Participants:
| Scene Title | Are You A Terrorist? |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Quinn comes by to ask Melissa a very important question, and Melissa gets an answer of her own. |
| Date | September 14, 2010 |
Day after a barbeque means that there is plenty for Melissa to clean up. Especially with Edgar leaving black marks all over her floor. And someone is going to hear about that, no doubt. Maybe even at a very loud volume. But not right now. Right now she's just busy going through all the downstairs rooms, sweeping any minute particle of dust that her guests may have trekked in with them. Luckily when she's done, there's leftovers. Leftovers are ambrosia to a non-cook like Mel.
Quinn hadn't originally been planning on making the trip out to Melissa's, particularly since before too much later she was going to have to make her way back into Manhattan so that she could get to work on time - though hopefully, Melissa would excuse that once she spoke with her. Maybe. It was Magnes who had set her out on this course, somewhat unsurprisingly, and given everything that's been going on lately she probably shouldn't feel so worried.
And yet, she feels worried enough that she needs to get some answers herself.
The four beat knock that traditionally marks her arrival rings out almost as soon as she reaches the front door of the Little Green House. "Hey, Melissa, you home?" Quinn hopes she is, and that she can hear her well enough inside - and that she doesn't think something's wrong. The last time Quinn showed up unannounced, it was at a rather inopportune time.
"Yeah, I'm in the kitchen," Melissa calls, not yet pausing in the sweeping since she recognizes the voice. "Did you leave something here yesterday? I didn't find anything that shouldn't have been here, but maybe I missed it," she adds, frowning and stopping so she can look around for this mysterious 'thing'.
Quinn takes that as permission to enter, as she is wont to do, hands sliding into the pockets of her bright blue skirt as she meanders into Melissa's home. "Uh… not really," she replies, the tone of her voice sounding just off enough for Melissa to notice. "I was actually hopin' t' ask you somethin'. It's… kinda important, so I though I'd stop by before I went of t' work."
The frown remains as Melissa looks over at Quinn, her head tilting. "Sure, anything. Wanna sit down? Can I get you a drink or anything?" she asks, setting the broom aside and turning to face Quinn directly, her hands settling lightly on her hips. "Everything okay, Quinn?"
Melissa's frown earns one mirroring it on Quinn's, the Irishwoman leaning half in view against the entrance into the kitchen. "Hopefully, I won't be here long," Quinn remarks somewhat obliquely, arms crossed over her chest and her general demeanour looking far more serious than normal. "Melissa, I'm sorry t' just… show up again, but… I have something very important I want t' ask you, an' I want t' know the truth."
Brows lift and Melissa leans back slightly. "I already told you that you could ask, Quinn. I can't give you an answer unless you do. Well, at least not an answer that will necessarily match the question. I mean, I could tell you fourty-two, or blue, or next Thursday, but…" She trails off and shrugs, giving Quinn a steady look.
Quinn gives a short, slow nod, following it with a deep breath. Her eyes close, even as she leans a bit more into the room. "Kendall's… death, it was an accident, right?" A pause as she realises what that implies. "N-Not that I'm asking if you killed him, but…" That probably isn't the most sensitive way to open up the discussion, but…
It definitely isn't the best way to start the discussion in a way to have Melissa eager to continue it. Her face goes blank, her eyes cool, and her posture tense. "I told you it was, Quinn. And I certainly didn't kill him. I loved him. He was my brother, even though we shared no blood. Believe me, no one mourns him more than me. Now what's the point of this? If your intention was to piss me off by poking at an open wound, you're succeeding admirably."
Quinn winces at Melissa's reaction, and yet despite that, there's just a bit of a hint of a smile on her face. "I- N-no, Melissa." A hand reaches up and rubs her face, Quinn sighing. "God, I could have asked that better. I'm sorry, I just…" She pushes up from where she was leaning, stepping into view. "Someone was sure that it wasn't. That, um…" She reaches up, and scratches the back of her head. "Someone was telling me that you're in Messiah."
Neither face nor posture changes as Melissa just stares at Quinn. "So…someone told you that I was a member of a terrorist organization, and you jumped from that to asking about Kendall? So not only do I get accused of murder, but terrorism?" She shakes her head. "I'm a club manager, Quinn. I volunteer at the Suresh Center. I have a house full of roommates. Tell me, when in the hell would I have time to do the shit I've heard Messiah's been doing? Am I sleep terrorist?" she asks, rolling her eyes. Put that way, she makes it sound ridiculous.
"Tell me though, Quinn. Who was telling these lies about me? Because I'd sure as hell like a chance to talk to them and set the record straight. Maybe break their nose. I'm doing good with broken noses lately. Satisfying yet nothing too bad that I need to worry about the cops." And if she needs to worry about cops, surely she isn't a part of Messiah, right?
"I-um-" Quinn clamps back up, reaching up and scratching the back of her neck, head hanging a bit. "God, I'm an idiot. That's why I came by. Because I knew it couldn't be true. But… I dunno, with how crazy things 'ave been lately, I felt like I need t' make sure m'self…" She offers up a weak smile at her boss. "I wasn't tryin' t' accuse you. Just make sure someone else was wrong. I know you're too nice a person for that."
Her hands fall to her side, and Quinn turns back away from Melissa. "Um… well, I don't really want t' say, but I guess it's only fair since I got t' ask you something." She takes another deep breath, shaking her head. "Magnes has been in a bit of a… state, lately. Someone's been messing with his head, trying t' get him t' do things he doesn't want t'. He found out about Kendaal t'day and just started goin' off about things…"
Melissa leans up against the counter and sighs, running a hand through her hair. "Yeah, things have been crazy. Glad you knew it couldn't be true though. I'd hate it if my friends thought I was that sorta person." She wrinkles her nose then. "What do you mean someone's been making him do things he doesn't want to do? What sort of things?"
Quinn grits her teeth - her desire to keep people's secrets really, really makes her not want to continue along that line. She feels bad about giving up Magnes' name as it is. But he did kind of name Melissa as a terrorist. An apologetic look crosses her face, Quinn mirroring Melissa once more by running a hand through her red hair. "I… am only going t' tell you this, cause after seein' you with Eileen an' at the Ferry wake I know you're on the up an' up, okay? Please keep it to yourself. I hate tellin' other people's stories."
Her eyes close again, Quinn exhaling sharply. "I know that Magnes used t' be involved in… unfortunate things." Meaning, of course, Messiah. "I dunno what he's been up to lately. But someone got ahead of him, an' has been telling him t' go back t' those things. Dunno who. Eileen knows about it, though."
Mention of Eileen has Melissa smiling faintly. "Yeah, well, used to be Ferry until Scott betrayed me and my safehouse," she says with a shrug. Then she frowns again. "Someone's telling him to go back to those things? I don't get it. Messing with his head? Like a telepath or something? Like using an ability to make him go back? And he's resisted?"
Quinn gives a shallow shrug, looking back down towards the floor. "Don't really know all the details. Just that apparently his head is one big knot with a trigger attached, waiting to go off. The boy is an absolute mess, I feel so sorry for him. If it's as bad as what's being said, I don't really know how much he says I can trust. Which… yeah, was why I came by." The comment about "used to be Ferry" sinks into the back of her mind, but after how she's already managed to upset Melissa, she's avoiding bringing it up more.
"I honestly can't feel bad for Magnes," Melissa says bluntly. "I would be perfectly happy if he left New York and I never saw or heard of him again. He's an immature, stupid asshole who has no idea how to keep his mouth shut. And being on drugs is not a valid excuse for that," she grumbles.
She shakes her head and pushes away from the counter. "Anyway. Thanks for not believing the worst of me, and for letting me know that he's spreading this rumor. Just hope he hasn't told any officials. I'd really like to not end up in Moab II because Magnes decided I was a terrorist and he didn't care who knew it."
Quinn's rubbing her face, but Melissa's blunt comment actually does get a bit of a chuckle from her. "I can't say I entirely disagree with you," she says with a shake of her head. "Lord knows he never listens t' me about anything when I try t' get him t' not be an idiot. But I dunno. Someone screwing with your brain, no one deserves that. So, yeah, I feel sorry for him."
Her hands slip back into her pockets. "I'm really sorry, Melissa. I didn't mean t' come in here bein' a bitch. I just… I'm not used t' having t' ask things like that. I didn't really know where t' begin. But, I mean… we're okay, right? I'd hate t' think I pissed you off too much."
Melissa shakes her head. "Don't worry about it, Quinn. Kendall's death is still a sore spot for me, but in your position I might've done the same thing. So we're good, yeah. Though you're totally working for the karaoke night I've got planned for next week," she says in a feigned severe tone ruined by the smile that comes after.
"Oh man, karaoke?" Quinn replies, her expression lightening up a bit. "You think that's punishment for me, Melissa? Maybe I need t' reintroduce myself, I don't think we've met!" Quinn laughs, if briefly, before she sighs. "Good. I'm glad. Just.. keep all that under your hat, okay? I feel bad enough blabbing. I hate blabbing."
Melissa smiles and shakes her head. "No, I didn't figure it was actually punishment. And I will, don't worry. Now shoo! You people left trash and dirt! I gotta clean it up!"
Quinn blinks, and then gives another laugh. "I'd offer t' help, but… well, I'm lazy an' have t' head into the club t'night." Quinn grins as she rocks back and forth on her heads for a moment before nodding. "I'll talk t' you later, Melissa. Thanks for, like… not kicking me out."
"Oh, it's fine. I like cleaning. It calms me, relaxes me, believe or not," Melissa says with a smile. "And no problem. I'll see ya later, Quinn. Take it easy'n all that. Don't listen to crazy people."