Participants:
Scene Title | Information Can Be Difficult |
---|---|
Synopsis | At a loss for where to even begin answering her questions, Kaylee consults an atypical resource. |
Date | March 15, 2018 |
Raytech NYCSZ Branch Office: Kaylee's Office
Five Days Earlier
In comparison to the stark modern lines of Richard Ray’s office, Kaylee’s office seems to step back in time. It has a lot of plants, just like his, but that is where the comparison ends. Many visits to antique dealers have resulted in an office that is a pale version of a parlour in the 1890s. Even her desk it solid oak, lovely carved by craftsmen. Her desk chair, is probably the most modern piece of furniture there; high-backed and leather.
The telepath is currently seated at that desk, her laptop is connected to it’s cradle, allowing her to work on a bigger screen. Unlike Richard, Kaylee at least has an affinity to electronics, not on the level of a technopath; but at the level of she doesn’t wreak things just by trying to turn it on.
A pen taps lightly on the notepad in front of her, pumps kicked off to the side to let her feet rest. She hated wearing them. Kaylee sighed heavily, circling a name on the paper in front of her: David Cardinal. The pen moves to another name, Kara Price, Jr. This is circled many times before she tosses the pen down with a sound of frustration. A longing look goes to the computer and the memories of easy access to the internet.
There were not many options in this new world for information gathering. There was an option to her, she had heard about it. A small smile touches the telepaths lips. “Tamara,” Kaylee’s head nods slowly with thought. That might be the way she has to go to get and idea of where to start this search.
Of course, finding her always poses a special challenge.
Now
Feelers were sent out some time ago, a security pass left at the front desk… just in case, of course. However, at the moment, Kaylee’s mind isn’t on that particular problem at the moment…. There is more than mysteries to follow, such as actually doing her job to deal with personnel. Mainly, typing up copy for the Safe Zone’s paper to advertise for the need for various personnel and at Richard’s assistance, a psychiatrist.
“Like we really need to advertise how screwed up the lot of us are,” Kaylee whispers under her breath as she types that particular section.
Various paperwork is spread out on her desk; contracts and human resources paperwork especially. Leaning forward, she shuffles the papers looking for a handwritten note from her brother detailing what he thought they could use more of. She didn’t agree with it all, but never hurt to gather more resumes.
The note in question slides itself in from the edge of Kaylee's view — or rather, is slid, the hand behind it wearing a distinctively shaped ring with a small diamond. The woman behind it on the other side of the desk is blonde, smiling, familiar. "It was on the floor," she explains.
For this meeting, Tamara's dressed in black pants, blue shirt, black cardigan; a blue scarf is draped over her shoulders, one end trailing down her front. "I'd say I'm sorry to interrupt," she says with a wry, close-lipped smile, "but… well."
The visitor seats herself in a chair, sitting straight, hands resting lightly in her lap. "Nobody likes paperwork."
“Oh, thank… “ Realizing what she is doing, Kaylee’s head snaps up with surprise, blue eyes wide. As soon as she sees who is standing there, her whole body seems to slump a little with relief. “Tamara,” the telepath says with remembered fondness. The piece of paper is taken gingerly. “Thank you.”
Settling back in her chair, Kaylee studies the younger woman across from her. With the red pantsuit she is wearing today and her hair done up neatly, she looked very much the corporate woman sitting there, even if she didn’t feel like one. “You are right. I never imagined that this job would have this much paperwork.” Her nose wrinkles a little looking at it all.
Focus returning to the woman across from her, Kaylee smiles softly, “It is good to see you, again, even though I know your here on business.”
"You're welcome." Tamara scans the array of papers on the desk, taking them in with an air of incurious observation; her eyes don't linger on any one. "Even mine has too much paperwork," she allows, looking back to Kaylee. "But Tasha handles that."
The seer inclines her head as Kaylee continues. "You could just come by the house, you know," she says, wry smile resurfacing. "For business — or not. Colette and Tasha would appreciate it. Misty, too."
“I didn’t really know where you all live,” Kaylee points out… the excuse somewhat lame. She knows it, glaze dropping to the desktop in front of her. “Plus, its… been kind of crazy around here. So, I didn’t think about it.” It is a sheepish admission, smile pulling to one side with amusement for her own misstep.
“Next time,” Kaylee promises.
“So… the reason, I needed to speak to you,” the telepath starts, sitting back in her chair, legs crossed, and hands folding to rest on her knee. “I’ve… possibly heard a rumor that my brother, Richard, could have at least one blood relative living.” She glances at the door and rises to her feet. Clearly, she doesn’t want this conversation to be heard. Her feet make no sound as she crosses the room and shuts the door softly.
“Richard… can get a bit obsessed,” she explains, crossing the room again, but this time sitting in a chair next to the seer. “Just like me, he wants to know more about who he is. If I told him that his father might be alive, he would become so focused on this one thing… and I need him focused and not broken hearted if my intel is wrong.” There were too many other things happening around them. “So, I’m going to do the searching… but I have no idea where I should even start looking.”
She motions to the woman, with both hands, “I’m hoping you can help me get on the right path.”
Tamara grins at the telepath. That is a terrible excuse. "It's okay," she assures, "I won't hold it against you."
That grin gives way to an attentive expression as Kaylee continues, the seer listening to the words actually chosen and voiced. She watches Kaylee close the door, then turns her chair so she can face the other woman when she sits back down.
At the last, Tamara nods slightly — more an acknowledgment than a confirmation. The fact that the seer is here — that she did not dodge the question being asked — is in some respect a confirmation in and of itself. That, and the prompt that ultimately follows: "What do you offer?"
There is no answer from Kaylee, not verbally, she gives a short nod of her head. Rising from her chair, she steps around the desk and slides open the top drawer of the antique desk. The contents are checked, before she returns to her seat. “I thought about this long and hard. I’m giving you this.” The envelope is filled with a decent amount of bills. Probably more then enough for what she is asking for, “But with this I’m also offering an open favor from me. This is that important to me.”
To be honest, she’s probably thought of asking about her own family, to find information about her jumbled and seemingly false history… but she doesn’t. She focuses on that of others… the thought unwittingly brings back the memory of the whisper… never fought for herself… only others.
“This isn’t the only thing…” She offers the younger woman a nervous smile. “Richard… knew you were going to be coming for a visit, he — just didn’t know about my true reason. He wanted me to offer an open ended favor from him as well, anything you need. That’s a quote, too. We need to find information on a Kara Price. Her name has come up and, we are having a hard time tracking things down.” The telepath seems a little unsure having never done this. Blonde brows lift as she waits to see if it is sufficient for… something.
Tamara accepts the envelope without opening it, her fingers rubbing idly over its surface. She looks down at the white paper container as Kaylee continues speaking, nodding slowly. She takes in the words, but all told, it is less the words that matter and more the commitments behind them — commitments she knows both will honor.
"Information can be difficult," the sybil remarks, what could be an expression of sympathy for Kaylee's problems, but isn't only that. "A needle in a whole field of haystacks. A single line in a paper. A computer. An entire book. But only if it's not a book you already know." She folds her hands in her lap, over the envelope, and lifts eyes gone dark to regard the telepath beside her. "People are not as hard. Unless they're dead," she adds as an aside.
"I can work with names. David Cardinal," Tamara says pensively, borrowing from the possibility where she actually asked for that name. Her gaze goes to the wall behind the desk, to an interminable distance not bounded by that merely physical barrier. She goes silent after, a lengthy quiescence; somewhere in that time, her eyes slide closed.
The sybil understands the name as a symbol that carries some sense of the man behind it, a man with links in some measure to Richard and Kaylee and above all to Ray. A symbol she can yet pluck from the tapestry of potentials laid out before her. "North," Tamara says at last, not opening her eyes. "North, not so far as to cross the border. A lake in the mountains, a village on its shore; quiet, out of sight, out of mind." Finally, she looks back over to Kaylee. "Look in Tupper Lake."
Tamara takes a moment to rub her face, fingers raking back through her hair; she breathes out a weary sigh. "As for Kara Price…" The sybil huffs softly, gives the telepath a wry smile, inviting her to share the seer's amusement; the pause between subject and answer now is slight, especially by comparison. "Start at your own front door."
When Tamara starts talking, Kaylee leans over to grab pencil and paper from her desk. Perching it near the edge, she writes notes on what is said. The name Tupper lake is underlined. Her expression turns thoughtful… so much so she almost misses that Kara Price is being talked about.
The look that the seer gets is a confused one, “Our… “ It doesn’t register what that means now, but there is no doubt that when Kaylee wraps her mind around it, she might have an idea. For now, her mind is distracted by the discovery that… she might be able to find something on this guy.
Setting the pen down carefully on the paper, she nods slowly. “Thank you Tamara. This is even more than I had hoped for.” She lets out a slow breath, trying to collect her thoughts. “It looks like I have a ‘business’ trip to plan.”
Distracted by her first answer, Kaylee doesn't quite connect the dots on the second, much less share in the irony — but that's fine. She'll work it out in time. Tamara only smiles more broadly, amusement still gleaming in blue eyes, before she echoes the woman's nod. "You do," she agrees. Rising from her seat, Tamara steps out, brushing fingers lightly against Kaylee's shoulder as she passes.
"I'll leave you to that."