rapacious monster

yunjin song is a beta mutant with the ability of harpy physiology. they’ve been in new york for six years where they spend most of their time as a cook at gracie’s diner. when i think of them, i think of wind passing through messy hair, an exasperated sigh, and sharp talons scratching a surface. they are affiliated with the former essex house residents.

“Mm, true enough.” Sawyer agrees with a small smile. Jinny was always quiet, and he knows she is generally more than happy to sit in comfortable silence. He just can’t help but worry about her. He doesn’t have much in the way of family, any more, so she really is like a little sister to him. Sometimes he thinks he needs the other Essex residents to be okay more than he needs himself to be okay. Like, he may not be great at looking after himself, but that doesn’t matter if he can at least make sure Jinny is okay, and Dani, and the others.

Maybe it’s too much to hope for, though. He’s not really sure if they’ll ever be okay after what they went through. But she says she’s okay, anyway, and reaches for a cassette he knows she loves. He loves it too, and resists the urge to sing along in his loudest, goofiest voice — manages to contain his enthusiasm to simply drumming his fingers against the wheel in rhythm, turning to Jinny with a grin. “Ain’t touched a guitar in years. Might need a bit of practice before I can shred like Chris Holmes.” That, and the nerve damage in his hands from all the invasive experiments probably means he’ll never really play well again. But that’s a depressing thought he doesn’t want to give thought to. “Somethin’ to work toward though, right? ‘Cause I’m— gonna be somebody,” Yeah, he can’t resist a bit of a sing along. “Hey, maybe we can check out a music shop tomorrow? Not that I can afford a guitar, but we can mess around a bit. Bet we can get you playin’ Smoke on the Water in no time.”

It slips pass her mind and the guilt consumes her for a moment, but she pushes it back as she smiles, “Maybe we can get our hands on a keyboard too, I’m not sure if I still know how to play the piano, it’s been long. And yeah, I’d love to learn the guitar properly,” She thinks that if Sawyer can no longer play, then she can play for him. “Hey, maybe there’s a secondhand guitar that we can get! Pawnshops are the key.” She nudges at him.

         we get happy when we let ourselves be. it’s advice that joseph could stand to take, despite their reluctance. “maybe you’re right,” he admits, sighing softly. “but i just… i always want to understand people. i guess that’s one of my flaws.” not knowing is a pain that they frequently try to avoid, whether by divorcing themselves from companionship or… desperately seeking out answers that are better left to rest.

         “i guess i never thought about it like that.” for a stranger, there’s something strangely comforting about her. like she’s wise beyond her years, infused with a sacred knowledge. or maybe she’s just used to persevering. “maybe i’d feel better about it if god had been the one doing the resurrecting.” after a beat, they add, “i’m sorry you had to go through that. i hope… i hope you can find something better out here.”

“I’m sorry as well,” There are a lot of words she can say, but she knows that silence is better at that moment. She looks up at the midnight purple in the horizon and she imagines herself flying, and feeling the air against her feathers. Ever since she’s free all she’s done is fly fly and fly.

“yeah—yours are pretty cool, too.” river wings instinctively flex, almost as if he’s attempting to mirror the other’s movements. “i’ve never really met anybody else with wings. i mean, there was this one guy in middle school who could float, but…” he shrugs, “he kinda just did that by himself.” his fingers find themselves tapping against the tin roof, “—um, i’m river, by the way.”

         “of course, i always like to offer. and if you ever do need something, you’re always welcome back.” trust is difficult to gain, but the institute rarely loses someone once they come their way. those that do leave are often just finding a place in the world, still in good standing with xavier’s school. soon, that will change. “yes and no. we do offer college courses, but we’re first and foremost a place for safety. mutants of all ages and experiences can find help here.”

“A little too fast, probably. But, perks of working at the library is I never run out of books to read.” It would take her years to get through every book she wanted to read in a place that big. That, on top of the Xavier library, would keep Finley well read for years.

         nodding, jack offers his own goodbyes. “i’ll see you around.” she’s right about one thing, of course—easier to blend in with so many people around. few even recognize his own face, despite how sought after it’s become. for the moment, he’s not a spectacle. “enjoy your… people watching.”

         “it’s nice to meet you,” they offer, genuine. it’s been a while since they haven’t immediately felt panicked about the idea of a conversation, but yunjin is surprisingly easy to talk to. “and honestly, i… don’t usually talk to anyone. this is new for me, too. talking about things that are bothering me.” and to someone he doesn’t know, of all people! “i guess… part of it is that, yeah. i wish i did know why he did it. some of it… i don’t know, sometimes i wish he hadn’t.”

“I’m not sure if this is much of a reassurance,” She begins, “I think when we find out answers to the questions we seek, it just opens a new question or problem, it gets bearable only when we make it to, we get happy when we let ourselves be.”

         “i understand. we have students who have been through things like that, before. if you’re more comfortable outside, you’re welcome to stay here for as long as you need. our grounds are a safe haven, too.” wariness is a gift that essex has given yunjin, but one she hopes to strip, little by little. “nobody has to pay for anything here. charles has enough stashed away to cover everyone’s needs and then some.” a beat. “speaking of, can i get you something? water? some food? we have an excellent kitchen, too.”

“Oh, I don’t mind. Anyone who’s interested in the nerdy stuff I read is usually careful with books. Plus, I’m in here… way more often than I’d like to admit. It wouldn’t be all that difficult to trade books.”

         “of course!” she tries to be reassuring, a perfectly baited hook. it helps that it’s the truth—xavier’s doesn’t turn anyone back out onto the streets, even when it becomes obvious that they should. sora uses that to her advantage. “this is a safe place for people like us. a real safe place.”

         “well… i mean, i don’t know anything about your life,” he starts, trying to navigate this carefully. it’s not like he can say it’s impossible. his own parents had disowned him when his mutation got too dangerous to deal with. “but it sounds like it’s worth a shot, you know? if you miss them, maybe they miss you, too.” after a beat, joseph turns back toward the horizon, shrugging a shoulder. “yeah, i don’t mind. i’m joseph, by the way.”

         there’s a question forming on the tip of his tongue as yunjin mentions living at monique’s house—what about seven? is he still there?—but it occurs to him that she might not even know who he’s talking about. another time, then. “good,” he answers instead, nodding. “as long as you have somewhere safe to stay, that’s good.” somewhere that isn’t involved with the warring factions the city has created, either. neither the brotherhood or the xavier institute are good for the essex survivors, jack is certain of that. “not today, no. i was just on my way back home,” he says, shrugging. “you? are you out exploring?”

“Wow! Your feathers look very soft,” April compliments, running her fingertips over the back of Yunjin’s hand gently. “You can fly? That’s so cool! I know someone who has wings. He’s my ex-roommate’s new roommate.” Does she say the last part with a little bitterness? Yes, but only because she misses living with Laurel. ‘Jeromio’s like your baby then.’ April is glad the toad isn’t around to hear that. It would surely earn her a grumpy frown. “He’s more like a brother,” she chuckles. “I found him outside my front door when I was young. I lived in the swamp, so my mom agreed to let me keep him. We’ve been inseparable ever since. When I left my home to come to NYC, I brought him with me. He lives in a pond near Xavier’s now,” she tells Yunjin, before realising that the other woman probably doesn’t want to hear about the backstory of how she and Jeromio met. “Yunjin? That’s a pretty name, I like it! My name’s April.” Her cheeks feel flush again, and she rubs the back of her neck with her hand. “Well if that’s the reason you bumped into me, I’m not gonna complain,” she beams. “I’m glad you did. You’re really nice and sweet and kind. And soft!” Biting her lip, she rocks on the balls of her feet. “It’s nice to meet you too, by the way!”

         sora isn’t, in fact, monitoring the grounds when the harpy practically crashes through the hedges. she knows her. remembers her file, at least. god, are essex’s runaways literally falling from the sky now? even so, she offers a small, concerned smile. “you’re not in trouble. we don’t turn people away just for coming onto the grounds.” offering a hand, her smile grows. “would you like to come inside and rest?”

        “it wasn’t as noble as you think it was,” he admits, lip curling down in a frown. “sometimes i wish i hadn’t done it.” the attention he’s garnered, the stares… it’s almost unbearable at times. but only almost. he knows, in his heart, that he had made the right decision. “but it’s not as big as you might think. sooner or later you’ll run into somebody else.” is it a warning or a reassurance? even jack isn’t quite sure. “well, i’ve been thinking about quitting my job, and i moved into…” he trails off, frown deepening. with concern this time. a new feeling. or rather, a new acknowledgement. “do you have a place to stay?”