Participants:
| Scene Title | The Ringer |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | The Ferrymen bring in one to try to flush out their traitor. |
| Date | December 18, 2011 |
Black hair frames his face as he sits at the head of the table. His sun kissed hands braced on the wooden table on either side of the notebook. The woman looking at him on the other side of the table looks nervous, tumultuous even. He stares at her quietly, leaning in over the table, his elbows crooking and being set upon the table. Hands going to frame his face.
«A Day Before»
"We're bringing in another telepath." Brian stood on a table in the dining hall so his voice could reach more of an audience. "The council has been in contact with another Evo who's powers are a bit different but still similar to Kaylee's." His hands clasp behind his back as he looks over the crowd. "Everyone will be subject to interview again." He pivots some so he faces a different section of the crowd. "Just to be sure. Because we cannot be a hundred percent sure the two crimes are connected. For that. Everyone is getting interviewed. Even if you were cleared before." A couple groans and general dissent raises among from the people, and Brian brins up splayed out hands to quell them. "The decision has already been made. He will be here soon and everyone is expected to fall in line."
With that Winters hops off the table, boots clapping agains the hard stone. Two other Brians flank him as they gently push through the crowd.
«Later»
With buzz spreading about a new telepath arriving, Brian is the first one to greet him at the water. Still dripping and clad in a wetsuit a young man of Chinese descent, black hair long and drenched walks alongside the young Winters as they near the castle. The telepath has arrived.
«NOW»
Being called only Shawn, the telepath sits in his chair, staring for a long moment at the woman across from him. "We're going to try again Kelly." His voice is soothing and gentle, though his eyes are fixed on hers. "Go ahead and let your mind go free." He leans forward to take her hands, she flinches as she takes his hand initially, a light whimper "Sorry. It happens ocasionally." Silence reigns once again as Shawn watches the woman across from him.
The dining hall is once again full, with many gathered to once again be cleared. Several Brians stand off to the side, apparently at least one Brian has been cleared at this point. Rifles are slung over two of his backs, while the third has his arms folded, a pistol holstered at his side. He has been in pretty close contact with Shawn since his arrival, escorting him to and fro.
Since Kaylee, the presense of armed Brians has increased exponentially, many squads of the replicator patrolling the castle or doing sentry duty. The mental interrogations have gone on for a couple hours now, and Shawn as of yet does not seem to show any sign of fatigue or wanting to stop. Eventually the hands are released and Shawn goes to write quick notes in the notepad in front of him. The pen goes quickly as he gives a nod to the woman. "Thank you, you're free to go."
"Next."
Sam hasn't quite looked like herself for the last few days. Paled skin, a distant look in her eyes, and almost distracted expression all reflect a near dullness to her usually effervescent personality and presence. Which, needless to say, she's not keen on standing in close proximity to the telepath.
She'd left Ali with one of the Brians— tucked away in some other corner of the castle— and came as she ought. The line up had been long, and felt like it would never end. But then she's at the front. A shy smile tugs at her lips and she lifts her fingers to the Asian fellow. "Hi." She blinks and then lifts her eyebrows as her eyes scan the rest of the room, nearly blankly. There's a very obvious lack of focus in her expression.
Lynette stands near Shawn, facing the rest of the crowd, eyes scanning. It's possible the councilwoman is nervous about more violent displays like the shovel incident. Her arms are folded, her expression bent into a scowl. Every so often, a spark seems to jump through her hair, or over her fingers, like she wants to remind everyone present that their guest is not only guarded by guns, but one annoyed electrokinetic.
And since the rumors about her own crusade to clear Rue's name have been making their rounds, she might be guarding herself a little, too.
"Let me know if you need to take a break," Lynette says to Shawn, her hand resting on his shoulder for a moment. But as Samara takes her turn, Lynette straightens and looks over at her. "This shouldn't take long, Samara. Thank you for your cooperation." Her tone is warmer for the new mother, most of the other people have gotten a much flatter version of the spiel. "Whenever you're ready," she says to the pair, and resumes her guardpost.
Megan Young also finally turns up — she's had her hands full with Evo flu, and so she takes the time when she can find it. That she's annoyed as hell is evident, but her blue eyes on the telepath are actually quite calm. Her dislike of this activity is outweighed by the need for it — if anyone else gets a wild hair up their ass, she's going to hand them their ass on a silver platter. Word has been put out that if she has to stitch up any more people for asinine behavior in this crisis, there will be hell to pay. Now she simply waits her turn for scanning, perhaps a little less patiently than she could be but not giving off angry vibes or anything of the sort.
Noa arrives on the heels of Megan, though only accidentally so — she may be immune to the flu, having had it as a child in the future, but she's spent too many days in infirmary in both of her "lives" to volunteer now. She'll help as needed with cooking, laundry, supply running, self-defense lessons, and of course, communications, but nursing is not one of her strengths.
The teenager's got her hood up and headphones in. She looks angry, as she has since Rue's been arrested. It's no secret the two are friends and that Noa tried to defend Rue — dislocating the shoulder of her captor, Richards.
She looks like she might do the same now to anyone who looks at her funny.
She leans against the wall in this bit of de ja vu, giving the new telepath a curious look.
As Lynette speaks to Samara, the Brian at the lead softens. His eyes going over the form of his fiancee, and his shoulders sag visibly. Leaving his identical guards he walks over to Samara's side. The telepath and the crowd can be damned. Just for this moment. Bending over, his hand briefly rests on her shoulder as his lips go to press gently against her temple. His forehead rests against hers, "We'll fix this."
Giving her shoulder a squeeze he goes to straighten up, giving her a pained smile before going back behind the table to join his selves.
Shawn allows Lynette to place her hand on his shoulder. One hand coming up to cup hers for a brief second. "Thank you. I'm fine for now." He looks up at Lynette and then to the forming line. "How many more, do you feel, before a break?" The young man looks up to her before looking back down to his next subject.
"Name please." His pen is picked up and the notepad open. "First and last." He writes down the name as Samara answers before placing his pen down. "You may be aware of how Kaylee's abilities work. Mine are slightly different. I'm going to ask you some questions to get your mind running. I will then hold your hand. You may feel a slight shock as I access your memories." He gives a beat for her to take in the information. "Other than that you should feel no pain." Shawn glances over Samara at the gathering line then back down to her. "Ready?"
Lynette's warmth earns a more genuine smile. "Thanks, I just… don't want to be away from Ali too long." She slides into the chair and then looks towards the fellow and his notepad. "And, I mean, I want everyone safe. Everyone." There's something strangely heavy, and oddly knowing, about the last.
But then Brian comes forward, shifting from the crowd. The closeness prompts her to lift her hand and squeeze his. "I know," but even in those words, something is a bit off, with a lilt of apology(?) or perhaps regret in the two words. "We will," she agrees.
"Samara Dunham." Her lips quirk and she nods, "I… yes?" There's a moment and her head ducks down, "I should warn you though. I'm kind of… my mom says spirited?" She squints. "My thoughts are a jumble. Like always. Sometimes they tangle together into a big mess. They're just a little more jumbled than normal right now. Mom-brain maybe?" Her teeth play at her bottom lip. "I don't know that you'll have much luck making sense of them."
But then, sheepishly, she glances towards the lead Brian again and manages a vague shrugs of her shoulders before looking to Shawn. "Sure. Uh. Ask away."
The cherry of a cigarette shimmers from the back of the room, green eyes skimming over the scene as Griffin Mihangle silently surveys the goings-on. Outwardly, the telekinetic has an air of calm and nonchalance, mixed in with the same amount of panic that just about anyone else stuck in here might have over the fact that there is literally one person (and his force field) standing between them and destruction.
Inwardly, however, Griffin is a mess. Another telepath? And this one is under heavier guard — and the Brians can identify him in a heartbeat. Then his cover is blown completely. And who knows if he'll have a chance like he did with Kaylee with this one. Inwardly, Griffin Mihangle is going over his options in a panic.
Don't they know that they're just making it worse? That they're just going to force him to take more drastic measures?
When Brian comes over, Lynette finds somewhere else to be looking, as if she feels the need to give the pair a moment of semi-privacy. So she turns to Shawn instead, smiling his way as he cups her hand. "This could be the last for now, if you like. We can do another session later. But it's up to you. Just don't push yourself too hard."
When he starts to work, though, she leaves him be, looking at angry and scared faces. She's not great at subtlety, as it's fairly obvious that she's watching for someone to stand out from the crowd. On the hunt, as it were. But her eyes don't seem to settle on anyone in particular.
That's probably a relief for everyone in the room.
Megan leans back against the wall, her blue eyes skimming randomly through the room as well. More or less, she's often just watching. Pretty much everything. If the telepath can't handle more tonight, she's fine with it. It just might mean he has to come find her later on.
Noa's eyes slide to the Brians, and her brows lift a little with appreciation for the protection of the new telepath. They certainly don't seem to worry her. From her ears, the music is a little too loud — a very tinny version of David Bowie's "Heroes" can be heard if one has both good hearing and an ear for the miniaturized tones coming out of the tiny speakers. With her arms crossed, her fingers tap out the rhythm against her forearms for a moment before she reaches up to pull one headphone out of her ear, perhaps better to listen to the people speaking here and there. Her dark eyes slide to Griffin, the one here she's least familiar with, and watches him curiously for a moment, before looking back to where the telepath works.
Brian watches Samara with a light frown as he stands with his arms folded. He leans against the stone wall with a quiet sigh. Seeing her like this has more of an effect on him than many of the external issues of the Castle. When she glances at him, Brian gives a firm nod. It'll be okay. Winters tilts his head back as his gaze searches the rest of the crowd carefully.
At the table Shawn fights against the smile curling up his lips. He shakes his head a little bit. "Don't you worry about me." Shawn coaches quietly. He reaches out to take Samara's hands gently, a small zap hitting her hands as he does. He gives an apologetic look as the shock goes to her, folding his hands around hers. He lowers his gaze to the table. Dipping his head down.
A long silence passes as Shawn slowly closes his eyes.
Holding her hands still he looks up and his eyes slowly creep open. "To believe one is dead." A light sigh eeks out his lips. "I'm sorry you had to go through something like that. And congratulations on your child." His hands are withdrawn as Shawn gives her a nod.
Shawn opens his notepad once again, pen being picked up as words are being jotted down once more. "Thank you for your time Samara Dunham. You are free to go." He looks over to his shoulder to Lynette, "I think one more and we can take a break."
Sami's lips quirk into a crooked grin at Shawn's response to her chatter. She's always impressed when people weather it that well. She jumps slightly at the zap that emits through her fingers but he earns another smile— if only for the hint of apology that reflects behind his eyes. Her eyes widen at the mention of death. "I… yeah. Thanks. I'm better now, and I wasn't." Pause. "Dead, I mean. Just four years down the drain." Shrug. "At least I know I'm alive now. And whole, right?"
She lights up more though at the mention of Ali. "Thank you! And, thank you. For this. I know it's… well." Her chin drops. "Thank you." She slides away from the chair and treads towards the wall where Noa lingers. Her lips quirk and then press into a line. "Hi," it's a weirdly shy greeting for a self-proclaimed chatterbox.
"One more, then," Lynette says, to Shawn. As she looks over those gathered, she rests a hand back on Shawn's shoulder. Protective, one might say. "Noa," she says to the young woman, "If you don't mind being next?" She gestures to the open space in front of Shawn before she turns back to the telepath.
"Be gentle with this one. She and Rue are good friends," she says, explaining maybe why she's eager to get Noa through this and back to her freedom. She looks back to Noa, though, eyebrows lifted in question.
Lurking probably doesn't make him look all that good. When one more is mention, Griffin looks as though he's briefly tempted to take his turn — but thankfully, Lynette selects Noa to be next. At least they're not jumping at him. Green eyes watch the interactions, thoughts flying around behind his gaze. Will he get a chance to kill this one? Or should he take another course of action? He glances about, peering over the multiple inhabitants in the room suspiciously.
Mostly, the telekinetic just looks unhappy. But then, isn't everyone else stuck on this rock?
When the announcement is made, Megan smiles faintly. Not because she's relieved but more out of a sense of being glad they're looking out for the telepath. She nods faintly to Lynette and turns to head back toward her infirmary, where there are people still needing to be looked after. She's fine with waiting her turn — she has nothing to hide.
"You don't have to be gentle," says Noa, pushing off the bit of stony wall she leans against, coming forward with a shake of her dark mane of hair. She pulls out her second earbud and sits down on the chair, her arms coming to cross in front of her on the table. Dark eyes stare back at Shawn's as if daring him to find anything amiss in her memories or whatever he's digging into.
"You look too deep, you'll get some confusing shit, fair warning. No winning lotto numbers or world series winners, unfortunately for all of us, though," she quips, but the humor doesn't find a way to her eyes.
Shawn smiles lightly at Lynette as she claps his shoulder again. When Noa comes to sit, Shawn gives a light nod. "Full name please." He says once again, writing the name as it is reported. Shawn matches Noa's gaze, giving a stern nod. "That's unfortunate." He smiles to her about the lotto numbers. As he reaches forward to take Noa's hands another little shock goes forward into her hands.
Once again silence passes. Until eventually the silence breaks. "I'm glad you have your sight back." He says curtly, looking up at her, releasing her hands. The pen is taken back up and some notes are taken before the note pad is closed. Shawn stands quickly looking to Lynette. "An hour break. And please." He glances at the team of Brians. "I'm going to need my space."
Sam glances around the room and allows her eyes to linger on the lead Brian a moment before disappearing through the floor. Phasing requires practice, and she's determined to get plenty of it.
"We're going to get Rue out of this," Lynette says quietly, to Noa. That comes with determination, though. The kind that tells of a wrong to be righted. She's quiet through the procedure, though. And she only moves again when Shawn addresses her.
"Of course. Brian will escort you to you room and we'll make sure you have time — and room — to get some rest. Before the next session, we should discuss some of the more delicate situations here." Whatever those are, though, she is leaving it at that. She turns back to the room and raises her voice some. "Thank you all for coming. And for understanding. We'll send runners when we're ready for the next group."
The telekinetic watches Shawn and Lynette quietly, green eyes thoughtful. Hmm. As the telepath finishes his first round, Griffin quietly throws his cigarette to the ground, crushing it beneath his shoes. It could be…but no. It's not really worth any of the risk involved to let the teep touch him. As Shawn stands, Griffin pushes off of the wall…and begins making his way slowly and deliberately toward Lynette, giving the telepath plenty of time to make his way out of here.
"Intense crowd here," he mumbles to the electrokinetic who helped him clean out an old Tenemant once. "You sure you want to leave him alone?" He gestures after the telepath, a frown of what one can assume is worry on his face. "If it's not actually the ginger, then…that's kinda inviting trouble, no?"
When Shawn finishes, Noa withdraws her hands, sliding them back into her hoodie's pockets as she stands. "Me, too," she says simply, before she glances at Lynette for the directions. She begins to walk away, before glancing at Griffin's comment to Lynette.
"Only a ginger can call another ginger 'ginger,'" she says, as if imparting very important wisdom to the man. His words, though, do make her glance Shawn's way and then to the Brians. "As long as he has one around, should be okay. He can pop out more. Trust me, one of him's enough." There's a smirk in Brian's direction at that.
The lead Brian watches Samara poof through the floor with a light frown. Shoving off the wall he walks over to flank Shawn. The pair of them walking out of the dining hall to the quarters that had been laid aside by Shawn. Brian marches with his hand on the handle of his pistol as they walk off away from Lynette, Griffin, and the rest.
Stepping up to Lynette, another Brian glances over to Griffin then back to Lynette. "I got it. He'll be fine. I'll do my best to keep myself on him at all times." Though his bodies as many as he may have do need to rest at times as well.
Brian Winters rests his hand on his rifle. "I'll go ahead and take off Lynette." He swings one hand up to squeeze her shoulder, before heading off for the tunnel.
Looking over at Griffin, Lynette nods to his words. "Getting worse, lately. But — " Of course, Noa is there to explain and the councilwoman nods. "Brian has volunteered for guard duty and he can make one man feel like ten," she says with a crooked smile. Because it's a joke, probably.
She smiles at Brian when he touches her shoulder, "Thank you, Brian. I'll swing by later and check on everything." An extra set of eyes can't hurt.
She turns back to Griffin as the Brians all make their way out. "I certainly don't want to invite any more trouble than we've already got. We'll look after him." When she looks to Noa next, it's with an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry you had to go through this twice. But thank you." And with that, she turns go her own way. Possibly to find a little space of her own.