It was a good day. It was a relaxing day. It was a day that Jorge Cervantes knew that he just needed to be outside. The sun was high above, basking the mansion grounds in light but a cool breeze but through the area, keeping anyone from growing overly warm. With the breeze, it carried with it the scent of freshness and tranquility. Truly it was one of those rare days in New York where everything seemed like it would be absolutely fine.

Sitting outside, resting comfortably upon a lawn chair next to the crystal-blue waters of the mansion swimming pool, the detective and current X-Man, lounged with his guitar resting upon his lap. He was dressed casually in a sunny yellow shirt with a white, Tommy Bahama camp shirt that was unbuttoned. Black cargo shirts adorned his lower half, exposing his muscular calves and bare feet which balanced a loosely hanging sandal.

Sunglasses sitting low on his nose, the detective sighed as he craned his head back and took in the rays of the sun. The man looked as if he were at the epitome of relaxation. However, for as relaxing as all this was, it actually took effort for Jorge to stay here and allow himself to participate. He was getting just a little tired of doing nothing and, truly, wanted so badly to be out in the world doing something useful. Missions with the team, going back to work, helping out more with the wedding (Gemma only let him do so much), he would have appreciated doing any of these things so long as he stayed busy.

It seemed that the doctor’s prescription of “rest and relaxation” was not one that Jorge found particularly easy to swallow. However, with both his impending return to work and Gemma’s insistence, Jorge did decide to try his best. It may have been the first day in a while since Jorge just allowed himself to relax but he was actually doing it fairly well.

Lounging in his seat, Jorge closed his eyes as he hefted up his guitar and casually began to strum several of the strings. The rhythm was nonexistent at first but as the seconds ticked on, slowly a tune began to formulate from the vibrating strings. To anyone who would be listening closely, the acoustic cover of Knocking On Heaven’s Door could be heard as the man played with practiced perfection.

Jorge was a good singer but singing was necessarily was he was planning on doing right now. At the moment he just wanted to play the guitar, to close his eyes and get swept away with the music that he produced. Next to him he could hear the surface water of the pool churning with the sounds of lazy laps as breeze skipped like stones across the surface. For as resistant as the man originally was to the idea, he was actually finding himself becoming fairly relaxed. Maybe this wasn’t so bad after all.

Eyes still closed, Jorge breathed a calming sigh and continued to play – even when he began to sense someone approaching from behind. His ability to sense water allowed the man to catch one when someone was approaching, even if his eyes were closed. But, given that he was at the mansion, he didn’t feel in any danger. As a matter of fact, he just continued to play, giving them a small concert of sorts.

Sensing that they had stopped, the guitarist smirked as he called out over his shoulder, not missing a beat in the tune he was playing. ”You don’t have to hide. I don’t bite.”

To most, living at a mansion would be a dream. It had everything a person could wish for: more food then you knew what to do with, thousands of acres to explore, gardens to relax in, entertainment, a huge library, tennis courts, and on and on and on... surely nobody could ever find any reason not to enjoy their time there. Unless of course you were Leon.

Leon knew he had no right to complain. He had lived on the streets without so much as the luxury of a bath or a guaranteed meal. Moving into the mansion was a major improvement, and it showed. His fur was clean, and had a more silky look to it after a couple weeks of solid meals. Even his clothes were a bit cleaner after he had taken the time to hand wash them. True, he could have easily used the laundry, but he didn't want to risk it with the poisonous quills that got lodged in them. He didn't want to contaminate washing machines with stray quills. But the fact was that he was better off then he had been in years, so he should be happy, right?

He was well fed, was in a place where people weren't going to attack him, so why did he still feel like crap? He probably already knew the answer if he thought hard enough. Even if it was a mansion, it was still a cage, regardless of how fancy. Even if he left, he was still caged, his own body a prison that cut him off from everyone else physically. Even here, the most likely place he would ever be accepted, he was still a danger to everyone who got close to him. It was something he would never escape.

Leon wandered the grounds, somewhat aimlessly. His mind meandered through the abstract concepts of loneliness and self loathing. It came naturally at this point, years alone allowed him to master the act of disappearing into his head and obsessing over the weight of life's issues, though even after all these years he still felt that he was going in circles.

”You don’t have to hide. I don’t bite.”

His thoughts were cut off when someone addressed him, and he then took note of where he was. Apparently he had wondered over to the pool. Another luxury he apparently just couldn't appreciate like he should. He looked to the source of the voice and saw an older man, apparently dressed for relaxation. With his own hooded jacket up and pants, poked with holes and somewhat worse for ware, it may well looked like some homeless guy had wondered into the area and disturbed that man's activities.

Leon was at a loss for words. He wasn't a social person, his awkward interactions with the inhabitant of the mansion made that clear enough to anyone. It wasn't so much shyness or fear, just an utter lack of conversation skills. "... not hiding." he said, really unable to think of anything else to say at this point.

Jorge didn’t know who the person was that was approaching from his back. When it came to his water senses, it was like staring a formless blob of water on a black backdrop. He knew the general shape of a living, breathing person, but there were no discernable details. At most he could get a ballpark idea on the age of the person, taking into consider the size of the blobs of water, but other than that, he couldn’t make gender, ethnicity, or anything like that. It was just how his abilities worked and, while they weren’t perfect, they did offer him an advantage that few had – such as seeing from the back of his head. Though…not literally. Because “Ew”.

Jorge still had not gotten up from his position or had ceased playing his guitar. This was a relaxing day for him and he wasn’t going to change it just because someone else walked into the scene. He was never going to stop anyone from enjoying a good day out, so long as they didn’t want to start any messes with him. As the being he felt pass by, he could see that they weren’t really attempting to cause him any harm, at least none that he could sense. They were just there, probably wandering through, when he had called out to them. Now who was ruining whose day?

But, the older detective said nothing to this and merely played his instrument, waiting for the entity he felt nearby to speak up or move on. The person would choose to speak but it was low and rumbly, the kind of voice that terrified people in horror movies. However, Jorge wasn’t startled. He had worked among enough mutants and had been at the Sister School enough times to know that not all was as it seems. The fiercest looking mutants could sometimes prove to be the gentlest. If there was one thing the man didn’t do, it was jump to conclusions.

>> ”…not hiding.”

He nodded his head and stopped to tune his guitar. ”Apologies, friend. I can’t always tell with my abilities. I just knew you were there…not your intention.”

Finally standing, Jorge stepped onto the concrete on his sandaled feet and casually continued to tune his guitar until he got the right tone. When he did, he slowly turned around and faced the newcomer. Jorge paused. Not out of fear but more just out of curiosity. The mutant was covering himself but his larger stature and darkly covered face proved that he should be intimidating. Of course, in his line of work, Jorge had always seen bigger, stronger, and more intimidating. He wouldn’t go making fun of the guy, but he would shrink away either.

”Afternoon,” Jorge said with a friendly smile. Finally getting the right tightness on his string, Jorge ran his fingers down causing a chorus of music to take the air. Nodding his head in approval, he nodded to the newcomer. ”Johnny Cash fan?” As he asked this his guitar twitched songs, this time he played an acoustic rendition of “Ring of Fire”. The man was nonplussed as he pokes to his new friend. ”Name’s Jorge. You new to the mansion?”

The guy, Jorge apparently, didn't seem all that reactive to him, though that was no longer any surprise to Leon with just about everyone having the same reaction, or lack there of, to him. He was just another oddity that everyone else was just used to, which made it difficult for him since it also meant nobody had any hesitations about getting close to him, which he tried to avoid. Jorge wasn't making any motions of getting up, so Leon was a little bit calmer. Some people had not concept of boundaries, which was dangerous with him about.

Jorge asked about Johnny Cash. Leon had to think a bit, he hadn't really had many opportunities to listen to music since his fur grew, so he had to remind himself of who exactly Jorge was referencing. "He's okay I guess," he said not really sure himself. Music just didn't really mean anything to him anymore, so really it didn't matter what Jorge played, all Leon felt was a dull apathy.

"I've been he a little while," he said, though he did not offer much more then that. He wondered how the water felt. He knew better then to jump in of course, he didn't want to contaminate it with poisonous quills. But maybe he could just cool his feet for a little bit. He moved to the side and carefully sat down, dipping his clawed feet into the water, It felt cool against his fur, which swayed in the water with the eddies making an interesting sensation.

Jorge had seen all times of mutants in his time at the mansion, with the X-Men, and working for the MRC. Hell, one of those that frequently popped up in his head was the mutant with the roach body and the rather odd demeanor. If there was one thing his lifestyle and his job prepared him for, it was the fact that mutants came in all shapes and sizes. Granted, Jorge wasn’t prepared for everything, but you come to a mutant school, you better be prepared to see mutants. That was just logical, really.

The newcomer didn’t seem all that chatty but he didn’t dismiss Jorge either. As the detective sat at the edge of his chair, playing some Johnny Cash on his guitar, the mutant merely grunted that the artist was okay; clearly he wasn’t much of a conversationalist. Jorge wasn’t going to push him for more details about himself, or details at all. Jorge knew the value of personal space and knew better than to pry. Still, if the man was going to be here, there was no harm in a little light questioning.

>>"I've been here a little while…"

Jorge nodded, still strumming the strings on his guitar as he closed his eyes and felt the spring breeze cut through the open air. The man was not climbing into the pool, but instead just dipped his feet in while Jorge kept his distance. Again, he didn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable and it seemed as if this mutant liked his personal space. So be it.

Hearing the water splish and splash due to the breeze and the mutant’s feet, Jorge smirked a little and just enjoyed the natural sounds of the world around him. It was ironic that he was only now starting to get used to the idea of relaxing when he was getting ready to go back to work. For the last several months the man has been out of the hospital, no incidents with loss of control over his abilities, and plenty of time to relax. A shame it was only now that he was starting to get into the spirit. But it was better late than never.

”Well, welcome to Xavier’s Sister School all the same,” the man said lightly. His guitar strings continued to sing. ”Good place to find someplace to belong – or to just rest,” he shrugged his shoulders. ”Either way, if you ever need a safe place, this is where you can find it. Kinda proud to be a part of that myself.”

It was a usual day for Rico. Lacking any classes he was his usual 'smiling fool' self. Even though it was a personality trait brought on by trauma to deal with it all. Being the clown got him accepted into pretty much every circle of the high school clicks. From the nerds to the outcasts and even jocks. Rico had the rare gift to walk freely between all the circles without ever being thought any less of. Welcomed without any thought.

At the moment Rico was walking with a group of the more popular crowd. He had no shirt and only swimming trunks but still he had a smile on his face and laughed. There was a energy about him that was toxic and easy to fall pray to. It was a hard thing to explain. But when you experienced it. You just understood.

As Rico and the group got close to the edge of the pool he looked to his friends and saw one of them kissing there girlfriend. "What you doing kissing my woman?" Rico asked with a joking voice. His fellow mutant that was a year or two younger put there arm around the girls shoulders and laughed. "As if you would know what to do with a woman?" Rico just shrugged with a smile. The energy coming off him warm and friendly.

"And your point is?" Rico said with a laugh. The two young males close to each others age started to horseplay and grab hold of each other in a obvious playful wrestling match. It all came to a end though as the woman gave a sharp push sending the two falling of balance into the pool causing a splash of water. The two came up above water and the student clearly had Rico in a headlock. "I got you dragon, submit!" Ricos eyes were closed but he opened them and despite the headlock squeaked out to the first friendly face he saw.

"Leon! I need back up bro!" At that his friend pushed his head under water for the briefest moment before bringing it back above water in a obvious playful nature. "Fine I give up." At that the horseplay stopped.  

Leon made a small grunt of approval to Jorge. It was something he did appreciate that this was in fact a safer place for him, even if it still didn't mean safe from him. It occurred to him that Jorge was likely another mutant, recalling his abilities comment, but really, who wasn't here? He supposed he should be more curious about that. There were probably a lot of different powers scattered about, he guessed any normal person would have found reason to investigate. Maybe it was just his nature now to not be all that curious anymore.

When Rico and his friends showed up, Leon shows some mild interest. He had already met Rico, so he had some familiarity with him at least. But the crowd with him was more intimidating. Leon didn't like crowds, for obvious reasons. We, perhaps not to anyone who didn't know about his quills, but Rico already knew so he didn't think he would need to say anything about how he felt about it. He watched as the small drama unfolded, but didn't make a move to interfere or go after Rico when he was in mock peril. He was a little surprise he called to him for help of all people. He wouldn't have been able to get involved, not without risking poisoning his friends. Instead he just watched dumbfounded on what Rico expected him to do, though it seemed short lived.