Xaviers!

"The finer details of stuff were always harder for me, and now I know they'll be even harder now. These hands don't move as well, bein' all outta proportion."

"Make bigger sculptures." Ainsley jokes

He chuckled, which from him sounded partially like a purr.

"You really see me as a possible academic? You wouldn't think so if you saw my grades."

"You're one positive guy, ya know that?" he laughed.

Ainley's shoulders went up in that weird posture that indicated he was laughing too.

"Dave taught me well I guess."

"Whoever this Dave guy is, he must be a real beacon of hope type."

"She's my sister. And I suppose she is." Leo wouldn't have known Ainsley to have any known family still hanging around Lambeth.

But then, of course Leo wouldn't. He hadn't been a very social new resident of Lambeth.

"You call your sister... Dave?" he asked with a snort of laughter.

" Yes. She hates 'Davina'. " Ainsley replied, sounding amused. "We both have extremely British names that neither of us are overly fond of."

"My parents just liked the name Leo. Either they made a prophetic choice or that played into how the serum affected me."

"Anyway... is she in Lambeth?"

He gave a sympathetic wince.

"Oh, eesh, that sucks. What's she in for?"

"Political violence." He replied casually. "She was decided to be an instigating factor during a mutant rights demonstration that turned into a riot.

She permanently injured a police officer."

"Lemme guess, flashy power? Or maybe a physical mutation? Someone scary on camera?" he asked cynically.

"Some from column B and C." Ainsley was still scribbling away in his sketchbook. "I can speak to any animal, given enough time and exposure.

She can turn into any animal."

"Yep. Pretty decent scapegoat material. Dangerous, but not too dangerous to send cops after."

"Exactly.

I stayed in Lambeth waiting for her to return... but when Shari disappeared I got concerned." Ainsley replied, stopping for a moment in his work. "I fancied her and I didn't want to lose anyone else." He admits, not really looking at Leo.

"She's fine... she's got a girlfriend now. I thought about leaving... but then I thought that this is exactly where Dave would want me.

She wouldn't want me hanging around Lambeth doing nothing but waiting."

"Yeah. I think my mom would want me here too. Altered or not."

Ainsley was brought back to reality by Leo's thoughts on his mother's wishes. He smiled at the other boy, righting his pencil to proceed.

"Just about finished. Hold onto your knickers or the awesomeness of my technical prowess might knock then clean off your body."

"Fine, fine. Knickers held. Now show me yer wicked skills already."

Ainsley had a few more pencil strokes to finish.

When he did, he took a short appraisal before handing his work to Leo.

Drawn in a sitting position, Leo was depicted as he was now and not as before, but also probably not as Leo thought of himself.

His friendly body language and sad but friendly smile made him seem like a gentle giant. The guy you'd definitely want to be friends with, and definitely not want to piss off. If he were monstrous, Ainsley clearly viewed him as less of a chimaera and more of a Chewbacca.

Leo studied the drawing with a puzzled, but not insulted, look.

"This... is what you think of me?" he asked, laughing, "I look like a friggin'... cuddly children's book monstah!"

"A bear still rips off faces mate." Was his defense.

"I didn't say I didn't like it. It's just funny you drew me so... approachable."

"I'm not the friendly guy you think I am. I'm just... not. I have a temper. I have trust issues. I'm kinda a jerk to be honest," he said.

"Jerks don't recognize their flaws." Ainsley countered. "You you like it more if I drew ya scary?"

"I mean... ya could have at least made me look badass..."

Ainsley 'chuckled'.

"Do something super ace and hard, and I will photograph it and make you look 'wicked', as your people say."

Leo grinned, clearly thinking of all the wicked sweet things he could do. "You've got yourself a deal."