In a world torn between heroes and villains, it can be a dangerous and hostile place. Some take comfort in the Gifted that stand up against those who would use their powers for greed and chaos. While others choose to hide away, fearful of the day...
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Elaina may not have known where the path would lead, but she believed Cat was right. Learning to manage her emotions, and thus her powers, was a logical and valuable next step. Even if it meant putting up with Karina for an indefinite amount of time.
"So you decided that since you can't handle your gift, you would just bury yourself in the woods and become a crusty hermit."
"Yes." Elaina's voice was flat and even, though she raised the corners of her mouth by a hair.
Karina reclined in her chair, crossing one leg over the other, her lips pinching with consideration. In the mansion's library, the only sound was the ticking of a grandfather clock, like a time bomb waiting to explode.
After a moment of silence, the mentor's face loosened, and she continued.
"Easy way out, I see. Did you even bother trying?" A light, sardonic laugh rumbled her words. "I hear that you've been living out there for years. That you ran away from home when you were sixteen. Couldn't handle the pressure, it seems. What a disappointment to your family."
Breathe. Inhale through the nose. Hold the breath. Exhale through the mouth.
"That's all true." Elaina noted the roughness in her own voice. She cleared her throat and continued on with a smoother tone. "Having a curse like this is difficult for a teenager. Hormones are bad enough, imagine projecting your angst on everyone around you. You must have encountered similar issues when you were a teenager. Or did your powers not manifest at puberty?"
"This isn't about me," she replied with a bite to her words.
Almost every Gifted human receives the bulk of their powers at puberty. She knows the feeling. She is quick to shut down the line of questioning because that will diminish her efforts to antagonize me.
The anger I feel is manufactured. It does not have a hold on me. Just breathe.
Elaina closed her eyes for a second as she inhaled deeply.
"I suppose you can't be much of a disappointment," continued Karina, "considering your dad was a deadbeat and your sister is just plain dead. Not much to live up to, yet you still came up short. You left and now your mother is in a psychiatric ward."
Elaina's jaw clenched, but her features remained still.
This is nothing new. These are things I've said to myself for years. Though the words are harsh, they are not false. The anger I feel is manufactured. It does not...
Karina smiled as her tutee failed to immediately retaliate with another witty comeback. Elaina's lips pinched.
Fuck it, it's impressive I made it this far, anyway. Tomorrow I'll do better.
"I've no doubt I was a disappointment to my mom, but I did her a favor by leaving." Elaina shrugged and leaned forward so her elbows rested on the edge of the table that they both sat around. "What about you Karina? You know so much about me, but all I know about you is that you telekinetic powers and that you like to use them to masturbate in front of men who have zero interest in you. If we want to square off over who's a bigger disappointment, why don't you share some little tidbits about yourself, or are you afraid of the ways I could use that knowledge against you? I mean the illusions I could conjure up after what I've heard..."
