Chiara pulled on her pajama shirt and looked down at her feet. She
was ready for bed, but Yuako hadn't turned up yet. Chiara sat down on her
bed and tried to chip some of her black nail polish off without much luck.
It was late on a Friday night, a few weeks later. It might have been past ten, but Chiara was sure it was later. She opened the door to her dorm and looked out for any sign of her roommate. Quietly, Chiara stepped out. The chill of the slight draught in the corridor made goose-bumps rise on her arms.
Down the hall there was one door open. Chiara looked in, remembering it was Twist's room. Twist's roommates, Alyx and Cat were asleep, breathing quietly, but Twist was sitting up, still dressed. She looked up as Chiara stuck her head in, eyes flaring red to her normal relaxed black.
"Jesus, you scared me." She whispered, smiling. Chiara reflected the gesture nervously. She noticed Twist was writing something, signing a letter with her curly black handwriting.
"What are you doing?" she asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Writing." Twist said. "It's a letter to an old friend of mine back in New York." She shrugged, biting her lip. She twisted her arms unconsciously so that Chiara could see the runic tattoo down the back of her forearm reading 'Silence'.
"Why?" Chiara asked, not able to blurt out any more words. Twist looked nervous for a moment.
"I have this problem," She said. Chiara saw her place a hand over her arm-warmer cloaked wrist, "with insecurity." She sighed. "Connor, my friend, knows me better than anyone... except maybe Silence." She said, a little color appearing in her cheeks. Chiara smiled.
"Have you seen Yuako?"
"No. Why?"
"Neither have I." Chiara said, as that was her reason. She chewed her lip, frowning now. "Twist... I-"she started. "Do you consider yourself powerful?" she asked. Twist shrugged.
"I've got a billion things to learn, control for one."
"But, I mean... is your ability powerful?" Chiara said, trying to find a way to explain herself best. "Do you know what your limit is?"
"Xavier told me, if I mastered myself, I might be able to create a tornado." Twist said. "Stopping it would be a different story though." She added hollowly. "Why do you ask?"
"I can't tell you." Chiara said, though she'd probably given Twist enough suspicion to guess. "Just... keep on your guard." She said, getting up. "Tell Yuako I need to talk to her when she gets back." Twist nodded and Chiara left.
She went back into her room and sat down again, thinking. Because thinking didn't seem to come naturally to her, it led to worry. What if Magn- whoever was up to something? Would it endanger her friends? The teachers? Her?! Chiara shook her head free of the anxiety. She needed to stop and sleep.
"Nî hâo." Yuako said, coming into the room. Chiara jumped at the sound of her voice.
"Where have you been?" she asked. "It's almost midnight!"
"Add had was complaining that his black eye made him take longer on his rate over distance equations." Yuako said, sitting down on the bed. "I just didn't know he'd take an hour on each problem." She sighed, lying down. "Why? Were you worried?"
"Too worried." Chiara said, her mind drifting to the threat again.
"MAGNETO'S DOING WHAT?!" Yuako said, sitting up sharply. Chiara looked confused for a moment, then she hit her head. Why was living with a psychic so much work?!
"Yuako! Please don't tell, I was sworn to secrecy!" she pleaded. Yuako's eyes were watering.
"He's going to try for us? Isn't he?" she asked weakly. Chiara could already tell she knew the answer and she nodded. "Poq gai..." she sighed; lying down. Chiara bit her lip nervously.
"What does that mean?" she asked, knowing how Yuako liked to pronounce some things in Chinese.
"Simplified, it means 'Holy fuck, what the bloody hell are we going to do.'" Yuako said, staring at the ceiling.
"Oh." Chiara said. "I'm sorry." Yuako sat up again.
"We're going to have to be prepared." She said. "If he comes... we'll sound the alarm." She nodded eagerly.
Chiara didn't like the sound of the idea very much, but she nodded, hoping to cheer Yuako up. Her roommate lay down again and closed her eyes. After a few moments Chiara did the same but tried to go to sleep. As she closed her eyes, the lights dimmed but she couldn't sleep.
Eventually Yuako's quiet, sleepy breathing and the odd muttering of her counting Pi in her sleep sent her to bed.
It was late on a Friday night, a few weeks later. It might have been past ten, but Chiara was sure it was later. She opened the door to her dorm and looked out for any sign of her roommate. Quietly, Chiara stepped out. The chill of the slight draught in the corridor made goose-bumps rise on her arms.
Down the hall there was one door open. Chiara looked in, remembering it was Twist's room. Twist's roommates, Alyx and Cat were asleep, breathing quietly, but Twist was sitting up, still dressed. She looked up as Chiara stuck her head in, eyes flaring red to her normal relaxed black.
"Jesus, you scared me." She whispered, smiling. Chiara reflected the gesture nervously. She noticed Twist was writing something, signing a letter with her curly black handwriting.
"What are you doing?" she asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Writing." Twist said. "It's a letter to an old friend of mine back in New York." She shrugged, biting her lip. She twisted her arms unconsciously so that Chiara could see the runic tattoo down the back of her forearm reading 'Silence'.
"Why?" Chiara asked, not able to blurt out any more words. Twist looked nervous for a moment.
"I have this problem," She said. Chiara saw her place a hand over her arm-warmer cloaked wrist, "with insecurity." She sighed. "Connor, my friend, knows me better than anyone... except maybe Silence." She said, a little color appearing in her cheeks. Chiara smiled.
"Have you seen Yuako?"
"No. Why?"
"Neither have I." Chiara said, as that was her reason. She chewed her lip, frowning now. "Twist... I-"she started. "Do you consider yourself powerful?" she asked. Twist shrugged.
"I've got a billion things to learn, control for one."
"But, I mean... is your ability powerful?" Chiara said, trying to find a way to explain herself best. "Do you know what your limit is?"
"Xavier told me, if I mastered myself, I might be able to create a tornado." Twist said. "Stopping it would be a different story though." She added hollowly. "Why do you ask?"
"I can't tell you." Chiara said, though she'd probably given Twist enough suspicion to guess. "Just... keep on your guard." She said, getting up. "Tell Yuako I need to talk to her when she gets back." Twist nodded and Chiara left.
She went back into her room and sat down again, thinking. Because thinking didn't seem to come naturally to her, it led to worry. What if Magn- whoever was up to something? Would it endanger her friends? The teachers? Her?! Chiara shook her head free of the anxiety. She needed to stop and sleep.
"Nî hâo." Yuako said, coming into the room. Chiara jumped at the sound of her voice.
"Where have you been?" she asked. "It's almost midnight!"
"Add had was complaining that his black eye made him take longer on his rate over distance equations." Yuako said, sitting down on the bed. "I just didn't know he'd take an hour on each problem." She sighed, lying down. "Why? Were you worried?"
"Too worried." Chiara said, her mind drifting to the threat again.
"MAGNETO'S DOING WHAT?!" Yuako said, sitting up sharply. Chiara looked confused for a moment, then she hit her head. Why was living with a psychic so much work?!
"Yuako! Please don't tell, I was sworn to secrecy!" she pleaded. Yuako's eyes were watering.
"He's going to try for us? Isn't he?" she asked weakly. Chiara could already tell she knew the answer and she nodded. "Poq gai..." she sighed; lying down. Chiara bit her lip nervously.
"What does that mean?" she asked, knowing how Yuako liked to pronounce some things in Chinese.
"Simplified, it means 'Holy fuck, what the bloody hell are we going to do.'" Yuako said, staring at the ceiling.
"Oh." Chiara said. "I'm sorry." Yuako sat up again.
"We're going to have to be prepared." She said. "If he comes... we'll sound the alarm." She nodded eagerly.
Chiara didn't like the sound of the idea very much, but she nodded, hoping to cheer Yuako up. Her roommate lay down again and closed her eyes. After a few moments Chiara did the same but tried to go to sleep. As she closed her eyes, the lights dimmed but she couldn't sleep.
Eventually Yuako's quiet, sleepy breathing and the odd muttering of her counting Pi in her sleep sent her to bed.