THE QUILL [OPEN]

[abster]

'Hey Sweetheart, I'm sorry if I woke you. I just haven't heard from you in a couple of days and I know college can be- HI ABBY!- Gabrielle sweetie let me just try and talk to your sister. It's just her answer phone, go put on Tangled again I know you like that.- FLYNN RIDER!- Listen, I'm just starting to worry about you. Silly, right? Okay, give me old mom a call when you have chance. Don't work too hard, I love you... I love you Princess.'

Swearing softly as she listened to her mom's message again. Listened to how tired she sounded, how exhausted she must've been and how happy Gabby sounded. Kicking her dumb car's interior, she counted the money in her wallet again. One hundred and seventy bucks and change, that was all she had left and she couldn't keep sleeping in her car forever. The cops probably wouldn't take too kindly to that here, small town and all. She knew exactly what that was like.

Climbing out the back seat of her car, she grabbed her laptop and headed towards the last place she'd seen her father but the only place she at least knew sold coffee here. She hadn't planned on sticking around, she certainly wasn't sticking around for him at least. At least she could get good coffee and free wifi, and maybe she could make the coffee last all day if needed. She was good at doing that and even better if they had re-fills and a bathroom.

Rubbing her eyes, she ran a hand through her hair and went to order muttering the word asshole over and over again. Her own private mantra to keep her going.

"Hey, you don't know if they've got a town paper or something here? You know the kind with cheap places to stay?" Abigail asked, rubbing the dark eye-liner into the corners of her eyes with her thumb as she yawned.

Comments

[brigid_moran]

"Come on then," Brigid smiled and indicated a table, watching the way she rotated her neck. She knew the action as she did it herself when she'd been too long over her wheel, but something told her this one hadn't been spending her night at pottery.

She stopped when they got to a table and looked back towards the register. "I was thinkin of gettin m'self a scone. Would ye like one as well? I can do that while ye get a look at the flats."

[abster]

Feeling the vibrate of her phone, she glanced at the screen -MOM CALLING- before pressing the ignore button. She couldn't lie to her, it was probably better if she just thought she was busy with school for a while. Hopefully her asshole father wouldn't think to call her mom and tell her she was hear. It wasn't like he'd done much of anything for her before.

"Uh, no I'm good. Thanks though, besides I hear this place does good brunch I'll probably just chill here for the day. Grab something to eat later," Abigail replied, pushing her phone in her pocket. If she asked them nice enough or bought a travelling cup, she could probably get them to do hot water in a cup for her then all she'd need to do was buy some ten cent noodles from one of the markets she'd seen. Perfect sleeping in your car food. "You're Irish? Like proper Irish and not American-Irish?"

[brigid_moran]

Brigid nodded and returned to the counter only long enough to buy two scones and return with them, keeping the plate between them and taking one for herself. "I'm not certain how proper I am, but I'm Irish right enough. Came here straight from m'hometown on th'west coast just a few months ago and settled in t'work here. It's a lovely place and I've been quite happy here. What brings ye t'town? If I'm not bein too forward in askin."

[abster]

Abigail pressed a hand against her stomach, taking a mouthful of coffee and adding sugar to it. Flicking through the papers she found an advert for a rather seedy looking motel, one google search later and she had found out that it was the location of a kidnapping and murder. Which was wow but also it was so ridiculously cheap that she could hardly say no.

"Hey, thanks I think I found what I was looking for." Abigail folded the paper, offering back as she concentrated on taking a sip of coffee. And not on the probably warm, delicious scone. "Family drama. And you like it here? Let me guess, fan of the water?"

[brigid_moran]

"I don't mind the water, but I prefer lookin at it t'bein in it. Bit too cold for me, and gettin colder as the days march on t'winter." Brigid sat back with a hand on the flat of her stomach as she took the paper back. "Ach, but I hate seein food go t'waste, I do. Thought I was a bit more hungry when I was up t'the counter, now there's no way I could possible have another bite without m'insides explodin. Yer welcome t'the second if ye want it."

She hadn't missed the way the younger woman's eyes tracked to it, and could only hope she'd take it rather than stare at it more.

"What did ye find, if ye don't mind m'askin."

[abster]

"It's probably the same as home, it can get pretty cold there especially in the autumn and winter. Lot of idiots go jumping off cliffs there though, too easily influenced by movies I guess." Abigail replied with a glance to the scone before scooting her fingers closer. She kind of figured what the woman was doing but she was... kind of hungry. A lot hungry. "You're sure?"

Abigail pointed out the motel. The rather unappealing motel. "It's pretty cheap. If a little dubious."

[brigid_moran]

Brigid pushed the plate towards her in answer then looked at the motel advert the girl pointed out. "Aye, well. That will keep th'rain off yer head, I s'pose, though that might depend on th'room. S'not in the best section of town, though, so I'd be cautious about it. Someone wise enough t'not be leapin off cliffs because their mates are, would probably be cautious enough t'check a place out before signin on t'live there."

[abster]

"Who said they were my friends? Okay, some of them were but most of my friends don't have a death wish." Abigail replied with a grin. She considered the idea as she picked at the scone and made a happy little noise. "I'll look around at least. Make sure it's mostly safe."

[brigid_moran]

Brigid reached into the small bag she carried and pulled out a card from her wallet. She had been a young girl in a strange city once upon a time and while the memories of that night didn't haunt her, they'd never exactly left her, either.

"This is m'card," she explained as she pushed it across the table. "If ye find yerself in trouble, or need anythin, promise ye'll ring me? I dunno what I can do, but I want ye t'know that ye have a place t'go if ye need it."

[abster]

"Erm okay, thanks. I guess this place isn't exactly full of people like my dad after all." Abigail muttered, smiling as she took the card. She didn't like owing anyone anything but maybe it might come in handy if she needed someone close to call out to. She wasn't exactly going to ring her father after all. "People aren't this nice."

[brigid_moran]

"They are where I'm from," Brigid told her, when smiled wider, "but I'm from Ireland. That might be th'difference. Whatever the reason, ring if ye need me."