Such a wonderful night [Stella]

[Avery Sainsbury]

It just became dark outside. Avery was taking a shower and as she got out and went into her room, she saw the stars threw her window. The moon was a half and the stars where bright. Avery decided to put on some clothes and go threw the courtyard. Looking threw her dresser and closet she found a nice outfit. A pink shirt that had LO VE on it. She smiled. Her favorite color was pink. Well one of them. Picking out her dark bell bottoms. Pinking up her metallic pink purse and putting on her white and pink sneakers she walked out the dorm.

Still being new, Avery pulled out a pocket map to find the courtyard. Not being able to help it she smiled as she looked up. Today was a better day then yesterday. She was glade that she finally had her emotions under control again and she had met another person. Though she was still shy when she met people she couldn't help but enjoy it as well. After all she was alone now. Her mother went to Main and her father didn't want anything to do with her. Blinking a couple times Avery brought her eyes level with the ground again.

Entering the courtyard she smiled again. Tonight seemed to be a night of smiles for her. Looking at the flowers and the hedges in the dark. Running her hands over the hedges she sighed. Thinking of the days that had lead her to go to the Hammel institute. It made her happy that she was here, even though at some points she felt like a freak. She wished that she didn't feel like that that she could feel normal. Looking around she saw a bench. Taking a deep breath she went over and sat down.

Craning her neck up she stared at the stares just letting the word rotate around and around as the stars stayed put. Her mind wondered what it would be like to be a star. To be warm and bright. Even to look around and notice that your neighbor is the moon. Usually she didn't have time to wonder about such things, but she was glade that tonight she had the time to just let her mind wonder.

[Stella Pinyin]

The air was crisp and clear, a cold breeze but nothing a coat and scarf could not ward off. The clouds from the day had cleared, leaving the sky exposed. A perfect night for star gazing. The moon was not full, the jade rabbit neatly sliced into a crescent, like a fingernail, and the points of burning light shone quietly. Stella had been outside for a while now, her eyes adjusting slowly to cope with the low levels of light enough that she could admire the sky. Her hair had fanned out behind her as she pulled the red jacket closer around her body, bright white against dark green and red.

The arrival of the moon and the stars had taken it’s usual effect on the star girl, her skin glowing softly with a like that mimicked the stars above. It was by this light that Stella was able to make out the person walking to her left, and more importantly, the rectangle that slipped from the bag she was wearing. Stella had to squint to see where it had fallen, but she rose to her feet slowly, then carefully made her way over to the fallen treasure. It felt cool in her hands, plastic, and she held it close to her face to examine it properly. A phone, one of the newer ones, with a cute pink cover. Not something someone would want to loose.

“Ah, excuse me,” Stella started, moving hesitantly over to the figure she could see on the bench. It was not until she had gotten closer that she could make out the girl, with blonde hair, and a pink bag next to her. “I don’t mean to disturb you,” Stella continued quietly, the phone held loosely in one white hand, “but I think you dropped this.” Slowly, the girl held out the phone, brightly illuminated by the glow of the albino's skin.

[Avery Sainsbury]

Avery jumped a little at the voice. Turning she saw a girl. Astonished Avery grabbed her phone. The girl alone was beautiful. It was like looking a a porcelain doll for Avery. The girl was glowing white, literally. It was like a porcelain doll was covered in lightning bugs and Avery just held her cell phone and looked at her. Realizing she probably looked like a creep she cleared her throat.

"Sorry about that. Thank you for picking up my phone. I didn't even realize I dropped it so thank you so much." Holding out her hand she smiled. Even though she was shy she tried not to show it as much. Her face was a little rosy but she hoped the night would cover it. "I'm Avery. I really do apologize for staring. Its just I'm very new here and I never saw anyone like you before. Its amazing really."

Avery turned her head for as second so she could put her phone in her purse. Zipping up the bag she sighed. "Its really a beautiful night. I admire the stars so much. They are all unique in some way or another." Looking back at the girl she scooted over and patted the bench. "You can sit down if you want."

[Stella Pinyin]

(ooc: long post is looong sorry, I got caught in tangents)

Stella’s hesitant smile when the girl took back her phone started to slip as she was stared at. It was not uncommon, not at all, but it was still... uncomfortable. Rather then meet the girl’s eyes with her own abnormal ones, she looked at the ground, lightly kicking at the grass with the toe of one boot. Her hands, now empty, moved instinctively to clutch at her necklace; some people had security blankets, Stella had a pendent. Each to their own.

The smile began to blossom again when the girl begun to thank her. For all that Avery might have thought Stella was lovely, the albino girl herself was every bit as fascinated with her. Blonde hair was not something she had seen much of, after all it was not exactly common in a Chinese family. And her skin was so healthy looking! It seemed to have a glow of it’s own, quite unlike Stella’s unearthly one.

She took the offered hand and, remembering Stephen’s gesture when they had met, shook it politely. “I am Pinyin. Stella Pinyin,” she clarified. Last names were usually announced first, it showed respect for her ancestors and, with her own name, her parents. But that was not a Western thing, she had learnt already. “I am new too.” The smile wavered a bit; Stella hated being reminded how very much she stood out. But amazing was hardly a nasty adjective. “Thank you,” she said, her smile turning slightly shy.

The look on Stella’s face when Avery mentioned her admiration for the stars was the most joyous expression she had worn in a long time. This, she could talk about. Slowly, feeling the bench with her hand first, she sat beside the girl, with enough space between them to be comfortable. “I love the night sky,” she said, looking up. “My parents studying space and the stars, but the constellations you can see back home are much different to the western ones.” The slip in her english would have made her wince usually, but Stella was too enthused to have a subject she felt she could not make a fool of herself out of. “Some of the lights we see now are from stars that don’t even exist any more. It is truly amazing.”

[Avery Sainsbury]

Avery nodded at the comment the girl made. "So I take it your not from around here? Where I lived before I came here all I could see at night was stars. Then I noticed some stars where not actually stars they where planets." Avery took a deep breath and pointed to a red shade star. "That "star" there is actually Saturn. Considering the season and the weather. Every year around this season that planet comes into view. Even though its so predictable its still amazing. Every time I see it I still get excited about being able to see something that no human has ever been able to touch. You know the whole so close you can see yet so far away thing."

Taking another deep breath Avery crossed her legs. "So where are you from? I'm from a different state. I lived in the country so the only light we really saw at night was the stars." Fixing her shirt and crossing her arms Avery thought for a moment. "So when did you arrive here? Do you like it so far? I do. My roommates area nice and thats always a plus. Your family is probably far away too like mine. Although my family well they don't talk to me much anymore. I hope I don't seem rude by asking but what is your power? I mean how can you glow like that." Avery wasn't one to but into peoples business but Stella just intrigued her interest is all.

[Stella Pinyin]

If there was one thing that could get Stella enthusiastic it was astronomy. While western astronomy and astrology were very different to the chinese versions, it was still worth talking about. "In China and Hong Kong, where I was born," Stella explained, "The sky is divided into three enclosures and twenty eight mansions. You can see the stars in the enclosures all year, but the mansions are how they divided the months. It's our zodiac, you see!" Looking down sheepishly, Stella shrugged. For her, that was an outburst. With a shy smile, Stella pushed a lock of snow white hair behind her ear. "Are you interested in astronomy then?

"There is a lot of light pollution in hong kong," Stella answered, setting one leg at an angle on the bench so she could turn towards Avery. She was asking a lot of questions, but it was obvious that she was merely trying to be friendly and so despite feeling a little overwhelmed, Stella began to sort out her answers. "I moved with my uncle when I was very young, to Boston. I only started here a week ago." By now the moon light girl was aware she was an oddity in so far as being found so late. An unfortunate begining to stand out so quickly, but no matter. One of Avery's comments stood out clearly from the others, for all the girl tried to brush over it. "Your family don't talk to you? Why not? That's terrible!" To have a family, yet for them to not want to communicate... how horrid.

Understanding if the girl did not want to dwell on such a delicate subject, but allowing her time to answer should she choose, Stella smiled good naturally at the last question. "Ah, I'm a light and dark manipulator," she explained, though she knew little about her own powers as of yet. "The, ah, glowing is a side effect I suppose. Or maybe it's a combination of albinism and my abilities, no one is really sure. What can you do?"

[Avery Sainsbury]

Avery smiled "Astronomy in America is complicated. I don't want to know about comets, or asteroids, I just want to know about the stars and planets. Nothing else intrigues me. Like you said before most stars that we see now died out years ago. Its stuff like that, that amazes me." Avery turned to fast the girl. Sighing as she heard her questions. Taking a deep breath she relaxed.

"The answer to both your questions is the same. The answer to why I'm here is also the same. My father well he never really liked me after my brother was born. My mother just moved away to get remarried. Shed probably didn't even tell him she had a daughter. She sends me updates of my dog and cat now and then. The answer is I can control the weather...well my emotions anyway. One day I got mad, long story why. But I got mad and a tornado tore threw my house. Not long after that I was here."

Avery nodded. "Unfortunately that is the answer to your questions. I try not to talk about it much however. My father not liking me no big deal..but my mother leaving...well it hurt to say the least. Most of all I miss my babies. By babies I mean my animals. They where my best friends. How about you? any animals back home or in Boston?"

[Stella Pinyin]

"I only know some of the Western constellations," Stella confessed, then pointed. "That's Odin, of course. And you can see some of the Zodiac. Pieces, the Gemini Twins, and sometimes, you can see Pegasus," Stella's face was as brightly lit as the stars, and she smiled happily. "I am so glad you find it interesting, it seems Astronomy is not a typical interest anymore." It was a topic that could draw the usually quiet Stella into an animated discussion, and while it was not something many would want to talk about forever, once Stella felt comfortable it was always easier to draw her into other strains of conversation.

Avery's family story however soon saw the smile slip from the white girl's face, for all that she remained literally glowing. "I'm so sorry to hear that," Stella shook her head in disbelief. "Why would your father not like you?" But it was quickly apparent that particular part of the situation was not what really bothered Avery. "Can you visit your mother during the holidays though?" she asked, trying to find some sort of, if not silver, then brass living in the raincloud she had just heard. "I mean, I think most students here are from all over, you can visit?"

If stars could make Stella shine, pets would make her supernova. Quickly her snow white head bobbed in a nod, and she beamed. "My cat came with me!" she enthused, "because she's house trained and very well behaved. She's lovely, I'm sure you would like her, if you're fond of cats. Celeste likes everybody!

[Avery Sainsbury]

Avery brightened up when she heard Stella's cat was here. "Oh I didn't know you could have animals here. I must talk to someone about this. Oh If my snowball was here. I love cats and dogs. I have a black cat, his name is snowball and I have a dog. Her name is Angel. Snowball use to curl up on my lap." Avery smiled even more"I would love to meet Celeste. I love animals."

Avery frowned for a second. "No I don't think my mom would like that. I will probably go and get my cat and dog. My mom pretty much pawned me off on an uncle that I don't even know. But thats ok. Maybe my uncle will let my dog live with him. " Avery looked back up at the stars and sighed.

[Stella Pinyin]

"Cats and dogs together?" Stella laughed softly, running her fingers back through her hair and tucking it back behind her ear. "A, ah, you say, a disastrous recipe?" Dogs were a somewhat frightening quality for the pale girl; they were large and jumped up and bite and scratched... and it was not possible to carry them around in a bag without looking somewhat ridicules.

"You are welcome to meet her," Stella offered quickly. She could brew some tea, and be a good host. A chance to have someone to talk to.. who didn't keep twisting her words like Zac did, or making her stomach do little lopsided jumps like a drunken frog like a particular head researcher did.

There was a chance Stella had misheard; the idea someone's mother would 'dump' their child seemed strange, unreasonable, and very enological. "I live with my uncle," Stella said softly after a moment. "Well, my mother's cousin or some such thing. Did something happen to your parents?"

[Avery Sainsbury]

Avery smiled "My snowball and Angel love each other. My cat will sleep on top of my dog. It seems so strange I know but snowball was a kitten when we got him and introduced him to Angel. They say if you do it at a young age that the cat and dog will get along." Avery looked back up at the stars and thought of her animals. "Right now I bet Angel is cleaning snowball. They lick each other alot." She laughed again as she brought her head down and look at Stella. "I would definetly love to meet your Celeste. Maybe we could hang out sometime and I could see her..."

Avery shook her head as Stella asked about her parents again. "My father always wanted children. When I was born my mother said he was so happy. He spoiled me every chance he got. Then my brother was born and I no longer matter to my father. And as far as my mother goes...Nothing happened to her. Something happened to me. When she found out that I caused the tornado to go threw our house, she wanted nothing to do with me. Well she didn't say that at that point. The look she gave made me feel like a monster. All I wanted since then was to be normal." Avery sighed as she looked down at ehr feet.