Lily threw the bag over her shoulder, tugging a bit on the strap to make sure it was secure. She scratched at her neck and looked around her bunk, making sure she hadn’t missed anything. Over the past four weeks the space had evolved from a place where she crashed after a long day of training into a real home for herself, so to speak. One of the girls had an ability that was able to shape raw materials like wood and concrete. The result was the girl’s side of the residence area turning into a cluster of little open apartments with bits of furniture and places to put personal belongings all over the place.
She reached out and tapped the picture of her mom and dad, grinning at it a little, “You are going to lose your minds when you see me,” She chuckled nervously and rubbed her neck again. She could feel the faintly glowing tattoo shift a bit across her skin. She hadn’t noticed it at all and thought it was just a bug or something at first. Then she’d come back to the hall after her talk with Black Lotus. When she’d come in, she’d come face to face with Cassiopeia. To her shock the girl didn’t scowl at her at all, just complimented her new tattoo and went straight to bed.
The subsequent mad dash to the bathroom and following mild panic attack had winded down into a fitful sleep allowed only by Dr. Carter’s kind report that Snow was doing just fine. She let out a heavy sigh and glanced over her shoulder. “You girls have everything?” She called.
The others looked up from their bags while a few threw a few more things in. After a few more drop outs over the past week there were now only sixteen of them. Every seven days things just seemed to get harder and harder. Still, the others were really hanging in there. They were at the half-way point, apparently. With the final two weeks dedicated to the push towards licensure and exams. She glanced around at the various confident faces as Jessica popped up from her own frantic packing, she’d slept in.
“Good to go, Dorm Captain!” She saluted with a grin.
Lillian went deadpan, “Dorm what?”
The other girls snapped their own snickering salutes and she scanned their faces, “You guys are ridiculous,” She muttered before looking towards the only person who hadn’t joined in on the merriment. Cass was quietly folding an extra set of clothes and putting them neatly into the small bag she would take with her overnight. “You got everything Cass?” Lillian hazarded, drawing a few surprised looks from the others. It was a bit of a risk, the girl didn’t seem to like conversation much and familiarity even less.
Cass looked up at her and a complicated expression washed over her face before she seemed to force herself to relax. She scratched at her yellow-blonde hair and cracked a half-grin, “Sure, yeah, almost done uh…” She glanced at the others, “...Dorm Captain?” She said as if she wasn’t sure about what she was saying.
Lillian blanched and turned her head slowly towards the others who stared at her with gleams in their eyes and big grins, Jessica was the one who spoke up first, “It’s unanimous!” She laughed before picking up her bag and walking past patting Lillian on the shoulder. “Congratulations on the election, Dorm Captain,” She snickered as the others walked past her. Lillian watched them go with confusion, scratching her head.
“What does that even mean?” She called after the giggling mass. She sighed and rolled her eyes before turning to look back at Cass who was zipping her own bag with a smirk on her face. She seemed to notice Lillian’s stare and went back to her usual stoic frown. Lillian tilted her head, “You know, a smile looks good on you,” She said, “Whatever’s going on, you deserve to be happier,” She added and started to turn away.
“Um!” Came the immediate response. Lillian turned back to see Cass standing there with a grimace on her face. She looked down at her feet then up at the ceiling before reaching up and scratching at her head with both hands. She groaned and let out a big sigh before relaxing and letting her shoulders fall a bit, “I uh…” She started, “I want to apologize for being kinda-okay-very, mean, to you, and well…” She gestured helplessly, “Everybody.”
Lillian blinked, not sure what to say.
Cass cleared her throat, “I had a talk with someone important to me and they told me I need to do better, with everyone, I mean,” She rubbed her arms, “Locking everyone else out isn’t going to make me… better,” She sniffed, “Just kinda hard, you know,” She muttered and rolled her eyes before pulling back her hair, “My abusive sister the number one most wanted villain on earth after Ishtar thing,” She rambled, “Kinda puts a bit of a damper on ‘making friends’,” She turned a little red in the cheeks and cleared her throat, continuing to talk as Lillian set her bag down and walked towards her, “Jus-just went through a lot and then there was the whole running away from home thing, and then getting registered which was hard without paperwork and-”
Lillian pulled her into a hug and gave her a squeeze. Cass’ head dropped and she just went quiet for a minute as a hand pat her on the back of the head. “Apology accepted, take your time,” Lillian said and pulled back, looking at the blue eyed girl, “Let’s go to the beach, yeah?”
Cass stared back at her in confusion for a moment, her lips trembled, then she broke into a wobbly smile, “Sure!”
The two made their way out as someone’s phone or something flashed pink in the corner of the room. Lillian glanced over at Cass who managed to set her stoic flat expression back on her face as they walked out into the hallway. She’s been through a lot, and that took a lot of courage to get out. Still probably gonna take a while before she opens up to everyone completely, but, good for her. She glanced down the hall towards the instructors residences, I wonder if you did something again, you scheming bleeding heart. She thought with a smile before they made their way out towards the common area and the doors beyond.
“Where’s that Snow girl, by the way?” Cass asked as they reached the doors.
Lillian sighed, “Resting in the lab,” She said, “I dunno if she’s going to be coming with us. I hope so, though.”
They pushed out into the open air and Lillian spotted the crowd of nearly forty aspirants and a few of the instructors that had opted to come along. Cass glanced her way, “You two are close.”
“Very,” Lillian agreed, “She’s done more for me than she realizes,” She said as they drew closer to the crowd. The red-headed mess of Val’s hair was the first to turn in their direction and he poked his head out between Alex and Greg who were crowded up with John. Val cracked a grin and pushed through, waving at them. “They all have.”
“Support, huh?” Cass said thoughtfully. “Not what I’m used to.”
Lillian pat her shoulder as her friends hustled over, “Get used to it, you’re stuck with us now after all that back in the dorm.”
Cass whipped her head in her direction, “Huh? What’s that-”
“It’s the Ladies Dorm Captain and the Constellation herself!” Alex barked out as they got closer, a bit of a laugh in his voice.
Lillian went deadpan, “You too?”
He snorted, “Hahaha! Oh man that’s too good, you got suckered. You’re in charge over there now as far as the others are concerned.”
She clicked her tongue, “Have the guys elected a Dorm Captain?” She asked and narrowed her eyes, “Because I’d like to suggest one.”
Alex blinked at her and threw up his hands, “Woah woah, easy-”
She glanced at John and raised her eyebrow with a smirk. John nodded with his usual flat expression, “Acceptable,” He said and turned on his heel before marching back towards the other guys who were talking and laughing in the courtyard.
Alex was about to turn to stop him when Greg threw an arm over his shoulder. “Woah there, you can’t turn down such an auspicious nomination from Black Lotus’ apprentice!” He said with a sardonic grin.
Alex withered under his friend’s grin before searching for any sort of out from the conversation. He looked around a bit before focusing on Cass, “Hey! You- uh- you look nice?” He managed only to get a punch in the ribs from Greg. “What? She does!” Alex blurted, waving his hands frantically as Greg laughed at him.
That’s when a new sound, an alien sound, came out over their bickering. It was a laugh, a bright, pretty, resonant laugh. Lillian, Greg, Alex, and several others all looked at the source as Cassiopeia gripped her sides and bent over half-way. She laughed for a few more seconds before standing up straight and wiping a tear from her eye, “You guys are funny,” She chuckled before clearing her throat and brushing her hair back before walking past them like a little princess, yellow-gold hair flowing behind her. “See you at the beach.”
The trio standing there just stared after her, jaws open, they looked back at one another. “What just happened?” Greg asked.
“Was she always that uh… amazing?” Alex added.
Lillian threw her hands up, “I dunno!” She defended herself, “She’s just opening up! What’s the big deal?” She rambled as the two boys got closer and closer, inspecting her face before turning back and watching Cass join the other girls. Alex muttered something and Greg elbowed him, the two of them started to tussle all over again as Lillian kept her eyes on yet another soul made just a bit brighter by this place. She smiled to herself.
That was when a head of white hair popped out next to hers, “Hello!” A sing-song chirp broke her out of her reverie and she spun around, nearly crashing into the wrestling duo behind her.
“Woah!” Lillian blurted before stopping to look at Sonya and her small entourage.
The petite Sonya was dressed in a long baggy t-shirt that said ‘Party Time’ in elaborate pink calligraphy and a white linen sarong that hung down to her ankles along with a pair of white beach sandals to show off her glittering pink toenails. She wore a baseball cap on her head with the ASTA logo that she tipped in Lillian’s direction. “Hi!” She chuckled before elbowing the woman on her right, “Get a look at this girl, like she’s seen a ghost or something.”
Marta glanced at Sonya, her hand on her hip. She was wearing a black sarong and black tank-top bikini with small white frills that made it look a bit maid-themed. She brushed her brown hair back, “Think she was expecting someone else, don’t you, ma’am?”
Sonya tapped her chin thoughtfully, “Hmm! I think you’re right, who on earth could it be, though?” She said thoughtfully, turning her head to the woman on her left. “Carla, any thoughts?”
The Pandora Committee administrator adjusted her thick glasses as she brushed out her white floral sundress. In the sunlight, the gemstone on her platinum choker gleamed even brighter. She made an equally thoughtful face. “I daresay I can’t think of anyone, how troubling! Forgive me, Miss Chernovna,” She said and turned slightly to offer a slight bow to the CEO who huffed out a dramatic sigh.
“Oh, what a state of affairs!” She said and rest the back of her palm on her forehead, “Would it not be that a hero could swoop in and bring us enlightenment!”
Lillian’s face had gone completely deadpan at this point as her orange gaze turned over to the fourth person in the group. Standing off next to Marta with her muscular arms crossed over a sporty bikini that showed off her abs, Black Lotus shook her head of black hair, “Hmm… Quite the conundrum indeed,” She said heavily before her head shot up and she turned to Sonya, resting her hands on her denim-clad hips, “You know, I think she might have expected young Snow!” Black Lotus offered. “The two seem quite close and I have noticed some eyes exchanged here and there.”
Lillian went bright red at her teacher’s teasing. “U-um.”
Sonya’s pink eyes went wide and she slapped her fist into her palm, “Oh! You’re right!” She grinned in Lillian’s direction, “Is miss Snow who you were hoping surprised you a moment ago?” She asked with a snicker, waggling her eyebrows.
They’re messing with me, Lillian sighed and scratched her head, “Yeah, I was hoping to see her. How’s she doing?”
That seemed to be exactly what Sonya and Marta specifically wanted to hear, the two broke into frankly wicked looking grins that looked more like crescent moons than natural facial expressions. They glanced at one another and their eyes twinkled. Sonya was the first to speak, she dramatically brought her hand to her heart, “Well, of course, after two of my people unintentionally got her involved in their little project, I had to take responsibility,” She said, “And with such a dramatic thing happening, we needed to help miss Snow make a few adjustments, wouldn’t you agree, Marta?”
Marta stuck her nose up in the air, “Some of my best stylist work yet.”
Lillian’s heart skipped a beat, “Wait- is she?”
Sonya tittered out a laugh, “Allow your local fairy queen to grant your wish, dear aspirant,” She said and at the same time as Marta, stepped to the side and swept her hands out, the two making a big show of the reveal.
Lillian barely noticed them waving their hands dramatically.
She didn’t see anything else.
She just saw a pair of pearlescent eyes glimmering a rainbow of colors at her from just a few feet behind the quartet of women. Her hair was white as snow on top and shaped into a cute little pixie cut. The trimmed sides and back were black. Even so, when the light shifted just slightly Lillian could see the static-like glimmer in her hair. A button nose was a little red over a pair of lips painted with just a bit of black lipstick to give them a gray tone that set them off perfectly against pale skin. She wore a mostly black choker blouse, no sleeves, white flowers running down the front before stopping at a pair of fitted blue jeans and a pair of shiny black shoes.
“Wow,” Lillian breathed.
Snow shifted on her feet, reaching up to play a bit with her hair, she swallowed and looked up at Lillian for a moment before opening her mouth. Lillian froze as a faint static filled the air, then a small soft voice entered her ears.