Participants:
| Scene Title | Sideways Indoctrination |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Tasha delivers food, reading and music to Brennan beneath The Garden |
| Date | May 2, 2010 |
The Garden - Basement
Lunch is coming. Which means he's going to get a visitor into the basement. The space heater working hard to keep his corner of the basement warm since hot air rises and cold air sinks. Activity helps too and Brennan is doing much the same as he did at the institute, unaware of the messages that came across his phone or the consequences therein stated that would happen.
"Forty-three" He mutters to himself, elbows bowing out, then straightening as he adds another push up to his repetition. "Forty-four" his forehead perspiring as these aren't the only things that he's done so far the last hour.
The door opens and closes, and the young woman Brennan has only seen as a mostly-quiet bystander at the recent meeting appears, a tray of food in her hands, along with perhaps surprisingly, an IPod and a book of some sort as well. The food is simple fare — a sandwich, a glass of milk and a bottle of water, along with an apple.
"Hi — um, I can just set this down and let you get back to your workout," Tasha says, coming down the steps and moving to set the tray down, looking at the man a little nervously and before heading back to the stairs.
"Just passing time, keeping warm down here" Brennan stops, jacknifing up so that he can peer at what was brought for him. Food, food, drink, fruit. The book is picked up, title read then put back down with a nod. It's the Ipod really, that gets the puzzled look and a glance towards the retreating female, as his fingers come down to grasp it, press a button and start looking through the menu to see what's loaded onto it.
"I have to say, an Ipod is certainly nothing I would have expected to be brought. Yours?"
The novel is a dog-eared copy of The Shining, which she makes a face at. "Sorry, it's the only book I have that is actually mine. It's probably not the best choice of reading material given the weather and the … you know, solitary confinement, but I figured it's more interesting than reading a Cornflakes box?" Tasha says, leaning against the bannister. "Yeah, it's my Ipod, but you can keep it. I have a newer one." It's just a basic model, not a Touch and no wireless capability.
The music is a varied mix, quite a lot of punk and independent bands, from the '70s to current, and several older classics like Queen, The Beatles, The Doors, Bob Marle and the Wailers. "I'm a bit eclectic, so I'm sure there's some shit on there that will make you want to slit your wrists but there's good stuff you should like, too."
"Ahh, a pity Ipod. I missed the launch of the Ipad I heard, in all my laying low and confinement. Tell me, are you the kind of person to go for that, or wait?" He's already going through, making a 'to go' list of the songs, thumb depressing the center as he goes. There's some good music on here and some wrist slitting tunes as well. "Harve. Doctor Harve Brennan. I never got your name?"
Tasha sits down on the bottom step and chuckles. "Well, I'm kinda an art student sometimes, so … the pretty shiny graphicky-ness of the IPad is alluring, buuuut I'm also, like, unemployed and a starving artist so unless someone buys one for me… probably not going to buy one," she says with a smirk, reaching into her pocket to pull out a pack of gum. She pulls out a piece to cram in her mouth, then tosses him the pack. "I'm Tasha. I'm new. I didn't really understand most of what was said at that meeting, being new and all, but I'm sorry for all this crap happening to you. For what it's worth. You seem like you're just trying to do the right thing and got the bum end of the deal."
"How about.. we not talk about what got me down here, and maybe just.. talk like two normal people, albeit one with questionable taste in music." Brennan offers, taking up path that keeps him moving back and forth. "How's the weather up top? The snow stopped yet? I assume it hasn't since it's still cold down here"
"I'm sorry you have questionable taste in music, but I suppose I can talk to you anyway," Tasha quips back. "The weather is horrible. Like, -40s I think. High 40s. Is it still 'high' if it's a negative number?" she shakes her head, waving that math question away with her hand, in black and white striped fingerless gloves. "So you're a doctor? Like, a real doctor or one of those Doctor Phil or Doctor Laura types, because no offense, I don't think they're really doctors."
"Ohh old man burned, you win this one" He weighs the IPod in his hand with a chuckle. "You win, I loose. I'm the one with questionable taste. My wife would agree and no, I'm very much a real doctor. Medical doctor not juris or otherwise. Have a private practice with my wife and I work at the Suresh Center couple days a week. I took care of some kids for the Ferry and when they saved a bunch of people who were hooked on refrain forcefully, I helped get them off of it. Starving art student huh? Alma Mater?"
Tasha grins as Brennan admits defeat, though she frowns at the rest of it. "Alma Mater — I don't think you get to call it that til you graduate, do you? I've only got the one semester behind me. I dropped out when … when shit hit the fan and I joined Ferry. Not that I'm Evolved." She shrugs, wrapping her arms around her legs and resting her chin on top of her knees. "Art Institute of Boston. It's part of Lesley University."
"Shit hit the fan? I'm curious, and have the time, if you want to elaborate, tell me your story of how you came to be with the Ferry" Brennan offers, meandering over to the space heater and nudging it with his foot to turn it just so. Let heat radiate it's way to her, and still give him some too. "Lesley University" He's not really heard of it.
"It used to be an all girls' college, then it went co-ed. The Art Institute is just part of it. I was getting my BFA, but…" Tasha explains with a shrug, before moving a little closer so that she's closer to the heat. She sits down, Indian-style. "There's not a lot to tell," she adds, though it isn't really a story she's told most people in the New York Ferry.
"I had a boyfriend. We were walking home one day and we got attacked. Muggers." Her eyes grow a little distant and she looks away, cheeks coloring a little. "He … he set them on fire. On accident. They got away but…" she sighs. "There were two homeless guys sleeping in the alley, and he didn't know they were there. By the time we could help them, it was too late."
"Burns are never pretty. I've met my fair share of them when I was with Doctors Without Borders. Accidental, purposeful" They're not pretty in the least and he takes up a seat on the cot, studying Tasha on the stairs, head ducked after a fashion. "You found refuge in the Ferry to keep from getting arrested?" He couches, hoping to get further knowledge from her. "Trying to learn why some come to the Ferry, how, why they stay, go from being people Ferry help to the Helpers"
Tasha shudders slightly, remembering the stench of burning flesh and the pained cries. "A cop who was also a Ferryman showed up, brought us in. Thought it was best if we just disappeared a bit — which meant not going to class or whatever else. So I dropped out, helped out with the Ferry a little. I liked it. They made me feel welcome, you know? Anyway, the guy took off. He didn't know he was Evo until that night, and couldn't handle the pressure. I stayed."
"A lot of people can't handle it when they first manifest" They're not all lucky to have atmokinesis, negation, you name it. Offensive abilities when manifesting can be dangerous, painful to more than just the manifestor. "How do your parents feel? About you with the Ferry, dropping out of school and all that?"
"My mother says it's all right, since the world needs janitors, if that gives you any idea," Tasha says with a smirk. "I don't know. They don't know about the Ferry thing. They would worry too much — or my mother would. My father would just disapprove and think I'm trying to piss him off I think." It's a lot more complicated than that, of course. Her dark eyes shift away. "Man, are you sure you're not a Dr. Phil, because you're totally brain shrinking me," she says with a smirk, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes at him, as if he was doing something to reproach him for.
"No, nooo, not a shrink. Unless you count being able to manipulate three year olds into baths as deserving of a psychologists license, no. Just call me a bored physician with little to do with his hands. I can see how your father might disapprove. I suppose my own kids might do such a thing when they're old enough. Any siblings, or are you an only child?" Hands care clasped together, elbow resting on knees and hands dangled down towards the ground.
"No siblings. My parents were too smart to make the same mistake twice," is the self-deprecating reply Tasha offers — there's an element of truth in the quip, of course. "What would you say if your kids wanted to do this… fight the good fight, join Ferry? Would you tell them no, even though you do it, or would you respect their choice?"
"For all that I am in this basement Tasha and ran a fake safehouse, I've never really considered myself a member of this group. I think it's because I don't approve of some of the things that I've seen or that I have unerring sense of faith in the government and that change comes from within and not by quietly and not so quietly defying and adding to the deathtoll" Brennan responds quietly.
"I would ask them to not. I would urge them to go about what the Ferry's trying, is doing, through other means"
"I don't have faith in the government," Tasha says quietly. "I don't know if I can kill anyone… probably not. Unless it was them or me, and I don't even know then. Does that mean that I'm of no use to the group? I don't think so. I never really thought of the Ferry as violent, though. Only in … reaction, you know?" She sighs a little. "So you were never Ferry? I'm new, I don't know what all has gone down. I'm still trying to piece everything together."
"I think, I'm what you call a sideways indoctrination. I kinda came in the side door and never really came all the way in. Sumter would tell you it's because I never really trusted the Ferry. I think, I think he's right. Just certain people in the Ferry. There's some people here that I just.. can't get behind, if that makes any sense. "
"Sideways indoctrination," Tasha says with a chuckle. "I guess… because I saw what they did for me, for someone I l-loved," she stammers on the word, looking down again, "I trusted them. He didn't mean to hurt anyone. He was trying to protect me, and the bad guys got away all right. He just couldn't focus on not burning people he couldn't see. He wasn't a criminal, but what would have happened if Ferry hadn't helped us? He'd have been treated like one or worse. They helped him — in the time he stayed with Ferry, they helped him learn to control it."
"Hoping that I'll see the happy, kind, softer side of the Ferry Tasha? I already have. I see the way Megan cares for the kids who come through here with no parents. The way Sumter took to making sure Liette and I had comfort and a place in out of the cold when we could have otherwise stayed away. That they didn't bring cellphones or other technology out of request, or when they took in the sick Tasha, but I've seen other stuff I don't agree with. No one group is ever pretty and shiny and good. You have to rub away the coating with your sleeve, and see what's in beneath. Decide whether you want to take the good with the bad"
"If no one group is all good, then might as well accept the good with the bad with this one," Tasha says quietly. "I'm not naive. I know that … that they have to do things that I might not like sometimes. But so does everyone, right? Cops, military, the government. Any group that tries to improve the world — they have to do things that might not be popular. I'm a wimp and afraid of getting hurt and all for non-violence, but I don't think it will work, not this time. At least, not all the time."
"Yuuup" Brennan nods, lips pressed together and then inwards. "yes indeed. That is life" Brennan agree's. "I should probably eat." This conversation is over in other words. 'Thank you for the ipod. The book. Who doesn't love Steven King when you're trapped in a basement during a snowpocalypse. I think the only other more appropriate book would have been Misery"
Tasha stands, and smiles. "Enjoy your lunch, Doctor Brennan. At least I know why the weather is so freaky, which I wouldn't have known if I didn't join Ferry, right? The more you knowwww." The last is said in the sing song of the little public-service announcements they show during Saturday morning cartoons. "See ya later." She tromps up the steps to the door above.