from the inside (Danny- then open)

[halla]

In her selected form of the black wolf, Halla sped past several students in their daily outdoor activities. Her gaze was to the right, watching as they stared at her blurred form, then to the left. Her breath was coming out in short ragged gasps, her heart felt as if it was going to burst. Suddenly, her gaze was attracted to her far left, where a young male, about her age was practicing his 'powers'. Feeling an odd pull towards him, almost as if they were linked by some... invisible rope, a fish on a hook. Just before she was about to slam into a painful impact for the both of them, she tore away and veered to the right, missing him by feet.

She shot a quick glance behind her and saw that he hadnt noticed her... yet. She returned her gaze before and slid to a quick stop infront of a large fountain, it's effect was somehow... calming to her hardened soul. But still. She padded around the large piece of artwork, her eyes never leaving the statue in the middle. She paused again, this time ripping her gaze away and to the ground, her breath still comming out hard and short. *I'm dying...* She thought... but was she really? Halla laid herself down and buried her muzzle in her front paws... too much running for that seemingly short amount of time. But here, she hoped she would be safe.

[Tempero]

Danny is out and about, standing near the fountain in the courtyard, concentrating deeply.

He is trying to focus on a section of his mutation- the ability to detect other mutations. In the same way that telepaths can probably detect other's thoughts, Danny can detect other's mutations. If he closes his eyes while doing this, he can actually see them in form of DNA strands, in colors, each mutation having its own color. He has learned a while ago that telepaths have a light blue, almost teal color, and telekinetics are a deeper shade of blue. Bobby's mutation is whitish, and Warren has a dark purple one, same as Riley.

Of course, they all have little tiny bits of other colors. It's like looking at the world without anything but the people visible, and them being just multicolored indefinite forms. One, though, is a new color to him. It is somewhere between yellow and green, and the colors seem to be mixing and moving around all the time, characteristic untypical for the rest. Usually the colors are fixed.

And the shape...it's very canine-looking. And fast. And at first, when it goes by just a few feet away from him, he is to stunned to actually react- it is incredible for Danny to think how much his powers got stronger over the years. He hasn't used what he calls "the sight" in years. Wow.

But now is not the time for thinking about this marvelous part of his mutation. He stands up and walks over to the shape, his eyes closed, but he avoids every student very successfully. As he comes to the wolf, eyes now open, he sits in a lotus position and smiles at the creature. He knows that this is a student, and that he or she (It has to be a she, I'm almost certain. he thinks) is still as aware as in human form.

Which means telepathy is possible.

<Um...hi...sorry for interrupting...um...I'm Daniel.> he sends her a message. He really wants to get to know her, for some odd reason. It is not because of her mutation signature. It's just that...somehow...well, maybe it is because of the signature. And maybe something else. He's not sure, but it's definitely something.

[halla]

Halla's ears went up and her head followed them. She whipped her head around and stared at the young boy. A sudden realization hit her and she laid her ears back in an apologetic gesture. Did he just...Duh... institute for mutants...Now... how do I do this...Lets try this... she thought then she tried to reach back to him

<There is nothing important enough in my life that I need to worry about someone interrupted, I'm sorry for almost running into you earlier, I wasn't really paying much attention, Too deep in thoughts that were not there...>

Halla's shoulders sank and her gaze fell to the ground.

<Nevermind...I'm Halla...>

She shivered then remembered that her fur was still soaking wet from her little swim across the stream, and the slight dribble of blood on her front paw from the log that she didn't exactly do the most graceful jump over. I look like a mess... she thought then looked back up at Daniel

<I'm sorry... do you have a place that I could clean up at?> She was embarrassed to ask, but she had to. She couldn't walk around here covered in dirt and blood.

[Tempero]

Danny chuckles at her explanation. <Heh, I was pretty deep in my own thoughts, too. Pleased to meet you, Halla. That's an interesting name. Unique.> he sends to her, smiling. Why did her color keep changing? It must be some specific type of mutation...

>><I'm sorry... do you have a place that I could clean up at?>

<Hmm...I guess you could use my room. I've never used it in my life, but it's on the second floor, I don't know how to take you there.> he replies, biting his lip. OK, now she will be asking questions. Questions I don't want to answer... damn. Or maybe she won't.

As he thinks over what he has sent over to Halla, Daniel starts realizing just how sick and tired he is of the whole claustrophobia deal, but there is now way he can think of to get rid of it. Just my luck...stuck with an unreasonable fear of going anywhere inside, no matter how large the space is...for the rest of my life. And a fine one it will be then. he thinks, some of his sadness accidentally escaping through the telepathic link, showing her his dominant emotion, but none of his thoughts.

<Oh, I guess there's a bathroom on the ground floor. If I remember, there should be one over there.> he points in the direction he thinks right. It probably is, but Danny's not all that sure. After all, he's never been past the main hall, and even then he had a big problem with staying there. And to think...it all started way back nine years ago, when they...left.

[halla]

<Hmm...I guess you could use my room. I've never used it in my life, but it's on the second floor, I don't know how to take you there.>

Halla looked up at him, confused <You don't use your room, I would give almost anything to have a room, haven't had one in years...sorry.> She then tried to make a smile without making it look like she was planning on how she could kill him. <If you dont mind me asking... Why don't you use your room? Is there something wrong with it? do you... nevermind> She felt as if this time, she went too far. Halla looked around and sighed I should probably change back to human so I stop making him look like a moron who likes talking to a freaked out animal. She grimaced and looked down that's all I am, an animal... She wasn't sure, but she thought that she accidentally sent that last thought over the link.

She then felt a sudden sadness wash over her, and it wasn't her own. She looked at Danny with an understanding look in her eyes <listen, whatever it is, you don't have to tell me if you dont want to...>She took a quick glance around and to her surprise, nobody was watching. All the better.<Hey, I'm gonna change back now, if you wanna leave... you can, it's not the prettiest sight in the world...>She laughed a bit at this and gave him a reassuring smile

[Tempero]

Danny, after taking a few seconds to get rid of the melancholy, snaps back into reality and smiles at her. <Oh, it's OK, I started it, so I should finish it. You see, I'm very claustrophobic. Can't get pass the main hall.>

He catches a thought from her, and not a "pretty" one at that. <Halla, you're far from just an animal. I am sure that you are every bit human as anyone else here, if not even more for the sense of reason you seem to have, more than I could say for some of the others. Or think... Oh...wait...that was your own thought. Sorry, sometimes I pick up stray thoughts as well as messages. I didn't mean to intrude.> he sends her a message, stopping him in mid-sentence, realizing that the thought was supposed to be her own.

He smiles at her comment about a change. <It's fine, really, I can take it. Unless you don't want me to watch?> he asks, resisting the urge to bombard her mind with hundreds of questions about her mutation. After all, it was the strangest color yet. And it moved. I really wonder what it is... he thinks, fragments of his thought escaping his mind over the link.