"Can call me Effie."

Well, that rolled off the tongue a bit easier than Efimia.

"You mean, someting like this happen before?There is another mutant with my, gift?..."

If only it was so simple. Of course, then both of them would be in trouble. Effie stood and he was glad she felt comfortable enough to join him. It could easily sound like something else, come up to my room and I'll give you my number. Yeah... maybe it was good that she didn't comprehend subtleties just yet. He began walking at a brisk pace into the Mansion with her in tow. He tried to keep his thoughts and language simple for her.

" There was a mutant like you once. But a group of evil mutants killed her to get her gift from her body. Your gift is a powerful one and they will eventually try to get you. I will tell you everything I can to help you not get kidnapped. That's why I want to give you my number in case you think they are after you." It would probably terrify her to hear these things, but it was better than being ignorant.

Making his way up the stairs, they entered the adult hall and he opened the door to his room. It was still pretty basic, just some clothes in the dresser and closet. Paperwork for his paramedic courses strewn across the bed. Digging through the papers, he pulled a crisp business card out for the Iris Clinic. He wrote the number to his apartment on the back with GARRETT witten over it and underlined. He promptly passed it to her." The Mansion is safe, but if you go outof it, you may not be. I am not sure if they know about you yet, but once they do, they will come after you. The place where they come from is called the Sanctuary. The company is called Faust Pharmaceuticals. The leader of the evil mutants is a blond girl named Lori Faust. She's about this high." He made a place near his sternum with his hand.

>>"There was a mutant like you once. But a group of evil mutants killed her to get her gift from her body."

Effie stopped, staring after him for a long and terrified moment before she ran after him to catch up. Killed her?
Damn. Damn. Damn.

So, one more thing to go on the long list of "ways of being screwed in Xavier's Mansion".

She followed Garrett to his room, listening to him even though her mind was racing with all the new information. Evil mutants, and all that. At the room, Effie stopped in the doorway; she didn't feel comfortable with actually being in the room with him. He was kind, and kind of protective, and not really afraid of her powers.
That was exactly the problem.

"Thank you" she nodded as she took the card. So now she had her personal bodyguard, or what? She tried to make sure she would remember all the details about the evil mutants he told her. Beware of blonde girls called Lori. Right.

"What happen?" she asked; she wasn't really sure she wanted to know the answer "What they did, with her, gift?..."

She might as well get the wole story now.

Effie stood at the threshold, her face telling the story that Garrett had expected. It was indeed a load of news to dump on her, but had he gone on and ignored her and something had happened to her in the future, he would never forgive himself. This was something he could actually do something about. Whether or not there was any chemistry between them, hehad to keep her safe. The future demanded it.

He could see why she might not want to enter, the implications and assumptions that might follow such an act. Privacy was needed to a point though. Sliding the chair that sat before the desk to the opposite wall, he looked at her and smiled while clearing up the various forms and papers off of his bed. " Come in. Have a seat on the bed. I'll sit over there." Stacking the papers in a neat pile on the desk, he stepped to the chair and took a seat, continuing ot speak regardless of where she chose to be.

"Well, they used samples from her body to create a powerful solution. When it was used on mutants, their powers became like a god." He was trying to calm himself enough to break up his sentences for her, but he just couldn't seem to do it. Perhaps it was some kind of effect touching her left in his body." I'm not sure if they killed her on purpose or not. It was before my time there. I do know that the side effect of the solution was that it killed humans. They hate humans and want to rule them, so they wanted to kill humans with it. I'll die before I allow that to occur again."

It was easy to look at Effie. She was beautiful, her gift only making her seem more radiant. He needed to calm her down somehow without touching her. It looked like he'd just have to try misdirection and reason. " So, tell me about lucky Fausto? How did you two meet?"

>>"Come in. Have a seat on the bed. I'll sit over there."

Effie walked in, leaving the door half open. She wasn't going to completely trust a guy just because he had a room in the Mansion. Guys are all the same. One touch, and they look at you like you're made of candy.
Effie sat on the edge of the bed.

>>"I do know that the side effect of the solution was that it killed humans. They hate humans and want to rule them, so they wanted to kill humans with it. I'll die before I allow that to occur again."

The story just kept getting better and better. Effie stared at her gloved hands.
"My gift don't hurt humans." she muttered, then looked up "Does it?..."
Because that would be so shiny. Let's cross the rest of the world's population off the possible husbands' list.
At least Garrett looked serious about protecting her from... whatever. All kinds of whatever.

>>"So, tell me about lucky Fausto? How did you two meet?"

Whoa, subtle change of topic. Effie scoffed, and shook her head. The guy really had a talent for finding things she didn't like to talk about.
"Dat is a long story." she waved, really wishing she had a cigarette at hand to make the gesture more elegant. And draw his attention away from the question.

Let's not go into the whole 'who lied to whom about being someone s/he is not' issue right now...

"I don't know I am a mutant when I come to the States. I find it out here." she smirked "Lucky I was in the Mansion already."

Yeah. Very lucky.

"My gift don't hurt humans. Does it?..."

Garrett could see that he was upsetting her. It was quite a bit for anyone to process. he tried lightening the mood a bit, keep her happy. "Nah, I don't think so. I think that had to do with the way they made the virus. I think if it killed humans you would have noticed something by now." He smiled at her. He wanted to comfort her and relax, but he just couldn't. His senses were still as sharp as a razor. She seemed to have no interest in talking about her fiance. Strange.

"I don't know I am a mutant when I come to the States. I find it out here. Lucky I was in the Mansion already." Garrett couldn't agree more. " Yes, I'm glad that you were here already." there they sat. A beautiful girl in his room, a sensation of utter awareness in his mind. Keep your eyes on hers, boy. " Well, I'm glad I could help. Let's get out of here. I don't want to flirt with an engaged woman, but if I just sit here long enough, I surely will." Not smooth, but terribly logical and just as necessary.

>>"Nah, I don't think so. I think that had to do with the way they made the virus. I think if it killed humans you would have noticed something by now."

That made sense. Effie wasn't sure how long her... gift had been active, but she probably met hundreds of people during that time, and none of them dropped dead. Within sight.
So far, so good.

>>"Well, I'm glad I could help. Let's get out of here. I don't want to flirt with an engaged woman, but if I just sit here long enough, I surely will."

Effie blinked.
Was this guy for real?
She had met a few guys in the days before the... during her teenage years, and she pretty much heard all the pick-up lines and other stuff guys usually say to a pretty girl, but this, this was unexpected. 'Careful, I might flirt with you'? Seriously?
Also. 'Engaged woman'. It sounded less and less right. Not because of Fausto, she still didn't find anything that would have made marrying him bad... it was just weird, hearing someone say it out loud. Most of the above mentioned guys didn't respect her that much. What do you know.

"Okay." she nodded, biting back a grin, as she stood up from the bed "Thank you."

Once out of the room, another thought occurred to her.

"You say, you help people deal with the gifts?..."

Disaster averted. Though, in hindsight, as Effie left the room and he followed, he wondered if he had also averted a moment in time that he should not have. Fate was a funny thing, especially to a time traveler. His nerves still tingled throughout, craving more of the ambrosia they had experienced. He fought himself not to become any more smitten and stay focused on the task at hand. What was that by the way? "You say, you help people deal with the gifts?.." Ah, yes, her gift. Help her with her gift.

Closing the door behind him and following alongside her, he smiled and nodded. " Yeah, I do what I can. When I first came here, my gift was so out of control that I was often wracked with pain and sickness. My nervous system worked against me rather than for me. I don;t want anyone else to suffer because of their gift. It's not right." Engaged was a far cry from married. Besides, a few months ago he was making people scream and writhe in pain. Who was he to worry over morals? Wait. Gift. Help her with her gift. Why was it so hard for him to focus?

He longed to reach out to her again. He wanted to see those lights again, the lights of the actual messages, streaming by the billions through her. Through himself. Gift. " Maybe we should go outside again and see if we can't figure out how close someone can get before they start to feel affected by you. That's always an excellent way to get started. there has to be something about pro--about being close, so maybe far is good. Sound good?"

>>"When I first came here, my gift was so out of control that I was often wracked with pain and sickness. My nervous system worked against me rather than for me. I don;t want anyone else to suffer because of their gift. It's not right."

Effie nodded. Not right at all. Her mutation hadn't caused her pain and sickness so far - she didn't even notice it before she started living with other mutants. The only effect it had on her was the lack of sleep and the constant caffeine buzz. She could live with that. At least she wouldn't get tired anytime soon. Ever.

>>"Maybe we should go outside again and see if we can't figure out how close someone can get before they start to feel affected by you. That's always an excellent way to get started. there has to be something about pro--about being close, so maybe far is good. Sound good?"

"Sounds good" Effie agreed. At least she had something to do. And if she could finally figure out how her powers worked. all the better.
Once outside the building, Effie turned back to face Garrett.

"Now you go, and tell me where you feel..." blink "... what you feel." she sighed with an apologetic smile "I can not tell."

This should be interesting...

Garrett was glad they were in agreement about something. It helped to wash the awkward out of the air a bit, though it didn't help him focus any. She also seemed in agreement to work out what was going on with her. He felt sorry for her in a way, considering she seemed to be so alone. Where was this fiance? What kind of man left such a divinity on her own? If Garrett found himself in such a position of fortune, he would protect her and watch over her. He would...Wait, no, this was that feeling again. The two made their way outside, where Effie seemed to stop short.

"Now you go, and tell me where you feel...... what you feel. I can not tell." He nodded, but he felt he needed to do something first. He stopped and =walked toward her. " I'm not going to touch you, but I want to get close enough to mark off paces." He stopped and wiggled his foot at her if she didn't understand. As he approached her, he stopped trying to fight the feeling. If he was going to gauge the absence of the sensation, he had to immerse himself in it, so that its absence would be stark. Once he was within a foot of her, he looked down at her, drinking in not only the sensation but her beauty. He didn't linger. This was an experiment.

He began taking steps backward from her. The sensation remained, creating a kind of tunnel vision toward her, giving her a glow. Perhaps it was residue of the touch or it was just his own mind. It was there though. It wasn't until he had taken some sixteen steps backward before it felt...what did it feel like? It felt like he had been released from a light grip. He could think again. He stopped, his head tilting as if he could see the aura no more. It was still there though, in a way. The fact was that she was a beautiful woman who possessed a potent mutation. A mutation that had awakened him beyond the point of no return.

" Here. I guess this is about fifteen feet away. I can think straight. Do you feel awake like that yourself? Does it go away? Have you been training with this?" he tried to keep his vocabulary clear and precise, remembering her delicate grasp of the English language. He also didn't want to overwhelm her. Though the external sensation had ceased, he still felt something. What it was could not be explained or put into a neat little box. It was as real as the ground beneath his feet.

Effie stood still, watching quietly as Garrett backed away from her. Sveta would have made some remark about the whole situation. But then again, Sveta would have benn speaking Russian.
Effie didn´t say anything. Just watched.

"Here. I guess this is about fifteen feet away. I can think straight. Do you feel awake like that yourself? Does it go away? Have you been training with this?"

"I don´t sleep much" Effie confessed, starting to make a connection between her mutation and the change in her sleeping habits. Too bad she couldn`t remember when it started.
She made sure to remember fifteen feet, and the visible distance that went with it. What would that be, five meters?

"It don`t go away" she shook her head "I don`t feel you. It is just there."

What else?

"I don`t train. No many people to train with."

I am trying to survive.

Effie tilted her head, not moving from her position. "How do it feel?"

Lots of no. Garrett wondered if Effie had been completely neglected or if it only appeared that way. " What does Fausto do? I'm sorry to bring it up, but it seems like you don't have any support. Does he not look after you? I might be out of line, but it seems like you are on your own." If that was the case, he'd have nothing of it. Besides her beauty, her gift demanded more attention. It was nice to be able to think clearly. But if she was supposed to learn control, so would he. His hand reached out again and he watched as the nerves in his hand sparked to life, stretching out toward the invisible field of energy.

"How do it feel?" Garrett's focus blurred on his hand, focusing on her instead. "Does. How does it feel. When I am inside that area, I feel very awake and...buzzed. Like I just drank a double shot of espresso. Do me a favor. Think of the area between us as a large bubble of golden light around you. Close your eyes. Try to see it in your mind. A large bubble of golden energy surrounding you." They would have to establish a visual model if she was going to have any success in retracting it. If she could at all.

>>"What does Fausto do? I'm sorry to bring it up, but it seems like you don't have any support. Does he not look after you? I might be out of line, but it seems like you are on your own."

Effie sighed. Fausto. Well.
"It is not good for him to be near me." she explained "But he helps if I need him. He is looking after me."
If it was a white lie, Effie didn´t show. Besides, she was fine on her own. She had been doing in for a while.

>>"Do me a favor. Think of the area between us as a large bubble of golden light around you. Close your eyes. Try to see it in your mind. A large bubble of golden energy surrounding you."

Effie thought about how lucky she was with meeting Garrett. Apparently, her powers didn´t hurt him, and he had the kind of mutation that didn´t do major damage if she touched him. The perfect partner for practicing.
...
´Bubble of golden energy?´ Seriously?!...

Effie sighed and closed her eyes. Here we go. She imagined the light surrounding her; she tried to feel her powers around her in the area marked by Garrett standing on its edge. She focused on the mental image, trying to make it clear. Somehow she found it amusing. With her eyes still closed, Effie chuckled, then bit her lip, reminding herself this was supposed to be a serious experiment, and tried to pull a serious face.

"It is not so bad if I touch somebody through gloves." she added, wiggling her fingers.

"It is not good for him to be near me. But he helps if I need him. He is looking after me." Garrett decided not to say anything else about it. it still didn't seem right, though. This guy sounded more like some kind of sponsor than a fiance. It was perplexing, to say the least. He would make sure to find this guy and get his own opinion about him. Maybe talk some sense into him. Whatever the case, she could say what she liked, but she certainly didn't act like someone in love, waiting to get married. anyway, back to the business at hand.

He could see that she thought the visualization exercise was silly. He liked the way she tried to keep herself from laughing. Her smile was infectious. He found himself smiling too. " I know it sounds silly, but the reason I want you to think of it that way is so you can have something to concentrate on. My own gifts are invisible as well, so sometimes I have to imagine energy that isn't there." He had always seen red for pain, but what could be pleasure or the absence of pain? Perhaps the same golden energy he was asking her to imagine?

"It is not so bad if I touch somebody through gloves." He watched her wiggle her fingers, her lips still curled upward. " I don't think it's bad at all. I think it's wonderful. I just need to be exposed to it for longer so I can control my reaction to it.' Much more composed answer than the truth. He'd much rather hold her hands right now, cradle her in his arms and kiss her. Impulses were just that. " Now, try to think of that bubble of energy retrac--pulling back. Try to focus on pulling it toward yourself and shrinking it. You can't turn it off, but if you can make the area smaller, you might one day be able to control it." It was a fine start.

>>"I don't think it's bad at all. I think it's wonderful. I just need to be exposed to it for longer so I can control my reaction to it."

Effie arched an eyebrow at Garrett. Once again. Was this guy for real? Wonderful? For what? Getting into trouble?
Also. Darn English language. For a moment Effie considered interpreting his last sentence as... suggesting something not entirely appropriate. Tilting her head, she waited.

>>"Now, try to think of that bubble of energy retrac--pulling back. Try to focus on pulling it toward yourself and shrinking it. You can't turn it off, but if you can make the area smaller, you might one day be able to control it."

Effie closed her eyes again, and once again summoned the image of the golden bubble of energy. Would it really look like that, if someone could sense it? It felt more like a fishbowl. Too real to make it smaller. After a few minutes of focusing, Effie opened her eyes with a sigh.

"It is difficult to do" she muttered "I do not know if I... if it can be turned off."

Effie seemed confused by what Garrett had said. He had tried to keep his words clear and his speech slow, but maybe something else was confusing her. He still had his hand in the field, turning his wrist to note the effect. The field was large already and so potent. How could she control it? Maybe he was just a bad teacher. She seemed to be frustrated by the process, as was he. He just wanted to help. He but his hand over the bridge of his nose, pinching it to try to focus. If he couldn't focus inside as well as outside, why be outside?

He stepped back inside the field, his senses becoming clear, his mind awakening. " I might just not be much of a teacher. I just want to help you feel better." His steps continued as he approached her until he was close again, maybe three feet away. Now he could see the difference. It wasn't her field that caused that effect. It was her. The problem was that he couldn't differentiate his natural feelings for her from the feeling her field had put there. he hadn't felt such a quickening of the heart since...well, since his early days with Maya. He had felt something then too, which defied logic and reason.

" Maybe we should just try something easier. How about lunch? No problems there. We can go out or just eat here in the Mansion. Maybe talk about things that don't involve our gifts. Just be people?' That would be a nice change of pace.