Participants:
| Scene Title | Soprano Psychology |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | A TV-themed conversation sees a conflict analyst reveal a secret or two while providing a critique of recent events. |
| Date | July 14 2010 |
Gun Hill: Quinn's apartment.
Afternoons off are a wonderful thing indeed, and having only recently got up showed her dedication to taking the day off. First thing she'd done once she was up and aware of her surroundings was send a call out to Ygraine, wondering she she could step by soon - and advising her against expecting to find anything to eat at Quinn's, so to get lunch beforehand.
Morning routine had taken over from there, and now she found herself in a rather awkward position, one that really did more to relay her boredom than anything else - hanging upside down over the edge of her couch, for whatever reason imagining that watching Doctor Who upside down might bring her a bit of unexpected enjoyment.
Glad of the cooler weather, Ygraine has not had to discard her jacket on the way up to Quinn's flat. Rapping smartly on the door, she shifts the bag on her shoulder into a somewhat more comfortable position, while waiting for a response from inside the apartment.
The first sound Ygraine hears from inside is a bit of a tumbling thud, followed by cursing as Quinn is caught so surprised, she almost jumps out of her skin - and succeeds in rolling right off the couch. "C-Coming!" she shouts out between mutters, and moments later the door opens, revealing Quinn in a black t-shirt and dark, deep red ankle length skirt.
"Ygraine!" she exclaims happily, despite knowing that the Brit was going to be stopping by. "I was wonderin' when you'd get here," she remarks as she steps aside, a flourish of her hand indicating for Ygraine to step on in.
Laughing, Ygraine cocks her head as she slips inside. "Are you all right?", she asks, smiling curiously. "If I'm interrupting something…."
Quinn looks embarrassed, laughing sheepishly. "Nah. Just watchin' a DVD. Finally gettin' around to rewatching The Girl in the Fireplace, actually." She motions over to the TV somewhat dismissively. "I'm glad you were able t' stop by, though," Quinn says, closing the door before stepping up to Ygraine and hugging her, tipping up to put a quick kiss on Ygraine's cheek.
Ygraine blinks, then giggles sheepishly as she moves further inside, setting her bag down. "I love that episode. I cry every time I see it, I admit. Some of the lyricism in the writing of the new series…."
A shake of the head. "Maybe I'm just a sucker for a lonely angel…"
"It's one a' my favourite," Quinn remarks as she makes her way over to the couch, plopping down. "I'm really glad the guy who write it took over the show, this past series' been just fantastic." She nods in conformation, and then motions for Ygraine to come over and join. "I'm glad you could come by," she repeats, smiling warmly. "It's been a… busy last few days."
Ygraine swings her jacket off her shoulders, draping it over a chair. "Moffet's done some astonishing work", she says warmly. "The weeping angels are startlingly good Doctor Who monsters, and he seems to have a real knack for finding simple fears and working with them…."
Settling onto the sofa, she grins at her companion. "I've got DVDs of a series I saw as a child - his first big foray into TV, though it's rather dated now…."
"I've never seen the old Doctor Who series," Quinn confesses, "except for that… movie thing they did some time ago." She waggles her fingers as she speaks, shrugging. "But that's it." A moment of silence falls, and she blinks, snugging over against Ygraine. "So how was your weekend? I'm sure it was better than mine…"
"Paul McGann? Not bad, but… rather a Hollywoodisation of it, as you'd expect. Apparently he's a very good Doctor indeed in the radio plays…" Slipping an arm around Quinn, Ygraine delivers a quick squeeze. "My weekend? Hmmmm. Trying to sort out something about the possibility of a new job, but it's got a few strings attached so I'm attempting to be careful about it. How about you? What was wrong with yours?"
"I've never listened to the radio plays either," Quinn says with a bit of a chuckle, before looking up at Ygraine with an arched eyebrow. "A new job? Tired of being a courier, then?" Quinn teases, laughing for a moment before falling silent once more. She actually seems to squirm uncomfortably a little, quirking her lips. "I hate t' gossip or anythin', but did Elaine ever tell you about her last boyfriend? Before Magnes?"
Ygraine frowns worriedly. "I was offered rather a lot of money, and… being a courier isn't as vital to the city now as it was once upon a time. But… yes. Yes she did, a bit. I tried to persuade her to use the police for protection, and told her that she wasn't free of him and hadn't left him behind if she was still too scared to change her phone number and felt obliged to pick it up whenever he called…"
Quinn wrinkles her nose, sitting up. "He apparently found her the other day. Tried t' get Magnes to come after her or something, I dunno, I didn't see the text message. But it worked, an' Magnes…" Now she's transitioned into genuinely uncomfortable. "He, Sable, an' I went tog ether, when we found her, apparently he'd attacked her, she still has the cuts. She was holed up in an ally." Quinn looks up at Ygraine with worried eyes. "You should go by an see her sometime, she'd probably like t' see another friend still."
She exhales sharply, sliding down a bit on the sofa. "She seems fine now, for the most part. Which I'm glad for an' all, and I hope nothin' like this happens again." She pauses, looking back up Ygraine. "But what really scared me was Magnes."
Ygraine frowns darkly, listening intently to Quinn's tale. She nods slowly, sighing at the end. "That doesn't surprise me", she murmurs. "None of it. And I take it she's still not involved the police? And Magnes opposes her doing so, because it's his role?"
"I dunno if Magnes doesn't want her to or not, but I don't think Elaine has yet. She was uneasy about just goin' to the hospital, which is why I'm kinda glad someone - I forget her name- has rented the basement int' a medical facility." Quinn slouches a bit more, shaking her head. "Magnes was willin' to take weapons with him. Gave one t' Sable too. When I wouldn't take one, Magnes told me I could stay if I wanted to, but… I really didn't feel I could, if somethin' bad had happened to Elaine."
She wrinkles, her nose, turning a bit to face Ygraine. "I know it's silly t' use out abilities in public, but I don't think I've ever wish he'd rather done that more in my life. It- the situation with Elaine was bad, but it didn't make me scared. That did. An' I told Elaine I had been scared of what Magnes would do, but that I was over it. I try not t' make a habit of lying to anyone, but I was tryin' to make her feel better at the time. The last thing I wanted to do was worry her more. But I'm really not okay with it."
Ygraine snorts, frown distinctly dark now, and though her voice is very quiet it's clearly closely controlled. "He flaunts his powers at every opportunity - he flies across the city, leaps from windows, and so forth as a matter of habit. And he has the ability to project his powers onto other people. He surely has no need of weapons, unless he wants to kill in a way that he can pretend wasn't him… or he finds them to be an emotional crutch in times of stress."
"I didn't understand it m'self. Like… was he trying t' show how serious he was? Because t' me, it didn't quite do what I guess he wanted. I… was a little surprised Sable took so well t' taking a knife, but from what I know of her life, it's not that unusual." Quinn, looks down, hands folded in her lap. "I know Magnes at least had a gun. An' I just don't get why."
"Either he was planning murder and intending to conceal it - which would indicate cold consideration - or he knows that for some reason the man in question is immune to his powers and thought that violence was his first choice for dealing with the situation, which is bad enough… or he's so screwed in the head that he needs weaponry to rely upon when he feels emotionally challenged", Ygraine says quietly.
"Any of which could fit with his desperate desire to be in control of the world around him, and to be loved by it. Things that don't fit with that…"
"That's… why it worries me so much," Quinn says, still looking down. "I like Magnes, I do. He's a nice guy, an' he tries t' be that way more or less all the time, even if he is a tad lewd sometimes. But, I mean… who does something like that? Even in that situation?" She pauses, shaking her head. "I'm sorry; I didn't bring you here so I could complain about Magnes. Well, I did, but…" She huffs, blowing a bit of hair out of her face.
Ygraine gently shakes her head. "Elaine has gone from a relationship with a violent, controlling young man to… a relationship with someone who scares even his friends. Where did he get these weapons from? Did he have them ready to hand?"
"He- I know he keeps a knife in the couch, he showed to me before, one night when we talked about her ex, without Elaine around." Quinn shifts a bit in her seat, shaking her head again. "But dunno. He came outta his room with the rest."
Ygraine blinks slowly. "So… he had a weapon stashed in the sofa, that he took out in advance while talking about this man, and he wanted to share what he was going to do?" Now the incredulity is clearly breaking through into the Briton's voice.
"So… he had weapons, he played with weapons when the man came up, and he went to seek him with weapons - while arming someone else? That's pre-planned… and an attempt to form, what? His own little lynch mob?"
"He didn't tell me what he was going t' do, no. I… think he asked me if I knew how t' use one, you know. Just in case he decided to use us t' get to Elaine, which seemed grounded enough at the time. Now? I dunno. I don't think it was a lynch mob. Just… going really overboard on wantin' to protect Elaine."
Ygraine snorts. "And her ex is just really over-protective about wanting to shield her from other people. It's a justification, Quinn. It's not the real reason. If you hear that someone's been hurt, what do you think you should bring?"
"Someone who knows what they're doing," Quinn grumbles, hands propped down on her palms. "I dunno. I wouldn't have gotten all ready to walk on a' action movie set, at least. I still would have gone, even without weapons, though. I just… would have approached it differently."
Ygraine sighs quietly, leaning around a little to peer at her friend. "Robyn… if you hear that someone you care about is hurt, what's your first concern?"
"I… their safety, of course." Quinn looks up at Ygriane with an arched eyebrow - if Ygraine's trying to get a point across, for now it's lost on her. "What kind of question is that? If someone I know's in trouble, and I know about it, I'm gonna do what I can t' help them." She speaks in a very genuine manner, though now without nervous motions of her hand.
Ygraine nods slowly. "So… if you see that someone's crying, you give them a hug. If you see that someone's drenched, you give them a towel and somewhere warm. If someone's bleeding… you grab a knife from your sofa and a gun from the bedroom and go hunting? Not in your case, I think. I think you'd want to help them, not punish someone for harming your property. Did Magnes even take a first aid kit with him?"
"Christ, grab a knife? No way," Quinn shakes her head quickly and repeatedly, tilting it at Ygraine's last question. "No. I mean, we didn't know he's cut her until we got there, he just tore up his shirt for bandages, like in a movie or somethin'. I think the text message mentioned a knife, but…" she sighs, shaking her head. "Like I said, it's not what I would have done. At all."
"The only episode of the Sopranos I ever saw", Ygraine says quietly, "was one in which a friend of the lead character's daughter - a team-mate on a sport team at school - had been abused by her coach. The response of the parents of the various families involved, as word spread, was one of fury. And the mafiosi and associates plotted how to deal with the man in question - what horrible things they would do to him, and how he would be disposed of. Even a character who seemed to be the 'voice of sanity' was supportive of dealing with such scum… until he figured out why his wife blew her top at him, furiously telling him that he didn't give a damn about the girl at the centre of it all."
Ygraine tries to catch and hold her friend's gaze. "He figured it out in the end. And stopped the mafiosi from following through on their intentions. Because the point was that what they'd planned was nothing to do with helping the victim. They weren't trying to come up with ways to help her to feel better, or to protect her from repercussions, or to find out if she was in need of aid, or even to protect others from any other predators that might be out there. They were planning action by them, to punish someone they chose as a target, in a manner that they chose, at a time of their choosing, without even considering what the repercussions might be upon the person on whose behalf they were nominally acting."
"After all - how would the girl feel if the man who abused her was found brutally murdered? Would it make her experiences go away? Would it draw more attention to them? Would it lead to her and everyone she knew being considered as murder suspects? Would it in fact make her situation a renowned cause celebre?"
Shaking her head, Ygraine sighs. "If someone thinks first of violence and hunting, it's because they're thinking about themselves. And that's especially true if they're innately capable of dealing with just about any threat on the planet - be that as a mafioso or a super-powered Evolved. By tooling up for a hunt, they're readying themselves to do what they want. They're not thinking about the victim - they're thinking about their anger, their selfish need to feel in control. It's not an empathic response in the slightest - it's one that only makes sense if you're psychotic and see harm to the victim as an insult to you."
Quinn blinks as she listens to Ygraine, silent as she takes in the story she relates, processes it, and when she's done, she looks back down, straightening her posture otherwise. "Elaine said he was talking to… 'allies' to get help. She trusts him implicitly, and seems to think it'll help. I want t' talk to him about it- it sounds like it's shaping up just like you described." She blinks, looking up. "I…. want to, but at the same time I don't want t' overstep what Elaine wants. I don't want t' become that person who thinks they know what's best for her and goes over her t' do it. That feels… just as bad."
Ygraine sighs worriedly. "She's a dependant personality, it seems. She's gone from one controlling boyfriend with violent inclinations to a more powerful one who tells her that he'll fix the world and protect her. But they both decide what she needs, she looks to both of them to deal with that segment of her life, and… she's just an appendage. A treasured one, but… it was you who found out she played violin, wasn't it? Not the one who lives with her. It was me who found out that she had dreams of training, and that she wanted to do something with her talent - not someone who lived with her. I'm sure you could come up with more."
Ygraine's assessment makes Quinn's brow furrow, burying her face in her palms. "I… I don't know. I don't entirely feel like it's my place t' see anything. But Elaine's more or less my… best friend lately, for so many reasons. An' I want her t' be safe, you know? Just like I'd want you t' be safe." She sits back, head craning back and turning to look at Ygraine. "I've made an effort t' get to know her. I want t' think Magnes has too, more than that. But…" she huffs again, shaking her head. "I'm sorry. I'm not… I don't know what t' think at the moment."
Ygraine moves the arm around Quinn, bringing her hand up to stroke at the Irishwoman's hair. "I'm not pretending it's simple", she murmurs. "And I don't have clear answers as to what you should do. But I've still not heard any real reason for why the police weren't involved at the start - and the main reason for not involving them now would seem to be so that they don't find out about whatever Magnes has done or is planning to do."
She closes her eyes, then sighs and gives Quinn another half-hug. "Christ, Robyn", she murmurs. "He's someone who plans for an occasion when he might be sitting on the sofa in the apartment he shares with his 'beloved' girlfriend, and might happen to need to surprise someone with a bladed weapon pulled out from within it. He views something you sit on to watch TV as a potential battleground that he needs to seed with lethal surprises."
"I don't know," Quinn replies with a hint of frustration. "Whenever I get around t' talking to him about it, I planned on asking just that. I was too worried and scared in the moment t' really think of it then." She grimaces, eyes drifting off to the side. "I know if something happens again, I'm calling them regardless of what anyone wants. I… don't want t' be that scared again."
Quinn slides close to Ygraine, hooking an arm around her, burying her face in her arm. "I know. And that worries me, so much. I put so much trust in people, t' keep themselves and each other safe and happy. But Magnes… I dunno anymore. After everything I've heard, some of the things Elaine's said, because she's had her own worries in the past, an' now this… I dunno. But I don't want t' just tell him off, despite that it doesn't seem like he took what I said t' him last time to heart."
Ygraine sighs worriedly. "How can he? His… world-view is built around the notions of sacrificing himself to control the world. I told Elaine that she had to find reasons for Magnes to be Magnes - to want to be a person, rather than a comic character… or someone from the Dark Knight, as he now seems to be going for. He doesn't relate to people or the world in a… remotely normal way. Everything's a… a set of four-colour images, with villains and larger-than-life events that can only be dealt with in a larger-than-life way. And he happens to have acquired a pretty redheaded girlfriend whom he can rescue from troublesome supervillains."
"He does seem t' like his comics too much…" she mutters. She sighs, slinking a bit closer to Ygraine. "I need t' figure out what t' do. Both my friends trust him so much. But he kinda scares me now, an' I want them both t' be safe. Particularly Elaine, because I know Sable can handle herself if she needs to. But Elaine…"
"You should be scared", Ygraine murmurs. "I worry that people fit into his life only in so far as they play roles in the grand show of which he's the star. Elaine's to be treasured because she strokes his ego and provides him with a super-persona's vulnerability - a chance to be tortured by his love for a helpless maiden, who might end up in trouble… and oh, look, here she is in trouble! And rather than call the police or get her protection, he promises to deal with it - but can't before she gets hurt. And now she's hurt, he's 'got' to take upon himself the terrible duty of turning vigilante - which, of course, he really doesn't want, but he'll do anyway because it's the sort of sacrifice he's a big enough man to make on behalf of the world…"
The Briton snorts, angrily disgusted, shaking her head - though her voice is again very quiet when she resumes talking. "Before this, I tried to show Elaine the footage of the Shibuya Incident, since she'd said she'd never seen it. She refused to see it… because Magnes had told her about it. She couldn't… maybe I was just pushing too hard, but that to me suggested that she didn't trust herself to still trust him if she saw what had actually happened. As if she knows that her faith in him is… artificial. That she's placed him on a pedestal, that she's taking it on faith that he won't do anything like that again…. Yet now he's stashing weapons in his sofa. That doesn't sound to me like he's getting any better - quite the opposite."
"I just… Elaine seems confident that Magnes is being level headed about this," Quinn says quietly. "She didn't seem unnerved when I told her about the weapons, or anythin' else. She says that however it ends up going, things'll take care of themselves an' all of this will be done with. Which is how I want t' feel, how I normally would feel. I jsut hope it's without somethin' terrible happening t' someone. Without Magnes going totally overboard."
"I don't think he's capable of that", Ygraine says tiredly, glancing around. "Do you have 'net access here? I seem to recall you saying that you hadn't seen footage either. I want at least one of you to know what I think he's got worse from, given what you're telling me."
"Uh, yeah. Computer's in the music room." She grows silent afterwards, sitting up with her hands folded in her lap, gaze focused on them. "I'm… Do I really want t' see this? I'm already worrisome about him as it is, but I'd still like t' think he's a friend. I-I don't want t' lose that. I'm worried I'll love more if I do." She doesn't say it, but she means Elaine and Sable.
"Elaine didn't want to hear it because she wants to be able to put her faith in someone to deal with the scariness for her. Maybe it's a response to her history - but it's not one I'd recommend. And I think you really ought to know more about what he's done."
Leaning over, she plants a kiss on her friend's brow. "He's someone who changed the immigration policy of a country, and was credited with being the reason for the creation of a special armed response team that hadn't even existed before…"
Rising to her feet, she holds out a hand. "C'mon. I do think that you should know what you're dealing with, so that you can make a decision - your own one. Not one that's drip-fed to you by someone else, or enforced by fear of losing people he's got under his control at the moment."
Quinn quirks her lips, gaze still downcast for a moment. A sigh escapes her lips, and her hand tentatively rises to take Ygraine's, though she doesn't look up. Not quite yet. She's quietly contemplating exactly what all of this means. What she wants to do. Who she needs to speak to. When she does finally stand, she looks up at Ygraine with a weak smile and nods, still silent.
Ygraine gently guides Quinn through to her computer, sitting down before it as it boots up. After a slight pause, she attempts to draw her friend into her lap, holding her close while she goes through the process of bringing up a browser, searching for "Shibuya Incident" - and then selecting from the many, many options.
She starts with the press conference at which Prime Minister Taro Aso announced martial law in Tokyo, the erection of road blocks, the curtailing of internet access, the termination of all visas for foreign Evolved…
After that, it's a selection of home-video and cell phone footage of a super-powered battle in the middle of one of the world's most famous landmarks.
Quinn's eyes narrow as she watches the computer screen, arms wrapped around Ygraine as she leans forward a bit. Her attention is focused hard on the TV, an eyebrow arched as she watches talk of martial law and visa termination, her head tilting and a look of confusion on her face.
And then the actual footage begins, and the moment she catches first sight of Magnes, her eye s widen. "Holy shit," she intones quietly, leaning forward a bit as she watches the mayhem on screen. She shifts in Ygraine's lap that she can focus better on each and every bit, and when it finishes, she just leans back, speechless.
"See why I think it's relevant?", Ygraine asks - tone sad, rather than proud or righteous. "That was apparently how he responded to a woman he cared about being endangered. And now… well."
She shudders, squeezing gently. "I'm scared, Robyn. Genuinely scared. I'm not as close to Elaine as you, but I do like her. But Magnes's behaviour fits everything that would be required to be locked up, if he were in the UK. He's shown active disregard for his own health, he struggles to relate to reality and people through conventional social interaction, he regards violence as a suitable response, and he categorically does pose a threat to other people's safety - even before he begins tooling up with weaponry. I hoped that Elaine would be able to provide him with a route out of it before the authorities rescinded whatever free pass he somehow got given after Shibuya… but I'm scared that they won't. And I'm very scared of what that would mean for those around him."
After several moments, Quinn gulps audibly, still staring at her monitor. "I, um…" Her gaze downturns again, fingers raising to rub her temples. "I have… no idea what t' do about this. I… well, I've considered Magnes a friend until now, an' Elaine to. But Lord knows I don't want anythin' like this happening t' anyone I know or care for. And I don't want…" She quirks her lips, looking over at Ygraine. "I don't want t' be scared. But I want to trust him, and I don't want t' lose Elaine or anyone else because I choose not to."
Her arms cross across her midsection, gaze moving off to the side. "But this… like, this is… bad." Hell of an understatement. "I want t' keep anything like this from happenin', but if he's done it before…"
"Oh, the things you've seen to like are in there", Ygraine says gently. "When… when I was locked up, I was still me. In part and at times, but it was still in there - what made up me, I mean. I'm not saying that you're wrong to have liked him, or to have trusted him. But… I was rightly taken into care because a suicidally-inclined speed freak with access to motorised transport was a danger to herself and to the public. Magnes doesn't give a damn about his health, sees his role in the world as providing salvation through self-sacrifice, and views people in the world as justifying stashing weapons in his sofa."
Another careful, gentle squeeze with both arms. "The boy's either batshit or is crazy enough that he's putting all this on as some sort of act because he thinks it's who he ought to be, or who other people want him to be. He needs help, either way. And the person I'd hoped could provide it… she's a dependant personality whose response to stress seems to be finding a violent male to hide behind."
Quinn's lips quirk, and she sighs, hanging her head. "I'm going t' have t' talk to him sometime very soon about all this. Calmly if he capable of it. But I have t' talk to him about it." She looks over at Ygraine, a very long frown on her face. "He's m' friend. Even… as worrisome as the last few days 'ave been, he's still my friend. I have t' talk to him about it."
Ygraine nods gently. "A large part of me wants you to stay the Hell away from him", she says quietly. "He's personally dangerous, he courts danger, he brings it upon others around him, and he seems to see at least some people's 'role' as being rescued by him from danger. But… I was serious about the things you've seen, that you like… those are in there, inside him. They're not false. They're part of him. That's a… possibility for who he could be. Maybe who he ought to be."
At that, Quinn looks up at Ygraine with oddly narrowed eyes. "Ygraine… please, do me a favour. Don't… please don't ever say anythin' like that t' me. And mean it. About tellin' me t' stay away from and all." And now she seems to ahve latched on to the negative. "I know right now you're just cautionin' me, and I'm considerin' all this carefully, I promise. But… there's no faster way t' piss me off than tellin' me who t' be around. Just… fair warning."
The Irishwoman gulps audibly following that, and then nods. "He's not been bad until… recentish. I'm hopin' once James is put away an' any of the other problems he has are resolved, we'll get back t' normal again. But… I dunno. I'm really worried 'bout a lot of things right now."
Quinn becomes a member. But the first thing she's going to do before she officially accepts membership is talk to Magnes, because Elaine came to her after Magnes got visted in the night, right before he went of fon his mission, and asked if Quinn was a "seret agent", and if was all ._. about Magnes having to go off on some dangerous mission. So she's going to find him and be like "Is this what Ferry work is? Going off headlong into danger and scaring the hell out of your girlfriend? Because I want no part if so." Bonus trouble if he confesses to being in Messiah then, because that'll pretty much end their friendship on the spot."
Ygraine looks both hurt and worried by Quinn's response, cautiously reaching up to try to cup her friend's cheek. "I was saying that you should try to stick by him", she says gently. "That what you say in him to like is just as real as the… scary loon who hides knives in his sofa in case he ever needs to stab someone while he's sitting on it."
Shaking her head, she attempts to hold Quinn's gaze. "If people had given up on me when I went mad, I would probably still be in there now. I do not advocate abandoning people because their mind's fractured. I was trying to encourage the opposite."
Quinn blinks, nodding before laying her head down on Ygraine's shoulder. "I- know, I guess. I was just sayin'. You know, fair warnin' and all, cause kinda where it sounded like you were headed." Hereyes close momentarily, and she just snuggles into Ygraine. "I'm certain;y not going t' give on him, I just… don't know if I can take somethin' like that," she says as she points up to the computer. "Or even another time where he decides he needs t' be Chow Yun Fat in Hard Boiled or something."
"And you shouldn't have to", murmurs Ygraine, dithering for a few moments before cautiously attempting to guide Quinn into her lap. "I… just think that your friend - the person you like - will be getting abandoned if people don't start trying to help him to be the person that Magnes is, rather than the Chow Yun Fat or Batman personas. I know that's who you want him to be. Elaine says she does, but she seems ready to hide behind the crazy personas at the moment. And from what you say, Sable was tooling up alongside him - which is a good bit more than implicit support for the crazy stance."
Squeezing gently, Ygraine sighs. "I'm worried that if the loony personas keep getting encouraged, the Magnes who won your affection will stop getting a look-in. That he'll be locked away, like most people lock away their violent sides."
Quinn's hands raise, rubbing her face. "I know. An' I've tried so hard not t', but it's frustrating. No one really seems t' listen to me when things actually get serious. When it comes t' music, or… other things, I'm one a' the first people anyone turns to. But the moment somethin' actually seems t' get serious, everyone gets so belligerant."
Ygraine sighs worriedly. "I can sympathise with that, believe me. I'm… I often feel as if I'm the back-up that people turn to when no one else is around. I'm what people make do with."
Resting her head against Quinn's shoulder, she nuzzles gently. "At least you have a field in which you're considered an expert. I'm just some nerdy bookworm who married a teenager."
"I don't really think that," Quinn says quietly. "Elaine's made it quite clear, at least, that she prefers coming t' me when she's about t' break down or things get really hairy, you know?" She sighs, burying her face in Ygraine once more. "I just feel like when thing gets get really serious, it's like no one wants t' listen t' common feckin' sense anymore. It's so incredibly frustratin'."
"I could witter on about my knowledge of conflcitual behaviour, but… it never seems to help anyone", Ygraine says morosely, before delivering a tight hug. "Whereas my feeling sorry for myself is bound to, of course. I do apologise."
Ferrymen> Sociopath? Cat is fairly wide open, likely available whenever showtime arrives. Had thus sought to dovetail with stated times. Raith's the hard one to pin down.
"Apologise? Why?" Quinn returns the hug, craning her head up to kiss Ygraine's cheek. "You do have an a field t' be expert in - cyclin'. Sports. Exercise. I still think you should be a trainer a' some sort. An' the books, the history…" And then she leans back a bit, smirking. "Oh? I didn't know that. I'm glad I'm not the only one who seem t' like some younger women," Quinn remarks with a smirk before nuzzling back up against Ygraine.
Ygraine sticks her tongue out. "I'd like to think that my brain was considered valuable, rather than just the fact that I have lots of muscles on my thighs and arse", she grumbles. "But people who can analyse conflict and suggest how it might be resolved are generally the last people anyone turns to when things go wrong. Heck, they might disagree with your plans for hurting people!"
"Aw," Quinn says quietly, smiling again. "I think your brain's right valuable, Ygraine. You're really smart, an' it shows. I love that about you." When Ygraine continues, her smile fades a bit, eyes closing. "I've… never quite had a problem with anythin' like that before. I mean, people not listenin', yeah, but not this bad. Probably why it's so frustratin'."
Ygraine clings tightly to Quinn, nuzzling again. "I hope that I listen to you, Robyn", she murmurs. "I know I lecture. But I hope that I listen, too."
"You do, Ygraine," Quinn says quietly, a hand rising up to Ygraine's cheek, her smile returning after a moment. "Maybe a bit too well," she says with a laugh and a shake of her head. "But you do, an' I appreciate it. An' you lectures… I mean, sometimes they're a bit long, but I like 'em. They're informative. I like leanin' things, even if they aren't always so… happy."
Ygraine whimpers, squirming and nuzzling as an attempt to hide her embarassment. "I listen too well?", she asks curiously, peeping up with a smile. "Though I note that even my girlfriend thinks that I go on a bit."
"Too well. You always seem t' know what I like an' what t' do, even if I only mentioned it in passin," Quinn says with a wink and a laugh, before sitting up a bit more properly, hand still on Ygraine's cheek. "But I love that. I really do. It's a nice change of pace from the way things are goin' lately. You're doin' a wonderful job of keepin' me from going off on someone after the other day."
"I do want you to feel that you mean a great deal more to me than… just being a dress-up doll I've introduced to corsets and steampunkery", Ygraine murmurs bashfully. "I want you to think that I find you fascinating to listen to, and a delight to spend time with."
"I never thought I was such a thing, Ygraine," Quinn says quietly, snuggling up against Ygraine. "An' I really doubt I ever will. I just like spendin' time with you. You've proven a wonderful friend before everythin' else, you know? I mean…" She exhales quietly, shaking her head. "There's really few people I've connected with so fast. I mean, like… I trust people a lot, an' I always get to know people real well, but… I don't think I've ever gotten so comfortable with many people so fast, you know? I think the only other person in some time is… Elaine. Not t' discount Sable, she's a great, close friend, but it's… not quite the same."
Ygraine tightens her hug, half-crushing Quinn for a few moments. "I hope I've proved that I trust you", she says with a low laugh. "But if there's anything else you want to know, ask. There are precious few things I wouldn't tell you - and I think they'd all be things I'd categorise as other people's secrets."
Quinn nods quickly, holding Ygraine tight with a smile on her face. "I will, don't worry. But… I'll also never pry if I don't think I need t'. That's… I hate doing that. So much." Her fingers stroke Ygraine's cheek and neck, a bit of a quiet laugh following. "But I'm so happy t' know I have that freedom. The same holds true with me. Just so you know. I'm an open book if I need t' be."
Ygraine remains silent for a few moments… then quirks a mischievous little smile. "So… in that light of asking whatever comes to mind, is there anything I can do to cheer you up and distract you from the cares of the world?"
Quinn leans back again, blinking a few times before she forms a playful smile. "A few things," she admits, leaning in and kissing Ygraine's neck for a moment. She sits up a bit in Ygriane's lap, clasping herself tightly around the Brit. "But just bein' here's helping. I'm kinda content like this."