The X-Project

Tandy arrives at the mansion, gets a new nickname and tour by Layla.


It was early evening, everyone was either still out and about or having dinner somewhere. The new girl made her way to the student living area with the map that was given to her, among other papers and stuff. Looking between the piece of paper and the hallway, it was safe to assume she was on the right floor. "It will be the third door to the right," she said to herself, shifting her backpack on her shoulder, then reaching down to pick up the large duffle bag and a large suitcase. Looking to her right, she counted the doors in her head until she reached the right one. Setting down the luggage again, she pulled out the key and tried to open it nothing.

"Come on..." She said in frustration as she tried to jam the key into the keyhole. Dropping her backpack on the floor on top of her luggage and bent down on one knee. It made her look like she was trying to pick open the door.

Layla was totally inappropriately and against the rules rolling down the hall on her skateboard, earphones in and music up. Right until she saw some random chick trying to break into the suite right the fuck across the hall from hers. 'Cause, really dude? Really? Who, like, walks into a big ass mansion and is all 'hey, lemme try to break into people's rooms'? Kleptos, that's who. And psychos, but psychos probably weren't out to like steal shit, they were out to like break in and like play with someone's intestines. Which was so not cool on like an epic scale.

The blond pulled out one ear bud and hopped off her board, foot coming down on the tail to kick up the nose. Without having to look, the teenager had the front truck in hand when she yelled, "Hey! Klepto, what the fuck do you think you're doing?"

Looking over her shoulder to see she had company, Tandy stood up. “Trying to get into my room.” Lifting up the key to show the other girl, “Either they gave me the wrong key - or the door hates me.” Wait, did this girl really call her a klepto? “I don’t want to steal anything, just want to put down my things and get some food.”

After a second or two of eyeballing the chick Layla shrugged and any apparent tension or aggression in her body language melted away with the gesture. "Why didn't you just try the keypad? And it's not your room, dude, it's your suite. There's two rooms, and another room. And shit. It's like expansive. Or something."

Layla gave her a once over, shrugged again, walked over to her own suite and punched a code into the keypad by the door. A click followed a moment later and Layla turned the handle of the now unlocked door. "It's way easier than keys, so why don't you just like use the code for yours? Maybe someone shoved gum in it or something thinkin' they'd get back at Maddie for a prank and got the wrong room. Because people are smart. I will summon Yoda and all will be revealed," she finished with what was trying for an epic voice along with a really wide sweep of her arm which ended in a gesture of invite for the new chick to walk in. "You can throw your shit in here for until we find someone to, like, make your door their bitch or something."

Tandy watched as the other girl came over and punched in a code in the keypad of her own suite. "Code?" Looking at the billion of other stuff in her hands. "I think they may have forgotten to mention a code." Tandy felt like smacking herself for not looking through her envelope thoroughly. "Thanks," the blonde said as she picked up her bags and walked into the the other blonde's suite.

"So, random inept-with-keys chick, you got a name or you just gonna let me keep giving you annoying nicknames? 'Cause, dude, I could do this for like days. Weeks, even. Maybe years. Years of stupid names."

Blinking at the blonde, "Tandy Bowen. And yours?" Putting down her stuff in the middle of the living area. "Wow, are all the suites like this?"

"I'm Layla. But I like key-inept-klepto better. It's got like a ring that Tandy just doesn't have. Besides, you don't look like a brainless, bubblegum popping cheerleader, so you need a new name," she informed her apparent new schoolmate. "I live in that room," she said, indicating the door to the right off the main common room. "And, yeah, they're pretty much all like this. Maddie lives there." She pointed to the bedroom door off to the left. "Y'know, so you know who you're like living near. It's just us in this suite. And then Megan, Meggan - with two G's because she's so much Megan one G couldn't contain her - Molly and Sarah are in the other girl's suite. But like most of them just graduated so they'll be like moving out soon and then...I dunno what happens to Molly. People move, maybe? The guys are in the other wing because like obviously there was too much hanky panky going on or some shit so they are separated out in Siberia and shit."

Layla ditched her board in her room, which involved tossing it on her bed and hopping it didn't bounce off and break anything, and then turned to give New Girl her attention again. "So, like, did they give you a map? Yvette gave me a map when I got here. It's totally useful but walking into walls because you're staring at paper is so not on. I can show you where the food lives though. Lorna does all the cooking and she's like, fucking God, okay? She is God of the Kitchen and awesome and will deliver food if you are run over and unable to walk that far. Because she is awesome. And Sharon and Laurie randomly cook shit and leave it for people too. It's like the land of never ending food. You'll love it. Unless you're, like, anorexic or something. Then you will hate it."

Tandy laughed at her new nickname, "I have been called Andy..." she managed to get in between the girls amazing skills of talking and not seeming to breathe. Tandy tried to keep up, catching that another girl Maddie lived in the same suite as Layla and that two other girls lived in another. "Is there like a rule for only two girls per room?"

Keeping her mouth shut until it seemed like Layla was finished, Tandy chuckled again. "I like you already. They did give me a map and other paper stuff. And food sounds so good right now. I haven't eaten since this morning and I feel like I can eat an entire cow. No I love food and food loves me. Perhaps you can show me around? Better than looking at a map and running into walls, right?"

"But the walls will be so sad!" Layla burst out, arms flying into the air in a particularly impressive, if sudden, display of woe. "Who will love them now?!" Her shoulders slumped, posture wilting as she hung her head. The teen held the stance for a minute, then stood up normally and shot Tandy a smirking half-smile. "Alright, c'mon eighty-six, onward ho! And, dude, why are people always telling hos to go onward? Shouldn't it be like 'downward ho' or something? Whatever." A hand waved dismissively, sweeping the thought away.

A moment later Layla was out the door and assuming Tandy was following her. "So, Andy? Really? You totally lack the like boyish charm to pull that off. Unless you were born a dude, which is cool or whatevs. Just, I dunno. Maybe Andy works. I dunno, I need to consider this. Re-naming you is an important and serious matter, you know! And, nah, two girls to a suite isn't the rule. Like I said, there's four in the other one. Usually it's like two girls to a room and four to a suite, I think, but like there was a suite full o' chick and then I showed up so I got my own and then Mads showed up and then no one else showed up. Until you. So, what landed you here? Do you spontaneously combust? 'Cause that could make living with you like way hazardous. You're not exceptionally scared or like road kill, are you?"

"Pictures?" Tandy said with a half smile. "Eighty-six? I get a number as well, I feel like I won something." Tandy laughed at the question. "That is a good question, it could be a code word or something." She followed Layla out to the hallway. "Someone at my old school got my name wrong when we were in like 1st grade and it kind of stuck." Tandy cleared her throat as she quickly said the next part. "I form daggers. And once a week I tend to combust. Not like explosion, but there is a lot of light and at the end of it daggers are flying everywhere. Don't worry, there is a warning before hand, I get really sick before it happens. I also glow in the dark."

"Pictures don't know how to love right. They're totally self-centered and want all the attention, y'know?" Layla shook her head, sighing at the pictures' apparent lack of skill with love. "You glow in the dark and shoot daggers? Dude, thank fuck you're not living with me. No offense, but I am so not getting like, what? Light stabbed? Light stabbed in your sleep would suck." She stopped in the middle of the hall suddenly and stared at Tandy, head cocking to the side. "What the fuck does getting stabbed with a light dagger even do to people?" Not waiting for the answer, she was off again, crossing in front of the stairs to head over to the boys' wing of the floor.

"Anyway, yes, you're eighty-six. Vance was eighty-three. I'm not sure what happened to eighty-four and eighty-five but sometimes it's better not to know these things, you know?" Layla stopped in front of a seemingly random door and pulled a whole Vanna White gesturing thing. "This is the boys' suite. Matt is blind and has like super senses so he can hear you coming and shit. And he has radar. It's weird, I dunno. Artie is grumpy and mute. He's also a dick sometimes but not answering is because he like legit can't. Like physically. And Korvus is here too. He's awesome but from India so he talks like a history professor. But he also gave me a bracelet that's a weapon when I was road kill the first time and thus he is awesome." She turned on her heel and headed down the hall toward the center of the floor again. "So, yeah, you're eighty-six. As in Wayward Mutant Eighty-Six. You need another name, though. 'Cause Vance is Eighty-Three and we can't have you like encroaching on his snowflake-ness, you know?"

"True, but without the wall how would the pictures get attention?" When asked what does her light daggers do to people, Tandy scratched her head. "I don't take offense. I wouldn't want to sleep with me in the same room either...just in case. Um...I put some people in a coma. I think. I don't remember what happened. Light appeared, blackout, woke up in the hospital with them in a coma. BUT I did hear one of them woke up." She added quickly.

Stopping again at a door, Layla explained the boys. Seemed like the girls outweighed the boys at this school. Nodding again in understanding they continued on their way. "How many people are here total?" She asked. "And you can call me key-inept-klepto, it is growing on me."

"I could call you Kik for short." The blonde grinned, clearly totally fond of this potential name. "There's a lotta people. There's the three guys and then like seven girls including you but that's just students. You have Ms Frost and Herr Sefton and Mr Guthrie - never mention bonus points with him, trust me - and Mr Summers and Dr Grey-Summers and I"m totally missing people but there are teachers. And you have to take self-defense with Mr Lexington who is kind of a douche and Callisto who is like mute but she's alright. And there's a bunch of college people who went to high school here like Yoda and Laurie and Marius and the RAs are both college people, that's Yvette who is red and sharp and like nice but, I dunno. Too nice or something. She's alright but not really my people or whatever. And Jean-Phillipe who is snarky and French and awesome who is totally my people. But Yvette can be your people, she is totally like legit people and shit. And then there's like non-teacher adults like Mr Kane who's an FBI agent. So, um, a lot? Ish? Like forty or something maybe?"

Layla pulled up in front of the doorway to the rec room. "Behold, a TV! Oooh, aaah. I know, impressive, right? There's like a metric fuckton of movies and shit and there's like this little room that's like a mini-rec room or whatever but like no one uses it. And this couch is way better. Plus, dude, bean bag chairs. Need I say more? I think not!"

Tandy smirked back at her new shortened nickname. She listened as Layla went on with everyone here. "College students live here too? I thought this was just a high school or something." Her view point of this school changed with this little new information, this was not your typical high school. "So it is basically a full house here?'

Looking into the rec room, "Nope, you won me over at bean bag chairs. Seems like this place has everything. I heard there was a beach in the boiler room, not sure how that is even possible. But my life has turned upside down so I'll believe it."

"I dunno if it's full. I mean, dude, it's a mansion. You could fit way more people in here." The skater turned without any warning and went off toward the stairs again. "There is a beach in the boiler room. There's like holographic shit or something and lots of sand. There's a pool and a gym with a trapeze and a like medical lab area thing for when people get exploded, or, you know, sick. There's a ballroom, no lie, and like a bunch of classrooms and there's a half-pipe outside and like a fountain and woods for days and like a rock quarry thingum and an archery range oh and people kill deer and rabbits and shit so if you're like squeamish about that whole kill your own food thing? Yeah, you should probably avoid being near the woods when certain people are out."

Stopping at the stairs, Layla pointed up to the third floor. "The college people and grads live up there and the teacher people and staff do too. You're not like banned or whatever, but you know how old people can be. You know, old." She wrinkled her nose, spun around and headed to go down the stairs to the first floor with a hop in her step. She pointed at the elevator on her way. "That's the elevator, totally self-explanatory, right? Oh we have a library too. With a librarian. She's sort of weird but she's okay. And there's like parts of the basement or whatever you can't get into because you're not a superhero. For real. But you'll get into the Danger Room to do like group stuff with the other students because you're totally required to be part of the New Mutants - I know, lame name, right? - for like a year or whatever. It's way not as interesting as you'd think with 'Danger Room' being involved. It only gets used for really cool shit for the super heroes. You followin' all this?"

Tandy reached the first floor with Layla. Nodding to Layla's question, "Beach, pool, gym, medical lab, ballroom, classroms, half-pipe outside, fountain, rocky quarry, archery range, woods and libaray. Third floor is where grads and professors sleep. Basements off limits. There is something called the Danger Room, what is that? And what is New Mutants? And I heard something about superheros not quite sure if I catch your drift on that one. But yes, I am followin'." Grinning at Layla. Tandy wasn't trying to show off but was showing the girl that she was indeed listening to all this information. "The only question remains...point me to the kitchen."

"What? And let you get your Wayward Newbie ass lost on the way? Not a chance, Kik. I'ma go see if Herr Wuschelig will let me borrow his dog's leash so I can drag you around and make sure you don't, I dunno, wind up in the dude's locker room looking for a hamburger or something." Shaking her head, Layla pivoted and headed for the kitchen. Because, hey, she was theoretically still a growing person and food was, well, food. "Not the whole basement is outta bounds, you messed that one up. 'Cause, like, the medlab is down there. And the boiler beach thingum. So's the Danger Room, which is basically like this huge room that gets it's holographic mojo on and then throws out holographified obstacles and shit. The superheroes do training stuff there for, you know, not getting dead and shit. New Mutants is a sort of group building group thing or whatever. So we have like group working together exercises that happen in there. And since you're all Dagger Girl and shit they'll probably do powers training in there with you so no one gets killed. Or, like, I assume so." Layla shrugged. "I don't do the whole Danger Room thing outside of like New Mutants shit so I'm not like one hundred percent sure."

Tandy smiled at Layla, though a dog leash might be a little far. But she didn't want to end up in the guy's locker room. That would be embarrassing. She followed Layla through the hallway. "The Danger Room seems...kind of fun." Tandy wasn't going to lie and say she wasn't excited about training, especially since she could use her powers. "Yea, I don't think I would make a very good impression if I like killed someone on my first day of training." She could suddenly smell food, "Oh my god, I can smell food. We are close."

Layla shrugged. "It's cool, the doctor is like down the hall. They'd hafta die like really fast for Doctor Grey to not be able to like, I dunno, hook them up to shit and fix them or whatever. I think. I could be wrong. Maybe light daggers are like super lethal or some shit, though." Layla slowed her pace and came to a stop near a doorway. She spun around to face Tandy and made a sweeping gesture toward the doorway with her arm. "I give you, the kitchen! Epic, right?"

"Killer light daggers..." Tandy sighed. "I have a feeling I'll have to find that out sooner or later." She perked up as she saw the kitchen. It seemed so good in there, like someone had been making cookies or something. "I don't know where to start...can we eat like anything in here?" Making sure it was okay before she raided the fridge.

"Yeah, unless it's like labeled with someone's name. I think Kyle's shit's labeled a lot 'cause he has like funky mutant digestion or some shit like that and some stuff he can't eat 'cause of it." Layla wandered into the kitchen like she owned the place, which sometimes she sort of felt like she did. Uh, but she would never, ever be admitting that where Lorna was since Layla was totally like an usurper or something. The blonde hopped up onto the island and plucked an apple out of the bowl there. "It's like a food for all up in this joint," she told Tandy with her best - read: awful - 80's gangsta voice.

Tandy opened the fridge and took out a pre-made sandwich that didn't have a name on it. Walking over to Layla, "Can anyone cook in here?" Unwrapping it and taking a bite, her stomach was thanking her now.

"Yeah, but if you blow it up Lorna might, like, death ray you or something," Layla answered casually, taking another crunching bite of her apple. "She does like all the real cooking for people. Like, for meals and shit. And if people have funky like can't eat lists and stuff she like makes them their own versions of stuff that they can eat and all that. She's cool, but she still might death ray you if you blow up the kitchen."

"Um, I don't think I can blow up a kitchen. But I did blow up a burrito in a microwave. I put it at twenty minutes and not two minutes." Grinning, she took another bite out of her sandwich. "Does she have death ray vision or something like that?"

"No, she has like a magnetism thing, I think. Like she can pick up metal shit with the power of her mind and stuff. And she has green hair. I guess that's kinda like a power, too. I mean, Cammie has green hair but she's poisonous so that sorta makes sense. Cammie doesn't live here, though. And she's not a student." Layla frowned. She was probably confusing new kid now. "See, there's a bunch of people who graduated from here or like used to work here and shit who all work at this place in the city. Cammie's one of them. Whatever, you'll probably see most of them on the journals. And some of them come here, like Amanda who is all trying to help Nico teach me stupid energy channeling or whatever." She rolled her eyes, not because of Amanda but because she obviously sucked at it.

"Green hair? That is awesome." Looking at her own blonde hair. "So I shouldn't get those two confused." More names, taking a deep breathe. "Wow, this place has a lot more than Ms Frost first mentioned. Probably didn't want to overwhelm my dad." Looking back at Layla. "But so far I kind of like here it. Doesn't seem like a dull moment here and I like that."

"There's plenty of dull moments." Layla wondered where this chick was from that she actually thought somehow they didn't qualify as having dull moments here? "Classes can be really fucking boring, for example. And like if you don't find shit to entertain yourself you might be like fall down dead levels of bored. 'Cause, like, yeah, you can walk to town from here and shit but there is a lot of land around the mansion so it's not like you're gonna get random car crashes or muggings to watch or some shit."

"Oh yea classes." Tandy made a face. "I hate classes. Don't see the point of them." Tandy looked over at Layla. "I never seen those things anyways. Ohio is pretty boring. So I have learned a thing or two on keeping myself entertained. "

"If your idea of 'entertained' is to snort chopped up caffeine pills, get drunk and fuck the closest dude then you are totally in the wrong place. I mean, that's what people do for fun in small, boring towns, right?" Layla chomped on her apple, totally unfazed by her apparent gross misunderstanding of small town life in general. "That's what TV taught me!"

Tandy laughed and shook her head, "No. T.V. has the wrong idea." Shaking her head, city girls. "I play video games and lots of the. That is one of the ways I keep busy."

"Oh, so you're boring." Layla said this as if a lightbulb was going off in her head. "You're gonna hafta to work on that, Kik. No one likes a boring mutant with killer light daggers. That's so, like, five years ago." She rolled her eyes and shook her head before sighing the Great Sigh of Disappointment. She'd learned that from one of her foster moms.