Chase followed his older cohorts to the aisles of heated trays , somewhat at a loss. His mother had prided herself on preparing meals, so eating out was practically unheard of in their house. "Buffet" had not been in his vocabulary up until this day, and he had most certainly never touched chopsticks. Chase went behind Aedus, so that he could observe proper buffet etiquette.

He parroted Aedus, grabbing a fork and chopsticks. After that, he lost sight of him for a minute, thus was left to his own devices. Chase had enough know-for-where to use tongs when grabbing for pot stickers. He also grabbed chicken fried rice, and broccoli , struggling a little more with the spoon, but managing. How much was too much?

Aedus turned back to check on him, at which point, Chase noticed the sugar-covered biscuits. If Aedus had some, so would Chase! He skittered past Agnes, retrieved a couple of the biscuits that Aedus had retrieved, and then returned to his tray. Now came the challenging part--

With the focus of a tightrope walker, Chase eased the tray off of the counter, using both hands, trying to keep his hold steady as he slowly made his way back to the table. It would be nice to eat at a table, and to eat real food. He eventually made it all the way over, sliding his tray into place.

"Did I do it right?" Chase asked his elders.

Aedus nodded his approval as he set down his tray. “Looks good to me, there isn’t really a wrong way. You can eat whatever you like and how much of it too. If you don’t really like something it is ok to put it to the side and save the space in your stomach for something you might like better. In other words you can get away with some stuff you might not in a different restraint that isn’t a buffet.”

The waiter came back for their drink orders. For which Aedus ordered a root beer, for whatever reason root beer went with Asian food. It didn’t make sense to him, but it made sense to his mouth. So he didn’t argue. “Also, we have as long as you want, so you can pace yourself and take your time to enjoy it.”

He looked over the others food making note of what they got that he might have missed. He looked to Agnes curious about the school. “So, the school you spoke of earlier, they have all grade levels there?” It was worth getting some more information about.”

>> "Did I do it right?"

>> “Looks good to me, there isn’t really a wrong way. You can eat whatever you like and how much of it too. If you don’t really like something it is ok to put it to the side and save the space in your stomach for something you might like better. In other words you can get away with some stuff you might not in a different restraint that isn’t a buffet…Also, we have as long as you want, so you can pace yourself and take your time to enjoy it.”[/i]

Agnes smiled a little as she listened to the exchange between Chase and Aedus. It sounded almost like they were brothers. As if Aedus was taking his little brother our for some guy time and was teaching him the etiquette of restaurant eating. For a moment Agnes felt like a third wheel, like maybe she should have said her goodbyes back at the park, but she knew she could not do that. She could not leave Chase alone after that incident. She felt too much responsibility for him. Even if she was not related to him, they were both mutants and they needed to look out for each other.

Sliding into her seat, she smirked as she watched the two of them chow down. Apparently she was not the only one hungry. Chase definitely was, there was no surprise there. Looking up as her orange soda was delivered, she nodded thankfully and received the drink with appreciation. Taking a sip, she sighed and basked in the sensation of the carbonation dancing over her taste buds. It was most definitely a sweet feeling.

But when she looked up as Aedus addressed her in-between bites…

>> “So, the school you spoke of earlier, they have all grade levels there?”[/color]

She slurped up the last of the noodle that was hanging from her mouth and grinned embarrassingly. She dabbed at her mouth with a napkin before she responded.

“I’ve mainly seen teenagers,” she said with a nod. “It works more like a high school, but there are children as young as you,” she said to the younger boy by her side. “Chase. School serves anyone seeking help with their powers. From as young as Chase to…as old as 25, I think I saw. Many of the students there end up either staying for awhile or graduating and moving on into college. It pretty much gives people like me and Chase a second chance.”

It was needless to say, she loved that school…

Chase inclined his head at Aedus as the eight-year-old slithered into his chair and took a seat, listening as the older boy instructed him on etiquette. Chase absorbed it readily, nodding as if everything that Aedus was saying was actually making some sense to him. The waitor came over to get their orders on drinks-- Aedus requested root beer, Agnes requested orange soda. Chase wasn't a soda-drinker either, so he was kind of lost. At least orange soda sounded like it had fruit in it... so, Chase requested an orange soda, too. He didn't want to be the odd-man-out by requesting milk. Milk was for babies. Soda was for big kids. So long as he was around big kids, he was drinking what they drank.

Aedus guaranteed that they'd have a while there, so that Chase wouldn't have to scarf down his food. He then turned his attention to Agnes, so Chase took the opportunity to try out his chopstick prowess. Of course, he didn't get it, at first. He looked towards Aedus, towards his hands, and attempted to emulate how he held the chopsticks. Chase's hands mimicked them awkwardly, and he went to grab a piece of broccoli out of the brocolli beef, and one of the chopsticks clattered to the plate. Chase looked up shyly.

>> “So, the school you spoke of earlier, they have all grade levels there?”

He tried again, with the chopsticks, and when he didn't get it a second time, he timidly placed the chopsticks aside and reached for his fork. He was too hungry to bother, and too polite to spear his food with the chopsticks. Taking rather reasonable bites and pacing himself well, Chase began to eat as Agnes spoke. His ears didn't really perk up until she said his name, and he might have looked up in a startled way, as if the sound of someone addressing him as "Chase" was completely foreign. He looked up slowly, silenced by a mouthful of food.

>> “Chase. School serves anyone seeking help with their powers. From as young as Chase to…as old as 25, I think I saw. Many of the students there end up either staying for awhile or graduating and moving on into college. It pretty much gives people like me and Chase a second chance.”

It sounded like a big school. Chase swallowed his bite, "A second chance at what?"

Chase felt rather slow for asking, but his question was an earnest one. He hadn't been aware that he was given chances at anything. Was he so dense that he'd missed his first? Or had he messed up on the first chance without even knowing what he was being given chances at ? He stopped eating, taking a sip of his orange soda.

Chase winced at the burn, sputtering and nearly spitting the soda back out. He swallowed, eyes watering, and turned towards the older kids. How did they drink this stuff?! Chase's face colored in embarrassment, and he looked towards his soda. If its electric-orange coloring hadn't been something to go by, its taste sure was-- it didn't taste anything like an orange! It wasn't like orange juice at all!

"Sorry," he said lamely. Chase took a second sip of the soda, muscled through the burn, and swallowed without such occurence as the first time.

Aedus found it hard not to smile when Agnes spoke of the school she attended and boarded at. If she wasn’t a perfect recommendation to the place, well she was and that was that. He was previously concerned that Chase might have been a bit too young to have many class mates, from his studies he knew that the majority of mutants gained their abilities in puberty and seeing as he was well before that event in his life He was concerned that it would be him and teenagers, while it was the majority of the school it wasn’t as if he would be the only one.

“Sorry if I keep bringing it up, I’m just finding myself very curious about the place. ” Aedus tilted his head to the young man’s question, how to answer that gently but honestly. “Well, a second chance at having somewhere more stable, something to count on, I would think.” He looked to Agnes for confirmation and help.

Aedus cleaned a little bit of soda off the glass, not realizing that the boy hadn’t had carbonation at all, he was raised on soda pop, so the idea of a kid without soda was alien to him. He probably just breathed in a bit of it; He had done that plenty of times. Aedus shrugged his shoulders. “No big deal.”

As if to confirm that he wasn't worried about making a mess his hand accidentally hit the edge of his plate and knocked some of his fried rice on to the table. He calmly picked up the same napkin and ushered the fallen onto the napkin of no return.

>> "A second chance at what?"[/i]

>> “Sorry if I keep bringing it up, I’m just finding myself very curious about the place…Well, a second chance at having somewhere more stable, something to count on, I would think.”[/i]

“Don’t worry about it, the bringing it up, I mean,” she said with a grin. “It’s good to hear people excited about it rather than scared or closed-minded.”

Agnes smiled and nodded in response. Aedus had it exactly right It was actually what he had a said, a chance for a more stable life, a chance to be some where you could count on and trust. That is exactly what Xavier’s was to her and exactly what made her feel so safe and at home. She knew that if it was not for that place, she would still be living on the streets, trying to dodge her parents and their followers. At Xavier’s, despite the ups and downs, she was able to achieve something that she doubted she really could have achieved on her own.

And, she could say it now, she was happy. She hoped that someday Chase would be able to achieve that happiness.

>> "Sorry,"


>> “No big deal.”

She smiled warmly at Chase. “Don’t worry about it, accidents happen,” she said with a nod. Once everything had been cleaned and she was sure that Chase was okay, she went on. “Like Aedus said, Chase. It’s a place that will let you get the chances you didn’t get at home. I ran away from home and normally that would lead to some harsh decisions. To sacrificing the things I wanted. But the school gave me all the options back. I can go to school, I have a job, they’ll even help me get into college so that I never have to even think about my parents again, unless I want to. Not because desperation forces me to. Get it?” she explained with the gentlest of smiles. She liked Chase. She wanted to do right by him. Hopefully he’d allow her to…

"Why does it sting?" Chase demanded, in reference to the soda. He mopped up the spray with a napkin, lips pursed. His throat still burned, so Chase washed the soda down with some Chinese food. At least the food wasn't carbonated. Aedus answered for Agnes, and his answer didn't clarify much for Chase.

>> "Well, a second chance at having somewhere more stable, something to count on, I would think."

"Somewhere more stable than... what?" Chase asked shamelessly. They had been quite generous with answering questions thus far, thus Chase was becoming comfortable enough to ask more. Agnes tried to explain more thoroughly.

>> "Like Aedus said, Chase. It’s a place that will let you get the chances you didn’t get at home. I ran away from home and normally that would lead to some harsh decisions. To sacrificing the things I wanted. But the school gave me all the options back. I can go to school, I have a job, they’ll even help me get into college so that I never have to even think about my parents again, unless I want to. Not because desperation forces me to. Get it?"

Chase's brain had to play catch-up with his ears. Agnes had said a lot, so it took a little while to register what Agnes was saying.

"I need to... get a job?" he breathed, missing the point. Agnes sounded very accomplished, for an ex-runaway. She was in school, thinking about college, and she had a job, so that she would never see her patents unless she had, too. Well, Chase wanted to go to school, and he was afraid of seeing his parents. But he'd never thought of getting a job.

Chase smiled back at Agnes, returned to his food... Well, he supposed money had to come from somewhere.

“Orange Soda is powerful like that; if you want some juice or tea, they’ll switch it out for you.” Aedus said with confidence, It wouldn’t matter to the waiter whether he was bringing Chase a different drink.

“Hmmmm, I don’t think you will have to get a job.” There were laws against that so he was pretty sure a school wouldn’t force that sort of thing. “Maybe they will give you chores or a responsibility. If there is tuition I should be up to it.” He could take extra shifts if it was too much. It wasn’t hard to find extra work. Someone always needed something to go somewhere else, and in the Big apple time was Money.

Aedus wondered momentarily at how far he was willing to go for this kid that he had just met, he was momentarily stunned by how far he had come since the only thing that matter was himself and what others could do for him. Of course seeing someone save a life and then the people turned on him like a pack of wolves…well that made Aedus want to make things right in any way he could.

>> “Orange Soda is powerful like that; if you want some juice or tea, they’ll switch it out.”

Agnes looked concerned. She had hoped that Chase had not hurt himself but it seemed as if he was going to be fine. Maybe he was just not used to drinking a soda like this? Odd considering his age. Most of the young kids she knew at the mansion loved to get into the soda and many of them had to be shooed away from the fridge before they ran out all over again. But Chase…he was just different. Maybe he didn’t have exposure to it before he ran away from home?

If that were the case then he definitely would have trouble drinking it, especially Orange soda. It was not for the tamest of hearts.

>> "I need to... get a job?"

She smirked at him and shook his head. The mansion was not running a sweatshop. Aedus confirmed this with her own interjection into the conversation.

>> “Hmmmm, I don’t think you will have to get a job…Maybe they will give you chores or a responsibility. If there is tuition I should be up to it.”[/i]

Agnes turned to Aedus, her head tilted curiously. Was this man really for real? He was totally going out on a limb for this boy whom he had just met today. Lunch, pep talks, and now offering to pay for tuition? All of it just of it just seemed too good to be true. But despite her disbelief, she was happy for Chase that he knew that someone was there who actually really did care for him. It was hard when living on the streets because you never know who to trust. Aedus…he really seemed on the straight and narrow. She hoped that was true, anyways.

She gently shook her head as she looked between the two of them.

“No, no, there’s no tuition. You don’t have to pay for a thing, Chase,” she grinned. “It’s all completely free and at your disposal if you want to use it. The mansion, the staff, they’re all just there to help you, to give you a shot at a good life. Maybe there’s a chore or two but they’re only there to help, honest. No strings attached.”

>> “Orange Soda is powerful like that; if you want some juice or tea, they’ll switch it out for you.”

Chase shook his head a tad stubbornly. No, he was going to be like the big kids-- tea tasted like nothing, so he didn't like it much (yes, he'd had tea), and juice was yet another baby drink. Chase was wordlessly insistent upon doing as the big kids did. At least, when they were around. He took another sip of the soda, just to show that he'd meant it, before returning to his plate of food.

>> “Hmmmm, I don’t think you will have to get a job. Maybe they will give you chores or a responsibility. If there is tuition I should be up to it.”

Chase wasn't familiar with the word tuition, either-- but it sounded pretty serious. And, by the way Agnes had tilted a curious gaze towards Aedus, it wasn't something that people always. His face didn't color this time, but his eyes were still swam with a rosy, pink warmth and uncertainty. He didn't deserve any of this, and yet Aedus was offering it-- it had already been established that, in this short time, Chase had taken a liking to this guy, perhaps the quickest that he'd ever attached to any one person. He smiled, dropping his gaze to his plate. The boy had half a mind to go with the man, but stranger-danger still told him no... at least he had the option, would have the key by which to remember that there was someone there for him.

"Th-thank you, Aedus," Chase murmured in heartfelt gratitude. Even though he had no idea what tuition was.

Agnes cleared any concern of that, however--

>> “No, no, there’s no tuition. You don’t have to pay for a thing, Chase. It’s all completely free and at your disposal if you want to use it. The mansion, the staff, they’re all just there to help you, to give you a shot at a good life. Maybe there’s a chore or two but they’re only there to help, honest. No strings attached.”

So tuition was money. Well, it was good that there wasn't any tuition, because Chase would have definite complexes about having someone pay for his education. One meal out was one thing-- housing and education was something else entirely.

Oh, some a shot at a good life... that was what they'd meant by second chances... Such a thing was almost unfathomable.

"Well, I'm good at chores," Chase avowed, his gaze skilled colored by a hue of delight. He liked the way that chores made him feel useful. Chasee continued to eat steadily and, as his stomach begin to take-in more food, the dull pang of hunger became more apparent. He still ate slowly, but man-- he was really hungry.

Aedus Munched on tiny little corn on the cobs, you could eat them whole and while he didn’t make any comments about being a giant, he certainly thought them. Between the tiny corns and the broccoli he was having a hard time not being goofy.

“sounds like a good deal to me.” Did she say mansion with staff?
Aedus nodded to Agnes and was genuinely happy to hear a place like that existed. He still couldn’t help being suspicious, it seemed like even the best intentions had strings attached. But It definitely sounded like a better environment for the young man. He was willing to do his best by him but, the fact was he would still have to work and would have to leave Chase on his own for the good chunk of the time. So this was a good thing, either way, he’d look out for the little guy.
Aedus picked up and devoured an eggroll. If Agnes and Chase were trying to keep a slow pace, Aedus was a little bit oblivious to it. That is one thing he could thank his job for, his metabolism was as high as ever, and because of it he could eat quite a bit.
“I’ll be right back guys.” Aedus rose and then meandered about the buffet area for a little bit collecting delicious dishes as he went.

>> "Well, I'm good at chores,"[/color]

>> “sounds like a good deal to me.”[/color]

Agnes nodded. Though she doubted that the mansion would actually force Chase to do chores to earn his keep, there was always the chance that they could attempt to teach him responsibility. The mansion was a great place, especially for mutants who were too scared to live out in the world. But it was not some pampering school either that does everything for them. Instead they try to teach their students how the world works and give them responsibility whenever they need it.

Agnes, for example, had never had a job before. She lived with her parents and then lived on the streets. But the mansion staff brought her in, gave her a fresh set of clothes, a place to sleep and a chance at an education. On top of that, they even provided her with a chance at earning her own money and gave her a job. The school was intent on teaching a life lesson to those who wanted to learn it. And Agnes was only too thankful for that. She hoped that Chase would be just as receptive.

>> “I’ll be right back guys.”[/color]

She watched him go to get seconds and she had to smirk. The man certainly had an appetite. Not that she could blame him. After all he did defend a boy from an angry mob and nearly got himself killed.

Taking another bite of her food, the runaway sighed as she took a sip from her orange soda and nodded to Chase.

“Hey, you holding up okay?” she asked. After all, being attacked by a mob was not the best way to start one’s day. “Like, do you feel okay?”

Chase nodded as Aedus excused himself for more food. It was a given that Chase ate slower than Aedus and Agnes. He was smaller. He was also starving, though, so as his stomach was gradually filled, he began to realize how empty it was. Thus, Chase began to easy at a less-timid pace. Agnes would understand, she's been in the same situation.

>> "Hey, you holding up okay? Like, do you feel okay?"

Chase looked up from his food when Agnes addressed him, finish his bite before answering. He set his fork down, prodded his sore spots and assessing them, before providing the honest answer that,

"I'm just a bit bruised, is all. Nothing feels broken."

He smiled faintly, to show that he was fine. It wasn't his first time being beaten up, if the scar on his jaw was something to go by.

"I feel a lot better with some food in me, though," Chase offered, more optimistically, "And some company." He could feel his face heat up again, so he took a sip of his orange soda and returned to his food.

Aedus returned with a plate piled with food, it almost made his stomach hurt thinking about the fact that he could and probably would clear this plate and considered going back again…it was too much, but James had good taste in Chinese. Aedus sat down and began to eat again.

“So I was thinking, After this would you guys want to head to my place real quick, so one you’ll both know where it is and I can grab the keys and then check out the School.”

Aedus was almost intensely focused on insuring that Chase knew he had places to stay. The sooner he could make it real to the kid the better. He couldn’t stand the thought of the boy being homeless. He had already decided to but him some clothes as well, school stuff too. He’d have to figure out how to get him to accept it, without making it awkward. But he’d figure something out.

>> "I'm just a bit bruised, is all. Nothing feels broken…I feel a lot better with some food in me, though…And some company."

He smiled in response and Agnes could only smile back. She knew the feeling all too well. Also coming from a background like his, sometimes the only thing that she could have ever wished for was to have a friend, some form of company she could count on. For the longest time, Agnes believed that her only company was her insects. She could count on them to keep her safe, but it simply was not the same as having someone sitting with you, talking to you and wanting to make sure that you were okay.

She smirked at Chase and nodded.

“I know how you feel,” she said and then took another bite of her food before continuing. “And I’m glad that you don’t feel too bad. But be sure to tell me or Aedus if you start feeling funny, okay? Just in case.”

She looked up and Aedus had returned, a full plate of food with him. Agnes chuckled because she had no doubt that someone like Aedus could put all of that away.

>> “So I was thinking, After this would you guys want to head to my place real quick, so one you’ll both know where it is and I can grab the keys and then check out the School.” [/i]

Agnes nodded as she took a sip of soda. “That sounds like a good plan,” she said. One she could see if Aedus’ was really on the up and up with his apartment and see if Chase would be safe there, and two, she could show them the mansion. Good plan. “I don’t mind showing you both around,” she said with a nod and turned to Chase. “What do you think?”