Beau was getting used to living in the mansion. He still didn't like crowds, or most of the people there, but he was learning to make friends. Sort of.  He still wanted to be left alone sometimes, even though that didn't usually work out. Common sense would say to just stay in his room, and today, that was what he did for the most part. He spent most of the day curled up on his bed, reading another book: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, to be exact.  But one couldn't stay in his room forever, Beau soon learned the hard way. 

His stomach started rumbling, and he ignored it for as long as he could. So, he crawled out of bed, changed out of his pajamas--what of course he hadn't been wearing those all day--and pulled on a tee shirt and a pair of jeans before throwing on his 2XL black hoodie over that, and putting on his slippers. He stuffed the book into his hoodie pocket, pulled the hood up over his head, practically disappearing into the hoodie and then he made his way out of his room. He hurriedly made his way down the hall, heading for the kitchen. But he was in so much of a hurry, he wasn't exactly paying attention, and with the hood of his hoodie up the way it was, he didn't exactly have use of his peripheral vision, either. 

Zaid was learning avoiding people was difficult in this school. There were just too many weird mutant running around for anyone’s sanity. True, not everyone had been bad, but he was still exhausted by always being on guard. He made it to the kitchen today and was sneaking back toward his room with a bag of carrot sticks when he heard someone coming. He felt guilty. Was he allowed to even take food out of the kitchen? He was an adult but he felt like he was seven again. No matter, he would just keep his head down, look inconspicuous and—

The kid ran into him. Zaid lost the grip on the carrot sticks and then rolled everywhere. Stars, it was like a bad sitcom. Why had he grabbed the carrot sticks anyway! He should have gotten chips! Or cookies! Anything but carrots! Now he was standing there looking completely mortified as his bunny ears flattened, and food escaped in all directions.

If he just ran back to his room, would the kid notice? But he couldn’t t leave the mess. Torn, he quickly moved to clean what he could. ”Sorry, I just, I didn’t watch. Sorry.” if he kid laughed, he would nope outta there faster than you could say aces.

Ung!" He bumped into someone, and his small frame fell backwards onto his rear, hitting the floor with a soft thud. He looked up to see...someone else in a hoodie? And there were carrots rolling around. And were those...bunny ears? He stood up, the fall having pushed his own hood back enough to reveal his blue face and piercing yellow eyes.

"S-s-sorry...I wasn't p-p-paying attention ee-ee-ee-either," he stammered nervously as he stood to his feet and knelt down, also picking up some of the carrot sticks that he could get a a hold of. Still blushing a bright purple, he held out the handful of carrot sticks he'd managed to pick up as he looked at the other mutant.

"I haven't seen you around b-b-before, b-b-but I've only been here a few weeks m-m-myself...I'm B-b-Beau," he said, not offering his hand. The one that wasn't holding carrots was stuffed into his hoodie pocket, clinging to his book for some reason. He was growing more comfortable a little bit at a time, but the other guy's taste in clothes was actually helping.

While chasing after the carrots Zaid got a glance at the kid. He wanted to feel surprised, but he had encountered a lot of strange mutations lately. That wasn’t even counting the random things Jude could pick up from time to time. Blue skin and yellow eyes was almost normal these days.

”Stars, I suppose it wouldn’t be good to save these now. Even if I washed them, these hallways have seen things...” he got the last stick, letting the kid put his share into the bag. He put a hand to his head when they were done, feeling exhausted. ”You’re fine, kid, I just...I really didn’t want to run into people today. But, I’m hungry. And the kitchen just always seems to collect everyone...” he felt his ears drop and tried to get a grip. Why was he telling the younger mutant anyway? He stood up, tiffing the hoodie back down and realizing he was introducing himself.

”I’m just here for a little bit. I’m Zaid. I...don’t really enjoy being around so many kids. I have been living on my own for too long.” he said.

"Y-yeah...the halls are really d-d-dirty..." he mumbled. "Though with so many powers, I wonder if eating one of those carrots now would give you more powers!" No. Probably not. That sounded a lot cooler in his head. He just shut up and pulled his hoodie back over his head for the time being.

"Oh...w-w-well...same here. I w-w-was just g-g-gonna spend all day in my room reading..." As if on cue, his stomach growled. "And then that h-happened."

He nodded at the older mutant when he introduced himself. Handshakes were weird. "I'm B-beau. I've been here a little while, b-but I'm still getting used to it. This is nothing like Louisiana..." he said, his eyes shifting to the floor.

Then, Beau got an idea. "If you want, when I go down to the kitchen, I can bring you come c-c-carrots back. I'm sorry you lost them, though..."

Zaid considered the carrots. After a moment he shook his head. ”If the hallway gives us powers, honestly, I don’t think I want whatever type they would be. You might end up turning pink every Wednesday or end up turning into a cat every time someone bumps into you!” he was somewhat joking, but stranger things happened around here. Someone said a pregnant lady changed mutations every day, and he didn’t think that was made up.

The kid’s stomach rumbled, and he looked embarrassed. Zaid smiled ever so slightly. ”I missed a lot of meals by reading. It happens.”

The kid offered to bring back carrots...Zaid was unusually touched by the gesture. ”You don’t sound like you want to go in there any more than I do. Maybe we can go together? If we need to make a break for it, I’ll push something of the counter and we book it.” he suggested. In a way, being around someone equally as nervous made him feel calmer. The fish was surviving fine. Zaid could make it a bit longer. His ears swiveled, listening as footsteps echoed overhead, but no one came their way. He moved to a nearby trashcan and dropped the vegetables inside.

”I actually didn’t really feel like eating those anyway. They were just the first thing I saw. Noodles, man noodles would be good. Or rice. I haven’t had rice in awhile.” he realized, feeling wistful.

"At least those you could get a grip on. Currently mine just...does things," he admitted sheepishly. "I'm learning that I can do things fish can do, but not all the time. Like sometimes when it gets really dark, I uhm...I glow, for example," he said, blushing a little under the hood.

"I do too, but...I always feel better after I eat. I used to always get in trouble for being late for supper because I was reading or somethin'," Beau said with a shy giggle. That had actually happened more times than he cared to admit, if he was being honest.

"Yeah...I don't like crowds and being around a lot of people...I've met a few fun people, but I've also gotten in a little bit of trouble because of it. " Or more than a little bit, depending on how you look at it. "Okay! We'll go together. I can't really help unless I just happen to do something useful, but I wouldn't count on that." He gave a shrug, taking a breath and pulling the hood down to show his face--his blue skinned, yellow-eyed, brown headed face.

"Oooh....noodles or rice sounds good. Honestly, uhm....I just planned on sneaking a box of cookies back to my room...so maybe...maybe some real food is a better idea?" He asked, looking up at the older mutant with big yellow eyes before starting to turn and walk his way down the hallway. For some reason, having him around made him feel better about having to tackle this.

Zaid never really considered other mutants struggled with their mutations like him. It wasn’t that he hadn’t met visible mutants from time to time, just that the ones he encountered always seemed so confident. Andrea has all the little snakes but she still managed to go into the medical profession and keep a smile on her face. And he had a cat mutant come into his work from time to time, but they seemed to have more confidence than humans. Beau was different. He seemed to regard his blue skin and yellow eyes as more of a burden. That was normal when you were small though.

”I think every mutation has its challenges. If I get scared I still jump into trees sometimes. They bunny in me wants to run when the rest of me thinks the situation is fine. I suspect the fish in you just wants to keep you safe. I...I’m not really the best one for advice on liking your appearance though. I have been called a girl as many times as I’ve ever been called a boy.” he admitted.

They started toward the kitchen and Zaid tried not to forget. His ears kept twisting every which way and he had to force himself to keep pace with Beau. ”Rice is probably healthier than noodles... and easier to make. Uh, I don’t really eat a lot of meat but maybe there is something to go with it? I can cook eggs... or we can just have rice and eat the cookies for desert.” he decided sheepishly. Maybe he wasn’t the best one to feed this little mutant. They would both end up eating junk foot and reading books at this rate.

"True, but at least you know what you're gonna do. I could grow spines, or puff up, or ooze slime...I once zapped someone who sat on me," he said with a small blush, his Cajun accent bleeding through considerably. "Yeah, I think it really does just wanna keep me safe, it just makes things confusing sometimes, and...sometimes I hurt people, and...I don't like that," he mused with a weak smile. He really didn't like hurting people. But his mood soon shifted and he laughed quite heartily. "I understand that. I spend so much time in my hoodie, people don't know what's under there. And sometimes they don't really see me at all."

They made their way down to the kitchen, and Beau found himself getting ahead of his new acquaintance. He tried to slow down, but he'd just end up speeding up again. For some reason he was kind of excited. Or just ready to get this done and get back to his room. It was probably that one. "Uhm...I can't cook anything. I can barely reach the stove," he said sheepishly. "I eat meat sometimes, but I don't need to. And...Eggs are fine, but I could also live with rice and cookies." He gave an affirmative nod. Yeah, he was definitely starting to like this place.

Zaid listened as the kid talked about his powers. Slime or spikes? Well, that would make life interesting. ”Maybe with time you’ll learn to pick which adaptation you aquire? You’re still young, heck, even human kids are dealing with a lot at this age. And I’ve heard this is the best place to be if you need to have help with your abilities.” that was what Jude had claimed anyway. Zaid had spent most his youth on his own, and hadn’t needed muchassistance thankfully. Other than on the days he felt horribly antisocial and just needed to avoid people.

”And I know it sucks when people get hurt, but that’s why DocProf is around here. He is an expert and fixing little mistakes. Other kids catch on fire without meaning to, or turn their friends into hamsters, and it always gets fixed. Then the next go around you have hopefully learned better ways to avoid this issues.”

They entered the kitchen which was thankfully still empty, and Zaid hopped lightly to get a pot down from a shelf. At least with him around, everything was in reach. He retrieved some butter and the rice before pulling a chair over and putting it next to the stove so Beau could watch if he wanted. Then he started heating the pan.

”I’m glad you ran into me, actually. I...I like cooking. It’s relaxing. I just, I sometimes try to take the easy route and run away from my problems. I’m not a fighter.” he felt silly admitting it to the kid, but also knew sometimes that made people feel valued. He loved when his mom talked to him like an adult. It made him feel like his thoughts still mattered even if he wasn’t old enough to do a lot of things.

He nodded. "That's why I came here. Because nobody in Louisiana really understands these things," he said with a nod. "Well, this was back home so he spent some time in the hospital. Last I heard he was doing okay though. Even stopped bullying people so that's always good, right? Still hate that it happened..."

Talking to the rabbit-man was really helping Beau in a way. It was nice having someone older actually relate to you. "Right now, I can't really avoid it. Just hope everything works out okay. I mean I'm learning that it depends on the situation; adept? No, uh...inept? Adaptive. That," he said with a nod, slightly embarrassed at getting his words mixed up, but that happened sometimes.

When they got to the kitchen, Beau watched as Zaid got everything together, and then set him a chair where he could watch. Eagerly, he climbed up, sitting on his knees as he watched his new friend get to work cooking.

"I'm not a fighter either. I've never been in a fight..I tend to just hide, or sometimes my power helps out, but I'd rather hide," he said sheepishly. "I'm glad I ran into you too. You're really cool." he nodded.

Zaid had never been to Louisiana, but it sounded like a whole different world compared to New York. At least Japan had some similarities, with the people and the pace of city living. He listened politely as the kid talked, piecing together clues to what had happened. He gave a reassuring smile. "Sometimes it sucks when people get hurt, but someone once told me that letting a bully get away with things stops you from protecting others. I got picked on and wanted to walk away, but I was reminded that stopping what they were doing could keep someone else from suffering. Sometimes, you have to just focus on the brighter side to things. Your mutation did what you may not have wanted to. Just, don't let the regrets follow you moving forward."

Andrea was better at this sort of talk. She managed to make things sound easy. She was able to be kind, and tough at the same time. She protected the people she cared about, while still being a good person. "I have a friend who has snakes for hair, but she is the nicest person I've ever known. She works at a hospital and does what she can to make the world a better place. But, when I was in danger, she didn't hesitate to protect me. I think, you learn to find a balance."

As the rice browned, Zaid added water and covered it, letting it cook. He found some cream to add to it, figuring they could have more of a risotto so it was healthier than just rice. He avoided adding onions because most kids didn't like them. Beau watched closely, and Zaid didn't feel so nervous. He had been more than a little skittish around kids up to this point, but the little fish was more mature, and older, so that helped. He didn't seem to be deep into the teenage years where snark and sarcasm took over, but he was past the little kid age where Zaid felt like a stuffed animal.

When Beau complimented him, Zaid flushed, rubbing his neck awkwardly. "I...don't think anyone has ever thought I was cool before. Unless it was at a comicon, and that's mostly just because of the costumes you're wearing."

"I know," he said sadly. "I just...I don't understand why people have to be mean. Life is hard enough as it is without people being assholes[/color]" he said, one of the words that Elke taught him instinctively flying out of his mouth, which he then clapped a webbed hand over as he blushed a light purple. "Sorry," he murmured.

"A balance? That sounds like an idea, but...right now I'm just some scaredy little kid who doesn't even act his age," he said as he looked down sadly.

Luckily Zaid was cooking, so he had something to distract him with from all these feelings. He was glad to have someone to talk to, but...Beau hated that he was so soft sometimes because he knew that if anyone ever needed him to protect them, they were probably screwed.

But the conversation turned back around and Beau found himself smiling again. "I think you are. You're really nice and you don't treat me like I'm weird or just some kid. I get that a lot...even here."

Zaid chuckled slightly when the kid cussed, and turned, leaning against the counter while the rice cooked. He had a sad smile but no judgement in his expression. ”You’re right, people can really be assholes. I’m not in any position to pretend otherwise. I’m only here right now because they are...” he fiddled with his hoodie, finding it warm now that he was next to the stove. Between the discomfort from the heat and the awkwardness that came from removing it, he finally gave in and shifted to the side, pulling it off and setting it on a chair. His arms still had a variety of bruises and healing burns, which only accentuated the point he made to the kid. It hadn’t been long enough for even the bruises to fade, let alone long enough for his mind to recover.

”At least your a kid still. I’m a scared adult, hiding in a school. But I’m trying to learn too. There are different ways to be tough.” he stirred the rice and set a timer for the last bit of it to cook. Beau continued to compliment him and Zaid blushed.

”Sometimes people just want to be treated like they’re capable. I just try not to be a hypocrite is all. I don’t mind if people think my ears or cute, but I also want other things to define me. And maybe you have adaptations because of your powers, but people are more than just what’s visible?” this was, a lot of talking. But there wasn’t much to do while the food finished, and Zaid knew how many days he spent just wishing someone had been around to remind him these things. He had Jude now, and Andrea, and with each friendship or relationship he was coming to realize the things he had missed. He didn’t want the kid to wait that long for some sense of comfort.

"So we're basically here for the same reason," Beau murmured with a slight nod. Zaid wasn't the only one who was starting to get warm in his hoodie, but Beau tried to hold out a little longer. Though, if bunnyman could do it, then...maybe Beau wouldn't have much of a problem either. Right? Besides, Beau really found himself looking up to the older mutant. They seemed to have had similar journeys, Zaid had just been walking his road a little longer than the young teenager.

Beau shed his hoodie, revealing a light blue tee shirt and a pair of blue-jeans, topped off with a pair of white sneakers. The shirt, he realized was probably a bad choice because it came very close to his skin color, but he liked it anyway. As if people needed another reason to stare. Oh well.

"I understand. I wish we didn't have to be tough, but I guess that's the world we live in..."

Zaid really made a lot of sense, and Beau really liked being around him; it was a shame he wasn't staying. He'd just have to hang out as much as Zaid would let him. "Yeah...a lot of people look at me and just see a fish-kid. But I'm more than that. I like to read, and I like to learn things," he said with a nod, watching Zaid intently as he took in everything the other mutant was doing.