[IC] Xavier Institute: Mutants Unite

[LadyRunic]

Tilting her hooded head, Des watched the entire thing happen as she slowly walked over toward the girl. "Shh. Sh. Sh. SH." She shushed her. "Not a threat to you, don't panic." Her voice was harsh, almost condescendingly. Careful not to touch her, she crouched on her heels, toying with her sleeves. "You're not a student here, and you're breaking into the storage room-? And I thought I was odd for living in the wilderness." Adjusting the heel of her boot.

[guineamania]

Esme's heart rate began to slow but she still sported the expression of a deer caught in the headlights. Yanking her hand from the wall, she pulled her long sleeves over her hands to try and prevent any more disasters. "I was just passing through. Now if you wouldn't mind letting me past I'll just be on my way," Esme stated, trying to project confidence into her voice and standing a little taller. She hesitantly stepped towards the figure as if she wasn't afraid to use force. She was afraid but the other person didn't need to know that

If this person really wasn't a threat then she should just be let past and be able to get out of here before a teacher or more students came to investigate the lights shortage. It was a disappointment to be ejected so quickly but it was better to move on before she was caught and registered. It was common sense that she would be branded as a danger as soon as the government learnt of what she could do.

[LadyRunic]

The girl step aside, inclining her head. "You're on the run. I won't stop you." She noted, drawing the idea from the way she wanted to go on the move. "Heck. I'd even join you, or be sorely tempted." The bitter truth was that she dared not to leave. The school was sure to miss her, and thus she would be hunted. Something Desdemona would rather avoid. Though somewhere a little thought echoed loudly. She could shift to any animal she chose, all she needed was the anatomy. To study it for a time. Once done she would be impossible to hunt, or nearly so. Hesitation showed on her face clearly, with a sort of longing. How she envied this other who could as she could not. How she wished to take to wing, hoof, and paw and leave for the sweet mountains and forests. Or the ocean even. That thought brought a bloom of joy to her. It was the last form she learned and she was anxious to feel the skin warp and cold currents wash over her as she was at home in salt and foam.

[guineamania]

"Why don't you?" Esme asked, her face calming and once again behind the mask she always wore. "What keeps you here? What is it like to have somewhere?" she continued, why would this person want to run when they had everything. A home, some people who cared about you, a place to be safe. She would give up all the freedom in the world to stay in this school but there was no way her parents would pay for a place like this and she didn't want to be registered. She had no option but she wanted to know what a person with options would do.
"This place looks great."

[LadyRunic]

"Because safety is in numbers, like a herd, flock or school." She gestures for the older teen to follow her. "Come, walk with me. No one will question two people acting like they belong." Moving on her way and not watching to see if she follows or not, and talking as if she will. "I stay so I can gain more skill over my power, more forms. I could go elsewhere and learn the same, it is true. But if I leave... I'll be brought back to my mother's caterwauling." A bitterness entered her voice. "I've only been here for less than a day and I set my mind to give it a chance." She chuckles darkly. "Me, giving something a chance. Slim hope." She glances back. "What's you're sob story? Ma an' Da start shrieking and kicked you out?"

[guineamania]

Esme hesitated for a second before hurrying after the girl. She was right, there was safety in numbers and it wouldn't hurt to have a quick look around. "Sort of," Esme sighed, she hated talking about it but if others had been kicked out by their parents they might understand. "My sister displayed her powers before I did and our city wasn't too accommodating of," she paused, "Well us. They killed her. They dragged her out of our house and kicked her to death on our lawn," Esme explained, her voice and face impassive. All the emotion had been drained from her, she had nothing else to give. "Her power was just to make things grow. She could have done wonderful things and was no danger to anyone. I heard the mayor warning my mother that she was under observation for having a mut for a daughter. When I accidentally fried our houses circuits when I displayed my power, she said she would turn me in. I knew what would happen. I probably wouldn't live a day past registration. So I ran," Esme explained, her hands shaking. "If they find me I will be sent back and my parents won't protect me."

[LadyRunic]

There's a deep growl as Des's eyes flash. "They dare not" The younger wrapped a arm around the other's shoulders, a odd gesture for her. "Mutants are protected now, or supposed to be. If they find you they will send you back, right? So why not become someone else?" She raises a brow. "Take another name, take another place." The hooded teen grumbles, "Curse my soft heart, I'll help. Just don't go blabbing, I'm a cold-hearted girl, and I like it that way." Rubbing her forehead Desdemona sighed in pain. "Look, I hate people. I hate all people. Mutants, and normal people! I'm the one saying this and I can't believe I am, but go." She nods to the building. removing her arm to jam her hands into her pockets. "Speak to the Head- or whatever. If that doesn't work..." A grimace crosses her shadowed face. Why was she doing this-? Why?! Desdemona already knew the answer. Because this girl needed help, because she was completely in need of it. Because humans were the animals, the monsters. It was unlike her. Yeah, and that didn't make it any easier to be caring. Caring got you hurt, and she couldn't help but sympathize with the girl's plight. Curse her soft heart. Why was she risking this girl then? Des closed her eyes. The answer was not a nice one. It was hard and cold and vile. Survival. A test.

[guineamania]

Esme tensed slightly at the arm round her shoulders but it was a comforting gesture from the strange other girl. "So you're saying I should make up a new identity and stay here. Won't they do checks and things and don't you have to pay," Esme frowned but she liked the idea, she could leave all of that behind her with a new name and past. Maybe she could finally find somewhere to belong. "Thanks for helping me. It would have been easy for you to turn me in or let me leave. You're a good person," Esme smiled, she wasn't usually this open with people. She couldn't understand why so was now.

[LadyRunic]

"I'm not good." Des growls. "Either you do that, or talk to someone who knows more. I'd go for the first, but the latter would be more... correct." Lengthening her strides she made her way to return to her room. How could a demon ever be good. Des winced as memory haunted her. A monster, a demon, a freak. She was all these things, compassion was not part of her being. So why act upon it? Because it was a test, a test for this girl, for this institute. Whatever. A black mood settled over her. All the misery was caused by humans. Monstrous humans.

[guineamania]

Esme frowned and jogged after the other girl. "Well thanks, can I know the name of my 'not saviour'?" Esme asked, you could hear the quotation marks in her voice. "If I'm going to be sticking around it would be good to know someone has my back," she continued, having to run to keep up with the fast pace. It was clear that the girl wasn't overly convinced about helping her but yet she had done it anyway. The shapeshifter would be a good ally to have on her side.

[TheUnknowable]

Shinah shifted to get a better look at Dr. Ferguson's ward, blinking. "Uh, no thanks, Dr. Ferguson; Any meds I could take end up messing with my abilities, and I might shift by accident." He rubbed at his eyes again with a grimace. "I'll head down to Dr. McCoy with you though, man. It's a good idea to get further out of range. Doubt he's got anything for me though." He grinned. "I'm not gonna wear a helmet like Erik." He flinched and tiled his head. "Like Professor Lehnsherr." He corrected himself.

You spend holidays with the guy and are still expected to call him professor as a default. Shinah shrugged mentally. What can you do.

@AnaSilan Sunja

Jose walked down the hall to the elevator, holding the door for the other boy when it opened, and pressed the button to go down to Sublevel One, where the labs were. When the doors opened he walked down the hall and, making sure that the warning light wasn't on, opened the door to Dr. McCoy's lab. Hello Doctor, he said and the furry blue man looked up from his computer screen.

"Hello Jose, Shinah," he said. "I take it you two are here to see if I've made any progress reverse engineering Eric's helmet?" Jose nodded and Dr. McCoy continued. "I've made some progress. The technology is proving difficult to adapt, despite the fact that it was created in the 1960s. You'd think I'd be able to do something with it, but the manufacturing process eludes me. Every time I think I've achieved a viable prototype, I find that it isn't completely effective either. I did create these, however." He lifted two devices from one of his tables. Jose placed it on his head and the roar of voices became a background whisper. "You are free to take those with you, if you like. I know they aren't perfect, but they should help with your headaches."

"Thank you", said Jose.

"You'll have to speak up." Dr. McCoy responded. "I didn't quite get that."

"Thank you," Jose said again, louder.

"Oh, you're welcome." responded Dr. McCoy.

[LadyRunic]

"I don't have your back," Des corrected her. "I'm not your friend." She stated again, continuing into the building. Des wasn't her friend, she was giving her a guiding shove but that was it. Hopefully this girl would find more of her own kind to giggle and chatter with. People she didn't need to be bothered with. "That's unfair. She doesn't seem like that." No, she didn't. But seem is worrying word and nothing need left to chance when it involved human emotion. Animals made sense, more sense. So did basic human instinct and survival. Best to focus on herself, on her needs and wants.

[Aces Away]

"Looks legit, Doctor McCoy." Shinah said with a smile. He sure as hell wasn't going to wear one, but if they helped any other kid out then he was glad that the things got made. "Wait, did Eri- did Professor Lehnsherr give you his helmet while he went out?" Shinah asked, knocking on the helmet that he saw on Erik's head constantly during his first year here, and whenever he teaches a newbie class. It looked more sinister just sitting there on a metal table than it ever did on Erik's head.

"I was going out, so I figured I didn't need it." Came Erik's voice as the doors wooshed closed behind the man. Shinah grinned instantly upon seeing the man.

"Coulda been dangerous, you never know who's listening in." He teased. Erik shook his head fondly and turned to Dr. McCoy and Jose.

"Hank, I'm glad you were able to make even little use of it so far, but with the new children arriving, I will need it back." He said with a small smile. "Forgive me, Jose, but Dr. McCoy will have to work solely with his notes for the foreseeable future." He spoke to the boy.

[guineamania]

Esme rolled her eyes as the stereotypical display of someone with trust issues. As someone with trust issues she could sense it a mile off but if the girl didn't want her then she wasn't going to force it. "You know one day you might need help and you'll regret pushing everyone away like this," Esme stated, before wandering off down the corridor, pushing past Des, trying to work out who she could become to leave Esme Cartwright in the past.

[LadyRunic]

Des look unbothered, but her tongue fired off a sharp retort. "Funny to come from someone's who sister was killed. I would think you could not trust again due to that." It was a low blow and she knew it. Still though- There was no still. It was low and most likely going to cause problems. Joy. "You know one day you might need help and you'll regret pushing everyone away like this," The words made her almost laugh. She had never needed help, she got everything done on her own. She had hunted and lived on her own for a little over a year. Taking the form of beast or bird to ease the task of survival. The most she had needed people for was a source of books on other forms, other creatures taught her the rest. lifting the hood to pull it lower she started up the stairs towards the dormitories, as Esme walked away.

[guineamania]

Esme stopped in her tracks, anger rippling through her and the sparks lingering just within her reach. It would be so easy, it would be so easy to turn and shoot them at the girl that had abused the secrets she carried. But that would not do. She needed to control her anger, shield herself away. Des was right, she didn't trust. But she knew a mutually helpful partnership if she ever saw one. You didn't need to trust to have someone watching your back, you just needed someone that needed you alive. Esme closed her eyes and breathed deeply, the power edging away from the surface.

She set off walking again, her face a schooled mask of indifference. It was time to lie her way into this school. She just had to find the headteacher

[TheUnknowable]

"Looks legit, Doctor McCoy." Shinah said with a smile. He sure as hell wasn't going to wear one, but if they helped any other kid out then he was glad that the things got made. "Wait, did Eri- did Professor Lehnsherr give you his helmet while he went out?" Shinah asked, knocking on the helmet that he saw on Erik's head constantly during his first year here, and whenever he teaches a newbie class. It looked more sinister just sitting there on a metal table than it ever did on Erik's head.

"I was going out, so I figured I didn't need it." Came Erik's voice as the doors wooshed closed behind the man. Shinah grinned instantly upon seeing the man.

"Coulda been dangerous, you never know who's listening in." He teased. Erik shook his head fondly and turned to Dr. McCoy and Jose.

"Hank, I'm glad you were able to make even little use of it so far, but with the new children arriving, I will need it back." He said with a small smile. "Forgive me, Jose, but Dr. McCoy will have to work solely with his notes for the foreseeable future." He spoke to the boy.

@AnaSilan Sunja

Oh, thank you Professor. Jose thought at him, hard enough to penetrate the dampening effect of the device he was wearing. He pulled out a notepad in case Professor Lehnsherr put on his helmet. It's working really well.

He turned to Shinoh. So, want to go meet the other new students? With this thing on, I think I could stand to be around them for a little while. Or we could go play video games?

[Aces Away]

Oh, thank you Professor. Jose thought at him, hard enough to penetrate the dampening effect of the device he was wearing. He pulled out a notepad in case Professor Lehnsherr put on his helmet. It's working really well.

He turned to Shinoh. So, want to go meet the other new students? With this thing on, I think I could stand to be around them for a little while. Or we could go play video games?

@TheUnknowable

"Ah, I think video games would be a better speed for me right now." Shinah laughed, tilting his at the kid's voice in his mind. He could literally hear the effects of the dampener Jose was wearing. "The newbies can be met one on one if I come across them." With that, he led Jose out of the lab and to the game room.