Participants:
| Scene Title | Miracles, Massage and Make-overs |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Three women meet in a coffee-shop. Miracles are worked, and morality and make-overs discussed. |
| Date | November 12, 2008 |
Erica's Coffee Shop, St. Albans, Queens
"Erica's" is a friendly-looking little coffee shop located in the Saint Alban's district of Queens. Inside, a woman in her early thirties stands behind a glass display of baked goods. Above her, words painted on signs list the selection of coffee, tea, and food, and words written in pastel colors on a black board announce the specials of the day.
At present, the place is quite quiet, unobtrusive classical music playing in the background while the one staff-member visible on duty carefully cuts a fruit cake into neat slices. To one side, a trio of high school kids bend their heads over an array of textbooks and sheets of paper, with plates of part-eaten pastries close to hand to fuel their efforts. On the opposite side of the room a rather older customer sits alone at a table, face pinched in discomfort as she nurses a steaming mug and reads a magazine, shoulders slightly hunched inside the reinforced leather of her flag-painted biker's jacket.
Jezebel walks right in, sniffing the air and smiling. Her black leather biker jacket has the Harley-Davidson logo on the back. She goes up to the counter and begins to discuss today's specials and various coffees with the nice people at the glass counter.
The woman behind the counter is quite happy to describe the merits of the various offerings, though she seems to have particular enthusiasm for some of the baked goods on offer. Lacking other customers demanding her attention, she's perfectly content to chat amiably about the comparative delights of mocha against latte, or a fruit loaf compared to a chocolate gateau.
Abby's in, minute later. Papers in folder, dressed for passing out resume's. She's going off the island in the vain hopes that there might be something, and it nowhere near her usual haunts that she had made up. So it is, that Abby comes to stand idly behind Jezebel, patiently waiting turn to inquire about applications and get some much needed caffine into her system. Midnight romps and such.
Jezebel is definitely the chocolate gateau sort, and says so. "Tell you what," she says, "I'll have today's special, a large coffee with two shots of amaretto syrup and one shot of espresso and could you do me a favor? Would you please make up a small of the most outrageously chocolate mocha you can and send it to the lady with the magaazine, on me?"
Ygraine lifts her head in response to the new degree of activity, gaze lingering on the unexpected sight of a second biker's jacket in Erica's. She fails to overhear the order, however - though the woman glances over towards her, then smiles and nods to Jezebel. "Certainly! That'll be, ummmm…." She eyes the price list for a moment, before resuming the task of preparing the order, clearly adding up in her head as she goes. "Sorry - I'm not often out here behind the counter…"
Abby glances at the little cards that list the prices of things and the boards above their heads that lists the drinks from behind Jezebel. "18.68, give or take the taxes" Habit. She gives a half hearted tired grin. "May be off by a few cents"
Jezebel rummages in her black fanny pack. She hands over a twenty and says, "Change goes to the barista jar. Am I taking my order to the table?" Abby's voice kick-starts her memory. She turns around and adds, "Oh, hi!"
Abby's provision of the answer and Jezebel's disregard for the change merits a doubly grateful look and smile. "Sure. There's yours, and… that's the the mocha. Do you want to take it across to your friend?"
Jezebel smiles at the nice person behind the counter. "I can, but I'll have to make two trips. If you'll hold my order for a second?" Jezebel really doesn't give anyone a choice about that; she scoops up the mocha and takes it to Ygraine's table, very quietly setting it down.
"I didn't think i'd run into anyone here… Nice to see you again" Abby recognizes the bike woman and takes a step back so she can deliver the drink to her friend. If Jezebel was out here… would that mean… no. She's far enough out. Besides, she had other things she could do as well. So abby continues to wait though glances to the destination of the Mocha.
Ygraine is more than a touch surprised to see the biker turn waitress, offering her a warm but somewhat puzzled smile. "Hi. Ahh… thanks. I didn't order this, you know", she says uncertainly, voice carrying the distinctive tones of an educated Briton.
At the counter, the woman there flashes a smile at Abby while she finishes sorting out Jezebel's order. "And what can I get for you, dear?"
Abby's attention diverts back to the employee. "Uhh, i'll take the strongest coffee you have and the biggest size, and are you hiring?" stand a liiiitle straighter, shoulders back, flash a friendly smile.
Jezebel calls over her shoulder to Abby, "It's nice to see you, too." After a pause to find a way to express concern which won't be an insult, she asks Abby, "Want to sit down for a bit with me while I eat lunch?" Then she tells Ygraine, "I know. It's a random act of kindness. I need all the good karma I can get."
Ygraine laughs softly, ducking her head to Jezebel. "Thank you. And… I hope you're not a wanted criminal, or something. This place has already had its share of excitement this year. But the cakes are definitely worth coming back for…"
At the counter, the woman laughs. "Me? No. But I'm the baker. Erica's not able to be here today, and I'm filling in for her. And you've already proved you're better at part of this job than I am. If you have a resume, or contact details, I can take them for you, and make sure she sees them. Or you might catch her in time for the evening rush - she said she's try to be back by then, to save me…." The cake gets set up on the counter for Jezebel, before an extra-large coffee is prepared.
"Just takes time. You also probably used to adding up measurements, not money" A resume is produced, passed over. Just a phone number, no address. "I have things to do, can't stay for the evening rush but, she can reach me there" Looks like abby got a phone finally. She produces the money for the coffee and with her free hand, gathers the rest of the stuff to bring over to Jezebel, thereby answering her earlier request. There's a genuine warm smile offered to Ygraine.
Jezebel smiles at Ygraine. "No, no, I'm mostly harmless. Unless you want me to invade your table, I think I'd better leave you to the mocha."
Ygraine laughs and shakes her head. "In return for bribery, I think I can put up with company… and it looks as if your friend's joining us with cake, so I'd best make more room." She flips shut the magazine - revealing it to be about road bicycling, to judge from the picture on the front, and in French - and flashes a smile at the new arrival, rather stiffly shifting position to settle back in her chair.
Back at the counter, the woman carefully tucks the resume in beside the till, where it should be both safe and hard to forget about, then returns to her cake-slicing duties.
Abby's leaning in, whispering something to Jezebel and handing over the cake. That done, Abby shakes her head. 'It's okay. I just came to drop off a resume, get some caffine" She offers her hand though to the other woman, sans glove. "Abigail Beauchamp"
Jezebel collects the cake. "Thanks, Abby. I'll go grab the rest of my lunch. Sure you don't want to take a break?" She whispers something to Abby on the way to the counter.
Ygraine waves an invitation to Abby to take a seat, flashing her another smile. "Ygraine FitzRoy", she says, accepting the offered hand - albeit rather awkwardly, wincing slightly as she shakes. "A pleasure to meet you. And if you _can_ get a job here, I'd say it was worth it. I don't know what she's like as a boss, but Erica's always seemed very nice, speaking as a customer."
Back at the counter, the woman turns her attention away from the shop for a few moments, receiving the rest of Jez's order, handed through the hatch from the kitchen. About to start off towards the table, she instead sees the young woman coming to meet her - and offers another grateful smile. "There you go. Cutlery's just there, at the end of the counter. Enjoy your lunch!"
"I could use a break Jezebel. Been walking all morning and didn't get much sleep" You know, toppling into graveyards and all. Abby breaks off the contact with her ahnd very reluctantly, taking a seat opposite Ygraine and popping off the top of her coffee. Her lips moue as she blows across the surface to cool it down. "You look like your having a rough day, if you don't mind my saying" Concern filling the young womans eyes.
Jezebel scoops up everything up, including the cutlery. "Thanks!" After she gets it all to the table, she tries to decide where she should sit. "Oh, sorry, I'm Jezebel Kemp-William, Jez for short. You look like you've been getting exercise, Abby." Jezebel sounds merry, not concerned. Concern might be a shooting offense in New York City.
Ygraine offers Abby a rather odd, quizzical look, slowly withdrawing her own hand from the shake. Jez's return restores her brain to rather fuller functioning, letting her offer her fellow biker a grin. "Hi. Nice to meet both of you. And… well. I'm a bit sore. Was under the knife yesterday. But it's wholly my own fault. Well, my own and my SO's to be fair." Her expression turns rather sheepish.
"A lot of walking around, and putting resume's in. City bus and my own two feet. Trying to find a new job and hopefully, a new place to live. Had to leave my old place, not that you know, it was so fabulous and all that. What about you?" Concern flashes through Abby's blue eyes again. "I'm sorry to hear that. That your up and around after the operation though, must be a good thing. I'm sure you'll be better in no time" spoken like a woman who has complete faith about that particular fact.
Jezebel finally sits down and begins to attack her lunch. "I'm sorry to hear that, Abby. Do you need a place to stay? Ygraine, do I want to know what, precisely, made you get stitches?"
Ygraine offers another sheepish cough. "Compared to hunting for a job and a new place, my self-inflicted difficulties certainly don't count for much, however uncomfortable they are. And, ahh… well." Her cheeks colour a bit. "Cosmetic surgery. Start of a 'new me'. And the fact that Jennifer prefers curvier women made me decide to go for it. Draw a line under my old life, so to speak."
Choke on coffee, choke on coffee. "You… got.. you know…" Abby looks down at Ygraine's chest, unabashadly while she covers her mouth and coughs. For once her southern manners fail her. "Your chest" The last is whispered across the table like it's a bad bad word. Jezebel's inquiry is forgotten for the moment.
Jezebel raises her eyebrows. "I suppose that only Billy Joel and grandmothers love you just the way you are. Ouch. I hope you shopped around for really safe implants."
Ygraine laughs guiltily, and nods, blush deepening rapidly. "Yeah. I… I was a professional, or semi-professional athlete for years. Great muscle tone, with all due modesty, but… not exactly the most feminine of curves. I've had to give up on the racing, and… well." She shrugs - then winces. "Ow."
"Here, give me your hand. My mother used to do this to me, when I was little. Helped with all my aches. Was surprising cause, you know, it's just a hand, but, yeah" Abby offers up her hand again. "Do you know of someone who wants a roomate Jez? I got money, just, hard to find anything real quick and on short notice. Can afford to kick in a decent share" The blonde is switching her gaze back and forth between the two.
Jezebel says, "Hmm. I think I can manage something, but it'll probably be short term, not long term. I have to ask the owner of the house."
Ygraine hesitates only momentarily, before extending her hand to Abby, expression adding curiosity to some concern. "Make me feel better, and I'll gladly enough ask Jen if she'd mind you using our spare room for a while", she says with a laugh, clearly not expecting it to be possible.
'A challenge, I like this" Healing a boob job! Fabulous Abby. SHe can just envision the prayer tonight. dear god. Thank you for healing the womans cosmetic surgery injuries. I am throughly grateful that she will get to show them off to her boyfriend sooner than expected and that they shall srvice such great… pleasure…. from them. There's a soft laugh. But then… He does just plop the injured down in her lap, who is she to complain about the nature of their injuries. "Different points on the hand link t different parts of the body!" Abby's taking ygraines hand carefully, gently, minimual movements as she starts to massage and rub the womans palms. "No offense, your a stranger to me, and I know Jezebel better. It would be short term Jez. Maybe a few weeks, whenever the next paycheck comes in and I can scrounge first and last" Not a word spoken that currently she has a place to stay.
Jezebel nods to Abby between bites of food. "Then I'll ask. Mind, the owner will probably ask me to put you to work around the place. It's a bit of a fixer-upper."
Ygraine quirks another smile. "Sounds like you've got that sorted out - and no offence taken. _I'd_ find the thought of moving in with myself and Jennifer to be rather daunting, I admit."
"I wouldn't expect anythign else but to pitch in and do my share Jez. I'm pretty handy round the house" Abby's talking, outwardly present and accounted for, inwardy, she's running through a list of the standard rote of prayers, working at sending tendril sof healing through her hands into Ygraine. THe warmth more subtle, and tingling is written off possibly as the massage of the hand. "Jennifer's a nice name. Whats the name of your boyfriend" a gesture with her chin to the girl's bulky chest.
Jezebel nods at Abby. "I'll ask, then. The owner of the house is strict about things."
"Oooh. You're rather good at that", says a somewhat distracted Ygraine, taking a few moments thereafter to properly register Abby's question. "Boyf-…? Ah. Ummmm." Her blush deepens. "When I said Jennifer liked…? Ummm. I'm afraid that I fell for a rather gifted, kind-hearted, and wonderful young actress - not actor. Jennifer's my SO." She shoots a distinctly worried look at Abby, apparently more concerned about her response than that of the leather-wearing Jez.
"Oh!" Well, isn't that a nice shade of scarlet sweeping across the southerners cheeks. "I wasn't paying attention" a pause. "And she's still luky that you'd do such for her" Really, who's she to judge about a person. Abby keeps up her minstrations and looks to jezebel. "What about you, any significant other?"
Jezebel shakes her head. "Nothing ever works. I think I need a young clone of Billy Joel. I did meet someone who might be my half-sister, but that's different."
Clearly relieved that Abby's not responded with more than embarassment, Ygraine offers her a grateful look, then latches onto the new topic of conversation. "Might be…? Wow. I hope you get on with them. That sounds really impressive. Were you looking for them?"
"Jexebel! That's great!" One last swipe of her fingers across ygraines ahnd and she gently puts it down. "You'll be fine, just wait and see. I bet you won't even need your pills" Whether that's believeable or not is a different question but abby is certain. The drain on her is minimal and she returns to her coffee to nurse the caffine. "It sounds like your in for a whole new change, for the better!"
Jezebel replies, jade green eyes shining brightly, "I hope so. I came up here to find out if my biological father isn't who I thought he was, if that makes sense. Eve, my maybe half-sister, is really happy about it. We're not sure of the relationship because her father has been missing since The Bomb. I'd go get our DNA matched, but I'm not sure what degree of homology to look for."
Ygraine settles back in her seat, expression slightly dazed, and mildly blissful. "Wow. And… that really does sound great. Dunno if a public library'll have it, but… even if it's not on the 'net, university libraries should do. If you can find a student to take a wonder into the relevant section for you, specialist texts should lay out very clearly _exactly_ what you should look for to prove beyond reasonable doubt that you have a parent in common."
'Eve?" Abby's got a proud look on her face in relation to ygraines. There, it's been used today and for the better. "Sister i'm sure, would be great. I hope it all turns out for the better for you. That you find out for sure" Abby's hands slide around her cup, cradling, cosseting. There's the usual few lines around her eyes after she's exherted herself in the fashion that she did.
Jezebel beams. "I hope so, too. My guess is that we'd match twelve-point-five percent. What I don't know is if that's significant at all. Eve swears I look a lot like her father, but I look enough like my parents that no one ever said a thing while I was growing up."
Ygraine opens her mouth to reply, then sighs - delving into a side pocket of her jacket to withdraw a vibrating cell. She peers dubiously at the number. "Sorry… I'd best take this." She claims another mouthful of her drink, then rises and - moving markedly more freely than a short time before - slips out the door to hold her conversation on the pavement, where it shouldn't disturb the other patrons of Erica's business.
Ygraine moves off and Abby turns to Jezebel. Her tone is low, converastional. "She'll be fine. I feel … bad, doing it, but, she'll be fine. healing a … boob job" It's plain to see, that abby's never done that sort of thing. "Won't heal someone who's back is screwed, but i'll heal someones boob job. Is this the .. eve that we both know or someone else?"
Jezebel speaks quietly. "Her name is Eve Mas. She sings at a nightclub named Rapture. Do you know her? Why didn't you want to heal the screwed-up back?"
"Been to rapture, but, dont' know if eve works there… " Abby brushes that tangent off. "Long story. Same reason i'm now out of a job and had to abandon my apartment. Remember Trent. The guy who I helped in chinatown? The girl with him, she got his name from me. She came to where I work, and started asking after me, wanting me to help her. In front of strangers. She left a business card with Helena after Helena told her that she was told to stay away" Abby takes a long pull of her coffee.
Jezebel nods, listening quietly. "I remember him. God, what a dingbat. I take it she didn't stay away?"
"No. I got the card, did some checking. Even Trent came and apologized and thanked me and gave his opinion. He's an officer, with the anti-evolved task force. He got injured while trying to take down a serial killer. He's alive, he'll be alive, he's just, hurt his back and can't work like he did. I couldn't.. take the chance and other people said not to. People i trust. So I didn't. And I couldn't just give her a note that said "no, i'm sorry, I won't heal your father"
Jezebel murmurs, "Uh-oh."
"Yes" Abby looks grim faced now. "Trent told me where to find her, I was starting to change my mind but then, in the middle of a sea of people in a basement of a church.. she starts talking about it. Again. SO i told her no" Abby shakes her head. "She threatend me, said heal him or she'd turn me in" She looks over to Jezebel. "And you can guess what I did next"
Jezebel nods, also grim. "What a self-centered little… brat," she hisses. "I'm surprised you haven't had a makeover yet. If you want my opinion, you saved her father from wrestling with two very nasty questions."
'How did he get healthy so fast and who did it. If she ahd my gift, she would be healing eeeveryone" Abby shakes her head. "Somedays, the gift from god, is a test and a burden, but one he placed on me. I feel for him, that I couldn't help him, but at the same time, her actions have cost me my job and I had to abandon my apartment. As for makeover, I can't dye my hair by myself and I have other things at the moment. Staying with the others but i'm hoping to find something soon and get out. I like my independence, or at least, the solitude. She's.. screwed things up for me though"
Jezebel nods. "Well, those too, but I was thinking of 'do I want to be healed like that?' and 'what should I betray, my healer or my oath to enforce the law?' If it helps, I don't remember Jesus healing the Pharisees. I'll agree your life is shot to Hell. Have you considered going to a Supercuts somewhere, maybe even in Jersey and paying in cash?"
"That's all i'm paying in right now. Got Tom to give me the cash from my last paycheck. Anything else was to be sent to my parents. I just haven't had the time. She's, she's young, and impulsive and she see's an opportunity for him to be healed, to be whole, but Jez, what if sometimes, that's how your supposed to be, not whole. Then he misses out on the lesson that is to come from that. It's not like tretn where he was dying. Few more seconds and… his life is gone, but god saved him, with helena and I shopping and being there. He placed him before me. Same as ygraine, was here, in this coffee shop, when I came in. I could have gone the whole of the way, but I didn't. But she won't need pills at least. The rest of the healing is up to her" Abby sips again from her coffee. "I called her greedy. That she should pray to god for a miracle, but that I wasn't it" Abby looks out the window. 'I never said no before. I always healed"
Jezebel nods. "But would her father have even consented to being healed? It's rather likely he wouldn't. I think you're facing what Catholics called 'the more perfect choice'. I'm not blaming you for not working a miracle for a brat who's threatening your life. I don't think God is, either. All we know about Jesus' healing ministry was that He took polite requests. There's no record of Him healing someone who demanded help and threatened His life."
"Bo, there's not it's just.. the man is hurt. and I could help. But.. she… " Abby shakes her head then smiles. "There a first time for everything. Maybe, this happening, with everything going as it has… Maybe it's god pointing me in another direction too. Put her before me to alter my path to something else. I've been thinking about school, maybe something that I could use his gift to help with. I don't have the education for nursing but, massage maybe. Might need to change my name, and get my hair done differently but.. maybe it's time to better myself too?"
Jezebel agrees, "It never hurts to do that, or to find a way to better use the gifts God gives us. Besides, maybe this was God's way of telling the brat that the universe doesn't revolve around her."
'Maybe. I'm so… i'm so upset with her. To the point I almost want something to befall her. But that's not friendly thinking, and not appropriate, so I have to bury it deep down in. I hate her Jez. because of her… I had to change everything. Oh well. Pointless to dwell on things that we cannot change, but instead to dwell on what that change brings and how to best it.
Jezebel nods. "I wouldn't bury that feeling. It might explode some day. Neither would I go hurling curses at the brat. Find a way to get it out of your system, maybe fifteen minutes of jumping up and down and shouting. Then move forward, before this destroys you from the inside out, Abby."
"Or really hard prayer come sunday, or hit an extra service" Abby doesn't seem like the jump up and down and scream it all out. "It'll happen, something will. I have faith in that. How's grace?" Changing subjects. The coffe is nearly done, prompting a frown from abby at the state of her caffine. "Where's this place, you think I might be able to rent a room from short term?"
Jezebel replies, "It's the place I was talking to Grace about, out on the island. I haven't spoken with her recently, but I'm sure she's fine. It's meant to be short term, which is why I want to check before you move in."
"No problem. I'm at the other place, until I can find some place that will take cash and not need references" Abby laughs. "I never thought I could get more paranoid. Thank you Jez, for anything and everything" She looks up at the clock. 'and I should grab another one of these and head out to try and catch a bus back"
"Sure you don't want a bite of the cake before I devour it all? I suppose I should either get back to learning my way around, or back to the house," Jezebel says.
"Nope. it looks good, but i'll leave it for you to devour" Abby grins. "For now, I have a bus to catch and then more places to paper. When she comes back, if she comes back, tell her I said goodbye?"
Jezebel nods. "I will. Take care, Abby."
 November 12th: How to Sneak into Carnegie Hall |
 November 12th: School Sucks |