Xaviers!

Vinny slid his tray down the food line, looking around at the interesting people here at Xaviers. It was really an interesting place.

((open))

A body bumped into Vinny's side and let out a soft sound of surprise.

"Pardonnez-moi, monsieur." Said the pink translucent young lady with a hefty pile upon her tray. Of course that seemed to be how most of the students here ate their meals, more so than regular university students. "I was not paying attention."

"Woah! Hey there, no prob...lem" Vinny said, turning around, and only losing his train of thought for a moment when he saw who he was talking there.

"...Yeah, no, it's all good, don't worry about it. A million people around here, yeah?"

"Yes, I have never seen so many people wiz..." she paused for a moment to rephrase what she had been thinking. "... in ze same situation before, all in one place. It can be a little overwhelming, no?"

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I'm not used to such a...variety of people in one place.

More interesting, yeah?"

"Very much. And also a little more comforting, no? One can see zat zey are not alone in ze world."

"Yeah, you've got that in one. Hope it helps Amy some, but it's pretty nice to be around."

"Oh, who is zis Amy? Miss Myers?" Colette thought for a moment before shaking her head. "Oh, how foolish of me. Asking you about ozers and I do not have not even asked your name. I am Colette."

And Colette was holding up the line with her gabbing.

"I'm Vinny. A pleasure to meetcha."

Vinny was also holding up the line, but didn't actually care.

"Likewise. So you are friends with Miss Amy? Zis is good." Colette's eyes suddenly grew wide. The young man might almost feel her gaze piercing through him.

"Bakewell..."

"Bakewell?"

Colette pushed her tray forward, forcing Vinny's to move ahead with it as she plowed her way to the dessert section. There amongst the usual fares of gelatins, custards and other sweets were some rather plain and unassuming tarts.

"Bakewell pudding! I did not zink zat such a zing would be served on zis campus." She wasted no time in scooping one up lest some unseen agent sweep in and take them all. She held it up close to Vinny's face.

"Zis is a recipe zat is almost two hundred years old, zough some believe it originates in ze middle ages. You will not find zis anywhere but England." The pink girl looked as though she were showing the young man a brick of gold.

"So, its some sort of pie, then," Vinny said, not sure why he should be impressed.

Colette was silent for a moment, and then flushed.

"Well yes, but it is more zan zat. If you wish to understand anozer culture ze easiest way is to understand zeir cuisine. Ze food zat a people eat can tell you most of what you would ever wish or need to know. But if you want to know what a people find most dear, how zey pamper, reward, and comfort zemselves, one must look to zeir desserts. And wiz influence from so many ozer cultures, any food zat can remain virtually unchanged for hundreds of years must be somezing special."

Colette gently placed the plate upon her tray and nudged it forward in the line. "Zat and one should never let pass an opportunity to sample a dessert one has never before experienced."

"Is that right?

In that case, which dessert is your favorite?"

"Oh, it would be impossible for me to decide." Colette looked as though she were asked to choose her favorite child. "Why, even if narrowing ze choices only from zose from my home country zere are simply too many to choose from. Tartelettes aux framboises, lemon soufflés, croquembouche, tarte aux abricots à la provence, cream puffs, Saint-Honoré...." She could have been talking about towns or politicians or something from the amount of not-English she was throwing around.

"I will admit zough, ze Americans... I wish zat zeir 'cheesecake' was more easily accessible. I have never been zere, and it does not appear on ze menus of restaurants where I am from." She moved ahead in the line, looking back at Vinny.

"What about you? Apple pie perhaps?"

"I can go with a good apple pie," Vinny chuckled.

"Does your sweet tooth have something to do with, uh..."

"My nationality?" Colette asked, tilting her hear slightly.

"No, uh, your....gelatinosity."

Colette looked down at her hands, turning them over to look at her palms.

"Oh. When did zis happen?" She asked, feigning ignorance before cracking a smile.

"Just kidding. Let us simply say zat I well never develop diabetes."

"To be fair, for all I know, this COULD have happened yesterday. Or been a side effect from, I dunno, a radioactive Bill Cosby."

"Oooooooooh. Zat was in poor taste. Unless you have not been watching ze news lately. In which case I will not spoil ze surprise for you."

Colette pushed her tray forward, drawing up to the little lineup before the drinks fountain.

"Heh, I get it. Poor taste, right? Dessert stuff?" Vinny laughed.

"Colette looked slightly confused for a moment before she caught on. "Oh! A pun! I will however admit zat it was unintentional." She picked up a bottle of orange juice that proclaimed it's innocence upon the label.

"Well Vincent, I am certain your friends are waiting for you to join zem, and I must find a seat myself, so I should not delay you any longer."

"Eh, actually, I'm not waiting for anyone. You have someone you're looking for?"

Colette shook her head. "Ozers do not often join me when I dine."

"Why not?"

Colette seemed genuinely confused by the question.

"Because I am... large? No, zat is not ze word... gross. Yes. Zat is it."

"Well, I mean, maybe a little.

But I knew a guy in high school? Could snort an entire carton of milk up his nose and shoot it out the other nostril. So, you know, gross is as gross does."

Colette wrinkles her nose slightly and eventually suppresses a dull laugh, one that was slow to build like she was trying not to sneeze.

"Zat... somehow makes zings better. I zink."

"I'm just saying, who gives a flip? People want to think you're gross, well, maybe they're missing out on knowing an interesting person."

Colette's complexion looked slightly pinker than before.

"Well Vincent. If you believe zat I am an interesting person worth knowing, you are welcome to sit with me."

"Awesome. I'll go find us a seat."

Colette smiled and followed the young man once he left the line-up.

"So. What, uh...I mean, how long have you been here?"

"Oh, zis is my first semester. Is it yours as well?"

"Yeah. Me and Amy just came in about a week ago. Mid-semester."

"I was late as well. It is fortunate zat zis school is so willing to accept mid-semester applications, non? Zough I suppose given what many students have to deal wiz, zis is essential."

"Yeah, I guess it's kind of a safe haven. I guess I've kind of had it easy."

"We all have our burdens to bare. If you feel yours is lighter zan most, you can always assist anozer with zeirs."

Colette nodded her head toward a table near one of the windows looking out onto the grounds. "What about zere?"