[Tanya Dawson]

Tanya sighs, holding up one hand and inspecting it. She turns it over, looking at both the back and the front as if she doesn’t recognise either. Of course she does, she’ll never forget what anything looks like ever again, but even so they feel like someone else’s hands. It isn’t even that long ago that touching another was just that simple, with no worries, fears or sudden rushes of memory. She clenches it into a fist, then drops it back to the table.

”Yeah. Not everyone, but I think most of use just want to get on with our lives normally. I know I do and… well… I guess I know you do too.”

Tanya’s power might cause her more instant distress, but she knows from the memories she is now holding that it must be worse, at least in some ways, for Quinton. She can still see her family, even if she can no longer touch them. It has been months since Quinton has seen them through anything other than a phone screen.

She smiles, turning the topic of conversation to something less depressing. ”Perhaps we could be a new superhero duo. Eidetic and the Healer!.” She laughs and shrugs. ”Sorry, I’ve never been great at coming up with nicknames. You’ll probably have to brand yourself I’m afraid.”

The bar is still quiet, though the foot traffic has picked up quite a bit. There are now several people stood at the bar, and the music is even harder to discern behind the quiet murmur of conversation. A few people glance in their direction, they are in one of the coveted booths after all, but nobody moves in their direction. Tanya still has nearly half of her drink left, it is clear they have no intention of moving yet. She swills said drink about in the glass thoughtfully. ”What do you think they’d all do if they knew we were meta?”

Tag: Quinton Summers

[Quinton Summers]

Quinton leaned against the table, relaxed. It had been too long since he'd been in an establishment like this, with a girl - or anyone else for that matter -just doing something plain old normal. He laughed when she mentioned their names, not mockingly although he was somewhat relieved that she poked fun at the name that she'd come up with for him. 


Eidetic? He would probably have looked it up at home afterwards if he'd thought himself capable of spelling the word. Not wanting to come across as a fool or a country bumpkin, he held off of asking her just what it meant. "You're better than me." He assured her. "Best I'd have is the Human band-aid." He paused for a moment, considering her words. "You ever think about using your powers like that? I mean like those people you see on TV?" In truth, he couldn't quite see how she could. At least not out in the field, maybe to interrogate someone afterwards? 

"Dunno." He replied with a shrug of his shoulders, one which marked uncertainty more than indifference. "I'd like to think that most people wouldn't care. Be nice and all..." His voice trailed off, his gaze briefly travelling towards the rest of those sitting around the bar. Perhaps there were other metas in here, taking care to conceal themselves from the rest of the world. "I reckon there's some people out there who'd want to help, others who'd want to hurt and a few to use us." He took another sip of his drink, leaving only a few dribbles left at the bottom of the bottle. 

"But then that's not much different to the rest of the world, is it? I mean, it's one of the first thing your Ma teaches you, right? Be careful with strangers... I hope that in a few months, this'll all have calmed right down and metas and humans, well there won't be much of a difference anymore."

With one final swig, tilting his head right back, he downed the last of his drink. Feeling it's cool refreshment running down his throat, he felt himself shake off whatever philosophical thoughts might have momentarily gripped him: "Least that's the way that I like to see things." 

[Tanya Dawson]

Giggling at the joke, Tanya responds swiftly. "That's not such a bad name, you'd get a killer marketing deal with Johnson & Johnson."

Mentioning Heroes again makes her sigh. "I mean… while it would be cool and all, I'm not really sure how my power would even work for something like that." She takes another sip, giving the appearance of mulling it over as she swills the red liquid inside her mouth, despite the fact that she has given this thought many times before. "Like, what could I really do to help except be amazing at interrogating people, and I feel like delving into people's memories is, like, kind of a violation of, like, their human rights."

Tanya too, places a near empty glass back onto the table. The last remnants of condensation gather around where her fingers have brought some warmth to the icy glass, only a faint few red droplets running down the inside to gather in a small pool at the bottom. She stares into the bottom. Probably Quinton has had a slightly better experience of the world. She's been taught that she can't trust anyone other than her family, and even then, not with everything.

"Yeah, but even before the Event we couldn't get on. Someone always has an excuse to hate and fear someone else. Except now they, like, maybe have a justification when the person they are afraid of can break the laws of physics."

There is a visible change in her expression as she snaps herself out of her increasingly dour mood. "Sorry. It's kindof on my mind a lot at the minute, for obvious reasons. Let's talk about something else."

Unsure of where to go from here, she looks around the bar, as if searching for inspiration on the spottily decorated and peeling walls. It's definitely a place that has been decorated with hipsters in mind, which makes it perfect for her sensibilities. Mismatched lamps cast dim light over the tables, illuminating the small groups of students that have also made this place their drinking location. One wall has several framed vinyl records, each in mint condition and signed by whatever band had produced them.

She realises that she actually struggles now to talk about things other than metahuman rights and the study of law. It has taken up so much of her time and her life that it occupies almost every waking minute. "I feel like my whole life revolves around this stuff." She blushes and pulls her hair back a little, embarrassedly. "I can't even remember the last time I went to the movies or anything, or did something that wasn't about my studies. I guess you can't relate?"

Tag: Quinton Summers

[Quinton Summers]

Quinton chuckled in response to Tanya comment about a potential employer. He couldn't say whether or not it was the drink, the company or a mixture of both but he found himself increasingly more relaxed, falling into an illusion that all of this was taking place before the event and before his life had been turned on its head. 

"Same. Can't imagine I'd be good for much apart from a meat shield." He didn't say it, not wanting to strike her as a coward or someone who exclusively had their own interests at heart but he didn't much like the idea of having to take too many blows or bullets if it could be avoided. After all, whilst it might not actually kill him, it didn't mean that he couldn't and wouldn't feel the pain. Like most human beings, he was preprogrammed to try and shield himself from all of that, even if he knew that he could endure it. 

"Yeah." Quinton conceded leaning back in his chair thoughtfully. He considered the young woman, tilting his head to one side slightly as he did so. "But you might find out where that bomb is and save the city. Paps always said justice was complicated." 

Quinton considered his companion's almost empty glass. "You want another?" He offered, nodding in the direction of her drink. 

He became a little bit graver when it came to the subject of hatred, trust. Whilst it was fair to say that on balance Quinton was on the cheerful side of life that allowed him to blow on through his existence without being troubled; a sort of joyful ignorance which he didn't complain about. He wasn't completely oblivious to the fact that Tanya might have been on the receiving end of some prejudice long before the event had ever come. As such, he was somewhat uneasy about challenging her on some of her points.

So, he offered her a little smile, the sort intended to be as comforting as possible. "Yeah but then that person you're afraid of might have a gun. I'm going to stay stupid and positive and think that one day, people will learn to get along. I mean, what's there to be gained through hating each other? It isn't what the Good Book says, that's for sure." 

Quinton nodded encouragingly in agreement. He wasn't one to linger for too long on gloomy subjects, keen to find some sunshine wherever he could. 

He listened sympathetically to her plight. He had worries of his own of course but then he was more than capable of dealing with them or so he thought. "It's a lot to get through your head." The young man conceded, playing with the leather cuff of his jacket mindlessly for a few moments with his thumb. He couldn't help but humm thoughtfully. "I think everyone like us will be struggling a bit right now. I'm trying my best just to roll with it and hey, you're out with me right? Maybe, that'll remind you of what you're missing or put you off leaving your house for the rest of your days."

[Tanya Dawson]

Sliding her glass back across the table towards Quinton, Tanya smiles. "Yeah, I'd love another. Thanks." She hesitates, "I'll, like, get this round." She values her independence, all the more so perhaps, because of her lack of funds. Usually she has little in the way of income, relying mostly on her meagre savings, what little help her mother can offer, and a few shifts in the Campus student coffee shop when she can fit them in around her studies. Fortunately this bar knows that it is catering to mostly penniless students.

She smiles faintly as she stands, pulling her purse out of her satchel and starting to count out dollar bills. "You're totally right though, I should stop feeling sorry for myself and start enjoying the night. I've definitely already spent enough nights feeling sorry for myself."

Tanya reaches out a hand and rests it on Quinton's, she squeezes it slightly then freezes in shock. Her eyes flick to Quinton's face, then to his hand, then back to his face. "Oh my God... I'm not... I'm not absorbing anything. You must have new memories right? There's been, like, stuff since I absorbed everything right?"

Taking her hand away, she reaches out and takes Quinton's again. There is something there, a faint presence on the edge of her senses, as if her fingertips are just brushing against it. She imagines reaching out to grasp whatever the faint presence is, and a moment later feels the memories rush into her. It's hardly anything compared to the lifetime she has already absorbed, but it's almost a relief to see that she can pull it in on command.

Sitting down again, drinks forgotten, she leans in towards him. Her words are spoken in a hushed whisper, "I can't believe it actually worked, I didn't instantly absorb your memories from you, I had to pull them in." She is almost in tears with excitement. "Oh my God, this is just... Like... It's so huge..."


Tag: Quinton Summers

[Quinton Summers]

Quinton considered arguing. Tanya had the advantage here, in that she knew most of what there was to know about him thanks to her power. Inevitably, that left him guessing where she was concerned. He assumed that she didn't have a job and that she was relatively poor. He based that assumption on a few of the things that she'd said and her dorm accommodation. His natural instinct, as well as all of those lessons are politeness and chivalry demanded that he be the one to foot the bill. On the other hand, he was aware that not all women appreciated such treatment. Some liked to feel a good deal more independent. 

From what he'd seen so far, he was inclined to say that Tanya belonged to that second category. 

So he didn't object, at least not for one round. "Thanks." 

The country boy smiled as Tanya spoke, hoping that she actually meant what she said and intended to enjoy herself a good deal more. It must have been a stressful life; trying to balance studies and powers. Heck, he'd had a hard time scraping his way through high school whilst also helping out from time to time round the farm. University, was, as a result a decidedly intimidating notion for the man. It had to be said, he admired her courage.

It took Quinton a moment to notice that something had changed. He recognized her tensing up. Whilst he hadn't entirely been expecting her to touch him, he didn't object. He frowned momentarily, perplexed as he tried to understand just what it was that could have caused her to react in such a way. "You, alright?" He would ask tentatively. 


Her next words came as a relief. Under other circumstances, he might easily have breathed a sigh of relief. As it was, he managed to maintain his composure and brush it off behind his own attempt at humor: "Probably. I've only had one drink. Usually takes a few more before my head starts to go." 

His next grin was a good deal more sincerely, feeling some genuine joy for the young woman. He was more than capable of imagining just how much of a relief it must have been. "Congratulations. You're free." He spoke keeping his smile.

[Tanya Dawson]

An exhaled breath of relief and excitement escapes Tanya’s lips. She had still absorbed Quinton’s memories, it was true, but she had done so at will, not through some accidental slip and careless brush of skin on skin. His words, to some, might have seemed trite, but to Tanya, right now they are nothing but the wholehearted truth. She is free, free of a restriction that has bound her for the last two years, free of the need to restrain herself around others. What this takes away from her life, really, is fear, the fear that she might absorb something accidentally, that she might see something she has no right to see, or even that her secret might be discovered.

For nearly two years Tanya has suffered with the weight of that guilt and fear. Now it feels as if that weight has been lifted from her shoulders. Even taking a deep breath feels easier, as if her lungs have been compressed this entire time. ”This is amazing, I really am… I really am free…”

Instinctively she leans forward, putting one hand to Quinton’s cheek and pulling him in for a kiss. It’s still a little hesitant, she feels as if she could be only a brief slip away from a mistake, but it’s exciting. This is the first time she has kissed anyone since her ex-boyfriend, since she developed her abilities in a rather unfortunately timed intimate moment. She steps back. ”Sorry… I guess I got, like, carried away in the moment.”

Their kiss has earned one or two glances from the people sat at bar, but little more than that. Most are engaged in their own conversations, out with friends or dates of their own. Tanya blushes intensely, despite the lack of interest demonstrated from anyone around. She glances around furtively, she is black, and he white after all. Still nobody glances in their direction, except the bartender, a young guy she’s pretty sure she recognises from one of her lectures. He winks at her and she blushes again. Standing straight. ”Lemme get those drinks.”

Tag: Quinton Summers

[Quinton Summers]

Quinton couldn't help but laugh, he was the type to be quite easily wrapped up in another's happiness. There were worst flaws to have he supposed.

It wasn't exactly what he'd been expecting. Another night, he might have blamed it on the drinks but then she'd only had the one that he'd seen and he found it unlikely that she'd been indulging in the brief period that he'd left her to go and get freshened up. No doubt it was the emotion which had caused her to act in that way or at least that was what Quinton would reason a good while after the event. As it was, when their lips met. Quinton's eyes would widen slightly, clearly surprised. He would make no attempt to push her away or to protest. 

It would leave him breathless and no doubt a little bit startled. So much so that he would only be able to stare at the young woman responsible. For a few seconds, the only clue that he was still be alive would be the occasional blink. Perhaps he would have been embarrassed by the fact that he was gawking in such a fashion. As it was however, his brain wouldn't quick kick into gear enough to allow him to do even so little. It was only when Tanya announced that he was going to get some more drinks that he managed to pull himself together enough to answer: "Yeah. Sure. Great. Brilliant." 

Sitting there, the young man would do what he could to try and make sense of what had just happened. It wasn't the first time that he'd kissed a girl. Far from it. Although oddly enough, he was aware that Tanya would know that as well. Somehow, that made things all the stranger. His memories she might have but not his feelings. Had she just gotten lucky? They weren't on an even footing in so far as he knew little to nothing about her other than what she'd actually told him. Sitting there as he waited, he would rub the skin around his mouth thoughtfully, as he pondered the matter. He was lonely, there was no denying that and these past few days had given him both joy and hope the likes of which he thought to be impossible.

He would glance towards the room, searching silently for Tanya. He did like her, there was certainly no denying that much.

[Tanya Dawson]

Moving away from the table is, in some strange way, a relief. It gets her out of the confusing situation she’s just landed herself in, and it is confusing. She has Quinton’s memories in her head, more memories than she has actually experienced in her own life. She needs a moment just to process what she has just done, and buying more drinks seems the perfect excuse.

Besides, she really could do with another drink, this has been the first time she has been out like this in a while, and she’s rather missed the ability to relax with alcohol around someone else. Even if her control does slip with Quinton, at least she has already absorbed almost everything from him. It feels good to be able to relax around someone, to touch them without worrying that at any moment her secret might be revealed.

Tanya smiles at the barman as she arrives. He has glanced in her direction, as would any good barman that notices the arrival of another customer. She still has a moment though as he is engaged in serving a large group of students that had arrived at the bar well before she had. With seven or eight people, it is clear that their order is going to take a while, so she glances back in Quinton’s direction with a smile, before focusing her attention on her phone.

There are several messages there, mostly from Nina, her roommate. She flicks through them idly, seeing that she is inquiring about how the night is going. Smiling again, she taps out a quick response.

It’s going great, I really like this guy.

She taps send, then looks up again, studying Quinton’s defined features a little more closely before meeting his eyes for a moment.

Maybe give me some space tonight? I have a good feeling about this.

The bartender finishes serving the large group and makes his way over to her. Putting her card on the bar top, Tanya smiles and orders the same again, a beer for Quinton, and a vodka cranberry for herself. Though she ups the measure to a double, she wants to enjoy the fact that she can relax tonight.

Making her way back to the booth, she dodges nimbly around the large group of students with the practised ease of someone who is used to avoiding physical contact with others.

"I got us the same again, I hope that's OK?"

Putting the beer down in front of Quinton, Tanya takes a sip of her own drink before resuming her seat, this time much closer to Quinton. She leans in a little as she speaks, "I'm sorry… I've not, like, kissed a guy in ages."


Tag: Quinton Summers

[Quinton Summers]

Sitting there, Quinton found himself to be pleasantly distracted by it all. He allowed his mind to drift away from the subject of his powers and what he was going to do with himself in the long term. Instead, he allowed himself to enjoy the moment and to shake off his fears and concerns. He considered Tanya discretely, watching either out of the corner of his eye or through tentative but occasional  longer glances. He didn't want to appear to be freaky by staring extensively. 

For a moment, he contemplated send a little message back home to let his brothers and sisters know that he was out on a date - that's what this was right? It would be a kicker for them and he was certain that he would find himself on the receiving end of a good amount of teasing. He even went so far as to reach for his phone but thought better of it. He'd let them know how things went at a later date, for the time being, he would concentrate on tonight rather than by allowing himself to be distracted. Tanya deserved his full attention.

Quinton accepted the drink willingly. He was no longer particularly thirsty but accepted it as more of a distraction than anything else. Much like a date, it had been too long since he'd last been out for a drink. Well, anything more than sharing a can of beer at the end of a day of hard work around some construction site around the city. "It's great. Thanks!" He would accept the bottle once more, raising it jokingly. "Cheers. Again." 

"Been a while for me too." He confessed, rubbing the back of his neck as he sat there. He had to cast his mind back, doing what he could to recall just when he'd last been on a date. It was before the Event, that was for sure but when exactly? A year or so, at least since he'd had a proper date. It had been a long time at any rate and perhaps not exactly something that he'd been expecting but neither was it entirely unwelcome. It was very much one of those "normal" things that he found himself missing terribly from his past life before all of this madness. It occurred to him once more of course that things were a little bit different now. "But then you knew that." Of course, she would know everything about his past life. It made things... Just that little bit more interesting. Thankfully, he wasn't the sort to be terribly bothered by such things.

He would let her respond to that little statement, more of a tease than anything else. "It was a surprise." He declared, taking a swig of his drink before offering the young woman a knowing little smile. "-But then I like surprises." 

[Tanya Dawson]

"Uhh… yeah… sorry about that…" There is a flash of guilt and shame in Tanya's voice and across her face. She can't help it, for the last two years she has been wracked with the worry and guilt of her abilities. That guilt holds true despite the fact that Quinton was, for most of the memory absorption at least, a willing participant in the process.

Relaxing a little at Quinton's clear ease with their new situation, Tanya leans in a little closer and smiles. "I know." She is very aware of how close they are. Quinton is certainly good looking, in a rugged sort of way, and she can't deny that she had found him attractive even when she'd first met him.

Tanya takes another sip of her drink, enjoying the tart, mouth drying sensation of the cranberry juice and knowing that hidden within it is the numbing alcohol. She's barely drank anything in two years, too afraid of what might happen should she lower her inhibitions too much. She's not too worried about lowering those inhibitions now, in fact, she's rather enjoying the chance to relax and blow off steam, it has been such a long time. At College she should have had plentiful opportunities to do so. Now that she finally has it she isn't going to give it up that easily. Her phone pings, muffled by her bag, but she ignores it, pushing the bag a little further away down the sofa and taking the opportunity to slide a little closer to Quinton.

She drinks again, and is surprised to find that she has already downed nearly half of the crimson liquid. She blushes. "Sorry. I don't normally drink like this, I'm just so used to having to stay in control that relaxing a little is just… Well… I've been waiting, like, a long time for it basically."

Tag: Quinton Summers

[Quinton Summers]

Quinton didn't object to her sliding a little bit closer to him, on the contrary, he quite enjoyed the proximity. As he'd already said to her, he found that this felt more natural to him than the strange and somewhat unnatural life he'd forced upon himself since first gaining his powers. He was growing increasingly fond of Tanya. It wasn't solely because of her looks, although he was more than willing to admit that she was, in fact, very pretty. He would likely have been attracted to her regardless of powers and secrets.

With a smile and a slight shook his head, raising a hand to dismiss any concerns that she might have had. "Don't worry about it. It's spilled milk and I really don't mind. If anything, I'm kind of grateful." He paused for a moment only. "I'm really glad that I met you." 

"It's fine." Quinton assured her with a smile, taking a swig of his own drink as if to illustrate that it was fine. "Let your hair down. I won't judge." He was relaxed and even on the worst of times, he didn't particularly care what others did so long as it didn't harm him. He didn't know Tanya as well as she knew him. She had all of his memories to base herself on but just basing himself on a few of the things that she'd said and what he'd seen. He took that to mean that she didn't exactly relax as much as perhaps should have. That was just an impression that he got from her, perhaps it was an unjust assessment. 

"I miss this sort of thing from my old life." He confessed, looking down at the beer in his hand. "My and my brothers and sisters, after a day's work, we'd all go down to the bar and have a drink like this." He smiled fondly with the recollection. It wasn't quite the same here of course. This was a big city, not his home in small town rural US. The atmosphere wasn't quite the same.

[Tanya Dawson]

"Well I hope it's a little stronger than just spilled milk. I haven't been a milk and cookies kind of girl since I was about eight." She mulls the thought over for a moment, recalling those memories of her past with a fuzziness that seems almost distant. Memories from before the Event are not as sharp as those that followed. Sharper than most, perhaps, but even so, details are missing.

She presses a little closer to him, enjoying the old sensation of physical closeness to a fellow human being. It has been so long since she has been able to do so without the fear of absorbing their memories and revealing her secret. That and Quinton is pretty cosy guy to snuggle up to.

Tanya looks down at the drink int Quinton's hand, before her gaze slides over to her own glass, now only a little over half full. She takes another sip. "It sounds nice… Simple…" she misses when things used to be simple. They haven't seemed that way in a long time. "I mean… I couldn't drink before the Event anyway, but I can still miss those simpler times."

She raises her face to Quinton's, smiling at him. "At least this feels simpler than everything else that's going on right now. There's a lot less pressure here than the SATs. Y'know?"

Tag: Quinton Summers

[Quinton Summers]

Quinton huffed with amusement as he raised his bottle to his lips, pausing before taking another sip to ensure that he didn't unintentionally make a mess of himself. Tonight was going quite well, he would rather not ruin it by spitting out the contents of his drink on his... Was she a date? He wasn't entirely sure if they'd officially transitioned to that stage yet and so, in the presence of doubt preferred to err on the side of caution. "Okay. Spilled scotch then." He responded.

Quinton certainly didn't object to a little bit more proximity. In fact, it was welcome. Again, all of this was contributing to allowing him to forget about his troubles and what had been on his mind these past few months. He would give Tanya a little smile as she chose to come a bit closer, letting her know that right now it was very much welcome. 


"I was." He assured the young woman. "Nothing wrong with that. Simple's nice sometimes. Back then, a few months ago, if you'd have told me that I'd be here, like this, the way I am with you. I'd have said "Nah. No way. That stuff's for Hollywood" but guess there are a lot of people right now out there wondering how they got here." He glanced down at the young woman he was sitting next to, hesitating for a few seconds before - perhaps slightly spurred on by alcohol - he spoke. "Not that I'm complaining." 


It took Quinton a few seconds to realize just what it was that she was talking about. "SATs?" He gave an intentionally exaggerated and overdramatic shudder. "Yeesh. You're a braver woman than I am. Well, I'm not a woman but uh, you know what I meant." 

[Tanya Dawson]

"Yeah. I mean, there were, like, all those movies and things about it, what would happen if people got powers. They seem to pretty much have all been wrong. I mean, like, who thought that Heroes would all get sponsorship deals? I thought they would all have ended up as vigilantes like Batman or something."

She can feel a pleasant buzz warming through her body as she speaks. She was never much of a drinker anyway, and certainly hasn't been since her powers reared their heads. It seems nice to relax with it now. "I should hope I'm a braver woman than you. Otherwise I'm really not doing well at the whole bravery thing." She waves a hand. "The SAT wasn't too bad though, just had to do lots of, like, revision and prep for it. Real great if you haven't got a social life already, a bit harder when you want to stay close to your friends. We were all, like, cramming for it anyway though, so it balanced out."

None of them had ended up in the same college anyway, which was probably for the best. At least one of them would have noticed how she changed once her powers manifested and put two and two together. Her sister's had noticed straight away, but given that one of them could read minds that was hardly an achievement.

Tanya takes another sip of her drink, enjoying the tart bite of the cranberry with the familiar sting of vodka hitting at the back of her throat. She's nearing the end of the red drink as she puts it back down onto the coaster with a muffled clink. "Do you want to, like, go somewhere else after this drink?"

Tag: Quinton Summers