Logs:There will be no quiz

There will be no quiz
Dramatis Personae Kieow, Astrid
In Absentia	2020-10-14 '
Location <XAV> Roof - Xs Third Floor
The view from up here is phenomenal, a panorama of the expansive Xavier's grounds, forest and lake and rocky cliffs alike. Even without the view outwards, the rooftop itself holds its own delights, in the form of the tiny jewel of a flower garden tucked away up here, tended by one of the school's teachers. From the edge of the roof, with a veeery careful jump, it looks like it just might be possible to reach the treehouse in the old oak tree. After a restless night, Kieow rises early and heads to the roof. She grabs a blanket and her tablet and sets herself up a little nest next to the flower bed. The blanket is pulled over her head and gripped tight just below her chin, while her other hand sticks out, holding the smallish screen out where she can see it. Her eyes are puffy and barely open, but she's staring at a video that she pauses and starts and rewinds and pauses again and again, the sound crackling from the little speaker. There are people screaming and bullets flying. The person filming is providing some commentary, which overwhelms the background noise, but doesn't necessarily provide useful information. The green girl with hair of pothos, swallows hard and sighs. She returns to the browser and starts searching again. Having woken up several times already due to her recently acquired itchy cast on her right wrist, Astrid decided to give in and start her day. Just as she was leaving the bathroom to head back to the room, she spots her roommate with a blanket in tow heading down the hall. Quickly darting into their room, she grabs her hoodie and starts to trail Kieow’s steps, ultimately ending on the rooftop. She pauses to stare out over the school grounds and take in the stunning view before heading in the other girls direction. It’s her first visit up to the rooftop and she makes a mental note to visit more often. She’s dressed in her usual oversized blackhoodie with a pair of black soccer style shorts and no shoes or socks.. Her black framed glasses adorn a face that is riddled with little cuts, most starting to heal. “Hey Kieowwww.” The name is half yawned. “You doing alright?” She looks down at her roommate, who is still clearly mourning the recent loss of Dawson. This was not someone Astrid had met, but the mood was palpable across the whole school and impossible to ignore. "No." Kieow responds, her gaze still lowered. "I can't find better video. I don't know why I am looking. I shouldn't be looking, but I just... want to see him." She sniffs and blinks away the tears before pushing the power button and sliding the tablet away. She pulls her hand inside her cocoon and looks up to Astrid, squinting in the bright light of the morning. "I've texted my brother. He should... come get me. or send someone... or.. something. I... can't imagine what he's going through. Half of him... is just gone." Astrid doesn’t ask, but plops down next to Kieow. Left hand is used to get the cast into her right sleeve before it disappears into the sleeve of its own. ”I am so sorry… I…” she hesitates, knowing very well she’s never been good at comforting people despite her best attempts. “Do you… do you have any videos of him when he was still here? Something good to focus on?” She nods her head, eyes shifting over to the corner garden before settling back at the ground before her bare feet. “Do you need help getting to him? I mean… I’m sure I could figure something out.” Her words trail off as Kieow’s last words roll around in her head. “He’s alright? Your brother that is?” "I'm sure he'll send someone. Soon. Or maybe when Mr. Holland gets back.. if he comes back." Kieow gently dismisses that concern, optimistic in the impending departure. "I'll be fine. I'm sure he just... needed the night... to..." mourn? "And he'll send for me soon." She looks over at Astrid when she asks after Hive. "No. Fon was... Dawson was half of him. They shared a brain. They were blended together... on the insides. All their thoughts and feelings - they always heard and knew and now... that's gone." Astrid nods her head at Kieow’s optimism that someone will come to get her. She remains silent, constantly wiggling her nose to adjust her glasses. It’s a nervous habit that is clearly magnified right now as she suddenly feels every minute point of contact the plastic makes with her skin. “Oh… I had no idea. I couldn’t even begin to fathom what he must be going through.” She shakes her head slowly. “The sudden void he must.” She cuts herself short, biting down hard onto her bottom lip. “I am sure he just needs some time and someone will be here soon to get you.” "Yeah," Kieow agrees, her gaze drifting to the nothingness ahead of her feet. The quiet endures, until Kieow reaches forward and grabs up her tablet once more. She flicks it back on, then moves from searching youtube to looking through files to find a video from years past. She opens it and turns the screen a little so Astrid can watch. The image starts playing and the two men in video start wishing Kieow a very happy 8th birthday. Their mannerisms are exaggerated and silly, meant to cheer up her younger self. "We used to talk all the time on video. But we didn't record it very often. I still have this because they recorded it one year when they couldn't be home... and I couldn't have a party because my friends weren't allowed to see me anymore." Astrid leans in to get a better look at the screen. A slight smile begins to curl across her lips as she watches the two men wish an 8 year old Kieow a happy birthday. The exaggerated movements help prolong the smile, but eventually it comes to an end as she starts to reflect on the lack of communication she’s had with her family since she moved to the school. “That was really nice of them… I should do something like that for my sister this year.” Left hand emerges from her sleeve as she points to the screen. “That’s Fon and that’s Dawson, right?” She’s going off the photos on Kieow’s side of their room. "I keep it around to cheer me up sometimes." Kieow watches, smiling despite her tears. When the screen freezes at the end of the video, she glances over at Astrid and her gestures. "Oh. No. I mean, yes. That's Dawson, but I call him Fon. We have a lot of nicknames for people that serve as regular names. Our long legal names are kind of... just for things like special recognition awards or certificates... church or temple things?" She bites her lip. "For example, my birth name is Sumalee Suphamongkhon, but no one calls me that, not even mother when she's mad. Everyone calls me Kieow or Khie Whan and that's my name. It's just how it is in Thailand. So when Dawson Allred came to Thailand for his mission... with my brother, Jetsadayut, they had different names. Fon... for Dawson. and Bua for Jetsadayut -- though most just call Bua Hive these days." Astrid starts to shrink down, embarrassed by her misunderstanding. She smiles again, but briefly. “Oh, yeah, that makes sense now. Sorry for not connecting the… um dots earlier.” She looks to the tablet, the gardens, really anything that isn’t Kieow to hide the redness building I’m her cheeks. “The only other name my parents ever called me was you-son-of-a-bitch.” An attempt to distract with humor. “Well… not that often. Usually just Astrid. “She finally faces Kieow. “Sum-ah-lee.” She says slowly and not necessarily correct. “I like it.” "Astrid, did I not tell you that you needed to be an expert in Thai culture and modern expressions because you are my roommate? Are we still on track to speak only Thai in our room? I know I said that I would do a traditional dance, but I have been too busy to gold leaf my headdress so that might need to wait until next semester." Kieow stares straight ahead as she speaks, her grieving giving her a more significant deadpan than she's ever been able to pull off before. Finally, she cracks a little smile as she slides an elbow to nudge the other girl. "There's no way you could have known their nicknames. There is actually no quiz." Astrid’s jaw slowly starts to drop as she listens to the list Kieow starts spouting off. “Oh, I think I should be pretty conversational in my Thai in… well, I guess… probably by the time I hit my 30s? Should I start learning now?” She nudges her right back with her elbow, briefly cracking a smile. “Thanks for omitting the quiz. Does that mean I can burn my notes?” "Sure, just... not in our room. It takes forever to get the smell out of clothing." Kieow bows her head and smiles weakly. She is quiet, listening to the breeze through the colorful tree leaves. Finally, she rises. "I should... go downstairs and pack. Who knows. Maybe someone will be here soon." “Deal.” Astrid says with a nod. She watches her roommate stand up as her glasses begin a slow crawl down towards the middle of her nose. “I bet someone will be here very soon.” Glasses are pushed back up with a single digit. “Let me know if there is anything I can do.” She glances over to the rustling leaves and can’t help but be overcome by the sprawling view. A welcome, if minute reprieve from the current state of the world. “I’m going to stay up here for just a little while longer… and I really mean it. Let me know if there is anything I can do.” She continues to gaze off into the surrounding landscape, lost to the world for just one more minute. "I will. But for right now, I think I just have to wait." Kieow bows her head in gratitude, then disappears down the stairs.