Who: Daryn and Kyrie What: Awkward meetings When: Sunday, May 19, 2019 Where: Kyrie’s house Rating: Low Status: Complete
Daryn had lost track of time, but she was somewhat sure that it was still the same day. She didn’t want to overstay her welcome in this woman’s home. If there had been a welcome at all. Fitz brought her here and told her to stay. He seemed to be handling everything and all she had to do was sit and rest. And that was not something Daryn was used to.
She’d taken a nap, and now feeling slightly more refreshed physically, she was trying to sort things out mentally. Stepping out of the room, she looked around curiously for the woman of the house.
Chicken soup.
Fitz had instructed her to get things to prepare chicken soup for their guest. Without question she was at the stove heating up the request. She trusted her friend and while the woman in the next room was a stranger she had already become a friend and someone Kyrie would tend to while they both were beneath the same roof.
She wouldn’t keep the other woman once she had awoken, only to give her what she needed and then wait for further direction. Without her ID which she didn’t wear in the house, Kyrie was a stranger. The wooden spoon in the pot would turn clockwise, stirring gently.
Another moment or so and the food would be done.
Following the scent of food to the kitchen, Daryn lingered in the doorway, not wanting to startle the young woman. It smelled good, and she was suddenly starving. She couldn’t remember when she last ate. She knew she looked terrible; too thin and pale, Daryn barely recognized herself when she spotted herself in the mirror. It was the first time in almost two years she’d seen herself. It wasn’t a pretty sight. So, no need to go scaring anyone else with the vision.
She cleared her throat lightly to announce her presence, but then erupted into a short, dry coughing fit. She still was not accustomed to having a voice, and the pain told her that she wasn’t fully recovered yet. Taking a careful breath, she tried to speak now. “Sorry… I didn’t want to startle you.”
Kyrie turned, eyeing the woman cautiously. But not without consideration. At her side instantly, stove forgotten, she was holding onto one of Daryn’s arms. When the woman seemed fine she let her go. “I’ve made chicken soup if you’d like some. Do you need water?”
Whatever it took to ensure that Fitz’s friend was comfortable and happy she would do.
“You didn’t. It’s alright, I knew you were here.” Warmly, she motioned to the couch instead of the table. “Please, make yourself at home. I can bring over a tray with food.”
Daryn was a little surprised, pleasantly so, at how nice the woman seemed to be given that she was crashing her house. “Water would be good, please.”
Reluctantly, she moved to the couch to sit, as directed. She felt badly that this woman was catering to her, and didn’t even know her. “You’re Fitz’s.. Sister?” She was pretty sure that’s what he’d said, although her name wasn’t springing to mind at the moment. “Sorry, I’m really out of it. He did tell me your name. Have we met before?”
A smile was given in response to the questions. She would answer what she could once Daryn was settled and comfortable. She owed a lot to Fitz, taking care of a friend was included in that.
Turning she went it fetch water, a glass of crystal clear liquid was brought to the couch.
She set it down on the tray and then turned her attention to the other woman. “Kyrie. I’m his sister,” she nodded. “You’re Daryn, right?” And then her head shook, “We don’t know each other. But I’m glad to know you now.”
Daryn studied the beautiful young woman curiously, then offered her a small smile. “I am. Likewise. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Kyrie. I really owe you for all of this. Once I’m back to myself.. Or something close to it, if you ever need anything, I will help you. Anything at all.”
Daryn meant what she said. Taking the glass of water, she took a small sip. “I’m still getting used to this talking thing.”
Her smile was genuine. “Thank you. But I’d rather you help my brother. I’ll be fine.” She would give anything to get Fitz a better life, one where he could be free to be who he was. “I’m happy to help a friend in need.”
Her eyebrows would arch. “You haven’t spoken in a while?” A blush would flood through her cheeks, a hand would lift and wave dismissively. “I’m so sorry. You don’t have to answer.”
She was used to not asking questions.
Daryn watched the woman curious. “What can I do to help him? Seems like he’s helping me, right now anyway. But I would be glad to return his favor too.”
At the question, she shook her head. “I couldn’t speak, for a very long time. There was an accident when I was in high school and it damaged my voicebox. They wanted to repair it then, but it was too dangerous because I had other injuries. And then after that I was afraid that it might not work, or make things worse. So I avoided it. But… while I was away, they fixed it for me.” Against her will, but there was no need to scare the girl like that.
“Keep him safe.” That was all she wanted. Whatever the capacity of her request was she would be glad for it. She didn’t know this woman from Eve however if Fitz called her a friend then she was a friend to Kyrie too.
Nodding. A hand reached out to pat upon one of Daryn’s with comfort. “I’m glad they fixed it.”
She prayed that her ability could be fixed, that she wouldn’t have to bear the weight of her affliction. Her hand upon the other woman didn’t last long for fear of hurting her.
“I will.” The answer came before she even realized it, and Daryn knew that a shadow of her old self was still alive. She was glad for it, it meant that maybe she could get back to herself after everything.
Daryn wasn’t sure how she actually felt about having her voice back. But she tried to look at is as a positive thing.
Relief was present on Kyrie’s features. As long as Fitz was safe and protected she didn’t care what happened to her. He had given her so much and she wanted to make sure he was always safe. She had no idea what he did out on his walks or even anything he was involved in, but that was something she expressed to everyone - keep him safe, treat him right.
A smile was offered. “Can I get you anything else?”
Daryn shook her head no with a small smile. She took another careful sip of the water, the cool liquid soothing her still raw throat. She vaguely wondered if her ‘healing’ ability was still up to par, but she knew that she needed rest and sustenance for her body to do the work.
“You’ve been here a while, haven’t you? You seem familiar. My memory is a bit fuzzy but I know it will come back to me.” She couldn’t place her, but Daryn knew that in the past she’d seen the shy woman somewhere on the island that she frequented a lot.
A nod would come in response. For once her smile had not abated, nor did it feel false or forced, and it sat proudly on her face. She was helping someone, even just by providing water and food, which stirred something in her stomach that made her feel good. She was doing something good.
“Yes,” came the reply. Kyrie’s gaze slid to the side as if she might be considering her next words, before her eyes met Daryn’s again, “about six years or so.” She couldn’t say that Daryn was familiar though something about it was nagging regardless. Kyrie had been young when she’d arrived, eighteen, and mostly she kept to herself the same way she did presently.
Daryn nodded slightly, still trying to place the woman. “Time goes by so quickly, and yet so slowly at the same time. Doesn’t it? Six years in the blink of an eye, but it also feels like a lifetime ago. I’m sure your life here is different from before.”
Taking another sip of water, the action triggered a memory and she blinked. “You work at the diner, don’t you? Or in the marketplace? I used to go there before and after my shifts at the hospital.” Not daily, but often enough. But she usually had her head buried in a book, or was too drained for much of a conversation, so she doubted the woman would remember her in the same situation.
Her expression flattened without her realizing it. It seemed like a different lifetime - the makeup, hair, the dresses. She felt like a different person and yet she was still very much the same. Kyrie nodded, her smile had faded a touch. “Yes, it was, and it’s a lot like that. Gone before you realize.”
And then she found herself smiling again. “I do. The Marketplace, I waitress there.”
She didn’t recall this woman but she doubted Daryn would be forgotten now. “I’m glad you remembered.”
Daryn caught the flash of memory but said nothing about it. She wasn’t sure if Kyrie knew she was a telepath and invading her private memories was not the way to reveal it.
Glad that her smile returned, Daryn nodded. “I try hard to remember people, even if we don’t talk or get to know each other.” Too many people had ended up dead by mysterious circumstances, or disappeared. Daryn began taking a mental inventory of residents long ago, but it was foggy now.
Trying to keep up with who did what things seemed invasive; while she found abilities interesting she hated to think she was prying into something that seemed so personal. They were made to flaunt those private things much to her dismay.
Nodding at Daryn, her smile widened. “That is a good thing. At least you know who is around, right?” Besides the guards she tried her best to keep her head down and stay as invisible as possible. But she did meet a lot of people at the Marketplace whether or not she knew them by face, name, both, or just what they got to eat.
Daryn took another careful sip of her water, listening as Kyrie spoke. “I suppose it was part of my job too.” She could have been references either working in the hospital or as leader of the Faction. She could justify it either way; if she was meant to take care of people, it helped to know a little about them.
“Do you like working at the Marketplace?”
Kyrie knew absolutely nothing about the Faction nor that there was any group of any kind formed and functioning on the island. Had she been aware perhaps she would have invested herself more into helping others live better lives. As it was she nodded, “Oh? It’s a small place, I suppose that knowing everyone probably comes with living here. I’m sure your time at the hospital introduced you to a good many people of all types.” She didn’t know if Daryn had helped the guards or was assigned strictly to aid mutants.
Nodding, she smiled, “I do. I like being out of the house.” Maybe it was a bold admission, getting to be out of the house, but even though she did the best that she could to avoid leaving her place sometimes she went crazy there by herself. Fitz was a good roommate but he was gone a lot doing what he was doing and there were only so many days a week one could deep clean their home.
Daryn nodded with a faint smile. “Yes, it has. Not always for good reasons, but it’s always nice to be able to help out where I can. It’s not really like the work I used to do, but I’ve come to love it.” She suddenly frowned, realizing now how much she probably missed in her absence. She wasn’t even sure if they’d allow her back to work, after everything.
Focusing again on Kyrie for now, Daryn nodded again. “It is good to have things to do to keep busy around here. So many people displaced from the lives they wanted to have, it's hard to start over with something new.”
Nodding, Kyrie understood the part about contributing. She did what she could; before all of this she didn’t do much to help anybody except her mother, who had convinced Kyrie she was helping herself. She has come to learn the difference. This felt better, this was something else.
Her smile waned. It became a touch more forced. “Of course. This is sort of a new start for me. I don’t really know what else I’d be doing with my life.” Her gaze fell to her lap where her hands had clasped together, wringing.
Daryn watched the young woman, noting her mannerisms and the faded smile. “What would you want to do? If you could do anything you wanted?”
She went quiet, giving her time to think about it. She glanced around the house slowly, so that she wouldn’t feel pressured by someone looking at her while she considered the question.
“Travel, maybe,” she confessed. Kyrie made her hands stop wringing, the skin red from the action. Lifting her head she looked at the woman again. “Go somewhere that nobody knew me, and where nobody had to know about what I can do.” Her palms lifted, fingers splayed, and then the digits curled into the palm making fists.
Daryn listened intently and gave Kyrie a small smile. “Well, I will do my best to try to find a way to make that happen for you. It’s not much to ask for, to be able to see the world without restrictions and judgments.”
Hope began to shine in the lightest parts of her eyes. Her heart picked up in movement, fluttering nearly. “Thank you.” Kyrie didn’t question the possibilities, she didn’t care about the why’s or how’s just the endgame. And she also knew how to fight for what she was after, in a sense.
Being tormented for having abilities was an awful thing which no one should have to face. She decided that she liked Daryn, and her hope spread to the wish that the other woman would get better quickly.