Welcome to Gaia! ::

Kitchen

He hadn’t expected her hesitance; most people who were offered a coveted position on the Omegas jumped at the chance. Here she was, worried about hurting others, about not being gifted with something that was necessarily team friendly. Citing that both Daylia and Aren would be happy with the addition to their ranks, her cheeks swirled with a tinge of pink. Caring and humble. He liked her on his team already. Watching her mix the vegetables in the pan, Blake nodded when she finally agreed to take the suit - with the stipulation that they’d train together.

“Seems fair enough.” His smile lopsided, cavalier even as his oceanic gaze collided into her green orbs. “I’ll get a copy of your schedule and compare it with mine so that I can reserve the danger room for some time to assure that you’re ready.” It wouldn’t hurt at all for him to know the extent of her abilities anyway; he’d just not counted on someone pegged for the Omegas to be sensible. Most of them were reckless in one way or another.

Daylia rounded the corner then and Blake greeted her with typical southern hospitality before asking Luci if she wanted to deliver the good news. Chuckling at D’s lack of enthusiasm to go on another adventure, he shook his head in the negative. “Note to self, keep sandwiches packed in case of an emergency mission, or Daylia will not be excited to leave.” He said, pretending to add it to his memos on his comm device.

Peeking around, he blanched as he asked if Gracie was in toe, and the confusion in the chameleon’s features said she really didn’t understand the terror her best friend wreaked upon the kitchen. Giving the new girl some advice about heading for the hills if she ever saw the hex manipulator trying to make food, Daylia didn’t seem phased as she drank directly out of the container. “You never know with her.” He qualified with a shrug.

The more sensible side of him grimaced at the idea of her doing that to all the containers…. And whether or not someone had been exposed to her backwash. And while she may have only done it because there had barely been enough to drink left, it made his stomach squeeze in discontent as he thought about how many others wouldn’t have the courtesy to pour a glass.

“A robotic penguin that ended up shooting fireballs at people.” Blake corrected in a matter-of-fact tone. “And this is after she had one of the microwaves spontaneously combust and set off the fire alarms throughout the whole facility.”

The fhaux-redhead assured Lucianna that it wasn’t as bad as he made it sound, and Blake shook his head behind her, vehemently declaring the opposite. Making a motion with his hands that Gracie’s cooking might kill her, he sobered when Daylia looked back at him. “Breaking a few eggs for omelets makes it sound like your best friend hasn’t already destroyed three kitchens in the last two months.” He said teasingly.

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Codename: Oni
Team: Omega
Form: Human
Location: Mansion Backyard
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Sitting in the shade with the cool breeze and watching the water let her zone easily, paying less and less attention to her surroundings and letting her senses relax. Being lost in her void of thoughts, she barely noticed the other student that was so close to her. He sat not too far away from her by the edge of the pool, dangling his legs in the water. He was just as reserved in his own mind, staring at the water with a glazed over look. If she was going to try to make friends, maybe this was a good chance. But what should she say?

She was broken from her contemplative silence as another boy with blonde hair waved and walked up to where she sat. She waved gently back, hiding her surprise as he asked to join her.

“Oh! S-sure, I don’t mind.” She sat up a little bit more, extending her legs out as she reached her arms above her head, stretching out her muscles. As she stretched, the smell of food nearby reached her nose, making her stomach reminded her she had yet to eat anything today by growling loudly in response. Embarrassed, and hoping neither of them heard it, she quickly dropped her arms around her waist in a futile attempt to muffle any more noises.

She hadn’t done a decent job of eating regular meals at the new mansion, partially because it felt like every time she went to the fridge, there was nothing left to eat. Some of the students ate everything up like a vacuum. It was a wonder the school hadn’t gone into debt from food bills alone.

The sight of the other guy walking up must have woken the boy by the pool from his thoughts, as he looked up with a smile and joked about them splitting the food. She turned to blondie eagerly, hoping he would be willing to share. It was quite a stash if that entire thing was filled up with sandwiches. “Splitting it up sounds fair, though I doubt I'll eat much."

"Are you guys from team alpha? I don't think we've run into each other before." She certainly hadn’t seen them on the Omega side of things back in the fight, but she had seen them around the school. So, she just assumed they were on the Alpha side like Wraith.

Thinking about him reminded her of.. what she could only call complicated feelings. Like a mix of fear, worry, confusion: it all just mixed into a blur at this point. But she worried more than anything else. She had only briefly seen Lex the first time she left the infirmary, and back then he was still in really bad shape. She was avoiding him, but felt this need to know if he was okay. The more she thought about it, the more she felt this weird sensation, like the hairs on the back of her neck were on end, similar to when she could sense someone else was nearby. Whether it was a familiar scent or she heard something, she wasn’t sure.

Chi-Chi looked around, but at a quick, first glance, she didn't spot anyone. For now, she shook it off as typical paranoia.

Alice was in just as a good mood as Aren it seemed, or at least it was like she was lightening his a bit. She snorted when he said that he was trying for a food baby, giving a look that said that she had noticed before grinning almost child-like. She snorted when he said that he would try for the record. "You know us a eating competitions, we love watching someone choke down thirty hot dogs in three minutes. I think that just ties back in to when there were public executions, it's almost exciting seeing someone die at an event."

"You should show her pictures of my style." She grinned like a devil at him before she took a bite of the sandwich that she had perfectly sculpted from what she had available. "Well, we are pretty awesome," she added to what he said about his reasons for coming here, knowing that he was bound for home once he gained whatever it was that he had hoped to learn.

"Hopefully s**t will be a little less crazy, especially with the Sentinels being out of commission for now." She wasn't going to get her hopes up. There was enough hate in the world for mutants that it was a matter of time before someone that was just like Trask to show up and rain on their little peace parade. "Ever want a plane ticket, just pick up the phone and call, I think I could get a few grand from Blake without him getting suspicious."

She got a little woeful about the guys around and their lack of interest. Aren brought the attention of the situation being mostly because of Blake and less because of her. "Well then maybe I'm better off, if the guys here are stupid enough to think we are more than just friends. I hate him like a brother." She was sick of people throwing her and Blake into some Romeo and Juliet situation. Sure, he was a hell of a damsel, but that didn't mean that they were going to die in some weird double suicide thing. They were friends. She was about ready to paint it on the walls of everyone's bedrooms.

"Never know, I get enough training here and I might not need Blake to make anyone explode." She had been practicing, trying to focus her energy down into a sharper attack, something more defined. So far, it hadn't changed much. She scoffed at Aren, "You and Blake are so alike it makes me want to vom." She took another bite of her sandwich. "He said the same s**t when we were in Nashville. I got a bet going that if he invites me to one of his fancy dinners with his dickhole of a parent, I would swoon the pants off everyone in the joint. I can be as ladylike as I need to, when I need to."

"That's awesome, man," she said, following the change in subject back to them talking about Aren ultimately leaving. "Well, you are great at talking a lot. Honestly, we probably could have sent you in solo to distract the entire army of Sentinels just by telling stories if they weren't, ya know, killing machines." She threw her legs over the arm of the chair when she finished her sandwich. "But no, that's gonna be awesome. You'll have so many stories to tell all the little kids running around and s**t about the adventures here. Just maybe leave out anyone dying. Or the blood. Just make me sound cool."

Roland Anton Chevalier
Location: Infirmary/Kitchen
Thoughts: Rock me mama like a wagon wheel...

The wheelchair bound warrior sat there, in front of Aurie in the medical center like he had done numerous times. He hadn’t seen the charts but knew enough about what he had been seeing to know that she wasn’t in particularly good shape. Not to mention the whole being comatose thing. That’s a bit of an indicator that things were not alright. He did find it funny that of all the injuries he sustained, not much in the way of head trauma that could’ve lead to such a state. Then again, he honestly didn’t know, since he’d been (apparently) one of the first off the jet and to the Med Center. For all he knew he’d been brought out of a comatose state with Elixir’s help, only for him to need to switch patients. But that was neither here nor there, he hadn’t been in that state, so when she was out he silently did what he could for her. He and her weren’t exactly “friends”, so he didn’t feel comfortable trying to be familiar with her in such a state. That said, he wasn’t going to let her room be a static chamber with no dynamics in terms of temperature and such.

The man arranged the damn flowers at one point. And he sucked at floral arrangements. So if she ever asked why the flowers in her room looked like s**t, he was gonna blame Felix.

He smiled as she waved to him when he rolled in. She jokingly remarked on how Felix seemed to be teaching her a form of poker that was beneficial to him alone. With a smirk he replied “Let me know when he does, I can be dealer. I’m good with a deck of cards.” He fluttered his fingers about like a magician, highlighting that he’d be willing to make her hands win, even if she wasn’t sure about the rules. Catching the pudding cup she tossed his direction, his head hung a bit low as she talked about what he did in the field.

“Less rumor, more the folly of an aggressive idiot. I broke protocol, even if I got people out of the fire.” he answered. And of course he was paying the price for his actions. Chances are he’d be getting chewed out by Blake about what happened in due time, but he’ll deal with that when the time came. His broken body would be mended in time, that was a given, which he nodded to when she spoke about it. Their conversation was interrupted by Felix chiming in, with the request for a game. He again fluttered his hands as a sign of his willingness to help. He was soon joined by the arrival of Lachlan, the newly promoted Alpha head. He appeared to need to talk with Aurie about something, to which he nodded.

“Oh, no I was just checking on her. I should get going. I’ll be back later on, docs wanna do some more tests and such.” he said, almost sheepishly, as he rolled himself out of the room. His stomach was rumbling a bit, and he needed something to bite into. To the kitchen!
The journey to the kitchen was a bit quicker (what with being able to roll around rather than walk), but he made it. His desire to make something quickly stymied by seeing that Blake and others were there .

Well s**t, I was hoping this would happen a bit later than now. he thought to himself. Taking a moment, he moved towards the fridge to see about getting his hands on something to make. If Blake wanted to address the situation, he was going to let him make the approach.

OOC: Post may be blah, so let me know of any problems.

Nodding at his suggestion to be the dealer, Aurie’s lips pulled upward into a demure smile. “That would probably be a wise decision.” An eyebrow climbed high on her forehead at the fluttering of Roland’s fingers. “Though, I’ll be happy with a fair game.” Pausing, mischief danced in cerulean pools. “Unless he’s winning too much.”

“Then I’ll have to employ your help for more than just keeping Felix honest.” Tossing him one of her pudding cups, she cited his heroics on the Omega side of things and dug her spoon into her own. He hung his head in shame, which gave her pause.

Catching the pudding cup she tossed his direction, his head hung a bit low as she talked about what he did in the field. Listening to a brief version from him, Aurelie shrugged. “Sometimes, you have to hang the protocol for the greater good.” Touching her head, she made it clear that she had similar feelings as to what happened to her and her team. “Some of the Alphas tore ahead, and a sentinel kept us separated… Once we finally caught up to them, they were in over their heads.” Swallowing what felt like a lump of cotton, she blew out a deep breath. “One thing led to another, and despite being told never to do it again, I contained an explosion… so how’s that for following orders?”

Felix checked in on her then via comm, and Aurelie simply shook her head despite the smile on her face. “He’s relentless.” She remarked as she shut off her comm, just as Lachlan peeked into her part of the infirmary and offered to check back later. The telekinetic scooted up, re-adjusting her position on the bed as the strong man approached her. “You don’t have to leave, Roland.” The blond’s inflections sounded kind.

He excused himself anyway, and the ballerina held her breath as an awkward moment passed before she finally broke the silence. Casting a glance out the window, she gnawed on the inside of her cheek. “So I heard that Bella’s bowed out for a while…” She started quietly. “I heard your fast thinking at the compound crowned you the Alpha’s new lead.” If he listened closely, he’d hear the pride in her voice and a hidden smile played at the corner of her lips. “I told you that you’d do great.”

Not that she really had made any headway in instilling confidence in him before they got off the jet. “I think it’s a good fit.”

More silence. “And thank you, by the way. For your part in getting all of us out. I know it couldn’t have been easy.” Hanging in the air unspoken was an apology, because she should have held on longer - maybe then Lachlan wouldn’t have so many scabs still healing. Alex might still have his eye… Even Roland’s legs… if Elixir hadn’t been so focused on keeping all of them alive, maybe he would have had the energy needed to heal Roland’s spinal cord. Guilt laden in her expression, her oceanic irises hid nothing. “Are you doing alright?”

XX【 】Name: Alexander "Lex" Magnus
XX【 】Codename: Wraith
XX【 】Team Affiliation: Alpha
XX【 】Location: Mansion Backyard
XX【 】With: Amp
XX【 】Actions: Created a blade and dismissed it, talked with Amp

It had taken Wraith very little time to understand what Amp was doing to communicate. She was unique in that she was mute. Such a detail was not difficult to remember when he was going over personnel files. His limited access did not allow him to see the breadth and scope of his fellow students, but he at least got some details. For instance, his own file did mention that he was able to manipulate and solidify shadows. It did not, at his level of access, mention how many constructs he could make, or how durable they were. It was all just surface detail. In Amp’s case, it listed her being mute as a line item. Nothing drawing attention to it, but an important note. Thus, he had no issue with reading her phone rather than hearing a voice. He had become confused slightly at the line about using her powers. It was nearly incomprehensible. They were like her arm or stomach. Her powers were a part of her, and to deny them was ludicrous. However, that was when Rectify came into the picture. Wraith was not a hot-head, despite popular opinion. Instead, he was calculating and emotional. His exchange should have shown that. The new team lead seemed to speak for Cyclops. Even had that as an excuse to use as a lie as to why he was coming down hard on Wraith. It was not taken. Instead, the new leader decided to punish the umbralkinetic for having the gall to attack a base that was going to eliminate them. The result was being so angry at this entire establishment that the one-eyed mutant did not even recognize the hand on his shoulder. The restraint he showed was monumental, even if it was never going to come to blows with fists. Even in fury, Wraith knew that a fistfight with Rectify was beyond suicidal. Instead, he walked away.

Now, out in the fields behind the mansion, he was torn. His fury abating but still present, he saw three faces that he honestly wanted to spend time with. It was as he was trying to make that choice when he felt the slam on his back of a heavy hand. It wasn’t hard enough to knock him over, but it was enough to shove him off balance. Wraith stumbled a few steps and in his anger spun hard at his would-be attacker. A blade of shadows on his left forearm was all but a reflex. A clenched fist was itching for a fight . . . until he laid eyes on the one that shoved him. Amp. She was there, already typing like mad on her phone. His ire evaporated as fast as the sunlight dissolved the blade on his forearm in less than a moment. The young man was not angry at all with her. If anything, he was only angry at himself for his performance not being greater in the mission and now the would-be baron of the Alphas. She held up a screen that ‘screamed’ for him to wait, but that was already accomplished. His posture changed from angered to calm as he buried his rage behind a mental wall. She wasn’t his enemy. Fingers blasted through the words at a speed that was almost dizzying. Whatever she was typing was important, and he did not interrupt her. When she showed him a screen, it was actually apologizing . . . no, showing sympathy for his treatment. A flush of relief washed over him at that first line. It was validation! It was what drove him on, the appreciation of his peers. She saw that Rectify was being an overbearing authority. It wasn’t just him.

Wraith’s brow furrowed in confusion as he read the rest of the message. She felt she was a total failure out there. Honestly, he did not see her after he left the plane and couldn’t say about what she did. However, he knew that her mutation was to use sound. Sonokinetics. She had all the source material she needed wherever she went. What confused him more was that she was not being fussed at. He took a few moments to consider what to say before speaking. “It would appear that at least in Alpha, obedience and interdependency are more important than results. As long as the members cover each other and do as they are told, you are in the clear. Don’t worry about it. I’m sure Herr Commandant will pipe up if you step a toe out of his line.” The last line came out more than a little bitter. Wraith had no intention of leading anything, but he was certain a paper sack would have been a better choice than that fool. ‘Rectify.’ The word alone means to set something right. Was that his goal in life? To pick up pieces and make things better? What a hideous and long-suffering idea. Perhaps he meant to follow in Summers’ footsteps and set right the relations between mutants and normal. The goals were inconsequential for now. If nothing else, the sentinels they faced proved that while the X-men preached coexistence, the humans were moving for the extinction of homo superior. Oh, how Wraith wished the Brotherhood would appear again. They may not have lived in nearly as nice a situation, but at least they were doing something other than . . . this.

Amp decided to gesture to the nearby gathering as if to ask about them. He looked across the way and now knew he could control his temper to talk with them. He was still awkward about Oni, though. What he had to say was for her alone. He’d rather not shoo off two other friends just for a word alone. He didn’t understand her sign, but did recognize that it was ASL. Like looking at text and being able to understand it is Russian or Spanish, he knew she said something. He paid more attention to the message than the intent. “You sign? Wouldn’t that be easier for you than to use a phone? I mean, it makes sense for dunces like me to understand you better.” He looked at her features and recognized how cute she was. The way she tried to help others was endearing, as was the freckles on her face. She was certainly worth learning to understand better. But then, he had to overcome that barrier. His mind began to whirl as he tried to come up with a way to make inroads. If Herr Commandant was going to alienate him, then he would make alliances within the team for the right reasons.

“Rectify talked about teamwork, but he isn’t doing a good job at it. So, that falls to us. If you’d be willing, I’d like to learn to understand you better. I mean, everybody deserves to be understood. You shouldn’t have to rely on your phone if you don’t want to. Would you be willing to teach me?” He smiled softly, trying hard to not be pushy. Amp seemed kind, and he could use more of that in his world. Like him, she was slightly different even in this place. She seemed isolated, or perhaps he was just seeing things. In his mind, both of them could use a new friend, and he was more than willing. If he took the time and effort to speak to her in a way that is natural and comfortable for her, that could be the start of a great friendship.

Perhaps this would work out in the long run as well. Learning a new way to communicate that was subtle and silent had significant applications not only with a pretty girl, but also with subterfuge. In his mind, he was beginning to create a new curriculum. Rectify could keep him from the Danger Room and off of missions, but Wraith could still learn. He could train at the gun range. Read from the library and internet. Study a new way of talking with Amp. Exercise in the gym to increase his agility and powers. Wraith was gaining confidence in his plans now . . . gaining friends and working on his own terms. What if he remained on suspension? There were those that he would apologize to. Playboy. Definitely Siege. Jedi? Maybe not. Most of all, he wanted to apologize to Chi-Chi. He was wrong, and as prideful as he was, he needed to tell her that she was right. The only thing that stopped him from such was the last moment he saw her she was angry at him, and he hadn’t seen much of her in the weeks after. Maybe she didn’t want to talk to him. He was going to have to make a move soon- even if she wasn’t interested in being friends. He had to treat her right. Had to be fair. That was in the back of his mind for a while now, and it stayed there as he tried to learn more about another teammate.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxOmega - Lounge


“Wait, people really do that?” Aren’s incredulous tone colored the picture that he’d lived a sheltered life for the millionth time since coming to New York. “Sign me up.” Licking his lips, he could almost taste all the delicious foods that would be served during a competition. Who knew he could get paid for eating? “I won’t die.” He boasted confidently. “My Na’a has always said that I’m a bottomless pit. Even before I started changing sizes, she said I ate enough to feed a giant.” Pride rang in his tone then; any time he spoke of his mother, his love and respect took precedence.

Complimenting Alice’s new ‘do, the native rehashed how he’d impishly hidden the scissors from one of the girls back home, simply to get under her skin. Driving Naki crazy had become one of his favorite pastimes before he’d found the academy. And just when she had finally agreed to go on a date with him, his acceptance to a mutant school in New York arrived in the mail. The girl made it very clear every time he called home that she was still waiting on their date - Narcissa be damned. “Naki would take that the wrong way.” He said with a lopsided grin. “She had a conniption fit when I brought Ki’somma home during our last break, and that was more for a cultural experience. So often she didn’t understand when I would say something, so I offered to let her see for herself where I come from… Naki took it as me abandoning my place within the tribe, and believed I had forgotten her with all the shiny new things here.” Even now, he was surprised that she’d agreed to go to the middle of nowhere with him instead of some upscale vacation in the caribbean or something. “If I showed Naki yet another pretty blond...” He trailed off, but his tone that he said it in spelled deep trouble for him.

Explaining his intentions to leave once his hair grew back, Aren could hardly stave off the yearning he felt to be back in the mountains. A city was no place for someone so attuned to his people’s customs. Though Alice expressed her disappointment, she seemed supportive of the idea - so long as he promised to visit when he could manage. Nodding along with her sentiment that the Omegas were awesome as a whole, he chuckled. “I feel a damn sight more welcome here than I did initially.” The last bit he nearly growled out, remembering all too well how the girl next to him on the plane made fun of his name. “Red skin, slightly different cadence to how I speak, long hair and hand-me-down clothes that didn’t fit because I kept adjusting sizes… People stared. I even had to convert my common name to what it would be in English because apparently ‘Peta’ sounds like something a girl would be called.” And Otaikimmio'tokaan just didn’t roll off the tongue easily for most.

“I hope so… but I’m guessing that Tanner will be scheduling sessions now that he’s got lead.” Aren said, pinching his face in disgust at the idea of actually training. He and Dom had made professional careers since being promoted to avoid any work at all - especially in the Danger Room. The earth-shaker offered to steal a few grand from Blake whenever Aren wanted a plane ticket and he smiled at the snarky-kindness. The blond was certainly one of a kind. “I don’t think plane tickets are that high in price yet.” And while he didn’t deny her proposal outright, he would never accept the handout, no matter how much Blake might not have missed the money. Letting someone else finance his extracurriculars just didn’t sit with him. “I hope to actually work as a carpenter and sell my work to pay my own way.” Sure, it wasn’t a plan that would create some glamorous lifestyle, but it would provide all that he needed.

Alice wistfully mentioned the lack of attention she’d gotten from the guys on campus, and Aren sniggered before suggesting that her closeness with their new team lead might have a little to do with it. “I mean… you were on several tabloid covers with him…” The size shifter pointed out, recalling the conversation Narcissa had with him over it. “Alice… you need to realize… most guys are stupid… They aren’t going to read subtle cues that you and he aren’t dating… They see you with him all the time, they assume he’s got bedroom privileges.” Shrugging, it seemed perfectly logical to him.

Mentioning that a few guys who might have been interested probably wanted to avoid confrontation with the Texan, he laughed at her response. “I think I’d be more hesitant to offend you than Mr. Courtesy, personally.” He said, knowing all too well that the woman could definitely hold her own.

When a piece of chicken hung out of her mouth, he had more tips on how to snag a guy for herself and she scoffed. “Nah, we’re from two very different worlds. Cowboys, Indians…” His shoulders lifted towards his ears and he took another bite of his massive sandwich. “They typically don’t mix. But manners are pretty universal.” He said, sticking his tongue out at her, food still littering the surface. “Though, I’d like to be a bookie in the event that a gala ever happens…” He said, not giving away which side he’d be on.

Rounding back to him leaving for home eventually, Aren expressed his expectation to be the tribe’s Orator. Cheesing, his smile split his expression from ear to ear. “Just call me a professional windbag.” He joked. Nodding at the stories he’d gained from living here, he had to wonder how many he’d reprise once he was back in Montana… And how many, like sharing souls with Cissa for a time, he’d leave behind. "What about you? What are you gonna grow up to be, other than a one-woman-wrecking crew?"