hopeless communication.

[feferi]

Dear Mom,

How are you? Sorry for not writing for a while... school's been really busy, as well as work. Everything's good here. It sucks that you didn't get to spend my birthday with me, but I had a real nice time. Some of the girls and I went out to dinner, then came back to the institute and had a small party there. How are you doing without me? I miss you a lot. Maybe I'll come home for Christmas or something? Or maybe you can come up here...? It's absolutely amazing in the winter time. Hugs and Kisses.

Love,
Fef.



Feferi's eyes looked over the e-mail one more time. Asking her mother to come up here for Christmas was almost like suicide. She didn't know how her mother would handle her only daughter telling her that she was a mutant. And not just a normal mutant, a waterbreathing mutant which included gills and all. Feferi knew that her mother disliked mutants, after all they were unnatural and if Fef knew her mother, Aradia Vantas did not like unnatural. So, what was going to be the best way to unfold this when the time came? She didn't know. Feferi honestly thought about keeping it under wraps for the rest of her existence. It would be extremely difficult to do though. Fef was proud of what she was. Unique, Special. However, when it came to her mother... it was a different story whatsoever. Secretly, Feferi always felt guilty. She was an illegitimate child, even though her parents were technically married when she was born. Her father had died before he could ever meet her, and it caused Aradia to bring Feferi up on her own (even though she had the reluctant help of her own parents). This was the time that Fef just wanted to break down into tears. But she didn't. She remained strong, in case anybody came in and saw her blubbering like a baby.

The computer lab was empty for the day. There were no classes on Sundays, so everyone usually took the opportunity to head to town and get whatever they needed or wanted to get with shopping time, or movies, or hanging out and making fun of the 'normal' kids. Fef decided to stay behind, and write some emails to her mother and her friends back in Mystic Creek. It was a small and quaint town, with hardly any other mutants that she knew of. Being located in Virginia was probably a factor towards that. Southern people did have their opinions and loved to state them, out loud. If they found out that one of their most respected and youngest lawyer's daughter was a mutant... well, the whole place would be gossiping for months. The prospect of even having mutant tourists both excited and frightened the citizens. It was like a circus had come to town or something. Feferi was glad she found out about her powers at an early age, and dismissed her strange breathing habits off as asthma as well as a lung/heart condition to everyone. Her mother still believed this, and thought that the institute was a prep school for gifted children, gifted here meaning ridiculously smart. It wasn't the case.

Pushing the send button, she realized she couldn't take back the invite now. Unless the school was under attack or something during the holidays. She would actually probably pray for that to happen if and when the time came. It was better for her to go home rather than her mother to come here. She nodded to herself, telling the voice in the back of her mind that it would be okay and fine. She then proceeded to type in a few more email addresses, and paused when a certain one came up. Her brown eyes couldn't help but tear up as she looked at that name over and over. Vriska... She wasn't even there when the accident happened, or at the hospital. Feferi winced at the thought of it. Her best friend was dead, and she didn't even get to say good-bye. It took her a few minutes before she actually started typing again. Just a general email that would be sent to everyone from her childhood in Mystic Creek. She continued on typing, unaware of anyone and anything else that would probably come in behind her.

WC: 727
Tagged: Open
Notes: None.

[taryn]

Taryn stroked her hand over the side of Adagio’s black face lovingly, staring up into the gelding’s large, dark eyes. She pulled his forelock down between his eyes and brushed her fingers down the stripe on the middle of his face. He was such a good friend, and companion. At only five years old, he was still practically a baby. More like a teenager reaching adulthood, much like herself. His lovely black coat practically glistened thanks to the grooming she’d just given him, and the white spots spangled his hips like a blanket, showing the Appaloosa blood in his veins. His height, though, showed the Thoroughbred cross in him. Leaning her head forward, she kissed the bridge of his muzzle before exiting and locking his stall behind her. She was so glad that Professor Xavier had said they had stables on the school grounds for the likes of horses. Taryn had a feeling she would have been heartbroken if her parents wound up selling Adagio.

Walking out of the barn, she looked up into the sky. For a Sunday it was rather quiet, which surprised Taryn. Normally students would be coming to and from the school to go into town, or to spend a day on the grounds, neither of which she’d elected to do so far. Until now, practically the whole day had been spent with her horse. She looked at the ground as she walked to the school, sticking mostly to herself. Truly she wished she’d bucked up and talked to some people by now, she’d been there nearly six months. However, she’d unintentionally distanced herself from almost anybody. That should change… she thought, her mouth curling in a half-frown.

Stepping through the doors, she carefully edged around students grouped near the entrance, and in the lounges. She didn’t want to bump into anybody and risk hurting them. That was the last thing she wanted to happen in any instance. Heck, that’s why she was here, wasn’t it? It wasn’t that she didn’t want to be here – she definitely did, a place where she wasn’t outcasted or labeled as a freak or murderer (she visibly grimaced as she thought of the last word) – but she wanted to learn how to control her abilities more, so that she wouldn’t harm anybody else that made the unfortunate mistake of touching her.

Walking slowly, she trudged up the stairs, and looked up as she passed the computer lab. That was somewhere she wanted to go…to check the going-ons of the news. In some of the lounges at this hour, there were too many people…too many potential openings to unintentionally hurt someone. Stepping through the door, she stopped short when she saw another girl was there as well. From what Taryn could make out, she was e-mailing, though Taryn didn’t stare, as not to intrude on the girl’s privacy.

”…e-mailing friends back home…?” she asked curiously, and politely.

[feferi]

She didn't know what she could tell her friends. That she was going to mutant school. That she had gills that allowed her to breath underwater and talk to fish too. The world knew about mutants, but that didn't mean that everyone liked them. She didn't know what they would think. Fef had hung out with who would become the popular kids in their local high school, the judgmental kids, the jocks, the plastics. All of them were her friends, even still were now. They thought this was a boarding school that Aradia Vantas had sent her daughter off to for the elite and famous. Fef had heard that some of them even tried to apply, though of course they weren't accepted because of their human status. It was surprising that she still had them as friends even after that. She thought that they would've dumped her after not being accepted, but they did. Fef realized only then that it was just because of her mother and their parents being friends and all that. It was a social standing, which really wasn't all that big a deal in the South. It was what and how they were raised. Social acceptance and hierarchy was the norm down there, and she knew that if word got out that she was one of them, everything for her and her family would fall to pieces.

Feferi was still in the middle of typing when she heard the voice. She jumped in her seat lightly, and looked around, her eyes going wide. She should've realized that someone would come in, but no she had been too busy, more entranced by the typing she was doing. "Yeah," she said, nodding. Her gills had opened out of fight, causing her to breathe heavily through them, rather than normally. "Sorry 'bout jumping... I guess I was just too involved to notice anyone else come in," she apologized. Of course, her mind was in other places at the former moment as well, but mostly she had been focused on her emails and typing, and everything else that was happening on the computer. She sighed, feeling herself calming down. Feferi wasn't really the type to scare easily, unless she was totally engrossed in something else, like she just had been. She had seen many a thing, so it was no big deal to her. The only things that made her jump now were scary movies, and... well, scary movies. She turned in her chair, looking at the girl.

"Come on in, I'm just about finished. They're pretty short e-mails after all. I can't really tell them anything about this place..." she said, turning back in her chair to continue typing. She was done in a matter of minutes before she turned back again, and introduced herself with a smile. "I'm Feferi Song," she said, holding out a hand.

[taryn]

The girl started once Taryn spoke, making her blink in surprise. Oops… she thought. Didn’t mean to startle her… The girl spun around in surprise to look at Taryn, who had invaded the quiet privacy of the computer lab that had – until now – been inhabited by just one person at the time. ”Yeah…sorry ‘bout jumping…I guess I was just too involved to notice anyone else coming in.” To this, Taryn nodded in understanding. Or, at least what she hoped passed as understanding. She was able to relate to wanting to keep in touch with people she’d met before she came to Xavier’s school. However, everyone she had once known either hated or feared her. Or, in a worse-case scenario, both.

She had nobody to keep in contact with. Most any student she had become friends with back home despised her and labeled her as a freak because of the incident had happened at homecoming. Truthfully, it was still a bit of a raw memory, and with enough side-tracked thought it would probably make her strong demeanor break into regretful, haunted tears. That, however, was something that had only happened when she was alone, luckily. God forbid it happen in front of somebody else… she thought. Having someone else see her cry was close to the last thing on her list of what she wanted.

”Come on in, I’m just about finished. They’re pretty short e-mails, after all. I can’t really tell them anything about this place…”

Taryn nodded a bit and stepped more through the threshold. The secrecy about the truth of the school was practically the number one rule when it came to communications with others. Taryn had no idea how many of the students had parents that actually knew that their student was attending ‘mutant school’ as it had been called for ease of conversation. She had a feeling almost all of them had been told it was a prep school of sorts…or something along those lines.

Soon enough, the girl turned around in the swivel chair, smiling a bit.

”I’m Feferi Song…” she said with an extended hand.

Instinctively for sheer politeness, Taryn extended her hand as well, only to jerk it back halfway through reaching her arm’s length. She closed her fist around air and brought her forearm against her chest. ”…er…sorry about that…” she said, feeling a bit awkward as far as explaining her actions went. ”It’s nothing personal, it’s just that you shouldn’t touch me…” she stated with a bit of a shrug. ”It wouldn’t be the best experience for you.”

She let her voice trail off for a moment before offering her name as well, with a smile to replace the small frown that had showed up on her face.

”My name’s Taryn, though…Taryn Fern. Nice to finally meet someone around here…”

[/size]

[feferi]

Fef was the type of girl to make friends easily, which was how she had ended up with so many back home, and here as well. However, she thought her friends here more as a small extended family. Each of them knew what the other was going through, despite having different powers. Even with different situations and home lives, everyone just basically got it. They were the outcasts, the freaks, but they still liked each other, because technically they were all still the same. Feferi hoped that she could make the girl comfortable in some sort of way. Everyone around here needed that. Everyone. It seemed like she wasn't that used to around here yet.

Feferi pulled her arm away, looking rather confused. She didn't question it though. There were a lot of kids like that around here. Thought they were too dangerous to touch or be near or just anything. Feferi shrugged, but then again she wasn't among those numbers. The worst thing she could do to someone was drown them, and she needed water for that to happen. No water here at the moment, unless she manipulated the moisture in the air outside. She nodded in understanding, but gave a reassuring smile. "It's alright... I've been attacked, bitten and stabbed more times than I've cared to like or remember..." she said, in a joking manner; though it was positively true. She still had the scars to prove it, hiding under the long sleeves of her sweater. They were little things, but hey, battle scars were battle scars. She wasn't like the lucky few who had accelerated healing. "Mostly by those feline kids... can't help their taste for fish..." Really, that was a true statement. They thought because Feferi had gills and breathed underwater, she was a fish, and bam, there was a never-ending game of cat vs. mouse, well in this case, fish. It really got annoying most days, and there were times that she didn't want to outrun these guys, but she got exercise from it. Who could argue with that? Not her. Feferi loved her exercise.

"Pleasure to meet you as well, Taryn..." she said, tilting her head and smiling fully. "So, what brings you to technology central?" she asked, curious. She'd save the powers question for later. She had found out only a few months after she first arrived that some kids didn't liked to be questioned about their powers, because it was so hard for them, brought back memories. Fef found herself to be lucky that only slits were in the side of her neck and torso, despite the fake back-story that was there to explain the existence of the scars that they appeared to be out of the water. "Go on, take a seat, stay for a while... I'm not a piranha, I don't bite..." she joked, chuckling lightly. Because of her usage to the water, Feferi often put fish puns into her words. It was rather annoying to most, but it amused her to no end at all.

[taryn]

Taryn remained a bit guarded watching the other girl. What she’d said was true...it was nothing personal. Taryn had learned that touching people was in no way good. No matter how light the brush against another person’s skin was, her bones would protrude through her skin. The lighter and slighter the contact, the slower they would appear, but the more forceful the contact, the faster they would appear, quick enough to puncture somebody else, in a potentially lethal manner. Of course, a handshake wouldn’t cause something like that, but, it would most definitely cause extreme pain for whomevers hand she grasped. Feferi retained a somewhat confused expression on her face, but didn’t press the matter further for the time.

I need to learn how to control it... Taryn thought, determination brimming in her mind. She wanted to be able to associate with others without the worry that someone would bump into her and get stabbed, and to perform a task as simple as a handshake without putting a hole through someone else’s hand or practically slicing the appendage off at the wrist. But until then, how do I tell somebody they shouldn’t touch me other than they’ll probably be stabbed numerous times if they touch me? she wondered, blinking once or twice in quick succession upon realizing that she’d just answered her own question, though she desired a bit ‘gentler’ of a solution.

”It’s alright...I’ve been attacked, bitten, and stabbed more times than I care to like or remember...Mostly by those feline kids...can’t help their taste for fish.”

Fish, huh? Taryn couldn’t help but guess that Feferi’s mutation had something to do with fish...or further, something to do with water. She was curious...as she was about any student’s mutations...about Feferi’s. However, since a good portion of her time here had been spent adjusting to life practically on her own and stuck in her room, reading, she hadnt gotten out enough to meet others, despite the fact she used to be a social butterfly...before everything changed, that is.

”Pleasure to meet you as well, Taryn. So, what brings you to technology central?” There was a pause before Feferi added, ”Go on, take a seat, stay for a while...I’m not a piranha, I don’t bite...” Another fish reference? Taryn smiled a little when Feferi chuckled at the apparent joke, mentally making a note that the power of the girl before her definitely must have been something to do with fish.

Stepping more into the room than she was standing, Taryn took a chair to Feferi’s right, leaving a chair between them. Something she had learned at school was to give at least a bit of distance between herself any somebody she had just met, as not to seem as though she was trying to be buddy-buddy like from the get-go. People had done that to her, and admittedly, it kind of creeped her out as well.

”Well...” she said, glancing at one of the computer screens as though she were trying to get an idea of how to answer from it. ”I just came back inside...I was sort of wandering...I didn’t really have anywhere in mind of where to go...” she answered truthfully, giving a bit of a nervous laugh. Some people found that wandering aimlessly was, simply put, bizarre. ”I was just walking around, really...”

[feferi]

Feferi knew that she shouldn't be using the fish puns. They were so annoying at times, and she knew this. She just couldn't resist though. It only made people more curious about her, and her obsession with water. Fef could tell that the newcomer was just itching to know, so she obliged. "If you couldn't guess already... I'm an aqua-mutant..." she explained. She pulled back her hair, moving it to the side and pointed to her neck. Her scars were openly visible, considering that they had just opened and closed up, making them red around the edges. "Waterbreather..." she finally added. She figured it was only polite to explain her usage of underwater jokes. Most people really didn't get why she used them so often, then again most people she used them for were not mutants like herself. They figured she was only using them because she worked at the aquarium.

Grabbing a water bottle from her purse, Feferi listened as she opened it and began to drink it... downing it within a few seconds. Yes, seconds. Fef's ears twitched slightly, hearing Taryn's words. Putting the bottle back into her purse to refill later, her chocolate brown eyes blinked with a small smile coming to her lips. "That tends to happen a lot here... Wandering around. It's so big and everyone's just so curious..." she explained, glancing to her own computer screen. It wasn't unusual for Fef to get a reply back from one of her friends within the next few minutes of sending her emails, but alas there was no reply. She turned her attention back to Taryn though, not wanting to be rude or anything. "I do that too, especially now since the pool is closed down for the season..." she explained. Fef knew that she could probably ask someone with pyrokinesis or some sort of fire power to melt the pool, but she didn't want to go through the hassle. Water and Fire didn't get along so well, and she knew that she'd have to do something for them before they did something for her.