I'm proposing a swift orderly change - Benji

[Willow Kovacs]

So Michigan was miserable - it was cold, and frigid and very tiring. The adult was so pleased to be returning to Vermont soon - sure, it was still frigid there, but less so than here. Here, there were pounds of snow. Back at Hammel, they only had a couple inches. It was the lesser of two evils. Willow let out a sort of animalistic growl of discontent, another shiver racketing through her thin body. Being cold blooded wasn't quite so great when it was below freezing. Snow had begun to fall again from the vast, pregnant clouds above the city, little flakes dancing in the sweeping wind, twirling and falling until they hit the ground, only to be crushed by the feet of many pedestrians. Wisps of short breaths were visible as the raven stood patiently outside the doorway of the most recently discovered "special." A healer - biological manipulator, by the name of Benjamin Park. Age fifteen, shows potential with his ability, though he does need much training as to not hurt himself in turn to healing other. The teenager seemed well enough, except the fact that he hadn't said a single word since she arrived. Willow didn't blame him, but she did find it kind of... bothersome. Only later she realised he was mute.

Glancing out of the corner of her eye toward the living room where festivities had been held only a half hour ago. There were still a few stragglers from the going-away party that were in tears, hugging and kissing Benjamin with enthusiasm, telling him their best wishes and to write, stay in touch, etc. She let out a sigh, burying her nose in the scarf around her neck, trying to keep it warm, though that was practically impossible by now. The nippy weather had already sunk into her temperature sensitive skin, making more shivers run through her spine. Moving her hands from where they tightly hugged her midsection, she moved the glove away from her wristwatch, studying the hands momentarily. They had about an hour before the plane left for Vermont, and that was damn close enough for her. Though the airport was about fifteen minutes away, she really didn't feel like being in the freezing cold anymore.

Opening the door to the house, she shimmied her body in silently, carefully closing the door behind her as she witnessed yet another tearful hug. Clearing her throat subtly, all eyes went to her. "Excuse me," Her voice was curt, but polite, "I'm afraid I'll have to cut this short, we must get to the airport." Willow's voice was stern and unmistakable, tilting her head back and sending them an expectant look. When she was pointed in the direction of the boy's luggage, she turned swiftly and picked up the multiple bags without much struggle. Clearing her throat, Willow nodded toward the family and walked through the door, allowing the teen a few more minutes with his loved ones.

She tossed the bags into the trunk of the rented car, shivering again and tightening the scarf around her thin neck. Looking to the door where the lanky brunette was finally make his way to her car, she flashed a sympathetic, forced smile to the parents who were waving goodbye to their son.

Willow sat down heavily in the driver's seat, starting the car and removing the powder-blue gloves from her hands. She rubbed them together furiously, trying to make up some warmth that she had lost. She glanced sideways at the teen, brown eyes studying his figure in the passenger's seat. "How can you stand this cold?" She muttered, pulling away from the house and going down the road in the direction of the airport. Her parents had informed her only a bit ago that the boy doesn't speak, but she had hoped he knew some sort of communication. Benjamin seemed alright - pretty shy, introverted. And like he wouldn't bother her at the school, unlike some other student she recruited that she had more than once had to discipline.

---

Clothes

[Benjamin Park]

Benjamin Park had never been away from home before.

It was a frightening thought that he'd he'd be leaving his family and friends behind, that he would be coming home to stay at his cozy little house for at least three years. It had been difficult to pack up his belongings, to fill suitcases with his clothes and other important items. It was weird to see his room looking so empty and lifeless when he was done. The hardest thing of all, though, was saying goodbye. He'd led a sheltered life wherein the comfort and protection of his parents had never been far, but now he was going off to a school he'd never heard of up until a couple months ago high in the mountains of Vermont.

He'd first met the recruiters shortly after his surgery and they seemed nice enough at the time. They told him all about Hammel, about the other kids that could do strange things just like him. They told him that they could train him to use his power without hurting himself, told him that it was a safe haven. He wanted to go, he wanted to learn how to control this gift, but it terrified him then just as much as it did now. It was especially heartbreaking now that everything he'd ever cared for had gathered to wish him the best of luck at the new school. Yet Benji hadn't cried. He wanted them all to think he was brave, even though his stomach was up in knots and his heart was caught somewhere in his throat.

The woman who had come to pick him up made him feel a little uneasy, but she didn't appear to be a particularly bad person. He supposed it could have been worse, but at the same time he was thinking this had to be one of the worst days of his life. Perhaps even more so than the day he learned that he would never talk again. He held his head high, though, when Willow said they had to leave, even when he gave everyone a final hug. He knew this wasn't a goodbye that would last forever, but the way his parents sobbed made it almost feel that way. Clutching his notebook and pen to his chest, Benji finally made his way to the waiting car and slid into the passengers seat, buckling in for a need of something to do with his hands.

He wasn't sure how to behave in Willow's presence, so he stared down at his feet and picked at the spiral wire that bound his notebook together. He nearly jumped when he heard her voice again and for a brief moment, he smiled. Flipping open the book, he started writing in large enough letters that Willow would be able to read without trouble, "You get used to it. Hot tea helps!" He even drew a little smiley face following the words and turned the notebook to the recruiter, looking a bit hopeful. He didn't like feeling so tense, but he was clueless as how to lighten the mood in the small car. Never underestimate the power of smiley faces, I guess.

[Willow Kovacs]

Another shiver caused the raven to tighten her shoulders, going rigid with annoyance. Her fingers tightened around the wheel of the car as she almost let a frustrated sigh leave her lips - this was ridiculous. Who would willingly live in a place like this? It was like the center of hell, just a frozen over pit where the devil lived. Well... not that harsh, but Willow just really didn't like the cold. Clicking around the technology on the rented car, she turned the heater up, and relaxed her shoulders, letting out a long, easy breath. She stared out to the street as the windshield wipers pushed away the flecks of snow falling upon the glass. When it wasn't so cold, it was actually kinda... pretty. But the woman would never admit that aloud.

When the boy started to flip in the spiral notebook, scribbling down something furiously, the woman raised her eyebrows. So he really doesn't talk, at all. She hummed in contemplation for a moment, before glancing over to him as he finished his scribbling and turned the notebook toward her. Scanning the lines momentarily, she looked back at the road, taking a turn. As Willow looked back at him, he seemed... hopeful, almost. She looked back a the little smiley face in the corner, giving the boy a strange look. But it was kind of... cute, she supposed. "Tea is good." Willow admitted after a moment, nodding to herself as her eyes trailed over the ground that stretched out in front of them. "I like mint tea," She sounded slightly hesitant, as if making small talk was hard for her. Truthfully, it was. She generally didn't socialize with... anyone, really, let alone the students she recruited.

"Uhm... Do you.. have a favourite kind of tea?" She asked tentatively, eyes shifting from him back to the road quickly as she turned sharply, switching lanes. A twitch went through her arched eyebrow as she shifted in her seat - she really wasn't so good at this sort of thing. Willow rarely spoke on the plane with the new recruits, nor did she even socialize much with them after they reached their destination. Generally only if they asked a question she'd answer, then fall silent again. Pulling up to the airport, they emptied the bags onto a buggy-cart-thing, and the raven dispensed the keys to the car rental representative.

Checking in only took a few minutes, the organized shape-shifter always had things prepared so they weren't held up in the lines or baggage checks. Making their way to the seating area, it occurred to her they had still about half an hour before they even boarded. It was going to be a long day.

[Benjamin Park]

Benji wasn't exactly fond of the snow himself, but as he lived along the northern edge of the state, it was just something he'd gotten used to over the years. Being nothing but skin and bone like he was, he still had to bundle up in order to avoid freezing. That's not to say that Michigan wasn't beautiful in the summer, as it most certainly was; with warm temperatures, gorgeous scenery, and the lakes that were always heavily populated. Unfortunately, those lovely summers were punctuated with brutal winters that seemed to last far too long.

It was almost comforting to Benjamin that Willow seemed to be just as awkward as him when it came to the whole "small talk" thing. He simply couldn't talk, she didn't know what to say. What a dilemma they have. He laid the notebook back on his lap when Willow responded and he smiled. He wasn't actually expecting her to keep up the conversation (if you could call it that), but her attempts settled his nerves. He'd been told it wouldn't be a long trip, but he'd hoped he could find something to occupy his mind and to keep him from getting lost in his thought about home. When Willow asked for his favorite tea, he quickly began writing again, turning the notebook to her. "Chai tea is my favorite and I can never say no to a Chai Latte from Starbucks!" A little doodle of a cup of steaming tea next to the words completed his attempt at communication. Suddenly Willow didn't seem so intimidating. He felt there was a sort of social awkwardness that they both shared and it was nice to know he wasn't alone.

The silence arose again as they made their way through the airport. He kept his notebook clutched tight as they checked in, kept his eyes focused on the tile floor, and did as Willow said without question. Not that he could have questioned even if he wanted, not without significant delay that is. Upon reaching the seating area, he looked around for a moment before dropping down into one of the chairs and chewed anxiously on his bottom lip. Sitting here really made it sink in that he was going away, it made it real. There was a little nagging thought in the back of his head that he should just get up and run, but he didn't want to give up that easily.

Opening up his notebook again, he began writing. "Can you tell me a little more about Hammel?" After showing the notebook to Willow, he began picking at his fingernails. It had been a nervous habit he'd picked up when he was really young and it was something he still did when talking (or writing) to unfamiliar people. He wanted to know what to expect when he arrived, it was more than frightening to him to walk into something blindly, so he was hoping that Willow would be able to give him at least an image of what he could look forward to.

[Willow Kovacs]

So apparently this boy liked to draw. She had gathered that from the small, sloppy but definable doodles in the corner of each of his writings. Offhandedly, the woman wondered how much paper he went through to communicate. Probably many trees had died in the path of this single teenage boy. She glanced off to the side, seemingly interested in a regular pair of traveling adults, chattering lividly. Their loquaciousness was peculiar, mainly because she didn't expect anyone to be so energized in a place with such dreary weather, but also because they seemed so completely immersed in whatever they were talking about. Deep brown eyes fluttered momentarily, a light sigh exhaled through her nose as she crossed her arms over her midsection and sat back in the chair. She held her head in a mannered fashion, chin tilted up slightly to show the superior complex she had in her mind. Willow was quite prepared to wait in silence - in fact, she welcomed it.

But the flutter of papers and the undeniable feel of hopeful eyes on the side of her head was something she couldn't ignore as her attention was turned back to the newest recruit. Scanning the page momentarily, the reptile looked pensive. "Well... It doesn't snow nearly this much there," She began, completely serious though that could have been taken as light banter, "But the teachers are very intimate. They work one-on-one with the students a lot, and will try to help you in any situation." This sounded too rehearsed, "Mostly an easy going place, I'm sure you'll fit in fine. Mostly everyone is very accepting, and they're all used to students appearing at random times of the year." Her voice trailed off, as she glanced toward the plane outside the window, almost urging it to hurry up and be prepared for their departure already.

Evidently her pleas were heard as the intercom announced they would be boarding now. Grabbing her single, black bag she stood and looked expectantly at the teenager. "Are you ready?" Her voice was even and null, nearly vacant of actual concern. But her eyes expressed a sort of sympathy, as if she'd understand if he turned back now.

Boarding the plane was fairly painless - it was a small vessel, only a couple dozen people boarding this time of year to go to Vermont. Situated in their seats in a matter of minutes, Willow glanced around the aisles with a lack of enthusiasm.

Pausing momentarily, she looked back down to Benjamin, seated kind of awkwardly beside her. She blinked, raising her eyebrows and nudging him to get his attention. Holding her line in a contemplative line, her hands twisted easily through a few motions, touching up to her face and twirling through artfully. Sign language - one of the many ways of communication she had learned in her spare time. "Do you know sign language?" She rose her arched eyebrow, studying him to see if he had comprehended her message.

[Benjamin Park]

Benjamin had quite a few dead trees piled in his closet back home and more amongst his luggage, all in the form of notebooks, I might add. He'd unwrapped hundreds of the things since his surgery as his family all found it amusing to get him those silly little novelty notebooks, the ones with decorations or humorous sayings printed on the front cover. Their enthusiasm was something Benji had found infectious, so he treasured each and every notebook he'd received and he had even kept the ones he had already filled, unable to get rid of them as it was far too easy to look back on them and remember how he'd used them. When he was younger, he'd never thought he'd be so attached to something as simple as a notebook, as the ones he'd used for school work were tossed almost as soon as the semester was over. Funny how some things change.

As Willow began to describe the school, he reached in his pocket and pulled out a picture of the school that the first recruiters had given him when he was still in the hospital. The picture was crinkled, torn at the corner, but still recognizable. Upon receiving it, Benjamin had gone through several different moods regarding Hammel, everything from excitement to anger to fear. He'd imagined himself at the campus, worried he wouldn't fit in, he'd pictured going through his school career alone, unable to make a single friend, he pictured being unable to master his power, thus remaining at the school forever. He's a teenage boy, his imagination is a bit overactive at times, but he had eventually come to acceptance that he would be attending Hammel Institute for the next few years of his life. It was then that he fished the picture out of the trash, smoothed it up as much as he could, and kept it tucked away to remind him of his future.

Benji followed Willow obediently as they boarded, his hands tightly clutching the notebook as it was the last familiar thing around him. Once on the plain, he took his seat next to the woman and promptly looked at his feet again. He was a little nervous about flying, as this was his first time, but his apprehension was mainly focused on the fact that this meant he would finally be leaving the home he loved, the state he had spent his entire life in. (I don't know what he's on about, Michigan isn't that great. I know from experience!) The nudge to his arm earned Willow a curious look, only for his eyes to widen as her hands began moving. Sign language! She actually knew sign language! His reliance on the notebooks had been increased by the fact that it was something everyone around him could understand. He'd taken classes to learn it after his surgery and his mother even picked up a few signs along the way, but there had been no one he could have a proper conversation with. It was then that a bright smile appeared on Benji's face, leaving his notebook in his lap to reply. "Yes, yes! I can't believe that you do, too!" Okay, give the kid a break. He's had so little to be excited over lately that he deserves this little moment and you have to admit, it's pretty cute!

[Willow Kovacs]

Quick, perceptive eyes followed the jerky and imperfected motions of his hands as he twisted out a phrase with particular enthusiasm. Mind reeling to translate the words into comprehensive language, hiding the tight smile threatening to break way onto her face at his obvious happiness toward the newfound similarity. Leaning back, the grin turned to an almost smug sort of smirk. "Yes, I speak five languages. Including signing." She motioned out flawlessly, only pausing momentarily as her mind switched through the translations in the filing system of her mind. Language was her minor in college - one of the many academic skills she possessed. Languages intrigued her, communication in general. She thought how menial it seemed in most persons' minds, but when the aspect of speech is taken away, as in Benji's case, the reality sort of set forth of the need to communicate. At one point, Willow had actually considered being a language professor. But she couldn't stand most children, not even most teenagers, and therefore decided that wouldn't be the best idea.

Sitting back in her seat, she eyed around the cabin, the normal looking people, picking out the dodgy looking ones. There were only few, which was a relief. It was a constant worry of the Institute of not only being followed, but also the students being in danger. It was her job to keep the children safe - which she did with little trouble. The reptilian had shown her ability before in order of protection, and proved to be skilled enough to not cause damage to herself.

The raven scratched at her neck idly as the flight attendant began to explain the safety regulations that Willow could quote by that point. Lifting her hands, "Do you like to fly in planes?" She asked, eying him momentarily, trying to keep the conversation alive. This one had potential. Sort of.

[Benjamin Park]

The notebook lay forgotten in his lap as the smile remained on his face. It was almost as if the simple motions of Willow's hands had chased away all the apprehension he'd felt about leaving home and flying and trying to fit in a completely different world. He hadn't been expecting anyone at Hammel to know sign language, but now that he knew Willow could understand it, he felt a little more comforted about the trip. "Really? What other languages do you know?" Benji's eyes were bright and inquiring and there was a genuine excitement visible in them. This meant that there would be someone he could go to at the campus who he could have a real conversation, even if it was silent, but that thought only reinforced his smile. How Willow would react to Benjamin showing up at her office even after he settled in at the school was unknown to him, but could she really turn the shy little boy away?

Before all this had happened, Benji had never given language a second thought; it was just something that he took for granted, a subject he'd groaned about in school. He'd been forced to take Spanish and to this day the extent of his knowledge of the language was "Hola, como estas?" which really didn't get him anywhere. Since he lost his voice, it had been at the forefront of his mind. He lived in a world where words were thrown around like mad and he just couldn't catch up. Ever tried going through a drive-thru when you have laryngitis? That's how Benji feels constantly. Sure, he could communicate with his notebook, but it was a hassle and he hated explaining to people that he was unable to talk. It made him feel like they were looking down on him.

"Actually, this is my first time flying." He hung on the words of the flight attendant, as if expecting the plane to crash before it even took off. "I'm a little nervous." He signed to Willow, meeting her eyes. He may have been looking for reassurance, but I'm not sure he's turned to the right person for that. "I bet you've flown a lot."

[Willow Kovacs]

She leaned back in the seat, shifting her weight to try and be more comfortable. Sitting in these seats for prolonged periods of time had proved to be bothersome to her. Which was why she generally was moving whenever she wasn't in a plane - yoga, running, walking around the school. Sitting was just so... dull.

Brown eyes flickering toward him, she side glanced as he questioned her with his hands, the smile still drawn on his face. Picking up her hands from her lap, she motioned, "English, Italian, Signing, Russian, and Thai." She wondered momentarily if he could catch all of what she was saying - this was more of advanced sort of memorised motions. Willow studied him momentarily, deciding that he would probably ask her if he couldn't understand what she was saying. She wasn't that terrifying, honestly. Though over the years she's found that she really can be intimidating toward the new recruits sometimes, and has been reprimanded for it on more than one occasion. Which, of course, she claims she can't help. Which was mostly true, but the raven could probably help it if she was more patient with the students.

Watching as the flight attendant finished her piece and the plane moved across the runway, Willow noted that it would still be roughly another twenty minutes before they actually took off. That's just the way these sort of things work, much to her chagrin. Watching him sign, looking nervously toward the moving world outside the window, she caught note of his anxiety. "It's not so bad," she said, wondering how she could sound earnest with signing her words, "Just sit back and relax." A slight nod, a pause, "I do travel a lot. Sometimes around the world." It was true - her last recruit had been in Japan! "It can be sort of fun if you think of it as an amusement ride." She supposed - Willow never really thought of planes as rides. Just as... planes.

[Benjamin Park]

Benji watched Willow's hands closely as she listed the languages that she knew, the motions taking a little longer to translate in his head as they weren't signs he had used very often. When she had finished, all the boy could do was mouth the word "wow." He had learned sign language out of necessity, but Willow had studied so many languages that he found it to be awe-inspiring. He couldn't even begin to imagine how much effort had gone into that. Smiling once again, he met Willow's eyes. (His mother had always told him about the importance of eye contact.) "That is amazing! Did it take you a long time to learn all those?"

He wasn't the type to ask questions just for the sake of asking, he was genuinely curious about Willow. Benji wanted to ask her a lot of things, like what her power was or did she like her job or did she have fun at Hammel when she was a student. Of course, he knew better than to bombard the woman with questions, he wasn't trying to be an interrogator or anything. But Benji was an inquisitive young boy and these were the things that he wanted to know. He realized that the more he focused on Willow, the less scared he was about the trip. Leaving home didn't seem as daunting and the plane seemed less scary.

When Willow attempted to alleviate his tension in regards to the flight, Benji found himself holding back a laugh. He hadn't known Willow for very long at all, but the suggestion to think of the plane as an amusement park ride wasn't something he'd expected from her. "You mean like a roller coaster?" And this time he really did laugh, if you could even call it that. Ever since the surgery, Benji's laugh had stopped sounding like a laugh and more like a soft cough or a sigh. He hated the way it had sounded at first, though he was pretty much used to it by now.

Tipping his head sideways, Benji fixed Willow with a questioning look, trying to piece together what he wanted to ask in his head. "They said my power was... biological manipulation," He'd signed that entirely alphabetically, he wasn't sure if there was a sign for his power. "but I've never been able to heal myself. Do you think I will every be able to? I mean, maybe someday, do you think I could get my voice back?" It had always been a heavy question on his mind, but he tried not to let it get to him. He didn't want to get his hopes up for something that would never happen and it wasn't like he was entirely incapable of communication. Yet he still wished he was able to talk, wished that he could be just like all the normal children that he was leaving behind.

[Willow Kovacs]

The boy's enthusiasm was... sort of refreshing. He wasn't incredibly bouncing, or being problematic. In fact, he was appropriately civil and even mature for his age. The makings of a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as he signed away with fascination. A slight twinkle in her eyes, "English is a give-in, I had to learn that. Signing and Italian I learned during high school, and Russian I learned in college. Thai, I learned after I got out of school, just for fun. Collectively, about eight years to become fluent in all four." Only someone like Willow would learn a language as challenging as Thai for entertainment. Eyes shifted to look out the window once again, watching as the plane neared the take off sight on the runway. Flying wasn't a passion for Willow like it was for some people - it was her job. It was menial and boring, and all around lacked interest. She was generally always with a strange child she had just met maybe hours or days beforehand, and never much enjoyed the awkward auras they gave off.

Benji, on the other hand, was actually doing quite well with holding her attention. The raven caught onto his hesitance, as if he was holding himself back from a bombardment of questions and inquiries. She was used to the mindless questions that the new students asked continuously on these flights, but it was sweet that he was trying not to bother her.

His laugh nearly startled her, not because of the sound of it, but mainly that he was laughing at something she said. Willow... didn't make jokes. Arching an eyebrow, she watched as he signed again with a silly, lopsided grin. Roller coaster... Oh. "I've never been on one before, but sure, I suppose it's something like that." It was the truth, the reptile had been to amusement parks with her siblings. But was never much one for the rides... or the food... or the all around experience, actually.

A rumbling sound, the plane rattled and shook, bodies were squished back into the padded chairs as the plane lurched forward at great speed and lifted off the ground. Stomachs dropped, momentary nausea set in and a weighted feeling rested on every limb. Oh the joys of takeoff. It was motionless between the two for a few moments, until the brunette seemed to finally get the courage to ask one of the questions brimming his mind. She watched the motions intently, translating them in her head as his hands spelled out anxieties. "Bloody hell kid..." She thought with exasperation. That was one of the bigger, more complicated sort of questions Willow liked to avoid. She paused, leaning back in her chair in thought. "It's... complicated." She began, trying to look sympathetic and failing miserably. "I don't know the extent of your abilities yet, but... there is a chance that you could gain your voice back someday. With the proper training, and such. For now, focus on the little things before trying to tackle the bigger ones." Willow pursed her lips, hoping that would suffice as a response.

[Benjamin Park]

Eight years. Benji just blinked slowly, that was more than half of his entire life and Willow had dedicated that time just to learning different languages. That was absolutely amazing. He hadn't found the process of learning to sign that enjoyable and became frustrated with himself time and time again when he forgot signs. (It still happened even now, it was a relatively new language to him.) With so many languages in her head, Benji found himself wondering if she ever mixed them up and what language did she think in and all sorts of other questions that he wouldn't have the courage to ask.

When the plane finally took off, Benji's eyes widened. He hadn't quite been expecting that and even for a few minutes after takeoff, he just sat still. That was a bit scarier than he'd been anticipating, but when he finally relaxed again, he turned to Willow and signed, "I like roller coasters better!" Okay so it was a little similar, but roller coasters were fun and he definitely did not find that takeoff fun at all.

Benji chewed on his bottom lip almost nervously as Willow began explaining. It really had been a foolish question to ask, now that he thought on it. Willow was just here to take him safely to the school, it wasn't her job to deal with his childish worries. He nodded and replied, "I'll work as hard as I possibly can!" He was satisfied with her answer, he couldn't have hoped for anything else, and he wasn't sure what he was looking for even when he asked it. Willow had no knowledge of the future or how Benji would develop, but now he was looking at Willow with that same sort of curious look in his eyes as before.

"Can I ask what your power is?" His head tilted a little to the side as if he could tell what it was just from looking at her. He'd heard of very few other powers, but all he could think of were wondrous things like flying and teleporting and force fields and all the things he'd wished he could have done as a young child acting out superhero fantasies. It was a funny thing, Benji realized, how they could discuss all this (he'd been told to keep his powers and Hammel hush-hush) and there was little worry of eavesdroppers.

[Willow Kovacs]

Willow offered a small smile as the boy seemed discontented by the takeoff. For someone who had never flown before, it probably wasn't the best experience. The weight in your limbs, as if they were being pulled on; a sudden queasiness in your stomach, it lurking as the altitude changed all too swiftly; a certain lightheadedness, as if one didn't try, their heads would roll right off. The raven had become accustomed to the feeling, she barely noticed it now. Watching the movements from his hands and the widening of his eyes, a nearly inaudible chuckle came from the back of her throat. There was still the weighted feeling as the plane approached the appropriate altitude, but significantly lesser now. Brown eyes flickered to look out the window at the ground as it angled beneath the first dotted clouds that would soon blanket their vision. She exhaled slowly, turning back to look at the boy.

It.. nearly disturbed her, his enthusiasm for his own healing. She wondered if he'd be able to do it. If he could someday regain his voice. Her mouth formed a line as she watched his words, the twinkle in his eyes and smile on his face. A pang of sympathy went out for him - she wasn't a doctor, or one of the trainers (she'd get far too frustrated with that job)... So she didn't know the actual implications of his ability yet. A sinking suspicion she had just given him false hope settled with the effects of gravity she was feeling from the plane ride. Her head whipped around, eyes scanning over the faces of the people around them. A woman sitting across the aisle and up two seats had turned, giving them a fascinated, quizzical look. Willow's eyebrows creased, looking at her - could she understand what they were saying? The woman gave her a wave before turning back around, leaving the raven with a weird expression on her face. "Alright..." She muttered, thinking that was odd.

Glancing back at Benji, who had just started asking another question, Willow's eyebrows rose. Glancing back toward the suspicious woman, who was currently flipping through a magazine idly, she determined it was fine to start up again. "I can shapeshift. Only one form though - a very large lizard." That was an odd explanation... It was hard to work on a more limited vocabulary, already catching that the new student didn't comprehend some of the more advanced words she was using. Glancing back at the aisle, determining that no one was really paying attention to them, Willow actually performed a risky move - something quite unusual for her. She lifted her hand, watching at the appendage twisted, the nails growing into long black claws, the skin pulling into dark green scales, the fingers becoming more webbed and elongated. The woman looked up at the boy's expression, turning her hand over to show him a small glimpse of her ability - why had she done that? ... She liked this kid, for one thing. And she knew he would probably feel better knowing that not only was Willow capable of protecting him, but also a meta much like himself. Willow quickly pulled the hand back into it's natural, human state. The dark skin held a sort of cracked consistency after the transformation, but it no longer bled like it had when she was younger.

[Benjamin Park]

When he'd first began to understand his power, Benji had tried to heal himself. He tried it the very first time when he scraped his knee, but no matter how much he tried or how much he focused, the scrape stayed right where it was. When Xavier had hurt himself and Benji tried to heal him, it hadn't taken nearly as much focus as he'd tried to use on himself. When the first recruiter arrived, he was told that Hammel would train him to use his power. Benji hadn't asked (as he had been on plenty of pain medication) but he'd assumed that could have meant he wasn't using his power right. Assumed that he'd learn a different way to do it and then not only could he heal others without hurting himself, but he could heal himself as well. Getting his voice back had occurred to him many times, but at the same time he wanted to be realistic. That was a much bigger feat than just making a scratch go away.

Benji noticed as Willow looked around at the other passengers, but his attention was steadfastly focused on her. As far as he was concerned, Willow was the most interesting person on the entire plane. She understood him and they spoke without words and she was a meta-human too, just like him. Since discovering his abilities, Benji hadn't felt like he fit in his life anymore, felt like he was isolated though his family was understanding and always so very supportive of him. Willow knew what it was like to live as a meta-human, she'd been doing it for far longer than Benji, and that thought alone comforted the boy.

His eyes widened a little when Willow told him about her shape shifting, but it was nothing compared to his reaction when she actually showed him. He focused on her hand as it became something else and his jaw nearly dropped open from both surprise and awe. Without really thinking (which was odd for him, because Benji always put plenty of thought into his actions) he reached out and very gently touched the now reptilian hand. He realized what he did and drew his hand back, signing his apology hurriedly, but he couldn't help himself. He had never, ever seen anything like that before and it was absolutely fascinating. "That's... wow!" Was all that Benji could think of to say.