After packing up her tools and cleaning up her station in the salon, Adelaide grabbed all of her things and headed outside. She politely waved to her coworkers and gave their generic salutations right back at them, that familiar wave of relief washing over her for a moment as the door shut behind her. She had been working with the same salon for a little while, but the social exchanges between herself and the other beauticians still made her a little nervous. It was different with the customers. She did not have to see them every single day.

Tossing her bag, box of beauty tools, and notepad with her list of appointments in the car, she headed home to drop the car off. Her roommate and she lived pretty close to the city, it would not be necessary. Once she made it to the home, she got out, locked the vehicle with everything inside it except her bag (which she took inside and left in her room), and started walking.

The air felt good in her lungs. After dealing with chemicals, bleaching and dying and applying perms, just plain old air was refreshing. It was not like she did not enjoy the smell of the chemicals. In a way, they were comforting. She would be a liar if she did not admit that she looked forward to that detail of the job every day. It smelled like happy women. Like victory.

Passing some shops, Adelaide was only semi-aware of ongoing sales and merchandise. What really caught her eye was a vacant store with a For Rent sign in the window. It was not very big, but that did not matter much to her. She could see herself running her own salon in that spot. Her own decor, her own chairs, her own books and magazines, salon-brand shampoos and conditioners. Renting it seemed like a cool idea. She would have to think on it.

Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a hair tie and pulled her thick mop of hair back, wanting it out of her face. She was feeling a need, that old urge, once again. But she was not about to give in. Not until she found acceptable specimen. Honestly, each day she hoped she would come across someone special she could use in her experiments. But mutants in need of styling seemed thin in comparison to the rubes of the city.

Pulling her phone out of her pocket, she stopped in front of the window and took down the number on the For Rent sign. A salon closer to civilization might attract more interesting possibilities.

Usually, Jayden didn't like to find herself outside during normal daylight hours.  Either she was sleeping, getting into trouble or thinking about getting into trouble.  Sometimes, however, it was necessary.  Such as, for example when one had to purchase food.  Or steal food.  Because that was definitely an option for the type of life she lead and sometimes it was a more appealing option than putting her hard earned money towards it.  Worried about how her sticky fingers might impact the local grocer?  Rarely.  Most of them were greedy capitalists with far too much money than was good for them anyway!

Besides, night was falling and night was when her comfort time happened to be.  For once she actually had money in her pocket and the questions regarding where said money had come from were irrelevant What mattered is that she had it and that it felt like far less effort to just purchase her goods and services like a normal person tonight than on certain other nights.  Thus, she found herself a little shop that sold her a hot sandwich for a reasonable price.  The young lady at the counter had even given her hair a compliment.  All in all, the evening was turning into a good one.

Walking at a leisurely pace, Jayden's mind turned to the young woman, Aura, who she had met recently. The message had been that mutants needed help and that one shouldn't have to be ashamed of being a mutant nor should one have to hide in the shadows. While she had never been ashamed, she had always tried to remain hidden.  Maybe it was time to change that.  Her power, when used was a visible one, sometimes dramatically so.  She wasn't quite ready to have her mutant status out for the world to see, but maybe something subtle.  Thus, for those observant enough, her fingers sported a set of black cat claws as not only a mark of her being a mutant but also excellent for personal protection.  A baby step, maybe, but a step nevertheless.

Finishing her food, Jayden stopped beside a brown haired staring at a 'for rent' sign.  She smiled at the stranger; it was remarkable how good a mood she was in tonight.  Interesting to think about how someone like that vanilla looking stranger might react if she happened to notice the claws.  More interesting besides to think about how many mutants were hidden, scattered throughout the human population.

Taking down the number, under the contact name "Empty Shop," she saved the information and thumbed the lock button on the side of the phone. Whether she went through with renting the place out or not was a question she would answer eventually. Sometimes she became excited about things and looked forward to taking them on, only to back out and move on, pretending like the idea never even came to mind in the first place. Even things like this, she approached cautiously. Everything must be properly executed.

Feeling like someone had been staring at her, even for a short moment, she slipped her phone back into the pocket of her jeans and looked up, turning her head away from the window. A younger looking female was heading her way, and actually smiled at her. Adelaide noted the mohawk and the punk-rock outfit, and the couple of piercings the girl had applied to herself. She liked style. Personal design and statement were important. But her eyes did not miss the black claws that were extending from the ends of each arm.

At first her mind let her assume, just for a split moment, that this female creature had been brave enough to tattoo herself in those areas. Brave, because of the thinner layers of muscle and closeness of the skin to the bone. It would have been painful, and keeping the ink touched up so it would appear so dark would be just as uncomfortable. But her brain corrected itself. It was definitely not ink, and those were not hands, they were claws.

She knew there were other mutants, she just had not had the ...pleasure of meeting one in person. At least, not that she knew of. She of course did not quite understand the powers of her new acquaintance, but her interest was caught. A gleam might have shown in Adelaide's eyes at the possibilities that this other female possessed.

Adelaide smiled back, reflexively but as naturally as she could make the facial expression. The same expression she gave her coworkers and customers every day when they spoke to her, depending on the subject. Quickly trying to think of a way to prod at the question in her mind, she lifted one of her hands and made an awkward monster claw and motioned to it, "Very cool. Intriguing. How?" She knew she was not really making a very good first impression, but there was no turning back and fixing the goofed up set of words. She just hoped that the other woman was not too put off by her weird behavior.

Lost in her thoughts as she was, Jayden wasn't really paying that much attention to the other woman.  Enough, certainly, that if she tried anything she'd be ready because protecting herself was instinct.  Not enough, however, to avoid surprise when the other woman spoke to her and more surprise besides when the words were positive compliments on her claws.  From everything she had ever been taught about being a mutant and the animosity the world held towards them, compliments were the last thing she expected.  Suspicion warred with a weird feeling of hope.

It was a subconscious action when she tried to hide one clawed hand with the other, failing in the attempt because, of course, both hands were clawed.   Self-consciousness was not something she was used to experienced but then, neither was she used to allowing her mutant self to be visible out in the open like this.  Aura would probably tell her to get over it.  No, Aura would definitely tell her to get over it.  She should be proud of being a mutant, damn it all, and so proud she was going to be!  

"Mutant," Jadyen answered trying and mostly succeeding in keeping the scowl out of her voice.  "It's kind of what I do."  She lifted one clawed hand for the other woman to take a closer look.  Because that was what someone who was proud to be a mutant would do, right?  Show off her gifts and not try to hide them.  And really, it was't so hard to do, now was it?