August 1, 2008, 1PM
Xavier Institute

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It had been over a month since her sixteenth birthday, since she had woken up with that strange, scab-like mark on her cheek. Cessily had stood in her bathroom, staring at the mirror, the day after her birthday, as that mark suddenly spread, as her eye became silver, and the next thing she knew, she’d been a puddle, screaming for help. The horror on her parent’s faces as they saw her. The terror she felt at not being able to go back to normal, stuck as a puddle. For a month, she had been hidden away in her room, desperately trying to regain control, praying to wake up from this nightmare. Each day, her parents drew further away from her. Once they realized she didn’t need to eat, they stopped leaving trays. She didn’t know what excuse they made to her friends who called or came over. When she finally regained the ability to seem human, her parents still avoided her.

But now, it was August, and Cessily had been packed up and shipped off to this place, this mansion – a school, they told her. For people like her. Mutants. The metal girl heard what her parents didn’t say. ‘Monster.’ She’d arrived at this school a few days ago, and she was still uncomfortable leaving her room. It wasn’t right, to feel so…Liquid. Everything felt weird, looked strange, and she constantly forgot about breathing, constantly gasping, only to remember that she didn’t need the air anymore. Was there a reason her hair still looked red? It was metal, she could tell. Why was it still red, when the rest of her was shiny and silver and…Wrong?

Gathering the shreds of her courage, the normally outgoing redhead slipped out of her room, remembering only the looks of her parents, terrified to be seen, even knowing this place was full of mutants. Tugging uncomfortably at her t-shirt, the redhead went into the cafeteria area late, praying there wouldn’t be anyone to stare at her. Jean clad legs were a bit shaky, because the more she wavered, the closer she came to losing her solid shape and reverting back into puddle. Swallowing pointlessly, she sat in a corner, head down, red hair falling to hide her silver features.

She hated this. Sure, Cessily was used to standing out – her vibrant red hair, her outgoing personality, she’d always been in a spotlight. She used to love it; suddenly, the attention wasn’t what she liked. For the first time, she was scared of what people might think of her, so different, so inhuman. It wasn’t in her nature to be quiet and hidden, but the part of her that wanted to speak out kept remembering the whispers of her parents, the looks they couldn’t hide from her. She had a burger in front of her, and she’d managed to take a bite, trying to seem normal, because that was all she wanted. To be normal.

Julian had been in the school for about three years. He had a small tiff with his now ex-girlfriend that ended with him destroying the entire room the were in as she stormed out. And now his parents pitched a fit and sent him off to Freak-Show Academy. Some of the girls were pretty; some of the guys were all right at best. But some of them looked like people torn straight out of a monster movie and he swore they would eat his soul if he didn’t sleep with one eye open.

He had slipped out of his room for a quick food break to snack on. He had no classes on Friday's so he hadn't really made it out of bed yet. He walked down the stairs in a pair of black Armani silk pajama pants and a white tank top that clung snuggly to his decently toned frame. His bare feet softly padded along the floor as he hit up a vending machine and grabbed himself some recesses cups. As he was heading in to the cafeteria to cross the room for a soda he noticed a young woman sitting in there. He stopped a moment and looked at her.

Don’t think I’ve seen her before… Not that he really concerned himself all that much with the other students outside of his small group of friends he kept. And more then anything he tended to avoid people as it just ended badly for all involved. The girl looked a bit down and out though. And maybe it was the late hour, or a moment of actual humanity finding it’s way out of him he decided to talk to the girl and see what was up. He popped his money in the machine and grabbed himself a pair of mountain dews and walked over to where she was sitting.

He didn’t ask her if he could join her, he just sat and assumed she would want to meet him. After all everyone wanted to know Julian Keller right? He pushed one of the cans across the table to her and flashed one of his smiles that he had practiced for years and now come naturally to her. He popped the top off both the cans with his TK and took a quick sip from his. “I’m Julian. I don’t think I have run across you in any my classes or at the school here.” He eyed her over a bit trying to gauge what exactly it might be that she does. “Your shiny… going to take a guess and say some kind of metal based powers?” He was trying to be friendly, but he wasn’t sure how to start this talk as he didn’t really know why he was talking.

The burger was staring at her accusingly, as if asking why she wasn’t eating. She heard her mother’s whisper, talking about how she had stopped eating, how she didn’t need that, how inhuman she was. Her throat tightened at the thought, and she pushed the plate a little further away, silver eyes turning away from it, staring down at the table instead. There were people in room, but Cessily was trying her best not to be noticed – unfortunately for her, it was impossible to miss her bright red hair, or the shiny silver skin that reflected the light like a mirror. Her gaze kept getting drawn back to her own hand, staring at it as if willing it to turn back into flesh.

Cessily actually jumped, a silver skin rippling like liquid, when someone sat down at the table across from her, startled. Metallic eyes looked up to find Julian sitting there, smiling at her, and the redhead blinked, one hand automatically going out to catch the can of soda that was sliding towards her. Blinking as her soda was suddenly opened, glancing down at hers before looking back at him, surprised, the silver girl shifted awkwardly.

“Uh, yeah, I just got here a few days ago…” She’d say fresh meat, except she wasn’t meat anymore. He was staring at her, and she glanced down self consciously, tugging her hair over her shoulders as if she could hide behind it. He had introduced himself, and the redhead managed a small smile back. “My name’s Cessily.” Her voice was quiet, hesitant, and when he mentioned her shininess, she winced a bit, glancing at her hand awkwardly, before shrugging.

“Yeah. They called me a ‘metallic polymorph’. I’m, uh, basically just made of metal, I guess.” The teachers she’d spoken to had explained the idea to her, about how she should be capable of shaping herself as she pleased, but right now she was more interested in just keeping her intended shape solid. Lifting the soda, she hesitated before sipping, wrinkling her silver nose, and finally smiling a real smile. It tickled, just like normal, even if the taste was duller on her metal tongue. But the bubbles fizzing up tingled, not just in her mouth, but she somehow felt the tingle all the way down her throat. For the first time in what seemed like a long time, the smile on her face was real, brightening her countenance more than before. After a moment, she glanced back and Julian, curiously.

“So, uh…You’re,” The redhead hesitated, glancing at her soda, then his, then back at him, “A, a mutant?” He didn’t look like one. He looked perfectly normal. But her soda had definitely opened itself.

A few days ago…

He paused and thought about it to see if he remembered hearing about this event at all. But nothing came to mind. He just figured he was busy with something that was far more important then the newest mutant joining the school. It happened all the time, and was way to much of a bother for him to keep up with every single one of them.

“My name’s Cessily.”

“Cessily, cool name. It’s unique I like it. Your parent’s had taste…they avoided the Anna, Josh, Tommy, Laura plain stuff. I hate normal plain things just so you know.” He said it off the cuff like it was some important fact she should know about him. She said some words with a lot of letters and it made about as much sense to him as a math class did…none at all. Luckily she then spoke to him in normal people words and he grasped it without any issue.

“That’s pretty cool actually, way cooler then the tin man we got around these parts actually. He can just metal up and that’s it. Your like a freaking mutant swiss army knife.

“So, uh…You’re,” The redhead hesitated, glancing at her soda, then his, then back at him, “A, a mutant?” He didn’t look like one. He looked perfectly normal. But her soda had definitely opened itself.

“Me? Nah. I’m just here on a school field trip to learn about tolerance or something like that.” He said with a grin as he closed his eyes and let a green field wrap itself around him and push him out of his seat so he was floating above the table looking down on her. “I got a few tricks up my sleeve. I’m like the mother f’n superman of this place. I can fly, move things with my mind, fire energy beams, all kinds of things. If you want the science nerd version I’m a Telekinetic.” He said as he lowered himself down back into the seat and tore into his candy bar taking a good size chunk out of it as he kicked his feet up on the chair next to him.

“So why the doom and gloom face before. You haven’t been her long enough to be hit on my Tommy or piss off Logan. That normally happens in week two.” He said with a huge grin across his face.

He was acting so nonchalant, as if it were completely normal for her to be sitting there, made of metal. She felt a bit of her nervousness fade; the more he treated her like just a regular girl. Maybe she could still be normal here. Cessily smiled a bit wider at the compliment to her name, although it wavered at the mention of her parents. Shaking that dark thought away, she managed to keep the smile on her face, tucking her hair behind one ear, just like she used to. “Yeah they were, uh, pretty creative about naming me, I guess. Thoroughly Irish, too. Cessily Kincaid.” She had to smile at that thought, because she had always liked her name. The spelling was unique, just like she was. For a second, she glanced down at herself, wriggling her fingers to see the light shine off her silver skin.

“Well…I’m certainly not normal, or plain, now…” Her voice was quiet, a bit uncomfortable at the thought, although she looked up at him when he complimented her abilities. He thought her powers were cool? For a second, she looked at him like he was crazy, tilting her head thoughtfully at his colorful description of what she could do. She supposed he was right, how he described her powers, an unusual way to look at it. A confused look furrowed her silver brows at his declaration, completely confused until he suddenly began glowing green.

Silver eyes widened in surprise as he began to float, and she stared up at him, startled, even glancing under the table as if wondering if it were a magic trick. But he was most definitely not on some kind of stand, he was actually floating above the table, grinning down at her. Listening curiously to his description of his powers, she grinned a bit at the mention of Superman, shaking her head slightly. “I don’t see a forehead curl, Clark Kent.” Cessily teased, pointing at his hair, which most certainly did not have Superman’s sexy curl. The question about her attitude made her shift awkwardly in her seat, although she looked confused at the mention of two guys.

“Uh, who? No, nevermind.” Right after asking, she shook her head, not wanting to know yet. Then she shrugged a single shoulder uncomfortably, looking down. “Uhm, I guess…I’m just…Not used to this?” Her hands came into view, shiny and silver. “My parents just kinda…Shipped me away? I can’t really control this, this form well. I keep…Melting.” She frowned at her hands, the skin rippling like water for a moment before solidifying.

“Well…I’m certainly not normal, or plain, now…”

As she said it Julian couldn’t help but laugh. He looked right at the young girl who was all self aware and worried and just laughed. It took him a few moments to calm down and catch his break.

“Cess…I think I’ll call you that from now on, but any way look around ya. Normal here is as relative, we have a green skinned nurse, the principle shoots laser beams from his eyes, Dr. Mccoy looks like a blue furry monkey thin…” He paused a moment. “Hell I saw one kid who looked like he escaped thr set of flubber. Your normal Cess.”

He made an outline with his fingers in the air in front of them. “Human shape…check. Hair….check. Yep normal. And besides it could be worse you could have turned into a bald midget with a tail and lizard feet or something. Have to give you the code name dumpling or something…”

He scratched the back of his head realizing he was rambling and making no sense. “Fuck you get what I mean.”

“I don’t see a forehead curl, Clark Kent.”

“Pft, he got nothing on me. I’d take his name too. But pretty sure that would end in law suits and a legal mess. But yeah I’m a mutant too. Everyone here is, least everyone I’ve ever met in my years here. It’s not so bad most of the time.”

My parents just kinda…Shipped me away? I can’t really control this, this form well. I keep…Melting.”

Julian slumped back a bit into the chair and picked at his candy bar a bit before tossing it back onto the table as it disgusted him. “Parents suck. Mine did the same thing, one freak out blew the game room to shreds and shattered every window in the room. And next thing I know I’m on a plane here. No more cali sunshine, no beaches, nothing….just a shit load of snow in the winter.”

He bit his lower lip and shut himself up as he rambled a bit not wanting to sound all bitter or like an emo problem child. He gave a shrug of his shoulders and his playful grin was right back on his lips as he leaned in. “Well we can always work together and hold ya together…’ he smirked as he glowed green again and lifted the soda can up he was drinking and tossed the contents out in the trash and then pulled it back. “If ya start to drip and drop and I see it I can give ya a friendly TK nudge back in place, can’t have kids hall skating on a sheet of Cess. I don’t think Mr. Summers has enough humor to giggle that one off.”

He was…Laughing at her? Sure, she could admit that her voice sounded way more morose than she had meant to. Cessily hated the idea that she was sulking, she didn’t like feeling this down. But of all the reactions she could have imagined, him laughing was not one of them. Her silver gaze lifted, eyes wide in astonishment, even as she shifted on her bench uncomfortably. Surely he had a reason to laugh, but Cessily still stared at him, waiting patiently for an explanation. There was a flash of annoyance at being laughed at, and for a moment, the redhead was tempted to smack him on the back of the head, like she would have done to her friends back home, but that urge was quelled. When he finally decided to explain, she tilted her head at him, a small smile playing at her lips at the nickname.

Cessily wasn’t sure if she should be offended or not, but as he described some of the other people in the school. She supposed he had a point; she’d already seen some other students with unusual features. Maybe he was right…Yes, her parents had freaked out. She couldn’t remember there being any other mutants there, and if there were, they didn’t look like her. Her parents had been just as terrified as she was, and they had reacted that way. It didn’t make her feel better about it, but maybe here she could be normal. Blinking at him as he rambled on, she lifted a hand to tug at her bright red, shiny hair.

“Uh..Well, it’s made of metal, I think. Not sure why it’s still red, but I’m not going to complain.” If she’d lost her red hair, Cessily might have been forced to just become a hermit. Her red hair had always been her defining feature. Her eyes were no longer green, her skin no longer pale…But as long as her hair was red, she was still ‘Cessily’. That thought helped her straighten up a bit in her seat, and she snickered at the mention of the legal mess he would cause by taking Superman’s name.

“Normal, huh?” The silver girl muttered thoughtfully, but she shook her head at the mention of snow. “Snow’s not that bad.” She grinned at him, before looking at him in surprise at his suggestion. The image of someone trying to skate on her as a puddle made her grimace, because she wasn’t sure it would work like that. And even if it did, that didn’t sound comfortable. “They told me that, with practice, I’ll be able to control myself better.” Her lips twisted into a grimace, and she lifted one hand, wriggling her fingers and watching them ripple. “It’s hard to remember that, when every time I try to control it, I end up in a puddle.” This time, she managed to smile at him, with real amusement on her face.

“Uh..Well, it’s made of metal, I think. Not sure why it’s still red, but I’m not going to complain.”

He cocked a head at her as she fiddled with her hair. Telling him a bit about it, and another smirk crawled across his lips as he though it all through. “Well if it is metal...and you can manipulate metal. Then that will so cut down on post shower hair fix and such things. Never have to hear another guy bitch your taking to long to fix your hair.”

She was cool..he couldn't place a finger on the why. But he liked her, she was better then most...strike that all the other students he had met so far. Which was a nice change of pace. She said snow wasn't that bad and Julian gave her an eye role. “Snow is only useful in the alps or aspen. Snow here is not nearly as cool.”

He paused a moment and shrugged his shoulders.

“Sorry Cess, your normal. And just don't worry about it. The mind has a nasty habit of doing what you think....when I was trying to figure out my powers simple stuff was hard as can be. Picking up a pencil, putting my hand through a door instead of opening...take time. But you'll get it..” he paused and motioned around the room. “This is like circus camp for mutant, they teach us to do all the cool tricks so we don't kill every person we come in contact with or other such awful things.”

It was one of the mysteries of her apparent mutation, the color of her hair. Oh, it was certainly shinier than normal, making it look healthy and normal for the most part – but the color had thrown her off. Once she’d regained human form, she’d spent at least an hour in front of the mirror, staring in shock at the silver skin, the shiny silver eyes, devoid of green or pupil…And the long, vibrant copper hair that hadn’t changed a bit. It hadn’t been red when she was a puddle, she knew that much. From what the teachers had suggested to her, they thought that one day she might be able to manipulate her entire body into looking normal again…What a dream, that was. So far, all she’d managed to do was lose control. Grinning at Julian’s comment, she gave him a once-over, before shaking her head.

“Please, I bet you’d take more time to get ready than I ever would, human or otherwise.” The redhead teased brightly, her true self, sarcastic and spunky, coming out of the turtle shell it had been hiding in. It was easy to feel at ease with Julian, despite the fact that she could tell he was a blunt, probably not always to his own benefit. He rolled his eyes at her, and she rolled hers right back – light reflecting off the silver orbs oddly as she did so.

“There’s gotta be at least a few good snowboarding spots around here, right? Or are you just making excuses so you don’t have to go out into the cold?” Arching a silver brow quizzically, her smirk challenging. She gave him a slightly surprised look as he mentioned the problems he had with his powers, shaking her head with a grimace at his description of the school.

“Circus camp? I don’t like the sound of that – I’d rather put my head through a door. Last time they told me to ‘concentrate and reshape yourself’…I melted, and you know what? Clothes don’t stay on a puddle!!” She buried her face in her heads at the mere memory of reforming, only to realize that her clothes were not where they were supposed to be. Not the best way to start off at a new school, even if it was just a professor in the room with her.

He ran a finger through his hair and grinned at her notice of the work he puts into his looks on a more then regular bases. “Hey, it's not easy to be the best looking guy in a school. So don't knock the prep time.” He smirked at his own joke, he didn't laugh just smirked. People who laughed at their own jokes were pretentious assholes in his opinion, if you just smirked you were slick (or just a pretentious asshole to everyone but yourself).

“There’s gotta be at least a few good snowboarding spots around here, right? Or are you just making excuses so you don’t have to go out into the cold?”

“Meh. Lack of worthwhile people to go out with her.” He said with a shrug. “And wake boarding is more my style of sport.” He missed the west coast at times, the city wasn't bad when he went there. But this small town vibe where the school was, drove him more then a little insane at times. He let a laugh out as she talked about her clothing issue. “Word of advice. Don't say that too loud, start to get people thinking you come out of them easy, or get one of the little human magnets trying to help you along.”

He gave a shrug at the circus comment. “Ah, better circus camp then the freakshow. Circus gets the lion tamers and gymnastics. Freak show gets the bearded lady...though I think we may have one of those here. I may need to rethink my sales pitch for the school. Might be why they don't let me go get new people...” he trailed off not really caring to go get new people. More of if he was he was sure he would not be near serious enough to make the powers at be happy with his performance.

The fact that he obviously had a sense of humor made his joke acceptable. She’d known jocks before, boys so stuck up about how good looking they were that even teasing them could evoke a strong, negative response. She hated guys like that. Julian seemed like the type to be a bit egotistical, but the fact that he could take her comment with a smile and a good comeback showed that he was still willing to show good humor. She grinned, giggling at him.

“I’ll take your word for it,” The teenager replied teasingly, shaking her head as he wrote off snowboarding. The cold wasn’t for everybody, and while Cess may not always enjoy being cold, she always enjoyed warming up afterwards. Curling up in front of a fire, with hot cocoa, a blanket, and good friends, it was an experience everyone should have. His advice caused her arch a silver eyebrow, before tilting her head thoughtfully.

“Uh, well, it’s not like I choose to lose them…And I don’t think I’m magnetic.” Of course, now she was curious, and would have to try, but as far as she was aware, she wasn’t made of a magnetic metal, so magnets wouldn’t stick to her. But it would certainly make for an interesting few minutes, if she tried. He shrugged, and she leaned forward, elbows resting on the table as she tried not to giggle at him. He seemed to be rethinking his way of telling her how the school was awesome, and the redhead grinned at him.

“I can’t imagine why they keep you away from the new kids, with how encouraging you are. Telling me I’m part of a circus and all. I bet I can do the high-wire really well. Or trapeze. Always did want to try that.” Her tone was teasing, light, grinning at him widely. “Let me guess – flair for the dramatic, liking to be center stage…You’re aiming for Ringmaster?”