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Today had just been slightly off.

Yvette didn't know why, but it just had been. She had called Topher up and been invited over to hang out. Now that Eva was awake again, things were supposed to be back to the way they were before. Right? That was what Yvette thought was supposed to be the case.

Yet, when Eva answered the door, something seemed off. Her friend's mother still looked like the stunning woman she had always been, with her bountiful blue hair tied back and her chocolate brown eyes. She was smiling, but something was off. The woman was usually bubbly and full of life, but today, she seemed rather subdued. Her smile just seemed like a formality, not even remotely sincere. Had Yvette done something to make Eva upset? Somewhere in her mind, she wanted to give the woman a hug, yet the quiet girl just kept such a simple desire to herself.

The girl was more than familiar with the house now, though every time she arrived, she was still absolutely stunned at how large it was compared to her own place. She let herself up the stairs and up to Topher's own personal room. She knocked, and within a few moments, her friend let her in, brimming with energy. It was a relief that he seemed to be his usual self.

They talked for a while about anything under the sun, Yvette sitting on his bed, and Topher in a chair by his computer. At times, it was dizzying being involved in a conversation with the blue-haired boy, for he just spoke a mile a minute in comparison to herself. Somehow, the topic of her Grammy sending her a check to go buy some fabric came up. Grammy was always trying to spoil Yvette when she got the chance, even if the woman didn't have a lot to give. Grammy was very similar to Daddy in those regards. And it wouldn't do Yvette any good to try and put it towards something else. Daddy always told his Mommy the truth, and word would get back to Grammy, and then Grammy would be sad.

Yvette didn't like making Grammy sad.

Topher had been drumming his fingers along his lap during a decent portion of the conversation, but the mention of the fabric store seemed to cause some sort of reaction.

"Let's go. Now. Quickly!" Before she knew what was going on, her friend had somehow taken her by the hand and tugging her along back out of his room, down the stairs, and out of the house. She was a bit grateful she did manage to cash Grammy's check prior to visiting her friend, but it was absolutely confusing as to why he wanted to go quickly of all things?

Maybe she'd eventually be able to ask him?

Nathan Darrow was in a bad mood. Not too surprising, considering who he was, but still. Today it seemed particularly bad.

He wasn't hanging out with Angela, which always lowered his mood, even if it was only for a few hours. He wasn't able to find a proper place to live, because he wasn't ready yet to meet or face his father. If only he hadn't woken up! Nate could have kept squatting in that apartment, and the nice old landlady would never had the heart to kick him out.

But no, Tony had to wake up.

Was he really upset about that? His father woke up from a coma and he was angry that he could no longer steal the unconscious man's home, food and money? Maybe there was something wrong with that, but he didn't care. He was too stubborn to admit that he was only avoiding his father because he was too scared of rejection to face it. The last thing he wanted to do was make himself look like an idiot.

So why bother? Maybe they would run into each other on the street by fate. Then they'd sort things out. Or something. More likely, Angela would convince him to talk to Tony.

Walking with his hands in his pockets, a cigarette hanging from his lips, he was literally looking for trouble. And he found it. Eyes falling on the bus stop, he saw that girl who cried a lot at the hospital with some guy he didn't know or care about. Perfect. He moved over to them instantly, like a missile locked on a target.

"Why hey there, Baby," he said, looking at Yvette with a wicked grin on his face. It sounded like a term of endearment, like one a boyfriend might give a girl, but it had a more mocking purpose than that.

Topher shook out his hand a bit before leaning on the conveniently located at the bus stop. He hadn't realized how quickly they walked until his wrist started to cramp. Still, he smiled at her offer. "Chief would probably like that. He's a good boy. I don't think he'd pull you. If anything, he'd probably be walking behind you." Oddly enough, the image of Yvette being dragged down the street by a massive dog was almost enough to burst out laughing on the spot. Partly because it was funny on it's own but mostly because it could actually happen one day if she found one big enough.

Before he could even comment on all the uses of denim, and pants for that matter, Topher heard an obvious voice most likely directed at his companion. At least he figured since he wasn't the type to be called baby at bus stops very often. It would have been easy for the teen to block it out and ignore it is it wasn't for Yvette pressing against him. It was a common thing for Yvette to do but it was never a good thing when it was unprompted. "What's wrong, Yvette?" He stood there puzzled for a moment, still trying to get through his head that the person trying to talk to her was just some weirdo at the bus stop. And yet, Yvette seemed to be taking it much more personally than that.

A quick turn of his head and there was the culprit. The grin that guy had on his face was unsettling at best for the blue haired boy especially since he seemed to be flashing it at his best friend. Topher found himself trying to maneuver Yvette behind him with a gentle push of his shoulder. Easier in theory than in practice but he figured it was best to be a, for lack of a better word, wall between the two. Of course, it was too early to go into a senshi mindset because some guy made a comment at a bus stop. It was totally plausible that he was just asking for directions. No need to overreact...yet.

"Can we help you?..."

The girl wasn't exactly all that big. She was actually quite easy to move. So when Topher tried to guide her into hiding behind him, she rather easily scooted the way he seemed to nudge her. From her new place, all she could see was the cloth of her friend's shirt. She was far too short to be able to see over his shoulder. Her eyes blinked, her lashes brushing against the cloth.

However, even with the blue haired boy acting like a makeshift wall, it didn't block out other things. Like the stink of the cigarette smoke. Or the boy's cruel voice taunting her relentlessly.

When she was finally able to find her voice, she only had one thing to say. "...Th-the flowers were for Mr. T-tony Darrow..."

"Yeah, well, at the time 'Mister Darrow' didn't have any need for the flowers, did he? Bringing flowers to a near dead guy is still stupid, in my book, even if he did wake up. Whatever, right?"

He laughed, though that was a touchy subject for him, and he was trying to brush it off as quickly as he could. He had a father now, who had survived this plague of sleep or whatever it had been. Now he was awake, aware, and Nathan didn't have an excuse for not talking to him any more.

Yet he still hadn't. He hadn't spoken to anyone about it, not even Angela. She would probably tell him to go back to the apartment, where he had been living but now couldn't because Tony was living there again, and introduce himself. Nate wasn't sure he was ready. So why not take all that pent up aggression and confusion and vent it inappropriately against innocent folks?

Sounded like a plan to him. And fun. He liked having fun.

He eyed the boy, sizing him up again. He took a drag of his cigarette and, finally, breathed it out in the others face.

"I talk to lots of girls," he said blandly, "nothing wrong with that. Kinda sexist of you, thinking guys like me shouldn't talk to girls. What do you think? They don't want to be out, meeting people? Keep them safe at home and out of the way. Charming." He grinned, just being confusing for the sake of it, "The name's Nate. Who are you? Her new voice box? That's probably good, her last one didn't get very loud. Not really useful. No, seriously though, I'm trying to talk to her, not you. So butt out."