It was a life from so long ago that it almost felt like a dream. When Agnes had been so cruelly exorcised by her parents and their church, she knew that she couldn’t stay under their roof any longer or her life would be the last thing they would take from her. And with Dante, her brother, vanished from sight, the young woman only had herself to depend on. That was why she had packed up her few, meager belongings, climbed out of her window, and disappeared from her parents’ world, only to be swallowed up by a harsher one.

For years Agnes lived on the streets. She had crawled through scum, ate trash, and only had her insects as her closest allies. In her time she saw so much that it was hard to keep track of it all. She saw the generosity that some people had, dropping money for her, leaving out a plate of stale food, but she also saw immense cruelty. Those were memories that she hardly thought back on, but when traveling through her old haunts, it’s difficult to keep those phantasms at bay.

She didn’t know why she felt the need to, but grew curious. With a new body and new outlook on life, part of her wanted to see if how her new eyes would perceive the world that she had come from. Would she gain a new respect for it? Would there be too many memories that scarred her? She wouldn’t know until she tried and while she was still in this city, she wanted to at least try.

Several of these places she had been to already, little nooks and crannies in abandoned buildings and allies that Agnes used to call home. The smell immediately brought her back to these harder times. Walking through an abandoned, dilapidated building, Agnes frowned a bit as she stood dead center in a room that smelled of rust, soot, and fetid water. She knew this place, more than she was willing to admit.

She was only a teenager. She remembered hunkering down in a corner of this building, draped in ragged blankets, trying to keep herself dry from the pouring rain outside. The pangs of hunger in her stomach made it near impossible to get any consistent sleep, but she was stubborn enough to keep trying. Venturing out in the middle of the night to look for food would have been a mistake, especially in that weather. But that was when they came.

People were not as nice as they claimed to be. She knew that. She saw the underbelly of society. A trio of half-drunk, thugs had also decided to lay claim to this place. She remembered waking up to the scent of something burning and immediately worried that somehow the building had been struck by lightning and caught fire. In her scramble to get up, she had been discovered by the three men. The alcove that she managed to squeeze herself into was too small for them to reach, but they had tried luring her out with promises of food and someplace warm to sleep. But she had seen the looks in their eyes before. She knew exactly that they had meant by “warm”. In their drunken fury, the men tried to grab her, pull her out of her spot but Agnes had been agile enough to move around them, crawling into spaces they couldn’t reach until, finally, she found an opening that would lead her outside.

She ran that night, faster than she ever thought she could.

This place terrified her so many years ago. It made her think of what would have happened if things had not gone the way that they did. Would she even still be alive? Kneeling down, she peered into the alcove that she had hid herself in before. She could still fit if she wanted to, but it would be an extremely tight squeeze.

A shaky breath filled her lungs from the memories, a surge of adrenaline coursing through her veins. The buzzing followed, deep within her chest, a warning sign to any that would continue to agitate the woman that pain and suffering would be their only reward for doing so. This place was filled with so many bad memories, maybe it should be burned to the ground. Really, what was one more blackened, condemned building in a city full of them? Who knows, maybe the fires would go so far as to actually cleanse it.

Agnes let the thought rebound in her head. She was certain she could get away with...she paused. There was something in that alcove, wasn’t there? Curiosity taking the better of her, Agnes moved down onto her knees and crawled in, drawn by some unknown sight. It wasn’t until she was near on top of it did she notice the newspaper bedding and the remnants of trash and ragged clothing. She sighed, looking down at the young woman, unsure if she were alive or dead. It seemed that some things never changed.

Tucking a strand of brunette hair behind her ear, Agnes reached out and gave the youngster a careful touch on the arm. ”Hey. Wake up sleepy head.” she whispered soothingly. Normally she wouldn’t care less for another abandoned human living in the streets, but her trip down memory lane had seemingly taken her on an unexpected detour.

Starvation and poor hygiene had taken a toll on Larraine's physical well-being, shivering as the numbing temperature pressed up against her skin. However, that would be the least of her problems. Heart palpitations, cysts, breathlessness, severe chronic pain - and the cold combined together, made it practically impossible for her to focus on anything besides the pain. 

Attempting to even close her eyes was torture as if even a moment of peace was unable to attain for the girl in this moment. She tumbled around on the paper bedding beneath her, fixated on thinking about the endless possibilities of how her life could've turned out if she wasn't abandoned by her biological family. But those thoughts would abruptly halt as she heard and felt an unfamiliar person speak and touch her arm.

She gradually directed her body around, facing the stranger with weary eyes. Her immediate reaction would be to act with violence, and or to threaten the person to not harm her; however, in this instance, she decided to act differently.

"Don't come closer," Larraine barely managed to speak. "I don't want to hurt you." She softly said, revealing to the woman the unrecognizable cysts covering her arm and across her face. "My powers, they're.. dangerous. I don't k.." As a result of nearly using all of her strength to warn the stranger, Larraine almost immediately fell back onto the bedding, still conscious but limited by movement due to the chronic pain she was suffering from.

It would be exceedingly visible that whoever the homeless female was, she was suffering immensely. Corresponding to the unfortunate events of her abilities, rain began to dabble onto the woman who was left to defend herself with newspaper. She hid her tears from the woman as she began to weep underneath the drenched paper - unable to communicate because of the fragility of her current state. Shortly afterward, Larraine's abruptly stopped as she started to drift into unconsciousness; oblivious to anything that occurred after blacking out. 

Deep, sapphire eyes looked over the teenager. Now that she was much closer, Agnes could see that the young woman looked almost like she was suffering. Something was wrong with her but for the life of her she couldn’t see what it was. There was no blood or gaping wounds (that were visible) so maybe it was something else entirely. But what? Again, if this person were a human, Agnes showed a surprising amount of caring. Probably because she was in this situation before, but whatever the case she almost felt obligated to help the teenager.

However, as she gently tapped the other’s arm, she was surprised when she started to stir. The sounds that came from the teen were grotesque, like someone suffering from hundreds of ailments the likes of which Agnes couldn’t identify. And, when she turned, it was clear that she wasn’t far off.

>>"Don't come closer...I don't want to hurt you...My powers, they're.. dangerous. I don't k.."

As if to make the scene even more melancholy, there was the pitter-patter of rain descending upon them. Agnes looked up, noticing the gaping split in the ceiling, and the rain that fell throw, pouring on the young woman. Truly it was a terrible sight, the kind of which that people see on TV and quickly change the channel with promises that they will donate to this charity next year. It would have melted the hardest of hearts. But that wasn’t what moved Agnes -- she was a mutant. The teen was a mutant.

The sentence still bounced in her head. The teen had stated that her powers were dangerous. That she didn’t want to hurt her. All that was quite intriguing. Spurred on further to help the youngin, Agnes opened her mouth to speak but only silence came out as she noticed that the girl had passed out again. She shook her head, she really should move h--

Agnes’ face twisted. Her stomach suddenly didn’t feel good. She tried to fend it off but every passing second it only seemed to compile upon itself to the point where she had to stand and step back several feet, lest she vomit on the poor girl. However, after she had done so, she did notice that the feeling wasn’t as strong with distance between them. Shaking her head, he wondered if that were actually the mutant’s gifts at work. Interesting. Hrm, she wanted to help her, but how?

Shaking her head, and watching as the rain continued to trip on her head, Agnes knew she couldn’t just leave her there. With a sigh and a firming of her stomach she charged forward -- she would do something.

It took effort but Agnes managed to at least drag the young woman out of the rain spot and into a dryer one. Of course she had to take breaks every few steps in order to keep from losing her lunch everywhere, but when she finally managed to get the blonde far enough away, Agnes stepped away, putting distance between them until the symptoms wore off. Utterly disgusting! But, most would say that about her own mutation as well. So she couldn’t judge too harshly.

Once she was sure that the young teen was safe, Agnes slipped away, back out into the city and purchased some food and snacks from a nearby liquor store, as well as other odds and ends. Once gathered, she found her way back and found the teen still passed out. So, taking a seat nearby, but not too nearby, she opened a bottle of water and waited. She wasn’t going to leave this mutant to the elements -- not like she had been so many years ago.

Fortunately for Agnes, Larraine's abilities hadn't gone into a severe discharge. She was suffering from an illness and condition which adapted together, which was a painful occurrence for the girl. Hence the reason why her body couldn't manage to keep her conscious and heal itself at the same time. 

A gas-like substance spread around her, conditioning those around her to be ill. However, in this instance, Larraine successfully started to fight back against her abilities whilst the unknown woman was buying items from the liquor store. As the woman returned and began to observe the unconscious female, the cysts which once had been on her arms and face vanished in an instance; her overall physical health seemed to improve substantially, and her eyes would flicker open.

Her clothing was no longer soaking, nor was rain pouring onto her as much as beforehand. She grumbled as she brought herself up from the floor, then noticing the woman who helped her - she was appreciative yet fearful of the woman's reason behind her assistance. "You're not going to hurt me, right?" Her question was straightforward and astonishingly calm. "That happens every now and then, I'm just lucky that I didn't go into complete discharge.." Larraine spoke in discomfort as she tried to explain herself. "Sorry that you had to witness that. I'm still not in complete control over my pow.." She suddenly sneezed, then using the interruption as a sign to not explain the entirety of her powers, as the woman may not be completely trustworthy. "Maybe it's for the best if I don't overexplain myself." 

"If I accidentally hurt you, I can always transfer the pain back into myself - my body can handle it." She was apologetic over her abilities, ashamed, even. Larraine simply couldn't comprehend why somebody would help her as the woman had, staring downward at the ground as she stood aimlessly. Maybe not everyone was out to harm her? But in the back of her mind, she still had doubts about her intentions. 

Agnes has a respect for mutants that she didn’t have for everyone. Despite her coldness towards the majority of living things, Agnes actually did care about mutants, especially when they reminded her of herself. Looking over the teenager, she was immediately brought back to her own experiences living out in this cruel world. It wasn’t a fate she would never want to subject anyone to, to be cast out like this, living in squalor, at such a young age.

So she waited. After forcing herself to move the young woman, despite the sickness she felt growing in the pit of her stomach, she dragged the blonde out of the direct line of rain and immediately put distance between them. Only when she was feeling better did she head off to pick up some supplies. There was no way that she was going to leave the blonde, especially if she refused her help, without so much as a morsel to eat. That was especially true given the state she had seen her in.

Upon her return, Agnes waited patiently, parking herself nearby, but not too close. Instead she brought up her bottle of water, took a hearty sip of it, and returned the cap as she started to go through the supplies. It wasn’t much, just some snacks, water, and some medicine in case she refused to take herself to a hospital. But, as Agnes observed the woman, she was surprised to see that the maladies she had been cursed with earlier were now...disappearing.

Interesting. Agnes still kept her distance, merely observing and taking the time to think, until she heard stirrings from her newfound friend.

>>"You're not going to hurt me, right? That happens every now and then, I'm just lucky that I didn't go into complete discharge.."

Gently she shook her head, she held her hands up defensively, not moving towards her. I’m not going to hurt you,” she replied with utmost honesty. Agnes nodded her head in agreement at her luck. ”I’m glad I wasn’t here for that. What I caught before was, well, not fun.”

>>"Sorry that you had to witness that. I'm still not in complete control over my pow...Maybe it's for the best if I don't overexplain myself."

Agnes didn’t say anything. She merely nodded her head in appreciation of the other’s honesty. Agnes knew what that was like, to not want to go into too much detail with her abilities. The same applied to her, if she were being honest. Not a lot of people needed to know the ins and outs of her own powers, so long as they knew the gist and were willing to take the risk to be nearby.

>>"If I accidentally hurt you, I can always transfer the pain back into myself - my body can handle it."

Again she shook her head. ”You didn’t hurt me. I felt...nauseous for a second, but it passed.” She lifted up the bag of goodies with a smile. ”Brought these for you. 100% yours, no strings attached, promise.” She shrugged her shoulders. ”Consider it a gift from someone who…understands.”

"I'll consider this a first," Larraine said in response to her stating that she wouldn't harm her. "Having abilities is fun in thought, but not-so-fun in reality." She sighed, now aware of her surroundings, creating several exit strategies in preparation of this person possibly harming or attempting to manipulate her. She may be young, but it is clear that she isn't naive - especially considering her upbringing. 

She respected her honesty, admiring the individual for aiding her before speaking once again. "I'm glad that I didn't hurt you, I don't want to be that type of person.." Her mind wandered briefly, staring into the distance. It would be evident to Agnes that the girl wasn't entirely 'there' in terms of headspace. She managed to thankfully smile in the woman's direction, despite the silence surrounding them. A smile wasn't much compared to what the stranger had done for her, however, it would show Larraine's gratefulness. "What's your name? If you don't mind me asking." 

After asking the woman for her name, Agnes offered the girl a bag of goodies, much to Larraine's surprise. "Thank you," her mouth was agape due to her being bewildered by the kindness of the supposed fellow-mutant; the curiosity in her mind being provoked as she stared at the bag. "What's in the bag?" She asked her, hesitating to move closer to the woman, but then she decided to trust her as she came face-to-face with the stranger.

The cold brushed up against her body as she stumbled closer to the woman, glaring towards her with a soft smile on her face. "I guess you do understand," Larraine vocalized an uncommon amount of trust to the woman. "I cannot say the same for most people I have come across." Laughter escaped from Larraine in a pessimistic manner, holding her sweater close to her body for warmth as her eyes would be glued to her.

>>"I'll consider this a first...Having abilities is fun in thought, but not-so-fun in reality."

Agnes gave the other a small, understanding smile. She definitely knew the problems that can arise with abilities. Some people had all the luck. They could become entirely new people. They can fire lasers from their eyes, or are impervious to harm. And then there were those who were clearly shafted by the gene pool in terms of abilities. Agnes never wanted to be a living nest for creepy-crawlies; it was disgusting and few people could stand her knowing what she could do. She imagined that much must be the same for the teen here, who apparently could make people sick just being near her. Definitely not a cuddly mutation.

She confirmed for the other that she wasn’t hurt. She was uncomfortable, yes, but the sensation had passed and she was all the better for it. In honesty Agnes was more interested in the other young woman and the how she had seemingly healed from her own maladies. What were her abilities?

>>"I'm glad that I didn't hurt you, I don't want to be that type of person...What's your name? If you don't mind me asking."

”Admirable outlook,” Agnes said with a soft smile. She used to be like that, meek, unwilling to harm others, it’s amazing how quickly the world chokes that mentality out of you. ”Agnes,” she responded. ”My name is Agnes and it is lovely to meet you.”

>> "Thank you,..What's in the bag?"

Agnes shrugged as she held it out to her. ”Just a few odds and ends I picked up. Some snacks, food, things that won’t perish fast. Try not to eat it all in one sitting. You’ll make yourself sick, honey.” She let the young teen take the bag, not moving an inch as she didn’t want to startle or scare her off. ”Also some medicine. You didn’t look too good when I first saw you, but now...well…”

Really the teen’s abilities seemed quite miraculous. Or it was actually just a miracle. Odd, she didn’t remember seeing any long-haired carpenters in sandals and robes wandering away. She could only surmise it had something to do with her mutation, but what?

>> "I guess you do understand...I cannot say the same for most people I have come across."

”Few people do,” She admitted. ”To tell you the truth, a few years ago,” she pointed behind the teen and towards another spot in the corner of the interior of the building. ”That was where I used to sleep.” she took a second, thinking back on that memory. ”Funny to see this place still standing. Thought for sure the city would have torn this place down by now to put up another parking structure.” Her sapphire eyes settled on the teen, her head tilted as she watched her. ”And what is your name?”

A sense of relief overcame her knowing that she hadn't harmed the woman. "Agnes," Larraine repeated the name. "I know another Agnes, but she's fictional." She laughed in a monotonous manner, pondering about the Charles Dickens' books she could remember by heart. However, she halted her mind from wandering as the woman offered her the bag, which Larraine politely took from her.

The lanky teenager laughed softly, "I'll try not to eat it all at once, you would be surprised at how much I can eat in one sitting." Since the woman had been honest with her, Larraine wanted to comply and to do the same. "I have the power to absorb diseases, heal them and transmit pain to other people - willingly, but I can also accidentally transmit pain to other people when I'm going into discharge, unfortunately." She gave Agnes a quick explanation of her powers, not wanting to question if the kind-hearted stranger had powers herself, beginning to scavenge throughout the bag.

After discussing the abilities she possessed, she listened intently to the reason behind Agnes giving the homeless girl supplies, feeling great empathy for the woman. "The greatest people have to go through the greatest amount of pain," was her response to the woman's reveal of her once being homeless herself. "I can only hope that one day I'll be in your position to help others instead of being in this position myself." She sighed, having an internal desire to bring herself away from her current situation is what motivated her, willing to do practically anything to be apart of a 'family' once again or to even be able to afford rent for an apartment.  

"Larraine." She abrupted her hand's movement throughout the bag. "My name is Larraine. It's nice to meet you too, but I have to admit that I didn't expect to have a guardian angel watching over me today." A grateful smirk was directed toward Agnes, as she continued to search through the bag; she was responding to the gift similar to a child unwrapping a present early on Christmas Eve. 

>>"Agnes...I know another Agnes, but she's fictional...I'll try not to eat it all at once, you would be surprised at how much I can eat in one sitting."

The ex-runaway smiled appreciatively at the younger woman, watching as she went through the bag. Honestly she couldn’t remember the last time she had received a treat like that when she was homeless. The only thing that came to mind was Sveta and her bringing her out of the gutter and back to Xavier’s. It was an act of kindness that Agnes would never forget, and one of the few experiences that she was thankful to have occur to her. Everything else...well...not wasn’t the time to make her angry.

Sitting back against the wall, Agnes sighed and continued to survey the rest of her surroundings. She didn’t want to interrupt the young woman as she went through her latest prize, knowing that moments like this were important. When she was homeless, whenever Agnes stumbled across something like this, she had to control and assess herself. She needed to know what she could eat, how much she could make last, and so on. Of course, not every person was the same. As soon as she was done here, the other girl could easily just swallow everything whole and bring herself into a evening of discomfort and pain.

To each their own.

>>"I have the power to absorb diseases, heal them and transmit pain to other people - willingly, but I can also accidentally transmit pain to other people when I'm going into discharge, unfortunately."

”That does sound dangerous,” Agnes agreed with a nod of her head. ”Thank you for having enough control to not inflict that upon me.” She thought back, wondering about the young woman’s powers. She definitely had a strong ability, to bring and take in sickness into herself. Honestly it seemed something more akin to a saint or holy figure, rather than some teenager living in the muck.

>>"The greatest people have to go through the greatest amount of pain…I can only hope that one day I'll be in your position to help others instead of being in this position myself."

A soft smile followed. Agnes crossed on jean-clad leg over the other. ”You never know,” she replied. ”Truth was, I never thought I would be out of my situation...until someone offered me some help. And I’ll always thank her for that.” She took a breath. She really didn’t want to go back to Xavier’s but she couldn’t let the teen stay out here by herself. it wasn’t morally right. Gently she tested the waters, asking after her name.

>>"Larraine...My name is Larraine. It's nice to meet you too, but I have to admit that I didn't expect to have a guardian angel watching over me today."

”Oh, I don’t think I’m an angel,” she said. ”I just don’t like to see people suffer when they don’t have to.” That was a blatant lie. She thought back to the redhead who ruined her life and all the pain and suffering she was going to inflict upon her. Quickly she switched mental gears. ”It is lovely to meet you, Larraine. You know, I won’t make you go anywhere, but I will give you some much needed advice. If you want someplace where you can feel at home, where you don’t have to worry about your powers, you are always head to the place that took me in when I was in your predicament -- Xavier’s Sister School. It’s a school for mutants and they’ll bend over backwards to help you...no matter what your abilities are. Trust me. I know.”

Admittedly, her powers were hard to contain and physically, Agnes would be aware of Larraine's continuous symptoms. She kept her distance from her, leaning against the wall in the opposite direction of her, gently scratching the rash that had appeared on her arm. "It isn't going to completely disappear for a few more days." She complained and rightfully so. It was kind of her to show gratitude for the young girl not causing her harm, especially due to how difficult it was for her to control her abilities. 

Her situation was relatable, knowing for certain that is one of the few reasons the woman is currently assisting her with her housing circumstances. Shortly afterward, Larraine would be informed about Xavier's Sister School, which contained and protected mutants. Thereupon discovering through the woman's words that she was supposedly too a mutant, however, not bringing it to her attention. "And you're saying that this place protects mutants?" She raised an eyebrow, unsure about the woman's honesty. "But how would you even apply to be apart of this school? I mean.. I didn't even know this place existed a few minutes ago." With doubt in her mind, she began to wonder about the woman's abilities herself.

Eventually, she wouldn't be able to obtain her words. "You're a mutant yourself? I hope this doesn't come across as impolite to ask - but why are you no longer apart of the school?" She questioned Agnes in the politest way possible. Larraine hoped that her multiple questions didn't come across as rude or protruding, simply curious of why Agnes was no longer with the school and about the school itself.  

While Agnes was not exactly in the best of places with the X-Mansion, she did understand that they were there for her when she needed it most. Larraine would probably better off with some group with less sticks up their butts about “humanity” and “sharing” but she really didn’t know of any alternatives. Besides, if the kid was smart, she would see through the charade and at least be able to finish off high school, control her abilities, and move out into the real world. Xavier’s may be full of idealists, but at least Larraine can get herself off the streets and have a better chance of stepping out into the world.

So she explained the place as best she could. Xavier’s had been there for her and they could do the very same for Larraine. Her abilities would need handling and she couldn’t think of any other place that would be better equipped for it.

>>"And you're saying that this place protects mutants? But how would you even apply to be apart of this school? I mean.. I didn't even know this place existed a few minutes ago."

She very her a small smile. ”You don’t need to apply. You just...show up. They usually always have rooms available and they take just about anyone who wants their help.” She then nodded. ”It can be a little hard to hear about it, especially out here. I didn’t know anything about it either and found out about it in much the same way.” She paused. ”They try to expand notice about themselves but they also want to protect the students living within their walls. They do what they can.”

Honestly, at the end of this, she didn’t know what Larraine would do but it would be her choice. If she went to Xavier’s she would have a far better chance of making out in the world than out here. Keeping another from going through what she did, even if it was at Xavier’s, would still be counted as a win.

>> "You're a mutant yourself? I hope this doesn't come across as impolite to ask - but why are you no longer apart of the school?"

A soft, knowing smile pulled at her lips as she lean back against the wall she was sitting against and nodded her head. ”I am a mutant.”

Taking a few short breaths, Agnes summoned the nest living with her. A buzzing began to fill the air and it only grew louder when she ever so slightly parted her lips. As she did, several flies and wasps flew from her lips and began to fly protectively around her head. Additionally, lifting her arm, Agnes carefully stroked the soft under skin of her forearm, causing a seam to appear which then promptly split, allowing a long, multi-legged Amazonian Centipede to crawl out, circling around her arm. Gently Agnes began to pet the creature’s head, staying silent and letting Larraine process everything she was seeing. It wasn’t a sight that most could taken. But, if the young woman decided to stay, to grin and bear it, Agnes would go on to further explain why she was no longer part of Xavier’s.

”And I am no longer a part of Xavier’s because I graduated. I chose to leave and get my degree and...just step out into the world.” She explained. ”But there are some who stay there longer, join as teachers, or get jobs as part of the mansion staff. They hired my as their gardener for a bit before I stepped out to find my own place in the world.” She shrugged. ”It’s your life, honey. I know it seems too good to be true and you don’t know anything about me and I could easily be lying, trying to get you to go someplace you will be miserable. I get that paranoia,” she stopped for a moment. ”But...if you ever want to risk it, they’re surprisingly worth it.”

The woman's offer definitely seemed tempting, to say the least. She pondered over her words, a smile on her face. Her words, her discussion of Xavier's - seemed so hopeful and through her words, it made Larraine more trusting of the possibility of joining fellow mutants in the school. "I wish that I had heard about this school sooner," the young woman frustratedly said. "Maybe then I wouldn't be sleeping on the streets. Maybe I'd be in a better situation than this, I don't know. Everything seems so.. dull and hopeless." She nodded in approval of Agnes' suggestion. 

She would want to seclude herself from others, however, in this situation, Larraine knew the possibilities she could gain from even being in the presence of this community that supposedly assists mutants. A grim, harsh expression plastered itself on her face. "I have to say, you're quite the convincer - do you think that they'd accept me there? I mean, my powers are quite extreme." On another hand to joining the school and learning how to control her abilities in the process, Larraine was frightful of hurting students due to the projection of her abilities. 

Larraine wouldn't necessarily react to Agnes confirming herself to be a mutant. But she would, however, react to her abilities. They were similar to hers in a way, strong - dangerous, and yet she could control them. "I guess I'm not the only one with stranger abilities than most," an awkward laugh escaped her lips after witnessing the extent of the woman's powers. "I never expected to see someone with your powers, but then again - the same could be said about me." She sighed, then proceeding to nod her head after listening to the woman's discussion about her depart from Xavier's. "I think that I'm willing to risk it." She clenched her nails into the palm of her hand, knowingly understanding the consequences of the situation she was presented with. "I mean, I have no reason to not trust you. So far, you have been nothing but kind and understanding - you've done more for me in the past hour than my parents have ever. That's pretty depressing, isn't it?" 

>> "I wish that I had heard about this school sooner...Maybe then I wouldn't be sleeping on the streets. Maybe I'd be in a better situation than this, I don't know. Everything seems so.. dull and hopeless."

Agnes smirked. ”Yeah, the scenery doesn’t do a lot for hope…” she said with a sigh. ”And don’t beat yourself up about not knowing about it sooner. To be honest, they should do a better job of advertising. But…” she shrugged. ”...at least you found out about it now as opposed to later?”

It wasn’t much of a compensation but at least it was the truth. Xavier’s really did need to do more to let the world know what they did. Rather than trying to hide all the time, leaving innocent mutants like Larraine here to suffer. It was a change that should have been enacted a long time ago and a partial reason as to why she didn’t plan to spend time over there. But that didn’t mean that Larraine shouldn’t get a leg up. Xavier’s could at least go that far to help her.

>>"I have to say, you're quite the convincer - do you think that they'd accept me there? I mean, my powers are quite extreme."

Agnes just smiled for a second and nodded. ”They’d be stupid to not take you.” She took a breath. ”Honestly, they’re doors are open to anyone who wants to learn. So long as you abide by certain rules, like any school or shelter, you’ll do just fine.”

Really that was the only flaw in Xavier’s (aside from the whole pacifist lifestyle), they opened their doors to anyone. Some bad people have come and gone through that school, including her ex who would essentially be the Whore of Babylon. But, hey, no place was perfect.

To further her point that Xavier’s took everyone, Agnes decided that a demonstration of her own abilities were in order. So, lifting her hand, Agnes carefully summoned a small appearance of her insects, an entourage to not only display her abilities but to show off her control as well. Xavier’s was a lot of things but it did help her find control.

>>"I guess I'm not the only one with stranger abilities than most...I never expected to see someone with your powers, but then again - the same could be said about me...I mean, I have no reason to not trust you. So far, you have been nothing but kind and understanding - you've done more for me in the past hour than my parents have ever. That's pretty depressing, isn't it?"

She smiled a bit sadly. ”Trust me, if anyone understands the cruelty of parents, I do.” Her voice was tinged with understanding and truth. She certainly knew the cruelty of people and that rang true in her voice. ”My parents tried to exorcise me…” she said a bit distantly. ”Beat, cut, and branded to ’pull the devil out’.” She grew quiet, sighed, and just shook her head before turning back to Larraine. ”Trust me, the school has heard of all the tragic backstories you can imagine. They’ll help you.”

Perhaps disadvantaged in somebody else's eyes, but in her mind - it was an advantage to return back to normalcy and reality at a moment's notice. The woman explained to her how she obtained a position in Xavier's and why her circumstances changed the way that they had. "Should we get going, then? You have peaked my interest. At this point in my life, I have fought enough rats to be able to take down a few mutants if we get ambushed." She wholesomely joked, showing full teeth as she briefly looked throughout the bag once again. 

She frowned as she listened to the woman's backstory. Mutants were mistreated, severely. It wasn't fair that humans had an upper advantage to people who were 'different', she pouted. "I'm sorry, Agnes. I'm sorry that you had to go through that. Humans, people who don't understand - they're always tormenting us, ruining our chances. Sometimes they need to be taken down a peg to learn." She spoke in anger, then attempting to cover over her tracks by side-tracking the conversation. She often didn't realize the resentment that she held for humans, nor did she want to hold resentment for anybody through her life. It wasn't her, or so she thought. "As long as these people are as open as you're suggesting they are, perhaps I'm in for a ride." She stumbled away from the alley, moving to a bench near the side of the road, admiring New York's view; it definitely had its faults, however. 

She sighs, "I'm glad we had this conversation. I don't know much about you, but you seem like a good person." She spoke without much knowledge of Agnes as a person, smiling softly. "Maybe we could even be friends in the future? I don't know, maybe I'm being too naive right now.. I'm not always as mature as I may seem, you know. This act of kindness from you, whatever it was - is well-appreciated. That's all I'm going to say." She spoke kindly, even in a trusting manner to the woman, then easing into silence. This school, despite not knowing too much information about it, was definitely at least worth observing in the slightest. 

>>"Should we get going, then? You have peaked my interest. At this point in my life, I have fought enough rats to be able to take down a few mutants if we get ambushed."

Agnes was glad that she actually sold Xaviers to the young woman. Truth be told, if she had been presented with such an idea when she was still young and living on the streets, she wasn’t sure exactly how open to the idea that she may have been. She had seen too many scams, too many innocent girls without a place to turn then lured and sucked into a dark and foreboding system. This world was cruel to those not ready for it. All she could say was that Larraine was probably lucky that Agnes found her before anyone else, otherwise she would just be another missing persons case that vanished into obscurity.

But at Xaviers, for as idealistic as they were, at least they could offer her a chance. All Agnes could hope for was that she wouldn’t get swept up in the foolish ideas of a human-mutant worldview. But she seemed to have a good head on her shoulders -- she would figure it out. After all, Xaviers couldn’t change her mind, could they? Not after what her parents did to her.

Agnes even went so far as to explain to Larraine the real cruelty that she had suffered at the hands of her parents. It still angered Agnes but at least she wasn’t scared anymore. She knew that if she had been approached again by either them or their church, that they would fall before the Hive Queen. They were bonded, after all, and they would keep themselves safe and secure.

>>"I'm sorry, Agnes. I'm sorry that you had to go through that. Humans, people who don't understand - they're always tormenting us, ruining our chances. Sometimes they need to be taken down a peg to learn...As long as these people are as open as you're suggesting they are, perhaps I'm in for a ride."

Larraine clearly didn’t like the tale that Agnes offered. She smiled softly in thanks, listening as Larraine railed against humans and those people who showed them cruelty. That was the fire that Agnes hoped wouldn’t be stamped out by Xavier’s and their nonsense. All she had to do was use them to get her education and she could leave and make her own choice on what to do with the human threat.

She dipped her head. ”Thank you sweetie, but you don’t need to apologize for them.” She nodded encouragingly. ”You just remember those keypoints that take you forward, and know that relying on yourself is certainly a priority.”

Agnes stood up. If she was going to take Larraine to Xaviers, it was best that she do it now before it got any later. Rebecca would be teaching and that was someone that Agnes certainly didn’t need to see right off the bat. Then again, Agnes wondered if it was better to task Becca with someone Larraine around rather than anyone else. She didn’t need the entire school knowing about her, after all.

>>"I'm glad we had this conversation. I don't know much about you, but you seem like a good person...Maybe we could even be friends in the future? I don't know, maybe I'm being too naive right now.. I'm not always as mature as I may seem, you know. This act of kindness from you, whatever it was - is well-appreciated. That's all I'm going to say."

”You’re more than welcome, honey,” she replied. ”And I don’t see why not. I will try to visit you and maybe we can hang out from time to time outside the school. We’ll see.” She moved towards the exit of the building and beckoned to Larraine. ”Come on. If we go now, should be plenty of time for you take it in time for meal time.”