Ditched at the Bar (open)

[Kasey Łukaczyński]

When one of Kasey's classmates invited her out to drink and dance, this was not really what the girl had in mind...

Yes, Kasey was well aware that the bar scene was not really...fit for a person of her stature. While in her wheelchair, she couldn't reach the bar and out on the dance floor people's asses were about face-height to the blonde. And when she got out of the chair, she couldn't dance for too long before exhausting herself and she couldn't climb up onto bar-stools that required more than just a slight propping up with her hands. But Kasey at least thought that he friend was going to stay with her and be social and pass down drinks from the bar as they talked about girl problems and the latest episode of Project Runway. 

Well, Kasey was wrong. Her friend ditched her about twenty minutes ago after a guy bought her shots and took her out on the floor to dance. Kasey watched and rolled her eyes as her friend started to get sloppy and make her way into the crowd with the stranger - a look in her eyes that implied that there would be no room left for Jesus on that dance floor. 

Kasey just sighed, and turned back toward the bar, her line of sight barely even making it to the top of the counter. She reached up and slapped the top of it a couple times. "Hey!" she called up to the bartender. "I could really use a cocktail... something with Vodka... surprise me," she practically demanded, before turning around and trying to scan the crowd for her friend, realizing that she probably wouldn't be seeing the classmate for the rest of the night. She'd give it one more drink before giving up and taking a bus home.

[Hay-lin Mae]

No one really invited Hay-lin to go well anywhere, usually it was her inviting them places, and she never made them regret coming out with her. Funny, how the blind woman might end up being actually pretty fun to hang out with. Stepping into the bar, today however she had not invited anyone to come out with her. She had just got done her own dance practice at her mother’s studio. She decided to come here to have a few drinks before going home. This was why she was dressed in a tank top, and sweat/yoga pants.

Even though she held her white cane and was using it as a guide; she still activated her powers. It was easier to figure out where at the bar she could sit with her power turned on. She soon regretted trying a new place, the music of the dance floor burned into her ears, and she felt claustrophobic within the sea of people that seemed to enjoy this bar. At least the people were a good sign, it might that the bar and drinks were good.

Walking up to the bar, she realized that the girl next to her was in a wheelchair. Not that it matter, but it put a little smile on her face. It was always interesting to meet someone, or see someone who could possibly understand the struggle of having a disability, even if it was a non-spoken understanding. When the bartender came over with what she figured was the woman’s drink she raised an eyebrow. Using her power she carefully picked up the drink from the counter and held it low and in reach for the woman sitting next to her. “I’m Hay-lin, by the way.” Hay-lin knew how much pride it took to ask strangers for help, so sometimes the silent help without having to address the issue did wonders.

[Kasey Łukaczyński]

Kasey honestly wasn't used to seeing other people with disabilities out and about. Then again, she wasn't usually on the lookout for them either. It was a little hard to miss the woman with the white cane in the night club. Kasey didn't look at her with pity, though. She looked at the woman with an understanding eye - one that was really glad that she was able to come out and enjoy herself despite what others might assume.

Kasey became skeptical, however, when the woman walked up to the bar, picked up her drink and handed it to her as if it were nothing. Sure, Kasey was glad for the help - as the bartender had made little to no effort to get the drink to a position where the blonde could grab it herself. However, she was now wondering if this was some sort of joke. If this woman was faking a disability to get special treatment... it set the blonde a bit on edge from the moment the woman grabbed her glass.

Kasey accepted the drink, and gave the woman a look somewhere between disbelief and offense. "Thanks..." she started, not entirely sure how to respond to the situation unfolding in front of her at first. "I'm Kasey..." she added, looking the woman up and down and trying to decide how to go about asking whether or not she was playing some sort of cruel joke. Because if she wasn't Kasey would feel pretty bad. She knew a lot about "invisible disabilities" - where people visually appeared fine and seemed to function normally, but had a medical condition that made everything more difficult, or required a handicap parking space. She was pretty sure blindness couldn't fall under that category though.

"Are you just... carrying around that cane for fun?" Kasey finally asked, deciding that she needed to know for sure before committing herself to any sort of conversation with this woman. "Because last time I checked, blind people don't just hand drinks to strangers without spilling at least two glasses."

[Hay-lin Mae]

The fact that some woman she never met before were judging Hay-lin would have made her uncomfortable and on edge herself. Another fact being that if she were faking it, would someone really be stupid enough to be so blunt about apparently being able to hold a glass right? Because that was such a big deal for anyone who couldn’t see, even if that person had been blind for 28 years and had a lot of experience being able to hold a simple glass.

Hay-lin smiled, “Nice to meet you.” Still not knowing that the woman next to her was distrusting of her. When Kasey finally spoke up about her ‘concern’ Hay-lin had to clench her jaw so she wouldn’t just cuss the woman out in a bar… That would be very immature, and the woman did have a slight reason to be cornered. She sighed, and folded the cane down. “No, I am not carrying it around for fun. Thanks for asking.” The woman’s next comment made her clench her fist around the now folded cane. “I’m sorry that me being blind means that everyone thinks I’m incompetent in holding a very simple glass.”

“It also helps that you are lower than me.” She stated very dryly, it amazed her how rude and inconsiderate some people actually were. She sat down on the stool, and when the bartender came back around she asked for a Creamsicle Cocktail. “Also, last time I checked, more people went around in a wheel chair than walked around with a cane. So really how many blind people have you personally seen in general?” Her point was, if the woman has never personally seen a blind person hand someone else a drink, how would she even know? And if Kasey responded with ‘I’ve seen it in movies’ Hay-lin will be relocating.

[Kasey Łukaczyński]

Kasey noticed the woman get defensive right away. And while she spoke with the same type of anger Kasey was familiar with when having to explain her disability to ignorant individuals, she was still confused. "Ok... I wasn't trying to tick you off. I have multiple blind friends... I went to a high school for kids with all sorts of physical disabilities," Kasey explained, throwing her hands in front of her as if the woman was physically coming at her instead of just verbally.

"I can honestly say, though, no blind person has ever noticed I was in a wheelchair without me telling them before, so excuse me for thinking something is a little fishy," Kasey noted with a slight roll of her eyes, not sure what to believe. Because if this woman really was blind, how did she even know Kasey was there without asking or tapping her wheelchair with her cane.

Being non-powered, Kasey often forgot Pilot Ridge was full of meta humans. So she never even considered the fact this woman may have some sort of meta ability. Even if she had thought of that, Kasey was uneducated on the types if abilities and probably wouldn't realize there was something out there that could allow this blind woman to "see".

[Hay-lin Mae]

Could anyone really blame Hay-lin for getting defensive? Most of her life she has had people ask her if she was really blind. She didn’t think the assumptions were fair, especially when she started working as an actress and started doing things where she had to act like she could see. She was used to it, and it was easy for her to come off as being able to see. Sighing, she took a minute to regain her composer. She actually forgot there were those types of schools, mostly because she never went to one, and it was never something her mother had thought about or talked to her about either. “Sorry, I just get a little defensive when it comes to people thinking I’m faking being blind. It’s really the last thing I would ever fake. So it’s not an accusation lightly.” She could gloat and tell the woman that she had been a well known actress… But Hay-lin wasn’t the type to do such a thing, really the only people in pilot ridge who knew about her career choices were her family.

Now that one… That was a little more set in stone than the other thing… Why couldn’t she had gone with that one in the first place? Instead of implying Hay-lin couldn’t hold a glass… “Now that observation is a little better than the other one.” She sighed, she really didn’t like talking about her ability, she felt like if she did, people would think she got the easy way out, or got a cheat where others couldn’t. Her ability might be a ‘cheat’ but it sure as hell didn’t make her life any easier. “I have an ability that allows me to ‘see’ shapes through vibrations in the earth…” And that's all they were, shapes... She couldn't see texture, color, or detailed differences in objects like others can. Say for example Hay-lin's glass that was now in front of her on the counter. With her power activated that glass just looks like an oval to her, she couldn't even see the liquid inside it. Her vibrations don't go through water/liquid.

[Kasey Łukaczyński]

"And that explanation makes me much more happy than the other," Kasey mirrored Hay-lin's response. "Sorry... I get really defensive and strongly opinionated about these types of things too," Kasey apologized. "And I often forget that people around here have these crazy abilities that help them out. Seems you're lucky to have one that's seriously benefited you," Kasey said, finally taking a drink, happy to find that the woman wasn't some phony trying to convince her otherwise.

"So... I think we should call that conversation a wash and start over, huh?" the blonde offered with a half smile - though she still wasn't entirely sure if the woman could see it. Though Kasey was now convinced the woman was indeed blind, it'd take a bit for the woman to completely understand Hay-lin's ability. "I'm Kasey. Thank you for getting me my drink. Bartenders are the worst and like to think that my wheelchair has a lift function that will let me reach the bar," she said humorously, trying to turn the conversation back around in a positive fashion.

[Hay-lin Mae]

Even though they both had their reasons to be upset, that conversation could have gone a lot smother if they were both just a little more open minded, and not as offended. That was something Hay-lin was going to have to keep working on. “I guess I can understand that obviously. Just next time, don’t go saying something that makes you think the other person is incompetent of something, especially something so simple… No matter what the disability is.” It was one rude, two offensive, and three a bit harsh/hatful if you think about it… How would Kasey have liked it if she assumed she couldn’t have sex just because she was in a wheelchair? Because that was the common thing right? “I am grateful for that, very grateful. But like anyone with abilities it has side effects, and if I use my power for too long my brain will shut down from the massive over load… Which could result in a comma, fun right?” Her brain wasn’t born to use a function of her nerves like it was now. For some reason she felt the need to point out that having a special power wasn’t always fun…

“good idea..” Hay-lin took a sip of her drink, and no she could not see people smile, or really any facial expression, which was really hard when she got into acting.. Now, she did have her power off, she didn’t need it any more. “I’m Hay-lin, but I think I already introduced myself.. “ She chuckled about the bartender comment, “I think it ends up depending, the bartenders that end up wanting to hit on you end up going the extra mile for you.”

[Kasey Łukaczyński]

Kasey understood where Hay-lin was coming from. The blonde just tended to lack a filter, and didn't always think about what she said before saying it. After a long time dealing with people asking ignorant questions and making assumptions about her, Kasey had learned to almost laugh all of them off. She often assumed most people would do the same. She had to work on that.

"Comas sound like a great time," Kasey jokingly agreed with a laugh, glad that she and the woman had somehow ended up on a good page. Or at least a better page. "I'd avoid comas if I were you. Hospitals are not fun," Kasey noted taking a sip of the drink the woman had handed to her moments ago.

"And neither is getting hit on by bartenders... though I think I'd rather be hit on than pay for a drink that I can't ever reach," Kasey said, trying to weight the options in her head. She wasn't entirely sure which outcome was worse... probably depended on her mood. "Though I do hate when guys hit on me like I need it. Like I never get it and they're some sort of prince charming for paying any sort of attention to me," Kasey admitted with a small laugh. Boys were ridiculous sometimes. She was sure Hay-lin had similar experiences.