Perception Is Relative

Participants:

abby5_icon.gif helena_icon.gif

Scene Title Perception Is Relative
Synopsis Abigail meets up with Helena to deliver christmas presents to the blonde terrorist leader/revolutionary and gets a run down on what's been happening at home. As with the title, perceptions are everything.
Date January 1, 2010

Chinatown - Restaurant


There is a life outside romping around in nightmares doing the bidding of oneiromancers or getting chased/beat up by various villains in ones life because of a wounded psyche. So when words gets around that Abigail and teo are back from oversea's but the rest of the people who were either directed to Russia or kidnapped aren't, then it's sure to stir up a meeting.

If only just to pass over Russian goodies from Ryazan as souvenir's.

A restaurant in Chinatown is the location due to it's proximity to greenwich and Abby's schedule post New years. The bar is closed giving the employee's a day off but she wanted chinese food and not to be up in the apartment thumping around. CO-ordination on cellphones means that Abby's parked in a booth, plastered foot up on the pleather covered seats opposite her and studying the menu. A pot of tea and the smooth cups laid out while the leave steep and infuse their taste into the hot water.

It's a bit of a cease in caring, that Helena shows up as her normal blonde self. Of course, she's got one of those knit caps on that hides her scalp and makes her seem unobtrusive, but Helena's not had a lot of time these days. On the phone, Helena was hesitant about seeing Teo, but was happy from the start to hear Abigail's voice. She agreed to meet forthwith, and she hasn't been waiting too long when the leader of Phoenix arrives. "Hey." she offers, hesitating for a moment to see if there's going to be hugs - she lets Abby initiate that sort of thing if she wants - before she'll slip into the booth.

With careful maneuvering, Abigail does get up so that she can wrap her arms around the blonde and squeeze her tight. "Lord in heaven you are too skinny Helena. What on earth have you been eating. If my Momma was here she'd be stuffing your mouth fulla food, sit sit.
Please. I haven't ordered yet, was waiting till you got here" There's a wide grin from Abby of the now brown hair. "I have presents for you! I hope you don't turn your nose up at fur"

Helena smiles at that, "Yeah, skin and bones, but you could use some stuffing yourself. What did you eat in Russia, that funny borscht soup stuff?" she teases back. She says, "I want to hear more about it and - oh, your hair! Rejoin the ranks of the blondes, Abby." she mock-begs and adds, "I don't turn my nose up at kindly meant gifts."

"Frankly, only so much that I can tell you, but i'm sure Cat will let loose once she's back from wherever Uncle Sam's done taken her and Liz." back down comfortable she gets, Crutches stowed under the table and out of the way. "Ugh, you wouldn't believe what they eat over there. Some of it good, some of it, well, I managed to find a turkey for thanksgiving at least and I was home for Christmas. I am never going back to Russia though. It's not for me. Not in the least"

She digs up a tote bag, filled with things. Stacking dolls with real gold, embroidered shirts, a fur hat with ear flaps, blown glass, if it's Russian it's in there. Postcards even. "I'll rejoin them, maybe. I had pink hair going over there but after one ambush, it was a box of l'oreal. Raquelle touched it up to hide my roots now, but I have to visit a friend to get it back to blonde or it's just gonna keep growing in pink"

Helena's eyes widen. "How did you manage to get it to grow in pink?" She accepts the fact that she can't be told much with aplomb. "There's some crazy stuff happening here. Do you know Hokuto Ichihara? She owns a metaphysical store on Roosevelt and I think you do know her, come to think of it."

"It's called knowing someone who can alter colors, that's how. You think I actually got real tattoo's Hel? I'm a baby, I wouldn'ta sat through those wings. Though, though those wings are a result of her being drunk, but she was having a really bad day in her defense. Half the time it's her changing my hair color or someone from church" Hokouto's name though, there's a nod.

"Yeah, Someone said she was in a bad way right now. I stopped by the store, bookstore mind you, but they said she was taking time off. She used to put me up when Curfew went back to nine, at that one point. What's up?"

"She probably could be better." Helena admits. "But right now she's focused on the dream world, and the - " she starts to say his name, stops, but then continues, "The Nightmare Man. He's been invading people's dreams, all over the place. He got to me. He got to Delilah. Hokuto's trying to fight him. Well, she's recruiting people to fight him."

Talk about a visible tug on someones interest. Abigail focuses on Helena, blonde brows furrowing. "What do you mean… nightmare man?:"

"That's what he's called." Helena shrugs a little. "He's an evolved who gets insides people's heads, in their dreams, and then he can manipulate them. Make them see all the dark ugly things about themselves. I almost ended up sleepwalking myself right over the side of a building." Despite the shrug, she's pretty serious. Angela Petrelli fought him off once, but she was about as helpful as a bikini in a snowstorm."

'Give me that over a nuclear bomb anytime" Or Ethan beating her to a pulp. Abigail frowns at the news though, mind chugging over her own strange nightmare she had the other day. "Anything being done about this man?" SHe looks like she might ask something else but the

Helena waits to give her order, and for Abby to give hers, before the waitress goes on her way. "There's a way to get him to back down, but defeating him outright would require some pretty grim circumstances." Helena admits. "But there's a way - see, according to Hokuto, our minds have a Shadow - that's the dark side, and a…I guess you could call it an avatar? Like in the Harry Potter books, like a patronus. They're all the best parts of us. Hokuto's arranged it so me - and others, I think - can do a bunch of dream jumping and try to help people fight him off."

"Hokuto's gone jumping through my head before. She taught me how to control my own dreams and get away from.. things I don't deserve to endure. After Staten Island. She was a godsend really. Hel" More brow furrowing and thoughts.

She leans forward as much as she can, order since placed and tea now being poured by the former healer. "Does Teo know about this? About the nightmare man? He does a thing with dreams, I found out, in Russia. He was keeping an eye on all our dreams. Is wear they sent everyone with Post Traumatic stress out to Russia instead of Madagascar and Argentina"
"If he does, it isn't because I told him." Helena confesses. "We haven't spoken in some time. The last things we said to each other…" Helena grimaces. "They were ugly. We were both so angry."

Really? Abby hadn't known, and she's not about to pry into what words were spoken. "Hel.. maybe you should be the bigger woman and talk to him then? Because he's.. his ability plays into that. Into dreams and the like. He knows about Hokuto and he was asking me for an introduction. IF things sound as dire as you're making them out to be, then… you're going to need all the experienced help that you can conjur? I know he's been helping liz while we were out there and he's been keeping an eye over me when we came back for a bit. He just missed the bucket on one dream is all"

Abigail's shoulders rise in a small shrug, pushing the cup over towards Helena, filled to the brim with fragarent tea. "He only missed out on the dream with Decakrd and.. Logan of all people. Logan on a stupid unicorn and a sword, keeping Deckard from disembowling me…"Her hands tighten around her own cup, fingertips going white. "Who else did Hokuto… enlist to help Hel?"

Helena peers. "That's…weird." she says, with regard to that dream. "I know she's enlisted a friend of hers, Corbin. Oh, and get this. They both were Company. Well, I think Corbin still is. I kind of hate that I'm working with him, except he's actually a nice guy. Keeps his word. Hasn't pressed me for any info about things, or tried anything behind my back. I think there are others but I won't know who." She shrugs. "I'll talk to him, if you want. I don't think he considers me worth listening to anymore."

"You'd be surprised Helena, what changes a person. WHat harm can it be really? You're gift doesn't lay in dreams, his does" And strange people have put things to the side in light of travesties and horrors to join forces. "She worked for the company?" Somehow, that surprises Abby but no distaste shows on her face. She had a few people she knew were company and one that Helena didn't know about but in a way did know. "If the others hwo went off don't manage to do what they are supposed to, then… well, maybe we won't need to worry so much about him hmm?"

She lets go of her teacup, turning it this way and that before letting out a deep breath through her nose. "On the upside, if they succeed maybe…" THere's a hopeful look on her face. "Apparently Cat's reward for helping, if they survive is a pardon. One that extends to other people in Phoenix. Or so Sarisa Kershner said" She can give Helena that small modicum of hope.

"Oh," Helena says, smiling, but wary, "I doubt that it extends to me." She's too cynical to believe it would. "I'll talk to Teo if you want me to. I mean, I'll try. I miss him, but I apparently keep failing as a person as far as he's concerned."

'Helena, the man went to Russia and went up against one of Kazimir's old friends. A friend who heals but not in a fashion that I or Flint do. I dunno what on earth caused the injury in the first place, but he's walking around sporting a.. what do theyc all it.." Abigail frowns, trying to remember the term that was bantied about.

'A half Glasgow. Lord, he's done grown a beard so that no one can see it and he's a vain little bugger, our Teo is. He needs friend because leo's done taken off as well and he's deigned to stay with me because I asked him to. So before you keep insisiting that he thinks you fail as a person ms head of phoneix" Abigail quietly murmurs "Maybe you better go see if a stint in the land of the red square and the mess of scars that that … that.. doctor left his face as might have changed his mind hmm? I knwo if it was you, you'd still want friends to know that no one cared whether they could see your back teeth and tongue"

"I said I'd talk to him, didn't I?" Helena tenses. "You don't have to lecture me, Abby. I didn't know he'd gotten hurt. I haven't heard from anyone on the missions, I assumed you're all prevented from doing so. I'll speak to him. I said I would."

"Helena dean, I wasn't lecturing you. I was letting you know, so you weren't shocked when you saw him" Abigail looks away, down to her tea again.

"Hope your holidays besides the whoel dream thing's been pleasant at least"

"It was alright." Helena seems ill-inclined to talk about it too much. "I can find a way to contact Leo, get him back, if you think it would help."

"No. Leo's gone on walk about. That's what he called it. He'll come back when it's time for him to come back. Him and Teo will come to their own rights again at some point. Why don't we…" The waitress is abck, plates in arm and abigail looks grateful. "Why don't we eat and you can open all your presents and make a wishlist for other things for folks to bring back for you hmm?"

"Am I really gone that wrong?" Helena murmurs, and shrugs. "Sure." she says, summoning a smile. "Sounds like fun."

"Gone that wrong?" Abigail grabs a plate, starting to fill it with food, puzzlement on her face.
"I just seem to have developed this quirk for saying the wrong thing and doing the wrong thing and being the wrong way around my friends." Helena says wryly. She too starts filling her plate.

"helena, How does that relate to Leonard?" last she knew Leonard hightailed it for other reasons. "Folks done run off because either the government kidnapped them, or Tamara gave us all tickets or some other reason. not to flee from you" She points out.

Helena sets her jaw. "That's not what I'm saying." she says. "It doesn't have to do with Leonard, or Russia, or any of - look, just nevermind, forget I said anything at all." Food. Mmmm, food.

Food, hmmm, food. Abigail just purses her lips and sets about to eating.


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