Disclaimer: Nope, I own nothing...that's a double negative; not acceptable in
English, but very accepted and even normal in Spanish class.
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X-23 stopped to glance into the hallway mirror. She looked...different, perhaps a bit softer, more feminine...weaker. Besides spending most of the day shopping Ororo had taken her to the hair salon for a much needed trim. "After all," Ororo had told her, "there's so many tangles in there I don't know if I could ever get them out myself; and you sure aren't going to." The hair dresser had found a most effective way of getting out the tangles, a scissors. The end result was that her hair had been layered to hide the fact that the majority of the snags had been cut out. She herself didn't really care but Ororo continued to reassure her that it looked fine, as if X-23 had some feeling towards the matter.
Her clothes on the other hand had turned into a crusade. It had taken Ororo the better part of an hour explaining that she couldn't, or at least shouldn't, buy her clothes from the boys department despite the fact that in X-23's eyes they looked more practical than those in the juniors department. Their search for clothes had been a fruitful one. Despite X- 23's objections a skirt had been added to the mix as well, just in case she found that she enjoyed wearing clothing that restricted her from being violent.
X-23 was now wearing was a pair of khakis, a plain green t-shirt, and white tennis shoes, the most basic outfit she could find. "I look like everyone else," she told the mirror.
"Now, I wouldn't say like everyone else," a bright southern drawl told her. "For instance, you don't look at all like me." The person walked up beside her so he too was reflected in the mirror. "For one, I'm blond; two, I have blue eyes; and three...I'm a heck of a lot taller than a half pint like you. Not to mention I'm a boy." She turned to face him. "My name's Sam by the way, Sam Guthrie, in case you missed it during breakfast intros." He held out his hand. X-23 stared at it for a moment. "Well, go on and shake it. I won't stand like this all day to be a scarecrow for your amusement. Besides, I thing Ororo's got her garden pretty well guarded from varmints like that." Slowly, X-23 placed her hand in his, cautious like a wild animal. He clasped it and with a shake said, "Well, howdy do?"
She stared at him, withdrawing her hand. "Fine," she told him.
"Not much of a talker, are ya?"
"Why should I be? Talking only distracts a person from their orders."
"Distracting? Naw, it's just something to do while you watch the grass grow. Especially effective when trying to get to know a person."
"And you want to get to know me."
"Why, sure, you're living in this house same as the rest of us, no reason to be a stranger."
"I suppose not."
"See? Now, give me a smile to show you mean it." X-23 pulled back her lips into what would look to most like a grimace of pain. Sam only smiled back, nonplused, seemingly unaware of how unnatural it looked on her face. "That's it. I gotta get going, Logan'll kill me if I'm late to Danger Room. See ya."
X-23 watched him go, allowing her lips to once more go back to an emotionless mask. People sure were strange here. What did it matter if she smiled or frowned? It was nothing more than baring one's teeth at another person...wasn't it?
She made her way to the Professor's study. They were supposed to determine how much she had to learn in order to attend regular school. 'He seriously thinks I'll be around long enough to attend regular school,' X-23 thought to herself. She stopped outside the door when she heard voices from within accompanied by the rustling of clothing.
"I just don't understand, Professor. She comes in here claiming to want help but just a few months ago she was ready to murder us all in our sleep."
"Scott, I realize your reservations but I don't sense anything in her mind pointing toward the desire to do us harm. I firmly believe that she's here to make something of herself. Wolverine, after all, wasn't really all that tame when he came here at first but he's made a real adjustment to society."
"But, Professor, how do you know she isn't blocking you? She did manage to take you by surprise the last time."
"What purpose would it serve?"
"I don't know...I just don't trust her."
X-23 bristled at the comment. Did she really come off as someone not worth trusting? Scary? Realizing she was eavesdropping she took a few steps away from the door. Scott burst out of the room. Upon seeing her he stopped dead in his tracks. She refused to say anything to him, refused to let him know for sure that she had heard him as she stared at him. More rustling of clothing alerted her to another coming out of the room. X-23 turned her head to see Jean exiting the room as well. 'Knew I smelled two,' she thought to herself.
"Oh," Jean exclaimed, "Did we keep you waiting?"
"No," she lied. "I just got here." X-23 could feel a small presence in her mind, probing for signs of a lie. She quickly shut off her mind to the intruder and watched the surprise on the telepath's face. "If you don't mind," she excused herself, entering the study with her mind not on learning but on discovering just what everyone really thought of her presence at the Institute.
*********************************************************************** That's the end of the chappie, hope you liked it. Any ideas as to what X- 23's normal name should be, 'cause I don't have a clue but I think its something she should have. Tell me in a review if you got any ideas. See ya!
********************************************************************
X-23 stopped to glance into the hallway mirror. She looked...different, perhaps a bit softer, more feminine...weaker. Besides spending most of the day shopping Ororo had taken her to the hair salon for a much needed trim. "After all," Ororo had told her, "there's so many tangles in there I don't know if I could ever get them out myself; and you sure aren't going to." The hair dresser had found a most effective way of getting out the tangles, a scissors. The end result was that her hair had been layered to hide the fact that the majority of the snags had been cut out. She herself didn't really care but Ororo continued to reassure her that it looked fine, as if X-23 had some feeling towards the matter.
Her clothes on the other hand had turned into a crusade. It had taken Ororo the better part of an hour explaining that she couldn't, or at least shouldn't, buy her clothes from the boys department despite the fact that in X-23's eyes they looked more practical than those in the juniors department. Their search for clothes had been a fruitful one. Despite X- 23's objections a skirt had been added to the mix as well, just in case she found that she enjoyed wearing clothing that restricted her from being violent.
X-23 was now wearing was a pair of khakis, a plain green t-shirt, and white tennis shoes, the most basic outfit she could find. "I look like everyone else," she told the mirror.
"Now, I wouldn't say like everyone else," a bright southern drawl told her. "For instance, you don't look at all like me." The person walked up beside her so he too was reflected in the mirror. "For one, I'm blond; two, I have blue eyes; and three...I'm a heck of a lot taller than a half pint like you. Not to mention I'm a boy." She turned to face him. "My name's Sam by the way, Sam Guthrie, in case you missed it during breakfast intros." He held out his hand. X-23 stared at it for a moment. "Well, go on and shake it. I won't stand like this all day to be a scarecrow for your amusement. Besides, I thing Ororo's got her garden pretty well guarded from varmints like that." Slowly, X-23 placed her hand in his, cautious like a wild animal. He clasped it and with a shake said, "Well, howdy do?"
She stared at him, withdrawing her hand. "Fine," she told him.
"Not much of a talker, are ya?"
"Why should I be? Talking only distracts a person from their orders."
"Distracting? Naw, it's just something to do while you watch the grass grow. Especially effective when trying to get to know a person."
"And you want to get to know me."
"Why, sure, you're living in this house same as the rest of us, no reason to be a stranger."
"I suppose not."
"See? Now, give me a smile to show you mean it." X-23 pulled back her lips into what would look to most like a grimace of pain. Sam only smiled back, nonplused, seemingly unaware of how unnatural it looked on her face. "That's it. I gotta get going, Logan'll kill me if I'm late to Danger Room. See ya."
X-23 watched him go, allowing her lips to once more go back to an emotionless mask. People sure were strange here. What did it matter if she smiled or frowned? It was nothing more than baring one's teeth at another person...wasn't it?
She made her way to the Professor's study. They were supposed to determine how much she had to learn in order to attend regular school. 'He seriously thinks I'll be around long enough to attend regular school,' X-23 thought to herself. She stopped outside the door when she heard voices from within accompanied by the rustling of clothing.
"I just don't understand, Professor. She comes in here claiming to want help but just a few months ago she was ready to murder us all in our sleep."
"Scott, I realize your reservations but I don't sense anything in her mind pointing toward the desire to do us harm. I firmly believe that she's here to make something of herself. Wolverine, after all, wasn't really all that tame when he came here at first but he's made a real adjustment to society."
"But, Professor, how do you know she isn't blocking you? She did manage to take you by surprise the last time."
"What purpose would it serve?"
"I don't know...I just don't trust her."
X-23 bristled at the comment. Did she really come off as someone not worth trusting? Scary? Realizing she was eavesdropping she took a few steps away from the door. Scott burst out of the room. Upon seeing her he stopped dead in his tracks. She refused to say anything to him, refused to let him know for sure that she had heard him as she stared at him. More rustling of clothing alerted her to another coming out of the room. X-23 turned her head to see Jean exiting the room as well. 'Knew I smelled two,' she thought to herself.
"Oh," Jean exclaimed, "Did we keep you waiting?"
"No," she lied. "I just got here." X-23 could feel a small presence in her mind, probing for signs of a lie. She quickly shut off her mind to the intruder and watched the surprise on the telepath's face. "If you don't mind," she excused herself, entering the study with her mind not on learning but on discovering just what everyone really thought of her presence at the Institute.
*********************************************************************** That's the end of the chappie, hope you liked it. Any ideas as to what X- 23's normal name should be, 'cause I don't have a clue but I think its something she should have. Tell me in a review if you got any ideas. See ya!
