As a New York native, Vanessa was no stranger to the nightlife of the big city. Early in her transition, she was a bit of a hermit, hating being out in public while she was still in the middle of such a big change. Eventually, she stepped out of her shell with the help of friends, clinging to them for reassurance in spite of her paranoia and anxiety. It got easier as time went on and she grew more confident in her ability to pass and she even found herself out in public as the center of attention, living on the dancefloor and flirting to her heart’s content.

They were not the only places she would frequent, but the numerous gay clubs of New York were always a refuge for Vanessa. Pockets of the community were not always trans-friendly, but at a glance, no one knew Vanessa as anything but a proud lesbian. It was easier to charm women in a place where most would be gay or bi and fewer men would make a move on her. When she was single, those clubs were like a gay oasis.

There was always one club Vanessa was hesitant to patronize. X-Gene Persuasion. A mutant-friendly establishment was not solely catering to mutants, but when people saw you enter them, their first assumption is not that you are an ally. Vanessa was publicly out as a gay woman, she was privately out as a trans woman, but almost entirely closeted as a mutant. With the recognition her work on The POW Block Party provided, visiting the club would lead to rumors swirling and, for the longest time, she was just not ready for that.

After hiding such a big part of her life for so long, that secrecy was starting to fall away. Booker, Winnie, and Gina all knew about Vanessa’s mutation and even Charlie found out on her own. Sharing herself with the people she loved reminded her that not everyone would react to her secrets like her parents, but that was just one step.

And so, with a renewed sense of confidence and an urge to live a more honest night, Vanessa grabbed an outfit appropriate for the club scene and hit up X-Gene Persuasion on a busy Saturday night. The music was great, the lights were pulsing, and Vanessa was… oddly reserved. After contemplating dragging Winnie or Gina along, Vanessa decided she could not be the girl she used to be, hiding behind her friends for safety. She was not a mutant ally; she was a mutant and she should feel comfortable in mutant spaces.

And she would love to feel comfortable… any time now. Vanessa had no one to hide behind, so she was clinging to the bar until she gained her footing. ”One long island, please.” The bartender ducked away to prepare Vanessa’s drink, allowing her the chance to mutter to herself, ”This will be a lot easier after I drink all the alcohol.” It was called liquid courage for a reason, right?

Javier was not really what people would call a 'party person.' Anxiety, social and otherwise, limited his options by ruling out places that were too crowded, too loud, potentially hostile, or simply unhygienic. Not to say that he did not like to go out or have fun. He just liked to do so with minimal risk and a comfortable amount of planning.
... which meant that he really did not get out all that much.

But tonight was different. Or at least it was bound to be. Determined to break out of his comfort zone, Javier decided to dip his feet into the pool, and stop by at the X-Gene Persuasion. He was a mutant, a bi mutant none the less, so the idea of a space where neither was going to cause a problem was definitely nice. The rest... the rest he could figure out as he went. Or he could bail.

For now, Javier made it as far as the bar, to which he was clinging, trying to look cool and not creepy. Since he was basically impervious to flirting, his goal for the night was some friendly conversation, and maybe a drink. Baby steps. Apparently, he was not the only one.

>>”This will be a lot easier after I drink all the alcohol.”

Javier chuckled at the woman in the black dress that took her seat next to him. And then he realized that making eye contact and chuckling was basically an invitation to small talk, and he momentarily panicked. And then hid the panic in his beer, and then coughed.

Great.

"Leave some for me, I'll need it..."

If Shard had been asked a month ago what the chances were of her frequenting an actual club she would have said they were exactly zero.  Homeless, aimless and harboring a grudge against most who called themselves human, clubs just weren't her scene.  A lot could change in a month, as she had begun to learn.  The Syndicate had not only given her a purpose but also a home on a completely new and different world.  If that wasn't reason enough to explore the edges of her comfort zone, she didn't know what was.

What club to choose was the next question and the only reasonable answer was that it had to be a club run by mutants for mutants.  Spending time with humans did not have appeal.  At all.  And if she was testing her comfort zone tonight, those tests had their limits.    

A few questions directed at a couple of the local mutants around home and she'd gotten the name of a club that seemed suitable.  Mutant run (probably) and definitely mutant friendly, it was the place to be.  Life on the streets hadn't exactly taught her fashion, but she now had the money for presentable clothing that fit and, when she showed her brand new fake id to the bouncer at the door, he ushered her in without a second question.  She'd even taken the time to make sure sure none of her crystals were too visible; not that she was ashamed of them, but she was trying to look hr best.  She didn't travel anywhere without her pets, but the only ones she kept could be stored safely within the confines of her side bag.  

Upon first step into the club, the lights and the music felt overwhelming and she questioned why she had even decided to do this.  Several long, deep breaths later and she calmed her unsteady nerves. She could do this.  Not only could she do this but she could have fun in the process.  The kind of fun that didn't involve scaring the crap out of those unfortunate enough to achieve her ire.  Maybe even the kind of fun that involved meeting a pretty mutant girl.

Sitting down on a stool beside a young man and looking (and feeling) distinctly awkward and out of place, she ordered herself a pear cider.  Maybe alcohol would help the whole experience.  It certainly couldn't hurt.  Judging by the words exchanged between him and a woman who sat down beside him, she wasn't the only one feeling a bit our of place or the only one hoping for a bit of liquid courage.  She lifted a glass in their direction and offered a tentative smile of shared experience.

The Long Island Iced Tea was a faithful standby for Vanessa in stressful situations. It was the kind of drink that was not ashamed to require half the alcohol at the bar, which was exactly what Vanessa needed to navigate a night at the club. The night of Gina’s birthday, she remembered knocking back a few Long Islands to best ignore Rebecca and Agnes’s obvious tryst. Being out at a mutant gay bar for the first time was not wearing on her nerves that heavily, but she still needed help easing herself into the new experience.

Clinging to the bar kept Vanessa out of the crowd, but she was not alone. Some people hid away quietly at the bar and some felt emboldened to talk to the person next to them. Vanessa was always the former unless she was looking for female companionship, but since that option was off the table, she was minding her own business. It fell upon others to make the effort and Vanessa was surprised when someone did.

The man she ended up sitting next to chuckled and made a joke about her desire to drink all the alcohol. The woman on the other side of the man seemed to notice the interaction and offered a tilt of her glass in solidarity. It was oddly comforting; the three of them all seemed to be at the bar for the same reason.

The man definitely seemed nervous, which earned him the benefit of the doubt. Vanessa was prickly around men at bars, but she reminded herself that she was at a gay bar, so the chance he was posturing to make a move was low. The woman behind him with the long, black hair offered a small smile, which she found reassuring. She had no reason to rush away from the bar, at least; maybe she could try her hand at being friendly and social on a small scale.

Taking a sip of her beverage, she looked at the two over the rim of her glass. ”I guess I shouldn’t be so greedy. I will leave some of the alcohol.” Well, there was her patented joking comment, but how did people follow those up? Something genuine, in theory. ”I guess new places make me nervous. What about you two? Come here often?” God, that almost sounded like a lame pick-up line. Thankfully, she was talking to two people, making it seem less lame. For all she knew, the two were there together, after all. Bisexuality was a thing and she was not about to be the kind of gay to shun her bi brethren.

As it happened, Javier was now sitting in between two very attractive women. At a mutant gay bar. Chances were, neither of them were interested in him, which was great, because he was not looking, and even if he was, he would not have looked quite in this way. He liked... quiet conversations and coffee. He hoped that they'd just assume he was there for the guys. Made life easier. Otherwise, he'd have to reassure them that he was not here to hit on lesbians... which he did not want to assume they were, because they could be bi, like him, in which case, it was...

Ugggggh, unnecessarily complicated train of thought. Javier did the normal thing: He simply did not hit on anyone.

>>”I guess I shouldn’t be so greedy. I will leave some of the alcohol. I guess new places make me nervous. What about you two? Come here often?”

"No. First visit, actually... I just heard good things." Javier noted, turning so that he could look at the milling crowd instead of staring at the bar. He tried to come up with whatever he would answer if she asked what he heard. He did hear some things, although he could not really name any of them. Good drinks? Handsome people? Mutant-friendly?... "I don't usually..." he paused, and sighed "That just sounds wrong, doesn't it." he frowned, then chuckled. No sentence that started like that at a mutant gay bar was gonna end well. Get it together, Javi. "I'm not really a party person."

There was one thing Vanessa was well-versed in detecting and it was when people were interested in her at a bar. She spent enough time courting attention that she could feel it in the way someone looked at her. With women, it was a good way to increase her chances of talking to one of the few gay or bi girls at the bar. With men, it let her escape conversations early and quash any ideas a hungry man might have.

It was reassuring not to catch any of that in the eyes of the guy next to her. Whether he was gay, (which was likely,) or she was just not his type, (which was less likely but not impossible,) he did not register as a potential threat. That could always change, but as long as he seemed more uncomfortable than she did, he would get the benefit of the doubt.

They were both newcomers, further endearing the guy as a fellow awkward turtle out of his element. ”Same. Lots of good things. Inclusive. Good music. Totally good things. I said that already.” And another nervous sip of her drink. She was usually slightly better at this, but she was acutely aware of the assumptions people at the club could make about her at a mutant club. It was not like she could make eye contact with everyone around her. She was struggling to keep eye contact with the guy she was talking to as it was.

The guy started trying to distance himself from something, but stopped. He seemed hesitant but ended up admitting parties and clubs were not his scene. ”I get that. I mean, I can do a night out of dancing and drinking. This is just kind of a new scene for me.” The comment was unintentionally vague. Gay clubs were not a new scene, but it was the mutant space she was slowly learning her place in.

The perky girl at the bar continued to drink and talk. It was strange, and probably a little embarrassing, but it always made Javier feel better if he was not the only anxious person around. It made him feel more normal. It was okay to not be comfortable all the time. Especially in crowded places like this one.

>>”Same. Lots of good things. Inclusive. Good music. Totally good things. I said that already.”

Javier chuckled. Yup, definitely nervous. At least she did not look like she was nervous about him, or trying to distance herself from potential flirting. She even looked him in the eyes. That meant she did not think he was a creep. He just had to keep up the good work. Still, her rambling was a little reassuring to him. He even admitted to not being a party person.

>>”I get that. I mean, I can do a night out of dancing and drinking. This is just kind of a new scene for me.”

"The bar, or the clientele?" Javier ventured, then immediately regretted asking such an ambiguous question. Did she just recently come out? Did she recently manifest? Was she a human suddenly interested in mutants?... Too many options. "I mean, I feel like it should be my scene. On both counts... It's just... well, a lot of people."

Nessa knew she would figure out how to get comfortable on the mutant scene eventually, but it was going to take her some time to get there. The guy she was talking to was a good start because he felt, to some degree, on her level. They were outsiders dipping their toes in the water, who were supposed to belong and needed to figure that part out.

The guy was a textbook introvert. There really were too many people and she could understand how stressful that could be. Nessa liked the dance floor because, despite the proximity of so many bodies, it really narrowed the world down for her. There were no words there; just dancing. ”It’s not really the bar or the people… it’s me.” She took a deep breath, followed by a long sip of her drink. Here went nothing! ”I’m used to gay clubs. I’m just… I’ve only recently ‘come out.’ As a mutant. Because I am and have been a mutant.”

It was out there to a total stranger and Nessa had to take another sip of liquid courage. ”So. Yeah.” She looked at his eyes, curious to know what would cross his mind. He was a mutant, after all; realistically, she was not expecting massive hate. If he realized she was reading his thoughts, that could be another story…

One big step at a time.

The girl paused, like she was making some kind of an important decision. Being at a mutant gay bar did not mean that someone was out as either. To be fair, Javier was only kind of out as a mutant himself, given that his powers did not manifest in any dependable way. Having asked hr his question, he now felt bad that she might feel obligated to answer.

>>”It’s not really the bar or the people… it’s me... I’m used to gay clubs. I’m just… I’ve only recently ‘come out.’ As a mutant. Because I am and have been a mutant. So. Yeah.”

So. She came out. To him.

Javier smiled a little. Surprisingly, other people's awkwardness tended to calm him down - he knew what she was feeling, and he knew that he had the ability to make her feel better about it. She was both gay, which she was fine with, and also a mutant, and a little self-conscious about it. They had more in common that Javier first thought.

"Well... congratulations on coming out" Javier smiled, raising his glass to her. Really, being gay or a mutant was still not easy, even in New York, and being both was not the easiest combination to disclose to people. Javier hoped the girl would not run into the kind of people who would make her life miserable about either. He wondered if he should ask what her powers were. Would that show interest, or would it be too personal? Javier had to been around mutants enough to know what the etiquette was about asking about powers. He decided to leave it for later. In case it was something embarrassing, like his own. "We have that in common." he added, sipping his drink. "I guess if you are going to come out, this is a good place to do it..."

Cold brought Ifreet off the street. A need to be near people and high ambient temperature. The club did not disappoint. It was a tight press. Flesh and sweat and bone. Of course, he wouldn't be sweating. Never much for sweating, him.

Ifreet pushed his way into the crowd. Flipped down his hood, adjusted his mirror shades, and bumped against a literal lizard girl. Her scales were dazzling yellows and reds, covered head to toe under a halter and miniskirt combo. One of the most stunning mutants he'd seen, and she was very out. She scowled over her shoulder, and disappeared into the sway and pull.

Ifreet pocketed his shades and looked around. Saw the crowd for the first time. Every obvious mutant he saw-- and there were several-- was out. He grinned, tensed an invisible muscle. His eyes glowed a bright, flickering orange. Like candle flames. He let the undertow drag him around, to be eventually deposited at the bar. He ordered a shot of well vodka, and looked down the bar at the other patrons.

It was a relatively safe place to come out as a mutant, given the target clientele of the club, but it still felt like another weight off Nessa’s back. Every step she took to being out in the open with herself left her feeling more free. Nessa loved living her life unencumbered and on her own terms, and she never realized how much the big secrets of her life weighed her down.

She kept the man’s eye, too focused on their conversation to notice the goings-on of the bar, and was relieved to see thoughts of relating to her feelings. The lack of judgment proved she should make more of an effort to let more mutants into her life. Humans could be great; she worked with some great ones, after all. Still, mutants could get where she was coming from, and with where she was in her life, that felt invaluable.

Javier was positive and friendly, but his thoughts made it clear his mind was running twice as fast as his mouth. As someone who ran in nerdy circles, Vanessa was used to the thoughts of the socially awkward and anxious. Still, the way he was so concerned with being polite and appropriate was so earnest, Vanessa accidentally giggled. Perhaps a poor move, particularly when he was already questioning her mutation. That was, after all, the bigger test.

What did she have to lose? Things were going well so far. ”I’m a telepath, by the way. In case you might have been curious.” Which she knew he was. So now she got to find out how a stranger took the news that she could read their thoughts, for better or worse.

Maybe it was easier to come out to a random stranger. Especially in a mutant/gay friendly place. Javier was nut surprised at the sentiment; even though he was the type to care about what anyone and everyone thought of him, he tended to fuss more about the opinions of people important to him. Therefore, coming out to a stranger made a certain sense to him. Kind of.

The girl giggled a little at his expression.

>>”I’m a telepath, by the way. In case you might have been curious.”

Javier's eyes widened, and then darted to the side. He had never met a telepath before. Holy hell, he did not even want to imagine what kind of a mess his mind looked like from the outside... but it was too late now. To keep himself from overthinking, Javier drank deeply from his drink. "Oh."

What was he supposed to say? Whatever first thought someone could have, she had probably heard it all. As well as she could probably follow his own internal freakout play by play right now. Javier tried to calm his own thoughts unsuccessfully, and then gave up with a sigh. "I'm sorry, I haven't... met one of you before."

This was probably a thing people had to learn.

"Um... super strength" he offered finally, thinking it was only fair to offer his own mutation in exchange "... occasionally."