“That’s the place?”

There were a lot of big buildings in New York. Andrew had gotten very used to them. Big houses on the other hand were something else altogether. As he and Kealey walked up to the gates of the place called the Mansion Andrew couldn’t help but stare. That was a seriously big house. It served as a school too so it had to be large but still. Size aside it seemed like a nice place. The yard looked nice and so did the house itself. Andrew could just bet he’d get lost in there at least once.

Andrew contemplated the events that had gotten him here. There were a few other things that had happened along the way. Yet it all came down to his meeting Sam on that day Andrew had tried to hold up that café. To then meet Kealey, who worked for the man, and be reminded of it after meeting those others. Well there was nothing to be lost by checking it out. If it turned out to be a good place then it’d be a step up. He would easily give up that apartment near the NYU campus if that meant not worrying about getting exposed as mutant by his roommates.

He stayed pretty quiet. Not because of shock or anything but mostly because he couldn’t think of anything to say. This was a big step for him after all. If this and his talk with Sam about the job went well then things could be looking up for Andrew. It would mean a paycheck and a new place to stay. If it didn’t go well…Andrew didn’t want to think about that right now. If he did he’d be a nervous wreck. Not only would that be bad but it wouldn’t be of any help to Kealey either. The woman had been nothing but kind so Andrew was returning the favor by trying to keep his emotions as even as possible. Andrew glanced over at the woman and returned his gaze to the house, contemplating what it might hold for his future.

”Yup.” Kealey said with a grin when Andrew asked if “this” was the place. The blond remembered how nearly overwhelming it had been to see the place for the first time. She could feel the hints of that in Andrew, and that he was impressed. Appropriate initial reactions for something like the Mansion.

If Andrew was anything like Kealey though, those things would change. All she felt when she looked at the Mansion was a sense of home. She knew it was more than the Mansion itself. All the bricks and wood and mortar were beautiful, and the grounds were almost without compare in the area. It was the people though, and the things that had happened to Kealey while she’d been at the Mansion.

It was the first time she’d felt like she was at home since she’d left for school one day when she was fourteen.

Kealey let them in through the gate and then they were walking up the drive. She could feel Andrew’s barely constrained nerves and she cast a grateful smile in his direction, ”Don’t harry yourself on my account.” she said, ”The mansion feels like a secluded dessert island after spending time in the city. Now would be a great time for you to start asking questions.”

They spoke as they walked, and soon enough they were at the doors that would let them inside.

”Don’t be too gob smacked by how impressive everything looks. It’s super nice…but if you decide to stay it will feel like home in no time.”

She opened the doors.

The foyer was opulent, as Kealey had described. There was red carpet, and a chandelier. There were paintings of various founders and people whose names Kealey still didn’t know. The stairs were there too, one leading up and to the left, the other leading up and to the right. Those were the dorms. If you want past the stairs there were hallways that led to the various offices, kitche, living rooms, and the rest of the first floor.

Kealey stopped for a moment and didn’t say anything, just letting Andrew soak it in.

They made their way through the grounds to the mansion itself. Along the way Kealey told him not to try and restrain his emotions on her account with a smile. Andrew shook his head.

"No, I'm glad to do it for you but I'm doing it for me too. I'd hate to spoil my first impressions of this place with memories of just how nervous I was."

Scared would have been a better word. If he let himself start exploring how bad this could go he'd probably work himself into such a state that he'd have to spend the entire next day baking up a storm just to relax. Kealey was telling him not to be gobsmacked by how fancy the mansion was on the inside before she opened the doors and the moment they swung open he could see why.

It was amazing. Every detail looked like it came out of one of those 'poor guy does good' movies. Andrew supposed it was the least they could do for the mutants that came here. He was willing to bet that a lot of them were worse off than him in some respects. At the very least he wouldn't want Kealey's ability. Constantly feeling the emotions of others had to suck.

"You live here?"

He was unable to keep all of the amazement out of his voice. Living in a place like this would be amazing.

They walked and Andrew waved off her attempt to let him release the tight hold he was keeping on his emotions. Kealey nodded her head. If anyone understood how important it was to keep a lock on your emotions sometimes…it was Kealey.

”You really shouldn’t be nervous though…” she explained, wondering what was bringing on those feelings, ”Nobody here is going to do anything that should make you nervous…unless it’s nervous in a good way.” Why was he nervous? It wasn’t like this was a try-out or anything.

Kealey tried to work out a better way to get her message across, and grinned when it happened, ”We’re the ones on an interview here Andrew. You’re deciding if you want to be a part of us, not the other way around. If you want to stay here. You can stay here.”

When they walked inside, Kealey just waited, letting Andrew take in all the things she’d told him about. Hearing the words were one thing, seeing it in all its splendor was another entirely.

She actually chuckled a little when he asked if she lived there, then Kealey nodded her head, ”Most of the time. I‘ve got an apartment in the city, but it‘s mostly storage these days. Everything I want and need is here.”

She gave the newcomer a few more moments to look around at things, then smiled, ”There’s a lot more to see, if you want.”

Kealey tried again to put him at ease. It wasn't going to work. If he started thinking negatively then he could turn anything into something that would scare him. It made no sense what so ever. He was going to point out that it didn't matter when Kealey spoke again and said something that actually did help. According to her it was the mansion and all of that that was on interview, so to speak, with him. At least when it came to him living here anyway. He was still pretty sure that when he saw Sam about that job he'd tell Andrew that he'd reconsidered and found someone ten times better for the gig. It was simply hard to accept that one such amazing thing could happen to him, let alone two if he should get the job.

"I guess I'm just not used to the idea of a chance like this coming to me."

Andrew shook off any remaining negative thoughts he could. He needed to be objective here. Well, as objective as you could be about a place like this. It was amazing. So far it was hard to see any real downsides to moving here. Of course the tour had just begun but even if the rest of the place wasn't half as nice as this it would likely still be a tempting offer. Andrew gave Kealey a smile in return.

"Lead on."

He didn’t quite believe her, but Kealey didn’t mind. It usually took people a little while to realize that there really was something good happening to them. It broke Kealey’s heart a little that people were so down trodden that they couldn’t even believe that something as established as the Mansion was truth, but it was the reality and the best she could do what make Andrew as comfortable as possible while he looked around.

And look he did, at all the same things that had awed and impressed Kealey the first time she’d visited the Mansion. Had it been so long ago? She smiled at the memory of those early days. How Shin had gotten her a room and let her follow him around. Kealey realized how silly and nostalgic she was being and jerked her attention back to Andrew as he told her to lead the way on the tour.

”Hmmm.” she said, considering where the best place to start would be. They were already on the first floor, and the kitchen was right down the hall…

”Let’s start in the kitchen. We can get something to drink, and since it’s on the first floor it’s as logical a place to start as any.”

That said, Kealey turned and made her way down the hall to the kitchen.

”And here we are…” she said as she walked in and flipped off the lights to illuminated the spacious and functional room. ”Everything you could ever want to use to cook. I still don’t know what half the stuff does.”

Andrew perked right up at the sound of the word kitchen. He wondered what the room would be like in a mansion like this. It would be something important to him considering he'd probably get a lot of use out of it and the appliances contained within it. The trip was quickly made and when the lights came on a small smile found it's way onto his face. It was great. He hadn't really thought it would be anything but considering where he was.

The mere sight of the room and knowledge of its function succeeded in calming him down. Andrew felt at home in a kitchen. Though Kealey would likely be the only one with any inkling of that. He wasn't about to say anything. Andrew sneaked glances as the various equipments in the room as he walked over to the fridge and tugged it open.

"Anything in particular you want to drink Kealey?"

She was giving the tour, thereby keeping him from getting lost. It made sense that he get the drinks. At least, it made sense to Andrew anyway.

Hmmm. Andrew was pleased by the kitchen, thrilled by it in fact. Kealey knew another person who would have had the same reaction, and she made a mental note to get in contact with Aurum. How long had it been since she’d seen him….his birthday? Far too long. Kealey turned her attention back to Andrew. He was calm now.

Note made. Kealey didn’t mention it though, just filed the little point away for later. People who liked to cook used it for therapy…and to make their drunk friends cheesecake brownies. Note made twice.

Andrew worked his way across the kitchen to the fridge and asked what Kealey wanted to drink, ”There should be some cokes in there. I’ll take one of those.” she said, wondering how someone so nice was having such a tough time living in the city.

”So, people really try to take advantage of your powers?’ the blond asked, leaning against the counter as she waited for Andrew to finish with the drinks.

”You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, but I’m curious. How exactly does it work?”

Andrew pulled out a coke for Kealey as she'd asked and a bottle of water for himself. He opened the coke and water then walked back over to where Kealey was standing to hand it off. The question she'd asked poked directly at one of the slightly illogical parts of his personality. Technically no one ever had taken advantage of his power. And they didn't try either. But Andrew was convinced that was because he didn't give them a chance to. And yet he'd given plenty of people plenty of chances to lately and they'd failed to do so. Why hadn't they done so? It made no sense!

At this point in his train of thought Andrew realized he was letting his thoughts run away from him. His hand was clenched so firmly around his bottle of water it was crackling. He relaxed his grip and tried to take solace in the fact that he was in a kitchen. Just imagine yourself baking some fresh bread Andrew. Now answer Kealey's question. After that she's probably even more curious.

"Actually no, no one has wittingly taken advantage of them yet. It's just that the mere thought of someone doing so scares me. A lot."

Ouch, that hurt the manly pride. Not that he had much to start with. He baked for pity's sake.

"Well someone asks me to promise them something. Say you wanted me to make you a ham sandwich and I promised you I would. A black band appears around my wrist to mark that I've made a promise and I begin to feel like I have to do it. And that feeling gets worse with time. The longer the promise goes unfulfilled the more I feel like I have to do it."

Andrew paused for a breath and a drink of his water.

"It's even worse if there is a time limit on the promise. Like if I had half an hour to make you that sandwich. If I hadn't gotten it done by minute twenty nine I'd be frantic and panicking trying to get that sandwich made. Or consequently if I'd decided not to make you the sandwich, decided to break the promise, then I'd have to tie myself down or put as much distance between myself and the kitchen as possible to make sure I didn't do anything about it. When I make a promise it's like an entire part of who I am gets changed to give the promise the best chance of getting seen through."

She’d made him uncomfortable. Kealey knew it the moment the question finished leaving her mouth and he started trying to answer it. He was scared, and a little embarrassed, and uncomfortable. So uncomfortable. The blond felt bad, but maybe this was just something he hadn’t worked through before. Maybe talking about the issue would help him resolve it. Maybe.

Kealey shifted a bit against the counter, trying to ignore the feeling she had that made her want to crawl out of her skin as Andrew gave the first part of his answer. Was this what it felt like to be scared all the time of something that might happen?

She was just about to apologize when the younger man calmed somewhat. He was still thinking about what he wanted to say, and he was quiet, so she waited. Then he explained, with examples, and Kealey’s eyes widened slightly.

”Goodness. No wonder you’re a little worried about people knowing. It’s safe here though. Chances are, there’s even someone who can relate to you somewhere around here. Maybe even give you advice on how to work with it. I know I‘ve learned a lot since moving here.”

There. The subject was moving away from directly talking about Andrew’s mutation. Hopefully the comfort level would go back up. They both had their drinks, and Kealey cast a look outside the room.

”Let’s see. Unless I’m gravely mistaken, you don’t need to see the student dorms…but there are a few other reasons to go upstairs. We’ve got the library, the living room, and the adult rooms. It’s probably the next logical place to go, then we can see about finding Sam or one of the greeters.”

In a strange way sharing that with someone who could actually feel what he felt helped. Kealey had just experienced the beginnings of one of his panic episodes. He just hoped she never had to be around him when his thoughts and emotions got away from him. That was never a good place to be and Andrew wouldn't wish it on anyone. Kealey said something that was meant to be reassuring and tied it into a reason for him to stay. Andrew wasn't fully paying attention. He'd been trying to memorize what it felt like to actually talk about his mutation in a place that felt safe.

It felt good. Telling Kealey about it without holding any detail back was cathartic. Was that what trusting someone felt like? It had been so long since he'd let himself trust that he'd somewhat forgotten about it. Kealey was talking about the next part of the tour. She didn't really mention anything that held as much interest for him as this kitchen but he'd be glad to see them anyway. As far as he was concerned though he was thinking that the best feature this place had were the people. If they were all like Sam and Kealey then didn't even need to think about moving in. Even if he didn't get the job he'd probably stay here.

"Sounds good."

A smile found its way on Andrew's face yet again, something he was a little surprised about but not much. Whether it was the place or, more likely, the company he was pretty serene for the moment. After that near miss with the panic attack that was saying something.

Continuing the tour sounded good. Kealey grinned. Andrew had been scared and a little panicked, now he wasn’t. Now he wanted to continue the tour. The only thing was, Kealey kind of wished she’d started with something other than the kitchen. It was hard to believe that he’d like anything else this much. Then again, the younger man was more at ease than Kealey had seen him since they met. It had been worth it to spoil the kitchen.

”Okay then, let’s head upstairs.” she said, and turned to lead the way, soda still in hand.

Kealey took Nathan up the left side of the double staircase, explaining as she went, ”The students live in the two wings. Boys on one side, girls on the other.” She stopped and gave Andrew a look, ”They still run around like little hormonal bundles of emotion, but it has to be a vast improvement over them sharing their living space.” They reached the top of the landing, and Kealey pointed at the middle corridor.

”This is the adult’s wing. It’s a little more quiet most of the time.” she moved down the long hallway and stopped at a door.

”This is my room, it’s a cluttered mess, but you can peek in and get the general idea.” she offered, while fishing her keys out of her purse and unlocking the door.

The room inside was simple, like a college dorm with slightly nicer fixings. There was a bed, and a desk, and a door that led to a private bathroom. It was cluttered, and half-finished clothing designs littered almost every empty space, and after a few moments, Kealey pulled the door shut with a bashful smile.

”I do some Uniform design for Sam. Sometimes he needs things that you can’t buy off the rack.” ‘For the paramilitary group I’m not telling you about as part of the tour…’

She turned in the corridor and made her way back out to the landing, ”If we go to the right or left, we go to either the library or the living room, want to start with the living room, and finish our tour with the Library? It’s my favorite place, since I’m also the librarian here.”

They headed up the staircase and Kealey made passing mention of the student dorms and how they were set up. Teenagers were teenagers. By the sound of it they did what they could to keep the anarchy in check. Once they got to the top of the stairs she pointed out another hallway. This one was where the adults who called this place home resided. Kealey offered up a view of her room as a general idea what the rooms were like. It was messy but this was Kealey's room after all. The bare bones and furnishings would suit him nicely if he decided to stay.

Andrew noticed the clothing designs but made no mention of them. Kealey did that for him, citing that Sam sometimes needed clothes that couldn't be bought off of the rack. Sam didn't seem like someone who cared about fashion at all. That begged the question of why the special clothes would be needed. Andrew didn't pry though. He wasn't part of the place yet and hadn't proved himself trustworthy. Someone would tell him eventually if they felt he needed to know.

Kealey mentioned the last two places on the tour and he nodded in response to her suggestion. That sounded good.

"Sounds good to me."

He didn't bother to say any of what he was thinking. Mostly, he was thinking about how long it would take to get settled in.

Andrew was curious when Kealey pointed out that Sam had her making things that weren’t usually available on the rack. He was perceptive. He was also going to have to live with the curiosity, at least for now.

Most of the people living in the Mansion probably had an idea about what was going on, but running around flaunting your identity as an X-Man usually wasn’t the best course of action in day-to-day life. If he decided to make the Mansion a more permanent home, he figure things out.

The prospective resident seemed very biddable to wherever Kealey wanted to take him and as they made their way towards the Living Room, Kealey simply let him look. They’d already repaired the spot in the wall where Shin had caused a little damage during a practice accident and as they rounded the doorway to the living room, Kealey smiled.

There were various couches and chairs in various stages of being ‘broken-in’. Nothing in the Mansion ever looked ratty unless it was supposed to, but it was obvious that the furniture in this room was meant for leisure, not decoration. There was a TV, tables, and various other things that would be entertaining for teens and adults alike.

”When we’re not hanging out in our rooms, this is a popular spot. Most nights of the week you can find a bunch of people gathered out here to watch sports or TV shows. You can have TV’s in your rooms, but sometimes it’s more fun to watch with people.”

Kealey didn't say anything about his curiosity and Andrew was ok with that. He knew that she felt it. Normally that would have been reason enough to make him suspicious and put a point against the place. However, perhaps because of the place or because of Kealey, Andrew was feeling pretty calm and mellow. It was almost strange to not be paranoid about something but it felt good.

The living room was nice and according to Kealey was where a lot of the people who lived in the massive house. It looked cozy. Andrew would probably stay away from it until he was comfortable with the place. Not that that would take too long. Maybe a few days at most.

"Makes sense."

It struck Andrew how strange it was that he was ready to trust a house full of people he'd never met, beyond two of them, to the point that he was already fairly certain that he'd be moving in with them. Heck he was considering just how long it would take him to get what possessions he had out of the apartment and brought over here. Altogether a strange move for someone who had been, up until recently, reluctant to trust anyone. Had it been like that for Kealey and the other people who came here? Hmm...

"So, how did you end up here?"