Sooraya and Megan: Wednesday Evening

[x-welshpixie.livejournal.com]

Sooraya and Megan meet at a subway station. Megan experiences some odd sensations in the subway.


Megan stepped down to the subway platform, slouched into a baggy, hooded sweatshirt of her own design. This was the neighborhood where eVolution was located, and fairly safe - that wasn't why she looked around warily or jumped when someone bumped slightly into her shoulder. Megan's posture straightened when she spotted Sooraya. Pushing back her hood, she waved to the other woman as she approached.

"Megan! Hey!" Sooraya returned the wave as she stepped over to the other young woman. "Done with work for the day and heading home?" She pushed the paper she had bought back in her tote, focusing on her potential travel mate.

"Hi Sooraya! Yes, you bet. My bus route is all messed up - a traffic accident or something - so I was advised to take the subway instead. I am so glad to see you! What brings you out here?"

"Ugh, that is bad." She frowned sympathetically. "I had some stuff to do in the neighborhood." She stepped a little closer and lowered her voice just slightly. "I was at one of the shelters in District X for an interview for one of my courses. Their view on homeless children and their access to any education."

"Oh no, the kids..." This stop was close to District X, but far enough from the mutant neighborhood and rampant homelessness that Megan didn't often think of it. Out of sight, out of mind - she supposed it was planned that way. "Was it a helpful experience?" she added softly. She broke eye contact with Sooraya, glancing around when she thought she heard a whisper behind her.

Sooraya fiddled with her scarf, frowning again. "Honestly, I am not sure yet. It did give me some information I need for my assignment, but otherwise. It was in any case... eye opening is the best word, I think." She had not really gotten a good look in this world's version of District X.

Megan spared one more glance behind them to check that nothing was there but the empty subway rail. Maybe it wasn't a whisper of voices but the faraway strains of a song, echoing oddly in the underground space from somewhere.

"What are you studying?"

"Double major in educational studies and Middle-Eastern studies." Sooraya explained briefly, then she tilted her head. "Is everything alright, Megan? You seem kinda nervous."

"Sorry, I am listening. That's brilliant, Sooraya! I, ah... the truth is, I have a weird thing with subways, ever since my powers first fully manifested in a below-ground station." Megan replied, embarrassed. She cocked her head, too, listening, but now instead of hearing a sound it looked like the afterimage of a color. She blinked until it faded. "Do you ever have eerie experiences that you can't really explain?"

"I think I might have had something once or twice..." Sooraya said hesitantly, lowering her voice a little. "Is... is there something you are seeing or hearing right now?" She looked around her, her gaze sharpening as she scanned the crowd of people, the trains moving past and the more hidden nooks and crannies of the station.

"It's little more than a feeling," Megan replied, her shoulders relaxing slightly as she was reassured by Sooraya's words. "A very strong feeling that I experience here and in other underground passages. It's like my senses get blurred - and honest to gods, I'm not releasing any dust. I thought I heard a sound - it could have been a voice or an instrument, but then it was a color and it was gone." She shivered.

"Strange." Sooraya again scanned the crowd, but there was nothing she could see. "Do you want to stay down here or shall we catch a cab? Though that might be a long ride during rush hour?"

"I feel a lot better with you here," Megan said, truly relieved and more than a little embarrassed that realities seem to be a bit blurred for her in this place. Maybe it was stress. "I'm OK, our train should be here any minute."

"I think it's even arriving right now." Sooraya followed the crowd onto the train, clinging to one of the loops that hung down from the ceiling to keep her balance. "How have your designs been going? Any new idea's?" Maybe a little distraction would manage to put Megan a little bit more at ease?

"School's been forcing me to get out of my comfort zone with my designs - I think that's a good thing," Megan answered as she grabbed a spot next to Sooraya. The train was a bit crowded, and with the loose sweatshirt covering her folded-up wings, she should have been rather warm. Instead she felt a slight chill. "But some of the other students... I hear them making remarks against our kind and it makes me so angry. How do you deal with people who otherwise seem decent, but hate m - minorities?" she quickly stopped herself from saying the M-word. "I got so used to a welcoming environment at the mansion. And when I was traveling, I was just a tourist - I didn't have to engage with anyone on a meaningful level."

"I..." She had took take a moment to consider her reply. "I have been on the end of some pretty bad glares or badmouthing because..." Sooraya gestured at the scarf covering her hair. "It really sucks, but I try most of the time just to ignore it and let the words one ear in, the other ear out, so to speak."

"I'm sorry. Aye, it sucks," Megan agreed with a sigh, doubling down on her resolve to finish out the school year. If Sooraya could double-major AND deal with double-discrimination, surely Megan could handle art school and a handful of idiots. "Maybe they just don't know any better."

"I rather believe that then the alternative." Sooraya shook her head sadly. "Namely that they know and still chose to hate. Even to a point where they don't care what the consequences are anymore." She had no trouble pulling up the faces of some of the children she had met today, almost driven away from their home because of their parents being mutants.

The women stood in silence for a moment, as the subway car sped them back towards home. Megan felt like she was in some in-between world as the inside of the tunnel flashed by in glimpses through the windows. It looked right, but it just didn't feel right. She broke the silence to distract herself from the eerie sensation.

"I like to give people the benefit of the doubt. No one is defined by any one characteristic - physical, attitude, whatever. I'd hope anyone can see that. Except hate - hate can define a person."

"Yeah, that is the tricky thing with this." Sooraya agreed. "It's sometimes very difficult to see how deep something runs in someone, but once it runs deep... It can be very hard for those people to learn to see differently."

Megan nodded, words failing her at the moment as her head began to hurt. She was truly glad to have something to grab on to - the strap physically and Sooraya mentally keeping her anchored. She felt like people were looming over her, but the subway car wasn't quite that crowded.

Finally, they reached their stop in Westchester County.

"I have a car nearby if you want a ride." Sooraya offered easily as she blinked against the low sun. Quickly she dug around in her tote, pulling out a pair of sun glasses and slipped them on. "The mansion's motor pool is pretty handy..."

“Duuuw chwyrligwgans!” Megan exclaimed as she bounded up the platform. There were no phantom whispers or ghostly feelings here, just the normal sound of traffic and people going about their business. "OK, that was a bit wonky but I feel loads better now. Sure, I'll take a ride. Thanks!"

"I think we are..." Sooraya scanned the parking lot. "Over there. Almost home... Been a long day..."

Megan followed Sooraya to the small, late model commuter car. "Oh that is handy, that is. I should get my license so I can use the motor pool." She was so relieved, she wanted to fly. But of course she couldn't, so she went around to the passenger side like a normal person and buckled herself in. "Long day, yes," she said, looking out the windshield. "But what time is it? It's almost sunset, but the subway didn't take more than 10 minutes, did it?"

"A little bit longer, but not that much..." Sooraya frowned and scanned her face. "Are you sure that you are alright, Megan? You were already pretty jumpy in the subway as well."

"Sorry," Megan replied, mildly embarrassed. "I forgot how weird I get in subways. I guess I have a phobia of them. Only, I'm not scared exactly. I feel like there's something, like a presence, but not something, y'know, demonic..." she scratched her hair. "I don't know what I should do about it.

Having checked the positioning of the mirrors, Sooraya looked to her companion before starting the car. "We both know there is far more between heaven and earth then most people do. Maybe it would good to talk to some of the people who know more about it back home? They might be able to either put your mind at ease or to investigate further?"

"True. Maybe Ms. Amanda, or, I dunno. She's very wise but a little intimidating. Maybe someone more... impartial about supernatural stuff?" Megan thought aloud.

"I think it all depends on which way you want to go..." Sooraya replied. "If you want to check if it's really supernatural, I think Ms. Sefton might be for the best... otherwise there is always the Professor... or maybe Rogue? She also counsels people and I know she works through art..."

"Oh, I'd like to meet Rogue. And you're right, I should really tell Ms. A about what's going on with me," Megan agreed. She really hoped it didn't have anything to do with demons or her demon magic. It didn't feel like demons, but it still made her nervous.

"I'd say you have a game plan there." Sooraya nodded, keeping her gaze on the road for a bit. "And I am happy to introduce you if you want me to?"

"Sure! Thanks, Sooraya, I'm really glad that I met you at the subway station today. Things have a way of working out..."