A Bitter Pill To Swallow

GRAYBRIDGE, 1 NOV 2023
Episcopal Cathedral of St. Javelina, Basement


"Timmy!" Dave grinned unsettlingly. "We've saved a seat just for you..." He rattled the chair he'd just placed into the circle and patted the back to indicate that's where he wanted Timothy to sit. "Let's have a quick introduction for everyone who wasn't here last week. Everyone, this is Tanya. She's graciously, by court order, volunteered to help out our group for a while. And this..." he wrapped his arm around Timmy, probably to keep him from running, "...is Timmy. He's a recent victim of meta-violence. Let's all have a friendly welcome for our new faces. Do we have anyone else new to the group?"

"Hello Brian," Melissa says in a dull tone. She pauses to see how he reacts to Augusta's presence and then sits down noticing the cappuccino, the beverage she always had when they met here.

"Let's just say it was a mutual decision for her to come with me." Flattening her clammy hands on her thighs, she pushes them toward her knees and doesn't touch her drink.

"So what exactly happened, Brian?" She really wanted to say, you've got some nerve! but held off on that, at least for the time being.

ANNESBURG, 1 NOV 2023
The Mill Coffeehouse

Augusta sits as well, beside Melissa. "Hi, Brian," she says quietly. She's trying to be quietly disarming, non-confrontational. Melissa tosses that out with her words, but Augusta says nothing further. Her face is etched with the unrevealing politeness that is her way, and shows off her attractive features to their best extent.

GRAYBRIDGE, 1 NOV 2023
Episcopal Cathedral of St. Javelina, Basement
Tim sheepishly enters the room, closing the door behind himself. He waits for Dave to move away from the indicated chair until he realizes that Dave has no intention of doing so. Bracing himself, he shuffles over and sits down on it, cowering to make himself small. "I, uhm, I actually prefer Tim," he says before hastily adding, "But I guess it's up to you."

"What kind of meta-violence?" Anna asks curiously, sipping from her cup of water.

Tim's eyes flit over to Tanya, then Dave, then Anna. "I... was involved in a... in kind of a mugging," he says.

ANNESBURG, 1 NOV 2023The Mill Coffeehouse
Melissa had been struggling with meeting Brian's eye up until he used the F word. Arching her eyebrows in surprise she tilts her head slightly at both his word choice and his admission. When did men admit to being wrong? Like never. But admission or not, she was still mad about the betrayal and then there was the other thing.

"Why don't I let her tell you."

GRAYBRIDGE, 1 NOV 2023
Episcopal Cathedral of St. Javelina, Basement
As the meeting gets started, Eva grabs a folding chair, turns it around and sits on it backwards, facing the chairback. She's happy to have the attention on Tim, and just shrugs off her poor treatment from Anna. Dave had taught her to let those little things go. To save the bone-crushing face-punches for the people who really deserved them.

When David calls for newcomers to speak up, the curvaceous metahuman looks around. She kind of likes being present at these meetings, but is mortified about speaking up and saying something dumb or embarrassing. So she observes, as she does during most meetings. Her eyes land on Tanya Gable from time to time, and whenever the shorter woman catches her and smiles, Eva looks away. She does not know what to make of the dirty blonde and her pills, and somehow the nerve she's been working up to approach the other woman after the meeting starts to ebb.

ANNESBURG, 1 NOV 2023The Mill Coffeehouse

Augusta looks at Brian. His lovely eyes, she remembers how he'd sleepily close them mid-coitus, and she'd know he was close. The thought would drive her to ecstatic heights --

She best avoid those thoughts, but why did he have to have such gorgeous lashes?

"I broke up with you because something happened to me. I couldn't explain it at the time, but I didn't think you'd be safe around me. Nobody was, until I got it under control. Now, well, I wonder if you knew all along. Did you? Did you have any idea of what happened to me?" Her eyes are wide and vulnerable.

That didn't come out right, not quite like she'd practiced in the car. But she didn't want to lead with accusations, not until she saw his reactions.

Following up right behind Augusta, Melissa digs in but she's starting to think that more might be in play than she thought given the things Dave said and Brian being at the TANC and Augista's condition.

"Augusta isn't the only one that came away with something extra from a relationship with you. I have discovered that I have changed as well. I have a special power. Know anything about that?"

GRAYBRIDGE, 1 NOV 2023
Episcopal Cathedral of St. Javelina, Basement
A short round of introductions follows. Nothing there is new to Dave, but Tanya seems to try and memorize everyone's names and the brief descriptions of themselves they're willing to give. At least, she is listening very closely.
When it comes to Anna, the angry looking brunette says, "Anna Darwell. Long-time victim of meta-violence by my fucking boyfriend. Also perpetrator of meta-violence against him. Need to add that or Draven will get mopey." She shrugs. "Although that part might actually be fucking done with. I think it's this damn sickness but I haven't been able to conjure up a single nightmare in almost a week. Even though right now that asshole deserves it the most. I'm pretty sure he's cheating on me again. Liz saw him having coffee with some blonde."

Surprisingly, something was still there as Melissa felt a stab of jealousy when Brian turned his attention toward Augusta and gazed at her the way he did. She had forgotten about his intense soft eyes and a few images danced across her mind causing the woman to flush a little.

"I'm certain, yes, unless I'm delusional and I don't think I am." Despite the sarcasm her tone had softened a bit. When Brian offers his hand she hesitates for a moment, but as if her brain has no say in the matter, she watches her hand reach out and take his.

"I'm not sure. It has only happened once so far and I don't know if I have any control of it and have been too afraid to even think about trying it again."

ANNESBURG, 1 NOV 2023
The Mill Coffeehouse
Unlike Melissa, Augusta knows she cared for the man, but behind his words, those delicious, seductive words and oh gods, those eyes! she knows that something else is going on. They're here to put him on notice. She focusses on the pain that she went through, and attributes that pain to him. For now, until they know more.

"Brian, we know that you spiked Melissa's drink one night in her appartment, and that whatever happened to her came about just after. We also know that you have a deal with Plaxo Pharmaceuticals. Tell us what you put in her drink, because I looked up the recipe and 'mysterious powder' wasn't an ingredient. I also remember you making me a drink at my place. Just before -- everything went wrong."

She knows what Brian is doing but likes it all the same. Who can resist his charms? Wasn't it why she was attracted to him in the first place? She comes to her senses and breaks the gaze, looking down at her chipped nail.

"If you are so interested in being that person for me Brian, what was with the breakup text? Huh? That's just ... well ... it's cowardly ... that's what it is ... no matter what the reason was.".

She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of asking why he broke up with her or if it was because of another woman.

When the conversation turned to Augusta, and things got a little more heated, she started shrinking in her chair. But then a side of him she hadn't seen before, the antithesis of who he was moments ago, reared its ugly head.

"What? No! She's staying right here with me."

ANNESBURG, 1 NOV 2023
The Mill Coffeehouse

"Fine!" Augusta says, staying put. She crosses her hands on her lap, and sits serenely, nonplussed by Brian's accusation-storm. She doesn't take her eyes off of him, although she wants to stare at how their hands are touching, and it's like they're squeezing her heart to pieces within that light touch.

Listening to Anna, Eva's brow furrows when the woman talks about a sickness, and then... being able to conjure nightmares?!

The hyper-fit blonde doesn't normally like to speak up in these sessions, but with Dave uncharacteristically quiet she can't help herself.

"You can... conjure up nightmares?" she asks, trying to even conceive of what that might look like.

GRAYBRIDGE, 1 NOV 2023
Episcopal Cathedral of St. Javelina, Basement

"Have you talked to Brock about it?" Dave asked Anna, not intending to cut Eva off. "Or are we just exploring the worst possible scenarios in our mind? Your...abilities...let you pull the worst out of other people and put it on display." he rubbed his stubbly chin as he took the chair opposite from Anna. "When all you see is the worst from people, do you think that colors your perception of them even when you're not using your abilities on them?" He let the remark hang in the air for a moment, "I'm not saying you're wrong, Anna. Brock has certainly earned more than his share of skepticism with you but in this case there might be a simple solution. Why don't we get to the root of the matter and ask Tanya..." He turned to the blonde volunteer, "Brock was kind enough to drive you home last week because of the downpour. Did you perhaps stop for coffee with him?"