>> “I know how you feel-- 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.”

Chase nodded slowly, to show that he understood and would do as Agnes requested, before continuing to eat. He was about halfway through with his plate of food, and was feeling like he could stomach a second. Aedus returned with a second plate of food and plopped back down.

>> “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.”

>> “That sounds like a good plan. I don’t mind showing you both around. What do you think?”

Chase nodded in agreement, his rationale following a train of thought similar to Agnes's. He could see the apartment and where it was, lest this mansion didn't work out as planned, and then he could be shown where the Mansion was in relation to the apartment. Yet, his train of thought went one step farther-- he'd know how to get to-and-from between the two locations, his two potential homes. Ever the runaway, contemplating his next move. It wasn't that he was skeptical about this mutant school, it just all seemed too good to be true. And, if it was, he didn't want to be a sitting duck if and when things turned sour.

"Sounds good," Chase agreed with a smile.

[[OOC: So, guys, you want to do a time-skip of the eating, and cut straight to them departing? Your call...]]

[OOC= sounds good to me but as discussed in the C-box I think it is probably best to fast forward to arrival at the mansion. I’ll cover the major points to get us from A to B and set Agnes up to be first in line to take the lead on whats going on at the mansion. As always feel free to let me know if there are any edits needed. /ooc]

The Trio set and ate their fill at Panda King Empire, Aedus diligently ate as long as he needed to, to ensure that Chase didn’t feel like he was taking too long and keeping them. From the Park they had traveled north past the street his apartment was on, So catching a cab the few blocks south they came to a pause at His Apartment, talking the cabbie into waiting for them to give them a lift to the School, He showed the pair his humble but cozy accommodations and gave them both the Keys as promised. His Handed Agnes hers as he assumed she would have an existing Key ring to add it to, but Chases got put on a bead chain long enough to fit on his neck or attack to his back pack as he saw fit. He ensured that Chase and Agnes got to see where he kept different stuff that they might want to make use of when he stopped by.

After the short tour they headed back to the Cab and took a much less rushed drive to Xavier’s sister school. As they got closer Aedus began to ponder if he might want to train there and stay there as well. The neighborhood was magnificent it was past the area his family had stayed in, he thought they had it made, with their cluster of manors…but this was mansion land, these homes had to be worth millions.

The rest of the meal seemed to fly by and Agnes had to admit that she was having fun. Sitting around with people she didn’t know, conversing, joking around, trying to bring some levity to the dark happenings of earlier in the day. So far the boy still seemed as if he were trying to gauge whether or not the pair of them were genuine. The runaway was thankful that he did not have that trusting of a nature. It’s something like that that would have more than likely kept him alive on the streets.

But she hoped that he would eventually lower his guard enough for them to help him. It seemed to be that way because she allowed them to take him out to lunch.

Time moved fast and before she knew it they were done eating and headed on the way to Aedus’ apartment. This here was the moment of truth: was he going to turn out to be genuine? Or some psychopath that collected mutant body parts and nailed them onto his wall? Agnes would have defended Chase if need be. But upon arriving, she was happy to see that it was rather…dull. Just a simple apartment, nothing too fancy and seemed to be a nice neighborhood. That was definitely a plus. So far it seemed safe enough for Chase.

The man was nice enough to give the boy a spare key on a nice long chain and even more nice enough to offer her one. Agnes normally would not have taken such a thing but she did for Chase’s sake. It would help her to feel better knowing she could get to him if he needed help.

Once the apartment tour was over, and Agnes approved, they continued their trek to the mansion. The taxi driver had to absolutely be in love with them because he was going to get a hefty fee for driving them all around creation.

The trip to the mansion and Agnes smiled as she looked out at the passing greenery and had to smirk. It was beginning to look like home again. She had to admit that after a day like today, she was only too glad to see those safe walls of the mansions, that expansive lawn, and the surrounding of her fellow mutants. Sometimes the outside world was far too scary for a mutant. Sometimes one just needs to be around people they know will understand…

As the taxi circle around a path, Agnes smirked and nodded out the passenger side window, pointing to a line of trees and spoke to Aedus and Chase.

“Look out past those trees. The second we round the bend, you’re going to see it,” she said with a wide smile.

Chase had managed to put away a little more than two plates of food. It was a difficult balance, eating enough to eat your fill, without eating far too much. But, Chase had done well. He'd only consumed one glass of orange soda, though, which he had nursed throughout the two-and-a-quarter plate-fulls of food. After they all had eaten, the trio made its way to Aedus' residence.

It might have been small, but to Chase, it was a dream. They received the grand tour, which was given with the attitude that Agnes and Chase would actually be staying there, or at least drop by to visit at some point in time. And, true to his word, Aedus handed Chase a key, complete with its own chain.

With a quiet reverence, Chase accepted the key, its residue fizzling as it hit his hand. Rather than pocket it, Chase lifted the chain over his head and tucked the key under his shirt. It would serve a his reminder that he had somewhere to go.

They then piled into the cab once again. This time, Chase paid close attention to the road, memorizing the turns and landmarks. He didn't do so consciously, it simply didn't do any good to have a key to somewhere if you didn't know its location. Chase silently watched the city flick by, keeping his eye out for this Mansion.

Chase once again grew reverent as the taxi coasted through grand gates and off of the city streets, his excitement becoming uncontainable.

>> "Look out past those trees. The second we round the bend, you’re going to see it."[/color]

Chase followed Agnes's gesture and her instruction, leaving in close to her to look out the taxi's window. He didn't dare inhale. She hadn't lied-- just as they rounded the second bend and emerged from the thick, impenetrable foliage, the Mansion came into view. The eight-year-old grinned, his eyes lighting up as if it were Christmas. There it was.

"Wow," Chase breathed unabashedly, "It's beautiful... Like a castle..."

Aedus turned his head toward the line of trees and closed his eyes. ~they were not surrounded by trees nor would they be, they were in a car on a road near a field by some trees, there were no forests in the city…only small groups of trees. They were not surrounded by trees. They were not.~ one hand squeezed the door handle, the other hand he dug his thumb into his palm to ground him. A deep breath and a release of it had him significantly calmer. His right leg seemed to not quit be convinced as it seemed to decide that tapping uncontrollably was the right thing to do.

He opened his eyes as Chase gasped with appreciation. His right hand forced his leg to the ground as he stared in astonishment at the building before them. He made note that if he looked he could still see through to the other side of the wooded area. It was small, it was escapable.

“That place is Nice. Extremely nice.” His was suddenly glad that there was no tuition, he wasn’t sure if he could have afforded the tuition this place would have cost, at least without cracking open his trust fund. He wondered briefly at how many people lived here. He wondered at how rich whoever ran this place was. Surely there was a powerfully wealthy mutant backing this place. Teens and tweens ran about all over the place, using their powers as they pleased, playing sports, running in the field and climbing trees. Gross. He cleared his throat as his stomach turned slightly.

He looked at the meter to distract him from the daunting sight of a tree line at the edge of the landscaped property. He pulled out his wall and hand the man three twenty dollar bills, it was a decent tip on top of a nice drive. Aedus thought it was fair and after a moment Clive seemed to as well. He hadn’t even realized what the school might look like to a random Cabby, but Clive seemed to be interested in the place as well. He was glad it was Clive instead of their other Cabbie, or they might have gotten dropped off further up the drive way.

Agnes smiled as, instead of watching the mansion appear, she looked at both Aedus and Chase, waiting for their reactions. The first part of the roof appeared over the foliage, then the gradually more and more of it appeared until finally it was fully within sight. Only a couple of seconds passed before she saw the looks of awe on both her new friends’ faces.

The sight of them made the smile on her lips widen to the point of appreciation. She knew exactly the feeling they were having right now. Mainly because the same smile appeared on her face when she first saw the mansion as well. It never got old…

>> "Wow…It's beautiful... Like a castle..."

>> “That place is Nice. Extremely nice.”

“It is,” she said with a knowing nod. “It is very nice…”

She grinned and relaxed as the driver, a nice man by the name of Clive, took them the rest of the way to the mansion. He did not seem to be as surly as their last driver which boded well for Agnes. She would have hated if they got someone who was antsy around mutants to drive them all the way to a mutant school. But so far Clive was working out, Chase seemed to be impressed, and Aedus…was fidgeting with his leg (Whatever the hell that was about!), but he too seemed awestruck.

Once the cabbie came to the front of the mansion, Aedus paid the man and Agnes took a mental note. She was going to pay him back at least half of it the second she got inside. She had money in her room and she hated to owe anyone money. She always paid her debts.

“This is it,” she said with a grin and climbed out of the cab. Once she was clear of the vehicle, Agnes moved herself over to the keypad situated on the gate. She waited for Aedus and Chase to come up to join her before she entered the last number and proceeded to pull open the heavy and metallic gate with a loud clang. “Gentlemen, welcome to my home.”

>> “That place is Nice. Extremely nice.”

>> “It is. It is very nice…”

Chase agreed, bobbing his head and trying hard to keep himself from grinning like an idiot. He paid no notice towards Aedus' anxiety, for he was too busy craning his head forward to look out the windows, towards the kids scattered few and far between, playing, using their powers as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Chase felt a familiar pang of shyness. There was so many people. He waited as Aedus paid the cab-driver, whose name Chase hadn't caught. Once he had, Agnes slid free, and Chase followed her out the door.

He might have subconsciouly drawn a bit closer to her side, at the sight of unfamiliar people. He watched as she dialed a number into a keypad. She hit the last digit, and the gate buzzed. Agnes pushed it open, allowing the two boys entrance onto the Mansion grounds.

>> “This is it. Gentlemen, welcome to my home.”

All that Chase could do was stare in wonder, not only at the Mansion, but at the small cluster of mutant kids that were out playing on the lawn. He couldn't seem to put his wonder into words, for words would do it an injustice. So, he was quiet. For the most part.

"It's enormous," he observed again, "Is this really a school?"

"Thank you M'lady, did we mention it was a nice place you got here?" he felt like it could be said a few more times and still be relevant. He would try not to.

Aedus turned around and followed Agnes and Chase after paying Clive and giving a decent tip. It looked like Clive almost felt bad about it, Almost, but not quite it was just as well Aedus didn’t like to argue over money.

He looked on the scene before in awe, He was used to seeing mutations, he was a black sheep in his family because he didn’t have one. But seeing a mutation didn’t mean you had seen everything mutation had to offer, it was like experiencing a new flavor, seeing a color for the first time, an aroma coming out of the kitchen, that made you wonder what was cooking and when you could eat it…it was like that but not quite. He felt like he was intruding on a secret place where Fay or gods roamed and forgot their cares. He set a hand on Chases shoulder momentarily to remind them that he wasn't facing the situation alone.

“Nothing to worry about here, besides were with ya. Lead the way Agnes.”

>> "It's enormous…Is this really a school?[/i]

>> “Nothing to worry about here, besides were with ya. Lead the way Agnes.”

Agnes nodded with a grin as she stepped onto the grounds. The grass was soft and green and waved all around them. Despite the hugeness of the mansion, it did have a beauty about it that was not stuck-up, but caring and warm. A place that any mutant would be thankful to call home. And it was a home. And a sanctuary. And place of second chances. Agnes loved the mansion and truly and deeply believed that absolutely nothing would shake her faith in that. She sighed heavenly as she glanced back to the two of them.

Both Aedus and Chase seemed to be caught in this loop of awe from which there was no escape. She grinned as she cleared her throat to get their attentions. When she finally did she looked down to Chase in order to answer his previous question.

“Yup,” she said with a nod. “This place really is a school. You can take all sorts of classes here, even those that teach you how to use your powers. I’ve actually been taking a few like that myself. Not easy controlling a bunch of bugs,” she said with a wink.

Leaving Chase in Aedus’ care, she took the lead and walked across the lawn and towards the front door of the mansion. It was huge looked almost like a shrunken drawbridge. But Agnes did not appear in the least phased by it. Instead she smirked as a pair of kids, once with a fish head and the only riding on a cloud (literally) went running by, playing tag.

“Stratus! Gil! Be careful around those rose bushes!” she sighed as she watched them giggle, nod in apology, but continue on with their game.

Shaking her head she smirked as she climbed the steps to the doors before looking back at them.

“You two ready?”

>> “Nothing to worry about here, besides we’re with ya. Lead the way Agnes.”

Was his uncertainty really so apparent? Aedus placed a hand on Chase’s shoulder, reassuring him, to which Chase only replied with a subdued smile. He had a feeling it was safe, but that didn’t change the fact that he was painfully shy.

>> “Yup, this place really is a school. You can take all sorts of classes here, even those that teach you how to use your powers. I’ve actually been taking a few like that myself. Not easy controlling a bunch of bugs.”

Chase listened intently. Power control? Could there really be a day when he’d be able to touch someone without worrying about accidentally turning into them? If Chase had been close to Aedus’ side when they’d gotten out of the cab. He was practically fastened to Aedus when the two mutant-kids ran by.

They were older than him, but close to his age—and, one looked like a fish, while the other was floating on a cloud. Chase stared, eyes swimming with orange uncertainty, as he subconsciously fastened to the hem of Aedus' shirt. Mutant kids. Kids like him. Chase shouldn’t have been so anxious around his own kind, but he was—he’d never seen mutant kids before.

>> “Stratus! Gil! Be careful around those rose bushes!”

Chase watched Stratus and Gil, a few glimmers of interest shining through. He was still fastened to Aedus, though, and following Agnes quite hesitantly. He was a shy child in a new situation, so of course he’d meet it with uncertainty. They climbed the steps up towards the door, and Agnes glanced back at them.

>> “You two ready?”

Chase glanced up at Aedus. Were they? Chase nodded slowly, eyes wordlessly roving about in search of those two mutant boys. They’d already slipped from view.

Aedus's eyebrows raised as the boys shot past them in light hearted fun, He couldn't help but grin at the carefree boys, he hoped they stayed out of the thorns in the bushes. He nodded a slight shift of his head to Chase as encouragement, the entered into the lobby, it shot off in several directions from them, most notably a large living room like area, a large tv and a few game tables waited, He thought he spotted a pinball machine in a corner too. He followed Agnes as quickly or slowly as chase liked.

"So, there are classes on anything Chase could want to learn, and you go at your own pace, but how does it work in free time? I guess what I am asking is how large is the staff?" He noticed an adult here or there, but the majority seemed to be running free, all in all it couldn't be worse than the streets in the city, but he was still curious. He could volunteer if needed.

The stair way was large enough for several people to pass both ways. Before them were several different paths they could go.

Chase looked ready to pass out but he was sticking close to Aedus in order to get strength from him. Agnes knew that feeling all too well. When she first came to this school, she too was terrified of it. She was scared of how much it seemed too good to be true. She was suspicious, she always looked for an exit strategy, and even when she came here, she locked herself in her room and refused to leave for anything. But slowly, and gradually, she began to realize that this place should not be suspected…it was here to help.

She was grateful she finally learned that.

She opened the door and slowly led the way. Within they were struck by the sheer size and richness of the mansion. But it was not an overly done, snotty type of décor. It was warm and homely and nothing in any of its decorations or furniture made it seem like it was trying to be pretentious. Everything about the mansion had a welcoming and sweet demeanor about it.

Agnes walked in, leading them towards the main foyer where other rooms could be spied, including the rec room, library, even a pathway into the kitchen. She could see that Chase was mutely with wonder while Aedus just as excited, but had a healthy sense of wonder and skepticism…

>> "So, there are classes on anything Chase could want to learn, and you go at your own pace, but how does it work in free time? I guess what I am asking is how large is the staff?" [/color]

She nodded as she strolled around them.

“It’s a fully running school. Chase or anyone for that matter who needs it, can come in a gain a standard education that the state requires. So that pretty much means there would be classes he has to take as well as some other courses that would be just for fun or to help with his powers,” she said with an educated nod. Agnes had been coming here for about a full year now so she knew a fair amount of this school. “And the staff is fairly large. Mainly made up of ex-students and other mutants.”

Aedus was smart enough to ask the questions that Chase didn't think to ask for himself. He just stared in silent wonder as the trio came into the foyer, still fastened to Aedus' side. He was tall, and he'd already proven that he was tough, so he was thereby a "base" that Chase could fasten onto for protection.

>> "So, there are classes on anything Chase could want to learn, and you go at your own pace, but how does it work in free time? I guess what I am asking is how large is the staff?"

>> “It’s a fully running school. Chase or anyone for that matter who needs it, can come in a gain a standard education that the state requires. So that pretty much means there would be classes he has to take as well as some other courses that would be just for fun or to help with his powers. And the staff is fairly large. Mainly made up of ex-students and other mutants.”

It was grown-up talk. Chase didn't pay much attention to what they were saying, except for the occasionas where his ears perked up at his own name. Chase-this and Chase-that and standard education bla, bla, bla. That's what Chase heard. He was too busy letting his curious gaze go as far as it could reach up stairways and down halls, and if someone passed into view, his gaze would fasten on them until they left his line of vision. All this, he did without straying from the side of Aedus, or if he did, he was within arms' reach of both of the older kids.

Aedus nodded to Agnes. “That sounds fantastic and I couldn’t be more pleased with the answer.” The trio visited the rooms and Aedus became more and more amused with Chase. He seemed to be more intrigued by his future alumni then he was about the fantastically impressive building around him, and he could understand why as he watched the world light up with a unique degree that a world of mutants added, around every corner something you couldn’t see in many other place was waiting around a corner.

A boy wearing glasses hopped off the couch and looked to be about Chases age. He blew a bubble that looked like a bubblegum into the size of a balloon he then held onto it and floated toward them. As he neared them he reached up and poked the bubble balloon, as he did he took a deep breath in and like a vaccum in space the gum whipped back into his mouth.

“Hi I’m Big league, you know like big league chew?” the boy in a baseball uniform spoke directly to Chase. “I can, well you saw. What can ya do? Are ya new here? I’m pretty new too. I’m going to turn nine in eight weeks, how old are you?” his voice didn’t quite have the pitch of people who inhaled helium but it was on a higher tone. He also spoke with a rapidity that was impressive.

Agnes’ intent was to find Chase and Aedus a greeter so that they could be shown around the mansion in style. But before the runaway knew it, she herself was giving the tour. Agnes had only done it once before but she knew it was not hard. She showed them all the usual haunts of the school, the kitchen, the living rooms, the areas for classes and bedrooms. It was all pretty standard and it really didn’t take a genius to have a job like this. As a matter of fact it probably could have been done with the smallest of brain power.

Wasn’t Gawain a greeter? Figured.

Agnes shrugged the thought away as she moved on to one of the other living rooms. Once they had paused there, Agnes was about to explain about their collection of books when she turned and saw another kid already there. Instantly she recognized him and that extra-large bubble he floated over to them on.

She knew the boy all too well. And he was a chatterbox…

>> “Hi I’m Big league, you know like big league chew? I can, well you saw. What can ya do? Are ya new here? I’m pretty new too. I’m going to turn nine in eight weeks, how old are you?”

She chuckled as she gently held out a hand to him.

“Whooooa, Big League, calm down. This is Chase. He’s taking the tour. No need to scare him off, “ she said with a grin.