Being Southern isn't just being in the South

[George Blythe]

George fumbled in his pocket for a box of matches as the lights went off, and lit one with a hiss. Burnt himself, dropped it, cursed, put it out with his shoe and lit another. He walked to the front door and held it open, looking outside with a frown.

[Tobias Blythe]

"Taking up smoking?" Tobias asked his dad as he climbed up the porch steps, not carrying any of the food he was supposed to have been off getting.

[George Blythe]

"Haven't you noticed?" George gave his son a quick glance. "The power's out. And I can't work out why."

[Tobias Blythe]

"I noticed. The diner's closed because of it. But that doesn't explain why you've got a match lit out here when it's not that dark yet," Tobias pointed out. "It didn't go out because of one of your experiments?"

[George Blythe]

"Of course not." George snapped, shaking out the match quickly. "You've been in town? Did you see anything that looks wrong? That could have caused it?"

[Tobias Blythe]

Tobias shook his head. "I was going to get dinner from the diner--because we still don't have any food that isn't being used in experiments besides cereal--" Tobias gave his father a pointed look. "And I ran into some reporters on the way there and then the diner was closed so I came home. The weirdest thing I've seen is stuff being closed and the streetlights not coming on."

[George Blythe]

"We don't?" George began to say vaguely, frowning a little, but at the word reporters he looked up at his son quickly, shoved the matches into his pocket, and took Tobias by the shoulders, steered him inside the house and closed the door. He looked at his son seriously. "Reporters, huh? What did you say?"

[Tobias Blythe]

"Not much," Tobias said, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the darkness inside the house. "It was stuff like where we were from, what I missed most from home. Um, she also asked about why we moved here and what you did back home. I told her she'd have to ask you about that because I wasn't sure--And you didn't need to go shoving me inside like that."

[George Blythe]

George breathed slowly. "Right. Sorry, Tobias." He felt in his pocket for the matches again- the windows were in no state to let in much light. "You didn't tell them anything else? You're sure?"

[Tobias Blythe]

"Um, she also asked about the lab. I told her it was really just a basement that you called a lab and that it wasn't really that impressive. And then I told her I had to go," Tobias answered, watching his dad warily in case he started shouting.

((Pause))

[George Blythe]

George was holding aloft a match. "Thanks, Tobias." he said, gravely. "Was it the same people that broke into the basement?"

[Tobias Blythe]

"The man was. He apologized for it, kind of. He mostly stood and took notes. The woman wasn't the same. She was older. I think the men called her Pearl." Tobias eyed George's match. "You know we have flashlights? Unless you or one of the others took them apart for something."

[George Blythe]

"Anton did." George confirmed. "They're powering the antigravitempobrillator." He took another step into the house. "It's lucky that it has an independent power source." George was lost in thought for a second, then looked back at his son. "You want some, uh, cereal, then?"

[Tobias Blythe]

"Can we go shopping for some real food tomorrow? Please?" Tobias asked, practically begging. "All we've got is either cereal or experiment food, like Anton's cheese."

[George Blythe]

"Course." George said. "Though Anton's cheese shouldn't have been rendered inedible if he's been doing it right. It might not taste all that nice, I suppose." He rubbed the back of his neck. "You could get food after school tomorrow if you like- take the car."

[Tobias Blythe]

"Really?" Tobias asked, brightening at the idea of different food and at getting to use the car.

[George Blythe]

"Sure." George said, wandering through to the kitchen and pouring some cereal in to two vaguely clean bowls. "I don't think Anton or Conrad wanted to go anywhere." He sat down and ate a spoonful of dry cereal. "I guess it could be a natural power outage."

[Tobias Blythe]

"Maybe," Tobias said, joining his dad and poking at his cereal with a spoon. "But it'd be kind of a weird coincidence with all the other weird stuff that's been happening."

[George Blythe]

"Yeah." George agreed, furrowing his brow. "I'm not convinced. I'll have to talk to the others. They're locked in the basement right now." He looked up at Toby quickly. "Don't go in there, the experiment needs constant variables."

[Tobias Blythe]

"I won't," Tobias promised. He looked down, studying his cereal and the fascinating way his spoon could pick it up and move it around before looking back up at George. "Uh, Dad? Can I ask you a question about your experiments?"

[George Blythe]

George had just taken a huge mouthfull of cereal, so chewed for a few seconds before being able to swallow and answer. "Sure. Though I'm not sure you'll be able to understand the answer. What do you want to know?"

[Tobias Blythe]

"Um, the stuff you and Anton and Conrad are doing...none of it's illegal, right?" Tobias asked, giving his dad an anxious look.

[George Blythe]

"Illegal?" George frowned deeply. "It's not exactly- well. Tobias, you don't need to worry." He pulled the cereal packet towards him and looked inside, deliberately avoiding Tobias's eyes. "None left. We really do need food."

[Tobias Blythe]

Tobias sighed, watching his father. "It is illegal, isn't it? That's why you didn't want the police down in the lab." He frowned, struck by a Thought. "Dad, stuff back home, everything was fine there, right? You didn't decide to move us here because you were about to be arrested in Riverport or something, right?"

[George Blythe]

George gave Tobias a hard look. "It isn't illegal, Toby, you can take my word for it. But it still isn't something that we want people to know is happening." He paused. "In fact, it has to be even more secret. You know the reasons we left Riverport."

[Tobias Blythe]

"Bloomsdale has the nuclear plant and is a better place to do your not-illegal experiments without scientists from the univeristy looking over your shoulders," Tobias recited. "And it means you don't have to live with Aunt Mildred anymore."

[George Blythe]

"Exactly." George said. "And that's it. It's better to be in a smaller town, too." He paused. "Though we do seem to have created a bit of a stir already." He drummed his fingers on the table. "I wonder how they're doing downstairs."

[Tobias Blythe]

"New people are more noticable in a small town," Tobias pointed out. He stared at his cereal, stabing it a few times with his spoon. "I guess if you were on the run from the police or something, you wouldn't have dragged me along."

[George Blythe]

"Probably not." George agreed, affably. "You're far too much of a bother for that. Do you have much homework tonight?"

[Tobias Blythe]

"I've always got homework. Lots of homework is what happens when you switch schools at the end of the school year and have to catch up on everything," Tobias said, stabbing harder at his cereal before looking up at his dad. "I don't see why you couldn't have left me at home just long enough to finish school."

[George Blythe]

"We couldn't afford for you to come down later." George said quickly, standing up to take a match from his pocket and sitting down to light it once more. "And a new school is an adventure. You'll be learning all sorts of things that you wouldn't have. Just try to think of it like that, yeah?"

[Tobias Blythe]

"Me taking a bus down here later wouldn't have been that expensive," Tobias pointed out. "And it's not an adventure, it's a lot of homework."

[George Blythe]

"Ah. Well. I suppose so." George agreed quickly. "Never mind, eh, it's all in the past. And it is an adventure! An adventure into the hallowed halls of knowledge!"

[Tobias Blythe]

"It's an adventure in being buried under homework," Tobias retorted. He gave his father a suspicious look. "Why did you bother to bring me with you? Most of the time you're either ignoring me or yelling at me," he said bitterly.

[George Blythe]

"Well." George looked frazzled. "I thought it'd be better for you-" He stopped, and looked towards Tobias authoratively. "I'm your Father, dammit, Tobias, I thought you'd want to come."

[Tobias Blythe]

Tobias shoved back from the table and stood. "Well, I didn't. And you'd have known that if you'd bothered listening to me instead of going on and on about what an exciting adventure it would be."

[George Blythe]

"Well, I'm sorry." George snapped back. "There."

[Tobias Blythe]

"Is that supposed to fix things?" Tobias demanded. "If you're sorry for anything it's probably that you didn't realize what a bother I turned out to be."

[George Blythe]

"Tobias!" George said, exasperatedly, throwing his hands in the air so that the match promptly went out. "Go and do your homework. You can take a candle."

[Tobias Blythe]

"I'm not going to go disapear so you can ignore me until the next time I do something you don't like," Tobias snapped.

[George Blythe]

George looked shifty. "I don't ignore you, Tobias." He said, shortly. "I just want what's best for you."

[Tobias Blythe]

Tobias glared at him, crossing his arms. "If that was true, you would've left me at home."

[George Blythe]

"This was what I thought was best." George said, evidently trying to keep his voice level. "And whatever you might think, I am the adult here."

[Tobias Blythe]

"Do you still think it's best?" Tobias demanded. "Because it's pretty clear to me it's not working. And if I can see it, then you--the adult--should be able to figure it out."

[George Blythe]

"I think that we need time to work things out." George said, defensively. "And that you're not even giving the place a chance."

[Tobias Blythe]

"How are we supposed to work things out when you're down in the basement all the time?" Tobias asked, gesturing to the basement door..

[George Blythe]

"I don't mean we exactly." George said, gesturing between the two of them. "I mean us and this town. Just working out where we fit in. And I'm not down there now."

[Tobias Blythe]

"Of course you didn't," Tobias muttered. "I'm going to go finish my homework," he said in a louder voice, turning to leave.

[George Blythe]

"Good plan." George condoned, settling back in his chair. "If you need any help, I'll be here." He checked his watch, then realised it was too dark to see. "Well, for an hour or so anyway."

[Tobias Blythe]

"And then it's back into the basement," Tobias predicted, stomping out.