Agnes gave a mournful sniffle, to which Gina looked up with an obvious note of concern.

>> “I…I guess you’re right. I…I…I think…I better get on…some pajamas.”

And, with that, she shuffled into the bedroom. Gina sat on the counter a moment longer, pondering over which pajamas wouldn't interfere with Agnes's new wings. Groggily, she made note of the fact that none of her shirts had wing holes... Oh. Gina slid off of the counter a few moments later, and padded out into the dorm room behind Agnes, towards her own wardrobe. At least Agnes hadn't grown a tail... at least Agnes had a roommate who had wings, so she could borrow clothes from her, until the point that said roommate could modify some of Agnes's own clothes.

Gina popped the doors open on her wardorbe and beelined for the drawers containing pajamas. Gina didn't wear pajamas like Agnes's-- Agnes was always in long-sleeved shirts, and the closest that Gina came to that were the baggy t-shirts that were in her possession. Gina pulled one of those out... no, she pulled two pajama-tops out, and a fresh pair of flannel bottoms out, for herself as well.

"Agnes," Gina said simply. When her sister looked up, she tossed the t-shirt to her. Agnes had seen Gina change clothes enough times to know how it was done, but Gina knew that Agnes was probably as tired as she was, so she said, "I usually unhook the snaps first, and slide the shirt on from the bottom. Then snap the wing-holes shut around the wings."

The holes to accomodate the wings would probably be too big on Agnes's wings, considering her wing structure, but that was besides the point. In case it was too much for her, Gina said, "Gimme a holler if you need help with the snaps and such."

Then, Gina went about changing her unclothes. Unfastening the snaps and straps that were holding her bottoms up around her tail, shimmying out of those, and sliding into her fresh, flannel pajama bottoms, and fastening those into place. She then shed the old shirt, undoing the clasps and sliding it down, before replacing it with a clean one. Gina was an old pro at changing clothes like this, so in no time whatsoever, she was garbed in her pajamas. And, while she was tired enough to fall asleep right away, something in her doubted that she'd be able to drift off.

Agnes had meekly wandered into the bedroom and turned to her armoire before she released just how cold she was. Taking a warm shower did not help the matters in the least. Actually it only made them worse because now the few drops of water that had survived the drying off were turning chilling as they rolled down her scarred and new altered frame. She just wanted her pajamas on so that she had one less thing to feel vulnerable about.

Once she reached her dresser, she heard the gentle footsteps of Gina following behind her but her young sister said nothing. Really, Agnes didn’t blame her. What do you really tell a loved one who found themselves asleep for 24 hours, just to wake up from a cocoon with wings? So Agnes didn’t turn to bother her and instead continued to fish about in her dresser.

She pulled out a warm pair of black pajama bottoms that had a splatter of red spots all over the legs. Agnes had bought them because they looked a little like they were inspired by ladybugs but she had no proof that that was exactly what they were made for. Quietly she slipped them on, glad to have something to wear at last.

But as she began to feel something to pull on top, suddenly Gina’s voice pulled her attention away…

>> "Agnes…I usually unhook the snaps first, and slide the shirt on from the bottom. Then snap the wing-holes shut around the wings."

She caught the shirt and looked at it curiously. At first she simply didn’t get it, why was Gina giving this to— Oh…the wings. Agnes wanted to kick herself for having completely forgotten about that fact. She had wings now. How…How were any of her shirts, sweaters, jackets, dresses, how were any of them going to fit now? She could feel panic wanting to settle in her heart again at the idea. Her life was changing all over again and all she wanted to do was curl up and cry…

>> "Gimme a holler if you need help with the snaps and such."[/color]

She blinked as she looked up at Gina; such a sweet sister. Of course she would have anticipated this as a possible problem. Agnes began to realize just how much she was going to have to rely on her and that idea both frightened and aided her. She would have someone to turn to, but of course Agnes did not want to pester her little sister as well.

A grateful nod and Agnes choked back a tiny sniffle. She could cry about this later. She needed to have some layer of clothes on though. To most people this type of shirt probably would have caused confusion but Agnes had observed her sister slip into these shirts more often than not. With only a minor difficulty or two, Agnes did manage to get the shirt on and felt all the more grateful to have clothing. Thank god she had a sister like Gina.

Once done though, Agnes sighed as she faced her bed again. The cocoon was still there, vaguely in the shape of the girl that once occupied it, only now there was a he piece broken off of the shell and there was still a bit of residue or two left from her wake. As tired and exhausted as she was, as much as she really just wanted to go to sleep and hope it was all a terrible nightmare, she knew she couldn’t sleep like that.

Quietly, without asking Gina’s help (since her sister had done so much for her already) Agnes very slowly reached down and touched the shell. She shuddered briefly but she found the courage to take a firm hold and pull it off the bed. The clattered with a hollow thunk, but was still nearly soundless, on the ground. Then, Agnes began to clean as little tears began to sting her eyes. What curveball did life throw at her now?

Gina was undeniably tired, to the point where she might not have been entirely with-it. Agnes was having her own internal breakdown about how her life would be changing now, and Gina wasn't wholly aware of it. Or, if she was, she didn't acknowledge it. Once Agnes had figured out the pajama shirt, Gina flopped onto her own bed in an awkwardly-uncomfortable position. She sat so that her head lolled over the edge, her back was on the bed itself, and her feet were propped up against the wall, so that her entire view of the world was flipped upside-down as she sat. No one would be able to doze off sitting like that.

Gina's stomach gurgled, and she patted it self-consciously. She hoped to God that DocProf grabbed enough food for the three of them, or else Gina was making a mad dash for the kitchenette. She couldn't recall when she'd last eaten.

Gina watched as Agnes faced her bed, faced the cocoon that had once encased her. Wordlessly, Agnes yanked it off of the bed, and the think hit the ground with a dull, muted thunk. Gina groggily wondered if Agnes would want to keep it, or where they'd put it if she would-- kind of like how kids kept casts after they first broke their arms. Gina wisely kept her mouth shut, though, and didn't propose this. Agnes began cleaning, and Gina simply watched from her upside-down vantage point in silence. She had to stay awake, at least until DocProf gave her the go-ahead to sleep.

"Aggs," Gina said briefly. She nearly inquired as to why Agnes was cleaning, but stopped herself. Agnes had to clean her bed off to sleep in it. Gina opted for, "Want help?"

Agnes mutely began to clean. She did not ask for help because at the moment it simply did not come to her head. She was too busy with wanting to rid herself of this cocoon as if it were a disgusting carcass she that she simply did not think to ask for it. It was almost as if her body was on autopilot as she pulled the cocoon across the ground and frown when she noticed the wet spots of residue that had gotten onto her sheets and blankets. It did not soak her bed through but she was definitely not going to be sleeping on those sheets.

She exhaustedly pulled the cocoon away from the bed and let it resting against the far wall. She would have liked to have hurled it out the window in disdain but she lacked the strength to do so. Instead she pulled it aside and began to kick over broken fragments of the shell to join it.

It was then that finally Gina had inquired to her…

>> "Aggs…Want help?"

She blinked as she looked up, almost as if slightly startled. Okay so maybe she was just a little on edge. Her heart was still racing whenever she looked at that cocoon and felt the burning of unanswered questions inside of her heart. But she was in no condition to think about them anymore. Instead, all she could do was look across the room at Gina for a second and shake her head.

“No, t-t-thank you,” she whispered meekly.

She needed to keep busy, she needed to exhaust herself so that when she did sleep she would crash. She did not want to close her eyes and toss and turn fearing that such a fate would befall her again. All Agnes wanted was to slip away into her dark world before she could have a thought about this. Agnes turned as she tried to think about what to do next: find a trash can? The cocoon wouldn’t fit in any of the trash cans in their room, nor did she want to touch it to break it up. A frustration began to well up again in her heart.

But before it could get too bad, the door opened and she spied the sight of DocProf again. The kindly doctor returned carrying ginger ale, crackers, and fruit cups. It was not a substantial meal, but it was just enough to settle an empty stomach. The kind of meal you give to someone who is sick so that they don’t spew all over the place.

“Agnes,” DocProf said as she set the food and drinks on the desk and pulled a black trashbag from his pocket. “I’ll take care of that okay? You need to rest. Go on and sit down, okay?”[/color] he said as he motioned to the desk. “Gina can sit with you. I just want you to sit, breathe, and let me know how’re you’re doing, okay?”

Agnes watched him, unsure of what to say or do next. Her mind was still a whirlwind of activity as he tried to make sense of her changed world. In the end though, it was DocProf’s gently touch on her hand, the kindly smile on his face, and the warmth behind his eyes and finally broke her down. The shock momentarily lifted as all that followed was a cascade of tears and sobs, and the sad droop of her new wings.

Agnes was a mess…

Agnes declined the offer, so Gina continued to watch in silence, a frown tugging at her lips. By the time the DocProf returned, Gina's face had settled into a blatant concern, and she greeted him with a wordless (if upside-down) frown. Gina wasn't good at this kind of thing. DocProf was toting some ginger ale, what looked to be saltines and some fruit cups, food which conveniently wasn't in the repetoire of what Gina liked to eat. It wasn't about her though, it was about Agnes, so she didn't say anything. She just continued to watch from her odd seating position on the bed.

Then the gargoyle realized that her blood was rushing to her head, so she reoriented herself in a more normative sitting position on her bed. The last thing she needed was to pass out from sitting upside-down. DocProf was more than prepared, even pulling a trash bag from his pocket. God, Gina loved the DocProf right now. He seemed so in-control, and so mellow.

>> “Agnes, I’ll take care of that okay? You need to rest. Go on and sit down, okay? Gina can sit with you. I just want you to sit, breathe, and let me know how’re you’re doing, okay?”

Gina nodded. Yeah, she could sit with Agnes. Sitting didn't take too much mental processing, and yet she'd still be supportive by sitting with her older sister. And then, Agnes lost it-- she broke down in tears as DocProf merely touched her hand and smiled. It was times like these that Gina was grateful she never grew into her mutation, but had been essentially born as she was. As heartless as such a thought was, Gina was grateful that she hadn't come about being a gargoyle in the same way that Agnes had grown into her wings.

As Agnes started to cry, Gina unfolded herself from her own bed, and opened her arms to her sister. She was tired, emotionally and physically, and there really wasn't anything to be said. All that Gina had to offer was a hug and a possible shoulder to cry on.

Agnes did not want to break down. She did not want to appear weak about this issue in front of Gina and DocProf. After all, Gina lived with a physical manifestation of her powers her whole life, what right did Agnes had to complain about her own gifts? But the touch of the good doctor’s hand and it just threw Agnes into the maelstrom. Before she knew it every bit of revulsion she felt towards that cocoon, every agony over the unfairness of her mutation, every seeping bit of angry that was bottle up in her heart came pouring out through her tears.

Because of her parents, because of what they did to her, because her mutation embodies the very essence of what mankind fears and loathes, the only thing that Agnes ever wanted to do was to blend in; to fade away and never have to fear too much attention, too many leering eyes. All she wanted to do was to be unremarkable so that she had at least the chance at a normal life.

But none of it ever happened for her. Her parents radical beliefs made her unpopular with her own group of teens at school; their actions made her hate her appearance and run away into the streets of New York; being homeless she was overlooked but always reviled by her fellow man just out of the corner of her eyes; being a mutant she faced prejudice; and now it was going to happen again, just as she was beginning to grow into her new life.

Now she would always carry a physical manifestation of how different she was. And the realization of that just made her sick to her stomach. She was tired to the cards that fate always dealt her, and tired of the fact that despite all she went through to survive, she would never get what she was most after…an un-extraordinary life.

She wept, she and gently wrapped her arms around herself as she tried to not just fully lose her emotions. She needed to contain herself somehow, especially since now the buzzing was beginning in her chest. The swarm was growing upset along with her.

The look on DocProf’s eyes showed that he was indeed fearful of what Agnes would do if she lost control.

“Agnes, honey, you need to calm down,” he whispered calmly as he gently rubbed her arm. “I…I know it’s hard but you have to control yourself.”

Agnes, felt like snapping at him for his words. She didn’t know why, she should have known better but it could have felt like the best thing to do at the moment. But she never did. Just as she opened her eyes to say something, she paused when she looked over to see Gina standing there, arms open to embrace her. She sniffled. Her sister was always much like a lighthouse in the hurricane that was her life.

Sniffling she meekly made her way over to Gina and wrapped her arms around her for a hug. She really did not always want to appear so needing of her but right now she couldn’t help it. She wanted a hug and from the only person that really mattered to her right now, her sister.

Agnes kept Gina in a tight hug as she just cried her eyes out. No overly bawling but just enough to show how upset and just plain frustrated she was with life. It was only after maybe a good 2 or 3 minutes of solid crying that she finally calmed enough to just whisper…

“I’m tired…”

Gina had enough faith in Agnes to not spew bugs all over her. Sure, she was an emotional basket-case, and gradually losing the cool that DocProf was cautioning her against losing. Okay, so maybe DocProf wasn't as in-control as Gina would have thought. She watched as her sister shuffled over, and Agnes folded into her arms. That was Gina, the little gargoyle-- Agnes's little rock in her emotional storm.

The hug was constricting and needy, but neccesary. Gina hugged back, feeling as if she were the taller of the two in the hug, for a moment. Agnes just kind of melted into a puddle of tears, and Gina held onto her, petting her hair yet avoiding the wings carefully. They stood there for for minutes in silence. Gina closed her eyes and sighed, willing her own calm onto her sister.

>> “I’m tired…”

Gina maintained her hold on Agnes, her gaze flicking towards the DocProf before returning to Agnes once again. Her voice little more than a murmur as she replied, "Then sleep, Aggs. Rest. You're worn-out, and you need it. You'll be fine."

Gina looked toward DocProf, only shifting her gaze for the go-ahead. DocProf wanted Agnes to sit and eat, wanted Gina to stay awake with her. Either way, Gina had to make sure Agnes was well taken care of. She leaned back, surveying her sister's face, "Do you want anything to eat? Doc grabbed some crackers and fruit cups and such."

Agnes weeped. Not because she felt like she was a freak or anything (even if it appeared that way). She wept because she really was just tired; and in every sense of the word. She was tired physically from the mutation she underwent, she was tired mentally because she was still trying to wrap her mind around what happened, and she was tired spiritually because she was sure that fate had decided to deal her yet another hand that she simply did not feel she could overcome. She was so tired and all she wanted to do was to be left alone.

But not from Gina. She could never shun Gina away. She loved her little sister so very much and was so protective of her, but she knew that the real strong one was Gina. Agnes never allowed herself to forget that. Her arms felt desperate as they clung onto her sister, tightly and in need of security. Thankfully Gina did not seem to mind.

She held her until she was done and even through her complaining of tiredness, she still did not shun her away.

>> "Then sleep, Aggs. Rest. You're worn-out, and you need it. You'll be fine."

Meekly she nodded her head. Though she was scared of sleeping and of the same thing happening again, she was just too tired to fight it off anymore. She needed to let her body rest through everything that she had just gone through. Sleep definitely sounded like the best option…

DocProf, meanwhile, out of Agnes line of sight, nodded his head at Gina’s suggestion. It was obvious that he did not want to make Agnes do anything that she didn’t want to do.

>> "Do you want anything to eat? Doc grabbed some crackers and fruit cups and such."

Agnes meekly shook her head. She wasn’t hungry anymore. The idea of sleep so enveloped her mind that all she wanted to do was to crawl into bed. But, a glance over her shoulder and she spied that her own bed still had spots where the residue from the cocoon were still fresh. Tonight, this morning, she really did not want to deal with it in the least. Gently she turned her sore looking, red eyes upon Gina, frowning slightly.

“G-Gina…c…can I sleep with you?” she muttered sadly. She hated to admit it but she really did not want to sleep alone…

Agnes nodded numbly in response to Gina's reassurance, and DocProf gave a n approving nod at Gina's suggestion. Good, she could sleep-- it was obvious that Agnes had reached her limit, and wouldn't be told to do anything that she didn't want to do. And she most certainly didn't seem interested in food. Agnes was tired, she wanted to sleep and nothing more, and she made this quite clear without saying much at all. Agnes looked at her bed with an exhausted frown.

>> “G-Gina…c…can I sleep with you?”

Gina bobbed her head faintly, and gave an assured, "Yeah."

She saw nothing wrong with it-- Agnes was her best friend and sister, and she was scared. And, her bed was speckled with fluid and cocoon-detritus. Gina wouldn't make her sister sleep in that, and with the state that she was in, Gina wouldn't make Agnes sleep alone, either.

"Gimme a sec," Gina said, releasing Agnes altogether. It was obvious by the turn in the conversation that the DocProf was now free to go, so Gina went over to him, and gave him a farewell hug. She thanked him, and in whispered tones, told him that she'd keep an eye on Agnes and give him a holler if anything weird started happening again. DocProf said his goodbyes, his doctorly reminders, and he was gone, toting the trash bag containing the cocoon along with him. Now, it was only the girls once again, and the calm was unsettling.

The gargoyle girl flitted over to the wall where the main light-switch was, and flicked that off, plunging the room into darkness. Then, she went over to her desk, and turned on the lamp-- which had a muted, yellow light-- and turned it so that it was inches away from the wall, giving the room a very dim light to it. Alright.

Gina hummed past Agnes again, pushing the covers way back, and then piled into the bed. Rather than laying down (for her wings took up a good deal of extra space), she took a comfortable seat in the corner where her bed met the wall, taking one of her two pillows and placing it between the wall and her head.

Gina was too tired to care how she slept, and left a decent space beside her for Agnes to take over. They slept on twin beds, so in one way or another, they were going to wind-up snuggling when it came to sharing a bed. Once Gina had shifted into a comfy position, she looked towards Agnes.

"Okay, hop on in," she smiled faintly, patting the pillow before extending her hand towards Agnes, as if to lead her to the bed. They were both absolutely worn-out. so the sooner Agnes got situated, the sooner that they both could get some much-needed sleep.

>> "Yeah…Gimme a sec,"[/color]

Numb was right. Agnes was sure that she was no longer feeling anything right now except for the need for sleep. All that she really cared about was that Gina had agreed to let her sleep in the same bed with her. She was truly thankful for that. She was so tired she doubted she could have pulled off the sheets from her bed and changed them. Instead she probably would have barely been able to rip them off before she collapsed, face first, into the bare mattress and just tried to sleep like that.

But deep down she knew that she would never be able to get to sleep on her own. Despite her exhaustion she felt that her fears would begin to well up and take over her dreams, shifting them into nightmares that were sure to plague her all night. No, Agnes did not want that. She felt, though, that at least with Gina nearby she’d be able to have some piece of mind.

She blinked.

Gina was moving around, rather quickly and with determination. Agnes observed as she gave a hug to DocProf and began to usher him out of the room whilst listening to his medical advice. Agnes watched him go but still managed to wave her hand as a small sign of thanks for his help this night. She would properly thank him with a hug and freshly made coffee once she got around to getting some must needed rest.

Once he was gone, there was only silence. Agnes felt a little awkward as she hugged herself, just a little scared of the darkness that was to come. But she could face it with Gina; that was all she needed to know. The lights were off and Agnes momentarily felt a twinge of fear in her heart. But it evaporated with the following sound of a click and the realization that Gina turned on the desk lamp and aimed it at the wall so that the room was dark enough for them to sleep but with enough light to comfort the frayed runaway.

Gina then returned to the bed and began to adjust the pillows so that there would be enough room for the two of them. Agnes knew that she was asking for a lot by asking to sleep in Gina’s bed, but she was thankful that she had agreed. She firmly believe that they were both probably so tired that they could drop off to sleep standing up!

Once the bed was made to satisfaction, Agnes watched as Gina had climbed in and made room for Agnes with an understanding smile.

>> "Okay, hop on in,"

Agnes nodded as she shuffled over. Quietly she climbed into bed next to Gina and sighed as she felt warm next to her. She so happy to have to her sister here and she hoped that one day she could return this favor. Not out of sense of owing her, or anything, but simply because she would love to do so. Gina deserved to be taken care of one or twice.

Lips parted, Agnes was about to utterly yet another thank you to her sister but sleep rode in fast. Before Agnes knew it, her eyelids felt so absolutely heavy that she could barely keep conscious that she was lying in bed, hugging her sister. Thankfully, sleep was fast and those Agnes was thrust into the void of darkness that followed sleep, there were no hints of the nightmares that she so feared. Gina, obviously, must have scared them away…

Agnes acknowledged Gina's summoning with a nod and quietly clambered in, nestling to the younger girl's side. Gina smiled, and leaned down, snagging the blanket with her fingers and pulling it up around her own waist and around her sisters' shoulders, before casually draping her arm in the proximity of Agnes's head. Agnes was out just as soon as she hit the pillow, but Gina remained awake for a few moments longer. In the half-light, she adjusted her sister's hair, looked around the room to make sure things were in-order. Nothing seemed to be out-of-place.

Gina then glanced down at her sister, who was hugged to her side tightly. Gina fussed with Agnes's hair a few moments more, before her hand and free arm came to rest behind her head in a half-embrace. Gina shifted minimally, adjusting the pillow, and let her head roll back onto it. She stared at the cieling, dark eyes flickering over the dots, and she soon felt her own eyes closing, the corners of her vision darkening. Gina didn't even bother fighting the sleep. She'd been in high-alert all day, and her systems were ready to crash. And, now she could rest assured that her sister was safe, even if boasting a new pair of wings, and that she was still the same old Agnes that Gina had always known.

The gargoyle gave a soft sigh, and then willing surrendered to sleep. She was glad that the ordeal was over.

end.