Chewing nervously on her lower lip, Andrea once again eyed the trembling paper in her hands. The Addresses matched up perfectly, so she was fairly sure that this was the right place. Eyes that seemed to glow peeked out from under the soaked hood of her rain coat, straining through the darkness of her sunglasses as she took in the large gate and surrounding walls before her. Spotting something that looked suspiciously like an intercom along side the gate, she took a hesitant step forward, before faltering and stopping in her tracks. What lay before her was her future, all of her hopes and dreams were hidden somewhere behind that passive gate.

The weight of the last two weeks felt like it had doubled since she had started out that morning. All of the things she had experienced after leaving home had opened her eyes to the good side of people, and the bad. She thought back to the boat she had managed to smuggle herself onto. It had been cold and wet the entire time and once she made it to New York she came face to face with the ugliness her appearance brought out in normal people. It wasn't really until the middle of the second week that things took a turn for the worse. Her bag, as well as all of the clothing and belongings she had packed within it, was viciously yanked from her person while she walked back to her motel from a gas station food mart. Though she had been shocked, and quite a bit angry that the culprit had the audacity to do such a thing in broad daylight, she was more shocked that none of the people who had been around seemed to care in the slightest. After the incident, she had kept mostly to her room, grateful that her laptop bag was always kept snugly at her side, out of the reach of sticky fingers.

A shivering hand reached for her stomach, clutching as it rumbled hungrily. The last full meal she could remember having had been back at home, sitting at her dining room table with her mother and father eating quietly beside her. As awkward as dinners at home had always been, compared to now it was heaven. She sniffled and let her gaze drop to the ground below. What if the people behind that gate were like the rest of the people she had met?

Right now, with the cold, empty feeling that had lodged itself in her stomach, all she wanted was a warm, full meal... maybe even a bed. Her eyes rose from the ground to once again stare blankly at the intercom. She was wary of pushing that button... only God knew what awaited her on the other side. With a gulp, Andrea swallowed her fears and crossed the meager amount of space between her and the wall quickly. Her fingers trembled as she reached out to push the button, her tongue felt thick in her mouth. Everything inside her was screaming to run away and hide within the shadows like she had been doing for the last few weeks... But she couldn't. She poked the smooth button gently, ignoring the rain as it soaked further into her sleeve and muttered a small, "H...hello?".

And that was the last of it. Shin lowered the shard platform he was balancing down to the blue mat floor of the danger room as the simulation cut. Amazon archers vanished. Arrows jerked out of existence in mid-air. Shin wiped a hand across his brow, and whipped it against air. A few pearls of sweat flung off the edge of his fingertips. They rolled through the air, down to the mat. Shin glanced down at the red triangle of mental energy he'd been balancing on the past half hour. He was getting better, it seemed. This time, there was actual balance to it. Balance AND mobility. He'd tried hard to replicate it before, after his training with Kasumi. It was harder.

It seemed like when they'd been in danger, everything came easier. Why was that? Shin tugged at the collar of his black business shirt and dismissed the scarlet tortilla chip. No use wondering about it now. All he could do was train to make sure he was the epitome of form and grace when push came to shove. Training, training, training, training. All the training in the world would hone him down to a fine cutting edge, like the heat and pressure of nature formed diamonds.

Shin's comm buzzed. The guy working the security feed spoke to Shin. "Someone at the front gates in need of a greeter." He noted.

Shin bent over to pick up a blue towel, and dried himself off. He was still sweaty from the mental exercise, and ugh. No time to shower. Shin sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. It was slightly longer than usual. He'd been letting it grow out. The towel swung up over one shoulder with a certainty to it. Shin held up the communicator pinned to his black shirt, and spoke. "I'll be there in a second. Hope they don't mind a greeter, fresh from training."

"It's raining now. You'll get your shower soon enough."

"Lovely." Shin held the ends of a set of bangs in front of him, and eyed them. New York City Rainwater. The ultimate in poor conditioning. He exited the danger room with a mope and a sigh. "Let the person at the gate know I'll be there shortly."

Johnny's voice cut in on the other side of the intercom at the gate. "Hello there, this is Mansion Security. Someone will be there to greet you shortly. And might I add, lovely weather we're having today?"

~*~

Some minutes later, a figure shrouded under a blue umbrella with goldfish and bubbles across the surface approached the main gates. He wore black denim jeans and a black jacket with the occasional gold button on the sleeve, and decorative pins on the breast. The figure in black waved at the gate.

"Heeeey~!" Shin walked over to the gate, and punched in a code. The iron gate opened. Shin stepped through a mud puddle to greet the mystery guest with an extended hand and a smile. "Hi there. My name's Tetsuya Shinbo. I'll be your mansion greeter for the day. I... trust Johnny was nice to you?"

An eerie calm had settled over her while she had waited for an answer, an answer that she was doubtful she would even receive. So when a voice crackled to life back over the intercom, Andrea jumped just a bit. It told her to wait for a moment, and that they had sent someone out for her. Her feet shifted in her shoes, toes wiggling impatiently to gather warmth underneath their protective sock blanket, the rain really wasn't affecting her anymore, but water had started to leak into her shoes and her feet were on the verge of a Hissy Fit.
Andrea's hands interlaced nervously, crossing in front of her stomach as the butterflies that had rooted themselves within grew and pushed upon the walls of their cage, threatening to burst outward at any moment. Ugh... she felt like throwing up...

When the heavy gates parted, and a figure drew closer, her anxiety growing with each step he took. If there was to be a confrontation of any kind, it would be now, she tried her best to prepare herself. Once he was within ear shot, he spoke, and all of her paranoid thoughts flew from her mind. She shifted her weight slightly, her eyes dropping to his out stretched hand as he introduced himself. Her own gloved hands parted, one reaching out to grasp his lightly.
"I'm Andrea Gordon... and yes, he very was pleasant." Her voice, though quite a bit timid, was thick with an accent that she was still in the process of burying. Her hand dropped away from his, in a rush to join its twin back over her stomach, and she shifted on her feet once more. Her eyes moved from studying him, to glancing around him at the open gate... so close, and yet so far. Once again her tongue felt like it was glued to the roof of her mouth as she tried to speak again, she gulped quickly and cleared her throat, "..I'm sorry to barge in like this without any warning...."

>>"I'm Andrea Gordon... and yes, he very was pleasant." Her voice, though quite a bit timid, was thick with an accent that she was still in the process of burying.

"Pleasure to meet you," Shin gave the light hand a firm handshake, then let go. She was wearing gloves. That was unusual, though not out of the question for certain types of mutants. Some mutants felt the need to protect themselves, or others, from their powers. Shin's mind flickered back to Martin, the mansion's gardener. The boy who could pause time between two individuals. Perhaps, this girl with the shades in the heavy rain coat was like that? Or... maybe she just had cold hands, and it was raining out. He let go, all the same.

Shin followed her hand's rushed path towards her stomach. She held her hands there, like they were magnetically-charged. Then, his eyes rose in an attempt to meet hers. It was hard making eye contact with her through the shades. Shin held his best smile, and let her speak.

>>"..I'm sorry to barge in like this without any warning...."

"You don't have to worry about it, Andrea. It happens all the time." Shin replied. She seemed nervous, somewhat. Shin glanced upwards at the sky, and held out a hand to catch a few drops of rain. The goldfish umbrella spun gently, sending a thin line of droplets into the grass behind him. "What say we barge into the mansion now, and get out of this rain? Maybe... get something hot to drink? Or cold." A light laugh escaped his mouth at the situation. Shin bowed his head, still smiling. "I've got in the habit of inviting the people I greet in for iced peach tea."

A small smile lifted the corners of her mouth. The butterflies vanished, leaving only an empty, gurgling stomach. She would have flushed with embarrassment had the growling been any louder than a whisper. A cold, colorless drop of rain splattered against her nose. Andrea tugged her hood further over her face and nodded in response.

"Honestly, tea would be lovely. I haven't had anything but water for at least a couple of weeks now." Her smile widened just a bit, though she was careful not to full out grin- least she scare the person offering her shelter.

With introductions and the handshake over,
Her hands found their way back into the safety of her pockets, while her eyes turned back to the person before her. It was refreshing really, to talk to someone like a normal person, not having to explain yourself every five seconds.

Andrea let out a quiet, happy sigh, her spirits lifting a bit as she relaxed in Tetsuya's presence. If the others who resided in this place were as outwardly friendly as he was, she could see herself fitting in quite well.

>>"Honestly, tea would be lovely. I haven't had anything but water for at least a couple of weeks now."

"Tea it is, then." Rather than water, flavored water. It was an improvement, wasn't it? Yes. Yes, it was. Barely. His curiosity was piqued. "Why have you only been having water for the last few weeks?" He masked the interest behind a small laugh. Was she homeless? Or without food and shelter... that wouldn't do. Shin turned, and nodded towards the mansion. "Well, come on then. We'll get some warm tea and cookies. ... And maybe, some soup."

He led her across the front lawn's path to the mansion's doors, then let her in. The main hall was spacious, with its red carpet and its crystal chandelier, and its two staircases that led to the upper area of the mansion, wherein lay the dormitories. Charles Xavier's face stared onwards from the painting on the wall. Shin turned to make a sweeping gesture with his arms, and bow. "Great Hall." Then he turned, and led her to the kitchen. Again, he gestured and bowed towards a bowl of apples and a cake. "Food. Excuse me a second. I'll go brew some tea."

With that, he left Andrea to the cake and apples. A tea kettle clicked into place on the stove. Shin began to boil water.

"Why have you only been having water for the last few weeks?"

Oops. She had slipped a little to much, a little to soon. While the idea of cold tea on a cold day seemed a little funny, what she imagined it to taste like made her salivate. She really felt quite pathetic at the moment. Andrea licked her lips quickly, before answering his question.

"I came from Greece a few weeks ago, My belongings were stolen a few days after i settled in." She stopped herself from elaborating on the minor details of her stay. A small motel room, one she was thankful that she had paid for a month in advance, was hardly a conversation starter. Her attention shifted from him as he let her into the mansion, the next few things she had been planning on saying flew from her thoughts as she fully took in the room around her.

It was magnificent!... to say the least. She had seen a few places like this very rarely in her life. Most of them had been on TV or over the internet, the only time she had ever seen a chandelier in person was when she had slipped into a fitness club only a day or two ago to steal a shower. She noticed Tetsuya moving off and dragged herself away from gawking at the inside of the room to follow. On her way past, she noted a large portrait on the wall and made a mental note to ask about it later on.

Upon entering the kitchen, her stomach- who apperantly had a mind of its own at the moment- Gurgled happily.

"Food. Excuse me a second. I'll go brew some tea."

"Thank you." After picking up a polished, red apple, she leaned up against the counter, waiting until he had turned away before she took a hungry bite from the fruit. Her teeth sank in deeply, and the resulting damage from her bite took a large chuck out of the side of the apple. She chewed her large prize slowly to savor the taste, with just barely enough room in her mouth, and wiped a bit of juice from the corners of her moth with her fingers.

It wasn't long after Shin had left that the tea kettle started calling. "What kind of tea do you prefer? Mint, green tea, or chamomile?" He asked from across the room. Shin stood with a box of tea in each hand, waiting on her answer. When he got it, he set one of the yellow boxes down on the counter, and popped open the other. He set two cups out on a tray with a happy tabby cat design, then measured out hot water into each of the cups.

Walking over to the table, Shin smiled politely at Andrea. She'd found an apple. That was good. "Is there anything else you'd like? I'm sure there's leftover pizza in the fridge." Or maybe she'd prefer something Greek. Shin... didn't know much about Greek food. He knew about Gyros, and pirogis. Couldn't spell the word pirogi in his head, though. And wasn't sure what one contained. Gyros were just meat, vegetables and cheese in pocket bread, weren't they? Pee-tah? Hmm... more research required, post-haste.

He set the tray down in the center of the table, and pulled his cup over to his side as he sat down. The cups were seafoam green, with a light triangle design on them. Shin picked a packet of tea leaves up off the box on the tray, and set it to steep. "Drink up." He nodded. After a moment, he set down his cup and looked at Andrea earnestly. "Tell me about yourself."

"Is there anything else you'd like? I'm sure there's leftover pizza in the fridge."

Andrea felt the rumbling again and locked her eyes on the apple. It would do. "No, I'm good. This apple is delicious." A smile accompanied her response. She took another small bite, restraining herself this time, before lifting her gaze to watch him as he turned around again. The water was ready.

Joining him at the table, she set her apple down on its dry side and reached to pick up her cup, taking moment to admire the feel of it through her gloves before she set it next to her apple. It was about then that she remembered her rain soaked coat, hood still up. Andrea dropped the hood with one hand, reaching back to pull her braids out from under the coat. She felt the butterflies returning slowly as she uncovered herself.

Light from outside always looked better on her multicolored skin than florescent bulbs were.There was always a fear in the back of her mind about this sort of thing, showing herself to those who had never met her before. She swallowed her fears quickly and ruffled her bangs to release them from her damp forehead. Though her hair was a bit damp, bits and pieces that had escaped the confines of the two large braids leapt to life as if caught in a current. She blew a rueful strand of hair from her eyes, and picked her apple up again.

"Tell me about yourself." Andrea paused for a moment, about to take another small bite of the crisp fruit. What should she say? She stewed on the thought for a few moments, finishing off her apple in the process, and finally decided to just skip to what she felt was the most important subject.

"Well, there's a lot for me to say about myself..." Her accent flared up, making her words seem heavier than normal, " I came to New York because of what i am. I'm Having trouble.. controlling my abilities, and life is getting harder because of it." She sighed quietly, hating how explaining herself made it sound like she was complaining, and continued. " I heard about places like this, and started saving up money to come over here two years ago. I... really need help."

For a moment, Shin was surprised to see the mossy blue and green skin beneath the coat. ... And spots. He hadn't been expecting spots. Shin's mind drifted helplessly to Kasumi and made the connection; he liked spots. Andrea's spots reminded him of the type of spots one saw on leaves this time of year, when the tones on the leaves all rotated to the brighter side of the spectrum.

>>"No, I'm good. This apple is delicious."

Shin took a sip of tea, and nodded. "Should be delicious. It's a Red Delicious."

He wondered what mutation she'd have, with spots like that. Maybe she was a reptile. Ooh, or maybe she had power over molds, and could grow fungi for the mansion's very own victory garden plot! Or maybe she had power over plants, or maybe she was just green, and her power was heat vision. The possibilities his imagination could churn out were endless, up till the point she could wipe them from his mind.

Shin dropped the thought finally, in favor of listening to her answer. "... I see." His voice lowered as he held his chin in thought. "So, you're having trouble controlling your abilities. May I ask what your abilities are? Because we can probably help you, and" he took another sip, smiling tentatively. "If you need a place to stay, we can offer it."

Her fingers twiddled with her cup nervously, while her eyes remained fixed on Tatsuya. She could show him what her powers were, but that would mean permanently destroying something in the kitchen. Andrea frowned a bit, before noticing the apple core sitting innocently next to her. She set her cup aside and removed the glove from her right hand. She reached and picked up the apples remains, her frown deepening as the parts of the apple her fingers came in contact with instantly seemed to bruise, then stiffen.

"When i touch things, this happens." She held her hand out for him to watch as the rest of the apple was over taken by the grey, stone like color. Once it had fully turned, she set it down on the table, her ears catching the sharp clink of stone as it settled. " I cant touch anything natural, um, organic if you will."

She slipped her glove back on quickly, before reaching up to tap on her glasses. "I don't know exactly what my eyes do to people, all i know is that if i look at them without these on, they go all ridged. They don't respond to me, nor do they move. They act like a statue."

She sighed quietly, her eyes lingering on him for a moment before she dropped her gaze to the steaming teapot between them. "A place to stay would be a very welcome gift..."

>>"When i touch things, this happens."

Shin's eyes widened as she displayed the chilling effect of her powers. He cleared his throat. "Yes, I can see how that'd be a problem." Inability to touch organic things... inwardly, Shin frowned. That was such a painful ability to live with. If his little cousin had been present, he may have pointed out to her just why he'd wanted to shield her from the problems mutants faced in day to day lives. While some people had useful mutations, like brains the size of skyscrapers, or overpowering scents they released when they were startled, others had... rock touch. And quite possibly, gorgonzola-eye.

Speaking of eyes.

>>"I don't know exactly what my eyes do to people, all i know is that if i look at them without these on, they go all ridged. They don't respond to me, nor do they move. They act like a statue."

Dangerous. Yes. He totally understood how she'd be wanting help. And she'd get it, too. Shin nodded at her final comment. "Certainly. This is what we do."

He'd help her. Shin wasn't sure what he'd do to help her, or how one could control that sort of thing. Contacts, maybe? She was already wearing shades and gloves. Those seemed to work for the most part. Shin bit his lip.

"I know a man with a similar ability to yours. Not quite the same. Skin-to-skin contact causes him and another person to freeze... not like ice. But they stay still as time passes around them. Like statues. I've... experienced it. It's scary." Shin finished weakly, scratching his neck. "Gloves and shades seem to work, though? Have you tried it with contacts?"

Andrea leaned forward a bit, highly interested in what he was saying. So, there were others like her. With powers like hers. She eyed her hands for a moment, wrapping them securely around the green cup. If she could gain control over her abilities, maybe then it would be possible for her to use them to help mankind? She stewed over that question for a moment, wondering how on earth she would be able to help someone with such destructive powers.

"Gloves and shades seem to work, though? Have you tried it with contacts?"

His question dragged her from her thoughts, forcing her to look up at him again. As she adsorbed what he said, a smile returned to her lips, a small one, but a smile all together.

"No, i've never tried contacts. My parents stopped taking me out of the house after my first ability showed its ugly head." She tapped the cup in her hands quietly, her mind stuck on this new option of contacts to fix the problem with her eyes. "It would be odd, i think, to finally be able to see the world without a black shield in front of my eyes." She studied him for a moment, before another question popped up. "If you don't mind me asking, what color are your eyes?"

From behind her glasses, she saw a world in color, everything was tinted black of course, by there was color to the green cup, color to the table and the cabinets. Color to everything except the bowl of apples behind her and the person before her.

Her question struck his as strange, momentarily. Then realization sunk in. Shin understood. "Hazel." He replied quietly. "Like the color of almonds... I guess brown would be a lazier term. What about you?" The Curiosity Ball bounced back to the other end of the court. Through her shades, Shin couldn't tell if she was eying him with contempt, or wondering at his next reaction, his next word.

He couldn't imagine a world without color. Shin had tried going without sight for a few minutes, on a dare. He'd worn a blind fold, and let girls lead him around. It had been awful. You wouldn't believe how often noses met doors when a cute girl was giggling behind one's back, or how the obligation to trip was intrinsic to the act of being led around. To think about living in that pitch black world every day made Shin shiver. And to think of stripping the world he lived in right now of color was even worse.

Where was Rainbow Brite when you needed her? She'd set things straight.

Shin plucked an apple off the bowl on the table, and rolled it in his hand absentmindedly. It was red. Did she know it had been red before he told her it was a 'red delicious'? Or had she just thought... 'hey, round fruit resembling an apple. That looks good. I think I'll take a bite'...? Shin had to wonder how often she encountered apples, and upon purchasing, sunk her teeth into fruity flesh expecting sweet red, only to encounter the sourness of the greener breed.

Hazel. Like almonds. Refusing to acknowledge the fact that she couldn't see the color of almonds anymore she nodded and went to work imagining what it must have looked like on him. When he questioned as to what her own eye color was, she reached up and fiddled with her glasses for a moment nervously. "Mine?" She had been born with the bright orbs, and was thus very much used to them by now, but that didn't mean she liked them. Truthfully, she wanted her mothers eyes, dark green with a hint of brown.

Andrea blinked from behind the safety of her sunglasses, she dropped her hand to fiddle with her cup some more and replied softly. "They're orange, like an... orange." Scratching the back of her head sheepishly, she blew a few more stray strands of hair from her vision and gave him a goofy smile. She wasn't used to talking like this, about powers and appearance traits, so casually.

It was a new, and fairly enjoyable experience. Andrea scanned the kitchen slowly, her mind a jumble of questions she wanted to ask and things she needed to think about. While she glanced around, she unbuttoned her coat and slipped it off to hang over the back of the chair. She felt more comfortable now, and it had been getting kind of hot in the jacket anyway.

"I'm... kind of a mix of a lot of different things, Not a lot about me is normal anymore, what about you? What brought you here?" she fiddled with her cup again and glanced at the Teapot. personally she had never made the stuff before, she had witnessed her mother making iced tea in the summer, but nothing that came in a kettle.