Participants:
Scene Title | Awkward Impressions |
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Synopsis | After the tense Ferry meeting, tension continues in the kitchen for different reasons altogether. |
Date | April 24, 2010 |
Situated in a copse several miles away from the nearest stretch of asphalt, the Garden is accessible via an old dirt road that winds snakelike through the woods and dead-ends at the property's perimeter, which is surrounded by stone wall plastered with wicked coils of rusty barbed wire to keep would-be intruders from attempting to scale it. Those with a key can gain entry via the front gate.
The safehouse itself is a three-story brickwork cottage over a century old and covered in moss and ivy. It slants to one side, suggesting that the foundation has been steadily sinking into the wet earth; incidentally, this may be one of the reasons why its prior occupants never returned to the island to reclaim their property when government officials lifted evacuation orders and re-opened the Verrazano-Narrows shortly before its eventual destruction.
Inside, the cottage is decorated in mismatched antique furniture including a couch in the living room and an armchair nestled in the corner closest to the fireplace that go well with the safehouse's hardwood floors and the wood-burning stoves in some of the spare bedrooms. A heavy wooden table designed to seat eight separates the dining area from the rest of the kitchen, which is defined by its aged oak cabinetry and the dried wildflowers hanging above them.
The meeting may be over, but it takes a certain amount of time for the ferriers to disperse; some take much longer than others, some simply stay put, depending. Delilah is one of the latter tonight, having stuffed Samson in the cellar for the meeting and out of a place to crash because of the Brick House becoming dangerous. If anything comes of the meeting, she is hoping to the powers that be that they somehow fix the weather. She can't be like this forever. After following a couple of the other girls downstairs, Delilah has found herself wandering off for the kitchen. She's thirsty! And is that a faint trace of the munchies she feels? Time to snoop. Though she will likely end up just filling up a dose of the tea Joe had started.
Following Delilah down the stairs quietly, eyes studying the back of her red topped head curiously, Kaylee can't help but move along right into the kitchen with her. One thing about the telepath, she's the curious sort and she needs to have that sated. So while Dee rummages, Kaylee leans against a counter, and asks softly, "Pregnant?"
Brows lift, Kaylee's expression amused "So… who is the lucky man, Dee? I've been locked away for over a month… Dish it up!"
A blanket wrapped around her shoulders, Tasha wanders into the kitchen, arching a brow at Delilah and Kaylee as she heads to the cupboard for a mug. "That was something, huh? Is it always this crazy here? I only understood about a tenth of what was going on," she mutters, moving to the kettle and pouring hot water into the cup. Next comes the cocoa packet (the kind with tiny marshmallows already added!) which she tears with her teeth to pour into the water. "Oh. Sorry… you uh, want me to leave you alone for private girl talk?" she offers.
Delilah is faintly aware of a couple someones following her, though she does not glance up and around until Kaylee speaks; she registers who it is and what she asks at about the same instant, which sends an earthenware mug fumbling out of her fingers. Delilah spends a full two seconds scrambling to grab it and keep it from smashing. Yikes! She looks at Kaylee a moment as if she had a second head.
"Uh. No, Tash, it's fine- I just-" Delilah looks between the two girls. "I only found out last week, Kaylee. So you didn't miss much. The lucky guy?" For a moment, she actually debates not saying a word. She already made Jesse hightail it, and she just didn't tell Magnes(though she is sure he will find out soon enough). Dee's not sure how Kaylee might react- supposedly not worse, huh? "…'S Teo's."
Glancing over at Tasha, Kaylee gives her a bright smile, she motions to her to come in further. "Private girl talk? In a safehouse? Nah, your okay." That same hand motioning her in is offered in greeting. "My name is Kaylee… well… not that you didn't learn that from the meeting." There is a small roll of her eyes, mouth pulling up into a crooked smile. "Don't believe half the bad stuff people say about me."
The revelation of the father, Kaylee's brows shoot up. "No… way?!" She leans towards Delilah, eyes squinting at her as if trying to figure out the truth in her words. "Oh.. you lucky, lucky girl." That bright smile touching her lips again.
Leaning away again, she asks carefully, "Sooo… is this a good thing or a bad thing. Do I hug you and congratulate you, or do I pat you on the back and give my sympathies… Personally, I'm all for the first one, cause I think it's great."
"Did I hear that right? You're pregnant?" a voice suddenly says, stepping closer into the kitchen. It's one that was very quiet during the meeting itself, but known to most anyway. Raspy even more than normal thanks to the cold, Gillian has a distinctive voice. Still bundled up against the cold, she has a scarf and a big heavy coat on, even if the inside of the building is better than the outside— then again, the outside is practically Antarctica. There's tension in her eyes as she says that, like she's not sure what to think of it either— and a glance towards Kaylee standing nearby adds even more. "Is that even possible with your ability?"
Glancing at Gillian as she enters, Tasha smiles slightly shyly, then nods to Kaylee. "Hey. I'm Tasha," the newcomer says to first Kaylee then Gillian with a smirk, as she stirs the cocoa powder into her water. "I always forget it's easier if you put it in first," she mutters to herself as some of the powder puffs up and over the sides of the cup. She sweeps it off to the floor, glancing this way and that as if to check if anyone noticed.
Turning to Kaylee, she adds, "Sorry you've been sick. Hope you get better soon." She reaches out with a small hand to shake, striped black and white fingerless gloves keeping her hands warm, though now a little stained with chocolate on one palm.
Delilah hasn't been able to get at the teapot yet, and so she stands there with the empty mug clasped in her hands. "Thanks, Kaylee." She answers dutifully, as if some of this Telling Everyone has been scraping at her patience and this is just one more to get into the open. When the redhead hears Gillian's voice, she looks up almost hopefully- kind of that she can get a few in one go, now. Or something like that.
"Yeah. And- I dunno- my ability hasn't been working since just before I got the five-ten. It's still not, but I don't wanna make a big deal about that. I'm not sure what's gonna happen if it comes back before November. There's also the chance he'll be immune, I just can't know that yet. I wish I did." At least it sounds like she has thought about it before now; it's not like she doesn't have time on her hands to do so.
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"Thanks, Tasha. I had that nasty evo flu, I've got a clear bill of health — just my ability is a taking it's time to come back." Gillian's arrival, pulls the telepath's attention from the other two girls. There is a small uncertain smile for her and a nod, in greeting. Though her question has Kaylee looking at Dee again.
Kaylee studies Dee, thoughtfully, hand moving to rest on the counter behind her. "What is your ability? I don't think I ever asked." A glance goes to Gillian brows lifting slightly, "Whatever it is, I'm guessing it might be bad for the baby?" Only thing Kaylee would ever have to worry about pregnant is the undeveloped thoughts of the baby, so abilities being dangerous for a fetus never really occured to her.
Gillian focuses her attention on Delilah for a moment, "I just remember when I had your ability I couldn't even kiss a guy without him getting high as a fucking kite. It was stupid. But— good for you." Even as she says that, there's something very tense about her, and she has to check and make sure her knot is firmly in place on her ability or they might find out how much of a telepath Kaylee still is…
"Hey, Tasha, I figured I'd let you know Paul's doing okay, last I saw him. Him and Lance seem to be getting along well. I just hope he doesn't end up having invisibility or something, cause then him and Lance will be monsters once they reach puberty."
Tasha glances up with an arched brow. "What kinda power you got, Limey? Sounds like fun," she says brightly, before bringing her mug up to her lips for a careful sip. "Not that I'd ever do anything like get high. I'm totally a law abiding citizen." Never mind that just tried to hijack vaccines from the government the other day, but hey, who's keeping track?
Brown eyes turn to Gillian and she smiles brightly. "Hey, Gillian. Glad to hear that. He's a really good kid, you just gotta kick his ass when he starts mouthing off. And he will mouth off. He's learned all the four-letter words and wants to show the universe he knows them. We had an understanding: he can't call me anything that ends with a 't' and I won't call him anything with a 'ck' in it."
Delilah looks at Kaylee with an expression of surprise. "Really? Wow. I secrete poison. Like one of those toads, you know? I'm supposed to, in any case. It shoulda gotten better, but I'm kinda glad it didn't." She looks to Gillian after, looking a little bit uneasy for a breath. She can tell there's something wrong, but there's no real clue to what it is. "Thanks, Gillian. I hope I don't have to find out what happens if it starts up." Truthfully, she is inclined to think her child will be immune to it- nature isn't stupid enough to not make sure it doesn't kill him- but Delilah is clearly wont to worry about it.
The tension doesn't get past Kaylee either, but the young telepath doesn't say much. There is an amused sideways glance to Tasha before she stares at Delilah. "Well… if you get it back warn me." The telepath's eyes widen a touch at the thought of what could happen. "Mostly, cause… as you know I can't really drink or get high without something bad happening." Her nose wrinkles a bit, but she gives Dee a smile.
"I'm sure it'll be just fine, though. You'll have a happy healthy baby in no time." Kaylee sounds rather convinced of this.
"Speaking of kids… Gillian." Kaylee turns back to the caretaker to Lighthouse, giving her that small somewhat nervous smile. "I stopped by earlier to see Doyle. I think I missed you." She dips a hand into her pocket and pulls out a folded piece of paper. One she tried to give over to Doyle. "Eric said you'd be here and to give this to you myself." It's offered over, her smile widening. "Contact information… in case, you need help over there. Spent a lot of time with the Ferry kids, before I got sick."
"He would have heard half those words from me, anyway," Gillian says with a grin, to Tasha, well aware that she just entered with a couple curses, and she's the one who takes care of a lot of kids. She knows that Dee would be better at it then her, and she might have been about to say so, when… The conversation seems to slam to a halt, at least for her. She stops speaking, mouth partially opened, as she looks up at Kaylee, and then to the piece of paper that she's holding out. Works with kids, helps the kids— "No," she finally says, shaking her head and not taking it, even backing away a bit. "I don't want you there." There's a brief surge of ability, that she clamps down, and manages a stressed, "I hope everything goes well, Dee," before she turns and leaves the kitchen.
More tension and more conflict, none of which Tasha the rookie Ferrygirl from Boston understands. She glances from Gillian to Kaylee to Delilah and then to Gillian's retreating back with wide eyes, and busies herself with another too-fast sip of too-hot cocoa that burns her lower lip. "Shit!" she yelps, moving to grab a paper towel and dampening it with water before holding it to her mouth.
Delilah was about to offer the same as Kaylee when Gillian leaves; instead, she is left to look over at Kaylee and shrug. Though inwardly, she makes a note to go visit the Lighthouse when she is able to. Visit Gillian, if just to offer an ear. She hasn't seen most of them for so long, and she has yet to see how they were affected by the feral dogs. It's a necessary thing that she cannot do well when the weather is such. When Spring comes around, she is definitely going to goad everyone into a big dinner; seems like such a good idea right now, to defrost the various depressive moods that are so abundant.
"Watch it Tash, it's hot." Which comes right as the Bostonian is sipping the cocoa down. Oops.
The reaction she gets from Gillian, gets an odd look from the Telepath. Kaylee's eyes drift down to the paper in her hands, before it's lowered to her side. Glancing at the others she looks completely confused, though that look changes as she turns towards the direction that Gillian is going. "If you ladies will excuse me." The telepath's voice is tight as she tucks the paper away, pulls her jacket tighter around her and moves to follow the other woman.
Kaylee doesn't know what's going on with the other, but she hopes to find out. "Gillian?"
"Hot cocoa usually is," Tasha says dryly, before smirking at Delilah, holding a papertowel to her lip. She heads to the refrigerator and opens the freezer door, pushing the ice lever for a couple of cubes to wrap up in the towel. "I feel like I'm in some soap opera or something. You got any idea what that was about? Or maybe I shouldn't ask." She looks out the door again. "Are things always so… tense?"
"Lately, yeah. We've had a helluva time with winter. We're all sick and tired of it, and we want nothing more than to do what we do best. But things like what's happening with Lee, and just-" Delilah speaks, and gestures to where Kaylee and Gillian had gone. "-this kind of tension- it's not all the time. You're new, so I'm hoping we're not giving you an awkward impression. There was some stuff going on last fall that sorta started a few messes, and here we are, I guess. We're not always like this. Overall, we're more docile until shit goes down. This isn't the most complex thing that we've had to deal with, I'll tell you that. You gotta be ready for anything lately, but keep the good face too. Works for me."