Jared & Yvette | At the front door

[x-radius.livejournal.com]

Jared arrives at Xavier's, welcomed by Yvette.

It was a sign of Yvette's development over the years that the knocking on the door didn't send her scurrying to the nearest hiding place. Instead, she put on a bright smile, went over to the door and opened it.

"Hello!" she said to the person standing there. "Welcome to Xavier's. How may I be helping you?"

Had he met the girl a few years ago, Jared might have taken a step back, but the years he spent considering himself a weirdo taught him not to be so normal in his expectations. an awkward smile would do the trick for this time-so he thought.

"Uh, hi! I'm Jared. I was kind of looking for a place to stay in here..."

Awkward smile again. Yeah, that would totally do the trick...

Awkward or not, the sight of a boy - well, young man, but not so very much older than her seventeen years, she thought to herself - smiling at her made Yvette squee a little inside. "Oh, you are th.. a new resident?" she asked. "You would be needing the Professor, then. I can take you to him, if you like?"

"I guess so"

'Professor? So now what?' he thought. Would he have to go through an interview or something? "Look, I haven't really heard about a... recruitment process. I just said I was cool doing whatever you need. By the way, I like your hair... It's cool, in line with... everyhing, you know..."

This last comment was way out of line, and totally pointless. So what?

Yvette paused at the last remark, eyes flaring neon blue at the compliment - those who knew her would know her version of a blush. "Oh, um, thank you," she managed to stutter. "It is... I mean..." She couldn't seem to communicate anything beyond embarrassed pleasure. "The Professor, Professor Xavier... this is his school, so yes, you should speak to him if you are going to live here." She realised the boy was still standing on the doorstep, bag in hand and moved aside, opening the door wider. "Please, to come in." Great, now her English was deserting her. She must look like an idiot child.

Jared took this invitation as a first step in his new life. Dropping his bag on the floor and looking around, already picturing his late night walking around the place, the young man took his game even further. "So... What is your thing? Apart from the super nice blue eyes?" If he had to live around mutants from now on, Jared thought it might be nice to stay casual about the whole power situation...

Again the eye flare - if her eyes got any brighter, people would need welding goggles to look at her. "My skin and hair is super-sharp," she replied, softly. "And very hard. I can be cutting things with my skin if I touch them. So it is safer if you do not touch me - I would not like to hurt you." She looked up at him. "My name is Yvette, by the way. What is your name?"

"I'm Jared, and basically, you can't hurt me" he said, pointing a finger to her face, trying to put a small lock of hair away from her face. "See, it doesn't hurt. Well, it doesn't do anything. I just don't feel it. I can't". Then the smile turned down into a sad face, this whole little game reminding Jared of his condition...

"Oh. You are like Miss Lil, when she was here? She had the force field that meant you could not hurt her either..." Yvette's expression softened - literally - and she gave Jared a sympathetic look. "I know about not being able to feel so much either, with my skin. There are the few of us who have powers which mean we cannot touch or feel so well. So you have come to the right place, yes?"

"Well, in my case, people can touch me, sort of. I just don't feel the contact because of that "thing" over my skin. It can grow, but I can't turn it off. Eh, at least, we can swap stories about that sometime - if that professor of yours is fine with me staying around". Little by little, Jared was dropping the act to start building a real connection with Yvette, which was actually a nice feeling. "And, mind if I ask, what exactly do you guys do in here?"

"I can touch if the person cannot be cut," Yvette explained. "Kevin cannot touch anything organic, or he is melting it. Cammie has the poison arm and blood - she can touch people, but not for the long time, or they get sick. Alfred has the special suit so he does not make people radioactive. And Fred is, how you say? In-de-struct-ible," and she sounded the word out a syllable at a time. "But his skin does not feel the fine detail so well. So we are all sorts, yes?" She beamed up at him, hoping to make him feel comfortable about his future. "Please, to come this way," she added, beginning to head towards the Professor's office. "We are the school, but we also have the graduate programs for the college. Mostly we are the place for mutants to come and live and be safe and to learn about their powers and use them to help people." She wasn't going to mention the X-Men - that was for the Professor, after all - but there was more to Xavier's than the superheroes in the basement. "Like with Red X, the program with the Red Cross? Perhaps you have seen this on the television?"

"'Red X'? Oh! I get it, Red 'X' and Red 'Cross'! That's a good one! You guys are pretty witty here! As far as college is concerned, I'm not sure about that yet. Been kicked out and I've been bartending since then, so I still need to figure out what comes next" he said, moving slowly through the corridor, stopping by every door, looking for clues about the current tenants. Then, thinking about the word 'school' made him think further. "Tell me one thing: You say it's a school, and I figure people live here. So, is it like boarding school? Please tell me it is not bunk beds and stuffs!" That was such a tiny concern but such a bad memory from college years that a 'No' would be quite a relief...

She giggled. "No, not the bunk beds. And since you are not the high school age, you do not even have to share the room. We have the suites for the people who are eighteen and over, where you share the kitchen and bathroom and the living area, but have your own bedroom. Like having the apartment, only you do not have to pay the rent."

That thought brought a smile back on his face. "Young lady, you just make my day with every word you say! Roommates, no rent, you definitely got me in!" Staying here would mean so much to Jared, and a lot of weight off his shoulders. There he could learn so much, and use all this time to give it back to people around him. "Any tip to get the Prof on my side?"

"Well, it is called the madhouse for the good reason, so perhaps you should not be so quick to thank me?" she replied, teasingly. Knowing she couldn't hurt Jared even if she tried made her relax a lot more quickly around him that most people. "The Professor is the very kind man," she went on, a bit more seriously. "And very smart. If you need the help, he will let you stay - there is no trick to be needed. Besides," she added with another grin. "He is the telepath, so he would know if you were trying to trick him."

"So much for the 'I don't want to talk about it' I had planned" he replied, shaking his head. "I guess I'll have to play straight for this game. And if things go well, we'll celebrate. Meaning I will cook for you. What's your favorite dish, lady?" Okay, he couldn't cook at all. Shady bars in Ohio were not the place to learn the art of cuisine, but Jared was willing to please the young girl who was obviously doing her best to make him feel comfortable in such a moment.

"Oh, you do not have to go to any trouble..." There was that bright blue glow of her eyes again and the bashful head ducking. "I like many foods, so perhaps you could make your specialty?"

'Thank God' he thought. He could get away easily with that. "I'm from Nebraska, so I’m offering BBQ and Kool-Aid for the kids". This place was one of a kind. The first place he had felt comfortable in for a while - and the frat house did not count as one. Then, you will have to show me all the good things to do around. I've been kind of stuck in northern NYC for the past few months so I could use some good time." Unconsciously happy, Jared started shaking his head as a little kid, whispering his favorite country song...

"Well, you will not be bored here, I do not think." Yvette didn't want to start thinking he was asking her out or anything, but the girlish part of her brain was jumping up and down and squealing most immaturely. Just as well she wasn't seeing the Professor. "And here we are," she continued almost regretfully, stopping at the door. "This is Professor Xavier's office. Perhaps later, if you are to stay, I could show you your room?" The last was said hopefully - she liked this one.

"Thanks for everything, Yvette. I'll make sure you are my official guide through all that". Jared gave her a quick nod and a smile, then turned around to the office. It was time for a new start.