Participants:
| Scene Title | Green Light |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Further photokinetic experimentation, with added musical analogies. Revelations follow and trust is placed. |
| Date | July 4, 2010 |
Biker's jacket already discarded and stuffed into Alfred's panniers, Ygraine has fled inside the comparative cool of Gun Hill at some speed - 33 degrees being far too hot for the Briton's comfort. In spite of that improvement, by the time that she's bounced up the flights of stairs to stand outside Quinn's door, rapping smartly upon it, she's very much hoping that her friend is at home, so that she might get inside and enjoy some air conditioning….
July the 4th! Busy, busy, busy, as some days are. Quinn has a party to throw tonight, and being as she only woke up about an hour ago, she's getting at least a few things in order - mostly the music selection for the night. It's lucky, then, that she doesn't actually have music playing when Ygraine knock on her door. Perking up from her spot on the floor, she eyes the door for only minute before hopping up and pulling it open. A blink of surprise is offered at Ygraine, her head tiled. "Oh! Heya, Ygraine. I didn't expect t' see you until tonight.
Ygraine cracks a grin, shrugging amiably. "I thought I'd come over and see if you needed a hand. And possibly pester you to take your mind off things by trying a little practice, too. Give your mind a break from fretting about hectic preparations."
"For the moment, I was just picking out music," Quinn remarks, motioning to a box on the floor, vinyl records both within and all around it. "I'm going for a really big mix, hopefully stuff everyone will like." She steps aside from the door, letting the collness of the air within flow past her and into the hallway. "Besides getting some food and drink and moving things up, I don't think there's much. What'a you mean by practice, though?"
Ygraine slips inside, remaining silent for a moment and holding the door open for a few moments as she revels in the breeze. Belatedly closing the portal, she offers her hostess a somewhat sheepish smile. "Sorry. Far too hot out there…. And… I was thinking that I might bully you into playing with black light a bit. Did you experiment at all after I left you yesterday?"
"No, I… spent most of the rest of the afternoon thinking, and then with Elaine." She wrinkles her nose, eyeing Ygraine appraisingly. There's a moment of silence, and then a sigh as Quinn shrugs. "That whole conversation almost went really, really bad. It… didn't thankfully, but it almost went really, really bad."
Ygraine frowns worriedly, reaching up to settle her shades more securely atop her head, before stepping closer to rest a hand on Quinn's upper arm. "I admit that I was worried that things might be… tense. Telling people that their 'harmless fun' is actually quite a serious matter tends not to go down well, in my limited experience…."
Quinn exhales sharply, hands slipping into her pockets. "I laid my concerns down. Admittedly, it was kinda self centered, most of 'em were about Sable, and a few other things. And she- asked me if had to choose some things. Broke down and started calling herself a whore. I felt just terrible."
Quinn eyes the couch for a moment, and then walks over and quietly plops down, if only momentarily. "She explained t' me a bunch of things about why she's doin' all of this. She likes bein' close to people, feeling loved. And apparently she genuinely enjoys it. I told her she didn't need to do anything t' be loved by us, and she was willing to accept that."
Quinn breathes in deep, eyeing Ygraine again. "It picked back up at that. At the end of things." She wrinkles her nose, leaning back. "I'm really sorry. You came here t' help me, didn't you?"
Ygraine chuckles quietly, slowly nodding. "Indeed I did. You don't have to sort everything out at once, you know. You've got a pretty complex tangle of problems to consider, and you probably won't make decisions you can rely upon if you rush into them. Isn't that part of the point of all this already?"
Settling onto the couch Ygraine reaches over to squeeze Quinn's hand, and attempts an encouraging look. "Hence, in part, wanting to try to give you something to feel good about. I thought that we could try a bit of basic experimentation. See how you do at changing colours up and down the visible spectrum, to let you get the hang of what you're doing in that regard. It might make trying to push beyond the visible somewhat easier, if you've got an idea of what to do more of."
Something to make her feel better feel sounded wonderful right about now, so with that Quinn springs up to her feet. A smile slowly returns to her face, squeezing Ygraine's hand. "Aright, we can give that a shot." Her hand disengages from Ygraine's and she turns to eye a window - the blinds are closed, at least. "What, exactly, did you have in mind?" Even as she asks, she holds both her hands in front of her, palm up, and after a moment a glow begins to emanate from them, radiating outwards as it slowly grows.
"Well, since you can create light, so… let's try starting with something simple", Ygraine says, smiling up at Quinn. "Let's go for a soft, steady glow - something I hope will be easy for you to produce and sustain, even while you're playing around with it."
"Oh, that's easy," Quinn replies with enthusiasm and confidence. "I do that all the time. It's when I do a lot at once, or for too long, or produce a lot of light that it's a problem." The glow from her finger grows akin to a dull, aging light bulb, enough white light to adequately light the immediate area.
Ygraine grins at her. "Well, we're going to try pushing you in a way you've not indicated you've been pushed before. Let's see if you can keep it that bright, and keep the… field in which you're generating light the same size. But… give it a nudge. See if you can shift its colour without shifting anything else. Doesn't matter which way it goes, just see about pushing it."
"Shift just the light from m' hands?" Quinn asks with a quirked eyebrow. "That's not too hard, I've done that before, if… you mean the same thing I'm thinkin'." As soon as she finishes speaking, the glow around her hands darkens a bit, dulling briefly before it slowly turns a green hue, like someone put cellophane paper over the light bulb. Her eyes and her head tilts. "Like… that? Or do mean something else?"
Ygraine nods approvingly. "Okay. Now keep shifting it. On into blue. Try working through shades, for the moment. Make it a steady progression."
Quinn wrinkles her nose, eyes still closed. "That doesn't sound so hard, Ygraine." She sounds a bit surprised by the simple instruction. Simple, she thinks. Her hands clench into fists, and when she opens them again, the colour abruptly shifts to blue, rather than the request gradual change. "Like that?" Quinn asks, believing she's gotten it right.
Ygraine chuckles softly, shaking her head as she smiles at her friend. "No, I'm afraid not. That was like flipping a switch. You managed a gradual change earlier, before I told you to think about it. When you made it green, it changed slowly from the white. The blue, you just flipped to."
One of Quinn's eyes opens slowly, a frown on her face. "I tried to, like… visualize a slow change. It didn't take?" Quinn looks disappointed, quirking her lips after she speaks. Glancing down at her hands, without Ygraine's insistence, she tries again - again just flipping colours, this time to red. "Well, that's right annoying. I mean, that's what it usually does, but I figured I could do it gradually."
Ygraine quirks a wry smile. "And that is part of the point of this. I'm hoping that we can find a way to get you to feel what you actually do, rather than just focus on the results. That you have more subtle control when you're not thinking about being subtle actually makes sense to me, believe it or not. Think of it as… oh - playing a piece on an instrument you can play instinctively. Where the only thing you think about is the music. Contrast that to an instrument you've learned technically, but where nothing comes instinctively - so that every key-press or stroke you make has to be individually directed."
A gentle shrug, and an encouraging look. "You've got an uncultured talent. Probably closer to singing than an instrument, to be fair. When you… cut loose and act on instinct, you can do things smoothly. Start trying to do things 'right', and you get tight. And I really hope that that made at least some sense to you…."
Quinn wrinkles her nose before giving a quick nod. "I get it. Relax. Don't overthink it." She pauses, and gives an amused laugh. "Story of my life, lately." She shakes her hands, and the light stops momentarily. "I'm sure I can do this gradual thing. I've done it while DJin', when I'm- not focused on it. I think you're on to somethin', Ygraine."
Ygraine ducks her head, then presents a somewhat mocking half-bow from her seated position. "One does one's best", she intones solemnly - before winking impishly. "In all honesty, it seemed like an obvious sort of metaphor. All the better if it actually works."
Quinn gives a quick nod in response before she holds her hands out on front of her again, fingers waggling and the glow slowly returning. "Alright, let's…. try that again." She watches her hands for a moment before closing her eyes, and sighing. No looks of concentration or consternation paint her face this time - she's surprisingly stoic. Still, despite this, after a few beats, the colour from her hands suddenly snaps yellow.
Ygraine frowns slightly. "One more go. Let's start with white. Just hold it steady, as you did before. A nice, constant, steady, easy glow, keeping the size the same and the brightness the same. Maybe try thinking a little about how the light contains every colour possible. Relax your mind, and just think about the brightness and size. And… very gently, try giving it a nudge. Try slipping it like a slurred note, gliding into another shade."
Quinn's frustration is somewhat evident as her eyes narrow, staring at her hands. "I own you, obey me," she mirthfully intones at her own appendages. Fingers waggle again, Quinn's eyes finally closing. The glow Ygraine requests begins to form, held for several moments, as Quinn just stands, a bored and annoyed expression on her face. Silence reigns for several moments as she stands, trying to focus but not focus- and then suddenly, she starts humming rather loudly, hands clenched into fists.
The humming continues, and the light snaps to blue, Quinn oblivious to the change. Slowly, her head begins to bob, and it's clear she has a song stuck in her head. Fingers unfurl out, and then the colours begin to change. But it's not the sudden snap of before - it's a slow, gradual lightening, the blue beginning to slowly change to a green hue.
Ygraine stays silent for the moment, though a distinct smile curls her lips, her attention drifting to and fro between Quinn's face and the light coming from her hands, as she waits for Quinn's song to finish or her concentration to break.
Quinn continues humming for a few moments longer, the colour continuing to shift past green, a bit of yellow to it. One protracted note, and then Quinn stops humming, a single eye opening. "Why so qui-ack!" And then she's caught by surprise as the colour suddenly snaps to a bright yellow, for some reason surprising her a bit. "Ugh, really?" she comments, a distinctly disappointed look on her face.
Ygraine can't help but laugh. "Remember that song", she advises. "It seems to work for you." Grinning up at Quinn, she looks distinctly pleased. "You snapped to blue initially, and flipped instantly to yellow at the end. But in between, you were shifting smoothly."
"What?" Quinn quirks an eyebrow, and then looks down at her hands. "Huh, really? I'd never think Cocteau Twins was the key to anything. Besides awesomeness." She smirks at that, letting the glow fade from her hands. "Alright, so…I did it?"
"The Cocteau Twins?", Ygraine asks somewhat incredulously, before laughing. "Wow. Well, if it works…. And yes, you did it. We can try that again, if you like - or we could give my other idea a go. If that hadn't worked, I'd been going to try to get you to switch colours consciously. In fairly small increments. From one to another to the next and on. Gradually speed up. See if we could blur the lines of your precision that way. But that - perhaps thanks to the Cocteau Twins - looked to be very smooth, and quite easy."
"What about 'em?" Quinn mummers as she listens to Ygraine, eyes still on her hands. "I- hmm. That's kinda funny, really. But let's try somethin' else, I can practice that later. I wanna see what else we can get in before I have to really start caring about the party tonight. Anythin' else in mind?"
Ygraine nods slowly. "A few things. And something moderately serious I ought to get onto at some point, before I forget. But that's much less important than this." She winks playfully.
"Right. I know that you can generate light on each hand, as a separate glow. Can you generate different colours on different hands? Try the same as before, but give yourself that nice, steady, calm white glow on each hand now. Get it nice and constant, and once you're ready try shifting one of them, as you were doing now."
"Serious?" Quinn repeats with a hint of worry. After everything the last few days, "serious" talks had a way of making her feel slightly uneasy. Still, she doesn't press, yet, and just nods in response. "That- well, I thought the other stuff would be easy, but…"
Quinn sets both palms out, and the light almost seems to flicker for a moment before vanishing, and then the glow resumes, both hands surrounded by a lightbulb's worth of light, bathing the surrounding area. "Aaaall right…" She closes her eyes, trying to visualise, without focusing, a hard process indeed. It takes a moment before the light from both turns yellow, and a moment later, both green. Quinn wrinkles her nose, as if she just has a feeling that it's not working out.
"How about this?" Ygraine interjects, tone gentle, having failed to provide any further information about potential seriousness. "Rather than making it an absolute difference, try feeding some colour from one to the other. Give your right hand a bit of the green from the left. They can both stay green, but one gets more so."
Quinn doesn't make any audible reply, seemingly too caught up in her current task. She just exhales sharply, rolling her shoulders and relaxing her posture. The light from both of her hands fares momentarily, Quinn gritting her teeth as it returns to normal - and her left hand suddenly begins to shift, becoming a brighter, almost lime green hue colour. As another glare brightens the room, Quinn scrunches her eyes, and then shakes her hands, light ceasing immediately as one comes up to rub her temple. "Guh. Why did that give me a headache?"
"And I think that is a good cue to stop. But you proved you could do it", Ygraine says warmly, rising to her feet and gently bringing her hands to Quinn's shoulders.
"As for the headache… I suspect it's because you were fighting your own ability." As she talks, she tries to gently guide her friend onto the sofa. "I might be utterly wrong, but I'd guess that you were having trouble separating off the two things into separate… areas. Like a novice on the piano, struggling to use their two hands in unison, but to do different tasks. Another option is that you were quite possibly applying one effect to both hands and then simply overpowering it on the left with an extra effect on top."
"Colette told me that the headaches could be something,… serious, and not to push it if I started having them. I think she said something happened to her sight that way." Quinn looks uneasy as she shares that, not too thrilled with the idea of something going terribly wrong because of her ability. "I don't think I get them during light shows because I don't make light too during those. Not often, it's hard t' concentrate on it."
Ygraine nods gently, sinking into a crouch in front of Quinn, attempting to snare her hands. "Don't push yourself too hard. Anything that causes pain up there is unlikely to be good. Especially since you… sorry. I can wiffle about medicine later. Or another time entirely", she says gently. "Would you like me to fetch you a drink or anything?"
When Ygraine crouches, taking her hands, Quinn gives a bit of a confused look. "Well, I mean, if there's medicine that'll help not give me these damn things, I'm all ears. I don't think asprin will cut it." At the mention of a drink, Quinn chuckles and shakes her head. "I'm not that bad off. I might get some watter in a few." She pauses, smiling warmly at Ygraine. "Thanks, though."
Ygraine laughs, and quickly shakes her head. "I didn't mean that, no. But the only things inside your head that should be capable of hurting are the meninges, as I recall. The bits that hold your brain in place inside your skull. They're what give you pain when you're hung-over - they literally get dried out and stretch, which you can imagine isn't terribly fun. And… I'm not only prattling I'm being gross. I'll get that water."
Giving Quinn's hands a squeeze, she rises to her feet and moves through to the kitchen.
"I actually didn't know that," Quinn remarks with an eyebrow raised. "You'd think I might, given… you know." She laughs mirthfully, watching as Ygraine rises and makes for the kitchen. "Oh, no, you really don't have to get me water…" She follows a bit after Ygraine, stopping at the edge of the sofa.
Ygraine returns quite quickly, crouching down again to present Quinn with a glass of clear, cool liquid. "Here. The odds are it's nothing to do with it, but if there's a chance that what causes you pain is dehydration as you burn up energy, then this is worthwhile. And while you enjoy your refreshment, I can offer you a fine choice of entertainment. Would you prefer to have option one for the talk, or option two? One's me asking you things, and two is me showing you something…"
Quinn takes the glass of water slowly, a wide smile on her face. A quick sip is taken, and she lets her free hand move to Ygraine's side. Sliding closer to Ygraine, she rises to her tip, placing two kisses in quick succession, one on Ygraine's cheek, the next on her neck.
"Thanks," she says with a smile as she lowers back, her head tilting. "That… sounds kinda ominous, actually. I…" She looks thoughtful for a moment, wrinkling her nose. "I'll take option one. Should I be sitting for this?" She smiles playfully and shrugs, sliding down on the couch regardless
Ygraine chuckles ruefully. "Getting the bad stuff out of the way first?", she asks with a slight shake of the head, sinking into a kneeling position, resting her weight on her heels and her hands on her thighs.
"I'll try to get this said in one go, if you don't mind, so please bear with me", she starts, trying to catch Quinn's gaze. "I had a chat with Sable. It was… interesting, to say the least. I was talking to her because there are some people trying to collate information on all the visions that people had, to see if they can make sense of what might lie behind them, or what sort of coherent picture they might give us of what could be going to happen…"
A slow shrug. "That bit went quite well. In fairly short order after that, however, I was being interrogated as to my intentions towards you. I… bit back, somewhat, and I can't exactly say that there's implict trust there. Not least because she outright denied having encouraged Elaine to do anything with either of you - which goes against the impression I got from the lady in question, and an explicit statement I seem to recall you making. I was finding it hard to believe that she wasn't wanting her cake both ways, and also trying to control you, while lying about it. Conversely, you and Elaine adore her, so… I was feeling like a paranoid bitch for doubting that it was all just a bit of confusion…."
Quinn wrinkles her nose at Ygraine for a moment, and a long, protracted sigh follows. "I was kinda worried that's how it would turn out. You're, like… the exact kinda person Sable tends t' not like. She has a word for it. Bourgie, I think? I was hopin' she wouldn't get like that since you're such a good friend a' me and Elaine." A hand raises to massage her temple, both in frustration and and because of her headache. "I don't know about Elaine - I'm not surprised if Sable encouraged her, but I know Sable encouraged me to feel things out with Elaine, not the other way around. I… don't think she was lying. That's really unlike her, you know? But… controlling? I'm not sure about that." Quinn reaches out, placing a hand on Ygriane's cheek. "I really trust Sable. I'm sorry if you didn't have an… entirey pleasant conversation with her.
"I really didn't expect to run into a little Marxist here, I confess, but… New York's got all types", Ygraine grumbles, lightly pressing against Quinn's hand. "She seemed sincere in thinking that threatening me, demanding to know the details of your life so that she could approve who was involved in it, and bringing about Elaine's new explorations didn't constitute any sort of… control or self-serving interest. I admit I'm not exactly convinced, but I also know I don't have all the facts."
A sigh from the Briton, and Ygraine shrugs broadly. "I told her that as far as I was concerned she'd got no right to find out about my life, your life, or anyone else's I might be able to tell her about, unless the relevant people involved told me that she did. She says she accepts that as a 'position of honour', and… I think we've hit a sort of truce. As far as I'm concerned, she can wait forever for more information since she's done precisely nothing to persuade me that she has any right to anything - but you appear to adore her, and to regard that as… well-founded. So if you want to share things with her about how things are now, you can."
Ygraine frowns, then directly meets Quinn's gaze. "I'll say now, though - as far as I'm concerned, no one who's not a direct part of it has any right to know about my private life. Having extra noses poked in and being the topic of gossip really doesn't appeal to me."
"Sable is… nosey, yes. I don't think she means t' be controlling or anything. She just gets overly concern about her friend's wellbeing." Quinn nods as she talks, running her free hand back through her hair. "She's incredibly headstrong and doesn't really take shit from people. I guess that's not always a good thing. But usually, she means well, even if it doesn't seem like it. She… doesn't always succed, and she has annoyed me several times," - and there's a look to match that statement - "and she can be damn confusing sometimes. But generally… she's good. But really, I think she might'a been so… intense with you, from the sound'a it, because she's been askin' me about what I've been doin', and I was dodgy about it because I wasn't sure exactly how we wanted t' go about all of that. I guess she put somethin' together because we've been together so much lately."
When Ygraine's gaze meets her own, Quinn puts on a serious face. "I- perfectly understand that, Ygraine. And I will respect it"
Ygraine nods gently. "I never want you to feel that I'm ashamed of you", she murmurs. "But… I'm quite paranoid enough without there actually being people gossiping and plotting and threatening. And having someone trying to muscle in and claim rights of approval really isn't likely to be helpful, when neither of us is at all sure quite what we're doing here, or if anything'll work."
Reaching up to give Quinn's knee a squeeze, Ygraine smiles. "Your trust and your friendship come first, here." A deep breath, and a forced little laugh. "So… on to Option Two? Or am I skipping away from Option One too quickly?"
"I- am kind of surprised Sable is so protective of me, since she passed over me," Quinn mutters with a distinct honest tone. "If you like, I'll have a calm talk with her about it." Her thumb strokes down Ygraine's cheek, and Quinn smiles. "Ygraine, you've done everything right t' win my trust an' friendship. Just keep it up. And if that ever changes, you'll know immediately, I promise. I… would hate to not have you as at least a friend. A good friend. I am quite open to… more, but… yeah." How eloquent. With that said, Quinn tilts her head. "Option two?"
Another squeeze, then Ygraine chuckles ruefully, dropping her hand back to her lap.
"During my… confrontation with Sable, I was self-righteously indignant. I insisted that you'd got all the facts, and that since you had them there was no need for me to pass any on to her. Your life, your call, your freedom. Simple, eh?"
A sheepish look accompanies a rather awkward shrug. "I realised that, actually, you don't have all the facts. All the ones I was thinking of when I said that, you do. But… there were some things I deliberately held off from telling you at first, that I've not got around to yet."
As she talks, she rises to her feet, stepping forward to lift a seating cushion off the sofa, weighing it in her hand, before reaching up to touch one side of it to the ceiling. She holds it there, balanced atop her hand, for a couple of moments - then lets go. Bizarrely, the cushion remains where it is, hanging impossibly from the ceiling.
"I'm an unregistered Evolved. As a foreign national, I can wiggle through the technicality that I'm not specifically required by law to register - I'm not a citizen, and the Act talks about citizens - but that's not quite what the public or many law enforcement think it's for."
Quinn looks positively astonished at this revelation, sitting forward, eyeing te floating cushion with a bit of amazement. "I- wow, Ygraine." She blinks, shifting forward a bit more. "That's really cool, you know. What- exactly is it? A gravity thing like Magnes? Or do yo actually just stick things places, or…."
She trails off after a moment, shaking her head. "Well, no. You don't have t' tell me if you don't want to. You didn't have t' show me if you don't want to. And you certainly don't have to explain why you're not registered." Quinn's gaze moves over to Ygraine, her head tilting a bit. "People's abilities an' stuff are their own business. I remember, the other day Colette seemed a bit… down when she told me she was unregistered, like I was gonna judge her or something. That's… not my business." She smiles warmly at Ygraine. "I… I'm glad you trust me enough t' tel me that, though."
Ygraine reaches up to 'lift' the cushion down from the ceiling, holding it in both hands before her as she smiles over it at Quinn. "A gravity thing not like Magnes. I first ran into him while I was talking Jen for a walk up the side of a really pretty church spire one night, way back before the curfew, in the Winter of '08. One short chat about powers later, and he'd got so confused that he'd lost the ability to focus on his own talents…."
A chuckle, and she moves to restore the cushion to its proper place. "He creates forces. Seems to be able to push them in any direction. It's why I say that he's a telekinetic, since nothing he does appears to be actually gravitic in effect. Me, I don't generate any force at all. You could think of it a bit like manipulating electricity, in fact - I give things a… property, that means that any gravity entering them flows into another object. Like making a one-way electrical circuit. All gravitic effects upon the cushion were redirected towards the ceiling."
A slight shrug, and the Briton settles down atop the cushion she just used as a prop. "I need there to be something else to link to, and I don't generate any new gravity - I just alter what it pulls something towards. And I'm afraid that I missed out on super-strength, webs, and spider-sense, so I'm a really naff version of Spiderman. But I can do wall-crawling, and a few more… technical tricks that he can't."
"Wow, a walk up a steeple? That must have been amazing," Quinn comments, tilting her head as she listens. "That sounds… really cool. I bet she loved that. Well. Until Magnes." She seems pretty enthused at first, but when Ygraine gets to the technically description, she just seem to kinda of glaze over, giving a token nod or two, only drawn back by the mention of Spiderman - which elicits a laugh. "The other stuff's overrated anyway. Climb's the thing of adventure, right?" she says with a wink, and as Ygraine plops down, Quinn scoots over a bit closer.
Ygraine laughs softly, slipping an arm around Quinn. "I thought it was pretty romantic, yes. Jen's… a bit wary of heights. And naturally didn't have the same faith in my ability that I did. After all, I could feel it working, whereas she'd no way of telling if it was about to cut out at any moment. Then this… insane kid wearing roller blades - in a snowy city - hurtled across the skyline and crashed into the steeple. And began enthusing at us."
Chuckling, she shakes her head. "I met him once after that, much later. I was out training - I push myself, when it's dark enough early enough, to do some work up high - and I came across him, hung-over and sprawled on a rooftop. From those two encounters, he apparently dubbed me "Gravity Girl" - which is why he shouted it at me in the street, when I was helping you move in."
A snort escapes from Quinn, the Irish woman shaking her head with an amuse expression on her voice. "He likes goin' up to roofs drunk, doesn't he? I remember, back right after I get the job at Tartarus, Melissa threw a party, and, uh… Sable, Elaine, an' I climbed up to her roof after everyone else went t' bed. And along comes Magnes, across rooftops, drunk an' with her bass." She laughs, running a hand through her hair. "Really? That's what it was? I figured it was some comic character he dressed y' up as at some point or something. Not… that I think he could actually talk you into that."
Ygraine winces, shuddering momentarily, before laughing and shaking her head. "Dear God, no. I have no idea how much he'd have to pay me to get me to fulfill one of his fantasies. But no… that's why I was so angry after he shouted it. 'Hey! It's an unregistered Evolved with this specific kind of ability! Her! The one I'm pointing at!' wasn't exactly the… smartest of greetings."
Taking a deep breath, Ygraine gives Quinn a quick squeeze with the arm around her, the Briton's voice rather tight when she continues. "And that was especially true, since he knows that I have ties to a group that acts as a modern-day version of the Underground Railroad. Getting people the heck out of Dodge if they don't want to be baggged, tagged, and branded by the government."
Quinn frowns, nodding as Ygraine speask of Magnes. "Now I understand a bit better why you think he's such an idiot sometimes," she remarks dryly. "That's a right feckin' stupid thing to do. I mean, geez."
When Ygraine continues, slowly Quinn raises an eyebrow, a bit of a confused look on her face. "Wait. I-" She pauses, eyes narrowing. "Like… wait." She understands, she's just note entirely use how to respond, something the look of frustration on her face attempts to convey.
Ygraine turns her face towards Quinn, attempting to catch and hold her gaze. "I'm not asking for your approval - though I admit that it's… kind of important to me to have it when I can. I'm trying to warn you. Give you the facts, so that you are free to make a properly-informed decision about how much trust you put in me."
Quinn nods slowly, trying to otherwise keep level with Ygraine. "I… wow.That's… not something I ever expected." Quinn sits up a bit straighter, still trying to keep close to even with Ygraine. "You mean, like… Evolved folks, right?" she questions, a tilt of her head. "And… I… wow. I can't begin to wonder how much you trust me t' share that. That's… somethin' else." Scratching the side of her head, she exhales sharply. "As long as you're safe, Ygraine, and not runnin' off headlong int' danger like Elaine says Magnes does, then… what you do is your business, you know?" Quinn scoots a bit closer, attempting to encircle Ygraine in a hug. "But, like, helping people who need it? Particularly Evolved folks? And you thought I'd disapprove?"
Ygraine warmly and gratefully accepts the hug, pressing into it. "It's illegal. Quite seriously so", she murmurs. "Though whatever Idiot the Wonder-Boy is involved in, I dread to think." She sounds quite serious about that.
"I have done seriously dangerous things in the past. At least some of the Feds know about it. I was… involved in an extra-legal effort - that involved some Federal agents going off the books - to stop a doomsday cult, back at the start of '09. It's… the aftermath of that is part of the reason I went back to the UK for so long, and only visited briefly the first couple of times I returned afterwards. I don't want to ever have to… go through that again, but I will if I have to."
Pulling back slightly, she tries to catch Quinn's gaze once more. "But I know that Magnes is aware that I know some of the people who were involved in that effort - whom I… went on the job with, when we did our illegal vigilantism because the government was chasing its tail and refusing to listen. And he knows those people're working behind the government's back, in a serious way. And still he shouted out to identify me in the street. So it wasn't just me he was putting at risk, it was potentially a great deal more. He won't know exactly what role I might or might not have had, but he knew I had ties. And he just shouted out without a hint of thought. That's why I can't trust him. The boy endangers others - whole networks that exist only to do good - without even a first thought, let alone a second."
Quinn's eyes widen, looking up at Ygraine with the look of utmost surprise. "You? Really?" She just sounds shocked - but then she sits up, and surprisingly excited look on her face. "Wow. That must have been…. terrifying. I-"She slips back down, a bit speechless. "I really don't know what t' say Ygraine. You've… still surprising me every minute."
Ygraine's laugh is a little wobbly, and there's a hint of a blush in her cheeks. "It's… not glamorous. Wonder-Boy seems to still want it to be. But… I don't know what, other than the Shibuya Incident, he's actually been involved in. I frankly don't want to know. But…."
She sighs, pursing her lips as she glances away, eyes unfocusing. "Hmmm. I suppose…."
Looking back to Quinn, she offers an apologetic little smile. "God knows that I truly don't want to scare you off, but you've got to understand, if you truly are to be free to make a choice, quite what sort of things I might find myself in trouble for. Has… has Colette ever mentioned someone called Conrad to you? He might have come up in the context of the training you say she's been giving you…."
A hand raises up to Ygraine's cheek again, Quinn smiling. "You're not scaring me off, Ygraine. I- if anything, it's endearing. Strangely. It goes t' prove how strong an' unique you are. And how much you want t' help. I… yeah." She wrinkles her nose, tilting her head at the mention of Colette. "The name came up a time or two, I think. I know at least once."
Ygraine leans into that hand, eyes closing for a moment - either enjoying the touch or gathering her thoughts.
"I… he was a jerk, whenever we met. Offensive, arrogant, annoying, full of himself. When he was put in charge of the group I was helping, that night, I was… less than delighted. Particularly since he seemed to be actively opposed to sharing anything resembling a plan, and I had to fight even to find out the basics of what other people involved could do…."
Eyelids lifting, Ygraine's expression is sorrowful, and somewhat wistful. "I now think that he knew in advance what he'd probably have to do to stop… well. Their goal was to purify the world of the unclean, pretty much. And they'd got a virus they intended to release to set about doing so. That's why we weren't going to wait and hope that the government did pull its finger out in time - even if the cultists were only one percent as good as they thought they were, they could kill tens of millions around the world…."
Gently shaking her head, Ygraine takes a deep breath. "We… stopped one method of release. But they'd got a back-up. And… Conrad dealt with that. In person. I heard him do it. I… listened to him die. Saving the world as he did so."
Closing her eyes, though she fails to entirely conceal tears, the Briton sighs. "Colette had no idea what he was doing. I… when I recovered, I got to break the news to her."
Quinn's expression turns downward a bit more every moment or two Ygraine's story goes on, a hand coming to her mouth when she gets to that part about Conrad dying. "Holy shit," she intones quietly, and almost immediately she turns the hand on Ygraine's cheek, brushing it gently with her fingers. "I-am so sorry. That… must have been so hard." She closes her eyes for a moment, and sighs. "I… can't speak for exactly the same thing, but I can sympathise. I… remember after my roommate was caught in the Bomb, I… was the one who told her parents she was out where she was that night."
Ygraine nods gently, attempting to pull Quinn back into a hug, squeezing for reassurance as well as her own comfort, murmuring a response. "It's… part of the reason for Colette holding him in such high esteem. Not only did he provide her with teaching and training that she regards as wonderfully helpful, he died a hero, doing something she didn't even know about. That's never really made the news or been recognised."
"And I think", she continues, "that it might possibly be part of the reason for her sometimes pushing herself as hard as she does. I'm not sure, but I suspect that she might feel she has to live up to the achievements with which she credits him. But… it's also a reminder of how dangerous this can be. Even when you're not trying to seek out crazy things to do, sometimes… they come up, and there are too few other people stepping forward to help out, so…."
That does provide some insight on Colette, for what little Quinn really knows of her sorta friend and teacher. "I guess that explains part of why she was so determined to teach me about my ability," Quinn says quietly, wrinkling her nose. "Ah… I trust you t' know what you're doing, Ygraine. I…guess even if it is kinda dangerous. It's worrisome, though. I would… be unhappy if something happened to you. But…bleh." She rubs her temple again, sighing. "I think you know what I mean? But…. I'm at least glad It's helping out. Helping people who need it."
Ygraine holds on in silence for a few moments, before pulling back to (close) conversational distance once more. "I… want you to have enough information, that you know what you might be getting into. You deserve it, given the trust I'm asking you to put in me. And it shouldn't have taken indignation over being badgered by Sable to remind me that I really did have to tell you about this."
"I- appreciate it, Ygraine, greatly.I don't think it's so bad that it took Sable. I…am surprised you shared it at all, because that's some pretty heavy stuff." So eloquent. Quinn closes her eyes for amoment, hand falling down and encircling around Ygraine. "Thank you."
Ygraine gratefully accepts the hug, angling her own head forward and down to rest her cheek against Quinn. "So… have I scared you off? Or does the prospect of walks up church steeples overwhelm your common sense?"
Quinn chuckles quietly, gently shaking her head. "Scared me off?" She snuggles up to Ygraine. "Not at all. I think a walk along a church sounds fantastic."
Ygraine laughs, shaking her head. "Ahhh. So you're only interested in me as an exotic tour guide, are you?", she teases.
"It's always nice t' have something to look at what going around the city, you know," Quinn retorts with a grin. "A beautiful sight while taking in the sights, yes?"
Accompanying her blush with a happy laugh, Ygraine ducks her head - then peeps up again. "And… the illegal ties, and history of… criminal activity doesn't bother you?"
Quinn wrinkles her nose, and she sits up a bit, this time a hand on each of Ygraine's cheeks. "I trust you, Ygraine. From what you've told me, it… was for somethin' good. I won't pretend that it doesn't make me a little uneasy, but… unless I find out you've regularly putting yourself in danger, or doin'something terrible, I'm willing to trust you on this."
Ygraine closes her eyes, though she smiles, bashfully grateful, as she does so. "Thank you. And… in these times, simply having ties, or being involved at all, can be dangerous. But… that's sort of why I'm here. To try to help. Thank you for letting me try to help you."