Oh God, oh God, where was it!? She knew she’d left the drinks right here so where the hell were they? Third bush from the left, stuck beneath the undergrowth. She’d only stashed the drinks there for one night, no one should have found them by now, right?

She’d literally only been at the mansion for two freaking days, she couldn’t already get in trouble for something this big already. What if they kicked her out? She couldn’t go back, not now. Now she had a sister, and some friends, kind of. Who would freak out when they found out she lost the booze she promised to bring in and worse, she’d gotten their ‘super secret’ contraband stashing place found. By someone. Probably one of the guards she saw every now and then.

Not that she really cared about them, they'd only talked to her because she looked like a page one model for teenage delinquent and had wanted the hook up. Booze and cigarettes was all they cared about, but she could have used it to get some favours. 

Wait, what if the guard who’d found the stuff was still about waiting for the perpetrator? Glancing about, before slowing standing, she tensed up and got ready to run. Hopefully, she was just being very paranoid, but if she heard someone, chances are she’d bolt. Getting kicked out for some stupid drinks was not on the cards for her right now.

Not only had Jack found the stash, she’d watched the blue-haired kid squirrel it away, too. Due to the unique structure of her eyes, and the brightness of the moon a few nights prior, the prawn had been patrolling the perimeter of the grounds. In some ways, she liked having the perimeter as her patrol. It was quiet. She could mull over her thoughts. On the other hand, she preferred daytime shifts because, quite frankly, the kids were hysterical and made the job infinitely more interesting. She’d seen the blue-haired kid steal towards the trees with a bag and stash it, and then dart away.

Further inspection revealed that the contents were booze (and not even good booze, but Hell, what would you expect of a high-schooler?). Of course it was confiscated, that was protocol. Of course Jack reported it, as that was also protocol. Jack asked, however, to keep it quiet. Don’t seek the kid out and pull them aside just yet. She wanted to catch them red-handed, and make them squirm. After all, she had perimeter duty for the next few nights… the kid would probably come back for the stash.

Lo and behold, as she was making her rounds, she heard someone rustling in the trees, through that very same bush that Jack had cleaned of its stashed contents. Tonight, she was carrying a flashlight.

Despite her immense form, she walked softly. Jack paused, watching for a moment, before flicking the flashlight on. The beam shone upon the kid like one of those police reality shows. No plot twist here, it was the blue-haired kid.

“Good ease-ning,” the prawn greeted, her low voice sounding mildly humored, “What’cha doin’ on the ground?”

"S---!!" Alice screamed, just a little shocked by the sudden blinding light shine down on her, or the weird voice suddenly cracking jokes at her. Squinting into the light, she couldn't really make out the figure behind it, only that whoever it was, they were big. "B----- hell! Talk about giving a girl a heart attack! And blindness, if you don't keep shining the torch in my face," she added sourly, full aware that the jig was up.

How had she been caught? It'd been pretty dark when she'd dropped of the items, and it's not like she made a lot of noise while she moved and most people wouldn't see a person all in dark clothes skulking across the grounds. "I'm just doing a bit of late night gardening, you know, making sure the hedges were doing okay." Alice couldn't really stop the sarcasm entering her voice. She was caught, and she knew it. Maybe she wouldn't get too badly punished.

Holding a hand up to stop the light from getting into her eyes, "How'd you catch me, anyway? Thought I did a pretty good job hiding it." Maybe the guard would let something slip, give her info on how to better secure her future booze.

Letting her muscles relax, she had the strong feeling running would only make things worse here, get her in bigger trouble with, damnit who was this person anyway? "Since you'll find out soon enough anyway, I'm Alice. Who're you?"

The girl squeaked a stream of swears, chastising Jack for “giving her a heart attack” and potentially “blindness”. With a wry look in her eyes, the prawn lowered the flashlight towards the ground. She said nothing, letting the child work their way through excuses. Late night gardening was the answer she went with.

“And how are the hedges doing?” the prawn clicked, equally droll, “Cun on, let’s get you inside. Gotta write you u’ sore raking cur-see-ew.”

The punishment for that was a detention—far less severe than smuggling alcohol onto campus.

>> "How'd you catch me, anyway? Thought I did a pretty good job hiding it."

“Hiding what?” the prawn said sweetly, feigning ignorance. Her antennae twitched. Stupid kid, never show all your cards. Twitch, twitch, “Iss you nean, how’d I catch you out diss late, got good eyesight, and really good hearing. Can see you clear as day ‘iss-out duh light.”

>> "Since you'll find out soon enough anyway, I'm Alice. Who're you?"

Jack shifted her weight, giving an impatient burble. This kid liked to talk, apparently.

“Jack,” the prawn said simply, “Security. You’ll see nee around a lot.”

Not suggesting that “Alice” would get in trouble a lot, just that Jack was frequently around. The prawn cleared her throat and nodded her head in the direction of mansion. She didn’t put forth the extra effort to reveal herself in the shadows. Some kids were jumpy, and who wouldn’t be? Jack was massively tall, and all crustacean-y. Not exactly what sweet dreams were made of.

Breaking curfew, what? Wasn't she in for a much bigger punishment, after all alcohol was a big deal. "Curfew, I, what?" Something was going on here but she was a bit too startled to register it fully and the odd way the person talked wasn't helping her much right now.

A Cheshire grin started to form when her brain caught onto the implication, for whatever reason this guard wasn't dobbing her in for the booze, just for being out late. That was, well pretty cool of them. Maybe a little suspicious, but she was to relieved right now to care too much. "Must be handy for a guard, having built in night vision and all that." Sometimes she wished her power did something, well useful rather than just giving her a few useless numbers.

 "I'd say nice to meet you but given the situation, I hope you're not be offended if I said I wish I hadn't." Well, she would have preferred her drinks, but Jack was intriguing her now.

Her eyes were still taking time to adjust, so she could still only see a silhouette, which nodded towards the building. She guessed this meant she should go into the building now, right? Slowing turning and moving towards the build, she glanced over her shoulder hoping to catch a glimpse of something more than just a hulking shadow.

A thin little sliver of moonlight gave her just a second of what this person looked like and frankly, she was dumbstruck. Jack, Jack was freaking awesome!

It was just, so cool. Jack was huge and blue and all armoured and everything! They were a born tank! Oh my god, Alice had found her tank. Wait, not only her big blue fighter, but Jack was like a some kind of prawn or shrimp. Wait was Jack a guy or girl? Would it be rude to ask? And when would her mind please stop going crazy over the excitement?

Alice beamed up at Jack, and the prawn glanced away, giving a mild huff. She wasn’t smart, but at least she caught-on. Hindsight, 20-20. She seemed to brighten when she picked-up what Jack was putting down, and hoisted herself up off of the ground. Alice cracked something about how she’d say it was “nice to meet her” but she’d also wished she hadn’t. A burbling laugh.

“At least you’re honest,” Jack hummed drolly, “Let’s go.”

She walked just behind Alice, keeping the flashlight trained towards the ground (more for the kid’s benefit than her own, honestly). She kept stealing glances as they wandered through the trees, not in the least bit subtle about it. She didn’t seem like the subtle type.

“Still here,” Jack assured the kid, misinterpreting the stolen glances. The two of them broke into the tree-line, the full light of the moon washing over the prawn. She cleared her throat. One of the security personnel would still be awake and chilling at the office in the Mansion.

Jack looked up the hill before looking back at the blue-haired kid. Tonight, the prawn wore a loose hoodie, zipped over a tank top, and a pair of shorts. The surgical mask of the evening was black, and drawn taut over her mouth parts. As she took in the kid’s appearance and juggled the name in her mind, something donned-on the prawn.

“Are you new to Xa’ier’s?”

Her face looked familiar and, truth be told, the prawn didn’t know any Alice’s.

Alice couldn't help grinning like a madman. Jack was just so big and amazing and cool and was totally not aware of how much she was screaming inside form excitement. Play it cool Alice, it wouldn't do to scare Jack off by acting like a complete idiot. Yet. Plenty of time for her to be an idiot later.

"Hmm?" she murmured still a little distracted by the whole situation. "Oh, yeah I am. Just got here two days ago. Still not quite sure of all the rules, or when 'curfew' is." She should really learn when to just shut her mouth and let the unspoken, well stay that. "My sister went here and helped me get sorted when I came into town. She really saved my butt on that front."

Still felt really weird to say that. Sister. Alice had only met her a few days ago, and only known about her a little longer than that. It just didn't quite compute yet. What was she meant to feel, did she like Serena or was it just that they were related?

"I don't know if you'd know her, but she did say she went here for a few years. Honestly it's how I got in so fast, which was kind of amazing." Serena was kind of awesome in her eyes, even if she wasn't sure about a lot of stuff.

"What about you, how long have you worked here?"

Jack gave a soft “harrumph” as the kid attested that they were new, and therefore not sure of all the rules or the curfew or anything of the like. A likely story. The excuses did nothing to help the child or diminish the impending punishment. They should just be happy that Jack “didn’t know about the booze stash”, although she absolutely did. Alice continued to handle the bulk of the conversation, rattling off about how her sister had gone to Xavier’s and helped her get into the school.

“Has a sister?” the prawn pressed, “‘t’s her nay-n?”

Not that Jack would know them, unless they were a current student. Still, so many students were disowned by their families and disconnected from them, it was nice to hear of some sort of intact family bond. Exceptional, even.

>> “What about you, how long have you worked here?”

Jack mulled-over the question, her mouthparts idly twitching behind the surgical mask. How long had she been there?

“…nearly two years,” the prawn realized, “Two years, in Octo’er.”

Had it really been that long? Yes, she supposed that it had really been that long…

Jack shuffled through the grass, condensation accumulating on her feet.

She was pretty insistent on the name, did Jack know her sister? "Names Serena Rivers, same last name as me, which is just weird. She's only my half sister really but...." breaking off and shrugging, she didn't really need to explain the, unique circumstances of their exact relationship. Serena was her sister, it didn't matter to her how closely they were related.

"Why the interest?" looking back over her shoulder as she asked, "Do you know her?"

What if (he?she?) did know Serena. That would be the best coincidence ever! Cut down on all that awkward introduction stuff, she'd never liked doing it anyway. When sober at least.

Wow, that was a pretty long time to work at a school, she didn't know if she'd be able to handle it. Yeah kids weren't bad, but they were loud and distracting. Really cut into her game time too. Did Jack play? Didn't quite seem like hi.....OK this was ridiculous, the mental gymnastics were more exhausting than the prospect of asking the question. "Jack, I don't want to come across as rude, but what gender are you? Wouldn't feel right just assuming and......" trailing off slowly, she really hoped she hadn't offended the big blue bulk of awesome.

They were pretty close to the building now, her dread and excitement were fighting each other for the top spot. Sure she might get off with a light punishment, but now she'd get a good look at Jack!

Serena. Jack didn’t know a Serena. The prawn shook her head slowly at the inquiry.

“Nah, don’t know ‘er,” the prawn grunted, trudging up the final hill towards the school building, “Dere just aren’t a lot uzz sid-lings around duh school.” There weren’t many mentions of family either, come to think of it. Mostly waifs and strays, “You’re lucky, to has a sister who’s cun to Xa’iers.”

A sister who could relate, who was still involved. And so-on. Jack didn’t know the girl’s situation (or perhaps she would not have been assuming these things about her), but she knew people who weren’t as lucky. People like Jack, who hadn’t seen their families in almost fifteen years.

>> "Jack, I don't want to come across as rude, but what gender are you? Wouldn't feel right just assuming and......"

The two were ascending the steps to one of the many entrances into the Mansion. Jack cast a humored look at the young blue-haired woman, flicking off her flashlight. Downstairs, away from the residential area, a portion of the lights were left on for safety reasons. Someone with an average range of vision wouldn’t need a flashlight.

“I don’t nine’d,” the prawn rumbled. Really, she appreciated the honesty. It amused her, “I’n Jack, as in Jacquelyn. A lady. E’eryone calls nee Jack, doh. Or Chief,” the prawn breathed the “f” out, a strenuous task, “Doh I’n not really in charge uzz any-sing.”

She cracked open the door, nodding inside. Now, the half-light probably cast her in a more definitive shape, dimly highlighting the ridges, curves, and spikes of her chitin. The prawn-beast lingered there, allowing Alice to walk inside before she would follow behind, closing the door.

Oh, that was a little disappointing. It'd have been so cool to meet someone who'd knew her sister, if not just so she could get some juicy details on her as a teenager. Stuff she could really embarrass her with. Alice might like her, but she was a little sister after all.

That was, pretty sad actually, that so many here were essentially alone. Made her think a little, maybe her own situation wasn't too bad after all. "I guess, didn't really know I had one 'till recently." More like less than a week. "Suppose a long lost sister is better than no family at all." It's not like she was ungrateful, it was just hard to be enthusiastic right now, the adrenaline was finally wearing off, leaving her tired. And hungry, but she was always hungry.

Grinning up at her, all mental loops she was having to jump through gone, she pulled out an energy bar, quickly devouring it to keep her hunger bar up. At least they were inside now, and she could see where they were going. Why couldn't her power come with anything useful? Like night vision or like special skills or something.

"Wait people call you Chief? Hasn't anybody called you 'Big Blue' or something?" Or 'Big Chief', yes that might work. Little Blue and Big Chief! Snorting to herself it was like a kids cartoon name. In this episode Little blue gets into trouble, tune to find out how! That would probably be every episode to be honest.

"Which way then? Might as well get this over with."

She… hadn’t known she had a sister? The prawn said nothing regarding that. It wouldn’t be a mutant school without strange family happenings. Jack ground her mandibles contemplatively, pulling the door shut behind her and Alice. The two of them padded down the halls, Alice fishing-out some sort of snack.

>> "Wait people call you Chief? Hasn't anybody called you 'Big Blue' or something?"

The prawn gave a quiet groan, and a begrudging nod, in response to Alice’s question.

“Nore oss-ten than you’d sink,” the prawn admonished. She’d been “Big Blue” to the travelers that first picked her up after she’d run away from home, she’d been “Big Blue” to the gang that subsequently ruined her young life and caused the death of a good friend… every now and again, even a patron at Chrysalis would drop the “Big Blue” moniker, “It’s a real con-on nay-n when you’re… y’know…”

The prawn gestured to herself—big and blue.

>> "Which way then? Might as well get this over with."

Jack huffed, pantomiming the route they’d take—pointing forward, point left. The security office was a small room just off of the foyer—that’s where the young woman would get written-up. The principal would be notified of the infraction the next day, at which point the young woman’s punishment would be determined.

“Sore sun-one who got ‘usted, you’s certainly in a hurry to get dere,” the prawn teased.

Awww, sounded like Jack didn't like Big Blue and it was way more common that she'd hoped. Well, it wasn't like Big Chief was taken and she was keeping that one to herself for for now. She'd already embarrassed herself enough for one night.

"But you're just sooooo big." Well, so much for being embarrassed, "and if it's not obvious, blue's kind of my favourite colour. You're just, well you're kind of awesome and pretty and blue." Get a hold of yourself, for the love of god. Alice was going to creep out Jack before she even had a chance to be her big tank of amazingness.

Taking in the directions then mentally plotting them on her mini-map, she knew which way to go.

"Sooner the busting is over, the sooner I can get back to my room and play some games before bed." Shrugging, she wasn't as worried now that it was just breaking curfew she'd be done for. That was fine, she'd probably be grounded or get detention or something. Those were easy to deal with.

"What'll the punishment actually be?"

>> "But you're just sooooo big. And if it's not obvious, blue's kind of my favourite colour. You're just, well you're kind of awesome and pretty and blue."

It was always the rave reviews that took Jack by surprise—the people who weren't just okay with her, but genuinely impressed by her physique. Behind the confines of her surgical mask, her mouthparts stirred uncertainly.

“Sanks,” was the soft reply, followed by a clearing of the throat. “I nean, sank you.”

The two strode together down the hall, Jack's footfalls muffled by the rug beneath them. Alice declared that the sooner she got to bed, the sooner she could game… to each their own, the prawn supposed.

>> "What'll the punishment actually be?"

“De’ends on who you're wiss,” the prawn mumbled, “Detention. Whoe'er is wiss you decides. Usually a really cun-unity ser'ice-oriented school.”

She was glad she'd not annoyed Jack with her over talking and sharing but she had no idea why she was getting thanked. Who couldn't see how amazing Big Chief was! She was a lean mean tanking machine and already had the party colour scheme down. "I should be thanking you frankly. For nothing in particular of course."

Alice was bad at subtly sometimes, so sue her

Blegh, community service. That could suck, cleaning up after some brats or helping them in classes would be the worst. Maybe Jack would swing it so it wouldn't be completely awful. Then again she might make it extra bad, Alice might not be getting the drink smuggling on her record but Jack might give her an appropriately boring punishment as a lesson.

A lesson that she needed to be better and smarter about getting alcohol onto the site, because there was no way she was going without in this crazy country.

"Does that mean you choose it? Because I swear if I have to deal with pipsqueaks I would scream." Well, not exactly. She did have a soft spot for the little screamers but she had no idea how to deal with them. Give her something antisocial and mindless, that'd do her.