Participants:
| Scene Title | You Have A Place |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Brian answers Koshka's call and helps her make a decision. |
| Date | January 10, 2011 |
There hadn't been much of an explanation given for why she'd gone to Elijah's apartment. Koshka wasn't sure she could even if she'd wanted to. Instead she answered other questions while asking for Brian to find her and take her anywhere else. With an unsteady voice, the youth explains how she'd left with Sable and some others from the Garden after warnings of trouble headed that way from the council.
Once sure someone would be there, Koshka left the apartment itself, exactly as she'd found it, save for the phone. The door was locked behind her, key returned to its place under the mat. She'd made it as far as the stairwell before lowering herself to the floor. Knees were pulled up to her chest, arms wrapped around them with the cell phone gripped between two hands.
It's there on the landing, between the second and first floors, blue eyes riddled with a thunderstorm of emotions, that Koshka is waiting. Every so often her finger moves, pushing a button to display the time on the phone. Two minutes passing there, maybe five the next time, barely one another.
"Hey Kosh."
In between those moments of phone-time checking, Brian has magically and stealthily appeared in the stairwell. "I tried calling you again. Might not get good reception in here." He motions to the stairwell itself before looking back down on her sympathetically. He watches her for a moment before taking two long strides, turning and plopping down on the stairs next to her.
"He's not here." It's not so much of a question as a pained statement. An educated guess that happens to be unhappy. His elbow goes to pillar itself on top of his knee, finger going to poke into his cheek gently. Inadvertently making a tiny skwwk noise. Bringing his finger down he lets out a hearty sigh, half turning to face her. A long moment of silence is granted to her, to allow her to say or not say anything she would like.
It could have been planned that way, or it could be that Koshka honestly wouldn't know that stairwells are the banes to phone reception. She shrugs as though either outcome hadn't had much impact on her. Her head turns slightly, watching Brian as he sits as well and taking full advantage of that offer of silence. There isn't much she wants to say about what was or wasn't found with regards to her father.
Koshka takes in a deep breath, to her credit it sounds more steady than when she'd called. "Nothing left for me here," she explains. There's still a tension in her voice, however level it sounds, an undertone of a waver that puts in a lie. "No one knows if we'll be able to go back to the Garden and… the motel's only temporary."
"No.. We don't know." Brian affirms quietly. "Plants aren't any good for food right now anyway." He adds in just for the sake of code. He smiles over at Koshka gently. "I already told you Koshka. You have a place with me and Sam. You can come stay with us at my apartment.. Or you can go with me over the river."
One hand goes up to rest on her back gently. "It's completely up to you." He rubs his hand back and forth easily before letting his hand drop down. "But listen.. We can talk about this. You shouldn't roll on without.. Venting?"
Blue eyes flick toward Brian again as he speaks of plants, then back to the floor with a slight tightening. Her hands, still gripping the cell phone tighten even more. The teenager notes her slip, but otherwise doesn't apologize for it. "I know. I just…" After a short stretch of silence, Koshka shakes her head.
Lost is a good way to describe that look, the youth faced with being alone for a second time no long sure how to act or react. She knows that it's different this time, she's not running from anything. "—I just wanted to explain some. And… he's gone now. And I… don't know what to do."
Brian's lips sink down, as his shoulders slump some. "I'm…" He lets out a quiet sigh. There's not much he can say. She was left. The man had issues but nothing deems worthy of… Another sigh is let out. His arms raise up slowly to embrace Koshka. One slid around her back, he pulls gently on her encouraging her head to go on his shoulder should she wish it. But if not, he is not forcing her.
"I.. well. You move on Koshka. I know that's really hard. But. It's all you can do. You don't deserve what is happening to you. But you have to make the best of it.. You have to try and be a good person despite the evil that's happening around you." Winters murmurs lightly.
It's a measure of how she's come to trust those who'd helped her out, that Koshka allows herself to be embraced. Childlike, she leans against Brian, staring at the stairs that lead downward. There's not much else to be said about her father, or the things that had happened. There's no chance for reconciliation, nor is she sure there can be again.
Letting out another breath, Koshka looks at the phone in her hands. She presses the power button until it's turned off, the action akin to finishing a chapter in a book. "Is it safe where… Over the river," she asks quietly. "I don't …I'm not sure if I want to stay in the city much longer." There's really little reason to want to remain amongst the general populous for much longer.
"It's safe. All the other kids I'm responsible for are there. If it wasn't safe. I wouldn't allow them to be there. We have a girl about your age. She can control smells." He smirks lightly. "Dust and smell.. You two will get along famously." Brian offers hopefully giving her a big smile.
Glancing down at the chapter end phone, he thins his lips. "You won't be able to take that. And.. If you go there. You might not be coming back any time soon. Travel to and from the city isn't that easy from here and to the Shop." He chose shop as his new code word because it has nothing to do with a castle. Great.
Smells. Well, that could be interesting. Koshka raises a hand and rubs at the space between her eyebrows. And there's other kids, other people. More there than here, hopefully. She drops her hand again, eyes falling to the cell phone.
With a small nod, Koshka offers the phone to Brian. She's no use for it anyway. No one here to call except when she's in trouble. Hopefully there wouldn't be trouble, going to wherever this place across the river is.
"Car's waiting downstairs." Brian lets out a light sigh. His hand goes to receive the car, bringing his head up a light kiss is pressed to the top of Koshka's head. Patting her back, he swings his chin towards the stairwell motioning her to go on. Standing up and waiting ffor her to leave, Winters looks down at the phone. Scrolling through it, he takes Elijah's number. Somewhere, somewhere else in the city, the number is written down.
Glancing at the stairwell, Brian drops the phone on the ground. The heel of his boot crushes the device dramatically, before Brian goes to jog down the stairs to catch up with Koshka.
Hands go to her coat pockets as she stands and begins down the stairs, no questions asked. There aren't any to ask anyway. Koshka doesn't even look back as feet carry her downward. Her pace picks up, rounding the corner, though not quite to running. The youth hits the door just as the plastic casing of the phone cracks.
The sound gives her a slight pause, but the emotion is choked off before it can be realized. She's made her decision. Koshka pushes open the door and steps out onto the sidewalk.