Just a Normal Girl

[Katarina Karkov]

Katarina walked down Maldon High Street, arms full of boxes. Enough so that she had trouble seeing where she was walking, straight ahead at least.

((open))

[Chisaki Watanabe]

After the arena fight while the others went off to lick their various wounds, Chisaki left for Maldon to pay a pair of brothers a visit.

She had not bothered to go nude. There was no reason to hide her visit. It would probably garner more suspicion.

She stepped into an unassuming apartment building and went up to the second floor to have a chat.

Howard greeted her at the door and had already started a kettle for tea, even though he knew this wasn't a social visit. Harold would turn up later, half way into their conversation. He'd woken up from his sleep shift in one of his moods.

"What the bloody hell did he do now?" The gruff twin asked.

"Apparently he's making other people invisible now."

Harold choked on the breakfast biscuit he had taken from the cupboard. "What?! You were supposed to quell this!" Harold admonished the pastel vision.

"I cannot prevent his powers from developing, Ealdwine-san. That is not how a mutation works. "

"Our mutual cousin figured it out with th'other one. "

"No, she did not. Kiki is merely immune to him, as some people are or come to be. As I am. "

" Well you better figure out a bloody way to make it work or we're all out of a job.
Speakin'a such, why ain't you watchin' him now?"

"He left the scene with his girlfriend, my room mate. I know where he is and he will not be going anywhere for awhile. He is good at keeping himself... distracted by feminine wiles. Being indisposed is enough to keep himself safe otherwise."

"Pfft . Yea, that's what we thought until we found the boy beat to shite by the last neglectant harpy."

"Harold, please. Chisaki didn't come here for a lecture. She came to inform us of a development in the situation. "


"Her job is to keep that from happenin'! Not act like some shite bard and relive the tales of the Invisible boy and his glitter slime floozy!

Go back to that school and figure out what the bloody hell you're gonna do about this before they hear about this. Cuz if they do, God help us all."

Chisaki took her leave without tea and in silent contemplation over her predicament. She had no idea what she was going to do now. She never expected he'd develop so quickly. She didn't think Basil had either.

She stepped out into the streets, lost in her own thoughts, oblivious to anyone around her.

Including princesses burdened with shopping.

[Katarina Karkov]

With Katarina unable to see where she was going, that's when the two collided, sending boxes flying everywhere.

[Chisaki Watanabe]

"Ooof!" The smaller girl squeaked, falling to the pavement amid the sea of purchases.

"Ahh! I am so sorry!" Red eyes and pink hair was the sport of the day for Chisaki, done up in white and black frills.

Valentine's day was right around the corner after all.

The unusual creature began collecting boxes within her reach.

[Katarina Karkov]

"Oh! No no no, it is me who is sorry. I do humbly apologize!" Katarina said, starting to gather everything back up herself.

[Chisaki Watanabe]

Chisaki went to hand Katarina the few she'd picked up, then realized her arms were pretty full already.

"Do you need help with these? You have got quite a few of them."

[Katarina Karkov]

"If you're not too busy, that would be lovely, thank you!"

[Chisaki Watanabe]

"I suspect I will not need to be anywhere for three to five hours." She replied. "Where are we going?" She asked of the stranger.

[Katarina Karkov]

"Just back to the university's campus.

You would think they would provide transport of some sort, wouldn't you?"

[Chisaki Watanabe]

"I guess I have never thought about it before. Walking everywhere seems normal to me. I bet it must feel unusual to the other students too.

Though you are not like the other students, are you?"

[Katarina Karkov]

"What? No! I'm exactly like the other students. What would you mean by that?" Katarina said, quickly.

[Chisaki Watanabe]

"You.... are not American either...?" She clarified. She didn't seem startled by Katarinas reaction.

"You are Katarina Karkov, yes? You have an accent and your name is not Jones...."

[Katarina Karkov]

"...Why would my name be Jones?"

[Chisaki Watanabe]

"Well it might be... If you were American. Or Smith. They have a lot of Smiths. Almost as many as we have Watanabes.
" She observed.

[Katarina Karkov]

"Oh, I see.

I think the majority of students here are British. We are in the United Kingdom, after all," she reasoned.

[Chisaki Watanabe]

Chisaki stared blankly in front of her, lost in thought.

"So why did you come then? "

[Katarina Karkov]

"I beg your pardon?"

[Chisaki Watanabe]

"What I mean to say is, why are you studying at Xavier's University? You are not an American so you are not afraid of the situation there, and you are not British so you are not here due to convenience.

Is there a reason you chose this school?"

[Katarina Karkov]

"There aren't many mutant-centric universities out there. I suppose it made the most sense.

Plus, it is good to get...out, and experience new things, no?"

[Chisaki Watanabe]

"Always!" She replied, mood lightening slightly.

"You have many purchases. Did you leave your things behind?"

[Katarina Karkov]

"Some of them, yes, but this is just some light shopping. Nothing too major."

[Chisaki Watanabe]

"Are they clothes?" She asked, curious, but not so curious as to dig through another person's things. That would be rude.

[Katarina Karkov]

"Yes! Just a couple of changes. I have some people I am meeting soon, so I needed to be prepared," she explained.

[Chisaki Watanabe]

"You and my room mate would get along I think. She dresses to impress as well."

[Katarina Karkov]

"Oh? And who is your roommate?"

[Chisaki Watanabe]

"Colette Rosenhof. She takes her clothes quite seriously. "

[Katarina Karkov]

"I have met her! She is...interesting.

I wouldn't think clothes would be high on her list of priorities."

[Chisaki Watanabe]

" Oh? Really?

She believes clothes make a first impression. She wants to make the best first impression she can.

Did it work?" She asked.

[Katarina Karkov]

"She...definitely made an impression of some kind," Katarina said, diplomatically.

[Chisaki Watanabe]

Thankfully for the conversation, Chisaki tended to be equally as diplomatic unless pressed, so while she caught the implication, she let it go.

"So who are you trying to impress? Scholarship funders?"

[Katarina Karkov]

"I beg your pardon? I'm not trying to impress anyone..."

[Chisaki Watanabe]

"Ah, my apologies." She replied.

"What I meant to say is, who are you meeting?"

[Katarina Karkov]

"I need to meet both Aiden and Jezabelle. Have you met them?"

[Chisaki Watanabe]

"No, not personally."

"My room mates boyfriend knows Jezabelle Sherlock. I have seen them talking." She added, trying to be helpful somehow.

"What are you meeting them about?" Questions, Chisaki had them.

[Katarina Karkov]

"We're just...meeting. We're friends. That's what friends do."

[Chisaki Watanabe]

"Oh." She replied, trying to think of scenarios in which she might purchase a new coord just for friends. She lit up like a Christmas tree after a moment.

:Oh! Is it a tea party?! May I come too?!"

[Katarina Karkov]

"A tea...

No! Why would you even think such a thing?"

[Chisaki Watanabe]

Chisaki shrugged, embarrassed. "Ah, ha. I am sorry.

My cousin used to host tea parties with her friend for my birthday, just us three. They always had nice new things and they always got me something nice and new to wear too.

And then I got excited. I really like cupcakes.

And... I miss them."

[Katarina Karkov]

"You miss the cupcakes?" Katarina said, confused by Chisaki's odd way of speaking.

[Chisaki Watanabe]

"My family." She clarified, sounding slightly melancholy.