<div class="floatleft">(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/2d/d7/51/2dd75140bc159b2082097f27b071fb2c.jpg)</div><strong>Name:</strong>Markus Löfgren (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=250173.msg12387011#msg12387011)<br/><strong>City | Date | Time:</strong>San Francisco | Feb. 3rd, 2013 | Early morning (5 am-ish)<br/><strong>Tagging:</strong>Shirong | Closed<br/><strong>Wearing:</strong>This (https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/d9/a6/a5/d9a6a5b8c61e4bbaba4789484e63cb25.jpg)<br/><strong>Content:</strong>On the run<br/><hr/><em>Those pajamas.</em><br/><br/>Was it bad that the first thing that popped into his mind was how ridiculous Shirong looked in his matching pajamas. He remembered the first time he'd seen the man in a similar ensemble. Needless to say, Shirong had not appreciated his fit of laughter. Maybe he was delirious but he felt the insatiable need to chuckle but that was quickly tamped down. He had thrown himself upon his friend's mercy, it wouldn't do him any good to make the man more irritated that he already was.<br/><br/>There was a silence that lingered between them and just when Markus was about to say something, Shirong finally let him in. The apartment was immaculately kept, like a show room of an apartment rather than someone's actual home. This wasn't surprising at all. He remembered, back at school, some people wondered if Shirong was a robot. Markus didn't believe in that theory, he preferred to think of his best friend as a steelier Sheldon Cooper with a more regular compassionate streak.<br/><br/>Markus had already begun to take off his shoes when he entered the house when he received the orders to do so from Shirong. He had heard that some Americans wore their shoes in their homes, "You've been across the border for too long."<br/><br/>A joke to lighten the mood. He wasn't sure if it would do any good, not when both parties were exhausted. The cabinet bit was something he wasn't used to but he complied none the less, rather than leave his shoes in the hall next to the door.<br/><br/>So far he had avoided the questions regarding his sudden appearance in San Francisco at such an ungodly hour. How could he possibly begin to explain? He couldn't. He could hardly expect his friend to let it go either. There had to be some sort of explanation, people didn't really do this sort of thing on a regular basis. He felt bad that he hadn't given any sort of warning, that he hadn't called but his mind had been elsewhere. All he could think of at the time was to flee. And now here he was and the time had finally come to speak of what had occurred yesterday evening.<br/><br/><em>"Explain yourself, like really. Other than that, you look like you've been to hell and just got back from there. What happened?"</em><br/><br/>Markus sighed, "It's a long story."<br/><br/>He gratefully accepted the offer for coffee, a rare smile tugging at his lips when he saw that his friend still remembered how he took it. The small moment of  comfort quickly faded when he realized that Shirong would most likely want an answer soon and that he couldn't bring himself to explain. First there would be the need to explain that he was an Evolved. Second he would have to tell his friend that he had done something horrendous and that it was possible that he had brought danger to his doorstep. There was also the fear of being turned away. He would understand but he desperately needed help. He could stay in a hotel, but it would end up draining whatever money he had if he stayed there until he managed to find a job and a home. San Francisco wasn't exactly the cheapest city in the world.<br/><br/>To make matters worse the scene that had occurred between him and Amanda's foster father kept playing in his head over and over and over again like a particularly gruesome newsreel. How long could he remain silent, pondering the past, before Shirong started asking questions again?