Saint Joseph School

(( I'm curently working a revamp on this thread, I'll be changing the intro so bear with me as I re work and create a better flow to the story, I'll take this waring off when I'm down the revamp))

She casually opened the door to Quad 4, much to her pleasure it was empty. Not that her quad mates where annoying by any means, Tamesis was always use to having a room to herself. She knew in her mind and assured herself that she would adjust and everything would be fine. A frown crept upon her cloudy ice face, there was something eating at her mind that made her feel uneasy. She wandered her way over to her side of the room.

She admired her little set up. A Canadian flag pegged to the wall, a cracked picture of her parents, and a stone statue of herself that Sandy had made of her along with number of other passions she owned. Crawling on her bed she reached over to the special CD player her parents bought her. She hit the play button and the room filled with the soft tunes of a remix CD she made a while back. She leaned back and folded her arms behind her head and stared up at the ceiling.

“Do you ever question your life?” The song asked as the lyrics came to life. “Do you ever wonder why?”

The words sunk into her soul. She had lots to question about her life, including how she ended up as an ice girl in the first place. All she could place together is that just about a year and a half she started to get cold. When they realized that it was a mutation, she was rushed to the hospital to see if they could help. She remembered the transformation process well. She’d never forget the look of fear in the nurse’s eyes when she came back to the shrieking girl. The warm bath they had put her in was frozen solid just before the girl passed out. By all means she shouldn’t have woken up again, given from what she heard after. She remembered the stunned expression of her parents when they were informed that their only daughter was changing into ice and not just suffering from random chill attacks. Tamesis bit her lip as she still “asked why me?” at least once a day.

“Do you ever see your dreams? All the castles in the sky?” The song continued but Tam was deep in thought.

It didn’t help that since being back to the school didn’t help her self-esteem. She longed to touch, and seeing every single couple in the school all snug in each other’s arms, laying comfortably on the other’s shoulders, and even just simple hand holding pained her deep inside. She wouldn’t let the students know it. Just deal with it and keep the happy face, you worry less people that way. She thought to herself.

“All the castles way up high.”

She was grateful for Alex though. Thanks to her stubbornness on being able hug her friends, she now had a super suit and gloves that would allow her to touch someone for roughly 5 seconds or so. It was enough to allow her the miracle of being able to hug her mom and dad again. However not enough to save her from the tragic fight that led to her being in this room. Tamesis shuffled and rolled her side as she huffed a bit. She was still mad about the whole thing. Nothing stings more when your mother admits she’s scared of her own daughter.

“Oh tell me why? Do we build castles in the sky”

Faced with her icy fingers, Tamesis studied her hand looking at the ice as it bent and stretched as she commanded it. She frowned as in her head she thought of the next command

Be fleshy..

“ Oh tell me why? All the castles way up high?”

Be normal..

“Please tell me why?”

Be warm..

“Do we build castles in the sky?”

A foggy sigh escaped the sadden girls lips.

“Oh tell me why?”

Allowing her hand to drop she wonder if Nova was right. Maybe she just needed some help with control. She really didn’t want to go to G.I.F.T and have to go through everything she’s been through again. Especially the sample obtaining, she shuddered at the thought. She’s been told on 3 different occasions that most attempts at reversing the mutation would be extremely high risk and most likely take her life that and the cost would be grossly expensive. Tamesis felt that it wasn’t a control issue that kept her like this. She had come term with being ice while she was in the lab, probably one of the few good things that happened there. Now she felt the desire to fit in again, maybe it was because she was alone at the lab, or the fact she was there because of how she was. She couldn’t put her finger on it.

“All the castles way up high! All the castles way up high”

The song was coming to an end and Tam sat up. She leaned on her hands and thought to herself the interesting metaphor the song and placed in her head. Only question being, how do I get to my castle in the sky when all I can do is jump.. her eyes wandered to the window still where Sandy and proudly placed the ice statue of Sandy as a centaur dressed in roman armour fighting with sword and spear that Tam had created. The sun hit the art causing little prisms of light. She stood and walked over to the window an saw the other students at play. Shortly she figured she should probably go see what’s going on and distract herself from the thoughts in her head. She slipped in her comm ear piece and with a little forced joy, cheerfully said “Hi!” into the piece as she left the Quad.

“Oh tell me why?..” continued softly throughout the now empty room.

Tam gloved cold hands touched and light frost appeared on the glass doors of Bruno’s as she made her entrance. The blue tile floor and blue printed booths complemented the place but the plant life and stone tables seemed to really spice up the joint. Her head turned to look for her friends. She spotted them standing by a table in the middle. Approaching the group she offered a friendly wave to not to really interrupt the socializing.

Alex Dutchman was the first to spot Tam. Long brown hair framed her face and square glasses that hid blue eyes seemed to brighten as her face grew a smile. It took her no time to welcome Tam with warm arms in the ritual of greeting hug.

“Hey Tam!”

Tam grinned and was glad she chose to wear one of the insulated jackets she had gotten made after discovering the wonderful material that Alex had introduced her to. The material allowed for about 5 seconds of contact before the cold got too much for most people. She was grateful for it, it had allowed for a tearful day since she had the chance to hug her parents afterwards, for however short of a time it was. Leaning in for the hug she gave her dear friend a quick embrace.

“How are you?”

“I’ve just been threatening Trixie with another Icon shopping trip”

Trixie turn her head, fiery long red hair went well with the orange tank top she was wearing with her jeans. She looked at Tam with jokingly pleading green eyes.

“Help!”

“Just say no?” Tam raised and eyebrow

“She’s trying to force me to be more of a normal teen with a boyfriend and less of an aspiring longbow member!” Trixie let out a giggle as Tam shrugged.

“You can’t be both?” Mal piped up. The only boy among the three girls and completed the group that was at the gathering. Tam could see the specialized suit that he had to wear in order to walk around earth’s surface since he wasn’t from around here. Tam didn’t remember where he was from but it wasn’t the blue hair or the suit that she thought made him look a little goofy, but the round glasses on his face. However he managed to win Trixie’s heart. Trixie thought about that for a moment.

“Well.. I suppose so.”

Alex glanced at Tam and smirked.

“Careful, Tammy, you might be next.”

It took Tam a bit to figure out what Alex was getting at. Her trips to Icon usually meant her getting into something she normally would not wear. However, she always seemed to end up liking it. Tam had a weakness for red and Alex figured it out.

“Well.. HEY! I’m done with Barbie… so I’m sitting..” with that Tamesis defiantly sat on the ground since the group seemed to not want to take a booth up.

“I didn't mean right now. “ An exchange of tongue’s happened as they stuck them out at each other.

“Still Sittin!” and with a smirk as Tam held her position “Just in case..” She closed her eyes as she summon some ice around her to keep her from getting moved, however just enough so she could still speak and hear the conversation around her. Trixie piped up,

“Quick! Mob her and put her in pink!”

Alex queried “Me or Tam?”

Trixie looked in the direction of Tam and observed the ice build up around her.

“ ..You do realize there’s a firebug right behind you Tam..”

Tamesis let out an pfft sound.

“I can chill preeetty freaking cold.”

“Yeah..well I can heat up pretty hot. I didn’t pick the name Extreme temperature to bluff.”

Alex again makes a return to the conversation. “Hey, Tammy lets me put her in skirts. I think she's girly enough to pass.”

Tamesis raised an eyebrow at Alex

“Your super suit?”

“Nooo, that was for the girly enough?”

“Because I'm weird and found the comment amusing to say?”

“Ah, Okay. Heh.”

Trixie let out a giggle.

“Taaaam. Don’t make me use the fire powers.”

A group of smiles came from the comment, and Tam responded with and another eyebrow raise.

“I freeze to the challenge.”

An Idea had struck Alex as she made this proposal.

“How about a trade? Tammi wears pink if she gets to so something to you Trix?”

“WHAT!” Tam was a little louder then she wanted, Mal had even given her an eye,

“It wouldn't be THAT bad.” Mal countered, Tam was quiet for a bit before she responded.

“Yes, yes it would. I... *hate* Pink”

“Did a pink car run over your dog or something?” Trixie giggled at Mal’s remark. Tam looked up at him from within her little ice sanctuary and with a sarcastic tone.

“Yes..”

Another giggle from Trixie escaped her lips.

“That’s it. Imma give Tam a hug!”

Tam laughed, as she looked at Trixie,

“Is she trying to get you into pink?”

Both girls responded. Trixie before Alex.

“I wear pink on my own, thanks.”

“Me? Not yet at least. She knows I'd wear it for a day so it's less amusing.”

More laughter from came from the group of four.

“Ah. Soo..... This better not turn into lets get Tam into pink.”

Trixie countered, as Alex snickered.

“Mauve then.”

“Mauve?”

“It’s a fancy pink.”

“.... Still pink. No.”

“.. Fuchsia?”

“No.”

“.. Burnt Sienna?”

“Not sure what that is but if it’s any shade of pink. NO!”

Suddenly Trixie’s shoulder’s drooped down and her head hung like a sad puppy who had done something wrong. Tam couldn’t help her reaction, the ice around her dropped, and a eerie guilt came over her.

“Don't do that..”

Trixie added some sniffles for a greater affect.

“ ... I Hate you.”

“Love you too Tam.” Trixie giggles which was responded with a crossing of Tam’s arms and a huffing sound that signaled that she wasn’t overally pleased with something. In this case it was the act Trixie had put on and Tam was falling for it.

“It’s a skill you have to perfect when your roommate can read emotions.”

Tam and Alex both eyed Trixie. They both commented

“Glad I'm not roomin with ya.”

“That makes two of us.

“Though Kara already has blindsided me today with no more Legolas illusions..”

Trixie let out a sad sigh.

“Legolas?” Alex queried

Tamesis raises an eyebrow, she knew Alex had an interesting past but how could she not once in both versions know who Legolas was. Tam still thought it was Orlando’s hottest look. Tam was a sucker for those blue elf eyes.

“Hot elf, off of Lord of the Rings”

“Ah”

“Its a goofy joke, Kara was pretending to be annoyed because I turned the entire town against her and got her lynched in the first day round of werewolf.

Tam’s eyebrows frowned as she was getting confused. Mal squirmed a bit and everyone noticed.

“Dang was that an awesome ploy... Y'okay Mal?”

“Uh... sorry” Tam’s instant response to any sort of shiver like behavior.

“Trixie, you better give Mal a kiss. I think he's suffering from girl talk poisoning.”

Trixie let out a giggle, and firmly grabbed on to Mal’s jacket and pulled him in for a kiss. A muffled noise of sorts escaped Mal as he was taken by surprise, but shortly gives into the kiss as Tam broke out into an giggle. Alex covered her face in an attempt to bury the giggle that was trying to come out. It didn’t take long for Tam to cover her eyes. A little bit of she didn’t want to see it and that she respected them both. She squeaked, “ Ewwwwwww COOTIES!! “

“You realize when they are done the talk goes back to getting you in pink right?” Alex Smirked at Tam as she caught the girl checking to see if they were done kissing. You could tell even though her eyes were also ice that an alarm had gone off before she hid them behind the gloved hands, as she changed her tune.

“GO MAL!”

With a free hand tam waved a fist in support and did some other random cheering. Clearly she’d seen a new side of Mal today. He didn’t blush in front of the group when the kiss had started or with the banter going on. She couldn’t see what was going on but it seemed that Alex had lost the entertainment of the pair making out in Bruno’s.

“Okay you two...You are in public.”

Tam countered, a little late as the pair stopped kissing unknown to her.

“No don't listen to her! Go go go!”

Trixie let out some giggles, which caused Tam to smile. Still unaware that the action had come to stop left her wide open for the plan Alex had just conceived in her mind. Light bended and shortly Tam sitting there with her eyes covered was in a very cute short bright pink dress, instead of the jean Capri’s and orange jacket she had come in with. A smirk came over Alex’s face as she commented at Tam’s new look.

“Pink is a good color on you Tammy”

Tam’s brow furrowed as confusion took over and a slight annoyance.

“What the heck are you talking about?”

“Look down.”

Tam’s left her hand drop from her face; her head snapped down, her eyes went wide and an involuntary scream escaped her lips as she shot up in a useless attempt to get away from the horrible color that was now upon her. Laughter erupted from the group. The illusion that Alex created quickly dropped. Tam quickly shot Alex a glare and an accusing point of the index finger. She growled and scolding she shouted

“Foul!”

Alex face became blank.

“Okay...that was a bit more of a reaction that I was thinking I'd get... Sorry.... I didn't know you hate, hated the color.”

Tam sat quiet for a bit. Her face clearly showed signs of unpleasant state of mind and sorting things out. The ice girl glanced at Alex again.

“Forgive me? I won’t do it again.”

“That’s fine…” Tam nodded her head.

“Bad Alex!”

Trixie playfully scolded Alex with an giggle. Before anyone knew it Trixie soon had bubble gum pink hair. Everyone looked and Trixie tried to look up at her hair.

“Why do I have this ominous feeling?”

Tam pointed to Trixie’s hair and with a horrible look of disgust

“Iiiiiiiit's PINK!”

Mal took no time to decide he didn’t like the color on her as an “Ew” sound escaped his lips. Trixie grasped a clunk of her hair and looked at it.

“Huh. I kinda like it.”

Alex hummed a bit in thought. On a rampage for the reaction she wanted out of some one, she would get it. A smirk crept upon her face as slowly but surely Trixie’s hair vanished and was now bald. Tam cupped her hand over her mouth in a little bit of shock.

“… Curse you Alex! The Pink hair I coulda gone with.”

Alex let out a snicker

“Even woulda made me more unique and stuff.”

Trixie let a pout form on her face. Alex allowed the illusion to drop and Trixie’s hair returned to normal

“It's called a wig Trix.”

“Eeew… Old people wear wigs!”

“Heh!” Escaped Tam’s lip, Tam’s super suit had a wig, to hide her identity a bit more, not very many girls or women who are walking ice chicks in Paragon City. She knew it. Alex continued

“Tammy isn't old people”

“I have a white wig for my super suit”

“Tammy doesn’t count on accord of extenuating Popsicle issues.”

“Uuuh…”

Tam watched as Trixie nodded to her self in approving her logic. A scowl formed on Tam’s face. Normally she was okay with cold jokes but getting called a Popsicle hit a sore spot. Crossing her arms she muttered to herself. Before she really got into her mutterings, Alex called out.

“Oh! One more illusion for Tammy!”

“Huh?”

“You heard me.”

Tam raised an eyebrow towards Alex.

“What illusion? And there better not be pink involved.”

A stage of contemplation came over Alex as she thoughtfully pondered what illusion to use on Tam. The idea hit and suddenly the ice girl was no more, but a light colored Euro/Asian girl with blond hair sat among the group. Tam saw her arms and it was like she was hit with something harder then a train running over her emotions. Conversation was still going on in the background but it didn’t matter to Tam. She lifted her arm and looked carefully at the little arm hairs on it, in place of the smooth surface of ice. Still she didn’t know how to react to it

She hadn’t had normal skin for well over 2 years. Tam tried to recall the last time she looked like this and decided it was before the surgery she was suppose to under go to remove the “abnormalities” which where discovered in an x-ray and the doctors had no clue what they were. The events that she was informed of after the surgery triggered the girl’s eyes to well with the ice tears that she could cry.

“You okay Tammy?”

Alex’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

“Hrm? *coughs* OH! Ya! Good!”

Tam tried to sallow back the tears that where forming. She didn’t notice that Alex had changed Mal in to a girl wearing a cheer squad outfit with long sliver hair, unaware Trixie had noticed a change in her posture and looked worried. Sucked back into her own bittersweet world that she had put behind her the first go around when she lost her skin. It wasn’t fair. Why, out of the other cold girl’s that were at the school that she’s met did she actually have to be ice. For now the world was tricked by an illusion of light that she was a normal girl. Alex’s voice again pulled her back into reality.

“Hope I got the skin tone right Tam.”

Dazily Tam replied.

“It’s close..”

“I can drop it.. if this is too freaky for you.”

A new debate shot off in her mind.

Keep it, drop it, keep it, drop it… either way your still ice..

The thought depressed her and it showed in her shoulders as they fell. Trixie knew she had been right to worry as a sigh sounded from her direction. A deep breath could be heard before Tam spoke

“Ya... you probably should..”

With that the illusion melted away into the ice surface that she was forced to live with. She couldn’t help but to watch and the overwhelming feelings grew with in her. Gotta get out of here..

Trixie seemingly felt what Tam was going through, or maybe she just could imagine it.

“Sorry Tam..”

“Heh, Don't be...” She bit her lower lip hard, one of the joys of being ice, didn’t matter how hard you bit it, ice never bleeds.

“Kinda bitter sweet isn't it.”

Tam glanced up at Alex. She could tell Alex wasn’t happy about what she did, as she was realizing the internal pain Tam was going through. Feeling the pressure of the eyes that were focused on Tam shuffled a bit in an attempt to lessen it. Time felt like it stood still, and she was the cause. She didn’t want pity, or sympathy she wanted to be happy and that overbearing feeling of sad emotions was starting to creep over her. No more self pity!

Pushing her self up with her hands she started to get ready to leave.

“Urm... I should go..”

She started to take a few steps before Alex intervened.

“Tam!”

She stopped, Alex made an attempt to make things right.

“If you want...we could go out like that for a day...if you wanted to..”

Another sting, another false hope presented to her. Silence, again, fell upon the already awkward moment.

“ I. I. I. I’ll th..ink a..b..out ..it.”

“Um.. be safe Tam..” Trixie got out before Tam left.

“Goodnight.. and I’ll be safe.”

More steps and she was out the door. Once she was out, it took no time for her to break into a full out run away from the place. The towering buildings off Steel Canyon appeared eerie with the moonlight bouncing off of them. Streets were quite asides the occasional car that was driving by the running girl. Her hands reached to her face to discard the ice that was starting to stream down her face returning to her dorm room.

Damn it!

Once she was out of Bruno’s, it took no time for her to break into a full out run away from the place. The towering buildings off Steel Canyon appeared eerie with the moonlight bouncing off of them. Streets were quite asides the occasional car that was driving by the running girl. Her hands reached to her face to discard the ice that was starting to stream down her face returning to her dorm room.

Damn it again!!

Officially urked at herself she launched herself into the air. The street lights shrank as she seemly flew up into the air.

Not gonna cry anymore!

She started to fall down towards the street as things became bigger again. Bending her knee’s she braced herself for the landing and re launch. She had no destination in mind just wanted to get away. Shock rippled through out her body as she landed and with another quick push of her legs she was in the air again.

Bitter thoughts went threw her mind, as she set in to the rhythmic movements of jumping over and over.

Seriously, why am I ice? I mean come on. I couldn’t just get cold powers and still have flesh.

Another jump,

Really! I could live with that.

Jump

I swear skin is the key thing to being accepted for what you are or what you changed into.

Jump

You don’t have skin here your not fully accepted or you need to be helped into looking normal..

Jump

No… I shouldn’t be that way… Oh sh**!

Platinum lake was directly below her, which ment some how she twisted off the road in her thought. She panicked. Tam and water went together like her and pink, the combination was never good.

Calm down, you’ve been in water before!

She opened her arms up and brought a knee up, preparing to enter the water using the modified compact jump she’d learned from her Bronze Cross training. Her eyes focused in on the rippled surface of the water from the wind breezing over it, she had to time this right or she’d sink into the water more then would be safe for her to get out of alone. She felt the impact of the water she kicked and forced her arms down in the slush, ice and water that was rapidly forming around her. Soon she immobilized inside the ice which was expanding slowly around her. The instinct to breath came over Tam like an unfamiliar shock. She didn’t need air to breath, but the quick erratic motions of her chest heaving came over, frightening her since no air was entering. Using her strength she broke the ice around her soon the water that gushed in transforming quickly into ice trapping her in again.

Sometimes you forget traumatizing events in your life. Like amnesia, your mind will lock it away so that you don’t have to deal with it and then suddenly you remember? At that moment while Tam was desperately trying to get out of the ice she remembered. She remembered her hands were in black cotton gloves, bubbles appeared as glass under the ice, and banging her fist and clawing at the underside of the ice as a current dragged her along. Next a hole, once chance, she remembered reaching out of the hole followed by two sharp pains and being able to breath.

The red energy she formed at her hands blasted causing the ice around her to glow red, then shatter around the top part of her body. She took in air like she needed it. She punched in frustration the remaining ice and pulled her body out of the entombment. Collapsing onto the ice float she laid in shock staring up at the sky. It was time for her to find out more about why she was the way she is. As it turns out the answer is locked away in her mind.