Participants:
| Scene Title | Something Interesting |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Kaylee learns that Abby wasn't the only person to see Joseph's funeral in their dreams. |
| Date | January 28, 2011 |
She stands there before a sea of colorful fish, hands wrapped around mug, she lets eyes wander over the bright display. Kaylee Thatcher remembers the mural in Grand Central, first time she really saw it, Joseph sat painting. The memory good enough that she could pick out the section he worked on. Eyes shift to fish that she remembers her and Colette painting, while laughing about something… she couldn't remember what.
It's also a reminder of a nightmare, where fish moved freely around the bright blue water, rushing from the wall to make a lake.
Kaylee sighs softly, folding her fingers tighten around the mug, as if seeking comfort from the warmth at a thought or maybe just the memory. Maybe even the chill in the morning there. Steam rises lazily from the mug as she sips from it, savoring the taste of coffee. With milk and a lot of sugar… but not overly sweet.
Long hair — wet from having jsut had her morning bath — is worked into a braid drapes lazily over one shoulder, standing out against the dark rich red of a knit sweater and the black turtle neck she wears under it. Gold glitters at her neck, a thin cross that was made over a century ago. Jean, wool sock and boots, all of it… makes sure she's stays fairly warm.
Even if she's distracted herself with the mural, her head turns ever so slightly as if hearing something. Her gaze flicking to where she knows there will be someone. It's got to be a little creepy.
It's been a long time since Griffin was on mainland— he stayed at Pollepel for well over a month, hidden away from the world, from those who would kill him and take him away from his son. It was good, spending time with his son. He and the boy bonded over the month they spent together, and he also got to spend his son's birthday with him for the first time since the child was born.
If only life could always be that good. If only that was reality, and this all was just a bad dream. If only chores like cooking, laundry, even hunting, were the biggest things he had to worry about.
If only.
Griffin has trekked through the tunnels, and finally made his way here, to Grand Central Station. He came here for safety, yes— more staying below ground for a while. But he also came here because he had heard that someone he was looking for was here. Someone he had a dream about…two women, actually. The man enters the larger area of the terminal, green eyes roving about.
Then, they land on just the woman he was looking for. Griff raises his brows slightly. Lovely how that always works. "Kaylee," Griffin murmurs, raising a hand in greeting.
A faint smile touches her lips, her head dipping down in polite greeting since her hands are full with the mug. "Griffin." When her head levels out again, she studies him for a moment. "Have you been her before?" It's a simple question. Eyes going back to the scene of fish.
"This is my favorite part of this place." Even though she speaks softly, the words echo around them. "It was made to bring color to a dull place." Taking a step forward, her hand comes free so that she can touch a pair of kissing fish. "I painted these." She glances back at him with amusement. "It's a patchwork of art made by various hands in the network. A simple symbol of unity and togetherness…
"Family."
"No. Haven't been here until now." Griffin's green eyes turn toward the scene of the fish, which he is inevitably drawn towards, his brows raised slightly as he examines the painting.
"It's— beautiful." Perhaps he'll add one of his poorly concocted paintings to the mixture one of these days. He never was too good at art, his forte always leaning more towards creating beautiful sounds than beautiful visions. But there's always a first time for everything, and painting on a wall really doesn't sound too bad when he thinks about it.
He turns his gaze slowly toward Kaylee, a faint smile on his face. Then, he's looking back to the painting, his expression settling into a thoughtful one, almost as if he is debating inwardly.
"I had a dream about you, odd as it sounds."
What did he say?
Normally something like that would just flow over her, not give it a thought. Maybe feel flattered… a little. Instead, Kaylee's whole body goes still, the smile she had fades a little. It's not the first time someone's said something like that too her. It was even recently.
"What?" she asks softly, brows dropping into a worried frown. "A… dream?" Kaylee studies him thoughtfully. After a moment she adds, "Tell me?" The fish quickly forgotten for other news.
"It was a weird dream." Griffin blinks down at Kaylee for a moment, before turning, running his fingers over the the kissing fish. He likes that one. "It was— maybe 15 years from now? You were there…Abby was there…Ben Ryans was there…so was his daughter, Delia. A few other people I don't know…and Elizabeth Harrison was there, too." There's the odd part, for him.
"She…I…the only time I ever met her was when I was still with Messiah. When we were doing an attack. And then, I think I gave her a concussion. But in the dream, she…didn't even care."
He turns to watch Kaylee in silence. "It was a funeral for— for Joseph?"
Blue eyes can only stare at the tall and lanky man for a very long moment of time, a hand pressed against the mural — covering over a very green and yellow striped fish with blue eyes — as if she needs help keeping her balance. It's hard to read what she's thinking.
"Show me?" She asks suddenly, shoulders squaring. It's an odd request, except that it's coming from a known telepath. "You're not the first person to tell me that," she decides to tell him, arm crossing. "I want to see if the memories match."
Kaylee isn't just a mind reader it seems. "Abby told me she dreamed of — " She motions at him with a hand, unable for a moment to say it outloud, worry creasing her brow.
Griffin really is unsure of how Kaylee's power works— he just knows that she's a telepath, really. But apparently, she can do something like that odd vulcan mind meld. Really, the only experience he has with a telepath other than Kaylee is Harmony— and she's certainly not the best guide to go by. So, he simply turns, watching her for a moment.
Then, as gentle as he can, the telekinetic reaches down to take the telepath's wrists, to place her hands on either side of his head. He's not sure if this how she does it, but this is kind of how a Vulcan mind meld is done— maybe it's not so different. "I'll show you, yes."
His gesture meets some resistance at first, but then she is pressing the tips of her fingers to his temple. "It's not quite like that." Oviously, Kaylee heard that. "More like… watching a film strip." He can almost picture the blond holding a length of film strip in her hand, sliding along as if watching the tiny picture within.
"Think of that moment. That dream…" Her words are soft even as her eyes slide shut to concentrate. "There." The word is whispered so softly, then she's silent as she goes through the remembered dream.
Hands finally drop, before being tucked into pockets and she takes a step back. Things like that can be considered intimate and she doesn't want people to think that. She's happy in her current relationship. "Abby has the same dream… only…" She trails off shaking her head.
"It was from her perspective." Kaylee looks fairly confused. "It doesn't make sense… it's… we defeated the Nightmare Man, but this isn't really like that."
Griffin closes his eyes, letting Kaylee do her thing and doing as told— remembering the dream in far more clarity and detail than he's remembered any other dream, save for a few recurring ones he's had over his lifetime. Which is part of the reason he came to tell Kaylee about this dream. Well, that and it seemed like she was burying a loved one in the dream.
As she drops her hands, he straighens once more, watching Kaylee with raised brows. Nightmare Man? He never heard of that. "I— I don't even know what it all means. I've never even met half of those people in that dream, and I…that woman, Elizabeth. She's FRONTLINE, isn't she? Or military…"
Seems he's just as confused, if not moreso, than Kaylee.
Maybe she hears his internal question, or maybe she doesn't, but she still says, "The Nightmare Man was someone I fought against once in dreams. He was using dreams to torture people and to make them sleep walk themselves to death." Kaylee holds up both hands in a stalling gesture. "This doesn't seem like him… and we defeated him."
The hands slowly lower, her brows furrowed. "It's also not the sort of dream he would throw at people… but this is definitely a dream walker. Though the context makes me think of the visions that hit last year." It wasn't Joseph, since he's been right there when not off on some council business.
Focusing on Griffin, Kaylee gives him a soft smile, "It may be nothing… just some joke being played." It falters a little, fading some at the edges. "But I think I'll be paying a visit to some friends." If Delilah and Quinn were in it… maybe they remember the dream as well. If Kaylee is anything, it's curious. Maybe to a fault.
The man tilts his head toward Kaylee, regarding her thoughtfully as she explains the Nightmare Man. Thank god he wasn't around for that. Dream walkers are terrifying. "Sounds…horrible." A frown creases his face, and he turns his green-eyed gaze toward the painted wall, his fingers idly running over another painting as he ponders. A dream walker, hmm?
"I'm not sure how much I like the idea of a dream walker invading my dreams." A frown, then he's turning his gaze toward Kaylee. "I'll definitely let you know if I have any more odd dreams like that. It's— that dream is still clear in my head." He watches the woman.
"For what it's worth, I'm sorry about the— the content of the dream. That must be painful to see."
It's something she's been avoiding, not allowing herself to think about. Before it was cause it was just a dream of one person. Not a big deal, but now…
Taking a deep breath, Kaylee's chin tips up slightly, "It hasn't happened, yet." It's a firm statement of belief, spoken calmly. "That's a long time from now, judging by the age of his daughter… thirteen to fifteen years. It could very well change."
Even with her optimism, there is a strained sort of quality to Kaylee's voice. "I thank you for coming to me about it. With luck it may very well only a dream. Some sick person's idea of joke." Even if it would be cruel, she most certainly hopes that is the case. "But, yes. Please, keep me informed of anything new?"
Griffin tilts his head to one side, smiling faintl. "Yeah…it was probably just a dream. Or a joke." And hopefully not a dream of a future to come, for Kaylee's sake. However, he reaches out, gently touching her shoulder in the most platonic way that he can manage. The touch is brief, before his arm drops back down to his side, leaning back on his heels a bit.
"I'll certainly keep you informed if I have any other dreams." He tilts his head toward Kaylee "Do you know who the other people were in the dream? I recognized Ben Ryans, Abby, Eileen, Elizabeth Harrison, you, and Delia Ryans…but none of the other faces really rang a bell for me." He offers a languid shrug, offering a comforting smile toward Kaylee.
Griff slowly draws away, his gaze turning toward the painted wall once more.
"Delilah, Colette and Robyn Quinn. People I consider good friends. Flint Deckard, is a close friend of Joseph's." Kaylee supplies softly, giving him a weak smile. " Also Jenson Raith, he's the other head of Special Activities with Mr. Ryans." Each name is accompanied by a face from the dream. Faint, but there.
She looks like she's going to leave, but she stops, and after a moment she asks, "How is Owain?" Kaylee already misses the kids, so she can't help but ask. "I think I had heard rumor that he had a birthday coming up?" It's hard to keep many secrets in the castle, especially among children.
Griffin nods slowly, running a hand through his hair as each of the faces pops into his head. Some telepaths may be untrustworthy— but he doesn't so much mind this one. "Thank you. I will keep that in mind when I meet those people." There's no question of ifs. He dreamed of these people; they're real, and he was around them in his dream.And most of them seem like people he is likely to meet.
As Owain is mentioned, Griff offers a small wince, remembering Owain's frantic tears on his birthday. "Hi birthday was on Wednesday, yes. We had a— fairly good day." Until his son burst into tears when he sang happy birthday. "He…he misses Marjorie. I miss Marjorie." A frown creases his features, and his brain launches into another brief whirlwind of guilt.
In the end, his thoughts amount to one thing, however: It's my fault.
Lips press into a fine line as she looks to him with understanding. "It'll get easier. The first year is always the worst." Kaylee almost sounds like she knows. "Hopefully, next year he won't have to celebrate in a drafty castle."
She tries to be optimistic at least.
"I am sorry I wasn't there, I would have found a way to make him a cake. Kids need cakes on their birthdays. With candles so that they can make wishes." It's one of those things the look forward too. Being a kid once, Kaylee understands. "Even if there are no presents."
"He had a cake, but…he didn't want to eat it. Marjorie— she was a baker at heart, and…I don't think he can look at sweets the same, right now." The man tilts his head toward Kaylee, offering a weak smile her way. "It's..rough, these days. He's only known me for about four months now…he'd just found out that I was his dad only a few weeks before it happened.
A faint smile is offered at her optimism, and Griffin offers a slow nod. "Hopefully, next year I can take him some place great for his birthday." Like an arcade, or an indoor water park. Some place great to make up for everything the poor boy has suffered.
"I made him a little wooden soldier…and I got him a book. 'Brave Story'. It sounded like it could be…inspirational for him, somehow." A shrug. He didn't read it. Maybe when he goes back to Pollepel, he'll have a read through it, if Owain is done with it. It was a fairly thick book.
"Good." Kaylee nods her head slowly. "I imagine in time he'll look back and remember it in a much more positive light."
"Anyhow…" She tucks hands into pockets and looks back to the wall for a moment. "I should get moving. You've thrown something interesting into my lap, Griffin." Kaylee glances at him and gives him a small smile. " I'm going to make a call and see about talking to two of the people in the dream. See if they saw anything."
She leans over enough that she can touch his arm, "Thank you. Even if it isn't the best dream… thank you for being enough of a friend to share it." Especially, letting the telepath see the memory. "I'll let you know what I find out."
Griffin offers a faint smile, nodding slowly to Kaylee. "I hope so." His hand runs through his hair as he watches the telepath as she speaks. "Right now, it's just…dark. I know that it will get better with time…but he doesn't, I don't think." He dips his head toward her.
Then, as she touches his arm, he nods slowly, offering a much warmer smile to Kaylee. His own hand reaches out, briefly covering hers. "Glad to be a friend. I try not to live up to the standards that the media has set for me." The media paints him as a cold-blooded killer. He tilts his head toward her, letting his hand drop back into his pocket.
"You take care, Kaylee. Keep in touch— and I'll try to do the same." A smile is offered to the woman. "Glad to have you as a friend."
Certainly, he needs as many of those as he can get these days.