Paige didn't care that it was past dark. She didn't know what time it was, but it didn't matter. She couldn't sleep; it wasn't her new roommate's fault or anything, she was cool. The blonde just wasn't used to being here yet, and she still hadn't healed from the beating Tses had given her only days ago. Her hand traced the healing gashes on her face, tensing as she did so.

She just wanted to get her mind off of it, but she couldn't. So, here she was, roaming the halls in a long tee shirt and a pair of shorts. Eh, at least it was quiet, quiet helped.

She sighed quietly as she walked down the halls, just...exploring. Letting her mind wander as she did so. Maybe she needed to be better around people. Maybe if she gave them a chance--no matter who or what they were. Listen to them without hitting them. Maybe that would help. But who knew. Maybe the spork-shifter was meant to have few friends. Or maybe not.

Suddenly, the girl's train of thought was broken as she thought she heard something. Green eyes darted around, trying to see if anyone else was there.

Things haven’t been going the way he wanted them to for the last year or so after the riots things progressed back to the usually awkwardness that was now his life. His friends were still there though they didn’t trust him and his students or rather former students no longer wanted to be taught by someone that was well, Sam. So his usual habit of late night classes or adventuring out to the nearest watering hole didn’t go exactly as planned.

Lifting the bottle of beer to his lips Sam took a swig and looked to his left hand where the other five bottles remained empty. ”Well… Shit…” Sam muttered to himself as he decided it was best to just head down to the office and either get some paperwork done or head to the man cave where was pretty much anything to take his mind off well… everything.

His current mood could have been easily read from anyone who could see him luckily most of the people who knew who he was wanted to keep their distance other than the cordial, ‘hello’. Needless to say Sam was starting to feel less and less welcome in his own home. The only reason he didn’t feel this way the week before was because of the riots and when one is zipping from every break-in to fire you tend not to notice the distance some people put between you.

Sam turned down the hallway and spotted a young woman in her sleepwear. She was cute but Sam at the moment didn’t really care too much. ”Evening, lady.” Sam said raising his empty five pack as he sipped the slightly full bottle as he was passing her in the hallway.

The shifter jumped, spinning in the direction of the voice--whom she did not see until now. Her fists clenched, but she wasn't as apt to fight as usual. In fact her eyes showed...fear? Well, for a moment they did. It seemed her usual hostility had vanished, at least for the time being. Or maybe it was beaten out of her a few days ago. Who knew? Paige...well, Paige rather would have dwelt on something else.

"E-evening," she answered, brushing her hair out of her face. Her hands rested on her battle-scars for a moment, reminded of the explosion that caused her beloved guitar's strings to snap, two of them leaving the ugly twin marks on her face.

She eyed the man, suspicious. She was distrusting, but had no will to fight. Not tonight. Note she still had no interest in men whatsoever.

"I uh...couldn't sleep," she murmured with a shrug. "Alot on my mind, I guess."

Sam continued to pass the woman before his lone eye picked up her moving the hair out of her face; she was even cuter now that she had moved the hair out of her face but again Sam wasn’t in the mood right now to… he picked up on a few of the scars on her face and he didn’t say anything about them. Clearly there was a story behind it however like most people in the mansion she probably didn’t feel like sharing. Sam knew he didn’t.

He was about to continue on down the hallway towards his office until she added to her casual greeting Sam turned his body towards her and took a few steps backwards after he passed her. ”You got every right to be in the hallway.” Sam said simply enough sipping his bottle again trying not to drink too much, the last thing he wanted was to be stuck out in the open with an empty six pack.

Sam shrugged and nodded his head, ”A reoccurring theme in the mansion it seems.” Sam said noting her expression one that could almost mirror how he was feeling on the inside. His expression now was more angry than defeated. ”Looks like you had a rough day.” Sam said sipping his beer again before he set empty five pack down for a moment. Holding his free hand out stretched to the woman Sam willed a large ice ball in his hand. ”You.. ah… might want to put some ice on those or at least some antibiotic ointment if you plan on showing those off.” Sam said taking a few steps towards the woman before he sipped his drink while his hand still outstretched offering her the ice.

Sam spotted some fear in her eyes something he had been seeing a lot of as of late and while it upset him to see it instead of showing it on his face he sighed slightly and took another sip of his beer.

"I know..." she murmured quietly. Honestly, the girl didn't know what rights she had and didn't have anymore. Not that the mansion seemed overbearing or anything; in fact, she loved how welcome she felt there. The problem seemed to lie within herself.

"Try a rough week," Paige said, maybe a little rudely. If anything, it showed at least a small trace of her former self. Though she still couldn't help but wonder if she was really as strong as she thought all along, or was she just another spoiled brat?

Sighing, she gave a nod as she reached out and took the ice that was offered to her. "I'm not exactly proud of them. I just wanted it to heal on its own," she all but snapped. "But thanks." Her expressions and attitude seemed to be back-and-forthing between the headstrong,hard to approach side of old, and the new-found timid side that had recently apparently been beaten into her.

"I...I'm Paige," she said, putting the cold ice to her face. "Or Thingamajig. Whichever."

Sam sipped his beer again when she snapped at him, it wasn’t a aggressive snap more of a ‘duh’ snap one that lead him to believe a lot of things weren’t really going in her favor. Sam tried not to smirk to himself unless she was mind controlled to do unspeakable things to people she cared about Sam doubted it was really going that bad for her. Another sip and Sam raised his eyebrow, ”Oh yeah?” Sam asked slightly interested figuring maybe someone else’s problems would help him forget about everything going on in the mansion and his life.

”Major difference between healing on their own and healing wrong. You should still take care of them, trust me I speak from experience.” Sam said pointing to his eye patch covering his left eye and hiding the majority of his scar that was given to him during the camps in Romania back when he was with… Sam looked to his bottle and then chugged the rest of the contents his actions betraying his current expression.

”Thingamajig?” Sam asked raising an eyebrow and putting his now empty bottle in the six-pack with the other five empties. It was time he got a refill. ”yeah…” Sam said letting a pause in there before he continued, ”Think I’ll stick with Paige, for now.” Sam said shrugging his shoulders and rubbing the back of his neck.

Lifting his empty six pack in the girls direction. ”Empties…” Sam nodded his head and continue down the hallway, ”Come on.” he started walking away from her and started back towards his office again, ”So, rough week?”

Paige nodded at the man's advice. "Gotcha...This was kinda my first time. You know, being on the receiving end. And to think I saw myself as tough..." She let out a sigh as she followed, just now noticing that her new acquaintance had six beers in him. Oh well...Besides, what was she going to do about it? Nothing, more than likely.

"Yeah. Some friends back home gave me the nickname when my power surfaced.I sorta fell in love with it..." In fact, it was really the only memory she had of California now.

"Yeah...or few days. Or months...I don't even know anymore. I moved here because some anti-mutant group in California targeted my family. Back in...February? So my Dad pulled some strings and cashed in a favor, got me a job. Few days ago, I lost said job, meaning no money for rent. Then my neighbor blew up my acoustic guitar--while I was playing it. Lost, confused, I remembered hearing things about this place, being shown around...hell my girlfriend even lives here. So...I came around the next day, only to pass out on the lawn and be found by another friend. And now...well, here we are..." Her voice trailed off and she grew silent, pressing the cold ice to her face once more.

Sam didn’t need his sixth sense to tell she was following him even before he had a chance to look over his shoulder he heard the woman speak again her voice getting closer as Sam slowed his pace a bit so they were walking next to each other instead of him walking in front of the woman. ”Always someone who is tougher or has an ace up their sleeve.” Sam said knowing this well seeing as the life he had and even more recent the last year alone. He had no idea Amanda was capable of something… his thoughts shifted and he felt himself growing angrier and more depressed then shook them from his mind as he picked up the woman’s voice again.

Paige started to recount her past few… or rather her entire life at least the significant points. Sam walked to his office door as she started talking about her losing a job her move from California to New York and the death of her guitar and her girlfriend. Sam knew there was a time he’d look to the girl with a smirk when she mentioned girlfriend and make some kind of comment and while it popped into his head he just listened. His office door opened and he started to respond as he walked into his darkened office and make a ‘B’-line straight for the secret door behind the book shelf a well kept secret between him, Streak and a few of their closer friends, ”Small world.” Sam said as he pulled one of the books that opened the bookshelf to the metal door.

Looking into the retina scanner (something he didn’t think was needed other than the fact that it was cool as hell) Sam then formed his key of ice and lowered it down into the slot and adjusted the temperature till the computer recognized his key. ”Why your neighbor break your guitar?” Sam asked as the mechanical door opened up and the lights started to turn on illuminating the large room before him. Walking in Sam looked back to the woman and waved her in.

Turning his head to the man-cave Sam noticed it hadn’t had the best upkeep since he had been away there was a lot of dust all over the place. The pool table had a tarp covering the felt and the hot tub was off. The television however sparked on and a football game started playing. It had been a while since had watched anything really. Looking around he suddenly realized how much he missed his friends from back in the day. His eye fixed on the fridge and he walked towards it hoping Streak or possibly Mirror stopped by dropping off some beer.

Paige sighed as she walked next to him, fighting back tears that were threatening to come out. "When I lost my job, I was upset. I needed to vent, so I cranked up my electric guitar and just...played. Channeled all my emotion through that one outlet. Neighbor barged in all pissed, so I swapped to my acoustic, and she put some...green explosive in it." She bit her lip, following him inside and leaning against the nearest wall once the lights came on and she was waved in.

"I tell myself the fight that followed would have ended different if I hadn't been hurt by the guitar already, but...I don't know anymore. I've built up this reputation for being a bitch. Maybe that's all I am. Just some spoiled little--" She glanced back, growing silent as she saw the man-cave.

"Okay...that's cool," she murmured silently. Now trying to get her mind off of the fact that she was spilling her guts to a complete stranger. But maybe that was what she needed. Her friends, especially Chloe, would sugar-coat it to make her feel better. But those one doesn't know as well had a better tendency of telling it like it is.

Sam smirked slightly at her response as he opened up the fridge and smirked when he spotted a few six packs. Luckily they were good he could only tell they were good because they were seasonal and they just started selling them recently. Sam cracked open a beer and then looked to the girl, ”Soda or water?” Sam asked noticing she started getting a little more open about what was going on with her life. It was like Sam was her diary now and he tried his best not to say the wrong thing.

”Green explosive sounds oddly familiar she a cute little blonde?” Sam asked arching his eyebrow in the girl’s direction. Sam motioned her to head over to the counter which he was standing behind and put an orange soda and a bottle of water on the counter. Even if he had a slight buzz Sam never really offered alcohol to someone unless he knew they were overage. Well Mirror was an exception and he is twenty-one now anyways.

”Doesn’t matter really how others see ya.” Sam said as he took a sip of his drink, ”Focus on how you see yourself no body really knows what’s going on in your life right?” Sam asked talking from experience. He tried not to think about his situation at all but the way she was talking about herself Sam couldn’t help but feel something similar. It was hard walking through the mansion and have people avoid you when less than a few months prior everyone was running up trying to be your best friend.

”Nothing wrong with losing a fight every now and then.” Sam said adding after he took another sip of his beer and shut the fridge behind him. ”You learn more about yourself when you lose a fight than you do if you win. Just shows what you need to work on right?” Sam asked rhetorically. ”You play pool?” Sam asked pointing his beer to the covered pool table.

"Nothing for now, thanks," she answered, thinking on her neighbor. What was her name again? Didn't matter. At least not to her. "I wouldn't say cute. Seems to think she can do what she wants and everyone else has to walk a fine line. I heard yelling and explosions from her apartment on a regular basis. But the one time I crank my guitar up loud she wants to come down and--" She bit her lip as the anger started to surface, her hand clenching around the melting ice as if she intended to break it. Not that she could.

"I don't know how I should see myself. And I needed to win that fight. You never hear any stories about people who stood up for what they believed in, for something they loved, then got their ass handed to them. That guitar was my prize possession. Had it since I was little; it was my first real guitar. Now the only tangible memory I have of it is where the strings cut into my face..."

She tensed, shaking and fighting back sobs. "I...I played once or twice," she answered, trying to calm down. If she got any more emotional, there was a chance Sam would have a spork on the floor.

Sam nodded his head slightly and even smirked when she said she needed to win that fight, everyone needs to win at fights but then again… ”You heard about the camps right?” Sam asked curiously figuring she had some idea it was hard not to hear about them they were on the news for years and when the resurfaced in Romania it bought up a lot of painful memories to a lot of people. The Romanian ones had more to do with him than the ones in the states. ”I’m not just talking about the ones here but the ones in Romania.” Sam took a swing of his beer and walked over to the pool table ripped off the tarp with a quick motion letting some of his frustrations out in the process.

The table was clean spotless green felt and the balls were already racked clearly Streak had left them that way. Picking up a stick and then offering up to Paige the ice mutant continued, ”They were spawned off the American ones the idea was to imprison and repress all the mutants and any who sympathize with them. Old mutants to young mutants and I even saw a few infants in the infirmary if you could call it that. Sam took another sip of his beer starting to relive some painful memories ones with Alexandra and some of just him, now after he went through what he did, what Amanda made him see it was far easier to talk about the camps than he could have thought. ”How I lost this.” Sam said pointing to his left eye.

Another sip of his beer and he let out a small laugh, ”The entire time I was thinking if I was tied up right now or drugged out of mind I would have kicked all their asses, hell I probably would have killed them.” Sam took another sip of his beer and then looked to the girl as he picked his pool cue set his beer down and took the first shot breaking the table hitting a solid in. ”I didn’t think I needed to win the fight then and there I needed to survive! Survive for another day so I could keep fighting for those I loved and what I believed in.” Sam took another sip of his beer set it down and lined up his next shot hitting another solid in. ”Well… what I’m trying to get at here is well… you’re alive right?” Sam asked not waiting for an answer before he took another shot and missed. Sam stood up shrugged and took a sip of his beer, ”It might seem like the worst thing in the world to lose a fight but when you get knocked down offa that horse you gonna give up?” Sam smirked and then made a gesture to Paige like it was her turn.

”Ya get back up and hop on that horse and teach it whose boss right?” Sam asked grabbing his beer and lifting it in a cheers motion as he lost balance for a second then caught it in a stumbling motion. ”but that did sound like the chick, green glowing hands makes explosions seems like she is pissed at the world likes to think she’s one tough cookie.” Sam nodded his head, ”She ain’t so tough I ran into her once gave her a good run for her money, almost had her arrested and in custody.” Sam said shrugging his shoulders ”if it wasn’t for a full scale riot breaking out in front of city hall I would have had her. Not the most effective fighter in close combat but mid to long-range she likes to make those little green explosions.” Sam said sipping his beer again with a smirk on his face.

Paige nodded, listening as he spoke of the camps and his own experiences. She took the cue as he continued, and every word sunk in. He was right; she couldn't just beat herself up about this one time. When he missed, she took a breath, taking her shot and sinking in a stripe.

"Yeah...She took out an amp too, but that wasn't as sentimental. Don't get me wrong, she's probably feeling me right now. I'd gotten the edge and she pulled my hair and I looked down at the shards of guitar I'd been using as weapons. Managed to get her a couple times, but...once I got a good look at that purple splintered wood...I lost it. The fight didn't even matter anymore. So...I left her with some harsh words, finally went to sleep, and I headed here the next day."

She took another shot, but missed. "You're right...I'm still alive. That guitar was special, but there are plenty of those in the world...I've only got one life. And I'll be damned if I let one person ruin mine." She looked at him, the once-familiar intensity and fire slowly but surely returning to her eyes.

Sam nodded his head with his good eye closed as he listened to the conclusion of her story, ”That’s the spirit!” Sam said raising his beer and taking a sip before he lined up his next shot, ”So what are ya gonna do if you see her again?” Sam asked curiously before firing out a shot and sinking another ball. It had been a few months since he last played but with the proper concentration his previous skills in billiards was starting to appear. Or so he thought, Sam missed the next shot hitting one of Paige’s in as a result.

Standing up fully once again Sam shrugged and downed the beer and started to head towards the fridge, ”I imagine it’s the memories you had with the guitar were special, not the guitar itself unless you had someone like Hendrix sign it. Then I can imagine it being something to be upset about.” Sam looked over to the old style juke-box and pointed to it. ”Give it a small kick and put on a tune or two, got a bit of everything.” Sam said his head back in the fridge grabbing another beer as he put the empty near the sink.

”Oh if you run into that blonde chick with the green hands tell her Sam, says hello and I’m coming for her.” Sam paused for a second then turned to point at Paige, ”On second thought try to call here first so I can actually come get her. She said she roughed up a cop.” Sam said and shrugged popping the top off his bottle, ”And that is illegal.” Sam said nodding his head as if it wasn’t common knowledge.

Paige shrugged. "I wish I could tell you. I'd like to say maybe I just pass by, letting bygones be bygones with nothing more than a cold stare. I'd also like to say as an alternative I kick her ass and get even. But...I don't know. I just...don't know. Only time will tell, I guess." Taking her shot, Paige sunk in a ball, then another, but then lost her focus along the way and sunk in one of Sam's by mistake.

"It was my first guitar. Had it since I was a little girl. Cut my teeth on that thing, so to speak. Of all the possessions I had back home, my guitars are the only thing I really and truly cared about. I had tons of clothes, tons of just about anything you could think of. But when I moved here, I took only some of my clothes, not all. But I took both guitars; the one thing of mine I'm really protective over." She gave a small shrug, trying not to show that a tear was threatening to come out.

Turning her head to wipe the stray tear, she made her way to the jukebox, doing as he said and finding one of her personal favorites. As the melody filled the air, Paige naturally found herself taking the stance she usually took while playing guitar, air-guitaring perfectly to the tune.

Life, it seems, will fade away
Drifting further, every day
Getting lost within myself
Nothing matters, no one else
I have lost the will to live
Simply nothing more to give
There is nothing more for me
Need the end to set me free...