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[ruff_patch]

I know, it's just kind of hot when you boss me around.
But I'll happily have an orgasm.

I'm not dressed WELL but I am dressed.

See you soon?

[superjournalist]

I’ve noticed that you like that.

Yeah. See you soon.

[ruff_patch]

Tee hee.

[After Lois has arrived and dealt with the bail she is instructed to sit and wait on a row of plastic seats while they go get Richard.

When he emerges from the back room he is dressed in a mismatched sweatpants set, his hair tousled and eyes tired, although they light up a bit when he sees Lois.]

Hey.

[He says with a guilty grin.]

Thanks.

[superjournalist]

[ Lois isn’t thrilled about this whole situation, but she wasn’t going to leave him to rot in jail either. He looks exhausted. ]

I still don’t understand how this happened. Do you usually take off your clothes when you get drunk?

[ruff_patch]

[He is exhausted but mostly he is relieved and he shuffles over to her, offering a little shrug.]

When I get normal drunk? No. But when I get blackout drunk? Uh...sometimes. It's happened before back home but the cops were a bit more forgiving.

[superjournalist]

Why did you get blackout drunk?” Lois asks. Most people don’t do that unless they’re trying to forget something.

Outside, they agree to walk to a nearby ATM so that Richard can take out the money that he owes her.

[ruff_patch]

"I...uh..."

Fuck.
How should he answer that? He can't tell her the truth, fuuuck think Richard! Luckily he is able to stall a little while going to the ATM and getting her half the cash he owes, which brings his meagre amount to about $500 but that's for him to worry about later right now he has to answer her question.

"I had a really bad panic attack last night." He says as he hands over the cash. "And I thought drinking would calm me down."

[superjournalist]

That answer seems… hasty. Questionable. Lois furrows her brow as she counts the money, then puts it in her bag.

“I don’t think alcohol helps with that,” she replies. “I guess you don’t have medication for it?”

[ruff_patch]

It's a hasty answer but not entirely false, he always panics right before he transforms because he knows how much it will hurt and sometimes getting plastered helps blur the pain a bit.

"No, I might be able to get it back home since we've got free healthcare but I can't afford meds here in the States."

[superjournalist]

“Benzos are pretty cheap, though maybe not if you don’t have any insurance at all.” Lois looks up at him. “Why did you leave Canada anyway?”

It clearly wasn’t for a job. Why not just go back?

[ruff_patch]

For once his normally open face closes up and he shrugs, looking away from her eyes.

"Personal reasons."

[superjournalist]

Well, now Lois is definitely curious, after a response like that. She won’t question it for now, but she plans to run his name on a few databases she has access to.

It’s actually kind of surprising that she hasn’t run his name yet.

“Maybe you should consider getting blackout drunk at home next time.”

[ruff_patch]

If and when she runs his name she won't get very much; a few unpaid parking tickets, minor arrests back home for probably similar drunken behavior. The most notable thing she will find will be a newspaper article about him surviving a brutal animal attack.

"I usually try to." He says and groans, holding his head for a moment.

"Fuck I feel like garbage, guess I look it too huhn?"

[superjournalist]

An animal attack is different and unexpected. Something that she will definitely tuck away in her brain for later.

“You kind of do,” Lois says. “I can drive you home if you want.”

[ruff_patch]

"If it's okay I'd love to get a cup of coffee somewhere first."

[superjournalist]

“You sure?” she asks. “As long as you feel okay. If you puke in my car, I’ll kill you.”

They get in and Lois starts towards a diner she knows that is relatively inexpensive.

“I’m sorry you had such a shitty night.”

[ruff_patch]

"I promise that if I feel like I'm going to hurl I'll stick my head out the window." He mutters, slumping down in his seat as she starts to drive.

"Well I'm sorry I kind of ruined your morning."

[superjournalist]

Lois shrugs. “I wasn’t really doing anything yet.” It’s Saturday, and while she doesn’t work as much on the weekends, she usually does a few work-related things in the afternoons and evenings. “I have a few of my colleagues’ stories to read over and send feedback to before they’re approved to print.”

She could use some coffee, actually.

[ruff_patch]

"So you're not just a reporter you're also an editor for everyone else?" He asks, glancing over at her as she drives.

"I hope you get paid double for all that."

[superjournalist]

“I’m a senior reporter,” she says, “so, yes. They do pay me more.” Journalists don’t make much money, so any extra she can earn is a plus.

“You’re lucky I wasn’t tracking down any leads. Sometimes sources can only meet on the weekends.”

[ruff_patch]

"What do you do when you meet leads? Is it like in movies where you meet at a seedy pub with low lighting or is it just at a Starbucks?"

[superjournalist]

“Starbucks, most of the time. Actually, I usually meet people at this diner.”

Lois turns into a parking lot and parks the car.

“If the source is scared or wants to be kept anonymous, we’ll meet someplace more private.”

[ruff_patch]

"Huhn." Richard muses and un-fastens his seat belt once she's parked. "This is going to sound stupid but I never actually thought that anytime a news article says 'sources say' it's actually a real person you're getting the info from."

[superjournalist]

“Sometimes it isn’t,” Lois says as she locks the car. “Depends on the quality of the paper. In celebrity gossip? Usually fake.”

Inside, the diner is standard fare. A counter. A row of booths. Nothing fancy. But the coffee is decent and the food is good. A number of the waitresses say hi to her, which shows how often she’s here. Sometimes she comes alone to write.

Lois and Richard sit down across from each other in a booth. After ordering some coffee, she studies him.

“How many times have you been arrested?”

[ruff_patch]

He sits down in the booth with a long sigh, grateful to be in an easy, simple environment. After a full moon transformation he always feels like he's been rubbed against a cheese grater, his skin feels tight and sounds are always so much more intense.

"What?" He asks and then rubs a hand over his weary face. "Oh. A couple of times, all for stupid shit."