Arrival (Open)

[Jamie "Shift" DiFiore]

Jamie felt a sense of calm and safety wash over her and she knew that Kat was using her powers to try to soothe her. Suddenly, it was all too much. Jamie couldn't handle the many emotions swirling within her. Seeing Kat's concern and feeling her maternal presence, Jamie collapsed in Kat's arms and started to cry.

"I'm s..sorry," Jamie choked. "I know this p...place is safe. I just p...panicked. Too many people have wanted to get rid of me or experiment on me." Jamie took a few deep breaths and calmed herself down. "I trust you," she said. And for the first time in a long time, Jamie truly trusted someone.

[Katrina "Black Rose" Richards]

Kat's heart broke into a million tiny pieces as Jamie fell into her arms and wept. She wrapped her arms around the girl and held her tightly, noting how thin she felt. When was the last time she'd eaten a proper meal? She could feel the overwhelming surge of emotions from Jamie encroaching on her own and felt her eyes well up with tears both for and because of Jamie. Kat stroked Jamie's hair comfortingly and held her close.

"I know, Jamie. You should never have had to feel that way and I promise you I will do everything in my power to make sure you never do again." She allowed a few tears to stream down her own cheeks but worked to keep her heartbreak from her voice. She was serious, she meant every word. She would never let anything bad happen to her if she had anything to do with it. Jamie had found the Institute now and she would be protected.

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[Anna Marie "Rogue"]

Rogue was roused from her thoughts by a knocking at her office door. The knock had a little urgency to it. She was out of her seat in seconds and opening her door to see Kole Hannigan. An odd site, to be sure.

""Miss Rogue!, We might have found a new student you need to come with me. She's really cool but kinda skittish so we should hurry."

Rogue didn't waste time. She stepped closer to Kole and took his hand, knowing his teleportation was not only the best mode of transportation in a hurry, but also his preferred method.

"Then I guess you'd better take me to 'er."

She was not a fan of the shadow realm Kole used to get from place to place, but she had felt worse sensations in her life. When they emerged from the shadows of a tree by the courtyard, she shuddered minimally and shook it off. She didn't have to look around for who Kole might have been talking about. She immediately saw Kat holding onto a crying girl.

Rogue's features softened. She walked gently up to the two girls and put on a warm and friendly smile.

"Whatchya got there, darlin'?" From what of the girl she could see she looked thin, underfed and by all accounts like she could use a warm bath and bed. A runaway, for sure, she knew what that was like all too well. It may have been a long time ago, but that's not one of those things one easily forgets. She knew Hannigan had been the same, and both of them had fallen in with a bad crowd as a result. (Mystique's Brotherhood being a worse crowd than the users who had gotten their hands on Kole if she remembered right) Rogue wondered to herself if this girl had done something similar or if she'd been lucky enough to find the Institute first.

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[Kole "Shade" Hannigan]

Kole took Rouges hand and dived back into the shadow realm, reappearing a moment later back under the tree. As he realized the to girls were crying, He steped forward to help comfort her. (Kole hated to see women cry and felt like he should do soothing about it) Before he got to them rogue spoke up, and he responded.
"This is Jamie. She is a shape changer, she can...." then Kole realized that he was talking about her like she was not here. "Well why don't you show her"

[Jamie "Shift" DiFiore]

Jamie felt immensely better as Kat and Kole comforted her. She knew that these people were kind and would not hurt her. They were going to help her and change her life for the better.

Detaching herself from Kat, Jamie turned to face the woman who had appeared with Kole. Sniffling, Jamie extended her hand toward the woman. "Hi. I'm Jamie," she said shyly.

"This is Jamie. She is a shape changer, she can....Well why don't you show her"

Nervous, Jamie looked down at her feet. "What Kole says is right. I guess you could say I'm sort of a shape shifter," Jamie said softly. "I can turn into any animal whose DNA I have acquired."

Too nervous to meet the woman's eyes, Jamie concentrated on the image of a German Shepherd, the first animal she had acquired. Within a few moments, fur began sprouting on her body as she was forced forward onto all fours. Her face elongated into a snout as a tail shot out of her back. Shortly afterwards, Jamie was no longer a human and had become the dog. Unable to fight the dog's natural happiness, Jamie's tail began wagging.

[Anna Marie "Rogue"]

Rogue's warm smile broadened a bit and she shook the hand Jamie offered. She was still having some trouble adjusting to not having to wear gloves, and shaking bare hands made the back of her mind hold its breath. She was in control, now, though, and she knew it, so she wouldn't be hurting anyone without intent ever again.

She'd seen enough things in her life that very little surprised her anymore and she'd certainly seen people turn into stranger things in stranger fashions, so she was more or less unphased by Jamie's transformation. She liked dogs, anyhow and Jamie seemed to make a pretty adorable german shepherd. She crouched down a bit to get herself on the same level as dog-Jamie. She reached her hand out calmly to let Jamie smell her hand if she wished, moving on to pet her and scratch behind her ears if she was given the signal that she was allowed. She knew some shapeshifters got weird about that sort of thing, but Jamie seemed easygoing, and maybe she'd trust her dog instincts more than her people-instincts. Dogs usually used a person's scent to judge them anyway, right? So maybe if as a dog, Jamie's senses told her Rogue was okay, she'd accept it more easily? Who knew, but it was worth a shot.

"Now ain't that fun? That's a mighty fine gift you got there, Jamie." She paused, unsure if the girl could understand her while she was a dog.

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[Jamie "Shift" DiFiore]

Jamie started to relax as the dog's natural happiness took over. The woman held her hand out for Jamie to smell. Both Jamie and the german shepherd wanted to get to know the woman better and so Jamie's head moved forward and sniffed the woman's hand. From what she could sense, the woman seemed like a nice person. Very outdoorsy. Tail wagging, Jamie licked the woman's hand and allowed her to scratch behind her ears.

"Now ain't that fun? That's a mighty fine gift you got there, Jamie."

Right before Jamie left home, she discovered that she could actually communicate telepathically with people while in an animal form. It really freaked her family out and was one of the catalysts for her running away.

"Thanks! It's nice to be able to just escape whenever you feel like it," Jamie said telepathically, directing her comment to the woman, Kole, and Kat.

[Kole "Shade" Hannigan]

Kole watched as Rogue reach out and allowed jamie to smell her, followed by her scratching her behind the ears.
"Now ain't that fun? That's a mighty fine gift you got there, Jamie."
Kole was about to agree when her heard jamie in his mind
"Thanks! It's nice to be able to just escape whenever you feel like it,"
stunned, he said
"Holy crap your a telepath to! Thats Awesome! ... you belong here, you should definitely stay...." turning to Rogue and Rose he continued " right guys?"

[Anna Marie "Rogue"]

Rogue's face fell and her eyes widened very slightly in surprise. She'd gotten used to certain voices manifesting in her mind, but she hadn't been expecting the shapeshifting girl to be a telepath as well! She regained composure quickly enough and went back to smiling in a more knowing fashion. Sh turned her head to look at Kole as he exuberantly proclaimed Jamie's abilities cool and insisted that she stay. Rogue laughed at Kole's behaviour. He was very much like a younger boy than he actually was sometimes.

"Calm down, Hannigan. It is pretty cool and we got plenty 'a folks who could help you learn to use and control your powers effectively, here," she looked to Jamie. "An we'd be happy t'have ya. But ultimately it's her choice...an' if she's got some kinda caretaker we'd need to talk to them, too." She had a pretty strong suspicion that Jamie had no such person. She knew a runaway when she saw one, but it was better to ask.

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[Jamie "Shift" DiFiore]

Jamie concentrated on her human form and shifted back into a human, her bones cracking as they switched directions. She couldn't help but smile at Kole. He seemed to be a genuinely nice guy who actually wanted her to stay. Jamie wasn't used to feeling wanted. It was such a change from what she was used to.

"Calm down, Hannigan. It is pretty cool and we got plenty 'a folks who could help you learn to use and control your powers effectively, here. An we'd be happy t'have ya. But ultimately it's her choice...an' if she's got some kinda caretaker we'd need to talk to them, too."

Jamie's smile faded. "No...I don't have a caretaker. Nobody really cares about me or what happens to me," Jamie whispered sadly. Immediately, Jamie felt bad for saying that. These people were being extremely kind and welcoming to her and here she was getting depressing. Shakin herself out of her sadness, Jamie added brightly, "But I would love to stay here! This place is awesome and I would really appreciate any help with my powers!"

[Anna Marie "Rogue"]

The light behind Rogue's eyes and smile took on a slightly sadder subtext. She reached out and put her hand comfortingly on Jamie's shoulder.

"Tell you what, darlin', you come on with me, we'll go see the Professor, see if we can't work somethin' out. Professor founded this place to take care'a people just like you, so don't you fret, none." She smiled first at Jamie, then at Kat and Kole, nodding to each of them. They'd done well and would likely be on call to help get Jamie settled if everything worked out, which she was sure it would.

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