For the first time since his arrival into this city, the sun was high in the sky, its warm glow only hindered now and then by the odd cloud that briefly deflected its glare. It was a welcome change, Kyle thought to himself, to the pouring rain that had hammered the city since his arrival two days ago. But the sun being out was only better then it by a slight bit; he did enjoy a good rainfall after all.

Still, the weather wasn't his concern today. No, his reason for being here wouldn't have changed whether it had been rain, sleet, shine or snow; though the snow would have been odd at this time of year and the march through the rain would have been an interesting way to first appear. Considering how the last few weeks had been rather dull in terms of action, he wouldn't have minded that kind of epic entrance....oh well.

As he approached the massive mansion that the school was said to be based at, Kyle's eyes glazed over his surroundings, taking a mental picture as best he could for later reference. Plenty of open space all around for people to move about it, plus that meant they had a fair line of sight to anyone approaching. A defensive tactic maybe? He could see several outdoor activities being undertaken in the appropriate setting; basketball on a basketball court, the splash of someone diving into water, kids kicking a ball around in the open yard near the school. It certainly looked like a high level school from this distance....but as he got closer, he caught the occasional spark of something you wouldn't see at a normal school. And that was someone using a genetic mutation.

He was at the right place it seemed.

Approaching the main doors with his cloak secured around his neck and flapping the wind, his glasses settled nicely on his face and his small bag of clothes and other items slung over his shoulder, Kyle stopped right before the doors and took that extra moment to look up the mansion before him. It hadn't looked this big as he approached; now that he was standing there, he could see the place was HUGE! No wonder someone had decided to use it as a school....it could definitely hold the students.

Movement out of the corner of his eye made his snap his head in that direction to the source, the fingers on his right hand clenching as the idea of a possible threat leaped into his mind. But he didn't move or act in defense...yet. Instead, he turned to the one approaching and rose an eyebrow at them, unmoving from his spot. "It's not nice to approach people without announcing yourself you know....might startle the wrong person and then who knows what could happen.

So, who might you be?

“Go on, shoo,” Agnes said and waved her hands.

Kneeling on the grass in front of a garden that lined the front of the mansion, Agnes dug her trowel into the soil and began to churn and mix it. It was her task to plant some new flower seeds and in doing her job as the mansions Part-Time gardener, she managed to find that bugs just loved every plant here. As she turned soil she noticed more than one or two flies land on her hands, while other types of creepy-crawlies were attempting to climb over her shoes. She only rolled her eyes and allowed them to do such. So long as it was keeping the little buggers away from her seeds.

“Look, I know I’m disrupting your personal space, but this if kind of my job,” she said gently. It was a soothing tone she took on, one that tried to impress that everything would be okay. She was the schools resident living bug hive and if there was one things that entailed was that insects loved to be around her.

Digging up the soil, Agnes sighed a bit in triumph as she grabbed her packet of seeds and began to carefully plant. She knew a little bit about gardening from, as much as she hated to admit it, her mother. It was probably one of the few, real life skills she gained from that woman. That and sewing. Unfortunately the school had no use for seamstress but they could always use a good part-time gardener. She may as well use her mother’s skills and get paid for it.

Carefully she planted each seed. Once it was in the ground, her pale, thin hands reached around and patted the soil down into little mounds over the seeds. The fresh scent of the soil tickled the back of her brain and everything about her tragic past was buried just a little deeper. She was actually feeling happy, whole…

A breath of relief and Agnes stood up, dusting her hands off on the yellow, sunny gardening apron she wore. She forgot to purchase gloves, but she was more than happy to feel the soil around her fingertips. Reaching up, she adjusted her floppy, dark red gardening hat, picked up her watering pail and immediately felt the emptiness within it. She sighed. Forgot to put water in. Shaking her head, Agnes turned and headed towards the front of the mansion where she knew there was a water hose. Shoving her trowel into her apron’s pocket, she wandered on, musing about what else she needed to do today when she suddenly noticed someone standing outside the doors. Security must have let him in.

Head tilted, crystal blue eyes looking him over, she slowly made her way up, not realizing that she was being as silent as the grave. She only knew of it because of the way the man addressed her…

>> "It's not nice to approach people without announcing yourself you know....might startle the wrong person and then who knows what could happen. So, who might you be?”

Eyebrow arched, Agnes felt herself grow little shy under the young man’s tone. She wanted to say that she was sorry but before she could get the words out, he asked about her. At least he was not going to kill her, or so she hoped.

“Agnes. And I didn’t mean to startle you.” she said with as much strength in her voice as she could muster. After all, this was her home too and she was not going to allow herself to be scared off. “A-And just who are you?” she hoped he was not looking for trouble. The security station at the gate was not far and at least they could see them.

There was a brief moment between his words to the being that had approached him and the return reply from the person in question that Kyle had to look over the one who had almost snuck up on him. First and foremost, the person was a she, a girl who didn't look to be much older then twenty at best. Long brown hair slid down from her head, crystal blue eyes stared back at his and he noticed that she was a little dirty around the knees and hands. The bucket in her hand was a watering pail, the one most people would use when gardening; well, that explained the dirt.

And then there was the smell.

He hadn't noticed it at first, more content with giving the girl a once over. Now that she was closer though, the smell coming from her was not something he could ignore. It took him a considerable amount of effort to avoid showing how his body was reacting to the smell visually; maybe she was just smelled from whatever she had been doing.

His brief time to give her a glance over ended as quickly as one would have expected, but not without its merits. As far as he could tell, she had no outward signs of mutation, nothing that made her look threatening at least. Looks could deceive though, he knew this all to well, but he noticed a glint of hesitation behind those crystal blue eyes of hers when he'd addressed her. I've got her on guard....good, maybe that'll help me get the information I need. He watched her with slightly narrowed eyes as she spoke, revealing her name along with the typical question of who he was. She stuttered slightly when asking that question too, another sign that he'd put her on edge.

He remained silent for a moment longer then was needed, enough that her nerves would be set to the boiling point, then let a smirk slid across his face. Turning to face her properly, he walked over in carefully calculated steps towards her, stopping just short of where she stood. Tilting his head to either side to inspect her once again, his smirk grew wider again before he lifted a hand to grasp her own. "Me? I'm the new guy in town. Kyle Albatross is my name, but you may call me Kyle. Its a pleasure to meet you Agnes."

With practiced ease, he lifted her hand and lowered his hand, lightly brushing his lips over its back. Heck of a way to greet someone, but it was one of the things his father had taught him that he actually enjoyed doing at times. Not all the time, mind you, but he figured it was appropriate for this situation. "So Agnes, tell me this; am I correct in believing I have come to a school for people with "unique" ablilities or do I have the wrong address? I certainly hope its not the latter."

Agnes visibly stiffened as she stood there and stared at the young man begin to advance on her. The tension racked throughout her body as she tried to keep herself as strong looking as possible. This was her home after all she was not going to be scared away. But at the same time Agnes knew that she did not make a very imposing figure. She was sure that most people believed that a simple strong breeze would be enough to knock her over and send her tumbling across the lawn. Of course back when she used to live on the streets, anyone who made that mistake was met with a quick knee into their groin.

With the way this guy was advancing, she could definitely do that and then run and get security. She subtly began to loosen her leg just in case.

>> "Me? I'm the new guy in town. Kyle Albatross is my name, but you may call me Kyle. It’s a pleasure to meet you Agnes."

Agnes said nothing in response. Instead she kept a wary eye on him. The last thing she wanted was for him to surprise her.

But the teenager had fought off worse people before. When her parents came here and tried to take her back, she managed to escape from Malachi, didn’t she? So far she has faced some very dangerous types and this man was no different if he proved to be a threat.

Yet, what made her anxious nearly instantly was him gently touching her hand and bring it up to his lips to kiss. She wanted to snatch her hand back, she wanted to kick at that most sensitive spot on any man and hightail it back into the mansion. But the sheer slickness that this man spoke with just seemed to catch her off guard. She didn’t trust him in the least right now, but he could simply be eccentric. Once the kiss was done and she had her hand back, Agnes again remained standing strong.

That did not mean that her heart was not pounding like a bloody jackhammer though. And worst of all was that her anxious was beginning to make that familiar buzzing start up in her chest. The swarm was ready to get on the offensive.

>> “So Agnes, tell me this; am I correct in believing I have come to a school for people with "unique" abilities or do I have the wrong address? I certainly hope it’s not the latter."

She took a calming breath and took a step back from the man. As she did so, she managed to keep her control over the swarm just a little longer so that they did not go erupting out of her mouth and attacking the man. She hated to attack him unless she had reason.

Another breath and she locked eyes with the man.

“Yeah, you got the right place,” she said with a nod. “And because this is a place full of ‘unique’ people, I wouldn’t consider starting any trouble, if that’s your intent.” she was surprised by the forcefulness in her own voice. But this was her home and she did not want to see anything happen to it. “So…what is your business?” she finally asked.

It didn't take a rocket scientist to know that his presence was setting the young girl's nerves on edge. She practically froze when Kyle started moving towards her, the stiffening of her muscles visually happening with each step he took in that short distance between them. Still, despite her obvious tension, Agnes did not flinch from the spot she occupied; something he considered most surprising considering her statue. A note of interest and slight respect in his book...others would have fled with each step he took. Maybe the rumors he'd heard about this place were more then rumors.

She remained silent through his introduction and the odd greeting he had given her, though Kyle noted again with interest that her body seemed to flinch in surprise to his actions. He almost expected a swift return from her for the awkward greeting; instead, she merely let the action happen and then let her hand drift away when he released it. And she still hadn't budged an inch. Most impressive...I wonder if her power allows her to remain standing here when she's so notably frightened?

His eyes, hard behind his glasses yet with the glint of mischief in them, kept her under his unflinching gaze. He shuffled the bag on his shoulder a couple of times to make it settle into a more comfortable position while his other hand flexed a few times, the fingers crackling whenever they came close to his palm. He could tell that Agnes needed a moment before she answered his question and he was more then happy to wait for it. Hopefully he wouldn't have to wait too long....

Finally, Agnes took a deep, calming breath before stepping back from him, the first move she had undertaken in a while, minus the moving of her lips. When she did open her mouth to take that breath and answer, Kyle noticed something odd in the background noise. His ears twitched in response to the strange sound...was that buzzing he just heard? Was there a bee or wasp buzzing around him....it didn't matter really, bugs didn't bother him. But he didn't want to get stung if he could help it. Putting that aside for the moment, he turned back to listen to Agnes reply. And with her reply, his grin grew, with a hint of dark behind the wicked grin.

"Well, good to hear I didn't stumble onto some private school for rich jerks at least. And was that a threat I heard behind that innocent voice? What, pray tell, would you do if my intent and business was to cause absolute chaos and anarchy?" He heavily emphasized the "would YOU" do part of his question, making it clear that if that was indeed his intent, she was the only thing standing in the way at the moment...and she clearly did not look like much. He let that sink in for a moment longer before the dark grin faded and turned into a heartfelt laugh.

"Hahahaha, I had you going there, didn't I? Admit it, I sounded like I was gonna do something like that and that you were worried about what to do. Anyway, I apologize for the joke; I just wanted to see for sure that this place was worth my coming. So far, it amazingly has not disappointed.

My "true" business here is likely the same reason as it is for anyone else who came here. I have powers and I want to learn how to better control them. Is there someplace I'm supposed to go or someone I'm supposed to talk to about staying here?" All wicked intent was gone from his voice now, replaced by a cheerful and rather uplifted tone of voice. Hopefully that would help calm her nerves a little.

>> "Well, good to hear I didn't stumble onto some private school for rich jerks at least. And was that a threat I heard behind that innocent voice? What, pray tell, would you do if my intent and business was to cause absolute chaos and anarchy?"

The look on his face shook her to the core. She was not liking this man and another glance to the guard station and she turned her eyes back onto the newcomer. There was little she could do by herself except release a swarm of insects in the man’s face. That could prove enough of a distraction for her to disable him with a well-placed kick long enough to run for help. It was not much of a plan but it was the best one that she had going for her. After all, this was her home and she was going to defend it with everything that she had…

But despite her stubbornness, that did not mean the was not scared. Far from it. In fact the buzzing in her chest only got worse and just a little louder as he advanced. It was to the point that the neighboring bugs were sensing her discomfort and rushed to her aid. Ants from the lawn began to crawl over her shoes and flies and wasps began to slowly attach onto her clothes and fly about her head. Those were just the ones that happened by outside, those that were within, her personal swarm, they had yet to be released…but boy they wanted out.

Then…gears shifted…

>> "Hahahaha, I had you going there, didn't I? Admit it, I sounded like I was gonna do something like that and that you were worried about what to do. Anyway, I apologize for the joke; I just wanted to see for sure that this place was worth my coming. So far, it amazingly has not disappointed…My "true" business here is likely the same reason as it is for anyone else who came here. I have powers and I want to learn how to better control them. Is there someplace I'm supposed to go or someone I'm supposed to talk to about staying here?"

Agnes blinked a couple times, three-and-a-half to be exact, when she listened to this man laugh and respond that it was all a joke. She was still on edge but very slowly she began to relax. In doing so, the buzzing in her chest began to die down, just enough so she did not have to struggle so hard to keep them at bay. Though she was still a little antsy around this man and he did seem to be genuine that he was joking, she would still slightly be on guard.

She cracked the smallest of smiles. “Heh, y-yeah, you definitely had me going,” she smirked.

Her whitened knuckles that clutched onto the watering pail so hard gently loosened as she started to calm. She was glad she did not have to get physical with the guy. Besides, even if bad things were in his intentions, if she could get him inside the mansion, there were more mutants in there willing to help defend it than just her.

“Well, you definitely came to the right place,” she said with a smirk and took a more casual stance and then nodded to the mansion. “If you talk to one of the greeters inside, they should be able to set you up with something. There’s always a place for someone in need here,” she said with a slightly warmer voice as the last of the flies and wasps began to flutter away into the world around them. “Welcome to Xavier’s Sister School.”

Before his unflinching eyes, the scene in front of Kyle was changing. He had thrown the fake threat towards Agnes to see what her reaction would be; would she finally save and attempt to escape, to find help? Or would she use whatever her mutation was to counter his possible attack against her home? The test, as it were, to see if coming here had been worth his while.

To her credit, she didn't run. Her eyes showcased that his words had unnerved her for sure, but she didn't move from her spot before him. And there was another thing behind those eyes...something Kyle hadn't seen in a while. An unflinching determination glittered behind them. She would fight to protect her home from danger; he could clearly see that now. That had been the trigger to key off his "wicked" appearance. After all, he had learned what he wanted to know. There was no point in actually bringing trouble down now that he had the knowledge he wanted.

There was one odd thing that he noticed, however. After he had made his threat, the air around Agnes had changed. To be exact in that regard, there were other creatures surrounding her that had not been there before. Before, the air had been free and empty; now, wasps and flies seemed to be flocking to Agnes, landing on her in various places, or hovering around her defensively. The key thing he took note of though, was that Agnes was completely unfazed by this fact. A small smile cracked at the side of his mouth. So her power had something to do with insectoids. Interesting.

He let the fact that his threat had been fake to sink in for her, to let those nerves settle from the state of distress they had likely been in before. Though her body tension weakened, the insects around her didn't fly away yet. She was likely still on edge a bit. A fact that was perfectly fine with him, so long as she didn't try anything funny herself. He really didn't want to have to hurt a pretty face after all...and no matter what her power over insects was, it wasn't something that could stand up to his. Right?

"Well that's good. Far as I could tell, you guys don't exactly advertise the place. I only heard about it in rumors for the most part.

Greeters huh? I guess that makes sense. I just wasn't sure how this place worked, what with it being a mansion and all instead of your typical school. Then again, I've seen how private schools have worked before, so I guess its not much different then that when you really think about it. Only...instead of rich stuck up kids, its a school for those of us that are different.

Well, thank you. I'm glad to be here." Chuckling, he took another step towards her and offered his hand towards the pail. "Here, let me fill that for you. As an apology for using you as a guinea pig as it were. And while I do that, maybe you can tell me more about how your mutation allows you to control insects. And before you get all worried or something like that, no I don't know that for sure. Just what I can hazard from observation; and what I saw was a girl standing before me, tense but unflinching in the face of possible danger....and a small swarm of insects starting to surround her. And you didn't even budge an inch when they did, which tells me your used to that sort of thing for some reason. That's my guess anyway.

Am I close Agnes or way off the mark?" he said with a huge grin on his face.

>> "Well that's good. Far as I could tell, you guys don't exactly advertise the place. I only heard about it in rumors for the most part. Greeters huh? I guess that makes sense. I just wasn't sure how this place worked, what with it being a mansion and all instead of your typical school. Then again, I've seen how private schools have worked before, so I guess its not much different then that when you really think about it. Only...instead of rich stuck up kids, its a school for those of us that are different.”

Agnes had to smirk again slightly at his comment. She had thought the same thing when she first appeared at this school. She was afraid that her mutation was going to result in several clashes of personality with people who would be too stuck up to want anything to do with her. As a matter of fact she already did run into that with a young blonde by the name of Faye who made her distaste of her known right from the start. But shortly after that that she managed to find her grove. This place was very deceptive.

It looked opulent, it really did, but except for a stuck up nose or two (caused by personality and not wealth), everyone here at the mansion was pretty calm. Even she managed to make some great friends and kept her enemies at an all-time low. But she can see from the outside how someone new to the mansion can confuse it with some snooty prep school.

She was thankful to be proven wrong at every opportunity. Instead the school turned out to be a great place and she hoped that the presence of this young man was not here to destroy it.

>> “Well, thank you. I'm glad to be here”

Agnes nodded.

>> “…Here, let me fill that for you. As an apology for using you as a guinea pig as it were. And while I do that, maybe you can tell me more about how your mutation allows you to control insects. And before you get all worried or something like that, no I don't know that for sure. Just what I can hazard from observation; and what I saw was a girl standing before me, tense but unflinching in the face of possible danger....and a small swarm of insects starting to surround her. And you didn't even budge an inch when they did, which tells me your used to that sort of thing for some reason. That's my guess anyway. Am I close Agnes or way off the mark?"

Agnes had handed him her watering pail and directly him to the nearest hose. After all, he was right, that was the least that he could do for her. But as they walked towards the hose, the young man began to ask questions as to her powers. She figured that it was not something that was well visible but apparently this man had not missed a beat. Instead of simply passing it off, he seemed to correctly divine that the presence of the bugs had been because of her powers. She had to give him credit for being observant.

Agnes shrugged, trying to pass off her ability as nothing really special. After all, she never really felt that it was since, after all, the majority of the time she felt weighed down by it.

“They protect me,” she mutely replied. “If I’m in danger they come to rescue, from…everywhere.” She left out the part about the bugs within her chest. After all, there was no need to get into full disclosure, especially since she was still slightly suspicious. As she waited for him to fill the pail, she tilted the head. “What…about you? You obviously came here for a reason.”

Taking the pail from her, Kyle almost spun on his heel to face the opposite way, his eyes gliding across the area to locate where the hose was. Luckily, he didn't have to look hard, as Agnes was kind enough to point out the location for him. Grinning, he turned and thanked her and made his way over to it. Setting the pail down, he turned the gear to let the water flow, placing the hose into the bucket so that the water would pile there.

He'd only turned it a little though, so the flow of water from the hose would be minimal and the filling of the pail would be slow going; enough time to allow him to chat more at length with Agnes and learn all he could. About this school, about what they did here, about the rumors that surrounded the place...and about Agnes herself and her powers. Information, after all, was always the key to almost everything in this day and age. And what could he say; he was curious.

His suspicions of Agnes power were, for the most part, dead on. The veil of insects that had come to her had certainly taken an almost defensive posture around her at that time, just waiting for a reason to strike out against a possible threat to their commander. He wondered, for the briefest of moments, what would have happened had he tried to do something a bit far, taken that step over the line? Maybe something to investigate in the future; for now he was content.

Glancing at the pail to check its progress, Kyle turned his eyes back to Agnes and smiled warmly at both her answer and at her question as well. It was, after all, logical after he asked about her power for her to ask about his. The only question was the best way to demonstrate it without giving away too much about his ability. He did, after all, like surprising people with just how powerful his ability could be. His eyes scanned the area while he thought about it, looking for an proper demonstration....and lo and behold, his eyes found a way.

"That's quite a unique power there Agnes. I don't know how effective it would be in winter though....unless there's more to it. But you told me what I asked you so its only fair that I return the favor and answer your question."

Lifting his arm up to point at a nearby tree, Kyle did some quick calculations on the distance from him to it. It was roughly about ten feet....well within the range of what he was about to do. Perfect. Taking a sharp breath, Kyle focused, as he always did when he needed to use his power, concentrating on the tip of his index finger as he pointed it towards one of its leaf covered branches. When he felt the tip of his finger pulse with the needed energy, he simply released it; a single, sharp bolt of purple hued energy that suddenly blasted free from his finger like a rocket. The small bolt flew straight and tree, knocking several of the leaves off the branch as it made contact before dissipating into nothing. As the leaves fluttered to the ground, some partially burned, Kyle turned back to Agnes, smiling.

"My ability allows me to control the energy inside me and harness it for my own means. For the most part, that means channeling it into powerful bursts of energy, like I just showed you. As for the reason why I'm here....well, I'm here because I want to be here, simple as that. Now then...." he said, reaching down to turn off the water and lift the pail now full with water," "how about we take this to where its needed and then maybe you can give me a tour. If that's not a problem of course?"

>> "That's quite a unique power there Agnes. I don't know how effective it would be in winter though....unless there's more to it. But you told me what I asked you so its only fair that I return the favor and answer your question."

Agnes stepped back as she simply watched. She still could not get a focus on this young man. There was something about him that made her just a little uneasy. It was not that she sensed evil or something wafting off of him, but it was more like he was hiding something. He was a mutant, he admitted that much, but he was not tipping his hand on what he could do. Not a single bit. And he was seeking to make that point known. It was obvious that he liked keeping certain information private and up to his discretion to reveal.

To Agnes that made him just a slightly dangerous.

But there was the fact that he actually seemed to want to share. So maybe he was not 100% bad. Agnes paranoia just seemed to stem from the fact that she did not like secrets. Her break-up with Rhythm, the lies her parents taught her her entire life, all of those were some of the worst memories she had. All of them were derived from hidden truths. But the runaway knew she was over-thinking it. Her pail of water was nearly full and it seemed at his discretion he would not keep her in the dark for long…

He pointed to a distant tree.

At first Agnes had no idea what he was doing. Was he going to yell “Objection” or something? But instead of arguing, she merely watched in silence and suddenly there was a first of purple energy that flew from his fingertip and struck the tree from a distance. The leaves rustled and a few floated gently back down to the earth.

Agnes looked, mouth open a little in surprise. She had yet to see a demonstration like this and to be honest it was a little terrifying to her. The man released a burst of energy that looked like it had the potentiality of being quite destructive. She prayed she was never one the receiving end of that. She turned back to him, still just a little paranoid but still refusing to back away…

>> "My ability allows me to control the energy inside me and harness it for my own means. For the most part, that means channeling it into powerful bursts of energy, like I just showed you. As for the reason why I'm here....well, I'm here because I want to be here, simple as that. Now then....how about we take this to where it’s needed and then maybe you can give me a tour. If that's not a problem of course?"

“Oh,” she said a little quietly as she watched him fill the pail to its brim and then proceed to pick it up once again. He still scared her slightly, but at least he was being a gentleman. Maybe…maybe she was judging him a bit too harshly? She sighed and smiled a bit meekly, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear and adjusted her hat. She nodded to the corner of the building. It was there that she had just finished tilling the soil and planted her seeds. “Um, sure. I-I can show you around. Then I’ll take you to the greeter. They’ll know where to put you.”

The look of surprise on Agnes face made Kyle grin only wider. That was usually the reaction people had to his ability, even other mutants. It did stand out among the many other powers he'd seen at times, some more then others. There were other powers out there just as amazing as his was, though Kyle himself believed that every power was unique and worth recognition in some form. Agnes's was a good example; it may not be the flashiest power or the strongest but it had its merits and uses if one thought about it. And more to the point, it made her special in her own way.

With a light smile, he adjusted the pail in his hand so it felt better against his skin and nodded in response to her words. He had no intention of making her carry the heavy pail, even if that had been her intent before his arrival. A man did not make a lady carry the heavy load after all...unless said lady made a really good argument why she would. Or he respected them enough to let them do as they pleased or wished; as of yet, Agnes didn't have that. But if this kept up the way it was, she would soon.

"Fantastic. Always good to have a friendly guide that knows where she's going when you don't. And of course, that guide being a beautiful lady is a welcome bonus. Shall we?" Offering to let her lead, he would follow her around the corner to where the garden she'd been working. Placing the pail down nearby, Kyle took a step back to allow her the time to finish her own task. In the meantime, he let his eyes wander on the area around them, taking in the sights of the rather peaceful environment the school had been placed in.

Before long, he turned his eyes back to Agnes to watch her finish her work, his arms folded across his chest. With a smile, he offered a hand to assist her up when she started to rise to her feet, then motioned for her to lead on when she was. "A most interesting pastime you have there Agnes. Anyway, if you're finished, shall we get to this tour and this meeting with the greeters? I'm most interested to get started here."

>> "Fantastic. Always good to have a friendly guide that knows where she's going when you don't. And of course, that guide being a beautiful lady is a welcome bonus. Shall we?"

Agnes blushed. She said nothing in response but instead just smiled slightly in Kyle’s direction. It was not that she felt at all flattered by his compliment. Well, she did a little bit. But the truth of the matter was that Agnes was so unused to receiving compliments that she did not think all that much about them when they were presented to her. It was not simply that she was ignorant of them, it was simply that they never held much weight with her. Too many times when she was living on the streets, she had seen other young women, those whom were not as mentally trained as herself succumb to the flattery of an untrustworthy man.

It wasn’t a good outcome. So maybe that just meant that she had a naturally affinity for not letting it get to her head. But her physical reaction was still to blush. Pretty common whenever anyone said something nice about her.

But he offered her the lead, and even took the heavy pail of water in hand. That was fine by her. She would use the opportunity so long as she had it.

Nodding, Agnes lead him back to the spot that she had just been working at.

Letting him observe the outside of the mansion, the grounds, the gardens, Agnes attempted to finish her work. She tilled the ground, planted the last of her seeds, and even took the water gratefully from Kyle and watered her new babies. With a gentle tut she shooed away bugs that attempted to get too close to the plants and just smirked at them as they lazily toyed with flying around her and around her seed packets and newly wet ground.

Once she was done, she turned to find Kyle offering his hand to help her up. Quietly she took it with a thankful nod.

>> "A most interesting pastime you have there Agnes. Anyway, if you're finished, shall we get to this tour and this meeting with the greeters? I'm most interested to get started here."

“Not a pastime…it’s my job,” she said with a smirk as she smacked the remaining soil off her apron. Reaching up, she plucked off her red hat and let her loose brown hair cascade freely down her neck and shoulders. Wiping her forehead from perspiration, she replaced the hat upon her head and smile again. “I can show you around. Then I’ll take you to the greeter’s office.” She said as she piled her small amount of gardening gear off to the side for her to pick up later. She then reached behind herself, untied the apron’s knot and slipped it off before setting it down with the rest of the gear.

She stepped away from her supplies as she once again took the lead, heading back for the main entrance to the mansion. This had never really been one of her jobs before. Normally Agnes tended to miss most of the newcomers. For some reason it filled her with a small sense of purpose that she did not before possess. She liked the feeling.

Arriving at the front doors, she glanced back to Kyle before she grasped the handle and pushed it open. “Kyle, welcome to the Xavier Institute,” she said as she stepped in and waved for him to follow.

Did he hear her right? Attending to the garden was her job? A most interesting fact indeed...he had figured she attended to it out of personal preference. Did that mean the mansion gave specialized tasks to its students as well as helped them learn how to control their powers...on top of giving them shelter from a world that sometimes didn't agree with their existence.

Agnes dusted off the dirt that had covered the front of her apron as he helped her to her feet, removing that large hat of hers as well to shake her hair out, as well as wipe a fine line of sweat from her brow. Kyle could only smile as he studied her, mindfully noticing the small hover of bugs just outside of his personal bubble. Still cautious it seemed...but that was alright. He'd earn her full trust soon enough and then maybe he wouldn't have to watch out for a possible wasp attack.

He waited quietly for her to gather up her equipment and store it away, then smiled and fell in line behind her as she started off towards the main doors they had come from. Hitching his own bag over his shoulder for a better fit, he stepped up his pace slightly so that he came to her side, matching her pace once he was there. "Thanks for this; I know it's probably a bit of a hassle to be showing some new guy around. I appreciate it though. By the way, its been on mind since you mentioned it but....is the greeter like a teacher or some kind of management person?"

He noticed as they approached the doors that Agnes seemed to have a slightly new spring to her step. Curious...maybe she was warming to his presence faster then he'd guessed. Not a bad thing per say...but there was something to be said about having to earn the proper trust with a bit of work that spoke to him. Maybe he just enjoyed a little challenge to making friends...maybe he was just weird like that. Who knew?

When she creaked open the front doors and stepped inside, Kyle did his best to let his surprise not show on his face. He utterly failed. His mouth dropped ever so slightly and his head twisted left and right as it panned across the massive and detailed entryway before him. The whole place stank of an upper class house...and yet it didn't have that aura of belonging to people who believed money meant everything. It felt more like a fancy home designed to house as many people as possible that required housing. Needless to say, he was impressed.

"My word...this is one welcome I'm happy to accept. This place is astounding!" Glancing over to Agnes, the excitement lining his features could not be hidden. "A wonderful place for a school this is. Add to that the kindness of its members so far...and having a stunning lady be the first of likely many to show me around...makes it even better. So Agnes....what's the first leg of this grand tour?"

>> "Thanks for this; I know it's probably a bit of a hassle to be showing some new guy around. I appreciate it though. By the way, it’s been on mind since you mentioned it but....is the greeter like a teacher or some kind of management person?"

Before Agnes had opened the doors, she offered Kyle a smirk in response. She felt the same way when she first came here. She really had no idea what a “greeter” was. As a matter of fact, when she thought about it, even now, all she could picture in her head was the image of those people who work at Wal-Mart whose only job was to wave and say “good morning” to people whenever they walked in. In essence she guessed that’s exactly what a greeter here at the mansion was, except they had the added responsibility of finding them rooms.

“They pretty much handle the legal stuff, sign papers, officially let you into the mansion,” she shrugged with a smile. “Stuff like that.”

Though there was still a healthy bit of skepticism about this man, Agnes was not going to jump to any conclusions. So far he did seem rather nice and he was helpful. She really did hope and pray that the man was not here to cause problems. Hopefully he was being on the up and up.

Judging by his reaction when he stepped into the mansion he definitely seemed to be genuine. She smirked as she crossed her arms over her chest and stepped back. It was the same reaction she had when she first showed up on this doorstep. For the moment she would wait and let him gawk. Every newcomer was given that opportunity.

>> "My word...this is one welcome I'm happy to accept. This place is astounding! A wonderful place for a school this is. Add to that the kindness of its members so far...and having a stunning lady be the first of likely many to show me around...makes it even better. So Agnes....what's the first leg of this grand tour?"

A small smile played on her lips as she shook her head.

“Trust me,” she grinned. “Flattery only gets you so far with me.” she then turned and waved for him to follow. “Let’s start with what we have here and I’ll gradually lead you to the Greeter’s office. Our foyer is here,” she said as she waved around to her surroundings. The tour would start small and with what was most important after the foyer…the kitchen...

Kyle's eyes were still rolling back and forth over the place he would likely call home in a few short hours. The place, despite its massive size, was remarkably clean as far as he could tell, a feat that surprised him considering the number of people he saw outside who probably lived here. On top of that, they were mutants....and there was a very slim chance all of them had powers like Agnes that wouldn't cause some kind of chaos when unleashed. A credit, more then likely, to whoever was running this place to keep everyone in line then. A most interesting development indeed.

Agnes voice broke him from his study, turning his emerald eyes back on her to listen. Nodding with a grin as she explained what a greeter was to him, he let his eyes wander to watch a pair of young children wander past them, books in hand, chatting between themselves about their day. They cast a look towards Kyle and Agnes, a questionable one towards him at least, then carried on with their walk. Kyle chuckled lightly; a school of all ages it seemed.

"Ah, I see. Guess it makes sense in a way to call them greeters...or quite possibly the secretaries. Or maybe their lawyers....very interesting."

He spent a few more minutes studying the foyer around him, then twisted his head back to Agnes and motioned again for her to lead on. She did so, but only after giving him a little advice about her, as well as motioned to the foyer around them and indicating it as such. With a smile, Kyle nodded and chuckled at her reaction.

"Yes, well, flattery may only get me so far, but it pays to be nice to people. And honestly, can you tell me you aren't liking the comments? Either way, I'll tone it down a bit; but only a bit." That last part was said with a hint of mischief and a pinch of wickedness, with a fine coating of playful teasing on top of it. Having said that, Agnes finished letting him inspect the foyer and then lead him into a well lit room that needed no introduction either. With cabinets lining the walls, pots and pans in plain sight, an oven, microwave, a table for preparing dishes and a fairly sized refrigerator sitting in the corner of the room, Kyle knew exactly where he was.

He'd just never seen a kitchen this size before. Oh how money buys quality.

"Well, I may be wrong but I'm pretty sure this is.....a very popular place to be. A very large popular place to be." His tone would convey that he was joking, or at least he hoped it would. Otherwise he would look pretty silly.