A Single Breath

[Mystique]

Years of experience, a thousand first meetings and chance encounters, multiple missions executed to a T, and still this nauseous clawing of uncertainty clutched her heart as she approached the door. Shoot a man from a rooftop? Elementary. Infiltrate a political investigation and turn important eyes away? As simple as cracking an egg. Trying to keep the seductive step of a predator out of the innocent size 5's of a 13 year old girl? Confidence seemed to slip away from her.

She had spent too many years doing the work of grown-ups. It was difficult getting back in touch with her pre-pubescent feelings and ideals (if getting back in touch it could be called). Now was not the time for doubt. Now was not the time to re-think this disguise, though she could not help looking one last time into the hand mirror from her Choco-Cat coin purse.

Blonde hair swept haphazardly into a ponytail. Large blue eyes that seemed all too knowing. She glazed them over more. Better? Except she looked like she was a mule for narcotics. She blinked, and they shrunk slightly, keeping the clear essence of what she supposed looked like child's eyes. The rest of her was nothing extraordinary. An Aeropostale shirt, jeans, blue and red Converses, an assortment of accessories that only a child of the 21st century puts faith into as "fashion", and a ragged backpack filled with similar items of childhood paraphernalia. Who thought it was a brilliant idea to tell this generation that all styles before 1980 were "nostalgic"?

Enough. She snapped the mirror shut, drew a determined smirk across her lip-glossed lips and brought her knuckles up to the door. A single breath of wind braced against her, resisting her, calling her back from this moment, as if many other lifetimes would split off of this point and not all of them pleasant. A single breath. And she knocked.

OOC: *tags all* I was accepted! *tears of joy*

[Desperado]

Jacob was in a pretty good mood. There was talk of a party, this place had a kickin' sweet weight room (with a bench press machine that had hydraulic lifts on it; Jacob didn't want to see the guy who used it), and he had basically free run of the fridge whenever he wanted it. Sure, he had to take classes, but he'd already resolved to skip Ethics class most days (somewhat for the irony of it, mostly because it was boring) and he was considering doing the same to Math. For the moment, he was going to work on Physical Education homework.

He had work-out clothes on, a denim blue muscle shirt and similar-colored basketball shorts that were rather long. He had a towel draped over his neck, and he had been holding the ends of it with his hands and preparing to go down the elevator to the aforementioned weight room when there was a knock at the door.

He wasn't entirely certain that he should answer it, but he seemed to recall something about the staff being in a meeting or something. Maybe that was tomorrow. Or next week. He should probably pay attention to announcements made in class.

He walked over to the big double doors at the front of the Mansion, unlocked, and then opened them. What lay before him had blonde hair, blue eyes, and My God, freshmen get younger every year. To be fair, he wasn't exactly sure what the grade limits for this school were; he had seen several really young (read: age 12-14) kids running around. This one seemed like part of that group, but given that she was outside and holding a ragged backpack, he figured that she was probably new here.

It occurred to him to wonder just how late this school accepted applications, but he brushed the thought aside as unimportant.

"Hello. Can I help you?" She seemed off, somehow, but he brushed that aside, too. She was twelve, and a mutant. Of course she would seem off. He was picking up the paranoia of everyone else.

Speaking of everyone else, he still hadn't had any bad dreams. He was starting to think it was a sign he didn't belong here. Screw signs. He'd always hated that movie.

[Mystique]

The boy who answered the door made her look twice. Aladdin? She shook her head and extended her hand. Well that would be an interesting face to try on.

"Sorry...um, you just looked familiar." A strand of hair had fallen out of her ponytail and she twisted it a little. "So, um, like, my-name-is-Nina-my-mom-shipped-me-out-here-for-school-I'm-s'posed-to-live-here-and-stuff-but-I-don't-really-wanna-so-what-should-I-do?"

She paused to take a breath and to let her words soak in. Talking like a child was difficult and required a wild fluttering of emotional stutters and slang that she wasn't quite sure she had yet.

"Anyways-it's-not-like-she'd-listen-to-me-any-ole-how-cause-she's-got-a-new-boytoy-and-Daddy-says-I-need-to-go-to-school-somewhere-and-why-not-for-the-gifted?"

Cocking her head to one side, she let it seem like she was thinking, but really she was memorizing the boy. It wouldn't do to morph into him one day and realize she'd gotten a centimeter too short or a hair too long. She leaned in with a conspiratorial air, hand to her mouth like she was confiding in a friend.

"I think it's because of my 'problem'." She said this slowly, each word enunciated and slightly drawn out, the way the elderly addressed rheumatism or growths.

[Desperado]

He was going to say, "I've been getting that a lot, lately." Unfortunately, he didn't have time. He didn't even have time to really listen to what she was saying. He wasn't completely sure if she was talking to him or buffeting him with sound.

She took a breath, proving that she did, indeed, breathe. He had to take a moment to collect his thoughts together before he could answer.

And then she started speaking again. The expression on Jacob's face was becoming increasingly puzzled as he lost more and more of what she was saying to the limitations of his brain only being able to process words so fast. It was like Comedy Central captions; his mind was so far behind what she was saying that there was very little visual context to put things with.

She finally slowed down towards the end, mentioning her "problem." Okay, so she was at least at the right place. Maybe. Jacob assumed that "problem" meant "mutation." If it meant something else, he didn't want to know.

Jacob blinked once his brain caught up to the present. "Okay!" he said, trying to put on a nice, friendly smile. Jacob was friendly enough; he just didn't smile very well unless he was actually happy.

"Um...lessee." His face got pensive as he tried to think of what to do in this situation. There was a little girl here in front of him. He didn't see any cars waiting outside, so she must have taken a cab or something. Could you take a cab as a minor? He didn't know. Oh, well, it didn't really matter how she got here; she wasn't leaving any time soon. Even if she was here mistakenly, or something else was wrong. His first day, some big guy (probably the one who used the hydraulic bench press machine, though Jacob couldn't feel scared of the guy for some reason) had given him a tour of the mansion and then settled him into a room. Well, he wasn't a staff member, but he probably could do a passable tour of the place, then set her with one of the female students and pass the problem to someone else.

That sounded like a plan. Engage.

His right hand left the end of the towel to indicate a single digit. "First," he said, then he pointed at the girl. "I'll give you a tour of the place. Then we'll see about rooms." He stepped to the side of the door to let the girl in.

[Kenny Orion]

Kenny was quietly keeping a low profile in the halls as the young mutant who was wearing his usual attire of black t-shirt and jeans had just gone over his assignments and smiled at completion and wanted to celebrate. However as he was about to head for the kitchen for a drink and a bite to eat he heard a knock at the door and was curious as if something was about to happen.

He then noticed someone he has yet to meet at the mansion make his way to the door as Kenny thought about trying not to be too much shy and really get around much. He then watched on as the male opened the door and a young lady was at the entrance talking so much stuff as if she was hyper or some stuff. "What can this be all about?" He said to himself quietly as he kept a distance not wanting to intrude much as the male let the young girl in the mansion.

[Mystique]

She was careful not to touch him as he led her through the doors. A tour of the house would be just perfect, and hopefully the students would be around for her to inspect. It would take her at least a day or two to situate which voices belonged to which bodies, but once that was done she could move on to the task at hand.

The scene in the PI's room washed over her then. He was fat, putrescent, and mold grew in the thick folds of his slopping body. She'd recoiled as he deposited a moist file into her shaking hands, utterly devoid of self consciousness as his odors wafted heavily over her with each heaving breath.

Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. That's where the last known whereabouts of her son were mentioned. How the disgusting man had found this out, she did not want to know. All she'd needed from him was the place.

So she had wrapped her arms around that boar's head and twisted viciously. This stinking pile of nothing had gotten too close to her son for comfort. Yes, she'd hired him for just that, but if he'd done it once, he could do it again. So now he was just loose ends all tied up and stuffed into his own closet. What with the heap of bills in his inbox that lay unopened, she figured it was a mercy killing. For him and for noses around the world. After, she'd gone back to the hotel room to wash the filth from her skin.

And now she was here.

Her eyes scanned the entry, noting the stairs, wondering just how many square feet of house there would be to search before reaching Him. Pain flashed across her face as she thought about that one, but she hid it quickly, hoping this boy hadn't noticed. It was then she finally registered the clothes.

"So, like, thanks for helping me out." She popped a piece of bubblegum into her mouth, thrusting a piece out to her companion. "Do you, like, workout-a-lot-here? Cause-I-used-to-do-gymnastics-back-home. All-the-other-girls-were-like-so-obsessed-with-weight-but-I-don't-care. I-like-pizza-and-snacks-and-totally-just-love-bubblegum! Don't-you?"

She managed to throw out this mouthful with only two quick smacks of her gum. It would be well for those around her to get used to the slow, quick repertoire. This would either make her endearing, as it did with most children, or absurdly annoying. Which would serve both of her purposes very well.

The former would gather her allies and give her enough time to assume the mannerisms needed to better imitate them. The latter would allow her to create division later if she needed. The protecters of an innocent child vs. the jealousy/annoyance of the rest. Such would be the plan until it proved beneficial to do otherwise.

Oh, and the bubblegum itself was laced with a laxative that would keep the housemates who accepted it busy while she wandered. If asked later why she'd done this, she'd just say she bought the gum from a joke shop and thought it would turn their mouths blue. How would such a cute, sweet girl know that adults were capable of such cruelties? How indeed, she thought to herself with a smile in her eyes.

[Desperado]

Jacob was about to decline the offered bubblegum, when he was interrupted by her talking again. He was still too surprised to really be annoyed by it, nor would he be likely to get annoyed by it. Not much phased Jacob, these days. He was still a little uncomfortable here, but at least he was trying to get out of his shell and fit in. He doubted it would work. There were very few places where Jacob belonged.

Where was all this melancholy coming from? Was he really that homesick? Nevermind. Introspection would have to wait for Hell to freeze over. He had stuff to do.

She finished, rather quickly. Maybe she was a speedster, like the Flash, but it only applied to her mouth. "No, thanks," he replied. "Don't touch the stuff." And he began leading her down to the hallway on the left from the door. He thought that was where the kitchen was, but he wasn't sure. He'd find out, though. Normally he just kind of walked to it, rather than actually thinking about it.

Jacob did all of his best thinking when he didn't.

((do you want to move this discussion somewhere else, or keep it here?))

[Mystique]

Trotting behind the boy, she began to remember why she hated being a child. Just because she carried the same mass in her body didn't mean the limitations of extremely small legs didn't apply. She was used to walking lithely, with style and a debonair sense of self that emanated from the core of her balance. Not galloping like a colt with legs that could not stretch to where her mind wanted without changing.

"I swear to the Father Himself that if I trip, I will strangle you, boy." She thought to herself in vehement tones, shifting the weight of her bag to accommodate the rhythm of her steps.

The hallway seemed much longer than it was. The wood paneling was buffed, but could not hide the scuffs of an active body of students. She ran her fingers along the walls, wondering if her son had ever done the same.

They came to the end of the hallway that split off again into more hallways. She looked left and then right, then back up to her escort.

"So, um, are we, like, in an episode of West Wing or do you really just not know where we're going?" She put a hand on her hip and popped a bubble.

OOC:: It's really up to you. I haven't done a whole lot of internet RP, so I'm not sure what is considered thread etiquette.

[Desperado]

((I have never known what thread etiquette is, and I've been doing this for a while. Ask anybody.))

Well, at least she was talking slower. Now he could actually understand her in real-time. They stood at the end of the hallway.

"I know where I'm going," he said, nodding his head sagely and annoyingly. Going left would take them to the garage, since that way would lead back to the front of the house. Going right would...ah, he didn't know.

This place was so freaking huge, he had to wonder how anyone found anything here. And he swore that sometimes bathrooms would just appear out of nowhere. He knew how to get to the front of the Mansion from his room, mostly from jumping out the window and then walking in through the patio. As far as he knew, it was the shortest path between the two points. But now, he didn't know where he was. Okay, he thought he was going to the kitchen, but he wasn't hungry. That would be later.

"That way leads to the garage," he said, pointing to the left hall. "This way leads to classrooms." Oh, that's where it went. No wonder he didn't know what the Hell was down that way. He began leading her down the hallway, showing her the classrooms as they passed them.

[Mystique]

There was a longer pause between "I know where I'm going" and "That way leads to the garage" than was warranted for one who claimed to live here. Still, she had little choice at the moment, so she continued to follow him.

She was pleasantly surprised to find that he did know where the classrooms are at least. Perhaps this boy was more scholarly than he appeared.

The classrooms were much the same as they had always been. Chalkboards or any other kind of board on which to write lessons and assignments. Desks of all shapes, sizes, and configurations of layout. Periodic tables hanging on walls. Ah, she remembered the first editions of those. How time had flown.

After about the 12th classroom they passed, some of which she was sure were repeats, she finally tugged on her escort's sleeve.

"Look, umm...classrooms-are-totally-like-the-same-and-all-so-I-don't-think-I-really-need-to-see-like-every-single-freaking-one-of-them. And-also-I'm-really-kinda-tired-and-I-want-to-know-where-I'll-be-staying. And-I'm-hungry. And-my-knee-hurts."

She paused for breath, panting a little and throwing in a pout for good measure. A child's displeasure always seemed to provoke quick action, and so she hoped the case would be here now. However, the bewildered look on the boy's face did not bode well.

OOC:: Let's just keep this here for now then. If anyone tells us to scoot along with this, we shall

[Desperado]

Well, she was obviously getting tired of seeing classrooms. And she was hungry. And her knee-wait, he'd seen this movie.

"Which knee?" he asked with all the seriousness of one who was trying to look very serious and was probably failing. "Just kidding, they bore the crap out of me, too." If she was so desperate to go off and find her place to stay, who was he, really, to keep her from it?

Besides, the faster he got rid of her, the faster he could get back to his day.

"Okay, I'll take you to the girl's dorms." Okay, the girl's dorms were on the opposite side of the Mansion from the boy's dorms, which meant that he needed to go that way, then that way, then that way.

He wasn't actually thinking this so much as doing it. The little girl could keep up. Probably. It wasn't like he was moving all that fast.

[Mystique]

The best thing about males was that when they got fired up about something, they lost track of what was around them. She'd caught a glimpse of the girl's dormitory as they were walking, but it seemed he was now heading for the large assortment of bathroom type rooms at the far end of the hall. Since she'd reached her destination, she quietly stopped following him and let him go on that adventure alone.