Participants:
| Scene Title | Chance encounters of the mysterious kind |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | In the wake of Quinn's meeting with Graeme, a conversation ranges over the mysteries of connections |
| Date | February 9 2011 |
The telecommunication network
It's only been just a little big since Quinn left the apartment belonging to Ygraine FitzRoy, after the odd encounter she had with Graeme. Liberty is, sadly, one of the last things at the moment she had expected someone to show up at her girlfriend's doorstep to talk about, but that just made it that much more pleasent of a surprise. It also made it that much more urgent that Quinn get incontact with Ygraine as soon as possible, and as she sits in the back of the cab on teh ride back to the Verb, that's exactly what she's doing, phone in hand and ipad in her lap. It takes a try or two for teh signal tog et through, but after that, finally the other side is ringing.
"Hello there", Ygraine's voice comes after only a couple of rings. "I was just coming to call you." She sounds happy and surprised… before a touch of worry tinges her voice. "Is something wrong? I've only just got back in range of a signal. You've not been trying to get me previously, have you?"
"A few times in the last few minutes, but it's not like I've been callnig all morning," Quin responds with a bit of a laugh. "Glad I was on your mind." There's a pause as she slouches a bit in her seat before continuing. "So, I was at your flat this morning, checking on things, an'… somehting interestin' happened. Someone stopped by t' ask about Liberty."
The sounds of motion from Ygraine's end come to a halt, and Quinn can probably visualise the Briton cocking her head and firing a quizzically startled look at her phone. "Really? Wow. Ummm. So… am I in trouble? What happened? Are you okay?"
"Oh, I'm fine," Quin replies with another laugh. "An' the guy seemed nice enough. His name was Graeme. I showed him the website an' gave him your number. But… I'm kinda worried about the way he found out about Liberty." It doesn't really show in her voice, though. "Apparently, someone left him a note on a piece of paper that had your name an' flat number on it, an' the word Liberty. Along with a card for- The Deavaux Sosciety? Somethin' like that. Never heard a' them myself."
Chewing her lip, Ygraine goes all but silent for a few moments. "Mmmm. That's… could you run a quick web search for me on them? See what comes up? But that sounds…. Odd, to say the least. I wonder if the card was meant to get my attention or his? That's… odd. And a bit spooky."
"I did, after Graeme left. Not really much that's of any help. Donations made by them wer ein the news a few weeks back, named after some woman named Simone Deavaux…" On the other end of teh phone, Quinn shakes her head. "I have an address, though. I can go by there Friday, if you want."
"Mmmm. If you're happy with it, then sure. Take care of yourself, however", Ygraine cautions. "This seems… mysterious. What… did this Graeme have any idea of why he'd been given the card? Was he even interested in Liberty at all?"
"He had no idea, unfortunately," Quinn replies quickly. "It was juts kinf of there under his coffee the other day. SOmething about a woman collapsing? I don't know. But…" She hesitates for a moment as she thinks. "He mentioned being defintiely pro-evolved, but it didn't seem something outwardly up his angle. Not against it, but… it didn't really seem like he was biting hard at it. He should be calling you, at some point. I'm going t' see his roommate, apparently, at the concert. She's going t' pass on t' me if he figures out anythin' about why the card was left to him."
Ygraine nods thoughtfully to the phone, then remembers to speak into it for Quinn's benefit. "Mmm. Yes. Okay. Whatever it is, make sure it doesn't spoil the concert for you, okay? I… I really want that to be as special a night for you as possible. And worrying about my… concerns shouldn't impinge on that too much."
"It won't, don't worry. I'll wait t' talk t' her after the show about it, at least. Or I can ask elaine t' ask. She knows her too, she apparently going t' see her for some clothes t'night, I think after practice. Either way, I don't think it'll be a problem." QUinn shrugs a bit, clearly not concerned about it.
Pausing thoughtfully, Ygraine frowns again, propping a shoulder against the nearest building to take a little of the weight off her feet. "So… this Graeme is someone who's the friend of a friend? And he was sent somewhere to find me… which'd further extend the network, and form ties back into it. Sounds rather as if someone's engaged in some social engineering. Or trying to map paths of connection and see where they lead."
Quinn says, "I don't think it's that. He got this the other day. Sounds like it was before I or Elaine met Remi, so… who know. I don't particularly think that's the case though." There's doubt in her voice, the musician shaking her head against the phone. "But I've got no idea what else it could be."
Ygraine pauses again. "Remi. Remi Davignon, by any chance?", she enquires, tone… dry, though it's hard to tell what expression might now be accompanying it. "Pretty, rich Frenchwoman? Scion of the global fashion house?"
"…yes. Remi Davignon." Qunn tone sounds cautious, like she fears she jsut stepped on some sort of landmine. "How does everyone seem t' know this woman. Granted, she's really charming. An' a big flirt. I'm… honestly kinda worried about Elaine going t' spend time with her for clothes, but…"
Closing her eyes, Ygraine lets her head rest against the wall as well, a soft 'clunk' communicated into the phone. "I met her in Paris. In my last year of competition. After a race, we were celebrating… and the party merged with an after-show party for her event. She was a full-time ballerina, then. We stayed in touch for a little while, but… I thought she'd lost all interest. I hadn't had a meaningful response from her for a good couple of years. Then she abruptly got in touch with me… a bit over a week ago. Invited me to lunch."
Quinn grimaces a bit when she hears the clunk, sitting up a bit in the cab. "Small feckin' world," she echos from earlier. "She seems nice, though. Met her at Oh So Sweet. Apparently she was tryin' t' pick up Elaine, that was how they met." Which is ended with a short, nervous laugh. "Though I guess you know her better than me, huh? I don't have a problem with her, I'm jsut amsued everyone seems t' know her."
"Great legs", Ygraine says, tone again dry. "Perhaps we should start you on ballet, love. But… she was picking up Elaine? What did she make of being hit on by… a really hot Frenchwoman? I think the question answers itself, most likely."
"Too clumsy for dance," Quinn responds with a laugh. "An' she was flattered. I think she said a little weirded out, but she liked the attention. I… can't blame her. If I didn't alreayd ahve two beautiful women…" Quinn replies with a laugh at the end.
"Mmmm? Who's the other?", Ygraine asks curiously. "But… you've met Remi, too? Did she flirt with you as well? What did you make of her?"
"E-Elaine," Quinn replies quietly, cautiously. Like she said something wrong. But quickly, she moves on. "I have! An' yes, she did. She was nice. Charming, attractive. We met in Oh So Sweet while we were ordering an' she invited me t' chat over coffee or somethin' right there in the store, so we ssat an' talked for a bit."
"Other than Elaine, doofus", Ygraine murmurs fondly. "And… sorry for pressing you about Remi. I'm just… curious. We've never exactly had a remotely normal meeting, so… I'm intrigued by what others make of her. I like her, but… she's not exactly of this world, I think."
"She has kinda a weird vibe t' her, yeah, but it wasn't offputtin'. She's… somethin' else, but I wouldn't mind bein' friends with her. I guess. If she keeps flirtin' it might kinda be…a wekward. Particularly if she keeps with Elaine too."
"I met her for lunch a while back. The thirtieth. I'd been going to tell you about it when next I actually got to see you", Ygraine explains. "She contacted me out of the blue, with a mystery invitation to that faux-French restaurant "D'Sarthe's" and no indication of who it was from. She wanted to make up for, ahh, apparently her butler having dealt with my efforts to get in touch with her for the past couple of years. Maybe he thought they were fan-mail, or something…."
"That sounds kinda… fake," Quinnr eplies with a bit of a frown. "But that's cool that she got in touch with you. Sometimes it's nice t' reconnect, you know? I jsut wish she was a old girlfriend so I could come by an' make thinks awkward." Said allt easingly of course, it cdpesn't occur to her how mean taht could sound.
"She… she lost family in the Bomb. It's why she fell out of the role she'd won. She was a prima ballerina. Now, she teaches it", Ygraine says quietly. "And I wasn't exactly pushing for much myself, initially. I was doing my own falling apart."
Clearing her throat, there's a creak of leather as she shrugs. "My first clear memories of her are of her serving me breakfast in bed in a luxury flat in Paris", the Briton adds, tone somewhat playful.
"Oh la la, Ygraine, something you haven't been tellin' us?" Us meaning Quinn and Jen, but it's really jsut a joke anyway. She giggles, wishing she had Ygraine in her presence to waggle her eyebrows out. For now, amused tone will have t' suffice. "Well… If you know her an' aren't put off by her, that's good enough for me. Did you want me t' pass on a hello when I see her again?"
Ygraine coughs sheepishly. "To be perfectly honest, I really don't know what happened before then. I always assumed that we'd pulled a couple of the male cyclists - or dancers - and that was how we'd ended up there, but…. Ahh-hrrm. So… yes. You can say hello. Just… make sure you don't feel you have to compete, all right? She's fabulously rich, by our standards, and… she has a butler, multiple homes, and so on. If she treats you to a lunch that costs a couple of hundred bucks, she probably doesn't mean anything by it - it'll just be what she happened to fancy having that day."
"Mm. I'll keep that in mind. Unless she flirts with me durin' lunch. Then all assumptions are off!" Agaain, joking and giggling afterwards. "I'll pass it on. Maybe angle her towards the webfeed to say hi before I send it t' mum and dad. Or somethin', I dunno." There's a shrug Ygraine can't. "Anyway, that visit an'Remi aside… how're you? DOin' find since the last time we talked?"
Ygraine giggles, shaking her head at the phone. "If you make out with her, I want pictures", she fires back, tone fondly amused. "Though perhaps not as the global webfeed to use for future publicity - though it would get you attention, you know…. But me? Tired. I'm trying to make sure I conserve energy - which has me feeling horribly lethargic. It's not that I'm doing nothing at all, but… I'm not exactly getting hours of intensive exercise each day. But I am getting a combination of the stress and worry and the boredom. I don't exactly have a library with me on Alfred whenever I go travelling, but perhaps I should start…."
There's a snort from Quinn, the Irishwoman giggling. "An' if there's more than that, I'm guessin' you want video? I told Elaine the same thing." SHe giggles agian, before letting out a worried sigh. "I'm sorry it's so… terrible in there. I wish I could help. I'm sad I can't help. I hope you're out of there sooner, rather than later."
"Terrible, it's not", Ygraine says, quickly and firmly. "'I'm not getting enough exercise' is a pretty unusual complaint to make. And it's not as if even being without power is as serious as it would be normally: the seriously wounded are in the care of doctors in a building with a generator. We're not getting the weather effects. There're many fewer people in here than there'd have been at night. Compared to even just some of what I've seen personally, this is great. Compared to a lot of situations around the world, it's none too bad at all. The worry is how and when it'll end. We don't know why it happened, or how to bring it to an end - nor do we know exactly what'll happen when it does finish…."
Sighing, she shakes her head again, before her lips quirk into a smile that's audible in her voice. "But yes - video would be very welcome. It's not as if I've been managing my usual chats with Jen, after all…."
"An' now I'm scared t' ask what you do when you chat with Jen," Quinn replies dryly. "Well… I'm glad it's not too bed yet. I just hope everyone has food an' all t' last until this passes. I hope it's not too much longer. Bein' stuck talkin' t' you just on the phone sucks, an' I miss you."
"Don't ever be scared to ask me something, Robyn", Ygraine instructs her, quietly serious. "And I miss you, too. I adore you, and I really miss being able to give you a hug. That's one of the things I most want to do, actually. Soaking in a bath, and good coffee and sleeping in my own bed and revelling in warmth and clean clothes are all up there… but giving and receiving a hug is really, really something I'm looking forward to."
"Well, I'll have t' be there when the dome goes away so you we can bothg et our wish immediately." QUinn nods to herself, looking out the cab window. "Oh… I'm home. I gotta go, so I can get ready for our last practice t'night. SOrry…"
"I love you", Ygraine responds immediately, as if worried that Quinn might depart before she gets the chance to remind her of that. "It's quite all right. Go and deal with things, and make sure that you're ready for the concert. It was great to hear from you. And thank you for dealing with that unexpected visitor for me."
"I love you too," is spoken fondly, worriedly into the phone as Quinn pays the cabbie and climbs out, iPad stowed back in her bag before it's slung around her shoulder. "It was nothing. Hopefully there won't be anythin' else that weird. An' hopefully, we'll get those hugs soon. Until we talk again, though.. be safe. Even if things seem fine there, I've heard a' some pretty shitty stuff happenin'."
"It's not exactly a picnic, no. And I admit that I've got some new nightmares to add to my collection. But I'm healthy, and I'm safe enough that I've got time to be bored", Ygraine murmurs with a smile in her voice. "Now - go and practice, love. I want you to be on top form for the concert."
