ArchivedLogs:Trying to be Realistic

Trying to be Realistic
Dramatis Personae Mai & Paige
In Absentia	2017-02-02 "It's not a superpower."
Location <NYC> NYPD Station - Garment District
Despite the fashionable clothing of those outside, almost everyone inside the NYPD station is wearing the same dark blue uniform, gold badges flashing on their chest. A few, however, are in business clothing, and a rare one or two are in crisp white uniforms. The police station is several floors high, each dedicated to a different department, and a rare parking lot in the back where the cruisers and trucks sit. Nearly three weeks have passed since Mai's arrest, but it is beginning to feel so long ago to Paige. From reliving the haunting memory of the incident to replaying the conversations she's had with her friend since, the topic has been on her mind for what seems to have been ages already. The goat girl sits quietly in the visitor room at the NYPD station - posture is straight, hands folded on lap, and ears twitching occasionally at errant noises. Mai walks into the room from the door at the other end, escorted by a guard, who then closes the door behind her. She is looking more tired and unkempt every time than she did the previous time Paige was there, which is probably not overly surprising. But she smiles anyway when she sees Paige, walking over to take a seat at one of the chairs around the table middle of the room. "Hello Paige. I knew it was you." she offers, probably because not much anyone else has come to see her. Paige can't help but stand as her friend enters the room, offering a smile of her own to the other girl, weak as it is. Her expression is one of concern and her ears droop as her eyes study Mai, taking in the younger mutant's disheveled appearance. Seating herself again only after Mai has done the same, she says, "I told you I would visit you every week if I could, Mai. I take my promises very seriously. You are important to me. Probably more important to me than you know." A sigh finds its way out as her posture deflates a bit. "How have you been?" Mai lets out a deep sigh as she leans back against the chair, closing her eyes for a few moments, before opening them again and focusing on Paige, giving a shrug to the question. "Eh... as good as you could expect being locked in here, I suppose. Though I am not sure how much longer I can take this. Have you had any luck finding help?" she asks with a hopeful look, even if she can pretty much guess what the answer is going to be. The smile fades from Paige's face as Mai answers her question and asks her own. "No, but, Mai, listen. Listen to me." Placing and folding her hands on the table, the goat girl leans forward. "You can do this, alright? Nobody does well being locked up, but you're strong and you can do this. I'll visit you every week, like I said. You can make it through this. I don't know how long you'll be here, but let's hope it's just going to be a few years. Who knows - maybe they'll go easier on you because you're still a juvenile, you know?" Another smile, slightly forced, is offered. "I've run through my resources, though. The one I was really counting on...they couldn't help. I'm indebted to practically half the mutants in New York City, you included, so I'm not really going to be able to count on charity, you know?" Mai rests her hands on the table and leans forward some on them as she listens to what Paige is saying, not really looking all that convinced about what the other mutant is saying. "Few years? Paige... I don't think I will last few months without going crazy. I am very active person... I can't just sit around doing nothing all day, its driving me crazy just being there and not doing anything." she explains. Then giving a rather confused look to the last part of what Paige says. "You are still not believing in yourself, Paige... you have no idea how much you can do. Everyone likes you... well except maybe the mutant haters, but anyway, you make friends so easily and get people to help you, I really don't know how you do that, but it is a great gift. You really need to stop being so hard on yourself." "It's not a superpower, Mai. It's not a gift. It's who I am. And it's not...it's not easy..." the furred girl confesses quietly, eyes falling to the table as she swallows. "I attach to people very quickly. I--I believe the best of them, the absolute best. I feel a need to protect them and a desire to make them feel better. That's why I visit you. Well, one of the reasons, you know? I want to protect you. I want to encourage you and to show you that you're strong." Now her gaze flits back up to her friend's face. "Because you -are- strong, Mai. And you -can- do this. You -can- get through this. You -will-. I believe in you." She leans back and runs her hands through her hair. "But murder, Mai. Murder. I am trying to be realistic. I am so sorry -- so, so sorry -- that you don't get to be active. I really am. But you--you killed someone, alright? Yes, I get that he was a bad guy, a really bad guy, but...murder is still murder and the law cannot...say one murder is alright and another is not. It's just...just not how it works." Mai actually manages a light laugh at the mention of superpower, smiling slightly. "I know its not superpower... that is specifically what makes it so special, you don't need super powers, everyone likes you naturally. And I don't think I had ever been feeling better about the future than when you were living with me, I had finally let go of the past... and then this happens." motioning around the room with her hand to underline the point. "I tell you, I am not overly religious person, but if there really is some higher power out there... it has a really twisted sense of humor." she notes, sighing again. Looking back to Paige, she doesn't really want to get into the topic about the murder as that has only lead to arguments earlier, so she tries to change the subject instead. "So anyway...how have you been holding up?" Paige's eyes study Mai, the expression on her face pained. She blinks, however, at the topic change, and her ears flick up in apparent surprise. "Me? How have -I- been holding up?" The goat girl is silent for a moment as she gathers her thoughts. "I miss you, Mai. It's not the same without you. I'm coming to terms with what you did -- with what you felt you -had- to do. I am trying to forgive you. It's a process; just give me some time, alright? But I really do miss you. Maybe you don't realize this, but you made my life so lovely and bearable when I was living with you. You took care of me both when I was well and when I was sick. And I miss you. I want you out of here -too-." Her eyes drop again and she sniffles, perhaps trying to hold back tears. When she looks up again, though, her face is composed. "We got a place. Heather and me, you know? At Harbor Commons. It's a nice place. No furniture besides the bed that came with it, but we're making do. And I finally got my registration updated - did I tell you? I'm a four, a gamma. I can get a job now. But I still miss you. A lot. Regardless of how I feel about what you did." This part is accompanied by a wave of the hand. Paige does not really want to return to that topic. "When you get out, maybe you can come live with us, yeah?" Mai listens curiously at what Paige is saying about her own situation, smiling more when she hears that the other mutant has actually got a real place to live in. "Thats great news, at least I don't need to worry anymore that you would go into those sewers you kept talking about." she notes with a chuckle. "Well, and I would certainly not mind that, I suggested to look from the Commons for you, remember? Whats happened to Fiona, though? I thought she would be there too." she inquires, then keeping a small pause as she thinks while watching Paige. "You said you have no furniture, eh? Tell you what, you could get the furniture from my apartment and use those, they would just get lost otherwise once the rent goes overdue and the apartment is reclaimed, and its not like I need them while I am here. Its not the most fancy stuff, but better than nothing at least." "What?" comes Paige's incredulous inquiry as her ears flick up and her eyes widen in surprise. "Your furniture? You mean that? Mai, you've already done so much for me - you don't have to do this. I mean we would be insanely appreciative, you know? We've only got the bed and Heather has been talking about getting a couch and some other stuff, but, oh my god, Mai, that would be incredibly helpful! -Thank you-!" There's an actual smile now playing on the goat girl's excited face, but it fades a bit as she recalls Mai's other question. "Fiona? She...I lost track of her. I don't know where she went. I did my best, but...I'm hoping she ended up at another shelter. We talked about this last time, remember?" she offers, smiling gently. "We know she's alive because Marinov told me they ran into her. I think she's on her way to Xavier's. She's got potential, you know?" The older mutant's expression softens at her comment. "Like you. -Thank you-, Mai. Mai gives a bit of a dismissive wave with her hand at the flow of thanks. "Like I said, it would just get lost otherwise anyway when the apartment is claimed with the rent not paid... and I don't have anywhere to store it obviously. Better that it gets put to use by someone at least. Just asking that you could also save my personal stuff while your at it, like the dvds and especially the weapon collection on the wall with my parents pictures, those are the only things I have left to remind of them. I don't know what size your apartment is, but if you only have a bed there now then you can probably fit in all of the furniture from my place easily. There is few sets of bedsheets in the closet in the bedroom too so you don't need to buy those either." Going silent then as she listens to what Paige says about Fiona, nodding slightly. "Well, I hope your right, she seemed really nice." "Hey, maybe we'll get you there, too, after this is all over," Paige says gently. "If that's something you would want. And, -of course- we will protect your stuff. That shit's important to you and we will take care of it with the utmost care, you know? I'd do even if you weren't offering us all of your furniture. And sheets would be amazing. Marvelous, even. You are a good friend, Mai, and you -have- friends, too. We'll take good care of your possessions." Mai gives a smile and a nod to the talk about the school. "Well, like I said last time... or one of the earlier visits anyways, its a bit hard to keep track which was which since every day is about same... anyway, like I said before, I would not mind going to that school, its not like I need to worry about paying rent anymore. If I could just get out of here... I would even accept the help from Friends of Humanity for that." she notes with a dry laugh. Paige's posture visibly stiffens and her expression turns to one of alarm at Mai's small attempt at humor. "Don't. Don't say that," she insists, leaning forwards over the table again and dropping her voice. "Please don't say that. Their 'help' would probably be to kill you. Or worse. You don't want anything to do with them. Trust me. I was--my family is part of that group. I know you were just joking, but please." There's more than a little fear in the goat girl's voice. Mai blinks in surprise at how strongly Paige reacts to her joke, actually left speechless for a moment as she just stares at her, thats probably something similar to what happened with Taylor all the way back, her sense of humor isn't the most subtle. Finally, once the silence was starting to approach awkard length, she speaks up. "Well... I guess I should cross out 'stand-up comedian' from my list of possible future vocations." Shaking her head some and then smiling to Paige. "Sorry... I just try to ease things with jokes every now and then, I guess it didn't sound as funny as I thought. But yeah, of course I was joking." Paige releases a breath she did not realize she was holding and leans back in her chair when Mai speaks again. "Yeah," she replies in a tired manner, ears flicking idly. "You probably should." The she straightens up again and looks her friend in the eyes. "Don't talk like that to other people, you know? You never know how they'll react." She sighs before offering a small, weary grin. "But I appreciate your effort. Guess we don't exactly share the same sense of humor, you know?" Mai chuckles a bit at Paige's reply, nodding a few times. "Yeah, I tend to have fairly macabre sense of humor at times I suppose. Just don't take offense if I say something crazy like that, and I will try to be a bit more sensitive with jokes also... and I guess we will meet somewhere in the middle...hopefully. What I was trying to say was just that I really want to get out from this cage. I don't think I have ever seen anyone becoming better or nicer in prison, you know? And I really don't want to become this bitter person that doesn't care about anything anymore. I am just so... tired." she explains with a sigh, looking down at her hands. "You won't," Paige assures her friend. "You're strong, like I said. And I'll visit you every week to keep you sane and I'll make sure you stay nice, alright?" Though she tries to widen her smile, it wavers and then fades quickly away. "I know how you feel," the older girl admits as she drops her head. "I can't--I'm so tired, too. I don't know how long I can keep doing this. I--I barely eat. I'm eating better now, but before...before...Even at your place, I never wanted to be a burden. I'm so...-confused- about what--what happened to you, you know? I haven't seen my family in months and the last time I saw my brother, he said I'd be better off dead. My family are part of the Friends of Humanity and there's nothing I can do about it. They're doing their damnedest to destroy any possibility of mutants ever gaining a foothold. I'm just so fucking -tired-." Her hands are on the table again as she sighs, spreading her fingers apart before looking up. "Look, Mai, it's not going to get better, okay? It's either going to continue to suck or get worse. But we've got to stick through it. We've got to make it through. We can't let them win, you know?" It's not clear who she means when she says 'them'. Mai nods slightly. "Well, I hope you do manage to think of something that can help to get me out of here... but anyway, no point going on about that now. You will probably need to get some people to help you carry all the stuff from my place to the commons, at least you have a key already. I will just write a note you can show to anyone who is suspicious that you have my permission to move everything out from there." She explains before picking up a pen and some paper from the table and doing just that. Paige looks at Mai with a confused expression, something between disbelief and something less savory. She doesn't comment on whatever it is that appears to bother her, but nods instead. "Yeah. We'll figure out something. I can't thank you enough, Mai." The goat girl eyes the stack of paper curiously. Mai finishes up writing the note after a few moments, which is a fairly simple authorization of moving her stuff from her apartment, giving the authorization to Paige specifically, and signed with her own name. "That should do, I would add my phone number to it too but... well its bit hard to reach me in here." she notes with a dry laugh as she passes the paper over along the board to Paige. Paige seems to have gotten lost in her thoughts as she stares vacantly at the stack of paper, ears twitching idly, as Mai writes. "Hmm?" she responds, her attention returning to her friend. "Oh!" This as she inspects the document in front of her. "-Thank- you. Like I said, we'll keep very good care of your things." After reading the paper over, she picks it up in her hand. "Do I have to give this to the guard first or something?" Mai gives a slight shrug at her question. "I don't know, I suppose if they ask you can show it, not like it has anything secret on it." she points out with a light laugh. "Thank you for visiting again,and it is good to hear that things are finally starting to work out for you." Paige nods to her friend as a small smile works it's way onto her face again. "Mai," she states simply. "You are a good friend. Remember that. -Always- remember that. I wouldn't be where I am today if it weren't for you. What you did -- it was wrong, but I understand why you did it, even though I find myself having a hard time agreeing with the act itself. Stay strong, Mai. I'll see you next week."