Listening to other peoples stories was far easier than relaying her own. Twyla's story wasn't filled with too much hardship and drama, no one died or anything of that nature so that was good. Em did feel bad though that Twyla felt like she had to run away in order to be accepted as a mutant.

Emerald wondered if Twyla's parents weren't accepting of mutants and thats why she had felt like she had to run away. In Em's mind any parent who couldnt accept their child for their gifts had no place in the parenting world. Leaning against the countertop with a pondering look on her face, her thoughts going to thoughts of what she should say.

"So, do your parents know that your're here or do you not want them to know?" Emerald asked, obviously stepping tentatively. She didn't wish for Twyla to get offended or start crying or anything like that. "Cause, they are you're family right, so they should be the whole blending into the scenery thing."

Family had always been a big thing for the middle child of the Lupin family. Family was what got her through the labs and the main motivation for good deal of what she did in life. She hated thinking about her friend not being accepted by her family all because of her mutation.

"Oh, they know I'm here." Oops, she forgot to mention part of her story. "You see, I was at the Sanctuary for a while and then my Grandma found me...she'd been looking since I ran away. Basically she told me I'd be coming here and made me call my parents." Twyla could still remember the night that she'd used a phone card to call her parents and tell them about her mutation. Her mom still wasn't totally fine with it but...

"It's gotta be hard for them, Em. You expect your kids to be safely normal...and one of them isn't." It was weird how clear things were getting as soon as she had to verbalize her ideas. "I'm sure my mom wants my life to be simple and easy and that means human in this day and age--I think she realizes that my life is gonna be that much harder now and she feels guilty....Maybe she doesn't want me home because she doesn't want to set me up for everyone's judgment..." The blond trailed off, tasting the words for truthfulness. Hmmm....what an interesting concept.

I feel mature...

"My brothers are cool with it and for the most part so are my sisters...It's just, different, ya know? I can't tell what my dad thinks but I know Mom has been having a tough time." She was quiet for a moment and then Twyla laughed. "I wonder if it would be easier for her to deal with my having a part-time girlfriend...?" More giggles. Probably not...maybe...it was hard to tell...she'd probably have to get on to that if she and the Morris kid ever got serious...well, more serious since she was pretty sure that one person saying 'I love you' in a relationship made things a little more serious than a random study hall hook up.

Emerald felt a sigh of relief escape her lips when Twyla mentioned that they knew she was there. While Emerald wasn’t the best example of listening to authority the people she did listen to and respect were her parents. Now that they were back in her life she made sure to listen to them and all whenever she had the time too. The wolf girl had a lot to catch up on after all, she had been gone from their lives for almost ten years.

With a small nod of understanding, Em agreed with Twyla. “Parents want what’s best for their kids and they don’t want them to go through any hardship. I know My mom didn’t want Ruby, Sapphire and I to go through the labs like she did.” Her mom was the same way, more than anything, Jade Lupin wanted her daughters to live a normal life far away from the trauma she faced. Unfortunately, the past came back to haunt the Lupin family and they were put through the same thing Jade had been years before. Though she tried to brush it of, Emerald knew her mother blamed herself for being unable to protect her daughters from the cruelty of the outside world and of the madman known as Dr Morris Fusion.

Emerald let out a laugh when Twyla mentioned Maya/Gawain. Maybe that would be easier than to tell her mom then again, depending on how accepting the family is. “Well, it may be hard at first but from what I’m getting from ya, your parents and family seem to be pretty accepting. I’m sure that if you’re happy they will be too.” Emerald went and got another glass of water and chugged it down. She looked around the kitchen, trying to think of what to do next. Letting out another yawn, she rubbed the back of her head a little before looking at Twyla. “So what now?”

Twyla gave a small smile and nodded when Emerald said they'd probably come around to the idea of Twyla having a part-time girlfriend. The wolf girl was wrong and the blond could feel it in her gut. If she told they her parents weren't going to like it, happy Twyla or no. Mutation was at least 'natural' and 'explainable' to her parents...the possibility that she was...nevermind, too big thoughts for such a late hour. Her tiredness was suddenly catching up with Twyla and she was acutely aware of her desire to crawl upstairs and attempt to sleep.

Emerald yawned. Twyla yawned in response

"Now it's time to at least pretend to go back to bed." A definite nod. Sleep sounded good even if it was dangerous to close her eyes. Part of her was so tired that it didn't even care about nightmares--she'd deal with them later. It would all be okay so long as she could manage class the next morning. One night at a time. One day at a time. It was all good, or something. With a stretch Twyla launched herself towards the door, stumbling a bit as she did so.

She almost made it to the door the the Rest of the Mansion before she slipped on the floor. With a laugh the girl sat on the tile for a minute. "You coming?" She asked her friend, looking up at her with a tired grin on her face. "C'mon, I'll try to walk you to you door." Twyla scrambled to her feet and leaned against the door frame in a stance she stole from her girl/boyfriend (who did it sooooo much better), she was the knock-off of casual grace with her arms in front of her and her shoulder slouching a bit.

Sleep sounded like an awfully good idea to the exhausted wolf girl, her body needing rest if she even wanted to try to work out tommrow. At least Twyla agreed with her and was willing to walk with her to her room. Em was a bit nervous though, she hated going back to bed with nightmares constantly swarming her mind, often overwhelming her with the severity of the images that appeared in her mind. It was one of the real problems with having Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, the nightmares made the person relive every horrible event they had ever had. Reliving her past, wasn’t a good thing, especially for someone like Em, whose past was like some gothic horror movie that would only be seen on late night television for the graphicness of it

Em couldn’t help but laugh a little at Twyla’s fall, just before the girl got up, showing she was fine. This was good because Emerald would have felt like a real heel if she had laughed and Twyla got seriously hurt. Though, how one got hurt by falling on their bum, the wolf girl would never know.

“Yeah I'm coming,” She laughed, her tail wagging back and forth in good humor. Her mood had changed drastically from when she first came into the kitchen, going from scared and exhausted to relieved and…still exhausted. Sure, she was still tired but the good thing was that at least now she felt well enough to go to sleep. So when Emerald walked up to the girl and whenever they began walking after some time she said. “Hey Twyla, if you want, you can chill with me if you are freaked out by nightmares again. Ruby sleeps like a rock but for me, I will be awake if you knock on the door or something.”

It was that normal concerned face of the pack leader than Emerald had shown to very few people. While she was sarcastic, cold and maybe a bit violent, but to her pack, or those she had dubbed to be members of it, she was a loving, happy, protective and all around good natured she wolf.

Emerald laughed when Twyla fell but that was fine, Twyla had laughed as well. It was so like her--when she paid attention she could make her movements graceful and calculated like she did in dance and gymnastics but as soon as she let her guard down...well, that was an obvious cause effect relationship. It was good that she was laughing, that they were laughing. Very good.

Nightmares? What did nightmares have on clumsiness and laughing and friends and ice cream? Not much.

Both girls seemed to be in better moods than they had started in the kitchen as they walked out into the hall. Twyla smiled with the wolf girl explained that she could go to her at night if she was tweaking after a nightmare. "Thanks, Em." A one armed hug as they walked towards the stairs that led to the girl's hall. "Same for you, okay? I'm a light sleeper." When I get the chance to sleep. She meant was she said too, there were worse things she could be woken up for and things that were much less worthy than helping a friend calm down or talking or whatever that she could be doing in the late/early hours.

The blond hoped that when she got back under her camouflage comforter that she could sleep. It felt like she was about to pass out but that was no promise as far as Twyla was concerned. With her luck she'd end up wired or something as soon as the lights came off...well, as soon as the main light went off (after a nightmare it was best to keep her lamp on, it made her feel safer). The stairs were climbed and the girl's hall was walked down. Twyla's bare feet made hardly any noise as they padded across the carpeting. When they reached Em's door she stopped and in a hushed tone said: "Well, night Emmy. It's all about balance..." She muttered, remembering her epiphany from earlier. "So what if we have nightmares? That just means we have to outweigh them with super-awesome things when we're awake, right?" She smiled and it was a normal one, bright and happy.

Turning, Twyla walked a few paces and then looked back at the wolf girl. "See you in a few hours." A small giggle and then the girl was softly making her way to door number two and a certain messy room and unmade bed.