"Everyone is a mutant," Jonah protests, which is at once neither sympathy nor hate and fear --incomprehension then, is probably the best explanation, inasmuch as it involves the X gene not at all. Strictly speaking he's correct, however, despite the generalization made without moving toward or away from her at all, although he
- feels those crystalline surgical images; it doesn't show on his face, but the way he smells will change like a surge of iron.
"I'm a twin, for instance. My brother and me. We're very successful science experiments," he submits, blithely misusing 'mutant' and ...outing Seth in the process. Whatever olfactory processes govern emotion shift again like a change in the wind; 'successful' coming on a spike of bitterness that wells like tears, or blood. "And thank you. I will stay, I don't have a ...problem," a word he tastes like he just isn't sure why he would, so there is the lack of comprehension again. "But I don't know if I can eat anything here."
He doesn't laugh, but the corners of his mouth quirk like someone else would be laughing. "This is is the second time today. I'm diabetic."