Participants:
| Scene Title | Eensy Weensy Alcoholic |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Helena prefers the term lush. |
| Date | January 5, 2009 |
New York Public Library: Rooftop
On the rooftop. People should really stop asking the question 'where is Helena' because inevitably when she's not visibly around and not elsewhere entirely, the automatic default answer is on the rooftop. And that's where Helena is right now, sitting on the rooftop floor, her back pressed against one of her garden tubs. The flowers that have been planted in it have yet to grow.
"Hel." Comes the masculine voice of the young man who has experienced and caused much frustration in Phoenix as of late. He's in a sweatshirt and sweatpants, a blanket draped from his shoulders. He walks forward, his slippers sliding softly against the cold ground. "Aren't you freezing?" He asks, walking up close to her.
But here's the thing - the area around Helena? Isn't freezing at all. It's perfectly comfortable." She smiles up at him. Despite her cheer, she looks a bit wrung out. "I'm never cold unless I want to be, Brian. Controlling the weather also involves controlling barometric pressure and the ambient temperature. What brings you up to my hidey-hole?"
"Don't use those big words with me." Brian says in mock offense. The young man goes to take a seat next to the woman. "I donno.. I haven't been around you lately. I figure you miss me." A little smirk, his way of saying 'I miss you.' The blanket is placed on his lap loosely since it isn't really needed.
"I know it's been hard for you." Helena says softly. "And things have really picked up. There isn't a lot of time." Time for what isn't exactly clear.
Brian gives a little tsk, waving his hand dismissively as if she not give him sympathy. His arm is brought up and placed around her shoulders easily, he tugs her in loosely against him, his eyes remaining straight ahead. "I'm sorry about Teo.." He starts, his voice soft. "I really messed up.." He gives a little shrug. "I'm not very good at this secret agent stuff. I'm trying though, Hel. I really am. I'll do better.. I promise."
Helena doesn't object to the contact, though the way she leans into him in return is more amiable than affectionate. "We're people forced into roles that none of us expected. Though you should talk to Teo. If you apologized to him the way you just apologized to me, he'd forgive you without hesitation." She really believes it, too. "We've all made mistakes, and no one's got exclusive rights to them being epically awful."
"I will.." He gives a little shrug, though he tries to make the movement minimal since his arm is still around her. "It's just.. I'm a guy. There's pride you know? But I will." He wets his lips, letting his head lean back against the tub. His eyes move over to her for a moment. "I've been real selfish lately.. I.. The pain has been so great. It's still there.. I don't know if I can ever shake it, but.. I still shouldn't have been the way I have been. I've neglected you and everyone in our family. I'm sorry."
"I know I can't precisely relate, but I understanding how it hurts to lose people." Helena says quietly. "But I'm glad you're working through it. I know the kind of man you can be, and I'd like to see that again."
He doesn't comment on what the pain is like, how intense it is, how much it wrecks him compared to the loss of life of family he has had previously. His head swivles over to her and he gives a slow soft smile. "Thanks for believing in me Hel. When I don't." He says softly, lowering his head for a moment. "I wanted to run an idea by you."
Helena shifts so she can turn her head and give him her attention. "Shoot."
"I was thinking about.. Phoenix and.." He pauses, his gray eyes shifting to take in her face for a moment. "Going public." He watches for her reaction but quickly follows up with, "Partly. We want to help people right? We want to make the world a better place, help our people. We show the world we're not blowing stuff up. Like the Miracles project." He takes a deep breath. "I used to live in Thailand, I ran a boys home. The muslim families couldn't live in the city, so they sent their boys to the city for school, I ran a place where they stayed. I'm really good with kids. There's a bunch of kids, teens, whatever, they find they're Evolved and get kicked out of their families. We should start like.. A home. A home for them to stay, to be safe at."
Helena considers for a few moments. "With some tweaking, it's a possibility." she says. "If you wanted to look into establishing a safehouse for Evolved teens, it'd be something I'd be willing to devote resources to. But first I want to make sure that there are people alive to go to it, yeah?" she says to him firmly. "Dealing with the Vanguard is our first priority."
His hands raise up for a moment but then he nods a little bit. "Right.. that's probably good priorities." The young man concedes. He looks at her out of the corner of his eye. "How've you been Hel?" Brian asks gently.
Helena gives a little shrug. "Comme ci, comme ca." she says, giving her hand a little so-so wiggle-waggle.
"I don't speak spanish, Hel." Brian says with a little grin. His arm gives a little squeeze around her shoulders, trying to comfort her a little bit. "When we save the world, I'll take you out and buy you booze, alright?"
Helena laughs. "French." she can't help but correct, even though she's fairly sure he knows it. "Booze'd be nice. Hopefully we'll make it through to celebrate." Then, "I like kahlua. Bailey's. Sweet things, because I'm girlie. And ooh, little umbrellas, I love those things."
He doesn't tell her he knows, he just grins down at her. "Okay, God, you little alcoholic." Brian murmurs, eyeing her with a smirk.
"I prefer the term lush." Helena says blithely, her eyes drifting up to the sky.
 January 5th: The Thin Blue Line |
 January 5th: Conspiracy Theorists |