Hot Freaks

[Will Stanton]

"Oh, it couldn't have been that bad...

Could it?"

[Janice Gilbertson]

"Okay, so you know how kids will start rumors that so-and-so is bad luck?"

"Imagine going to the doctor and finding out it's true."

[Will Stanton]

Will frowned. "I bet that sucked. Did people steer clear from you at that point?"

[Janice Gilbertson]

"For awhile. Even after I got it under control. Here too, sometimes."

"It's a mixed bag, eh? Finding out you're a mutant, then finding out you're not the cool superhero kind."

[Will Stanton]

"Oh, I wouldn't say that.

There's a lot of really strange superheroes out there, with bizarre powers. You might fit right in!"

[Janice Gilbertson]

"It's just not super-reliable, you know?"

[Will Stanton]

"Well, not yet. We're here to practice, right? When I first came here, and I mean first first, I couldn't shift into ANYTHING. Not for very long, at least.

[Janice Gilbertson]

"Half of you lot already went to the aforementioned fancy school and all."

[Will Stanton]

Will shook his head. "Not me.

Well, it was ~A~ fancy school, but not ~the~ fancy school. A private one, but not for mutants."

[Janice Gilbertson]

"Well you're apparently attending here for the second time so you're probably the exception," she smirks.

[Will Stanton]

"Three times, if you count my double. I'm hoping to fill up my loyalty card. "

[Janice Gilbertson]

"So ah... how am I supposed to tell the two of you apart, anyway?"

[Will Stanton]

"Um. I don't know. It hasn't, uh, been an issue to this point; we're very different. Personality-wise.

I mean, you might have difficulty with a picture or something, but, like, the same way you could tell the difference between identical twins? Yeah."

[Janice Gilbertson]

"Well it'd be embarrassing if I just started chatting him up like I knew him."

[Will Stanton]

"Uh...well, let's see. I don't suppose you have any super-senses or anything?

Otherwise, I guess..." Will mused. "It's hard to recognize us on sight because we can be anything, but he's more likely to be a person than I am, I suppose. So, if you see a talking toaster, that's more likely to be me.

Oh! And I've got these glowy bits on my side," she said, doing a little turn. "Something to do with the computer the headmistress put in my brain. He doesn't have those, so these are a pretty good indicator."

[Janice Gilbertson]

"Oh, so you can't get rid of those?"

[Will Stanton]

"Not when I'm a person. I haven't tried every possible shape yet, but they seem to at least be hidden when I'm other things. Usually."

[Will Stanton]

_____________________

Waving goodbye to Janice, Will walked out of the sauna and concentrated on reforming herself into something a bit more presentable. Routines were good. Back when she was more flesh and bone than clay, she did plenty of laps around the pool to keep in shape. A sense of normality; that's what she needed.

(Re-opened)