Participants:
| Scene Title | Da capo al coda |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | D.C. al coda: a musical term that means go back to the beginning and play to the coda sign, and then take the alternate ending. |
| Date | February 12, 2020 |
NYSZ RayTech Complex, Elisabeth and Richard's Apartment
It's been quite a while since Magnes and Elisabeth have actually seen each other. He does call and keep in contact regularly, so that she knows he's still alive and just kind of trying to sort himself out. But his most recent call was to plan actually meeting up with each other.
When he arrives at her place, it's with a large electric piano case strapped to his back, a t-shirt in a faux Burberry pattern that has stylized letters on the front that say 'Stacy 'The Burberry Baby' James', and some blue jeans. "It's Magnes."
The apartment in RayTech has definitely taken on a lived in appearance since he was last here. Although Elisabeth's apartment across the hall is still empty (and currently being used by her paranoid spouse), she and Aurora moved into Richard's larger space some time ago and settled in. The living room has some scattered toys in a corner along with a child-sized table and chairs for things like art with the kids. There's a piano on the far wall. The furniture looks comfortable and broken in but not shabby. It's becoming a home.
When she lets him in, Elisabeth hugs him tightly. It's a hard hug, the kind that betrays when she feels uneasy. But her smile is more relaxed than that hug implies. "Hey there! How've you been holding up, Trouble?" she teases.
"I've been doing better. Been working on myself, trying to find myself, and who I am outside of trying to save the world or whatever." Magnes' hug is firm as well, and when they let go, he removes the case from his back. "I became a professional wrestler. Adel found me. I'm actually pretty popular in the city, but I wear a mask, so no one actually knows it's me except the people who work with me in the back. But I can't really hide from Adel, our abilities are kind of like a father/daughter bond type of thing."
"That's wonderful, Magnes!" she grins. Elisabeth did some querying discreetly over this year about Joshua, but word has it that he was killed in the war. She is glad that Adel survived and that Magnes is making a relationship with her. "A pro wrestler is not exactly where I expected to find you," she admits on a laugh, "but somehow … it works. Sport version of a soap opera just fits you, kiddo."
Gesturing for him to make himself comfortable, she looks curiously at the case. "Are you thinking to do music again?"
"Performance art. I think that I'll expand my wrestling career to an even greater performance art career. In wrestling they know me as John Strange, you might have seen shirts or posters around the city. That's me. I could put on shows for adults, kids, or do comedy! I want to express myself." Magnes heads over to a couch to plop down, letting his case stand on an unnaturally vertical angle, but Elisabeth knows it won't fall.
"I want to have a career where I make people happy, or laugh, or just entertained. I've realized that my ability doesn't matter, I don't need to do anything big and grand and world changing, I can just be a person." He holds his hands out, as if making a presentation or something. "Addie and Adel are my responsibilities, I'm not responsible for the whole world. I'm not special or anything. Sure, Adam wants to steal my brain, I'm a Nazi experiment, whatever. I don't care. I'll just be some guy and entertain the city."
Settling in on the couch, pulling her feet up under her, Elisabeth takes up a position he's familiar with from years of living and traveling together — she's comfortable in this space, not watchful. Just relaxed. Absently toying with the ends of her hair, she looks thoughtful.
"I think it's a really good mindset," she says softly. "I'm … working on that headspace too. The PD is something I feel like I want to build, but… I have to admit that I'm just tired. I don't know why I thought it would be a good place to center myself. The fucking politics are the same as they've always been." She grimaces slightly. "I started writing again, though…"
A glance goes to the piano and she smiles, her features easing into a look he really hasn't seen since Bright. "Eve and I collaborated on one — here, I mean." He knows about the one in Bright and the times she sang backup for Eve's recordings there. She just hasn't picked up her music since then.
"I met Eve here a few times now. She's pretty nice, even if eccentric. And being a cop is pretty stressful. Before I got kicked off the police force, it mostly felt very stifling for me. But if you don't like it, there's nothing saying you have to stay. I think you've earned a choice in the things you do by now." Magnes leans over to lay his head on her shoulder. She'd have obviously noticed that his hair is short now, cut down to the length she remembers from his younger years.
"What are you writing?" he wonders, reaching for one of her hands to hold in between his.
"Music," is the amused reply. Because what else would she write?? "I'm still not great with lyrics," she admits, laying her head atop his, "but I'm finding my way back to the music finally." Elisabeth shrugs slightly.
"It is stifling as fuck," she agrees. "But walking from the PD feels like… giving up." She's never been good at that. She's never been very good at just stepping back and taking her hands off the wheel. Control freak problems. She grins at him and twines her fingers into his to hold his hand tightly. "I'm going to keep at it because I want it done right." There's a pause and she admits, "And I'm not entirely sure very many people have the gumption to kick Marcus Donovan in the balls if he needs it. But I have the feeling this won't be a stay in until retirement gig for sure."
"I think that as long as you're doing what you feel like you need to do, that's good enough. Just, if it starts making you too miserable, remember that it's okay to leave. You helped save multiple entire universes, I think you've earned the right to decide when a job is too stressful." Magnes reassures, just kind of staring out as he rests against her. "We could always do music together some time. I was thinking, because what we had to do makes me think about how abilities go together sometimes. We have kind of the ultimate personal space bubble. I can keep people from physically entering, you can keep them from hearing or trying to talk into it. One day someone will make a form of astrology about ability compatibility. Maybe I should, fun project."
It makes her chuckle. "Fun project, huh? So you know how many times I've heard that from my brother-in-law?" Elisabeth's tone is rueful — it's apparently her lot in life that her brother and Richard's are both the 'what if I do this?' types.
"You know… in all the years we've traveled. Even in Bright," where they had a lot of time as a family, "you never really did music. I… don't even know if you ever went to one of the shows," she admits. "I knew you'd done some music but, you never seemed all that interested in it anymore." Whereas for her, it was solace and a way to hold onto something of herself through it all.
"I would love to do music with you. Maybe we can do some kind of… I don't know. Summer street festival concert or something? Get Robyn to play, maybe, too?"
"I've seen you perform, but I was just… very focused on getting back home. And for me, even though I enjoy doing music, it was always about the community. It was always about the band, Mad Muse. Me, Robyn, Sable, Elaine, Adel… I always enjoyed that my own daughter traveled back in time to join our band." Magnes smiles at that, and then nods. "I plan to try and get the band going again. Robyn and Elaine are kind of the hardest part, but we'll see what happens. And I think it'd be awesome to do music with you!"
She's maybe a little surprised. "Thanks for that, Magnes," she says softly. It means a lot to her that he went to see her perform. Elisabeth's grin widens as he talks about trying to put the band back together here. "You know where I am if you want to play," she says with a nudge to his shoulder. "I bet you could probably convince Robyn. I dunno about Elaine, but… I always got the impression music was where Robyn's heart was too."
Leaning back, she says, "Aura has been demanding Unca Magbutt lately, so now that you're 'back in town,'" air quotes can practically be heard there, "which is the excuse I have given her for your absence, you better stop in more often. She is insistent that you need ice cream dates."
No… Aurora needs ice cream dates, Unca Magbutt is just a good excuse.
"I mean you can tell her that I went away to be a masked professional wrestler for a while. I'm actually pretty popular with kids. Tell her I'm John Strange. I bet one of her friends heard of me at least." Magnes laughs, shaking his head. "Because, well, that's the truth, and I think she'd totally accept that. I'll show her my cape and mask and everything."
"And yeah… Robyn was pretty intense, she's always been pretty intense. But her and Sable basically got me into shape when it came to being better at music." he admits, laying his head back on the couch now. "I met Sable a few times in those worlds. I never really talked about it, it was like a weird personal thing for me. Sable is like… my best friend, you know, like how guys have their super best bro friend? That's Sable for me. Like Bill and Ted. You guys have to meet, like, I need that to happen."
"I… don't think I ever met her," she agrees. Elisabeth is willing, if Magnes wants that, though. "And I didn't want to tell her you were a wrestler here in the city because she'd have probably wanted to go see it," she laughs. "And sorry, but I am so not a fan of wrestling as a form of soap opera. I'll get my fix throwing things at River Styx, thanks." Cuz that damn show cracks her up and infuriates her by turns. Usually in the same episode.
"Well, tell her I became a performance artist! I mean, that's also true, so she can come see some of the weird shows I put on. It's all family friendly stuff." Magnes is quick to assure, with his semi-parental tone that he's developed over the years. "I want to do stuff that kids can enjoy, you know? Or at least things that won't be inappropriate."
Rolling her eyes, Elisabeth grins. "All right, all right. Because it's you, I will take the child to wrestling." Gooooooood grief! The things we do for kids! She jostles him with her shoulder lightly. "It's good to hear that you're doing okay, Magnes." She genuinely means it. "I'm really glad to see you."
"Same. I might have a lot of good news soon, so just wait and see. I'm getting a lot of things figured out, and with the company getting bigger, plus my construction work, I'm starting to live like a decent human being." Magnes looks to her, curious. "Cardinal's always tied up with stuff. I've stayed out of things lately, but I remember Adam Monroe sending someone to steal my brain forever ago. You heard anything about that? I still plan to stay out of it, but I guess I get curious about a guy wanting to steal my brain."
Mention of Adam makes her smile fade. "Yeeeeeaaah," Elisabeth sighs. "I've definitely heard things." There's a grim edge to her weary tone. "None of what I've heard is good," she admits. There's a pause and she says quietly, "Adam's involved in all this bullshit with the Entity that arrived here with us." The one that killed his Elaine. "We think he's trying to stop it, but…" she grimaces and rolls her eyes. "He's probably going to blow up the world doing it his way. Richard's been trying to get through to him, but that's going nowhere. I … don't even know what to tell you right now. It's a mess."
"Well, he's not getting my brain, so maybe the plan won't go how he wanted. I've laid very low, especially with the whole masked wrestler thing." Then Magnes just yawns and stretches, shaking his head. "Oh well. We should make a pie, like in the old days."
Rolling her eyes, Elisabeth laughs and points. "You know where the kitchen is. You make the pie and I'll make dessert." May as well enjoy the moments as they come, right? Pizza for the win!