Verdy flexed and unflexed her fist. The burns from Christmas Eve were almost healed, but the skin was tight and itchy. The C shaped scar on her arm itched as well, but she didn't use that part of her arm enough to be bothered so much by it. She wasn't really paying much attention to where she was going, she was just walking really, stretching her legs, trying to get into her mind the feelings of being employed and having a safe, warm bed to sleep in at night, not to mention a green roommate. Very different to the life she had been leading for three years.

With a sigh she shoved her hands into her pockets and fingered the marbles that resided there. She had to go back to the street of the giant clay fight at some stage, and try to find the marbles she had lost. They really were an invaluable weapon, suited especially to her- talents- as it were. She cricked her neck a little and yawned, with no doubt something happening for New Years Eve she could have been getting some sleep, but something told her there was no point in even trying.

A flick of her green-tipped hair and the thought was forgotten. It was her time to walk, no thinking required.

It had been a few days from the chaotic Christmas Eve night the following day was even worse, it was his birthday and he was for the most part alone. Sure a few people he had met wished him a happy birthday but the feeling he got on his birthday was usually so much better. His father would have the week off and they would go flying his mother spent the day creating the greatest feast of the year, all of the foods that he loved would be spread out across the table for when his father and he would return.

This year he spent it alone, the begin of the Christmas day he spent with the Doc of the mansion and a few other people that were injured from the incident. Needless to say once he was healed Carrick made a B-line out of there feeling overcrowded. The rest of the day was boring and lonely, however once presents came around he had received and Ipod and a letter from his parents, wishing him luck and to call when ever he needed to talk.

Fast-forward to New Year’s Eve and Carrick had no plans and the feeling of being an outsider was no longer lingering in the back of his mind. Instead all his thoughts were focused on his Ipod, he was determined to master everything about it, all the while memorizing every song he had put onto it.

Singing in his most convincing Elvis Presley voice Carrick made his voice heard ”Return to sender! Return to sender I gave a letter to the postman, he put it his sack. Bright and early next morning, he brought my letter back!” the rest of the song he hummed. People in the hallway eyed him curiously as he continued on his path towards the kitchen, he didn’t have a problem when people stared at him when he wanted the attention which is why he didn’t have a problem singing, it was a beautiful voice he was a third bird after all.

Looking down at his player Carrick checked to see what was on next in his new playlist and he grinned, it was certainly the day of the king. Eyes shut as he rounded a corer, ”Moody Blu—gh!” being small usually meant one would move out of the way to someone bigger, however that’s not what happened in this instant. Falling on his backside after bumping into the woman. Carrick looked up to the girl who had a zombie look on her face and green hair. ”Sorry!” Carrick said quickly rubbing the back of his tail, which usually suffered any time he involuntary fell.

Wandering down the hallway she turned a corner. There was no harm in making herself familiar with her surroundings and the more times she wandered the corridoors and rooms, the less she got lost. Less being a relative term, of course. Suddenly her thoughtlessness was interrupted, as she was rammed from behind. And she had been so sure that there was no bullying in the mansion. She turned around, quite ready to give as good as she got.

There was no one there.

She looked down at the sound of an apology and was faced with a boy sporting a tail, and wings. She blinked, once, twice, clearing her head from the cobwebby state it had been in. She held out her hand, offering to help him up.

"That's alright, no harm done. Is your tail ok?"

Ah, a long way away from skirting around anything that suggested 'mutation'. She had grown since the development of her gift, and not only in height and bust. Acceptance was a part of every day now, accepting herself, accepting the others who lived in the mansion. She was pretty sure if someone walked past and declared passionate, undying love to a rock she could accept it after a little while. Then again, around here a rock may well be a student.

"I'm Verdigris. Nice wings."

She gave a friendly smile to the boy, who was quite a bit shorter than her. Maybe something to do with his mutation, maybe he just hadn't hit puberty fully yet. She was pretty sure she had heard something about the x-gene becoming 'live' or something when the carrier hit puberty, but she wasn't sure.

The ear buds hidden under his hair and located in his ears made hearing difficult so as her lips started to move Carrick moved the two earpieces. Upon her question Carrick nodded his head and spoke with words thick with his Irish accent, ”Ohi yeah, some how always manages to break my fall. Smarts like hell!” he rubbed his tail again slightly as the tingling sensation soon left his tail. He hated that feeling, the worst time he ever felt that was when he somehow managed to get his tail shut in a car door, another reason he hated cars.

Giving her a warm smile Carrick got to his feet and placed his headphones in his pocket.
”Verdigris…” Carrick repeated to himself more than to her, it was one of his ways to try and remember people’s names, and so far it worked, even if it made him seen somewhat weird. ”And thank you, not enough people seem to appreciate them.” something he still wasn’t sure was possible, I mean he was as good as an angel.

With out much thought about it Carrick opened his wings to let Verdigris fully enjoy the sight. Even though they weren’t fully extended it was clear that the rest of his wings were as beautiful as the section of the wings that he could show her. Wings folding behind him now Carrick smiled to the woman and offered his hand, ”My name’s Carrick, Carrick O’ Conner.”

Looking for something to compliment on her (only cause he felt like he should) hair Carrick smiled and pointed to the green ”Pretty hair, not a lot of people have green hair, which is surprising it’s an awesome color, then again the circus didn’t have anyone with green hair either…” he put his hand to his chin as he gave the expression of going into deep thought, ”I like it though,” Carrick added.

The boy rubbed his tail but assured her he was fine. She couldn't imagine having another appendage to deal with, she got into enough mischief with simple arms and legs. A slight memory of being trapped atop the library bookshelves with her roommate tingled, but she dissmissed it swiftly. This was nither the time nor the place for remenissing, especially with a boy on the floor before her. Oh, nope, he was up, that was good.

~"And thank you, not enough people seem to appreciate them.”

She raised her eyebrows, she was pretty sure that many of the younger children, and even the adults, would be impressed with the wings. But perhaps he was referring to on the streets. People seemed to fight the change with vigour they didn't use in any other area of their lives. He spread his wings as open as they would go in the hallway and she ran her eyes over them, they were a glorious brown, and every feather linked together perfectly. He folded them in behind him and she felt compelled to pet them. She ignored the urge and shook his hand politely.

"Nice to meet you Carrick."

She grinned as he said nice things about her hair. Sweet really, he had nice manners, a good thing to have as a child. She made a mental note of that. Children should be polite, it makes people like them. He had been to a circus then, and noone had green hair, curious.

"Thanks, When it was short it was all green, it's just grown out like that. It served it's purpose though, made me anonymous, just another rebellious teenager."

She smiled at the boy. His mutation was obvious, clinging to his back, inescapable. Here in the mansion that was fine, but outside. He must have come across hard times from some of the anti-mutant groups. And he was just a kid.

"Can you fly? and, it's a little rude I know, can I touch them?"

Ah, the urge was not so well discouraged as she had hoped. Oh well.

Carrick couldn’t help but give off a small laugh as her eyes scanned his wings, like most he could only assume she wanted to touch them. Most people did, and the stupid ones did it without asking. His tail twitched behind him as fondness for the woman grows. Like Lily she seemed nice enough not to touch without asking. Lily of course was now free to touch them whenever she pleased, she did after all save his life.

When she asked if she could touch them Carrick took a step back and looked suspicious for a moment, yes she had asked nicely but still, his wings were his prize possession something he didn’t like people touching them. He was tempted to say touch with your eyes but refrained from doing so, he did bump into her. A wing extending over his side and out reaching to Verdigris only to brush across her shoulder and stop all she had to do was lift a hand and she could touch them.

”Touch them gently, these wings are my life.” he let out a small laugh as he continued to answer her other question, ”and yes I can fly, been flying for a few years now, but I’m a natural in the sky.” he paused before asking, ”What can you do?” he then shook his head and quickly added, ”You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, just curiosity of mine is all.”

The boy laughed and his tail twitched, curiously she considered a possible dog-like emotion tail, before grinning. The boy didn’t look quite certain and for a moment she lamented the fact she didn’t have anything to swap. Somehow offering to poke a finger into a wormhole that would break it or at the least tear a nail off did not seem very friendly. She held her breath as the magnificent golden wing brushed over her bare shoulder and came to a halt, less than an inch above her tank top strap.

Following his instruction carefully she lifted one finger and gently stroked his plumage. The down peeking out through the flight feathers first, then the flight feathers themselves. She could feel the warmth underneath, like a sparrow held gently between your hands, but this was no sparrow. The ripple of muscles underneath was that of a falcon or an eagle. Some kind of majestic bird of prey.

“Wow…”

She smiled at the boy, it would be amazing to see the city from above, to spread your wings and just –fly- away from any of the problems that happen on the ground. Perhaps it would not be so bad to have an obvious mutation, not if it meant you could just disappear into the clouds if anyone took offence. She grinned at his question.

“Fair’s fair, you can’t really hide yours can you. I have wormhole hands. See.”

She paused and dug her left hand into the pocket of her jeans. A paperclip, perfect. She held it up for a second so the boy could see it, before closing her palm around it. pointing her other hand towards the floor she let the connection open and the paperclip was flung out and onto the carpet, bouncing once before coming to a halt. She picked it up and pocketed it again after holding it up once more.

“Not really as impressive as wings I’m afraid, and you can’t really touch, just because I wouldn’t want to hurt you by accident.”

Carrick nodded approvingly of Verdigris as she touched her feather with a curious finger. She seemed to appreciate them all the more when she stroked his golden feathers. They were soft that much was obvious but usually no one other than those he deemed worthy was allowed to touch them. As she went to reach for her pocket his wings carefully moved away from her shoulder and fell back into place folded into his shoulder blade with it’s brother. Now that his wig was away from her arm Carrick eyed the arm curiously the big ‘C’ shaped scar looked like it had a story behind it. One he was curious to learn about.

Carrick’s tail twitched more as he stood up on his tiptoes for a moment his hands finding themselves behind his back and locking in. He figured he would look with his eyes opposed to his hands till he figured out what she could do. ”Wormhole hands? Paperclip?” Carrick chirped in his voice sounding like it cracked slightly. Cheeks on the verge of blushing his hands unlocked themselves from behind his back and then moved to his head where his shaggy hair obscured his vision momentarily till he moved it from vision.

Watching Verdigris’s hand make the paper clip vanish after closing her hand he grinned slightly, his eyes scanning the hand where the paper clip disappeared to, ”Whoa!” watching her continue her trick she pointed her other hand at the ground and the paperclip fell to the ground. His jaw lowered and hung a jar as his heart started to race. As she picked it up and spoke Carrick shook his head his hair flailing about back into his vision. ”That was really cool!”

Carrick took a step closer and looked at Verdigris’s hands his tail swaying back behind him as his eyes ran over the hands that preformed the trick. ”Like magic, though it’s real…” Carrick started to laugh before he added, ”Had a magician named wimzy back at the circus who did something like that, only he was human…” he ran his hand through his hair, ”Your trick is real though, can I see it again?” Carrick looked up to Verdigris and smiled, ”I’ll let you watch me fly if you do.” maybe it wasn’t the best trade off he could think off but he figured it was worth a try.