Not the first time he got an invite to sleep on a girl's couch. It really did make more sense than finding a warm exhaust vent and definitely cleared up the possibility of being robbed, for the most part. If he hesitated, it was probably just his usual manner of trying to stay away from people, to avoid forging relationships. This was something taught to him long ago as he bounced from foster home to foster home. With the recent donation, he had enough to handle anything for a day or so and the relief of the nervous strain would keep him from causing a scene and Petunia's apartment.

"Very well. I appreciate it.", he responded to her overnight offer. If he could trust anyone, he could trust a mutant. They had as much to deal with as he did. "But your roomates, do they know about you? We won't have any problems there, will we?" He hated to sound so scared, but though the street had alot of problems it brought, it definitely brought freedom.

Either way, leaving the scene prior to the courier waking up would benefit everyone. When Petunia was ready, he would follow her lead to this apartment. Anything beats a bench.

That famous slime creased across Petunia’s cheeks again as she looked up. The paws didn’t worry Pix too much and if she had known what it was about, with relationships, she might of picked this man up, and thrown him, because with her friends, she could do that. Pix didn’t need that weakness of a relationship. She didn’t want it, and if it ever occurred, her brother might share a room with a straight jacket clad house fly as pix would have herself voluntarily hospitalized so her brother could show her exactly why she didn’t need someone. The offer of her couch, was partially a face, and partially her actually sort of maybe feeling sorry for him. Thirdly it was her way of saying ‘Ha!’ to her mother who had always warned her against strange men. Pix could watch herself and if Petunia was in any danger from this man, Hell would hath no furry.

“you’ve already met one of my room mates.” Petunia motioned to the lady on the ground at the woman and her spider. “The other won’t mind because I will tell them not to mind. They can curl up I’m my sock drawer, but if someone decides to play a practical joke on you, and you wake up with cheese wiz on your head, it’s not my fault.”

Cheez wiz on the head. Well, it surely beats some drunken bum's wiz. He nodded to her and said, "I think I'll survive." He was smiling again. That's always good. His eyes still remained sort of fixed in the air before him. His mind was wandering a bit. Memories, they just sort of sit there, burning through his brain at a slow, tortured pace. Hopefully, he should think about it later, at someone's house.

He put his arm before him. "After you, then, Petunia. You are the one who knows where we are going." He waited patiently, gathering the jacket and putting it in his new satchel. His teeth gleamed in the night as he replied, "Maybe we can get some kind of takeout on the way. I just inherited enough money to cover it." Good food and company. One night down.

“The room mates like crab wantons.” Pix said half way to herself as she lead the way home, that would be conveniently past a Chinese take put place. She still had to feed her troops that she had left in her apartment and all. Yes she kept flowers for many of them, and a select few were granted permission to take up cannibalism of their other little room mates, but it would be impolite not to properly feed her bugs.

They found the food cart, where after much mental debate and decision making only to decide Pix wanted to change Petunia’s mind repeatedly, the bug goddess was walking home with a small feast. Crab wantons (For her bug friends and her) General To’s Sweet and sour tofu stuff, fried rice. (With and extra carton also for her bugs.) BarBQ pork, and a bucked of steamed broccoli dripping with mugugie pan sauce. Yummy!

When they arrived at Petunia’s apartment, the place was clean. Spotless with her room mates scurrying in straight lines from the kitchen to the couch, and the bathroom when she walked in. Making an odd thought go between what should be disorder because of the bugs, and a Martha Stewart clean home, thanks to their work as well. Even though it was small, everything of Petunia’s had it’s place, from the folded blanket that was stretched perfectly parallel on Petunia’s couch, to the way the DVDs in the book shelf were perfectly balanced on their ends with exactly 1 and ¾ inches between each DVD case.

“Hey Poopsies” Petunia cooed as she knelt in the hall and her little friends swarmed to her. It was like SnowWhite singing with the birds, only these birds were insects and despite their clean outside, well…. Yeah…

It was an interesting sight. Perhaps he could see how some people might be put off or even revulsed by this homecoming routine, but it didn't seem to bother him much. The order of everything and the cleanliness was just phenomenal. He could also imagine what she had alluded to earlier, the vengeance through these insects. Many of them were obviouly venomous. Nonetheless, he surveyed the small area and asked, " So am I here in the living room, then?" The sooner he could stretch out and meditate, the better.

He grabbed a few of the random items from the takeout bag and began hurriedly eating, trying not to look starved, but the bag of candy earlier was about all he had eaten today. He slid his shoes off and placed them neatly together beside the front door. He still feared he might soil the floor with his nasty street feet. " I hate to impose, but do you could think I could take a shower? I need one." He had hoped she wouldn't get frustrated with him, bugs or not, this beats the street. At least the bugs here won't be after him. Well, he hoped.

" So am I here in the living room, then?"

“petunia nodded after the little home coming ritual where her bugs left the pheromone lines she had set up for them, and came back under her control. “it is.” She replied, standing up and gathering the bags to spread the food out on her long coffee table, in front of the couch. “And this is the couch.” Indicating the place where she was allowing his to sleep on.

" I hate to impose, but do you could think I could take a shower? I need one."

“No offence, but it would be more imposing if you didn’t.” Petunia was moving off into the back room, where the refrigerator was located, to get the plates and silverware. “The bathroom is to the right of the hall.”

Pix wasn’t sure exactly what would come from her offering her couch for a night. Again, she wasn’t looking for a relationship of any way. But who knows. He might come in handy later. He certainly had a talent.

Without delay, he made his way to the bathroom. As he closed the door, he caught himself in the mirror. Been a while. Wow, did he really look this bad? How did he get here at all? These thoughts and others moved through his head quickly as he peeled his clothes off and got in the shower. As soon as the water hit his body, dirt began running down the drain. It was a shame how he had let himself go, but usually food beat hygiene. No one really cares if you are well groomed in a soup kitchen line.

He let the water get a little too hot as he tried to burn the filth away. The steam wafting his own stink at him was enough to make the hardiest retch. Lots of soap. As the layers of filth and grime came off, he could feel as if the strain and tension he had been carrying slide off as well. It was so easy to do what he had done tonight to the courier. Too easy. He really needed to try to take this mutant life in, try to make something good happen in his life as opposed to just becoming part of his own vicious cycle. His eyes were closed, the water running over his smooth face. Could he ever truly heal after what occurred at Medical?

Before he would allow those nightmarish visions enter his head, he turned the water off. Listening to the water drip, he opened his eyes. By the Gods, he had left a hideous ring in here. He'd clean it before he went to sleep. He stepped gingerly out of the tub, clean feet on a clean mat. It was nice. He toweled himself dry and looked once more in the mirror. Same man, same look. But at least he was clean now. This made him look at the pile of filthy rags he called his clothes. He had imposed a good deal, but he might need to one more time. Well, two more.

He opened the door, the steam escaping as he did. Just slightly enough to stick his head out, he called out to Petunia, "Thanks for the shower. Do you think I could wash my clothes too so I didn't have to put dirty ones back on? I hate to ask you. No is perfectly understandable." He waited for her reply, shivering a bit with the cool air coming in.

Petunia set the table while she heard the shower start. She hadn’t waited to divide her own meal from the bunch, shove a movie about happy cartoon horses into the TV, and started picking at her meal as she sat on her couch. Cross legged, she suddenly noticed that the horses had eye brows. Not that was disturbing.

The shower ended and a few moments later, the man could be heard asking for something else. Petunia paused weighing the value that he might have to her, against the stench and the possibility that he would definitely dirty her couch if she didn’t give him something clean. Or clean something for him… or both? “It’s not a problem,’ she called out, without letting her eyes leave the screen of her TV. “Just don’t step on the beetles, they might hurt your feet.” As she spoke two Hercules beetles that could easily be the length of her hand from palm to fingertips pushed open the door and hooked their horns into the cloths, then dragged them out. An army of aunts moved under the garments as well, to keep the dirt from gathering on her floor. The bugs slipped around a corner, cloths included, just before the water could be heard flowing into the washer.

Of course Petunia couldn’t leave a man standing naked in her bathroom as her washing machine scrubbed his cloths. What if she really had to go pee?

Two dragon flies with two feet wing spans flew sideways to squeeze into the door of the bath room. One with an overly large peach t-shirt. The other with a pair of sweat pants. The pants were stretchy, but they may look short on him, and they were covered with pictures of little blue ducks. “Do those help?” Petunia asked, not even sparing her eyes, from the wonderfully disturbing cartoon horses with eye brows.

They were incredibly large insects. Bringing him clothes...He looked quickly in the mirror to see if his pupils were possibly dialated. No, those were two giant dragonflies in the room, holding his clothes. He giggled with an insane kind of glee at the whole picture. The wind from their constant buzzing was tremendous. Every bit of two foot wingspan. Eyes as large as golf balls, their hundreds of slivers of eyes looking at you.

"Fantastic. How did you know I like little blue ducks?" He gently held the clothes and nodded at the giant flying insects in the room. Which he was taking quite well. They seemed to release their grip and helped themselves out. Still nodding in a bit of disbelief, he got dressed and stepped out into the hallway, making sure not to accidentally step on one of the many, many roomates here.

He came out into the living room where she was watching T.V. "Thanks again for all the help.", he asked as he moved in a semi circle to see what was on the screen. "What are you watching?" He tried to stand tall, well as tall as he could for the sweats not to slide halfway up his calf. But, man , was it clean.

"Fantastic. How did you know I like little blue ducks?"

Petunia shrugged as she now looked up. A small smirk across her face. “It’s the only thing in my closet I thought would fit you. Well it was that or hot pink cows…. Would you rather have the hot pink cow one?”

"What are you watching?"

“Spirit, stallion of the Cimarron. “ Pix answered as she pushed a plate across the coffee table in seizure’s direction. It was amazing how well this one seemed to be taking the bugs. Funny.

"Would you rather have the hot pink cow one?"

If it smelled like her too, surely. Instead he chose, "No way would I give up these ducks." He started to dive in the food but actually stopped himself. He should at least try to act like he had manners once. It was delicious. The whole evening was. Like another world. Some stability and security.

"Spirit, huh." An insect controlling Girl Scout, watching her cartoons. Made him feel a little odd, actually. But nothing would keep him from stretching out and relaxing before long. The couch looked so good. " I think I am going to head out to the Mansion soon. Maybe tomorrow. " He waited to hear her reply, hoping thiswasn't the thing to get him tossed out on his ear. He added, " I think I need some traing to understand the responsibility of what I could actually do to people." He shrugged after his little monologue. Win or lose, he had to speak the truth.

Petunia smirked at the comment about her Ducky PJs. It was good he didn’t mind missing out on hot pink, lactating, cow PJs because those are Pix’s favorite. Plus the only ones that matched her slippers. And about watching horse cartoons. PIX LIKED PRITTY HORSIES! Call it a bug thing. Same with gardening. Again, call it a bug thing.

The thing about going to the mansion, again, it shouldn’t of surprised Pix. “It’s your decision.” She said after a pause of taking in that information and slurping up one of the noodles from her plate. “It is important to learn your limits.” Even if Petunia wasn’t thrilled about the place or people he had chosen to learn with, as far as she knew, they seemed like the best to learn with. She hadn’t experienced much in the city though. So it was hard to judge. Plus look who was thinking. She didn’t really choose a group yet. Not that she was really looking.

Well. she had taken it well. He was still in good graces, so it seemed. He indeed needed to know his limits, but more importantly, he needed to have some limits. He felt if he ran with the mutant supremacists, he could easily slip over to the dark side of himself. He would probably end up causing alot of pain to alot of people. He definitely needed to find out what he could do, though. He felt as if what he had experienced was just the tip of the iceberg.

As they watched the cartoon, he decided to have a look at the two boxes he had kept in the courier's satchel. This also afforded an opportunity to scoot a little closer. He had nothing in mind, just happy to get to spend time with anyone who didn't have an agenda. The first one was from a pharmaceutical company, which made him think of the value of whatever drugs might be inside. Upon opening it, however, it was merely a few boxes of antibiotic samples. Still, something to hold on to, as infection could take even the strongest out over time.

The second item was a tube, which could be a poster, a painting, blueprints, who knew? Only one way to find out. He removed the tape and popped the round cap off the end. Looked like a print of some sort. He stood up, again watching his feet for tiny, or not so tiny, roommates. He carefully removed the rolled print from its tube and started to unroll it. The look of interest and amazement was obvious to him. "Well, I would be surprised, but apparently all is well with my Tao." He looked at the print, holding it now on both ends, like an ancient cartographer admiring a pristine map. He then turned it towards Petunia. It was a 3' by 3' print of a dragonfly, shown in its various layers like a diagram from Grey's Anatomy. A bold, dashed line divided it into two parts. At the bottom ,in large capital letters, was simply the word SYMMETRY.

He smiled from over the print, saying," There are no coincidences, my friend. This must be for you."

Petunia watched him carefully over her plate full of Crab wontons, and egg rolls. She had to respect this individual, even if she did feel she could manipulate some of his actions… some how. Right?

She shook the thought from her mind, when she say the large poster being unraveled from it’s self. So to speak. Petunia’s head tilted sideways as she looked at the poster. Crab wonton still being chewed in her mouth. It was an amazing image.

She leaned forward to put her plate down, as she finished the rest of the food in her mouth. Marveling at the care and time, someone had put into something so small, something she knew most people would over look. It was odd in this way. Seeing the detail, someone put in, that she normally only saw when she was a bug herself.

" There are no coincidences, my friend. This must be for you."

Her right side of her lips curved up. “Indead.” And she reached up to take the print. This would have to be put in a special place.