Why Would You Depend On Us?

[Charity Croft]

Need coffee. Send big cup. ASAP. Charity had punched into her phone, sending it off to Ethan Parks without really stopping to think or even spell check. She'd lost track of the last time she actually got some sleep. Ever since the oh so fun announcement (stupid hippies), Charity had been bustling about, just like, well, just about everyone. Suddenly everyone was depending on her for training and for helping and of course she happened to be one of the mutants with a tracking and analysis ability, which meant that people wanted to help her out.

And so Charity was now slumped in the teacher's lounge, giving the coffee pot dirty looks. She lost track of when exactly it had run out, but it had been too long ago. So she'd reached out to one of her friends. Well, actually, she'd reached out to someone who she knew would be all heroic and come and help cheer her up and stuff too. Charity stared down at the message she'd written without thinking about it.

Show up because I'm terrified that all these kids are going to start depending on us even more now. People know, and suddenly they're going to know that we're all not normal. People are going to start depending on us. I don't even depend on us. Well, me. You're super dependable and stuff. Has anyone told you how dependable you are? It's kinda impressive really. And a good thing. But now people are going to be like, realizing that they super need us and all that stuff and I'm just freaking out and stuff.

"Yeah, I think the coffee one was the way to go," Charity mumbled into her hand, scrolling through the message again. At least writing it was cathartic. She just had to make sure not to send it or anything. "Yep, not sending that. Nope," Charity said before yawning. She brought a hand up to cover it, feeling her finger slip. She realized what was happening just as she heard Ethan's phone buzzing. "You do not want to look at that," she said, pointing at him. "Just.... delete it or something."

[Ethan Parks]

The text he received from Charity made him chuckle as he was already at the coffee shop, waiting for the coffee he had already brought for both of them. While the teacher's lounge had an okay coffee machine, he didn't really want office coffee.

He was halfway approaching Charity when his phone pinged him to let him know he had another message. He fished it out from his pocket before looking up where Charity was and chuckled. And he did delete it, without looking at it. Respect and privacy and whatnot.

He put down the cup tray on the table before sliding one over to Charity. "It's black but I got a ton of creamer and sugar for you if you want." He slid into the chair opposite the other staffer and watched her, a little concerned at her appearance. The woman looked like she had seen better days.

"Have you slept at all since...the announcement?" He asked with a sympathetic smile.

[Charity Croft]

"Yay, coffee," Charity said, before reaching her hands in the traditional "gimme gimme" motion. There was the sliding onto the table and Charity reaching for the cup. She let out a near sigh of relief as she pulled the drink close, leaning over it and inhaling the delicious scent of hot coffee as it wafted upward. She closed her eyes for a few moments, just giving into the sensation.

"Shhhh," she said, holding a finger up, "I'm having a moment with my coffee right now," she took another breath, then opened her eyes and opened the lid. This was partially to stare at the liquid inside, but also so she could get it ready for actual consumption. "But, uh, I'm actually not sure," Charity looked at him, pulling a slight face, "what day is it?"

Sadly, she was only joking a little, which nearly made her wince just thinking about it.