Participants:
| Scene Title | Oh Hai, Nobody Told You? |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | The Lighthouse Kids haven't been keeping the whole crew up to date — on all fronts! |
| Date | March 29, 2018 |
Lance's Apartment
Joe is laying on the couch reading a book. Joe has gotten pretty good at finding things in the market, and making good trades. Sometimes in exchange for doing work that other people can't without risk of personal injury. Also the babysitting thing. And salvage runs, which he undertakes fairly regularly when he gets a chance. Right now he's laying on the couch reading a book. He's got a headlamp on his head that he got from somewhere and is using that for light to read by. The smell of recently cooked crappy mac'n'cheese, as well as the empty bowl on the floor next to the couch is a sign of food having been prepared, and there's still some in the pot on the stove.
When she comes in from outside, Brynn's got her heavy hoodie on over top of a flannel shirt, her hood pulled up over her dark hair. She shoves the hood back, closing the door behind her, and she's careful to lock it before setting down the go-bag she never goes anywhere without. She nods at Joe in greeting.
After toeing her shoes off, she walks to the couch where he lays and picks up the bowl on the floor to take it to the kitchen. It's not exactly unusual for her to be quiet, and she doesn't seem upset, but the fact that she's not signing is a little off, perhaps. When she comes back in with a different bowl, half full of the macaroni — she left some for Lance too — she sits down on the floor right next to the couch, curling up where although she's not in contact with him, they're sharing space.
Joe is okay with comfortable silences. They weren't uncommon in their childhood. All that running and hiding. If a conversation is going on Joe is a mile a minute. But he can be calm, sort of. He has to be doing something to be calm though. Like reading a book. An engaging book. If it's not terribly engaging then it's gonna lose him quick. He glances up, flashing Brynn a small smile when she comes in. His eyes track her for a moment before he goes back to reading. When she comes to sit down nearby he reaches out a hand and bumps his fist lightly against the back of her shoulder in an affectionate nudge, then goes back to reading, though he keeps an eye on Brynn as well in case she starts sighting. But otherwise, at least for the moment, he's content to continue reading the book. Hands careful not to spread the paperback too far open lest he crease the spine.
She sits that way with him for a time… long enough to eat what's in the bowl and set it down next to her. Then Brynn turns toward him, angling to get his attention. I was watching people today. They're scared. Out in the Market, she means. Their eyes are darting around all the time, no one is stopping to talk very much except to do what they need to do. And they're mad. And sad. So much mad and sad, Joe. She looks… lost. The thing that happened at the park has Lance… messed up. I'm worried for him. And Hailey won't come in the Zone and people are shooting at her. What are we even doing here? It's supposed to be better than it was. If the only definitely of better is that they're not dropping bombs out of airplanes… I don't know if it really is better. We're all still going hungry.
Joe holds up a 'one second' finger as he finishes a paragraph and places his bookmark, putting the book down on his chest so his hands are free to respond, and so he's free to pay attention. Then he looks over, watching Brynn speak, a gentle nod of his head in regards to people being scared. He knows. The wounds aren't scarred over yet. They're not even scabbed over yet. For the people here the state of the city is an every day reminder of what happened here. Of what hatred wrought. And a lot of people see their suffering as the government's fault. And… it is. They're right to be angry. And they're right to be sad. Everyone here has lost loved ones and friends. Coworkers, careers, their homes. They've lost everything.
Joe's features settle into a lopsided frown. When she mentions a thing at the park though his head tips to the side a little, and his brow furrows in confusion. What thing at the park? And yeah I know Hailey is stressing him. She's stressing me too. But short of kidnapping her and dragging her here against her will there's nothing we can do about Hailey. The question of what they're doing there… doesn't get an answer. He lays there, his hands still, features scrunching up, then relaxing, then scrunching up again before his shoulders finally shrug. I don't know what to tell you B. You're right. It shouldn't be like this. He reaches one of his hands out to rest it on her shoulder, fingers curling to give a light squeeze.
He doesn't know about the park? Ffffffuuuuuuudge. There were … people at Yamagato the other day had visions, Brynn signs for him, and she emphasizes the word 'visions' like it should mean something. Caspian and Lance were there… Cas said it was bad with a capital BAD. Epic bad. Like the worst memories you ever lived hit you in the face bad. She bites her lip.
Lance was hurting. He couldn't even shut off, Joey. The petite brunette only uses the diminutive when she's really worried. I don't want anyone messing with Lance! He already hurts too much!
Joe did indeed not know about the park. Lance had not told him. Joe's eyes narrow as Brynn tells Joe about the park. When Lance should have told him about the park. Then his face goes… if not angry… irritated. It's close to anger though. Very close. Very very close. Why would he keep that from me? Why wouldn't he tell me that? Joe's features pinch. He's… hurt actually. That Lance didn't confide in him. His lips press together in a thin line, and he's clearly trying to shake off that emotion, but failing. He pulls in a deep breath, then lets it out in a long exhale, all through the nose, and tips his head, which is really just a wobble of his head since it's on it's side to look over at Brynn.
None of us need to hurt anymore. After everything we've lost. Joe sighs and shifts on the couch, not quite sitting up, but propping his back up against the arm of the couch so he can look at Brynn a little easier, and sign easier. I dont' know what to do for Lance. That vision could have been any of a number of different ones. But for the city at large… the only thing I can think to do is what I already want to do. Find a way to help people.
Probably because he couldn't talk about what he saw, Brynn points out. He couldn't even talk for a while. At all. He did the shut-down thing. Joe has seen it, albeit rarely. When Lance's sound power just puts him into a silence field that no one can break through until he can finally get himself out again. Usually precipitated by nightmares of a few specific instances in their lives.
Part of me wants to go out there and tell Hailey. And part of me wants to go smack her. She's acting like her animals are more important than her brother. Brynn's not disgruntled for herself — Hailey's always been closer to animals than people. I don't know what to do to help except what I've been doing. Which is really almost nothing, honestly. She grimaces just a bit. I don't even think we can help Squeaks that much, even though I'm trying to earn some trust with her. Did you know she's in the sewers all the time? I mean… geez. How many kids got dumped into the sewers in this place? I knew we were lucky, but this is ridiculous.
Of course, she barely remembers New York, really. The safehouses had people, but the sheer number of people in the city of New York she can't quite comprehend. Especially now, after all the time in Canada with so few.
Joe sighs and lifts his hand up to his face, rubbing his hand across his features slowly, letting out a lengthy sigh, not that Brynn can hea rit, but she can see the exhale of breath in the way his chest suddenly goes down. I swear. Sometimes he's even more stubborn than me. Closing off when there are people here for him. Joe's head does tilt in agreement with Brynn's statement. "I think we need to get Aunt Gilly, and go out there and have a come to Jesus meeting."
Joe looks confused again at the mention of helping Squeaks. Squeaks? Who… His hands go still as his features scrunch up. There's a couple blinks and a raised brow before his hands move again. You mean the girl that came to Cass's dinner thing? I didn't know you'd hung out with her. So no… I don't know anything about her beyond seeing her at the dinner. But see… that's what I'm talking about. There are so many kids in need and… you said… wait Squeaks? And she lives in the sewers… does… Joe's eyes close for a few seconds, brow pinching before he opens his eyes and signs slowly. Do you think she could have anything to do with the rats in the sewers? Attacking people and what not?
Brynn blinks. Rats. In the sewer. Are attacking PEOPLE? Do they even do that? I mean…. I know they can be aggressive. She frowns, clearly not having a clue about whatever the hell he's talking about. I don't know. I think she might be like Hailey… but I'm not sure of that. I didn't ask. She's got that dog with her all the time, I think. Why? She frowns. Why would you even think that she'd have something to do with something so horrible? She's like… 12 or something!
Joe gets to look confused again, and he sits up straighter, peering at Brynn. Lance hasn't filled you in on what happened in the sewer? I know you guys hang out a bit more since you're crashing here but… well I figured he'd have filled you in. He and I took a trip into the sewers to try to look into the food disappearances. We ran into the psychic consciousness of a now deceased kid named William DeLuca. He… probably died before the war. Eaten… by rats. In the sewer. And we found the missing food. It had been eaten. By rats. Well we found the missing food containers. We ran into some SESA guys down there and they took care of the scene and what not. But… this poor kid was eaten alive by rats. And he's still alive down there… like psychically. Kind of like a technopath that lost their body. Well some technopaths survive beyond their bodies. And I've heard some dream folks have too.
He frowns a little bit, his features going into thought mode. Going into chalk mode. The rat swarm is too guided. They ate all the food. But they ate it all right there. They didn't drag it off or anything like that. And there's been evidence of shredded things in the market. And William's body was old but that doesn't mean there wasn't another kid down there, with the power to control rats. Maybe instinctively or… something? We've been hovering around the idea of a rat telepath or possessor. Maybe one that was caught outside their body when it died. But… if… I… I think we need to talk to Squeaks…
Whoa. Brynn looks absolutely flabbergasted. Her hands start flying. You guys have been doing WHAT??? Holy crap! I thought Lance said he didn't wanna be the cops! You've been running loose in the sewers and finding bodies?? Oh God. This just gets worse and worse. I usually find her at Cas's place. She said she lives in the underneath. She has lots of books, she was going to take me and show me. I had to meet up with you guys that day, so I couldn't go. But… maybe she can help. It's worth a shot.
Shoving both of her hands through her dark hair, Brynn just shakes her head and sighs heavily. So much for 'normal', she supposes. Not that any of them even have a clue what "normal" is supposed to look like.
I mean… to be fair Brynn. This is actually pretty tame for us. Yah know? We're not running from crazy militant rogue government agencies, or from Humanis First neo nazis. We also don't have people like Peter Petrelli and Gabriel Gray hanging out in our living room. So I mean? Really? This is pretty tame. For us that is. And normal was never in the cards. Not true normal. Not for us. But I know what you mean. A semblance of normal. Yes Lance and I went spelunking. Kind of against the orders of Agent Lin of SESA. And our next expidition will be against the orders of one of the junior SESA agents working with him. But we're not going to sit by, especially now. William spoke to us. He interacted with us. He had a Linderman registration card, and his ghost didn't look much older than his card. That means he died before the war. That means he should have been one of us. He should have been a Lighthouse Kid. He still could be. If he is fully conscious and alive… psychically then… he could still be an LHK. We need to find him. And help him. And we need to talk to Squeaks. At the least she might know something. At the worst… she might be involved.
Brynn sits up straight at the information that the kid should have been one of ours. She frowns visibly. He's just a baby. Of course we're gonna help him, she retorts on a sigh. We just gotta figure out…. if he's really there or just an echo. Squeaks is as good a place to start as any. She looks up at him and smiles slightly. Let's all do a little better about keeping each other in the loop, shall we? I don't like this whole 'oh didn't you hear' crap.