>>"Fair enough. I'll just have a movie night sometime soon."

That sounded fair. The Goddess nodded in approval. Compliments were only worth it if they meant something; she heard too much of the other kind.

>>"Sort of. I do a lot of commission work, and I also work as a teacher down at a school for mutants in the city."

Well that was interesting. One eyebrow arched as the Goddess throught about such a peculiar thing.

"A school for people with special powers?" she had heard about mutants, but did not know much "There is a school for them? I wish to know more."

>> "A school for people with special powers? There is a school for them? I wish to know more."

Nate had to be selective when talking about the school. It was common knowledge that a school like Xavier's existed, but no one knew the details, especially the where and the who. Mahadevi was possibly eccentric, but she did not seem evil. Regardless, it was safest to be discrete. "It is a place where mutants can seek refuge and go to school and even learn how to control their powers."

Nate was now capturing some of the golds and extravagant colors of the jewelry Mahadevi wore. "There are more people with unique abilities in New York than you'd think."

>>"It is a place where mutants can seek refuge and go to school and even learn how to control their powers. There are more people with unique abilities in New York than you'd think."

Again. Interesting.

"Why would they need to seek refuge?" she asked, this time with sincere curiosity in her voice. This world was all new for her, and sometimes hard to understand, but she did know that in many ways it was the polar opposite from her beloved India.

"Don't people respect them for the gifts they have?..."

It just sounded strange. She did not know many people with special gifts, and certainly only a few with divine powers like herself, but she was sure they would be feared and respected in India.

"Do you know a lot of these people?"

>> "Why would they need to seek refuge? Don't people respect them for the gifts they have?..."

Nate could not help but laugh flatly. He hoped Mahadevi would not view the reply as disrespectful, but the idea she proposed was as absurd as, well, a goddess living out of a luxury hotel in New York. "Having power doesn't exactly mean you'll be respected in New York. Here, it usually means people will fear you and hate you." No one likes to be reminded that they are not at the top of their evolutionary chart.

>> "Do you know a lot of these people?"

Nate put his brush down for a moment to make eye contact with Mahadevi. "My fair goddess, I am one of those people." She certainly appeared to be one who might respect power in all its forms.

He laughed, and she could tell it was not a happy laugh. She almost decided it was disrespectful, but she was too much interested in what he had to say.

>>"Having power doesn't exactly mean you'll be respected in New York. Here, it usually means people will fear you and hate you."

Fear and hate? Such strong emotions, and so much misplaced. Why would people hate someone blessed by the gods with something that by nature should not be possible? Was it just the Americans? Was she missing something?

>>"My fair goddess, I am one of those people."

That explained a lot. Mahadevi tilted her head, looking at him again. He did not show signs of any power.

"That... is interesting. So what power have you been blessed with?"

>> "That... is interesting. So what power have you been blessed with?"

It was always easier to demonstrate his mutation than it was to simply explain, so the shadow he cast crawled along the ground toward Mahadevi. Once it was close enough, it materialized as a solid object and formed a hand, which reached up to take one of the goddess's hands. To be respectful, the velvety hand took her's gently.

"I can manipulate and give my shadow shape," he explained.

The shadow returned, and Nate returned to painting the portrait. "It's a talent that's certainly proved useful in life." Just not in the most legal ways, he thought.

The Goddess watched in fascination as the shadow crept towards her, and shivered a bit at the touch. What an amazing, beautiful power. Why would people fear that?

>>"I can manipulate and give my shadow shape. It's a talent that's certainly proved useful in life."

"It is fascinating." she said, for once with complete honesty in her voice "All the people in your school are gifted with these powers?"

Because if they were, she wanted to visit that place. They might not be divine like she was, but they most certainly were blessed by the divine. That was a rare thing, especially in America.

>> "It is fascinating."

Whether she was a goddess or not, it was humbling to have Mahadevi so intrigued by his talents. It was refreshing to be respected and understood by someone for a power that was so much a part of him.

>> "All the people in your school are gifted with these powers?"

Nate nodded. "Not these powers specifically, but there are teachers who can create ice, and students who can do everything from summon insects to move metal."

Nate found a dark brown color for the goddess's hair and carefully stroked the brushtip against the canvas. "If we get you clearance, we might be able to arrange a visit, if it would interest your holiness."

>>"Not these powers specifically, but there are teachers who can create ice, and students who can do everything from summon insects to move metal."

Well well. Americans, at least in New York, had their own little pantheon. Mahadevi did not understand how people so gifted and powerful could be threatened into hiding away in a school. Strange.

>>"If we get you clearance, we might be able to arrange a visit, if it would interest your holiness."

Clearance? For a goddess?...

"I would very much like that." she agreed, letting one more subject slide "I do not see why these mutants would have to hide from people. They have so much to give to the world, don't they? When I was born, no one thought of fearing me. They knew I was a goddess made flesh. From the arms."

>> "I would very much like that. I do not see why these mutants would have to hide from people. They have so much to give to the world, don't they?"

Mahadevi's opinions came from a place of naivety and reinforced superiority, but it was hard to see how she would be wrong. Mutants had such awesome potential: they could help create green energy, they could cultivate barren land, and the contributions to art and entertainment would be surreal. In a perfect world, people would accept mutants as a blessing.

Sadly, the humans of the real world are easily intimidated by anything that could be seen as the "post-human alternative." Humans like being number one, and they could not image the idea of sharing the position, nevermind losing it.

>> When I was born, no one thought of fearing me. They knew I was a goddess made flesh. From the arms."

If ever there was a mutation that was both timed and placed well, it was being born with eight arms in India. That would be on par with summoning rain in the deserts of Africa. "Sad to say, but not everyone who is gifted has a blessing that is so recognizably divine."

It was absurd to think all mutants should be pampered kings and queens, but it was still a shame that they dealt with a total lack of respect. "Even my girlfriend catches so much hate, and she's a police officer." Seriously, if a mutant cop could get no love, what hope was there for the rest of them?

>>"Sad to say, but not everyone who is gifted has a blessing that is so recognizably divine. Even my girlfriend catches so much hate, and she's a police officer."

Girlfriend? That was how Americans referred to their lovers, she already knew that. So, the woman of his choice was a police officer. How interesting. Not only that, but she, just like the painter, was also one of those mutants. That peaked the goddess' interest.

"So, do mutant people here usually choose other mutants as partners?" it only stood to sense that they would; after all, no one could be in a relationship where two people were not on the same power level. "Is that a law, or a tradition?"

>> "So, do mutant people here usually choose other mutants as partners? Is that a law, or a tradition?"

The question flustered Nate to the point where he almost covered the tan of Mahadevi's neck with the red from her lips. There was no way this was a con, because she was too genuinely oblivious of customs not only for Americans, but seemingly humans entirely.

What was worse-- to Nate's knowledge, every mutant he knew was in a mutant relationship! He was still in his rookie year on the mutant social scene; was there an unspoken rule that mutants dated mutants?

He scouered his memory for a moment desperately before finally remembering that before his student Agnes started dating the Grey girl at the school, her girlfriend was decidedly human. A victory for mutant-human relations! (Well, besides the break-up.)

He kindly smiled as he returned to painting. "Well, I guess plenty of mutants end up with other mutants, but it's mainly because it's easier to be with someone who understands you. It isn't a law though," he made clear, knowing arranged marriages still took place somewhat regularly in India.

"There are some mutants who date humans, too. It all comes down to who you fall in love with." There was something romantic about the idea of a human and a mutant crossing the lines of hate to meet somewhere in the middle for love's sake.

>>"Well, I guess plenty of mutants end up with other mutants, but it's mainly because it's easier to be with someone who understands you. It isn't a law though. There are some mutants who date humans, too. It all comes down to who you fall in love with."

He was obviously not comfortable with the question. The Goddess wondered why. It was a simple question of culture, and nothing to be embarrassed about. She wondered if it was because of how mutants were treated in this country. Abuse tended to make people shy.

"Love?" she arched a perfect eyebrow at the painter "Oh. People here marry for love? How... adorable."

It really was. So very American.

>> "Love? Oh. People here marry for love? How... adorable."

Well, if that comment was not just designed to rub Nate the wrong way. Admittedly, Nate was not historically the most love-driven person, but he was now in an amazing, if turbulent, relationship with a woman he was in love with. Hearing Mahadevi’s condescending tone grinded Nate’s gears. It was clear in her mind that choosing someone for a reason like love was juvenile or silly, and her cultural ignorance of Americans was finally beginning to creep under Nate’s skin.

It was hard to keep from making a snarky comment, but Nate settled for focusing hard on his painting, and repeating his mantra in his head: It’s a lot of money. It’s a lot of money. It’s a lot of money.

Nate had to reply somehow, so he did his best to keep his tone respectful. ”Oh? Is it forbidden for a goddess to love?” What was the line between respectful and exaggeratedly respectful?

It’s a lot of money, stupid.

>> ”Oh? Is it forbidden for a goddess to love?”

She could tell he did not approve of what she said. No matter how he tried his best to hide it, the Goddess had met enough people to know. Especially in this country, where her words so often caused confusion and controversy.
The ruby red lips curled into a smile.

"A goddess is allowed to love whoever she chooses to love" she told him; it was not his fault he was not educated in these matters in such a godless country "But love has nothing to do with marriage. It is a desire of the heart and the soul. Marriage is a lasting arragement between two people."

At least it was where he came from. This man probably had other ideas. She was intrigued to hear them.