xp_communication | Letters from Chicago

July 25, 2004

Dear Amanda,

Sorry I didn’t write you again more quickly. Keeping up a steady correspondence with an entire mansion full of people isn’t easy, but I figured I should drop you a note to see how you were doing? I hope you and everyone else are well. I am, mainly. Am being harassed by some guys I taught a lesson to last week, but nothing I can’t handle. Especially since more than half the local kids are on my side. Actually, the locals here are pretty nice. It’s a bit of a shock, since I didn’t really get on well with any of them before I left. Didn’t even know most of them, truth be told.

But that’s neither here nor there. I was mainly just writing to say hi, and that I miss everyone. It seems like I say that in every letter I write this summer, but that probably just goes to show how very true it is. Stay safe and be well,

-Kitty

July 25, 2004

Dear Jamie,

Have I told you lately I love you? Not recently enough, I’m sure. Love you.

Going slightly stir crazy, and unfortunately, the end of this month isn’t bringing me another weekend with you. Tried to suggest to my ~~Jailer~~mother that she should let me take a weekend for good behavior and go visit the school, but she was adamant. Apparently my behavior hasn’t been all that good. Don’t know what she’s talking about – I only mention you and the school and NY and everyone I miss once every couple of hours.

Honestly, if she didn’t want a mopey teenager living at home she should have left me at school. I’m her own fault, in more ways than one.

And blowing off a little steam in a letter helps, so thanks, and sorry that’s what most of this one is, but unfortunately there’s not much else worth talking about. Am getting on well with most of the locals, and the ones I don’t get on with are learning to stay out of my way. I may not be a killer ninja or swashbuckling pirate, but I’m cleverer than they are and they’ve figured it out.

How about you? How go your relations with the local townies? HeliX meetings still going well? I certainly hope so. Say hi to everyone at the next one for me, and tell them I miss them. Also, see what they would think about branching out to other cities.

Oh, gotta run. Dad’s taking me out to dinner and he just pulled up.
Love you!
-Kit

July 25, 2004

Dear Angelo,

Hi! How are you? How’s everyone at the school? Hope things are going well.

I’m doing ok here in Chi-town, although I miss all of you like crazy. I guess that’s just the way things are going to be, at least for another month.

Just wanted to say ‘hi’, and also thank you for being so wonderful in general. You’ve done a lot for me, and it occurs to me I don’t say thank you enough. Enclosed a bunch of pictures I took the other week that I thought you’d like. You’ve seen NYC and LA, figured I’d give you a chance to see another metropolis, even if only vicariously.

Hugs and love to all, -Kitty

July 25, 2004

Dear Paige,

I think I’ve rather outdone myself with the paper. Who knew they made stationary with glitter mixed into the paper. Whatever you do, don’t let Clarice know of this invention – it could drive her mad with lust, or something.

How’s things? How’re people? Is there any new gossip in the mansion? Not that I ever followed the old gossip with more than a passing glance and a thorough reading of the journal system, but seeing as I’m currently denied both I shall rely upon you to at least pretend to keep me informed.

It’s like journalism, only more trashy.

Just think, Paige, this could be your first step to a columnist job for the Weekly World News, or even the Enquirer. Although, really, Baby Born With Two Heads isn’t all that newsworthy in the modern age when we understand all the things which can go wrong during pregnancy, and Tragic Dog Baby’s not all that unlikely, given we’re mutants.

Yeah, ok, so I still fail at this whole ‘being girly’ thing. Am getting lessons on it occasionally from some of the girls in my dance class, but they seem to think I’m even more hopeless than anyone thought before. Although that may be because I have absolutely no interest in movie stars. I told them I had a boyfriend and they said it didn’t matter, I could ogle anyway, and I said that ogling was one thing and obsessing over was an entirely different matter. Then half of them walked off in a huff and the other half just laughed at me.

Seems I may have to resign myself to failing at one thing, at least. But you’ll still love me even if I never manage to figure out what the difference between a color treatment and dying hair is, right?

Anyway, love to all, and be well, and write me back, because letters entertain me in my times of deepest sorrow, or something.

Yours affectionately,
-Kit

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

x-crowdofone.livejournal.com

Dear Kitty,

Love you too. I wish you were here. I'm going to vent a lot, just to warn you, and I'm sending this express overnight try-really-hard-to-evolve-teleportation-powers-so-it-gets-there-as-fast-as-possible mail, and as soon as I figure it's gotten there I'm going to call you. I'd call right now except it's easier to write down, and then I can send it and feel like I've done something, and then if I call after you read it I won't have to explain everything twice and get confused.

First off, your roommates are all different kinds of nuts this week. Terry's dad showed up, retired from his job to come teach here, I guess, and he seems like a really nice guy but you can imagine how thrilled she is. So there's that. And Jubilee and Amanda keep having these vicious catfights all over the journals, why I'm not exactly sure except Jubilee's been spending a lot of time with Manny lately, but if she ever wondered why everybody was surprised as hell to find out she's turning 18 . . .

And then Illyana had this gigantic screaming fight with Piotr, who basically disowned her, because, let's see if I'm remembering the incredibly loud bellow right, his little sister died in Limbo and he'll never see her again. Apparently Amanda went to talk to him and convinced him that Illyana isn't Illyana, or is . . . I don't even know, but it's this whole big thing and he's acting like he's nine, and I can tell she's upset even if she isn't exactly Queen of the Sharing People, and I've been doing what I can for her, God knows she doesn't have that many other friends around here, but it's a mess. Do you think your parents will let you visit if you tell them you're the only thing that can keep your roommates sane?

And then, well, I'm sure you've seen the news by now. God, so many people. And you know what almost the first thing Clarice said was? "Maybe we should have a HeliX response?" And the only thing I could think was, a response? To a mass murder? And say what, "hey look, some mutants are harmless?" "We're sorry it happened, but hey look, coffee?"

I mean, yeah, I think we should do something, but there's nothing we can do about the actual event. There's no "response" to something like that. It happened. It was awful. Hell, I'm still trying to wrap my mind about it. But we're teenagers, for crying out loud--the only possible response I can think of is, there's already noises being made--you should've seen the headlines, it was front page news on the Times, the Post, and the Bugle this morning and the letters to the editor were just . . . God. I think there's probably going to be, they're going to bring back that mutant registration act, or something like it, only now with actual vast amounts of evidence that mutants really are dangerous, and the only thing I can think of to do is if that starts going, try to remind people that bad people with mutant powers are just like bad people with bombs, or guns . . .

It's just too big, though. All I wanted from HeliX was fun, and seeing if it was even possible to get a bunch of mutants and a bunch of regular people in the same room together and everybody getting along, and maybe if it worked to tell people about it. And now it's like, hello, welcome to the big leagues, but the big leagues are really big, and I'm not ready for this, and my beautiful wonderful sensible girlfriend who makes me feel like I can do anything is halfway across the country.

And that sounded like whining. I don't blame you for not being here, I just wish you were. But it's helped some just getting all this out, and I'll talk to you on Tuesday, probably, and that'll help more, and maybe we'll be able to think of something.

I love you so much.

Jamie

From:

x-foliate.livejournal.com

My dearest Katherine,

I do not deserve your attentions for I am a fool. A distracted, selfish fool who has been staring at her To Do pile and ignoring your poor, poor letter from earlier while telling myself, "I shall write back later, when there is less mass chaos abound." Unfortunately, you know as well as I, that there is never a lack of mass chaos where I and you will again abode.

And so, in offering for your forgiveness (which I do not deserve for I am the scum of the earth) I have specially made thee a fantastic kind of- oh the heck with it. Sorry Kitty, formal writing 'ain't' my style.

Sorry I'm a jerk. I made you paper in hopes that you'll forgive me.

I got the recipe from the Internet, actually. If I wasn't so disgusted by the fact that I just made really pink, sparkly paper with pressed flowers put into the weave, I'd be impressed with myself. This is about as crafty as I get. I would tell you that I'm writing with a really flouncy quill, but then I'd be lying, so instead I'll just tell you the truth. It's just a simple, black, ballpoint pen. It's a really nice, simple, black ballpoint pen, though, if that makes you feel any better. I'll lend it to you when you come back.

News. Newsnewsnews. Right. Well, the school has turned into a zoo. We have two puppies, an iguana, a very snobby cat, a giant bird, and the two Guthrie horses out back. I'm still treading carefully around corners in case one of the more... exuberant professors decided that a wild animal such as a hyena would be amusing. I wouldn't put it past Braddock.

Did I mention the bird speaks Italian? Supposedly she speaks English as well, but who can tell with all the squawking?

Let's see. I'll try and get this alphabetically according to the journaling system. Nathan is creating glass figures out of essentially everything as he's gone crazy again, or at least he was, until he went and sat in an exploding car and landed himself back in the medlab. I think we should just get him a Gold Card already.

Sam is hiding in his room and being grumpy again and while it's hardly noteworthy, he's my brother and I'm obligated to mention him.

Terry's father, who she doesn't seem to get along with if the grumbling and slamming doors means anything, has randomly shown up. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to loathe him or not yet. Protective? ~~Never.~~ Yes.

Bobby is still at home with mono and I wish he'd just come back already because I miss him terribly.

Piotr is a great painter and an even greater idiot. Le fin.

Unless it's not. Seems he went and disowned Yana or something along those lines, and while I'm certainly not one of Yana's best friends here and would love to do some disowning of my own family members from time to time it was just... a world of not cool. I'd bake her some cookies if I wasn't actually a horrible cook and afraid she might pelt me with them.

Jamie is lovely as always. Just thought you'd like to know. ;) I think he's taking the recent... events a little hard, but I suppose, that healthier than what some of us are doing. You've got a good boy, fellow nerd.

Anyway, back to the roll call. Scott has agreed to do training with me, which invoked many a 'squee!'. He's also letting me take out the bike. I think I may be in love. (With the bike, not Scott.) May I tell you a secret? I think I might be father figuring him. Or hero worship. Is that the same thing? I'm not sure. Just don't tell anyone, I'd die. Many members of the school, as much as they won't say, already think me a bit... yes. You understand.

Manny and Jubes are have some torrid... thing. Enough said.

From:

x-foliate.livejournal.com

Crazy furry man named Kylan has appeared. Perhaps less crazy and more just furry man, but I know nothing about him other than he's in the same place I am.

Clarice is making Jean-Paul clothes I think. Something that involves sewing. Also, Jean-Paul Beaubier has arrived at our school. Haven't met him yet, but when I do, I'll let you know. Supposedly he's famous and gay, who knew?

Sarah has be denied access to the Morlock kiddies unless supervised until further notice. Her reaction? Hiding in the basement and bringing Shinobi down with her. If she wasn't my friend, I'd think she was insolent. She knows exactly why she is not allowed to see them, given the circumstances it makes perfect sense, and yet she is still moping about. The best part? She is continuing to behave exactly as before.

Pete runs around barely not getting shot except when he does.

Braddock is still crazy. Nono, she's fine, she just makes me nervous and I tend to go in the other direction when she comes down the hall.

Angie seems to be trying to commit suicide with her precog. I'd yell at her and throw things but I know I'd do the exact same thing in her situation. Not to mention in a battle of snark, she'd win hands down. Needless to say, Doug is having fits and has stolen her cards.

Amanda was in the car with Nate and finally! Jono and Angelo haven't killed each other. In fact, we went dancing on Angelo's birthday. A WORD TO NO ONE.

Wow, I hope you have a secure e-mail. My gossip update seems to have turned into Paige Rant Central.

I adore you very much and wish you were back here so we could balance complex equations together. Much love and write me back soon.

Yours faithfully,
Sherlo- I mean,
Paige Guthrie

PS. Girls are stupid. Minus us of course.

From:

x-foliate.livejournal.com

Kitty,

You know what I've just realized? The only person in the entire world who knows how many people in the mansion's beds I want to stick frogs in, even though I love them all veryvery much, is (what feels like) a bazillion miles away.

Huh. Food for thought.

<3,
Paige

From:

x-skin.livejournal.com

Dear Kitty,

Good to hear from you! Glad you're doing okay in Chicago - not too bored, I hope?

Things at the school are... eh. You probably saw the news - Nathan managed to get hurt again, only not so much physically (he's cut up, but nothing that won't heal) as he's on a huge guilt trip over what happened at Columbia and I think he's not sleeping again. Amanda and Manuel are recovering.

You've been pretty damn good to me too, Kit, you know that. Thanks for that, and for the pictures - it looks like a really nice city. I've put them on my wall. :)

Miss you too, looking forward to you coming back. See you soon(ish),

Angelo