Highmauve: Winter's Dorm Room

Winter looked at Agnes and sensed a slight shift in the mattress. She knew it... Her excuse didn't make things better. Winter sighed and watched as Agnes slowly sat up, seeming to gather her bearings. She had thought about grabbing her arm, convincing her to stay. Coming up with reasons why the long drive was even more of a reason to stay the night but she kept these to herself. Agnes was fierce and independent. It was part of the reason why she was so attracted to her in the first place.

She watched silently before sitting up as Agnes gathered her clothes in a well practiced and rather composed manner. She could have guessed that this wasn't her first rodeo at one night stands. Winter secretly hoped that this wasn't the case but in all honesty, it probably was. She looked down at the dark floor. The darkness of the night settled in around her now that Agnes wasn't here to chase it away. She was so stupid to think that Agnes would actually want something romantic with her.

She shook her head before looking up as Agnes reached the door to her dorm. She nodded slightly. "Only if you'll text back." She said with a soft smirk but her heart wasn't into it. Once the door shut behind Agnes, Winter unclenched her hands. She hadn't even realized that she had clenched them. She took a deep breath and her eyes and palms glow. Instantly lots of tiny glowing spheres float away from her palms and fill the room with light, chasing away the darkness.

She'd then pulled on some clean underwear and some fresh pajamas and changed her sheets as she realized what she had just done. SHe couldn't tell her parents that she just had sex (before marriage) with a girl. She had a one night stand with said girl. And now she felt like shit and like an idiot. Agnes lived way too far away for this to actually work out between them. She clearly had no intention of staying around after the deed was done. Lastly, she felt like an idiot because despite all of that, she still had a terrible crush on the older girl. Feelings are stupid.

She laid down on her newly made bed and stared at the lights that she made. Maybe she'll text Agnes in the morning. See if things are the same or different. With that thought, she fell asleep and the lights faded as soon as she was unconscious.

The cold snap had come out of NOWHERE!

The snow that swirled just outside the window was a bafflement to every news station in the county. It was a sudden storm that snowed in many people who were not prepared. Schools were canceled as people scrambled to plow the streets. It even led to classes for the universities to be canceled for the day. Still, work didn’t stop for every one.

Lindy, for example, was busy bustling from dorm to dorm, offering blankets and hot cocoa. Highmauve was one of those old schools whose boiler and heating systems were older than dirt and were on the fritz in winter. Maintenance went down and tried to fix it the best they could, but most of the buildings were still in the frosty stages of when this all started. So, she had banded together the rest of the members of Kirkstand Crew (the college’s welcome club) and handed everyone a pot of hot chocolate and at least a dozen blankets each. Now, they went door to door to check in on the students.

Her hand knocked on the newest dorm room door, her carefree smile playing on her face. She was pretty and petite- no taller than 5’6”, and compact like a gymnast. She wasn’t really ‘thin’, but had lean and toned muscles underneath her college sweatshirt and grey sweatpants. Her shoulder-length blonde hair was pulled into a messy bun on the top of her head. Her face was bitten with the cold- red nose, slightly watery eyes. But her smile was warm and inviting.

“Hello? Anyone home?

When the snow storm hit, Winter felt right at home. Even if it was cold in the old dorms, she bundled up in her various sweatshirts and blankets and sat next to the window watching the snow fall and blow around in the wind. It was just like Alaska, only there wasn't miles and miles of wilderness outside her window, just campus. She was trying to catch up on homework since classes were cancelled and she was just waiting for her teachers to post online assignments. Then there was a knock on the door. She got up from under her blankets and opened the door with a smile.

"Hey! what's up?" she asked the girl who was standing outside her dorm. Winter was hanging onto the door frame as she leaned away from it. She had to admit that this girl looked familiar but she couldn't quite put a name to the face. She was cute though, said a passing thought in her mind but Winter waved that away. She did enjoy the smiling face, even if the girl looked like she was starting to get a cold. She paused for a moment when she remembered where she had seen this girl before.

"Hey, you're one of the people who passed out blankets and the hot cocoa! Thanks by the way! I'm used to the cold but this is ridiculous." She said, jerking her thumb towards her dorm window.

“Oh yeah, this storm came out of NOWHERE!” Lindy offered a smile, shifting the blankets in her grip, the thermos of hot cocoa hanging off her wrist “Sounds like you were already hit with the blanket brigade. But we have some extras if you are interested!”

She presents the pile, her smile growing just a little bit more. She was glad to see someone with a somewhat sunny attitude despite all this. Between the chaos, Lindy found that people were getting grumbly about EVERYTHING now. And sure, blankets and cocoa weren’t going to solve everything, at least it was bringing something to all that was happening. Something positive, in it’s own little way. Lindy shivered once more, before looking at Winter once again.

“My name is Lindy! I’m with Kirkstand Crew- the weirdos during welcome week that help with tours and stuff. We just wanted to check in to make sure everything was okay!”

Winter smiled. "Oh thanks but I'm good. I brought blankets from home too last time I went so you can save those for other, more needy people." She added with a grin. She did take the thermos. "But I'll gladly take the hot cocoa. It's one of my favorite things in the world! You can't go wrong with a mug of the good stuff!"

"Oh! I'm Winter and this is my dorm." She said, making a wide sweep with her arm, gesturing to her hockey memorabilia filled room behind her. She looked at the girl again. "You better make good use out of those blankets yourself or you'll catch a cold too, then you really can't be one of the weirdos giving tours." She said with a wink.

In a swift motion, the blankets fell with the softest *plop*, as she swung her bright yellow Kranken backpack off one shoulder and to her front. She unzipped it with one hand, grabbing a mug from inside with the other. It’s a simple university mug that could be bought at any bookstore on campus, the school’s yellow logo against an off-white background. Once her bag was zipped and secured onto her back, she turned back to the thermos hanging from her wrist and unscrewed it, pouring the warm, light brown liquid in the mug. Steam swirled from the mug, curling and dissipating into the air. With a smile just as warm, she passed the mug to Winter. “Glad someone is taking the hot chocolate, most people just take the blankets and leave.”

With a head tilt, Lindy looked at winter. Without the blankets, her outfit reveals to be a pair of thick grey sweatpants that had been rolled up around her waist many times and a maroon crew neck sweatshirt. It was all baggy and warm, function over form. Which was what she needed right now! She leaned against the other side of the door frame “I’m sure I will live from a little cold. And tease all you want! I like being a weirdo who gives tours!”

With a sigh, she peeked into the dorm room for a moment “You planning on leaving early? We only have a week until Thanksgiving. Plenty of kids are splitting.”

Winter grinned as the other girl dropped the blankets to get at the cocoa that was hidden away in her bag. Winter watched as she poured the chocolaty goodness into the mug before handing it into her eager hands. "Thanks! Smells amazing!" She blew on it gently before taking a sip. "Oooo and it tastes almost as amazing! Shame that people only take the blankets, this is so good! Well...more for us, right?" She added with a smirk. Winter could appreciate the other girl's style. Function was always important for her wardrobe. It has to be comfy first and cute second.

She laughed at her quick retort. "Fair enough. If that's what you like, more power to you." When asked about Thanksgiving, Winter shrugged and took a sip. "Well, with the weather like this... All flights are canceled or delayed. I might get snowed in and stuck on campus or stuck in long airport delays where I only spend like a day at home which really isn't worth the effort."

She glanced back at her hockey things. "That said, I might be able to go ice skating since it's so cold. The lake should be solid enough. It'll give me something to do if I'm here all break."

“I heard the snow is letting up a bit, should be clear soon. But I get it, if your home is so far away. I’m from Pennsylvania, so it’s all groovy for me. Probably will stop down to check on pops this weekend.”

She often did, despite the couple hour drive. She just… She worried about him. Since she started school two years prior, she saw the man slowly deteriorate. Heck, that had been happening since high school. Always in the barn, working on the same old plane, listening to the same old Johnny Cash cassettes. She tried to tell herself that it hadn’t always been this bad, but the memories of the ‘good dad’ and the ‘foggy dad’ melded together, and she was unsure which was when anymore. The best she could do was check-in and remind him to eat something besides the hamburger patties he hoarded in the chest freezer in the garage.

Lindy followed Winter’s gaze to the ice hockey equipment. Whoa. Didn’t see that often, she thought with a glint in her eye. She likes skating herself- had a little retention pond on their property that she was allowed to skate on in the winter. It was never anything serious, just a way to show off her gymnastics skills, she supposed. She also remembered falling on her butt a lot.

“You play? Hockey? That’s pretty cool. I didn’t know the school even had a hockey team.”

"Well, I'm from middle of nowhere Alaska so you can't get much farther than that." She said with a smirk before sipping the hot cocoa again. "But Pennsylvania isn't too bad of a drive compared to that. I would totally go home if that was the case."

As Lindy looked at her gear, Winter grinned. "Oh yeah. Ive been playing since I was small. Pretty much as soon as I could walk, I was skating. As for the hockey team..." She shrugged. "It's more of a club. Though I have to wear the inhibitor the whole time." She rolled her eyes. "It's whatever but I wish they made them cuter."

"What about you? Do you play?" She quickly changed the subject in case Lindy wasn't a fan of mutants. You never could tell any more here on campus. She looked down at her mug as she slipped at it in an attempt to shield her lavender eyes. She wasn't usually ashamed of them but again, it didn't go so well to be all 'mutant and proud" everywhere you go.

“Wow, Alaska? Where from? I’ve always wanted to go- specifically the National Parks.” Lindy said wistfully staring out the window. She had so many places she wanted to see! Alaska, California, Europe, Thailand- her mother (God bless her) would take Lindy to the library as a child, and would find the gir curled up in travel guide books, flipping through pictures. One day, she would see the world, she just knew it! Once she was graduated and her father was better and she had money and everything lined up.

But she wasn't worried. It would happen eventually.

“And no, I don’t play. I just would skate for fun when I was a kid, and it wasn’t like I was doing double axles or anything” Lindy gave a short laugh, remembering once again how much she fell on her ass. “It’s cool you are in a club. Although, I’m not sure what an inhibitor is. Sounds lame.”

Lindy took the time to lean down and lift some of the blankets back into her arms. Not that she needed to- Winter’s dorm was her last stop! She just needed to drop them back off at the Student Union building within the next two hours or so. Lindy did realize that Winter wasn’t meeting her eyes, which was strange. But, like most things, she decided to not be bothered by it. It wasn’t her job to judge anyone.

"Sitka. It's on one of the islands. But there's a national park to the North a few islands up! But it's absolutely stunning up there. I'd tell everyone to visit if they can." She smiled warmly at her before sipping her hot Cocoa once more. She did miss home and it was hard being so far away from it all the time but it made the breaks so much more satisfying. She just couldn't go home on three day weekends. It wasn't worth it.

When Lindy mentioned that she wasn't familiar with inhibitors and Winter realized that Lindy wasn't a mutant. She bit her lip. That worried her slightly. What if she didn't let mutants? Doubtful since she was part of the welcoming crew.... But still...

Winter was shaken from her worry when she saw Lindy pick up the blankets. "oh? Do you have more blankets to hand out?" She asked, looking up at her. Momentarily forgetting the fact that Lindy was a normal human.

Lindy could feel something.. Shift with Winter when she admitted not knowing what an ‘Inhibitor’ was. If she were being honest, it made Lindy feel a little bad. It was obvious that it was something that made Winter feel uncomfortable. Again, it wasn’t her place to judge, especially since she didn’t even know what the thing was, but Lindy felt something tug at the back of her mind. She filed this information away, hoping it would make sense one day.

She continued gathering the blankets in her grasp, slowly shifting from the weight. They were heavy, even for Lindy’s seemingly slight body. But under the many folds of her oversized sweats, her toned muscles tightened and held her pile together. She peeks around the stack, focusing on Winter as she speaks.

“Oh! No, I’m actually going to go return these bad boys to the Student Union. In case anyone else needs one- you were my last stop!” Giving a hopeful look, she holds out her wrist with the thermos hanging off “Seeing as how much you liked the hot cocoa do you want the rest? It’s just going to get thrown out anyway.”

The thermos sloshed as she wiggled her wrist with a flick, trying to tempt Winter in the rest. Lindy might not know what suddenly turned Winter off to her, but she was still going to extend the olive branch. A new friend was always great in her book.

Winter raised an eyebrow as Lindy shifted her weight under the blankets. There was still an awful lot of them and it seemed that she was struggling just a little bit. She was about to offer to help when the other girl offered her the rest of the hot cocoa. "oh! Uh sure!" She took the thermos, giggling as she heard the sloshing of the sweet brown liquid inside. She set the thermos onto her desk.

"Would you like some help?" She looked up and down the hallway. "Are you the only one handing this stuff out?" Winter grabbed her jacket from inside her room. "Come on. I'll help carry some of those blankets for you. Not that you aren't a strong woman but you should have some help."

“Oh, I would LOVE some help!” Lindy nods enthusiastically, passing a third of the pile to Winter with a soft thump. “I wasn’t the only one handing stuff out, we each took a dorm building! I lucked out with this one, huh?”

Another smile flashes at Winter one more smile before stepping away from the door frame, heading through the common area. Her snow boots clomp with each step away from the warm room and toward the cold, cold,cold door. She shudders slightly at the thought of heading back outside. “Seriously though, thank you. For the manpower and the company. Campus is so quiet since everything hit the other night. Everyone is staying in and staying warm.”

Snowflakes fell lazily onto the windows, no longer swirling around angrily in the air. Lindy couldn’t help but admire how the sun hit the snow on the earth, dazzling in the light like a million crystals. Winter was never her favorite, but she always appreciated the beauty. The stillness.

Winter laughed and took the pile. "give me a couple seconds." She set down the blankets so she could bundle up in her winter gear before picking up the pile again and taking a couple more blankets off of Lindy's pile and placed them on her own to even out the work. She laughed a bit. "Yeah. One of the biggest dorms and home to some of the friendliest students!" Winter winked at that last comment as they headed outside into the cold.

"yeah I second the quietness. I'm not too used to it. My house was always pretty loud growing up." She chuckled a bit. "But it was always quiet outside like this." She sighed happily. Winter was always getting homesick when it snowed.

"So... Do you get snow like this all the time where you're from?" She asked.

A soft chuff of laughter plays the blonde’s lips at the mention of the biggest dorm rooms and friendliest students. Lindy had friends across campus and was aware of many more. She was a floater in high school, not ever really tied down to one friend group. Which made her almost friends with nearly everyone. And that carefree attitude toward her relationships carried with her into college. She knew a couple of the people in Winter’s dorm- a smaller guy who ran D&D campaigns out of the library, the stout girl who always talked about her dairy cows, the pair of twin boys who were mad talented on the debate team. She also knew that Winter’s dorm was where that one buff, albiet scrubby RA who saved all those people in the cafeteria lived. She didn’t know the guy personally, but she heard great things about him from the various circles on campus. And others… not so great. But she didn’t really associate the bigots with small-minded comments on the smaller, mutant population of the school. They were some of the few groups that really cramped her style.

Shaking the thought off, they exited the building and were enveloped in the frigid winter air. It hit her nose first, making it feel so much smaller in the cold. Another shift in blankets as she started her journey across the quad, slowing her case to accommodate Winter. No one was out because of the cold- instead of studying on the lawn or tossing a frisbee, most students were holed away inside, away from the freeze. The snow fell slowly, and there was an eerie silence. A moment passes, and if she listens very carefully, she can hear the soft bells of a nearby church in the distance.

Winter is speaking again, her perky voice pulling Lindy away from the scenery and back to the girl. “I mean, it snows like this in the winter. It gets cold and nasty, but it’s not like it’s that much different from Jules. Or Alaska.”

She added a wink to the last statement before turning her head to meet Winter’s eyes. Baby blue meets lilac for a moment, and Lindy tilt’s her head ever so slightly. Those were a strange color. Well, not strange. It wasn’t like they were red or completely back or missing irises at all. In fact, Lindy thought the soft purple was lovely. And she also thought that it wasn’t very polite to ask about why her eyes were like that. It was obvious their eyes met, and if Winter wanted to talk about it, that was her choice. It was not Lindy’s business to pry about it, and so, she looked away with yet another breezy smile and adds “Pennsylvania is average. And that’s fine by me.”

As Lindy laughed slightly at her slight brag about her dorm, she smirked, satisfied to get the other girl to smile. She seemed to get lost in the scenery around them. Campus was silent which was nice after a busy semester. But still, she also missed the noise. She noticed Lindy also slowing down a bit and Winter matched her speed. Carrying the blankets helped keep her a bit warmer which helped keep the chill away.

At Lindy little quip, Winter laughed. "Well, then I guess I got a good picture of what your hometown looks like in the winter." She said with a grin. Then the other girl met her eyes and Winter looked away quickly, biting her lower lip. She waited for Lindy to ask. She obviously wanted to but then she said nothing for a few moments. When she did speak, she didn't even mention them! Winter let out a soft sigh and returned the smile.

"Hey, if you can't be happy at home, where can you be happy? Though, I'm sure it's pretty in Pennsylvania."

Happy at home.

Lindy rolled the words around her brain, like marbles in a funnel. Happy was not something she associates with home now. In the past, yes, absolutely. When the days were touched with a golden light, when laughter echoed through the halls of their little farm house. Days of rollerskating in the halls and homemade family dinners. Now, it was only an etching of what it was- mistaken names, silent worry. She loved her home, no doubt about it. But it didn’t make her very happy anymore.

“Oh, it’s gorgeous. I love the spring. Or summer. When all the trees are green and the flowers are blooming! Although, winter makes it into a new landscape.”

Lindy’s grin barely reached her eyes, but she turned her gaze to the Student Union building. A large structure, imposing. One of the older buildings on campus, all stone and wood and masonry that was probably impressive to those who knew about such things. According to the little wood plaque on the front, it was the first building of the college many years ago, and Lindy could believe it. She walked up the steps, crossing the threshold, and entering a room that was all dark wood and fireplaces and overstuffed armchairs. While Lindy preferred minimalism and would prefer to just study outside, she had to admire the room for what it was. And the warmth. She stomped the snow of of her boots, and let herself shudder one last shiver.

“So? What are you studying, Winter?” She turned back to the girl, her eyes smiling with her once agaim

Winter listened to her as she spoke of her home. Something seemed... Off in her voice, almost wistful or... Longing maybe. "That sounds lovely." She commented but left Lindy to her thoughts. They were almost at their destination anyways.

Once they stepped inside the old building, Winter relaxed. "Man. Sweet, sweet heat!" She stomped off the snow from her own boots and smiled at Lindy. "Me? Oh business and management. I want to start my own hockey league. Figured this was a good place to start." She was relieved to see that whatever had been bothering her had pass. It was probably the freezing temperatures outside that was responsible for her brief melancholy.

"what about you? What are you studying?" She asked as she looked around the old stuffy building. Being in a place this old was both cool and intimidating. But it was certainly better than being outside at the moment so she wasn't going to complain too much.

“World religions. I’m a junior.” Lindy answered with a smile. She really enjoyed Winter’s optimism and wanting to leave something in the world. And a hockey league? That sounded really cool! Lindy was the first one to admit that she wasn’t sure where her major would lead her. She hoped to travel, but she knew it could lead to grad school. Exploring the world, experiencing new cultures? That was enough for her.

“B&M though? That’s cool. I got a friend studying it. Her name is Morrie? Maybe you’ve met her. She’s super chill, knows the best ramen place in town.” The thought of a warm meal made Lindy’s stomach churn. She hadn’t eaten since breakfast, and it was well into the late afternoon.

“Speaking of- I gotta go get some lunch. Or maybe dinner at this point. Wanna join? We can go off campus since the cafeteria is.. Well…”

What should she say? Destroyed? Torn apart? So many things had happened to that building, the rumors swirled around what exactly had happened. A Jungle had appeared, had started to grow past the cafeteria. Animals appeared, then locusts, then acid, in some order. Tables were thrown, the stone had cracked. A student had lost everything.

How could you describe it?

“Gone. Since the cafeteria is gone” She decides on finally.

"Oh that's cool! I always enjoy reading being mythologies and other different cultures. Granted it's more of a hobby but that's pretty cool." She thought about some of the stories she's read when she was in high school. The Egyptians were always her favorite. But that was something else all together.

"Morrie? I think I know that name. I mean, I'm only a freshman so I'm still meeting new people and getting to know the program. Maybe after break, I'll reach out to her, if only to learn the secrets of this ramen place." She added with a wink.

Winter nodded solemnly at the mention of the cafeteria. The story was all over campus. To make things worse, she knew who all was involved personally. "Yeah... Gone is a good word for that whole situation." She nodded again. Sometimes she had to admit that certain mutant abilities were absolutely insane. Hers was harmless all things considered.

"But sure, I'll join you. I'm a bit hungry too. I had a late breakfast so I haven't eaten lunch yet. What do you have in mind?" She looked over at Lindy. She at least didn't seem too freaked out about the cafeteria business. Hopefully that meant that she wasn't scared of mutants.

“Ramen? Or maybe some Thai? What do you think? I’m not too picky!” That was an understatement- after eating the same thing at home, any new type of food was a blessing. The flavors and spices that danced on her tongue was her favorite, and she often indulged. She decided it would be safer to have Winter choose, to not upset the girl if she did have a preference.

Speaking of.

Lindy could sense a tonal shift in the conversation. It was almost as if Winter was walking on eggshells around her, and Lindy wasn’t quite sure why. She knew it started when she mentioned the cafeteria- perhaps Winter knew some of those involved. Or maybe she was there? Lindy wasn’t sure, but she decided not to dwell. Instead, she placed the blankets beneath a desk. No one sat on the other side, but Lindy knew that the secretary, a stout and jolly woman named Rhonda, would be back soon.

“Thanks for helping!” Lindy leans against the wall, her face rosy from the cold “I really appreciate it. Most people wouldn’t just drop what they’re doing and help a random stranger!”

Winter considered the two options Lindy gave her. She tilted her head from side to side as she thought about it. "Uhhhh ramen sounds good actually. Something warm and savory." She smiled at her before looking ahead again. She didn't want to talk about the incident. She wanted to avoid any sort of talk about being a mutant. Talk like that leads to uncomfortable conversations.

Once they sat down the blankets on the desk, she smiled at her and placed her hands on her hips. "Oh it's fine. I was just doing homework and who wants to do that?" She said. She laughed happily. "Plus it looked like you needed help. That said, you ready for some food?"

“I’m always ready for ramen!”

Lindy pushed herself off the wall and shoved her small hands into her sweatpants pockets, as they made their way across the building once again. It was pretty empty, but the Lindy smiled and nodded at some of the people slunk into the armchairs or were warming next to a fireplace. One even called out her name, a taller girl with dark,warm-toned skin, a purple shaved head, and a septum piercing. Lindy gave a smile and removed her hands from her pockets to give a little wave. She liked Jayelle, they met last year in a gender studies class that Lindy picked up last minute. They haven’t met for coffee in a while, which was a shame. Taking a mental note to shoot the girl a text, Lindy turned her attention back to Winter.

“So? Freshman, huh? How do you like school?” It didn’t need to be said that this semester was crazy for anyone, not to mention freshmen. Highmauve used to be this little private college that was well funded, sure, but far from well known. Now? It was very quickly being thrust onto a national platform.

Winter grinned back and followed Lindy through the building. It was a bit cozy sort of like an old library or something. She nodded a bit to herself. Yeah, like an old library. Some people were cuddled up into the various chairs getting cozy. She recognized a couple from her classes but not enough to wave.

As Lindy spoke to her, Winter smiled. "Yeah I like school here. It's so much bigger than my high school. It's ridiculous!" She shook her head. "Most of the professors have been fairly nice though and same with my classmates. I've really only crossed a few who I loathe." She shrugged. "Thats life I guess."