Who's Watching The Present?

Participants:

joseph_icon.gif rebecca_icon.gif

Scene Title Who's Watching The Present?
Synopsis Joseph asks Rebecca for assistance. She finally finds out what he can do. Since one can see the past, and the other can see the future, there's only one question left to ask.
Date August 21, 2009

Joseph's Apartment


It's a cloudy, humid Friday morning in Greenwich Village, but at least, the medium income apartment building seems to be remotely air conditioned. There's the sound of foot steps going up the stairwell, echoing. "…been out of order since last weekend," a Tennessee accented voice is explaining as the owner of such leads the second set of foot steps up and up. "My dog isn't so happy with the stairs, I'll tell you. I'm only up on the third floor, though."

Into the corridor, Joseph Sumter leads Rebecca Nakano towards his door, keys brought out of his pocket, one separated from the rest and slid into the lock. "Got the neighbour lookin' after said dog, so we won't be disturbed or nothin'. Thanks for doing this, too, it's appreciated."

The place is clean, save for paperwork clutter on the kitchen door, and mostly modest. A few statuettes of religious figures feature on a shelf, a cross and a clock on the wall, but otherwise, nothing outstanding.

The words that are spoken are heard by the Forensics officer, as she follows the clergyman up the stairs. One of the disadvantages of not having an apartment full of mirrors is that Rebecca Nakano has no idea how tired she looks. The small purple patches under her eyes that gives the woman the look like she hasn't slept in nearly a week are only one of a few telling signs. After her trip out to Staten Island on Sunday, she came directly home and tucked her blue friends away. Eight has become five now as she has taken at least one more syringe of Refrain since that day.

She has had no headaches, but then she also hasn't used her ability either. Whatever it is, the drug seems to be good for her pain. At least, that's her justification for continuing to use it. As she follows the Pastor up the stairs and into the room, her mind drifts back to the drug, the taste of it stuck in her mouth now. She's cleaned herself up, gone back to work making little contact with anyone and holed herself up into her lab. She wears a long sleeve turtleneck shirt that covers the marks that are being created on her arm. When Joseph mentions being disturbed, that's when her mind realizes he's been talking to her the entire walk up and she's missed all but the last. "Can you tell me what it is you need me to look for? I mean, what is it you think happened here?" She looks around the room for anything that might not look right, but her attention to detail competes with her though slow growing desire.

He's already moving off towards the small kitchen area, taking out a bottle of water and distributing some into a glass. It's a warm day, and Joseph has seen how taxing the woman's ability could be— perhaps more than is true, considering other influencing factors he wasn't but probably should have been aware of— and so he's making sure. "Yeah…" There's a glassy *clink* as he sets the water down on a table, folds his arms as he glances around the space.

"July, the 30th. In the evening. A man broke into my apartment and I ran into 'im when I got home. He knocked me out so I never did see him leave. What I'm lookin' for is— if he took off his mask at any point. He didn't while I was there and conscious, but before— or after, any of that. Then if he does, if you could talk to Detective Harrison and maybe identify 'im - she's got a few pictures. I'm pretty sure the man we're lookin' for is in one of her photos."

Joseph offers a smile across at Rebecca, and a shrug. "It's not like my gut instinct or your ability can be really used as evidence in a court of law, but any confirmation would be good. You'll— you'll be okay to do it, right?" he adds, concern showing in both his voice and studious gaze.

There's a mere smile that crosses Rebecca's face as she tries to reassure him with a look that she'll be okay. "I'm feeling much better these days." Even though she may not look it. If she can just keep herself from being distracted. She brushes her finger along the counter first then slowly walks around the room orienting herself. She finds the location best to see the intruder enter the apartment and she pulls a kitchen chair over and takes a seat, facing away. Sitting always seems to work better for her.

"You've seen me do this before, so you kind of know what to expect." She places her bag down on the floor, then reaches in and pulls out her mirror. Ability don't fail me now, she thinks to herself. She really has no idea if the drug she is taking will have any bearing on the contents of her vision, but for the clergy's sake, she hopes it doesn't. She lifts the mirror and takes a look at the reflection.

The afternoon light streaming in through parted curtains diminish in Rebecca's reflection, as she searches the hours of an empty room on the night Joseph told her. For a while, obviously, there's nothing. Then, perhaps quite spookily, it seems as though a man dressed entirely in black walks by her shoulder, though shown only as he is in the mirror's reflection. Masked all the while, Rebecca can see him paw through loose paperwork, poke around the phone, disappear into the bedroom.

But it's not long after that that a reflection of the man currently watching her with a stranger's protection enters the scene. Dressed differently, but otherwise, very much Joseph Sumter returned home after a long day. The scuffle that goes on is somewhat predictable - a kick that sends the pastor sprawling, another to keep him down, then an exchange involving rough words and threats.

It's quick, if not painless. Another physical clash ensues when Joseph attempts to wrest the tranq gun from the man, and a curious moment where the intruder suddenly seems to become vulnerable, leaning against a wall and sliding down to sit, without any obvious force on Joseph's part. He scurries to go and get his phone, but whatever had happened to the intruder, it only lasts several seconds before he's moving, snatching up a lamp (that doesn't exist in the present world) and bringing it down on Joseph's head.

It's now that Rebecca will need to be more attentive. No reveal before or during, it's only up to after - and the pay off comes quickly. The intruder stands, Joseph's cellphone in his hand, and peels off the balaclava concealing his face. A bald, fuzzy head, deep shadows beneath his eyes, Emile Danko is a distinctive man, at least, and allowing Rebecca several moments of study before the mask goes back on, before he's tossing the cellphone down onto Joseph's crumpled form, and moving for the fire exit in which he came.

"Bet you didn't see that coming."

"Wh what do you want, you can whatever it is, j-just take it an'"

"Do I look like a fifteen year old gangbanger in here rummaging around for a boombox? Why don't you tell me about your friend Teo? Last I heard there are a few cops out there who'd really like to meet him."

She's never done this before during a vision but she recites word for word as the dialogue is being spoken in her dream. Danko's threats and chide remarks regarding the Pastor's beliefs.

"Nothin' I can say'll have you leavin' us alone, huh?"

"Oh no. Thanks to you, I know exactly who I'm looking for."

She watches the scuffle between the two.

Then Rebecca breaks the vision. The man has left the scene and she turns to look at the Pastor. It's then that the pain hits her. The headache. Her head drops and her hands move to the sides of her head as she presses hard to try and ease the pain. "He saw your phone. He wrote some thing off of it. Might have been a list of names. You asked him if he saw something bad..?" her voice inquisitive. It wasn't that long ago that she met Joseph, but she doesn't know all that much about him. It's that moment she recalls being at the church and seeing something when he prevented her from falling.

The glass of water is slid on over towards her as he moves to sit down at the table, Joseph's jaw clenching at the news of the man rifling through his cellphone. That confirms a few suspicions, as well as makes an anxious twist in his gut that he didn't make sure that was safer sooner. But, it's over and done, now. Her question has his back straightening, as if, perhaps, he didn't quite remember ever saying that.

But he does, in the end, rather vividly. "It's— my power. When I was— um. When I trying to get the— the gun, or whatever it was, off've him, I used my ability. Normally, it's meant to just give folks visions of the future, and when that happens, it's all they can see and hear. I ain't never used it like that before and I don't particularly want to start."

"When I saw you last, I saw something." Rebecca takes the water and drinks down a healthy swallow. She's going to need more than water before the day is done, she already knows. "It came true only a few days later." Her eyes do not meet his as she speaks. She seems to find solace speaking towards the ground. "Someone died. Died in my place." It's a sore spot for her, that she's been unable to find Tallie's killer. Who would have been her killer, had Tallie not been there. She finally glances up at him. "I guess we've got both directions of time covered now." She tries to smile, but ends up wincing when a throb hits her.

Joseph is silent a moment, digesting this new information and it doesn't quite sit well with him, as present as the usual anxiety he has to deal with. The chair creaks a little as he sits back, gaze wandering, before back to her. "I am so sorry, Rebecca," he says, a hand lifting though not to touch, just to gesture as if in placation. His voice is quiet, as if in respect of the headache obviously plaguing the woman. "I didn't even— I definitely didn't mean to do that to you. Yeah— yeah, I guess we do have that. Could be good if someone was watchin' the present properly, huh?"

"You don't need to apologize. I'll have a sketch done up on the man I saw in here and make sure Detective Harrison gets it circulated. You might go through your phone and let those who are there know that this man have their information." Rebecca doesn't know what all he keeps on his phone, but since he called her, she can only imagine that man has her phone number at a minimum. She stands up, carefully though, keeping one hand on the chair before setting down the glass and reaching for her bag and her mirror. "I don't know how much help it'll be, but hopefully you won't be bothered any time soon. If you need anything more, just ask."

On his feet, Joseph allows the woman some space, although keeps her within his periphery so as to be able to break her fall for a second time. Rueful agreement crosses his features at his advice about his phone, and he only nods mutely. Otherwise, he's moving for the door to permit her out, looking relieved at the news that she did in fact see the man's face. "If I know who to expect, that'll be plenty helpful. And— if you ever need a look forward, you'll know how to get in touch with me."

She's a little more steady today than she's been in the past. She moves towards the door as he speaks, and turns around to give him a nod. "I certainly will." Rebecca opens her bag and drops the mirror in. One might detect the faint glow of blue from inside as it catches the reflection of the mirror for just moments before she seals the bag and draps it over her shoulder. She starts to move to shake the pastor's hand, but stops short. "Watch out for short bald guys who kick butt." she offers her last piece of advice before she turns and slips out the door. Her intent is to make it home before she has to use the Refrain, but she doesn't quite make it that far.


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