Florence grinned widely when the boy responded to her- Jackson, Jack, Jackie. She made a mental note of his name and age in case it'd come in handy later, which it WOULD, and quickly hopped over the back of the couch and landed in a seat next to Jackson. She grasped his hands in both of hers, shaking it very rapidly with an excited expression on her face. Then she let go of his hand quite suddenly and leaned backwards, her face screwing into a sort of thinking expression.

"Wait, didn't I scare you? AaaawwwWWWWwwWW. You should've been more scared. That usually works on people."

Her expression changed once more back into the more excited smiling face and she leaned forward very drastically, getting into Jackson's face again. "Jitterbug? I like it, but where'd the name come from?" She tilted her head, expression once again shifting to a quizzical one. She considered the possible reasons for the nickname. She WAS pretty small... Hmm. Not justification enough, she decided very quickly.

---

Jack's smile grew as he heard her accent. Maybe Slavic, definitely cute. "I think that's a pretty cool power. You can travel the world, not have to deal with stupid flight procedures." He personally hated flying, at least in planes. Why wait in line for hours to get in a flying death machines that served terrible peanuts. Who liked peanuts?

As she asked about his power, Jack began to remove his hoodie. A black t-shirt showed itself underneath. "Haha, I like it. Your English is great. As for my power..." he gestured towards his chest where a red light could be seen throbbing. Slowly he lifted his hand till it was parallel with his body and watched as his veins lit up with the same glow. As it reached his fingers, they began to heat up. Closely a small flare sparked to life, flickering in the air. Concentrating the tiny flame grew on his pointer finger. "Fire. My powers fire. Not quite as original as converting yourself into electricity, but it keeps me warm at night." He laughed again, snuffing out the fire.

It was hard not to laugh again at Florence's enthusiasm - she seemed so genuinely excited to meet him, and he relaxed into the situation. This wasn't so bad; it was just like meeting any other person. Her displeasure at not scaring him more than the little spook did cause a laugh to slip through, but he was quick to compose himself, not wanting to seem rude. Sure, her behaviour was amusing, but the last thing anyone needed was to get the impression they were being made fun of. He'd been on the receiving end of that before, after all, and in a place like this? It wouldn't surprise him in the least if someone got the wrong idea. Who knows where most of these kids had come from.

"Most people probably don't hear you coming; you freaked quite a few people out on your way over," he excused with a dismissive wave of his now-free hand. Before he'd even finished his sentence, though, she was leaning close to him again, and he struggled not to immediately lean backwards and fall off of the couch. "You know, like the dance? Energetic, excitable, fast? It's, uh, from the '40s."

Coming up with a nickname on the spot - and then having to explain it - wasn't exactly ideal. All he knew about her was that she was excitable, and that didn't really give Jackson a lot to work with. But he couldn't just call her 'girl', and his mother's favourite dance seemed to define this girl from his first impression of her. She was awfully cute, though, and he pushed down thoughts of his younger sisters in favour of the friend he was making. He could ruminate on his siblings later, after the banquet; in fact, he probably would. It hadn't occurred to him when he'd "applied" that he'd be around kids his sisters' ages, and leaving them abruptly with his relationship with them on the line was more of a strain than he'd expected to deal with. Still, his personal struggle was no reason to let any socializing go sour, so he drew a slow breath in through his nose and gripped the edge of the couch to hold himself in place when he leaned back. Yeah, he could do this.

"Sure, it's a date then..."
The sound of nerves in his laugh made her grin. Dani kind of enjoyed watching him react to his own words. It was clear as day he was nervous, it was adorable and refreshing. He must have been around the same age as her, and most young men at his age are jerks and driven by hormones.

She nodded slowly while she listened to him try to make sense, and eventually find the words to introduce himself. Nathan was definitely interesting, he seemed to almost be the complete opposite of her in personality " it's nice to meet you Nathan, it sucks to hear you haven't met anyone else yet" She locked eyes with him like she did with everyone while conversing.Dani wasn't very intimidating, but she was always so composed no one was ever really sure what she was thinking. " Well, I guess it's a date then. You, me... And your cousin?" she giggled amused by the idea of be accompanied by two men.

"I like you," she continued to hold eye contact, she was wrapped up in her own thoughts of the moment and didn't really think about his hand anymore. She was now just intrigued with him "You're so different, I mean all of us here are 'different' with a special gift, but I'm usually the quiet type, yet I'm babbling away with you." She tilted her head to look at him with a look similar to a confused dog. "What is it about you?"

He was confused, excited, scared, and shocked all at the same time hearing Dani respond to his awkwardness; though despite the realm of infinite possibilities on his mind all of this was something that he definitely didn't expect, in a good way. Nathan realized that she was still holding his hand, as though she had forgotten that she ever had been, and he didn't know what to make of it other than it felt nice. He knew that he didn't know this girl...and that more importantly she didn't know him, but there was definitely something about her that made him feel a little bit more comfortable; even in such a strange situation. He simply smiled at her, still blushing intensely, and nodded to her proposal that she would see him at the banquet. Then he was thrown off once again.

"I like you," Dani said to him softly, holding eye contact with him. He realized that she probably just mean in general, but it was so strange to hear those words come out of someone's mouth; especially when he was used to quite the opposite. Nathan retreated into his thoughts momentarily and even contemplated running away from this situation. She continued talking but his mind was moving far too fast for him to really be able to listen, though he heard her final question. "What is it about you?" She asked with a quizzical look on her face. He thought for a moment about how to answer her...he literally had no idea what to say; so he panicked...

"Uh...I've got to go." He explained frantically, pulling his hand from her grasp. "I forgot something...I mean in my dorm, I left something in my room I think." He could tell his words sounded like a bunch of bull shit, but it was the best he could come up with on the spot. He stood there awkwardly for a second more before taking off in the opposite direction from the bathroom, heading towards Summers Hall.

As she remained in the boy's face, Florence found it quite easy to notice that he was somewhat nervous about her being in his space. However, she was paying no mind to that fact at the moment and honestly had no idea that she was THAT close. However, she found his explanation as to why she was given the nickname Jitterbug acceptable and nodded lightly. "Acceptable answer. You may call me Jitterbug~" Another grin stretched across her face after she accepted the nickname and sat down on her knees. However, she paused. Her eyes went blank and she seemed to space out.

One of her hands reached out and attempted to feel the side of Jackson's neck, although in a shaky and somewhat nervous manner. "Y-you.. You have a very nice SCM. Do you work out your neck muscles? Do you have a, a. Like, a... a dumbbell, but for your neck? I mean, what other explanation could there be?" Although she aimed the words towards the person she was advancing on, Florence was mumbling to herself in a tone that became remarkably hushed compared to the bombastic, loud tone she was using not only a few minutes ago. It seemed that she was almost completely mesmerized by Jackson's neck similar to an insect being attracted to a bug zapper.

Adam was still scanning the Internet in Several quick bursts while on his phone, barely noticing the other mutants around him. When he decided to look away from his smartphone he has decided to watch his follow mutants, some looked relieved to be here while others seemed nervous, two of them even to be flirting already, if you could call it that. But Adam decided to take his glance elsewhere as he didn't want to come off as a creep by watching his follow mutants flirt. But he thinks it would for the best for mutants to keep the X-Gene alive and pure.

There was a trio who were closer to his location and he couldn't help but eavesdrop on them, the girl between the trio seem hyper while the two guys were more mild mannered, Adam has heard two of them mention their powers, apparently the girl can become electricity while one of the boys can manipulate fire, the other boy didn't mention what he could do. Adam could easily hack the school files and learn what it is, but that would be tasteless of him.

But suddenly the short girl started to complement the boys neck muscles and speaking in a much more hushed tone, Adam couldn't help but look at her with a raised eyebrow and then he lightly chuckled to himself While watching her, she will be an interesting person to learn more about in the next year.

"This will be an interesting year." Adam commented aloud, he said with a light hearted smirk.

"It has it's uses." Valentina shrugged. So far her powers just seemed more of a nuisance than anything else. Not useful for fighting, only for getting sucked into outlets. His mutation however, would be very useful and it was quite impressive. It captivated her, to see another's powers. It was still setting in for her that she was in a school full of people who weren't quite human, but this just gave her a head rush. She snapped out of it when the flame went away, blinking as she came back to reality. She cleared her throat before coming up with an answer that didn't make it seem like she was spacing out.

"I'd have more use with it in Russia. It gets very cold, especially in the winter. Here though, I don't think quite as much." Valentina mused, looking out the window. She was much further south than Moscow or even St. Petersburg.
"It's unique in it's own right. Are you hot to the touch then? Since it's source is from within you?" Valentina questioned, with a raised eyebrow. It be a shame, if he was. Lack of human contact can cause a sad life, she's seen it plenty.

It didn't take long for Maddox to realize that there isn't much to the inside of the school so he ended up walking outside. It was a good thing that he put his coat on as the cool air was much lower then the air in the desert. The air filt crisper, but also colder. He rubbed his arms though his coat as he walked around the paths out side looking around. Benches, trees, and everything was soo...green. Wind was blowing and not kicking up dust every wear as he figured that dust storms weren't to common around here. He took in a deep breath as he looked around before walking back into the building and into the common hall thinking this place was too cold.

Figuring he would find Nate he walked into the lounge trying to find him as it seemed to of died down a little bit, figuring people were getting ready for the banquette. He looked around the lounge trying to find his cousin though not having much luck "Shit" he muttered, but he did see the pool table. He shrugged as he was figured "screw it" and walked over to the pool table and racked up the balls, walking to the end of the pool table he broke them apart. Looking over table he started to shoot, He sunk a ball almost every hit, his parents had a pool table in his house growing up so he been playing his entire life. It was a nice sort of way to get out of your own head, and it was one of the only ways he knew how to socialize that didn't involve motors. He was a decent artist, but that was something he didn't share with people to often, It was only something That his parents and Nate knew about him. Though one thing he did miss, he wanted a beer.

Dani watched him leave in a hurry. She felt kind of bad at this point, she didn't mean to make him run off or feel embarrassed, but she could already sense he was so different from her... She instantly knew then they were going to get along just fine.

There was a little more time to kill before the banquet and she wondered if she should strike up conversation elsewhere.
The young man on the couch was joined by a girl now, and she seemed to be touching his neck... Which maybe wasnt the best time for introductions. Not too far away from the couch there was short but rather cute boy that really seemed into his phone, but she didnt want to disturb him either. Then the couple speaking of their x-genes, and the gifts its given them. The girl could travel through electric current, which is pretty cool when you think about it.
'Well, that Jack guy has a lot to do with fire, probably best to learn a bit more about him first' she thought to herself.
It was then she spotted a quiet white haired guy at the water cooler that seemed approachable enough. It was exciting to be around so many mutants she wanted to meet all her classmates if possible.

Then it happen again... he happen again. Nathans cousin, Jason. The smell that sent her nose into over drive. If there was one thing that she was going to learn first while being here, It was going to be getting these damn senses under control. With the feeling of her insides wanting to escape and her head wanting to explode. She decided to check out the garden instead, perhaps some fresh air would help her concentration.

"Uh, Jitterbug..?" Jackson coughed lightly as Florence's hand brushed the side of his neck, taking note of the glazed look to her previously much brighter hazel eyes. "You alright there?"

The girl's previously vivacious attitude had fallen back quickly in her daze, and he picked up her words with ease as someone walked by. Something about SCM? A neck muscle, he supposed, given her focus on the side of his neck. That was...odd, but he'd heard weirder. Maybe. Sort of. Sliding off of the back of the couch to sit on it normally beside her, he wasn't surprised that she was still entranced by his neck. He doubted that running track did anything for a person's neck - aside from the posture needed to run properly - so was the yoga what had done it? Feeling his brain fizzle out on that train of thought, Jackson debated the safety of moving away from her and trying to break the trance. He didn't know what her ability was, and sighed to himself. Unless he sneezed, he wasn't going to get away from this situation very fast.

"I do yoga, if that means anything," he offered lightly with a slight shrug, settling back on the couch. Several people were observing them now, and he sighed again, heavier this time. Figures that they'd all watch while pretending not to, but no one had the guts to say anything. But she wasn't feeling him up or anything, so as long as she snapped out of it soon, he and his non-existent reputation should be alright. At least, that's what Jackson told himself, a small voice in the back of his mind reminding him that he didn't know anything about this girl beyond her name and age. For all he knew, this wasn't exactly an isolated event.

---

Jack nodded to himself, so her accent was Russian. He always wanted to visit Russia. "Yeah I suppose being as warm blooded as I am would come more in handy over there." The glow began to fade from his veins, traveling back to his core. He shrugged, "Thankfully I'm not too naturally hot. I mean I do have a natural temperature of 103, so doctors are always freaking out when I visit. But besides that, unless I'm on fire or too excited, I'm not burning to the touch." He hesitated for a second thinking about what he had just said, then quickly tried to recover.

Gesturing to his coat that was hanging over his arm he said, "You wouldn't believe the number of times that I've accidentally set my clothes on fire. I'm hoping that this school has something here that's slightly fireproof. I'm seriously running out of shirts to burn through." The thought brought forth the memory of the first time his powers had activated. Whew the fire department hadn't been happy and he lost his favorite socks too. He loved those socks. Losing the house had been a big setback, but it was really about losing those socks.

The back of Florence's hand brushed all along the side of his neck, getting a good feel of the muscle and other little bits and pieces. Her eyes remained trained intensely on his neck and never broke... eye contact? Not really eye contact, necks don't have eyes, but you understand. She pinched and poked at his neck before she suddenly snapped out of it and drew her hand back. The life in her eyes came rushing back, and along with that, it seemed the realization of what she was doing also came with.

She struggled looking for something to say, the words to apologize. The boy in front of her was probably highly uncomfortable and it was her fault. What could she say that could possibly make him more comfortable? Or to attempt to regain forgiveness. In the short period of that spanned the moments after Florence regained her sentience, she wracked her brain to think of possible things that she could say. Something that could salvage this meeting. One nanosecond long panic attack later, Florence had her response. She stood up, and took a deep breath.

"Bye." She said very quickly, poking his nose. Florence then climbed over the couch the exact way that she'd got onto it and left the area as quickly as she possibly could. That went amazingly!

A few hours later in the Academy Building Ball Room

To a common person, this room is probably the most extravagant, classy decorated room that they have even seen. Golden bright chandeliers line the ceiling, which have dimmed to set the ambiance for the occasion. The checkered floor stretches on and on, with elegant tables set up for all of the attendees, and the ceiling itself has been made up to resemble the sky at sunset. On the west end of the room a large stage has been decorated in elegant fashion and a beautiful wooden table stretches out about half of its length, obviously where the staff will be seated. Soon, students begin to enter and the tables are already set; each seat labeled with a name placard indicating where the students have been assigned to sit. On the tables there is a meal prepared for each seat that is made up of a large, beautifully cooked sirloin of Kobe Beef, an incredibly fancy looking house salad, honey roasted red potatoes, and for dessert there are two options: Tupiles with a raspberry sorbe or a caramel salted chocolate cake with truffle icing. The meals are listed and described on a little place card that is underneath the silver wear; it also explains that there are vegetarian options as well upon request.
_____________________________________________________________________________

Nathan felt terribly uncomfortable in his tuxedo; this was the first time that he had worn one since his high school prom, and honestly he had hoped that nothing in life would ever remind him of that event, because it was awful in so many ways. Shaking the thought of that night out of his mind, Nathan walked towards the entrance of the Ballroom. As he did so he observed all of the students around him. Some were walking together in groups big and small, some were confidently walking alone or simply hurrying to get tho their destination. Most seemed to be excited and he guessed that he should be too, since anything was better than where he came from; he didn't let the thought of his past come up but for half a second maybe...he wasn't even ready to think about it let alone face what had happened only little more than a week ago. His life had changed in an instant, but he had to believe that where he was now would be better than where he came from. As he stepped into Ball Room he immediately felt disoriented and out of place; it was so beautiful, and he had never seen anything like it before in person. The closest thing that he knew to compare it to would be the elegant room from the Titanic movie with the classic stair case scene. Even that, though, fell short of the reality of how outrageously elegant this place was. He wasn't sure that he was ever going to get used to this kind of environment. He saw the table that he was assigned to, it was empty...good. He wasn't quite ready for any introductions so he was glad to be the first at the table, but he was dreading everyone else's arrival. He took his seat and began looking at the three course meal in front of him; all the while wondering if anyone else was feeling as out of place as he was.

Dressing Up, was not something Maddox did. He went to his prom wearing his regular clothes, at his aunts wedding he was dressed normally. At least nobody at the wedding was expecting him to be dressed up. So he walked in, but to call what he was wearing a Tuxedo...it was not. He wore the slacks with his ankle riding boots. The shirt was unbuttoned and not tucked in, and bow tie...Yea no. He also was wearing his leather jacket and had on a black under shirt. It looked a bit odd, the frills on the tuxedo shirt was already pushing it already.

As he walked in he looked around and saw his Cousin sitting alone at a table. Walking over to him he pulled out the seat and sat next to him. He didn't even really bother to look at any kind of seating chart as he picked up the card with the menu. Glancing over it he looked over at his Nate "you look like a nerd" he said rather plainly as he looked at the menu before setting it down. He leaned back in his chair and watched as more people were coming in. "seems like a fancy shin dig" He said. His hair was somewhat done, combed back and spiked up. Looking around the room he took a deep breath of air "Seems rather pointless to me, Could of just used an auditorium" he said as he wasn't exactly one for fancy things.

The evening finally approached and Dani was filled with excitement, she was waiting all night to dazzle herself and dress up. She decided on a strapless hunter-green cocktail dress that flared out at the waist, and with a black pair of heels to match. A small heel of course, she was tall enough as it is and sometimes felt a little weird standing next to a guy smaller than her. Her hair was straightened for the evening with the sides pulled back and clipped with small silver rose shaped brooches. “Well then, we’re almost ready to go!” she said to herself in the small mirror on her desk before applying the last bit of makeup. It was a natural look with brown and gold eye shadows. She didn’t want to look too over the top, but she always enjoyed makeup and dressing up.

The ball room was breathtaking; everything about it looked right out of a movie…. and the food, the food smelled and looked out of this world. Taking a few moments to admire the room itself she eventually noticed Nathan and his cousin sitting at her assigned table. “Nathan!” she called out to him and waved excitedly as she made her way to their table. “So, you’re the one always sending my nose into over drive.” she said to Jason with a playful tone then turned her attention to Nathan “Did you forget it’s a date?” she chuckled a little before taking a seat next to him and quickly changing the subject not wanting to embarrass him. “Aren’t you guys excited to meet the others sitting with us?”

---

Caspar had been casually observing the students as they socialized in the lounge area of the institute. There seemed to be quite some unusual characters but that was to be expected since they were all unusual and different. He made an effort to make eye contact with a few people, smiling and trying to make himself seem nice and approachable. The white haired male was horrible at starting conversations but was able to hold one really well if one was brought to him. Sipping the water he got from the cooler, he began to walk around the lounge area to get a good look at the area since he failed to do some when he arrived. He was so keen on getting his stuff unpacked and claim his bed. Caspar being an only child would make it difficult for him to live with other students since he was so used to having just his own things. Even though he came from money, he didn't want to give off that snobby rich boy vibe that would make people automatically hate him. He wanted to fit in and start fresh with everyone.

After most of the students became someone acquainted with one another, it was announced that it was time for them to get ready for the banquet in the Academy ball room. Caspar took his time as he made his way up to his dorm room, looking at his surroundings and taking everything in. Since this would be his home for awhile, he better get used to seeing this everyday. Once he was in his room, he noticed his roommate had already been inside and got ready by the way clothes were thrown on the bed. Caspar arched his eyebrow and gritted his teeth as he went to his closet to take out his suit. This roommate of his was going to be a messy one. That just won't do. Even though he was used to having people clean for him at his house, he realized that he was taking big responsibilities being here, meaning he would be doing his chores on his own. He groaned at the thought of doing laundry, but knew this would be good for him. He can't rely on his parents for everything.

In almost no time, Caspar was ready to head down to the ballroom. Before he left his dorm room, he stared into the full body mirror that was attached to the closet to readjust his tie. His suit was all white as he wanted to keep up with his style aesthetic. He just hoped he wouldn't spill anything on him because it would be highly noticeable. Running his fingers through his combed white hair, he stared back at himself with his bright blue eyes before exited the room. He was soon enough in the ball room where he stopped and looked around. This was the type of stuff he was used to: Elegance, fanciness, and extravagance. He sighed as walked through the room, noticing that other students had already begun to sit and converse with one another. Keeping his blank expression on his face, he quietly approached the table and sat at his assigned seat where he noticed his name was written finely on a placard. Caspar scooted his chair up and crossed his legs, looking over at his classmates as he picked up his glass of water and began to sip it.

"I'm sure they'll be able to come up with something. If you'll excuse me, I think it's time for me to get ready for the banquet." Valentina said with a small smile before making her way to her room. She had several garment bags in her closet since she had several trusted contacts in Moscow who would be able to ship her clothes and wouldn't ask questions on why she was suddenly in America without them. She opened them up one by one as she looked at them. She finally opened the last one and grinned. It wasn't one she had ever worn, one that she had even ever seen except for mentioning it in passing to her brother. He must have gotten it for her sometime within the last few days. She sighed before pulling her phone out. She punched in her brother's number and paced her room to wait for the call to go through. Once it did, he picked up on the first ring.

"Valentina Naryshkina, where the hell are you? I get home and you're gone. No one knows where you went! I thought someone took you!" Her brother yelled at her and she held the phone away from her ear until he stopped.
"Don't yell at me. I told you I was going to this school ages ago, my time table just got changed. I had to leave well before I thought I had to. I had my clothes packed up and shipped out just the other day. I'm fine. Thank you for the dress by the way. There's this mixer thing tonight, it'll be perfect." Valentina said, as she heard a woman's voice in the background. She smirked, although he could not see it.
"I'll leave you to your guest, brother. Call me soon, I'll hopefully be able to pick up." Valentina said, before hanging up. She grabbed the dress out of the closet and laying it on the bed. It was a beautiful, and just what she needed.

---

---

Valentina scoped the room out from where she was standing. She wasn't any stranger to a formal dinner, hosting several herself when her brother was campaigning this last election but this wasn't a room full of Russian officials, half of whom wouldn't mind if her family disappeared from the planet, it was just a bunch of kids but that scared her even more. She eventually made her way to her seat, sitting down next to someone who obviously didn't understand what black tie meant. She glanced at the menu before grabbing a small mirror out of her clutch, making sure she didn't have a hair out of place and that her make up was still on point. She flicked it closed before observing the people already at the table.

The moment Florence had snapped back to herself, Jackson's shoulders had fallen in relief; he hadn't even realized how tense he'd gotten. For a brief moment, she looked at him like a deer in headlights, then abruptly poked his nose with a dismissal, taking her leave. After the shock had worn off, he shook his head as though to clear the cobwebs, and returned to his drifting around the room. It was easier to have multiple acquaintances than any close friends, he'd learned, and he had put that knowledge to practice immediately upon his arrival here. There was soon an announcement to prepare for the banquet, however, and he wasted no time in rushing back to his dorm to get ready before his roommate had a chance to slow him down. If nothing else, Jackson felt efficient in how quickly he got ready.

Rather than wear what the school had provided for him - he'd tried to decline receiving a tuxedo, but they'd insisted, saying it was best to be prepared for future events that were less lenient with the dress code - Jackson wore the suit he'd worn for prom and homecoming only months before. He thanked his lucky stars he'd thought to pack it, uncomfortable with wearing something new when he already had something that would work just as well. The blue would probably stand out, sure, but it wasn't particularly bright, so he doubted there would be much of an issue. There hadn't been any complaints when he'd asked about it, and he'd stand by that if anyone asked. Waste not, want not, and all that. The tuxedo the school had insisted on providing would just have to wait until another day to be broken in.

Jackson was thankful that the Academy Ballroom was easy to find, taking his sweet time in walking through the halls to his destination. He'd not taken much time to explore the school yet, having focused on making acquaintances, and it struck him as he walked how old Ashford Manor looked. For a new institute, it was certainly on old grounds, and the experience felt all the richer to Jackson. If not for the questions it would've raised, he would've taken pictures to send to his mother; she was an architect buff, and would've pinpointed when the manor was built in a heartbeat. In fact, some of the fixtures were ones that he knew her to be fond of, having tried to place them in their suburban home. With a small smile to himself, Jackson entered the ballroom and began to check the tables for his name, starting with the emptier ones. Though he was pretty sure the students had been notified earlier of which table they were to sit at, the memory escaped him, leaving him to check the tables quick for his name.

He soon found himself at a table with three men and two women already seated at it; next to the young woman in the red dress, he found his name. The seat to his right was still empty, and he shrugged slightly to himself as he sat. It never hurt to arrive early to events, and he observed the difference in his plate gratefully. Rather than the more carnivorous meal most of the other students had, his question at his initial arrival about the school's vegetarian options had been remembered. Looking around the table briefly, he noted that he wasn't the only one not in a school-issued tuxedo; there was a man with striking white hair in just as striking of a suit.

"Nice to see I'm not the only one who turned down the tux," he greeted with an easy grin, nodding to the man across the table.

Nathan watched as his cousin approached, not wearing the suit that the school had provided him; of course not he wouldn't expect any different from Jason. When he finally reached the table his cousin joked and complained a bit, noting the obvious was something his whole family was good at...just not when it came to things that his mother was doing to him. He knew that what happened was no one's fault but his mothers but he often pondered if someone had paid more attention if things wouldn't have escalated to the point they did. As always he shook the thought out of his mind and threw a cheap smile at his family member.

"I think it's nice." He said looking around at their surroundings. "Don't get me wrong, I feel like a fish out of water but this place is...beautiful. I've never seen anything like it." Nathan didn't go to prom...or any school activities for that matter, so this was something truly miraculous to him, and it was only the first official day here in his new life. He decided to try and throw a joking insult back at his cousin for calling him a nerd. "Oh, and yeah I've always looked like a nerd, but you look like an idiot wearing what you have on. I mean the school provided the clothes for you...all you has to do was put them on." He hoped his sarcasm was obvious enough and that he wasn't coming off as a dick, but there were truth in his words to some extent. Then she approached. Dani spoke to his cousin first, mentioning his constant smell of oil and grease; something Nathan had still not grown accustomed to after all these years. Then she turned her attention to him.

"Did you forget it's a date?" She asked him...he immediately turned bright red. She quickly changed the subject and he was honestly glad she did. He pulled himself together and answered her question regarding their peers.

"I'm a little nervous, but I will say that if they're anywhere near as cool as you are then I might actually have something to get excited about." Nathan's words came out in a way that sounded playful and almost flirtatious, which not only was uncharacteristic of him but also not quite what how he meant to sound. He smiled at her at first but then nervously looked away and down at his plate of food.