Intertwined Genes (Griselda Banks + Akira.S)

[Akira.S]

((Yeah it’s been a few days and it’s like May-ish so the semester is almost over for them so I think they’ll go do their quest during the summer))

If Anna was the same girl Oliver met back when he first transferred she would have jumped up and blasted him with a tunnel of wind throwing him out of the drawing room. But neither of the two had been themselves these past few months. Instead she just sat there, lost in thought like she had been recently. While she was sitting there Oliver quietly walked up to her and crept up to the side of the piano which was when Anna noticed and acknowledge him by turning her head and looking at him.

He seemed to stutter somewhat, and was at a loss of words. This was making Anna a little nervous on the inside but of course she hadn’t shown it. She just sat there staring at him with open empty eyes wondering what he was going to say. When he finally came out with it and asked her if she liked him her cheeks flushed a bright red without her knowledge. It took her a while to answer but when she finally came up with the right words, Anna stood from the piano bench and walked towards him so she could really say what she wanted to say to his face in the hopes he’d understand her complicated feelings.

“Oliver, you’re one of the only people who’s ever really tried to understand me...you’re probably one of the only people in the school who can really stand to be around me more than ten minutes....” Anna seemed really shy, playing with the edges of her white t-shirt, looking away slightly with that cute blush on her cheeks. “I don’t really know what it is to ‘like’ someone, all I know is what I observe from other students....but from that....I think I do like you... I like you a lot...”

Anna’s insides were turning, her palms were sweaty, she couldn’t bear to look at him, and she almost felt ridiculous and stupid for saying such things. If he didn’t like her she’d look ridiculous...she felt like she couldn’t breathe, her chest felt heavy and yet hollow.

After standing there for a little while in silence Anna decided to blurt out something, “are you going to say anything or am I just going to stand here looking like an idiot...” she muttered wanting him to say even the smallest thing to make her feel better or she’d just feel like a total idiot for talking about feelings she wasn’t even sure she had.  

[Griselda Banks]

((Okay, that sounds good. Eee, young teen declaration of love! *cuddles our chars* xd ))

Oliver waited in an agony of suspense as she slowly got up to face him, made even more painful as she started to speak because it sounded to him as though she was preparing him for some bad news. His heart pounded in his ribs, and he wondered if he might just faint pathetically away on the spot if she said she just wanted to be friends. So when she finally murmured, "I like you a lot," he felt as though his heart completely halted in its tracks.

At first, the shock of it actually being out in the open, of this ending being so different from the one he had been dreading, made him unable to feel happiness or even relief. But her words returned him to his senses, and a grin split his face even though she wasn't looking at him. He took a step closer and pulled her into a hug that was somewhat awkward but still tender.

A soft laugh of utter relief escaped him, and he rested his chin on her shoulder. "I like you too." He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath that carried the scent of her hair. "I really, really like you."  

[Akira.S]

((LOL Young teen? They’re both like 18 lol haha AWWW SO CUTE!!!!))

While Anna was looking away, too embarrassed and too ashamed to turn her head back, she was surprised to feel his arms wrap around in her in an awkward yet gentle and tender embrace. Anna’s embarrassment grew to a new level as her cheeks flushed an even brighter red; filled with so much steam, she felt as if her neck was letting out the extra steam bottled up inside.

“A-Ah...O-“She couldn’t make a sound. Her body was paralyzed and so was her voice apparently. She wasn’t really sure how he was taking it and it was getting really awkward. Anna was just so shocked she could feel her heart beat in her chest and was pretty sure he could feel it almost jump out at him.

Suddenly she heard a soft laughter escape him as he rested his head on her shoulder. She was still stuck sort of just standing there, not sure whether or not she was supposed to hug him back or whether or not what she was feeling was what she was supposed to be feeling. Then she heard him say something that made her heart almost skip a beat. “I like you too.” She could feel the warmth of his body against hers and the awkwardness and stress just release from the inside.

*Wrapping her arms around him she rested her head on his shoulder with a slight smirk on her lips. The two sort of stood there for a while basking in the slight glow of the sunlight shining in from the open window nearby.

After a few moments Anna pulled away and looked up at Oliver with that same smirk that very few people got to see. She looked up at him with her clear white eyes and looked into his while that smirk turned out into a proper cute smile. Then without any sort of notice she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, sort of forcing him to half sit on the edge of the grand piano. You could almost tell somewhere far off in the school garden a small batch of white flowers seemed to grow out of nowhere that radiated a very bright glow.

For the rest of the school year the two spent quite a bit of their time together. It’s not like anything really changed. Classes resumed for the last few weeks and soon it was time for graduation and the school wide dance. But even before that, gossip was going around that Anna and Oliver were going out. After all Xavier’s school was still just a normal school, they were still allowed to have their own gossip. The two kept their private life pretty hush hush actually, the most Luke and Valon ever really saw were them holding hands in the hall or sitting beside each other during meals. Of course Valon was nosey and wanted to know all the details, but Luke usually held him at bay to give the two some privacy.

They tried to do normal couple things and took things slow. It was an annoyance that they still couldn’t use their powers when in each other’s presence but Anna didn’t really mind, her mind was on other things, like being really happy in someone else’s company for once. She still played piano, helped with homework, trained in the simulation room, and ate with him. But aside from that they did normal couple things, like took pictures around school, watched movies in one of their rooms or in the school living area, sat on the roof and watched the stars, and on occasion slept in each other’s beds – and yes they did kiss and make out in private although sometimes they weren’t always in private and would be caught by a teacher or a random student or two in the hall.

Now that it was summer vacation was coming up she didn’t really mind not using her powers when they were together. And when they were together and she was training or doing things on her own she was able to reconnect and do the normal things she was able to do. But not being able to use her powers didn’t seem like such a bother anymore.

*insert song to play during montage
[.x.]

((I’m a really musically inclined person, I like stuff to have music <3 and I hope you didn’t mind that I did like a little montage thing....so yeah you can do whatever, either they go to the dance to celebrate end of the year or it’s summer break so some people like leave the school to go home and such and yeah it’s up to you))  

[Griselda Banks]

((Lol...I guess you're right xd
Well, now we're off on the final stretch of the story! I really have no idea where this is going to go, so feel free to come up with your own stuff as we go along too.))

The last few weeks of the school year were unbelievable. Oliver felt as though he had suddenly been dropped into paradise; all it took was one shared smile with Anna, and peace seemed to descend over him like a warm blanket. Ever since he had first discovered his powers, there had been a tension inside him as he tried to figure out where things stood. But now, with Anna always at his side, with their relationship in a state of stable bliss, everything was resolved inside him.

Or...almost everything. They could hardly ignore how their powers completely shut off around each other, and even though it wasn't an overbearing weight anymore, Oliver wished they could put it to rest once and for all. Professor Xavier had been unable to find any conclusive basis for it, and simply labeled it a new phenomenon in the mutant gene. That seemed to be the end of it for Anna, and Oliver supposed he should just be relieved that she didn't resent him and still sought out his company though she knew it would mean cutting off her own power. But still....

The day after their last exam, the day before the big dance that everyone had been talking about for the past month, Oliver sat in the piano room with Anna as usual. He had his feet propped up on one of the little coffee tables, and he was sketching a portrait of Anna, though she didn't know what he was drawing. As he darkened the curve of her chin, he took a breath. He'd pushed this thought to the back of his mind very easily at first, so filled was he with the euphoria of Anna being his. But as time drew on, he knew he would have to bring it up eventually, so finally he'd decided to tell her once the exams were over. Now the time had come.

"Say, Anna," he began, breaking the contented silence that had stretched between them for the past several minutes. "You know...that time we had to go get the Cerebro back from Magneto? Well...I saw something when we were there." He kept his eyes on his sketch, and briefly explained about the files in the lab, about how both their names had appeared there, about the unknown place called Copperstone. Then he waited to see how she would react.  

[Akira.S]

((Yup, final arc of the story. I think there were 3 arcs in this rp which was nice, and now we just have to talk about the last one, which I should have PMed you about before you read this.))

As usual Anna was sitting at the piano but this time she was barely playing. The window beside her was wide open and the sun was brightly shining in. Every so often she’d gently press a key with her index finger and then move onto another one after a few seconds, then another, then another, pausing every so often to take in the smell of the hot summer air.

In a week or so she, Oliver and some of the other students would no longer be high school students. Some of them would leave and try to make their way in the world by going to a college, or staying here to further their education, maybe some would even move back; but running away from home that wasn’t really an option for Anna. Secretly she wondered what he’d do...whether he’d go back home to see his family and stay there, or if he’d move away...All she knew was that the Institute was her home and no one could change that.

Trying not to think about what would happen over the summer, the dark haired girl turned her attention to Oliver when he called her. “Hm?” he went back a month or so ago from when they broke into Genosha to steal back Cerebro and told her a side of the story that sort of struck a chord. When he was inside the lab he explained that he’d found files pertaining to the both of them and something to do with an unknown place called Copperstone.

At first Anna denied him ever really seeing anything, after all she’d never heard of this place in her life. Maybe it was an illusion, something put up by another mutant to scare him or something, besides even if it was real what would Magneto want with those files...it just didn’t make sense. She called him crazy and figured it was probably just him seeing things because he was tired from the mission. Getting up the dark haired girl closed the window and then turned to him while standing on the far side of the grand piano. She didn’t think Oliver would appreciate her calling him a liar but if there was a chance he was telling the truth why couldn’t she remember any of it? “Did you tell anyone else about this?” she asked quietly while walking around the piano and slowly approaching him. No one other than the teachers knew about their power defects so she figured he wasn’t going to tell anyone – save* the Professor.

*In case you didn’t know or think I’m using the term wrong, ‘save’ when used like that is another way to say ‘except’ or ‘other than’

“The only thing to do is tell the Professor if you haven’t already. He might know something about this but I doubt it...before any student comes here he performs a background check, you know, just to be safe. He’s never said anything about me being from a place called Copperstone, and besides I’d never met you until this year when that thing claims we’ve known each other around a year and a half.” A lot of what Oliver was saying didn’t make sense; she’d remembered everything that ever happened to her, memories from when she was a baby, when she was growing up with her parents, elementary school, the torment and running away from home. She didn’t honestly expect him to believe what he saw...after all there was no way he’d known Anna before this year...unless he was lying. There were a lot of things Anna was slowly coming to question, worrying about what in her life was real or not...or whether or not what he saw was a fake.

Anna then sat down beside him, even though she wanted to see the Professor about this as soon as possible. “What bothers me is why you waited so long to tell me. If it’s about me I have just as much right to know as you do don’t I?” neither of them had kept big secrets from each other at least in the span they’d been dating which wasn’t really that long. There wasn’t anything to really tell and Anna didn’t like talking about her family so much anyway, but it still bothered her that Oliver decided to keep this to himself.  

[Griselda Banks]

Oliver hung his head and clasped his pencil in his hands. He realized he had drawn Anna frowning, and stared at her likeness with a slowly sinking heart. She was right, of course. "I'm sorry," he muttered. "I guess I should've told you before, but...I was just so happy. It was like...."

He struggled for words, playing with the rings in his spiral sketchbook. "I wish I could just stay here with you forever, and I guess for a while I thought I could, and if I just stayed quiet then nothing would have to change. Sorry."

Before an awkward silence could stretch between them, he hastily continued. "I don't really get it either, but I know what I saw. It doesn't make any sense, but if it's true then I think we should check it out, you know? Maybe it has something to do with...our powers."

He glanced fleetingly over at her, then out the window. He could see the warm summer breeze drifting in.  

[Akira.S]

She didn’t like feeling like the bad guy; it just bothered her that Oliver wanted to keep this to himself...even if his intentions were amiable. Anna couldn’t stay mad at Oliver, what she was mad at was the fact that someone was trying to hide something from her and she didn’t appreciate secrets all too well. Looking over at Oliver, Anna could tell she upset him by her somewhat harsh words that sounded like he was blaming him for hiding something as important as this. Would she have done the same if she was in his situation...perhaps? But that wasn’t an excuse she could afford right now, especially if it meant finding out the truth about their powers.

“Forever...is a really long time you know...” At first she was a little struck by Oliver’s words. Forever was a long time and she wasn’t sure if he really meant it. How could he know that he wanted to be with her for the rest of his life? Did he really like her that much? Was he really willing to go that far? Still, her heart was a flutter when she heard those words spoken to her. She did like Oliver...a lot...and wanted to be with him, but right now she wasn’t really sure about what the concept of Love meant as she had never been loved before, nor had loved anyone in return.

While she was thinking of a way to make it up to him, blaming herself for making him feel bad, Oliver hastily continued the conversation, agreeing that whatever those files were it had something to do with their powers. He suggested they go check it out which probably meant sometime soon. Either way, after a few more days they’d be free to leave the institute and start a new life or live there if they chose. After graduation everyone had that choice and sometimes it was harder to make than others. But instead of having to make that choice now, Oliver suggested they figure out what was going on with their past before they could take a step into their future.

Reaching for his arm, Anna shifted closer to Oliver gently clinging to him, and her head rested on his shoulder. “If the Professor lets us go, just know that I still feel the same way about you.” Closing her eyes as her head rested on his shoulder Anna sort of skooched (can’t spell lol) over and sort of cuddled him. Anna was cute when she wanted to be – more so in private and only with Oliver. Turning her head she looked out toward the window in the same direction Oliver was looking before speaking again, “So....after the dance and our graduation...are you going to go home and see your family?” for Oliver he’d lived with his parents his entire life up until this spring. It was reasonable for him to request some time to go home and see his family and his old friends, perhaps try to live his old life. But for Anna there was nothing in the outside world, nothing but bad memories and a life full of hate.

She doubted Oliver would opt to stay at the institute forever, I mean he knew what real life was like, he knew what society really was. All Anna knew where the cruelties and the mistreatments she received as a child and a young girl before she came to the institute. Anna hadn’t seen her parents since she was about 13 or so when her powers really started developing, and frankly she didn’t want to see them...if they cared they would have come looking for her or tried to help her like Oliver’s parents, but it was clear to her that her parents didn’t care for her at all.  

[Griselda Banks]

Oliver felt warmth rush up the back of his neck to his cheeks as she moved closer, but it was a pleasant feeling. He wondered if he had spoken too rashly, but it was hard to think that with her presence warm against his side. It felt right that they were together, and he couldn't imagine a time when it wouldn't.

He thought carefully about her question. He did care about his parents; they had been good to him, even if they never quite grasped what had happened to their son once his powers had started showing up. But then...he wondered what Anna would do if he did visit. She didn't have a family to return to, at least not one that would accept her, most likely. How could he just leave her alone at the school while he went back home?

"No," he said slowly. "I'm...not sure how I feel about my parents anymore, actually. I mean...did they know about this Copperstone stuff? And if they did know, but they didn't tell me...." He frowned, then wrapped an arm comfortably around her shoulders. "No, we'll see what we can find out about Copperstone ourselves, and once I know how things stand...maybe then."

To dispel the gloomy air over their heads, he continued brightly, "So what about the dance, then? Got your dress picked out?"  

[Akira.S]

((Wow sorry it took me so long to post >3<))

Hearing that Oliver would decide to stay at the institute over the break instead of go home to see his parents made Anna a little hopefully inside. Even though she didn’t show it that much she still hoped he knew that she was happy to spend time with him. The two weren’t really like a normal couple; sure they spend time together and then spent time with Luke, Valon and some of the others they knew on campus but they mainly spent time together or spent very little time apart. A lot of people thought the relationship wouldn’t last because of the experience that came with seeing someone every day...people assumed you’d get bored of seeing your boyfriend or girlfriend and some people thought they’d last. Anna didn’t really think about those sorts of things; she barely knew anything about relationships so it’s not like she really cared. She liked living in the moment and being with Oliver now and didn’t care to think about what would happen later on.

Ultimately Oliver avoided the fact he wanted to talk about Copperstone, but I guess that was because he didn’t want to think about it either. Even though he told her and she was curious it would take them a while to really get the information to be able to find Copperstone. And in the end, even if they did go they’d still need some sort of ‘parental supervision’. If Oliver didn’t want to talk about it to the Professor maybe she should have...

But instead of bringing Copperstone up again Oliver changed the subject and preferred talking about the dance tomorrow night. Oliver asked about whether or not Anna had picked out her dress and honestly was feeling very shy and girly about it, something she didn’t usually feel. “It’s just a simple white strapless dress...nothing too fancy, “especially because she couldn’t afford anything more luxurious, “I’m sure you’ll look nice in your suit.” Standing up from the couch and stepping away from Oliver, Anna walked back to the piano, cleaned it up and grabbed her things from the coffee table in front of them. The way she glowed in the sunlight that came streaming through the windows made her look like a bit of an angel; with the way her dark raven black hung over her shoulder, the whiteness in her eyes contrasting her hair, and her white and light blue clothes and jeans making her look as girly as ever. Anna wasn’t interested in things like beauty and being girly but cared about what she looked like to a certain extent. What was important now was that Oliver thought she was pretty.

“Did you want to....take a walk outside, stay here or go up to your room and hang around until dinner?” walking back over from the piano Anna walked until she was standing right in front of him then she leaned down pulling her long hair behind her ear and gently pressed her lips against his before he could answer.  

[Griselda Banks]

As Anna packed up her things, Oliver tried to imagine her in her dress even though he'd never seen it before. A fond smile softened his face as he watched her, a smile that only widened when she leaned in to kiss him. "Hmm," he said when she pulled away, and he got to his feet so he could put his arm around her shoulders. "Let's take a walk," he decided.

As they strolled across the lawn in the receding light of the sun, they remained silent for the most part. They watched some students - including Luke - messing around on the basketball court, and passed by several groups of students sitting on the grass and talking, or practicing with their powers. With such things to distract him, not to mention the girl at his side, Oliver found it very easy to push Copperstone out of his mind as he had been doing lately.

But as they turned the corner to the side of the building that was more deserted since it was in deep shadow, he watched the wisps of the breeze ruffling the leaves of the trees all around them, and it was harder to forget. "Anna," he said, breaking their contented silence, "have you ever noticed.... I mean, do you ever feel like when you're around me you can...feel the plants more?" He scratched his ear awkwardly, knowing it was a strange question.  

[Akira.S]

The two walked around the outside of the school for a while, passing by students practicing their powers or just hanging about, enjoying how much less homework they had to do. Some were even starting to say their goodbye’s since they were going home. But Anna didn’t have to worry about that, she walked along with Oliver at her side, her hand around his torso watching the others play around and enjoy their freedom. It was...nice to feel a little normal now; for the first time in a very long time she didn’t feel like a freak or the outcast of the school just because she was so devoid of human compassion. It was nice not to worry about things like her powers not working when she was around Oliver and nice how she didn’t have to worry about Copperstone.

There wasn’t much conversation between the two, but there didn’t always need to be. Besides, right now Anna preferred the silence and just knowing that she was able to stay by his side was enough. As the two turned a corner to another part of the school that was more secluded and shadowed, Oliver broke the silence and asked how she felt about her powers. Sighing heavily she stopped and pulled her arm away from him and stepped in front of him to answer, “If you’re wondering what happened on Genosha with the tree...I told you...I don’t know what happened.” She said softly while her long jet black hair blew in the gentle wisps of the wind.

Folding her arms across her stomach she sighs and looked away, really not wanting to talk or think anymore about their powers and how they were so different. It was clear Oliver wasn’t going to let this go and a part of her was frightened at what she might find. “When I’m with you...I feel things I’ve never felt before...including plants, but I can’t control it or do anything about it like you can,” stepping back towards him Anna quickly wrapped her arms around Oliver’s neck and rested her head on his shoulder while pushing him against the nearest wall. “We haven’t been together that long but I don’t want whatever we find...to change what we already have.” Of course she wouldn’t notice but Anna was quivering in his arms, unconsciously of course, almost as if she was afraid, just like when Zeek confronted her about her powers and when her relationship with Oliver was on the verge of breaking.
Without knowing it, Anna’s body reacted on its own. She may not have felt the weight emotions really had on a person but her body knew how to react.

Slowly but surely Anna was changing and so was Oliver. He wanted to know more about Copperstone and what his connection to Anna really was, and she just wanted to forget all about it and try to be a little less of a freak than she already was, because secretly she felt that whatever they might find in there might break their relationship and ruin everything they thought and knew to be true. Anna wasn’t the same person she was when she first met Oliver and a part of her knew that. She was a little more girly when she was around him, almost like she was craving his company but was strong enough too able to wean herself off of it. Probably because she’d never had so much human contact before but it was fair for her to want this...she had the right to love and need someone just as much as everyone else right?

“I just don’t want to ruin the one good thing that’s ever happened in my life...”  

[Griselda Banks]

Oliver stood still for a moment or two, his back against the hard wall of the school, and Anna's soft warmth pressing against his front. Was this part of why she had been so upset when he told her about Copperstone? Maybe she had just been afraid all this time. That would explain a lot. And...was he the 'one good thing' that had happened to her? His heart skipped a beat at the thought.

But then he realized that Anna was shaking, and he needed to do something about it. "Anna," he murmured, wrapping his arms around her as well and holding her close. He rested his cheek against her hair, breathing in the smell of it. "Don't worry. Nothing will change. I promise, nothing will change."

He didn't know what they would find at Copperstone, what new secrets they would uncover about the two of them. But he couldn't imagine how anything could change the way he felt about her, or how much he cared. He couldn't quite find a way to put that into words, so he tightened his hold on her.

"No matter what we find...I'm not going to leave you."  

[Akira.S]

Swearing Oliver could feel her heart trying to burst out of her chest, Anna pulled away slowly keeping her head down as it she was almost looking away. Of course she believed his words but did he really believe it, could he really keep his promise to make sure nothing between them would change? Was it really for him to decide? In the end she gave him the benefit of the doubt, after all he’d never done anything to disprove her trust; it was always her causing him pain especially when it came to the elementals and being able to co-op their powers.

Suddenly looking up at him Anna seemed to have quickly put a more confident and gentle look on her face, trying to tell him she believed him without saying it. “Never really took you for the serious type but I’m glad.” Anna said while beginning to walk off out of the shadows, her hand gently clutching his as she led him away from the alley. For now she had to take his word for it, or maybe not think about it entirely. Tomorrow was the school dance, graduation a few days later and then the school would become quieter. Maybe when there were fewer students around they’d be able to go to the Professor about Copperstone and perhaps he’d be able to shed a little light on the situation.

The best thing to do right now was just to get her mind off things, and the easiest way to do that was with a distraction. What better distraction was there than a distraction that made you feel normal? Anna had never gone to any of these school functions or dances, nor since a lot of students disliked her very much. Her final year as a high school student gave her a reason to go and really feel like a normal high schooler for once. It’s not that she was jumping at the opportunity or wanted to not have her powers, she just didn’t understand why she had special ‘emotional defects’ that made everyone dislike her.

The night of the dance was everything you’d expect from watching movies, except instead of the gym being decorated the party was in the training room. Better sound system, bigger space, and you didn’t need to clean up the wall decorations either since they were all programmed simulations. The outside was also decorated with hanging lanterns and lights and all that cute stuff they had for school dances, even a gazebo and separate outdoor dance floor was provided for the couples in case they wanted to be a little romantic, this including the teachers.

[.Anna's Dress.]
[.Anna's Hair.]

Anna was just tying up the ribbon on her heels which made her feel really uncomfortable but that was the price of being a girl and trying to look pretty. Finally spraying her hair for the 4th time that night to make sure her curls stayed in position, she heard a knock on her door. There could only be one person knocking on her door at 8pm on a Friday night during an event like this. Slowly walking over to the door trying not to trip on her own feet, Anna grabbed the handle and twisted it slightly, and gently pulled it open. “Don’t you look nice,” Anna smiled while walking back into her room to grab her matching shawl and wrapping it around her shoulders, “I’ve never felt so girly...I feel like I’m going to make a bigger fool of myself than I already am.” Closing her door behind her Anna tried not to stumble while stepping out and giving him a light kiss on the cheek. “Valon and Luke are probably waiting for us and so are their dates.”

It was going to be a really interesting night, and hopefully not a disappointing one.

(This doesn't have to be a long section, you can just get it over in your next post if you want to and move onto Copperstone stuff, it really doesn't matter)  

[Griselda Banks]

((That hair is so pretty! Blah, this is what I get for playing a guy - they just wear boring suits :XP: ))

Oliver adjusted his dark green tie for what felt like the fifty-seventh time that evening. He wasn't used to wearing suits, but they were going all out for this dance. Mutants felt so cut off from normal society that sometimes they felt the need to compensate by going a little overboard. As nervous and stiff as Oliver felt in his fresh, unworn suit, he was looking forward to this evening. He'd never imagined that he'd have such a pretty girlfriend to take to a dance.

Speaking of pretty girlfriends, Oliver cleared his throat nervously and knocked on Anna's door. Within a few moments, the door opened and there stood an angel before him. He thought Anna was pretty even in her normal clothes, but now she was transformed from a mostly-ordinary teenage girl to...a woman. A beautiful woman.

Though he swallowed several times, he couldn't find enough breath to express the thoughts rushing through his head at the sight of her. Then his chance was gone, as they made their way down the hall to the stairs. They maintained their usual silence on the way down to the training room, setting them apart from some of the more rowdy party-goers.

Once they reached the drastically altered training room, they set off in search of their friends. Finally Oliver spotted Luke's head over the crowd of shorter students, and made his way over to him. A pretty black girl stood next to him, looking just like any other teenage party-goer except for enormous glittering wings that looked similar to a butterfly's, only separated into more parts. Luke called out a greeting, and Oliver joined them.

But just as Luke asked where Valon was and Oliver told him he wasn't sure, the music started up and Luke eagerly led his date to the dance floor. It was a lively number, and Oliver found his foot tapping almost of its own accord. He glanced over at Anna and said awkwardly, gesturing to the dance floor, "Um...you wanna...?"

((Likewise, you can include going to Xavier if you want; I ended up going into more detail than I was expecting, so my plans of brief summary didn't really work sweatdrop ))  

[Akira.S]

((Well I asked if you wanted to double up, but for the next rp you should double up. And DAWW SO CUTE, and I’ll try to go to the Xavier part and try not to spend too much on that))

Walking through the hallways Anna could feel sets of eyes overlooking them when the two walked by. It was weird having people look at her normally and now they were looking at her even more oddly while she was in a dress. Maybe something was wrong with what she was wearing, something out of place, and something she forgot...it was starting to make her paranoid. But by the time they got to the drastically altered training room all paranoid perceptions quickly faded away. Everyone looked so different and acted rather normal to an extent...There were very few people using their powers, and if they were it was to leave a girl or boy with a good impression.

As they entered Oliver gestured over to the side where Luke and his date were waiting. She was a junior, very pretty, who had very interesting butterfly wings coming from her back. While the boys talked the two exchanged friendly hellos and compliments to their dresses and hair but their conversation didn’t go beyond that. The rumours of Anna’s strangeness always reached every new generation of students that came through the Institute’s doors, so it didn’t surprise her that this girl was already trying to avoid her.

Soon, the music picked up and Luke led his date to the dance floor while Anna and Oliver stayed behind standing by a wall. Her gaze had been too focused on all the couples and groups of friends dancing together, even guys who were hitting on other girls was interesting to watch. She almost didn’t hear Oliver ask her to dance with such loud music playing around them, but when she caught his glance and leaned in to listen her face turned a little pink. “I don’t know how to dance. But I can try...” Hanging her shawl on a coat hook that was placed all around the training room for girls to hang shawls or their shoes, or for boys to hang their suits, she made sure she knew where she’d put it so she wouldn’t lose it.

Taking his hand and walking with him towards where Luke and his date were dancing the two slid in near them and began to dance to the music. At first it was a little strange and awkward for Anna’s body to move that way...but after observing many of the girls around her she slowly got the hang of it and found it to be quite entertaining and fun.

A lot happened during that night. The two danced, went out of the training room and out to the backyard where drinks and snacks were being served, talked with Luke and Valon once they finally found him, went back inside to dance some more and ended the night with a positive note. Towards the end of the night many couples were outside where floating lights were hanging and slow music was playing. By this time most of the students were changing out of their dresses or spending the night sleeping in their date’s rooms, whatever, but others were still savouring the moment in case they never saw each other after that night.

By this point Anna had retrieved her shawl but had taken off her shoes and left the two items by the large willow tree near where the other couples were dancing. Instead of joining the crowd the two were slow dancing under the darkness of the willow tree, using the gentle glow of the moon as their light. Resting her head on his shoulder and her arms around his neck the two swayed back and forth ever so slowly to the music playing in the distance. Anna had been quiet for the longest time and it was very unclear why...maybe she was just happy with the silence, or words didn’t really need to be shared when they were together, but whatever it was she seemed happy just being there with him. Every so often she’d caress his cheek with the side of her head or give him a gentle squeeze as her arms remained around him. Anna meant what she said the day before...that she didn’t want to lose the one good thing that had ever happened to her and this was it.

((So you can finish this off...or go to Xavier or go straight to Copperstone stuff I just couldn’t leave it hanging and I wasn’t sure how to jump to them talking to Xavier))