Participants:
| Scene Title | The News Sucks |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Not least when it concerns future doom. |
| Date | March 26 2011 |
Erica's Coffee Shop
Erica's might not be as popular as the Nite Owl nor as fashionable as Piccoli's, but Ygraine has had a soft spot for the place for years. Small, tasteful, and with cakes to die for, she has frequently stopped in for a spot of sweet-toothed indulgence.
Today, however, she is here for a date for high tea - in honour of which she has once again dressed up in highwayman's garb, though her hat and coat currently occupy one of the empty chairs at her table. Still, the richly embroidered and brass-buttoned green waistcaot is eye-catching enough, though it's still crossed by the sturdily restricting leather sling. At present, she is being terribly civilised, and is reading an honest-to-goodness newspaper, with a mug of coffee ready to hand.
Quinn's a little late, something that shouldn't surprise the woman waiting for her at all. Even if she wasn't coming from church, she'd probably be late anyway, knowing her. But when she does come into view, it's with a smile in her face, dressed om a black lace shirt with a similarly coloutred half jacket over it, and a deep blue skirt stretching down to her ankles. She seems rather happy, judging from the way she moves, the way she whistles as she walks.
Truth is, it's a little put on, but she is in a pretty decent mood for the first real time in a fwe weeks,
"Hey!" is practically shouted as she spis Ugrane, making her way over to where the Briton sits. "Sorry I took so long."
The paper is quickly folded onto the table, Ygraine rising to her feet, moving to catch the Irishwoman for a warm, tight, one-armed hug. "Someone seems full of the joys of the world", she murmurs, a smile audible in her voice as she momentarily brushes her cheek against Quinn's hair.
"Eh," is a dismissive response, Quinn waving one hand in a similar fashion as she returns Ygraine's one armed hug with one of her own. "More happy t' be out an' about for a bit. Early rise, but it's been awell enough day so far." She looks down at the paper when she back away, pulling teh chair across from Ygraine out. "Readin' anything interesting?"
"Oh, just the news", Ygraine responds - trying with only moderate success not to grin like a loon, and not to be too unsubtle about drinking in her close-up view of Quinn. "So, ahhh. Care for something to eat?", she asks, before reluctantly letting go and stepping back.
"THe news sucks. It's Sunday, you should read the comics an' let the rest be," Quinn states with a chuckle as she plops down into her seat, looking off and around teh cafe. "Maybe. Not yet. I think I'll just get some coffee for now." Looking back to Ygraine, the Irishwoman tilts her head. "So! How're you? How've things been since last week?" Hopefully better.
"You should eat", Ygraine gently chides Quinn, allowing herself a moment of mothering the younger woman. Folding onto her own chair, she smiles warmly at the new arrival, before shrugging carefully. "I've acquired myself a house guest", she says dryly, expression twitching slightly. "Graeme showed up at my door on Friday night, and invited himself to stay."
In all the time that Quinn's known her, Ygraine has only ever had two people stay at her home - Elaine, in her absence, and Quinn herself as the only person to stay there with Ygraine in residence.
"I'd eat if I were hungry," Quinn notes with a quirked eyebrow. "I had a rather big breakfest before church, so… I'm good for now! Could use the pick me up, though." THe news that Graeme is staying with Ygraine just makes QUinn's eyes widen further in surprise. This is, indeed, unusual. "What, he can't stay at Remi's without her? He's the one who's her roommate, right?" She doesn't really know Graeme tha well, so she has to try and recall what she told him the few times they've spoke at length. "Either way… you should let him stay. He seems like a good guy."
Ygraine nods quickly, expression turning somewhat sheepish. "I've told him he can. But… gah." She closes her eyes for a moment. "His ability is… endurance. Pain, fatigue and so on - they barely bother him. So the idiot's been harming himself since he got stabbed while carrying Remi. Since it doesn't really hurt if he overtaxes his wounded shoulder. So… the doctor's put him on negation drugs for at least a week. Force him to slow down and heal. Which means that for the first time in years he gets tired, can't concentrate as easily, and is experiencing no small amount of real pain… which can then only be controlled by drugs, which make him dopey and lethargic, which…."
A slight shrug. "I feel sorry for him, and I want to help, but… it's proving to be quite a work-out for my own… quirks. Not least having someone there all the time. Let alone it being a man. I'd got used to shambling around lazily much of the time, with this ruddy immobilised arm. Why get dressed when alone at home? Why go through the hassle and the pain? Now…"
QUinn nices as she thinks abck to Graeme's injury. Somewhat selfishly, it makes her think more of the unknown injury she ahd in teh dream she had the other night, the one that had kept ehr from using her arm without it hurting immensely. "I guess having a rainbow sn't all sunshine an' farts, eh? T' think, how much a problem somethin' so nomrally sueful can be…" It's an idle muse, and not one she really dwells on as she leans back, shrugging. "I hope he feels better. It's really a shame t' see anyone in taht kind of position, forced t' take negation drugs. No one should ahve t' anyless they're really a huge risk t' others."
"Sadly, he was a risk to himself, as I think he grudgingly acknowledges", Ygraine responds with a purse of her lips, then a snort. "And he's forcing me to confront a few of my own problems. I'm hoping that turns out all right." For a moment, there's a flash of real fear in her eyes, then she shifts position, hiding behind a long sip of her coffee.
"So… how, other than impressively cheerful and remarkably prettily-dressed, are you today?"
That has Quinn a little wary for a minute, arms settling in her lap as she watches Ygraine for a moment. "Fine. I guesss. Feeling a little worried and disconcerted by rcent events, but there's not really much I know t' do about it, so I'm trying t' get by." She rolls her shoulders in a shrug. "Trying my hardest not t' think about it for the moment. But, I still. Things are better than last week at least."
Ygraine cocks her head, looking slightly worried. "I hope that things are improving", she murmurs, before finding a slight smile. "And I want to give you something to think about, again. You agreed some time ago to work on material to help out Liberty. I'd like to try to move ahead with that, if at all possible. And I wondered if you'd had any ideas, or if there was anything I could do to help."
"I've been tryin' t' work on that!" Quinn mock protesting. "I really have been working on new stuff. I really need t' dedicate some time t' it soon. I have a bunch in mind an' a few people who actually want t' do songs with me, so I want t' throw t'gether some demos an' then actually try and push a full length album out by the end of the year. Work of the momentum the EP seems t' have generated that I didn't expect," Quinn relates as she laens back comfortably in her seat. "So.. I'll see if I can come up for something for that nect time I'm up in the studio."
"You're lagging behind Sable in the stakes for progress on the Liberty project", Ygraine informs Quinn with a somewhat teasing (and perhaps surprised) smile. "But I really do want you aboard. Not least because an album consisting of no one but Sable and Adelaide isn't exactly what I had in mind, though it migth be interesting… and the more people we can get actively involved, the more chance there is of it snowballing. Which I would rather like."
A slight pause, then she quirks a sheepish little grin. "In part, I confess, because I'd be able to claim to be a music producer afterwards. But that's not really the point."
Quinn clicks her tongue, giving a bit of a shallow laugh as she watches Ygraine for a moment, giving just a shake of her head. "It takes more than a compilation album t' be a producer! But it doesn't hurt. I'm sure it'll all work out, thought." THe mention of Sable is what finally gets Quinn's smile to waver a bit, the Irishwoman's eyes looking off to the side for a moment. "Anyway… I think I have an idea at least. But you've never told me what kind of song you want it t' be. Like… theme. Or lyrical content, or tone, or whatever." She gives a bit fo a shrug, her shoulders slumping a bit more now.
Ygraine sticks her tongue out when Quinn denigrates her (future) music-production credentials… but the playful expression swiftly disappears as Quinn turns distinctly more pensive. Ygraine's head cocks, and her brows lift. "I… was hoping that the whole theme would be at least somewhat inspiring in itself. Freedom, history, the perspective of a foreign-born dual-passport holder, something lyrical about light and reflection and refraction of rainbows. All sorts of multi-layered songs about freedom and love would be wholly possible, too."
Ygraine's jaws tighten for a moment, then she takes a breath and tries to push on at least a little from that particular topic. "What's up with Sable?"
"Freedome and love? I can do that no problem, I think," Quinn remarks, and for a moment it seems like she's back to her grin and previous jovial attitue. But Ygraine has to go and spoil it by asking. Quinn heaves uot a sigh, slinking down a bit in her seat. "Have… I been talling you about my dreams, lately?"
Ygraine bites back the urge to tell Quinn that she's been passing on precious little of anything of late, and instead pensively narrows her eyes. "Not exactly. You mentioned something about dreaming about a funeral", she murmurs. "And I know that other people have had dreams, too. Strikingly… unsettling and vivid ones."
Quinn freezes a bit as she stares ahead at Ygraine, her eyes narrowing for a moment as eh leans forward. Forget Sable, this has managed to catch her attention much mroe, somehow. "Who else?" It doesn't sound like a demand, but it's clear QUinn really wants to know. "Mine were like that. I'm not the only one. Delilah, Elaine, Abby, Lynette, Nicole Nichols… and I think Sable and Magnes may have. Because I had another, last night.
Ah, the joys of paranoia. Ygraine glances down and to the side, to check that the bulk of her little white noise generator is there in the pocket of her coat, then nods slowly. "I know of at least three concerning Elisabeth", she says cautiously. "With some distinctly serious implications. My theory is that they're Malthusian prophecies, in effect - accurate warnings intended to make themselves obsolete by the very act of being given. A spur to action to change things. Because a world in which falling pregnant is illegal and has people running for their lives sounds like one that precious few now would really wish to set out to create."
And now Quinn's eyes widen as she stares at Ygraine, silent. She has no idea if she's making a scene or not, but she's a little preocupied. "Elisabeth? Harrison?" Quinn manages to keep her voice low and her toe from being accusatory, but she is very surprised. She draws the conclusion because, well, that's the only Elisabeth she's heard of being involved in one. Who among taht dream has seen the woman, though, is a mystery to her, since she's spoken to several of them.
This is enough, in fact,t hat talk of getting pregnant is totally ignored. "Jesus, you're on the visions of the future train too. That's what Kaylee said. I guess it's so, but I really don't think we're in any place t' be making guesses on intention. Or if it's real. I plan t' talk to a dream walker about it." A pause. "You knw Elisabeth Harrison? The head of FRONTLINE? Jesus Christ."
Graeme pages: However maybe I'll get enough of a break at some point to RP. I hope. I'm not sure if I'm actually going to manage to be on, this evening, though.
Ygraine looks rather startled, to say the least. "I… first spoke to her back in oh-eight. When she was covering the phones for a… I think I can call him a friend of mine. An NYPD cop, whom I'd asked to look into…." She closes her eyes. "I'd asked him to try to find Dani. I was calling up to let him know it was too late. That she was dead. Elisabeth answered his phone, and told me he was in hospital himself."
A shake of her head, then the Briton forces a smile. "That was our first contact. Back before she was even in SCOUT. We occasionally met from time to time, but… we've become closer of late. Turns out she's polyamorous. Though sadly straight, before you ask. But… she was kind to me. She's someone I can trust. Personally, and… because of what she's done in the past. She's not done the same crazy shit I have, but she matches it. And has more… quantity of it. For the same reasons."
SCOUT? That's nto an acronym QUinn recognises, but in ehr defence she never paid attention to this stuff until FRONTLINE came around. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean t' snap, it's just… I mean with the position we're in, the head of FRONTLINE isn't the first person I'd trust. Would explain a lot about the dream I heard about if we couldn't, even. But you know er better than me." Thankfully, she knows better than too utter the words she said to Magnes. She thinks them, though.
"Do you mind telling me what you've heard about? I mean… I'd prefer t' talk t' people who actually had dreams, but I don't particularly think that's possible." THat, and- well. Even with Ygraine vouching for her, meeting Elisabeth Harrison is something Quinn is extremely wary of doing. I'm… I've heard of a few now. I'm trying t' put t'gether what I can."
Ygraine rather intently studies Quinn, then nods slowly. "Have you been having them yourself?", she asks gently. "That could fit. They… seem to jump about in time, but be related to the city and surrounding area. We know there are at least three featuring Elisabeth - either with her as a lucid dreamer experiencing things first-hand, or as a… player for others, with her present self unaware of the dream as it took place. I don't know full details. But I know that they seem to constitute warnings. Of a… seemingly coherent timeline, or section of timeline. For a future in which the government appears to control Evolved breeding - to the extent that pregnant Evolved are hunted. In which jets attack sites within view of New York. In which things seem to be moving into - or fully in - a state of civil war….. They all seem to be at least a few years in the future, some more. Drones, seemingly akin to those presently in secret prototype testing now, appear to feature as a prominent part of the government's efforts to control the populace. And it seems that a small number of those active around the city are shown as actors in events."
Quinn purses her lips into a thin line. "Can you do me a favour?" Quinn asks, eyes glancing off to the side. "Find out who else had dreams. If it's anyone I can talk t'… then I want t'." She takes a deep breath, looking down at thet able, her hands folded in her lap. "If both my dreams were related… I saw Joseph's funeral." She closes her eyes, and sniffles a bit as she recalls the dream from the night before. "An' last night I saw Magnes die makin' sure that Sable an' I lived."
"That… you mentioned the funeral before", Ygraine murmurs, worriedly studying Quinn for a few moments, before leaning forward to rather nervously offer her hand, palm-up on the table. "And anything you can tell me in return, I'd be grateful for. Liz is desperate to change all of this. She's the one being hunted for the crime of being a pregnant Evolved. But anything I can get hold of myself, I can help try to figure out…."
QUinn quirks her weyes side to side, looking off a bit as Ygraine mentions information in return. "No," she remarks rather flatly, tone saying she doesn't want to say no. But she has a reason. "I… I mean, not right at the moment. I still… need t' talk t' Magnes an' Sable. And a few otehr people, make sure some things are straight, before I start spreading about things that may or may not be happening in the future, depending on who you ask, you know?" There a pause, and Quinn's eyes flit off to the side. "Which I guess makes it unfair for me t' ask for information yet." SHe sighs, shaking her head. "I mean, I'll tell you. But you have to promise not t' be tellin' anyone else yet."
Ygraine flinches a little, looking shocked when Quinn refuses both answer and hand… but the rapidly-following start of an explanation allays her fears, at least for a short while. "I… yes", she ventures, slowly and uncertainly sliding her hand back towards herself, still palm-up on the table. "It would be unfair to ask for information and offer none in return", is added softly, the Briton's lips twitching into a slight smile. "I'm trying to help. Let me, please. If that means that I have to promise to keep a secret as best I can - of course. Have I ever let you down? If you want me to keep quiet about something for the moment, I will. I" - she bites off what had been about to follow. "If I can help I will."
"I'm just sayin'," Quinnr eplies with a bit of a sigh, "I don't want much of this t' get around until I talk t' Magnes an' Sable. An'… some other people, about a few other things. Make sure I have my facts straight. I know Kaylee looked at my dream before, I want t' show it t' her, an' I have t' go… out of town for some other reasons too, probably next week. My boss' been out of town like two weeks now. I don't think they'll miss me over a day." Taking a deep breath, Quinn looks down at the the table in front of her. Which marks the first time she notices Ygraine's hand, but she doesn't think to take it for whatever reason.
"Have you met Lance? Like, the lighthouse kid. He was one of the ones that greeted me at Gun Hill. Magnes, Sable, an' I… we were on the run. I guess from the government, we were in some tunnel an' there were explosions everywhere outside. I was hurt. Magnes was zen. Sable was… Sable. We met with Lance, an'… Jesus, he looked like he could be in college. Apprently we were the last group that needed t' get out. But… we weren't fast enough. They caught up t' us. An'.. I know Magnes is an idiot. I called him one. Elaine called him one when I told her about ti… but he sacrificed himself t' save us. He confronted teh frontliners while we got away. The last thing I saw was a cavein and the shotgun that was pointed at him goin' off…"
Quinn's hand raises up, rubbing at her eyes as she sighs. She's silent after that, staring down into her own lap. "Don't tell anyone about that. I need t' talk t' them."
"It's a product of how he defines value, from all I've seen", Ygraine murmurs, finishing withdrawing that unwanted hand, shame-facedly tucking it away out of sight beside the one trapped in her sling. "Only by doing suicidally dangerous things - such as stealing adrenaline to shoot himself up with so that he can go and bake under stage lights, or going out of his way to get caught on camera and leaving calling cards for the cops while being a vigilante - can he 'prove' that he's being good. Destroying himself or, in a pinch, things he cares about is how he thinks he should show he cares. Don't blame yourself for it, Robyn. Not least when you're trying to stop it coming to pass."
Her eyes close for a moment, and she takes in a long, slow breath. "So… you were being hunted by Frontline, with Lance… how much older? I've laid eyes on him a couple of times, but I wouldn't want to swear I knew how old he was now. Ten years in the future? Or more like fifteen? That might suggest it's one of those a bit later in the timeline."
For probably the first time ever, at least on this subject, Quinn shoots Ygraine what could almost be called a dirty look, though it's a more of a scowl. "I know he's an idiot, but for once I'd rather not devaule the fact that he may die t' make sure I live," she replies somewhat sternly. "And he was so.. calm about the whole thing. It wasn't the normal Magnes theatrics. He wasn't blustering or making a huge, attention grabbing ordeal of it. He just… forced us away and held them off. For once, it felt like it meant something." A pause. "Even if it wasn't real. Yet. I dont know. This is why I hate this shit."
She closes her eyes again, trying to calm herself a bit. He hand rubs at her face again, before she looks back at Ygraine. "I have no idea how long. Lance is… 10 now? 11? Something like that, I forget. But he looked like he could be late high school. Maybe college. An' I know I'm not the best judge, but I bet he is surrounded by girls," she adds with a bit of a smirk. "Next time I see him, maybe I'll let 'im know."
Her first attempt at comfort rejected, her second slapped down - Ygraine closes her eyes and lowers her head, shrinking into herself a little. "That…", she croaks hoarsely, before clearing her throat and - without looking up - continuing. "That suggests that it comes after the ones in which Elisabeth is a pregnant fugitive. No offence to Lis, but I'd be surprised if she were just getting pregnant eight or twelve years in the future. That might be pushing it for me. Suggests that we're being shown a string of linked things, so that we can plot out what's happening and what it is we're to prevent. Or, rather, that those of you who're being shown these things are. I'm fucking worried that I'm irrelevant to all of that because my appointed role, apparently, is to act as an anti-Sylar bodyguard. But… that's not what we're talking about now. Sorry."
"They're not in order," Quinn replies a bit dryly, leaning back in her seat. "I mean, Joseph's funeral… There's no way that's just ten years in teh future. Kaylee, Delilah, Walter… they looked too old." Much less other people she chooses not to mention in public. "An' as far as I'm aware… that was the first one a' these. At least until I find out more, it's the first one anyone was talkin' about. But people I've talked to… they've seen themselves, people who ahve never been violent in their lives, with dead solides and guns trained on supposed former allies, been shown children them suppsoedly will have…" And that's jsut what she heard from Elaine and Nicole. And apprently, there's more than that. "Jesus, I don't even know. This is starting to scare me really bad."
Ygraine peeps up, though she doesn't dare to hold eye contact. "I've got a shadowy organisation that wants to manipulate the world - apparently for the better - that seems to think that one of the best possible uses for me is to assign me to anti-Sylar watch duty over Remi. I am fucking terrified. If you hear of even a hint of me being alive in just one year's time in these dreams, let me know. But I suppose I might be safer for the moment, since HomeSec still have her stuffed under the bed. I've not laid eyes on her since Monday, which kind of rules me out of bodyguard duty."
Closing her eyes again, Ygraine inhales slowly. "Were you one of the ones holding a gun?", she asks softly.
Quinn's eyes narrow a bit at Ygraine, watching her for a moment. "A shadowy organisation? I swear to God, Ygraine, if you're about tot ell me you're working for The Institute or something, I'm leaving." Again, Quinn seems rather serious about this - there's no hint she's joking to her tone. "Don't you think the one we have is enough? You make yourself more of a target by putting yourself out there like that." Her arms cross, the Irishwoman slouching a bit in her seat. "But honestly, someone has to watch Remi. I… it's not just you, is it? That was told t' do this. I still don't know how, like, four of us drove him off as it is."
The question of if she was holding the gun seems to go ignored for a moment, before she looks off to the side. "No," is added softly, Quinn shaking her head. But she has no desire to share taht ELaine was one of the ones who was.
Well, that question was one way to get Ygraine to meet Quinn's gaze again, her head jerking up and her expression stunned, hurt, and horrified all in one. Then she crumples into herself once more, head dropping.
"So far as I know, I was the only one specifically directed to make sure that I attend that event", she whispers, "and so far as I know I'm the only one specifically directed to take a very active interest in Remi and in giving support to her. Jaiden's helping, but they don't seem to have latched onto him to manipulate him yet, so he's not featured in their directions so far as I know. Which fits, I suppose. He's not in the relevant data…. But I'm not exactly managing to do much supporting of Remi at the moment, really. And I'm both terrified that she'll be let out soon and that protecting her'll be my responsibility again, and terrified that she won't be."
"If you need help protecting Remi, Ygraine, I'll help you. She's my friend, an' I don't want her t' get hurt. Even if it means tryin' t' have t' fend off Sylar." Quinn's look is sympathetic, an eye cast no Ygraine for jsut a moment. "You shouldn't need some shadowy organisation t' tell you t'w atch ehr, though," is offered much, much gently than her previous few words had been. "But… you said HomeSec has her? Why teh hell does Homeland Security have her? Well, that's a stupid question, but come on. With FRONTLINE an' all her friends willing t' hell… that's silly." She grimaces, befoer sitting back up a bit. "Either way, whenever she's back around, I doubt Sylar'll be waiting right there for him. From all stories I've heard an' how ballsy he was at the aprty - and I am convinced he has balls of steel at least. Is that ana bility too? - he wouldn't bother to just wait outside for her. So I'm sure she'll be fine until she back there for you t' watch."
Ygraine offers Quinn a mildly incomprehending look as the Irishwoman diverts onto a brief discussion of the ferric qualities of Sylar's testicles, but after a moment she ducks her head and offers a one-shouldered shrug. "Why might they want her? To protect her, perhaps. To use her as bait. To pump her for information. She's a telepath who was literally in contact with Sylar. Or a Sylar. I can imagine they're very keen indeed to find out anything she might have picked up."
"And they've no real reason to trust us to protect her. I'm a wounded lunatic, both myself and Jaiden are foreign…. He might be ex-SAS, which I'd guess would count for a fair bit even with HomeSec when they're estimating his competence, but he's still just one man. And I'm just a washed-up and one-armed old athlete with a history of mental instability. Only the Deveaux Group'd put anyone in my care. And even then, I suspect it was the connections I brought that they were after. They're obsessed with their connections…."
"THe Dexeaux Society?" Quinn rubs a hand at her temple, sighing. "I hate this city," is a sentiment that she's echoed a lot lately, and it rings no less true right now. "Either way, I dunoo. They have no legal reason t' hold her indefintiely. I'm sure whenever they finish whatever the fuck is goin' on with this Sylar thing, she'll be back out again. You can watch her until. Not really much anyone can do about it now, so… probably best not to stress out on it too much."
"I'm hoping that I will be able to watch her", Ygraine says worriedly. "One phonecall in a week doesn't exactly encourage me. But hopefully she'll be able to manage more from now on, and Jaiden and myself'll be cleared for entry…."
"I'm not happy about," QUinn remakrks, letting out a long sigh. "Particularly not while she's still recovering. But if she's in Homeland custody it's not like there's much we can do, right?" I mean… I want t' do something, but…" Quinn's shoulders roll in a bit of a shrug. "I dunno. I have enough stressing me out. I'm not sure this is something we can do enough about to worry about until she's back out."
Ygraine shoots a guilty, nervous look at Quinn. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to heap worry on you. I just… feel responsible. And that I ought to be able to find more to do. But I have no idea what. And I'm terrified that I'm going to miss the chance to make a difference. And that if I try anything, I'll screw it up…."
"You're not- I'm sorry I didn't mean it like that." Rubbing at her face, a quiet sigh escapes Quinn's lips. "It's just… We both have a lot t' worry about at the moment. But I think she'll be fine, an' there's just not much we can do at the moment. I mean, Homeland has her. Even if I wanted to find more to do, their radar is about the last I want t' put m'self on besides DoEA. So… you know. Do what you can, but don't worry. They chance t' do somethin'll come. It always does."
Ygraine musters a wobbly smile, peeping up at Quinn again. "I'm not very good at the whole not worrying thing", she confesses. "As you might possibly have noticed. But… I'm trying not to do it to excess, I promise. And I wish to goodness I weren't on their radar, either. Not least because I keep triple-guessing myself about everything that happened."
"ABout what? I mean… what's t' even second guess?" QUinn quirks an eyebrow, sounding genuinely curious. "I… I hate t' say it, but I'm not really sure there's anythign we could've done. It's not like we could have prevented them fromt aking her. Or Sylar from showing up. Which is why I hate this whole bullshit martial law thing. Isn't that supposed t' be over by now?"
"Oh, whether I said the wrong thing at any point. Whether I got something wrong and they think I was meaning something else. Whether Jaiden or Graeme or Remi disagreed with me on something that makes one or some of us look horribly suspicious…."
Ygraine says quietly. "One of the worst things is not knowing if it was a trap, or if they were genuinely helpful, or…. Part of me is screaming that it was all too easy. That I should certainly never have walked out of there with new information that might be useful. That, quite apart from that, they didn't press me on some things nearly as hard as I'd have expected. But… I was the last to be interviewed, and she - Agent Hanson - seemed to have largely made up her mind about things. She didn't even initially register me saying that I'd used my ability on Sylar. Though I know that it confuses the Hell out of people, of course."
The Briton groans softly, pinching at the bridge of her nose. "I hate all this. I came back here to deliver parcels and to try to find good in the world, that I could be part of. Now I'm scared of almost everyone - and the people I'm not scared of I'm no use to. I couldn't even get hold of anyone in the Club to quietly talk about things with, because pootling around in my bright little box with its NYC disabled parking tags would be ever so slightly unsubtle if I left the city at any point. Can only hope the message got to them…"
"A trap? I doubt a Sylar attack was a trap. An' for what?" This time, Quinn reaches out and tries to take one of Ygraine's hands herself, looking her on in the eye. "You're thinking about it too much. I mean… I know I'ver gotten kinda aparanoid about a few things lately, but I really think you're over thinking it. An' you know if you wanted t' get out of town, you could've asked me t' handle it. Right?" Quinn rolls her shoulders a bit, looking Ygtaine in the eye. "I have a lot t' do in teh next few days, but… if there's anythin' I can do t' help you worry les, let me know."
Ygraine only has the one capturable hand - and it's been hiding below the table since it got rejected. Now, however, it re-emerges, tentatively closing on Quinn's… before letting itself be snared, and squeezing, while its owner forces herself to meet Quinn's gaze. She manages to look sheepish, bashful, nervous and grateful all at once.
"It's… more complex than that", she murmurs, voice dropping even further in spite of the proximity of her white noise generator. "I had the interview on Friday. While I was there, both the interviewing agents upped and left me in the office. Which… given the attention to security of that place - I was escorted everywhere - seems a little lax. But… it was only briefly. But while they were out, I caught a glimpse of a memo. About prisoners. And I don't think it was a trap, but I'm scared it is, and I'm terrified that by telling people about it I'll be the one who got things in motion for them to get into horrible trouble, and if it is a trap then it'll almost certainly come back to me… but if it's not, and I hadn't said anything because I listened to my paranoia, then… then that'd be even worse. 'Cause I'd have let my fears make me abandon people."
Another squeeze of Quinn's fingers, then a distinctly wobbly smile. "In my native parlance: I'm shittin' bricks."
Quinn's eyes narrow a little bit at Ygraine, the Irishwoman looking worriedly at the other woman. "I… wow. Really? I mean… if this were a movie, I'd say duh, it'd a trap, but… hmm." She squeezes Ygraine's hand, setting out a sigh. "DO what you can, an' what you have to. I'm sure it'll get back t' who it needs t'. But once you do, it's out of your hands. Both of us need t' lean not t' stress so much. At least for the moment. It's going t' drive us nuts."
"I'm… I'm trying to persuade myself", Ygraine whispers, hanging on as if for dear life itself, "that by trying to behave normally and push ahead with things, I'm keeping people as safe as I can. Because if I am being monitored, then changes in behaviour are likely to be more noticeable. But… God, I'm scared. And this ought to be a rather good time. Jaiden and I are well ahead with getting an exhbition of his work from the Dome opened to the public. The unofficial opening's tomorrow, with the formal one on Thursday night. If… if you fancied a free buffet…"
There is a log frown on Quinn's face when she's invited out. "I may be out of town. I have to go for a few days, up north, but I don't know how many. Depends on how long Mum needs me around for." THe look on her face, that says it's not mum she's visiting. Which is probably obvious to anyone who can hear and see her, but she manages to keep her voice from betraying her lie at least. "If I'm free… maybe. I'll let you know…"
A mystery trip that Ygraine seemingly can't be told about? That results in an immediate tightening of the Briton's grip, and a worried creasing of her brow. "I… I've been thinking about going to visit her, myself", she confesses. "I… I could tag along, if you wanted. Or give you a lift, if you preferred. I have a car at the moment, since I can't ride…."
…t' visit mum?" Okay, clearly the message didn't go through as well as she wanted, but really her attention is more drawn to teh fact taht apparently Ygraine was intending to go see her mother. "No, I…" Quinn leans forward, eyes narrowed. "I'm going t' seeNadira. They're not in town any at the moment, so I thought I'd pay her a visit."
A slow blink, then a rather sheepish look as realisation hits for Ygraine. Ah. Not a secret mission of Great Danger, then. Just a trip that Ygraine currently can't make, if she's to avoid drawing attention there. "Heh. Ah. Okay. Was thinking of possibly taking a trip out of the city this weekend. Visit some of the older, calmer types I know on this side of the Pond. Enjoy a change of scenery."
Now, Quinn's not sure if Ygraine is serious or not. So, she tilts her head and nods. "Hopeefully that goes well. I'll let you know when I get back. I'm going t' go visit her, mum, an' then be onback, since it's all more or less in a line." She's not trying to confuse Ygraine, but whatever. She's a little confused herself at this point.
Though still a little uncertain, Ygraine squeeze's Quinn's hand once more, then relaxes her grip - not letting go, but making it easier for the Irishwoman to reclaim her hand should she wish to. "I hope it goes well for you", she murmurs. "Now… can I tempt you with any cake yet?"