This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race

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quinn2_icon.gif rue_icon.gif

Scene Title This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race
Synopsis Quinn checks in on Rue to see how she's faring.
Date November 21, 2010

Pollepel Island - Bannerman Castle


It's only been a little bit since the wake. Which had turned out a little stranger than Quinn had expected, between the new faces and the arrivals back from Breakneck Road. She'd left before it was over, really, because it had gotten far too distracting from what it was supposed to be, at least for her. The castle walls weren't anymore comforting, though, than the wake had been.

Hand running across the cold stone, Robyn Quinn hums to herself. Her eyes are a bit red, it had been hard not to get a little emotional, even if she'd waited until she was away from people to really do it. She hadn't brought her guitar with her, or anything else to do, and it was leaving her terribly bored. She knew who she could go see, and even if Delilah wasn't busy with Walter, and Tasha wasn't off talking to her father, she'd probably still be making her way there now.

A hand held up and illuminating her path in place of a candle of flashlight, Quinn's loud sigh heralds her arrival to where she was hoping Rue was still staying in the castle. A gentle knock on the stone is given as she rounds the entrance, a weak smile on her face. "You around, Rue?"

Rue's cherub-like face appears as the door slides open a crack. "Just a minute," she murmurs sleepily, shutting the door for a moment before she steps back out. She's dressed in a white nightgown that probably is floor-length on the woman it was originally bought for, but not on Rue's tall frame. A teal robe has been pulled over it to give her some warmth. Her sockless feet are slid in her half-tied shoes, the laces flopping limply and dragging across the floor.

"You okay?" the natural ginger asks in a quiet voice, concern in her tone. Rue reaches out to wrap Quinn in a hug, resting her chin against the top of the older woman's head. "Sorry. Dumb question."

The hug is accepted readily, Quinn squeezing tight as Rue's hands settle around her. "You weren't sleeping, were you? Lord, I hope not. I didn't want t' wake you up, that'd be terrible." Sighing, Quinn lays her head down against Rue's shoulder. "I'll be fine. Just- you know. There was a wake t'night. Friends a' mine were up on the board."

That should really say everything right there, but Quinn shakes her head. "Was just hopin' t' hang out with a friendly face for a bit. Sorry if you were sleeping."

"Dozing," Rue admits. "Not really sleeping. I'd have been dead to the world if I were actually sleeping." The younger girl shifts her embrace so she can just leave one arm draped across Quinn's shoulders and nudges her into a meandering pace down the hall.

"I'm sorry for your loss," feels too mechanical, but not insincere. "I'm awake. Let's walk. And, you know, if you want to talk… I'll listen." Rue's smile is reassuring. They've been down this path before, but this time she doesn't have a story of loss to share in return.

Quinn quirks an eyebrow at Rue, smirking. "Sure you don't want t' change first," she says, looking back at the door. "I'll even wait outside," she adds teasingly, hand patting on Rue's back. "Not really much t' talk about, an' I don't really want t' depress you. I found out a few days ago, it was just… sad t' see again, is all. "Glad you weren't sleeping, though, I'd feel like a jerk." A weak smile is offered over towards Rue, before Quinn gives a shallow shrug.

"I didn't really come by t' bore you or make you depressed, though. Mostly t' see how you're doin' here on the island." Fingers scritch Rue's back, Quinn grinning. "Been back to the city at all? Or are you just going t' hang around here for a while?" The look on Quinn's face, despite her words, still looks very tired and rather sad, even with her grin.

"There're no pants long enough for me," the tall woman dismisses. She didn't come to the island with anything, truthfully. She didn't want to be a target for mugging, even with Brian as her escort. "I'm fine." The back of one hand is pressed against Rue's lips just before they part in a wide yawn.

"I'm sticking around here until things quiet down a bit," Rue confirms. "I don't really have anything here, but I don't feel right asking for a lift back toward home with how risky things are. I'll save the space on those runs for people who need to go. I've got nothing to go back for anyway. Nothing urgent, I mean. I'm getting by."

"Well, I've been going back an' forth," Quinn remarks, in case Rue hadn't realised. "I've been back in town for a few days. I plan t' keep making trips too; I can bring you back some things if you want. At least some clothes." She chuckles a bit at that, her smile strengthening a bit.

"You at least have t' come back so you can meet more of my friends. The band I'm in finally got a drummer. She's cute, you might like 'er! But more importantly, it means we're finally recording." THAT brings a wide grin to Quinn's face. "And, if everything lines up right, I'm going t' be on the radio next weekend, an' I'd love for you t' hear it. An' not jsut cause I'm a self centred musician."

Rue's whole face lights up. "Oh, I'd like that. If you're heading back, I suppose I could head back with you." Like it's okay to be a burden, if one is only being a burden on one's friend. "I'd like to meet your friends. And I'd love to hear your band play. That sounds like a lot of fun." She just about bounces as she makes her way down the hallway with her ex-girlfriend.

"Well, you've probably heard of one a' my bandmates, but he's an asshole," Quinn notes with a chuckle. "You're not a burden, Rue. The people here are here t' help, an' I'm sure it takes someone much worse than you t' be a burden to them." Her pace slows a bit, a hand running back through her red hair. "We're kinda dysfunctional as a band. Like… I used t' joke that we sucked at bein' a band, but now that we have a drummer, I guess it's not the case. Before that… Ever see Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist? It was like that."

Still scratching at Rue's back, Quinn looks over at the other woman with a curious look. "You know, I don't think I ever really asked you what you've been up t' since the last time we really hung out at all. I'm sorry about that."

Rue chuckles briefly at Quinn's assessment of her own band, but it dies away with her apology for their past. "Water under the bridge," she murmurs as if it didn't matter. As if being dumped by the greatest love of her life because she thought she was crazy is not worth being upset by. "I've tried to keep busy. I get some modelling jobs now and again. Make enough money to quit my day job, then the money runs out and I have to find a new day job."

"You know, there's someone else on the island who was a model. Or is? Shit, I forgot! Either way, you should talk t' her, her names Lucille. See if she can put you int' contact with anyone." Nodding, Quinn pats on Rue's back. "I also know someone who's an' aspirin' photographer, of all sorts. She wanted me t' be her practice model an' she's going t' do shoots for the band, but I bet she'd love a real model giving her tips, hmm?"

There's another beat, before Quinn looks off to the side a bit. "I don't want this t' sound like, like… a sympathy handout or anythin', because I know someone else said that, but if your money starts t' run thin again, I just came int' some I could definitely part with. You know, t' help out."

"Lucille?" Rue's brows knit together. She's known a few Lucys in her profession, but… Well, it's a small world lately, she wonders if she might actually know this other model. "Oh man. I don't presume to give tips to photographers. They are a whole different craft. I just pose."

When Quinn offers her money, Rue's mind drifts to the past due notice on her kitchen counter. "I'll let you know if things get dire." She lies through her teeth, smiling as she does so.

"Do that!" If Quinn was being rude, as she sometimes unintentionally tends to be, it has totally escaped her once again. "Well, I thought maybe a model might be able t'… hmm." Scratching her chin, she shrugs a bit. "But yeah, Lucille. She's awesome. And anyway, what are you dion' at the moment? If anything. I like swinging by t' surprise people at work." Giving a bit of a nod, Quinn bumps over into Rue - entirely on purpose, laughing if she does. "It's nice t' catch up. I missed bein' t'gether."

"I'm… between jobs right now," Rue responds, bumping back into Quinn with the same good nature. "I've missed you a lot, too, Quinnie." She reasons that she missed much more than she was missed. "I'm thinking about applying at one of the comic shops. But I imagine it's going to be hard finding work right now… What with the end of the world being in effect and all."

Oh lord. Comic shops. Clearly, she's never going to be able to escape them, but at least in this instance she doesn't particularly mind. "A comic shop? That'd be fun. I only know one, an' that's only because a friend a' mine loves it, an' another one works there. I'm sure there's, like… hundreds in the city, though." Her pace slows a bit more as she looks over at Rue, wagging a finger.

"I told you," she says, her tone more serious, though not without that hint enthusiasm, of positivity. "It's not the end of the world." She comes to a stop, a hand on each of Rue's shoulders, mirroring exactly how she'd stood with Tasha earlier. Only, Rue is definitely taller, so it makes it a bit more awkward. "We'll get through this. We all will. This shit can only go on for so long before either we elect someone else and they realise how stupid it is, or it gets so bad we say fuck it an' I gather up everyone I care about an' drag them out t' Ireland. That includes you."

"I would like to see Ireland," Rue muses, a hand on her chin as if giving the matter the utmost consideration. "But I would rather just get out of this mess and see hope that things will get better, rather than having to run to somewhere that hasn't gone insane yet." She smiles faintly. It doesn't reach her eyes.

"Oh, I totally agree!" Quinn responds, a hand slipping into her jean pocket, the other looping her arm in Rue's as she continues walking. "It's a last ditch thing, totally. I plan on staying around here, seein' how I can make things better for as long as I can." Quinn nods, sounding resolute in this. "I have t' admit, I'm curious if you're going t' stick with these folks after this. I mean, I know Brian's trying t' help Samara an' all," and by know, she means assumes, from what she's heard. "But I have no idea if this is really your… scene or not."

Rue shrugs a little helplessly. "I'm not entirely sure either. I've gone to rallies in the past and stuff, but… This is way more involved than I've ever been in the pro-Evo stuff. It's kind of exciting, but kind of scary, too." Her lopsided lips purse for a moment. "I feel kind of like it's my duty to maybe try and stick with this."

"Yeah," Quinn says, eyes half lidded for a moment. "I mean, you know me. I'd go t' rallies, get my mom t' donate something every now and then, but that was really it…" Quinn reaches up, scratching the back of her neck. "I dunno. I ended up, without knowing, livin' in a safehouse, an'… I dunno. I began t' hear stories about how things really were an' I felt driven t' get more involved."

She gives a bit of laugh, shaking her head. "And that's not even the craziest thing that's happened in the last few months. It's been a busy summer, Rue, an' in a way I never would've expected. There's a lotta ways t' get involved, though. You don't have t' do, like… the crazy shit you've probably heard about."

Rue only nods slowly. The whole concept is a lot to take in, and she's managed to somehow do an admirable job of not doing that in her time at Pollepel. She hugs her arm around Quinn's shoulders a little tighter, tipping her head down to smirk at her ex. "You want to come to bed? No funny business. Promise. I just think we could both use the company, and the rest, huh?"

Giving a bit of a laugh, Quinn nods, turning and tipping up to kiss Rue on the cheek. "Sure. It's late, an' I've been up an' doin' stuff all day." She hooks an arm around Rue, turning them back by her room. "Besides, cold as it gets here, it kinda sucks t' sleep alone." She leans over, resting her head against the natural redhead's shoulder. She opens her mouth to make a joke, something about a little funny business isn't so bad, but decides against it for the moment, instead remaining silent. For now, it's just nice to have the company.


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