Lightbulbs

"It's not so bad..." Madison eyed the light, then eyed Nicola, before rolling on her back and looking up at the ceiling. "Some people sleep with sound. I sleep with light. Enough years and it becomes just a normal part of the process." It wasn't like it was a flashlight. It glowed like a hearth, with a soft orange encompassment.

People slept with something playing in the background? That sounded sort of difficult to adjust to. Nicola gave a small shrug, glancing up towards the rather plain, completely empty ceiling. They could've at least put some decorations around her instead of making it such a sterile white. Maybe it was just her bad eye, but it really hurt to stare at white all the time - it was so plain and bright that it was just a giant strain. Why couldn't they add more color? "I guess. Dunno much about these things since I was kinda on the run for awhile."

On the run? Madison turned her head, a faint creak sounding as she did this. She gave Nicola a sleepy blink. "What do you mean...?" It was already out before she began to have regrets. That was personal information. She shouldn't go around prying people for stuff like that! Well, then again, Nicola did mention it on her own accord, but still! It was personal information! The girl looked ready to suffocate herself with her pillow.

Nicola was never really one to hold back about her past, but that didn't mean she had to explain everything up front. She had to fight to hold back a laugh. Madison made the question sound like it was one of the hardest things to ask. What's the point in hiding something that would be found out eventually? "Oh, 'ya know. The usual - parents get scared of your demonic powers and would rather hunt you down than talk to you about it peacefully." It wasn't something she was ashamed of at all. Of course, it resulted in her brother getting killed... but he was still around, right? "No worries, though. A nice couple took me in and sent me to the academy since they used to be students here."

"Oh..." Madison had never experienced the fear of her parents in that way. Her mother was always benevolently saying she was taking on the family business of mediumship, that the spirits only attacked her because she was untrained and that she had to go in and seek them out. Even after Madison almost got killed, her mother seemed content with her powers. Her father never really said much about them, but he never tried to hunt her down. That sounded pretty tough...

"Well, that's nice..." She tried to not let her tone dip too much, to seem too sympathetic or too much like a downer. Nicola wasn't one to tolerate that, she'd found out.

It's not that she was never depressed or anything - she's had her fair share of sadness and grief - but what's the point of dwelling on something that she couldn't change? What's done was done, and she might as well move on and try and make the best out of it. There wasn't any way her dad would shift his feelings toward her 'condition' and the revelation of saying demons on a daily basis; too bad, so sad. So, when Madison tried so hard to keep her tone steady, Nicola stifled a chuckle. "What about you, by the way?" She might as well return the question, but she didn't mean to pry. "Your parents ever worry about your safety at night or anything like that?"

Her parents. Madison wasn't really comfortable thinking about her parents for too long, let alone talking about them. But, she had to return the favor. Nicola talked about it, so it was only right that she should too. "Um..." If only she could talk like a regular human being. "I...wouldn't know, really...they don't...we don't talk a lot, it's techni...I'm scared of my mother, kind of..."

Immediately, Nicola regretted asking. Probably not a good idea to ask someone reserved and most likely self-conscious about their post. Quickly, she dismissed it. "Ah, sorry I asked. That was kind of tactless on my part." Damn, she really needed to stop being so straightforward and blunt. Not everyone could handle being around a person who was so... direct. "Do you want to sleep now? Or would you rather stay up all night talking to some random girl who made you panic some time ago?"

Madison already has half asleep, answering her question halfly with her wispy voice. My leg hurts, maybe I should..." She let her eyes fall on that day, the most eventful day since she arrived at the school. And she'd been attacked by cicadas and teleported before. "Night..." Her voice traveled in a whisper.

Nicola kicked her legs up higher, trying to readjust herself into a position where she would feel at least more comfortable somehow. Looks like Madison wanted to sleep. Might as well do the same. "Good night, then." Her eyes fluttered to a close, and she wouldn't deny that she did feel rather sleepy... In a few moments, she was breathing lightly and her chest rose and fell gently every few moments.