Something Dull, Grey and Lumpy

[seismic_shockwave]

WHO: Kayla, other peeps
WHAT: Kayla is not herself.
WHERE: The Mansion
WHEN: About a week after the Hellfire Club soiree

It had been understandable enough that Kayla had been tired after the party, even though it didn't seem right that the girl who normally got by fine on five hours of sleep in the night almost slept through her lunch shift. She'd got up just in time to help prepare that, and then had a nap before it was time to help with dinner. Then she'd gone right to bed. Not too many people had thought too much of it. Until that had become the shape of Kayla's day almost in its entirety.

From sleeping maybe five or six hours in a night and being full of energy, she'd gone to sleeping at least twice that amount of time and never seeming to have much energy for anything. She'd never lost her pallor and somewhere around day three or four, she'd mostly stopped eating, only consuming something when she noticed people were watching. She just didn't feel hungry.

From being a strong performer in her Danger Room lessons, she'd slipped enormously. From being fiery and passionate about all things great and small, she'd become strangely apathetic. She'd offer people little tired smiles, but she wasn't nearly as quick with giant grins or nearly crushing hugs as normally. It was good that she'd pretty much finished her schoolwork before the party had happened, because while she'd been physically present at her last few classes, she seemed a million miles away.

They'd tested for mono- a reasonable enough guess, but it'd come back negative. There was no real explanation for the seeming lack of motivation, spark and life in Kayla. It was as if something vital to her had been drained away. She had no memory of anything strange happeneing at the party, but she was pretty sure it'd happened there. Whether she'd caught something or it had gone out of incubation yet, she didn't know.

When she wasn't sleeping, or doing things that she was absolutely required to, she mostly just sat at the window, looking outside at nothing in particular. It didn't feel bad. There was a strange serenity about it, really. Sometimes she got a really distracted smile on her face, her eyes focused on nothing at all.

She was doing that right now, looking out the window at the landscape. It all seemed pretty enough, but it was like it was a million miles away. It never occurred to her that she could actually go outside and do things. More and more, she was content to just sit and observe.

 

Comments

[iced_cherub]

After talking with Dani and playing with the horses Bobbi had realized she hadn't really noticed one of her 'older sisters' around much.

The tiny blonde made a stop in the kitchen getting iced tea and a bowl of fresh fruit.

"Kayla?" She knocked on the door juggling the two glasses and bowl around a little so she didn't spill. "Kayla can I come in?"

[kinetic_assault]

After the party, Brianna was, in a word, motivated. The ideas that Reginald and Sebastian put forth really stuck with her and the Hellfire Club seemed like the way to make that happen. She spent much of her time keeping in shape, trying to get her fighting edge back, and learning about the Club.

Kayla had worried her that night but Brianna figured she'd snap out of it. Now, though, she was starting to worry.

She stepped into the room with a pint of ice cream. "Hey, love. How are you?" she asked, looking Kayla over.

[shadeblossom]

It wasn't like Hana wasn't observant. She'd been raised around a clan of ninjas... you learned to keep your eyes peeled when your babysitters were masters of the art of stealth and surprise. She'd noticed the change in Kayla's behavior and demeanor, but had chalked it up to some sort of normal teenage affliction... a relationship problem or something school related. When the shift didn't seem to show any signs of shifting back, she started to worry. All the kids at Xavier's were 'hers' to a degree and she worried for them when something was wrong.

Hana'd brought it up to Rachel, but so far, nothing had been found medically or otherwise to explain. All Hana could do right now was watch and hope for the best. Patience just really wasn't her thing sometimes.

And, that smile was creepy as heck.

"Kayla?" She peeked in. "You want to give me a hand in the kitchen?"