Participants:
| Scene Title | Give Them What They Want |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Delilah and Abby discuss the reporters out in front of the building and how to handle them. |
| Date | April 25, 2009 |
Village Renaissance Building - Lobby
The lobby of this building is spacious, with wide glass windows which look out onto 4th Street. The floor is a polished grey marble; the smooth walls are freshly painted in a cream color. A security desk staffed by men and women in professional clothing occupies a central position. From that desk maintenance crews are overseen and directed; they also monitor the footage from discreetly placed security cameras which cover all the public areas on the first through fourth floors, including the elevators (one centered in the lobby and each corridor), the stairwells at the front and back of the interior, and the outside of the entire building. More than one person is on duty at all times, and the public areas are kept well lit around the clock.
//Behind the desk are four unmarked doors of heavy steel with strong locks and keycard access, evenly spaced. Keycards are required for entry to the building itself during hours of darkness. Anyone without them must make their case for entry with the security staff by the voice transmitters on both sides of the doors.
The rest of the ground floor has three corridors of four apartments each, their doors are sturdy pine with strong locks operated by metal keys and numbered from 101 through 112. Floors two and three are the same as the first floor, minus the security desk and unmarked doors. Each of these have apartments in that corridor instead, making a total of sixteen each, numbered in the same fashion as the first floor residences.
What exists above the third floor is anyone's guess. The elevators only have visible buttons for those first three levels and a control panel of some sort which takes a key and a keycard to access. If the security staff members know what's up there, they aren't saying.
End of workday. Rush hour has started, and Abigail's coming down from upstairs in the vain hope that there's no reporters and she can fetch her mail in peace without dealing with them through the plate glass windows. She's spent most of her waking hours cooking some meals ahead of time, plugging in her phone and repeatedly answers "No comments" and telling people no as they call. It's tapered off a little thank the good lord above. But there's no such lucks as she exits the elevator and looks beyond the security desk to see a few vans and people hanging around outside. head down, beelining straight for the bank of mailboxes she goes with her keys. It's enough to make her almost dye her hair a different color. Maybe it'll throw them off.
It is hard to get home when there are strange people blocking the doorways! Delilah has to nearly bludgeon her way through the gaggle, blatantly avoiding 'Do you know Abigail?' and 'Have you seen her use her ability?' questions, etc etc. The natural of the two redheads tromps her way in still wearing her uniform from the diner, her hair down and curled over both shoulders. The big black eye she had at the start of the week has deepened into purple and yellow other than the dark marks it had been, but still is very obtrusive to her features.
"If I hear one more question I am going to throw somebody down a well-" Dee exclaims loudly, once she is in the lobby. "-god forsaken reporters… should just leave her'lone…"
A polite snort comes from the safe harbor of the mail room. "I don't expect it to die down. Maybe when my phone stops ringing and they realize that I don't want to do interviews about what it's like to be evolved" Abigail's voice as she peeps around the wall, out of view of the reporters but in view of Delilah. "Sorry about them, I think two of them followed me back from the hospital last night"
A rather piteous look comes from Dee when Abby peeks around at her, and the mail room suddenly has two girls in it. Lilah seems to try and sneak up beside her neighbor, remembering herself that she probably has mail as well.
"Bet nobody'd give a right lick about mine, huh…" Delilah chuckles to herself, fishing for her own key. Abby knows all about that, right? Err. "Well, I mean- they're just annoying, is all. Are you doing alright? With all this?" It is obvious that she feels bad about all the hubbub.
"Probably vilify you and hang you in the papers" Abigail murmurs, letting Delilah pass and fetch her own mail. "They stop calling past nine PM, but they seem hell bound to get me to say something more than 'no comment'" The former blonde peeks around, judging when's a good time to dodge for the elevator banks. "But it was only a matter of time. It's not like I hide what I can do overmuch. I just wish they'd let me get on with my life"
"Maybe you should give them something? Something to chew on? It's not like you have to explain your life story. Just tell them a tidbit and ask them to please leave you be. Someone is bound to listen, right?" Dee rifles around for her mail, tucking a pair of envelopes into her palm and tilting her head to the other young woman. No comment, ironically, on the vilification.
"I wouldn't know the first thing to tell them, and I don't think that "God blessed me and god is the one who heals, I'm just his conduit" will go over well." Abigail points out to Delilah. But probably, the other woman is right. "One very small part of me wishes I hadn't done what I did. But if I hadn't…." Much like in Chinatown, but she had a scarf to cover her and Helena with her fog.
"The 'God Blessed Me' won't be so bad an answer…" If that is what Abby believes! "Maybe a bit of a thanks-but-no-thanks. Maybe you could even get people to forget it, and if they wanna feel better and have good stories to tell people, ask'em to donate to the hospital instead of buggin'you." Just a thought. Delilah links her fingers, stretching her arms overhead for a few moments. Oh, tired! "Be glad about what you did. It was a good thing." Just a stupid reaction from everyone else.
"Maybe I should fix your black eye in front of them and tell them there it is, no magic, no mystery, leave me alone so I can get on with my life" Abigail muses, but with her mail fast in hand, the redhead heads for the elevators while most of the reporters seem to be looking elsewhere, instead of inwards, and also when the elevator door conveniently opens, disgorging another occupant of the building.
Delilah does her best to stick with Abby, also happening to block most of the other girl from view of the front doors anyway. "I love my battlescars. It's not so much the magic of it- people just like to read stories that give them warm fuzzies inside. Like when dogs adopt ducklings, or when a wreck happens and someone saves a whole family himself. That's what it's like. People read about you and feel like there is still good in the world, yeah?"
"If they knew everything about me, they'd be on other side of the glass asking me a whole slew of different questions" Abigail points out as the button for the third floor is pressed, following by the one meant to close the doors of the elevator faster.
Delilah lets out a bit of a giggle. "You and me both, Abs." And when the doors bing shut: "Getting rid of 'em is mostly a matter of giving out enough to stop making them want more. I dunno how- so all I've got is ideas. I wish I were more help."
"I'll ask Cat for help. Or maybe someone else that I know. Someone who's used to reporters and the such" Abigail murmurs. "They'll know better than me and maybe they can help me get them off my back" Abigail watches the number turn from ground to 3 and the bells ding and doors open. "Hey, can you keep an eye out for the kid that's staying with me? Make sure he's okay and can get in? His names Ewan and he's.. homeless. But he's a friend. If you ever see him haunting, just let him in and give him something hot to drink or eat?"