Say Anything

[Elliot Vaccari]

Downtown Kalispell was the part of the city where Elliot found himself spending a lot of time. From all the local shops and businesses, to the club section where he'd managed to score a bartending gig, there was only so much to do in a small town. Especially when he didn't know anybody. Had no friends, yet. For someone as outgoing as Elliot, that was the worst part. Having nobody to pass the time with. The walls of his apartment were boring.

So, he'd taken to walking around town when the boredom took over. Which happened a lot more than he'd like to admit.

With an iced coffee in hand and a pair of shades shielding his eyes, Elliot scoped out individuals from the sparse population. Looking for someone to talk to. Anyone. After a handful of minutes, he came across someone sitting on one of the benches, by herself. With nobody else around, Elliot was confident that he could at least hold a conversation with her. She seemed like a nice person, from an initial impression.  Changing direction, he casually approached the area where the woman was and sat down next to her. Elliot had never been afraid of striking up conversations with others, even if they were complete strangers.

Hopefully she wouldn't mind. 

"Beautiful day today." Elliot commented, slipping the sunglasses on top of his head and glancing over at her with a warm smile. 

[Beth Young]

It was strange, how familiar this town felt even though she hadn't been around since she'd graduated. Yet, she couldn't stop thinking how right it felt, or how at home she felt here. Even now, years later, her favorite pass time was to sit around and watch the various people pass her by, busy with their own day to day routine. There was something oddly calming about it too, and it allowed her to both busy her mind, and allow herself to get a little breather.

No one had ever said being a social worker and a counselor for mutants would be easy. It was almost comical just how many of these kids really needed someone to talk to. She supposed it was a given, what with them all being teenagers. And if one matched that with uncontrollable powers... Well, needless to say, it wasn't very odd that they all had so dramatic manifestations.

However, Beth's thoughts was quickly pulled away at the sudden movement next to her. Blinking, the 5'3" brunette turned her green gaze towards a young male. Offering him a friendly smile, she nodded in agreement. "It sure is," she replied, chuckling softly.

The man looked friendly enough, but wholly unfamiliar. She didn't think she'd seen him around the school - not that it meant a whole lot, of course.

[Elliot Vaccari]

Leaning back against the bench, Elliot adjusted until comfortable against the wooden surface. There was always the initial anxiety that she wouldn't answer; that it would leave him back where he started with nobody to talk to. Random conversations weren't appreciated by everyone.

But, he got an answer. So that was something to start with.

The first thing Elliot noticed about the woman was how genuine her smile was. Like she meant it. Initial impressions were always key, and so far, she was leaving a good one. He leaned back, resting an arm against bench and took a long sip. "You know, I always thought that moving out here, the weather would be terrible. Like a constant winter. Glad I was wrong." His smile pulled into a wider grin.

"Hope I'm not interrupting anything." He quickly interjected. Maybe she was waiting for someone, in which case Elliot would quickly make an exit. So far, it was hard forming substantial relationships. Then again, he'd only been in town for a week or so and had to give it some time.

[Beth Young]

Chuckling softly, Beth nodded slowly at the words the young man offered. Most people seemed to think that Montana was cold, but it was surprisingly warm. Though, she could hardly blame people for thinking that it was cold. It seemed to be a common trait that these kind of states that had so much nature was colder than those with barren and dry landscapes.

It was funny how things worked like that.

"It seems to be a common thing people think when someone says Montana," she commented, tossing the man a quick smile. "I have to admit that I thought the same thing as you when I first came here." Granted, she had also been eleven years old, so at the end of the day it hadn't been that weird.

"Oh, no, not at all," she assured him. Company was always welcomed, even with new people. How else would you get to know people if you scared them away when they tried talking to you? That didn't make a whole lot of sense. Especially as Beth had just moved back here from New York. It was nice talking to someone who wasn't her husband or kids. Reaching out her hand then, she smiled, "Beth Young."

[Elliot Vaccari]

Although Montana was only a couple states over from his home state of Oregon, Elliot didn't really know what he expected when he made the necessary move. That crossing state boundary lines meant a completely different weather pattern. He also never left Oregon before now, finding everything he needed within a singular state. Never had the money to leave, either. Until now.

Before he could get too lost in his thoughts, Elliot turned his focus back to the woman on the other side of the bench, reciprocating her smile. At least he wasn't the only one to blindly assume the stereotype. "Guess I didn't really know better." It was a good thing to be wrong about.

Relief found a way to settle within as she quickly assured him that he wasn't interrupting anything important. "Elliot Vaccari." He answered, extending his hand to meet hers in a handshake. "Been here for awhile?" He asked, wondering if Beth was also relatively new to town or if she had lived in Kalispell for a long time.

[Beth Young]

"Well, you're not the only one," she chuckled as she offered the man a smile. Still, the good weather that followed Montana seemed to catch her off guard. As if she still expected snow to start falling in the middle of June. She wondered what on earth had lead her to think this was such a cold state, and what made her continue thinking so, despite spending so many years here.

"Ah," she began, her lips pursing. "Just moved back here from New York. Spent most of my childhood in this town." With eyes gleaming with mirth, the brunette turned her head to cast a slow glance around her, taking it all in before issuing a low chuckle.

She supposed then, that it wasn't so weird, being a mutant and all. Though, she wasn't originally from Kalispell, she still considered it her home - or at the very least partially so.

[Elliot Vaccari]

"Ah, gotcha." Elliot answered with a nod. Although he had never been farther east than Montana, the idea of travelling to the East Coast was a nice one. Him and his mother never had the money and financial security that travelling required when he was younger. "You like New York?" He asked, before following her gaze to their surroundings.

"I mean, it must say something about Kalispell if you've come back." Elliot added to his initial comment. Beth mentioned that she spent most of her childhood here, so there must've been some fond memories associated with the town.

[Beth Young]

"Loved it," she said and issued a short laugh. "There's something about a bustling city that never sleeps." She missed New York. She probably always would. But, there was far too memories there. After all, living there had been like living on a sinking ship. She and her husband had to get off the boat before they drowned.

So, here they were.

Frowning slightly at the comment, Beth chewed on the inside of her cheek. "No, it had nothing to do with New York," she began, her head shaking. "New York is an amazing city. Me and my husband needed a new change of scenery, I suppose." She turned her head to look at the man and offered him a smile.