Finally!

Paige ran to the bathroom, quickly changing out of that accursed coffee cup costume, and back into her uniform, fixing her hair and trying to look as best she could after several hours of dancing around dressed up like a coffee cup that was way too happy...

Once finished there, she went to the back to clock out, where her coworkers got a good laugh. "Hey, Paige! I think you'd do better full time as the mascot. Stupid is a good look for you!" Laughter erupted. Paige turned and glared.

"I think you'd be more likeable with your jaw wired shut," she threatened, clenching a fist. Taking a deep breath, she hit the clock and rushed out the door. Sighing, the blond object-shifter leaned against the side of the building, looking for Maya. The sooner she could get away from this crap-fest, the better. She didn't even like coffee...

Maya returned to the coffee shop, still hopped up on Rocket Fuel (that stuff was legit) and cleaned up from the brawl from the night before. She was not wearing the X-uniform anymore, just shorts and a t-shirt. Hopping from window to mirror she spotted the girl named Paige, and stepped out onto the pavement next to her.

"Hey there. Ready to ditch work for school?"

"Am I ever," she groaned, taking off the purple collared shirt, revealing a black and hot-pink low cut shirt. Slinging the uniform over her shoulder, she smirked. "I've learned to come prepared," she explained, looking at Maya with a somewhat crazy gleam in her eyes. "The khakis, I really can't do anything about, but I'll live. So, I've heard a little about this school, but what's it really like?" she asked, only really taking interest that same morning.

>>"Am I ever... I've learned to come prepared. The khakis, I really can't do anything about, but I'll live. So, I've heard a little about this school, but what's it really like?"

"Chaotic, incredible, and a lot of fun" Maya smirked as they started walking down the street "I mean, it is all kinds of random, with mutants going in and out, but it's still safer than most places in New York City..."

Whenever it was not being blown up by other mutants, there is.

"It's home."

"Actually...it sounds like my kinda place," Paige replied with a smile. "Back in Cali, everything was usually quiet, so I always sorta found a love for random chaos and a knack for finding it." Okay, so she may or may not have been a troublemaker at heart. Then again, from the antics with the costume earlier, that was probably obvious.

As for explosions, Paige already had to deal with that on occasion. Thanks to living one floor below a certain moon-powered mutant who could produce explosives. Damn things tended to drown out her guitar...

"More mutants is always a plus. I'm practically sold already."

>>"Actually...it sounds like my kinda place. Back in Cali, everything was usually quiet, so I always sorta found a love for random chaos and a knack for finding it... More mutants is always a plus. I'm practically sold already."

"Yeah, you'll definitely like the Mansion." Maya chuckled "I mean, there are rules, and security clearances and all that stuff, since technically it is still a school... but it has a lot of things normal schools don't get. We even have an outdoor pool."

Not to mention a Danger Room, a jet, and a superhero team. But they could talk about those later.

"I have been living here for... gosh, almost three years now. It grows on ya."

Ugh...Rules. That was one area where Paige had a problem. But she'd be more apt to follow those, maybe. After all, she liked the idea of the mansion. "Yeah, especially considering it's a school where mutants reside and learn to use the gifts they have, rules do seem like they'd be a given," she said with a light chuckle as they began to walk.

"Pool just sealed the deal. Haven't been swimming since I got to New York, which was..three months ago." Honestly, she wasn't a huge fan of New York, but maybe now it would start growing on her. Aside from her having to punch rude people who bumped into her.

>>"Yeah, especially considering it's a school where mutants reside and learn to use the gifts they have, rules do seem like they'd be a given. Pool just sealed the deal. Haven't been swimming since I got to New York, which was..three months ago."

"I hope ya've brought a bathing suit" Maya grinned as they turned the corner. A faithful blip signaled that the car she had... borrowed from Silver Streak was parked nearby. She had had enough mirrorwalking for the day.

"So... you have been living alone here for three months? Meet any interesting people?"

There was always someone interesting to meet in New York, especially when one was a mutant... case in point.

"I don't have one today," she admitted. "But I have plenty. California, remember?" she asked with a wink. She smiled at the question.

"People? Let's see...I met a dragon-mutant on my first day here, punched a guy in the face, destroyed some guy in a guitar battle at the park, met a butterfly shifter. Got a girlfriend, punched another guy in the face...and here we are! So yeah, I'd say interesting." She grinned. Then the thought hit her that maybe soon she should contact Butterfly. Yeah...that would be a good idea.

"No idea you had a car," Paige commented upon seeing it. "Though from what I've seen wouldn't it be faster to walk?" she joked. "Or I could shift into a skateboard or something."

>>"I don't have one today. But I have plenty. California, remember?"

"Skinny dipping it is." Maya concluded with a deadpan face. She could roll with that.

>>"People? Let's see...I met a dragon-mutant on my first day here, punched a guy in the face, destroyed some guy in a guitar battle at the park, met a butterfly shifter. Got a girlfriend, punched another guy in the face...and here we are! So yeah, I'd say interesting."

"Girlfriend, huh" Maya chuckled. Go figure, the sassy blonde girl was on Maya's team. Not on Gawain's, though. That was life in the mutant world. "Good for ya. Mine kicked my ass out... long story."

>>"No idea you had a car. Though from what I've seen wouldn't it be faster to walk? Or I could shift into a skateboard or something."

"I will take a rain check on that" Maya grinned, getting into the car. Streak had a good taste in cars "Streak would kill me if I did not drive this back to the Mansion before he notices it's gone..."

Paige chuckled at the skinny dipping comment. "Sounds like fun. Unless you're being sarcastic, in which case...well I still said it." She gave a light laugh and a smile. Sure, she was joking, mostly...After a day like today,she needed to have a little fun. Even at someone else's expense.

"Bummer. But I know how that is." In truth, Paige was bisexual, but she tended to like girls better because...well since it was Paige, most guys ended up getting punched.

"Oh, well car it is then," she replied. "Just so you know though...I have a clean record with the police. And I'd like to keep it that way. You get caught, I'm totally shifting..."

>>"Oh, well car it is then, Just so you know though...I have a clean record with the police. And I'd like to keep it that way. You get caught, I'm totally shifting..."

"And I work with the police" Maya grinned as she wove her way out into the traffic "Most of the time, anyway. And I did not steal the car. I borrowed it. From a teammate. And he can fly anyway. It's totally cool."

No it wasn't, but Streak was never going to find out anyhow. He was barely around at all these days. Maya also avoided the fact that she had gotten into trouble with the police, way before she started working with them...

"Better use your wicked shifting powers for better things, gal" she grinned "That's how we roll in the Mansion."

"Saving my ass is the best thing ever, if you ask me," she teased lightly. "Nah, I really wouldn't, knowing me. I don't shift in the face of danger. I tend to punch the face of danger." She tossed her hair back a bit, out of her eyes as she approached the car.

"If you say it's cool, I believe you. Cops huh? That's pretty sweet. I had the cops talk to me once at school on my seventeenth birthday. They informed me that since I was seventeen, I couldn't go around punching everyone who picked on or hit on me. So, I made sure they were too afraid to tell the cops." Paige gave a wicked smile at this.

>>"Saving my ass is the best thing ever, if you ask me. Nah, I really wouldn't, knowing me. I don't shift in the face of danger. I tend to punch the face of danger."

My kinda girl.

>>"If you say it's cool, I believe you. Cops huh? That's pretty sweet. I had the cops talk to me once at school on my seventeenth birthday. They informed me that since I was seventeen, I couldn't go around punching everyone who picked on or hit on me. So, I made sure they were too afraid to tell the cops."

Not the Mansion kinda girl.

"Yeeeah they kinda have this thing going between the MRC and some of the Mansion residents who are trained in... basic combat, I guess. Can never have enough good guys patrolling the streets these days I guess."

There was no question about the X-men being the good guys.

"And when it comes to mutants, the police can definitely use some help from people with powers."

"Yeah, that makes sense. Make things safer, and at least try to keep things remotely under control. Stuff can really get outta hand when all goes to hell," she replied with a nod.

Okay, so maybe her violent tendencies werent exactly doing her favors here, but generally the receiving party deserved it. "I admit, I was less...tolerant in my younger years, when my powers emerged especially." Which probably leads one to question her younger years.

Regardless, maybe what the girl needed was a place where she belonged