Participants:
Scene Title | So Not Romeo and Juliet |
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Synopsis | But it does deal with suicide… |
Date | November 9, 2010 |
Half an hour before curfew, it's freezing cold and snowing fervently. Anna is wandering the streets of New York City. She's cold, not dressed for the weather, and doesn't seem to be going in any particular direction. In fact, if you were paying attention to her movement patterns, she seems to be wandering around at random.
If one happened to get closer to the teen, it would become apparent that she's been crying, frozen tears adorn her face. Why she has been crying..? That much is not immediately apparent, there are no visible wounds, and mental stuff is hard to discern if you're neither talking nor a telepath.
The city is starting to close down. It's ridiculous now, the City that never sleeps forced to hybernate every single day. It doesn't work. And it causes a whole lot of grief. Even now the cold streets are moving rapidly as if being evacuated en masse. Not many loiter around on the sidewalks. The majority are hurriedly making their way home, finishing up last minute tasks for the day. But there are always exceptions…
"Oh my God. If I throw up, it will be pure grease and I'm pretty sure I'll be happy about it." Brian pushes the last bit of crust into his mouth, licking his thumb, then his first two fingers. Of course he drops his hand and rubs it against his jeans. Only then does the grease-y, spitty, albeit pants wiped hand go to interlink itself with the hand of his companion. "Was it worth it?" He mumbles over his mouthful of crust. Chomping and swallowing he gives the woman a bright smile.
Looking down at her, he gives a satisfied grin.
But out of the corner of his eye… Glancing to the left, Brian's stroll slows to a waltz, then to a crawl. His hand tugging against Samara's to bring her to a halt. Standing still, the young man looks down the mouth of the alley his eyes fixing on the familiar young woman. Watching her, he says nothing for a long moment opting to just stare at her…Hmmr?
Apparently death makes a person's stomach stronger. "Why would you throw up?" Samara quirks an eyebrow as she finishes off the rest of her very cheesy very meaty very greasy pizza, her motion nearly follows Brian, but instead of wiping her greasy hand on her pants, she reaches into her pocket for a napkin— as it turns out she'd grabbed far too many (a stack of at least twenty, they'd all come at once, and really who knows when you'll phase out of existence and wish you'd phased with a napkin… or twenty?). "It was twice as good as I'd remembered! Annnnd did you see how incredibly red the sauce was? It was like the most beautiful shade of vibrant red— I bet it was toxic, but it was soooo beautiful!" Deprive a person of colour and the simplest pleasures are worth their weight in gold.
She's still a little weak on her feet, but her strength is growing, she'd even managed to twirl earlier— in a very dizzy circle that had her literally crash into a wall. When he locks hands with her she gives him a squeeze amid the smallest personal squee, complete with clamped shut eyes and the cutesiest smile she can manage.
When her hand is tugged however, she runs into Brian (not hard, but more shocked and a little jarred), one of the side effects of having her eyes closed. In doing so, however, her eyes open and she too catches sight of Anna; like Brian, she knows that girl. Kind of. As a dead woman. This could be interesting.
Out of the corner of her eye, and combined with the smell of Pizza, Anna's attention is drawn towards Brian and Samara. While she doesn't immediately recognise Samara, Brian is recognised.
Not to mention the smell of Pizza makes Anna's stomach growl. And… for the first time in hours, Anna's movements get a direction. She heads over to the pair, "Hey.. Brian wasn't it?" And then she takes a second look at Samara, "Wait… Sami?" She asks, her tone surprised, "I.. thought you were a ghost…" Surprise is all that's in that voice, however. At least, all that's in there for now.
Squeezing her hand lightly, Brian smirks a little bit as she bumps into him. His free arm going up to grasp her shoulder, to steady her. His eyes slide back to Anna, brows furrowing. Eyes darting from her feet to her head, then to her eyes. He frowns lightly. "Last time I saw you, I…" Killed three guys? Saw his ex-fiancee for the last time?"It's good to see you again." He goes with instead. That's a much better route to go. But when she recognizes Sami, Brian's eyes flit over to Samara.
As far as he can recall, Anna was anti-evolution. And with the two of them on the run.. this could go sour rather fast. A light tug on Sami's hand, "You know what. That has happened to me before! Holy shit. I swear to God. I saw this guy's face in a mirror like he was totally real. Several days later I totally met him in real life. My God. I don't think you're crazy at all. I don't know if you believe in paranormal stuff, but I saw this ghostchaser episode… It's crazy." It's a longshot that probably won't work but… a subject change is in order. "Have you been crying? Are you alright?" Letting go of Samara's hand, Brian steps forward to place a hand on the young girl's shoulder. Giving it a brief squeeze. "What happened?"
And so it begins. Confused, Sami's eyebrows furrow as she opens her mouth to speak, but then Brian is covering. Her fingers tighten a little around his hand in a silent thank-you that will never be spoken. "That's… really weird," Samara states before wrinkling her nose, borrowing a line from Brian now, "I never believed in ghosts! You know the whole 'unfinished business' thing— it's like so 2006." Literally.
With a shrug, the smirk melts from her lips as her eyes narrow with concern at Anna, 'Is there something we can do?" The released hand is pocketed into her jeans as she steps forward while her oversized fleece is lifted just to allow her access to the pocket. And as she reaches into the pocket? She feels the bulge of napkins. Carefully she extracts one and holds it out to Anna, "Here…"
"What happened?" Anna drawls, sounding upset, "Oh, Zach just wanted me to kill myself and take some random person along with me." Probably not quite what Brian was expecting, but what can you do, eh? "And, Sami, if you're evolved… that's okay… so am I, really. But don't lie to me… please."
She shrugs and goes back to her previous statement, combining it with the other. "Apparently he thought that I would buy into the idea of killing myself to prevent myself from manifesting." A hollow chuckle, "I hope he'll feel it in his balls for days to come."
Looking at Anna, Brian watches her for a solid moment before glancing back to Samara. A subtle nod is given to her, as if to say, it's alright. "I'm sorry, Anna. I remembered what happened to your parents. I didn't want to make you uncomfortable." He quickly admits, coming out of the lie just as fluidly as he went into it. His hand grazes over her shoulder soothingly. Reaching over to take one of the napkins, he brings it up, and looking to Anna as if for permission. "Do you mind?" Bringing his napkin forward he goes to dab at her face lightly.
"Woah.. Slow down Anna. Who's trying to make you kill yourself?" His brows peak up, peering at her. Crying, no good clothes, running, saying crazy things. Looking over his shoulder as if expecting someone to attack them immediately. "Come with us Anna. Do you have a place to stay tonight?" He glances over to Samara apologetically.
"Someone seriously pushed you to kill yourself? Because they don't want you manifest…? So… they don't want you to become evolved?" Samara gapes at Anna, the notion of her evolved-ness is momentarily pushed aside, if only because the whole idea of anyone pressuring someone else to take their life because of who they are is downright ridiculous. "That is fu— " she stops midword, redirecting, "— effing unbelievable." She presses her lips together as her head shakes. "No one can stop being who they are. Even if they forget sometimes— "
Again Brian is given a small shrug, the apologetic glance is met with a softened smile and a shake of her head— a motion expressing all-too-easily that he shouldn't worry about it.
"Zach, he's with Humanis First." Anna responds to Brian's first question, as though that says enough… it probably does, mind. "And no, I don't have a place to stay." The teen shrugs slightly, before… with a hopeful tone of voice, "Unless you know a place…?" A weak smile as her tears are dabbed up by Brian. "If.. if a few things hadn't happened of late… I'd probably have gone along with that plan…"
"I have an apartment around the corner." They were going to go to Redbird. But Brian isn't about to take a stranger to Cardinal's place with a woman sitting in a bed being fed by a tube… Well. Yeah. They'll be going to his other place. His eyes flick to Samara again as if to signify the change of plans. "Just a couple blocks.. Chinatown." Samara's been there before. She was much dead-er at the time. "We shouldn't talk about this here. You can stay at my apartment tonight. Let's go talk about this." Ushring Anna to his side, his free arm goes out to Samara. He knows she can't walk her best at the moment, and rather than have the sad bucket be her crutch.. "Come on, Sameye."
Samara's arm interlocks with Brian, issuing him a grateful smile. Absently, her teeth graze her bottom lip, carefully watching Anna with quiet concern. She steadies herself a little better, shuffling forward to fall into step with Brian. "Death isn't worth it. I think… I think living is brave and dying is the coward's way out."
"Lead the way.. Brian." Anna says softly. Brian has a point that they shouldn't talk about it… not here, anyway. "Yeah, death isn't worth it… but…" And the teen trails off, not completing that sentence. Instead, Anna looks down, sighing to herself, softly and sadly.
After the short cab ride, the trio has made their way into Brian's apartment. He hasn't had much time to do much repairs since the riots, but at least the door works. Once they all stroll in, Winters first priority is to allow Samara to melt onto the couch. Easing her down onto it, Brian motions for Anna to take a seat.
"Okay, Anna. Take this slow. There's a guy named Zach who wants you to kill yourself before you manifest. Doing something.. somewhere? You don't want to do this? Is that right? So you want nothing to do with this, correct?" Winters asks, straightening up. Folding his arms over his chest. "Can you tell me why? Just walk me through this, slow-like, so I can understand. If you can use small words, that would be great."
Melt is a good word for it. Sam leans into the couch, allowing it to essentially absorb her. Hopefully soon she'll find her balance. She mouths a silent 'thank you' before actually saying one aloud— old habits die hard, "Thanks, Brian." Her lips twitch into a small, albeit momentary, smile.
She leans forward on the couch, allowing her elbows to rest on her knees as her chin is supported by her hands. Her mouth opens to add to Brian's questions only to close seconds later. Her lips press together in concern before she hmmmms, "Take a slooooow deep breath, it'll make you feel better and clear some of the fogginess, I think." Her eyebrows furrow a little as she issues Anna a supportive smile, "How did you get tied in with this Zach guy anyways? Please please pleeeeease" her eyes widen a little "tell me this isn't a guy-girl issue because no matter what Shakespeare says, there's nothing romantic about suicide…"
"Okay, so… Zach got me out of a sticky situation.. that's why I was so eager to help him at first." Anna starts, obviously not wanting to talk about the specifics of said sticky situation, "Like I said, he's with Humanis First, you know… that anti-evolved group?" She asks, before continuing, "Anyway, I only found out he's with Humanis First today… when he asked me to take out this Gideon d'Sarthe… and take myself along with it. He was working on something electronic… I think it … it might have been a detonator… maybe for a bomb-belt" She takes a deep breath, "I got… angry… kneed him in the nether regions… and I ran for it. Had nowhere to go, so… I was just wandering around idly, thinking of what to do next until I ran into you guys."
Brian glances over to Samara, then back to Anna. He brings up one hand to his chin. Scrubbing it, his eyes fixed on Anna. His mind waging war against itself. Play her this way… Play her that way… Make her think this. Make her think that. Staring at Anna, his lips finally open. He's made his decision.
"Anna. I'm evolved. And I want to stop Humanis First. I'm going to tell you upfront that I want your help. And I think you could save the lives of a lot of innocent people. Evolved and non-evolved." Going to his knees, Brian places his hands on her shoulders gently. "I'll be honest and tell you that without you, I don't have much… But with your help, I am more than confident I could stop them. Do you understand? I'm telling you the truth because I think.. From the little I know you, that you would respect that.You have been very open with us. So I'm being open with you. I know you've been hurt by the Evolved, I have as well. And nothing I can do can change your opinion. But.. If you choose to help me. A girl like you won't have to bury her parents." Brian says softly, going to make eye contact with her. "That's all I'll say.. It's completely your choice. You can stay the night here, regardless of what you want to do."
"There's a lot of people who've been hurt," Sami observes quietly. "You know when we met? I was just this random reflection in the mirror— I told you I was a ghost?" Her hazel eyes squint a little, "I thought I was. Honestly! I was so sure I was a ghost, I'd lived as a 'dead' woman for four years! I like hung out places and walked around trying to solve everything on my bucket list so I would have some incredible crossing over experience that would set me free from the torture of watching everyone I loved deal with my death." Even with these words, Sami manages a small smile, a gentle curl of her lips.
"I did that for four years, watching my best friend cope with having me around while recognizing I was dead— watching my family nearly fall apart. My brother couldn't make himself go to my funeral. My sister.. well.. " she waves her hand flippantly as if to forget Adisa's raid on her closet. "There's a lot of people who've been hurt on either side of this thing. And I think… I know that losing someone is hard," coming from a woman who'd lost almost everyone, "but if you can do something to help someone else— if you can prevent someone else's pain… it's like a mini-miracle, like Christmas before it happens."
"I mean, in a way a lot of people lost that time— those four years— a lot of people let themselves die. Don't be one of them." A sheepish glance is given to Brian before Sam's eyes flit back to Anna, "I don't want to be anymore."
"I.. I don't know." Anna says softly, sighing. "I don't know who I can… or can't trust anymore." The girl looks down at the ground, "I want to make the world a better place, but… I don't know how… I … I just don't." Another sigh, before Anna looks back up again, "You say I can help. Tell me how, explain how I can help before I make that decision…" A weak smile, "I.. don't want to go into things blindly… not again."
Going to crouch on his feet, Brian looks down. "Well Anna. Honestly, I don't know if I can trust you. Just like you don't know I can trust you. But I will give you the benefit of the doubt. I will give you a little, for a little." Smiling softly over at Samara's words, his hand somewhat unconciously reaches out to give her knee a light squeeze. His hand lingers there for a moment while his eyes return to Anna. "I have contacts who work in the city. I'm a part of people who.. We make things happen. Or we make things not happen. This attack you're talking about? I kind of already knew about it. But I would like to minimize it, and I would like to stomp on Humanis First. If you helped me.. I would be able to get into contact with Humanis First which is.. What my friends and I have been trying to do for some time now."
"I won't lie. Your job might be hard. You might get hurt. But I promise you, as long as I am alive. I will keep you safe. I swear to you. And you can ask Sami, I'm kind of hard to kill. If you allow me, I will try to use you to get a shoe in with Humanis First. I.. I can't do that without you."
The hand on her knee is met with a brush of Samara's fingers and a bittersweet smile. While she may be refusing to live in the regret or the nature of her non-death, a lot of time passed since the days she'd lived at all. "Brian's right. He's very hard to kill. And while it might be dangerous or scary, that's what makes life exciting, right? I mean, it's better to really live than wander the streets and live in fear. Or… wander the streets invisible as the case may be." At this she winks, her sense of humour wasn't damaged in her own ordeal.
The teenager sighs softly, "I don't think I can." She offers after a bit of thinking, "I mean, I made it pretty clear I didn't want to go along with their plans… don't you think it'd be a little suspicious if… if I suddenly changed my mind on… on something as huge as this..?" A pause before Anna continues, "I don't think I should do anything major for a little while anyway… I.. should find a safe place to live… a place where people won't demand me to do something I can't or shouldn't do…"
"I've been doing this for a while, Anna. You don't have to worry about that stuff. I already have a plan. You wouldn't go back to them.. But. You would have to trust me for this plan to work. And I'm not sure we have that trust. Which isn't bad.. but." He just gives a little nod. "We can help you find a safe place." Winters murmurs softly. "But most of these places need trust. And hanging out with Humanis First operatives doesn't exactly instill much trust."
Straightening back up, Brian goes to sit on the arm of the couch next to Samara. Folding his hands in his lap, he tilts his head at Anna. "Can you at least tell me everything you know about this guy, Zach? If you wanted to.. Could you find him?"
"And besides, you're young and you're a woman, women have changed their minds on weirder things in the past— and I think, if they're men, the woman card is enough to convince them you're fickle. If, however, you are uncomfortable with it, then…" Samara shrugs, "well you don't have to do it regardless. But honestly, I changed three times this morning— " her eyebrows rise on her forehead as she cuts off that thought, while her cheeks flush a pale pink; that was something she hadn't intended to share.
"What does he look like and did you ever get his last name? I mean… it's entirely possible someone else could swoop in" she glances at Brian, "and connect with him if we can figure out how to find him…"
"I didn't know he was with Humanis First until he started that insane proposal, alright?" Anna bites, sounding a little upset. "And I don't know if I can find him… I mean, he used to live in this abandoned building in red hook, but… I'm positive he's out there by now."
Anna looks back to Sami, "A few inch under six feet tall, short-ish brown hair, white. Angular pronounced jaw." A brief pause, "I'm not sure if this is his last name, but he told me some folks call him Becker, which sounds like it could be his last name." Another pause, before Anna throws a few stolen registry cards down, "He gave me these… his fingerprints might be on there."
"It's okay." Brian says quickly at Anna's biting remark. "I'm just trying to tell you. With your sentiments.. and.. associate. It will be hard for my friends to trust you. This isn't against you, I'm just.. I'm trying to help you, Anna. And if you want my help you have to give me something. Like I said. You can stay here tonight, and eat my food. That is my gift to you. But for trust, I need you to help me. Help save lives." Winters leans forward slightly.
"Like I said. I could have any number of plans. Maybe if you heard them, you would have more faith in me. But as I said.. trust." He idly wonders how many times he's said that word. "I am a trained professional. In this.. sort of.. thing. You wouldn't even have to do much. Unless you want to. You could keep this guy from trying to force anyone else to… off themselves. This is the last time I'll ask, then I'll let you get some rest."
"Fine… I'll help you. Under two conditions." Anna answers softly, "First, I won't have to kill anyone, and that includes myself." She starts out, smiling faintly, "Second, you'll make sure I get out before it gets too dangerous." And that said… the teen looks back up to Brian, waiting for his answer to his conditions.
"You won't have to kill anyone. I think that's a given. I'm not Humanis First." If anyone will be killing anyoone… Brian does a little clap on his knee. "Alright. I'll need to do some planning. And of course, I will get you out before it gets too dangerous." Winters nods solidly, gesturing with his chin towards a door behind her. "The bed's in there Anna. There's some food in the cupboards. I think I might have stuff in the freezer if you want. Help yourself.. I'll give you a better plan tomorrow… Or as soon as I can reach some of my contacts. You're a guest. This is your home for tonight."
And with that said, Brian's attention swerves to Samara. "I'm sorry you don't get to be the guest. You can sleep here, on the couch. And, I'll sleep riiiight…" His finger flings out and points at a spot on the floor right in front of the couch. "There, if that's okay." Looking back at her. "Want something to drink before sleepytime?"
Samara clucks her tongue, "You don't need to apologize, I've been a guest here before." Except not. She was the hall spy. "Besides, I don't think I could be happier anyways." And there's the truth. A glance is given to the floor as she shoots him a teasing smile (which, was recently established, actually exist) accompanied by a teasing tone, "I don't know~ Paul said you snore…" The smile grows into an all-out grin as she nods, "It's totally fine. I'm kind of used to the company anyways," considering Rue has been anchoring her in her own sleep. As far as something to drink, "Whatcha got?"
Without doing much else, the teenager heads to bed. Today has been a tiring day, and she only stops once to say "Goodnight, you two." And with that said, Anna is gone. Time to drift off to sleep… let's hope it's a better dream than her previous one…
"Goodnight, Anna." Standing up, Brian glowers down at Samara. "I do not snore. One Paul would have no way of knowing that. Two, he probably just told you that because he thought it might make you like him. Which is.. I bet he told you that if you go PR you never go back. Which he never listens when I tell him that doesn't rhyme, and it's not cute." Brian makes his way towards the small kitchen. "Veronica never told me I snored." Or at least he doesn't think she did. Maybe he's blocking the memory.
"Uhh.. we got water aaaand. Water~" He smiles back at her happily. The night is ended with Sam and Brian talking on the couch, occasional giggles and laughs penetrate the door to Brian slash Anna's room, often followed by a quick SHHHSHH and then five minutes later the same thing. But eventually the two quiet down, and night time happens.