Xavier Institute For Higher Learning

[Vixandra]

Bryn

I unpacked quickly, knowing that if I waited too long then temporary enchantment on the bag would stop and it would literally blow itself up with my belongings. My dad had spelled the bag to hold what I needed yet still be light enough for flight.

The result was I had most my clothing and spare blades along with my alter. After setting everything up, I grabbed a shower, changed into a pair of snug black jeans, a backless blue shirt and made my way downstairs to find something or someone to talk to.

I asked the first person I saw, "So what time is it here anyway? Oh, I'm Bryn by the way, who are you?"

 

[Screech]

Amanda had been sitting in her room for a few minutes, skimming over some books of human psychology. So engrossed in it she was that when she reached out for a sip of milf from her glass, she found it to be empty as she had drank it all a moment ago.

"Oh yeah! Duuh!"

She needed refreshment and so, slipping off her bed and with glass in hand, she left her room and quietly walked down the stairs toward the kitchen. However, she didn't get close when she jumped at someone behind her

"So what time is it here anyway? Oh, I'm Bryn by the way, who are you?"

She turned around and saw standing before her a tall, winged woman with a sweet smile. Partly due to the shock, Amanda smiled back nervously, still holding her empty glass in front of her, although now with two hands.

"Ummm, it's, uhhhh 3:17." Amanda gestured behind her with her empty glass. "A-amanda. I was, ummmm, just... getting a drink. You, uhhh, want one?"

 

[Vixandra]

Bryn

"Sure," I said, smiling at Amanda. She seemed to be some kind of a cat girl.

I followed her down to the kitchens, learning the routes though the house as we went. On the way, I had to say, "I love your fur pattern. Its really quite beautiful."

I sneezed over the bright lights in the kitchen, the reflex sending my wings out in a flurry of black feathers to knock over a backet of apples on a counter top.

Crimson in embarassment, I pulled my wings in as close to my body as I could and picked up the stray fruit. "Sorry about that- it happens sometimes. I'm still not used to having them."

 

[Screech]

Amanda turned red slighlty at the comment of her fur pattern. She felt a little self-concious about it, mostly because everyone else still looked human. For the most part, that was. Bryn being the obvious exception here. "Th-thanks"

A loud sneeze came from behind as they entered the kitchen, followed by the sudden movement of Bryn's large balck wings, and a basket of apples. By reflex, Amanda dived across the table and caught the basket in both hands just befoer it spilled all of the apples onto the floor

She breathed a sigh of releif, before the stark realisation hit her that, in this position, her tail was probably swaying around in the air right in front of Bryn's face! Silently she wandered to herself just why she had grown a tail...

Quickly, she rolled over and sat up on the edge of the table, holding not only the basket of apples, but her glass was in there too. Again, she smiled nervously. "Heh. No problem, I guess. It, uhhhh, took me awhile to get used to this" She chuckled slightly, swishing her tail

 

[Vixandra]

Bryn

"I can imagine," I said with a small laugh. "Bet you can balance on anything though."

After washing the apples that had found the floor, I put all but one back in the basket, hopping up on the counter with a pearing knife to cut it apart as I ate. "These things make shopping difficult and formal wear near impossible. Nothing like forgetting to keep them tight in and having them burst forth in public."

I gave a rueful shake of my head. "'Are you an angel' or 'Did God send you?' Stupid questions- I'm not even Christian. But can't tell American's that."

I shuddered over a memeory of a particularlly violent group of Americans. Thier plans had involved tearing the wings from the 'false angel.' I hadn't agreed to say the least.

"Despite how cute I think you are, I understand how having a mutation that changes one's appearance is a pain in the proverbial ass," I said.

 

[Ithica]

Surge

So what do you do for fun when you are not in class or just hanging around?

Nori only got out,

"I..."

and watched as Thad scrambled around the desk and wrote something down.
She raised her eyebrows at him wondering what was that. He looked at her embarrassed and said,

"Sorry about that I just had a good thought and needed to jot it down before I forgot it."

Nori shrugged her shoulders and said,

"As for what I do...I'm killer to go swimming with."

Nori laughed and winked at him.

 

[Ithica]

Storm

Havok turned around and said,

"Ororo. I wanted to meet you in the War Room to look over the guests. There is something we have to discuss."

Storm smiled and said,

"That's what I wanted to talk with you about. We have a few new arrivals that need to be looked at."

Storm waited while he talked to Kitty and then walked towards the elevator.

 

[Screech]

Amanda was getting more and more comfortable with the winged Bryn. She was something like Amanda herself, only far more outgoing. She still thaught about going out to shop, even with the wings? She sure was brave to go out with all the anti-mutant hysteria going on

She nervously chuckled a little. "Yeah, I'm, ummm, quite good at blance" She picked up an apple from the basket and started to cut into it with her small claws, carving out chunks to eat. She felt herself flush at being called 'cute'. Oh why was she not very good at accepting compliments? She sunk her head a little, before looking at her right hand, covered in blonde fur with small red stripes, and quite sharp claws sticking out of the end of each finger. "These things are murder to get dressed with..."

She sighed and looked down. "I, ummm, don't go shopping much. It's kinda... uhhh... painful to hide my tail"

 

[Vixandra]

Bryn

I nodded in understanding. "I bet so. So what's fun to do around here? Kind of tired from the last part of my flight here- never fly over rural America without a plane- but can't sleep yet. Otherwise my sleep schedule gets all messed up."

And of course, talking of sleep made me yawn. I finished my apple up with relish. "We don't get this kind of apple back home very often. Mostly the huge ones my brother sends home from Japan- he's studing over there right now."

 

[Screech]

"Really? I've never had foreign food before. For a while I was, uhhh, lucky to, ummm, eat. At all." She sighed a little as she ate one of her apple slices. "Ummm, as for fun, well, everyone kinda does their own thing. We got a big TV, computer games and the like." Amanda swished her tail up and played with it a bit. "Mostly I, kinda, sit in my room. We got a, ummmm, training room here, but I think it's broken" She looked over her shoulder and out of the window before pointing at a tree. "I use that to unwind"

Amanda slipped off the counter top and opened up the fridge, getting herself a class of milk. "So, umm, what does your brother study?"

 

[Vixandra]

Bryn

Amanda seemed to me almost painfully shy, which was indearing, at least to me. Provoked some protective instinct that I hadn't realized I had. Amanda slipped off the counter top and opened up the fridge, getting herself a class of milk. "So, umm, what does your brother study?"

"Right now, his roommate, I imagine," I said with a grin. "Seriously though- he's studying bushido, katana sword fighting, judo, and a few other things. He's also going to school to get his masters in Japanese history. He's living with a woman he met over there, she's a real sweet heart. Doesn't quite know what she'll be getting for inlaws, but sweet non-the-less."

I sighed, looking at my wings. "My brother doesn't have the same mutation as me, so his is easier to hide or pass away. He's a metalworker- metal, especially heated metal, responds to him. He helped forge the swords I wear, Hugin and Munin. They're named after Odin's Ravens, Hugin being 'thought' and Munin being memory.'"

I laid a hand on the Hugin's hilt on my right hip, the prommel smooth beneath my fingertips. I smiled fondly over the thoughts of my family and asked Amanda, "So what's your family and friends like?"

 

[Screech]

Amanda stood and listened to Bryn's story. Sounded like her brother wasn't quite as interested in academia as he was in girls! But then, she figured that most guys were. For some reason it took her by suprise that he had gone to Japan to learn swordcraft. Admitedly it wasn't something you could learn that easy from a book...

Bryn mentioned that her swords were named after Odin's ravens. Now there, that was something she knew about. "You know, if memory serves, Hugin and Munin were supposed to be the eyes of Odin in the lands of man." She smiled. "Or so I read."

Her smile dropped at mention of her friends and family. "Well, I, ummm, don't really, uhhh, have any friends. I'm normally studying in my room, or out on the tree. And, uhhh, as for my family, well, ummmm, they, sorta, hate mutants..."

 

[Vixandra]

Bryn

"I'm sorry," I said, and without thinking, pulled Amanda into a hug, wings wrapping around her as my arms did. "I'm so sorry they're so stupid. And I was careless to just ask so bluntly. No one deserves to have something painful dragged up."

I pulled back from the hug a bit, enough to look at her face. "Sweets, don't let anyone ever let you feel like you're anything less then wonderful. As a man I lust after once said, 'There will be two kinds of people who hate you. The stupid and the envious. The stupid will love you in five years and the envious never will.' Okay that was to a stage actress, but the point's there."

Letting her go, I stepped back. "As for friends- well, I like you, if you'd like to be my friend? You don't have to, I mean if you prefer your solitude and to be a loner that's okay. I... I don't mind, but I'd like to be friends if you would."

Ackward but the I think my point got across. I did want to be friends with Amanda, who seemed sweet and strong. She didn't seem to hate those who ridiculed her, was sad over the loss but not hateful. That takes strength of character which I appreciate.

 

[Screech]

Amanda was somewhat shocked when she was pulled into a hug. She soon relaxed though. she hadn't been held or hugged by anyone in a long time, and with the added wings, it was a warm hug. When Bryn broke the hug, Amanda stepped back only slightly, and hand her glass in both hands, somewhat thankful that it hadn't been crushed.

"I..would like to be your friend, thanks" She closed her eyes and smiled before taking another sip of her milk. Bryn seemed so purposeful and outgoing. It was something that she looked up to.

She took a seat and put her elbows on the table, her chin resting on her hands. She let her tail swing back and forth. "So, there's a, umm, guy you like, huh?" She grinned

 

[Vixandra]

Bryn

"I just got here, Amanda! " I said with a mock gasp. "And back home, well my Mom's got a scary reputation, to say the least, not to mention I'm a 'half-breed.'"

I said the last with a roll of my eyes. "My mom married a man not of her people, so me and my older brother are both called 'half-breeds' and have trouble using the family magic. But that's neither here nor there, we were talking about guys.

I swear there are days when guys make no sense and girls make all the sense. And then the reverse is true the next day. Are there any cute guys here? You have a someone you like?"

 

[Screech]

"Wow! You mean, like, not human? Or not ane of this Earth's humans? I mean, I know all the theory about alternate Earths, the fourth dimention and all that. But, ummmm, magic's not something I know about. I guess Thor probably would" Amanda's eyes glazed over for a second and she smiled, before shaking her head and clearing her throat

She looked away, junst in case she could be seen blushing. "yeah, well, uhhhh......" She almost trailed off, but stopped herself from descending into one of those uncomfortable silences. "People come and go here, but, ummmm, that Madrox guy is kinda.... cute"

 

[Vixandra]

Bryn

"Yeah, ask Thor," I said with a nervous laugh before grabbing onto the change of topic. "Haven't heard of Maddox, but that's no surprise."

I finished my apple and washed off my hands in the sink. "So, can you give me a tour? I don't know my way around here. Where's the bathrooms and classrooms and outdoor areas? Need to get my hour or so of sword practice in too, so need to run by my rooms to grab my sparring-training swords."

 

[Screech]

Amanda nodded. She was really warming up to Bryn. She was almost like a big sister in a way. "Sure, I can. I've, uhhh, been here for nearly two years now." She downed the glass of milk and deposited the glass in the sink after Bryn had washed her hands. "I, ummm, think that Havok or Storm are supposed to, uhhh, assign rooms. But, ummmm, if you wanted, you could drop anything you want in my room. The dorms here are, ummm, sorta, big enough for two"

She walked to the doorway and nervously scratched the back of her head. "So, ummm, where first?"

 

[dragonrazor]

Cable raised an eyebrow, hearing something about new arrivals, and went to do his own checking. He couldn't access the future anymore, but he did have full information regarding the news for the past 2 years.

 

[Shaq]

Havok

Havok started talking with Ororo on the elevator.


"We can't repeat our past mistakes. Juggernaut and Fantomex were people we let into this school and they betrayed us. We have to scrutinize the new students and guests more than ever. I asked Madrox to do some digging into Babette Vassuer's background. And Kitty is going to run down the info on the company this android "Tai" is from. Havok steps off the elevator and quickly walks to the War Room.

"And you, I want you to listen to this."

He walks in and vocally accesses a comm link.

On the comm link is a message left by Gambit for Havok.

"Listen to Rogue's bright idea." Havok says smugly.

 

[Ithica]

"You should look up Mallory Vassuer's background as well. But I don't think that they are our pressing concern. The first couple that arrived is in hiding. We need to look up what we are up against and who they are. There names are Chihiro and Tai. We also have a new student."

Storm told Havok before he got her to listen to the comm link.

 

[IDreamofBunnies]

Babette found the young man in front of her to be quite strange, she hadn't completely understood him before but she could detect his bravado. Now though, he seemed to have trouble answering her question. She was growing bored.

Ditch this guy.

"Maybe later, you collect thoughts?"

She handed the photos back to him and walked off.

 

[Vixandra]

Bryn

I pondered for a moment before deciding. "Well, lets head up to my room, that way I can store Hugin and Munin. Forgot to take them off earlier- I'm so used to carrying them everywhere with me, but this should be a safe place right?"

I lead the way out of the kitchen and upstairs, stopping at a crossway occasionally to retrace my steps but I found my room. Walking inside, I motioned for Amanda to come on in.

"Just let me find my training sword," I said, hunting through the closet. I cursed as a pair of shinai fell on me but found my practice swords. They were carved of a limber oak and filled with a metal core to give them the same weight, flexibility and feel of my fighting blades without the danger of cutting someone while practicing.

Once I was through strapping the shinai into thier places on the impromptu weapons rack in the closet (read a few shelves and a coatrod thingy), I came back out into my room. I looked around and even I thought it was spartan. "Really need to get more of my things from home, or go pick up a few 'homey' touches in town."

 

[Screech]

Amanda giggles. "My room's so tidy, you wouldn't believe. That's the way I like to keep it" She led Bryn back out into the corridor and smiled. Clearing her throat, she pretended to be an official tourbus type guide. "Well, as you can see this are is the main students dorm. Most people here got single rooms, but some prefer the, uhhh, doubles"

She giggled again as she trotted off toward the stairs, Bryn in tow. Leading the winged girl down to the ground floor, she pointed in various directions. "Over there we got the kitchen, but you know that already, right?" She tried one of those too-sweet smiles. "First door on the left there leads to the Professor's study, and the recreation room is to the right. That's where the TV and pool table are. I... don't know if the balls got, uhhhh, replaced yet..."

She then pointed to a rather plain looking door. "That there? That leads to the underground complex. That's for senior X-Men and super-special students only" Amanda span on her foot and looked up at Bryn. "So, ummm, that's, kinda, all the main areas. I'm sure you probably don't wanna see the seniors rooms..."

She jutted her thumb toward the door. "Town's that way. I, ummm, think there's a, uhhhh, bus heading that way soon. I-if you wanna go, that is"

 

[Vixandra]

Bryn

I looked at Amanda and shook my head. "Nah, I'm having fun learning my way around here and paling around with you. I guess town isn't your favorite place, though you'd think the one here would be used to mutants. Thier loss I suppose."

I found a door outside to a side lawn, I guess it was and I stretched, going up on tiptoe, my wings stetching to thier fullest, about fifteen feet to either side. "Besides- I haven't gotten any training done lately- its not easy doing day long flights and then keeping up on martial arts. And that dang storm over the Atlantic nearly killed me- dang thing drove me to land on the top of a cruise ship. Got a free meal though- that was nice."

I pulled my hair into a high ponytail, the end of it brushing against where my wings sprouted from my back. "Still, it was good practice and I'm a stronger flyer for it now, though that doesn't say much. Anyway- you any good with a sword? Practice is easy with a sparring partner. I can teach you some basics if you aren't."