Participants:
| Scene Title | This Went Well |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Upon returning to the city, Quinn pays Magnes a visit |
| Date | March 30, 2011 |
Siann Hall: Magnes' Apartment
The early evening finds Magnes wearing a Green Lantern t-shirt, blue jeans, and red Chucks while packing his things. He's been packing for a while, since he's got at least five boxes of his things, mostly the graphic novels from his bookcases right now. When he hears someone at the door, he answers with a frown, waiting for her to say something.
"Magnes?" Quinn's only just gotten back into the city, but coming to see Magnes… well, besides calling a few people to let them know she was back in town, it was pretty much teh first thing she'd decided she was going to do. After talking with Kaylee… she didn't really feel like it could be put off any longer. "Are you home? I swear, if I've picked the night you decided t' go out on the town…"
"I'm here." Magnes leaves the door open and walks back to continue taking his books from the case. "I'm about to put my things in storage. I'm stick of this life, people, terrorists, whatever. I'll do what I want alone, I don't need anyone to tell me what to do, I don't need a woman, I don't need anything but myself."
ORDER: It is now your pose.
Well. That's not what Quinn expecting. ANd when she steps in and sees how much he's starting to dismantle his apartment, that's even more unexpected. But that's kind of secondary to her. Even as he's walking back towards the book case, Quinn follows after him. And when he stops to begin taking books down, she does probably the last thing eitehr of them might expect her to do.
She hugs him.
Magnes freezes there, looking back at her as his anger is deflated with confusion. "What's wrong? What happened?" he asks, not pulling away from her grip. "Did someone hurt you? Because I'll…"
Letting out a long sigh, Quinn releases herself form Magnes, letting out a long sigh. "No, no one hurt me. I'm just…" She wrinkles her nose a bit, looking carefully at Magnes. "As weird as it sounds, I'm happy t' see you. What's up with takin' down all the books? Somethin' happen t' you?" She looks around a bit, before her eyes settle back on him."I ahve a question for you Magnes, an' I need an honest answer. Because it's important t' somethin' I'm tryin' t' figure out." And then she decides to be a little mena. Make him sweat about it as she steps back, pacing a bit before she turns back to face him. "Had any strange dreams lately?"
"I've decided that I'm sick of Elvira disrespecting me, I'm sick of everything. The band is scattered through the boroughs, Elaine clearly hates me, based on what she said at the party. I don't know where the hell Gillian is, almost all of my friends are terrorists now. God!" Magnes tosses one of his textbooks, and it embeds itself directly into a wall with the cover showing. "Friends and relationships aren't going to improve my life, I should just be the White Knight again. Who's gonna care? Who's gonna stop me?"
He walks to the couch and takes a seat, then leans over and curls up after kicking his sneakers off. "Other than my recurring dream where I'm married to Sable, I did dream that I died in the future."
"Elvira?" Quinn tilts her head a bit. This isn't a name she familiar with, but the rest… "Scattered, but it's not like we weren't before, you know? An' Elaine… doesn't hate you. Far the opposite. She just- it's like I said. We had a hard day and we oth knida… freaked out. I'm still so sorry for that. And I know she is too." If that'll help. It didn't last time. "An' Gillian's on the island," she notes, raising a finger. "I… was just there. I didn't see her, but I heard she was there." THe fact that she's sick, however, doesn't come out. "BUt you know that's not true. About friends an' all. I wouldn't be who I am, with people like you, Elaine, Sable, Delilah, Ygraine, Lynette, Colette… I could go on. I'm also sure I wouldn't be a good person without them."
But on that note she steps back towards him and te couch, watching as one of teh sneakers goes sailing bt a bit over from her. She frowns, moving to plot down next him, looking down into her lap. "The one where you, me, Sable, an' Lance are on teh run from FRONTLINE, right?" she remarks, as if looking for confirmation. "BEcause… I had that dream too, Magnes."
"Elvira is someone I'm helping with projects, and she's trying to improve me as a person. But what have I gotten from friends? They either die or leave me or stop caring…" Magnes curls into an even tighter ball, closing his eyes tightly. "Who am I kidding. I enjoy myself with Elvira, hanging out and going to fancy places, but I haven't been really, absolutely happy since Elaine. I've been content, at peace, secure, but I'm not happy at all."
When she mentions having the dream too, he opens his eyes wider to stare up at her. "But how is that possible?"
Quinn closes her eyes as magnes opens his. One thing. "People who leave you weren't you friends t' begin with. But Elaine made you think she stopped caring, if I made you think I stopped caring… I know she still does. And so do I. The last month an' a half has been… weird. An' tense, an' busy, an' I really am sorry if I hurt you. Whatyou said at the hospiral, about not reating you like a friend? I never meant t' do that."
She purses her lips, looking a bit off to the side with a froen on her face. "For what it's worth… I'm sorry about Elaine too. That day I came t' talk t' you, it's not like I was trying t' dishearten or hurt you. I just… I thought I saw a bad situation breing an' I was tryin' t' head it off. I guess I could've done it better. I just… I know we get frustrated with each other," admittedly probably more with him than vice versa, "but I didn't mean t' make you think I don't care. Hell, Colette's done nothin' but yell and get angry at me since day one, an' then feckin' vanish, but she's still my friend. I'd like to think, at least."
Clearing her throat, she sets a hand on his back back gently. "As for the dream, I have no idea. But it's not just us. Apparently it's happenin' t' a few people. Elaine had one like that. I've had a few. Kaylee an' I are tryin' t' keep track of them all."
"I let Elaine sleep with you and Sable because I thought it'd turn into a threesome and I'd get to sleep with you or Sable. I didn't think it'd result in one of you taking her from me." Magnes reaches into his pocket for a piece of paper and a pen, scribbling a number down to offer Quinn. "That's Claire's number, you can talk to her about the dream if you want to. She was the FRONTLINE member, for some reason. I don't know what to say about the dreams, except that I'm gonna stop looking into all of this zen stuff and find a different way to get inner peace…"
Oh. So that what he thinks. Quinn fidgets a bit, looking down at the floor in front of her. "I don't think anyone was tryin' t' take Elaine. I… I mean, regardless of any feelings anyone had, that was never anythin' anyone wanted. Things only got complicated once you guys broke up. An' I don't know if ELaine ever admited she had feelings for me until…" she pauses, and sighs. "Until Sable hurt her. Which was unfortunate. But I know she didn't ever meant t' take Elaine from you."
Leaning back, so that now she's looking upwards, she leans over and takes the numbner, looking at it. "Um… okay. Wait. Claire?" She's heard that name mentioned before. "I guess I can call her. That might be kinda weird. You're welcome to if you want." Her placed hand begins to scratch at Magnes' back, the Irishwoman sighing. "You know, I kinda liked that you were all zen. Kinda made you a badass, Magnes. But these dreams, people are having them an' talkin' about how it's the future, an'… you think you don't need us. I think we need you, though. Elaine… she had apparently helped kileld soldiers an' joined some people in holding a woman at gunpoint in hers. I shot someone in the head in mine. Whatever these dreams are… they're bad."
"I know Sable wouldn't take her." Magnes states quickly. reaching back to take her hand so he can idly play with her fingers inbetween his. "I don't think I can handle talking to Claire right now, but you'll do fine. And if this is the future, being all zen gets me killed, and who knows what happened to you all after that. I still remember what it felt like, being so sure of myself, being at peace with all of my problems… but at what cost? I wanna be happy, I don't care how, but if I can't have that then I'd rather be miserable and fight crime, then at least something good comes out of it. I'm alone, the only way I can see my friends is to become a terrorist again, and no matter what you say, Elaine can't take those words back. She hates me, she said that from the bottom of her heart, all of those things she said about me. She can't take it back, she doesn't love me and she doesn't care…"
"You're right, she can't take it back. But I think going an' talking t' her would show you how much she really regrets it," Quinn says quietly, eyes still closed. She doesn't fight it when he takes her hand, for once. "People asy things when they're angry and stressed that they don't always mean to. If you want her as a friend at all, like she wants you as a friend, you'll at least talk to her. Forgiveness is the hallmark of a good person. ONe of 'em, at least."
The all his friends are terrorists comments has her eyes opening, turning to look at him carefully. "Does that mean I'm a terrorist too? Or Sable? Running around as a super hero will just get you called the same thing, you know. I mean, I don't really ever read comics, but even I know how hard up for a good public image Spider-Man is sometimes because of… shit. That guy who always has the cigar. The newpaper guy!" She narrows her eyes, but can't come up with the name. "Just because we're all involved in… other activities doesn't mean we're all runnin' around with AKs shooting soliders and breaking into Government places. An' I doubt allof your friends are, either, magnes."
"It's not so much that she said them, it's that she thought all of those things about me, that's how she sees me. How can I face her, knowing what she really thinks…" Magnes closes his eyes and rests his cheek against the back of her hand, seeming more exhausted and sad than anything. "I don't know what they have any of you doing, I don't like thinking about it. I just… I wish you could all live normally. I'd even stop trying to get into the Institute if you'd all stop moving away. We were all together in Gun Hill, then we were all at least together in the same borough. Now you're all just gone and I'm here alone. You have no idea how much I miss Elaine, how much it eats me up inside not seeing her there when I wake up…"
"I might ahve an idea. But I don't know like you do, no. And… like I said. People say things they don't mean when they're angry and upset. Manges, we watched a woman have a mental breakdown earlier that day. I still feel like the scum of teh earth about it, an' I know she does too. She was frustrated, and she got upset on top of already bein' on edge. She's told me she didn't mean t' say those things. I believe her."
Sucking in a deep break, Quinn shakes her head. She doesn't go into what they have her doing. Not about the safehouses, at least. "The way Gun Hill got raided, it was better that we all split up. Otherwise… God, I don't even want t' think about it. BUt I had t' move here, when I moved. I mean… Catherine, she gave me free studio time, showed me how to produce an' record… I'd never be where I am if I hadn't moved there. Sable movin' in with Dee… yeah. That sucked. A lot. Particularly ince they were on Roosevelt Island. An' now they're in a place we just straight can't get int' and I don't like it." She squeezes his hand for a moment, looking back up at him. "Trust me, Magnes. I liked it more when everything was simpler too. No martial law, all of us close t'gether. No hurt feelings between us all… I miss that. A lot."
"I'll try and talk to her, I guess…" Magnes nuzzles his face into her hand, almost like a safety blanket. "What am I supposed to do now, Quinn? I don't know what to do at all, I don't know how to do what'll make me happy, or what will make me happy…"
"I honestly don't know, Magnes," Quinn admits after a few moments of silence. "I… know you want t' do the super hero thing. An' I understand why, it's a way t' help people. I respect that. But… I don't think it'll help as much as you think it will. Too many people are too scared of Evolved. I mean, I'm honestly surprised my music's doin' as well as it is. I've never kept my ability a secret. But I also never publicised it."
She shrugs a bit, turning to look at him more directly. "But you have to find something you enjoy an seize it t' make youtself happy. An' I don't think it'll be bein' White Knight. I think people'll turn on you after you help them, an' I just don't think it'll work out in the long run. That's what I've always been scared about with that. If that's your research… I'm not happy about who it's with, but if you don't turn on the rest of us an' it makes you happy, I have no reason t' stop you, you know? If it's not that… you just gotta keep looking. I lucked out on my music. I really did. It's not normal an' I know it."
"I like music, but the band's barely ever together, so I don't even have that really, unless I'm at work with the ballet." Magnes finally releases her hand and sits up, legs crossed while facing her. "I thought it'd be nice to do my zen thing, find inner peace and play music. Right now I feel so angry, I just wanna give into how angry I am. I don't really wanna go out and be the White Knight, I just feel so helpless and sad and just… You know I keep thinking that if I sleep with another woman, I'll just forget about Elaine and I'll stop hurting, but I still haven't done that, and I still can't shake that I'm somehow doing something wrong if I did manage."
"I know we're barely ever together," Quinn grumbles, shaking her head. "I haven't even seen Adel in, like, a month. And Sable movin' out t' Staten isn't going t' help at all. Trsut me, I'm not happy about it either." Quinn shakes her head at Magnes. But I know Sable has stuff she wants t' get set t' music. Until then, I mean… we can always work on some stuff? I mean, it's somethin' t' do, at least. It may not be what either of us really want, but it's something."
Kicking off her own shoes, Quinn draws her legs up on to the sofa. "Just… sleeping with women… trust me, Magnes, it's nice. Physically. But it's not really fullfilling otherwise. Trust me, I spent years bouncing from woman t' woman. It gets old. You might think it'll help, but in the long run it doesn't." She closes her eyes, lowering her head a bit. "Either it makes things worse, or things never really get better. The best you can do is just live with it for a while. An' either… you move on, or you find someone else. But it will pass."
"With Elaine, sex became a big part of my life, like, constantly. Morning, night, lunch, before dinner, after dinner…" Magnes reaches over into his purple Cambria bag, pulling out a bottle of oil, then motions to her foot. "We could work on a music project…"
That gets a laugh from Quinn. "Yeah, I… know how that feels, then t' suddenly not have that anymore. An' it sucls. That's how it was when I was seein' this girl, Amanda." Who was more than "a girl", but Quinn doesn't feel like engrossing Magnes in the whole thing there. Still, there's a bit of a sad smile on her face as she speaks. "But, when we broke up, it wasn't there aymore. An' it was awful. We actually still slept t'gether for a bit afterwards, but… it didn't last. An' once she was gone, it hurt for a while. An' then I met Rue, if you met her. That was great. I really loved her, I did. But I fucked that up, bad, an' broke up with her… an' that was when I just started sleepin' around. It never really filled the hol— I'm going t' back off that before you turn it int' a joke!" She shakes her head, laughing aloud.
She looks over at the bag and the oil. "Wh-are you going t' give me a foot massage, Magnes?" Quinn asks with a bit of embarassment. "I mean… if you wanna, but I can't stay too late. I still need t' be home t'night, since I work tomorrow. An' we could work on a music somethin'. Might be fun, havin' our own stuff."
"Just to see if I'm any good at it. I've been reading a book, a new book after the last massage book I read." Magnes pours a little oil on his hand, then starts his massage very simple, thumbs easing the tension in her sole. "I don't think girls fill holes, or, I don't know, I'm still a little unclear on lesbian sex. But I don't know, maybe I'll feel better after I talk to Elaine… let's just stay here for a little, I should probably unpack…"
Quinn clears her throat again. "Not in the traditional sense," she remarks somewhat sheepishly. "But sorry, I don't plan on givin' any demonstrations." She eyes Magnes' hand as it moves to her her foot, but instead of complaining, she leans back a bit, grinning. "Just trust me, Magnes. I've been there, seein' someone you love with someone else. An' I really am sorry. But I don’t personally believe there's just one person for us out there, you'll find someone else. I promise." And then he begins to rub, and she quirks an eyebrow. "You’re not too bad at this. I didn't know men could give such good massages. You're sure you're not gay?" she teases, before shaking her head and leaning back. This went well.