The sounds of a girl snoring were all too familiar for him, something he'd heard repeatedly, echoing throughout the seas of time for the memories would never fade. No matter what, no matter how hard he tried, even if he suppressed them to the very depths of his soul… that instinct would never dissipate. Jefferson looked off to the distance as the sun peeled over the horizon, the tiniest glimmer shining in his eyes' centers, for despite the age, this scenery would never get old for him. But how selfish was he? To enjoy such a wondrous sight all on his own, like it were a painting enacted in real life. Of course, she had to enjoy these beauties, too.
"Hey," He beckoned, "Wake up."
Shivering as she'd awoken in the dead of a snowy tundra, June searched her eyes around, turning to find the friendly face of her new friend awaiting her branding that warm smile. In return, though half the size and effort, she gave him the same sort of smile… one he knew all too well from a face smaller than hers. Eventually, the duo knew what to do when their heads turned, and the horizon had surpassed its limits, for even the steepness of the equator was nothing compared to the unimaginable light discharged by that yellow star's signature rays.
It was like a painting had emerged into reality, the irony wasn't lost on them, for such a despicable place like this world or better yet- this city, held such wondrous sights. Whether it be the way the buildings light up when you stroll through the streets at night, the roaring sounds of fantastical dragons passing by the windows when you wake up, or just this… the sunset. The most beautiful scenery that'd ever existed in the world before his eyes, for reasons unknown, it sent a tear just to the edge of his eye, feeling the stream pour down his brown-skinned cheek.
"Uh- e-excuse me… a-are you okay, Mr. Jefferson?" Asked June of her new elder companion, but even he didn't realize until the tips of his fingers brushed against the tear lengthily streaming down his right cheek, breaths shaky, momentary.
His neck didn't spin around, his blue-violet eyes didn't meet her emerald ones, grassiness unique only to Convergence's patterned eyeballs… she could only examine the way his face stood structured. Jawline, thin cheeks, a black mustache spread over his top lip; beard surrounding the outlines of his head. His chuckles were like the sounds of angels singing choirs for those who entered the golden gates of the Heavens, so pleasing to the ears of the young woman beside him.
"There was a time where I'd be exactly like this. Back on Riverton, it wasn't always so bad… I could get onto the rooftop of my house. And stare at the sun in the wake of the morning, feeling it shine onto my skin felt as good as a bath after getting back home from work. Soap that soothed my skin, bubbles in the bed. I wasn't alone there." Darrell whispers at the mention of a suppressed past so distant, a memory seemingly nowhere in sight, so far apart from the present. What a delightful memory.
"You… you had a daughter?"
He nodded at her, white hair moving with the wind, the pupils of Convergence moved away from his remarkable figure, once more staring off to the distance. A daughter. A father. What other question could she ask besides…
"Where is she now? Is-is she alive?"
Just the mere mention of such an event sent tears to the eyes of the father, what held him back from bawling, she could never know. Only silent sobs exited his dark lips, every so often, often mistaken by June for causal exhalations.
"Her body's back in Riverton. When they took me for the Agent program, they took her hostage- I agreed to be their pawn, in exchange for her to live. Unfortunately… she died. After that, abandoned Riverton and came to the Capital. It's not much better, but they don't know I'm an artifact wielder so they leave me alone. I used to do this with my kid. She'd wake up early because of a nightmare, and I'd be in the kitchen, we'd go up the roof all night and watch the sunrise. But she'd always fall asleep before she would even get to see it.." Darrell couldn't help but let out a sob at the end there, June reaching over to rub his shoulder, comforting him silently with a cooing tone, as if rocking a babe back to sleep.
Like all men are, he, too, was reluctant, for he raised his hand, shrugging her arm off his back, and with one sniffle, he wiped away the snot, not to mention the endless tear stream. They hadn't anyone another for more than a day, and here she was, comforting a man who lost his child, reminiscing on a past longing to be forgotten.
"I apologize for burdening you with this. Truthfully, I didn't expect myself to become this emotional... I hope this isn't awkward for you," Jefferson hoped through quavering vocals, fighting through sniffles, ensuring his statement stood at least semi-eligible.
But June stood silent, not out of any outer-world embarrassment, for her eyes were sparkling as if the sun itself had shone against her face. All she could see, though, was this man. A vulnerable man she was comforting with just a few actions, yet still, even now as he sobbed in front of her… he attempted to hide it all away. Maybe what she had in store for him next after he'd said that would change his mind about the 'awkward' scenario he'd seemingly assumed this was.
"I don't think it's awkward at all. Actually… I feel prideful. I'm glad you trust me enough or I remind you of someone that important to you. I know those memories of pain, that you long for it to go back to the way things used to be. And though the nights and days seem hard, no matter what, we have to move forward to ensure those resting soundly, wherever they are, are proud of the steps we take to better ourselves. Not for them, but for us."
The silence was something out of a movie, for they both decided to watch further. The sun didn't discriminatory, for those who had sensitive skin were locked behind their doors, jealous of the outside world. And yet, they had no idea this world was, nevertheless, sometimes… the light is there. And that last- at times, it isn't just for show, to fancy things or give the sightseer a feeling of astonishment. There was something within them both, sitting atop this random roof, like an emboldened voice they couldn't quite distinguish. But even so, the divination was clear, for it was almost as if it were God himself telling them.
That they couldn't run, and no matter what, even if this astonishing scenery might dry away like paint on a canvas, this was their destiny. One last time, before the twilight reached its climax, June couldn't help but smile as the lights blessed its bright glaze onto her white face… words of her own just stared moments prior, started to echo within her mind.
'I don't think it's awkward at all. Actually… I feel prideful.'
As Jefferson stood upright and wiped the dust off the jackets' shoulders, the beckoning voice of that young woman stood out to her yet again.
"Hey!" Yelled she, for Darrell turned her head in a gradual motion to start at her still-seated body, positioned just at the edge. For even as the morning had announced its rule over the skies with a silent roar, she continued to watch. But just at this final moment, she turned her head to stare into his galaxy-like eyes that reflected the infinite space of the void above surrounding the populous of this world… for her final declaration was, before their first meeting ended, "I think… I wanna be a therapist."
In other words: June Wilder, in just one little exchange with a man she'd never met before today, had found a reason to live. The phantom of her weak self, the hide of the past surrounding the present, aching to be released, had been shed.
To Be Continued.