Participants:
| Scene Title | Is It Dark For You? |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | For the first time in a long time, Colette finds herself close to Felix Ivanov, and Felix discovers the repercussions of Colette's battle with the Monster of Staten Island. |
| Date | May 4, 2009 |
From the outside, the Lighthouse looks as if it has had better days. The massive tower rising out of the house has fallen from its former glory. It is no longer a shining beacon, guiding wayward ships in from the lost harbor — though some may argue its purpose now is even more admirable. In its current state, the lighthouse seems to be in disrepair. Though upon closer inspection it all seems to be in the details. The paint has chipped away, leaving a discolored patterns of grays, whites, off-whites, and more grays. The occasional graffitti tag is here or there along the large building. One would notice that the doors, the windows, and the integrity of the building are all quite sound and newly repaired. The lighthouse has just been left with the look of abandonment.
Inside is a completely different story. Upon entering the main door, one will find a completely furnished and cozy arrangement. A spacious living room lined with two large blue sofa's, facing each other, a coffee table between them and several large bean bag chairs have been planted in the room. Shelves have been hung on the wall to display various different pictures of the occupants. A large bookcase is against the wall, holding a large variety of books from Dr.Seuss to the Bible, and even a copy of the Qur'an. The living room is focused on the fireplace a small black fence encloses it, the wood stocked on the bricks in front of it.
Connected to the living room is a kitchen, complete with a large rectangular table capable of seating around four on each long side and two on each end. A sink, a stove, an oven, a microwave and two refrigerators complete the look. Several low and overhead cabinets line the kitchen. At the edge of the kitchen are a pair of doors, one leading to a bedroom and the other, which has a padlock on it, leads to the basement.
At the back of the living room a glass sliding door leads out into the backyard of the Lighthouse, but just before it a staircase leads to the upper levels of the structure.
By the time the sun has dipped down below the horizon, the Lighthouse truly looks to be it's namesake from the outside. Part of this has to do with the amount of exterior lights affixed to the outside, many of them floodlights to keep the grounds surrounding the facility well-illuminated in the wake of the horrible attack that happened here recently.
Inside, it hardly looks like anything has changed, which is likely while the whole situation seems so unusual to Colette Nichols. Seated on the sofa, legs pulled up beneath her, the dark-haired girl quietly stares out with vacant eyes towards the window beyond her, past the television and towards the dark expanse of blackened glass that views out towards the rolling surf.
In her lap, Colette holds an old and dog-eared red book, the cover faded as much as her equally red t-shirt, fingers gently plucking at a peeling portion of the softcover binding, not truly paying attention to anything. Dark brows press together, and Colette turns her head up towards the stairs that lead to the dormatories, where Brian is getting the children together for bed, and where the only anchor keeping her here resides, now under Judah's watchful eye.
It's as good of an excuse as any to formulate exactly what she's going to try and explain to him.
There's Fel at the door, in search of the pair of them. He looks…beyond exhausted, like he's hit some sort of internal limit in this particular year of battles, and is riding solely on adrenochrome and pure will. Not quite gaunt, but that's only courtesy of Leland cooking for him. He makes no secret of the fact that he's leaning on the doorway, as he waits for her to look up at him.
It's hard to tell exactly when the front door opened, so lost in her thoughts, Colette hardly even heard it close after Felix came in. It's only the scuff of one shoe moving and the creak of the door frame that really reminds her that someone is there. But when his former charge finally turns her head to look at him, nothing is really what Felix remembers at all.
She's blind.
Not just in one eye, but in both, a pair of mulky white orbs that peer out sightlessly towards Felix. But even as she seems so unable to recognize the source of the noise around her, there's a tip of the girl's head, a furrowing of her brows, and an uncertain, anxious tone to her quavering voice, "F— Felix?"
This is the last person she ever expected to see here, but the hesitant smile creeping up on her lips indicates that — for once — it's not a bad surprise.
There's the harsh note of a stifled gasp turned into a sharp inhalation. Fel the supposedly unflappable is genuinely shocked. 'Yeah. I mean, yes," he says, gently. "Oh, god, honey, what happened?" he demands, without either greeting or preamble, as he comes to sit beside her.
It's the tone of voice more so than anything that is disarming to Colette, and before Felix quite makes it to the sofa, she's scooting aside to make room for him, legs still folded up beneath her, boots unworn and on the floor in front of the couch, revealing a pair of mismatched socks. "I— figured someone…" It's hard, talking to him after so long, after so much has happened that Felix hasn't been a part of, but it's only hard because of how awkward Colette feels, how unusual it seems to be able to fold back into the role of Felix's ward.
"I guess you… didn't hear." She looks away, down to the book at her lap, then back up to Felix with those murky white yes. "There— somebody, this— I don't know, some… crazy guy, he— he attacked the lighthouse, broke in. A— a bunch of kids got hurt, I— "
How could Felix, of all people, not have heard? "I tried to stop him, I— I freaked out and… and I tried to do what Gabriel would've— " she shakes her head, there's no way Felix could know Gabriel. "I— I tried to stop him. I— think I did. I just— my eyes…" her fingers come up to dance over her brows, "I'll be alright…"
As if it was an aside, she mentions in a murmured voice that, "Judah's upstairs… if you wanted to talk to him. He— he's watching Tamara."
"I know a healer. We can get that taken care of," he says, hastily, worried gaze fixed on that milky stare. "Gabriel who?" he asks, and is unable to keep that edge from his voice. Someone foolishly mentioned the white whale in front of Ahab. And then he looks chagrined at himself. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound like that," he says, reaching for her hand, to squeeze it gently.
Furrowing her brows together, Colette gives a shake of her head, "No it's— it's fine, I— it's not as bad as it looks." Not as bad as being blind? "Oh uh, Gabriel? You don't know him…" another dismissive shake of her head, and Colette feels the contact of Felix's hand on hers, it's enough to make her tense up for a moment, but then relax on remembering just who it is. "I um, no it— it's alright. I just… I haven't seen you in a while, not since— I mean— since I left Judah's, and…"
Turning her head away, Colette bites down gently on her lower lip, eyes closing behind dark lashes. "Why'd you… come all the way out here anyway?" When she turns to focus her attention back on Felix, her eyes are moving, as if she's still looking at something despite their blinded condition. "Um, Brian's… upstairs, I think. I— I dunno if Kameron's around, I… I haven't seen her for a long while."
"You'd be amazed at the people I know," he says, gently teasing. "Not Gray, right? I know, I've been sadly neglectful, but man, my job has been eating me alive. but I wanted to see you. I'm sorry this happened to you. Can you see light, at all? Anything?" His tone is painfully hopeful.
Colette's brows furrow together again, and she keeps her focused squared on Felix with a look of mild disbelief. "You— huh. I— I guess you do know him. He— he's pretty awesome, actually. I think he lives around here on the island, used to be a fighter or something, s'pretty cool…" Colette looks away, down to the table in front of her with a vacant stare. "He taughty me how to like, do my light thing better, and… I guess it's sort've how I saved the kids here. It's neat too, 'cause he learned how to do my light thing, so like… we have something in common." A faint smile creeps up on the young girl's lips, even as her fingers pluck idly at the peeling cover of her book.
Finally, she remembers Felix did ask her something else. "Oh I— um, it's— " pale eyes turn to focus on Felix in her periphery, "I can… sort've see colors. Like, it's… I'm— not blind?" There's an awkward swallow, and Colette bites down on her lower lip, "it's like the world's a watercolor painting…"
By his face, Felix really doesn't know how to respond to that. Not in any useful way. His expression is a mingling of confusion and fury and thoughtfulness. "Well, that's good, that it's not all totally dark for you, then. You can function? I….do know Gray. Know of him. But tell me what he's like?" He forces his tone to steady evenness. "How'd you meet him?"
"Never is dark," Colette muses with a lopsided smile, "not for me." Her expression does change slightly when Felix presses about Gabriel, eyes narrowing slightly as she cants her head to one side. "He— he's kind've a nice guy. I— when I met him, he said his name was Tavisha, but… I mentioned it to Tamara, and she called him Gabriel, so— I figure that might be his ring name, like— you know— the Rock or something." Her smile takes on more impish features as she leans back against the couch, folding her hands behind her head.
"I— met him on the beach actually, out here… I was going for a walk one night, and— this guy, we found him washed up on the beach all— it was gross, he was so hurt. I— I think his name was Teo." Oh dear. "So— I was screaming for help and— Tavisha— no, god that name is so queer, Gabriel came running over."
Rolling her tongue over the inside of her cheek, Colette looks across the room absently. "We took him to this clinic in town, and— " There's a moment of silence as Colette bites down on her lower lip, "Well, he— Gabriel sort've fixed Teo up with like, a power of his. This— this black smoke stuff, it kind've sucked for the rest of us, but— it saved his life I think."
Looking down to her book, Colette lets out a deep sigh. "Last time I saw him, we went out to the old abandoned school, and we talked about being different, and our… the thing we can do," she still seems a bit uneasy about her Evolved status. "He helped me figure out a lot about myself, and I sorta'… we got along really well. I— I haven't seen him in a long time."
Were it anybody else, anyone at all, Fel would be on a tear. Perhaps it's this recent spate of almost-despair that has him patting her hand gently instead. He'd never thought the day would come, but Gabriel Gray…..not on the list of his greatest worries. "He sounds like a man who can take care of himself. Do me a favor? If you do find him again, tell him to come talk to me, will you? I know Teo, too," he says, almost absentmindedly.
There's a crooked quality to her smile again when it returns, "You— really do know a lot of people, don't you?" Colette snorts out a laugh, looking down to her lap. "I've lost touch with so many people since— " her breath hitches in her throat, turning with a sudden whirl of motion as she grabs Felix's hand in both of hers, "D— Did you hear? I— I found my sister!" It never even dawned on Colette that Felix might have never heard what really happened, where everything had gone after she left Judah's house. "Or— she found me I— I've been living with her, it— I— " her smile changes, turning bittersweet, "I really missed you."
"That's great news," Fel says, with genuine pleasure in his tone. "Really great news. She's alive and well?" he says, taking both her hands in his. "I do. Part of what I do…." he says, smiling at her. "I've missed you, too. I'm glad some things have gone well for you. And if you want your old vision back, that can be done," He reaches up to touch the outer corner of her eye with a fingertip.
A soft laugh, the first time he's really heard her laugh honestly, comes out at the tap to her brow. "I— maybe. Maybe soon, but— but not right now, Conrad would've told me to make the best of a bad situation, so that's what I'm going to do. I— I never knew I could see things the way I do right now, so— so I'm going to learn. Life gave me an opportunity to make something out of a bad situation, so— "
Waving one hand dismissively, Colette leans forward, tugging at her lower lip with her teeth. "Why'd you come out here anyway? Did— did Judah tell you I was here, or?" There's so much to talk about, and yet all Colette can do is be a little anxious, a little paranoid.
Felix nods. And then realizes she likely can't -see- the gesture. He coughs, embarassed. 'Yeah. I wanted to see you with my own eyes. Things've been….really kinda crazy, you know? And it….I don't know. I needed to be reassured you were actually okay."
There's a quiet snort that slips out from Colette, and the girl tips her head down and tugs at her lower lip with her teeth again, that ever present familiar gesture of anxiety she's always had. "I'm— alright, I guess. I mean, I've had a lot of good people to teach me how to take care of myself. I mean, if I was like— all damsel in distress; Grace, Conrad and Taver, Gabriel, they'd you know, be all pissed n'stuff."
Rolling one shoulder, Colette stares up towards the second floor, "I'm… gonna' talk to Judah soon. I— I want to tell him all about… about everything. Conrad, Gabe, about— about how I feel about Tamara." Her throat tenses when she says that, "I— I'm scared. I— I'm scared he's— after everything I put him through, that— that he's…" She closes her eyes, giving a shake of her head. "I'm— I'm glad you showed up."
"He loves you," There is no doubt in his tone. "I'm sure he's mad at you for haring off like that, but he'd not've adopted you if he didn't. Don't think that finding your sister will have made that untrue, either," He puts a hand on her shoulder. "You aren't a weak person. You know it," The Fed offers a reassuring smile, eyes bright behind the glasses.
Nodding her head slowly, Colette leans against Felix's shoulder, a faint smile crossing her lips as she nods again. "I— I know he does. It— I'm just scared, is all… but— but I need to stop being scared, need to stop being afraid of things, and— just confront them. I need to start growing up, I mean— otherwise I'm always going to be the same, stupid— like— little girl."
Smiling awkwardly, Colette looks up to Felix, blind and sightless eyes focused on him, reflected faintly in his glasses. "He— probably wants to see you too, you know. I— I don't know when it was the last time you two spoke, but— he's been so worried about Tamara, he could probably use you…"
He is painfully thin, under the jacket and t-shirt he's wearing. "I need to see him, yes," he confirms, gently. There's something rueful and a little sad in his face. "I don't know. You seem to be growing up just fine to mee," he says, gently laying a hand on her hair.
"At— at least you said fine, not normal." There's that impish smile back on Colette's lips, and she leans up to look closer at Felix, her eyes narrowing slightly. "You look weird like this, like um— that guy who— er, his paintings were like, all colored dots and stuff?" One eye narrows more than the others, "I forget his name." Settling back down on the sofa, Colette breathes out a deep sigh.
"Once Tamara's better… I— don't know what I'm going to do. I should go back to Nicole, but— I'm worried about Judah being alone, being— " her lips press together tightly, "he needs someone, it— that's why I left Jupiter with him. I don't— he deserves not to be alone."
"Seurat," Felix says, without hesitation. "Listen, I don't know what your sister would think, but why not find a way for all three of you to live together? And normal isn't a meaningful word, not for anyone in New York City," He's quiet sincere.
"I— don't know if that would work," Colette notes with a wrinkle of her nose, "Judah and Nicole? I— think they might kill each other? I— I'm not sure, they're…" she laughs after a moment, shaking her head with a broad smile spread across her face. "You never used to be such an optimist, Felix?" One brow rises up higher than the other, "I mean— what happened with you?"
Well, where did this come from? He finally offers, "I don't know. Getting too tired to despair?" he suggests, giving her a surprisingly bright-eyed look.
And that right there causes Colette to burst out laughing, leaning her head down on Felix's shoulder again almost like a headbutt, eyes wrenched shut and giggling in a manner that is indicative of just how tired she really is. "Oh— man, too tired for despair," she croaks out, trying not to snicker or snort between words.
After a few panting breaths, Colette giggles once more and leans back, a dark brow arched over pale white eyes. "You're… going to stay a while." It's not a question, it's more of a demand.
"I mean, seriously. I see so much crazy shit, deal with so much. I'm depresed, so I know how little mood can have to do with your actual situation," Felix explains, gently putting an arm around her. "Sure. Got the day off, happily."
Wrinkling her nose, Colette leans up and presses a finger to Felix's, "Less potty mouth, there's little kids upstairs." This coming from Colette? "I owe Brian like— a hundred bucks for the swear jar. But I think it kinda' evens out because he sort've owes it a lot too." The confirmation that Felix has come to stay, it puts a lot of relaxation back into Colette, and for the first time in a while, the blind-eyed young girl removes the red book from her lap, laying it down on the couch at her side, and just leans in to stay resting against Felix's shoulder.
"It's almost like…" She closes her eyes for a moment, "if I close my eyes, nothing's changed…" Colette's voice becomes a little more distant, lighter, airy in quality.
"That isn't so bad."