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She was a fixture that the Mansion couldn't seem to be rid of. Sure, Gina had graduated, but thanks to a work-study gig through the University, she managed to land herself a position at Xavier's. One of her majors was Social Work, and Gina especially wanted to work with displaced mutant kids, so being a T.A. at an all-mutant school would look really, really good on her resume. Besides, she just stinking loved being at Xavier's! Sure, she got paid for some of the time she spent there, but this movie night was off the books.

And, if she might say so herself, it'd be off the hook!

Pillows, check.

Blankets, check.

Enough snack-foods for a small battalion? Check, check, check!

She'd been advertising the movie night for weeks, and had even stock-piled a few worthwhile blockbusters. It was a thirteen-and-up event due to the presence of a number of PG-13 movies, and it also provided the opportunity for some of the students to break curfew. So Gina expected at least a few students to make an appearance-- at the very least, she hoped they'd make an appearance.

The gargoyle was busy putting together the last few bowls of snacks and fishing the gigantic bottles of soda out of her shopping bag, when she heard footfalls approaching. She was wondering who would be chaperoning with her! Since she was technically not a staff member, it was a liability for her to be by herself, so she was wondering which (*cough* brave soul *cough*) staff member had the joy of helping supervise. Gina righted herself, all smiles.

Original Application
Return Post Count: 940

Individual

Character's full name: Regina Marie Schuyler

Alias/ Nickname/ Code name: Gina

Gender: Female

Age: 21

Date of Birth: 04/18/1996

Birthplace/ Home/ Place of Origin: Mendocino, California

Nationality: American

Ethnicity/ Cultural Heritage: Ethiopian and Southeast Asian, though she is not privy to this information.

Appearance

Hair Color & Style: Dark brown with red undertones, a shoulder-length mess of corkscrew curls. Usually left alone or strong-armed into a ponytail or tied back with a headband.

Skin Tone: Dappled, stone-like grey… scaly in some parts.

Eye Color: Brown with large amber flecks, like fire.

Height: 5’2”

Build: Buxom and full-figured, with the tiniest bit of pudge. (Mostly muscular, despite soft appearance.)

Visible Mutation: Gina is some sort of draconic-gargoyle thing, complete with complete with grey skin, bat wings, birdlike feet and taloned hands, sharp teeth, elfin ears, a horned head and a tail. Smooth, steel-blue scales also cover the majority of her shoulders, back, tail, and the tops of arms, hands and feet.

Scars/ Tattoos/ Piercings: Gina has two pairs of lobe piercings and a scar on her right shoulder (and a corresponding spot on her wing) from getting shot.

Other Features: Her face has matured to that of a young woman, slimmer in the cheeks and more evenly proportioned. Still openly expressive.


Everyday Clothing Style: Gina’s wardrobe is active but cute, typically including leggings (sometimes with skirts or dresses) or shorts, paired with a cute coordinating top. Doesn’t usually wear anything longer than capris, given her foot structure, or anything with buttons, given her buxomness.

Uniform: n/a

Sleepwear: Tank-top and shorts.

Miscellaneous Clothing: A messenger bag that has a strap that can be unsnapped to accommodate her wings. Also collects a hodgepodge of sunglasses, usually held to her head by a strap. She modifies her own clothes to accommodate her physique.

Character

Personality: Contrary to her appearance and life experiences, Gina is still selfless, gregarious and kind. Time and experience have made her (slightly) worldlier, and there’s a little more salt and a little more spunk to counteract the sugary sweetness of her personality from her younger years. She has maintained this approachable air but, unlike years past, she takes no sh*t and tells things straight.

Gina continues to be a very affectionate, touchy-feely kind-of gal and, despite the tribulations of her past, is fairly indiscriminate when it comes to picking friends. (This frequently bites her in the butt, in retrospect, but she still wants to give most people a chance.) Though she is bubbly and a frequent figure at parties, she values alone time equally as much and can often be seen flying about, taking walks, or enjoying the scenery.

Hobbies/ Interests: storytelling, singing (slightly off-key but good enough), dancing (no particular style), talking, drawing (esp. designing clothes), sewing, shopping, going on adventures

Job or Part-Time Job and Description: Full-time student and freelance clothing designer.

Fears/Phobias/Concerns: Drowning, small/enclosed spaces, loud noises (i.e. gunshots), getting too cold, mosquito hawks

Special Talents: Climbing onto counters to reach the top shelf. Finding the perfect balance of “tough love”.

Morality

Good Enough: Gina’s moral compass still points north, and the pole that it points to is still one crafted of her own, personal beliefs. What has changed, almost imperceptibly, are the beliefs that guide this compass. Rather than naively believing that everyone is good and pure, Gina has adopted more of a heroic stance—people aren’t all good, but can be persuaded. She wants to be part of the movement that changes them for the better.

Mutations

Mutation Description: Though Gina initially believed herself to be a gargoyle, the emergence of scales all over her body has led her to start thinking otherwise. Though largely humanoid, there are certain features that are noticeably inhuman. Most striking are the two, batlike wings that extend from her back, and her grey, speckled skin. Steel blue scales cover her shoulders, back, her entire tail, and the tops of her arms, hands and feet.

Along with these, Gina has four-toed, digitigrades feet—taloned and comparable to those of a bird (with three toes in the front, and one in the back). A five-and-a-half foot long prehensile tail extends from the base of her spine, and at its tip, three petals and muscle skin rest. These petals are capable of functioning like fingers. Though her face is cute, there are certain inhuman features that don’t fit quite right—the elfin ears, the sharp doglike teeth, and the two, goatlike horns that curve from her hair (about three inches in length). She isn’t the most inhuman mutant out there, but she’s different enough to cause a scene.

Strengths:

• Tail functions as a spare limb
  
  
• Flying is faster than walking, and permits for easy access to generally difficult-to-reach places.
  
  
• Bat-like wings are more efficient than birdlike ones, enabling greater control and maneuverability, therefore heightened agility.
  
  
• Foot structure allows Gina to cling to ledges, and balance on small perches with ease.
  
  
• Scaly/leathery skin helps protect against harsh weather conditions, and allows wings necessary flexion while increasing their durability.
  
  
• “Diving” from a certain height and letting gravity do the acceleration work is one way in which Gina can reach a certain speed without spending as much energy
  
  
• A film over her eyes protects them from airborne particles

Weaknesses and Limitations:

• Tail can lift up to 30 lbs. (13.6 kg) with a combination of the “fingers” and coiling around the object.
  
  
• Can support just over 200 lbs. (95.25 kg) aloft, including her weight; Gina weighs 100 lbs (45.36 kg), therefore she can carry 100 lbs if need be.
  
  
• Agility, speed, and stealth on the ground is average- to- below average depending on how cramped the space is. (Folded wings tend to get in the way a lot.) Also, given her foot structure, Gina gets uncomfortable if she has to walk for long periods of time.
  
  
• While her musculature is increased to enable flight, Gina is not inhumanly strong, only strong for her size—she’s built for speed, not strength
  
  
• Ginas’ flying capabilities vary upon how much sleep Gina’s consumed, how much food she’s got in her stomach, and weather conditions—in fine weather with a good night’s sleep and a well-fed stomach, Gina can “jog” at 30 m.p.h. (48 km/h) for ninety minutes, “run” at 60 m.p.h. (96 km/h) for sixty minutes, and “sprint” at 90 m.p.h. (145 km/h) for twenty minutes. Gina can also hover, but this is immensely energy consuming and usually pointless for her. Flight itself is also energy consuming, so Gina cannot breach these limits without stopping to eat and rest. Even then, how time and speed in the air will decrease if she attempts to overexert herself.
• Since developing scales, Gina has also become more susceptible to fluctuations in temperature. In cold temperatures (below 50°F) she’ll get very sluggish. As such, she’ll tend to keep flying in the winter months to a minimum, and try to bundle up as thoroughly as possible before going out.

Power Growth [01/04/13]:

Mutation Description: Following the beat-down that sparked the Riot plot, Gina began to experience physiological changes that have made her senses more geared towards a nocturnal lifestyle. Her eyesight and hearing have both experienced sharp increases (especially her hearing), and her larynx has been permanently altered to enable echolocation. She is, for all intents and purposes, a nocturnal being.

Strengths:

• Gina can see and hear outside of the human range, which has its perks. Fumbling around in a dark bedroom on her way to the bathroom is a thing of the past, as she can see clearly in the dark. Her ears are also sensitive enough to pick up the faintest of noises, such as hushed conversations on the other end of a room.
  
  
• If and when Gina cannot see with her eyes, she always has the convenience of using sound to see—in other words, echolocation. As long as she can hear, she can use sound to navigate a room. Her “call” is a series of clicks that are well outside of a human hearing range that can be directed and redirected by a simple turn of the head. Can be used to subtly look around a room when she otherwise wouldn’t be able to see.
  
  
• Because of her decreased reliance on her eyesight, Gina’s agility and speed in-air has increased. (See the fifth bullet point in the original Mutations section)

Weaknesses and Limitations:

• While Gina can handle a gradual increase in light or sound, she cannot be rapidly introduced to such a stimulus. Sudden, loud noises will disorient and frighten her, and bright flashes of light will momentarily blind her (longer than the average individual). Gina now suffers from what she refers to as day-blindness. She can only tolerate prolonged exposure to the ambient light of the moon, or the weak light of a lamp or streetlight. Anything else gives her headache, and the oversaturation of light makes everything too fuzzy. By wearing large, dark-lensed sunglasses, the light’s diffused and Gina can venture out in daylight, but there’s little preventative action for the sound sensitivity, besides physiological reactions.
  
  
• The call that Gina emits when she echolocates extends out in what could best be described as a fifty-foot-tall cone of sound, with the apex being her mouth. Gina can echolocate continuously at the same constant that someone can speak continuously. Her mouth needs to be open for this to work, however.
  
  
• While Gina has been attempting to keep a "normal" schedule, she is now biologically inclined to operate during night hours, so she is occasionally very, very tired on nights that she cannot force herself to sleep.

Power Growth [07/20/17][pc, 1090]:

Growth Description: The original “gargoyle” of lore was the head of La Gargouille, was used to frighten evil spirits off from the church—on a more practical, architectural level, gargoyles were also glorified rain spigots that carried rain water away from buildings. Hearkening to the myth of la Gargouille, Gina has gained the ability to spit venom at perceived threats—when ingested or absorbed through the eyes, this venom causes fear-like symptoms and induces fear-hallucinations.

In moments of psychological duress (anger, fear), a pair of glands located in the gargoyle’s throat begin producing the venom (which Gina asserts tastes very bitter). Should the threat (or perceived threat) come within range, she will spit the venom towards their face. This is a defense mechanism over which Gina has little control. The effects of the venom are as follows:

• Physical Symptoms: Fear-like symptoms such as sweating, muscle tremors, chills, difficulty breathing, rapid heartbeat, dizziness, and in some instances, nausea and passing-out.
• Psychological Symptoms: Fear hallucinations—similar to a “bad trip” when one might imbibe in a mind-altering substance. The venom induces otherworldly visions in those who fall victim to it. Hallucinations tends towards abstract and surreal, are unique to the target and unable to be controlled by Gina. Additional side-effects include time dilation (skewed perception of time) and confusion.

Though the venom has psychological effects, it is not a psychic capability—hallucinations are induced by the venom, and Gina has no control over what people experience or how the illusions interact with the target. She subsequently cannot see or hear them. As hallucinations, they cannot actually physically interact with the person they afflict—this does not mean, however, that the target can’t believe they’re being attacked. (On the other hand, people can also realize that it’s “just an illusion” and ride it out… it all depends on your character.)

The venom is a deep maroon in color (a few shades darker than blood). Gina spits venom much in the way that a cobra does-- there's a gland containing the venom which, when contracted, sprays  a stream of venom from her fangs (which she already has in the first place-- see first mutation description, which details canine-like teeth). 

Growth Strengths:

• Range: Gina’s range for spitting is from 4-8ft. (1-3m. approx.) The closer you are, the more likely she is to hit you.
• Duration: Once inhaled, proximity no longer becomes an issue—time does. Hallucinations subside within an hour, with the most severe hallucinations occurring in the first 15 minutes. Physical symptoms subside within 3 - 12 hours. This varies based-on the size of your character, the acuity of their senses, and how concentrated the venom was when you inhaled it. Variation per-character is up to the player’s discretion. (Individuals who are more petite or have keener senses than your average adult human, or get hit on the first shot, are likely to suffer the side-effects for longer than your average dude. If you are a hyper-sensitive, petite individual who get hit on the first shot, you might even trip longer than the aforementioned timeframe.
• Timeframe: It takes Gina approximately 5 seconds to accumulate enough venom for a shot.
• Onset: The afflicted’s eyes will burn almost instantaneously upon contact, and the venom starts working its way into the bloodstream effective immediately. Physical effects set-in gradually for the first minute. Psychological effects set-in at about two minutes. This is for the average adult. Onset varies based on individual size, sensitivity, and potency.
• Immunity: Gina is not susceptible to her own mutation.
• Keep Your Mouth Shut: Gina can resist the urge to spit by covering her mouth.
• Not Deadly: The venom will not kill you, on its own. You’re just going to have a very bad time.

Growth Weaknesses:

• Frequency: She can spit venom three times every twelve hours, with the first shot being the most potent.
• Focus: She can spit at one person per time. (Though this is also beneficial, because the likelihood of getting an innocent bystander or a friend is very unlikely.)
• Avoidance: If your character dodges, they won’t fall subject to the venom. It needs to hit someone’s eyes or mouth to enter the blood stream. If she spits somewhere else (say, your hand or your shirt), the venom remains potent until it dries (five minutes), so try resist rubbing your eyes.

Physical Abilities

General Physical Capabilities: Average human strength. In-air speed is above average and graceful, but speed on-ground is variable upon the openness of the space around her—average speed in open areas, very, very low speed in cramped spaces. Fast reflexes, decent stamina, and decent in-air flexibility—wings inhibit how Gina can bend and twist when it comes to reaching behind her. But, that’s why she has a tail.

Fighting Style: Gina has enrolled in a martial arts course to help stay toned during the winter months, but she’s only been at it for a few years and is by no means a pro.

Fighting Style Pros/Cons: Flying has granted her with fantastic reflexes and quick reaction times, but her wings often get in the way when it comes to grappling. Though she is more learned than she has been in the past, she is still small and considerably weaker than most full-grown people. She’s also too stubborn to quit while she’s ahead.

History of Your Character

Gina never knew her birth parents—she was abandoned on a misty Monday morning in April, on the steps of a fire department in the small, coastal Californian town of Mendocino. She was found by a widowed shopkeeper—a woman by the name of Pamela, who’d recently returned from San Francisco to her hometown of Mendocino after her husband, Robert, had been shot in-action. (He was a police officer.)

Attached to the gargoyle was a wad of five twenty-dollar bills, and an index card with the words “Born: April 16, 1996” and, “I don’t want her.” scrawled upon it, folded around the money and tucked into the folds of a squirming mound of blankets, which was nested into an old car seat.

Pamela unwrapped the blanket, and her heart melted—ultimately, she took the foundling babe in and raised her alongside her three sons—Maxwell, Jameson and Dante—as if the girl was her own daughter.

From day one, Gina was different. Her horns did not grow in until second grade, her wings didn’t prove their use until fifth. But from day one, she was a grey winged girl. She knew that she was adopted, but that her adoptive mother loved her very much. Mendocino was an Elysian place, a mutant-friendly community that fueled its economy with the tourist traffic from the nearby highway. Pamela’s shop was one of a throng, and Gina spent most of her early years there.

Though anyone else with a young, mutated girl like Gina would have kept their daughter home to be schooled, Pamela insisted that her daughter have a “normal” childhood, just like her sons. Gina left to attend school about an hour south of her hometown, and was greeted by a shockingly different attitude. Rather than having the same, mutation-blind attitude that Mendocino-raised children did, Gina found that her classmates were mean and cruel to her because of how different she was. They’d pinch her wings and tug her hair, and taunt her with regularity. Her brothers would often intervene, as would her best friend Constance, but the scant support did nothing to sway the multitude.

Gina would return home, teary-eyed and miserable, and despite Pamela’s best efforts, the wicked children could not be changed. One-by-one, Ginas’ older brothers aged out, leaving her and her best friend Constance to their own devices—together, they helped one another to toughen up, and they defended one another boldly. Constance’s mutation, unlike Gina’s, was not as apparent, and didn’t emerge until they were both in fourth grade. She could turn her skin to the material of whatever surface she touched, and only occasionally did so at school.

Yet, when the Registration began, both girls were hastily pulled-out of public school and put into homeschooling, taught by Constance’s father. It was deemed unsafe to go too far beyond town, to go to that school of mutant-haters. Thus, they were taught at home. And, once the Registration was through, Gina simply never returned.

As time wore on, however, the small-town, home-schooled existence grew lonely. Constance returned to a regular, public education, thus abandoning her friend. Gina grew lonely, and from this loneliness, she began looking at options for all-mutant colleges. It was Constance’s father who proposed a boarding school, and gave Gina the pamphlet for Xavier’s. Gina was sold on the school, did her research, and presented the idea to her mother. Pamela, delighted, agreed to the idea—perhaps this could be Gina’s shot at the normalcy that she’d always wanted.

Gina’s time at Xavier’s began normally enough, but with her move from the small town to the big city, the gargoyle has learned some hard lessons. She’s fallen into the most normal existence she could ever dream of, and yet, she still manages to find trouble.

UPDATE [02/19/17]: Gina has, since coming to New York all those years ago, remained in the city since them. As the youngest in her circle of friends, she was the last to graduate from Xavier’s. Much in the way of a young adult, she grew up and apart from her old friends, made new friends, and expanded her horizons. She has since been attending a university in the city, double-majoring in (of all things) Fashion Design as well as Social Work. Given her double-major, she still has at least two years to go. In her spare time, she has a work-study gig and also has been selling custom-made clothes on her personal website. She’s been keeping busy, to say the least, but still manages to find time to hangout with friends. Around the age of 18, she noticed that spots of her skin were very dry, though no attempt at moisturizing managed to remedy this-- scales and heat-sensitivity emerged, but it's had little impact on her lifestyle otherwise...

Roleplay

What’s your OOC alias?: Sophy

Where did you learn about this site?: Google~

Do you have any other characters on MRO, if so who: Chief [x] and Chase [x].

Sample RP:
This was by far the nicest car that Gina had ever ridden in . It was one of those nice, black cars that rich, important people rode in. Those cars that escorted the President places, or important business men. The windows were darkened, the seats were of a cool, dark leather, and a relentless streams of hot air fought off the persistent autumn chill. Since they’d left JFK International Airport, Gina’s face had practically been plastered to the window of the car, her gaze tilted towards her surroundings. Her eyes swallowed the cityscape in whole, devouring the scenery that she saw. The comforts that the car provided did nothing for the anxiety that ran through Gina, for the car was very cramped. Her wings were clasped to her back uncomfortably, and her tail was curled beneath her.

She’d even been sent an escort, Gina recalled, glancing away from her surroundings momentarily to regard the rigid, well-dressed woman besides her. The clean-cut woman had wedged herself against the opposite side of car, making a desperate attempt not to touch the mutant-girl. Though Gina was short, she still took up a lot of room with the wings and the tail and all, which made the woman’s attempt to distance herself next-to-impossible. Not exactly a warm welcome, for an all-mutant school. She could feel the woman’s gaze occasionally boring into her, and though Gina was tempted to converse with her some, the woman spoke quickly, and with little enunciation. She was hard to hear, and hard to understand, and therefore made for bad conversation, even in such a quiet car.

“Almost there,” the woman assured, sounding a tad impatient.

“Is it as beautiful as the pictures in the brochure?” Gina tried anxiously, flashing the brochure at the woman.

“Sure,” the lady admitted unconvincingly, “It is on the outside, anyways. I’ve never been inside.”

“I’m glad!” Gina sighed, a smile upon her face, “I mean, about the outside being beautiful.” Her escort smiled a momentary, unenthusiastic smile. Gina sighed inwardly, and returned to the window. Trying to get the escort to warm up a little would be a fruitless cause.

The car veered onto a dirt path, stopping at a rather proud gate. The driver rolled down the window, addressed a guard that stood within the booth, and after exchanging a few brief words, the guard once again disappeared within his booth. The gate swung open, allowing the car to enter. Gina stared at the guard through the window, watching as the car crossed the threshold.

“Ma’am,” Gina murmured uncertainly, “Are the mutants here dangerous?” The mutants, Gina thought, criticizing herself. I act like I’m some sort of outsider, like I’m not one of them… stupid, stupid, stupid…

“That depends on who you ask,” the woman said, in an unhelpful sort of way, “Why do you ask?”

“The gate, the big wall… it seems extreme, don’t you think?”

“Ooh,” the woman sighed, “They’re very secretive. It’s mostly for their own protection. It’s why I’ve never been inside.”

They wove down the path, deeper into the trees. But then, the trees cleared, allowing for Gina to catch her first glimpse of the mansion. She was awestruck, a childish smile spreading across her face. It was beautiful. The car followed a swooping driveway, coming to a stop. Gina climbed out of the car, followed by her escort, and the driver. The trunk popped open, and Gina went to retrieve her bags, but the escort waved her hand at her and said something.

“Pardon?” Gina inquired, not catching what the woman had said.

“Let us help you,” the woman said, with a smile. Gina stepped back uncertainly as the driver and the escort stepped in, each drawing forth a fat, overstuffed suitcase, containing her essentials. Gina attempted to take the bags from them, but they each carried a bag up the stairs before setting them down.

The driver turned, proffering Gina his right hand with a, “It was a pleasure to have met you, Gina.”

Gina ignored the proffered hand and gave the elderly driver a quick hug before moving to the escort and hugging her, too.

“Thanks,” Gina said with a grin, taking her bags. With a short wave and a glance over her shoulder, she said, “Drive safely!” Before she could even get a reply, she pushed open the doors and disappeared within, the heavy door swinging shut behind her.

Well, guys and gals-- my laptop has now survived three minor spills and being dropped twice. :I I managed to escape with only minor discoloration in the screen and some sugar in the fan of my laptop... and did not have to pay for any major repairs. As I am an overly-cautious sort, I did not know that the damage was this minor. *bows* So, uh, now that I know my laptop won't spontaneously combust on me or anything, I suppose this means that I'm back now. ^^"

This affects Gina, Chase, Alma and Sophrosyne.

Gina shook her head at Locke's inquiry, the corner of her mouth tugging discontently. The weeks since the attack had charged by hastily, one minute melting into the next, unoccupied with her normal activity. Because of her spotty sleep schedule, it was difficult to remember which day it was, what conversations she'd had, and with whom...

"I don't think I've been tested..." Gina admitted, "Or perhaps I have been. I don't remember."

She didn't say this in a tone that denoted defensiveness, but rather, she sounded genuinely confused.

"I've only really seen DocProf about, and he's not as well=versed when it comes to eyes... all he told me is that it's not something he can heal," Gina murmured. Which meant that it wasn't an ailment or infection... it was something else.

"It's better in darkness," Gina said absently, "Light makes my head hurt, makes it more difficult to see."

Gina straightened the needles on the arm of the chair, using her fingers to feel how lined=up they were.

"DocProf says it might be hysterical blindness... that's a conversion disorder, where your brain is so freaked=out that your body starts to react..." the gargoyle continued to murmur, "But, seeing as he's not an optometrist or a psychiatrist, it can't be much better than a guess..."[/color]

Gina smiled apologetically, her brow stitching—she, too, had had a lot worse. The boy extended his hand in a gesture of goodwill, introducing himself as Ty.

Gina hesitantly accepted his hand, sharing a brief handshake with the man as she introduced herself back.

“Gina,” she said simply, before releasing her light hold on his hand. Exchanges like this felt so much more constipated than before when the police had attacked her. The time that she’d been shot, and the two times that she’d almost been shot, had all been at the hands of criminals. Criminals had always been dangerous in her mind. But, after an attack from the other side of the law, Gina feared that no one was safe now.

“Nice to meet you.”

The gargoyle looked around, peering down the alleyway, before inquiring, “So, are you running from something? Or do you always run down alleyways?”

It seemed like such a scary thing to do, running down the alleys. Then again, Ty wasn’t an innocent little mutant girl who barely topped five-feet, either.

Gina was already beginning to step back as the guy contradicted her, shouldering the blame for the collision. His words were kind enough, but words could be deceiving. Gina didn’t have anyone to help her, here… no protection, here…

The guy was rambling about having a lot on his mind, not really watching where he was going, and Gina smiled, breathing a faint, half-hearted chuckle of acknowledgement.

“I wasn’t watching where I was going, either,” Gina admonished. Though, in her defense, she also couldn’t see that well. She looked towards the sidewalk, before hazarding a glance up at the redhead. She cracked a toothless smile, her lips stretching warmly over her sharp-toothed jaw.

“I’m fine,” she assured him, still sounding on-edge, “I’m just really jumpy. Not hurt at all.”

Gina sighed, trying to calm herself—and, when she spoke again, her voice was a little less tense.

“And… I didn’t knick you or anything, right? No scratches or tears from the horns and claws?”

He didn’t seem like a bad guy. He was actually pretty personable. And he wasn’t shouting slurs yet, which was a plus.

Gina shifted her weight and sighed as Sylar assured her how doable it was to move without seeing. Gina rubbed her legs, and could feel her face growing warmer with a blush. Gina didn’t know why she blushed—embarrassment, perhaps? But why? It took Gina a few moments of pondering to realize that such reassurance could come from one of two origins—a seeing person who didn’t know what they were talking about, or a blind person who was speaking from experience.

“Oh c**p…” Gina murmured, rubbing the heel of her hand against her forehead as the realization dawned on her. Sylar declined the offer, and Gina’s gaze habitually flicked towards him, even though the reflex turned up no new results. She cracked another faint smile.

“I don’t bite,” the gargoyle reassured him, flashing a toothy grin, “Much.”

Poor family background and sewer dwelling to boot? The feeling that this boy was kind-of like her was growing more and more unshakable—which made Gina want to draw him closer even more.

“Don’t be afraid,” Gina said, patting the couch again, “My name’s Gina. I’m the unofficial welcoming committee here—for guests and hopeful enrollees alike.”[/color]

Gina was gradually easing out of her anxiety and into a more typical-Gina interaction. Perhaps this notion of “sameness” between their two visages was making her more relaxed, even if Gina couldn’t be certain of this shared inhuman physique quite yet. Sylar pressed further, asking why’d they think she was a criminal, and Gina frowned faintly.

“I didn’t do anything,” the gargoyle murmured, “School got out early, I went for a walk… apparently there’d been break-ins in the neighborhood from a winged, female mutant… and I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. They tried to apprehend me, I panicked and tried to run…”

The squad car veering out and around, plowing into her, pushing her onto the grass—the swarm of officers spilling from vehicles, battering her with clubs, shouting at her—she tried to curl into a ball, tried to protect herself, without avail—the lights were shut off with a final blow to the head—

Gina fell silent as the recollection took hold... her eyes had begun to well-up. The muscles in her face tightened preemptively, and Gina smiled, trying to force threat of crying back with a grimace.

“—and they stopped me,” she concluded, her tone graciously more level than the gargoyle thought it was going to be.

Sylar confirmed that he was, in fact, blind, sparing the gargoyle from having to ask. He offered his advice on the matter, and Gina nodded her head attentively. She knew here well—she knew the Mansion—and with her being on house arrest while the situation in the city simmered down, and while she recovered… well, what else would there be for her to do?

“I know the Mansion pretty well,” Gina chuckled, “Not gonna have much else to do while recovering.”

Gina adjusted her weight, before rocking to her feet.

“Would you like some water?” she said suddenly, “Or a snack? I could do my best to try showing you around.”

It occurred to her that she had offered none of these things.