Victoria drew the strings of her hoody tight around her neck. The rain was poring hard now, soaking her sweatshirt. Why did I do this?

She went out her hotel room window in the middle of the night. She climbed down the fire escape. It stopped before the ground so she climbed down and jumped for it. Then, she realized, she wasn't tall enough to get back up it. There was no going back. 

That left her only one option as far as she could tell. Victoria was going to find the mansion. She just stepped off the bus. Now, it was a matter of checking her phone for directions.

"Shooooot!" She spoke to no one but herself. As if it couldn't get any worse, she got off at the wrong stop. The mansion was only a few blocks away, but that meant getting even more wet. The street lights illuminated ten fold as she walked under them. She didn't even care anymore. The hood wood ensure no one recognized her as she neared her destination.

The walk was cold and it felt longer than it really was, but she made it. Lightning lit up the sky and she could make out the walls of the mansion through the iron bars of a massive gate. How do I get in? That was the first question that crossed her mind, but she quickly spotted the comm. She reached forward to press the button...and then paused.

Engine noises meant a car was coming. She could hear the wheels sliding in the water. Victoria squeezed small against the gate to stay dry and out of sight until it passed. She took a deep breath as she removed her hood with one hand and pressed the button with another.

Waiting for the gate to open, Victoria started to pray. She hoped to find help. What kind of help, the short blonde wasn't sure of exactly, but she'd find out soon enough.

It was late, and raining. What was it they said about dark and stormy nights? Oh yes. They weren't fun to be out in. Business had kept him out, and sleep brought him back. He hadn't wanted to do the job, but it had been quick and it had been easy. Just a simple delivery. He had delivered. Now he was done.

His black and green striped hoodie clung to his body like a freshly plastered cast. It was heavy, and he felt like if he stayed in it too long, it would harden, and he would be stuck in it. He walked soggily in the rain, and wished he had arranged a better ride. But rides lead to tails, and that leads to questions. Night was a good time for dark deliveries and devilry, but hardly the best time for calling in cabbies who can pin you to a place and a time. He didn't have a car or a bike or even a scooter. He ran and he walked. And he used public transit.

He had not seen her on the bus. Not many ran through the area, so they had had to have shared it. But ones own thoughts can make one forget to notice things, and hoods conceal. She had gotten off a few stops ahead of him. He had gotten off at the stop on the same block as the mansion. Lucky him. The walk wasn't too long. Even so, the rain, the rain, the rain. A damnable thing, the rain. 

He approached the gates, eyes darting behind him, checking the shadows beyond the streetlights, as well as the muddy pools of light. Late night jobs brought the paranoia out in him. He let it run full force, and noticed her several paces away, by the gates. She looked lost. Maybe not lost, physically, since she was at the mansion and that seemed a likely destination for a person. But mentally, maybe. Because she hadn't gotten buzzed in yet. And it was really easy to get let in. They didn't even background check you or anything. This late at night, in the rain, maybe they would ask a question or two. Maybe she expected someone to sense her presence, some psychic knight in shining armor that would not rust in the rain. Or maybe she really was lost and wanted directions or a place for the night to stay. Maybe it was an even better ulterior motive. Maybe she was an unskilled cat burglar! She didn't seem the thieving type from a glance, but then, one wouldn't, not if they were successful. He hadn't realized the security guy HAD heard her try to buzz in, and thought in a similar vein about mysterious figures in the night trying to get into a school full of mutants. He didn't realize she had tried to get in, and failed. She had received silence. Ain't that a kick in the pants?

He was a few strides away before he said something. Rain muffles footsteps. She probably had not heard. He was no ninja. It was possible he had made sounds in the mud. Just to be on the safe side, he cleared his throat loudly, and didn't try too hard to break into her thoughts with a properly timed comment that summed up her inner mind. People get jumpy when they're lost or scared. Jumpy mutants can lead to broken bones and bodies. He just wanted past her to get himself buzzed in by the late night doorman. There probably wasn't a greeter, this late. If she needed that, he would simply have to try and help her.

Elliott wasn't a greeter. He wasn't a friendly helpful knight looking to save the day. He did not go around saving people. There was no money in that. But what he could do was answer one or two damned questions. He could do a random act of kindness when the mood struck him. It left a bad taste in his mouth, ugh, but he could.

"Excuse me," Elliott said in his politest tone. He stepped up to the gate and brushed past her to push on the intercom button. "It's Elliott. Lost track of the time and missed curfew. Don't tell Cafas." There was wry humor behind his voice. The guy wouldn't. There wasn't even a Cafas-created curfew (that he knew of), but the gatekeeper liked his jokes. You could tell by how he opened the gates after checking him out on the monitor in his security room and noticing the girl. 

"You bring a date home?" The voice crackled over the intercom. That wasn't bad speakers crackling. That was the voice. Or maybe storm interference highlighting your average gravelly guard.

Elliott scrutinized her carefully with one look. "Dunno," he deadpanned. "I think she just needs to get out of the rain."

Victoria was just beginning to give up hope in getting through the gate when the sound of footsteps and a throaty cough grabbed her attention. Someone, or something was coming. From the dark rain stepped a monster and she froze. The creature looked like a giant grasshopper mixed with a frog and it was headed straight for her.

Victoria stifled any idea of screaming with a hand over her mouth as it approached. She was deathly afraid of spiders and creepy crawlies, and this one was huge. As it came within a few feet, the blonde jumped backwards and hugged her arms close around her body. She thought about running, but whatever it was stopped at the gate and came no closer. It didn't seem too threatening, even in it's height, and after the spike in her fear caused a light on the gate to illuminate the monster, she saw it wasn't like any beast in a children's story. No, it was wearing clothes and talking to someone just like anybody else.

She watched dazed and confused as it, no...he, gained access to the mansion where she failed. She wondered if he or anyone even cared about her until the guard asked if she was his date. The creature turned around and gave her a look over. "Dunno," he deadpanned. "I think she just needs to get out of the rain."

"Yes, please..." She sounded like a lost puppy. Every ounce of her intuition told her to say no, to run away before he killed and ate her. She was just a teenager and she was standing next an alien on the dark streets of New York City next to a mansion filled with mutants. She was supposed to have run by now. Her mind told her so. Yet as she stood there in the rain, she couldn't turn her back on at least seeing if there was something worthwhile inside. She was too wet. Her sweatshirt and her jeans were soaked. Her long blonde hair hung down her back, heavy from too much water. She half-wondered if she'd get hypothermia standing outside any longer. The shivering was beginning to bother even the Minnesota native. "Please...if it's not too much...I can find a way to pay or something."

She had come to learn about her powers. Now, she just wanted to escape the rain and find a way back to her hotel before morning. Cautiously, and with a careful grace she usually saved for figure skating, she approached the creature. "This is where the X-men live, right?"

It was crazy, but she prepared to follow the alien creature into the mansion. There was a time for running and this wasn't it. In a few minutes, the rain would no longer hide her tears. It was time to learn what she truly was.

He had been right to be cautious. More for her sake than his. Just walking up to her had spooked her. He wasn't that bad looking, was he? Hadn't someone recently thought he looked disappointingly normal for a visibly mutated individual? No. Nobody had said that aloud. If they had, he would have corrected them on the whole mutant thing. Even if he was currently residing in a mutant school. Shut up.

The suggestion of getting out of the rain was met positively. Yes, she definitely confirmed his first opinion about her seeming 'lost'. He nodded once to show he had heard, then stuffed his hands into his pockets.

She could... Pay? That was silly. "No need," he replied to that. "The rich guy who owns the place doesn't charge rent. I have no idea how he does it." Maybe alchemy. Maybe something nefarious. Maybe he just has really good stock portfolios.

She stepped towards him, and he got the feeling she was a martial artist, or maybe some sort of dancer. He could tell from the way she walked, with that "careful grace" of someone who knows their body, and understands balance. Her question would have made him arch an eyebrow, if he had hairy eyebrows. Instead, he settled for a double eyed blink. "Sure." He said. "Do you need them?"

The creature blinked twice. Victoria didn't know why such a simple movement made her stomach churn as he asked if she needed the X-men.

"I don't know...," That was the honest answer. "I'm not sure who to talk to. I've never been here before."

This was stupid and she knew it. She was acting stupid. The teen shouldn't have even left her hotel bed; it was jeopardizing her entire career, but no, her body was jeopardizing her career first. That's why she was here.

In the puzzle that was her brain right now, she knew one thing. It was raining and they still hadn't moved from the gate. She slowly moved past the creature so as to guide the conversation ever closer to the building. In truth, she was hoping the alien would be gentlemanly enough to lead her in the right direction. The creature hadn't, but looking at his green face in the rain, she understood well enough. She realized she hadn't even the common decency to give him her name yet. Do many? It was unusual for her to interact with mutants, but she knew better than to be rude. She forced a smile in the storm. "I guess I don't even know the way. I'm...I'm Victoria."

Victoria shivered again. "It's so cold." This place is so cold. She was expecting more lights and more people, but that was probably her fault for coming so late at night. She took another step up the solid path. "Wait, where do I go?" That might've been what the creature had just said, but the thunder made hearing hard. Being a natural blonde, the young girl thought it best to ask again properly. She wanted to get inside fast.

It made sense she hadn't been here before. If they knew her, they would have let her in, and she would not have looked so lost. He let silence be his reply.

He followed her lead and started walking, paused when she stopped, then took the lead himself. "Elliott," he gave her his name. "Yes, like the kid from E.T. My adopted parents must have thought they were hilarious. Growing up, I didn't realize. But God." He laughed. Mainly to himself. With his white zipper-like teeth illuminated by a lightning flash. If he was so scary and she was so scared, maybe laughter would help her out here. No? Okay, he had just sounded like a presumptuous idiot.

He settled for taking the most helpful route. "Hey," he kept leading the way. The path wasn't well-lit. The storms must have done something to the ground lights. He would have brought out a flashlight, but it isn't natural to carry one of those around, and even a little key ring flashlight wouldn't help them now. "Let's get out of the rain..." Luckily, thy didn't need a flashlight since he knew the way. It was dark, so he kept them going straight and avoided any nearby hedge mazes.

Silence was golden. The storm was loud. He tried to ask her why they needed the x-men once or twice, but it was drowned out by the thunder. Good riddance. She didn't need the X-men. He could see that.

Elliott pushed open one of the double doors at the front of the mansion, and held it open for her. When she walked through, he let it close with an inaudible 'boom'.

The mansion interior was classic, with stairs on either side and a carpeted front entrance hall done up in lots of wood tones and warm colors, with a chandelier that probably got replaced more than bats at a ballgame. Straight ahead was an empty front desk. There were low lights on. It was late, so most of the mansion was sleeping, but if they rummaged around, they might be able to find someone in the kitchen or library, up to eating or devouring words. Some mutants have trouble with sleep.

There was no mansion greeter up at this hour, but he had bumped into a guy once or twice, or more than that. He must have had clones, because he was all over and up to something new, each time. Like some sort of extra in a tv show that can't afford to cast new extras and uses the same generic guy as much as they can.

"Rummy will be able to help you get a room here. At the very least, he can hook you up with a couch and a fireplace and maybe a change of clothes." He glanced her way, and pulled back his wet hood. His black antennae sprang up and stood at attention. "He's the headmaster," Elliott said. "At least, one of them. There's also a roomba."

"Like the vacuum cleaner??" Victoria giggled and this time the smile wasn't fake. It was nice to get out of the rain and Elliot was funny. "But no, I don't need a room. I have to get back to my hotel before the sun rises, before...before my coach finds out I'm missing." She cringed a little. Victoria hated herself for sneaking out. Doing bad things wasn't her forte.

She knew why she was here, but she wasn't quite sure how to put in words. It was more a feeling. A feeling that something wasn't right in her life and if she didn't get help and learn about what she was something bad would happen. She was a mutant ...but what exactly did being a mutant mean? Maybe, she thought, it'd be easier to show him.

"I...um...I do something," The blonde explained as she pointed up to the nearest low hanging light. The girl waited and nothing happened. She'd never tried to do this on purpose before. "Sorry...uh..."

She got frazzled for a second as she stared at it, and then sure enough, the lamp lit up like the sun. She calmed down and looked away and the light turned back off. "I don't know how to stop it or control it or whatev...it just happens randomly and I'm worried someone will find out."

Victoria stared at Elliot hoping he might have all the answers to all the questions in her head, but she knew that probably wouldn't be the case. She hadn't really know all the questions yet. She was thankful nonetheless, without him she'd still be locked outside the gate. He was a nice guy, despite being scary looking. The girl pulled off her sweatshirt; the pink tee underneath was a little drier.

"So this headmaster? Do you think he could help me?" Victoria looked around the room. This mansion was probably the prettiest building she had ever seen. "I don't know how I'm gonna get back yet either."

Now she laughed? Ugh. He smiled back, but he hadn't even been joking there. "Yep," came the amiable reply.

And nope came her reply about rooms. She had to get back before the sun rose in a couple of hours? Seriously? Why? What. She had drug herself down here in the rain for, what exactly? Information she couldn't get when people at the hotel were around, obviously. Her coach, for example. Hhmmmm, he thought. "Hmmm," he said. Hmmm.

She did something. She said that. He watched her do that. When nothing happened, he blinked his extra pair of eyelids, revealing baby blue eyes for a brief flash. Then they were red. She probably hadn't even noticed, distracted as she was getting whatever it is to work. Finally. She got it.

Bright light. Red dots from looking at it. He hated sudden bright lights.

She was worried someone would find out. He rubbed at his eyes. Ow. "Okay."

She was looking to him for answers, wasn't she? Oh he hoped she wasn't. He couldn't quite tell, with the red dots from sudden bright light. If only his red eyelids had been shades...

The headmaster? "Yeah," Elliott replied. "Probably."

"I'm not sure how you're going to get home, either. Taxi, probably. That was like the last bus for the night I was on. I don't think you need the X-men. You don't have a monster to fight or parking tickets to be paid. But the headmaster can probably answer questions, if he's up. Or one of his brothers. Clones. Whichever. I'm not sure I'd be much help answering questions about being a mutant, since I'm not." Another double blink. "Mutant, that is. Though I have friends who are."

"Wait, you're not a mutant?" She was surprised, perplexed even. Her curiosity was peaked, but it was alright if he didn't answer. She didn't want to be rude and press.

The girl yawned and stepped forward to survey the room some more. It was just too beautiful. She smiled warmly. "I should go find the headmaster then. Thank you for helping me."

She turned back and gave the 'not-a-mutant' a quick hug. He felt funny to the touch, but she did a good job of hiding the awkwardness. It was really nice of him to bring her through the gate and drop whatever he was doing to help her. "Could you show me to him? Last question, I promise!"

Victoria had really asked a lot over the last few minutes, she knew, but everything was just so new to the teen. There weren't many mutants in Grand Rapids where she grew up and while Minneapolis had some, there weren't nearly as many as here in New York. Besides, Victoria lived in the wealthier part of the Twin Cities. Mutants were an odd, eccentric, and scary new norm to join her life.

She pulled off her wet nikes to avoid getting mud on the clean floors, and walked barefoot. It wasn't ideal, but at least she wouldn't leave dirty footprints with her shoes in her hands. Her hair was probably drying into a blonde mess that she'd need to brush when she got back to the hotel. Appearance was usually important to the girl, from her hot pink nail polish to the new silver necklace around her neck. She bought it to replace the one the winged mutant stole. Right now in the dark hall, however, appearance could wait. She looked to the green guy. "We're not far from the headmaster are we?"

Victoria laughed at herself. She liked to talk when she was over exhausted, even when she wasn't as well come to think of it, but way more when she was tired or nervous. "Shoot, that was another question huh?"

"Yeah," Elliott replied. He wasn't a mutant. "I'm from space." Moving on.

She yawned and looked around. Decided she should find the headman. Elliott nodded. He wouldn't stop her if she wanted to go off on her own. Then she surprised him with a hug, and asked him to show her to him. He gave an awkward one handed hug back, staring at the wall for help.

"Sure," he agreed weakly. He supposed he could do that. It wasn't like he had anything better, other than sleep. She seemed nice enough, once she wasn't shooting him looks like he was a monster. Actions speak louder than words, he supposed. Though he hadn't said he wasn't a monster.

They weren't far. "It's only a few hallways away. They try to keep the offices closer to the front of the building. Classes are further in." He thought. He could have been wrong. The mansion seemed to change with every description. He blamed the students. "And yep. Another question. But that's okay. You're young. It comes with the territory." He smiled patiently.

The hood had made her seem a little older, in the same way a drowned rat seems older than a live one. Without it, he could tell she was not that old. Teenager, most likely. With a metric ton of questions.

"Follow me," he said, and led the way down an adjoining hall. Like he had said, it wasn't that far. They ran into the headmaster long before they reached the offices, in fact. He had been heading back from the kitchens. He had a very tall sandwich. And a coke. It looked big enough for seven people. Or maybe one really hungry one. He was in his sixties, with white hair in a disorganized mess. Pale and wrinkly, with a hint of German heritage that may have come out in his words or appearance. He had blue eyes, and was just shy of six feet tall. Even though it was late, he still wore his tweed suit and big bow tie. He looked energetic. Wild and ready to roll with anything.

"Oh. Hey. We've met, right?" The headmaster asked Elliott. His attention spun to Victoria before he had finished his thoughts. "One of me must have. I don't remember you, though. My name is Rudolph Kipperling. Ruddy, for short." Not Rummy, like Elliott had thought. He moved to offer her his hand in greeting, and offered her his sandwich instead. "Hello. Do you want to enroll?"

Victoria followed Elliot through the hall. He seemed to know where he was going even if she didn't have a clue. Up ahead, Elliot introduced her to and old man coming from the kitchens with what looked like an awfully large midnight snack.

"I'm Victoria," she answered the man sweetly as he extended his sandwich towards her. Why? She didn't know and she didn't ask. The blonde simply waited for him to put it back down as the old man asked her about enrolling. Her reply came swift but timid, "Uh ya...but just...could we talk about this place first in private?"

Victoria looked back at the green alien and thanked him again. "Thank you so much, hopefully we see each other around again!" With a soft smile, she waved goodbye and followed the headmaster to his office.

(OOC: Sorry for the late reply! Thanks for the fun thread! )

"You're welcome," Elliott nodded. "Seeya around."

She was a newly minted mutant who did not know what she could do, and was likely afraid of people learning about it. She wanted her privacy, and who was he to judge? He liked his privacy, too.

The professor was good people. He'd help her out. A ride could certainly be arranged. Heck, she might even get him to drive her home. Elliott didn't add anything about that. He hadn't thought of it. The professor surely would. She was in good hands.

He waved back at her as she walked away, and then stuffed his hands in his pockets, hunched his shoulders, and stalked off to his evil lair. His room.

((OOC: You're very welcome. It was fun! See you around!))