A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words

[Olivia Chance]

"So? Textbooks for the mutant schools then. There's gotta be somebody out there that publishes information about mutants and how their powers work. If you don't help the regular humans, then you could help promote understanding of certain powers in the mutant community. Some of the powers you've photographed might not have much information on how they are best manipulated. That's unfortunate for the poor kid who's got that power in a world that has little information." She shrugged. She genuinely thought that it would be good for everyone involved.

"Maybe you should learn a passing knowledge of those programs though, for if you're ever quizzed. Might be good. Besides, you could probably enhance your photos too. Not that they're not already fantastic enough, but still."

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Textbooks. It was still weird to even think about, but Zoe could at least understand where Olivia was coming from. There was something there too, something she recognized. Zoe had gotten her powers at a late age too: she knew the frustration of suddenly having an ability you didn't quite understand that no one seemed to be quite willing to explain to you, or perhaps that they simply didn't quite know.

"I suppose I could," Zoe offered again, looking around again. She soon flushed. "And I am learning a bit with classes. I suppose I could contact some of my friends. I've at least one who's good with technology," and she was fairly certain that Tim would be willing enough to show Zoe the ropes. He struck her as the kind to get into that sort of thing.

Zoe took another breath, looking around for a moment before focusing back on her friend. "is there anything else you'd like to see? Oh, did I show you the picture of my girlfriend?" Zoe had to flush slightly at that, since it was a more personal inclusion. Alice did have her wings out and was using them, but, well, at least one of the photos just involved her and Zoe cuddled against one another. more of a statement of who Zoe was than anything else...

[Olivia Chance]

"Yes of course I want to see the picture of your girlfriend. How else am I going to know I'm meeting her if I haven't seen pictures?" Olivia grinned. Then she saw the centerpiece.

"So...the girl with the magical wings that's the centerpiece...who is that?" She had a hunch but she wasn't about to jump to any conclusions.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Zoe nearly giggled as Olivia insisted that she wanted to see the pictures. It did make sense the way she said it, after all. Zoe soon found herself nodding and sort of moving along, heading toward the main display and counting on her friend to follow and more or less keep up. She gestured slightly toward the display, and Olivia seemed to have noticed what she wanted.

"That's her," Zoe said, nodding to the pretty Filipino girl in the pictures. "Alice Hobbs. Those are technically pixie wings, and she produces a dust too," Zoe pointed at a photo that showed her girlfriend flying, multicolored motes seeming to be just under her. She then pointed toward one showing her holding hands and being close to the other girl. "She's also a little, um, resistant to my power," she explained, flushing. "Which is nice. Though, ah, Alice is, um, she's nice when you get to know her? Mostly? She's... prickly."

Understatement.

[Olivia Chance]

Olivia saw the feelings Zoe was radiating and she smiled. And she heard Zoe speak about her.

"Resistant is nice. That way you can actually have a decent relationship. Not that I'm implying everything is physical..." She hit her forehead with her palm.

"I am not the best one to make relationship statements. I should just hurry up and be quiet about that. You look very cute together though. I will acknowledge that. The geek in me thinks it must be pretty awesome to have wings and...pixie dust...well pixie dust must make spring cleaning a nightmare, but otherwise it's cool as well."

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Resistance is nice. Zoe had to smile at that, remembering how easy it was to touch Alice, how she didn't have to be afraid to hold her girlfriend's hand. It was a small thing, sure, but it was a small thing that meant a lot. Olivia wrapped herself up in the words though, which just made Zoe smile a little more, before reaching out to give her friend's hand a quick (and paralyzing) squeeze.

"It's alright; I know what you mean," she replied, before realizing the hand. "And we do," she said, flushing a little as she looked to the photo. "Alice isn't the biggest fan of her powers. They also leave this tattoo on her back that's quite--ah, see," she pointed at another picture, this one of alice pulling her hair back to show the winged tattoo on her back. "That's her power, not a vanity tattoo."

Zoe lowered her hand, smiling. "I'm very lucky to have her."

[Olivia Chance]

She felt the squeeze. And then totally didn't. She couldn't feel her hand at all really. It was kind of numb. When Zoe let it go though, feeling started coming back and she put her hand up to look at it curiously, wiggling her fingers.

"Interesting." She didn't think it was weird. It was intriguing to her.

"And...I'm glad you kind of know what I mean. That was very awkward for me." She sighed.

"So she doesn't like her powers...well that can be understandable I suppose, but that doesn't change that fact they look like they'd bloody well be amazing."

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Interesting? That must be her power? Yes, there was some wiggling fingers and all, which had Zoe smiling a little. A few months ago she would have flushed or been embarrassed or, well, she probably would have been wearing gloves. Still, she supposed that "interesting" beat out most of the alternatives.

And yes, Zoe did like that she understood what Olivia was talking about. She was tempted to point out that this was just what friends did, but Olivia had already commented on one of the things that most distracted Zoe; her girlfriend.

"We're always talking about how our powers should have been switched," she replied, "given our personalities and everything," she looked at the photos again before sighing. "I do think that I'd look cute with the wings," she tilted her head to the side, before letting out a little giggle. It was just such a strange thing to consider, really.

[Olivia Chance]

"Well, I don't know what she's like so I can't really comment on that. However, wings would suit you. Then again, wings allow someone to soar to different heights. You're already doing that with your art. Plus, you're down to earth so maybe wings wouldn't suit you personality wise." When Olivia pictured something, she was serious about the theories.

"Besides, you like being around people. Someone any different with paralysis would just crawl back into their shell, give up and never talk to anyone. Sometimes we become stronger because obstacles are put in our path." She was just talking a lot, wasn't she?

"I don't know whether I'm making a bit of sense or not."

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

The compliments had Zoe flushing again. she didn't think that she'd really been fishing for them or anything, though as Olivia said them, she almost felt like she had been. Wings would suit her, though the comment about being down to earth nearly had Zoe giggling.

"I like being around people?" Zoe had to repeat, smiling at that. No one would have said that to her a year ago, when she'd been withdrawn and afraid to approach anyone. so she must have grown somewhere in there and didn't really know it. The final bits had her laughing again. "You always seem to think you don't make any sense. You should give yourself more credit. Besides, it's always good to get more outside insight. Sometimes we get too close to a thing and don't quite see it for what it is."

Zoe looked at the picture as she said it, before nodding and turning back to her friend. "So, is there anything else you want to look at? Oh, did I show you the shapeshifter who turned into me?" Zoe was walking that way, her excitement carrying her. "Or maybe there's someone we know who you'd like to see? I might have someone up around here..." Zoe looked around, trying to remember. There were quite a few models after all, surely Olivia should know someone.

[Olivia Chance]

"Well you seem to be more okay around people than I am. I suppose that doesn't say too much though." Olivia laughed. Then shapeshifters were brought up again.

"Hell yes. I want to see how accurate it is. Whether it just looks like a selfie or not. That would be hilarious." Yes she was scientific, but she was also a seventeen year old girl with a sense of humour and mischief.

"Hmm...other people I might know...so far I've met Quinn Wiley the fire-breathing uber jerk, Cade Atkinson my friend, Cassidy Laramie that jerk who took my first kiss for a dare and keeps destroying his jewellery...hm. Alexandra Lawson the pyrokinetic scared of her own skin too."

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Olivia's comment had Zoe laughing lightly again. She didn't want to argue with her friend, and again, she couldn't help but feel like this was some sort of marker for how far she'd actually come. It made her feel decidedly better.

Accurate, Zoe looked at the pictures, considered, listened. Quinn, Cade, Cassidy, Alexandra... "I know Quinn," Zoe provided, before turning to point at the entrance. "His, ah, his picture was the one that really started all this. But I probably mentioned that already," again came the flush, and again Zoe fidgeted, taking a few steps. It sounded like she should try and meet this Alexandra at some point, and she made a note to ask around. Surely Liz or someone had heard of her.

"So, ah, is there anything else you'd maybe like to look at?" Zoe offered, gesturing again. "You certainly don't have to: we have been here quite a while and we could always leave and go take a meal somewhere..."

Zoe trailed off, feeling like that was perhaps presumptious or something along those lines.

[Olivia Chance]

"Quinn got me angry enough that I accidentally froze a vase full of flowers and made it break...not a great track record there. Then again, he is kind of a fire manipulator. I get along with Alexandra and she's pyrokinetic, but she's scared of her powers so I don't think that counts. Quinn likes his I think, and we have opposite powers. I can't quite explain. It's like I don't quite have as much control of my emotions when my water powers decide they hate someone else's powers. I still have control to some extent, but it's harder." She suggested going to eat and Olivia nodded as her stomach rumbled.

"A burger or something sounds like a great idea. Where do you have in mind?"

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Zoe listened as Olivia outlined her encounter with Quinn, smiling all the while, nodding toward the end. "I can certainly see him doing that," she glanced once more toward the picture, remembering her encounters, awkward affairs that they were, with the young man and wondering yet again how such opposite people got along at all. Probably the photography. Or Fate. Or some strange combination of the two.

"Well, ah," Zoe said, looking around, "I know there's this little place? It's, um, quite small, but they serve quite delicious sandwiches there?" Zoe pointed in the direction she believed it to be. "They even have, um, lighter, pita," she gestured with her hands as she spoke, as if making them, "type... things?"

She looked up at Olivia, smiling nervously, as though she'd used up her allotment of words and was hoping her friend could just fill in the blanks.

[Olivia Chance]

"Food!" Olivia had gathered that Zoe didn't know what to say. That's one thing Olivia was good at. She didn't care how awkward she looked. She didn't feel embarrassed about it. Ever really. She gave a quick clap.

"Sandwiches sound good! Lead the way, friend of mine." She grinned. She could still hardly believe that she had a friend.