A night-flight was a distinct possibility. For the moment, however, the gargoyle was lounging outside on the back patio, slouched in one of the outdoor chairs. Her gaze was trained skyward, without really looking at much, and a melodious tune filtered its way out through her portable speakers.

Jayden and Astrid were at each other's throats again. Gina had heard the terse rise in each of their tones, and did what any reasonable roommate would-- she grabbed her tunes, grabbed her bag, and jumped out the window. Of course, there was a different connotation for her, since she could fly-- the gargoyle had glided down into the backyard, landed, and found the spot where she sat now.

If she listened closely enough, she could almost hear her roommates at it now, over the bustle of the city and the lull of her music. Gina closed her eyes and stretched, breathing out a sigh. One of them would storm-off or leave, eventually, and then it'd be clear to go back-up. Too often Gina found herself trying to be the peace-keeper, and almost always, nothing came of it.

Richard was mulling, processing through the many many changes that he had gone through. First the family tragedy, the passing of his grandmother. He was out of town for a while helping and supporting his family and extended family through it all. Before he left his employer agreed to put his employment on hold but a place would be kept for him when he returned.

A few months later he was promptly informed that his job had been "terminated". That had come as a shock. Richard loved his work, it engaged his creativity, it challenged him and gave space for his mutation to work. It was almost perfect. Annnnnd it had come crashing down. Richard shrugged his shoulders, things happened. Then the cascading effects of unemployment kicked in. He had to terminate the rental contract on his house and move out. While still trying to help family. Finally after many nights of desperate frantic searching and more than a few evening sleeping on the couches of friends Richard had found a place that he could afford, for now. He thought darkly. He had some savings, though that had been whittled down by the travelling. He was still applying for work but with little success.

Richard sat mulling over this on the stone wall that surrounded the back patio. He had his headphones on and was sitting somewhat in shadows observing the world around him. He fixed the image in his mind then went to work.

Richard always found using his powers relaxing. Concentrating on the image fixed in his mind he pulled off his gloves and touches the stone beneath him. Little by little he began "drawing" on the surface of the stone. He was recreating, or at least trying to, the building opposite, the cars parked on the street everything, in isometric view. Twenty minutes later, he opened his eyes and proceeded to place a piece of sketch paper over it and began to lightly brush it with a pencil.

He got up to look at it in the light and took of his headphones. He was halfway across the backyard before he realized that there was music playing and there was someone else there. Clutching the rubbing almost guilty he called out.

"Sorry did not see you there. Hi, I am Richard" He extended his hand.
Wait were those wings?

She might have nodded-off, just a little. Music did wonders for the nerves, and Gina could feel it working its way into her veins and helping her decompress. A voice stirred her from her thoughts, no one familiar, but distinctly male.

>> "Sorry did not see you there. Hi, I am Richard"

Maybe it was duskier out than the gargoyle had noticed-- her eyes were more sensitive than humans were, in low-light conditions. The gargoyle opened her eyes, her gaze sliding in the direction of the voice. A slim Asian man was standing nearby, hand outstretched. Richard, huh?

"Gina," the gargoyle replied. Her wings, which were folded on either side of the chair, fluttered slightly as she sat up to shake the man's hand, "I live on the fourth floor. Nice to meet you."

She then flopped back into the lounge-chair.

"Beautiful night," she commented.

They were definitely wings! Richard was still getting used to the fact that mutations did not have to be hidden. Growing up in Hong Kong, any overt hint of mutation.... he inwardly shuddered, it never ended well for the mutant. The lady turned her gaze towards him, Her eyes seemed to glow and sparkle.

>"Gina. I live on the fourth floor. Nice to meet you."

Richard accepted the proffered hand, Her skin, he noted absent minded-ly was dappled and gray, it felt cool, smooth and almost scaly in parts. He handshake was firm and warm. He was feeling more welcomed already. Her voice was soothing, he liked it.

"I just moved into the third floor. this is actually my second night here." Richard admitted.
"Have you lived here long?"

>"Beautiful night."

Richard looked up at the sky and let out a happy sigh. He nodded as he spoke.

"That it is, that it is."

The starts were shining brightly tonight. The streets quiet. It was...peaceful. Richard needed ... peaceful after what he had just been through.

>> "I just moved into the third floor. this is actually my second night here. Have you lived here long?"

"Oo, welcome to co-op, then!" Gina said, some mirth finding its way back into her tone. She might be in the doldrums about her roommates, but she was always excited to meet new residents, "Moved-in about this time last year. There's quite a few residents who've been here longer, but I've been around longest out of my floor. Most of my roomies are relatively new."

And pains in the butt.

"So, are you a mutant? Or mutant-friendly?" Gina pressed conversationally. As a mutant who wore her mutation outwardly, it was always something she pried about, particularly at The Co-Op. One of the central tenets of the community was that all residents should have a mutant-friendly mindset, though mutants and humans alike were welcome to live there. And, though some people were "closeted mutants", Gina was very forthright about it. Hell, she had to deal with her mutation 24/7. Besides which, it was fun to see what people could do.

>"Oo, welcome to co-op, then!"

If Richard suspected that Gina was a little down before, the way that her face brightened up confirmed it. He would also guess that she was something of an extrovert.

>"Moved-in about this time last year. There's quite a few residents who've been here longer, but I've been around longest out of my floor. Most of my roomies are relatively new."

"Why thank you Gina" Said Richard. "How have you found it after living here for a year? How are things here?"

Asked Richard as he settled into a chair opposite her. If she had been here a year should would know what it was really like and perhaps not see everything through rose tinted glasses. Besides, Richard found that he liked Ginas voice, it was rather cute and soothing. Not that he would ever admit this, no, never.

>"So, are you a mutant? Or mutant-friendly?"

Richard sat back a little, startled. Growing up in a Chinese society, anything that was out of the norm was frowned upon. It never ended well for mutants. He was still not completely comfortable with obvious displays of power. Perhaps that was why he found Gina rather fascinating. Here was a mutant, a rather charming one at that, who was obviously a mutant, yet was fully confident and unashamed of who she was. He would like to have that confidence. Richard realized that he was not answered her question. He started back to reality.

"Sorry, where I grew up things did not go well for you if people knew you were a mutant." He said his head drooping slight. He paused for a moment, thinking to himself. a smile spreading across his face, why not. Turning back to Gina, he continued.

"Am I a mutant? Hmmm" He put a finger to his lips, yes it could be done. "Could I ask you a favor? Would you mind just holding that pose for a moment?"

His face turned serious and he looked at Gina while blinking rapidly, almost as if he was scanning or measuring. After a moment he stopped. "Thank you."

He fumbled in his pocket can came out holding a piece of brass. He always carried small off cut pieces of metal with him. One never knew when inspiration would strike.

"This may take a minute" He murmured as he took a seat opposite Gina. The small brass rectangular block in his hand. He closed his eyes, smiling as he did so. He always loved this part. There was a slight look of boyish joy and delight that showed, not that he was aware of it.

The brass block sat on the flat of his hand, nothing happened at first and then from the top of the block down the materials started to flow. Richard was in his element, it was always more energy efficient to moult metal instead of trying to break the bods entirely, especially on a molecular level. it was like from the top of the block, the material started melting, flowing downwards, yet some of the material remained and was taking on a definite shape. First there were the horns then what looked like a mess of curls then the oval, and if Richard was pressed he would have to admit rather attractive, face. then the top of the wings and so on. Molding was so much easier as Richard could only manipulate a small amount of material, it had grown from a teaspoon to a tablespoon in volume but still it was a challenge. In a few minutes a exact replica of Gina sitting on her chair was sitting in his hand, in brass.

With a cheeky smile, he left a thin rectangle of brass as base and embossed the word "Gina" on one side as well as a tiny cursive "R" on the base. Richard opened his eyes and had to steady himself against the arm of his chair.

"Sorry, changing perspectives, always a little disorienting." He said apologetically.

He took a moment to gather himself then held out the sculpture. "Here you go" He said grinning. He mopped the slight perspiration from his forehead. He was used to nudging micro circuitry into place not sculpting.

>> "Why thank you Gina. How have you found it after living here for a year? How are things here?"

Gina tucked her legs under her, wrapping her tail around them, as if welcoming Richard into the space. She hummed contemplatively, touching an index finger to her lip as if pondering her answer.

“I think… you need to be of a specific mindset… for this kind of community to work,” Gina said, her ears straining towards the fourth floor, where the argument had exploded. It seemed to have fallen quiet, for now. That probably wasn’t the answer that Richard was looking for, and Gina quickly waved her hands dismissively, correcting herself, “I mean, it’s a great idea! I really, really do love it. I’m pretty chummy with the downstairs neighbors, and the group dinners are really nice. I love the movie nights and game nights, it’s just…”

The gargoyle seemed to deflate.

“My roommates are kind-of jerks.”

She was really trying to see the good in them. Really, she was. But… she felt like she was in high school all over again, and Agnes hadn’t even been remotely that bad! Richard seemed taken aback by the inquiry, which confused the gargoyle. It was a condition of moving-in! How could he be self-conscious about that kind of thing?

>> "Sorry, where I grew up things did not go well for you if people knew you were a mutant."

“Oh, my bad,” Gina murmured, her tone adopting a genuinely apologetic note. People like her didn’t have the luxury of hiding. She supposed she was grateful that she didn’t come from someplace like the place that Richard was from.

He asked her to sit still for a moment, to hold her position. Gina tilted her chin slightly but held the pose. He then fished something from his pocket, a block of some sort. Gina watched closely, her eyes going towards the brick. The gargoyle eased out of sitting position, perching on the seat of her chair, on the balls of her feet, leaning closer. It started… melting! Whoa! And as soon as you thought it might resolve itself into a puddle of metal, it began to contort. It did not take Gina long to figure-out the identity of the sculpture in Richard’s hand. He began with the horns and her hair, after all.

Gina gaped, her eyes cut towards Richard’s face, who seemed in absolute, private delight. The gargoyle was fully enrapt. Richard muttered something apologetic about changing perspectives, before holding the sculpture out to Gina, which the gargoyle gladly took into her hands. It was dark out, but it made no difference to the nocturnal gargoyle. She still held it close to her face, however, in order to fully appreciate the detail-work. Richard, all the while, took to mopping his brow.

“Richard!” Gina gasped. Her wings were all a-flutter with excitement, looking at him with a bright expression, “This is amazing! Your mutation is so cool!” She surveyed the sculpture again, holding it close to her face, “The detail work… oh my gosh, it’s so detailed. So cool!”

In the inklings of her memory, she thought of a street vendor who’d made Gina a personalized sculpture, once. He could manipulate clay. A charming guy, with an accent. She still had that sculpture on her window sill. She turned her attention to him, her tail twitching steadily. He seemed a little tired.

“Does it take the energy out of you?” she queried, intrigued.

>“I think… you need to be of a specific mindset… for this kind of community to work,”

Richard looked a question, but either Gina was not finished or she read his expression and responded.

>“I mean, it’s a great idea! I really, really do love it. I’m pretty chummy with the downstairs neighbors, and the group dinners are really nice. I love the movie nights and game nights, it’s just my roommates are kind-of jerks.”

Richard nodded in understanding, roommates/flatmates/dorm-mates who were jerks been there done that. He smiled wryly. "You should have been there when I was in Uni, I had Dorm mates who lived either side of me who hatted each other. One would play classical western opera very loudly through is open window and the other Ethnic Indian and Rock music. The clash was....interesting and not very pleasant."

>“Oh, my bad,”

She was genuinely sympathetic. There was a question he wanted to ask. He deliberated for a moment then plunged ahead.

"Gina, can I ask how have you coped?" Did she grow up in a very loving and accepting family? Was her childhood all flowers and roses? Did she overcome the crap that usually gets thrown at you when people find you you are a mutant? Did she have to explain time and time again, no it was not a disease and no it was not contagious and yes it is safe if controlled and no it will not make you a human ticking time bomb and the like.

Richard smiled at Gina's obvious delight. It was small about the height of a pinkie finger but accurate to the molecular level. Weeelll maybe not that accurate, Richard had not had time to dull a full detailed "scan" and it would not have been polite top stare. Not staring also tended to lower the creepinessfactor of the whole process. A craftsman was always happy when his craft was appreciated and Gina was showing much enjoyment and delight.

>"Richard! This is amazing! Your mutation is so cool! The detail work… oh my gosh, it’s so detailed. So cool!"

She was gushing, yep definitely gushing. It was comments like these which made Richard think that his mutation was actually cool. It was not flashy or powerful like fire or wind manipulators, nor was it very practical like the wings of his charming companion sitting opposite. His power was for small things, like altering words written in ferrous ink (saves rewriting or whiting out those annoying legal forms), or designing micro-circuitry or one off watch mechanisms or the like. He smiled, was that slight warm feeling a hint of blush. No, it was not so, he told himself. He had picked up, along with the accent, the British habit of feeling slightly embarrassed when being praised. Nope, definitely not blushing in the slightest.

"I am glad you like it." He said smiling with delight. He always enjoyed bringing joy to others, whether through music and the arts, i.e barbershopping or acting, or through crafts or just acts of kindness. It was always so.... satisfying.

"I can manipulate inorganics like metal on a molecular level." Richard settled on the simple answer. No need to go into the looooong boring and droll explanation that he could also touch any mechanism and instantly understand its workings. That aspect of his power was even more boring and relatively useless in day to day life.

>“Does it take the energy out of you?”

"No usually this much, but then again I am usually working with things that are much much smaller and a lot more intricate than sculpting." If she wanted to know more she was welcome to ask but Richard had learned not to bore people by turning the fire hydrant of information on them. Using his mutation to create sculptures was a little like using an exacto knife to do chainsaw carving, welll maybe not that drastic but you get the idea.

"Now that you mention it, I am famished. Fancy grabbing a bite?

Richard hoped she knew of at least one good place to grab a bite around.

Gina grinned as Richard recalled his dormitory days. That sounded exactly like her floor. Of course, speaking in the past-tense about his college years made the gargoyle wonder how old the man before her actually was. (She had the unfortunate habit of thought that slotted all people into the same age category as she was, unless otherwise stated.)

“I guess you’ll get to meet my two problem-roommates in due time,” Gina said softly, puffing her cheeks out, “One of them’s a bit of a diva… and the other is a goth? Or something. They’re at each other’s throats all the time. I don’t really know the fourth guy very well yet. He’s new, too.”

>> "Gina, can I ask how have you coped?"

Gina arched an eyebrow at the question.

“Coped? With my mutation?” Gina pried. It was kind-of a personal questions, wasn’t it? Most people would probably take offense to that, and protest that it wasn’t any of Richard business… and it wasn’t, really… but Gina was an open book and didn’t mind sharing. She inclined her head, “I have a good support system… good friends, good family… that makes everything else a little more bearable.”

When she’d been shot, when she’d been beaten by the cops, Gina was able to spring back with the help of those who loved her.

>> "No usually this much, but then again I am usually working with things that are much much smaller and a lot more intricate than sculpting."

“Like what?” the gargoyle pried. Gina was one of those people who asked plenty of questions and seemed genuinely interested.

>> "Now that you mention it, I am famished. Fancy grabbing a bite?"

“Sure!” the gargoyle said brightly. She’d wanted to go out anyways, though she’d wanted to go on a flight—hanging out with a roommate could also be quite fun, “I need to get my wallet, though. Meet out front in… fifteen minutes?”

Once the time had been set, the gargoyle gathered her things—her MP3 player and their speakers—and followed Richard towards the back of the townhouse.

“I’ll catch you out front. I’m flying up.”

The gargoyle jogged a few half-dozen steps back and, with a few, powerful beats of her wings, she shot towards the fourth floor. With a practiced grace, the gargoyle landed on the fire escape. With a free hand, she opened the door and stepped into her apartment. It only took a few minutes to unlock her door, set her speaker and MP3 player down, and gather her things together for an outing. Minutes later, Gina was running down the stairs towards the front of the building. Not spying Richard outside, she sat on the bench just inside the foyer, where it was slightly warmer.

>… that makes everything else a little more bearable.”

"That's... nice" Richard said almost wistfully. It would have been nice to have a good support system. That had been his family, well up until his mother passed away. His father had become somewhat distant after that. Not very much comfort against the bullying and taunts at school. But Richard had learned to reveal little and to tough it out. Now perhaps he would no longer have to. That he would need to unlearn some defense mechanisms first.

>"Like what?"

"Like what? Ummm.." Richard hated to bore people but Gina seemed genuinely interested.
"Well, I usually work with custom electronics or one off Swiss watches, delicate mechanisms or really fine electronics. My powers work at the molecular level." Richard tried not to get into too much nerdy detail.

>".. Meet out front in… fifteen minutes?”

"Sure.." Richard started to reply, then trailed off.

>“I’ll catch you out front. I’m flying up.”

Richard watched, literally mouth agape as Gina, well, took off.
He watched her soar gracefully up, then reminded himself to shut his mouth and realized that he also had only fifteen minutes to get ready and that included getting from the ground floor to his own and back, by mundane means.

Richard arrived downstairs a few minutes late, a little breathless. He was wearing casual clothes. Running shoes, cargo pants, t-shirt and a comfortable hoodie.

"No fair" He jested. "I had to take the normal way."

He caught his breath, then held the door open for Gina with a suitable flourish.

"So madam, where to?"

Richard arrived, his hurried footfalls announcing his approach. Gina looked up, spying him, and rose to her feet. She shook her head dismissively at his teasing complaint, her plump lips curling in a smile. She’d donned a brown leather jacket over the billowing white blouse she’d been wearing, and athletic shorts had been exchanged for high-waisted jeans. To Gina, it was still casualwear, but she wasn't exactly in her around-the-house clothes.

“You poor thing, ya didn't have to hurry,” Gina said to Richard as he snagged the door, “I didn't mind waiting in the least.”

A quiet thank you was murmured as Gina stepped past him into the cool night air, a taloned hand flexing around the strap of her shoulder bag. She descended a few steps, then turned and waited for Richard to rejoin her.

>> "So madam, where to?"

“Hmm…” Gina mused, “Depends on what strikes our fancy. I'm pretty equal-opportunity when it comes to food…” Which was a nice way of saying that she had an indiscriminate appetite. As such, the gargoyle began to list a few of her favorite places in the area, “There's that pho place a few blocks over, we could get pizza, burgers… ice cream...”

She wasn't sure what kind of food Richard liked or wanted, so the gargoyle just listed food places that sounded appetizing.

>“You poor thing, ya didn't have to hurry, I didn't mind waiting in the least.”

"It is not polite to keep a lady waiting." said Richard slightly breathlessly.

Thankfully the night air was cool and comfortable.

>“Hmm… Depends on what strikes our fancy. I'm pretty equal-opportunity when it comes to food. There's that pho place a few blocks over, we could get pizza, burgers… ice cream..."

Living at the apartment just kept getting better. Not only was the rent affordable, the location good and the tenants (well those that he had net so far) friendly, but it was also well situated in terms of sustenance options.

"Wow, spoilt for choice. Although I am sort of in the mood for Pho and perhaps a Vietnamese iced coffee."

"Unless you would prefer something else? I am easy and am happy to do whatever." He hastened to add.

Growing up in Hong Kong, well there was not much that Richard would not eat. At least not much that could be found an any menu at least. He happily followed the gargoyle foodward.

The gargoyle quirked a smile at Richard's breathless retort. She could respect mindfulness such as that.

The swampish heat of the day was fading fast, which made pho sound more and more appealing. Richard quickly yielded to Gina, and the gargoyle shook her head. She wouldn't have suggested it if she didn't want to eat it.

"Pho sounds awesome," the gargoyle assured him, "Follow me~"

It was strange walking freely in front of Richard, rather than linking arms-- Gina felt untethered. Guys were sometimes weird about being chummy with newfound female friends, however, so Gina swallowed the feeling. She hooked her thumbs in the pockets of her high-waisted jeans, inhaling the cool night air.

"What's Vietnamese iced coffee like?" the gargoyle asked the man behind her, "I have't had it before... is it different from normal coffee?"

Gina was the sort to be content with water or tea, at the pho place. The last thing the gargoyle needed ws more caffeine.

>"Pho sounds awesome, Follow me..."

Richard was only too happy to. Using his power to mold on such a (relatively) large scale always gave him an appetite.

As they walked Richard could not help but get a sense that Gina was... feeling... tense? No, perhaps unsure. His impression of her was carefree, perhaps slightly cheeky and playful, was he being too serious? He moved up so he was walking beside her, relaxed, casual. Richard was a peaceful soul and there was something about him that tended to put people at ease after a while.

>"What's Vietnamese iced coffee like? I haven't had it before... is it different from normal coffee?"

Richard laughed. "No, my dear Gina, Vietnamese coffee is drip made. They actually put a mini sieve over your cup and let the coffee slowly drip down, they also mix it with sweet and condensed milk. It it, quite strong, and never fails as a perk-me-up."

Mmmmmm, a good hearty bowl of Pho and a small glass of iced Vietnamese coffee, the evening was sounding better and better. Richard turned to his dappled grey companion. "Are you a coffee drinker? And may I ask what you do as a profession?"

Richard was always interested in hearing other peoples stories, more often then not he found them genuinely fascinating.

Most of Richard's explanation went right over Gina's head. She didn't know what a "sieve" was. But apparently that went over your cup, and the use sweet and condensed milk... So was it a sweet drink? The gargoyle puzzled over the mysterious beverage, her face puckering contemplatively. She didn't have too long to think about it, however, because Richard replied with a question of his own.

"Oh, no," Gina said, shaking her head, "Too much caffeine makes me twitchy."

She'd tried coffee, once, after an all-nighter. She was shaking for the entirety of her three hour lecture, fighting chills and on-edge. Never again.

"I'm more of a, uh," the gargoyle's tone dropped bashfully, "Hot cocoa person."

Given Gina's small stature, such a confession ran the risk of infantilizing her. She loved hot cocoa, though-- she couldn't drink coffee, and wasn't a fan of tea. She paused at the corner of their block, waiting for the signal to change in their favor.

"I'm a full-time student," Gina said, in regards to Richard's second question, "But I also, uh... sew on the side, for money."