Welcome to Gaia! ::

Arriving at the kitchen, Kris doesn't focus on any of the peopl there, only on the tea he wants to drink. Afters some rumaging through cuboards, he locates the tea bags and a kettle. Moving to the sink, he fills the kettle with water and sets it on the stove, turning away to find a mug. THis done, he finally looks up.
"...." Binking, he quicky looks down again and focuses on the kettle. He'd managed to enter into a room wiht a serious emotional conversation going on...wonderful. As the kettle boils, he quickly removes it from the heat, pours the mater into the mug, adds the bag, grabbing cream and sugar on his way out of the kitchen and back to the main foyer, hoping that he can be inconspicous and enjoy his tea.

Jacen didn't have hardly time to say anything when he was told, "Let's take a walk. I need some air." Agreeing with Penance, Jacen shuffled alongside her as they took a short walk back to the courtyard outside. It had gotten darker since Jacen had come inside, and it was looking rather peaceful out here. A weird twist considering the chaos that ensued just a few hours ago. When Jacen was confident that they were alone, he decided to speak up.

"You know me too well, Penance," Jacen said calmly as he looked up at the moon. "I do feel guilty for not trying to find you. It sucked knowing that with everything else going on, I couldn't find the time to peel away from this damned place....."

"But seeing how I was earlier, would you have wanted to find me?," Evelyn asked.

"Honestly, it wouldn't have mattered, as long as I would have found you."

There was an uncomfortable silence between the two before Jacen spoke up again. "I know it's been a year. Alot of things have happened, and alot of things have changed, but I do know one thing. In this year....there wasn't a day that went by where I hoped I see you again. I knew that you'd be as safe as you could be, and just hoped that I'd be able to see you again."

Feeling like a tiny weight was lifted from his chest, Jacen turned around and looked straight at Penance. "And now you're here..... Penance.....you said you need to know where you're place is at with me?"

"...Yea...," she was somewhat timid about this subject.

"Nothing has changed," Jacen answered matter-of-factly, "Not a day went by where I didn't think about you. As I said...I knew one day, you'd come back around......" He smiled as he looked into her gray eyes, and gave her a big hug. "I'm here for you, Evie. No matter what."

Penance couldn't help but shed a few tears, "That's probably the best thing I've heard... in awhile. Being stuck in Jade's little world, I guess I never really thought about life moving on without me. And now here, seeing all this stuff changed, it's just a lot to handle. Losing you would have been the worst of it."

"Well, we don't have to worry about that. Do we?" He smiled as she wiped her face off with her sleeve. She shook her head and took a deep breath.

"You'd be surprised how much you take for granted about life until you lose the ability to enjoy it," Penance stretched her arms out under the starlit sky. The autumn air was more enjoyable than she remembered. Mid stretch, she wrapped her longish arms around his shoulders and neck and kissed him. God it really had been a long time, "Let's make a deal."

"What's that?"

"Let's both agree not to be possed by any type of telepathic entity or mind control for the next... many years," She said and smiled, her first real smile for the day. As she stood there close to him something was different, a subtle difference, "You've been working out more."

She pulled at his shirt and smiled innocently in that 'i'm a devil' kind of way, "So what have you been up to for the past year? I'd tell you my story but you've seen it already. Jade was an assassin... that's been my year."

"You're going to be okay, just like that?" He could already tell she was changing the subject.

"No," She shook her head, "But this is a start, and I really do want to know what's been going on with you."

"It would be nice having an assistant of some kind with all of the new students," Porter didn't neccessarily say Regina was the person for the job. He knew she could do it. He was concerned about being distracted in his work. She had the effect on him, "I'd imagine you're finding being a head master, teacher, counselor and trainer isn't exactly a one person job."

"I can't argue that," Scott nodded. Porter noted to himself that Scott had changed. He seemed less like the spoiled boy scout he seemed before, "I can't offer that particular position for obvious reasons, but there are a few other positions. Emma, for one, needs a secretary. Hank needs an assitant counselor and trainer. Logan needs a secretary to keep him in check. That man does not understand deadlines and a schedule."

Tetsuo had effectivly zoned out...only responding vaguely to the others who spoke to him. He was your average teenage boy, atleast mentaly. the rythmic tapping of his large sickle toe-claws broaght him back to reality..."Uhh...huh, what?" He blinked, looking around. He sniffed the air, smelling the scent of the kitchen. His stomach growled.

"Done, thank you, Regina. That is a position we needed to fill quickly," Scott made an attemp to joke, "I will have Kitty send you the appropriate paperwork so you can get onto our payroll, benefits, and so on. Also, I'm sure you wouldn't mind the added perk of staff quarters instead of one of the student dorms. Kitty can also help get you set up."

Scott stood up and started to usher them out, "If you would excuse me, I have another meeting shortly."

Porter looked at Regina, "I'll meet you outside."

When Regina left, he turned back to Scott, "I don't know how things have been going around here, but I'd like an update on the X-Men status when you can. I know there has been turn over with Team Alpha with Penance, Regina and Jacen here and there."

"We'll get to it," Scott assured him, "And candidates for your assistant?"

"Penance," Porter said definately. They had conflicts in styles but she was the best trainer her knew, "She will say no, but make her take it anyway. If Regina has explained the situation well enough to me, she's going to need it."

"I will see what I can do," Scott answered.

Porter walked out to the seating area where Regina was waiting, "I ordered some food not too long ago... and there is plenty for two. You want to join me?"

"No problem." Good, her name didn't ring any bells. No one recognized her face, and she was relieved. At least she didn't have to relive the repercussions of what she had done just a couple years previously. If she had been spotted by anyone, there would have been no way they could have gotten away. Rolling back her shoulders, her back popped a few times and she made a face. She hadn't thought anything of his tone or manner of speaking, figuring in the time that had past since she had been hospitalized, that a lot of mutants had that sort of attitude about life.

She glanced over and notice a wide scrape on Rycil's forehead. Reaching into her pocket, she withdrew a bandaid--the nurses had insisted she take some with her for some reason or another, and placed it over the wound. It was just part of her disposition to do things like that. "Won't they ever learn? They're stuck with us." She really wasn't saying to this anyone in particular.

((Sorry it took so long. I was having hell doing anything on this site. I hope they are other people outside the mansion and wandering town--It'd be cool for Tc to have a few more misadventures before going there finally.))

(That's ok Esper. No one is in a hurry. At least I'm not. XD)

Freya looked at the card and tilted her head a little. "This is what I need. A business card for my neutral faction. But things being what they are now..."

She watched Logan taking Kylia away. She grinned and ran after them. "You know what? I'm going to tag along with you guys. I need to at least know the face of the new boss around here."

Logan couldn't help but let a very nasty growl out. "Why would you want to come along all of sudden?"

"The reason I came here was to see Emma. Or make enough trouble so she would come out but since you are heading that way...

"You're a brat," whispered Logan between his teeth.

"Sorry but I didn't come here for YOU."

"Good because it wasn't my first option!"

"But it was among them," grinned Freya.

"Shut up before I rip off your head."

"I missed you too," she said as they entered the office together.