xp_logs | Wednesday, late evening

Paige hadn't meant to start crying. She was easy to offend, easier to anger, but she didn't cry, not like this. So when she reached up to find tears streaming down her face, her first reaction was panic and in her panic she needed to hide. With this in mind she fled the mansion, heading into the School gardens.

She stumbles into a little bit more secluded area, surrounded by lush lilac bushes and lit by a tall boy with a glowing hole in his chest.

Paige hastily wipes at her eyes, turning away. "I'm sorry, I didn't know there was anyone out here."

"I don't own this place," he shrugs, his voice swimming into her head, and not through her ears.

Shocked, Paige's hand flies to her temple. She stands there, head tilted slightly to one side, giving Jono a curious look, but says nothing. "I... I guess not. If I'm intruding, I'll..." she finally manages to put together.

Jono shrugs again, looking uncomfortable. "I was heading inside anyway."

"Oh." She looks disappointed, but shakes it off to become bold, sitting next to him. "Your voice is in my head and I'm confused as to why."

Jono shies away, a bit startled. No one had asked him before why he 'spoke' the way he did. He was pretty sure it was apparent why. "Having no mouth tends to do wonders," he finally replies.

"There are lots of people who can not speak, Jono. They find other ways of communicating, much more difficult ways. It's very lucky that you have this gift." She speaks with total control, fully believing what she is saying, and without any kind of superiority. "So is your gift telepathy? I still don't understand that light you emit." Paige seems to have totally forgotten about why she ran out here in tears, fully absorbed in her fascination of her fellow mutant.

"I'm not telepathic. I don't hear your thoughts," Jono frowns. "I don't know what I am. Probably a nightlight."

Paige narrows her eyes with pursed lips. "No, I don't think so. You must be very powerful to do such damage." She reaches up a hand to touch what remains of his face before realizing herself and pulling away.

Jono has already raised his hand to swat hers away, but when she withdraws he lets his hand flop down. "You must be the other Guthrie," he states.

"One of many," Paige states, suddenly sad again.

"Right," he starts to get up, not wanting to get mixed up in someone else's problems.

Paige looks up with hurt eyes before they narrow down to anger. "Right. Off you go. Before you end up enjoying my company or something."

The light in Jono's chest seems to intensify a bit. "Just trying to spare you the pain of having to look at me."

She jumps to her feet, standing tall in an attempt to make up for the two inches Jono has on her. "If it was a pain to look at you, don't you think I would have run off by now?"

"Maybe it was a relief to find someone freakier," he snaps back, assuming, naturally, that her problems were much like his own, worrying about being a mutant.

"Freakier? Is that what you think you are? What this is about?" Her jaw sets as she tosses her head angerly. "You are not a freak, Jono. Hardly. You are a gift. More precious than anything than anyone can even begin to understand." She pauses to stare at him, hard. "You really don't understand that, do you?"

"A gift," the light flares in Jono's chest. "If I had a jaw it would be trailing the ground at your incredible thickness."

Paige's nostrils flare and she suddenly looks very dangerous, even to Jono's eye. She takes a step back from him, clenching her hands into fists and releasing them before replying. "A gift. You, Jonothan Starsmore, are one of the most beautiful creatures I have ever met." She pauses to give him a look. "Even if you are a sarcastic little jerk sometimes."

Jono takes a step back too, eyes wide and his light dimming into a little glow. Then he turns and walks away.