moon hanging overhead.

Not very fair away from the still waters is one Ivan Fontane, his blazer discarded to his left and the sleeves of his shirt rolled up, revealing cool skin to the refreshing blast of winter. He is staring rather hollowly out into the nature, sitting upon the ground as he takes in everything and nothing at the same time. There is something…morose and jilted about the air around him - heavy. And he's not alone.

"An ice cream cone? /Really/? My /God/ that's hilarious." Okay, so Chloe can't get over that little tidbit. Considering she's wanted to hit Ivan more than once, is it any surprise? "I'm guessing you likely didn't deserve it at all. I'm sorry you had to have that happen to you." Then she's biting on her lip, and her manner is less one of nervousness, and more one of slight drunkeness. "So, I saw you at the estate the other day. Not my business, I know, but I didn't want to intrude on the discussion. Everything spiffy between you and Will?"

Jamal says, "Well, de problem is, you want to stay in de game, you got to stay in de game. You wanna play professionally, you cain't drop out even if you got an injury. You got to stay on de team on de injured list, o' somefin. You wanna get found by de scouts, I mean. You play jess for fun, den it don' matter, an when yo' knee get bettah, I take you on anytime. Beat yo' black ass too." He grins and mocks a shove at Austin's shoulder, though he doesn't actually touch him, being considerate of the crutches, or some other reason." He hears Chloe and glances in her direction, hesitates when he sees the man she's talking to, then turns back to Austin. "An' yeah, I know de idiots at school. Leasways, dey don' kick you in de knee, do dey?"

Austin chuckles a bit "Well meaning, the team's not been acting like a team. They are supposed to have your back, and not give ya a bunch of shit all the time. Pretty much ever since they found out I had a girlfriend, it's been non stop. I love Andra and not going to split it off because of that. And I at least go to the games, and practices. Even if I am on the bench the whole time. It wasn't so bad, but apparently some girls are pissed, because it's not them I'm going out with. And they have been being bitches to Andra." he sighs, "I was just gonna go back to being another face in the hall. But that's not really what I want." He laughs at the way Jamal speaks, "Yeah yeah, you can try bro."

Ivan offers a grunt, harsh and dismissive. But then again, is it any surprise that he's not exactly in the talkative mood? The left side of his side is just a little swollen, and quite pink as though his own skin was fighting away a rash. His eyes are droopy, as though he's been doped up with a lot of anti-allergy medicine, and the faint smell of alcohol surrounds him. Yeah. It's not a good day for poor Ivan Fontane. He doesn't even blink as Jamal and Austin walk by, completely disinterested.

"Yeah. Real hilarious." About as hilarious as Hitler, to Ivan. "No, you're not sorry. Not really." He says depressively, leaning back slightly. "Mhmm? Things are fine. Shouldn't you be asking Will that, though? You're quite familiar with him, I suspect."

"My familiarity with him isn't in question, is it?" Chloe shrugs. "And I should be, but he's avoiding me due to my dead daddy issues." She's bothered by that, a lot. Likely why she went to see Mischa last night, but HELLO, that was just a little awkward right there. Hence, drunkeness. "He's been through a lot though, Ivan. Don't be harsh with him for a while, okay?"

Jamal says, "Mebbe dey jess jealous. Dey all black, o' is de team a mix lot? Because…dey's some people in de world, cain't stand de idea of a black guy wif a white girl. I don' know why, dey don' seem to have de same problem if a white guy like black girls. Mebbe dey jess jealous coz you got a girlfrien' at all. Mebbe it coz she ain't in school. She older den you, ain't she?"

Austin nods, "Yeah I know what you mean, the team is pretty much mixed. The one girl that has the major problem is white.. they really don't seem to mind that, and my mom was white, so I don't really thin that's the issue. They just want what they won't ever get." He looks to the pair as they pass, offering a polite nod, but not really anything beyond that. Not wishing to disturb them. "She's not in my school, and they don't know much about her, so for all they know, she is in a rival school." He nods, "Yeah, a little. Though not sure when her birthday is yet to know for sure exactly how much difference there is."

Ivan offers Chloe the faintest of shrugs, barely moving - barely even breathing, really. "Why would he be avoiding you just because your father is six feet under?" Beat. He lets out a hoarse cough, a bit of life returning to the young man as he glances Chloe-wards. "I'm sorry, by the way. About that. Sincerely. It must be difficult." However, when she pleads for the vampire, he can't help but roll his eyes. "The King shouldn't be who you're worrying for. More like, your entire species. Anyway, I don't wish him ill. I'd like nothing more then to work with him for peace. I just need to do what's best for humans. I just need to be able to trust his motives, and I dont." He should not be thinking about this, as it is drawing him deeper into depression.

Chloe watches him, only slightly concerned as she watches his difficulty breathing. Debating whether to call an ambulance or not. "Ivan, I have a blood bond with the man. I trust him implicitly, even though at times I question his logic. I know what he is thinking." A rare occurrence that a telepath should be able to read a vampire and while she can't fully read him, she gets enough in bits and pieces. "And I do worry for him, because I care." She's happy to leave it at that. Though she takes his hand, and attempts to force a thought into his head. « I saved his life. »

Jamal snorts. "Well, don' aks me. I ain't aksed her what her birfday is, eithah. We jess rent de 'partment togethah, thass it. She don't know how to cook at all. Man, I dint know there was a woman alive who cain't cook, but she sho' cain't. Dass why I do mos' of de cookin'. An if she don' like Jambalaya an stuff, well…" he grins. "Mo' fo me. She cain eat McDonalds again if she want to." He glances over at Ivan and Chloe again. "What you fink he mean by species?"

Austin grins, "I'll figure it out, sometime." He nods, "I can some, but can't bake. Guess if we ever get married, we'll both have to learn together, or starve or have one heck of a job and either order take-out or go out to dinner all the time." He grins at Jamal, "Well I've never had it, so not really sure if I like it or not. The grandparents can't really handle spicey stuff anymore. As long as I can remember." He peers at the pair and shrugs, "I dunnow. Not really my buisness."

Ivan takes in a semi-gasp for air, lifting a hand to scratch the afflicted side of his face gingerly. "Out of all the fucking flavors…it had to be strawberry…" Brooding, the exclamation he gives is mostly to himself, and mostly idle. However, he does offer her a bleary-eyed glance. "They don't think like we do. He's already dead. He has different concerns, a different agenda then we do…" Beat. "Faith trusted that Nishimura vampire too. Trusted him long enough for him to drain and then rape her." With his subtle warning given, the man slumps slightly, his hand limp in hers. The thought, when it strikes him, earns a weary nod of his head. As it is, the poor man is much to addled to notice a couple of snooping kids.

That is news to Chloe, and she gasps. Now her apology is much more sincere. "Oh, Ivan, I'm sorry. I never liked that man. He was… there was something off about him. Nishimura I mean. I…" Well actually, Chloe wouldn't shun that kind of attention at the moment, but she knows it won't happen. "I think I love him." Then her hand is held up. "I'm drunk, so ignore me." She shakes her head. "It's just, so /nice/ to be around someone who I don't have to listen to all the time. I will be careful though, and I appreciate the concern." Strange. She really does dislike Ivan sometimes, but tonight? Hell! Tonight they can be pals, because he's all doped up on meds, and she's quite drunk.

Jamal says, "I ain't seen dat weird guy what was changing clothes in de bushes in de park, again. I still fink dey was somefin wrong about him, an I don' mean he was doin his business. An' I ain't seen no vampiahs outside de hotel, lately. I spected to see mo' of 'em."

Austin nods, "Well, maybe he got something on them and was just changing where he could." he knows of 'other types' now in this city becides just the vampires, but he's just basicly pretending to be naieve or something. "I've met a couple vampires, they actually seemed pretty cool to me. Especially the male one I met. They are usually so cold, but he smiles when he sees me. Which I think is not what they are normaly supposed to be doing. I am learning a bit about them."

"Why're you apologizin' to me?" Ivan grunts in a low, lazy drawl, his eyes falling shut. "I'm fine. She's the one who's got to live with it. She's the one you should feel sorry for…" Once again, his hand lifts upwards, to rub at his face, but this time the movement is almost clumsy in nature. "Love? Y'gotta be careful. You cant let your feelin's get away with you. They lie alot. You gotta be smart too. Think with you head, too and not just with your…penis." It's clear. All the medication he's on? All the alcohol? The general mental exhaustion he's suffering? Well, it's all finally hitting the man.

Chloe looks at Ivan and laughs. "Fontane, you are hilarious. I'm a /woman/ for crying out loud!!" A very confused woman, but still a woman. "You sound… sound like him too. Him and Mischa. Men are just confusin'." The telepath gets a wave of exhaustion from him. Drunk as she is, she still has control of her mental faculties. Surprise surprise. "Want me to call you cab?"

Jamal says "You got one of 'em to *smile*? Really? I ain't nevah seen dat, cep when it look like dey lookin at you fo' a snack. You tell 'em you ain't no fangbangah, dey stop smilin." He glances at the other two. He and Austin stop walking for a bit, because frankly, crutches are enough to exhaust anybody, and Jamal seems to worry about his friend a bit.

Ivan doesn't bother opening his eyes from his perch on the floor, in fact, he's slumping down further. "I am?" He's clearly going to have to take Chloe's word on how funny he can be, because he is not remotely amused. Nor is he in the joking type of mood. "Sorry. And it's 'cause it's true. Doesn't mean it's easy advice to follow, but if you can…Call a wha'?" His hand, unless she removed hers, still lies limp, almost lifelessly in hers. "I can't…think right. There's s'mthing wrong wimme."

Cab time. Chloe dials, and places the cab call. "Hang in there, Fontane. We're gonna get you home in one piece. Or to the hospital. Maybe hospital. Stomach pumped. Yes indeedy. That's what you need." But it doesn't take too long before a cab appears. It's a Saturday night, and they generally hang out around bars to get fares anyhow. "In you go!"

Austin does seem thankful for the pause. Though whishes there were a bench a bit closer. He nods though grinning, "Yeah, a genuine smile. Not forced or anything. He's really cool. I actually concider him, sortta like a friend. He's been very nice to me." untucking the crutches from his arm and just stands there holding them. It's under the arms the crutches are worse.

Jamal says, "It ain't Michael, is it? I like him all right, but he ain't nevah smiled at me." He frowns in the direction of the now-limp Ivan. "I'm glad dat woman's ovah deah wif him. He don' look so good. Sick, o..somefin."

Ivan needs much help to make it into the cab, but eventually he makes it in. And once he's inside? Well, he is quite out of commission. The pair of them are out of there as soon as possible.

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