((ooc: My apologies, Voltaire. I didn’t realize you’d had your hood up this whole time! I thought Calley could see your face, and your hair.))

"I helped hand raise a tiger for the zoo once. Biiiiig paws.... And always getting into the paper cabinet. Eb wasn't happy 'bout that."

“Ooo...” Calley admired obvious animal lovers. Miss Iris here immediately jumped up three notches in his level of comfort. “That’s really cool! Umm, who’s Eb?” Another tiger? That would be rather awesome.

Her powers were interesting, particularly because A) she was so hesitant about saying them, and B) they didn’t involve telepathy. “...Problem is, they.... They affect the way I act.... or react.....” Calley stopped fidgeting. It wasn’t that he froze: he just suddenly, for exactly two seconds, sat still.

Sounds like a change in personality.

It does, does it not?

Umm...

...Hmm.

Yeah. But, it’s not like you’re because of a mutation-thing. We’re just crazy.

...My consciousness occurred at the same time as our last power growth.

...Yeah.

...Hmm.

We should, maybe...

Speak with her.

Alone.

The two seconds were up, and really, his little internal dialogue with his split personality had taken longer than usual. Calley started fidgeting even worse than usual. He tried not to look at Iris, but then he realized he was avoiding looking at Iris, so he tried to not avoid looking at Iris, and... It went downhill. And all the while, she’d been talking.

"Well, we're a cheerful trio aren't we? No wonder people think morning people are crazy to be up this early."

Calley tilted his head a little. He wasn’t a morning person, exactly—he was more of an any-time-between-naps person. Some of his naps happened to coincide with it being night; some of them didn’t. And besides, ‘early’ was when a lot of very yummy critters liked to be out. Like bunnies. Yummy, yummy, Central Park bunnies. And pigeons. They were even easier to catch in the morning, if that was possible. He looked at the greasy smear on his plate that was all that remained of his breakfast. Maybe he could slip out later in hawk form, and go hunting. That would be so much better than hash browns. Better than bacon, even—but only by a very little bit.

The Voltaire guy finally showed his face. Huh. It wasn’t like he really needed to hide—he looked pretty normal. And then the coat came off. Bandages. Bloody bandages? Calley squirmed a bit away from the guy, in his seat. Oh no—no, it is not socially polite to change bloody bandages at the breakfast table. Calley found that he was watching in fascination. It didn’t take long to realize the reason.

Slate, stop staring.

It is intriguing. What does extended pain feel like? If it is not healed immediately, does it change its quality as it ages?

Slate, you’re making pain sound like wine. Now stop staring.

He has a question for you.

Does he? Oh, huh.

“So you said you were at ‘the mansion’ when the police came; might I ask what ‘the Mansion’ was for a place?”

“Oh,” Calley said, “you aren’t from New York, are you? It was a school—Xavier’s Sister School for Gifted Children, or something really fancy sounding like that. It was based out of a big mansion, so everyone just called it the Mansion. It was for mutants. It was really nice, because the people were friendly, so you never had to worry about anyone hurting you on purpose. Plus you could stay there, if you didn’t really have anywhere else you wanted to be. If it’s not being really rude, and if you don’t mind, could I ask where you’re from?”

(OOC: Voltaire, Calley, let me know if I'm godmodding, and I'll change it.

“That’s really cool! Umm, who’s Eb?”

"A siamese cat who thinks she's the Queen of Sheba," Iris replied with a rueful roll of the eyes. "If you were anywhere near the garage or Infirmary last night I'm sure you heard her entrance, in c-sharp." Speaking of which, Iris reminded herself to find something for the kit to eat before going back....

"I've always been a morning person so call me crazy."

Calley had been fidgeting the entire time, so his momentary lack of movement caught her attention. It was only a quick moment, however. She wondered if the twitch was mutation-related as well, or if he simply was hyperactive; ADHD, or something similar. But then her attention was distracted as Voltaire took off his coat, and she was able to get a decent look at him. Red hair and green eyes; a very striking combination, to her thinking.

Perhaps it was a bit rude, but Iris couldn't help it. When she saw the bandages she inhaled sharply and cringed. Her hand automatically went to her stitched-up side.

"So you said you where at "the mansion" when the police came, Might i ask what "the Mansion" was for a place?"

She let Calley answer that one without interruption; most of her attention was still on Voltaire's bandages. Did that happen every time he used his powers?

“Oh, you aren’t from New York, are you? It was a school—Xavier’s Sister School for Gifted Children, or something really fancy sounding like that. It was based out of a big mansion, so everyone just called it the Mansion. It was for mutants. It was really nice, because the people were friendly, so you never had to worry about anyone hurting you on purpose."

Iris flushed slightly, and avoided looking at Calley. She guessed that either he left the Mansion before she came, or came after she left. She couldn't imagine that he hadn't recognized her if he was living there when she'd gone Haywire. Or maybe he just hadn't been there that day. Or.... maybe that hadn't been the actual Mansion.... She was still a bit confused as to what had actually happened, and where, since she'd met Hunter that next day. But that Mansion had been a fake....

She shook her head. It was too confusing to think about, not to mentioned a sore spot since it concerned her fath.... since it concerned Hunter.

"If it’s not being really rude, and if you don’t mind, could I ask where you’re from?”

"Rocky Mountains," Iris replied, not realizing Calley wasn't talking to her. Finally she had to ask Voltaire, "Can I help?" She reached out to try and help him rebandage his wounds, but stopped short as the red electricity sparked again. She pulled back just far enough that the aura disappeared. "Umm.... maybe?" She paused. "Uh... what would happen if I touched you accidentally?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw Calley cringe away. Personally, she was torn; she didn't want to hurt him, nor get herself hurt, but at the same time, she wanted to help. Thus her hand remained awkwardly outstretched.

(OOC: No problem, you can see his hair sometimes because it's longish)

"If it’s not being really rude, and if you don’t mind, could I ask where you’re from?”

"Well, i'm from L.A." replied Voltaire to that question. "Yes the city of angels, and mutant-haters." He started wrapping his arm up in new bandage when he said that.

Finally she had to ask Voltaire, "Can I help?" She reached out to try and help him rebandage his wounds, but stopped short as the red electricity sparked again. She pulled back just far enough that the aura disappeared. "Umm.... maybe?" She paused. "Uh... what would happen if I touched you accidentally?"

"Don't be too scared." said Voltaire. "Here i'll try to focus it away from you." As he started to focus, red electric sparks came from his other arm.As Iris hand came closer, nothing happened on the arm that needed new bandage. Iris wrapped his arm in new bandage as Voltaire was to busy focussing on his power. When she was done and let go of his arm a small spark hit Voltaire's arm and made a small, local electric surge leaving a new but small wound. "Well that explains what happens when it hits" He said with a faint but painfull smile. "Thank you for the help." "Hope you didn't mind me doing that?" he said. He looked at the old bandage and thought that he had worn those for over 2 weeks. He Stood up and threw them into a bin. He took out a smaller bandage and wrapped it around the new wound.
"This school sounds like a good place for us to learn how to control our powers" He continued. "Why did you leave?" he asked

A Siamese cat owned by a former Mansion resident by the name of Iris, who had left before Calley had joined. Click.

Got her.

Indeed.

Rayne Belamount. Lived on the second floor, middle wing, room near the end of the hall. Friends with the boy in the Jedi shirt, Chip. Former captive of the Order, used in the Haywire experiments. Her room was the site where a hacker of Mondragon Lab’s system based themselves out of, during her captivity, and the target of my first mission for Hunter. Anything else?

In the photographs on her desk, her hair was blonde and shorter.

That it was. That it was. Is someone tryin’ to hide her identity? Silly of her to go around giving out her known alias. Oh—and she was the one who trashed the Mansion right before we got there, wasn’t she?

Yes. Presumably as an after-effect of her captivity.

I do like getting to know the people I meet.

"Rocky Mountains," the woman replied to his question. Calley merrily tucked that into his mental files on her. And Voltaire was from L.A., and had some bad experiences with humans there. Didn’t everyone? Well, not in L.A.... but in general. To be honest, Calley had more bad experiences with mutants than with humans. That might just be because he hadn’t interacted with many humans, lately, though. Or it might be because he was part of an evil organization, and his teammates were violent scary violent unhappy violent bully-type people.

Calley found his hand twitching to also help in the re-bandaging process.

Slate, we’re not going to poke the nice exploding man.

Why does he not simply heal himself? He is like you—he can only break himself. It is so simple to—

It’s not simple for the rest of us, and I’m pretty sure he doesn’t have any healing powers to start out with.

If I could just control his mind, for a moment, as I do yours—

That would require you to be a telepath, Slate. Last time I checked, that wasn’t on our resume.

It is a simple matter, however. You need not consider technicalities.

...Slate, no. Now stop trying to take control of our hands, and think about that whole pancake-issue. Back to your corner. Shoo.

Hmm.

Aaaaaand someone was talking again. Even if his internal dialogues didn’t take long, they were still a little distracting in the middle of a real conversation.

"This school sounds like a good place for us to learn how to control our powers. Why did you leave?"

Ah! They were fine: since Calley hadn’t left, that question had to be for Iris. He turned his head to watch her curiously. And how would Miss Collateral Damage Test Subject field that one?

"Don't be too scared. Here i'll try to focus it away from you."

"I'm not scared," she replied, "I just don't want o hurt you." <"Or me,"> she admitted, albeit silently. Whatever he'd done seemed to work though, and she was able to redress the one arm. However when it sparked, she visibly jumped.

"Oh! I'm sorry! Sorry!" The new would seemed small, but still....

"Well that explains what happens when it hits. Thank you for the help. Hope you didn't mind me doing that?"

"Sorry," she said again. She looked at the palm of her hand, just to reassure herself that the blue gem hadn't activated on its own again. But there was nothing there. No foggy breath or frosted skin either. She sighed.

"This school sounds like a good place for us to learn how to control our powers. Why did you leave?"

Her face reddened a bit again, and she looked back down at the table top. Why had she left? To be honest....

"I have no idea. Things got.... complicated...." She ran a hand through her hair. "My whole life is complicated lately. Um.... I just thought I needed some time to myself, to sort a few things out." Like five years worth of memories she didn't know she had, and still wasn't convinced were hers.

Still fiddling with her straws, she glanced at Calley. "Did anyone else make it out okay?" Her worry was obvious; her own personal run-in with the Stalkers had been enough to instill dread. But from the rubble she'd seen that was once Xavier's School, she imagined more than one had been involved.

However, she also was trying to steer the conversation away from her. She preferred to blend into the background, something recent events had denied her.

"Did anyone else make it out okay?"

Calley gave an assertive nod to the worried woman. “Yeah!” Then he sort of... crumpled a bit. “Well, not that many. But definitely a few. I saw Nicki, and Geo, and Deja, and Katrina, and Fade at the meeting, and I’ve seen Sentinel around. And now there’s you, so—” he attempted to put a cheery face on things “—probably, people are still drifting in. I mean, there are probably more of us.” Implying that right now, there were very, very few of them.

((ooc: 1,000 posts! Whoot! *air punch* ))

"Sorry," she said again. She looked at the palm of her hand, just to reassure herself that the blue gem hadn't activated on its own again. But there was nothing there. No foggy breath or frosted skin either. She sighed.

"It's not a big deal" He replied. "It happens all the time."

Still fiddling with her straws, she glanced at Calley. "Did anyone else make it out okay?"

After Calley started naming people that made it out of the mansion unharmed, Voltaire found himself more lonely then ever. They have been to a school where they had no worries about being accepted while he was wandering from city to city trying to find a place like that. He wished he had found out sooner that he atleast could have the experience of being around people like him. He felt himself alienated around here.

"Well" He continued. "Atleast you've seen some of your friends make it out, i bet everybody would be ok" He said as he tried to lift the gloomy mood of the conversation. "By the way, i heard a man in the hallway speak of a mission that involved capturing a Stalker bot." "I am quite interrested in joining that, would any of you happen to know the finer details of that?"

I saw Nicki, and Geo, and Deja, and Katrina, and Fade at the meeting, and I’ve seen Sentinel around."

Those were some of the same names Hunter had given her; none of them were familiar, except perhaps Nicki and Geo. And Sentinel.

And now there’s you, so—probably, people are still drifting in. I mean, there are probably more of us.”

"Well, at least you've seen some of your friends make it out, i bet everybody would be ok."

Iris nodded and attempted to smile; attempted and failed rather sadly.... If nothing else, she now had sufficient reason to swallow her pride and work with Hunter to get the law repealed. It was pennance, a way to make up for the damage she'd done.

"By the way, i heard a man in the hallway speak of a mission that involved capturing a Stalker bot. I am quite interrested in joining that, would any of you happen to know the finer details of that?"

She looked at Voltaire, surprise written in bold relief on her face. "You actually want to catch one of those things?? In one piece??" She shuddered slightly. "Who's bright idea was that??" Her gaze turned to Calley to see if he knew anymore than she did, then back at Voltaire.

"If you're going to join, just a word of caution. I don't know how they do it, but they're nearly impossible to lose once they start tracking you. And whatever they're made of can withstand small explosions. And they can withstand minor electrical shocks." Worry came through in her voice as she thought what might happen if Voltaire got too close to one of the bots.

"If you're going to join, just a word of caution. I don't know how they do it, but they're nearly impossible to lose once they start tracking you. And whatever they're made of can withstand small explosions. And they can withstand minor electrical shocks." Worry came through in her voice as she thought what might happen if Voltaire got too close to one of the bots. [/i]

"No need for concern about me" Voltaire replied. "i've blown up steel walls with my powers." "It seems to become stronger when i'm under stress". He looked at his hand and cracked his fingers. "And still it's just a idea, i thought i would check it out and see if i wanted to join." "Still, i like a challenge" He said with a smile.

Calley shook his head slightly, looking at Voltaire with admiration shining in his baby blue eyes. “That’s cool. The being able to fight thing. Not so good with that myself—I think I’m sitting the Stalker mission out. Tigers really aren’t any more effective against giant killer robots than scrawny white boys are. Not exactly sure what I can do from the sidelines... but that’s where I’ll be trying to work.” He gave a shrug. “And, I guess, not be totally useless. And stuff.” He was trying to look like he had a bit of a I’m-not-helping guilt complex going on. He rather thought he was doing a good job of it, as well. His eyes were on his plate, his posture was screaming ‘I’m mentally belittling myself!’, and his voice had gotten quieter and quieter as he’d spoken. Yep. Guilt complex—that’s what he had.

He definitely wasn’t itching to get out on a mission. He had a sinking suspicious that Hunter might just be stationing him at the Labs to spy on everyone else. Which was cool... but it didn’t really let him stretch his wings, in the literal or metaphorical senses.

"No need for concern about me. I've blown up steel walls with my powers. It seems to become stronger when i'm under stress."

"Hehe, uh.... walls don't fight back, and those things are made of some stronger stuff than steel. Trust me...." She also gulped at bit at the stress remark. "As for the stress.... been there, done that...."

"And still it's just a idea, i thought i would check it out and see if i wanted to join. Still, i like a challenge."

Iris's expression was a bit hard to read. Having dealt with a Stalker up close, all she could do was hope that whoever was running the mission knew what they were up against.

“That’s cool. The being able to fight thing. Not so good with that myself—I think I’m sitting the Stalker mission out. Tigers really aren’t any more effective against giant killer robots than scrawny white boys are. Not exactly sure what I can do from the sidelines... but that’s where I’ll be trying to work. And, I guess, not be totally useless. And stuff.”

Iris 'hrmph'ed quietly. Sidelines sounded better that what she'd gotten herself into..... She glanced at Calley. He seemed riddled with self-pity.

"I'll just be glad when the whole 'fighting thing' is over an done with period," she remarked.

By that time there was a little black cloud of depression settling over the table. Iris shook her head and stood up.

"All right, enough gloomy talk. There's got to be something less depressing to do than sit here moping. Do either of you have a hobby? Play cards, shoot pool, swim? Eat?" She grinned at Calley with that last comment. She added, "Have you ever challenged someone to an eating contest? Not me, by the way. Or oreo hockey?" Okay, so that was definitely silly-borderline-ridiculous. But she was open to almost anything that didn't continue the previous line of conversation.

"All right, enough gloomy talk. There's got to be something less depressing to do than sit here moping. Do either of you have a hobby? Play cards, shoot pool, swim? Eat?"

"I used to play lots of piano, but i have been on the road for a long time." replied Voltaire to the question. "I Haven't seen one in a while, i hope i still got it." he said with a smile. This is the first time in a long time that Voltaire found himself comfortable around other people. "Ow, and i trained myself in Hapkido, a rather inknown part of the martial arts tree." he continued. "That i did keep in check." Voltaire stood up for a new cup of tea. He walked towards the waterboiler, picked up a new cup and some sugar and walked back and took his seat again. He took a tea bag from his coat and dipped it in the hot water. "So what are your hobbies then, exept being up early?" He asked, trying to lift the gloomyness some more.

As Voltaire went to the water boiler, Calley skittered in his wake, grabbing a Styrofoam cup and a thin red stir stick. He returned triumphantly to his seat at the table, and tried to make a design in the white foam as cool as the one Iris had been making earlier. He ended up making a blob that was supposed to be a happy tiger.

“My hobbies including eating, sleeping, and living in the library! Do those barracks creep anyone else out? I feel like we’re getting turned into some private army. Umm, but yeah. I also annoy people. A lot! It’s an art.” He grinned over his cup masterpiece at the other two. They’d been tentatively put into his ‘not insanely violent’ category, so he was starting to relax. “That’s cool about the martial arts, Voltaire! I’m thinking I’ll try and figure out how to fight while I’m here—I mean, it seems like everyone knows how around here. So I’ll probably ask someone to help me train. Probably someone who isn’t going on the Stalker mission—that way I’m not doing my annoying thing and bothering busy people.”

He looked over to Iris. “So what are your plans? You didn’t sound too keen on the fighting. Want to join me in training sometime? Oh! And I’m helping some of the younger kids to keep studying, too, since... umm, there’s not really a school. That’s sort of where the me-living-in-the-library comes in, too. If you want, you could stop by sometime. You probably know a lot more about Math than me.”

I dare say she does not.

You know, you’re probably right about that.

"I used to play lots of piano, but i have been on the road for a long time. I Haven't seen one in a while, i hope i still got it. Ow, and i trained myself in Hapkido, a rather inknown part of the martial arts tree. That i did keep in check."

"I've never heard of Hapkido," Iris remarked when Voltaire returned to the table, and Calley toting a styrophome cup and stir. She smiled a bit; apparently her fiddling was contagious. "But then again, I don't know much about any martial arts."

"So what are your hobbies then, exept being up early?"

“My hobbies including eating, sleeping, and living in the library! Do those barracks creep anyone else out? I feel like we’re getting turned into some private army. Umm, but yeah. I also annoy people. A lot! It’s an art.”

Iris hid a smile behind her hand as she leaned on the table. She could just imagine.

"Um, for me? Mainly animals and plants, but I haven't had a chance to work with either for quite a while. Let's see, what else? Um.... gymnastics, sort of, though I'm not the best at it. My aim is really good, so I guess target practice." She shrugged, then gave Calley a confused look. "You live in the Library??"

“That’s cool about the martial arts, Voltaire! I’m thinking I’ll try and figure out how to fight while I’m here—I mean, it seems like everyone knows how around here. So I’ll probably ask someone to help me train. Probably someone who isn’t going on the Stalker mission—that way I’m not doing my annoying thing and bothering busy people.”

She refrained from stating her opinion on that matter, as it seemed that few mutants shared her 'flight-not-fight' attitude.

“So what are your plans? You didn’t sound too keen on the fighting. Want to join me in training sometime? Oh! And I’m helping some of the younger kids to keep studying, too, since... umm, there’s not really a school. That’s sort of where the me-living-in-the-library comes in, too. If you want, you could stop by sometime. You probably know a lot more about Math than me.”

Lost in her thoughts, it took a moment to register that Calley was talking to her.

"Hmm? Oh! Oh, I doubt it. Math and I don't get along very well. My Tio has to do the accounting for me. Otherwise we'd go broke very quickly. I'm glad to know you're studying though. Keep it up." She smiled, but was thinking, <"There are other kids here? How many?">. It just seemed out of character for Hunter to allow kids to roam the place.

"I don't think I can join you," she said with a sigh. "I don't think I'm going to be here very long. I've been recruited to help get the law rescinded. Is that the right word?" Irritation again crept into her voice, and she glanced toward the door. "I'm not sure if I'll be back anytime soon. I don't really feel comfortable here anyway.... Bad memories. Vibes! I mean bad vibes. I mean.... well, not bad vibes from everyone. Just certain people..... Person.... Nevermind....." She stuttered as the words slipped out, then compounded and sounded totally off the wall. Finally she gave up trying to cover the slip up, and blushed.

"So, Volt, what's Hapkido?" She repeated her earlier question, unconsciously shortening the man's name in her nervousness.

"So, Volt, what's Hapkido?" She repeated her earlier question, unconsciously shortening the man's name in her nervousness.

"Hapkido is a martial arts that teaches you the harmony between body and soul." Voltaire replied. "It's a more open minded version of karate or taekwondo." "It focuses more on free movement and manipulating the battle to you advantage than the fighting techniques itself." Voltaire put some sugar into his tea and started stiring his tea. After some stiring he took a sip of his tea and said:"You sure show allot of interrest into martial arts for a person that doesn't sound to keen about fighting."
He continued eating his sandwich that he still had and left the conversation for what it was. He did not wan't to make it gloomy again.