Marie-Ange and Remy, Friday morning, 3 AM

[x-tarot.livejournal.com]

Parallel insomnia. Remy and Marie-Ange, in the kitchen. Paranoia is contagious, you know.



Marie-Ange had gotten used to insomnia, at least to the degree anyone can get used to being up at all hours every few days. It let her get ahead on some schoolwork, it meant she had private time away from everyone, and it meant that she could raid the kitchen for snacks. She was, fundamentally, still very much a teenager, no matter how much she tried to hide it.

She had taken a few steps into the kitchen before recognizing that the other person up this late at night was Remy. ~He looks...  awful.~ She thought, making a slight face before padding over to the refrigerator.

Remy took a long swallow from his coffee cup, looking over his shoulder from his seat at the table. He'd been staring out the window, looking over the darkened quad and trying to settle the voices in his head. Even after a couple of weeks, his dreams were getting worse and no answers were coming. The appearance of Marie-Ange was surprising this late at night. He'd been mostly eating and moving around in the middle of the night to avoid people, and it looked like some other people had the same idea.

"I won't be long."  Marie-Ange said quietly.  "I just came in for a moment."  She watched Remy with concern for a moment, and sighed, then returned to the contents of the fridge. There really wasn't anything she wanted to eat now, her appetite having suddenly gone. She'd almost forgotten Remy was even in the house. Almost no one had seen him, and she had not gone to seek him out, something she felt just a touch of guilt over.  No one should have to be this alone in a school full of people.

"Last I checked, de kitchen was open to everyone, chere." Remy said, going back to his cup. He didn't sleep much as a rule, but the fatigue was starting to affect him as well. Even his third cup was barely putting a dent on his headache.

"You looked like you wanted to be alone."  Marie-Ange replied, still quietly.  "I thought, if you wanted to talk, you would have said something."  She closed the refrigerator door, setting a container of leftovers on the table behind her.  "You have not been what I would say is social since you came back, and it would be rude to harass you."

"Remy got de feeling dat being back was not anyone else's idea but de Professor's." He said mildly, contemplating the coffee. "Not de best time t' catch up on all de gossip."

"You did not come back on your own?"  Marie-Ange said, nearly dropping the lid to her container of food in surprise. 

"Woke up in de basement. Last I remember, I was in Missouri. Cold place, Missouri." Remy said, finally taking a sip. "Guess dey decided dat Remy finally needed collecting, neh?"

"I ..  suppose if you were hurt, the Professor might .."  Marie-Ange stammered. She was just plain confused now.  "I do not understand, you woke up in the infirmary?"

"Ten, 'leven days ago. All bruised and sporting dis new hairdo." Remy gestured with his coffee mug to his head. "Just one more image t' file in, I guess."

Marie-Ange shook her head, put her leftovers in the microwave, mostly to give herself time to think, and then sat down on a stool; pulling the University of Colorado t-shirt down over her knees as she drew them up under her.  "I am glad someone found you then, if you were hurt. What happened?"  If Remy was going to continue to talk, she would continue to ask questions. Maybe it would draw him out of his hermitage.

"Just a bit of confusion, chere." Remy put down his drink. "You can see images, oui? T'ings in your head dat you shouldn't be able t' know about?"

"Oui. Much to my annoyance."  Marie-Ange answered, frowning. "It is probably why I am awake now, bothering you."  She looked confused. Remy -had- been at the school when she had made it public about the dreams and visions. He was there when Mr. Wisdom's former employers attacked. Why was he asking?

"Can you put dem in someone else's head? Make dem see t'ings? Remember t'ings dat dey didn't do?" Remy said, animated from his subdued attitude for the first time.

"No!" Marie-Ange said, forcefully.  "Even if I could, I would not. It is bad enough that I see them."  She stared at Remy in horror.  "Why would I want to do something like that?"

"Maybe one of de other psychics? De Professor? Did dey show you about dem, Marie?" Remy said, leaning over the table, his expression intense. She was momentarily taken aback when her eyes met his, and saw something there she'd never seen in them before; fear. Something in Remy was scared, badly.

Marie-Ange took several long breaths before answering.  "I do not know, Remy. I do not think the Professor would, but.. "  Manuel. Or Ms. Braddock.  She shuddered.  "I know what they can do, but why would they? There is no good reason to put images in someone's head here, and Man..  " she cut herself off.  ~Merde~  "And Manuel would get caught and put in a dampener again."

"Maybe dere is a reason to do it. What if you wanted someone to do t'ings dey didn't want to do. Make dem remembering doing things similar to it, liking it." Remy said, rubbing his hand over his eyes. "T'ings dat no human being would ever do."

Marie-Ange shook her head.  "No one here would have any reason to do that, Remy."  She ran a hand through her hair, trying to find anything to reassure him. "We just got Nathan back from people who -do- that kind of thing. Why would anyone want to do that now?"

"Maybe dey worried 'bout losing dem." Remy said, slumping back down. "You got your future reading cards, chere. You see what is supposed to being coming. What do dey say 'bout Remy? De blood, de bodies? Dat what's waiting for me?"

Marie-Ange let her head fall back and sighed. She had a feeling that's where this was going. "They are in my room, and it is very late. Even if they were working at all lately, I do not think .. "  She shook her head.  "I have not seen anything about you, ever. No visions, no dreams, and not a single nightmare."

Remy sagged a little. "Dat right. No future for Remy. Only for-" He cut himself off, looking down into his coffee cup. "Maybe you right earlier, chere. Might be best if I was alone right now."

With a slight frown, Marie-Ange stood up. "That is not quite what I meant."  she said tightly.  "You should sleep, Remy. You are not making much sense."  She turned and left the kitchen, shaking her head, only remembering her leftovers in the microwave when it was far too late to go back and get them.