Winter Wonderland

[Cassidy Laramie]

Cassidy quickly replaced the slight smile which had been fading the more he thought about his life. He was glad his little joke hadn't made things awkward, considering his tendency to do so. He nodded as Beau agreed to listen, along with a rather insightful remark. It was true; if Cassidy thought about the most likely person to talk about his problems to, the last thing he'd consider was a random street musician. It was crazy... so crazy, it just might work.

"Yeah, well, my dad always said-" he abruptly stopped, realizing what he was just saying. He quickly finished the sentence, hoping his pause wasn't too noticeable. "-not to put too much stock in shrinks, something about being 'psychics with Ph.Ds'" he said, complete with air-quotes. He started biting one fingernail, deep in thought. "It's probably a lie," he said after a moment.

Cassidy turned his attention to the town around him. He'd been wandering around aimlessly, so he wasn't quite sure where he was. He looked back as Beau introduced himself, and he chuckled before reaching out to shake his hand. "Oh right, I'm Cassidy. Nice to meet you," he introduced. "That happens all the time around here for some reason," he said with a grin. "You know any good places to chill around here? This is my first trip to town, so I, uh, don't really know where I'm going," he admitted.

[Beau LaRoux]

Beau chuckled at the comment, bobbing his head. "Sounds like your dad an' mind would have somethin' to talk 'bout," he said. "Mine always said that you might as well stick with the bartender: do the same thin', only you get to drink too."

Beau added another chuckle before re-shouldering his grip on his case, making sure to get as solid a grip on it as he possibly could. He needed it for when his hand went out to grasp Cassidy's. There it was: that little tingle that let Beau know that he was picking up the fullest version of someone's power. So the colors probably meant something, not that Beau could really figure that out without outright asking, and he didn't make it a habit of doing so unless the other person mentioned it first.

And they had more pressing matters to worry about. Beau let out a breath, nearly letting out a raspberry as he looked. "Been 'round here a while," he admitted, bobbing his head, "though I reckon Cool Beans is as good a place as any," he raised his case to point in the right direction. "Place is a coffee shop, but they make a mean hot cocoa too, if you ain't much for coffee. Nice an' comfortable seatin' too. C'mon," he gestured for Cassidy to follow. "I can at least spot ya a cuppa Joe. We can use the other money I got for it," he winked and tapped his case for a moment, before heading toward the shop. They wouldn't have too far of a walk either: Beau liked to be close to somewhere that sold hot drinks on days like this for good reason, after all.

[Cassidy Laramie]

Cassidy half-grimaced and half-smiled at the comment. He figured their dads probably did have that in common, but if Beau's dad was anything like him, there was no way Cassidy's dad would go anywhere near him. The accent alone would probably send him running for the safety of his safe little business world.

Cassidy was vaguely curious himself as to what power Beau had, if he was even a mutant at all. He was always a bit wary of shaking hands with people, considering the large number of contact based powers, but he figured he could trust the other person enough not to try anything if their power was harmful. He relaxed a bit as it seemed that Beau knew a lot about the area, because Cassidy was pretty much completely lost.

"Sounds great!" he said with a smile. Coffee wasn't really his thing, but hot chocolate was one of the greatest things on the planet in his opinion. "I could use some hot chocolate right now, it's freezing out!" he said, shivering slightly despite his warm jacket. He had a feeling Montana weather was going to take a lot of getting used to; snow itself was strange enough, let alone the freezing temperatures that went along with it. He laughed a little at Beau's offer; normally he'd protest to him using his hard earned money, but he really didn't want to deal with the odd looks he'd get for paying in hundreds. "Alright, fine," he conceded, still with a touch of reluctance. Cassidy followed after Beau, eager to see more of the town and finally get out of this weather.

[Beau LaRoux]

Beau's head bobbed yet again as Cassidy agreed to go along with him, though the Southerner had half been expecting it. he let out a little chuckle at the comment about the weather, that head bob coming back for another round: "Tell me 'bout it. Been here almost five years an' I still shiver every winter," if anything, it had actually gotten worse, and Beau definitely blamed Liz for that. He had to wear t-shirts and shorts to be around her for any extended period of time, after all.

Though all he had to warm him for the moment were thoughts of her as he moved forward, moving with a slightly jaunty bounce to his step as they headed to the coffee shop. "So you jus' get here then?" Beau asked, glancing over at Cassidy. "Jus' guessin' is all, on account of the fact that you ain't no more acclimated to livin' here than I am."

Beau paused a crosswalk, looked both ways, and hurried right along, knowing that the shop would be right round the corner. "Oh, an' I can probly swing a discount here too, so don't worry much 'bout usin' up my hard earned money or anythin'," he added, waving a hand dismissively. He'd done a few shows at Cool Beans, usually underattended, but he did draw in a bit of a crowd, and he never charged much to do so, usually just getting free drinks and all.

[Cassidy Laramie]

Cassidy pulled his jacket closer into him, trying to block out the cold. Mentioning it seemed to have made it even worse, now that his mind was on it. He whistled in amazement. "Five years? Dang... glad to know it's usually this bad," he mumbled somewhat bitterly, although his smile never faded. He hadn't been at Bellefonte long, but it already felt like forever.

Cassidy nodded as he walked. "Yup! I've only been here a month or two, but it feels like it's been years, y'know?" he said, hoping it wasn't just him being weird. His life before he found out about his power felt like a lifetime away. There was still a lot to learn, but he already felt like he fit in at Bellefonte, more than he'd ever felt at home.

Cassidy smirked as it seemed like Beau had read his mind about the whole money thing. The idea of a "discount" was unfamiliar to him, but he decided to just roll with it, even if he'd still rather spend as much of his extra money as possible. He could feel it in his laptop case like a heavy weight that went beyond the actual weight of carrying so much cash.

[Beau LaRoux]

Beau nodded at the repetition of his time spent here. "Yep, place feels like a second home already," he admitted. He'd spent far more time in Kalispell over those years than he had back in West Monroe, that was for certain. Though Beau still considered himself a Southerner... even if he knew he'd just end up wherever Liz wanted to.

He kept the nodding up as Cassidy continued. "Well, give it some time an' you'll find the place startin' to grow on you. Kalispell's got all sorts of special folk 'round," he added a knowing wink to that. Yes, Beau was a mutant and all, but he also knew that they were supposed to keep that at least somewhat on the downlow, even if a good portion of the population of the town were quite aware of the situation. A decent portion even happened to be friends or family or alumni of the school.

"Here we are," Beau said, nodding at the establishment as they approached. He shifted his grip on the guitar again, moving on ahead to push open the door with his other hand. The blast of warmth and aroma hit him full on, and he actually had to pause and take a whiff.

[Cassidy Laramie]

Cassidy smiled in relief as Beau talked about Bellefonte and Kalispell more. He was glad to here that settling down and feeling at home at school was a real possibility. He already felt like he belonged among the people, but he wasn't so sure about the weather and lack of ocean. He wasn't sure if going back home would ever happen, and even more troubling, if he'd even want to.

Cassidy smirked knowingly at the subtle mention of mutants. He knew they were supposed to keep it a secret, hence the annoying sunglasses, but it was nice to know that at least Beau was in on said secret. "Yeah, I've noticed. It's been really cool!" he said excitedly. Sure, some powers were scary and dangerous, but the rest were really awesome!

Cassidy practically bounced in excitement as they arrived. The feel of the warm air rushing out of the coffee shop was almost intoxicating. He grinned as he took in the deceptively delicious smell of coffee that never lasted once one actually tasted the stuff. It was almost enough to not feel so bad about the real subject at hand.

[Beau LaRoux]

Beau chuckled: "Well, it warms up in the summer," he drawled, obviously meaning it as a joke. His smile gave that away, as did the additional little laugh. He just sauntered on into the shop, clearly comfortable with being there. The warmth and smells made the place feel cheery. Directly in front of them stood a rounded counter, behind which a handful of barristas worked at orders. Other staff milled about, talking to people and taking orders from the tables. There were a handful of traditional tabletops and trendy looking chairs, many of which were occupied by business looking types. In other places there were low-slung couches and more modern seating, mixed in with a few well-worn armchairs and the like. A small stage set in the corner, a microphone looking a little lonesome.

"Let's go ahead an' place our order," said Beau, nodding and pointing toward a counter, his feet heading that way. "I usually jus' stick to the basics an' all, but they've got all kinds'a stuff," he pointed at the menu. "Figure I'll jus' get a straight black coffee for now," though the cocoa was tempting, Beau knew he needed a jolt. He moved to sling his case into a battered couch for now, before pulling out some bills to smooth over, figuring that Cassidy would need a few more moments to figure out what exactly he wanted to order. There were at least four different kinds of hot chocolate, after all, and that wasn't even considering the additions.

[Cassidy Laramie]

Cassidy was briefly confused before breaking into laughter. He was really starting to like this Beau guy; he had a sort of easiness about him that was calming in a way to the hyperactive empath. He seemed like a dependable friend, someone Cassidy could trust with his problems and receive grounded, logical responses.

He looked around the coffee shop, everything seeming brand new and fascinating. There was something inviting about the place which was different from all the speed-of-delivery focused Starbucks he'd been to, designed to deal with many customers at once. He briefly considered setting his laptop case down as well, but considering its current contents, it'd probably be best if he kept it close to him.

Cassidy nodded and directed his attention towards the menu. There were quite a few choices, even in just kinds of hot chocolate, and he looked between them all finding it hard to choose. They all sounded so good, how was he supposed to choose one? He couldn't help wonder if he'd always been so indecisive, or it was yet another side-effect to his power. Eventually he settled on one, and was immediately faced with the next problem.

"Hm, I think I'll get that one, the peppermint one," he said, pointing towards the mint flavored one who's name he didn't bother with trying to say. "But uh, since you know the place, you can order for me," he muttered, shuffling away from the counter slightly. Normally he didn't mind talking to strangers, but he'd never actually had to order anything before, and was suddenly confronted with the fact that he had no idea what to say or how to do it. Meals were essentially a yes-or-no answer to suggestions from the cook, and they usually got a yes on the first suggestion. On the rare occasion he actually went out somewhere to eat, his mom usually just ordered their food. He added this to the list of important life skills he didn't have, and just hoped that Beau wouldn't pry into it too much or be offended.

[Beau LaRoux]

Beau waited patiently while Cassidy looked over the menu. The final choice got a nod from him: "That's a pretty good one. Got a friend or two that loves it," he started moving forward, only to find Cassidy shuffling away. Beau paused for a moment, seeming to debate whether he should say or do something about it. In the end, he shrugged and stepped up, easily talking to the worker behind the counter. There was a quick exchange and some asking about people, including a girl named Liz, and Beau was soon placing his and Cassidy's order. Crumpled bills passed hands and Beau shifted over to where Cassidy stood, watching as the workers went through the process of making their drinks.

"You'll get used to the stuff 'round here," he said, nodding and looking at Cassidy without really turning his head. "Most of the folks are friendly: know that we bring 'em some money an' all. 'course, I've been performing here for years, so I got kinda a slanted look," Beau nodded again, before glancing around. "You wanna pick out a place to sit? I'll grab the drinks."

That would give Cassidy an excuse to shuffle off. Beau could understand not wanting to be noticed, to be in the limelight and all. Just because he liked it didn't mean he thought everyone needed to.

[Cassidy Laramie]

Cassidy was relieved as Beau didn't say anything about it, although he wilted somewhat at the pause. He may have been weird and occasionally awkward but it still sucked every time someone realized that fact. Cassidy took mental notes as Beau ordered, and was confident he would be able to do it himself in the future. He wondered who Liz was; perhaps the girl Beau was thinking about before?

Cassidy gave a slight smile as Beau assured him the people here were friendly, not particularly inclined to disclose the real reasoning behind his awkward behavior. It was easier to pretend he was just really shy around strangers than to look like he was completely useless at basic aspects of life, even if it was true. He nodded at the suggestion, and looked around to find an empty table.

Cassidy spotted a table near the window and quickly headed towards it. He slid into one of the chairs, pulling the laptop case up and over his shoulder and putting it next to the chair, glad to set it down for awhile. He fell further into pensive silence, wondering where even to begin with the problems resulting from the bills currently residing in said laptop case. At least he had the option of hiding behind his drink to stall; it seemed to work for bad rappers asked to freestyle.

[Beau LaRoux]

Beau gathered up the drinks and handed over the bills. He had no problems balancing the two mugs in his hands: he'd actually had some practice with it. Beau didn't even have to abandon his guitar case while he moved. He just moved all of them at once, first turning to find Cassidy, then heading that way.

Beau slid the drinks onto the table, nodding as he nudged them closer to Cassidy. "Start pretty darn hot, but I figure you already know that." Beau added another nod before moving to blow on his own coffee a bit. The steam curled up from the mug, the radiating heat enough to start warming Beau's hands already. He moved them along the mug before taking a sip.

"Yeah," he said, after letting the liquid slide down his body, the warmth quickly spreading throughout, "that's the stuff," he smiled and nodded at Cassidy. Strange, but Beau could swear he was seeing strange colors again, as if someone was playing with spotlights just behind Cassidy or something. Had to be the power, though Beau couldn't make heads or tails of it.

[Cassidy Laramie]

Cassidy smiled gratefully as Beau brought the drinks over, drawing his attention away from the window. He pulled his mug closer to himself, a bit surprised at just how warm it was. He lifted the mug up, the steaming hot drink just barely touching his tongue as he processed Beau's words. Cassidy recoiled from it slightly, his eyes flashing a vivid orange behind the tinted sunglasses, shocked by just how hot the drink was. He smiled, letting out a laugh, trying to play it off as a joke. "Yep, it's pretty hot!" he agreed, "joking". He blew softly on the drink, taking smaller sips as he processed what had even happened.

He burned himself. It seemed simple enough, except for the fact that it had never happened before in all the times Cassidy had drank hot chocolate. He couldn't remember a time where he'd ever had hot chocolate that was hot enough to do such a thing. It had always been warm enough to be called "hot chocolate", but not enough to hurt him. It was always perfectly danger-proof. And he hadn't even known it. 

Cassidy contemplated the child-proofing on his life in silence, occasionally sipping the cooling drink. "Yeah, its great," he agreed, trying to keep his tone cheerful. It was good, but his tiny revelation seemed to ruin the taste. He brought his gaze back to the window, his eyes slowly taking on a melancholy blue. He hated feeling this way, but it seemed to always come about when he looked back on his old life. It was like watching a movie about a stranger.

[Beau LaRoux]

Beau chuckled at the weak jokes, chuckled and took another sip of his drink. Cassidy still seemed off, distracted, more than anything. Beau kept some attention on the boy, though he didn't want to seem as though he was staring or anything. He especially didn't want to stare given that he kept seeing strange colors or something around the young man, which he was starting to think made some kinda sense. They dipped and moved and clearly were connected to emotions.

Enough that he could tell that the little chirp was at least somewhat false. "Yeah, the stuff here's pretty good. Gotta hand it to 'em: they know how to make a good hot drink 'round here," He nodded and took another sip of his coffee.

Beau waited a few more seconds, looking around. He eventually pointed toward a corner. "I've played over there a few times. Ain't the best, most engaged crowd or nothin', but it's always nice to have a spot to play where people can see ya. 'sides, I kinda jus' like havin' people hear it," Beau smiled and took another sip, still giving Cassidy another look, hoping that the young man got comfortable enough to start talking about what they were actually there for.

[Cassidy Laramie]

Cassidy nodded automatically, still staring out the window. He distantly heard Beau's words, but he couldn't find the energy to care, to drag himself out of the emotional hole his self-reflection dug. He was beginning to see why he tended to avoid thinking too much about his pre-Bellefonte life. Still, the last thing he wanted to do was let an awkward silence settle over them.

"I like it here," he murmured abruptly, his gaze never leaving the window. "Nobody bothers anybody. Everything's quiet, even when there's a lot of people. No celebrities, no cameras... no one recognizes you as anything but another resident," he reminisced. He finally tore his attention away from the people on the street outside the window, turning to look back at Beau, suddenly struck by a troubling thought. He quickly looked around the coffee shop, barely moving his head yet he was seemingly able to scan a whole room, using the occasional mirror, laptop screen, and window. His old life had taught him some useful skills, it seemed.

Content that no one was paying him any attention, Cassidy looked back at Beau and cautiously removed his sunglasses, which both disguised his mutation and most of what he looked like. He tried to keep his emotions as constant as possible, but he was buried under memories of the past; his irises were a dark blue, wisps of grey swirling with the blue. "Do... do I look familiar to you? Like you've seen me somewhere before?" he asked with some trepidation. So far, he was pretty sure no one knew who he was, and he hoped he could keep it that way, unless he told them himself.