characters: Daryn O’Connor and Phobia Fenn setting: Daryn's house, Saturday, December 30, 2017, evening summary: Talking business, mostly rating: low
Phobia looked up at the night sky. He could see the stars. He liked the night. He liked the quiet of the night. He liked the sounds of the night. He liked the promise of the night. He didn’t mind walking around at night. He was heading to Daryn’s. He assumed it was something faction related, why else would they talk? Or maybe he ought to thank her for the drinks on Christmas and if she ever mentioned how he acted, he would end her. Not that he could or would he make that threat but, yeah. Christmas? Was not him at all. At least, not anymore.
He carried a drink tray with a tea for Daryn and himself. His was mostly milk. He didn’t really like tea but it was probably too late for coffee. Plus if he lingered in the coffee shop any longer, he would probably punch the way too friendly coffee guy. That level of happiness was usually fake, anyway. He walked up to Daryn’s door and knocked quickly.
--
When Daryn had finally left the Facility yesterday, she had actually returned home and slept. A little. Sleep was a tricky thing for a telepath as powerful as Daryn. She heard everyone’s voices all the time. That wasn’t any different at night. In fact, it was more difficult to sleep at night. She could relax her own mind and her own thoughts, but then everyone else’s seemed even stronger and louder. It was the most difficult aspect of her mutation to deal with. On a good day, she was tired. Lately, she was exhausted. Dead on her feet, as Rahim had called it. She didn’t deny it.
Resting today hadn’t been any more successful. She’d had to go back to the hospital briefly for an emergency, even though she had the day off. And then there were Faction things to attend to. This meeting with Phobia was the last on her list, purposely. There was a lot to discuss and she didn’t want to rush it. Answering the door now, she didn’t look any more rested than she felt. She just didn’t bother to try to hide it. If Phobia was going to be taking a larger role in the Faction, she needed to be comfortable around him. And that meant showing her weaknesses. She stepped aside to allow him in with a faint smile. Thanks for coming.
--
“You look like shit,” Phobia said, stepping into her place. Immediately, he wondered if that the wrong thing to say. He probably shouldn’t have said that. He should probably have asked if it was a bad time and offer to come back later. Then again, life was a bad time and what would really change? Nothing.
He pulled a drink from the tray and offered it to her, “I brought tea. I figured it was too late for coffee,” he gave himself a mental nudge to try not to be so brittle around the edges. He didn’t see the point, not really, but here he was, going to try, “Is now a bad time? Do you want me to come back another time?” There. He could try.
---
Thanks Daryn just smirked in response as she closed the door behind him and led Phobia further inside to the kitchen area to sit at the table. Motioning for him to sit, she took the seat across from him. She heard his second-guessing thoughts, but chose to ignore them.
Taking the drink with him, she offered a little smile. Thank you, that was thoughtful of you. And no, you don’t have to go. I witnessed a different side of you on Christmas, now you get to see a different side of me. I am sure I am much less amusing.
--
Phobia sat down at the table and looked at his tea. This? Did not smell as good as coffee. Why did he decide to do the right thing and not get coffee? Right. Tea. He sniffed it again. He should probably try to drink it.
“I should thank you for the drinks on Christmas,” Phobia said then he smirked, “We’ll just pretend that side of me doesn’t exist,” he tilted his head and continued, “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather… I don’t know. Rest? Be alone?”
---
Daryn took a careful sip of her tea. It was nice. She usually opted for coffee but tea was probably a better choice for attempts at relaxation. Maybe. Hearing Phobia’s thoughts, she arched a brow and motioned to her kitchen. I can make you some coffee if you prefer. You don’t have to drink something you don’t like.
Without waiting for a response, she stood and moved about the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee. If she had trouble sleeping later, it wouldn’t go to waste.
You’re welcome, did you have a nice time for the holiday? Daryn had put on a happy face, but the holiday was a struggle for her. It was nice to have Ashe and Phobia as a distraction for a few hours. Daryn responded automatically to his questions, and had a tinge of regret after doing so. I’m almost always alone. I wouldn’t have asked you over if I wanted to be alone. And I have rested. A little. I tried. But not very hard.
--
“You don’t need to,” Phobia half-heartedly protested as she got up and put on the coffee. Coffee smelled and tasted better than tea. Who came up with such a ridiculous drink? He, rather irrationally, blamed the coffee guy.
Phobia paused at the question then nodded, “It was nice to spend time with you and Ashe.” He wasn’t going to say that he enjoyed it, even though he did. Them being around helped with the hurt that went with the holiday. Really, an island like theirs shouldn’t even bother with holidays.
Phobia wanted to ask what could be done to help her relax. He wasn’t sure if there was something or if if it was something he could help with. Maybe it was best not to ask. Instead he shrugged and said, “Then maybe I’ll try not to take too much of your time. So you can focus on the resting. We need you rested.”
---
While the coffee brewed, she took down a nice big mug and set out milk and cream and sugar so that he could make it to his liking once it was ready. Daryn smirked once again, but she kept this one more to herself. Everyone needed her rested and well. For what? Was she really doing anything to make much of a difference around here? As hard as she tried, some days, more days that not lately, she felt like it was all a waste.
Trying not to dwell on that, she took a seat again. You’re not taking up my time. But I did call you here to let you know that Remy and I have agreed that you should get a.. Promotion of sorts. We both have some concerns, but overall you’ve proved you’re an asset to the Faction and we believe that you can handle the difficult work ahead. It will be a gradual transition, but a forward transition. So, there’s that.
--
Phobia would have answered the question to why they needed her rested but he was not a mind reader, though he supposed one could argue that he was of the mind of fears. If it was mental that he was reading and not a physical reaction. He wasn’t interested in trying to figure out the whys. He just had needed to know the hows to control himself.
“Concerns?” Phobia asked. Yes, he was grateful they thought he was ready for a promotion and that he had proven himself but he was also concerned about the concerns. He wanted to continue to be an asset for the Faction. It was one of the only things he had left and it was important to him. He needed to prove himself.
---
The coffee didn’t take long, and so she stood, moving the things to the table for him to be able to prepare the fresh cup of coffee for himself. Sitting once more, she took another sip from her tea. The concerns you and I already discussed. People will look at you differently the more responsibility you have. We need to give people hope and optimism. I know that isn’t your strong point, and I wouldn’t ask you to do something you can’t. Just try to be aware of how that can affect the morale of the Faction as a larger group.
--
He thanked her for the coffee as he prepared the cup. He resisted from saying that he would hold back from turning into a flock of bats around people. It was probably comments like that which the concerns were coming from. He nodded instead, bringing the cup of coffee to his mouth and blowing on it.
“I will work on that,” Phobia said instead. He would. He wanted to do more, to make a difference. If being sunshine and rainbows would help, well, he would just need to find that one person that was afraid of them. Which reminded him of Fitz’s plan.
---
Sitting back in her chair with a silent sigh, Daryn studied Phobia curiously. She could still hear all of his thoughts, but decided to only address what he shared with her outloud, or purposely with directed thoughts. That is all we ask.
She was silent for a little while, drinking more of her tea and trying to relax even if this was still technically a work meeting. There is something else I wanted to discuss with you.
--
Phobia took a sip of his coffee. This was pretty good and a million times better than the tea. He nodded at her response. He would do what he could. He would do what was important to all of them.
He would have brought up Fitz but whatever Daryn wanted to speak about was more important. Phobia wasn’t even sure what he could say about Fitz except that he seemed eager to do more. Weren’t they all?
“Okay?” Phobia replied, waiting to let Daryn to continue.
---
Hearing Phobia’s thoughts, she made a note to herself to return to the topic of Fitz later. Refocusing her attention, she drank more from her cup while continuing the conversation. I haven’t had a conversation with him about it, so I don’t know how much he knows. But I think we should tell Ashe about the Faction. And more specifically, our roles within it. She wasn’t really sure what Phobia’s feelings were about that, but he was much closer to Ashe, so she was sure he would know the best way to go about it.
--
Phobia raised an eyebrow at the mention of Ashe. He was very careful not sharing Faction stuff with Ashe, even though there were times he had wanted to. He wanted Ashe to stay safe. He wanted Ashe to get out of here one day. He wanted Ashe to have the world. Phobia took a sip of his coffee.
“Is this a gateway?” Phobia asked.
---
A gateway? Daryn watched Phobia closely. She had an idea of what he meant, but she also wanted him to be able to speak freely around her, especially about things that he care about. And she knew that Ashe was near the top of that list.
--
“Into bringing him into the Faction?” Phobia offered. Was he opposed to that? Maybe not but he would still worry about Ashe. Did he trust Ashe with the knowledge of the Faction. Of course. Did he think he would be able to help? Yes. But if that was the ultimate goal? Phobia wanted to know.
---
Daryn frowned slightly, but answered honestly. I think he has a right to know what his friends are involved in. If he wants to join, that is his decision. Daryn was silent for several moments, trying to decide what else to share and what to keep to herself. In the end, she just decided to be out with it. I don’t get close to very many people, I never have. But when I do, I make sure that I am completely honest with them. I trust him to keep it a secret, even if he doesn’t want to be a part of the fight.
--
Phobia didn’t get close to many people either. At least not anymore and while he didn’t like secrets from Ashe, he knew why he had to. He took another sip of his coffee then asked, “So that means things are getting more serious between you and Ashe?” He knew they were friends and he heard about things from Ashe. He also saw the looks on Christmas. Perhaps there was something brewing there.
---
A little surprised by the question, Daryn hesitated before shrugging. I don’t know. It would be nice, but with my track record it’s also highly unlikely. He’s a really great guy, and I am glad I’ve gotten to know him better. But I won’t press my luck with hoping for more than that. Besides, I really shouldn’t be getting into anything with anyone. I need to focus on my patients, and the Faction.
--
“And if he wants more than that? Are you going to let him down easy?” Phobia asked. He sipped his coffee again and kept his gaze on Daryn. He liked Daryn, of course, and he respected her but he wanted it to be known that he was not okay with Ashe being hurt because she wanted to focus on other things instead.
---
Arching a brow, Daryn shook her head. If he wants more, I would be a fool to say no. But I don’t want to put him in danger because of my role in the Faction. I don’t want to hurt him. You and I both know that I’m not good enough for him, anyway. So I don’t think it should be much of a concern. It’s more important that he knows about the Faction, and that we are involved, so he doesn’t feel like we’re keeping this massive thing from him for long.
--
Phobia raised an eyebrow at Daryn. If Daryn was afraid of some sort of insect, he probably would have flicked one at her for saying that she wasn’t good enough. Phobia thought Daryn was amazing for all she pulled off. She was better than he was, but that wasn’t very difficult. Was he saying that Ashe wasn’t good enough for her? No. They might fit. He wasn’t sure.
“I’ll tell him,” Phobia said, “The Faction won’t be the reason you two aren’t together.”
---
Offering a small, tired smile, Daryn just nodded. Thank you, for telling him. Now, you were thinking before, something about Fitz? I didn’t mean to pry, but some thoughts are louder than others, and that was one of them that stuck with me. Remy told me the two of you worked well together on the mission.
--
“I’m an open book,” Phobia replied flatly. Argh. He was running out of coffee, which was almost as disappointing as tea was, “Fitz brought me into the woods. Very The Cabin in the Woods by the way. He wanted to talk about getting more information from the government, maybe using my… abilities to sneak into the building or tricking someone into talking,” Phobia paused, “It was an interesting idea but problematic. Either way, he seems… eager for more.”
---
Daryn stood and returned to the kitchen to make some more coffee. She hid a little smirk; she had been to that cabin so she truly understood the reference. Has he spoken with Remy about his ideas? Or just you? Not that you don’t have good instincts. Just curious as to where he is sharing his ideas.
--
“I doubt he shared with Remy. I suggested that he share his ideas but he didn’t want to take credit,” Phobia said, setting the cup down, “Which reminds me, has he said to you or Remy about how he was kicked by a guard a few days ago? He said he had broken bones but he looked fine when I saw him.” Something was amiss with that statement. Maybe she knew the truth.
---
Daryn frowned and furrowed her brow a little. She’d just assumed that Fitz shared more information with Remy then he did with her. Then again, their direct interactions were few and far between, and that seemed to be the cat-man’s preference so Daryn let it be. Now though, she wasn’t so sure that was a good idea. This is the first I’m hearing of it. How are you feeling about his proposed idea? It sounds like you’d have a key role in it.
---
Phobia frowned. Fitz had secrets and he wasn’t a fan of secrets. Though he supposed they all had secrets. Still, something about that sat amiss. Well, there was nothing he could do about that. At least not now. He would focus on the other part of the conversation.
“It doesn’t seem smart,” Phobia said, “It’s too dependent on keeping people with the right fears around and then he suggested about pretending to be a boss and getting someone to spill secrets? It seemed problematic. Maybe it could be finessed out but right now? There are too many possibilities of going wrong and while I’m not afraid of being caught, I don’t really want that.”
---
Daryn nodded in agreement, glad that Phobia looked at the idea objectively, and considered where it could go wrong. That was good thinking, and the sort of thing he’d need to do when running his own missions. It pleased Daryn to know that Phobia had good instincts. But at the same time, she was starting to wonder about Fitz. I agree. I’ll ask Remy about Fitz. Maybe he knew more and just didn’t bring it up. Hopefully. She didn’t expect Remy to tell her every little thing, and if he knew and didn’t say anything then there was likely a good reason for it.
--
“Fitz doesn’t talk to many others, does he?” Phobia asked. Fitz acted like his position was a secret, which in some way, that was good. He didn’t want Fitz to talk to others about ideas using their powers, which could endanger them. Maybe he was wrong about Fitz. Maybe he ought to try to reach out. Or stop calling him a pussy.
“Hopefully,” Phobia said. Or maybe it was nothing and he was being paranoid. You can’t unbreak things easily.
---
No. He says it’s to keep himself secret and safe, but I have to wonder if some of it is by choice. Like not going to her with things. But that was his choice, and it had done no harm that Daryn could see, so she wouldn’t bother the man about it. She would be watching him a bit more carefully now.
Would you be willing to work with him again? On a team mission?
--
Phobia could understand the being alone thing. Sometimes it was safer. He pushed those thoughts aside. He didn’t want to share those thoughts with Daryn. His loneliness, his fears were his own and he didn’t share them with many. Or anyone, really.
So he focused on her next question and nodded, “He was useful before. I would work with him again.”
---
That’s what’s most important, then. Leaving the topic at that, Daryn returned to sit once again after refilling Phobia’s mug with fresh coffee. Do you have any good plans for New Year’s Eve?
--
Phobia thanked her for the additional coffee. It didn’t seem like he would be sleeping tonight. That was fine with him. He had nowhere he had to be tomorrow. He smirked softly and shook his head, “I was planning to stay at home though Ashe may drag me to Remy’s party. Are you going to be there?”
---
Daryn smiled, glad that Ashe tried to get Phobia to go out more. She shook her head no in response. Parties, or any sort of large gathering, are not really very enjoyable with the telepathy. I’m not really big on New Year’s anyway, so I just plan to stay in. I have to work most of the day anyway.
--
“Just wait until Ashe begins to drag you to places,” Phobia countered with a smirk. Though he figured Ashe wouldn’t if he knew that Daryn did not enjoy herself because of her abilities. He dragged Phobia because he had no reason to hide away. Ashe was amazing like that but oh so annoying too.
--
That doesn’t sound so horrible. Daryn smiled faintly, it might be nice for someone to push her a little to do things. Most people she spent her time with were much like her, sacrificing much of their own time and energy for others and avoiding things at all costs. Daryn hesitated before she asked a question, mostly because she wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer. What is your honest opinion? Of me and Ashe? I’m not saying that it’s a thing just curious about what your thoughts are on it. You are his best friend and you mean a lot to him, so your opinion matters more than you know.
--
Phobia was silent for a moment, trying to keep his thoughts quiet and knowing that was kind of impossible around Daryn but he wanted to give her his honest opinion and he didn’t want to just respond with that he didn’t care.
“Ashe means a lot to me,” Phobia said carefully. He didn’t want to say that Ashe was the only family he had left now. He didn’t like to admit that he needed anyone. He was Phobia now. He put his hands around his cup. “If you two find happiness with each other, I will be happy for the two of you. If there is anything this island needs, is happiness within all this darkness,” he paused, “I don’t want him hurt, either by you or people watching you. Or me. So if you think you can do that without hurting him, then I don’t care.”
---
Finishing her tea, Daryn listened carefully to Phobia as he spoke, hearing his thoughts as well. When he finished, she nodded once. I sincerely promise that I will do everything in my power to make sure that he is not hurt, in any way, by me or anyone else. She was tempted to say something more, about how she understood how Phobia felt, but that seemed like a line she should not cross. It wasn’t necessary.
--
Phobia wanted to tell her that if she thought she couldn’t commit, if they got to the point where they were going to be committed, to leave Ashe alone before he got to hurt but he knew he said all that he needed to. He didn’t need to say more. Daryn was a grown woman. She could make her own decisions. Besides, he would not be opposed to scare her if she did hurt Ashe.
So he simply nodded instead and took a sip of his coffee. What more needed to be said?