[h1][color=crimson]Zachariah Bale[/color] & [color=a2d39c]Mason Crawford[/color][/h1]
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[color=crimson][sub]“’Ook at a’ these ta’agotchis ‘egging ‘or the needle.”[/sub][/color]
 
It’s kind of hard to whisper when you have no lips, but Zach was sure not many folks had heard him. Even if they had, they wouldn’t have understood a single word. Many of them passed glances at him, wondering what in the [i]hell[/i] happened to make him look like a burn victim wearing a cyberpunk hoodie and goggles. Must’ve been power-related, a lot of folks figured. He could see it on their faces. And oh, too, he could see the looks spelling out the thoughts he was expecting to run into. [i]I’m so excited! I’m going to get to meet new people with new powers![/i] All of them, begging for the metaphorical needle. And like [i]hell[/i] if he was going to explain what that meant if anyone asked him.

Eventually, after working his way through the small crowd, he ended up right in front of the reception desk, with that very excited woman looking him straight on, undeterred by his physical appearance.

"Zachariah Bale! So glad you made it," the receptionist beamed, fishing around in her folder for the mutant's file. "You're in room 139 with Mason Crawford." she said, without looking at the file as she presented it. "He just left five minutes and twelve seconds ago," he said, gesturing in the direction the other man had headed. 

[color=crimson]"Are all the rece'tionists psychic or did I 'ick the lucky line?"[/color] Zach replied, mouth left a little agape.

Jennifer giggled. "Haha, no. Just me, I'm afraid!" she said. She was the only woman on duty at the main reception, and despite the rush of students it was not a burden for her. Her powers simply made the job easy; she knew what she had to do, and she did it. "And actually, I'm not psychic," she said, passing a file to a different mutant with just a nod and a smile. "I'm a panmnesiac. I remember... Pretty much everything!" she said, laughing before turning to serve the next student in the line. 

[color=crimson]"Hey, hey."[/color] Zach continued, waving his hand to get Jennifer's attention once again. [color=crimson]"You're gonna hear this 'rom 'e 'irst. Any 'eird shit ha'ens, I ain't a 'art o' it."[/color] He sounded very, very sure of himself in that moment. And if all things he'd considered turned out to be true in the coming days, he was going to stick to his word and not get involved. These things, however, had drastic ways of changing. Jennifer did not reply to his statement, she was focusing on servicing another student. Zach grit his teeth, turned away, and began walking to who-knows-where. He hadn't looked at a map of this place well enough to figure out any prime locations to head to first.

As he wandered, however, a thought crossed his mind. And he half-whispered it like he did before.

[color=crimson][sub]"Wh' the hell is 'Ason."[/sub][/color]

Mason's ears pricked up. Ason? He looked towards the guy who had spoken. Jeez, he was really badly burned. Mason figured it probably made him deaf or something, hence the guy's speech impediment - but then he noticed that he practically had no lips at all. He felt sorry for the guy, it can't be easy to go out the house like that every day.

"[b][color=a2d39c]Um, sorry,[/color][/b]" he began, clearing his throat. "[b][color=a2d39c]Did you say Mason?[/color][/b]" He was going to feel really fucking awkward if he'd misheard the man. 

Zach paused for a moment and looked at Mason inquisitively. [color=crimson]"'Eah."[/color] He replied, nodding a bit, [color=crimson]"The 'riggin' 'an-esiac 'er there said yeh and I are 'uddies."[/color] Zach's head was racing with thoughts of how the conversation was gonna go down, and they all pointed to one string of questions and responses that he was going to try his best to avoid. But hey, maybe the first one he meets should catch a break.

Mason smiled. The guy was friendly enough, even if it was difficult to understand what he was saying. "[b][color=a2d39c]Well, that's cool,[/color][/b]" he said, sounding as genuine as he could. "[b][color=a2d39c]What's your name?[/color][/b]" he asked, looking around a little awkwardly. Mason was no social recluse, but he always found it difficult to make conversation with disabled people. He was scared of saying something that might offend them. "[b][color=a2d39c]Have you any idea where our room is?[/color][/b]" Mason could see the sign for 'DORMITORIES' behind the guy, but he was struggling for conversation. 

[color=crimson]"Nay's..."[/color] Zach paused for a bit, considering something. [color=crimson]"It's Zach, 'ut... I'd really a'reciate ith 'ou cah'd 'e... [i]S'itch[/i]. 'Know, 'ike the..."[/color] Zach made a little motion with his fingers like he was flipping a switch on and off. [color=crimson]"'Sa nicknay, 'eah?"[/color] In truth, he'd always imagined his stage name as a disc jockey would be Sw1tch Se7en. Never used it in conversation until now though. Probably the only use it was ever going to get.

Mason couldn't help but smirk a little when Zach asked to be called by a nickname. He got the impression this wasn't something anyone ever called him and was more an attempt at reinvention now that he's up here in the hills. Whatever it was, if it made him happy Mason would comply; the guy was sweet enough.

"[b][color=a2d39c]Alright, Switch,[/color][/b]" he said, smiling bemusedly. "[b][color=a2d39c]I think the dorms might be this way.[/color][/b]" he said, pointing up the corridor towards a large stairwell. 

Zach turned his head. [color=crimson]"'Eah."[/color] He replied, nodding, [color=crimson]"They sure are."[/color] He turned back to Mason and said, [color=crimson]"Yeh, uh... yeh g' ahead, thegh. I 'eel like takin' a 'alk around. Get a... a [i]'eel[/i] 'or this joint."[/color] He patted Mason's shoulder and finished, [color=crimson]"Take care, 'ud."[/color]

And with that, he strolled off.