Xaviers!

"Fiiine. Favorite song? No, wait, band."

"Never heard of 'em. What do they do?"

"I like Clutch. They're sort of metal meets blues meets crazy street preacher."

"Or maybe Dorothy. Just wicked cool rock."

---

The idle banter continued until they reached the gallery.

Leo looked at the entrance hesitantly. He was clearly having second thoughts about going into a place he wouldn't have thought he belonged even if he was normal.

Ainsley noticed his hesitancy and stopped mid conversation and stride.

"What's wrong mate?"

"Just realizing how out of my element I am. I'll be okay."

"Indeed. One foot in front of the other, eh?" Ainsley replies, beaming at Leo.

He smiled. "Could you... go first though? I don't want to blunder into anything."

Ainsley went in first and so far as he could tell, there wasn't anything for Leo to blunder into immediately.

But also he was five and a half feet tall, small by most peoples standards and definitely in comparison to Leo.

The interior of the old, eighteenth century building is decorated in part like a kitschy English house and part minimalist white walls. Whichever emphasizes the art best, be it Modern British, Contemporary Fine Art, European masters. There is little for Leo to get self-conscious about, to be honest. It isn't all that fancy.

However, the clerk waiting to collect the entry charge is quite obviously unsure of the hulking chimera entering behind Ainsley.

"I... yes, welcome to Haylett's Gallery. That'll be five pounds each," she says after fully waking from her boredom. Odd as things are for the young woman, at least this is something.

Leo eyed the woman as if she was going to scream or worse.

"Maybe this isn't such a good idea," he whispered to Ainsley.

"Don't be silly mate." Ainsley rolled up to the counter and pulled two wadded up five pound notes out of his pocket.

Only squares carry wallets. As long as she didn't stop him, he'd continue on his merry way under the presumption Leo would follow suit.

Leo followed, relieved when nothing happened beyond a worried look when he passed near something breakable.

The first room is full of images of various animals. Of all of them, one stands out to them. Pictured is a small dark-skinned boy tickling a tiger while an even smaller, colorful figure capers about in the corner.

A bit on-the-nose, isn't it?

Ainsley stared at the image he presumed must have been for some sort of children's material for several long, potentially excruciating moments. It was one of those long silences some might take as a dramatic pause, but were just his natural state, given he couldn't speak.


But eventually he commented with a poker face-

"Why is there a clown in this loving depiction of us getting frisky?

Are you into clowns and I didn't know that either?

"I was right... a terrible idea," he muttered in embarrassment.

"I swear I didn't know this was here."

Ainsley made those strange body shakes that he qualified as laughter.

"Relax Leo.

I'm kind of a tease. I don't mean any harm by it."

"I know," he said, relaxing, "I just... guess I'm still sensitive about... the new me."

The way he said it, he meant the gay thing rather than the beast thing.

Ainsley made a face that was difficult for Leo to translate, and moved onto the next available image to view in the gallery without further comment.

A print of a country piece with rabbits hiding in the grassy knolls of the English countryside.

Leo gave this new painting an odd look.

"How worried should I be that this one makes me a little hungry?"

"It's more an urge to go hunt one down. I really don't want to listen to it."

"Then don't." He said, shrugging.

"You're a mutant, after all. Higher brain functions than the average predator."

"I can't ignore my animal side either. Being at odds with it tends to make it stronger."

"But, hey, I can easily meet it halfway and get a burger or somethin'," he grinned.

"Thus my suggestion of a trip to the butcher's." Ainsley smirked.

"Except I wouldn't know how to cook it."

He moved on to a small sculpture of a minotaur, which he stared daggers at.

"Gotta learn some time, right?"


Ainsley noticed Leo's death-glare. "Does he owe you money?"

"Too much like the bastard that held me in the zoo."

With a sigh, he said, "Let's just keep going."

Past a few more paintings of various animals of variable adorability is the next room. While the animal theme is still present, the artwork on display is far more eclectic. There are fewer local artists and more found art, with a few lucky pawn shop discoveries.

"If I happened to lose it in here, would it really be a loss to Art?" Leo whispered with a smirk.

Ainsley grinned. Leo..... As an artist I am meant to remind you all art is valid. He was clearly acting as a voice of reason, despite his amusement.

"Of course," he said, smirk defying his attempts at deadpanning as he looked at the nearest piece, "I'm sorry Recycle Bin Unicorn."

Leo laughedheartily, but the laughter broke off as his gaze locked on something.

Ainsley was enjoying himself, so when things went quiet, he noticed immediately and turned his head to see what caused Leo to pause.

He moved forward slowly, studying a framed piece. It was a detailed sketch, on what appeared to be on parchment with a burnt corner, of a creature that looked most like a bipedal bear crossed with a lizard, with snakes where its arms should be. The creature was facing down a swordsman in somewhat arabesque clothing.

"I've... seen this..." he said.

"The Moonlight Knight fighting a dude with snake arms?

After a long pause, he says "On Dev Art maybe?"

He shook his head.

"No... like, the actual physical thing. The burn, the little tear at the bottom, the tiny stain... but where?"'

"Obvious answer, given the imagery, is the lab." Ainsley pointed out, sounding a bit hesitant at having to.