Run, Joe, Run

Participants:

brynn_icon.gif lance_icon.gif

Scene Title Run, Joe, Run.
Synopsis Are siblings the bane of your existence or something to be grateful for? Answer: Yes.
Date March 8, 2018

Lance's Apartment


She couldn't go to the gathering the other night. Her memories of the man the other kids called 'Santa' are fractured; she only met him a couple of times, not being in places where he was very often and even when she was in those places, she tended to hide in corners. But she does remember him as kind to the silent child in the corner when he saw her there. Still, that's not a full relationship. She's worried about Lance and Joe, though… and it shows in the fact that sometime before Lance got up this morning she's already been out and about, trading what few items she has left from her pack to bring back some fresh bread from the market, a half-dozen precious eggs, and from somewhere she managed to find some real cheese to trade for. Given the food thefts, it cost her dearly, but her brothers are worth the cost… and egg and cheese sandwiches are a treat.

When he makes his way out of the bedroom, Brynn is sketching with a charcoal pencil. When she first came full-time to the Lighthouse, she was wary of everyone. She rarely speaks of the past at all, but the opening of the library, seeing Aunt Gilly and Aunt Eve and Kaylee again… it's bringing up a lot of memories for the deaf teen. Memories that are beginning to take shape beneath her pencil. She flips the sheet quickly as soon as she feels the sensation of air movement that alerts her to his arrival, and she looks toward him with a bit of a guilty expression though she smiles for him. Morning.

There's a lot of conflicting feelings in Lance, too; his heart aches for the loss of the puppeteer even all these years, and the memories of the little girl that was closest to him that died as well.

The part of him that believes in God hopes that they're together up there, Doyle and Mala, watching over them.

Hands dropping from where they've been rubbing at his face, they move absently to respond, Morning.

He meanders into the kitchen, and there pauses. Wait, there's more food than there was. He leans back to look to the couch, brows raising.

Brynn moves to the counter that serves as their table too, setting her sketch pad on it and taking a perch on a rickety stool there. What? I thought maybe you could use a little cheering up, she signs, looking a little abashed. After all, he did take her in and let her sleep here instead of the scary places. Biting her lip, she pushes the sketch pad toward him, quickly flipping past what she'd been drawing when he went by her — is that explosions? — to an image that he might actually remember. Doyle with his puppet, his face animated and clearly telling something funny, children sitting cross-legged in front of him, enthralled. They don't have any pictures remaining, not that she knows, but what she's drawn from memory is quite realistic. I made you something.

"Guess our lunch is going to be better today," Lance grins - he's not going to scold her over buying food, even if he knows it was probably expensive. Thanks, he signs back, and then he's being offered the sacred sketch pad, eyebrows leaping in surprise. He leans on the counter to turn the pad around and see, and he blinks once. Then he smiles weakly, wistfully, looking down at the picture in silence for a long moment. "Miss you, Santa," he murmurs, probably un-noticed by Brynn.

Though the words are missed, his body language isn't. Brynn reaches across and touches his arm lightly, the way she always gets his attention. There's so much sad, Lance. I can't make it better. I'm sorry. Even though it was so long ago, she knows the boys hurt. You keep it. I drew it for you to have so that you didn't forget how happy he made everyone.

The petite teen slips off the stool and comes around to the kitchen, wrapping her arms briefly around the lanky boy. She's gone just as quickly as she hugged him, her hands flying in an attempt to change the subject. I drew a mural for Aunt Eve, too — she said we should come over so she can feed us. She glances at him. Food shortages are one of the things that has always set Brynn on edge — like all of them, she's lived with deprivation off and on throughout her young life, so when it happens again, she starts doing things like … stealing small amounts of food from places and hoarding it. She can't help it. And invariably she acts a little guilty when she does it.

Lance's head lifts at the touch, his eyes bright in the way that eyes are when tears are threatening, and he offers her a warmer smile. "Thank you," he murmurs - and then he reaches back to return that hug when she comes around the counter, a fierce pull in against his chest before she escapes.

Eve's crazy but I'm not turning down food, I guess. Lynette and Gillian offered too. The kids aren't going to starve - they've always had people looking out for them. Not everyone is so lucky.

She grins a little at him. I think 'crazy' covers just about everyone we know, Lance, she observes in what would be a wry tone if it were aloud. Her expression conveys the sense, though. Even us! Brynn picks up one of the sandwiches and holds it out to him until he takes it, then signs, You better eat yours before Joe finds them. Or you won't get any, she tells him with a grin. Because holy moly, Joe can pack it away. She gets herself a glass of water and goes back around to sit on the stool, her sketch pad drawn back to her somewhat protectively and closed so that the sketches within aren't in danger of being damaged.

Caspian said that the council wants to talk to Eimi about the food thefts, she confides, worrying at her lower lip with her teeth. Do you… do you think they'll hurt her? Or … lock her in a room or something? The idea of councils isn't one she is very comfortable with.

Lance smirks back at her. Eve jumped into a food riot the other day and started stabbing people, he points out with his hands, then reaches out to accept the sandwich gratefully. Settling his butt down on a stool, he takes a hearty bite, chewing and swallowing contentedly.

He frowns a little, then, setting down the sandwich. Why? She can't teleport enough to do something like that! It wasn't her.

I know… besides, when we steal food like that, it's not like we take that much. It's for a few kids, hardly enough for anyone to miss. Unless Eimi's some kind of mastermind, stealing stuff to sell, it makes no sense, Brynn signs back. Of course… that's judging other kids by LHK standards, so maybe that's a bit naive on her part. But then again, of the group, Brynn's probably the one with the least exposure to some of the worst things — she doesn't hear rumors, gossip, and other factoids that float around unless someone tells her about them.

Caspian said he's part of their council or commission or whatever it is they have here. He knows she can teleport and he said that he wants to talk to her personally because he knows it wasn't her and so wanted to be able to stand in her corner when she's taken for questioning, though!! She looks worried. Questioning in their world has always been a bad thing.

I'm sure it'll be fine, is what Lance signs, but he does look worried, glancing around, I mean the Council's, like, all good people. We know them! They're going to do anything to Eimi.

He takes another bite of sandwich, chewing worriedly now.

Uh-huh. And now that he is worried, Brynn is a little … MORE worried. Cas said that we should go find her and not tell him where she is. But to help her if we can. Maybe…. take her directly to Aunt Gillian? Because Aunt Gillian definitely won't let anything happen to the other teenager.

Gillian's on the Watch! It's information that Lance appears to think she should be comforted by, giving her a reassuring look despite the worry in his eyes, hands moving, And the Haircut King and Delilah and Tasha are on the Council. It'll be fine.

Brynn nodnods emphatically. That's exactly what I thought. Aunt Eve would just give us prohpecies and make things chalk, right? So Aunt Gillian it is. Or maybe even Kaylee, if we really needed big guns! Cuz she's got Pastor Joe and a big business behind her! Eimi'll be okay…. Brynn trails off a little and then looks at him, her brows still pulled together a little. Right? And then she nods again. Right. No. She'll be fine. It's going to be okay. It's not like before.

But she's definitely scared now.

Lance shifts over, reaching an arm around her shoulders to pull her in a bit for a reassuring hug. "It is going to be okay," he says, looking at her seriously, "I promise."

Brynn leans her head on his shoulder after he says that and nods. She has faith in his truthfulness and in his ability to think on his feet — her brothers are damn smart, cuz Brian made sure they could all look out for one another if the worst ever came again. She nods a second time against his shoulder and then sits up to sign. You're right. It's going to be fine. Aunt Gillian and Raquelle definitely won't let anything happen — he'll bring out his scissors and sparkles. Her grin is amused, but she actually really likes Raq. Isn't Raquelle a Haircut Queen, though? she asks. Because honestly, she's not entirely sure which to consider Raquelle! Feeling much better now, knowing Gillian and Tasha and Raquelle and Delilah are all on the Council or whatever it's called, Brynn smiles more fully. Eimi seems nice. Joe likes her, I think.

Lance presses a brief kiss to her hair, and then when she leans back he watches her signs — and then laughs.You've got a point there, I think! We should ask him. Then a blink, Wait, like romantically?

Brynn shrugs and then grins. Not sure, she admits with a grin. But he was definitelybouncing around a lot around her. And staring. Not that he doesn't stare at lots of things, but I don't know if I've ever seen that before.

Lance grins. It's that 'oh god he's plotting a prank' kind of grin that he sometimes has. I understand. Then he's picking up the sandwich, snickering as he takes a bite.

Run, Joe. Run.

Brynn's eyes go wide and she facepalms, dragging her hands down her face. Then she signs, Maaaaan. Joe's gonna kill me.


Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License