Private When the Tether Breaks Again

[Kirie]

​

It was on a bright morning on a sunny day with a cool wind blowing that Kirie found herself on the Precessional Way, in the Sith Imperial capital of Bastion, staring up at the grounds of the Royal Academy. Her papers, safely stowed in her pocket, were genuine - the product of a favour from an old colleague - but her identity was not. Since arriving in the system the previous day, she had sweat through customs checks, an interview, and a search. Everything had come dangerously close to unravelling, if at any moment they had got even the slightest hint of who and was she was, Kirie knew she'd be imprisoned or worse. But, somehow, she stuck to her story and made it through, and now she was here inside the Empire, ready to find answers.

She was, once again, in unfamiliar territory. This was not exactly a new feeling. After all, she had spent the better part of a decade exploring forgotten systems and fringe worlds. But, at the same time, it was different. Here, within the Sith, Kirie could not be who she was. She would have to hide her identity, her connection to the Force, for as long as she remained. This place wasn't just unknown, it was hostile. Complicating the matter further was the fact that she was once again working entirely on her own. While pulling favours with old colleagues had got her this far, Kirie didn't have anyone she could rely on to help if, when, something went wrong.

She had run away. Again. A year or so ago she had been with the Svivren Enclave, with Caedyn Arenais. She had been learning to understand the Force. Learning to control her emotions.

Then, one day, it all fell apart again. And she got up, and she walked through the trees, down the path, to where her ship had sat, covered in a cloth for months.

And she ran.

Kirie gazed at her reflection in the pond that ran along the Way as she walked. The reflection that peered back at her was so grim, so sombre. How long had it been since she'd felt like laughing? These days it seemed she had no capacity for joy. She just felt hollow. At best, lonely, or otherwise captured with the obsessive bread crumb search that was her project, the mission that had brought her to the Sith, that had dragged her out of the shameful, solitary wandering she did so well.

Realising she had stopped walking, Kirie closed her eyes, turning away from the water. She breathed in deep, the smell of the pond filling her nostrils. Fighting back the oppressive thoughts as the clamoured for space in her head. She opened her eyes again, her breathing slow and deliberate. She looked around again, fixing her eyes on the Academy ahead. If she just kept focused on what she needed to do, the rest would sink back below the surface again. She would be alright. She just had to focus on the mission.

She was nearing the gate now. She raised a hand in greeting at the uniformed men who staffed the entrance, taking out her papers and presenting them with a small smile. As she did so, a small, specially programmed seeker droid rose from behind her, reading aloud the message and greeting Kirie signed to the guards. After a moment's hesitation, triple checking her paperwork, she was through to the other side and trudging across the lush grounds where the Sith trained their brood. It felt strange, walking willingly into such a place. She was without a saber, her powers intentionally dampened. She tried to stay rational. Her cover was good, nothing would happen.

Retrieving her datapad from the pocket of her large coat, Kirie double-checked the room in which she was supposed to meet her contact, but she had no idea where to go. Unsure of herself, she picked a corridor at random and proceeded down it, frowning at each door as she passed, trying to get her bearings.

Sylvia Virtos ​

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

Hello My Loneliness
​

It took all of Sylvia's strength to not slam the door shut behind her as she left the overseer's office. Her weekly meeting, though 'scolding' was a more accurate term, had once again filled her with more than enough anger and frustration to last her until the next one. The overseer had always disliked her greatly, though after Elle's departure Sylvia had hoped he would ease up on her. She no longer dragged the blonde down now that they were separated, she was no longer a stain on the record of his 'golden child'. Instead, the regular scolding she got each week had became even more scathing. Her progress with mechu deru ever unnoticed, the gaps she sometimes left in her bladework thoroughly criticized, her other shortcomings endlessly hammered home.

Everyone called her Rat. It just was what it was. A derogatory term given only to someone as unlikable as herself. Sylvia had accepted that fate long ago, but it wasn't until Elle was gone that even the overseer would call her that in his tirades. For so many years she had tried her best to receive some level of praise and she was well aware that the overseer used the nickname behind her back and in reports, but hearing him say it with such contempt hurt her so much more than she could've expected. Finally she came to realize that there was no appeasing him, there never had been. She was the insufferable, useless Rat and there was nothing she could do about it.

Worst of all, Sylvia believed it.

There was no point fighting her loneliness, because nobody liked her. People didn't want to be around her, a nuisance and useless woman like her. As she walked through the hallway back to her dorm she was surrounded by countless others, but she felt completely isolated. Frustration mixed with defeat- she deserved this. Sylvia was stuck in her own head again, paying little attention to the world around her. The only positive thought she could muster was the hope that Ellie was doing well.

Not paying attention while in a crowed hallway, however, meant you were liable to bump into someone. Which is exactly what Sylvia did. She was suddenly cast out of her inner thoughts and her focus returned to the outside world, where she now found herself in an awkward situation. Frustration nearly made her lash out at the dark-haired woman she had collided with, but she managed to keep it to herself.

Kirie ​

 

[Kirie]

As Kirie walked, confused, through the academy, the hallways began to fill with students babbling and chatting as they walked between their classes. They looked rather ordinary, and with her senses dampened, there was no way of telling that each of these children and young people buzzed with the Force, that they were being carefully shaped into instruments of the Dark. The thought was rather chilling. Still, they moved aside for her as she walked, not giving a second glance. Perhaps it was the genuine rank pin, perhaps that the sight of some Sith Imperial official walking these halls was hardly an event. As it was, she blended in perfectly well.

It was rather strange, wearing a uniform again. Kirie hadn't worn one since her days as NPC Treasury 's PA back on Commenor, and even then that had been only for the most official of events. No, for the past 8 years Kirie had worn only her usual loose fitting comfortable clothes and her ever-present overalls - the garb of a spacer. But this was far from the familiar void, and far from Commenor, so she was dressed in a simple black skirt of a sleek material and a white button-up, with a rank pin on the lapel giving legitmacy to her identity as a senior researcher in the Sith Imperial Historic Conservation Society.

The hallway continued to fill with students, but Kirie wasn't paying much attention to them any more. Her eyes flitted to each of the doors, still following the numbers, but her mind wandered elsewhere. She thought about the trail that had brought her here, the fixation that had filled her to bursting. She had found closure before. She would do it again. Her black hair swished over her shoulders as she looked from door-to-door, still lost but resigned to wandering the corridors, a dark curtain that separated her from the world outside. The anxiety at entering the Sith nesting ground had dissolved, leaving in its wake the familiar numbness. She searched herself for the emotion that had made her sweat and shake with nerves only minutes before, but Kirie found herself empty.

Kirie had grown so used to the tide of students parting around her that she expected the bubblegum-haired girl walking towards her to move aside like everyone else, so it was with much shock that the girl did not so much as look up, and simply barged into Kirie, knocking her flat on her back and sending her datapad skittering across the floor, where it was immediately crushed under the feet of the passing pupils. Kirie rolled sideways, scrabbling up onto her knees and looked up frantically at the pink-haired woman, splaying out her fingers, her palm snapping the air.

Nothing happened, and all the better for it.

Her connection to the Force was dampened, and that had saved her from a potentially fatal mistake. Heart thumping in her chest, Kirie allowed herself to calm down. She was not under attack, a young woman had simply bumped into her. She had nearly ruined everything by panicking. She would need tighter control of her reactions.

She stood up slowly, brushing herself off and looking the woman up and down with her dark coffee-coloured eyes, taking in an instant her hostile expression - it was defensive, not agressive - Kirie gave a small, gentle smile at the girl and signed a quick message. She figured the student would know sign from her lessons, but if not, the seeker droid hovering over her shoulder was dutifully repeating her words aloud. KIrie wondered if she had seen her attempt to use the Force, or understood it.

'Hello,' Kirie signed, giving a small wave. 'I am lost. Could you help me?'

Instinct told her this person would prove a better guide than the other students, though she didn't know why.

Sylvia Virtos ​

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

Looking over the woman she had just bowled over, Sylvia noticed she was someone of rank. Suddenly she was quite relieved that she had been able to keep herself in check- she couldn't sense the Force within the stranger, but all it took were a few words and Sylvia would receive more than a scolding. Still, what she had done already was potentially enough. The dark-haired woman's slightly panicked response was one she hadn't expected, though, the look in her eyes making Sylvia feel bad about what she had done. She wouldn't show it outwardly, though would reach out a hand to help the other woman back on her feet. "Sorry about that," she said quietly, half looking away.

When the woman began moving her hands Sylvia did recognize the fact she was using sign language, though she couldn't decypher the message itself. Luckily the droid who accompanied her transcribed it into speech, allowing magenta-haired woman to understand what she was saying. Sylvia knew the layout of the academy like the back of her hand, though she also remembered the times when she was still new and how often she would get lost in the hallways. She couldn't blame the woman in the slightest.

"Um," Sylvia responded, not sure if she was able to lipread, "of course. Where do you need to go?" She had never spoken to a deaf person before, making her feel slightly awkward. "Can you understand me?" With a bit of an uncertain look she looked at the woman, then briefly at the droid, hoping that if needed it could help out in some way or another.

Kirie ​

 

[Kirie]

The woman's response was reserved and subservient, and Kirie had a few nonplussed moments before she realised that she was supposed to be a ranking person. Kirie shook her head kindly and signed her reply, attempting to assure the girl that she was in no danger of admonishment nor punishment. The seeker droid settled on her shoulders, dutifully parotting on her response. 'It is alright.' She signed. 'There is nothing to be worried about.'

Kirie gave a comforting smile that didn't quite reach her eyes and nodded. 'I can understand you just fine reading your lips, and my friend here-' She touched the underside of the droid's chassis with a slender hand, '-will translate my signs for you.' While it was always a shame when someone didn't speak sign, it was understandable this far out from the Core, and the sting of it had long since ceased. She had grown used to having a droid to translate for her, it was second nature to wait for the words before continuing. Though she did wish that more people would take the time to learn.

With a slight twist, her datapad came unstuck from its usual holding on her wrist, and she passed it over to the woman. 'I'm looking for this room.' She signed. 'To meet with an old colleague of mine. It's an office. Can you take me there?' She held out her hand, waiting for the pink-haired woman to pass the device back.

Dully, she wondered if it would be better just to turn back, leave the academy, and get off Bastion. That would be the sensible thing to do, right? Her project was ultimately pointless, and this particular lead tenuous. The risks far outweighed the potential benefits, even with the slim chance of closure. And yet, she felt no desire to leave.

Before they set off, Kirie looked up at the woman again, looking at her curiously for a few moments. She couldn't help but stare. She didn't really seem like a Sith-in-training. She looked perfectly ordinary, really. But, she supposed, that was the way it was. On the surface, Kirie looked ordinary too.

'I am Kirie, I'm an explorer of sorts.' She told the girl, signing. 'What is your name?'

Maybe it was her current and rather extraordinary apathy at the prospect of getting caught, or maybe just natural curiosity, but something about this young person seemed to stick out with her. She wondered what it would be like, living here in the academy, learning the teachings of the Sith. What would she be like now, if that was how she grew up? Probably pretty different.

Kirie gave a small, sad smile, mostly to herself, and looked back up. 'Have you been here long?' She asked, looking up and down the corridor, throughout which the stream of students was beginning to thin out to a trickle.

She brushed her hair out of her eyes and clasped her hand together in front of her, watching the woman's lips move as she replied. A voice in the back of her mind admonished her for even being here, for entertaining this little foray, exasperated by how strange and pointlessly risky her life had become.

Sylvia Virtos ​

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

Relieved to know that they were able to communicate just fine, Sylvia carefully took the datapad that was handed to her. Through the droid the woman explained she was looking for a particular room. She quickly recognized it and mapped the route out in her mind, nodding in confirmation. Those offices weren't often visited by students who hadn't specialized in history, though she knew which wing it was. From there it couldn't be too difficult to find the specific office the woman was looking for.

"Oh-cee one thirty-seven. That's on the other side of the building, so it'll be a bit of a walk," Sylvia explained as she handed the datapad back to the woman. She put up the best smile she could in the moment. "A good excuse to stretch my legs a little." It was also a good distraction from the less-than-positive meeting she'd had only moments prior, though the woman didn't need to know that. Luckily her next lecture wasn't until two hours from now, so she had all the time in the galaxy.

The woman then introduced herself as Kirie before the two began making their way to the office she was looking for, allowing the magenta-haired girl to put a name to her face. "Name's Sylvia. I'm a student here, as you may have figured," she replied, though pointing out the fact she was a student seemed a bit redundant. "I essentially grew up here, though I'm hoping to find a master soon." Her greatest wish was to get out of this Force-forsaken place. "Anyway, it's this way." She pointed towards one end of the hallway and began moving, making sure she was walking at the same pace as Kirie.

Looking to her side and towards the dark-haired woman, Sylvia decided to ask a question of herself. "So I take you're a historian. What kind of work do you do?" History wasn't a subject she had delved particularly deeply in. The Force had always been her main interest and her choice of courses over the years reflected that.

Kirie ​

 

[Kirie]

Kirie looked at the young woman, nodding to her. 'It's nice to make your aquaintence Sylvia.' Kirie signed, giving a smile despite the hollowness inside her. She felt as if she was split in two: a thin vaneer of civility and personality over a yawning void of just nothing.

'Hyperlanes mostly.' Kirie told Sylvia as they set out. 'I map out and follow routes on historical maps, publish what I find, or report back.' It was a job at which she had grown quite proficient. Kirie had half a mind to mention her journey to the Centre, but since she was the only person in living memory to make that trip, that would out her somewhat. No, better to keep a lower profile. 'I've spent the better part of a decade travelling across the galaxy.'

They walked for a few minutes, with Kirie stealing occasional sideways glances at the young student, ostensibly to see if the woman was speaking, but also out of a curiosity she couldn't help. Where would this person be when she was Kirie's age? Would she be killing and rampaging across the Galaxy like her Sith forebears? A strange thought.

The pair of them rounded a corner. The hallway was empty now, the trickle of students having now eased, leaving just the two figures proceeding down its length. The rooms adjoining were no longer classrooms, but offices, with well-dressed people hunched over their desks inside, or else meeting in twos and threes.

'Is it nice here in the academy?' Kirie asked the question as they walked, nearing the office.

The person she was meeting didn't know she was coming, and she had no idea how she would be received. No doubt they would scold her for her foolishness, for coming into the Sith Empire to speak with them, for faking her credentials in a famously cruel and violent polity.

But she needed answers, and this professor had the first piece of the puzzle.

They arrived at the office, and Kirie stopped and stared at the moment, anxiety flaring in her belly before that too sank into the ocean of grey. She swallowed and walked in, forgetting Sylvia. A moment later, she reappeared at the door and gestured her inside, the room was empty.

She looked at Sylvia, her eyes shining, slightly manic, as she looked around the room. It was richly furnished, with a rows of shelves with data storage, and more interesting cupboards and cabinets stuffed with boxes and doodads. The room belongs to one Professor Vanxer, a man Kirie had met on an archelogical expedition outside Sith space. He was an avid collector of artefacts, many of which, no doubt, resided in this room. She steered herself over to a large, heavy wooden desk at the centre of the room and sat down, pulling open drawers at random and skimming their contents.

If he wasn't here to help her, she'd find what she was after herself.

Her dark eyes flickered back up to look at Sylvia, and she gestured around the room before signing. 'Sorry to keep you longer. I'm looking for a file labelled "851 Contingency routes", can you help me search?'

Sylvia Virtos ​

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

Traveling the galaxy, how much Sylvia would've loved to do that. Instead she was stuck in this academy, learning about things she knew she didn't care about but was trying her best to while the things she truly wanted had slipped through her fingers. Her mind transported her to an impossible future, Ellie and herself on their own ship in hyperspace, underway to a planet they'd never seen before. No troubles, no wars, no Sith, no Jedi. Just the two of them, doing whatever they wanted. Together. But that would never happen.

Mindlessly Sylvia guided Kirie through the academy building, bringing the two to the hallway where the office was located. It was quiet, the crowds of students were nowhere to be seen here. The moment of silence was appreciated, that little moment bringing at least a small amount of peace of mind. It wasn't overwhelmingly busy, but she wasn't alone with her thoughts either. Even if she barely knew Kirie.

"Depends on who you ask," Sylvia replied to the older woman's question, displaying a pained smile. "As for me, I guess I ruined it for myself." She instantly regretted her words, kicking herself internally for getting so depressing. People didn't like her, and she had come to the conclusion long ago that it absolutely was her own fault, but there was no reason to dump such heavy topics on other people's shoulders. "I mean-" she shook her head. She didn't know how to steer that answer in another direction anymore. "Never mind."

The magenta-haired girl remained silent for the short remainder of their walk, watching Kirie go inside of the office. For a moment she stared at the door and at the moment she was about to turn around and leave, the dark-haired woman emerged from the room once again. She looked a little confused as she was gestured to come in, especially after seeing that apart from the two women, the office was empty. She supposed Kirie was allowed to just come in and take the particular item she needed. With a shrug, Sylvia shuffled her way inside.

Kirie needed a file, and so Sylvia walked to the wall of folders that hung in a cabinet while the other woman searched the desk drawers. She repeated the names of the folders softly to herself as she sifted through them. Eventually, she nodded in satisfaction.

"851 Contingency Routes, bingo," she mumbled before taking it out of the cabinet and turning around to face the desk. With a wave, Sylvia looked to draw Kirie's attention. She walked over and handed her the file.

Kirie ​

 

[Kirie]

Kirie paused briefly to wonder if her companion, Sylvia, found it strange that she was simply rummaging through the office on a visit. If she did, she kept it to herself and joined the search. Kirie left her to it, pulling open one of the simple wooden drawers and rummaging through the drives, a frown on her face as she read through the files one-by-one. Wild Space Expedition, The Nycteria Files, Braxant Offshoots Mapping. None of it was what she was looking for. She slid the drawer shut, sighing in frustration.

She considered the young woman's response to her question, and felt a tug of emotion out of the grey. She signed back, giving a small smile. 'I have done that before. In fact, several times. I have found that life goes on.'

The first drawers were a bust, so she moved on to a tall wooden cabinet, sliding open the door and resuming her search with more frantic energy, conscious of the chance she'd be asked to leave or otherwise interrupted. Kirie peered inside, her eyes scanning a small collection of oddities without much interest. It was the kind of stuff professors loved to keep in their office: interesting, ultimately useless doodads. Usually, she'd have loved to look through the collection, but right now she was on a mission.

She was just about to close the door when one of the objects caught her eye. In the far back corner of the cupboard sat a small and unassuming music box, covered in a light sheen of dust. Something about it seemed intensely interesting, and she picked it up to examine. It fit squarely in her palm and had a simple case of tarnished metal. Out of instinct, she twisted the winding key and flicked open the lid, nearly jumping out of her skin as the air was filled with soft clear notes that rang inside her head. She slammed the lid back shut and glanced over at Sylvia to see if she had heard anything. What had just happened?

Not really knowing why, she hefted the weight of the box in her hand, and stuffed it in her pocket, before turning back to see Sylvia holding out a file. She had found what Kirie wanted.

Kirie broke into a genuine smile, gently, reverently taking the file from the young woman. 'Thank you.' She signed earnestly. She almost couldn't wait to open it, to confirm that she had the first piece.

She sat down on one of the faded chairs that adorned the office and looked back at Sylvia, doing her best to quell her anticipation. Kirie forced her mind elsewhere, away from her project and back to her new acquaintance. 'Is that why you're looking for a master then, to get out?' She signed the question with a blank expression. Once, she would have squirmed at the personal nature, but her sensitivity to such things had faded over time, and this person seemed to have something on her chest.

Sylvia Virtos ​

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

In her fixation on the files in front of her, Sylvia had not noticed the playing of the music box, or at least she didn't register it enough for her to really pay attention. She was too busy with making sure the duo wouldn't have to be inside the office for longer than necessary, still a little afraid to get caught. It wasn't that she necessarily distrusted Kirie, especially considering the fact she was clearly someone of rank, but she still felt a little uneasy being here without explicit permission.

The other thing that distracted Sylvia from noticing the music box being played was what Kirie had said, or well, signed, to her earlier. How she herself had also made mistakes, but that life goes on. A reassuring thing to most, but to the magenta-haired girl it wasn't. She wasn't ready to move on from Elle and didn't want to have to. Her bond with Elle had been one of the very few bright points of her life and permanently closing that door felt wrong. Very, very wrong.

By the time Sylvia had handed over the file to Kirie the little box was long out of sight, leaving her clueless about the item. Seeing the dark-haired woman smile managed to make her feel a little better, knowing she was able to help someone out. It was a very simple thing, but it felt good nonetheless. She followed Kirie's example by sitting down in the chair next to her, feeling a little unsure of what to say or do next. Luckily she was asked a question, keeping their conversation going.

"Yeah, that is a major reason," Sylvia answered, nodding. "It would be a fresh start, you know?"

Another reason, one she was barely able to admit to herself, was her wish to prove that she wasn't inferior to Elle. She was always considered to be the less talented of the two and deep down, that had always hurt. Everything seemed to come so naturally to the blonde while Sylvia herself often spent entire nights practicing and studying just to try to keep up. It made the fact Elle had gotten an apprenticeship before her all the more disheartening. Elle deserved it, without a doubt, but it also was the ultimate proof that she simply wasn't good enough.

"Enough about me though," the girl remarked, showing interest in her new acquaintance while diverting the attention away from the sore spot in her soul. "Is that file for a project, or something along those lines?"

Kirie ​

 

[Kirie]

Kirie breathed out a small, barely perceptible sigh at Sylvia's words. She had been through a fair few 'fresh starts,' this particular venture included. With each consecutive attempt, their value always seemed to diminish. What was a fresh start if you were just the same? She shook her head to herself. Sylvia was young, and she was not Kirie.

'I hope you find what you are looking for, truly. I know what it is like to leave what is familiar.' She signed in reply, conscious of the fact she was offering her support to a fledgeling Sith. 'It is painful.' She went on. 'To feel that you do not belong.' No doubt, if this woman knew who, or more accurately what Kirie really was, she'd tear her limb from limb, or at least hand her over to someone who would.

She turned over the music box in her pocket. It was objectively wrong that she had pilfered it, and yet, she didn't feel shame, nor any urge to place the item back in the cabinet where it belonged. She removed her hand from her pocket and laid it on her lap, thinking over Sylvia's question before signing her carefully-worded reply.

'I imagine you would have been quite young in the Contingency Crisis.' Kirie began, looking impassively over at the woman. Her face felt like stone, and the smile had slipped from her face into the yawning hole that had opened up inside her again, swallowing all feeling.

'When it happened, I was working in the Palace on Commenor, far from home. I-' Kirie dropped her hands. She didn't want to tell that particular story, didn't want to think about what had happened after that. The void inside protected from the usual rush of guilt and hurt, but the memory was still unpleasant, and she didn't wish to unpack it, least of all with a stranger.

She swallowed. 'I lost something important. This project is a chance to understand what happened. A chance for closure.'

Kirie shifted in her seat, suddenly uncomfortable with what she had revealed to the woman. It was certainly a strange story for her cover. Her cheeks tinged red. Why was she even telling this to a random student, was she so lonely-

Bad thought.

She had paused too long. Attempting a smile that utterly failed to manifest she continued. 'I'm calling in a favour from an old friend to get me started here.' She gestured to the empty office. 'I don't think he will mind.'

Sylvia Virtos ​

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

Kirie was correct and it hit scarily close to home. Sylvia didn't belong here, she never did. And yet, she needed to try to make this her home. There was no other choice, she had to push through that pain if she ever wanted to fit in. The girl was trying to change, though she hadn't made much in the way of progress. She needed to be more ruthless, more ambitious, and most of all, forget about Ellie. The first two seemed impossible enough and the third probably actually was. If the opportunity arose to just rip out her emotions, she'd take it.

Sylvia shook the thoughts away as she laid her eyes on the music box that Kirie had on her lap. It looked old, like it was a treasured and well-used possession, and wondered for how long the woman had owned it. The dark-haired woman then began signing the reply to Sylvia's question, the latter waiting for the droid's interpretation so she could know what she was saying. Her friendly demeanor dropped and she looked near emotionless, making the magenta-haired girl feel a little guilty about bringing up the topic. Perhaps it was a little too sensitive.

Even though Sylvia didn't understand sign language it was not hard to see that Kirie didn't finish her next sentence. The girl shot her an empathetic look but kept her silence, giving Kirie room to say whatever she wanted to say. When she mentioned she wanted closure, Sylvia felt that. Closure was something she lacked herself, in regards to her past and Ellie alike, and she didn't wish that pain onto anyone else. It was there when she decided that as long as Kirie let her, she'd help where she could.

"I'm sure he'll be okay with it," Sylvia responded, feeling much less on her toes now. "Whatever happened, I am sorry you had to go through that." The smile she gave her was a saddened one, and hopefully it helped convey the message she was trying to send with her words. She took a moment to think, looking down to the music box again for a moment until she found the right words to say.

"Kirie, I want to help. If there is anything I can lend a hand with, I'm right here. I know we barely know each other, but I want to be a posi-" a positive presence for once. Sylvia was glad she was able to interrupt herself there.

"I'll do what I can."

Kirie ​