MARKED BY THE PHOENIX

Kate couldn’t remember much about Rachel, she didn’t really know why she’d left or where she’d gone and she was guessing that it wasn’t her place to ask. At least not until they knew each other a bit better. Kate knew when not to push and when to push. “Oh?” Kate was surprised Rachel didn’t know what she was doing yet. “Well you can pick from pretty much anything.”

Rachel had never met Kate, seen her from a distance sure, but never talked to. She seemed pretty okay. A quick skim of her surface thoughts showed curiosity, but nothing she would act on. Good, Rachel withdrew. “Yeah, I guess I’ll be held back a year or something.”

Dyyyyyyiiiiinnnnngggggggggggggggg.

Have you like never gotten sick before?

Or y’know it could just be a cold. 

“I don’t think there was much of a choice. I’m not sure anything but making sure everyone was alive and safe was a priority.” Kate said with a smile. It was hard to have your stuff moved, your whole life moved, but they were all in the same boat here. They’d all had everything ruined, shaken up, and put back together. They just had to get on with it. “At least you’ve got your stuff here.”

Rachel looked down, feeling a little guilty. She hadn’t meant to run away, it had all just been too much. The thoughts, the people, everything. She had been afraid something would happen to her or she would hurt someone. Bitching like a little kid wasn’t helping. “Yeah, I guess so.”

The world is wrong.

Really? You look like death. 

“Good, because that’s like, non negotiable.” Kate said with a grin. It was so much easier for her to share a room than it was for most people. Where most people craved their own space in these situations Kate found that she was much more at ease when she was around people, particularly when she could consider them friends. She thought that she could be friends with Rachel. The girl seemed agreeable, quiet but kind. Kate was loud and impulsive, so she quite often got along better with people who were more chilled out.

Rachel’s small smile widened. “I’m just not happy they...moved my stuff and didn’t tell me about it.” She shrugged. Yes she’d been gone but maybe someone should have made more of an effort to find her. Anna had been nice. 

Kate smiled at her from where she was lounging on the chair in their shared bedroom. She didn’t mind sharing, she knew some people really did, but Kate thought it was much worse to sleep alone. As long as your roommate wasn’t going to kill you in your sleep, it was fun. She’d been through her fair share of roommates and she’d learned to respect people’s privacy. She was an in your face person, but she wasn’t a shitty person.

Rachel was still a little in shock about the whole thing so she just sat on her bed. She had never really seen her original roommate, then she had taken off before she could get the opportunity. Kate seemed...nice. Pushing herself up by her arms she tucked her legs underneath her. 

I’m Anna. What’re you here for?

Rachel...Um I think this is...Advanced Hand to Hand Techniques?

What classes are you taking? 

Oh a ton of power control classes I think. At least one civil ethics course.

It could always be worse, trust me. 

Yeah, it's my first semester here. Everything is a little nuts.

Better tasting alcohol so next time it happens I won’t be as sad trying to clean it off my roof because it at least tastes and smells nice?

"Well no, it'll still be sad. But at least you got hammered off the good stuff."

It doesn’t last. 

Guess not.

I’m Anna. What’re you here for?

Rachel. Power Control for All Mutations. This is the right room right?