Reconsider [XMEN AU]

F o u r

         As Ms. Munroe led her back down the eerily quiet hallway, Dalisay decided to remain thinking in the silence, and to collect her wandering thoughts. Professor Xavier's knowledge had scared her, Dalisay had to admit, but it also comforted her. She wasn't alone in her secrets, not anymore. They had slowly begun to pile up and become a burden Dalisay was gradually becoming unable to bear. 

        Ms. Munroe took a sharp left, guiding Dalisay gently along by placing her hand on the shorter girl's shoulder. "This way, dear." She murmured, leading Dalisay into a much more open and airy hall. Students milled about, chattering amongst themselves in groups. A few turned to look at her and Ms. Munroe as they passed by, but they soon returned to their conversation. She was new, but nothing extraordinary, Dalisay figured they were thinking. Nothing must phase them, I mean they are mutants after all. 

        Just like me.

        It surprised Dalisay, how easy she'd come to acknowledge her mutant abilities and title. Before, the name had irked her into a seemingly permanent  state of denial, one she now had to face for what it, and she, was. A mutant. 

        The two stopped at the entryway of a large, open dining hall with large glass windows, letting in immense heaps of sunlight. The room was bright and airy, a welcome sight to Dalisay, who had become accustomed to the grime and filth of Berlin by then. They continued on, passing by mahogany tables seated with studious learners and socializing butterflies,  until they passed through a large, swinging mahogany door. The kitchen, at last.

        "Would you care for anything specific, Dalisay?" She found herself being asked by the motherly woman before her.

        She shook her head, unaware how else to respond. How else could she? Dalisay didn't huger for anything specific, she merely hungered, a feeling savagely tearing apart her insides for nutrition of some sort. Ms. Monroe seemed to take Dalisay's meek answer as a plea of starvation, and quickly got to work; grabbing numerous containers from the large, restaurant-size refrigerator and pantry. Soon enough, vegetables were sizzling in a skillet, sending out wafts of butter as well as barbecue. Dalisay was unsure what Ms. Munroe's culinary creation was, but did not dare complain. Her hunger slashed any notion of choice she could think to have. As she waited for Ororo to finish, she nursed a condensating glass of Coca-Cola, wrapping her fingers around the cloudy glass and intertwining her fingers, taking notice of her grubby, ragged nails that were beginning to chip, and the calluses on her palms. She felt like a hobo, something she'd grown accustomed to, however, she would never get used to the looks that people would give her, ranging from sympathy to outright disgust. She understood the disgust, because that was how she felt towards herself. Disgusted. 

        A lump rose in Dalisay's throat as she re-encountered the never-ending self-loathing she felt, for it would never dissapate. At times it would succumb to a slight disapproval, but she never felt anything positive towards herself, not anymore. 

        "Here you are," Ms. Munroe said in a breathy voice, placing the dish of assorted vegetables and what appeared to be tofu in front of Dalisay. The vegetables included asparagus, red and yellow pepper, potatoes, and...was that cauliflower? Dalisay couldn't exactly say. "Eat up, dear. I'll be in the dining room if you need anything."

        Dalisay nodded in understanding, and quickly dug in to the sustenance before her. The vegetables were tangy, and were covered in some sort of buttery, salty sauce, She chewed slowly, savoring the food in her mouth. She knew that as soon as she finished, she wouldn't be able to stop herself from asking for more. As she ate, echoes of giggles flooded the kitchen from the exterior hall, a female giggle, to be exact, and footsteps pounded, as if someone was running.

        "Bobby!" The female voice cried, and just a second later, a petite girl seemed to enter the kitchen...through the wall. She swept her mousy brown hair out of her eyes, seemingly flustered, and as she brought her head up to see Dalisay, her cheeks turned bright pink. 

        "Hi?" Dalisay offered, astonished, although she truly shouldn't have been. This was a school for mutants, after all. Anything was possible.

        Even a girl that walked through walls. 

        "Hi," The girl laughed nervously, making her way to the refrigerator. She stuck her head in, and then pulled it out quickly, her dark hazel eyes back on Dalisay. "You're the new girl?"

        "Uh...yeah." Dalisay said with a shrug, swallowing another large bite of tofu. "I guess me coming wasn't that much of a surprise?"

        "Not exactly." She returned to the interior of the refrigerator, and let out a seemingly satisfied grunt at what she found there. The small girl pulled out two cups of yogurt, and shut the double, stainless steel doors with her hip, her hands full with the yogurt. She took a seat across from Dalisay, and quickly tore off the top of the cup, licking the yogurt off of the opposite side casually before speaking. "What's your name?"

        "Dalisay." She took a small sip of her almost-finished Coca-Cola, and cleared her throat. "Dalisay Faust."

        "Nice to meet you, Faust. I'm Kitty." The girl across from her said with a tight-lipped smile, her mouth already full of strawberry flavored yogurt.