Another few nights passed, and again Emma had trouble sleeping. The mark on
her cheek had faded to a raised welt, but she still wore her hair over her
face. She'd tried camouflaging it with her talent, but she could never be
sure it had worked, and she wasn't about to ask anyone.
Deciding that she wanted a drink of water, she went down to the kitchen. She looked at the time. The luminescent green numbers read 3:38. After her drink she felt no sleepier. Perhaps a walk would make her tired.
The grounds were dark and somewhat eerie. She didn't go far, realising that if she did she'd never find her way back. She walked a quarter of the way around the large fountain and sat on the edge, sighing as she looked up.
"Bit early for a walk, isn't it?"
Emma jumped and peered into the darkness. The voice was familiar. "Logan?" She held up her hand and released a stream of small sparks. The light they shed was flickering, but good enough that she could see him, sitting about a meter from where she had been.
"Oh, well you know, couldn't sleep, figured I'd wait until it got light enough that I could have another go and trying to kill myself with clay pigeons, and I'm interrupting you, so I'll leave." Emma paused to catch her breath. "Good night."
"No, wait. You're not interrupting anything. Sit down."
She hesitated for a moment before taking a few steps in his direction and sitting down. "So, what are you doing out here?"
"Just some thinking. I couldn't sleep either." There was silence for a minute, it wasn't uncomfortable like their previous conversation. Emma did not feel the urge to fill it with noise.
"So how are ya settling in?" Logan asked.
She shrugged and then realised the futility of the action in the darkness. "Pretty good, I guess. Every one's been really nice. I've only gotten lost about, oh a hundred times."
He made a noise, almost like a grunt, but not quite. Was that a laugh? Had she succeeded in dragging a laugh from the man of stone?
"Picked out an x-name yet?"
"Well I was thinking about..." She laughed. "God, I feel so silly. I feel like I've walked right into a comic."
"Yeah, it's like that. What have you chosen?"
"Electra. Because of the whole shooting electricity thing."
"Nice."
"I still feel silly."
"It'll pass."
Again there was that silence. This time Emma broke it. "So, uh, where do you come from?"
He seemed hesitant to answer. "I... don't know."
"You don't know?"
"Yes. I can't remember." His voice was clipped, tense.
"Oh. I'm sorry." Emma hoped she hadn't made him mad.
"Don't be." He stood quickly. "I'm tired, I'm going back to bed."
"Okay, good night..." Emma watched his disappearing figure. //Odd man. I wonder if Uncle has ever tried to probe him. Must talk to him about that tomorrow... Or today, I guess.//
Deciding that she wanted a drink of water, she went down to the kitchen. She looked at the time. The luminescent green numbers read 3:38. After her drink she felt no sleepier. Perhaps a walk would make her tired.
The grounds were dark and somewhat eerie. She didn't go far, realising that if she did she'd never find her way back. She walked a quarter of the way around the large fountain and sat on the edge, sighing as she looked up.
"Bit early for a walk, isn't it?"
Emma jumped and peered into the darkness. The voice was familiar. "Logan?" She held up her hand and released a stream of small sparks. The light they shed was flickering, but good enough that she could see him, sitting about a meter from where she had been.
"Oh, well you know, couldn't sleep, figured I'd wait until it got light enough that I could have another go and trying to kill myself with clay pigeons, and I'm interrupting you, so I'll leave." Emma paused to catch her breath. "Good night."
"No, wait. You're not interrupting anything. Sit down."
She hesitated for a moment before taking a few steps in his direction and sitting down. "So, what are you doing out here?"
"Just some thinking. I couldn't sleep either." There was silence for a minute, it wasn't uncomfortable like their previous conversation. Emma did not feel the urge to fill it with noise.
"So how are ya settling in?" Logan asked.
She shrugged and then realised the futility of the action in the darkness. "Pretty good, I guess. Every one's been really nice. I've only gotten lost about, oh a hundred times."
He made a noise, almost like a grunt, but not quite. Was that a laugh? Had she succeeded in dragging a laugh from the man of stone?
"Picked out an x-name yet?"
"Well I was thinking about..." She laughed. "God, I feel so silly. I feel like I've walked right into a comic."
"Yeah, it's like that. What have you chosen?"
"Electra. Because of the whole shooting electricity thing."
"Nice."
"I still feel silly."
"It'll pass."
Again there was that silence. This time Emma broke it. "So, uh, where do you come from?"
He seemed hesitant to answer. "I... don't know."
"You don't know?"
"Yes. I can't remember." His voice was clipped, tense.
"Oh. I'm sorry." Emma hoped she hadn't made him mad.
"Don't be." He stood quickly. "I'm tired, I'm going back to bed."
"Okay, good night..." Emma watched his disappearing figure. //Odd man. I wonder if Uncle has ever tried to probe him. Must talk to him about that tomorrow... Or today, I guess.//