Cailyn had her room full of puzzles that where finished now and there was no more room for the rest. She decided to continue her work somewhere else. She found that the dinning hall was a place with big enough tables to make her puzzles. The current one she had was big enough to take the place of a table of which 6 people could eat.

She had the box on one chair and the pieces all layed out on the table. The edges where done, but that was the easy part. The hard part was to fill it up. The picture of the puzzle was a very large desert with a sunset and some palmtrees. It was a very beautifull picture and she was sure she would finish it even if it took her all day, and night. She just hoped no meanies would come and bug her like the time she had the toy from the cereal box. Somebody killed the little car.

She pondered and pondered while trying pieces of the puzzles. Sometimes she succeded. She didn't pay much attention to her surroundings. People looked at her strangly but mostly ignored her. Some just laughed at her and pointed. It did not matter, they did not matter. All that mattered was the puzzle at hand.

Meld was pacing in her room. Something wasn't right, she could feel it. Ever since she had seen that newscast with Predator being captured she had felt eyes watching her and an invisible ticking clock. How stupid she had been, pulling that stunt with Predator and the now dead SWAT member. Why had she thought that a mere mask was going to be enough to hide her identity? Why had she not thought about how stupid it was to be seen on camera like that? It wasn't the first time she had had people hunting for her, but it was the first time she had had the cops hunting for her. Surprising, given her history, but nevertheless true. Sighing she decided to leave her room and possibly find some distraction from her spinning paranoid thoughts.

Leaving her room, Meld entered the the dining hall only to discover that there was another person there, a mutant she assumed since this was Sanctuary, with blond hair and maybe a few years younger than she was. She hadn't met the other girl yet and she stopped a few moments to watch what she was doing before deciding to approach and introduce herself. It appeared that she was working on some sort of puzzle, not exactly what Meld would have expected nor something that she herself had done in many many years, but the other girl seemed to be fairly engrossed in it.

Not bothering to try and mask the clunk her metal feet made on the ground, knowing that some mutants didn't like to be snuck up on, Meld entered the room and extended her hand to the other woman in offer of a handshake. "I have yet to meet you formally, I believe. I'm Meld. A pleasure to meet you."

A presence was nearing or was near her already. It was hard to make out but she had the feeling of being watched and she knew it was the truth. It did not bother her though and she continued her puzzle but before she knew it the presence moved into her direction. Her neck twitched and her head titled a bit to the right. "It's not polite to try and sneak up on people." She softly spoke to herself and to the presence while she tried a piece of the puzzle out. Then there was a clunk of some sort, like metal hitting the floor.

"I have yet to meet you formally, I believe. I'm Meld. A pleasure to meet you."

"Formallity? Is it a virtue or a vice?" She asked the woman who was named meld. She did not knew the woman and had no clue about her intentions. This was a good way to get a feel of the person by being cryptic. Cryptics showed more about people then anything could ever do. No questions about do you like sheep or candy can compare to a cryptic question. She shifted her head sideways that she could look what she looked like. "Penny for the tought." She said with a smile and held up a puzzle piece.

"It's not polite to try and sneak up on people."

"My apologies," Meld replied with a soft smile. Watching the other proved to be somewhat interesting for Meld. The other woman wasn't quite like anyone she had met previously with her intense concentration on her puzzle. A thought skittered across her mind, a brief wondering if she even could still do puzzles if she wanted to. The pieces appeared to be very delicate and with her metal hands and lack of a sense of touch, fine manipulation often proved difficult for her. Especially when that which she was trying to manipulate was delicate there was always the chance of accidentally breaking things or cutting things apart. Her metal limbs were stronger than her flesh and blood limbs and, especially when they were new, it was sometimes difficult to gauge the exact amount of pressure she was exerting.

"Formallity? Is it a virtue or a vice? "Penny for the tought.""

"I suppose that is a matter of opinion," Meld answered. "Some might consider it a virtue and others a vice. For myself, I believe it only polite to introduce myself and I suppose I consider politeness to be a sort of virtue. As for my thoughts, I was wondering whether or not it was even possible for me to do a puzzle now." She lifted her metal arm as if that explained everything. "Its been many years." She paused, watching again and added, almost as an afterthought, "do you do puzzles often?"

"Some might consider it a virtue and others a vice. For myself, I believe it only polite to introduce myself and I suppose I consider politeness to be a sort of virtue. As for my thoughts, I was wondering whether or not it was even possible for me to do a puzzle now."

A very good , and well thought through answer. Some people would just say either of them, some would just go blank. "Fair enough." She said. "Puzzles are for everyone." She continued. "It's just a matter of which puzzle you are working on." This ofcourse could be taken in as either the puzzle she was working on for real, or the puzzle of life. She continued working on the puzzle while saying this. She learned from the people in the sanctuary that you would never throw yourself into a conversation. Always try to find out the other persons motives before thrusting them. This was no different to her.

"do you do puzzles often?"

"Everyone does." She replied absently while testing out another puzzle piece. "Most people just don't realize it." Another riddle or puzzle as people might say. "But people can always do a physical one for the fun of it like me." She said and turned her head a bit. This girl seemed like she was nice to her, no motives yet. How this would turn out was a puzzle on it's own sort of speak.

A very interesting person indeed, Meld thought to herself. Even before she had been a mutant, social skills were never among her strongest talents. It wasn't that she didn't have the intelligence to carry on a conversation, indeed she was above average in that area even if she was no genius. It was more the lack of practice and the lack of motivation to practice. Between her studies and her martial arts there hadn't really been much time. And yet here she was conversing with this puzzling woman on a level she hadn't done so in quite some time.

"Puzzles are for everyone. It's just a matter of which puzzle you are working on."

Meld nodded thoughtfully, admiring that little bit of wisdom. "And some puzzles are more obvious and more enjoyable than others."

"Everyone does. Most people just don't realize it."

"You have a unique clarity in the way you look at the world," Meld commented. "Most merely go about their lives never questioning the how and why of the things that they do. Never questioning their motivations or decisions. The puzzles of life, so to speak. Perhaps the world would be a little better place if more were to realize that each decision they made fit into the larger puzzle of life." She wasn't normally this philosophical, preferring to look to look at life in a straight forward a manner as possible, but for some reason her rare philosophical side was being brought out and perhaps that wasn't such a bad thing, she thought to herself.

She had a pretty good idea of what Cailyn was getting at. Though the fact that she spoke it outloud ment she needed a reference of some sort. Aknowledgement about her being correct. Nothing wrong with that though. Cailyn did pay lots of attention to her in her own weird way. The woman spoke and thought highly of her at the moment. Nothing wrong with that either. Cailyn still wasn't very convinced yet though. People could think different from how they react. She placed another piece of the puzzle in.

"Philosophy could lead to bad things, if you over think it." Cailyn said wisely to her and also demonstrating what she could do. "But then again thinking is needed to live, where does the border between thinking and not thinking lie." She continued. A very though question though. "And who makes these border?" She added. There where lots of more questions where that came from. Allot of things where unknown to her and everyone else. Most of these things where subjects people didn't take the time to think about or where no answer could be found. People could only find the way that was right for them. However these type of questions could also be asked about goverments and leaders. Why do they set up borders for people to live by, why not the people themselves do that. The answer to that question was: "Chaos." and she spoke the answer softly to herself.

"Philosophy could lead to bad things, if you over think it. But then again thinking is needed to live, where does the border between thinking and not thinking lie. And who makes these border?"

"One needs to be routed in reality," Meld responded, considering carefully. "But as long as one is routed in reality than I believe a little philosophy is a good thing. So many think that they are to busy to consider the deeper dilemmas in life, but would it not do some of them good to consider these things?" And she was certainly one of those at times. So many problems to try to overcome and so so little time to simply sit down and think. She was always trying to solve something, do something better, help one of her people. Sometimes, perhaps, it would do her good to simply sit down and think for the mere excercise of thinking.

"I believe that each of us need to make our own border between thinking and not thinking. What is best for me may not be best for you or for Aura or for someone else. Its a careful line to walk, I agree." Meld continued standing in the entrance way, watching. She made no move to approach the other woman, content to her watching and to their conversation.

"One needs to be routed in reality,"

"Reality pains people." She said softly to herself. For some atleast it was. People not accepting reality wishing they where somebody else, wishing they where the big star or the big hero of the world. A ignorant dream that only a handfull of people could accomplish in this harsh world. It was a reality some people did not wish to accept. She was one of those people though. Reality was a pain to her. What was real what was not, what was dream what was ambition. It had no borders to her.

"I believe that each of us need to make our own border between thinking and not thinking. What is best for me may not be best for you or for Aura or for someone else. Its a careful line to walk, I agree."

Another piece of the puzzle went into it. It was getting a bit more shape seeing as it was no longer the outer lines that where completed. "People are unable to do so as individuals." She said. "Hence we have politics as a aftermath." She continued. "Laws, bounderies." This was true, people trying to control each other making them all equal and lazy. Making them not think for themselves and follow like sheep. Her father exploited that sign of weakness amoung humanity and gained a profit of it. Like her father, she thought for herself outside of the rules not looking at the results. Just because she never learned to and had a great example of how to be like that.

"Reality pains people."

"Just because something is painful, does that mean that it is not good? Without reality where would we be? What would be the point of trying to avoid it?" Meld herself had been through some painful times in her life, though her pains were mental and emotional. And yet, despite those trials she remained firmly routed in the reality of her life; she took control of those unpleasant situations and made the best of them knowing that it would do no good to try and avoid them. In the end, very few things could be truly escaped it would just be a matter of delaying the inevitable. So much the better to confront things head on, on your own terms.

"People are unable to do so as individuals. Hence we have politics as a aftermath. Laws, bounderies."

"So very true," Meld agreed nodding with a grimace. "Can you imagine a world in which those things would not be necessary?" It would never happen of course. To many humans and mutants alike were far to dependent upon the societal order, unable to fully think for themselves. But it was an interesting idea to ponder nevertheless.

"It would be anarchy." She responded simply and short. The girl knew her standards and was not afraid to take a stand for her believes. This was good even though it would or already did get her in allot of trouble. Most self thinking individuals get that allot. Mainly because they don't know when to think and when to do. But still, those types of people where needed in times like these. Sheep following other sheep in their war against mutants just because they are what they are. It's the 1800's all over again, only on genetic level.

"You have a perfectly good mind in that head of yours." She continued speaking. The whispers told her different things though. That she was dangerous, a threat to her and everything around her. That still didn't take away what she herself was thinking about her. Her opinion did not change. "Don't let them tell otherwise." She said and pointed with her finger towards her. The briliant lesson of today, given by Cailyn. Not that she would ever give lessons, would she ? It was weird for her giving advice, mainly because she wasn't the most stable person in the world. She fitted another puzzle piece into her puzzle. The palm tree was almost there, so she started searching for more palmtree pieces.

"Anarchy in this world the way it is now," Meld agreed. "But I speak of a theoretical world in which people are able to think for themselves and such things would not be needed, a world in which anarchy would not be a concern." Utterly ridiculous to think that such a thing could ever happen of course, but it didn't stop her from considering the possibilities. Perhaps when the human threat was dealt with the mutants would be able to concern themselves with greater societal issues. Their kind had a real chance to not follow in the footsteps of their human inferiors, to make new choices and better themselves.


"You have a perfectly good mind in that head of yours. Don't let them tell otherwise."

It was not exactly the sort of remark that Meld had expected to hear, but then the other girl was not exactly the sort of person that she tended to talk to often. it wasn't that anyone had ever tried to convince her that she didn't have a good mind anyway, it was more that her primary talents lay elsewhere and both she and those she worked for or with knew it. "Thank you," Meld replied, slightly awkward. "You have your own unique insight into things. Don't let others tell you otherwise either." She was back to her usual social awkwardness, unsure how she should have responded.

"You have your own unique insight into things. Don't let others tell you otherwise either."

"They do actually." she said. Not only referring to people but also the voices in her head. Strange how she herself always contradicted herself throught the voices in her head. The palm tree was about to finished though. Another part of the puzzle completed. It was all very strange how she philosophised though. Strangly she spoke very "good" about it, considered lots of options and taken a point of vieuw, how strange. Her father however would be proud in the dominant teacher of brutality and hardship kind of way.

The girls body seemed to be out of order though. Well not in order like it was supposed to be. "How is that metal part working out for you?" She asked as she turned her head again with a smile on her face. It was always fun to ask people things that she isn't supposed to know about. Specially when the conversation already went into the akward direction. She should really take beter care of her body though. The weight might harm her or something. Cailyn already know somehow what she could do and it couldn't be healthy to toy with your body like that, would it?

"They do actually."

"And do you listen to them when they do?" A stupid question, maybe, but she couldn't' think of any other response. Meld was in the habit of ignoring people when they told her things she didn't care to hear to she thought were entirely wrong, but she knew that not everyone was like that. Some people trusted the opinions of others more strongly than they trusted their own opinions, a character flaw more often than not. Well, a character flaw when it was done on a regular basis of course. Sometimes, in certain fields of expertise, others did have a more valid opinion but one had to know when that was the case and when it wasn't. usually Meld preferred to rely on her own judgment rather than that of others.

"How is that metal part working out for you?"

Meld couldn't help herself and she laughed out loud, good naturedly. Most people either went through the concerted effort of entirely ignoring her metal limbs or gaped openly. Either way, very few ever mentioned them to her and it was refreshing to hear such a direct and blunt question. "They are working very well for me," Meld assured her. "I crafted them myself. They are far superior to the flesh and blood parts that used to be in their place." She didn't consider the idea that, perhaps, someone bound in flesh and blood such as the other seemed to be might have issue with the fact that she had a somewhat disdaining view of flesh and blood body parts.

"And do you listen to them when they do?"

What a odd question. If she wouldn't listen, how would she know. Kind of a contradiction of some sort. "I have to, else i wouldn't know." She answered while fitting another piece in. She was still sitting at the same table in the same spot for the entire conversation, paying more attention to the puzzle then to the woman. Strangly she sticked around. Most people would have dripped of if they didn't get enough attention. This could ofcourse be used in your adventage if you where right enough in your mind.

"They are working very well for me,"
"I crafted them myself. They are far superior to the flesh and blood parts that used to be in their place."

Cailyn tilted her head while looking at the puzzle and not at meld. Strangly they worked beter then flesh and blood, but superior in what way. "Never forget the way you where born is they way your most familiar with." She said in a wise voice as she held her finger up. "Replacing them might sound better but always has a downside to it." She continued. That was her point of view though, Never fix or replace what isn't broken. Flesh and blood worked fine for her though. No need for metalic arms and legs for her. She placed another puzzle piece in, conecting the palm tree to the outside line. It was getting somewhere atlast.