Participants:
| Scene Title | Dealing |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | It's been an exciting day, and Raquelle comes home to relieve Joseph of child-watching. They also have a conversation about the title subject. |
| Date | April 24, 2009 |
The Cambria Home
The Cambria Girls are usually good at night, the eldest wanting to watch the national geographic channel and the youngest dancing around the house singing a really cutesy version of Smells Like Teen Spirit, that basically sounds like 'MASHPOTATOSJEZEOAHGPPPP' or something like that and wiggling, and she's supposed to have her bath so by now she's started taking off her clothing and running around. The Rat and Spider though, are in their homes. - The Cambria home is as it usually is, somewhat clean. Rice in the steamer and curry packets in the microwave and the like. 'ENTERRAINAAAAUS'. Over 'The African Red Butted Gorilla's mating cry…'
…And Raquelle's not home yet.
Well this was a hard and fast cure for paternal instinct pangs. Being an early riser, the evening getting later is draining for Joseph, who has come to. Well. Watch the kids. After a few frantic text messages from their father, Joseph found himself dropping what precious little he was doing, throwing on a coat and headed to some other corner of New York City to make sure the babysitter got paid and sent home, leaving him to—
Well. Apparently sit on the edge of the couch and hold his head in despair. Said head lifts when he thinks he might hear the door opening, but no. Must be the wind. Or his hope manifesting in audio hallucinations. "BJ," he says, suddenly, to the girl perched quietly next to him and watching TV. "Can you go get your sister an' get her ready for her bath? I'm gonna call your dad." Call, text, either one. Anything to make Diana stop running around, anyway.
"AWRAPINGDO!" Diana doesn't know the lyrics, okay, she just knows what they sound like as she loses her pants, running around in her pink pony pullups and then jumping on the couch beside Joseph. "HEWWOHEWWOHEWWO!" She sings to him as BJ /SIGHS/ and rolls her eyes and slips off the couch to glare at Joseph, she's already in her PJs apparently so she rolls her eyes. "C'mon Dee Dee-" She reaches out for her sister but the girl crawls over the back of the couch and hits the floor with a THUD, 3 seconds later…AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! - Kinda a scream goes here and BJ rolls her eyes again and then there's knocking at the door and she sits back on the couch. "Why do the monkies keep jumping on each other's backs?" She marvels.
Oh Lord they're screaming. But it's also likely the fourth wail that has filled the room of the night, so Joseph sort of— leans and peers and on his feet like lightning when he hears a knock at the door. Not before sparing a glance for the TV. "Oh, uh." He finds the remote and quickly switches it to something else. "They were— they're hugging." That'll do.
Polished shoes fall on carpeting in quick steps as he moves away from the chaos and towards the door, fumbling with the lock until he can wrench it open. He's not at all dressed as he might for church, leaving behind sharp suits and coordinated ties. Instead, Joseph is dressed in a sweater covered by a denim jacket, jeans of a darker tone ending in sensible shoes. Hair mussed from nervously running fingers through it. Only overall coming apart at the seams a little bit.
Raquelle is on the other side of that door, swirling his tongue around a lollypop and looks vaguely freaked out as he hears the screaming and then hears the screams of 'DADDY!' and then he rushes forward to hug Joseph unless he moves, docs, jeans, fitted black t-shirt and black leather jacket, hat on his head and messenger bag shoved to the side as he kicks off his shoes in the process of trying to hug/cling to Joseph. Ignore the midgets for a moment, wiping tears, ignoring TV and moving to hug their legs. "Oh sweet god in heaven I'm so glad I'm friends with a preacher!" Lollypop held away as to not stick in somebody's hair.
"Are you ok— "
The hug and the exclamation kind of cancels out Joseph's initial question, rolling his eyes upwards in a sort of 'oh dear' expression but ultimately, the hug is returned in kind. More holding and comforting than the clinging he's being delivered with, hands patting Raquelle's shoulder blades, frantically soothing. A huff of uncertain laughter at his words. "It was no problem, it— sounded like y'needed— "
His hands move to Raquelle's shoulders and settle there as he breaks up the hug, dark eyes holding an infinite amount of concern and worry. "Are you okay?" he finally gets out, for now ignoring the presence of the girls trying to push in to get to their dad, but of course Joseph relents in the next moment.
Lollypop gets stolen somehow as he just takes a deep breath and then another deep breath. "It was horrible Father, there was electricity and the government and broken buildings and psh and ghrphs and WAGHS and lots of badwords." He catches his breath, kicking the door shut with a foot. "…" A long pause. "I'm…fine. Dee Dee. Why are you nake-" He doesn't have time for this tonight, he really doesn't as he takes a deep breath, voice taking on a more neutral yet non arguable like tone. "BJ, hey baby…hey Diana, go on now and start getting ready for bed okay…Diana, it's okay…everything's okay, no need to cry, happy smiles." - And after hugs and head pats and cheek kisses they hold hands and head off to bath time, happily sedated in a way before he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. "Oh. My. God." He reaches out to rest a hand on Joseph's shoulder. "If you weren't holy and saved I'd be dragging you to-do things I can't tell you about right now without having to repent, I smoked like 3 cigs…god."
How did. He. They. Joseph watches in wonder as the girls just do what they're told. Enough disbelief that he almost misses what Raquelle has to say, if not for the clap of a hand on his shoulder dragging him back to reality. Filter it in, careful deletion before anything can really sink in, and Joseph offers an uncertain smile. "I didn't do the greatest job," he admits, with a certain amount of annoyance, it seems, beyond apology. "Pretty sure this place would be in pieces if you'd come home any later, the little one, she's— "
Rabid isn't a nice word to attribute to a child, so Joseph mentally reels it back in, and says, "Excitable." His hand seeks out Raquelle's arm and guides the younger man further inside his home, steering mostly to sit down. "Sounds like you got caught in somethin' exciting too."
Raquelle just rolls his eyes, removing his messenger bag and tossing it onto the couch as he lines up his removed docs beside the other removed shoes by the door. "Mm…you did great, the apartment didn't burn down and they are both alive." He assures the man. "And Diana's a princess on speed the later it gets honey, nobody knows I mix chamomile tea with her milk and tell her its a special princess Chai drink." He coughs.
With the steering he is led to collapse onto the couch, tugging off his shades and his hat, running fingers through his hair. "I was just walkin' on my way my little honey coated holyman but…then, I have no idea why the freakin' government just…Homeland Security and wagh." Another deep breath.
Leaning a hip against the opposite arm of the couch, Joseph folds his arms as he listens, brow knit into concern and dark eyes reflecting the same, as well as thought. "Sounds like the kinda thing we'll be readin' in the papers tomorrow morning," he notes, hesitates, and adds, "Or, you know, conspicuously not readin' in the papers. Was it, ah… What like were there terrorists or— 'Evolved' people or some such thing?" He doesn't make quotation marks with his hands when he says the word Evolved, but his tone communicates it just enough.
Raquelle shrugs out of his jacket and closes his eyes again. "Probably, papers are pretty nosy." He pats the couch beside him. "Bah, I didn't see terrorists, just people scared to shittyness-ah, sorry um, scared to err death. Oh hoooooney, if you chase a cougar and corner it, it turns around and tries to rip your face off! If you chase somebody that can piss electricity or whatever and knock your ass out, it'll try to light you up like a bulb with no light if you corner it and what if I had my babies out there during this…I don't know just." He looks troubled. "Evolved. Heh, funny word. Maybe that's what you call 'em, I just know it was scary. And lordy have mercy, my mom is gonna think I don't have enough curry."
At the urging, there's only some hesitation before Joseph moves with a rustle of denim, sitting down just next to Raquelle and tilting his head in a shrugging gesture. "It's what the government calls 'em. Us. It's what it reads on my Registration card, y'know? It don't seem accurate to me, chalkin' this kind of thing to some— big ol' scientific fluke or— mutation, a defect— seems disrespectful. To me and the rest, anyway, let alone to God."
A bright smile, as if to shake off such notions. "Well it's a good thing the girls were right here, safe and sound. This city's— it's an exciting one." That word, again. It's a handy stand in for what he means.
Raquelle is just very quiet as the mention of 'us' and he looks away for a moment before working on removing his shirt, tats and piercings exposed as he tosses that to the side as well and stretches an arm out along the back of the couch, shrugging and worrying his bottom lip. "Evolved makes it sound like you came from a sperm puddle or a monkey or maybe a monkey's sperm puddle or something anyhow. Gifts, abilities. Complicated bull that makes it hard to figure out what's real and what's just-" He cuts himself off. Too much angsting, emo hair isn't even in the emo fringe tonight! Abort, abort.
"I have to thank you again, I figured with you and God in their corner, even if something did happen to 'em they'd be okay."
Emo or not, Joseph is watching Raquelle carefully throughout his spiel, neutral but attentive. Eyes up, too, even if the flash of piercings and tattoos alike are startling, bordering on offensive for a man of his sensibilities, but what the younger man has to say is infinitely more important.
He also doesn't pry, however, looking away when Raquelle reels himself in from the conversation, and offers a smile. "I'm honoured you thought to call me," he tells him, a hand out to patpat his— wrist. That seems safe. Hand withdrawing a moment later, scooting to the edge of the couch to make to leave. "It wasn't like I was doing much of anything else and I'm happy to help, so don't worry about it. I should probably get goin', let you— make sure they're okay and unwind and all."
"Mm, they like you. The girls that is, Deedee thinks you're Jeeze just bein' undercover and BJ's curious about your views of science vs biblestories so you were the best pick. Only other options I have for late night stuff really either are workin' tonight, make body parts grow back, or have a mouth so foul yet lickable ain't no way to keep PG-13 thoughts in ones head." Raquelle's nothing if not honest and he leans forward a bit to peer at Joseph curiously. "How do you deal?" He asks out of the blue. "I mean like, knowing about, having seen and actually having abilities, bah, gifts to be registered and stuff?"
There's a pause before the question seems to reel Joseph back in, sitting back and letting an arm drape over the arm of the couch, hand up to scratch the back of his neck. "Knowin' that I can do what I do for a purpose," he says, finally, glancing towards the younger man. "That's what helps me— deal, I guess. Lots of other people don't see it that way though, obviously, which is why we even have to Register I guess."
The colours from the TV play out on both of them in blocky, unclear sections of light, and Joseph turns a mostly unseeing gaze towards it. Still monkeys, grooming each other. "If you think of it all like a learnin' curve, that's another way to deal with it," he adds with a twist of a smile. "It's always messy when stuff people can't explain starts happenin', when they can't put their faith that things happen for good reasons, not just bad ones. People throw bricks in windows, paint on walls, slander your name but only because they're scared that maybe they don't have a purpose anymore. We're all dealing together, I think. It's kind've why I came to this city."
Raquelle idly scratches his cheek, sometimes wearing less make-up makes random gestures alot easier and he's mostly concentrating on listening, pale eyes never leaving Joseph's face once they are focussed. A quirk of a slender eyebrow and wistful twist of lips is his only response for quite sometime before he studies his nails, finding a chip in the polish on his thumb and nibbling on the nail, or at least bringing it to his lips as he sighs, shoulders slumping. "I used to love that song, New York, New York." Then the quiet. "When they start registering people, I got nervous…cuz if you don't know, you're still technically breaking uh…not the law per se but what makes the popos comfortable."
"You get a fine, slap on the wrist, and then you have to do it anyway," Joseph says with a rueful smile. "When I found out what I could do… it was an accident, my wife— well she got a vision. I did the same thing to my senior pastor— this was back home— and he had me go Register. I mostly did it out of fear. That's kind've the problem - we only ever go get that card because we're scared of what'll happen if we don't, I think. To us, to others. People don't see what we can do like gifts, when that's what they are. If more people did, if we did then— maybe it won't be a danger anymore."
Very optimistic, Joseph. But he speaks honestly and earnestly, and finally directs his gaze back to Raquelle. "So— what is it you can do, exactly?" Open curiousity marks his voice.
Raquelle worries that nail, nose wrinkling and he gives a little snort and shake of his head. His free hand gropes for the remote as he distractedly wonders in Japanese why the hell there is monkey porn on his TV, changing the channel and that eyebrow raises again. "Fear is a powerful motivator, hell even if you can piss rainbows and fart fire being locked away cuz other people are afraid of you is a hella good way to get all scared shi-stuffless and running off to get a tag that reads 'FREAK FACTOR HERE, see X-FILES and MUTANT X for more info' just more official."
The words aren't bitter exactly, just resigned as Raquelle has to pause. "There's the issue Pastor of Sweetness. Even before gifts got turned into Gifts with a capital G and all ooo, boogieman gonna getcha, people had 'gifts', talents. So what somebody can do and what just happens…fine line." He worries his bottom lip, letting his hand fall away at the question about what he can do. "I just make people feel better or good, cheer 'em up."
There's a little incomprehension from Joseph, as if waiting for more detail, before his mouth spreads into half a smile, one eyebrow raising. "So you're kinda like a super cheerleader?" The smile fades a little back into seriousness, dark eyes fixed on the other man as he gives a slow nod. "Sort've merges into just who you are so much that it's hard to split the two? And I'm guessin' you haven't Registered or anythin'. Not that I— I'm not gonna go tell anyone, so you know."
Raquelle laughs softly, flashing that smile of his and rolls his eyes a bit. "Go team go, b-be assertive, be assertive." He does a good impersonation of a cheerleader, the ditzy blond cinema types who say 'like' and 'ooooh mi goood' alot sorta voice before clearing his throat and chuckling. "Kinda, but that's not an ability, just I've always been a little show-off who doesn't want to see anybody sad so again, I'm not rushing to the registration office or anything. And I'm not tryna be secretive here, it is a natural thing for me. I just do what I do, how much of it is what your god has 'blessed' me with being a people person and how much of it is 'Oh my GOD you're like Super Fag, glitter biatch, glitter' evolved abilities, it is just hard to explain."
"You shouldn't have to explain it," Joseph assures, shaking his head briskly. "I only do because I'm tryna help people, but otherwise I think— that if people just want to get on with their lives, they should. Secretive or not. They also shouldn't— have to be afraid. Of Homeland Security comin' down and cornerin' 'em like they did with— this electricity guy you saw today." A shrug. "Of course, they're just tryna make sure no one else gets hurt. I don't know. I'm just pretty sure you can own a gun and not be tagged as a dangerous individual by default. Same goes with these powers."
A studying look, mental wheels turning as if trying to navigate his words around what he wants to say, then goes with, "What you saw today, that got you thinkin' about your own predicament, didn't it?"
Raquelle bites his bottom lip once more before lifting a shoulder and running a hand across his chest, closing his eyes as he listens. "You're a good man, truely blessed." Then he nods sloooowly. "Ah yeah, even though them homeland security guys, while a bit cute in the all official looking way can be a bit puss-err…just not all that scary honestly." But he agrees quietly, bobbing his head. "Mmhm. I've got little girls to worry about, I've never been real worried about what I can or cannot do or what I do or do not do with it because I've done everything for my girls."
A softer smile, from somewhere more genuine, if possible, than kneejerk optimism and sympathy. Sadder, too, in a sense, and thoughtful. Joseph remains quiet for a moment, before nodding. "You're a good dad for them both," he says. "For that exact reason. And I think you're smart enough to know to protect yourself for their sake, while protectin' them in turn." His hand again touches down on Raquelle's arm, before he's moving to get up off the couch.
Raquelle sighs. "That means a lot." And it does, it really does. He moves a hand to gently pat Joseph's own hand before pushing himself up to his feet as the man starts to get up himself, ever the gentleman after all. "We'll be in church Sunday, I swear." He gives a little nod of his head. He's tired, he's confused and he has alot to think about but that can all be pushed to the side. "Thanks again man, I would've been royally fu-screwed had you not known how to answer text messages."
"Yeah, well. I got all kinds of skills," Joseph says, wryly, making for the door and picking up his abandoned coat along the way, slipping it on over his jacket. "You have a good night now, Raquelle, and I'll see you Sunday, certainly." Simple as that, and with a last smile, he's slipping out the door to leave Raquelle along with his daughters and semi-nakedness.
Raquelle follows Joseph to the door and flashes a smile, saluting with a wink. "Make sure to tell God I said hellooo." A waggle of fingers and closing of the door to the cry of, "DADDY, DEEDEE GOT HER COMB STUCK!" - His job is never done.