xp_logs | (no subject)

Sunday afternoon, Cecilia is out exploring the grounds, and comes across an exercising Angelo. She decides to try and be social, and is quickly reminded why she doesn't like talking to people in the first place.

Angelo was outside, trying to act on at least some of Nathan's advice on how to improve his sparring skills, ie go running. Since this was the first time he'd done so, and since he hadn't yet managed (or really tried) to give up smoking, he wasn't doing quite as well as he could be, and had slowed down somewhat from when he'd started.

Blaire hadn't been kidding - this place was huge, for a campus comprised of one really big house. Not one who was fond of getting lost, Cecilia was taking advantage of the day by exploring and getting the lay of the land, and as much as she had been enjoying the quiet that came from being alone, she couldn't help but be a little curious when she spotted someone out running. Or, to be more accurate, someone out exhausting themselves. "You should have a drink," she called out, her Bronx and Puerto Rican accents mingling in a rather interesting sort of way. "Dehydration isn't fun for anybody."

Angelo slowed down further when he heard her voice, grateful for the excuse, and veered in her direction, pulling the bottle of water from his belt as he went. "Hey. You'd be Cecilia, then. Good t'meet you in person."

Oh, good. He did have water with him. The lecture can be held onto for the next genius. "That would be me," she confirmed, one eyebrow arching slightly when the young man came closer. Is he *gray*? "Angelo, right? Likewise."

He stopped nearby, twisting the top off his bottle and taking a long drink. "You settlin' in okay?"

"As well as can be expected, I suppose," Cecilia replied dryly, tucking her hands into her pockets. "I haven't run screaming." Yet.

Angelo chuckled. "You've come in at a good time - things at the actual mansion've been pretty quiet for awhile."

To her credit, she managed not to snort. "Yeah, it's just everywhere else that things are loud."

Angelo winced just slightly, guessing she meant Columbia and not sure how much she knew about Nathan's part in it. "Yeah, I can see how that'd be a problem", he finally answered, neutrally.

Well, that was a curious response, wasn't it? Her eyebrow quirked a bit higher as she eyed Angelo, thinking for a moment before mentally brushing it aside. Kids. Probably just freaked about Columbia and the student who was there. Nothing to worry herself over. "It is if you aren't here," she agreed, just as neutrally.

Angelo made an effort to shake it off, smiling almost naturally. "So, where'd you come from 'fore you were at Columbia?" he asked curiously, just making conversation.

"I wasn't," Cecilia replied. "I was at NYU. Fourth year of med school this fall. Not that it's happening now, but it makes for small talk." She smirked, shrugging a shoulder.

Angelo scowled, drawing the obvious conclusion from what she'd said. "You ran into trouble 'cause of Columbia?" He didn't add anything about his own trouble with mutant-haters.

It took a great deal of restraint to keep from rolling her eyes. "No, I ran into trouble because I'm a mutant," Cecilia said logically. "Columbia just didn't help."

Angelo nodded, glancing her over. No obvious physical mutations... "How'd they know?" he asked curiously.

"Now you're prying," Cecilia replied cooly, loosely folding her arms.

Angelo shrugged. "Never said you had to answer. Fair enough if you don't wanna."

She couldn't help snorting, now. "One doesn't generally ask a question if they aren't hoping for an answer, Angelo. Otherwise, they wouldn't ask in the first place."

Angelo raised an eyebrow at her. "Didn't figure there was any harm askin' the once. You don't wanna answer, that's fine, like I said. Everybody's got stuff they don't wanna talk about."

"It cost me my life," Cecilia pointed out, both eyebrows raised in something like disbelief. "I'm not here because I felt like a change in scenery, I'm here because I didn't want to have my head bashed in. My life's work is gone." She gave that a moment to sink in before she added, cool and dry, "It's a touchy subject."

Angelo returned the cool look. "Been there. Didn't lose anythin' I'd worked for, not like that, but when I manifested... well, let's just say I couldn't go home again."

"I manifested years ago. I was just doing a damn fine job of ignoring it and getting on with my life." She is not going to be intimidated by a teenager. And she doesn't much feel like bonding, either. Not a people person.

"Easier for some, I guess", Angelo said innocently. He hadn't missed her reaction, however slight, to his physical mutation, he'd just chosen not to mention it at the time.

Oh, the innocence is real cute, in a so-totally-not kind of way. Don't tell him some skin cream or tanning lotion would clear him right up, Cecilia, that would be uncalled for. "You should get back to your run," she replied instead, quirking an eyebrow challengingly. "It looked like you could use the exercise."

Angelo chuckled slightly. "Probably. Only just gettin' into the whole runnin' type exercise thing, though - usually, I'm down in the gym with the punchbags or a sparrin' partner - but I'm s'posed to be tryin' to branch out."

Kids these days. Can't recognize a dismissal to save their lives. "Then I imagine I'm not supposed to be interrupting you," she said slowly, waving vaguely towards the track.

Angelo raised an eyebrow - he did know when he was being dismissed, but would be leaving on his own terms. "Yeah, I should be gettin' back to it", he said lazily, tucking the bottle back in his belt and turning towards the path.

How fortunate that the need to get in the last word was something she outgrew years ago. Cecilia was perfectly happy to let Angelo have it, since it meant he'd do what she wanted and leave her alone again. Without another word, she turned and continued on her way, to see if she could find her way to the basketball court.