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| Scene Title | Stuck In Molasses Swamp |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Some folks gather after dinner for chatter and boardgames. |
| Date | January 14, 2011 |
Pollepel Island: Dining Hall
The evening press for dinner is over, leaving the hall mostly empty again except for the few stragglers that just want to loiter there. One of those is Kaylee Thatcher, who is finally resting after having just finished kitchen work for the day. She isn't alone, however. A tiny girl with light curls and pale eyes stands on the bench next to her, leaning over a board game. Feet clad in bright blue shoes. A fairly new doll lays on the bench next to her, also wearing blue shoes.
Candyland.
Easy enough for any young child to play. In fact, she seems to be rather enjoying this game. With a little blue gingerbread man in her hand, she thumps it heavily on the colored squares. Two purple ones. Kaylee watches her with a smile smile on her face, her own yellow figure sits well back on the board.
That smile widens, when Emily looks at her with a triumphant look. "Excellent. You are definitely winning so far."
"I still say that you are cheating" Abigail's parked at the bench too, a baby on the knee of her good leg and holding her there so that the infant can play with some natural playdough while she watches the game of candyland. Kasha's currently burbling, worming her fingers into the green salty dough, pinch bits of it between her finger under Abby's supervision. Crutches nearby, a splint across the brunette's nose, she's taking it easy. Physically at least. mentally is a whole different thing but hse's keeping her mental rumblings to a minimum for Kaylee's benefit.
Lynette's been away from the island for a while, but it's time to check in and check up on things. Thus the visit. When she steps into the hall, she has a cigarette between her lips, but spotting the young ones there, she pauses a moment. Internal debate. A glance back the way she came. And, ultimately, a sigh as she puts the cigarette out and continues into the room.
"Ladies. I see the younger generation is giving you a run for your money," Lynette says with a crooked smile.
Griffin is one of the few stragglers. He oh-so-slowly working on his meal, eating much slower than everyone else. It's not that he's not hungry, he just…doesn't feel like eating as much as he normally does. Sure, he's happy. He's newly engaged for the second time; hopefully it works out better this time around. His son is finally starting to open up, if only a tiny bit. The boy even seems to get along with Nadira, more than he could have ever hoped for. But…there's still the weight of his situation. He didn't finish until most of the dinner rush was already gone.
Now, he sits on a bench, working a toothpick over his teeth as he watches Abby and Kaylee and the children with them. He has his own child; Owain is seated next to him, his arms folded as he loses himself in a book. The boy has been reading a lot lately. Perhaps to get away from the cold hard truth that the woman he believed to be his mother is now dead.
Occasionally, Griffin, who sports a bit of a bruised up face from his adventure in bellyflopping in the Hudson River, glances to his son, but otherwise he watching the women. As Lynette makes her appearance, Griffin's face brightens ever-so-slightly. "Lynette," he murmurs, raising a hand in her direction.
Having avoided the rush for supper, and the need for food a more pressing matter, Koshka makes her way into dining hall not too far behind Lynette. The teenager's pace had actually slowed slightly, a hesitation of sorts that hunger wins over. And so, on entering the dining area, blye eyes peer about with a guarded nature, taking in those still lingering. So many face she's not sure about.
Rather than turn and abandon the search for a bite, the youth sidles into dining hall proper. A small friendly enough wave is offered in genearal.
Abby gets a wide eyed, look of innocence from the quiet little girl. Kaylee presses her lips together as if she's privy to something, since only she hears what the girl is thinking. She doesn't say anything, just draws a card. A single blue. Once her piece is moved, she gives the girl a nudge. So that she can get too it.
Though, what Kasha has looks more fun, Emily watches curiously. Inching closer to Abigail and the baby, before sinking to knees next to them. It's like a tiny blonde vulture waiting for a scrap of meat.
Kaylee doesn't push the issue of it being the toddler's turn, glancing instead to Lynette. The council woman gets a bright smile. "Yeah, Emily here was just schooling me in Candyland. I'll owe her two bedtime stories tonight." Which means all the girls in that room will get two stories.
Of course, then eyes slide past Abby to the girl beyond. "Who is this?" Kaylee's question is friendly, with an accompanying smile. "Must be new since I was last out here." After a moment she adds, "If your hungry, might be able to get a bit of stew and a roll from the kitchen."
"That is Koshka, newly forged of the Lighthouse bunch" Abby offers, a weak smile for Lynette, the EMT's words heavily slanted to nasal. "Koshak, Kaylee, Lynette, Griffin, emily, Kasha and Owain" Abigail gestures to each as she says their name. As emily inches closer, Kasha grabs a handful of playdough, plunking it apart from the rest before diving back to her pile. Unintentionally sharing. But it's there, free for Emily to try and make a mad dash for.
"Koshka and I have met, if briefly. I see you made it here," Lynette says to the girl, her smile still crooked. But her steps take her over to lean a hip against Griffin's table. And the man is greeted with a fuller smile and a nod. "Good to see you again, Griffin." There's a glance toward his son, but his presence isn't questioned. She's just observing.
"Betting on Candyland. I like that. Go on, Emily, go for three. shoot for the moon," she says with a chuckle. Gambling: get 'em started young.
Griffin smiles faintly as he watches the little girls play, before glancing to the quiet Owain. After a moment, he reaches out, rubbing his son's back. As he and the boy are introduced, Griffin perks up a bit, raising a hand in a wave. When Owain shows no signs or desires of looking up from his book, Griffin leans over, whispering into the boy's ear.
As Lynette approaches his table, Griffin then stands, offering a whisp of a smile to the woman. After another glance to his son, Griffin reaches out, attempting to place a hand on Lynette's shoulder to lead her a bit away from those gathered, offering a polite smile their way; he'll join the group momentarily, but for now, the grim look on his face betrays the bad news on the horizon.
Once he's gotten Lynette a good distance away, Griffin leans down to murmur in her ear with a frown on his face.
Another vague wave is given as everyone is introduced, followed by a quiet "Hi, everyone." Koshka even offers a brief, though shy grin to Kaylee and Lynette in turn. A look of thanks passes to Abby, grateful for names being passed out, before the youth directs herself toward the kitchen and the possibility of finding something edible.
Disappearing into the kitchen, Koshka takes little time in finding and acquiring food. A small bowl of stew and a roll as earlier prescribed, something that blue eyes watch with an intensity as she eventually makes her way from the kitchens and to an empty seat at the table.
"Nice to meet you, Koshka," Kaylee offers with a small dip of her head, while Emily ignores all and focuses on that playdough. Kaylee though, glances over at Lynette again, with a smirk. "Hey, gotta do something to keep the game interesting. Especially, with the lack of video games and TV." These kids live in a generation where TV is king, now thrown into a more medieval setting. Literally.
When Griffin goes to lead her away, there is a touch of mild curiosity, but it's not her place. So the telepath looks to her current companions. Especially, Emily who is in the process of plucking the green dough from where it's been left, as an uncertain glance goes to Abby.
"So glad to be back finally," Kaylee murmurs. "It's overwhelming in the city anymore." Ever since she spent five long years in a totally different sort of New York.
Emily starts shaping the dough into… well something. It's hard to tell. Koshka is however looked at, fingers pausing in work, and offered a bright smile. No words are spoken, only the smile.
Hey wait a minute, that's mine. Or one could imagine that that is what the baby says as she makes to grab at the dough she put to the side, babble berating noises at Emily for thinking to take her playdough. Abby gestures to an empty spot near her that Koshka can take up, she too glancing towards Griffin as he takes lynette to the side. "Hey Owain, Emily could really use someone else to try and beat. I bet you'd kick her booty at Candyland. Chocolate bar to the winner" The former EMT offers up, reaching over to pry Kasha's hands from the playdough and direct her back to the main pile of green dough.
Lynette steps aside with Griffin easily and her head tilts a bit as he leans in to whisper. There's a surprised blink, and then she turns to look up at Griffin, and then over at Owain. It's an old habit to keep her expressions schooled, but sympathy shows anyway.
When she looks back to Griffin, she puts a hand on his arm, a sign of that sympathy for the man. She opens her mouth to reply, but given the presence of the children, she leans in to whisper in return to Griffin. Of course, anyone who can see her face might be able to guess it's not a happy whisper. And probably not a comforting one, either.
Owain blinks a few times, reluctantly looking up from his book as Abby calls out to him. And for a long moment, all he does is stare at her like he really doesn't want to. But it's Abby. The boy turns his eyes back down to his book, finishing the page, before setting it pages-down, to save his spot. Then, he gets up from the booth, approaching the Candyland board. "She can have the chocolate even if I win. I don't like sweets." Because none of them are like his mom used to make for him. That's all he says as he settles down at the board game, looking to Emily. "Let's play."
Griffin dips his head down to listen to Lynette's response. Then, he raises his head, bobbing it in a nod of agreement. He murmurs one last time into her ear, a frown on his face, before he turns to lead the woman back to the group. He almost looks surprised that Owain is up and not focused on his book. "Glad to see our book worm is up and about." Griffin puts on a (fake) happy face, settling down next to his son.
The offered seat is taken, Koshka carefully placing her bowl and bread down on the table and out of reach of grabby baby hands before seating herself. Once lowered, she turns an intensely curious look on Griffin, possibly not out of place amongst the other looks he and Lynette have been receiving.
Keeping any thoughts around the exchange to herself, Koshka turns some attention onto the stew. A spoon raises and pokes at a veggie before scooping it up and tasting. Not bad, even if she hadn't been hungry. Another bite is taken, more hearty than the first, and while the teenager mulls over the flavors, she casts a glance down the table to the others gathered.
Emily is really giving crying a serious thought as her barely started sculpture is squished in baby hands. That bottom lip sticks out a little, eyes watery, and she even gives a hitch of her breath. Only think missing is that whine, but it doesn't happen.
Something about the mention of candy, even at that age, will get a kids attention.
The toddler turns those watery filled to Owain, hopeful. Even leaving the green playdough to it's owner. Heck with that!
The pieces are moved, she of course holds on to that blue one. It's her's to use, but she does offer the other three colors to the boy. Clearly, she wants him to pick. Kaylee clarifies it verbally, "Emily says to pick a color." Blue eyes flick to the boys father as he settles in, giving him a soft smile, maybe it's a sort of understanding… or she's just being nice.
"Good," Lynette says firmly before she turns back to the others, too. She doesn't find a seat, apparently more comfortable standing. But she doesn't look happy, like Griffin, merely sort of… grumpy. "You kids are lucky, I was an only child growing up. Had to play board games all by my self," she notes, to the children, as if doing so was the end of the world. Because when you're a kid, it is!
Reaching out, Owain picks up the yellow piece. Yellow is a pretty cool color. He then offers a faint, halfhearted smile toward Emily, holding it up. See? He picked a piece. The boy turns green eyes up to Kaylee, raising his brows a bit. "How do you know what she's saying?" The boy sets his piece on the starting square, before sitting back, casting a brief glance to his father, before he's looking back to the board.
Griffin offers a smile to the toddler. "Blue is a great color. You have good taste, young lady." He tips his head toward the girl, a faint smile on his features. His eyes, though, they're always way too expressive. Those look sad. But then again, Griff has very few moments where he's not feeling some kind of sadness or another, these days. The happy points are just…buoys in a lake, really.
After another pause on Griffin, Koshka's gaze flits up to Lynette. But it only rests there momentarily before dropping to the game of Candyland. Far more interesting to watch the younger kids play, or just a really good distraction. Absently she tears off a chunk of her roll, following up with that after a mouthful of stew.
"Because I'm a telepath." Kaylee comments without skipping a beat, taking the cards to shuffle them. She doesn't look at boy and father as she does, there is always that awkward feeling after saying something like that. "Helps with her, cause she can't speak for herself." The cards are set to one side of the game, a little closer to Emily cause she's smaller.
Normally, Emily has issues with men… they make her nervous, but maybe it's the compliment about blue. She likes blue. She points at her feet as if to say, 'See! Blue.' Then she crouches down on the seat of the bench and holds up the doll with her blue shoes. 'See!'
"You, Lynette, are not the only… only child. I grew up the only kid in my house, even if I have a brother and a sister." Kaylee glances at the council woman with a knowing smirk.
"Only child too. We read the bible, a lot, which was good. But my momma and my Dah, we'd play candyland and chutes and ladders" Abigail looks to Koshka then tilts her head in the direction of the game. "You could join in, i"m sure. If you don't think your too old and all that. I'd play but I gotta keep an eye on Kasha till it's time to feed her"
But there's Lynette. "How goes civilization? Any news?"
"They came around far too late for candyland tournaments," Lynette points out with a playful smile toward Kaylee. But her attention turns to Abby. "Well. After the incident on Staten, I mostly laid low over there. Things seem… steady." If there's anything to comment on, she's opting not to in front of the children.
"A telepath?" Owain's eyes widen, then he grins. "That's really cool! So you can hear people's thoughts? I bet it's noisy. My head is noisy sometimes. There's lots of thoughts in there." He tilts his head to one side. "I'm an Evolved, too, but I don't know what I'm gonna be." He shrugs, before turning to watch Emily. Seems the boy is enjoying himself, for the most part. It's a rare moment, indeed.
Griffin tilts his head toward Kaylee, brows arching faintly. A telepath? Fascinating— first he's met, certainly. "I bet it helps out quite a bit." He turns his eyes toward the board. "I'm sure you could do some amazing things with that ability. Help those who can't talk for themselves speak— I'm sure they appreciate it, certainly." After a moment, he smiles to Kaylee, running a hand through his hair. Which could probably use a hair cut soon. It's getting a little long. The hook-nosed man then flashes a faint smile toward Koshka. "How have you been? You doing okay here?"
A surprised look passes up to Abby, then turns dubious as she looks to the game of Candyland. Koshka could join in the game, admittedly it does look like fun, but angling toward being more grown up seems the better choice at the moment. Plus, she's eating, and no one likes food goobers where they're playing.
Blue eyes lift toward Lynette as she speaks of news from the real world. Koshka can't help but be interested in what's going on over there, especially concerning Staten, but she doesn't raise questions of her own. A glance cuts over to Griffin when she's addressed by him, responding with a small nod. "Yeah, I'm okay," she says easily enough. "Getting settled in I guess."
"Same." Kaylee says with amusement, tugging up a corner of her mouth at Lynette. "In fact, I only found them fairly recently." Not that it went well.
"It noisy, but not really a bad sort." Since she's lived with it for so long, it more of a comfort. Familiar. "It's kinda like… listening to a room full of people talking. You can't really hear what they are saying, unless you really listen, but you know they are there. " She leans over a bit, resting her arm on the table, "But… it's rude to eaves drop, so I don't." A glance goes to Griffin, maybe it's a comment to ease his worries.
"And… it's been useful, as well as a bad thing." Kaylee shrugs a bit, looking to Emily who draws a card. A plum on a pink background. She gives a little bounce and moves her piece to that point on the board, settling into the game easily enough. "It's all in how you use it, of course. Tho' more often then not… well… people don't much like you. Always a price to be paid." The comment is softly spoken, if truthful.
'Telepathy, far more useful that pyromorphing. Unless you are in a desperate need of s'mores, or a campfire" Or who knows what else. Kasha starts to snuffle then, looking like she's about to kick up a fuss. 'And so, it's time to eat, and with that, I'll see y'all later" Abby's going to go make sure the baby gets fed, cleaned, probably tucked into bed before she starts her tour of duty down in the infirmary. "Have a good night y'all" Abigail offers.
"Given what your dad can do, kiddo, it's probably going to be pretty awesome," Lynette says to Owain, the smile on her face turning more gentle, "My dad's a telekinetic, too, actually." There's a glance over to Kaylee, a little nod following the other woman's words. "That can be any power. Good and bad, it tends to be the person, not the power." And when Abby start to make her exit, Lynette lifts a hand to wave to the pyromorph. "See you later, Abby."
Owain leans forward slightly, apparently quite amazed by Kaylee's ability. "Well, I like you. You're nice, and I can talk to you with my mind and you can hear me." Owain offers a faint smile up to Kaylee. "That's really neat. I hope my ability is something cool like yours. Or my dad's. My dad is a telekinetic. He can move things with his mind." Owain then blinks over at Lynette. "I hope so. I want to do cool things like that."
Griffin smiles faintly down at Owain, patting the boy on the back. Then, he and Owain both look up as Abby moves to depart. They wave in tandem, as well. Griffin speaks, though. "See you later." Then, his eyes turn back to his son. "They're right. My power could be really bad." His power has been really bad, actually. "It's all in how you use it." Perhaps he should listen to his own advice one of these days.
Not bloody likely, when men like Heller are still around.
"Later, Abby," comes from Koshka, muffled around some of her supper. She pokes at the last of the stew in her bowl, scraping it together to form one final mouthful of food. Her eyes return to the gameboard as she polishes off that bite, making short work despite all her hesitation. "Any power could be fun though," the teenager points out once her meal has been finished. "Like.. Griffin can lay in bed and make sandwiches. And… I bet telepathy could make card games really interesting."
ORDER: Abby has dropped from the pose order.
A hand is lifted in farewell to Abby, "I'll talk to you later," Kaylee offers with a smile. "Was good seeing you again." She also offers a little wave to the baby as well. Emily glances up from the game, long enough to do her own little wave.
Kaylee takes a moment to br4ush at the table where Abby and the baby were sitting, before gesturing Koshka closer. No need for her to be so far away. "It also means, kids can't get away with things without me know." There is a tease to her voice as she says it, too.
"I don't know, Lynette. Sometimes, an ability will define a person." Kaylee bobs her head side to side, not wholly convinced at her own words, but she adds. "But… all in all how a person is shaped by their environment will determine what a danger they are.
"As for my family… we all seem to have mental based abilities, stuff that doesn't really manifest into things like fire, or such. Like my own father's ability is all about predicting the future through probabilities." Is that a touch of bitterness? Maybe, it's hidden by a smile plastered on Kaylee's face.
"Well, I'm glad that I'm good, then." Owain smiles up to Kaylee, putting on his best charming smile. "You won't catch me doing anything bad." He is generally a good kid. At least there's that for his dad. He turns his eyes toward the board game, setting about starting to play— mostly, however the toddler wants to play. He's played with toddlers before.
A laugh is offered to Koshka. "I can do that and a whole bunch more. Maybe one of these days, I'll take you flying." Griffin tilts his head to one side. "I— really don't know if my dad is even Evolved or not, to be honest. Nor do I know if my mom is." He leans an elbow against the table, resting his chin in the palm of his hand as he watches Owain play.
"Fun?" Lynette seems amused by that observation and she does move to sit down before her attention turns over to Kaylee again. "I suppose sometime in the future, so sociologist will do a study on the effect abilities have on the human psyche and behaviors." For now, people seem far too worried about controlling them to really study them in that way, though, more's the pity. "I don't know if my mother is either. It's never come up in conversation," Lynette observes to Griffin. "But, I have to say, comparing my experience in having someone there who knew what was going on and how to help, compared to other's and their tales of going it alone… it's part of why I got involved here. To get the right guidance to people who need it. That could make a lot of difference."
Fun is an adequate adjective in Koshka's mind, but she amends her statement all the same. "Well it also means you have to be careful. Not just because you could overdo it and hurt yourself, but…" With a pause, she glances toward the kids. The younger kids. "—Then your parents wouldn't be happy." Hopefully that's a safe enough cover.
The teenager quiets herself again, sliding over to claim Abby's spot. Her bowl, though empty, is dragged over as well and peered into.
Emily seems to be all about helping, as she picks a card for Owain and offers it to him. Of course, the toddler peeks at it as she passes it over. If he's too slow, she might move his piece too. Ah the impatience of youth. Especially where chocolate is concerned. Koshka is also given a glance and a red playing piece is suddenly picked up and held out shyly.
"My mom doesn't have any.. it's part of the problem. Didn't know how to deal with me." Kaylee grimaces a bit. "Of course, she didn't and still doesn't know what I am."
A glance shifts Lynette's way and Kaylee nods slowly in understanding. "I do wonder how different my life would have been if there had been people like this around." Maybe she wouldn't have killed people. "Not that I dwell on it. I try to focus on what I can do. Never feel more… myself when I am with the Ferry." The telepath chuckles, "But then I do enjoy helping people, so didn't take much convincing to pull me in."
Griffin watches Lynette thoughtfully. "I resist," he murmurs, glancing down to his son for a moment, before looking back up to Lynette, "because there needs to be resistance. Because people who can't care for themselves need to be protected from those who would stomp on them." He won't lie to his son, certainly. Another glance is offered down to Owain.
The boy watches his father for a moment, before turning and taking the offered card, smiling. He also happily lets Emily move his piece of him, a small grin on his face. "Thank you, Emily. That's very kind of you." He then turns his eyes up to Koshka, blinking a few times. A shrug rolls over the ten year old's shoulders, as his focus goes back to the toddler.
A small smile is offered Emily, Koshka reaching out to accept the red gamepiece. Her hand puases at Owain's look, brows knitting together slightly. Maybe she should take a note from the other kids and just sit quiet. After claiming the little man from the toddler, the teenager places it at the starting point to await her own turn.
One arm folds over the table, chin coming to rest on it while eyes survey the game board. But Koshka's attention is split, listening to the talk of the adults without interjecting further.
"Not dwelling on the past, what could have been, it's a skill we all wish we had, but I really don't think there's anyone who doesn't, from time to time," Lynette says to Kaylee with an understanding smile. "The point is, you're here now. That goes for you, too, Koshka. There are a lot of people here with a variety of things to teach. I hope to see you take advantage of that."
"Yeah, I think Joseph would agree with you there," Kaylee comments softly to Lynette, attention on the children and the game in progress. As the red piece is set on the board, she can't help but comment. "Ah… so enters a new player, seems like that chocolate bar is on the line."
Emily looks rather proud of herself as Koshka joins the fun, she even helps by giving her a card… after a peek of course.
Something that the world has lost, is born again on Pollepel Island. In an age of texting and Facebook, three kids are sitting around playing a simple game of Candyland while the adults chat around the dining room table.
It's a rare sight and one that creates true bonds.