Two of a kind [Eluard]

[Claire Reynolds]

Quick, yet graceful steps carried Claire's slender frame across the pedestrian zone's massive concrete, her boots emitting a cliking noise each time their heels hit the asphalt. Only a few, lone clouds roamed across the pure azure, allowing the sun to gently embrace the earth below with its comfortable rays. Seeing the warm breeze gently picking up a bunch of leaves, causing them to recklessly dance in midair, the bluenette found herself unable to resist the urge of dancing along. Twirling like a little child she kept her eyes closed while smiling brightly, completely ignoring the confused and dismissive gazes of the other bystanders as she made her way down the pavement. Having been granted a day off on such a beautiful day, she wanted to make sure to enjoy every second as if it was going to be her last. Instinctively opening her eyes, her fluid motions came to an abrupt halt as the sight of an elderly man standing right in front of her caused her to startle heavily. Trying to avoid a collision she immediatelly forced her body backwards, flailing her arms in order to keep her balance, making herself look like an even bigger airhead.

Assured that she had regained balance without bumping into the stranger, a deep, relieved sigh forced its way out between her peachy lips as she raised her head in order for her spheres to meet his. His dispraising expression caused her soft cheeks to flush in awkwardness as she shyly scratched the aquamarine colored back of her head. A cheerful "Sorry!" then escaped her mouth, clearly surprising the man as he probably had expected a more submissive apologize from the youngster. Not intending to block the stranger's path any longer, she quickly jumped to the left, before then walking past him without paying further attention to his motions. Reaching the pedestrian zone's exit, she quickly stretched herself, letting her gaze wander across the brightly lit, man-made maze. Even though the entire city was buzzing like a beehive, it nevertheless appeared peaceful to Claire in this very moment. Constant anti-mutant propaganda and frequent incidents involving the pursuit of people possessing special abilities, usually disturbed the daily grind and caused uproar.

Obviously life wasn't easy, but for people like her, harboring abilities beyond the understanding of the human mind, it was even way more difficult. Most of these so-called mutants hid themselves in the crowd, trying hard to hide their true nature in order to obtain the chance of leading a normal life. The sapphire topped female didn't know any bearer of a special ability that was capable of living normally while constantly making use of said powers, but was nevertheless convinced that these people existed somewhere. Using her powers without having to worry about being chased down and locked away, or even suffering from worse consequences, was a thought that caused her to sigh once again. It was the resounding noise of her growling stomach that interrupted her train of thoughts and caused her body to continue moving. Not feeling like cooking herself on this special day, she instead decided to pay a visit to her favorite restaurant. Leaving central city the streets slowly but steadily emptied, replacing the rivers of unknown faces with a few, straying individuals.

Claire had just reached one of the lithic gates leading towards the huge leafy area, known as the city park, when the sudden appearance of an usually inconspicuous item, stopped her motions. The innocently white ball quickly rolling out of one of the city's side roads, quickly crossed the sidewalk, making its way right on to the busy crossroad. Following the sphere a young boy came dashing out behind a wall, obviously chasing his beloved ball in an attempt of retrieving it. Not paying any attention to the cars passing the crossing, the child left the safety of the sidewalk, stepping on the road without a second thought. Having just gotten a hold of his precious item, the boy's eyes widened as they beheld an approaching car. Other bystanders thad had observed the scene kept rushing towards the boy, screaming loudly, while the blue haired teen quickly concentrated in order to create a harsh gust of wind capable of pushing the youngster off the street and back on to the concrete. She sighed in relief as the boy's rear hit the ground, causing him to cry in confusion.

Several people approached the boy, worried about his condition and perplexed about what they had just witnessed. The car's driver who had attempted to stop his car before hitting the child quickly jumped out off his vehicle, mixing into the crowd with tears running down his face. Having confirmed the child's safety, Claire quickly rushed inside the park in order to prevent getting involved in the incident and ending up being caught by the government. Running several meters, she then threw herself onto the soft bed of grass, her gaze directed at the sky above. Panting heavily her thoughts kept rushing, hoping that no one had seen her or somehow gotten the idea of associating her with the sudden, unnatural gust of wind that had saved the child.

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[Eluard Verlaine]

Eluard stepped inside the coffee shop he visited with some regularity, the strong scent of cocoa sobering him the slightest bit. As he waited in line he drew out a piece of paper from the pocket of his long, black coat as well as a pen the color of charcoal. Supporting the paper against his palm he noted down a very long number, a code he wasn’t supposed to know he had seen typed quickly on the button board into a facility during his last solo mission the night before. He had meant to commit it to paper earlier but things kept distracting him. It had been such a headache to go unnoticed and the long detour he had taken through a particularly unpleasant part of the neighborhood still throbbed in his ankle. Outrunning several guard dogs was never fun.

“Here you go, Eluard, the usual.” The information dealer raised his gaze from the paper he quickly stuffed into his pocket to note the pleasantly smiling face of the coffee serving girl. He had reached the counter while standing in line. She was pushing a lidded coffee towards him. “Dark mocha with a little cream and no sugar,” she announced with enthusiasm and her eyes held some warmth. When he made a move to pay she cut him off. “On the house today, especially for our loyal customers.” There were subtleties in her behavior that only someone like Eluard could notice. The way she leaned in slightly, how her fingers pushed back a few brown curls, that unusually warm spark in her eyes. He gave her a short smile, picking up the coffee with his gloved hand. “Thank you.”

He could tell it disappointed her that he had not been more enthusiastic about her effort, the tension in her shoulders slacking as he turned to walk out. Sure enough, when he looked at the plastic cup, on the side that had been covered with her hand, he noted a row of digits that looked like a phone number under which the name “Sarah” was scribbled. Walking down the street he started drinking from the energizing beverage, noting the rhythm of his own pace and the faces of the people he passed, revisiting the expressions he glimpsed after they were gone and trying to make sense of the emotion behind them. It was a hobby of sorts.

He walked all the way down the street, drinking as he went, coming to a bend beyond which he could glimpse the park. He witnessed the scene from a distance, something inside him hardening into a tight ball as he spotted the child waltz into traffic and fully knowing in that instant that it was beyond his speed to prevent the accident from happening even if he reacted in the first moment. Everyone around rushed in at once as well, except for a blue haired girl who just stood there. Exempt from proceeding into rushing as well into what he could perceive would be a futile action he witnessed the impossible – a gust of wind strong enough to push the boy right back onto the sidewalk rushing in out of nowhere and the girl’s queer expression. He was locked on her unwavering moment of focus like a snake dancing on the tune of a handler’s flute song.

It was gone as quickly as it came and her relief was all he needed to start pursuing her, beelining in her direction, throwing the almost finished coffee cup into the nearest bin as he walked by it, his pace quick as he ignored the general commotion and wove his way through the crowd with an out-of-place attitude, considering what had just happened. His mind had filmed the scene and reviewing it just strengthened his suspicion. Somehow, she had summoned that gust of wind.

Eluard went after her in the park and walked slowly to where she was sprawled across the grass. In the few meters it took to reach her position he discarded the formality he had displayed in front of Sarah – it would be an inconvenience to find another coffee shop – paused briefly above the young woman with a smile, blocking her view of the sky. “Enjoying yourself?” And then swiftly sat beside her, dropping down fully and cushioning his head on his hands as he looked at the kingdom of the Sun. “So, what are we looking at?” A few clouds were scattered across the blue. “What do you see when you look into the sky?” His blue eyes were light and slightly smiling, his low tone tinted with a friendly warmth.

[Claire Reynolds]

Only a brief moment had passed since the bluenette had laid down on the field of emerald with her gaze directed at the heavens above. She hadn't done so due to the need of rest, but rather in order to wait for the commotion to dissolve. Her mind still kept rushing, constantly reassuring her that no one had seen her as she had created a gust of wind in order to save the boy. In fact everything happened in what could be described as the blink of an eye and therefore it was highly arguable that anyone had been capable of understanding what had happened quickly enough to have taken notice of her. Still gazing at the vast azure above she enjoyed the soft breeze that gently caressed her frame, hoping that the boy hadn't gotten hurt too badly when the wind had thrown him back onto the sidewalk. She was glad that she was capable of helping, even though the child had merely been lucky. Claire wouldn't have used her ability if there had been more bystanders, meaning that the innocent child would have most likely been hit by the approaching car.

The resounding noise of approaching footsetps suddenly kicked her out off her thoughts, causing her to mentally prepare herself for the worst case scenario, while gaze remained focused on the innocent masses of air roaming the heavens. Her view was suddenly blocked by long streaks of honey colored hair attached to the face of a male individual. The stranger who seemed to be only a few years older, kept gazing down at her, his icy spheres making contact with her aqua orbs. Even though she had no idea who this person was, she nevertheless greeted him with a comfortable smile. "Enjoying yourself?" Hearing those words the sapphire haired girl remained motionless, while her brilliant marbles kept following the stranger's movements as he suddenly laid down next to her. Not that she wanted to jump to conclusions, but the short period of time that had passed between her rescuing the boy and the stranger's appearance made her wary. Had she been found out by the government after all?

Even if she had been found out, panicking wouldn't help her in any way and she knew that the best solution was to remain calm and find out why thise stranger had approached her. Closing her eyes for a moment, she listened as his voice resounded once again. "So, what are we looking at? What do you see when you look into the sky?" Claire waited a brief moment before she then averted her eyes, once again directing them at the clestial sphere. "Chickens, potatoes and hamburgers. Oh and maybe some clouds." Her voice's tone made it obvious that her answer had been everything, but a serious one and the bright smile covering her face only amplified her nonserious and carefree reaction. "You see I'm just taking a short break from my training, running in these shoes isn't as easy as it looks." The last syllable had just left her lips, when she raised her legs, presenting the inky colored, high-heeled boots that embraced her feet along with her shins. Lowering her feet again the teenager slowly got back upon the same, dusting herself off before stretching herself as if she was taking part in some kind of aerobic video.

Her motions suddenly stopped as her empty stomach once again demanded attention by growling loudly, causing her to sigh deeply. "So... What is it you see up there?" Asking this, her mind kept wondering how this weird encounter was going to develop. Not even giving the man enough time to answer, she continued to speak. "Oh and don't worry: It's no shame to use glasses if you're unable to see anything." Her voice carried a somewhat cheeky tone, as she kept grinning brightly, waiting for the stranger to make his move, hoping that he didn't belong to the mutant hunting forces of the government.

[OOC: Sorry for this crappy post >.<]

[Eluard Verlaine]

She greeted his sudden approach with a generous smile, never shifting in her position. His eyes had studied her with brief sharpness before sitting down, the new position he adopted making him feel the hard ground in his back. It had been quite some time since he had sat on the ground like so and it reminded him, in a short flash, of days far more carefree that his current ones. Her answer scattered his thoughts and made the corners of his lips curl slightly with amusement. “You sound hungry,” he commented lightly as she listed food she perceived in the heavens. When she explained why she was sat there, an explanation he had not probed for but poked him as her anxiety of being associated with anything that had happened around the road, he glanced in her direction to be shown one of the most uncomfortable pairs of boots that could be worn.

“Does your training involve torturing yourself, if you’re running in those?” There was the faintest tease in his tone and he slipped into a seated position when she rose up to stretch into a workout pose. He watched her with calm focus, a subtle meaning in his calculating eyes threatening to point out the lack of randomness in this whole encounter.

Her hunger was so loud even he could hear the growl of her stomach. She turned the question on him and added a slightly cheeky comment to it, her lips spread into a wide grin. “Even if my vision would become forever obscured and not once more would I be granted to see the blues above, I would never forget what I’ve already been given to behold.” His gaze, unwavering, never left her and he spoke in an almost lyric fashion, with an abundance of words to express a simple thought. “The puzzle of the ever illustrious, our souls’ recognition of their counterpoint in something just as purposeful but whose deeper significance and depth remains unknown, the ancestral laments out of lyres shaped from the oldest wood and the trills of modern though. A link to something beyond the machinations of even the wildest of imaginations.” In short, yes, everything.

Eluard tilted his head minimally to the side. He rose up from the ground, dusting himself as she had before shoving his hands into the pockets of his sharp style pants. The shirt he wore today was collared and of a rich purple. Everything about his appearance screamed of professionalism and luxury, especially the expensive watch decorated with vining silver that poked its head out from under his coat sleeve. However, there was something very nonconventional in the basic fabric of his aura, in icy eyes that constantly correlated a vast amount of information.

“Right now, however, I’m more interested in something that looks like the sky, if only in coloration.” The young woman before him was strikingly blue. “A kind heart hiding behind a carefree smile, I have to wonder about the story behind that.” He gave her a light smile not without charm, but the look in his eyes was curious of answers that were far more rational and fundamental than any inspired by some sudden attraction. Taking his gaze away from her form, he walked a few paces in the opposite direction from her. “I couldn’t help but notice your hunger. Would you join me for a meal?” When he looked back over his shoulder the expression on his face was light and friendly, two could play this innocent expression card. “You don’t have to, but you’ll lose a friend if I pass through those gates on my own.” He motioned fluidly to the entrance to the park some way off from their position.

His eyes subtly challenged her to consider her decision, to make a leap of faith and search her intuition. “Will you try to fly or continue walking on the ground with the rest of them?”

[Claire Reynolds]

"Does your training involve torturing yourself, if you’re running in those?" The azure topped girl couldn't help but grin even more as the stranger's words reached her ears. Even if 'jogging in high-heeled boots' had been nothing, but a random excuse for lying around, panting as she had done before, Claire actually wouldn't have had a problem proving that it was more than an alibi. Spending so much time walking and dancing around in high-heeled shoes, the bluenette was convinced that jogging in them wouldn't kill her. "Everyone can do it wearing sneakers, right? Where's the fun in that?" Shrugging as if someone had asked her something she wasn't able to answer, the young woman kept gazing at her new acquaintance. Acting as calm as he did, there truly was a chance that he belonged to the government forces, but somehow the sapphire haired female had a feeling that this wasn't the case, even if she wasn't capable of mentioning what exactly caused this feeling.

The only thing she definitely knew was that his eyes had something disturbing to them, something that was capable of sending shivers down her spine. Meeting them with her own orbs, she felt a threatening sensation, as if this individual in front of her was capable of seeing right through her. Being pulled out off her throughts by his resounding voice, she found herself staring at his icy mirrors again, wondeirng what he kept seeing while looking at her. "Even if my vision would become forever obscured and not once more would I be granted to see the blues above, I would never forget what I’ve already been given to behold. The puzzle of the ever illustrious, our souls’ recognition of their counterpoint in something just as purposeful but whose deeper significance and depth remains unknown, the ancestral laments out of lyres shaped from the oldest wood and the trills of modern though. A link to something beyond the machinations of even the wildest of imaginations."

Hearing those words Claire couldn't help but raise a brow in awe while her jaw dropped wide open. In her imagination the image of a young man suddenly shattered, leaving nothing but the sight of a rambling geezer. Did he try to impress her by acting like one of those ancient philosophers? Poety - something she appreciated - was one thing but those words simply made the male appear way older than he looked. Not quite sure if she was supposed to laugh or cry, she nevertheless raised her voice in order to give the flaxen topped stranger an advice. "You should refrain from speaking like some scary old man when interacting with other people. Someone might mistke you for a fugitive inmate of a lunatic asylum, one of those mutants with the ability of messing with one's mind or simply compare you to a senile annuitant." Putting her right arm akimbo while guiding the strechted out index finger of her left hand towards her soft chin in order to tap the same Claire's mind kept racing, desperately trying to figure out what she was supposed to think of this enigma sitting in front of her.

His clothes were way more luxurious than her own, emitting a certain air of wealth while his choice of words ranged from colloquial to philosophical terms, leading to the guess that he had to be an intellectual of sorts. He seemed to be a rather calm and easy-going individual, creating a rather pleasant image, which was solely destroyed by his eyes, which somehow creeped the young girl out. "Right now, however, I’m more interested in something that looks like the sky, if only in coloration. A kind heart hiding behind a carefree smile, I have to wonder about the story behind that. I couldn’t help but notice your hunger. Would you join me for a meal? You don’t have to, but you’ll lose a friend if I pass through those gates on my own. Will you try to fly or continue walking on the ground with the rest of them?" Exposed to these words her mind kept altering the image of the stranger, turning him from a philosopher into a pander, even if he would have been more like wealthy wooer.

Her delicate face couldn't help but display an expression of confusion, before she then startled backwards, her arms forming an 'X' in front of her face, while the same flushed in embarrassment. With her eyes now forced shut her lips parted. "EH? No! Ehm.. you know.. I.. ehm.. I'm not.. ehm.. I'm sorry.. if... you got the impression that..." The snatchy melody escaping from her lips was dominated by a mixture of confusion, embarrassment and fear, making it obvious that the girl wasn't playing dumb at this very moment. Her voice had faded for a split second, only to resound again as she realized what he had said about losing a friend as well as flying and walking. Those words caused the negative image created by her exaggeratedly creative mind to shatter while at the same time calming her agitated soul. "Well, I wouldn't mind getting something to eat..." Her face still was as red as a tomato, but her soft voice sounded calm and focused again, lacking any trace of the previous agitation.

Slow, graceful strides then carried her fragile frame towards him as she intended to accompany her chance acquaintanceship on his way through the park's gate and towards some kind of diner or restaurant. Despite having developed a fondness for teasing people, she nevertheless felt sorry for creating such an awkward scene and indirectly insulting the man. Approaching the gate she ran past him, only to stop right beneath the massive archway. "By the way, I'm Claire. Nice to meet you." Smiling brightly she then kept waiting for him to return the introduction.

[Eluard Verlaine]

“I’ll take it that you enjoy challenges,” he informed her after she professed her delight in running around, high heeled and all. His eyes never broke free from the staring contest that was going on. He was aware of her scrutiny and she of his own, in his daring perhaps displaying a little too much. If there was anything he could tell it was that she was sharper than she led on and there was a lot under that surface of smiles. The reaction she displayed at his answer about the contents of the sky made him raise a brow, somewhat comically, in contrast to what he had just said. He listened to her advice with a sparkle of something in his eyes. When she was done he was smiling, tapped her shoulder lightly with one finger and then held it in the air. “I’ll take the compliment with pleasure.” The light amusement in his eyes could easily explain that he planned on changing nothing about how he acted or spoke. He lowered his hand once more.

The way he had worded his observation of her powers and his interest in them seemed to create confusion, sending her receding from his presence. Eluard made no move to pursue her, simply standing where he was, watching her through the play of expressions until she figured he had not meant what he had said in the simple, usual way you would be inclined to take it. “Good,” he said when she accepted his invitation. “No physical intrusion will befall you, of that you can rest assured.” He gave her a half-smile, the over-probing nature of his eyes relaxing its effort and being just dully kind and reassuring for the moment, perhaps one glimpse of the busy man whom had seen much and been through a lot, the same person who raised a young daughter and genuinely reached out to others.

In another moment that look was gone and he was alert once more, in a lively way, that was his display of the vast personal resources he had of dealing with the world. He seemed to be incredibly far from being insulted. She fluttered to his side and passed his casual stride, stopping under the archway. He couldn’t help but be aware of her extroverted energy, like a shining firework smiling and darting about, whereas his own was a calm, controlled light bulb that illuminated with the same unwavering intensity throughout every moment. “Eluard,” he returned, his hand coming into a flourish and his head doing a little bow, “scary old man from the lunatic asylum.” There was something borderline aristocratic in his gestures and his walk and his pleasant smile was perpetual. “Likewise, blue dragonfly.”

He passed out of the park. “What would you like to have?” With a hand, he pointed in the direction of a near-by McDonald’s. “Junk food is my vice, but I’m open to suggestions.” Although he looked like he belonged more to a fancy French restaurant, there were a lot of things about his preferences and appearance that didn’t exactly match. Flicking his wrist up he caught a glimpse of the time. “Claire. Could you tell me something remarkably random about yourself?” From the wristwatch his gaze advanced to her and he drew his sleeve back down, letting his arm settle at his side. There was no one within earshot. His eyelids lowered the slightest fraction. “I hope it’s plainly obvious that I noticed what you did in the intersection.” Where no one else could have, although he had been lucky to be positioned in a way that had drawn his gaze exactly in her direction.

“It’s because of that that we have things to discuss.” Slowly, gradually, a manner of seriousness entered both his tone and eyes. The random stranger was morphing into a purposeful person. “That is, if you are willing to hear what I have to impart.” It was about time mutants stopped fretting for their safety and lives and started gathering to do something about it. Since no other had come forward, Eluard was going to be the man to find as many of them as he could and introduce order into fright, avoidance and chaos. Claire, if she didn’t sky away to return to the comfort of the shadows, would be the first he wished to talk to about his ambitious plans.

[Claire Reynolds]

Blue dragonfly, huh? The word kept echoing within the depths of her mind, forcing the corners of her mouth to once again form a smile. Walking next to him she silently nodded in agreement as he sugested visiting a McDonald's restaurant instead of some expensive one, which surprised and at the same time appealed to her. Being nothing but an employee of one of the bars located in this giant city, her income was everything but splendid, but it at least allowed her to pay a small apartment and kept her from starving. Making their way towards the building carrying the huge sign known to almost everyone living in the civilized world, the man, who had previously introduced himself as Eluard raised his voice, wishing for Claire to tell him something about her. As simple and mediocre his words may have sounded, they caused the bluenette to stop her motions as they brought back the thoughts the athletic girl had tried to cast aside ever since he had approached her.

So it had been true: He had somehow been able to recognize the gust of wind as a mutant ability and even figured that it had been her doing, a feat that made obvious that there was more to him that met the eye on first sight. Thinking about it, this could have been the secret behind those unpleasant, icy spheres of his. Not quite sure if her theory was wrong or not, she stopped her motions, letting her passionate and carefree gaze rest upon her comrade. Hesitating for a moment or two she then raised her comforting voice."You know that I'm just a leaf drifting in the wind, don't you?" A cheerful laughter caressed her lips, while her pleasant smile remained upright. With her voice fading the female suddenly began to move, directing her gaze at the battered ground, hiding her spheres beneath waving bangs of azure. The moment she stood next to him her voice would once again reach his ears, but this time lacking the good-humored tone it had carried the entire time. Instead it this time sounded calm, serious and hardly like anything the girl had said before.

"What is it that you would like to discuss, mr fellow mutant?" With her gaze still averted, she made another step forward, suddenly swirling around like child until her innocent smile once again met his gaze. "Let's get some hamburgers! I heard they got new ones with hash browns and stuff. I really want to taste those!" Grinning at Eluard as if nothing had happened at all, Claire waited for the male to either explain himself right here or get inside the restaurant with her. She was curious to find out what the unusual individual had on his mind and didn't even waste a single thought on him being an agent working for the government forces. His actions clearly contradicted this theory and she had never heard of that bunch of racists collaborating with one of the individuals they hunted down like animals. Waiting for him to make his move she kept wiggling like an impatient kid, her face adorned with the interminable expression known as simper.

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[Eluard Verlaine]

She paused in her tracks and he did as well, to wait for her. The possibility that she would turn and flee after his words was considered and he was ready to sprint after her, already formulating the words he could use to persuade her to stay and not disappear in the masses again. It wasn’t safe for any mutant to live alone with their secret. If the government caught scent of them and decided to spirit them away from the streets when they were found, who would know what to assume had happened to them? Eluard was determined to not let any more mutants fall prey to abduction if he could help it, if he was around, but there was only so much he could do alone. He wanted to help other mutants and he also needed them to help him.

Her voice was pleasant, so too her demeanor. It was a wonderful way to appear, a happy girl with a love for fashion and fun. He was watching her again, not scrutinizing but considering what seemed true and what felt forced. The only thing he believed in were her spontaneous reactions. In the world that they lived in, you could trust no one, no matter how innocent they smiled. However, she had helped the child, and that was, singularly, the reason for which she had already gained a fraction of his trust, the reason why he was ready to tell her what he was slowly involving himself with.

A leaf drifting in the wind. She sure was private, perhaps the most shelled person he had met in quite a while. “Does that make the leaf unreliable? Always dancing to something else’s pull.” His tone was calm and slow, his eyes as deeply watchful as before. “Or is the leaf being blown along by wind of its own making?” When she chose to move again, he started along with her, eyes back on the path. When she spoke next in her out of place new tone, something in his eyes stilled for just a moment. It was fortunate for him that she hadn’t been looking his way for that was the only slip she could have caught on the matter. Eluard had not admitted to or told anyone about his mutation, aside from his father and mother. Due to its nature, he could pass as simply exceptional, if he didn’t go overboard. It seemed she had intuitive powers and shrewdness not to be underestimated.

In that one sentence that had not even been spoken about her she had said more than he would have hoped to glimpse so soon. There was thoughtfulness and maturity in her and a very steadfast way of accepting to face important matters. Eluard couldn’t help but wonder what life circumstances could make her so realistic when it came to expectations. He faced her open smile with a cryptic one of his own – his only reply to her assumption. “All will be revealed in due time,” he told her. Her enthusiasm, even if it was about hamburgers, was infectious and it brightened his own expression. “Sure. I bet I can eat more than you can within a minute.” What was that? Had he just challenged her to wolf down hamburgers? It sounded like it.

“C’mon,” he opened the door to the restaurant and held it open for her, inviting her impatience to jump in. It was very hard to pretend that he didn’t suffer from some deep rooted manners. Once inside, he headed straight to order. He considered calling it his treat and being the one pay for their consumption, but something nagged him that it wouldn’t exactly make her comfortable. For himself, he chose two of the new burgers, a cheeseburger and a large pack of fries along with a sprite. Since the previous night he had worked up an appetite. Waiting for her to make her own order and for the both to be served, he poked her with another question. “What’s your favorite flavor?”

When they were served, he picked up his own tray and headed for a more secluded table, where they couldn’t be easily overheard. He sat down and started unwrapping the first burger. “Claire, are you tired of hiding who you are?” The lightheartedness had once more fled from his tone. He grabbed the sprite and took a mouthful of the liquid. When his eyes raised up to find herself across the table, there was some determination in them. “Would you be willing to fight for your right and freedom?”

[Claire Reynolds]

Claire only shrugged in nescience as Eluard tried to get to know more about the girl comparing herself to a drifting petal. Hearing neither violent rantings, nor any other kind of protest after being called mutant, a word that had turned into a cuss and insult due to the government's propaganda, led the sapphire haired teenager to the conclusion that her previous guess about the male's nature had been a bull's eye. The fact that she had often seen people going as far as to start fights after getting 'insulted' by being associated with mutants only proved how successful the government's strategies truly were. The resounding tone of Eluard's voice broke her chain of thoughts, leaving a somewhat perplexed expression upon her face that was quickly replaced by a skeptical one, making it look as if she wanted to say something along the lines of 'What kind of bet is that supposed to be? Your mouth is at least twice as big as mine'. With the door of the restaurant being opened by her acquaintance, she quickly entered the building, letting her gaze wander across the room as she did.

Being close to finally calm her demanding stomach, Claire cheerfully danced towards the counter. Her slender, athletic frame might have not hinted it, but the young attractive girl was actually capable of eating quite a lot, if her funds allowed it. With her eyes fixated on the bright pictures of the menu, she raised her voice, answering the sudden question concerning her favorite flavor. "It's banana when it comes to ice cream and aside from that it's quite difficult to settle on a single one. All I can say is thaat I love tuna. How about you?" After peering at the menu for moment her lips parted again, allowing words to flow like an unleashed river. The sight of a total of six different burgers, a big pack of fries and a banana milkshake resting on the small, red dinner tray in front of her put a satisfied smile on her soft lips. Paying her meal she then followed Eluard to a nearby table, where she quickly sat down. Her gaze rested upon her companion as she took the first bite of a Big Mac, happy that she finally was able to fill her empty stomach.

Hearing Eluard's questions, her gaze dropped to the tray in front of her as a variety of feelings rushed through her body. His words had eradicated the last traces of doubt that had kept nagging on her heart as they revealed his intentions to her, but they also reminded her of the past, which made her feel uncomfortable. Putting her burger back on the piece of plastic, she raised her gaze in order to face his. Of course she hated living with the constant fear of being found out and taken away, but the thought of fighting the forces of the government, normal people that were most likely scared of the unreal abilities and possible dangers, was something she truly disliked, well aware that the price for freedom and equality was high. Folding her hands, she lowered her head in order to cushion it on them, while a deep sigh escaped her lips. She was relieved to have met another bearer of a special ability in this man-made maze and was willing to help other gifted people, but starting what could result in a war was out of question for her.

Hesitating for a moment her voice then resounded, making its way across the table, its volume ensuring that her words weren't reaching the ears of bystanders. "You don't intend to fight back, do you?" There had to be a way to enable mutants to live a peaceful live without turning this flaring conflict into a full-scale war. Claire's mind kept racing as her slightly trembling spheres carefully observed the flaxen topped man's reaction, waiting for his answer.

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[Eluard Verlaine]

She shrugged, keeping her answers to herself. Eluard didn’t press the matter. It was becoming obvious that she didn’t want to talk about herself. At all. When the matter of flavors was turned on him he replied instantly. “Mint.” He’d have it as desert, tea. He’d even sprinkle it on pizza and it was definitely a scent in the cologne he wore right now. Her order was grand enough to make Eluard smile privately to himself, half-impressed and half-amused by the capacity of her stomach and vastness of her appetite. He was perfectly sure he wouldn’t be able to eat as much himself.

During the quiet of consideration that followed his questions at the table he started one of the burgers. He was chewing placidly when she rose her eyes up and held his simple but serious gaze. The implications of his inquiries seemed to pile on her like a weight her spirit didn’t especially welcome. Eluard tilted his head a fraction as she rested her head on folded arms. His ambitions wouldn’t be easy on the mutants, if any of them found the strength and will to join his cause they would have to shoulder the weight of what had to be done.

Eluard swallowed a bite of his burger before lowering it down onto the tray, linking his hands before his mouth and adopting the same private tone she had used. “Perhaps. I would rather devise a method that didn’t involve the use of force, but if a violent approach is inevitable, then yes.” He looked away from her, his gaze going to the far away window to see the people passing by the restaurant outside. “My aim right now is to find other mutants and create a group that could act as a task force to counter the abduction attempts of the government. The only reason they’re capturing people is because mutants don’t know of each other and they don’t stick together. I want to change that, even if it’s just me. My door is always open to innocent mutants who need help and I’ll know they’re out there. If they disappear, I’ll devise a way to rescue them. But for that to begin being possible…”

His eyes returned to her and there was something widely modest in them. “I will need the help of other mutants.” Eluard was a strategist, a planner, the person who could handle the codes and direct the application of the plan, someone who could lead and listen to every last person in his group, but his fighting abilities weren’t stellar, he was normal in that department. “I wouldn’t dream of forcing anyone to do anything and I would never lead a mission with high probability of failure unless the situation was critical, but I cannot stand by and watch more futures being robbed away from young lives.”

The passion in his eyes dimmed slowly as he neared the end of his discourse. “I don’t wish anything from you but to keep in touch.” One of his hands went into his pocket and he pulled out a little card on which there was an address and a phone number. “If you’re ever found out and the location of your home is compromised, you can always come here or call for help at that number.” He pressed the card across the table towards her and drew his hand back. “To be allowed entrance you need to speak one word – “revelation.” The people who reside there are my associates, the ones without a home of their own or who chose to live under the radar.”

Eluard took his burger back up. “Of course, you can always come around just to talk. I’m available at that phone number any time.” Something hardened in his eyes, and when he looked at Claire, he was looking through her, at something without a name he always fought. “Now that I’ve found you I’m not going to let anyone take you away like they did and do so many others.”