The Days The Music Died (Open, all X-Men)

[RiffWrath]

The darkness slowly lifted, the myriad hues of light dancing across the writhing mass of bodies moving towards the stage. The air slowly filled with sounds, a tapping of drums, a plucking of various tensions and thicknesses of strings. This was a tune up, a sound check; very obvious to anyone who's been to a concert, or ever been a part of one. Amid the musicians taking the stage, Melvin Lodeus plucked away slowly and methodically at the strings, his face virtually expressionless as he did so. Mel found the tune up necessary, with the problems that he ran across earlier. His pickups were entirely too loud, almost to the point of drowning out the drums. It seemed odd enough that the amplifiers were turned down twice as much as they normally were. Must be the crap acoustics in this place, Mel thought bitterly to himself as he plucked, strummed, and picked his way through the last of his tune up and sound check. He was ready. He looked over to the lead singer, a nod of his head followed by a slight smile on his face. They were ready. As the music started, slow and gradual, decending into the masses, Mel couldn't help but think of how far they had come...

Melvin Lodeus had graduated from high school, one of the top students in his class, and one of the best musicians that his high school had to offer. All State. First Chair. National Bands. Third Chair. Mel didn't even think of applying to any musical college; he merely played for the enjoyment of it. And then, one day, a councilor at Juliard called for him, offering him a full ride scholarship, if he came to their school. Mel was estatic. And then, one day, while hanging out with some friends, he decided to burn one with them, and was asked to play lead guitar for a small band known as "Riff Throttle." Well, his parents were completely shocked when Mel announced that he was going to travel to play a little gig at a nightclub, instead of go to orientation at Juliard. They pretty much abandoned him at that point, disowning him. But Mel was happy; he had chosen his lot, and would make it with what he had. Well, Riff Throttle had a few successful gigs, and then got some recognition at a local competition. This, in turn, led to studio time, and a small record deal. Upon hearing it, a major record label picked up the deal, and made the copies and spread the publicity. Riff Throttle's first album, Here's The Deal, had platinum sales in less than twenty-four hours, a record best. The scene simply exploded for Riff Throttle, and this was the seventh show of their second album's tour: the Take It Or Leave It Tour. And for Mel, along with several others, that day would forever change their lives.

Mel awakened in a cold sweat, sprawled across the back of his personal van. It had been only a few days since the seventh stop of Riff Throttle's second tour, but already he was done. After what had happened there....he shivered in the cold air, pulling the hoodie close to himself. It took a few more minutes of tossing and turning before Mel found himself getting back into the front seat, and starting the engine. With a few sputters, it roared to life. Flipping the shifter into gear, Mel drove out of the rest area, and took the northbound Interstate route, heading for upstate New York. Where? The Cullen's Institute. Why? Because maybe there, they could do something about his....curse. His...powers....

Sighing as he adjusted the black fingerless gloves, Mel reached for a cigarette, resting it in his mouth. With the telltale clink, the Zippo lit the cigarette. Taking the cigarette into his right hand, Mel exhaled the smoke, mentally going over the directions, trying not to even think of the incident several days before.... All those people... Mel shook his head, busying himself with the cigarette, the Mountain Dew in his cupholder, and sped his way down the highway...

[Banner Laverick]

The cool wind whipped her hair around,into her face and she wished she'd pulled it back before she left. But time was a factor, as she watched the van pull away, heading north on the Interstate.


Days earlier, Banner Laverick had been one of many fans at the Riff Throttle show. Her friend Lee had gotten the tickets, borrowed her mothers' station-wagon and drove them to the show. Their very first road trip! Dressed in jeans, a t-shirt and sneakers, Banner slowly bobbed her head to the music playing over the PA as the band took the stage to turn-up. The excitement in the crowd was growing - Lee was practically jumping up and down, trying to get a good look at her favorite member of the band, Mel Lodeus. She LOVED them, felt their songs perfectly described her life, the universe and everything. Banner, on the hand, was a casual fan. Although, she couldn't help being as excited as Lee was when the first notes began to play...

[RiffWrath]

The look backward still continued, in spite of himself. It was awful hard to forget something like that....

Three songs into the set, Riff Throttle was hot tonight; everything seemed perfect. The harmonizing of the vocals and the instruments were all falling perfectly into place. Some would say that the concert would have been completely synonomous to the album. And they were actually singing and playing it, not lip-synching it. Very difficult to accomplish, yet they were doing it.

And then came the wonderful sounds of Mel's guitar, the solo at the beginning of the song. It started slow and melodious, the notes drifting and flowing like water. Mel Lodeus was on a roll tonight. The music slowly began to build, and build, the tempo picking up speed as the music creshendoed. And then it began to fall apart. Not the music; the music was perfect, Mel's fingers dancing across the guitar, a blur as he dove into the riff. It began to build at its maximum intensity, and at the highest volume possible....and yet still, as Mel closed his eyes and continued to lose himself in the melody, it began to build even more, the sound flowing even faster, an absolute assault on the senses. Bodies were gyrating everywhere, people were cheering. And then it built more. And more. And more. And slowly, the dancing and the cheering died away, only to be replaced by looks of awe. And then, as it built to dangerous levels, the awestruck glances became replaced with pain. Slowly people began to fall to their knees, holding their ears. Blood became slowly visible, trickling from the lobes of ears. Even the other band memebers began to drop, holding their heads, dropping their instruments, knocking over speakers, amps, and other equipment. And only, as the music finally built to the final edge, Mel looked up, to see the agony and pain washing throughout the crowd. And he dropped his hands, the right thumping at the guitar's body. As this occured, the speakers and amps, starting with the ones closest to the stage, and continuing outward, began to explode, flashes of scrap parts and electricity striking outward to the crowd. And as Mel watched with horror as the scene finally became at its worst.....

He dropped the cigarette from his hand, landing in his lap. Swearing, Mel groped for the 'smoke, feeling the embers burn into his thighs. Finally plucking it upward, he left the cigarette in his mouth, and patted himself off, with no more words. He was still lost in thought, his focus on the road enough to properly function, but not to register....

[Banner Laverick]

She'd blacked out as the music reached it's peak, only to come to a short while later, blood caked under her nose and a loud ringing in her ears. Bodies were everywhere, the floor, the stage. The amplifiers were completely destroyed, charred and still smoking. She sat up with a groan, barely hearing the sirens of the emergency workers as they arrived on the scene. Banner had gone to the hospital, explaining away her lack of injuries by saying she'd been at the very back of the hall. Lee hadn't been so lucky; she was one of many who ended up seriously, nearly fatally injured. The last time Banner had seen her was in the hospital, comatose and being kept alive with machines...

The only uninjured band member had been him. She'd followed him, found his van, and now was standing in the middle of the interstate. He had just enough time to look up, slamming on his brakes a split second before impact.

A smirk crossed her face as she waited for him to get out of the car. She'd promised Parker she wouldn't do anything "a super hero wouldn't do.", no matter how much she wanted to.

[Anja Drake]

::At the Cullen's Institute::

It was midnight, or even passed that, and Anja Drake was off the school's campus, again . . . this was the third time in one week that she had been up in the middle of the night and into the morning hours of the day. Of course, there were other students who were up and moving at this hour; but all of them were ment to thrive in the night. [i}What it would be like to be nacturnal?'[/i] she thought occasionally.

It was getting frustrating on how much she couldn't sleep; every sense in her body was on a 24-hour time table and no matter what she did, she just couldn't fall into a subconcious slumber. Thus, her position now.

In the day or during the night, it didn't matter really, but she was in her favorite spot. About half a year before, she had discovered this little place. She had been wandering aimlessly around, trying to still get a feel for the Institute, but in doing so, about half a mile or so down the gravel road that led up to the West side of the school grounds, she found a small area cut out of the maple and hedge barrier that lined the road. It was like her own personal haven away from the school. With senses like hers, it was hard to concentrate on something as simple as eatting a carrot...in her haven, there was nothing but the chilly clear air.

Tonight, she found herself laying with her back to a tall maple tree; just listening to the peaceful nature...and half-heartedly practicing to widen the range of her senses, even though by now, she could "see" for a couple of miles around. It was very serene this particular night.

However, there was something changing swiftly in the air; it was like there was...pain and...confusion coming from every direction. Anja squeezed her blind, hazel eyes shut, whatever it was, it was going to come here. She didn't know how she knew, but she did. What or who was in this much pain?

[RiffWrath]

His green eyes snapped up, spotting the girl standing in the middle of the interstate. Mel instantly cursed, slamming on the brakes. May God strike him dead if he nearly killed or killed anyone else... The impact had jarred Mel, his chest hitting the steering column. Through the spider-cracked windshield, Mel could make out a startling sight: it was a girl. Young, no older than her late teens. The air seemed sucked out of his lungs as he noted that the girl was still standing, her hands dug into the hood of the large van. She wasn't hurt, and she had caved in the metal on his hood. Oh crap, Mel thought to himself. I've gone and pissed off someone....someone capable enough to stop a van going seventy on the interstate. This is bad.... Mel instantly checked his mirrors. It was late; there weren't many travellers this far upstate, so he seemed clear. Irregardless, he turned on the hazards. Rubbing his chest, he thought to attempt to restart the van, but didn't even bother. If there had been engine damage, restarting it could cause serious issues. Slowly, Mel undid his seat belt, and opened the van door. It stuck normally, and this time, it was stuck enough that Mel had to practically kick the door open. He slid out of the van, and landed unsteadily on the ground, his boots resounding with a clip-clop. Steadying himself against the frame of the van's driver side, Mel slowly approached the girl in the front of his van. His words came out shaky.

"Um....are you okay?"

[Banner Laverick]

"No, I'm not okay. I have some questions that need answering."

As he approached, he could see she was dressed in all black, wearing a long black coat. It had been too cold to wear her normal "costume", except for her mask. Her arms were folded across her chest, but the look on her face suggested she wanted to do to him what she did to his van.

"Why are you running, Mel? Too ashamed to turn yourself in to the cops?"

[RiffWrath]

At first, Mel wanted to throw himself at her, but having seen what she did with the van, and without virtually a scratch on her, he shook his head.

"What the hell? You think I did that...."

And instantly, Mel lost his control, his talent ran wild. Without any warning, without so much as a breath, his voice suddenly amplified itself, to levels unparalleled by any normal means.

"ON PURPOSE!?"

The power and intensity of the words and the sonic energy behind them knocked the girl to the ground with incredible force, the concrete having an impression of her impact upon it.

As the words left his mouth, Mel instantly saw the effects of them, and covered his mouth. No doubt her hearing was probably shot, or at least impaired at the moment....Talking would do nothing more than harm her. And he didn't want that. He waited a few moments, long enough for the ringing in her ears to subside. His voice was quiet, but somehow loud enough for her to hear.

"You see?! I can't control it! Why would I hurt those who have taken us so far?! Those who loved us, were devoted to us!? Maybe you don't remember. I hurt the other band members, too. And now, they are deaf. And they aren't Beethoven; they'll never make music again. Their careers, and their health are ruined. And because of me...."

Mel's voice cracked, tears beginning to fall down his cheeks, as he clenched his gloved hands into tight fists.

"And those fans. They put our band on top. They did. Not us. Not our talent. But them. Their love for our music. And I hurt them as well. I nearly killed them. And you think that I could do that on purpose? That I should turn myself in? Why? So they can brand me, and toss me aside, or use me as some god-damned lab rat? What will happen when you fall, girl?"

Mel shook his head, and sat against the van, against the midsection, leaning his head.

"If you wanna take me out, better do it quickly. I can't control my talents. But before you do, think of this: I'm out here, in a piece of crap van, wearing tattered clothing, not any bling or expensive stuff on me. I have my Ibanez, and my amps and speakers. And I probably won't touch those again....Now, do you wonder what I'm really doing here? Why I'm not in an expensive car, speeding, and hiding out? I'm not running. The press and the PR guys covered it. They said it was a sound system malfunction. And no information has been released on me. And every bit of money I got from that concert, hell, from the last six months; you wanna know where it went? I personally donated it to the hospitals that cared for the patients. And all my expensive stuff, even my beach-front property in Cali, the nice cars, et cetera? Liquidated, and given up willingly, without even being asked, or even confronted. And it went to those injured. Along with personally written apologies and condolences for their injuries and losses. And why? Because...."

Mel sobbed, his head sagging.

"I can't take it back; I can't undo it; I could only do what I thought was right....So, you come here, dressed in black, ready to fight. Very Edgar Allen Poe-etic....You didn't come here for what's right, for justice. Nah. You, you're here for vengance. And I can hardly blame ya. So, if it'll make it right, girl, then do it. Bloody your hands. But remember: you do the wrong thing now, and you will lose your adoring public, and your righteousness. You won't be a hero any longer. You'll be a vigilante. And if that's what the world needs, then do it."

With the tears fresh on his face and more still falling from green eyes, he held his hands out at his sides, palms turned upward to the sky, the ultimate gesture. Mel lifted his head.

"End it."

[Banner Laverick]

"Urgh."

Banner shook her head, trying to rid herself of the ringing in her ears. She slowly stood up, brushing concrete dust from her arms.

"Listen, Captain Emo. I'm not here to kill you," she pointed at him as she spoke. "Cos if I wanted you dead, it would've already happened. Trust."

She kept her distance, fists clenching at her side. Yes, she was totally mad, but beating the caca out of him wouldn't solve anything.

"I was there, doofus. I want to know what happened...It's not up to me to judge you," a heavy sigh followed. "Jeez, stop crying, you're making me feel bad."

[RiffWrath]

Mel shook his head.

"Well, if you were there, you know what happened. I didn't even know I was...a mutie. All I knew was that, from time to time, I had to turn down the amp some, because I was overpowering the band. That can happen with electric equipment. But I never exploded speakers or amps like that. Sure, by pluggin' them in wrong, when I was first learning to play, or havin' one crap out after some time? Sure. But just exploding one? No way. And makin' people's ears bleed with the music? My parents made the claim when I was first learning and playing rock, but literally? No freakin' way...."

Mel wiped the tears from his eyes, sniffling.

"I'm sorry I hurt you....twice. I didn't mean to..."

[Banner Laverick]

Another big sigh.

"Whatever." She sunk down beside him on road, trying to smile a bit. "I know it can be kinda scary when you first, er, find out that you're "special". It's not so bad though; you get used to it. Trust me, when you wake up one day able to fly and lift cars, you freak out. Just a bit."

[RiffWrath]

Mel dried his eyes again. He didn't normally break down so easily. His general demeanor wasn't overly emotional. Normally, he was nonchalant, calm, cool, and collected. But that was before he found out he was a mutie who could make people's ears bleed. Now, all bets were off, and he had every last right to be "emo."

"So that's how you got here. I figured you walked...."

[Banner Laverick]

She almost laughed. It came out as more of a scoff-pfft combo, since laughing would probably make him feel bad. "No, I flew. I followed you from the hospital. My friend, Lee, is there. Uh, she was at the concert, and now she's in a coma..."

Banner frowned. "The doctors don't know if she'll ever come out of it, she was pretty close to you when er, the mess happened. That's why I came after you - I had to know if you meant this, and if you did, then I was going to stop you."

[RiffWrath]

Mel looked to the girl.

"Well, look. As nice as it is talkin' to ya here, we're in the middle of the Interstate. So, could you kindly rebend my hood back out, and help me check to see if the van's drivable? After all, I'd like to get it moved to at least the side of the road, so we don't get killed just talkin' out here...."

Mel reached in his jacket for another cigarette, having lost the other one in the "crash." The Zippo made it's trademark click as he lit up, taking a long drag.

[Banner Laverick]

"If you wanted it moved, you could've just asked."

She stood up, shooing him away from the van. With a slightly unlady-like grunt, the van was lifted up and moved carefully onto the gravel shoulder of the road. Banner made a face as she wiped her hands on her jacket.

"See? Being a freak of nature has some advantages." A few hard punches to the underside of the hood straightened it out, not quite as good as it was...She gestured to the engine. "Your turn."

[RiffWrath]

Seeing the entire van hoisted up by a girl that was smaller in height and build than himself made Mel merely stare. He almost dropped the cigarette from his mouth. Instead, he merely let it hang loosely, only tightening the hold in his lips to take another drag. He spoke as he exhaled.

"Alright."

Mel walked to the van, and opened the door. With her banging about, the door now actually opened a little better than before. It didn't look much better than before, but Mel was hopeful at the sign of the door opening without any difficulty. He turned the key, and listened as the engine turned over and then roared to life. As it did so, Mel hopped out of the van and checked under the hood. Nothing to report. Smiling, Mel look up at the surprising teenage girl.

"You got a name?"

[Banner Laverick]

"Yeah, but I'm not telling you it."

She stuck out her tongue, laughing. "I can't just tell you my real name...that wouldn't be very super-hero-y of me. The press have dubbed me "American Girl" so I guess you can call me that."

[RiffWrath]

Mel merely shook his head.

"Figures. You so-called superheroes and your secret identities."

Laughing slightly, Mel took another drag of his cigarette.

"Anyway, I gotta get going. I have somewhere that I need to go....to, you know, figure out this thing. And if there's anything I can do to reverse the effects of what I can do....Or something..."

Mel felt strange; a young girl had stopped his car so dramatically, and seemed threatening enough, but when it came down to it, his lack of control blew her to the pavement. And she could fly and apparently was strong enough to bring an Econoline to a dead stop without being seriously injured. Yet, he told her the truth, and cried because of how bad he felt being responsible for so much pain; despite his millions that he simply gave away to the people injured and their families, it didn't seem like enough. He had to do more. He had to gain some control of these powers, not for himself, but for those he hurt. He owed them that much.

[Banner Laverick]

She raised a brow. "They have a Mutie University now? That's news to me."

The idea of a school or any place really, where she could free-wheel and fly down the halls...sounded AWESOME. But would it really help mutants, or was it just some fraud?

"Are you sure whatever place you're going is going to help you? What if it's a trap?"

[Anja Drake]

::At the Cullen's Institute::

Concentration was hard, extremely hard. What seemed like such a simple task, it turned out to be something quite difficult to control. It wasn’t like ADD or anything but for her, everything was shoved into her head like an overly detailed map. Her senses picked up everything, and everything meant from every blade of grass to every small pebble imbedded in the earth; thus naturally, it was hard to pick out just one person or thing.
<o></o>
She was trying to it…or them? Whatever it or what it was that had been shrieking out to her minutes earlier was out of her sense “range”. Anja opened her eyes again, well, she knew it was coming here or at least she thought it was.
<o></o>
The Italieness rested her head on the trees’ trunk for a few moments; she needed to gather herself again. Concentrating that hard had always taken a toll on her, mentally.
<o></o>
She pulled her knees up to her chest and listened to the wind rustling through the tree leaves, it was in the early morning now and it was getting cold. She reached down beside her and picked up a heavy quilt before sprawling it over her huddled form. She was going to wait for this thing or person, whether it was a good idea or not.

[RiffWrath]

Mel shrugged.

"Life's a gamble. And I was sent some sort of e-pamphlet to my email, and it looks legit. I'm going to give it a shot. After all, this power, for the time being, seems to take care of itself. You presented a threat, and look at what it did, just to...I dunno, protect me? And if it can toss American Girl to the pavement, then I just have to trust it and go."

Upon taking another few drags, Mel tossed the cigarette to the ground. As it struck the ground, the embers seemed a miniscule explosion of light, the ashes scattering in the windy night.

"As for Mutie University, I'm not sure what they do to help. All I know is that I was sent it personally, within hours of the....accident. And being on tour, you know that mail can be a bit of a pain to get...if it weren't for it being digital, I wouldn't've gotten it at all. As for it being legit, I checked it up on the 'net, and the address existed enough for Yahoo!Maps to get me directions to it....which I thankfully memorized. 'Cause I'm not so sure I could find them now, being that I just had a head-on collision with a teen superhero..."

Mel laughed, a little overwhelmed. As a rock star, strange occurences were normal to him. But this? These past few days? Weird city. And now being a "normal", unemployed person, the days should've been normal. But they seemed far from it....

"Um, it was nice....you know....running into you? But I gotta get outta here. You know, less likely to get pinched for the cracked windshield...."

With that, Mel climbed into the van.

[Banner Laverick]

"Heh."

The passenger door opened, Banner sliding into the seat beside him. She grinned widely at him as he gave her a "Wha?" look.

"You don't think I'm gonna let a civilian like you go to some strange place all alone. What if you need help? I'd feel kinda bad if they used you as a guinea pig or something."

[RiffWrath]

Mel smirked.

"Sure you're not just hittin' on me? I mean, I am a former rock star....who apparently you at least somewhat liked the music enough to go to the concert."

Mel shook his head.

"You know, that's probably not somethin' I should joke about.....Um, you sure you wanna be caught riding around in a beatup van? I mean, it might make tabloids..."

[Banner Laverick]

She laughed. "Uh, sorry, but no. And as for the tabloids, they'll probably label me the masked mystery woman who's comforting you in your time of distress."

[RiffWrath]

Mel laughed. It was the first laugh in a few days.

"Or they'll think I'm off the wagon and using callgirl services, and have a strange fetish for masked women. You probably aren't even legal....And they probably aren't following me anymore. I didn't announce my disappearance. I just left after quietly liquidating most of my assets, and covering the injuries. Maybe after awhile, you can give me the hospital where I could see your friend at....a visit might help her some."

After a few sputters, the van's engine roared to life, and Mel pulled off of the side of the road, onto the Interstate, and into the night.

About thirty minutes later, Mel's van finally parked at a stop sign, just a block from Cullen's Institiute. Mel looked over to the girl, an expression of doubt across his face.

"You sure you want to come with me? There is a chance that someone here may be able to identify you by other means...and that would probably screw ya with the press if that info leaked....Plus, I'm not sure how they'd react to a masked mutant, and a tattooed thug showin' up at their doorstep drivin' a beatup Econoline van...I mean, among the two of us, I'm afraid I'm the normal one here, girl..."

[Anita Stern]

Cullen's Institute

Anita couldn't sleep. Too many thoughts running the tracks through her mind sometimes did this. It wasn't from the use of her power. It was just personal, idle wonderings. Her life had been largely ill at ease because of her power, making it hard to get close to anyone, or for anyone to get close to her. Everything she touched had secrets to give to her. It was easiest to trust others until she had to touch them. The thoughts of others can be a daunting arena. So far, her short tenure at the institute had been comfortable in that respect. The environment was different, and there were others that had powers stemming from direct contact. It would take a veritable mountain of trust for her to have direct contact with any one person. If there was one thing Anita had not come to terms with, it was that when it comes to the thoughts of others, it was like dealing with a crowd of people. You had to learn to take the good with the bad.

At least the stars could keep their secrets. Stargazing was a favoured activity with Anita, one that calmed her. She was hoping it would help her sleep tonight, but so far, it was having little effect. As she scanned the constellations, her attention was suddenly distracted by the sputter and noise of a van.

A van, a block away from the institute. Waiting, at the stop sign.

Curious. She thought. Or perhaps not.

And thus, with her curiousity piqued, the librarian made her way to the front entrance. Either something was coming, or something was just passing by. She intended to be there if it were the former.

[Banner Laverick]

"Yes, I'm sure." Banner rolled her eyes. "They ARE a place full of mutants, I'm sure they've seen stranger things than a masked girl and a guy with tattoos. If they're really going to help you, then it shouldn't matter, right?"

The ride there had been filled with idle small talk, mostly about Lee and her love of Mels' music. A little bit about his life before finding out he was a freak, and her life - school and whatever. She was more than a little offended that he didn't want her to come with him.

"And like I said, if there's trouble, I'm going to be there to help you out."

[RiffWrath]

Mel looked back at her.

"I'm just tryin' to prepare you....and myself, maybe. Hell, this is the first time I've done somethin' like this myself....And, um, thanks for the help. I don't really deserve it, but I appreciate it all the same."

With a sigh of nervousness, Mel rolled the van down the well-kept roads, past the tidy lawns, and out into a clear area, just short of the Institute. Mel figured it was probably to keep the "school" private. If this is a school, Mel thought to himself. Well, if it was a trap, he at least had some extra muscle. In the form of a teenaged, pre-and-post-pubescent girl who could stop cars with her strength and toughness, and fly.....He almost laughed aloud, but no expression of humor showed upon his face. The nervousness kept him in check. Stopping at the black, wrought-iron gates, Mel rolled down the window...

[Banner Laverick]

A rent-a-cop stood beside the van, looking the pair over. Banner flashed him a smile. "Hi, Um, my big brother and I recieved an e-vite. I think someone is expecting us. Right, Melvin?"

She poked him in the ribs, still smiling as the guard radioed up to the house.

[Anja Drake]

Anja sensed both of them; yes, both of them, there were two and they were people. She had already started back through the hedges just off the main road even before she had heard a motor vehicle. Even in her blindness, Anja swiftly picked her way up and over small bushes and through masses of twigs; the vehicle was at the front gate now and at the distance she was at she could hear voices.
<o></o>
One was from the guard at the gate and the other…was from a girl. But there was still someone else in the van. A boy. How interesting.
<o></o>
With perfect precision, Anja emerged through the hedges just before the stairs leading to the Cullen’s mansion. Before the driver of the van had even gotten the word to move on, Anja picked up the presence of an all too familiar mutant… Ms. Florence.
<o></o>
The dark haired girl brushed off her sleeves of her navy blue sweater and took her time in approaching the librarian. She didn’t stop until she was standing right next to the elder mutant, her senses and her eyes facing the van in the gateway down the long, narrow driveway.
<o></o>
“You couldn't sleep.” Anja more stated than asked in her strong accent. And nodded her head to the vehicle. “I’m not sure who they are”. But, I feel a lot of confusion and… hidden fear."

[Anita Stern]

At the sight of the younger mutant, Anita had smiled. She didn't bother asking what she was doing up. It wasn't at all surprising that Anja probably couldn't sleep, either.

"Anja..Yes, sleep wouldn't come to me."

The librarian, looking as if she might be a student herself, set her eyes on the van. Her vision was a normal twenty-twenty, and she had none of the enhanced senses that most of the other mutants young and old seemed to have. At best, the voices were a murmur to her. Even the nightlife of the local insects and animals was more noticeable. She listened in silence as Anja spoke, and at the mention of confusion and fear, she crossed her arms, tucking her hands tightly between them and her ribs. Florence had a noton of just who it might be in the van, but until the guard stepped away, it would remain as such - a notion.

"I have a gut feeling I might know who one of them is. But I wouldn't think he'd have any passengers, considering. That is strange..."

[RiffWrath]

Mel smiled, somehow hiding his nervousness.

"Um, yeah. That's right. Someone sent an....e-vite....to my e-mail. Yeah. You know, crazy guys and their computers....all they're good for is quick communication and video games...."

With a fake laugh, Mel hoped to God the guy was buyin' it. Shortly after an inaudible bark from the radio, the guard waived them in, the gates clanging open, as Mel slowly pulled the beige Econoline in, cracked windshield and dented hood, into the massive complex. Mel noted just how strange it was for a school to have guards. Then again, it wasn't completely unusual; most large colleges had guards. Maybe that's what this was: a college. Mel merely shook his head as his van left the view of the guards. Finding the designated parking space, Mel pulled into it, cutting the engines. He looked over to the Girl, his eyes a flash of green uneasieness.

"Here goes...."

Mel exited the van, not even bothering to get out his stuff. They may not be here long. In fact, they may even be on the run. If that were indeed the case, Mel would leave his clothing, and the expensive music equipment, among his other belongings in the van. His life was worth more.....

Noting the two people in what appeared to be the main entrance to the massive complex, Mel approached them, only speaking once he got closer to see that it was two girls; one had just come from the outside, judging by the night dew that was clinging to her shoes. The other, seeming a little older, was probably from the inside, with her clothing seeming too perfectly in place than to have been hanging around outside. Both seemed students, but one seemed more....studious? The older one perhaps. Mel merely shrugged, the light from the complex washing over his torn jeans, black Metallica t-shirt, the several spiked belts and chains around his waist, and the felt, short brimmed hat. His tattoos seemed alive as he put his hands in his pockets.

"Uh, yeah, I got sent an e-vite. Who do I....I mean, we need to see?"

[Banner Laverick]

Banner was hanging back a bit, half way between the van and the door, watching Mel and the two girls. They didn't look like they'd cause any trouble...She took a few steps closer, hands stuffed into her jacket pockets, staying quiet. Mel could do the talking; it was his invite after all.

[Anja Drake]

A thin eyebrow raised as the boy spoke. An e-vite…? Oh, an invitation! Anja almost chuckled at her stubbornness, almost. She smiled on the outside instead.
<o></o>
“Are you a new student, then?” Her grin beaming, even in the night. She looked at the boy, but not only with her eyes. Her senses went to work on him; giving every detail of his grayish outlines a careful look. His aura was like a constant wavering magnetic field, it just never stood still; it made her very giddy...and not in a good way.
<o></o>
She was about to introduce him to Ms. <st1:city w:st="on"><st1>Florence</st1></st1:city>, but the girl from the van caught the edge of her sense. Anja took the liberty of playing along like a normal, un-handicapped teenage girl and physically peered around the boy in front of her at the girl father back.
<o></o>
“We might be mutants but we don’t bite.” Anja waved before returning to her previous guest. She shifted to the side and put a hand on Ms. Florence’s arm. “This is Ms. Florence, our librarian. She can probably help you out a lot more than I ever could.”
<o></o>
She grinned again at the boy, her senses still lingering on the girl behind him, though. “Oh, my name is Anja. I’m a student here at the Cullen's Institute for the Gifted.”

[RiffWrath]

Mel looked over the speaker, who addressed herself as Anja. Though she seemed to look directly at him, Mel felt something wasn't quite right. Like as if....maybe she were relying less on her vision, and more on....some other sense? Mel continued the conversation, filling in on his half.

"Well, I'm not sure I'm a student. That would be if this place is a school, and not some lab where I'll be dissected...But you ladies seem nice enough, so I'll go out on a limb."

Mel stepped forward, his boots resounding on the pavement as he approached them, within hand-shaking distance.

"I'm Melvin Lodeus. Call me Mel."

He reached out his partially gloved hands, a gesture first for the speaker, then for the speaker's accomplice.

[Anita Stern]

Anita remained quiet, allowing Anja to speak. The girl's touch on her arm had no effect in activating her power, which was basically psychometric, because the contact was not direct. Anita was wearing a light sweater with her jeans, and her arms still remained crossed. She grabbed her sweater with the ends of her long, delicate fingers a little, the newcomer's innocent gesture causing the slightest unease.

"I know who you are...both of you, to an extent." She gave Mel a faint smile, glancing briefly to the girl set behind him. "Also, I keep tabs on more than one news source, and I'm more than aware of the invite you received, as I'm the one that noted the strangeness surrounding what... happened."

Anita flicked her soft eyes down to his offered hand, then slowly back up to his face, noting the tattoos on the way up.

"You'll forgive me if I don't shake hands." Even with the partial gloving, she was still wary. Anja's noting of the confusion and fear just minutes previous made Anita not terribly willing to touch him. She did, however, move her hands to the outside of her arms, rubbing them a little. A somewhat awkward silence ensued for a few moments.

"Ah...Perhaps we should head inside?" She said, a blanket statement to all of those present. "It's rather late, and the temperature doesn't improve in the slightest for a while yet. It's easier to talk where it's warm and safe."

[Banner Laverick]

Mel gave her a glance over his shoulder, and she shrugged. "May as well go inside."

If things weren't on the up and up, Banner was certain she could take these two out, punch through a window and fly away, Mel in tow. They followed the women inside, Banner taking a second to gape at the interior of the school. "Damn, this place is big."

[Anja Drake]

Following Anita Florence up the stairs and into the building, Anja had to chuckle at the girl's statement. "Yes, this place is overwhelming sometimes."

She could tell that there was an undefined tension, thick enough that one could probably use a knife to cut through, floating in the air. These two thought that this was sometype of lab?

...Anja smiled to herself, they would find out eventually that they had nothing to fear.

Ms. Florence led them down the main hall and to the 'administration offices', which was more of a lounge than office.

[RiffWrath]

Mel himself was a bit stunned at the immense size of the place. The area was clean, and pristine. Yet, to some degree, perhaps it was the dim lighting, and the wood panelling, this place felt comfortable. Everything seemed so nice, so rustic. This place was nothing short of amazing. And Mel felt, to be sure, that there was more to this place than met the first-time visitor's eye. After all, if it were a school for mutants, then they would obviously require places to study, plus places to practices one's power. And the practice area would have to be a stable, and controlled environment, away from things that could be damaged. Problem was, everything seemed almost too comfortable to be a place where mutants would train. Hell, Mel didn't even know if he was a mutant; he couldn't even begin to explain the strange occurences surrounding his abilities....a mutant gene seemed to be the only logical explanation.

The next thing Mel wondered about was why the librarian, Ms. Florence, wouldn't shake his hand. Maybe it had something to do with her power?

And shortly after that, Mel found his eyes lowering slightly, glancing at the two girl's backsides. Had he not been fearful of just what he was getting into, that particular topic would've been the first thing to pique his interests. But, with the potential of walking into a trap in the foreground, he could scarsely keep himself focused on the two women. If he were a telepath, he would've been at ease with the place and the feelings within; being that he wasn't, Mel would have to go off of pure instinct. And right now, the unknown factors would bring fear to him.

As they entered the lounge, Mel felt comfortable. Several chairs were set around a conference table; professional, yet somehow very comforting. Set in the corner of the room was a conversational piece of a loveseat and two large, cushioned armchairs, set around a coffee table. Mel wasn't sure where to sit, so he waited it out, watching everyone, an apathetic look hiding the fear in his mind.

[Banner Laverick]

She caught Mel practically DROOLING over the two womens' butts as they were lead down a hallway. All she could do was roll her eyes - boys will be boys, even if their lives are potentially on the line. When they arrived at the lounge area, she pushed passed him and flopped into one of the armchairs, stretching.

Banner waited untill the others were seated before raising a brow at Ms Florence. "So...you said you knew who both of us are. Just from reading the papers?"

[Anita Stern]

Anita reclined, curling her legs onto the chair in which she was seated, and resting her hands in her lap. It was much more comfortable and warm in this place, just as she preferred it. Her eyes focused on the girl, she answered the question.

"I am aware of who the both of you are, to an extent." She reiterated. "I know probably about as much about yourself and Mel as the general public would know, though I figured you both for more than the norm considering the words of the press. But nothing more."

She looked to Mel. Anita spent enough time watching people without touching them, that she had long since been able to pick up mood cues, amongst other things. The less she had to touch people to know things, the better. He was not at ease. "Your privacy of thought is the reason for why I would turn down shaking your hand."

Not to mention, my own sanity. She thought.

[Anja Drake]

Drake took a seat in a chair two spaces away from Ms. Florence; she wanted to allow enough space between the two of them so Anja wouldn't risk coming in contact with her. The student muntant sat quietly so Ms. Florence and the newcomers could talk without her inquiry; afterall, when Anja started asking questions, there was usually no satisfying her curiosity.

Not wanting to be completely rude, Anja turned her eyes to and from the two new mutants and Ms. Florence (as they exchanged conversation), but in reality, she was more watching Ms. Florence.

From what she understood, Anja knew that Ms. Florence had a very intellectual power; so to speak. The women herself was very, very intelligent; for that and more, Anja respected her greatly, even though the age difference between her and Anita was minimal compared to the other professors.

Instead of keeping her attention on Ms. Florence, she went back to seeking out the details of the two new aura's in front of her. Melvin's was, like she observed before, something of a short-circuiting magnectic wave; it flowed and moved as he did, it seemed very unstable but very powerful at the same time. The girl, however, was odd; the aura emanating from her was of a totally different body mass. There was the first light grey haze that represented her actual figure but her ability aura was that of a heavy-weight champion. Both of them were amazing!

Anja wasn't sure exactly what her purpose for being with them was, since she techically wasn't even supposed to be awake at this hour, but she had been capitvate long before the two of them arrived. So, naturally, she was going to stay and see what these two were about.

[RiffWrath]

Upon hearing Ms. Florence's explanation, Mel nodded slightly, his green eyes taking in the situation as he took a seat.

"Then you know of the incident where several were injured at a concert that my former band, Riff Throttle, put on as a part of our tour. And what you know is that the injuries were caused from a sound system malfunction, which increased the output of the speakers around the entire stadium, which lead to isolated explosions, tramplings, and hearing injuries. And supposedly, the sound system also caused damage to the other members of the band when our ear pieces shorted out. The media story is that I got the earpiece out in time...."

Mel cleared his throat.

"Well, I didn't. The earpiece never even left my head. Nor do I believe that it was the speakers malfunction that caused it. I think it was me.....and another, very isolated incident, that occured earlier tonight, has me believing that my hunch was right; apparently, I'm some sort of mutant, and all I know is that my sound can be amplified to damaging levels.....Or at least, that's all I've seen...I haven't even had my blood tested for the X-gene...."

Mel cleared his throat yet again. It felt dry, and parched. He was nervous, and sometimes that lead to physical manifestations.

"Um, could I get somethin' to drink?"

[Dragon]

It was a joke among the students that technology was Professor Rhee's kryptonite. He was reasonably facile with simple tasks like typing up reports and reviewing grades and student records on the network, but any time anything computer-related stopped working, he was inclined to leave it until someone else could look at it. The few times he'd tried to be so enterprising as to use PowerPoint in class had been nothing short of disastrous. All in all, he preferred more traditional ways of doing things. But some tasks, like running off sixty copies of an exam he'd printed up years ago, required that he face up to his old nemesis.

He walked into the office and was surprised to find a sort of meeting going on so late - and then he remembered Ethan telling him he'd just invited someone to visit the school. John tucked the file folder under one arm and waved to Mel and banner.

"Oh, hi, I'm Professor John Rhee. Please, don't mind me - I'm just making some copies."

He circled around the seating area and settled in to navigate the maze of options and inscrutable flashing warnings - he thought he should feel fortunate the copier didn't shoot sparks at him out of spite.

[Banner Laverick]

Banner listened to Mel retell his story, nodding at certain points. After all, she HAD been there both times when he'd used his gift.

Another teacher - John Rhee - came into the room just as the conversation had started to slow. She stiffled a laugh as she watched him attempt to use the photocopier.

[Anja Drake]

When Professor Rhee came through the the door, a smile came to Anja. He was, by far, her favorite teacher and counciler. Both he and her had a lot in commom, well at least for their abilities, of course physically they couldn't be more different.

His attempt at trying to use the photocopy machine was actually very amusing and it distracted her a bit from the two newcomers.

Excusing herself from the table, she stood, and walked over to the copier, although she kept her sense mainly on the three still at the table. She grinned as she got closer; during the first year of her schooling a couple of other students showed her how to use it and ever since she found a few tricks to make it work easier.

She stood next to Mr. Rhee. "Do you need any help?"

[Dragon]

Not only had no copies been made, John seemed to have switched to the machine's 11 x 17 tray and was well on his way to telling it to fold each page into an origami crane. Finally he pressed the only button he was truly comfortable with - cancel - until he found his way back to the root menu.

He smiled sheepishly at Anja, even though he knew she couldn't see his face, and said, "Well... if you don't mind. Just need to make sixty copies front and back. If you just point me in the right direction..."

He knew that, even blind, Anja could probably accomplish the job in a fraction the time that he could, so he stepped aside to let her at the buttons and waved again to the two newcomers. "Sorry about this. You two are visiting the school?"

[RiffWrath]

Mel looked over to Prof. Rhee, his green eyes taking in the view of the seemingly unassuming individual.

"Well, that's where you come in, I think. Here's the deal: I recieved some sort of invitation to the school, shortly after a strange accident at a concert I was playing at left several severely injured and hospitalized. Turns out that this girl...."

Mel motions over to American Girl with his right hand, the black of his glove a blur as he puts his hand back down on the table.

"...was also there, and had a friend injured. So, she tracked me down for answers, to determine whether I had done it on purpose, and why I ran. Well, what I did was liquidate all my assets, and give all but a small portion of the money to those who were injured in the accident. Because the accident was deemed a result of a sound system malfunction, I was automatically acquited of any charges. Well, with the way things went down, I have reason to believe that I have some sort of mutant power, or something, because it activated once more, when I felt threatened by yours truly..."

Mel motions again to the girl sitting beside him.

"...my voice somehow amplified itself to damaging levels, knocking her into the pavement, and breaking the pavement. So now, I'm here, wondering if I can somehow either lose these powers, or somehow gain control of them, so others won't get hurt. Tell me, is this possible?"

[Anita Stern]

While Anja had slipped to aid John Rhee, and Mel continued to talk, Anita kept an ear on the conversation and slipped just away to a water cooler located in the room and poured up a few glassed of water, looping fingers through the handles to carry four at a time. Any more, and she probably would have used a tray, if she knew where exactly they were...Oh, the disadvantages of being new.

While John joined in on the conversation, and Mel went on to pose his questions, she went around and quietly handed the former rockstar a glass of water, setting one down on a small side table between him and the un-named girl for, well, the girl. She hadn't asked, but it was there if she wanted. Keeping one remaining glass for herself, and leaving one on the small side between her chair and the one that Anja had occupied, Anita curled up once again in the same fashion she had before going to fetch the water. And just in time for Mel to finish speaking.

The question posed was certainly not without answers. She looked to John, then to Mel, took a sip, and then responded.

"What we do here in terms of the mutant powers each person posesses, is to cultivate, define the parameters of, refine, and aid in each individual's control of their gift. Controlling what you have is entirely possible. The parameters are merely undefined. It would mean work on your part and ours, and our knowledge, patience and understanding. "

Knowledge, in particular, was her stock and trade.

[Dragon]

"You'll hear a lot of similar stories around this school," John added. "It's very common for mutations to manifest themselves without warning, sometimes with harmful results. But every student here, and, for that matter, every teacher, has learned to control their abilities to some degree. I'm certain we can help you, too."

He glanced back toward Anja, who seemed to be handling the copier quite well, and then returned to Mel. "So you're... some kind of musician?" he asked pleasantly.

[Banner Laverick]

Banner took all this in, sitting silently and actually twiddling her thumbs as the older mutants talked. She wasn't sure she could add anything to the conversation; after all, it was Mel who'd be invited here. She had merely tagged along.

[Anja Drake]

60 copies? That was simple; Anja had guessed that the rumors about Mr. Rhee’s inability to use technology was not true, but it appeared that she had been proven wrong.
<o></o>
While listening to the conversation, Anja moved her fingers gently over the photocopier, finding the few buttons that she needed to push. The machine was preset to give you one copy so all that needed to be done was press 6 and 0 on the number panel, then slide whatever had to be copied under the hood of the scanner, then…presto!
<o></o>
Anja smiled when the machine jumped to life and began the obnoxious screech that signaled the start of the scanning process. It would be a few minutes until the copies were finished. So, she nodded to Mr. Rhee and went to sit down where she had originally been.
<o></o>
If Mel was a musician, then there was a definite possibility, that if he decided to come to school here, they would be seeing a lot of each other in and out of the music room at the Cullen’s Institute.

[RiffWrath]

Almost as soon as Anita handed him the water, Mel gulped it down, as if he had been dehydrated, and completely deprived of any hydration whatsoever. Once finished, Mel sat the glass down with a quiet sigh, the only remnant of his thirst as it was quenched. He then looked over to Anita first, answering her because she had responded first, and that she was a woman; ladies were supposed to go first.

"Well, that's great news, then. I owe it to those who got hurt to learn how to control these....abilities."

Then he turned to Prof. Rhee.

"To answer you, I am a musician. I played several instruments in high school, and was offered a full ride to Juilard, but turned it down to join a rock band instead. And that rock band became very popular, to the point of going platinum with our first album in less than twenty-four hours...I think that's some sort of record or something, but I don't mean to brag...Now, next question:..."

Mel turned to the girl sitting next to him.

"...If she want to, would she be allowed to join here, as well? Not that she needs much in learning to control her powers, but she may find something else here that might help her...Would that be allowed?"

[Anita Stern]

Anita rubbed the back of her neck, and took another small sip of her water, watching Banner as Mel spoke.

"Only if she were willing. If she made that choice." The librarian made that rather clear. Talking about someone as if they weren't in the room, and yet they were...it was a mild nuisance, but there wasn't a name yet to tag to the young face of which they spoke.

"I don't see why we wouldn't be able to accomodate her."

[Banner Laverick]

"Say what?!"

She wanted to smack Mel, but thought better of it. Cos, you know, she might slip and smack his loud-mouthed butt through the wall...Instead she gave him a dirty look, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Uh, I already go to normal school, with all my friends who I have known for like my entire life. Why would I want to change that? I already rock at using my powers anyway."

[RiffWrath]

Mel looked at her, blinking.

"Okay. You fly well. Good for you. You smash things. Again, good for you. And you can take a hit pretty well. Yet again, good for ya. But my power acted up, and it put you into the concrete. If I had done that on purpose, or had control of my powers, or was just a mean son of a bitch, then you'd be dead. But I'm not that guy. That's why I'm here."

Mel shook his head.

"If you wanna go enjoy your lie of a double-life, then do it. But remember, for every one person that is close to you, that cares about you even though you're different, there is at least two that would freak and then call you just that. Eventually, lying's just gonna get old. I mean, would you honestly go to the prom as the All-American Girl? Publicity would be great, but any chance of you scoring a decent guy would be nil, 'cause they'd be after the fame and glory of bangin' a superhero, and not give a damn about who you really are inside..."

Mel kept his cool enough to not get mad. He remembered what happened last time. And this was probably a bit rough for those in the room, but at least he couldn't be accused of being a liar. He took a swig of his water, and put the glass down.

"....Now that, I know. And trust me, toots, it doesn't give ya that happy, warm, and fuzzy feeling. Nor the rush of being known and meaning something. All that does is leave you like this glass in front of me. Empty."

And as he pointed to the glass, something strange happened. It began to hum, as if someone were rubbing their finger around the rim of it. The vibrations continued to get louder, and more destructive, until the glass simply cracked and fell apart at the table with a lovely tinkle. Mel blinked, in complete shock. Had he? Wow. He did. He thought quickly on his feet. Being a front man of a band made you sharp.

"And when you're empty is when you're the most fragile."

[Banner Laverick]

She sighed, rolling her eyes in typical teen-age "I know what I'm doing" fashion. The last thing she'd wanted when she decided to come here was, first off, him to suggest SHE sign up. Secondly, a lecture was the last last last thing she wanted to hear.

"It's not like I go around and do major super hero things, Melvin," she said his name, her irratation clear in her voice. "I didn't come here for me, we came here for you, remember? Even if I did want to sign up, I'd have to talk to my mother, to my friends. Maybe living a double life does suck, but it's MY life, and I like it how it is right now."

[Anja Drake]

The water slid coolly down her throat when she took a few sips as she listened to the two new comers bicker. Anja was an experienced person when it came to seeing two sides of a decision or argument; it was the story of her life, but it applied to these two as well. With one hand she rubbed her temple, the lack of sleep was starting to get to her and it was probably starting to show. Yet, even if she wasn’t here, she wouldn’t be sleeping.
<o></o>
“May I say something?” Her voice rose slightly to talk over the two across the table. She moved her hand slowly away from her face and brushed her long curly hair back over her shoulder. Her senses were one the two of them and she addressed the girl. “First, you’re absolutely right when you say that it is your life and you can do what you want but you are very young, not even a mask can hide that.”
<o></o>
Of course, Anja couldn’t see what she looked like, but the voice of the girl was very young, or to say the least, younger than Anja.
<o></o>
“What happens when you turn twenty? Or thirty? The world will not always see you as the ‘All-American girl’ when that happens. But, if by all means this life for you works, do it!”
<o></o>
She laced her fingers in front of her on the long table and watched them both before continuing. “This Institute is something else. It’s a place where mutants can escape the pressures of the, for lack of a better word, ‘human’ world. It’s a school, where young,” she peered at Anita and John. “And more experienced mutants can help each other to understand their talents.”
<o></o>
Anja, herself, was just beginning her life but she knew and learned so much since as had first enrolled at the Cullen’s Institute.
<o></o>
“This place may not be for everyone but the students here are never judged on what they can do or what they look like.” She leaned back in her chair and shifted her legs under the table. “Metaphorically speaking, if you have wounds, this is the place you want to be.”

[Dragon]

John was surprised to hear such a testimony from the normally quiet Anja. Even more so, he was impressed with her insight. It was incredible, after how withdrawn and self-conscious she was when she'd first arrived, to see her open up.

And he was glad she had. It meant a lot more to hear that coming from a fellow student than from a teacher. He stepped up alongside her and smiled in gratitude.

"It's your decision, of course, and you don't have to make it now," John said to Banner. "But, either way, it's getting awfully late. We have several furnished guest rooms if you'd like to spend the night."

[RiffWrath]

"Well, Ms. Girl, I was offering out of kindness. You know, since you helped me. Now, I'm in good hands; you're help is no longer needed here. If you have some other....I dunno, strays that need savin', go ahead, fly-girl."

Mel then turned his attention to Prof. Rhee, his green eyes full of hope.

"Well, I personally, would love a room for the night. And hell, if you have college classes here I can attend, I'd sign up. Now, what's the price? I assume this requires some sort of tuition fee, or somethin'. That's how private schools and colleges work, right?"

[Dragon]

"Actually... provided you can verify you're genetically gifted, which," John pointed to the glass on the table, "I'd say you already have, there is no tuition at all. No fee for room and board, either, though you'd have to stay in student housing if you want to take advantage of that. You may have to buy books and pay the occasional lab fee, but we don't charge for our services as a school."

He smiled at the look that had come over Mel's face. "Now, if you want to take some advanced courses which we may not offer to the majority of our students, some of those we do have to order materials in, but I'm certain we could come to some sort of arrangement. In fact... I'm fairly sure we could use some help in the music department."

[RiffWrath]

Mel sighed. Music. He could definetly dig that. But....

"What if my power acts up? I could cause some serious damage to others. The last one was outdoors in a stadium, and it caused massive amounts of damage as it was. If it were indoors, in a closed space....it could probably kill them....As for advanced courses, I'm game, and will be willing to work something out. Man, once I get these powers under control, I'd gladly teach some music, but not until then. And probably, by that time, I'll already be ready for these advanced courses that you're talkin' about....But for now, I am beat. I need a place to crash. Would you mind if I moved in my things from the van tomorrow?"

Mel smiled weakly, his mind at ease, and beginning to crash from sheer exhaustion. These last few days were the longest of his life.

[Banner Laverick]

"Well, Ms. Girl, I was offering out of kindness. You know, since you helped me. Now, I'm in good hands; you're help is no longer needed here. If you have some other....I dunno, strays that need savin', go ahead, fly-girl."




"Fine. See ya, Melvin. Nice to meet you all."

Her voice was flat, her expression was too, as she rose and left the room. Banner didn't bother walking down the hall, instead flying as fast as she could, only stopping to open the large wooden door, sailing out into the cold night air.

[Anja Drake]

Anja looked startled to say the least when Banner took off. In a swift movement she was also up and out of her seat, standing in the doorway of the office/lounge.

"Wait...st-" She called after the girl, but she froze, it was too late the girl was gone. Anja could barely sense her; all she knew was that the All-American Girl was speeding as fast as she could away from this place.

Heaving a sigh, Anja turned back into the room. She was slightly unsettled that the girl hadn't stayed, she thought that they were getting somewhere. Anja peered gravely at the three others in the room.

"Mr. Rhee, if you want me to I can take him to a guest room. It's really no trouble." Her voice sounded distant, she was still thinking about Banner. It was a shame that she left, Anja really would have enjoyed talking to her more.

[Dragon]

The wind from Banner's wake slammed the office door behind her.

John just shook his head. "It's all right, Anja. She needs to find her own way. Whether or not it leads back here isn't up to us. If you want to show Melvin to his room, that'd be great - thanks. Thanks for the copies, too."

He scooped up the stack of freshly minted exams and started for the door himself. "Go ahead and make yourself at home, Melvin; we can go through the paperwork later. I need to get this filed and go to bed. Good night."

Stifling a yawn, the Korean mutant stepped out the door.

[Anita Stern]

Sitting in the chair as Banner burned out of the room, and everyone wrapped up the conversation, Anita could feel herself nodding off in the chair. As tired as she felt, her bed would be more comfortable. Falling asleep in chairs (as she had often done whilst studying in her little apartment in university) always led to the most uncomfortable kinks in her neck, and lines in her figure from dozing off in jeans. Before sleep could take her, the librarian pushed herself wearily from the chair, and tailed John Rhee out of the room, bidding Anja and the newcomer Mel a good night's rest.

Anita knew she herself would need as much sleep as she could get away with after being up as late as she had tonight. She caught up with John, and kept pace with him, responding and giving idle chatter as they walked, until they both parted ways for the remainder of the night.

[Anja Drake]

"No problem." She smiled at Mr. Rhee.

Anja bade Ms. Florence and Mr. Rhee good night as she moved aside from the door; letting the two elder mutants leave first.

But then there was two. She watched him through her sense, observing his small movements...trying to read him, all the while giving him the impression that she was watching the retreating figures of the two professors.

Finally, she turned her head toward Melvin, throwing him a casual grin as she waved for him to follow her.

"Well, c'mon. I don't bite."

[RiffWrath]

Mel watched as Banner flew off, calling him Melvin, and emphacizing it, as his mother did when she was pissed with him. He almost laughed at her. But then again, he wasn't overly upset. He was a little perterbed at the fact that she had not taken his offer. He was trying to show her some kindness in return for her kindness of not being biased and stomping him when she had the chance. People did have a tendency to be rash when it came to personal injury caused by mutants. Thankfully she wasn't on the band wagon.

As the American Girl left, Mel noted that Mr. Rhee then started calling him Melvin, perhaps missing the fact that the Girl had been attempting to insult him by emphasizing his full name. Mel took no offense at all; after all, Mr. Rhee meant no harm, and was merely calling Mel by his birth name. Not to mention, Mel thought, Mr. Rhee probably speaks English as a second, or even third, language. He probably speaks Chinese, or somethin'...

Mel then watched as the Korean professor and the librarian excused themselves, one with the common goodnights, and the other with far less words. And then noted Anja's smirk, and the comment of her not biting....If only she DID bite....Mel thought happily, and then hoped that Anja wasn't a telepath. He rubbed the back of his head, ruffling his hair, before shrugging.

"Um, okay."

As they walked in silence, Mel following Anja's shapely form in the dim hall's lights, he finally thought of something to say after moments of silence.

"Um, I kinda know Ms. Florence's powers. And I saw American Girl's powers head on. But I don't get your's, or Mr. Rhee's..."

[Anja Drake]

If he thought that she couldn't see him "eyeing" her up, he was sadly mistaken. But lucky for him, she didn't care; it was a form of flattery she supposed. She slowed her walk so she could move along side the newly arrived student.


"Um, I kinda know Ms. Florence's powers. And I saw American Girl's powers head on. But I don't get your's, or Mr. Rhee's..."
She nodded slowly as he spoke; his curiosity was only natural and she was all too happy to make conversation with the newcomer.

"Mr. Rhee's abilities are nothing less than purely amazing. Their too complex to actually fully understand, I have a hard time believing that even he can figure them out. But from my expierence around him; Mr. Rhee can control the energies around him, it's like he is linked to life energy. Although, you might want to ask him about his talents." She shrugged casually. "He could explain them better, but as for me..."

For Anja, it was very complicated to talk about what she could do; it was an awfully sore subject, which was weird because it was her mutation that made her life literally a kind of hell.

"I, uh, I sort of have two powers." She stated sourly. "Mainly, I have the ability to transform into a totally different being. I guess you could call her my darker half. And secondly...I have the gift of an extra sense."

She paused as she led Mel around a corner and to the base of a grand staircase. They started to climb the stairs and she peered at him to see if his body language indicated his understanding. As far as she could tell, he was.

"You could say that I'm handicapped since I've been legally diagnosed as blind. My extra sense allows me to "see" the aura, or rather life presence, of people, animals, and some inanimate objects."

It was a lot to try and understand but Anja figured she could explain herself more later, as for now her main goal was to get her guest settled.

[RiffWrath]

As they moved up the staircase, Mel almost stopped. Almost.

"You're blind? I had no idea..."

Mel was a bit nervous. He didn't want to offend. Anja seemed cool, and the last thing he wanted to do was put someone else at odds with him. Mel needed all the help he could get.

"You get around incredibly well...Kinda like that Daredevil guy, huh?"

[Anja Drake]

Nothing stopped the laughter from escaping her lips; although she stiffled it slightly.

"Yeah, I suppose so." She managed to choke out after her chuckling had died down a bit. They hit the top of the stairs and began to head left, they would get there soon.

She watched him curiously; observing the aura he emitted, the wavering layers were intriguing.

"I know your ability of an extent" Anja took precaution, she didn't want him to re-vist anything too upsetting. "I understand the feeling of not having control, but you're with amazingly skilled people here. You should fit right in."

She grinned back at him and they turned the third to last corner.

"Have you always loved music?"

[RiffWrath]

Mel looked over to her, nodding.

"Yeah, always. My dad and mom were both studio musicians. You know, they just played for the big names, the nameless talented musicians behind the big namers. It was in the blood."

Mel's green eyes took in the surroundings. Even the hallways in this place were immense, and perfectly upkept. Nice wood panelling, matching furniture, even lighting not harsh on the eyes. They place seemed timeless, not too Victorian, but not too modern. A very interesting and precarious balance to maintain. Probably something like Anja, Mel thought to himself.

"How about you? You like music?"

[Anja Drake]

She paused a moment in the hall; she always got confused in this part of the mansion. The two hallways, even for her, were completely identical. After a moment of dilberation she went down the hallway angled to the left; if it was the wrong one...oh well, they'd just have to turn around.

"That must have been nice; something that your whole family could enjoy doing together. I couldn't say the same for my family, the only thing we really have in common is that the majority of us are mutants."

Mel and her walked at an even pace; though his strides were longer. He was a bit taller than her and definately had a tougher build. Even in her blind eyes he looked rather rocker-ish. She directed him around one more bend before strolling down and rather long hallway; rooms on either side of them.

"I enjoy it." She said to adress his question. "My mother set me up with piano lessons when I was young and the classical sway kind of rubbed off on me. But don't get me wrong, I love the sound of every genre of music. When the piano got a little too easy, I decided to envoke a mission to play the violin and cello."

She smiled up at him. "They've been my true loves every since."

[RiffWrath]

Mel smiled.

"I started on piano, too. I kinda quit playin', though. Too mundane. Even honky-tonk and jazz isn't gritty enough. I finally found the sound I was lookin' for when I got my hands on an electric guitar. And it just came easily."

Mel stopped only for a second to look at the moon. It was a nice night out. His company was wonderful, and so incredibly relaxing. He needed a few minutes to relax, before heading straight to bed. His head was still spinning from the night's events.

"Um, I'd like to see if there's a balcony with a great view of the moon anywhere. And, if you wouldn't mind, I'd love your company. You're....incredibly relaxing."

Mel smiled at her weakly, hoping he didn't seem strange, or pathetic.

"And I've had a rough week..."

Mel's black gloved hands come to rest in his pockets, hat cocked downward as his gaze met hardwood floor.

[Anja Drake]

A comforting smile reasured him that he wasn't being pathetic. Her lithe hand reached out and pushed his chin up gently; she knew exactly what he was going through right now, it happened to her everytime she transformed.

"Sure thing." Her smile never faded as her hand lingered only a fraction of a second under his jaw. "There's a balcony just down here a little ways."

And there was, it only took a minor detour and she opened a set of white curtained glass doors which led to the main balcony to the east side of the building. It amazed her the first time on how long the marble giant was; it could have easily stretched from one end of the mansion to the mid point or even farther.

She left him to wander, or rather take in the view from the second story look-out. She wasn't very tired, so regardless he could take all the time he wanted.

Anja found an open area around the balcony railing and swung one of her legs over to dangle on the side as she stratled the cooling stone. The spot she choose overviewed the east garden; one she had visited many times.

The night air was cool and clear. Through her senses, she detected all the beauty; even the exotic scent of the blooming flowers and freshly cut hedges below her.

[RiffWrath]

Mel stood beside her, at the balcony's railing, taking in the sights. He seemed to have lost his breath. This place just didn't seem to have limits to the wonders it brought someone new. And Anja, sitting upon the railing, the moonlight cascading down on her....was just as beautiful a sight as the view. He could only get one word out, as he stared, both at her, and the view that he was acosted, that only seemed to enhance her.

"Wow."

After about a minute of silence, his eyes drifting to the scenery, and then being galvanized back to Anja, he found more than one word.

"This is just incredible. The view...."

He laughed nervously, suddenly finding one of his tattoos very interesting, looking away from Anja out of sheer social ineptitude. What could he say, to someone so strikingly beautiful? His words just didn't justify....

[Anja Drake]

"It is wondrous." She said softly, trying to let the moment speak for itself.

To say that the view was nice was merely an understatement, it was nothing short of miraculous. Anja knew that it was a beautiful world; she had seen it many a time through the eyes of the Angel. Now, the fact that she couldn't appreciate it as much as she wanted to, slightly dampered her mood. Slightly.

The darkness around them seemed to add to the shine of the nearly full moon. She wished that one day, she would have enough control to actually stand and watch such a setting in her transformed state.

"Mel, could you do me a favor?" She turned to watch him again; her own voice starting to shy down as a small blush began to form on her cheekbones, she really didn't ask for favors much but this time she really wanted to be human for a moment. "Could you tell me what the moon looks like? I've never seen it before."

[RiffWrath]

Mel smiled, as she asked him to describe the moon. After all, it seemed something so trivial to ask, yet the tone, and her body language said it all; she was opening up to him, to ask him to do this. Mel was speechless.

"Well....I dunno where to start.....Um, it's kinda like cheese, I guess you could say. When you get a clear view of it, you see several of its craters and imperfections. It looks kinda like a really big rock. But it glows. You know, with this light. It's not a harsh or blinding light at all; just a comforting light to those around, to those who enjoy it...The lights pale white, almost a bluish color..."

Mel became quiet for a second, then leaned in, to get a little closer to her. For some odd reason, Mel wanted to be quieter. His own voice seemed obtrusive to the silence of the night.

"Um, how am I doin'? Sometimes words fail me....that's why I play music...."

[Anja Drake]

She smiled softly at his reference of the moon looking like cheese and turned to face the sky.

"You did just fine." Her voice quieted as his did. "It sounds beautiful."

It might have been strange but Anja felt pretty comfortable around him and she had only just met him. A year ago, she would have never told some she was blind within the first hour or two of meeting them; maybe the Institute was helping her even more than she thought. Everyone here was amazingly friendly...

She closed her eyes and let the night pass slowly, the two of them just absorbing the moon light. The Italian didn't want to ruin the moment, but...she wanted one more favor.

"Could tell me...what you look like?" Her smile faded into seriousness as she spoke.

[RiffWrath]

Mel smiled. She wanted to know what he looked like. And that was within an hour or so of having met him. He hadn't really known too many blind people, so it could've been no big deal. Then again, it may have been something. Words. He had to find them. He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath, before opening again, and looking back at her. The words came, though slowly.

"Well....um, I have dark hair, black. The hair's long, um, about shoulder length. I usually stay clean shaven, though I am sometimes known to grow a goatee, or sport some chin hair. I have green eyes, and have been told they look like emeralds. I've been told I have fine features; you know, a small, kinda pointed nose, high cheekbones, et cetera. I have a medium-ish build. I don't work out, but I stay pretty active."

Mel took a breath, then remembered the tats.

"Oh, and the tattoos. Two sleeves, covering both arms, along with several across my back and my chest, and a few on the legs. How am I doin' ?"

[Anja Drake]

Anja tried to form a mental picture as he spoke and even after he was finished she had a hard imagining what he honestly looked like.

"You're doing well." Her smile returning slightly. "But..."

Leaning forward she put her weight on hands so she could bring her leg back over the railing so her back faced the beautiful scenery. She looked at him curiously; she had never actually tried this before but...

"May I see for myself?" She timidly touched his arm with her fingers. "I've read about how someone who is blind can 'see' someone or something through tracing contact. I mean, I've never done it before but it won't hurt, mind you. I would be gentle."

To Mel, it was probably an odd question; maybe it would work or maybe it wouldn't.

"I understand if you don't want me to. Afterall, it might seem a little awkward."

[RiffWrath]

Mel smiled.

"No, not at all. You can't see. So, you have to use your other senses to replace it."

He understood that she had the need to know what he was like. And he was definetly cool with someone as striking as her becoming familiar with him. Taking her hands in his, he led her hands to his face.

"Go ahead."

[Anja Drake]

As he led her hands to his face, she guided herself to sit on the ledge directly in front of his body. She took a deep breath before his hands left hers to do their work; a horde of butterflies began to form in her stomach, she knew she wouldn’t hurt him but this was a little strange. For her and more so for him.

<?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = O /><O:p></O:p>
Anja focused on him and almost hesitantly moved her hands down his cheeks and almost crawlingly came to his jaw; he had a narrow one…part of slight features. She breathed again and used her finger tips to gently trace its length to the tip of his chin; again it was a part of slight features. Her journey went slow but never faltered as she traveled downward under his jaw and down his soft neck until she reached his shirt collar.
<O:p></O:p>
<O:p></O:p>
She threw a glance through her sense to his face; he appeared at ease and so she continued…
<O:p></O:p>
<O:p></O:p>
Her fingers brushed across the base of his collar bone and up to his shoulders; where she came in contact with his smooth hair. So far, Mel had been telling the truth and she smiled shyly before running her hands delicately through the longer locks. This was actually working.
<O:p></O:p>
<O:p></O:p>
She reached the back brim of his hat and she touched it submissively before removing it and placing it on her lap. Her senses followed her own movements as she brought her hands to his temple; the Italian paused and watched him a moment. It might have actually appeared that she was studying him, maybe even visualizing the places she had already traced.
<O:p></O:p>
<O:p></O:p>
Anja proceeded…and nervously mapped her finger tips under his beautiful eyes; being careful not to actually poke his eyes out. From his oval eyes, she moved down his nose and…after slight hesitation, her fingers traced over his velvet lips. She lingered there and brought her senses to him; a light blush coming to her cheeks.
<O:p></O:p>
<O:p></O:p>
“Thank you.” She spoke huskily; her hands falling to her lap where his hat lay peacefully. “For that and not lying to me.”<O:p></O:p>

[RiffWrath]

Her touch across his skin was soft, like velvet. And it was warm. Very nice. Mel chuckled softly.

"Wow. What a week..."

Mel shook his head. It all seemed so strange. First, he finds out he's a mutant after injuring several at his concert, including his bandmates, practially his brothers, thus ending his career. Then, he liquidates practically everything to pay for the injured individuals' losses. Just before going to sell his home, he recieves an e-mail invitation to the school. Then, he tries to get help, and is stopped by none other than the American Girl herself, who seems at odds with him. And after he is invited to the school with no problems whatsoever, Mel then finds himself here, with perhaps one of the loveliest women he's ever known, and she's exploring his features to figure out if he's telling the truth, because of her blindness.

"And I wouldn't lie to you....not if I could help it..."

Mel felt himself pulling closer to her. He wanted to kiss her, but didn't want to rush her, or himself. This was just all too...surreal to him. He stopped himself short, smiling. Perhaps she could hear it in his voice.

"Thank you so much for your hospitality. You guys are just too kind...Especially you. Being so....helpful."

Mel leaned back from Anja, stifling a yawn and stretching himself.

"Um, would you mind showing me to your....uh, I mean my room?"

He turned from her, silently scolding himself. Stupid slip. Mel, get a grip. Don't be a goddamned idiot! Pull yourself together, man!

"....I'm just beat."

[Anja Drake]

The was a moment where Anja held her breath; his warmth was radiating off him and it only strengthened her blush as she felt his body so close to hers. In a weird way, he kind of reminded her of Artisn; but she wasn’t about to go down memory lane. For all she knew, she could have been turning blue in the face from lack of oxygen. She only let out her breath after he said that he would never lie to her…
<o></o>
...my mia…
<o></o>
She was shocked, more than shocked actually. In his sudden confession he had said something that no one had ever said to her before and that meant so much. Wow.
<o></o>
In her fazed state, she barely caught what he had said next.
<o></o>
Poor Mel, she really felt for him; this was probably one of the hardest weeks he had ever gone through. Finding out that you possess the mutant gene was frightening and most of all confusing. She bet he had had a tough week…
<o></o>
Still, with all of her thoughts she didn’t miss his slip…however, she shrugged it off. It was probably better that she didn’t say anything about it.
<o></o>
Hopping of the ledge, she approached him and touched the back of his shoulder; turning him toward her. She smiled kindly and took his hand in hers.
<o></o>
“It is late and with all you’ve been through you could use some sleep. In addition, I’m sure Mr. Rhee will want to see you in a few hours.” Anja said as she proceeded back through the curtained glass doors and into the grand hall again. “Your room is just down here on the right.”

[RiffWrath]

As the two finally found his room, Mel stopped at the doorway.

"Thank you again. You've been wonderful.

All the while, his hands had tightened some, his thumbs caressing the tops of her hands. He held them for what seemed like an eternity to him. He could've stood there all night, until exhaustion took him into a blissful sleep. He just felt lost, standing there, her hands in his.

And then he found himself. He was still holding her hands. Mel quickly let them go, hoping she didn't think him awkward, or creepy. He held his breath, and then found his words.

"G'night, Anja."

He then opened the mahogany door. It slid open easily on well-oiled hinges, without so much as a creak. He slid inside, and shut the door easily behind him. As it clicked shut, he exhaled his breath in a sigh, closing his eyes. He could still see her, Anja, out in the moonlight. Even with all that had happened, it was her that he saw at that moment.

His jeans hit the floor with a few rattles of the chains on them. His shirt hit the floor with merely a whisper of cotton rustling. He realized then that she still had his hat. Hmmm, now I have a reason to see her, Mel thought to himself, smiling all the while.

He laid down upon the white, crisp, clean sheets. His eyes eased closed, into slow and sweet unconsciousness. In the slow slip, the events ran through Mel's mind: the concert, the leaving, the van wreck and the Girl, getting here at Cullen's, and Anja in the moonlight, hair flowing in the wind. All these events had scenes, some scary and horrible, such as the concert. Seeing all those people hurting. But even with that, what stood in the forefront of Mel's mind, and the scene that lasted the longest, and lulled him into sweet, blissful sleep, was that of Anja, sitting in the moonlight, touching his skin, to better see him.

In his sleep, for what seemed like forever, Mel smiled.

THREAD COMPLETE.