Karrl had only been at the mansion for the day, getting shown around by Ghost, but he had already gotten a familiarity with the place, not like he was about to call the mansion home, it was a little too fancy for him to be that comfortable in the place that quickly. However, he had found out that a lot of the students turned in early, so, he got the night time to himself, which, he did not mind at all. Karrl did not sleep well, he had done things and seen things that made dreaming a less than pleasant experience, so, he often found himself, even before coming to the mansion, up until he physically could not stay up any more and then suffer in dreamland long enough to recover his stamina.

He was currently sitting in the living room watching the late-night news, there were some comedy shows on but he never really got along with American humour. He wanted to know what was going on, and if there was any news from back home. It was a little too late to be calling over to the UK, not that he was feeling homesick, but because he kind wanted to make sure his ass had not been linked to the Olympians, and if they had tracked him back to US. He knew he would have to explain what he was doing at the mansion sooner or later, but he’d rather get used to the place, and the people, before he did that. He was not sure about the others, but he did not know how they would react to a former hired killer being within their walls

As he sat there was not alone, he had an old friend by the name of Jack, Jack Daniels that is, sitting on the coffee table, along with a glass, which was filled with ice and half full of the brown liquid. He found having enough to drink before he went to sleep helped shut out the nightmares. He did not feel sorry for himself the horrific visions within his dreams were his own doing, but he’d rather soften the blow and try and get at least a good couple of peaceful hours in each night. As he watched the news he picked up the glass and brought it to his lips taking a generous amount from the glass before cringing a little and putting the glass back down on the table.

Amber hadn't been back at the Mansion for long.  It felt...uncomfortable.  For the past three years she had spent all her time outdoors in the woods, sleeping under the stars, hunting for herself and surviving in solitude.  To sleep indoors, with a roof over her head felt claustrophobic and vaguely suffocating.  Opening the window helped and, during the chilly spring nights, anyone coming into her room might be inclined to comment on just how cold it was.  Cold rarely bothered her.  

Then there was the bed itself.  During her self-imposed solitude she had made herself a cozy little den, half burrowed into the ground and covered in a warm, soft insulating layer of leaves and grasses.  It was safe, warm and completely hers.  After her first night there and trying to force herself to sleep like a normal human, she instead opted to change into a compsognathus and turn to blankets into a makeshift den.  A definite improvement.

Finally, and most frustratingly, were the people.  She felt lost among the bustling hallways, even knowing the other residents were mutants.  She wasn't like them, not anymore.  She wasn't entirely human and wasn't entirely alive.  Never strong in small talk to begin with, now she barely remembered how to do it let alone the point of it all.  Talking at all, for that matter, felt clumsy after years of communicating with nothing more than chirps and trills.  

Yet, this was where she knew she needed to be and the things she knew she needed to re-learn how to do if she was to ever re-integrate into human society.  It was likely to get harder before it got any easier but there was no other choice if she didn't want to be alone forever.  And she didn't.  Want to be alone.  Not anymore.

Late at night was the time when it was easiest to leave her rooms.  Most of the students tended to sleep early but Amber had always been nocturnal by nature.  While shifted, the sunlight didn't damage her but while in her human body it burned her very easily.  She knew she couldn't hide in her room forever and, well past midnight, she made sure she was properly dressed before leaving her room and heading towards the living room.  She stopped at the doorway when an unexpected sight greeted her: Another person sitting there.  She froze in place, suddenly unsure what to do.  The urge to flee right back to her room was hard to ignore.

Karrl had been sitting there for a while, not bothered in the slightest. Sure he enjoyed the company of others, especially when that company was a pretty woman, however, sometimes, it was nice to be alone with his thoughts. Of course, if those thoughts travelled to the past they ended up not being so nice. However, he continued to sit there, watching the news and sipping his whiskey, of course he was pretty sure, since this was a school, and, at least in the US he was underage, drinking alcohol in the comfort of the living room was not looked fondly upon, but, until the brought him up on it, he would continue to go about his business.

However, as he continued to sit there he kept his surrounds in mind. Sure he was in the school, in a living room of a school no less, but Karrl had spent too many years keeping his ass away from the reaper not to find it hard to be a little paranoid. However, he kept in mind that he doubted that there were people in the school who wanted to kill him, at least for the moment, so, he could at least chill a little bit and enjoy his drink and chill time. However, it seemed that he was not going to be alone, not for long anyway, however, he did not make any motions to notice her, openly at least.

After a few moments of having her, well, he assumed it was a her, judging from the footsteps and movement, he took a sip of his whiskey and finally spoke, “You can come in if you want, I’m not going to bite, well, not unless you ask.” Karrl, saying those words really hoped that it was a woman behind him, because, even though he had nothing against them, he’d rather not have rumour about him being gay flying about the school on the first day he was there. Again, it was not because he had anything against gay people, but it might hurt his chances with the ladies of the school if they thought he was, but then again, being able to get close to them with their guard down couldn’t hurt any.

The young man sitting in the room looked human, as far as Amber could see, except for what appeared to be a very faint glow to his eyes.   There had been a time when her only visible mutation had also been her eyes, full black as night, but that was before they twisted and she became a walking corpse.  He was a stranger, but at least he was alone and as much as, on some level, she wanted to run she didn't.  One step at a time, one tiny step at a time to re-learn what it was to be human.

“You can come in if you want, I’m not going to bite, well, not unless you ask.”

Well that was certainly a strange comment to make.  Amber didn't register the fact that it was probably meant to be flirtatious as; not only did her deathly appearance mean flirting pretty much never happened but she was also asexual and aromantic.  The relationships and dalliances of humans were something of a mystery to her. Still, she tentatively came towards him and proceeded to also sit.

"You wouldn't want to bite me.  I bite back and my teeth are usually much sharper than yours."  Her tone of voice did not imply flirtation nor anger.  It was matter of fact, as if stating something that was with no emotive message at all to accompany it.  She didn't want to attack and bit him, but she could if she had to.  

When she came in Karrl finally looked over his shoulder, and, he was glad it was a woman, from what he could tell. Karrl never judged on appearances, suffering too much because of that from pretty much day one, so he did not even bat an eyelid at what she looked like. After a moment or two Karrl went back to look at the news and having a drink. It was not that he did not want her company, but something told him it might not be the best way to go about things, forcing a convocation, so, he waited for her to speak first, like any patient hunter.



However, when she did speak it took him by surprise, not because she had sat down and spoke, but what she had said and in the way, she had said it. It was a rare thing catching Karrl of guard or at least enough for it to make a visible response, but Karrl almost spilt his drink. However, it only took him a moment to recover and after taking a sip from his whiskey once more he put it down again, and looked at her was a warm smile, well, warm for Karrl, but this time, because something told him flirting was not going to be an option with this one, he was trying to be genuine, which was, if he was being honest, not the easy for him.



“Is that so, I’ll bare that in mind.” Karrl was not sure what to say next, he was a little tired, and outside of flirting he found it hard to open up conversations with women. That being said he was there to try and new way of life, try and get back to being human and not just some hired killer. So, he thought this could be a good chance to take a step, making an attachment with a woman that was neither romantic of sexualised. He continued to smile none the less before he spoke himself, ”So, what brings you to the living room at this time of night, can’t sleep?”

There was something about the way the stranger moved, the way he spoke that reminded Amber of something predatory.  Far from being something to illicit fear or intimidation, she found it strangely comforting.  While she could take the form of any dinosaur and dinosaur related creature, her chosen true form had always been the deinonychus and she considered herself a predator at heart.  There was a simplicity in it that most humans wouldn't understand, at least not on a conscious level.

Conversation was not something Amber was especially comfortable with.  Even before she had gone to live in the woods she had been on the shy and timid side.  Neither one of those words could likely be used to describe her accurately now, but there could be many reasons why conversation was hard.  She could take on a snarling wolf single highhandedly and tear it apart with claws and teeth and yet couldn't seem to actually speak properly?   What was wrong with her, anyway?

Fortunately, the stranger help alleviate any further discomfort by speaking himself and asking a question.  "I usually sleep during the daytime.  The sun burns me when I'm human."  No further explanation.  A pause, slightly awkward, before a slightly delayed realization that she should probably try to keep the conversation going.  "What brings you out at this time?  I find most people are asleep this late."  At least it was a start.

Karrl smiled, he was not sure about what she had meant by when she was human, but, then again, he was in a school full of mutants, and he would not be surprised if there were kids at this school that could shift, hell, he had hunted down and killed a shifter in his years as a hitman, but that was another story. She did not seem to want to go into details, or she did not think that she needed to, either way he would not press for answers, at least for the moment. So, he went back to having a drink, he thought about asking if she wanted one, but that might not be a good idea.

When she asked about why he was up Karrl looked at her for a moment before he spoke, “Not much of a sleeper, it’s not insomnia or anything like that, I just don’t need as much sleep as the average human, I think it’s a side effect of my powers, I can go several days without sleep and only need a couple of hours to be refreshed.” It was true, and frankly he was glad about, what he saw in his dreams were not exactly child friends, or mentally healthy, so, the less time he needed in dreamland the better.

As he sat there he continued to sip his drink, before he realised, “Oh, the name’s Karrl, but you can me Infernal, well, eithers fine.” He then held out his hand, the one that was not holding a drink at least, and his hands might be a surprise to people. Everything about him screamed self-entitled pretty boy, however, even though they were well maintained, short nails, and all, his hands were ones of a working man’s, if they had enough to have skin products, so, they were not exactly rough, but they were hard, and tough.

Amber didn't really understand the appeal of alcohol.  When she still lived among humans, she had been too young to drink and by the time she had come of age, she lived in the woods where there was little or no access to alcohol even if she had wanted it.  She knew of its effects, of course, but in so knowing it seemed to have even less appeal.  Why should she wanted to reactions and her senses to be dulled and clumsy?  In the wild, a predator needed to be able to utilize all of its advantages in order to survive and thrive.  She might not have been very good at being human, but she was very good at being a hunter.

"It must be nice not to have to sleep much.  What are you powers?"  The thought that asking about powers might be rude or invasive didn't' occur to her.  Aura had always taught her that being a mutant was a precious gift and one's powers were beautiful advantages to be praised and admired.  Even if her sister was gone, that didn't mean the memory of her teachings needed to die with her.

"My name's Amber," she extended her hand and returned the handshake. Her skin had a dry, sightly rough texture and her hand was slightly cool in temperature.  "I don't really have another name."  She knew many mutants who took on a second name; maybe it was time she did the same?  In a way, it was like she was reborn in a new life, coming back, and maybe a new name was a good way to solidify that.  The question was what?  Going by Death seemed a little melodramatic, even if it did hold some truth to it.

Karrl smiled, “Yeah, it has its uses, but downside is it’s an expensive job, getting drunk, I’ve finished half this bottle and I’m barely feeling the effects.” Of course, Karrl then realised the two might not be obviously linked, however, she then asked about what his powers were, which made it easier for him to link the two verbally, “My powers are nothing to write home about, just heightened strength, endurance and durability to peak human capability.” Karrl had said this before, about his powers being nothing specially and he generally meant it, nothing about his powers were superhuman, but he did not think them not special and gripe about it, he put them to good use, well, when he was back in London at least. “How about you? it’s only fair that I’m not the only one that shares.”

When she accepted his handshake, he noticed the texture of her hand but paid no mind to it, “It’s a pleasure to meet you Amber.” She also mentioned she did not have another name, which was rare, most people thought up a new name as soon as their mutant powers awoke, even if they were bad ones. In a way he realised it might have been better to hold off on naming herself, maybe she did not see the need to or she was really thinking about it. Karrl was not going to pry into her reasons, and to be honest he couldn’t really care that much. When the handshake was over he drained the last of his glass before pouring himself a new one, however he smiled and offered her a glass, after all it was a lot more fun to drink with someone else.

"You shouldn't be ashamed of the gifts you've been given.  They make you special, exceptional."  The words might have come right out of her sister's mouth but, of course, if her sister were speaking them she would have also stated that those gifts made him better than mere humans.  Amber wasn't sure if she believed that, but she did believe that all mutant gifts were precious, even ones like hers that made her into a monster, a parody of death.  It was the price to be paid.

The question about her own powers didn't come as a surprise and she had never seen fit to keep them a secret.  "I used to just change into dinosaurs.  But then something happened and now I'm not sure if I'm entirely alive any longer."  It was being half dead that was the struggle.  If she wasn't alive, what was she?  Could she even be considered human?  Questions she might never have the answer to.  

When Amber was offered the drink, her first inclination was to refuse it.  At any other time she would have, but this wasn't every other time.  This was the first step in a long journey to find her humanity and part of being human was drinking, or so she'd observed.  So she accepted it and took a very small, very tentative drink.  "This is terrible," she made a face at the taste and laughed a little.