Participants:
| Scene Title | The Woods Are LOvely Dark And Deep |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | A favor of Niki is asked, one that extends somewhat to Jessica when Abby invokes the name of the second personality. That, and a way to better Niki's life day to day. |
| Date | January 5, 2009 |
Closing time! You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here. Good lyrics, and much empathized by a tired waitress/bartender. Niki flashes the lights one last time, letting the last stragglers know that it's time to GTFO, as she starts washing up what needs washed.
And when you can't go home, you go to the bar and look for a friend. Or well… Abigail's one of the ones who's not going out the door. Instead, she's coming in the door. She knew who was working today, not her, and so, across from the working bartender Abby slips up onto a stool at the counter, resting sling'd arm on the surface, sliding her jacket off. "I need a favor"
Niki looks surprised. "Sure. What's on your mind, Abby?" She's not really in a position to provide a lot of help, but she'll do what she can.
"You have your new place yet?" Abby reaches over a hand a gimme gimme motion to a rag. She's got one good arm, she can help close up.
Niki nods, and tosses over a cloth to Abby. "Yeah. Not much but four walls and a roof right now, but it beats a hotel. Well, except for the lack of furniture. Why, what's up?
"Roommates are being… guys, and the tension is just.. terrible" plus I have a really crazy incorporeal bodyguard and I don't want to lead him to two phoenix members. "I can kick in rent money while I'm there, and if you have a couch, I can easily stay on there. I just.. They need to get their stuff right" She motions with the rag to her head. "And till then, I don't feel comfortable staying there"
Niki looks a little concerned. "You're not…in trouble, are you? I mean, they didn't do anything?" Knowing that Abby stays with guys, it's the first place her mind jumps to. Her eyes flit to Abby's arm briefly, as if making possible connections.
If she had a drink she'd be choking on it, with the look to her arm. "Oh, oh heavens Niki. No. No!" She shakes her head to dismiss that idea, a pause in her wiping down of the bar and the seats. "They're.. no. They are quite the opposite, they're like brothers, and they wouldn't touch a hair on my head Niki. Just… I need a break, from them" Abby's not a good lier. The last sentence, is just that. "I could ask Isabelle to stay here, it's no worry. Come on, i'll help you clean up"
Niki nods. "No, it's fine! I mean, my place is pretty lacking in amenities, but you're welcome to stay there. I just didn't want you to…I just wanted to make sure you were okay."
"My place is pretty lacking too. It's not like the three of us had much to move in with. But, I can pitch in, be a week, maybe too, depends how long it takes for them to get thier act together. The extra money, you could use, i'm sure" She's willing to pitch it, that's for sure. Abby goves one last swipe of the rag. "The arms not from them Niki. I got attacked in the street and the friend I was with shot blindly into the area around her and I got hit. Wasn't my roomated, I promise"
Niki chuckles. "Sure. I'm not saying no. But you don't have to pay me anything, Abby. You helped me out when I needed it. I'd be a pretty crappy friend if I wanted to charge you when you needed help."
"It's called food Niki. Groceries, and I want to. I need to. What else you have to do before you get out of here?" Chairs are already put up and away. Abby meanders around to the business end of the bar, tossing her rag into the bucket.
Niki looks over. "Nothing, really. I can go now." She moves to start shutting out lights. "It was a quiet night."
"I love quiet nights. Means there's no one breathing down my neck for a beer" Abby shuffles to grab her jacket and her coat, purse and meets up with Niki at the door. "I poured a beer on a customers head new years eve. He was complaining because there was four people between him and his beer"
Niki laughs. "I wouldn't do that. I want to keep my job. I already worry about saying something when the customers get grabby." She heads for the door, as well, and locks up as she heads out.
"Oh, Isabelle was right there, she had a tequila bottle ready to hit over his head, I think. And Huruma had a shot glass ready to smash into his face" The jacket is slipped on, she's got a sweater on underneath, lots of layers to stay warm. "Kissed Magnes too" A heat to her cheeks that cannot be attributed to the cold settles on he cheek. "Probably thinks i'm a brazen hussy"
Niki laughs a little. "Well, you're about as far from either as it gets. I thik you're safe." She looks over. "I walk; no car yet. So we either need to take yours, or you're in for a long walk."
"Can't drive a scooter with just one arm. i'm okay with walking. Bus's are usually not running this time of the morning anyways" That's an affirmative to the whole walking thing. 'Remind me to talk to a friend, Jessica. I need to get ahold of her later" as in, not right now. She's not sure whether Jessica's … watching right now. "So how… sparse, are we talking about? Like couch? or are we going to get you one tomorrow or well, later today? new years eve was… good for tips"
That's enough. Niki stops, and her body language shifts slightly. She looks back to Abby. "Careful." she says, matter-of-factly. "I don't need Niki knowing about me. Stay put. I don't want her to realize time has passed after this little chit-chat."
Good heavens. "I said it could have waited. Later, when we're not in the middle of a street" Thank god it's not some super visual change. Abby eyes 'Jessica'. Whats done is done. "Was Sylar and Wu-Long. Vanguard. I was with someone and they came out to take a second try at getting Sylar the gift of healing. SCOUT interrupted them, an my friend … shot her gun in the dark. I need a place to stay, for two weeks. Wu-Longs made a deal with me, in exchange for healing a friend, and he's going to …. watch over me. I don't want to lead him to my roommates. Your the lesser of two… evils so to speak, and safer than a hotel room" Abby's breath curls out between the two and the blue eyed blonde doesn't move a step. She's willing to keep up the charade for Niki's sake.
Jessica points out "Easiest here. There's no obvious visual references for Niki to clue in on." She's a pro at this, after all. She frowns. "I don't know this Wu-Long, but it sounds like you've already got someone watching you. Or selling you out, if he works with Sylar."
"Good point. Your the professional at this" Abby draws her arms close. "Wu-Long. Control of shadow, can create and blind you with it, sound, can turn you into it to take you places. It was him at the cathedral. How I got under the pews. He won't be on me like… Teo. I have his number and i can call, if I need him. Feels strange, having a member of the… enemy, in my pocket. But only for two weeks. But, yes, he might sell me out. Truth be told, I'm using him, to keep Sylar away from me. For a couple weeks. I need it. I really frankly need it, so I can get my head on straight, and I did them a favor. But he might be using me. the same as, frankly, i'm using you, in a way. I like Niki, she's… I just like her. But then there's you. I'm ntoan idiot, I know you'll snap my neck in two if I … and a threat and it serves you better but.. if something happens in the bar, I know they have to get through you before they get to me"
Jessica looks thoughtful. "The problem with THAT little theory is that if he works with Sylar, he might just be doing it to get you served up on a silver platter." She considers it. "I don't like it. Ditch him. If you want protection for two weeks, I'll provide it, but I don't need a knife at my back."
Ditch him. Abby chews on her upper lip for a few moments before nodding. "Fine. I can do that. Easy enough to do. I'll call it off. I've already done what they asked" The younger blonde reaches up to scratch at her own hair before asking something that's been niggling at her. "Why's Niki living like this? Barely able to afford an apartment Jessica? Surely the company's paying you. They're not just using you right?"
Jessica replies "Because, she believes she just got out of a coma. If I were to show up with some major windfall somehow, she'd start asking questions. I can't have that. Besides, the work is keeping her from obsessing over D.L. and Micah. It's better for her than having a lot of time to think and brood."
Abby's thinking. So Jessica has money, and Niki has… what she gets from work. "What if some.. extra were funneled into her tips? Enough that she's comfortable, like me, but not.. living hand to mouth?" She understands why Niki would work. She's seen the woman get misty eye'd.
Jessica considers. "It would have to be done in a way that wouldn't make her suspicious. I don't have any way to filter it through your bar patrons."
"Yes you do" Abby answers. "When she goes on break, I can filter it into her jar. We don't exactly count our tips until the end of our shift. You should know that. once a week or you know, every two weeks, she has… a really good night. We have that happen. I made … quite a bit new years eve" It's plausible.
Jessica thinks. "All right. I'll make sure to get an envelope with some cash to you every month, and you dole it out."
"I can get it done. You know how much she makes, you can figure it out. You…. know how to find me" She's really sure Jessica knows how to find her. "You have my number, you can just leave a message on my phone about where to pick it up and I'll see that she gets a good tip once a week. She won't be any the wiser, we get big tippers in there" but that leads her to another thought. "I got one last question before I should probably let Niki come back, before she freezes. Elisabeth says you don't like people… getting close to Niki. Yet.. she walked into the bar I work at and she got a job there and you didn't find some way to dissuade it all. Why?"
Jessica looks back to Abby. "I don't mind people getting close to Niki. Niki needs to get her life put back together. The job is good for her." Which is why Jessica hasn't said anything. "You and Elisabeth are both smart enough to know what I would do if you wrecked my hard work."
Elisabeth had warned her what could/would/might happen. "What do you need me to do then? What rules are there? I'm nto used to dealing with… you, and I don't want to have my neck snapped. I like it where it is, and I don't think gods done with me yet" Of course she likes it. hence she's trying to keep protected from Sylar.
Jessica smirks just a bit. Of course, she doesn't buy into what she considers Abby's delusion. "If Sylar's after you, the best thing to do would be to disappear, but I don't think you're going to do that. As far as dealing with me, don't sell me out to Niki, and don't put her in danger."
"I put her in danger just by being near her Jessica" Abby points out. "Come on. Sylar's tried twice"
Jessica nods. "Which I'm not happy about. But I'm not willing to uproot her again. So I don't have a choice beyond dealing with it, which means being your nursemaid right now."
"I have too many nursemaids" There's a twitch of Abby's nose. "Not cut out to be .. what I am. I should just go back to Louisiana and forget the world and let my parents pick people for god to help" There's a deep sigh, as if she's packing that idea away. "Nothing worth it is ever easy." She smiles to Jessica then, summoning up that bubble of courage that Huruma finds so easily. "The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep. My times not finished here. I here, for a reason. I just need to learn to live without nursemaids. Thanks.. Jessica. You probably don't hear it for all that people call you dangerous and whatnot, and you are."What you did, taking me that night. You smartened me up, a bit. For that at least, I thank you, and i'm still sorry, that I couldn't fix you how you should be"
Jessica nods. "You should." she says, agreeing with Abby when she suggests going back to Louisiana. "Right now, you're not ready to live without nursemaids. Neither is Niki." She frowns at mention of the failed healing. "It didn't work. So I move on and try something else."
"I should, but.. sometimes we don't do what we should. You should… put her back in the driving seat. We've talked long enough. How should I act?" She's willing to help with the charade.
Jessica smiles, faintly. "Like nothing happened. Niki won't realize any time has passed. Just don't draw attention to any clocks tonight."
"I'll distract her with cooking. Scoot. I'll get her home and warmed up and i'll… help her get on with her life" Abby promises. As much as she can. "And keep her from getting killed" With that, the blonde settles in with a smile on her face and looking down at the snow on the street.
Jessica nods, and then, an instant later, a subtle shift in expression. "Well, no couch yet." She makes a face. "Sleeping bag on the floor. But you can have that, and I'll just crash on some blankets."
"Heavens. You weren't kidding about Sparse. Niki. tomorrow. Before work. you. Me. Ikea. It's called Swedish furniture. Ever been there? Serious. We'll get you a bed at least, or you know a futon. Futons are cheap." Abby carry's on without a hitch, switching sides to offer her good arm to Niki.
Niki grins a little. "I know, I know. But I'm saving up for a car. Thanks, Abby. You've been great. I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Futon. My treat. Instead of helping pay the rent? Besides, I hear that the tips have been great lately. Then I can take the sleeping bag, and you can take the futon. Lets get going, before my arm falls off hmm?"
 January 5th: Conscience and Cognition |
 January 6th: Simpatico |