Participants:
| Scene Title | The Artist Returns |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Peter returns to check out the etchings he made, surprising the persons present in that apartment, who in turn surprise him |
| Date | September 8, 2008 |
Dorchester Towers: Cat's Apartment
Eleven-thirty in the morning…
Guests often have the sensibility to knock when showing up uninvited. This, however, is not the case with Peter Petrelli. Perhaps it's a sense of expectance, that he'd be invited in regardless of the fact, perhaps it's anxiousness and nervous anticipation, or perhaps he simply isn't thinking clearly. But there he is, standing in front of the etched window with his arms folded, one foot up on a guitar case laid out on the floor, leaning over to peer closely at the engraving. Leaning forward as he is, Peter has one arm leaning on his bend knee, the other rakes his fingers back through his hair.
Outside, the skies are overcast, no rain yet today, but the cloud cover serves to muddy up the skies enough to make the threat of rain more impending. Peter was more focused on what he had created here, though, than what is outside. His eyes scan the details of the etched glass, then down where it carves into the floor, splitting the carpet with that wavering symbol. His brow tenses, creasing the scar on his forehead as he sinks deep into thought.
Were he not so absorbed in this, he may have noticed the other bags by the sofa, and had some forewarning that he isn't the only guest here now.
Dani has been engaged in getting drunk on the sofa with Cat. Both of them are there, a half-empty wine bottle near them. Shoes have been left either near kitchen or front door. She's facing away from the window as Pete appears, watching Cat.
In the midst of enjoying this reunion with a close friend, Cat has her wine glass in hand. It's hovering near her mouth, and she laughs. Speech isn't yet slurred, but she is tipsy. "Dani," she begins, "do you remember that time freshwoman year when Ed Castlebridge fell asleep naked out in the hall after a dorm party, and you nearly stepped on him the next morning?" Her glass is lifted, a long sip is taken, before she remarks "I don't think he ever got rid of the Naked Guy label."
Something in her peripheral vision grabs Cat's attention, though. Her head turns toward the window and the man studying his artwork there. One finger raises to her lips as she looks back at the shorter brunette. "Don't say anything. Let's see how long it takes him to realize we're here."
Voices, ones he can hear and ones he can feel. Peter whips around with his eyes wide, stammering for a moment before stumbling over the guitar case, his back pressing up against the window, preventing him from falling backwards any further, "You — " He looks momentarially panicked, eyeing Cat's guest, then Cat, "I'm sorry I — " He tries to think of an excuse, just how did he show up like that? How can you explain that to someone? He doesn't say anything, directly, but Peter does direct his thoughts towards Cat. There's going to be something tonight, a meeting. I'd like for you to come. Who is this?
With that, Peter's body shimmers for a moment, then vanishes from sight as he bends light around himself, turning invisible. It leaves a question of the noise, and whatever it was Cat had meant, but a stranger seeing him here isn't something Peter wants to risk. Not yet.
Dani looks over as she hears Peter's voice. She looks to him, and says "Let me guess, that's—" And then he vanishes. She looks back to Cat. "That's -got- to be artist-boy, with the emo-do." She seems surprised. "He disappears, too? You have -weird- tastes, Kit-Kat." She stands…a little wobbly from the wine, and starts over towards where Peter was, waving a hand through the air blankly.
One hand is raised toward her temple, they tap there twice, and Cat's thoughts begin to pass along information. "She's my closest friend, Dani Hamilton. We met years ago, at Yale, and she knows all about me. All about me. I haven't told her more than was needed to explain why the etchings are important. The full story, I gave my word about. Won't break it." She's been drinking and cutting up with her old friend, so some silliness cuts in. Bits and pieces of the story about Ed Castlebridge getting stepped on after that party. Then she gets serious again. "I trust her completely. And she could help us."
After a short time, she addresses the close friend waving her hand through air where Peter was last seen. "It's all good, Dani." Cat seems perfectly calm. "Come sit?"
Peter appears in a distorted haze by the coffee table, his hands shoved into the pockets of his slacks and his brow furrowed. That scar cutting across his brow and down into his cheek creases at the expression, and his focus is entirely on the unfamiliar face, "Dani?" He tilts his head to the side, then looks over to Cat. For a moment, the tenseness doesn't leave him, but with a slow exhalation Peter manages to ease his discomfort, and he nods his head slowly, that stern look fading from his face. "I…" He eyes an empty spot on the couch, "I don't have time, actually. I'm sorry…" His dark eyes flit over to Dani again, then back to Cat. "Tonight, the people I work with. I want you to meet them, listen, offer advice. If you want to…" He purses his lips, "I've got a lot going on today, but…" He finishes his sentence in Cat's mind, I want to talk to you, later. After the meeting — whether you come or not.
With that, he looks over to Dani again, tilting his head to the side and observing her for a moment before offering a crooked smile. "Nice to meet you," He tries to pretend he didn't make an ass of himself when he appeared. "So, will you?" As he looks back to Cat, everything about Peter seems tense, anxious, nervous, and awkward.
rDani yelps in surprise as Peter reappears across the room. She turns, fast…which is a bad prospect when you're on half a bottle of wine, and sits down hard. "Oof!" And then she looks really suspicious at his whole "secret meetings" speech. She pulls herself up and starts over to Cat's side. "You're likely to get yourself disappeared if you get tied up in this, Cat." The simple use of the real name speaks volumes. "You gotta be careful." She looks to Peter distrustingly.
"I know it's risky," Cat replies solemnly, her eyes resting on Dani while she speaks. "But is it better to sit back and wait, knowing I could get disappeared anyway just for existing? When they run out of the ones who can easily be called dangerous and still need to point at someone?"
Then Peter gets his answer. "Tell me when and where to be." More follows, transmitted mentally for him to pick up. After the meeting. Yes.
Peter shakes his head slowly, rolling his shoulders as he takes a step back away from the coffee table. "Sorry for barging in like this…" He glances over to Dani, nervously, then back to Cat again. "I won't do it again." There's an honest sense of worry in Peter's voice as he explains this, a tone of humility and embarassment. "I'll come for you, tonight. We'll go together." Peter tenses his shoulders, breathing in a slow breath, "I have to go — There's someone else I need to talk, and he's a hard man to get a hold of." There's a moment of pause, Thank you.
Peter looks to Cat's confidant, watching her carefully and then nods, "It was nice, ah, meeting you…" There was awkwardness there, a great deal, "I'll see you tonight." He adds, looking back to Cat. Then, lowering his head, Peter looks to concentrate with a great deal of effort as his eyes close. The moment they do, there is the sound of rushing air and he's gone. This time, there are no footprints in the carpet where he's standing…
Dani looks back at Cat. "No. Way. I am not just letting you go off to hang out with these Pariah people. You're gonna get yourself arrested, or killed, or something." She crosses her arms, looking stubborn. "If you go, you're going with backup. Take me with you."
"I'll take you with me," Cat replies. "I've no idea how it'll go over with them, since they're meeting me for the first time, and me them, but… no secrets on my end." She eyes the wine bottle, and her glass, then slides it a bit further away. "Should lay off this, I've a feeling we need to be sober. It wouldn't do to start reminiscing about Ed Castlebridge during the meeting, would it?"
Danielle giggles a little, before she shakes it off. "Okay, okay. No drunkenness with the terrorists." She smiles at her best friend. "We better sleep this off, especially if we're gonna be all criminaly tonight."
 September 8th: Arrival And Artwork |
 September 8th: Not The Best Time |