Summary: Skyler meets Kaylee for the first time. Kaylee braves the outside world… as her true self?
Date: June 10, 2012
Log Title: Who are we, really?
Rating: PG
Xavier Mansion - Pool
A large Olympic size pool sits outside at the edge of the property over looking Breakstone Lake. The pool, always heated to the right temperature, starts at a depth of 4 feet at the shallowest end, and gradually reaches a depth of 20ft. A diving board sits at the far end of the pool. Off to the side of the shallow end, a hot tub is built into the ground for those wanting to relax. Pool chairs and tables sit along the side of the pool for those just wanting to enjoy the sunshine.
Today, Skyler is in the body of a young woman, somewhere around her mid twenties. Her auburn hair is tied back into a ponytail, showing off her hallmark red diamond tattoo on her forehead. She's dressed in a pair of loose fitting jean shorts, a plain white t-shirt and some flip-flops, and has a pool net in her hands to clean out all the floating debris that seems to accumulate in the pool over the days. She seems to be lost in thought as she performs this chore, idly stirring the water while she cleans.
It's one of his days off, and things are… rather slow. In fact, the dorms and grounds were almost empty today; as evidenced by the lack of people swimming in the pool on a nice day for it. Perhaps that is what caused Cale to be a little adventurous; this afternoon, he is Kaylee. Kaylee is wearing the outfit she and Taylor picked out in the city a few weeks ago; some of the few female clothes that she owns. A flowing black skirt that ends about two thirds of the way down her thighs; legs smoothly shaven, black sandals, and a purple long sleeve shirt with a high neckline, tight around the waist. Her hair is neatly brushed and care for today, simply parted down the middle with it spilling around her shoulders; her nails painted a matching purple to her shirt.
Of course, with her powers, it wasn't that hard to sneak out of the dorms without being seen, and she reckoned once she got away from the main buildings things would be deserted. So, when Kaylee spots Skyler, she freezes. At this distance, it's hard to tell, but it doesn't look like someone she knows. Or has seen before. That's probably a good thing, but, she still can't will her feet to move. "Not good, not good, not good," she murmurs nervously.
Skyler is broken out of her reverie, by some muttering off at the edge of the pool. Blinking, she looks up to peer at where Kaylee is standing frozen. "Hello?" she calls out. "The pool is closed." She leans forward a bit as she squints at the girl, trying to place the face, and then it dawns on her. "Cale? Is that you?"
Kaylee brushes her bangs out of her eyes, squinting at this person who knows her real name. Her face is, well, it's recognizable, but perhaps made up enough so that if someone didn't know her, they wouldn't be able to tell she was really a boy. "I, uh," she squeaks, "Who are you?" she takes one foot, putting it behind her, carefully as if getting ready to bolt. The voice, though perhaps forced an octave or two higher, is certainly Cale's. One part he hasn't practiced very much is talking, because… it's just hard to do it quite right alone in a room.
"Skyler," answers the shape changing mutant. "Sorry. I know it's hard to keep track of what I look like." She leans back, satisfied that she's confirmed the identity of her visitor. "You look good, Cale," she says, pleasantly enough.
"Ka… Kaylee," the girl blurts out, "I like the name Kaylee. It sounds nicer. I think. Does it sound nicer?" she plays with the hem of her skirt nervously with one hand, the other hand holding that arm. "That's what my friends. I mean, my friends online call me," she pauses, "Do you… think so? I look… good?" she closes the distance between the two of them, slowly, after the reaction is positive and not negative. But still, slowly. "You look good… too. I don't think I recognize this one," she adds softly.
Skyler gives the poor girl a slight nod and says gently, "Kaylee it is, then." She shrugs at the state of her own body. "I try not to copy anybody who actually goes or works at the school if I can help it, to cut down on the confusion, and I don't really have a stable of people I can choose from out in New York, other than my sister." She shakes her head, "And that gets kinda creepy, if you ask me."
"Oh… But, I like my sister! I'd be just like her, if I could. Well, not just like her. But," Kaylee chews on her lip, "I dunno. I just look up to her a lot. Anyway, I - you're really calm, you know that? Anyway." She does seem to be calming down somewhat, though she's still a little jittery. "If I could copy my sister, I probably would! Though, I think maybe she might not like that…"
"Thank you," Skyler says with a smile, "I try to be. I've seen a lot of really weird stuff in my life, and seeing somebody who decides to dress the way they want to dress isn't one of them." Stretching out with the pool net she attempts to snag some leaves that have drifted off in the middle. "My girlfriend…. or ex-girlfriend… we, uh, have a lot to work out. Anyway, that's besides the point. She was a lot like you when we first met."
"Oh… yeah?" Kaylee, pauses, kicking her sandals off and dipping a couple toes into the pool. Soon enough, she is seated on the edge, bare feet swishing around in the water happily. "Sorry, it's a little… warm. I don't cool off well. I think it's a whole. Lizard thing. Anyway!" Swish. She relaxes a little. "I've met a couple people, maybe, who're kinda like me. One of them. I don't know. She had this crazy story about magic. It was pretty unbelievable."
"There's a lot of people like you," Skyler says, encouragingly. "It's not as uncommon as you might think. I've… kind of been out of touch for a while, but I know that there's a rather large support network out there." She pulls the net back and empties out the debris in a nearby bucket. "I'm sure you've found a couple on the 'net by now, but if this is how you feel you really are, then you shouldn't hide it. Especially around here."
"You think so? I don't know… it's… scary. This is the first time I've been outside, well, okay, second, but," Kaylee ponders, "Maybe trying on clothes at the store doesn't count. I dunno. I mean. I like boys. I'm just pretty sure that I don't like being one. It just doesn't feel right. Like I have to act in certain ways and. I dunno," she shrugs. "But, I mean, like. What about Nick. Or that Quenton guy or… It just doesn't seem like everyone would understand."
"No," agrees Skyler, again giving Kaylee gentle advise. "Possibly not, and that's okay. There are always going to be people who aren't going to understand you. But if Nick and Quentin are you friends, then you do them, and yourself, a disservice by pretending to be something you're not." She pauses as she goes for a wasp that seems to have drowned in the pool, deftly netting it up and depositing it in the bucket. "I mean how do you expect other people to be comfortable with who you are if you aren't comfortable with who you are?"
"Well Quenton's more of a jerk than a friend, though, Nick is …" Kaylee trails off, "Someone that I like, a lot." She glances off to the side. "I've never heard anybody put it like that before. I mean. I guess, it's not… necessarily that simple, but. I think I get what you mean by it. That I need to tell people the truth, instead of hiding. Or else it's just going to make things worse."
Skyler gives Kaylee another encouraging nod. "Exactly. I know it's not going to be an easy thing to do, but rarely the right things to do are." She steps back, once she's done fishing out another leaf and eyes the pool critically. "There. I think that'll do it."
"Oh! Well," Kaylee peers at the pool, pulling her feet out of it, "I guess… I guess I'm gonna go finish my walk," she smiles, fighting the urge to go back and hide out in her room again. "And then I'll see you around later, I guess." Though she looked pretty nervous at first, she is practically beaming right now after talking to Skyler. "Thanks. I mean. I know it's not a big deal to you, maybe, but it means a lot to me. That you're okay with everything." Slipping her sandals back on, she takes off in the opposite direction. Well, towards the more forested area at the back of the property.
