(Untitled)

[abrasivealeida]

Date: Monday, September 5th
Time: 12:56pm
Week Number // Name: 001 / The New Beginning
Characters Open To // Involved: Kase / Aleida & Kase
Reason: Ebil Fun :D

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[kaseofpsyche]

Kase smiled kindly as she watched the other girl. She remembered well enough how strange everything had seemed when she'd first arrived, even if it had been years ago. She couldn't imagine only just now finding out about the Institute; it was home.

If she'd thought about it, she would probably have understood how uncomfortable this situation could potentially be for the other girl. She had fallen on her rather clumsily in the middle of Kase and all her friends, after all. But Kase wasn't really much for remembering something like that. No point worrying about the past, really.

She wasn't really much interested in studying the other girl's facial expressions since what really mattered was on the inside of her head anyway, but who knew if that would really have made the other girl feel better or not. She smiled, "It's always a little crazy the first year. Lots of new people around and all, but they're not so bad. It's a lot to get used to, but it's worth it in the end. No place better in the whole world for mutants than the Xavier Institute," she nodded firmly.

She paused and gave another smile, still creeping just on the edges of the other girl's mind, testing out the field. "Your name's Aleida, right? How do you like it here so far?"

[abrasivealeida]

Aleida did her best to pay attention to Kase, even if she had a book full of information on her favorite subject. She was tempted to shut it, but perhaps that would give Kase the impression she was ready for a "chat" - well they were already having a chat, so maybe a "talk" (a difference which seemed suddenly foolish to her, but she was in no place to question it at the moment). Finally deciding to leave things as they were, she turned her focus back to Kase.

Crazy? The whole first year? Aleida was suddenly daunted. However, when Kase continued, mentioning all of the new people, she was comforted. Well that craziness was easily remedied, was it not? Don't meet anyone new! As of yet, she had encountered five people (including the lady who had served her the apple) and that seemed like a pretty healthy number to her. No need to stray and meet anyone new, she decided abruptly. She had managed to sort her mouth into something that looked vaguely like a smirk and she was quite happy with this accomplishment, that was until Kase mentioned mutants. Aleida couldn't help but wince. She had almost forgotten that all the students around her were mutants; did everyone really have to keep reminding her? It was awfully difficult to convince yourself that you're something you're not when others insist on reminding you of what you actually are. Straightening her face out once more (this time not quite as successfully as the last), she nodded tentatively, quite unsure of herself now.

It was a very good thing that Aleida did not know what Kase was doing. Someone digging through her personal things (her memories and thoughts were the most personal things she had, after all) was what worried her the most about being around all of these mutants. She didn't know who could do what and if she was being probed for information - which she coincidentally was.

"Yeah," she answered in regards to her name, nodding as if her words hadn't been clear enough. Kase's next question left her lost for words, well more than she usually was. How did she like it? "Umm," was all she could manage at first, unable to think of anything at the moment. Waving her half-eaten apple around awkwardly, Aleida had finally come up with something. "The food is good," she said lamely, shrugging her shoulders apologetically. "Classes aren't too stimulating, perhaps it's just today," she said off-hand without even realizing what she had said.

[kaseofpsyche]

Kase slipped in just a bit as she watched the other girl's response to her words. Interesting that the other girl didn't seem all that interested in other people; Kase couldn't imagine why not! Mutants were a rather fascinating bunch, strictly speaking. But then there it was, the wince alone gave it away. Aleida wasn't comfortable with being a mutant yet. She knew that expression all too well and didn't need her ability to recognize it. She smiled, thinking of her own first year and how she'd been pretty much terrified of everyone else. Well, except for Clockwork. She couldn't imagine anyone finding him terrifying. Well, she hoped anyone he faced in a battle would, but they didn't really count. They weren't friends or possible friends, at any rate.

She decided then and there to take it upon herself to prove to Aleida that being a mutant was not such a bad thing. Actually, Kase thought it was really rather awesome at times, especially in a place like this. She felt around trying to uncover anything she could use without making it obvious that she was snooping around in the other girl's mind.

She smirked a little as Aleida struggled to come up with an answer to her question. She waited patiently, "Yeah, I can't usually get enough of the food myself. And trust me, the classes get a lot harder later in the week," she grinned, a glint in her eye giving away what she knew about the real classwork around here. Biology and Physics and Chemistry were hardly the important things they studied. Her smile grew, "You'll see soon enough. So what other classes are you taking?" she asked, but more to bring the thoughts to the surface. She wanted to play at seeing if she could guess the answer before the other girl answered her. She smiled softly, trying to look as non-threatening as possible, like she'd been trained to do in her lessons.

[abrasivealeida]

Even if Kase was a mind-reader, she obviously did not know what it would take to make Aleida actually like having her powers. Otherwise, she would not taken that on as her little pet project. After all, it seemed the only way that Aleida would be comfortable with her powers was if she didn't have them. Aleida herself would've wished Kase a very sarcastic "Good luck" if she knew, but fortunately she didn't.

Aleida was surprised, and comforted, by Kase's mention of classes growing harder. She smile genuinely, happy to hear that she would be learning more. Even if that did mean that she had been wrong when fighting with her mother about attending Xavier's. Aleida was quiet, but there was always one exception: when she had questions. "I heard something about offensive and defensive classes?" she said, breaking off her sentence in such a way that it was a question. Ever since she had heard the mention of offensive and defensive battle classes, she had become concerned. How could she possibly train without hurting others, or herself? Unless she was attacking or defending herself against some inanimate object, she simply couldn't fathom how her training wouldn't end in pain, one way or another.

Aleida's eyes wandered away from Kase as she tried to recall of her classes. "Stats, economics, literature...," she said absently as she recalled them. "Oh, and tech" Her attention turned back to Kase, but her curiosity had vanished and she waited for the next line of questioning. She wasn't terribly interested in what classes Kase was taking; it seemed this girl would likely tell her anyway, even if she didn't ask.

It was a very curious thing, Kase actually going out of her way to talk with her. Aleida was growing suspicious. She considered herself quite boring - and quite liked herself that way - but if she was so boring, why would the other girl still be sticking around? She wondered suddenly what this girl's power was, imagining that might be mind control. To properly control her, Kase needed to know things about her. It seemed obvious now that she thought about it; normally it would've seemed ludicrous, but at this school, anything was possible.

[kaseofpsyche]

Had Kase known exactly what Aleida's power actually was, she too might have been a bit more hesitant to take on the job, but as it was, she didn't know, and once she had a goal in mind, Kase stuck to it, no matter what changed later. At the very least, she was sure she could convince Aleida that mutants could be her friends. She had long since started going out of her way to prove to people that mutants were just as good as anyone else.

Kase was spurred on by the smile on the other girl's face. Clearly she'd hit on just the right thing. She felt around in Aleida's thoughts a bit more, trying to uncover why classes seemed to be so important. At the mention of offensive and defensive classes, Kase winced slightly. Those were two of her worst subjects and she was definitely not the best choice to convince someone that they were worthwhile, but she had to try. Aleida didn't seem the type to let too many people even just talk this much to her. Kase nodded slowly, "Yeah, the battle classes. They're hard work, but they really do make you better. The professors are always really good about keeping anyone from actually getting too hurt or anything. It's all very controlled. They don't partner you with anyone who's out of your league or anything." She hoped her words were comforting, but she couldn't be too sure. She still hadn't quite latched on to whatever Aleida's power was, exactly. She could only tell that Aleida seemed afraid of it.

She watched carefully and concentrated closely as the other girl thought about her classes and began listing them off. She mouthed the words to herself, just seconds before Aleida actually said each one. Then Aleida had turned back to her. She smiled carefully, hoping Aleida had not caught her nod at the mention of tech, "Oh, well, I'll see you in stats, then." She felt that Aleida didn't actually care about the rest of her own course load. Frustrating.

She groped for more things to talk about, reaching further into Aleida's mind, "So, where are y--" she broke off, a stunned look on her face, "You're from someplace called Intercourse?" she blurted out, forgetting herself in her absolute disbelief. How could anyone ever think that was a good thing to name a town?!

Then she froze, realizing that she'd pretty much just revealed that she'd been digging around in the other girl's mind. She blinked, "Er. I'm sorry. I suppose I should've told you... I... I'm a telepath," she stated weakly, giving a small sheepish smile.

[abrasivealeida]

Kase was right; Aleida did not usually converse with someone for a quarter of the time they had been sitting together. To top it all off, this had been a day full of expressions. Smiles (which she had found hurt after extended periods of time), looks of curiosity, shock, her face had gone into all of it's normal expressions and beyond; the muscles in her cheeks ached. She listened intently to the explanation about battle classes, her face blank. She nodded slowly to acknowledge she had heard, but really her mind was off. Off being worried, that is. She would be simply dreadful at defending herself, she imagined and it would be a cold day in hell before she actually attacked someone else.

She kept nodding, this time about the class they had together. Her attention was waning and she didn't really bother much to actually look interested anymore. Plus, they were talking about statistics, one of the most boring mathematical subjects imaginable. Aleida was beginning to wonder when this girl was going to give up, most did long ago, but then again most had dealt with the Aleida that was about as friendly as a crocodile.

Well, after a statement like her last, it was reasonable that Kase would soon be dealing with that very same Aleida. Her eyes bulged at Kase's outburst, wanting desperately to have been hearing things. However, it was quite apparent that her most horrible secret had been divulged; she could feel people staring at them. "Oh no," she said a bit too loudly, "it's Intermission." In her desperation, her cover-up was incredibly lame and not very believable, but it would simply have to do.

For a moment, Aleida couldn't even look at Kase. Her mouth hung slightly ajar, her eyes searching the ground aimlessly. How had she known that? Her face suddenly feel into anger; this was why she didn't want to come here. Mutants misusing their powers (though if she had really thought about, what else is a telepath to do besides dig in other peoples heads?) was the exact reason why she didn't want to come.

As Kase apologize and explained herself, Aleida's mouth closed, her lips pressed together into a thin line. She was positively seething, and the other girl's words did nothing but anger her more. She turned sharply back to Kase, her eyes narrowed in a look of sheer disgust. "What is wrong with you?" she started and tried to stop, but just like Kase couldn't contain her outburst, Aleida could do nothing about her rage. "If I wanted you to know what was in my head, I would sure as hell tell you. It's some nerve you have, digging around in people's mind's without their permission," she hissed, not yelling but her tone very clearly expressing every last grain of her anger.

[kaseofpsyche]

Kase could tell that things were going wrong again. This girl was one tough nut to crack, but she was determined to try anyhow. She just needed more information; that was simply harder to do when someone's thoughts weren't actually on something useful, because it meant she had to dig deeper into memories. Which was something she didn't really want to do. She was afraid of what she could do if she got too deep; she'd found it was easier in the mind of people she knew well. She wasn't quite as afraid to browse through her best friends' minds, but Aleida was so closed off and in more ways than one.

She could easily find impressions of memories where Aleida had scared off other people who had tried to be her friend. The girl clearly didn't like having people around much, but that was hardly helpful. Plenty of mutants had come to the school closed off or afraid or wary of others. That sort of thing did not deter Kase in the least. She'd broken through tougher exteriors than Aleida's.

But when she'd landed on the small detail of Aleida's hometown, she'd been all too stunned by it. What an awful name for a town! But she'd instantly felt the backlash of her mistake. Oops. She quickly pulled out of the other girl's mind, not wanting to make things any worse. Of course, upon considering the look on Aleida's face, she wasn't too sure it could get much worse.

She blinked as the other girl corrected her; Kase knew that she'd not misread it. Aleida was lying to cover it up, and that actually made Kase a bit angry. Why lie about where you're from? Who really cares about something as stupid as that? It's just a name and people who care about you would never worry about something so stupid. She wanted to shout at the other girl about it, but from the way Aleida's face was now closing off entirely, Kase decided there wouldn't be any point.

Not that she had a chance, because Aleida was now giving her a look that was eerily like the sort of looks her mother gave mutants. Kase shrank in her seat, looking in her lap while the other girl quietly berated her. She waited several moments before she dared to glance up. And with a somewhat harsh look of her own, "I wouldn't have to if you'd just be more open. Nicer. My friends and I only want to be your friends, too, but you make it almost impossible. What's so horrible about people being nice to you?" her voice was rising just a bit as she continued, but she couldn't help it.

She looked away from Aleida, her anger surging. She was tired of people coming here and being ungrateful or rude. The Institute was her home and it was a safe place for mutants to learn about their powers and not be judged. She was tired of people ignoring that and thinking they were somehow exempt just because life had been harsh on them.

She knew that Aleida was right and that she shouldn't have probed without asking permission first, but most people said no and as far as Kase was concerned, it was better not to ask than to be told no and do it anyway. Ethics were important, and she was careful not to step into memories or thoughts that crossed a line, but she wasn't going to never use her power. Especially considering that half the time she couldn't control it that way. She hadn't intended to find the name of Aleida's hometown, it had just been the first thing she'd hit upon with her rather unskilled maneuvers to find something.

She hadn't known it was such a touchy subject either. It was only a town name! Good grief! Kase looked back up at Aleida, "It's not like I was looking for your deepest darkest secrets. I don't even know what your power is. I was only trying to find something I could talk to you about to show you that I want to be friends! Just asking obviously isn't working, and the thoughts you're radiating out everywhere are so rude and unfriendly! I didn't know what else to do but try to find something you liked to talk about," she jumped to her feet to stand over the other girl a bit, though her small frame was hardly intimidating, "If you hate the Institute and mutants so much, why are you here? This is my home, all of our homes," she waved her arms to indicated the other mutants all around them, "We're only trying to welcome you and make you part of it!"

[abrasivealeida]

Aleida prepared herself to leave once she finished berating Kase, folding the corner of her page carefully so she could return to it later. She nearly closed her book when Kase began talking. Aleida was surprised, she had not expected any retaliation; she was more accustomed to being avoided and ignored after she told someone off. Her brows knit as she listened, not sure if Kase was actually saying what she was hearing. It seemed positively impossible. Honestly, Aleida had nothing to compare this situation to; Intercourse wasn't exactly a hot spot for telepathy, not to mention she had never had to defend how she acted. Everyone had always just accepted that she was a mean cold little wench. Apparently this conclusion did not satisfy Kase.

What's so horrible about people being nice to you?! she thought sharply, forgetting for a moment why she was so angry in the first place. No one is actually sincere! her inner voice boomed, but it was then she again remembered that Kase could read her thoughts. She felt completely at a loss; how could you protected yourself against someone who knew exactly what you were thinking? Forget verbal arguments, those silly telepaths can rebut your points before you even make them!

Aleida noticed the anger building in Kase. She could hear it in the other's voice. One thing she couldn't imagine was what right Kase had to be yelling at her. She had never promised to be nice, or friendly, and she certainly hadn't asked for Kase to attempt to befriend her. Aleida was positively convinced that you're better off on your own, even if that wasn't how she actually felt in her heart.

As much as she would've denied it, one of Kase's points was nagging at her. Did she really make it impossible to be her friend? Surely it wasn't impossible. She was certain there was someone who had stuck around long enough to befriend her. However, when she thought about it, which she was doing during Kase's pause, no - she didn't have any friends. There were people she could stand, and people she didn't really mind, and even people who she was required to be around, but simply no friends. She winced inwardly, oddly hurt by this sudden realization. It had never bothered her before, why did it so suddenly now?

She didn't have a chance to put her finger on it; Kase was once again speaking. Actually, by now she was yelling. Aleida looked around, embarrassed. Kase was yelling, she was making a scene. Between feeling a bit upset and being embarrassed by the commotion the other girl was causing, one might think that Aleida's anger had vanished, and they might be right. Only as Kase awoke, the words and the tone of her voice threw an ember at Aleida, relighting her rage.

"You'll find," she said in a low voice that almost shook with anger, "many people are much nicer when you don't know what they really think about you." Aleida wasn't sure if Kase could hear her over her own yelling, but it didn't matter. That point only alluded to her cynical outlook on friendship anyway. As Kase continued, mentioning that she was only hunting around to find something that Aleida liked to talk about, Aleida couldn't help but scoff at her. There wasn't anything that she liked to talk about. Except perhaps science, but Kase had not needed need to read her mind for that! There was a science book open in her lap for bloody sakes!

Aleida watched as Kase stood, not quite sure what she was trying to prove. She could stand up too, and she did, closing her book quietly and standing face to face with Kase, her face once again void of emotion. "I don't want to be a part of it. I'm here to learn how to control my powers, not make friends who will desert me later, " she said seriously, her eyes locked on Kase's. Realizing what she had just said and that she had all but confessed that she was convinced everyone would leave her in the end, her gaze fell. She looked around awkwardly, but everything her eyes fell on were once again unfamiliar and she felt an odd discomfort being in a room where she did not belong with people watching her.

[kaseofpsyche]

Perhaps Aleida had never met someone like Kase and that was why she was so surprised by Kase's retaliation. Kase was simply not the kind of girl to let things go, especially when she felt so strongly about them. She was still struggling with her powers and what they meant to her place in the world, but she'd be damned if she was going to let anyone damage what this school stood for or what it meant to Kase and her friends. She was always passionate about the Institute and the family she had there. Yes, family.

More than that, Kase never simply accepted a snap judgment about people. She'd learned long ago that that was a very stupid thing to do, especially around other mutants. There was always some reason for why people acted how they did, and even if Aleida's behavior was infuriating and frustrating, Kase still believed there had to be some good in the girl somewhere. And she was going to find it eventually, whether Aleida liked it or not.

Kase was not trying to listen to Aleida's thoughts any more, but she couldn't block out the shouting internal voice that claimed people weren't sincere. She glared harshly at that voice, but didn't respond. Inner voices rarely listened to the arguments of others, but it only made her more determined to prove her sincerity to Aleida in spite of those inner voices.

Kase did not understand Aleida's strong desire to be so cut off from everyone; it was ridiculous. She was clearly someone worth knowing; that wasn't even something Kase questioned. Aleida was a person like anyone else, with thoughts and feelings and ideas and things to contribute. As far as Kase was concerned, everyone needed friends, everyone needed to belong somewhere. Mutants needed that more than anyone else. And in Kase's mind, that's precisely what the Institute was for.

Kase also did not care that she might have been causing a scene. Anyone who happened upon it already knew her anyway. She doubted there was anyone in the school who didn't know Kase and how strongly she felt about this particular subject. She'd have a shouting match if she pleased and no one would likely care; this school was home, after all, so what better place was there for such a thing anyhow?

However, Aleida's reply was not what Kase was used to. People were supposed to yell when they got angry, not tuck it away in soft, sharp words. She stopped her own yelling long enough to listen; she wasn't about to let Aleida think she wasn't listening. She was mad and she was arguing, sure, but she wasn't going to ignore Aleida's opinions. She blinked, "You think I know what you think of me? It doesn't work that way, at least not what I was doing right now. And what's more is that I don't really care what you or anyone else thinks of me. Maybe if you lightened up and stopped worrying about what other people think of you so much, you'd have a chance to find out that some of them might genuinely like you."

She crossed her arms across her chest as the other girl also stood and she met the other girl's gaze head on. She wasn't about to just back down, no matter how odd it was to be fighting with someone who wasn't really showing any emotions. However, what Aleida had actually said took a moment to completely register. She blinked at the other girl blankly for several seconds, trying to fully grasp what she'd said. She watched as Aleida began looking around, suddenly awkward and uncomfortable.

She sighed and dropped her arms, "I'm pretty sure you'll find it doesn't really work like that. This place is too small for that. You're stuck with all of us for as long as it takes, you know," she kept her voice calm and quiet, though she was really quite upset by this whole thing and the fact that she wasn't getting through to the other girl, "And for the record? Clockwork, Dazzle and I aren't the kind of friends to desert anyone. I don't know what kind of 'friends' you've had before, but they couldn't have been worth it. Around here, you desert your friends, it just might get you killed in the long run," her jaw was set in a tight line, but she wasn't dropping her gaze. It would be up to Aleida to lock eyes, but if she'd did, she'd have no choice but to see the sincerity in Kase's gaze.

[abrasivealeida]

"Preposterous," was the only thing she said to Kase after the long-winded bit about self-consciousness. Perhaps she wouldn't catch it over the dull roar of voices in the background; Aleida hoped the other wouldn't. She hadn't meant to say it. In fact, she hadn't meant to say most things that she already had. It was unfortunate that she could only dissolve things and not reverse time. By now she would've gone back to the moment she decided to enter the lounge, and would've turned back around. Kase now knew all of these things about her that no one should've known and there was nothing that Aleida could do about. She had never felt more helpless.

Perhaps the reason why Kase could not understand why Aleida didn't want any friends was because she didn't know what her power was. As far as she could probably tell, Aleida didn't want any friends because she was afraid to lose them. Not that that was a lie, but that was not the entire reason. She was afraid to lose them at her own hands. Aleida was convinced that someday, somehow, she would really hurt someone; she didn't want it to be someone she loved, and as of that moment, she honestly didn't love anyone. Especially not her mother, who had sent her here.

Aleida felt an odd feeling swelling inside of her. She was at a loss to identify it, but it dragged her heart into her stomach and drained the anger from her. She couldn't bring her eyes back level with Kase's, even though points she had yet to make were swimming around her head. She hadn't really had any friends; naturally as a little girl she had a "best friend" here and there, but she could barely remember that far back. She couldn't remember a time when she hadn't purposely chased "annoying" people away. The only problem she was finding with that was that everyone was annoying. She could always manage to find something she didn't like about another and dismissed them based on that criteria alone.

Suddenly, without her knowledge, her book began to slip out of her fingers. She felt the cover slowly disappearing and the softer pages were soon touching her finger tips. Not wanting to ruin the book any further, she simply dropped it, praying it would fall on the side least ruined. Naturally she did not have that sort of luck, but instead of picking up it, she simply rolled it over with her foot and stood there, looking at Kase's nose as opposed to into her eyes. If she couldn't look her in the eye before, how could she possibly now?

Swallowing, Aleida was careful not to touch anything; she couldn't even tighten her hands in fists for fear that her fingers might disappear at this point. Why is this happening? she thought sadly, entirely unsure why she suddenly couldn't control her powers. She hadn't hurt herself in months, but now, when she only had some girl in her face trying to convince her that friends were for the best, she couldn't managed to control them. Frustration took over her once stone face, and without another word to Kase, Aleida sat back down.

Resting her wrists against her knees, Aleida stared past her hands to the book on the floor. This was getting ridiculous. Something needed to be done. Perhaps that's why she was there in the first place.

[kaseofpsyche]

Kase gave a small half-chortle, half-snort at Aleida's single-word answer, "What? That people might like you? Or the fact that you care too much whether they do or not?" She'd heard it, all right; part of the benefit of being a telepath was that even if you couldn't hear what someone said out loud, you often heard them think it. Especially when you were focusing all of your attention on one other person in the room, which was exactly what she was doing, so upset by how far south everything she'd tried with Aleida had gone.

Kase would perhaps have understood Aleida's worry a bit more if she'd known the other girl's power, yes, but it would not be enough to convince her that Aleida was right. A mutant's power could be controlled, but hiding from other people because of it wouldn't help anyone. It only left you more vulnerable to the hatred found in the outside world; mutants needed each other, Kase believed that with all her heart. Fearing losing or hurting people simply wasn't reason enough to shut everyone out.

The truth was, of all the people at the Institute, Kase was probably one of the ones who could understand the fear of harming those you care for most. After all, Kase constantly worried that all the messing around she did in people's heads would one day lead to driving someone mad or erasing the wrong memory or any other equally horrifying thing you could think of. Stepping carefully in other people's minds was tricky business, and she had accidentally altered memories of people before. Mainly just her family, and she cared little if she did minor damage to her mother, for one. But the incident with her little sister... Well, she didn't like to think about that.

As she stood, watching and waiting for the other girl to say more... something... anything... Kase began to feel increasingly distressed. Aleida wasn't saying anything, but the look on her face was quite confusing. And though she wasn't trying to, Kase kept seeing flashes of memories and thoughts that had to be Aleida's. They made her sad, though they confused her too. She was tempted to peer further in, wanting to help, but she restrained herself, realizing that that would only make it worse.

That was when she noticed the book fall to the floor, looking surprisingly... not all there, like part of it had suddenly disappeared. She stared at it, confuseion and surprise written on her face. She watched as Aleida shrank back down into her seat, holding her hands out oddly. She blinked for several seconds, trying to piece together just what this meant. Then she whispered quietly, "Is... is that your power? What you did to that book?" she paused and noticing that an emotion, though it was only frustration, showed clearly on the other girl's face, she frowned, concerned, "Are... are you all right?" She didn't know Aleida well, but what she did know was that girl was remarkably good at hiding how she felt. So if Kase could clearly see an emotion, then something was very, very wrong. She leaned down and reached her hand out, thinking to place it on the other girl's shoulder, but she didn't quite manage it, "Should I get one of the professors to help?"

[abrasivealeida]

There was nothing more for Aleida to say. There was nothing she could say in her own defense; nothing she wanted to say in her own defense. She may have mentioned that she didn't care what people thought of her but Kase seemed to be able to see right through her. Kase could see right through to what Aleida herself could not. She did care what people thought of her; for a reason she didn't know, she didn't want anyone to like her. Perhaps it was easier to chase people off than wait to see if they liked you enough regularly. The fact that she could not properly analyze this distressed Aleida. If she couldn't figure out what was going on with herself, how could she ever have any of the friends Kase insisted she needed?

Her brain was muddled and Aleida found herself unable to properly focus on one thing. Flashes of kindergarten and father-daughter dances and lonely Christmases popped into her head, but left as quickly as they had come. Her heart ached in a way it never had, and Aleida blamed Kase. This had never happened before. She imagined that the other girl was ravaging her mind, hunting for something, anything to use against her. Aleida's silent accusations were unfounded - Kase hadn't even stumbled upon her power - but at that moment, Aleida had tossed reason to the wind.

Aleida sighed as she sat, peering down at the book in front of her. It pained her more, perhaps, that she had ruined something that didn't belong to her than the fact that she had suddenly lost control of her powers. Wouldn't it be a wonder if she could have fixed everything that she broke; how dreadful it was that she couldn't replace what she made disappear. She swallowed hard, taking a moment to reorder her thoughts and reestablish her wonder-wall of lies. Things were fine when she had herself convinced she didn't need anyone else, and if that was what it took to control herself then Kase's words would have no impact on her. At least, no impact that Aleida would actually admit to.

When Kase asked if that was her power, Aleida looked up at the other girl. Her face was once again blank, but her eyes were earnest; she nodded just the slightest bit, almost as if she might really have to accept them if she acknowledged the question any more than she already had.

Folding her hands together, Aleida half expected to see blood begin to prickle to the surface of her hand as the skin disintegrated away. Letting out a sigh of relief, she finally heard Kase's question. "What? Oh, no." She shook her head seriously, not wanting any more people known than was absolutely required. And as far as she was concerned, no one else need know than Kase and herself. "I'm fine now," she said firmly, attempting to convince the both of them.

[kaseofpsyche]

Kase was trying not to read Aleida's thoughts, she really was. But the girl's mind was suddenly rather loud and she couldn't keep her out. She shook her head, about to respond. But what good would it do? Aleida would only get angrier, wouldn't she? She stood with her mouth open, unable to not hear the thoughts spinning through Aleida's mind. She couldn't stop herself, though, when Aleida once more made another excuse to not have friends, "That's what friends are for, you know. Helping you when you can't help yourself," she blurted it out, wincing even as she finished speaking. That wasn't going to help any; Aleida was only going to get angry with her again, hate her probably.

She was about to launch into more, figuring there was no point in holding back, but she was bombarded with flashes of memories from the other girl. Saddening images, lonely images. Kase frowned, she would have tried to hold on to one of them, but they were moving fast and even Kase was having trouble seeing them all. Then she felt Aleida's accusation and she took a mental and a physical step backwards. She tried to put up walls to block out Aleida's thoughts. She didn't want to see any more of this. The accusation hurt and she suddenly had to blink back a tear and swallow the angry lump in her throat. She hadn't been trying to hurt anyone; she'd only wanted to help and be friendly.

She saw the small nod and felt the acknowledgment of her question about Aleida's powers. She didn't quite know what the power was, but she could guess that it had something to do with touching things and making them invisible or disappear... or... something. She blinked, confused by it, but then shook her head. The girl's almost non-existent answer was like a wall of its own. Kase knew it well: the wish to not be what you are and not have any such power. Kase still felt that way some of the time, herself. "It's... it's not so bad, you know," she mumbled, "There are worse things." Her words are more hesitant than she meant them to be, but she was walking on eggshells, still trying to be a friend despite the constant rebuffing from the other girl.

Then something changed and Aleida was claiming she was fine and didn't need any help. Kase didn't believe her; Aleida's voice was adamant and firm, but her thoughts said otherwise. She watched silently for a moment then breathed a sigh of relieve, "Well... if... if you're sure?" she swallowed, her eyes falling on the other girl's hands, now clasped together. She didn't know what she expected to see there, but if something was going to happen, she wanted to know. She could run very quickly to find a professor if it was necessary, but she didn't know if it was, or even if she wanted it to be. She stood wavering and uncertain of what to do next.

[abrasivealeida]

Kase was wrong; Aleida simply couldn't hate anyone. Hate required passion, someone that Aleida was completely void of. She found Kase to be rather distasteful and disrespectful, a blemish really. But oh, she did not hate her. Even if she did possess the ability to hate, her thoughts were so entirely scrambled that Aleida would not have gotten any more upset if Kase began listing off her, Aleida's, family members names and ages, much less the surface thoughts mulling around in her head.

Anyway, Aleida was already convinced that Kase had been all about her mind, poking and prodding at things, destroying her ability to remain guarded. Kase actually referencing her thoughts only further cemented her suspicions. Really, Aleida hadn't meant to hurt Kase. She never really meant to hurt anyone; bruised feelings was always just an unfortunate side effect of her sharp cutting words, which were only meant to chase others away. She didn't notice the other's retreat, Aleida was much too busy rearranging her thoughts and sorting things out. Had she, however, Aleida would've become sleepless in pursuit of why Kase would take a step back. Was she suddenly afraid? Had Kase heard her harsh thoughts?

Looking up as Kase spoke quite uncertainly, Aleida's eyes narrowed. She was neither shy nor modest and she was suddenly struck with the urge to show Kase the numerous marks all over her, caused by her powers. She decided against it though, not sure if she herself wanted to see them. After all, she averted her eyes when looking at herself, lest she stumble once again on the discolored and scarred portions of her. "Worse things than not being able to control whether you kill yourself in your sleep?" she asked quietly in a voice that suggested she had already pondered this question herself, and concluded that the answer was no.

"I'm fine now," she said resolutely, leaning forward and picking up the deformed book. She inspected it silently, almost as if the conflict between her and Kase had never happened. Her fingers, now under control, moved across the new contours, her face set in a frown. "Perhaps if I don't try to hide it, they'll just forgive me," she said to herself, wonderfully worried the school would make her pay for another one. And with the little money she had, what could she do? She would not be washing dishes to pay back the school, that was for sure.

[kaseofpsyche]

Kase was silenced by Aleida's rebuttal to her claim that her power wasn't so bad. She was sure there were worse powers out there, even if Aleida's was apparently rather damaging. She just couldn't think of any right now; she was too distracted by guilt, frustration and anger. She didn't know how to explain it any more clearly to the other girl than she already had. Xavier's and its students could help her, if Aleida would only let them. Even a power as dangerous as Aleida's could be controlled. Kase was sure that the professors at Xavier's could teach Aleida to protect herself, but she didn't think Aleida was going to listen to her any longer, no matter what she said.

Aleida clearly wanted to be a lost cause. It was a shame. She wanted to convince the other girl, but Kase was running out of ways to argue the points. She watched in silence as the other girl inspected her book, pretending like the whole scene hadn't just happened. She blinked, confused by the way Aleida seemed more worried about her stupid textbook than anything Kase had said. Why didn't this girl have any emotion? Any strong reaction to anything? It was impossible, in Kase's mind, for someone to be so... devoid of everything. So empty.

She glared, "They won't care about the stupid book. They'll probably just give you another one. But they will care about how you did it, and what they can do to help you not do it again," she crossed her arms across her chest. Let Aleida think what she wanted about Kase's power. It wasn't her fault the girl was so stupid and stubborn and didn't really want to know anything about other mutants. If she wanted to paint Kase as some horrible monster, then fine, Kase would just live up to the expectation and use Aleida's own thoughts against her.

These were petty, angry thoughts that she would regret thinking later, but Kase was furious. What was Aleida doing here, in her home, if she was going to be so rude and so ungrateful? And that she would think the professors would care more about a stupid textbook than a student insulted and affronted Kase in the worst way. That wasn't what Xavier's was about at all, and Kase had just tried to tell Aleida that, but the other girl kept refusing to listen.

[abrasivealeida]

Kase was right on at least one count; Aleida would not be listening to her any time soon, about anything. She didn't mean to oppose everything that came out of the other girl's mouth, she just genuinely disagreed with her. Of course, by now, it seemed the lines between disagreement and personal conflict had been blurred and neither of them knew exactly where they stood.

She was also right in thinking that Aleida was more concerned about the book than the confrontation they had just had. As much as she would've liked to, Aleida could not place all of the blame for both in Kase's hands. She, Aleida, could've left when things escalated and the book was ruined because of her, even if she was convinced that it was Kase's digging that had disrupted the delicate balance in her mind.

And though she could not have known it then, Kase was also right in thinking that it was impossible for anyone to not have any emotions. Only after years and years of hostility (both from her and to her) had Aleida been able to tuck her actually feelings away, so deeply that even she could not access them. It was perhaps a bit boring, not being able to get properly upset, excited, or have much of a response to anything really, but this was the only way. The only way she could manage to keep a cap on her powers.

In all of this correctness, Kase had made but one, albeit critical, oversight. Aleida wanted to be here. She sincerely wanted to learn how to control her powers. However, she did not think that a bunch of students who could barely keep a handle on their powers could help her. She expected the teachers and the teachers alone to help her, and that was what she wanted. She did not want to be hassled by other students about not appreciating the school, or being ungrateful, or whatever Kase thought she was. Kase was what was changing her mind about being there, just not in the way that Kase had hoped.

Aleida looked up suddenly at Kase when she finished speaking, her eyes narrowed and her tongue sharp as she spoke, "They'll tell you stay out of my head then?" Why did this girl insist on talking to her? It was quite clear that she was not helping in the least, and yet she would not go. Somewhere along the line, Aleida had decided that she would not be chased from the room; under normal circumstances she would've simply left, often in the middle of the other person's yelling, leaving them baffled. However, this time her resolve prevented her from even standing and she turned back to her book, opening the cover to check the status of the pages. Well, except for the cover, most of the book seemed to be in order. It wasn't that bad, no one actually read all of the contributors listed.