{MIW} Picture in the Parking Lot

[Cassie Stryker]

Cassidy couldn't help but laugh at the girl's words.

"You're determined to snap a photo I'll give you that. Even though this isn't the moment, I did just have a pretty good conversation who didn't bother to hide their frustration with the things I said. Meeting an honest person is always a good occasion." Which actually explained a bit about her miserable childhood really. She crossed her legs as she stood up, leaning on the leaning foot and giving a pleasant smile and putting her hand up in a wave.

"Go ahead. Take a photo. I might even hang it up on my very sparse wall in the dorm."

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Zoe nodded as Cassidy pointed out her determination. Yes, she was quite determined, and now she wanted to remember this strange girl who seemed to be throwing up barbed wire fences for reasons that Zoe couldn't quite understand. Cassidy did at least admit to having a good conversation, though Zoe couldn't say how accurate the bits about not hiding her frustrations. She let the girl rise up, taking a step back to give her more room. Zoe's hands had already fallen to the camera, and she lifted it a bit more as Cassidy put the hand up.

"That's just the pose," Zoe insisted, nodding. She raised the camera up, taking a quick one with the hand still waving. She kept the camera still partially raised, smiling at Cassidy. "See? You'll look back on this and see your past self waving to the future, and who knows: maybe the future's waving back and letting you know that everything turned out okay."

And Zoe smiled with only a tinge of embarrassment, knowing that what she said was, in the oft repeated words of her girlfriend, incredibly corny. That didn't stop Zoe from believing every word.

[Cassie Stryker]

"Well if the future's waving back at me...it should leave a message at the tone 'cause I'm not answering right now. Plus I don't actually have a cell phone. Nobody to call." She shrugged.

"In any case, can't hurt to have a photo. I don't have anything against them after all. I just don't really care. About anything really. It's why I'm hoping you won't take it personally." She smiled slightly.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Zoe let out a slight giggle at Cassie's sardonic comments. She almost suggested that the school would've been more than willing to give Cassie a phone if she wanted one, but she figured that this girl probably knew that and simply didn't care. Plus, Cassidy had finally agreed to taking the photograph, and that was what definitely mattered most to Zoe.

Zoe kept fiddling with the camera, adjusting it and winding, "I've met lots of people who say they don't care," she commented, "and some actually don't or can't for whatever reason. Which is fine, really," she set everything on the camera, pulling it up slightly. "Just... if you've got walls, this is a good place to try and let them down. All you have to do is find the right people."

Zoe smiled and took another photo, catching that quick smile.

[Cassie Stryker]

She sighed.

"When I care people get hurt. And I'm not waxing poetic Zoe. Last guy I trusted myself with now has no legs because of my power. Paralyzed. It's easier to shut it all off." She shrugged. One day she might have to turn everything back on but that would hurt like hell she knew that. She has no problem with telling someone what happened when her emotions were closed off either. It was just stating the facts. Also, she would've preferred to call Zoe by her last name because that was Cassidy's thing. But Wallerstein-Smythe was a real mouthful.

"But if you ever find someone with the mutant power invulnerability tell them to give me a call...oh wait I don't have a cell phone. Silly me." She smirked, hitting her forehead lightly with the palm of her hand.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Paralyzed, loss of legs. Zoe had to let out a slight laugh at the irony, smiling. "I sent the first two girls I loved to the hospital," she replied, "and I also killed someone, so if anyone understands the pain of having a dangerous power, well," she gestured at herself, knowing full well that she hardly looked like some sort of intimidating mutant or acted like someone who'd done such damage to others. There was a lot to the whole thing, however, just as she had this suspicion that there was a good deal more to Cassidy, despite what she said.

"And there are those who can turn off powers," Zoe continued, nodding, "and there's probably someone out there who matches you better than you think. I once dated someone who had some immunity to what I did. And don't worry about the phone," Zoe had to roll her eyes and gesture toward the building. "The school's not that big, despite how it may look to new eyes."

Like those around. Zoe could see so many looking with wide gazes, and she so wished she could talk to all of them like she was Cassidy, to explain that this was the moment when their lives could turn around, become something better, become something more.

[Cassie Stryker]

"I'm not new to the school. I was just basically a shut-in student. I've been here all along though. But...that's not the issue." She shook her head slowly.

"And...you sent them to the hospital?" She arched an eyebrow.

"And killed someone? With me it was just my initial manifestation. I teleported while I was making out with my boyfriend unfortunately. Let me tell you, cream is not the right colour to paint the bedroom of a budding teleporter." Again, her emotions were turned off so she could say things like this.

"I love my powers. But they do some things that scare me. But hey, I didn't expect us to have something like our power problems in common honestly. No offense but you don't really look like a mutant who could send someone to the hospital. What's your power if you don't mind me asking?"

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Zoe could understand the "shut-in" student bit quite well. She had thought about taking that path herself, and she did seem to have a knack for running into those that fell into that category. Sometimes it seemed as if people just didn't come out and join the general populace until they were ready, as if dragged forth by some sort of force that nobody could really understand.

Cassidy did seem intrigued by Zoe's confessions, which certainly wasn't what the shy girl wanted. It did seem to have her open up slightly about her own manifestation, which didn't sound... pleasant. It did seem to lead to a love for powers, which had Zoe nodded, all ready to start latching onto that positive bit and taking it as far as it went.

"Oh, um, I, ah, well, I paralyze people," Zoe offered. She raised one hand off her camera, wiggling her fingers. "By, um, skin to skin contact? One touch makes someone feel tingly and it, well, it spreads from there. Too long and..." Zoe trailed off. Not like she had to elaborate, given what she'd just said. She looked out at the lot again, noting that it had more or less emptied for the moment. She had the urge to take a photo, and since she happened to have the camera in hand, she followed through with said urge.

[Cassie Stryker]

"I guess that explains the tingly feeling in my finger when I tapped your shoulder. Interesting. I mean...that must suck in certain ways but...if anyone ever tries to assault you, you have an automatic security system...and that is something I shouldn't have said isn't it? Because normally people don't mention that in conversation." Cassidy sighed.

"Anyways, I should let you take more pictures and I can go find someone else to annoy. Good talking to you. I'm sure we'll see each other around again at some point." She gave a slight smile before walking off. She realized as she was walking away that she didn't actually have a photo. Oh well. Didn't matter to her.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Zoe nodded at the tingling and, yes, winced at the mention of an automatic defense system. She wanted to say that wasn't what it was really about, and that she definitely didn't think of it that way. Except, well, it more or less was. Analysts compared her to frogs after all, with their poisonous skins.

Not that Cassidy gave Zoe the time to even really say anything. She seemed to want to go away and, well, Zoe didn't see any real reason to try and elongate the conversation. She did take another quick photo. It was during that one when Zoe realized that Cassidy hadn't exactly stuck around to get the photo or get information. Before Zoe could try to catch up or anything, someone else finally showed, all too eager to get the "First arrival" photo.

So before Zoe knew it, she was taking another photograph and getting swept up in the job, with Cassidy simply niggling at the back of her mind.