2013.08.21 - The Cess Express

It's mid-afternoon in upstate New York. Sofia's directions got her from JFK into Manhattan and on the train up to Westchester, and now it's time for the last leg of her journey. Several people are parked in the pickup lane outside the Westchester station, waiting for the train to arrive. One of them, a simple blue sedan, has a young metallic woman leaning against it, dressed simply in denim shorts and a jersey-style t-shirt, a red cap over red hair, fidgeting with her phone as she waits. (reiterates)

Sofia walks out of the train tired and spent, clad in tight jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt, a cap not unlike Cessily's keeping her long hair tied back in a ponytail on her head. What makes the girl stand out from most, however, is the dust coating she sports, and a few cuts on her clothes. She has been through something intense, and it shows, but quite unlike her body the girl's spirit seems as upbeat as ever, a wide smile on her lips as she sees the silver skinned girl. Waving and jogging towards Cessily the Venezuelan beauty winks and jogs towards the other mutant girl, offering her a hand, an awkward look on her face from her current state.

"Sofia Mantega. It's a pleasure! Love your hair! Also, I can explain this...", she points to herself, smiling awkwardly.

Ben Hamill steps off the train farther down the line, immediately causing a stir amongst people boarding and leaving.. Mostly because he's on fire. Very obviously a mutant, his hair missing and instead his head gently crackles with 6-8 inches of orange dancing flame rising up from his scalp. Looking around, he spots Cessily. Not because he knows her, but because she's metallic silver. And hot.

She's pretty obvious that way, and thus a good person to pick up new students. That and as an alumnae and non-teacher, she's both trusted and not actually responsible for teaching classes or managing students. IE: Available. Cess straightens and drops her phone into her pocket. "Sofia and Ben?" she surmises, since she was supposed to pick up two opposite-gendered students, it's easy to figure out. "Welcome to Westchester!" she declares sunnily. "Uh...." she looks between Sofia's torn clothes and Ben's flaming head. "Everything okay?" she asks. The train's not on fire or exploding, so....

"I was in New York, but Grand Central as getting attacked by this huge man in a rhino suit, and I tried to stop him, but when it all settled someone had stole my things, so now I have nothing.", Sofia takes a deep breath, annoyance noticeable in her face before she rides through it and smiles again, taking after Cessily's sunny behavior.

"I'm glad I had money for ano- AY DIOS MIO! ESTAS EN FUEGO!", the girl suddenly screams as she looks at Ben, a hand over her chest as she takes a step back and another poised up, gusts of wind going for the boy as if to put the fire down, her eyes wide.

Ben Hamill raises an eyebrow at the silver woman, then looks behind himself to make sure she's not talking to anyone else. "Yeah I'm Jeesus!" He shouts, Sofia's wind catching him full in the face and blowing his flames back, igniting a banner hanging above him. But when the wind dies.. yeah Ben's still on fire. And on his ass, the wind knocking him from his feet! "DOO YOU mind?!" He shouts, then looks up, noticing the quietly burning banner. He snaps his fingers at it, and the flames snuff out. A pyrokinetic.

"No you're not!" Cessily cries at Ben. She shakes her head and huffs. "Would both of you calm down?" she asks, as wind flies about and wire finally abates. "People in Westchester are generally pretty calm about mutants, even the obvious kind, but no need to antagonize them with wind," she says, pointing to Sofia, "Or fire," she says, pointing to Ben. "I'm Cessily, by the way," she says, waving a silver hand. "How much luggage do you guys have? Let's get it loaded up and get rolling. The Institute's not too far."

Sofia keeps looking at Ben, with no reaction. Silver skin she can wrap her head around, but... being in flames? And not burning his clothes? Still, the venezuelan goes to the boy, helping him to his feet with her powers, the breeze now far more gentle as she helps him to get up if he has not already by then.

"I'm sorry. I... I thought you needed help.", she says honestly, and then looking back at Cess and shaking her head "N-No luggage, no. Been robbed, remember?", as she goes for the passenger's seat, besides the driver, trying not to do anything stupid again.

Ben Hamill snorts, rising to his feet by taking Sofia's. Surprisingly.. he's not hot. Just quite warm to the touch. "Yeah I'm uh.. wearing everything I own, parents disowned me... so.. let's get a move on huh?" He says, eyeing Sofia with those snow white eyes of his. "No worries Chica.. I'm fine." He offers the woman with a smile. Kids' from LA. Of COURSE he's gonna try to play the game here. And milk her assaulting him with wind as much as he can. And to that effect.. he looks at Sofia sideways, and blows on her. "Darn.. not quite the same effect." He says,

"Man, so much shopping to do," Cessily says. "Sofia, I might have a few things you can wear, in the meantime. Did you file a police report?" she asks, circling around the car. "I wouldn't hold my breath, but you never know," she says. "For you, Ben, we can ask some of the boys," she suggests. Once everybody's piled in, Cess pulls out the keys and starts the car. "So, where are you both from?" she asks. Cess got basic info, but hey, best to make some conversation.

Sofia is still very new to the obvious kind of mutant that Cessily and Ben are, and for such a beautiful, and human-like girl, she is taking this is fairly well. She still holds her breath when Ben reaches for her hand, thinking it might hurt, and she still looks a bit too long into Cessily's eyes, but there's a lot of excitement along with the exploring looks she gives. Smiling at Ben she goes into the car, winking at the boy before turning around, something that might seem a bit too out there for most people, but natural to where she comes from. Ben might not be the only one that plays things out.

"I'm from Venezuela.", the girl says, not betraying her nationality with even the slightest hint of an accent. "I didn't file a police report because they were all so busy with the rhino person and people wounded that I would feel kinda wrong to be asking for my material stuff back. There's a lot in tha baggage I would love to have back... but... I guess coming here is turning a new leaf on my life anyway...", she says, staying sad for a few seconds before forcing a smile up, swallowing down her angst. "What about you guys? Where are you from?"

Ben Hamill eyes Cess slightly annoyed. Sofia gets to go shopping and he gets hand me downs because he happened to have been born with a penis? You'd think someone who looked strikingly like a Jaguar hood ornament might understand equal treatment.. Guess not. But this mental dialogue goes unsaid as he climbs in the car, letting Sofia take shotgun. "L.A... Parents finally got the paperwork filed to disown me.. Not exactly welcome there after I burned down the city park my mom played in as a kid.. My powers erupted kinda sudden.. so.. yeah.. That's me. Bit of a hothead." He says chuckling at his own joke a little and indicating his flowing orange flames.

The way he's sitting, his flames are fully blasting the ceiling of the car, but apparently it's not hot as there is no burning smell, no scorch marks and nothing igniting. Odd. "Venezuela huh? Bet they're missin you. The gorgeous quotient dropped by like half when you stepped on the plane headed out right?" Unlike Sofia.. he DOES have an accent.. you might think he's Latino.. but no.. he's Caucasian, just grew up around a lot of Latinos.

Cessily twists her head around, on hearing the flaming, and she twists her head further than she really should. It only takes a quick look to confirm that Ben's not actually setting the car on fire, so no harm, no foul. "Oh, nice," Cessily says, as she glances about and pulls out into the street. "I couldn't place the accent and I didn't want to presume," she says. A faint shrug from the metal girl. "I mean sure it's not the top police issue they've got, but you're still entitled to your stuff. No reason not to stand up for yourself just because you're...from out of town."

Ben's explanation gets a visible wince from Cessily. "Ouch. Seriously?" she asks. "My parents...weren't very understanding either. Not quite that bad. God, lucky me," she says, those words very strange on her lips with this matter. If Ben wants to be shameless...well Cessily's amused, but she doesn't say anything. No doubt Sofia can handle herself.

Sofia listens about parents but she says nothing of her own experiences. No need for another person on that boat. "I'm sure they will come around. Both your families will!", she offers enthusiastically, sharing what she repeats to herself on a daily basis. With a wide smile she looks a bit ahead, thinking of her mom, before snapping from her daydreaming and chuckling a bit, not looking at Ben but tilting her head to the side.

"You are too kind, Ben, but if you think I'm hot, you should go to Venezuela sometime. You'll love it.", she teases the boy, and then looks at Cess for a moment, arching an eyebrow at the silenced girl "I'm starting to think I'm over matched in America, though."

Ben Hamill shake his head. "Come on girl.. now why would I want to go all the way down there.. scaring people half to death Like I scared you just a minute ago.. when I've got Venezuela sexy coming to me right here in the States?" He retorts, and settles back in his seat. Turning to the side, he can see some woman in the other lane freaking out because the cars on fire! Or so she thinks. Stupid people. Lesigh.

"I was at the institute for three years, Sofia," Cessily says, as she stretches her hands over each other to make the turn, "I've sort of given up. It's okay. A couple of my cousins still want to see me and I've got plenty of friends. Xavier's is the family you choose, you'll see that," she says. The metal girl makes a face at Sofia, "Don't tease him like that, you'll break him," she says. She steals a glance back at Ben, "Are all the boys like you in LA?"

Sofia nods while swallowing nervously at Cessily's comment about family and giving up, everything making the Venezuelan girl feel strange, anxious, not at all well. She still has a family in Venezuela, a baby brother, and there must still have hope for her father. As such, she just nods and smiles, as she has learned to do. Chuckling at the silvery girl's comment, however, she smiles at Ben.

"You are pretty straightforward, aren't you? Now, be honest with us, have you ever gotten -any- girl with this talk?", she says, honestly interested, not picking on him, her tone playful.

Ben Hamill looks at the women in the seats in front of him and shrugs. "Dunno.. I'm the only guys i ever really paid attention to. Could be.." He tells Cessily. But turns his gaze on Sofia. "A couple. But back there it's a whole different ball game. Here is how smooth a guy is right? He's gotta sweep a girl off her feet, be her knight in shining armor or whatever. In LA... your game is all you got, and most of the girls play it better than the guys anyway.. Tough to get much traction. But I'll tell you what.. I won't ever lie to you. Never anything less than honest."

He says and pauses. "So when I say you're hotter than I am Sofia.. I mean every word." He says and grin, snapping his fingers and igniting his thumb momentarily, illustrating the wordplay quite clearly before he snaps his fingers again to put it out.

"At least you know what you're getting with him. You can hardly say that about all guys," Cessily says. She pulls them onto a wider boulevard and picks up some speed. "The freeway's faster but I figured you guys would like the scenic route," she adds. Cessily curls her lips. "Everybody in Portland's pretty mellow," Cessily notes to Ben, mostly. "I'm...not sure I'm supposed to be dating students," she says.

Sofia narrows her eyes at Ben, a grin on her face as she arches a brow, obviously loving the compliments, but not falling for it that easily. "I'll take your word for it, then!", she says, exposing some underlying vanity of her character. Still, she looks at Cess, automatically partnering up with the female crowd, waggling her eyebrows as someone who says speaks without saying "See that, huh?".

She doesn't want to call Cessily on anything, but Sofia still has a more libertarian upbringing than most North Americans, and as such she just shrugs and smiles "You should date whoever you feel like dating, whoever makes you feel warm inside, makes you happy! Someone that really makes you passionate!".

Ben Hamill looks at Cess. "I uh ... I was... Y'know.. me.. and her.. I was flirting... with Sofia.. not you so much. You're totally good looking.. just.. not my type. Sorry." He stammers through telling Cess he's not interested. Awkward. "So.. this Xavier's. He pretty chill or is he a hardass? Me and authority... don't get along so well." He says, but offers a wink to Sofia.

"Couldn't not if I didn't want to," Cessily tells Sofia. "Uh....well that's the plan..." she says, her voice rising in with a bit of tension. Fact of the matter is, Ben's observation cuts her more than she'd like to let on, even if it's all a horrible lie. She's still got her own issues, after all, like being a metal puddle. "Oh..." Cessily says, grateful the subject's being shifted. "He's...a bit old school," she says. "He's great, and he believes in us, totally, but he does like a certain level of protocol and respect."

Sofia watches as Ben talks to Cessily and stays silent, the extremely awkward banter going on as the Venezuelan cringes inwards. She didn't want any of this to happen. Tapping on her thighs with her fingertips the beautiful foreigner remains silent for a moment trying to let the subject die out a bit.

"I hope he really believes us, this is my last chance...", she says looking out at the window, frowning a bit, almost muttering. She is nervous, be it the tapping on her tights or her shift posture on the seat are fine tells.

Sofia watches as Ben talks to Cessily and stays silent, the extremely awkward banter going on as the Venezuelan cringes inwards. She didn't want any of this to happen. Tapping on her thighs with her fingertips the beautiful foreigner remains silent for a moment trying to let the subject die out a bit.

"I hope he really believes us, this is my last chance...", she says looking out at the window, frowning a bit, almost muttering. She is nervous, be it the tapping on her tights or her shift posture on the seat are fine tells.

Ben Hamill frowns. Oy... always collateral damage.. As a pyro.. you'd think he'd expect that by now. "Nah, you're definitely top notch Sofia." He says, and shifts his gaze.. Crap.. don't want to lead her on.. but don't want to leave her out... He thinks, looking at Cess. "Just like Ms. Cessily is.. like me. Hey.. can we be roomates?" He asks, leaning forward in the seat and folding his bright orange arms across the gap between the seats. "Me and Sophia I mean. I think we'd get along all kinds of great." He says smiling.

"He does. He's dedicated his life to making things better for mutants," Cessily says to Sofia, certainly giving the party line, but seemingly quite believing it. "The Institute's a safe space to let us learn how to deal with being mutants first before we go deal with the world," she says. Cessily glances behind her at Ben and she shakes her head. "You're going to wear yourself out trying that hard," she warns.

"And besides, I don't think you could handle me taking a guy back to my dorm~ Or would we use those weird socks on the doorknob codes?", Sofia teases, looking at the road. Although she is trying to keep the spirits up the girl is feeling butterflies on her stomach at the thought of going to Xavier's. She doesn't want to leave everything behind, and with that thought the girl very faintly whispers "I gotta get my baggage back.", blinking a few times in realization.

Ben Hamill double takes at Sophia. Holy hell.. She's gonna be a hand full and a half. "Prize is worth the effort Ms. Cess.. And what a prize she is.." He says, leaning back in his seat. Oh this is going to be fun. He doesn't even care if Xavier is a hardass or not. He can hear her whispers and leans forward again. "Tell you what.. I may not know the city.. but I'll come help you get your stuff back. Cops probly got it.. but if by some chance some thug's got it.. I promise they'll hand it over. I'm a little too hot to handle. I got your back girl."

Cessily laughs faintly. The car slows and makes a turn up a driveway, past a set of gates, the pillar of one hold a plaque. "Xavier Institute for Gifted Students" it reads. "If it was at Grand Central I'd start there. They keep stolen things there, if they catch somebody before they leave. Otherwise you might be in for a chase," Cessily says. "So we're here!" she declares, pulling the car up into the driveway. "You'll meet some of the teachers and they'll get you all settled into your rooms. Try not to loose it, Ben, hotness is a mutation all its own," Cessily says, getting outo f the car and fetching the kid's bags.

Sofia nods at Ben, frowning slightly. She lost a bunch of very, very important stuff. Maybe it was okay to be angrier about it. Before she can dwell on it, however, the car stops, and she looks up, a smile on her lips.

"Do we get a room mate, Cessily, or is it a room all for ourselves?", the Venezuelan asks as she looks around, somewhat impressed by the place. "This is a beautiful, beautiful place...", she muses both hands together over her chest as she walks idly.

Ben Hamill leans to the side, looking out the window at the grounds, watching people walk around. Some very obviously mutants. "Nice.. And here I was thinkin' Everyone was going to look normal." He mutters, before climbing out of the car, and looking at Cessily at her comment. He holds up a hand, which erupts into a foot long torch. "Don't I know it.." He tells her before the flame dies.

Looking at Sophia, he only smiles, pondering. Oh yes.. this is going to be a ton of fun.