shatterverse | (no subject)

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Valerie Bell is lounging around in front of the Cooper house, waiting for someone who looks vaguely in charge to wander by.

Until then, she's shamelessly showing off her mutant powers by juggling innumerable chunks of dirt with twelve glowing white tentacles.

Hey, it's an excercise in coordination! Right. Yep. Uh-huh.

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... right.

"So," he says, taking a pencil out from behind his ear, "would you mind telling me a little bit about yourself? I'm doing research."

"...research on what?"

Suspicious Val is suspicious.

"This," Byers says, motioning to... everything around them.

"I'm trying to gather data on the people who live here."

Beat.

"Don't know what I'm trying to accomplish with it, but... can't hurt, right?"

Small smile.

"Yeah, well, go gather somebody else's data. I ain't interested."

Byers frowns.

"Oh."

Beat.

"Does anybody live in there?" he asks, pointing to the Cooper house.

"I didn't check. Looks like, though."

"... okay," Byers says. "I'll... check there later. Sorry to bother you."

And he starts walking away, hoping she'll feel bad or something and call him back.

Oh, the soul of an optimist!

Yeah, right.

Val's just going to go back to her rocks, kthx.

...it's possible she forgets about Not Showing Off The Mutant Powers In Front Of Strangers in the process.

Byers turns to ask her which way the next town is, and promptly drops his notebook.

... WHAT.

...Aheh.

Um.

:D?

Val tries to look like tentacles are totally normal where she comes from.

Her success is limited.

Very.

Byers stares -- NAY, gapes at the young woman, jaw dangling.

"Wh --"

WHAT.

"Please. What, have you never seen a mutant before?"

"No. No, I haven't."

:|

"Well, too bad for you then."

"You're a mutant?" he asks, blinking.

The only mutants he's ever heard of...

He goes :O!

Then smacks himself in the head.

No, that's impossible.

"No duh."

"... tell me something," he says, picking up his notebook and dusting it off.

"Do you go to school?"

"...Ye-es?"

Val is highly suspicious of this line of inquiry.

Byers eyes her for a moment.

"Where?"

"Toronto."

She shouldn't, she really shouldn't-- oh hell.

"Gifted school, y'know."

Not the kind for smart kids.

"Gifted school," he repeats, swallowing hard.

"Xavier's?"

Now it's Byers' turn to be eyed!

"You've heard of it?"

...that's kind of a little bit like a yes.

"... yes," he says weakly, barely able to stop himself from dropping his notebook again.

"It's --"

Deep breath.

"I've only read about it."

WHERE THE HELL ARE LANGLY AND FROHIKE WHEN YOU NEED THEM?!

"Okay, try not to have a heart attack," she cautions. "It's just a school, man."

"It's not supposed to be real," he says, mostly to himself. "You -- mutants, they're not --"

But they are. He's looking at one RIGHT NOW. She's TALKING to him and everything, and --

"I need a DNA kit," he decides aloud. "Do you know where I can find one?"