Participants:
| Scene Title | Not The Brothel Basement |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Maya and Abby meet up in a place that is not the brothel on Staten Island. |
| Date | August 23, 2009 |
The Village Renaissance - Safe House apartment.
Sunday evening. No working at the bar, because it's sunday. One thing that has never changed is that she won't do that. Work in the bar on the lords day. Not unless it's an emergency. Needing a break from unpacking, the blonde ran out, spent a hundred bucks on KFC and was leaving treats for the various occupied safe houses.
From Maya's door comes a knocking. Last bucket of 8 pieces, wedge fries and coleslaw in hand, blue sundress and flats. Focus on Ferryman stuff, focus on school, focus on the bar. Forget the bad stuff. forget the bad stuff.
There's a pause, and then Maya comes to the door. Every time she opens it, it's a surprise. There are a lot of people here, and they all seem to be friendly visitors. It's unusual to her, and definitely something to get used to. When she opens the door, the first thing that hits her is the scent of KFC. But within nanoseconds of registering, it's wiped off the map by the sight of the blonde there. It's rare that Maya is caught at a complete lack of words, but this is one such time. She just stands there, staring at Abby as her brain tries to get back on the track.
It's an equally shared expression. She'd not been up to clean this apartment with Delilah or delivered food yet. So when the Latino woman answers the door, there's surprise on the blonde's face at seeing someone she hadn't seen since.. since hell. "Asombrosa" Probably not even the right word.
The sight of the woman dregs up so many bad memories though. Also dregs up the very few good ones and that is Maya bringing her food and good company for a few precious moments those early days. "I .. brought you food" Oh the role reversal. "I need to go. I'm sorry" The KFC is put down then inched forward with the blonde's foot. "I wasn't.. I didn't expect.. they never told me… I need to go. I'm sorry Maya" Yet the woman stays rooted there.
It takes a long moment there, and it isn't till the blonde is talking about going that it finally percolates through the Latina's mind and kicks the train back on the track. "No! Amiga, no. No going anywhere. I…oh, my God. Are you okay? How are you? Do you live here?!" The words come tumbling out in a hurry, and she reaches out to grab Abby by the shoulders, in a simultaneous attempt to ensure that she's real, and to keep her from running off.
"until today. I was mov.. moving out.. with my friend. Just down the street"There's a slight flinch at the touch on her shoulders but she doesn't pull away or run away. "They never said you were here. How.. how did you get here? When did you get here? Oh heavens… when the brothel burnt… You musta have left then. He wasn't there to keep you there…"
Maya looks wide-eyed at Abby. "It's a long story. But yes. I got out when it burned. A woman got me out. I wasn't sure if you made it, amiga. God, I was worried about you! Come in! Please?" She steps back, both practically and symbolically making it possible for Abby to enter.
That someone in that place had worried about her, amazes the blonde. She has no real reason to leave, to not enter. Not when Maya was one of the few that showed kindness instead of cruelty. "Just for a few, I need to get back to unpacking. I just thought I'd be nice in my last meal for this floor" She leans over, blonde hair masking her face as she picks up the KFC bag and takes the few steps in so that Maya can close the door.
"I'm sure you heard… what happened.. in the basement. He sent me to Muldoon and it was there that people I know got me out. Got me out and others" Abigail answers. "But you must be settling in fine here. They found you it seems. Are you enjoying it? Is Delilah getting you everything you need?"
Maya looks back at Abby with a smile, a soft one. "No last meals, Amiga. You don't get to wander off and die or vanish. You're one of the few people I know in this country, and fewer I can call friend." She frowns a bit when Abigail mentions settling in. "At first it was great. Clothes to wear, food to eat, help with papers. But since then, it's like they want to forget about me. They found out…about my curse. I don't know that I'm welcome here anymore. But I don't have anywhere else to go."
"Okay, goodbye meals, not a last meal. Never a last meal" The KFC is relinquished onto a table. 'You were one of very few bright moments in my own personal Hell" The small bucket is plucked up and placed into the fridge, followed soon by the other two items as she frowns. "Yeah, they.. tend to focus. Clothes, food, papers, that's good. I guess you cannot go back to Mexico yes?" She thinks the woman is from Mexico. "You never told me what your curse was Maya. You don't have to though. But, they wouldn't just.. unwelcome you because of it"
Maya smiles a little, wanly. "So were you, Amiga. It was one of the few times that…that pinchero wasn't manipulating me." Her voice is angry…there's real fire there. Real hate, too. She closes the door and locks it; automatic response, and then walks out after Abby. "There's a woman. She knows what I do. She wants them to turn me over to the police, I think. And no…I cannot go home. Home is the Dominican Republic, though." She'll give that much.
"Well…" Well.. "They didn't say you have to stay here did they?" Abigail looks over at the other woman, coming out of the kitchen after putting the bag in the garbage can. Against the wall she leans, one foot planted on the ground, the other bent in front of her, toes on the ground. "Now why on earth would someone here, want to turn you over to the police? I've never heard of anyone of them ever doing that before."
There's a shake of her head. "No. They didn't lock me in here. But I don't know anyone here, my brother is still missing, and until recently, I didn't have papers." Maya walks to the kitchen. "Coffee? And…like I said, the woman knows what I can do. She…I…" Maya stumbles for words. "I'm dangerous, Amiga. My curse, it's dangerous to the people around me."
"If you have some ready, if you don't I'll just take some water. I don't so much need the caffeine anymore" She trails along behind the Dominican, frowning. "Okay, I'll bite. How bad? Bad enough that you can't work in bar?"
Maya has some prepared, it seems. She pours a mug. "How do you take it?" It's been a long time, and she was effectively drugged then; if she ever knew, she's forgotten. There's a long pause after Abby's questions, and when she finally answers, it's in a quiet voice. "I'm worried if I tell you, you'll think I'm a monster."
"I've seen Monsters Maya. We were both held by one. Black please, I take it just as it is" She's settling in for a story, or at least something that should be shocking. "You grow fangs and drink blood, don't you" Her rear contacts the seat and she crosses her ankles. "Or worse, you grow bat wings and fly off into the night"
The coffee is handed over, and Maya comes back to sit with Abby. "Don't tease, Amiga. It's serious." She takes none for herself; she's already jumpy. "God put the power of an angel in you. He put the power of the devil in me. You heal others. I kill them." She steels herself; tight emotional control. "When I become upset…the blackness emerges. And everyone around me dies."
that.. that is a little different. That.. could pose an issue. "Well. Okay. Yeah." She'll concede. "Not a monster just.." She could see why Maya was at the brothel with Logan. "You've been doing good here. So far, I haven't died and i'm a floor down!" Abigail of the silver lining. "They have a negator that they know, they haven't brought him in to stick around or.. have you asked them about drugs for suppression. They might have access to them. They seem to have access to a great many things through the ferryman" Abigail offers up. "Suppression drugs will do like Logan did, and you'll.. You can go about working"
Maya replies "They've given them to me. But they do not have many more." She says, tense. "Time is running out, Amiga. And I don't know what to do. The pinchero…his talent was useful, to keep my curse at bay. But the price was too high."
That, presents an issue. Suppression drugs had run out and Logan was not an option. "Meditation sounds like a pretty good idea right about now, and learning to stay calm. Do you not go outside because you are afraid that you might hurt someone?"
Maya replies "Part of it. I don't want to be responsible for anyone else dying. Too many, too many by far already at my hands. Here, in a city with so many…it would be like the bomb all over again. I came here to try to find this Doctor Suresh. To find a cure. But the people here, they tell me they will help me find him. Help me find my brother. But I think they have forgotten about me, and my brother." There's stress in her voice.
Well now, there's a lightbulb over Abigail's head. "Mohinder Suresh? A Indian man? Glasses?"
A confused look. "Almost. Indian man, yes. Glasses. But his name is Chandra Suresh. Doctor Chandra Suresh. He wrote a book, about the Evolved. He seemed to know so much. I was…AM, hoping he knows how to cure me; to remove this curse."
Chandra Suresh. "I think.. that Mohinder Suresh's father…" Abigail frowns slightly. She fishes her wallet out and starts to got through the business cards all shoved in the back.
flip
flip
flip
flip
Finally, what she was looking for. Dr. Mohinder Suresh. The white card is slid across the table towards Maya.
Maya's eyes widen, and she takes the card. She looks over it, dark eyes playing over the writing. There's almost a little tremble to her hand. "You know him? You can get me to him? Do you think he can help me?" Urgency rides in her voice as she looks back to the blonde to be her bearer of salvation.
"I've met him… twice.. twice, but that was way back at Christmas truth be told Maya" Abigail offers up. "He wanted to take some blood and ask me a bunch of question about how my gift did what it did" Could she help Maya get to her. "I can call him up, see if a moment or two could be spared for you, so you can talk to him" Abigail offers. "No promises that he'll come, I'm sure he's a very busy man. He's very kind though, patched me up after someone tried to take a run at me"
The Latina nods, and smiles. She leans in to give Abby a hug, if allowed. "Gracias, Abigail." She smiles gratefully. "Still making a career of being an angel. You have given me hope when it was sliding away from me. Thank you."
It's a bit of a stiff hug, but the blonde takes it with grace. "Not trying to be, just trying to do gods work in a different way. If that means helping out, instead of healing, then I do so. No promises though, truly, that he'll have time. Maybe, if that doesn't work out we can see if there's someone from the Suresh Center that just opened, that can help?"
The Latina frowns. "Something is troubling you…I hope you will let me help you, like you helped me. but I won't press, Abby. May I have your number to keep a hold of you? I do not know how much longer I'll be here."
"Nothings troubling me Maya." She can only guess it's from the hug that the woman thinks this. "Just, getting used to making an effort to let people touch me, or touch them. That's all" But she's digging out a notebook from her bag so she can scribble down the numbers. "This ones for the baaaar", and a second number. "This ones my cell phone and when I have the line for upstairs above the bar in and switched, i'll leave it as well"
It is, most likely. "All right, amiga. If I find a new place to live or work, I'll call you to let you know. Don't be a stranger, all right?"
"I promise, I'll do my best not to. I'm a busy woman and the like, but.. if you need help, you call as well" She grins at the other woman before she leans forward. "Asombroso? Brosa? What does that mean?"
Maya smiles wryly. "It means amazing, amiga. Which is what you are. Don't sell yourself short, all right?"
"Never Maya. I should go, I have things to do and I'll see about.. getting that phone call for you" Abigail grins, getting to her feet and making sure she has her purse in hand. "You take care, and god bless okay?"
Maya smiles. "All right. I will call you about the kitchen job. And thank you." She looks back to Abby. "Be well." She stands, and moves to walk to the door with her. "Let me know when you get to your new home, and we'll house warm it."
"I will" Abby assures her before quietly stepping out. That had been her last delivery anyways on this floor. "Take care" Thrown over her shoulder as she heads towards the elevator.