How jailed is the little bird?

[Peyton Hobbs]

It still felt strange to Peyton, sitting with her chair reversed like this, straddling the back. Her wings were still relatively new and she would have to develop new habits in her life. Learning how to comfortably sleep was starting to become a chore. She had learned at least in that regard that she didn’t need a blanket, having her own feather one in a way. But sleeping on her back wasn’t an option.

Still she was lost in her thoughts, much like she was ever since she became a monster. This time however she was fairly sure she had gotten herself in trouble. Already she stood out from her classmates, having wings nearly twice as large as she was by herself. Now her teacher had asked her to stay after. Peyton had no idea what Mr. Arcadio wanted but the way Peyton’s year had been going, there was just no way it would be good. No doubt somehow she had did something to get a detention or something.

For now she simply waited, not bothering to stand. As large as these godforsaken wings of hers were, she would most likely just hit someone with them anyways. Better to just sit and wait for everyone to clear. Well that is what she would do if she hadn’t been asked to stay after class. Peyton couldn’t help but slump over the chair back and lean on the desk as she waited.

Arcadio Buendia

[Arcadio Buendia]

Arcadio was concerned about Peyton. Things were hard for kids her age even if they weren't mutants. But, Arcadio had turned around a similar age, and he could sympathise with the fact that she was having trouble adjusting-- especially with a physical mutation. It was hard to be optimistic about the future with seven foot wings sticking out of your back.

He had been teaching Peyton all semester, ans she seemed to have two moods: despondent and sullen. Today, though, her mood seemed to stray closer to depressed. So, before class started, he quietly asked her to stay afterwards so he could check in on her.

When the last student filed out, Arcadio hopped up on the desk in front of Peyton's, sitting on the desk top and putting his feet on the chair. He didn't want Peyton to think she was in trouble. Hence, the casual seating arrangement.

"Hey Peyton," he said softly, his Colombian accent touching each word. "I just wanted to check in. Everything okay?"

[Peyton Hobbs]

She looked up after the class cleared when her teacher sat on the desk in front of her. She had little guess as to why he wanted to talk with her and judging by his positioning and the look on hi face she didn’t think she was in trouble. That was good right?

Peyton blinked her slightly unnatural eyes as Mr. Buendia spoke up. He was just checking in on her? At first her reaction was to just mumble that yeah everything was fine but she was tired. A statement like that would require more energy then she felt she could muster right now.

Letting out a long sigh Peyton’s shoulders drooped in defeat along with her wings. She looked down as she spoke, though it was only in a whisper. “I’m a freak. Even among other freaks I’m one.” She knew that word wasn’t exactly popular. Right now she didn’t care. “Everywhere I go I get nothing but stares from people. I mean I get it. It’s hard not to understand why but, I’m just tired of it all.” Peyton moved her head to look up at him, missing the days when she would have simply been able to move her eyes.

[Arcadio Buendia]

Arcadio reached a hand out and put it on the top of Peyton's head affectionately. He was so much larger than she was, at six foot one. She seemed frail, not physically, although she did have a lot of physical similarities to a bird. She seemed frail in spirit. She looked as defeated as she undoubtedly felt. "My power is emotional absorption," he told her. "I know exactly how you're feeling right now." He ruffled her hair lightly and took his hand back. "I'm not gonna tell you 'oh, don't be sad, blah blah blah.' Your feelings are valid. You're allowed to be sad and angry and frustrated."

He thought about what his childhood had been like at that age. He had turned at twelve, so at Peyton's age he had already been at an academy for a few years. Being taken from his family had been hard, but he had been lucky enough to go to La Delgadillo Academia with his cousin Oscar. It wasn't like he had everything torn from him. It really was a shame that Peyton had her life seemingly ripped from her at such a young age. It would be impossible for her to function outside of the mutant community because of her very visible mutation.

Although, he had gotten into a lot of trouble around Peyton's age too. The discovery of drugs that had put his life on a downward spiral. Even though he had kicked his wicked drug habit, he couldn't survive without alcohol. He supposed that he wasn't the best person to be mentoring the kids at Bellefonte, but the flip side of all his vices was wisdom. He could steer his students down a better path. Not that he thought that Peyton was in danger of developing a heroin habit like he had in his youth. "If you ever need to talk, or just need a distraction, you can always talk to me. I'm a good listener."

[Peyton Hobbs]

Part of her felt she should be upset about him placing his hand on her head and messing up her hair. But she just couldn’t bring herself to care enough to say anything right now. Though perhaps she should. His statement about his power did make her look up however. She wasn’t sure what to think about him knowing what she was feeling. She knew what she was feeling, enough of her was lucid enough to know that. At least he wasn’t going to sugar coat things. “I..” What could she say really? He knew how she felt. She really wasn’t upset so much about leaving her family. It really was the rest that bothered her.

Peyton had looked away as he spoke more. That didn’t stop her from glancing up as he offered to listen. She wanted to just stand and leave but maybe it would do her good to talk to someone, anyone really. Why not him? He couldn’t relate of course to what she’d gone through but he could tell exactly how she was feeling.

“I.. what can I do? My life can’t return to normal. I can’t even leave campus really.” Wasn’t that the truth. “Even here…” She trailed off shrugging, her wings mimicking the the gesture. No matter how she looked at it, she was a freak even among freaks.

[Arcadio Buendia]

Arcadio clicked his tongue and shook his head. "There isn't much you can do, besides live in the situation the best that you can." It sounded like terrible advice, and Arcado knew that. He held up a hand to motion that he wasn't finished speaking.

Leaning forward with his forearms on his knees, Arcadio caught Peyton's attention to have her focus on him. "I don't have a visible power, so I will never struggle the way that you do. But, when I was your age, I went to an academy with my cousin Oscar. He struggled because he had a very dangerous mutation, and people treated him differently if they knew about it."

Arcadio gave Peyton an encouraging smile. "He made the best of it. He stopped paying attention to other people and focused on being the best version of himself that he could be." He paused before adding: "It might be hard for awhile, but there are lots of nice people at this school. Just be yourself and soon no one will see the wings, they'll see you."

[Peyton Hobbs]

Live in the situation the best she could? Peyton couldn’t help but laugh at that. In truth it was a relief in it’s own way. Obviously it wasn’t the first time she had heard a variation of that, to just live life and not dwell basically. But i hadn’t been easy.

It was nice that her teacher didn’t pretend to know exactly what she was going through. Even if it had been true she would have automatically fought against it. Now however, him talking about his cousin and how he could at least be empathetic about the situation. That Peyton respected and it did make her listen and focus on him more then she might have.

He was right at least. Sure everyone stared at her but then she did have wings, rather large ones at that. But back home she made friends easily enough and was popular, it wasn’t like she didn’t know how to socialize. “Most people recommend soaring around the air above the school as the best of it…. I’m.. kinda afraid of heights.” But personally she doubted anyone would ever stop seeing the wings. But maybe one day she would possibly not see them as much.

Arcadio Buendia

[Arcadio Buendia]

"Maybe getting over your fear of heights will be a step in loving your wings," Arcadio suggested. "There are trainers here. They can work with you directly to master your power."

Arcadio tipped his cowboy hat back with his thumb. "I can guarantee you," he said, "that there is, or will be soon, someone with a more uncommon mutation than you at this school."

He leaned back and motioned at his desk. "You're smart. I've had you all semester and your Spanish is good. You're pretty, and I will eat my hat if you can't make friends easily. Please don't let your wings eclipse everything good that you have in your favour."

[Peyton Hobbs]

She couldn’t help but give Mr. Buendia a small smile. He had at least gotten her to cheer up or at least get out of her head space for a bit. “Teaching me to master my wings will help my fear of heights? Really?” How would that work? Well OK maybe she would get used to them. She had managed to fly a few times but still.

She could only nod knowing that he was right. She was the new student whose mutation was very visible and unique in it’s own way. It simply wasn’t common even in this school for physical mutations. Just like she wouldn’t see her wings as much in time neither would the other students. “More uncommon? That’s going to take awhile.”

She glanced back at her speckled wings at his words. She knew what he was doing and he was right. She was letting this get to her more then it should. Though part of her wanted to actually see him eat his hat metaphorically. “What you saying my wings aren’t part of everything good?” She flashed her teacher a quick grin then blinked. It really wasn’t what she had expected. She had thought of her wings since their development as an oddity. But they really could be a part of her couldn’t she?

[Arcadio Buendia]

Arcadio grinned at the last statement. "There you go. That's what I wanted to hear." Even if Peyton hadn't quite realized that her wings were beautiful and a gift, her saying that was a good first step. Fake it until you make it. Arcadio had lived his life by that rule-- faking being in a better situation than he truly was, until he could pull out of the bad and into the good.

And he told her so. "Even if you don't feel it, pretending that you love your wings can help make you feel better until you honestly do. I used to be in a pretty bad spot when I was a younger man, but having a positive attitude helped me keep my head abovd the water, so to speak."

He motioned at the wings. "They are beautiful. The colouration is gorgeous. I don't think that they detract or distract from you at all."

[Peyton Hobbs]

Peyton gave him a dirty look as what she had said sank in. “You tricked me into that didn’t you.” It had felt nice that one moment where she had spoken like the old her, not like the new her. It had been too long since she had even felt close to being a semblance of herself.

“I… don’t hate them. It’s more that they are, well they aren’t part of me when I picture myself you know?” They still felt strange to her, felt as if they didn’t belong. But despite that she was starting to at least get used to the sight of them in the mirror.

Peyton sat up and took a chance, extending her wings fully to her sides to get a good look. He wasn’t wrong about them. “One day I was just a normal girl, the next day I have a twelve foot wingspan.” OK so it didn’t happen overnight like that. But it had certainly been a rather drastic and quick change.

[Arcadio Buendia]

Arcadio couldn't help but take a deep breath when Peyton spread her wings. Twelve feet long. It was an incredible sight. A large smile spread over his face, completely enchanted. "Dios mio." He took his hat off and ran a hand through his tousled black hair. "That is quite a sight. Incredible." 

"But," he added, clapping his hat back on his head. "I can see how they don't exactly figure into what you saw for your future." He let his eyes run along her wings, taking in their full length, colour, and texture. While it was a bit jarring to see a human person with massive, bird-like wings. But his eyes and mind quickly adjusted. Honestly, her mutation was so astounding "I see nothing to be ashamed of. I hope you're not ashamed of them."

He had never had a student with such a stunning mutation. In his experience, mutations, even the physical ones, were not as visible. No wonder Peyton felt so self-conscious about her wings. But, as her teacher, he hoped to guide her on towards a more positive outlook.

[Peyton Hobbs]

It was one of the few times that Peyton had openly viewed someone's reaction to her wings. Her own reaction when she first saw them was shock and slight revulsion mixed with the disbelief. Her parents had a bit of fear. Mr. Buendia’s was that of awe and something more. But there was no revulsion, there was no fear. Maybe it was.. Amazement? His statement somehow made her blush and self consciously she folded her wings back in towards her back.

“I think I’m adjusting. I still don’t know what to make of them or what I should feel but it’s not like I can get rid of them either. I need to adjust. I need to get used to them.”

She had seen one or two students who had obvious physical mutations herself. Odd hair, eyes a bit more odd than even hers. Honestly her eyes for the most part passed as normal unless you knew what to look for. But most could pass for human. “I miss walking about the mall with friends..”

[Arcadio Buendia]

Arcadio shook his head, a little sadly. "I know, sweetheart." He couldn't imagine what it was like not to have a regular childhood. In the deepest corner of his heart, Arcadio wanted nothing more than a child and family of his own. So, whenever one of his students was feeling down or distressed, it was hard for him to step back and not get too personally intertwined. He wondered how Peyton's parents were handling everything, and if they were being the support she needed. But, it certainly wasn't polite to pry.

"Look, I don't want to keep you too long," Arcadio told her. "But let me know if I can help, okay?"

He hopped up from the desk he was sitting on, and went to his desk. He grabbed a scrap of paper and scribbled on it. "Here," he said, bringing it back to Peyton, "This is my email. Just shoot me a message if you ever need anything, okay?"

[Peyton Hobbs]

Hopping off of the desk Peyton landed and grabbed her things up as it was clear by her teacher’s actions that it was time for her to go. But it was at least good to have a moment like this to just talk and relax. Even if it was a teacher. Honestly she just hadn’t talked about it much. Maybe she should?

“Thanks Mr. Buendia. I really appreciate all of this.” She took the note he offered her and glanced at it for a moment before slipping it in her pocket. “I… might I.” She gave up and just stopped talking. “Thanks.” With that she tucked her wings tight and walked out the door. She didn’t want to admit it but it had felt good talking about things.