Logs:Of Rumbles and Revisionism (Or, Sensitivity)

Of Rumbles and Revisionism (Or, Sensitivity)
Dramatis Personae Ashlinn, Naomi, Kavalam
In Absentia	2023-04-08 "Girl what?"
Location <XAV> Lake - Xs Grounds
Bright, bright, bright; the lake glitters wide and expansive here, stretching off into the distance. Sunlight, moonlight, starlight, it catches them all. Lapping at the rocky shore, its deep waters are frigid in winter and cool even in summer. A stone pier stretches out a ways into the water, wide and smooth, though often icy in winter. The water teems with life nevertheless, home to myriad species of fish that provide for ample fishing or just lazy watching on a slow summer day, for those who want to take a boat from the boathouse out to the center of the lake, or perhaps lounge on the pier and try their luck. It was a beautiful morning outside, this Good Friday, when Naomi came out to the edge of the lake to study an hour or so ago. Probably she’s supposed to be in class, maybe less likely her class has been canceled or she has a free period. Now, though, the world history text is closed on her lap over her jeans, and Naomi has scrunched into her blue Xaviers hoodie a little tighter. She has earbuds in, faint marching band music playing, as she looks up at the clouds threatening to roll over the school, then down to the lake where the waves are getting steadily choppier. Ashlinn steps onto the green fluffy grass filled w assorted flowers and herbs, She looks up to feel the sting of the suns burn on her cornea. Shes wearing a blue jean shorts and a green cropped tank top along with her platform black & white converse, she has a blue long droopy dark blue tote bag which has all her essentials in it which include crystals, makeup, her headphones, and her perfumes. Her hair is pointed straight down with brown highlights showing in the sunlight. She sees Naomi and heads towards her with a smile on her face “Hii Naomi how are you today?” she asked while staring down at naomi who had her headphones in. Naomi doesn’t look over at Ashlinn at first, doesn’t even pull out her headphones. Does pull out the phone they are connected to, though, and taps the pause button. Opens her text messages and stares at one from yesterday with intent focus, and only then looks up. “I’m fine,” she answers, sounding a little wary. Looks down at her book. Up at Ashlinn’s heavy tote. “What’s all that?” Naomi sounds genuinely curious. “All I got out here is—“ she taps her knuckles against the history textbook. “Hmm whats that text say, You seem distressed by it? do you need help with anything?” She sits in a pile of leaves right beside Naomi and continues to show her everything ashlinn has. “I carry around stuff I like to have on me at all times”. “Oh, lots of bullshit and historical revisionism, but it’s what’s on the AP test, so.” Naomi sets the book aside. “It ain’t hard it’s just boring an’ wrong.” She’s studying Ashlinn now, a little more seriously, peering into the bag. “… why you gotta have like, fifteen perfumes with you all the time?” “Ew, AP is horrendous and doesn’t need to be here. I think we should just get rid of math! english studies are much better anyways.” she rolls her eyes in frustration of all the years math made her frustrated “My perfumes are amazing and they all have a different scent so I can never get tired of the same smell all the time, Do you not use anything extra to make you seem more appealing to the societies standard?” she stares in confusion because everyone shes ever met has only cared about how they look and are portrayed. “AP is good for trying to get into college, ain’t it? English ain’t shit. Math is hard but kind of fun when you get it, it’s just puzzles.” Naomi wrinkles her nose at the perfumes before she pulls her head back. It seems like she’s going to say something about the perfumery in Ashlinn’s bag, but instead her mouth slams shut. “What the fuck,” she says angrily, “kind of question is that.” A glint of sunlight makes its way through the clouds and reflects on her scales, obsidian black across her forehead. “You think I’m ugly, just fucking say that.” She’s not gone yet, but she’s pushing off the ground to stand. “I didn’t say that and I don’t know why you would assume im that type of person!” She also stands up and stances herself in a very closed off position “What the fuck is your problem with everyone, you’re always making a bitchy face towards everyone and you only say negative shit and kill the mood for NO REASON along with the fact that NONE OF US HAVE DONE ANYTHING TO YOU!!” She screamed anxiously and filled the field with her voice. Naomi stands up, textbook hugged tight against her chest. “This is my face,” she hisses, “and it is not normal or standard and I have to live with that every day. Does that mean I have to put up with shit-head comments like ‘why don’t you try harder to be prettier’ which is basically what you just said? I get that enough every time I leave campus and now I gotta take it here too to spare your feelings? I don’t have a problem with everyone, I have a problem with people who comment about my appearance when I ain’t asked.” This whole time her voice doesn’t rise in volume. “Other people like me just fine.” “Okay well maybe I didnt mean it that way and you’re just way too sensitive!” She raises her arms and straightens her hands and so that the palm of her hand is pointing towards the ground “you need to calm down!” she shakes the ground so that the whole field of people could feel it. She stares at naomi intensely with intent to continue. “How the hell would I know how you mean it I’m not a telepath!” Even as Naomi raises her voice back at Ashlinn her voice is faltering, looking at the other girl’s hands and the trembling in the ground with widening fear. When she looks back up at Ashlinn, everything on her face suggests she’s terrified — everything, except for the sudden bright emerald glow of her eyes, pupils narrowed to dark slits in her even more snake-like visage. “'Stop that,'” would sound small and scared if it weren’t for the layering of hissing psionic echoes on top of her spoken words, Naomi’s power curling into Ashlinn’s mind and taking away the girl’s ability to do anything but what Naomi commands, “'stop that — stop using your power — right now!!'” Ashlinn forces her body back as an instinct as to why her powers weren’t working anymore and the ground had stopped rumbling “What did you do?! I don’t want you inside my head if thats what happened, I felt threatened and I needed to show that i was not gonna be beaten by someone as ignorant as you. I never meant it in the way you took it, I simply meant it as a way that I see the world as this fake picture where everyone is constantly trying to be the best looking. You’re a genuine person and I meant it as a compliment” She stands normal and grabs her bag off the ground while intensely breathing through her nose. It’s not until Naomi is confident the ground under her is shaking that she blinks, the glow from her eyes fading and pupils rounding out once again. Ashlinn has control of her powers back, but Naomi’s stance is tight and nervous. “Girl, what did you think I was gonna do.” Now without the force of her power behind it Naomi’s voice sounds small and terrified. “I was upset, ain’t Black freaks allowed to be upset before you go all Avatar Kyoshi on shit? I wasn’t gonna fight you I don’t even — like my powers I…” she trails off, looking at the waves on the lake, high now and churning from the quake. Quieter — “I’m sorry for the mind control, please don’t do that again.” “I won’t but i’m going to try to avoid you for a while and let everyone cool off, I have a feeling everyone is a bit mad at us for making a scene.” She walks up the hill towards the schools backdoor of the school, She turns around before entering the school and yells to naomi “Lets forget about this whole thing” She closes the door to the school. “Girl what?” Baffled, Naomi watches Ashlinn fast walk from the lake back to the main house, a distance far enough she definitely cannot hear Ashlinn’s final yell. She’s getting out her phone again, not to resume her music but to text — well, her finger is hovering over “Harm ☀️”, but she is squinting at the next name on her contacts list and the message there for a moment before she finally types out a message. (Naomi —> Kavalam): was this about ashlinn (Naomi —> Kavalam): cuz if so, damn you were so right (Kavalam --> Naomi): Is she doing more racism? You seem like a prime candidate for more white girl racism. (Naomi —> Kavalam): MORE???? (Naomi —> Kavalam): did the racism come with small earthquakes yesterday too omfg (Kavalam --> Naomi): That was HER? I thought it was your Jesus doing his dying today. (Kavalam --> Naomi): Rumbling my pooja out pf sheer spite. (Kavalam --> Naomi): Did she attack you? (Kavalam --> Naomi): Yesterday no earthquakes. (Kavalam --> Naomi): She told me we were all the same race and then told me that she was violent and wanted to destroy things. (Kavalam --> Naomi): I think it was a threat? I didn't know it came with potential earthquakes. (Naomi —> Kavalam): shit I ain’t paid attention in Sunday School but i think Jesus ain’t been doing no earthquakes? on the dying OR the rising (Naomi —> Kavalam): kinda? she said she felt threatened and she “wasn’t gonna be beat by someone ignorant as you” (me) so maybe that was her warning rumble (Naomi —> Kavalam): same race 💀 pls someone is projecting (Naomi —> Kavalam): white girls! what the fuck. (Kavalam --> Naomi): Beaten? Were you fighting in reality or just looking too black? (Kavalam --> Naomi): I think she meant that because she is a mutant, whiteness doesn't count. (Kavalam --> Naomi): Jaw-dropping how many of them think that. (Kavalam --> Naomi): You are okay though, no? That shook up all the grounds. (Naomi —> Kavalam): pls i think i raised my voice one (1) tick (Naomi —> Kavalam): my bones still vibrating but i shut her down before like, the earth done opened up (Naomi —> Kavalam): imma sit over here for a minute tho (Naomi —> Kavalam): think about how to make my face less bitchier so we have less school earthquakes (Kavalam --> Naomi): You have met our classmates, no? I personally find your face the exact correct amount of bitchy. (Kavalam --> Naomi): My face is at least three times as bitchy any given moment, but even if people could ever see it I suspect there would be maybe not the earthquaking. (Kavalam --> Naomi): Where is Over Here? (Naomi —> Kavalam): like by the pier? A lil up the slope from it. The ellipses of typing go on for a bit after that, and finally resolve, a few minutes later, into: (Naomi —> Kavalam): 🫠 At the edge of the grounds, Naomi puts her phone down on grass, hugs her knees, and stares out at the slowly calming lake. There is no answer from Kavalam, this time. Not for some time, at least -- not long, really, but long enough that the very recent conversation is already likely fading from mental prominence, even if its memory remains. Reply does, eventually, come, though. Not via the chirrup of the phone but quiet footsteps through the grass. He says nothing when he settles down nearby Naomi -- just sets a can of Sprite and a slice of cherry pie (plate and fork and pie alike clearly yoinked from the kitchen) down beside her. Then, leaning back on his palms, turns his gaze out toward the glittering waters as well.