|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed May 31, 2017 1:05 am
 |
|
|
 |
He had trained with Katerina before, albeit in human form. He had been under her pin (not in a way he’d like unfortunately) and been put in submission holds that reminded him that his strength meant nothing if he couldn’t finesse his way around an opponent. He knew Katerina physically enough to see that his strengths wouldn’t grant him an easy win, and that she was leagues above him in ability.
But right now, in front of him, was not Katerina.
He had to know it was her of course: it was the only reason why a tiger would be attacking him in the sim, one with a distinct blue health bar above its head. Why it targeted him, and the familiar scent of her perfume hidden somewhere underneath that feline form. But, what he was digging his claws into, what he was trying to wrestle into submission and currently bleeding from, was not her, even though it had to be her. In his mind, in his animalistic and primal mind, in front of him was just a creature that intruded into his space, his domain, and dared to challenge him, dared to make him bleed. And with the blood it drew from his form, he realized that he had been put into an unfamiliar situation: one that didn’t immediately put him at an advantage. He didn’t realize how spoiled his mutation made him.
In that moment, the simulation didn’t exist. Headphones-Girl wasn’t even a memory. His animal mind was concerned about the creature in front of him, and how it wasn’t dead yet. It would shocked him that his mind went straight to such a violent conclusion, but in the moment, he was just concerned with getting this tiger taken care of.
With it’s fangs in his shoulder and it’s claws raking up his back and flesh being torn to ribbons and punctured, his rational mind was slowly giving way to something more simple, more definitive, a side of him that at times, looked out only for himself. And right now, it told him that this creature, this mass of blood, muscle, and flesh needed to be torn apart. His eyes landed on the exposed portion of it’s neck, and he could feel his teeth baring ever slightly at the prospect of such a tantalizing bite. But, despite there being little of his rational mind left, it was enough to persuade-, no, plea to not bite. The shock of Katerina’s real face, if it was really who she was, flashing in his mind’s eye, was enough to startle Christian out of his frenzied haze, before lifting up the tiger and heaved her across the hall. As it collapsed against a column, he took several steps towards it, before feeling something constricting around his neck and holding him back. The resistance was shocking, the choking sensation enough to get him to bark excitedly before he lurched forward to strain against this new force. Whatever it was that was holding him back, it stopped, he heard a snapping sound, but he didn’t acknowledge it: he kept walking towards the tiger. It was off balance, still down and likely still trying to maintain consciousness. This was his chance: a bite would be all it would kill Ka-
He blinked rapidly, remembering suddenly everything he was doing. Everyone. He turned and looked to Collin-
-before the simulation around them swirled and changed, the voice of a new entity coming over the sim’s communication system. When it settled (a banquet hall with food that, shockingly, didn’t look appetizing to him at all), he looked back to Collin, his form relaxing. The absence of their health bar did more than enough to tell him that hostilities were over: they were back on the same team, more or less. He signed to her a good-natured congratulations. She responded, in sign, and remembered that she had signed this entire time. Did she know that he couldn’t talk? But that wouldn’t have stopped her from just talking regularly. Regardless, he held out a clawed hand to her and helped her stand. She was clearly shocked, probably her first time fighting someone like him (understandable: not a lot of situations came up like this), but still was able to communicate. “Good enough to not lose.” he reminded her, his confidence in her understanding enough to having him start signing more than one word responses.
Katerina’s voice came, appearing out of the corner of his vision, back as her human-looking self, addressing Collin and figuring out if she was fine. She turned to him and approached slowly, probably unsure if he was still aggressive. Body language was always easier to read when he was in this state, probably an instinctual thing. She praised him....before bringing him back down with some self-approval. It was expected: she really felt above it all, but, had he been thinking a little more clearly, he may have noticed that, despite his ruptured shoulder and heavily clawed back, the adrenaline pumping through his body and the form’s high pain tolerance and endurance, he really didn’t feel that worse for wear, whereas Kat looked like she was clearly hurting (and she smelled like blood and perfume now), no matter how much she pretended she was haughty and indifferent. He still snorted, rolling his eyes.
She wanted him to come back, seeing how the exercise was over. He tried to cross his arms in reply, but he felt a sting of pain rush through his body from his shoulder, and he remembered that wounds she inflicted. He took an uncertain look at his body, noting the blood that ran down and drenched his fur and towering physique. He noted the open wounds on his shoulder and the faint cool sting across his back in multiple locations. His wounds did not heal when he transformed, but they would heal much faster once he went to sleep. However, he wasn’t sure if he’d be standing still once he reverted back to his human form, as his tolerance for pain wasn’t as high: plus, he wasn’t sure he wanted to see how badly he looked in his normal form. He shook his head at her request, pointing a clawed index finger at his shoulder, and nearly digging into it to show how deep the wound might’ve gone.
She did suggest that they got see Aurelie, her friend, to show that he was worse than she was, and remembered that Kat’s friend was very protective of her, and vice versa. After what he just went through...he really wasn’t worried. He crossed his arms, shocking pain still coursing through his shoulder, looking away and giving a dismissive snort. Then, with a massive hand laid on both Collin and Kat’s shoulders, he urged them along with him, towards where Aurelie and the other Alphas were, along with Peyton. At the very least, none of them were eliminated, so Peyton couldn’t blow him into next week, no matter how amusing that sounded.
Charlie was easy to find after the sim, but he still remained in his transformed state to prevent any unsavory pain from increasing. His friend was reasonably shocked at the injuries, but quickly transitioned to whether or not he was eliminated. A shake of his head, followed by Charlie’s, confirmed that neither were eliminated. Their little wager had ended in a draw. They both technically won.
Charlie, in his logic, decided that it was worth celebrating. After some impressive charades by Christian, they settled on some BBQ. True to Scott’s instructions, they hit the showers first, Christian thankful for it as he wiped off the grime and blood off his fur and cleaned himself. His wounds stung, but it wasn’t unbearable. They skipped the medbay, thanks to Christian's mimed insistence, who merely wrapped up his wounds in lots of gauze from different bathrooms they passed by. They sprinted back to their room to pick up some spare clothes before they would run to the kitchen and grab the necessities. Along the way, the fire alarm had went off, and they were doused in more water from the sprinklers. They were hardly affected, though Christian stumbled from the slick floor due to his weight. Once in their room, and the sprinklers had deactivated. Christian had changed into a very large flannel jacket and sweatpants (which, on his transformed state, just barely fit onto his large form and actually ripped a bit against his enlarged legs). As they left their room however, they ran into a face they hadn’t expected: their leader’s.
“Move.” , Narcissa growled out as she used her thumb to scroll through emails. She had a rather scathing message from Emma Frost that required a suitable response. A face to face response, that would probably end in a lot of silence and glaring. Briefly, she glanced up from the device and blue eyes sliced through either Omega that blocked her way. “Are you both deaf? I said--Move.”
Christian looked to Charlie, uncertain about their future. Suddenly, Christian’s very lacking sense of self preservation allowed him to make a potentially life ending move: approaching his leader with a smirk. He started to sign, but remembered like 99 percent of the base can’t understand him unless he charaded. He brought his hands to his face in an unfamiliar thinking gesture for him, before he reached out with one hand and plucked her phone from her grasp. He looked at it, looking as if he forgot how to read (he very well might’ve) before he very carefully put it in his flannel pocket. Then, he placed his hands on her shoulders, giving another smug, toothy grin.
She tried to push his hands away, but they weren’t budging. They moved to her waist to lift her and the other to her back, for balance, already feeling her protesting balled fists against his hands. The strength difference was too immense though: she was in his grasp, like some expensive porcelain doll.
One that can explode.
There was scathing look in her eyes, like she was seconds away from melting him down to a puddle, but he simply raised her into the air and sat her down on his angled arm, like a seat. His hand held her steady, but kept her elevated quite high. If she wanted down, she’d have to risk an ungraceful fall. He turned slowly, ignoring her now cursing voice as he looked to Charlie, smug grin across his face as he then started walking towards the kitchen. His prisoner was flickering like a faulty light bulb, but it just made his catch all the more rewarding. Whatever she was doing could surely wait in favor for some good old fashioned BBQ.
After scrounging around in the kitchen for supplies, with a still fuming Narcissa still cursing them and criticizing their choices, Christian and Charlie had little issue making their way to the elevator to the surface. It was clear that their team leader was angry as hell. Angrier still when she realized that they were planning to waste a valuable pass to the surface for what seemed to be a BBQ. Despite herself, through clenched teeth, she stopped them before they absconded into the cold Canadian air with a piece of loving advice. “The two of you are bloody idiots. Fire, required for cooking, makes smoke. Smoke brings attention. And attention will bring something none of us wants--Which will prompt me to kill the both of you.”
“Even if you stop now I might still kill you. I haven’t decided.”
Christian and Charlie looked to each other, before Christian shrugged, turned around and began walking - towards the hangar. They would not be stopped so easily.
They arrived, the spacious hangar a good enough area for their impromptu BBQ. Christian had held onto a compact table grill in his free hand (with a bag of coal and some meats inside it), while Charlie carried the food and drinks in his arms. Their leader carried a scowl.
Christian set down the equipment gently, before lowering his arm to give their leader an end to her royal ride, more or less bumpier than expected. He nearly made a move to pat down her dress to smooth out some ruffles, but decided against it when he realized he wanted to keep his hand. He instead gave her a thumbs up, and immediately had steam pulse off of his body. His fur and flesh slid off his body in messy chunks, his hands pulling away at the large mounds of now-wasting away skin, his familiar human form jutting out of the bubbling flesh. Eventually, his wolfy pelt had more or less slid off his frame and began evaporating away in the air in steam and wet heat, the smell akin to wet pavement after a rainy day wafting in the air; it would disappear within a few minutes, leaving practically no evidence of his werewolf form. His formerly tight fitting clothes were now loose and baggy on his smaller human body, and the gauze had slid off his form, requiring him to dig back into his flannel pockets and apply a fresh set over his wounds, which had stopped bleeding by now. Underneath his open flannel sweater, his torso was exposed and allowed the strips of tied gauze to be shown, his sweat pants also slightly ripped. He felt a small, chilly breeze in the hangar.
“Let’s cook!” he said, innocent but excited tone cutting through the hangar’s air.
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jun 03, 2017 10:33 pm
|
|
|
|
  
Simulation Room
Katerina watched Christian with careful eyes while waiting to hear from Collin. She was a little surprised to hear nothing. She tore her eyes from the beast in the room in time to see the small Alpha signing something to her. Her lips pursed and she shook her head as much as her mild injuries would allow. “I don’t know what any of that means, topolina*.” {*little mouse}
“But at least you’re in one piece.”
Aurelie would be proud of her. She’d managed to keep Collin from becoming glorified puppy chow and hadn’t tried to kill anyone. Gun metal blue eyes turned back to the werewolf to assess his threat level. Her eyes narrowed for a moment, before relaxing, as if she’d found what she was looking for. Proof that his bloodlust was temporarily satiated. Christian knew not to pull his punches with her. She’d never let him hear the end of it. But this little tête-à-tête felt different. He’d been completely consumed. Ready to go for the jugular.
He snorted and rolled his eyes at her compliments and criticisms. She rewarded his response with a rather evocative curl of primrose lips, the edges betraying a confident smirk. Katerina didn’t bother explaining that he’d held the upper hand because she’d allowed it. The shape shifter had ripped into him solely to keep him from hurting her too badly while they scrapped. She’d been holding back—just being aggressive enough to survive. Ironically, the auburn haired woman had done the same thing that she’d chastised him for time and time again. The pain and minor injuries that he’d left her with were nothing.
Christian knew basics about the hell hole she’d been raised in, but, she didn’t think that he really took her seriously. A training ground meets brain washing facility called the Leviathan sounded fictitious. Even to her, and she’d lived it. To that end…It really was nothing. She didn’t feel it the same way others would. She had been trained all of her young life not to. The sting, the aches, the scent of blood, the shudder in her breathing… It was all just a sharp reminder that she was still alive. She would be lying to say that she didn’t find it exhilarating.
She requested that he change back to his natural state and somehow, through his hand signals and headshakes, she understood that he couldn’t. When he pointed at the torn flesh of his shoulder that looked a little bit too much like butchered meat she reached up and ‘shooed’ his clawed hand away from the injured area. She peered at it without touching it. “It’s not that bad mio lupo*. Don’t be such a baby.” {*my wolf}
“And don’t put your finger in it. Or try to chew your arm off. Bad dog.”
He reached for Collin and herself in an effort to usher them toward the Alpha’s and the former HYDRA agent visibly recoiled—moving rather nimbly just out of reach. It wasn’t that she was afraid of him. It was a conditioned response. They’d just literally been at each other’s throats. The tiger mind and instincts that she’d borrowed would take time to fade away. He was more wolf than he was man and it wasn’t easy to make the tiger understand that the fight was indeed over. Nevertheless, she followed beside both of them, though her guard never came down.
----
Katerina knew that someone was in trouble the second Aurelie shouted her name. She hid the urge to hide a little bit behind Christian as they walked toward the statuesque blond bombshell. Her expression confounded her. Was she angry? Worried? Sad? Between her growled threat and promise that they’d stick together next time she figured it out. Guilt. Of course beautiful, strong, sweet, Aurelie thought herself somehow responsible for the blood that was slowly soaking her uniform. The all-powerful Headmaster Summers spouted off some nonsense that she basically ignored.
“Medbay?”, she questioned Aurelie, confusion swirling in blue eyes as she looked her friend over. Was she hurt? It dawned on her a moment later that the Alpha’s telekinetic was referring to her. “Ah, mia cara*, I’m fine.” {*my pretty}
Aurelie wasn’t having it and started dragging her out of the simulation room. At first her feet stuck to the floor, unsure if she should leave, considering Christian was still a werewolf. She wasn’t sure, one way or the other, if she was done with him yet. “But Aurie...It makes no sense to go to the infirmary now…”
“We were having fun. I was thinking about an encore. What’s the sense of getting patched up of we’re just going to get all bloody again?”
Aurelie gave her a look of pure exasperation. Katerina looked back at her mischievously, despite the arm that hid her injured ribs, and eventually let the telekinetic pull her out of the room with an amused laugh. Truly, her best friend worried too much.
Katerina waited patiently for the human Band-Aid to put her back together for what felt like the millionth time. He didn’t seem to like her much. It wasn’t anything he said. Just body language. He was more open with others. When he put his hands on her he wasn’t unkind…Just cold. The shape shifter didn’t question it. She liked her medical staff that way. Those that served their purpose and got out of her face were appreciated far more than the chatty type. “Grazie.”*, she muttered with a little bit of annoyance as she slid off the examination table. *{Thanks}
Elixir already looked tired. Too much work, too much strain on his ability, she wagered. It couldn’t be easy, even with Warren Worthington occasionally around, to maintain an entire base of super powered morons that wouldn’t know what a consequence was if it slapped them in the face.
Katerina retuned to Aurelie and gave her a carefree smile as she linked their arms together. “It’s shower time. I’m all sticky, and not in a good way.”, she spoke with a little snigger under her breath that made her Italian accent almost swallow the words. From there she walked and chatted with Aurelie as they made their way back to their basically shared room. Her room was mostly used for storage. She tried to make the telekinetic forget the exercise. Sure, there would be a piper to pay later, but it hardly bothered the shape shifter. What was a little cleaning when she’d gotten first good fight she’d had since arriving to the Academy? She felt like a new person, and couldn’t wait, until the next time she got to put Christian’s face into the training mat. The blue really brought out his eyes.
“Come. I’ll do your hair. Then we’ll have cioccolata calda* and some trashy television.”, Katerina outlined the rest of their afternoon rather easily, the laissez-faire attitude she usually had, slowly returning. Some might have been annoyed with the technopath that had interrupted the training simulation. Katerina couldn’t be bothered to mind one way or the other. For her, it had been a good session. *{hot chocolate}
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jun 04, 2017 12:03 am
|
|
|
|
 
Name: Narcissa "Cissa" Grace
Codename: Solaris
Team: Omega
Location: Solaris Room - Kitchen - Hangar
"So the girl that can randomly make things explode claims that a microwave just up and self destructed on its own. Right. Stop making excuses. If you're going to ruin my hair--At least point at an Alpha.", the Red Queen responded to Gracie's admission of guilt. She wasn't all that irritated, considering anything that gave Summers a shitty day, made hers that much brighter. At the mention of a new Omega she seemed to forget about the impromptu shower. Kind of. "Tell our new friend that I'll meet him in the kitchen shortly. You know, after I get cleaned up. Someone set off the bloody sprinklers."
She didn't touch the penguin or poke my mon part. She didn't really understand. When it came to Gracie willing weird s**t into existence it was basically best not to ask. Back away slowly. Don't ask.
Narcissa’s mood was considerably improved by a slinky black dress that was ended scandalously above the knee. The designer called it a ‘frock’ but the Red Queen entirely disagreed. It had a high crew neckline edged in lace and mesh that led to a large sheer panel that wrapped around the top of her chest and back. It held flawlessly to her waist and hips, only to flare out slightly, ending in a short flirty hem of sheer silk. It wasn’t as flashy as some of her fashion choices but it seamlessly complimented her best features.
And strangely enough, it felt comfortable. That was unusual. Beauty was pain and Narcissa whole-heartedly intended to suffer for the rest of her life. By the time she left her quarters, relieved that her shoe collection had been spared the downpour, she was already settling. Bright red, open toe, Valentino pumps hit the polished walkways with without a care in the world. They were in stark contrast to the dress she wore, especially with the playful, iconic bows and a spike heel. She didn’t really care what Scooter wanted to punish them with. There was always a way out of it. Or, a way to do the least amount of work possible. Cleaning. HA. As if.
She eventually got around to snooping about the new kid on her phone when she came across a passive aggressive warning from Emma Frost. The sun goddess frowned as she reached up and brushed free lengths long golden hair behind her ear. She had it pulled over her shoulder in an extremely loose braid to keep it neat and casually chic. Either way, her expression was growing cold again. She didn’t like being micromanaged over a team exercise that didn’t really matter. Narcissa knew the probable outcome despite the interruption.
The Alpha’s save for a rare, charming few, were unwilling to do what needed to be done. They seemed to think that the enemy would always fight fair. That the Brotherhood wouldn’t sacrifice a building full of flatscans to win. Just because the Sentinels had a hard on for wiping out mutant kind and went soft on humanity didn’t make them safe. There were far more threats in the world than just giant walking toaster-doom-bots. Just as she rounded a corner, not paying attention as she responded furiously to Frost, she nearly smacked into Christian and Charlie.
She didn’t look up from her phone but snarled out her demands—not really paying much attention to them. Bloody God and Queen only knew what these two daft cows were up to. She didn’t really have time for it. She missed Christian trying to sign at her like a barbarian and only really acknowledged his existence when he took her phone from her. Blue eyes went entirely flat as they narrowed and she extended her hand. “Have you gone mental? Don’t make me take it back from you.”
His response to that was to place his hands on her shoulders to which her face screwed up into something horrifying. She was lit, instantly, and stepped backward, smacking his clawed hands away as if they were flies about her head. “What the hell is wrong with you? Have you been drinking? Now give me my bloody damn—“, her words were cut off when the Omega bent down and swept her up by the waist in one motion. She immediately shoved at his chest, forcing her torso as far from his as she could, before he propped her up, way too high. Bright white light flared in her eyes as she snarled. “—Put me down.”
“I bloody said—PUT ME DOWN—Or I swear I’ll put you out of your misery in the slowest way possible.”
She felt a sense of unfamiliar dread. She HATED being carried. Only one person could get away with it and HE wasn’t here. No matter how she struggled, she couldn’t get away, not without using her powers against him. Christian was too strong. It pissed her off when it reminded her that she wasn’t infallible. If she lit up and exploded like she was known for—there was no way that Christian and possibly Charlie wouldn’t have third degree burns. The Omega’s, no matter how insipid, or brain dead, case in point, were hers to protect. She would not be the leader that came before her. She wouldn’t use her ability against them unless it was life or death. The kind of pain she could cause was not the appropriate response for a poorly conceived prank.
That didn’t mean she had to be happy about it. The Red Queen fumed and spouted off nasty threats and all but gave up on getting Charlie to get his idiot pet dog to see reason. He was just following along with a stupid grin plastered on his equally stupid face. “What are you smiling at? This isn’t funny. This is NOT funny.”
“I’ll show you funny.”, she hissed at both of them as Christian literally CARRIED her around the base and through kitchens like some sort of child. The whole base probably heard her shouting. She kicked him a few times, none too gently, letting the heel of her shoe dig into him whenever possible. She had seen Gracie, Daylia, and someone she didn't know in passing but she couldn't really do anything but b***h. Loudly. If she moved too much she would probably flash the whole room. “You two are dead. Absolutely, dead.”
It was around the time she saw Charlie fishing around for barbeque sauce that she realized what the Hardy Boys were up to. The grill was compact, and truly, she didn’t eat enough to know what the hell it was on sight. At least she managed to talk some sense into them before they decided to send smoke signals to broadcast their location. Did HIDDEN base mean nothing to them? “Idiots.”, she seethed, her ability flashing on and off beyond her control. Her blood was boiling.
Aren would probably think that she was murdering someone with how much rage and distaste was echoing around in her head. There was no way she could hide what she was feeling. Her heart was racing, and her skin felt like it was nearly on fire, from trying to keep from burning irreparable holes in her Omega. Narcissa didn’t break her toys—but it was bloody well truly tempting. She didn’t see a problem when she passed into someone else’s space…but when someone crossed uninvited into hers? There would be hell to pay.
Where was Aren? Normally, he was around. Bloody hell. She fumbled with the comm unit on her wrist and hastily yelled into his frequency before Christian could take it away. “Do you know how to hide a body? I’ll need to hide two. Soon.”
Orange was totally her color; but sharing living space in a small cell? No thank you. It was right about then that she realized her twelve-year old captors had absconded with her to the hangar. What the hell were they going to do here? Christian reached up and brought her back down to the ground again, to which she immediately turned, and punched him as hard as she could in the chest, moving right through his ‘thumbs up’. The punch collided and she instantaneously pulled her hand back to her chest when throbbing pain shot up her arm. Somehow, her injured hand was his fault too. “a*****e.”
Christian immediately began to change and she jumped away from him when his furry-flesh began to slough off like his was molting. “Bloody hell you daft prat!”, she cursed at him as she scowled, not at all grossed out, but more horrified that some of his bubbling wolf-goo might get on her shoes.
She took another step back at the smell. Her eyes flickered between both boys as Christian announced that it was time to cook. Seriously. They’d risked life and limb picking her up for a barbecue?
“I hate both of you.”
Remembering that she was supposed to be meeting the new kid in the kitchen's that they'd just left she stamped her feet as she reached for her comm again. "Graceland--New plan. Send the brat to the hangar."
Bloody hell.
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jun 04, 2017 8:50 am
|
|
|
|
Rectify
Training Simulation to Garden
 "Hi there," he offered in pleasant response briefly before taking his plunge into untreaded territory.
"Bella," Lachlan uncharacterisically insisted, assertiveness lining his normally mild tone, "level with me, even just briefly, please."
It wasn't a command: he wasn't going to force her to do something against her will, but it was certainly a concerned request coming from a friend. The way she'd looked away from him, the way she clenched her jaw and the insistence she seemed to have on avoiding the topic altogether only doubled his resolve. Kat was ruthless but so he he, in his own unique way.
"As a friend and as a party that was partially involved," Lachlan again insisted, refusing to be drawn away from the topic without thoughtful resistance, "I believe it is my duty not only as a friend but as a fellow alpha and as a moral person to worry.
Almost as if sensing her train of thought, he added, "I am well aware you are perfectly capable of handling yourself, in fact, you are easily more suited to protecting yourself than I am defending you, however, that isn't what this is about. It never hurts to have a contingency plan in the event she tries to undermine your trust in me, in others. Can we please come up with a small countermeasure to ease my nerves? It's selfish but this is partially about me too. I don't want her to use my likeness against you the way she has with others."
Lachlan knew Leo was yet another sore topic as far as Bella was concerned and that was specifically why he'd chosen to withhold the departed alpha's name specifically. Though he hadn't gotten to know the man as well as he would have liked to, even Lachlan knew enough to know his departure had been a large enough blow to the alphas. Of course, Bella was likely to take the hit the hardest. She had a knack for tending to make things her fault, not unlike himself.
"And I believe you when you say you won't, but there's no harm in taking one extra step to assure that it won't happen, is there? There can be strength in numbers, you know. I'm on your side and all I'm asking is to set an assurance up in the event you are uncertain I'm myself."
As he'd already mentioned, the request was partially selfish. There was no way he'd ever be able to forgive himself if Katerina used his likeness and Bella's trust in him to hurt the sound manipulator. If there was any possible way to spare Bella more hurt than she'd already experienced, then he was more than willing to go an extra mile or two for a friend he believed in.
"If it ever comes down to having to put anyone down, I won't let you do it. It'll weigh too heavily on your conscience. I know there isn't always another way, that people aren't always willing to listen to reason or stand down and compromise but I promise that I'll do my damndest to make sure you don't have to bear that burden, even if it means I have to cross the line in your stead. I've been told there's no coming back from taking a life: that it permanently alters a part of you. I think you've been through enough, it's someone else's turn to step up should the need arise."
He paused, allowing the seriousness of his conviction to sink in. Making promises as drastic as the ones he had were a bit more intense than paying back a pal you owed when you'd forgotten your wallet. Lachlan would not falter, though. He'd made a promise and he fully intended to keep it.
"I'm not wanting to be a broken record but I feel you need to know that you have friends on your side that care. You are a good person and you deserve good things." He offered a soft smile, allowing the wall of resilience he'd raised earlier to fall. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jun 04, 2017 7:37 pm
|
|
|
|
 LOCATION: LOUNGE // COMPANY: BLAKE, COLLIN, ALEX, ZEPH, MARCEL // THOUGHTS: SWIMMING IS GREAT EXERCISE // MUSIC: POISON // CLOTHES: XX
This is a fight to the d e a t h,xxxxxxxx
Our holy war,xx
A new romance,xxxxxxxxxxx
A trojan whorexxxxx
We will, we will, we will rise again
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
This is a f i g h t for the day,xxxxx
Night,xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Black and whitexxxxxxxx
A victory dance,xxxxxx
A burning riotxxxxxxxxxxxx
We will, we will, we will r i s e again
xxxxxxx |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jun 04, 2017 8:02 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2017 4:43 am
|
|
|
|
❤ Ｔｅａｍ: ALPHA ❤ Ｌｏｃａｔｉｏｎ: Indoor Gardens - 7th Sub-Level ❤
A curious smile touched her lips when Lachlan responded to her greeting. The air in the greenhouse was warm, humid, when compared to the generally chilly hallways of the bunker. It wasn’t the strangest place to ask her to a meeting—but his obvious desire for privacy made her wonder. When her typically mild mannered friend put his foot down and refused accept her thoughts on the situation with Katerina she knew that this conversation was far from what she’d imagined it to be. Class trouble, girl trouble, power trouble, confidence issues…She could handle all of that.
She couldn’t handle discussing Katerina or Leonardo. Katerina, because she was entirely unhinged, and Leo, because her feelings were incredibly mixed. At the end of the day all it boiled down to was potentially losing someone she loved through events she hadn’t been able to control.
“I don’t know what you want me to say Lachlan.”, she responded quietly, melodic tones soft, a little uneasy. He believed that it was his duty to care of her. To ensure her safety. She didn’t feel the same way. The Alphas took care of each other as a general rule—But it was her place to oversee all of them. She’d always tried to foster an atmosphere of camaraderie versus the mindset of a small militia…But that didn’t seem to be working anymore. Leo had told her that she was too good for this kind of work. He called her a light. Hope. Something that the X-Men sorely needed. She wasn’t sure she agreed. Everything she got involved in—Professionally or personally—Fell apart faster than a Jenga tower. “I don’t want to do anything that might involve you more than you already are. Going to speak to her while she was in holding…That was reckless. It placed you on her radar. You don’t want that.”
Strength alone wouldn’t be enough to deal with the former HYDRA agent. He had helped save Katerina's life, or so she’d heard, by using his ability to remove Leo…But not even that would spare him. The shape shifter did not operate on the same level that the rest of the Alphas did. She wouldn’t feel indebted to him. She would feel slighted by someone stepping in when in her mind she had everything handled. Katerina had tunnel vision and a lack of empathy that was terrifying. Only her relationship with Aurelie gave her hope that there was something inside of her other than a stone cold killer.
Lachlan pleaded with her to create some sort of countermeasure and the young woman remained hesitant. She just didn’t want him entangled in this silent war. She didn’t want her team members to catch on and start choosing sides. If that happened, any expectations of forming a truce, would be obliterated. The chances were already astronomically low. Mostly, because Isabella would never, ever, trust her. Her eyes closed and eventually she seemed to relent. Lachlan could be incredibly stubborn sometimes. “…If we were to do this…What did you have in mind? Secret handshake? Password?”
Her eyes snapped open however when Lachlan mentioned the possibility of needing to kill Katerina. She shook her head immediately, firmly, and her expression showed no room for argument. “You misunderstood me. No one is killing anyone.”, she clarified cleanly, her voice showing the gravity, and seriousness that the topic deserved. It was disgusting and immoral in a way she couldn’t fathom to reference ending a life so casually. “I do everything I can to preserve life. Even on the field, when it seems like there is no other way, I will find one. My life isn’t any more valuable than anyone else’s.”
“When Katerina attacked me after the mission…I didn’t fight her. I tried making her nauseous and calling for help instead. I didn’t want to hurt her. I should have. She and I don’t speak the same language—But I know now that she does understand violence. By putting her down, I mean to say, that I will incapacitate her by any means necessary. I will not kill her. You, will not.”
Isabella explained things as clearly to Lachlan as she could without delving into emotional bias. There could be no room for misinterpretations of any kind. She wouldn’t allow it. Typically kind jade eyes were hard as stone and she seemed more like the captain of the Alphas than ever. She was hardened in a way that few realized. “And if it ever came to something so heinous….No one will do that in my stead. You’re a wonderful person. A good man. I care about you. But if you tried, you won’t like me very much anymore.”
Never had she thought that she’d been spending any amount of her day defending Katerina Force. Never.
“This is what it means to be me, Lachlan. Objective decisions, the split second choices that can go horribly wrong, consequences, both good, and bad. Leading our friends into fights and bearing the burden of it all is my job. We are X-Men. We save people. We don’t cross that line.”
She felt her stomach bottoming out. This was the same moral dilemma that she’d had not long ago that had left her running through the compound like a wraith. The sudden question and lack of clarity left her feeling like a hollowed ghost. Was taking the high ground by letting enemies live in prison versus eliminating them truly a mistake? Was she placing her morals over the lives of innocent people? She didn’t really know how to answer that. All she knew for now, was that Katerina, for all her faults, wasn’t supposed to be their enemy. “We don’t kill our enemies. We certainly don’t kill our own.”
Isabella shifted uncomfortably and wished for the thousandth time that Leo was still there. Or that Blake could stomach the sight of her. Either man always set her straight, even if she didn’t like the answers they gave. Leo was brutally honest. Blake gave her much needed perspective. She needed that. Needed to be grounded, to be the leader that everyone expected her to be.
She felt like she was drifting in a life-raft without paddles. No land in sight. The songstress had sent emails to an address she knew that Leo occasionally checked with general updates but she hadn’t heard anything back from him. Likely, for safety reasons. He worried so much about her turning into him. Funny enough, it seemed that it might be happening, with, or without him. Trying to reign in her team and remind them of X-Men ideals seemed to be the only way to curb it.
If she didn’t break. If she set the example—Perhaps her Alphas would follow suit.
Lachlan seemed to realize that this conversation had gone to a place that it shouldn’t have and eventually tried to return to his main concerns. He wanted to support her. She was grateful for that…But she couldn’t shake the promise he’d made out of her head. Lachlan was a man of his word. She didn’t relish the day that she might have to stop him from making a mistake he could never undo. He called her a good person and she couldn’t look at him. Was she? “Good people don’t nearly get killed by the people that should be supporting them. I know that you’re worried and that you care…But I have to stand on my own. The Alphas can’t have sides. We have to be a unified.”
“It’s hard and it feels impossible...But you have to forgive her. It's only me that she has a problem with since Leonardo isn't here. I've seen her be a good friend to Aurelie. She worries about her. Cares about her. That means there's hope for her. She's not as cold as she wants us all to think. In all of this chaos...There may be a time when she could be the only thing standing between you and something very unpleasant. Don’t give her a reason to turn her back on you.”
"...Everyone's pretty and hiding an ugly truth. Deception is all around. Watch out - Use caution now...."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2017 8:59 pm
|
|
|
|
Gabriel Byrne
Location: Training/Pool
Thoughts: Trying to enjoy some downtime.
 The roaring wind sent their way turned everything into a simple dull roar, tuning almost everything out around him. He kept his focus on his partner, Aurelie as per Kat’s request. He asked for her opinion on how best to proceed with their battle plan. They needed to be smart about the whole thing, because as much as he liked the idea of going headlong into the fray, he had more to consider beyond just hitting his target. There were factors to contend with such as wind velocity, which in the context of the situation, was without a doubt the biggest x-factor. But there was also pressure in the chamber, rifle twist, and of course weight. But then of course there was the fact that he was not alone in the situation. He was more of a solitary animal, not one to put himself in a situation where he relied on others, so being instructed to watch over someone was not something he was used to doing.
He wasn’t one to read emotions well, but her surprise when he asked for an opinion on the matter at hand was very apparent. Given the situation, her input was important. And Aurie even had a good idea, use her shielding to get close enough for a good shot. But it was all for naught, as the simulation flickered several times before turning to a massive dining hall. He commented on the matter, related to rolling with it and he had to laugh at her response.
“Well not all of us are able to create telekinetic barriers.” he quipped. It appeared that the simulation had come to an end at that point. Aurelie then said she was going to check on Kat which he nodded at. The two of them were rather close, not his place to inject himself into something like that.
Plus, he was a solitary creature. So he decided to enjoy some time to himself.
A short time later
Gabriel decided that he was going to take a dip in the pool. Maybe even get a few laps in. He honestly wasn’t too sure how he was going to handle himself with this. Getting himself out of his gear, he grabbed a pair of trunks that his sister had gotten him and slipped them on. It was loose, but a nice pair of white swim trunks. Walking into the pool area he took in a deep breath of the chlorine as it permeated from the water. His one hand held a can of Monster, carefully taking sips as he scanned the pool. He felt the shakes kick in from after the simulation and tried to address them best he could. So he took his pulls and settled himself into the water. Draining the can, he placed it along the pool edge and pushed off. The flow of water around his body as he floated around.
He took note of what he thought was another Alpha (Wraith) floating around in the pool as well. Figured he’d offer the courtesy of announcing himself, as he appeared to be a bit self-engrossed.
“Pardon my presence.” he stated, “Figured I’d take a dip.”
“Name’s Gabriel, by the way. Siege out in the field, an Alpha.”
OOC: Let me know if there's any problems!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eloquent Conversationalist
|
Posted: Tue Jun 13, 2017 7:23 pm
|
|
|
|
 
XX【 】Name: Alexander Magnus
XX【 】Codename: Wraith
XX【 】Team Affiliation: Alpha
XX【 】Location: Pool
XX【 】Actions: Introduced himself to Gabriel
Floating in a pool, even one that was not designed for physical therapy, can be quite rejuvenating. The gentle movement of water across his skin, the buoy effect of floating in the cool soothing his form. He had worked so hard in making his constructs, that he had become a stress-filled knot. Here he could relax and just . . . be. He didn’t know how long he laid in the water, simply floating in the deep end. Somewhere between ten minutes and a half hour, if he was pressed for an answer. Water is a magnificent transmitter of energy, including sound. Because of that he heard more than saw people entering the water. First it was one, at the far end. They stayed away and perhaps didn’t even notice the kid floating in the deeper end. The second came later- and approached him. This one was friendly, had a bit of ‘normal’ about him with some chiseled looks. At least at first glance. More than anything, it was the manners that caught Wraith’s attention. His eyes popped open at the first muffled sound of voice. A pardon for being there. Immediately, Wraith righted himself in the water, and turned with a friendly smile on his face. When the new person gave an explanation, Wraith’s smile turned just a bit nervous as he waved away the excuse. “Oh no prob! We all live here, right?” The new arrival introduced himself as Gabriel, with a call sign of Siege. Furthermore he said he was an alpha. In his mind, Wraith had begun to think of Alphas as the major party here, with the Omegas being the loose cannons. Nobody had been particularly clear, but based on the simulation, Alphas were far more numerous. These were the team-workers. Omegas were the weapons, the ones you send in when collateral damage is either not cared about or even desired.
“I’m . . . I’m Wraith.” He said with that same nervous smile. “Don’ care much for my birth name. When I came to the institute, I started trying to remake myself. Holed up in a mountainside, where better to reinvent?” Here, he offered a hand in greeting, though it was under the water. Were they standing, it would be obvious. Here it was meant to be friendly and normal. The water might hide it, though. He didn’t think about that. “Alpha, ne? I’m sorry. I shoulda been of more use out there. I tried, but ran into somebody that more than was able to keep me from helping the team.” It was a heavy weight on him. In a desperate bid to be useful, he only ended up sidelining a single opponent, and that was not a battle he was going to win. He noticed the girl in the far end of the pool, and a prolonged glance showed it was the same girl he went to backup out in the simulation. He involuntarily winced when he saw her. A poignant reminder of his inability to be of much use out there.
 
OOC: short post is short. Sorry. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 21, 2017 8:09 am
|
|
|
|
Rectify
Greenhouse Garden
It was impossible to miss her curious smile fade into nothingness at the realization he was not here to dicuss his problems. Bella, from what he knew, had always been a fairly quiet but thoughtful individual who always went out of her way to help others. While on the outside she definitely maintained an excellent facade of cheerfulness, the super strong mutant saw through her guises. As he'd heard more than once in his life: the people always willing to help are often in need of help themselves. He firmly believed that statement to be reality where the songstress was concerned.
"I just want you to do me this tiny favor to help ensure I haven't endangered you more," he replied apprehensively. He'd already made it more than apparent that he was concerned with the possibility of Katerina using Bella's nature against her where he was concerned. "All I want is for you to have a way to assure you know I'm me in the event you ever feel uncertain."
Lachlan didn't need to be reminded that his insistence on confronting Katerina had been careless on his part, the bowing of his head in acknowledgment of Bella's statement illustrating his understanding. He wasn't going to argue with her on that point. He knew when he had no ground to stand on. "I chose to involve myself, Bella. I know I'm not experienced like you are, not ruthless and calculated like Katerina is, but I refuse to back down simply because I'm at a disadvantage. I'm not going to stand by and watch when I can possibly make a difference. Maybe placing myself on her radar will offer you some momentary relief from being on hers."
While he couldn't say he knew the extent of Katerina's abilities, Lachlan was by no means smug. He knew full well that he was still on training wheels where riding the bike was now second nature to the likes of Kat and Bella. If he didn't push himself, however, he was never going to learn and if he didn't make mistakes along the way the point remained the same.
As Bella closed her eyes, Lachlan perked up at the prospect of opportunity. Normally he didn't prefer to goad people into listening to him, he liked them to come to their conclusions on their own but this particular case was unique. It had devolved into a small battle of wills and it seemed Lachlan's insistence may have come through in the end, not a feat he was expecting to be a common theme by any means.
"Well," he contemplated with a wry shrug, "I definitely don't want it to be something that is documented or kept on file like many of those silly security questions they ask you online. I was thinking just a password ... bananaboat ... because I hate the stuff but become a living lobster without it." Not to mention he was hoping it would help ease the tension and bring back the infectious, amiable smile he'd come to know Bella by, even if it was likely to be fleeting given the turn in conversation.
If bringing up Katerina hadn't already put him in hot water, then the suggestion of protecting Bella by any means necessary had him treading water at boiling point. While it hadn't been his intention to upset her, he wasn't about to retract his statement. Like Bella, he tried his hardest to assure there were no casualties on either side, however, what was one to do when the other side would not compromise in any shape or form and was hell bent on seeing their opposition eradicated?
"I did misunderstand," he freely admitted, owning up to his mistakes. "And while you may feel the way you do, I'm not going to lie to your face and say I necessarily agree. I want to preserve life, I don't want to see anyone perish, but what happens when we run into a brick wall? What if there are people so stubborn and insistent on the idea of seeing one of us destroyed that they become blind to reason? I'm not saying I'm going to go out of my way to antagonize the situation but I'm not going to sit by idly if she manages to find another opportunity to pick up where she left off. I know you don't want me to take sides and outwardly I'm not going to treat her any differently, but if she harms you again and I have the capability to, I will intervene if I need to. I value someone I can trust and someone I know has the capacity to remain human despite the things she's been put through far more than I value a rogue that could turn on anyone at any given moment."
"It isn't my plan or intention to, however, sometimes things don't always go according to plan. And sometimes when you allow someone to walk free from an offence, they decide to reoffend simply because they feel they can and will get away with it the second time around. I'm merely wanting to be prepared."
Sometimes people arguably didn't always know what was best for themselves. As far as the incident between Bella and Kat, Lachlan couldn't help but feel that the songstress was leaving a hell of a lot to chance. It was one thing if the songstress and shapeshifter didn't like one another but it was an entire other thing when Bella's own life was on the line because of it. "I'm willing to take that risk if I feel the situation calls for it. Trust me, I don't want it to come to that and I will use the utmost discretion, but just as you feel I shouldn't value your life more than Katerina's, you shouldn't undervalue yours compared to hers. Your life being threatened verbally is one thing but she physically tried to follow through, Bella. This isn't some disagreement between two children fighting over a new toy, this is your life we're talking about. Your life deserves to be preserved just as Kat's does and I intend to see to that."
"I understand," he stated respectfully but somewhat flat in response to her reminder that they weren't to cross the line. He'd already made himself as clear as he felt he could. He would never take a life unless he truly felt there was no other way. However, he'd rather be the one crossing the line than having Bella have to agonize over her choices and what she possibly could have done differently on top of political repercussions as far as her leadership status. Perhaps she took Katerina's threats lightly or felt her hands were tied but the super strong mutant certainly did not take them lightly nor would his hands be easy to tie given his mutation.
"You're right. I plan to abide by that unless a certain individual's free will potentially dictates otherwise. I trust you can take care of yourself but if she ever manages to catch you off guard and I have no other choice, I've already made up my mind." While Bella maybe didn't agree with him, Lachlan couldn't help but feel Leo would have. Despite what Bella perhaps thought based on his promise, even with the knowledge he now had of Kat and his brief chat with her, he wouldn't have chosen not to save her from Leo. His morals still held strong. But he was willing to compromise his morals if it meant keeping someone who shared the same morals safe and unsullied. He'd rather live with the burden than force someone else to, especially someone as kind as Bella.
Lachlan visibly winced at Bella's reasoning, as if she had sucker punched him directly in the gut and knocked the wind out of him. He was at a loss as to where she had come to the conclusion that Katerina attacking her somehow equated to Bella being a bad person. "Since when has being the victim come to mean you aren't a good person? I'd say the person who isn't good is the one who tried to justify hurting or killing someone else. Katerina's lack of respect has nothing to do with you being a bad person and everything to do with her having warped views and looking to take things out on you. She is the one creating the rift here, not you. So please don't go blaming yourself or suggesting you aren't a good person because of someone who isn't morally sound and chooses not to respect your beliefs."
The friendly giant had decided to take a seat and ran his hands cautiously along the petals of a carnation in contemplation. While remaining cautious, he couldn't help but feel clumsy when handling the flower just as he felt he'd handled his talk with Bella. Maybe he was only meant for destroying things. "I will forgive her, but that doesn't mean I will forget, Bella. You can't tell me that you wouldn't be equally as upset if the situation were reversed and she'd tried to kill me as opposed to you. If being a friend to you and looking out for your best interest turns her against me then so be it, perhaps loyalty isn't a concept she's able to grasp but I'm trying my hardest to be a friend, a team mate and uphold the X-men's and your standards without losing you or anyone else in the process."
"Lastly, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you or create more strife than you're already dealing with. Believe it or not, my intention was to help and to try and reassure you, though it seems that may have backfired. I'll find a way to make it up to you but for now I think we should probably change the conversation and maybe try doing something fun to take your mind off your duties for a bit, what do you say? I understand if you'd prefer having some space as well, specifically from me, seeing as I've made an a** out of myself." He offered a friendly smile from his currently seated position along with a purple petaled, yellow centered daffodil as oppposed to the carnation he'd been eyeing prior. He didn't know much about flowers but he'd been taught that carnations were death flowers and that was the absolute last thing he intended to equate with Bella.
He was fully aware the gesture was rather cliche but he was desperate to alleviate the situation and try to make up for the dark turn their conversation had taken. Bella was someone that appreciate beauty, even in the smallest of things, so he wasn't concerned she would focus on how stereotypical his gesture was but beat himself up for it all the same. He could have stood to be far more thoughtful than merely offering her a flower. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 21, 2017 7:52 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 21, 2017 8:55 pm
|
|
|
|
Gabriel Byrne
Location: Pool
Thoughts: Getting to know a new recruit!
 Water is an interesting thing in the universe. As far as matter goes, it exists in three different states and is ubiquitous in the persistence and existence of all carbon based life on this planet. This substance, composed of two hydrogen atoms, and one oxygen atom, is essential for sustaining the most common form of life on this massive ball of rock. Gabriel existed on a ball of rock, that itself was mostly covered in water. Even more mind-blowing, life is [b[composed mostly of just these three atoms rearranged in the right order, roughly 60%. One less hydrogen atom, one extra hydrogen atom, or even just some extra or missing oxygen atoms, and the chemical formula for carbon based life is for nothing.
What’s even more insane is that right now, in this moment, Gabriel was sitting in a pool of water. The very thing that not only made most of his physical form but also sustained his life, was now a reservoir by which he can enjoy in a recreational sense. Millions of years of evolution all came down to the simple act of primates finding ways of putting pools of water in areas that are accessible to other primates. It was just one of the many things he thought about as he glided in the pool. He thought of other things, but it was just a funny thought that he, as a water-based life form, was swimming in a pool of water. Strange when you think about it. Growing up in the desert of Nevada having a pool was something that was part of the package. When they weren’t working in the shop or the garage he was out by the pool. There was always some party that was going on, the kind of thing that he was usually a bit too nervous to participate in. Guess that’s why he stuck around in the shop more often than not, the trunks he was wearing now were practically new.
So he floated about, nearing someone who identified himself as Wraith. He offered up a polite introduction, which was taken with a bit of gusto. He smiled a moment, flashing his teeth in a bit of a broad grin. Gunmetal eyes taking in the new recruit, he had an idea of what he was looking at. Fast and agile, able to move around the field when the situation calls for it. He was perplexed for a moment about the refusal of using his given name, but oh well. Stranger things were on this base, to say the least. So he put the thought on the back burner, taking in his apology for not being more useful. Apparently he ran into an Omega who kept him occupied, “It happens, nobody’s perfect.” he replied, “I got occupied by a human wind tunnel until the sim got hacked. I need to talk to that guy, his coding is remarkable…” he trailed for a moment. He was always a fan of a fellow code monkey, so the prospect of picking up things from what looked like a bonafide technopath was going to highly anticipated.
“So who held you up?” he asked, “You strike me as someone who’s able to get out of a tight spot if you need to.” he floated there in the water as he talked with him, hoping to get the guy to open up a bit, when the thought hit him.
Holy s**t I’m having a conversation without having a panic attack!
OOC: Lemme know if anything needs to be changed and what not]/b]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
)(Over.Dose.On.Cyanide)( Crew
|
Posted: Sun Jun 25, 2017 2:39 pm
|
|
|
|
 
The pair had giggled for quite some time at the expense of the speedster before going their own way. They had their baby sitting mission to tend to. Any time they were put on a detail like that, it always seemed to come back to their short comings, and more often than not, Gracie’s exish-husband. "Well, if he talks he’s gotta have lungs. Maybe I’ll go for those instead." She gave a half shrug.
Their conversation drifted towards D’s power, and her slight envy towards Blake. "Yeah well, when you can die from getting things stuck in you… That kinda puts a damper on actually trying new things… Unless it’s already a life a death situation." Like at the mall.
It wasn’t long before they found their charge and instantly began to tease him. Gracie tried to assure him, in some way, that they were not always like that. All D could do was just shake her head sadly as the dark haired woman admitted they were.
------ Time skip ------
Daylia had made her way to the kitchen, deciding that Gracie had taken entirely too long to pop a bag of popcorn. The sirens blared and D could already imagine where everything had originated from. She entered the disaster area, looking for her friend, to Cameron, and then what had once been the microwave. The only reason the chameleon knew it was the microwave was because that was where the appliance had once sat.
She questioned the hex master what happened. As the woman tried to explain, she pointed at the mess which caused it to stir. "Why did you point?!" She said, scared of what the woman could conjure.
As the giant robotic penguin came to life, Daylia gapped at it like a fish, her mouth opening, and closing as she tried to figure out what the hell had just happened. Her friend's question did not register. She didn’t move away from the creature, instead, she did her best to come up with a plan.
Immediately she tried to see if they could pin it on the new face, but sadly, as Gracie informed her, he was one of them. She eyed him for a moment, catching the look he gave her. "Oh, don’t you look at me like that. You’re new here, you wouldn’t have gotten in that much trouble." Unlike them on the other hand.
Daylia’s head cocked to the side as she examined the new face a little closer as he said it was nice to meet her. She doubted the man actually meant it, but it didn’t matter to her either way. "Is it? I envy that, I’ve never had the privilege of meeting myself." She said with a wistful sigh before turning to Gracie. "Could you imagine? If there were two of me?" That would be a bit much, even for her.
"You said cooking, like, I imagine pots and pans and fire… Not a microwave!" She shook her head for a moment. "That takes some serious skill to mess up." If it were not for the possibility of them getting into trouble, D would have been proud.
She went full camo, trying to figure out who else they could pin it on as Narcissa’s voice echoed over their comms. Unfortunately, or fortunately, D was unsure which, Gracie decided to fess up to the act. D stomped her foot, becoming visible once again. "Seriously?!" She demanded before Cissa responded. She gestured wildly in exaggerated movements towards Gracie's communicator. "See! I had the right idea all along!"
Her attention was drawn back to the penguin as Gracie gave them a warning about it. Not being the brightest crayon in the box, D didn’t move one way or the other. She was still intangible to keep the water from soaking her, so she doubted that even if the creature turned on them, it would cause her any damage. "But… But… I want to hug it." The faux redhead said at length, a slight whine to her voice.
A frown crossed her face as she heard Cameron’s rhetorical question as she looked to him once again. "Why, this is the Xavier's Institute for Gifted Youngsters." Things like this were always bound to happen.
More confusion crossed D's face as the Sun Queen was paraded though the kitchen. She frowned, trying to figure out if she had actually witnessed that, or if it was just the fumes messing with her. "I, uh, well... That was Narcissa." She said with a nod in Cam's direction.
Ｌｏｃａｔｉｏｎ: Kitchen
Ｔｈｉｎｋｉｎｇ: How has she not fried them yet?
Ｗｉｔｈ: Gracie and newb
""
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 29, 2017 1:48 pm
|
|
|
|
~ Chi-Chi ~
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
▬▬Codename: Oni
▬▬Team: Omega
▬▬Location: Hanger
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
The lights around the large hangar bay doors flashed a short warning, indicating one of the few X-Jets out on scouting missions had finally made it's way back home. The doors opened with a large gust of cold air and snow, as the SR-71 Blackbird slowly dropped into the open hangar from above. With Rogue at the wheel, she was able to pilot the jet with ease, pulling into an open space on the far northern side and landing it slowly. The roaring engines came to a slow stop, and the doors closed up once again and sealed shut.
Rogue looked back at the two new kids she had brought back with her, giving them her usual sweet southern smile as she temporarily shut down the jet so they could get off. “All right! Y’all are clear to hop off! I'll let your team leader know you guys made it safe and sound.” She was already working on it as she said so, quickly shooting off a couple messages over the comm to both Professor Summers and Lucania, letting them know that two more newbies had just arrived.
Chi-Chi sighed in relief as the engines shut off, prying her curled up hands from the arms of her seat and standing up to stretch her arms above her head. She had spent the entire ride there pressed hard into her chair, hood pulled up to hide her face from view, and staying quiet the entire ride. Had anyone seen her face, they might have assumed she was just zoning out or thinking about some pretty serious stuff, but in reality her mind was a nervous wreck, every second quietly panicking about the possibility that something absolutely terrible could have gone wrong. Now that the fear of crashing had subsided, she almost felt numb to the fear of what would happen when she got out of the plane.
Chi-Chi grabbed her bags and climbed out of the side door of the jet, stepping out into the large hangar and looking around curiously. The temperature difference between the inside of the hangar and the cold, snowy landscape outside was vastly different, almost warm even! She fixed her leather jacket, pulling down her hood and looking around the base curiously, when a couple droplets of water fell from the above and onto her head. The inside of the hangar looked as if it had recently encountered a rain storm, most of the ground and jets still covered in light droplets of water. Had someone caused a rainstorm in here recently?
As she continued to look around the base, her eyes latched onto a few people already there in the hangar. Two of them were messing around with some kind of grill, while another, fashionably dressed female was watching over them. Were these people waiting for them to show up, or had they just happened to arrive in time for a barbecue? The thought of some home-grilled food made her mouth water. She couldn't remember the last time she had a good meal, but in order to get to food, she'd have to encounter a situation she wasn't the best at dealing with; Social interaction. She was terrible at talking to new people, and when it comes to saying hi and introducing herself, she had already screwed up once today...
She looked over at the other new student who had come on the same jet with her, her heart sinking as she remembered their first introduction. This girl probably thought she was some kind of mean, horrible monster after how things had gone so far.
Chi-Chi reached out and hesitantly touched the other new girl's shoulder to get her attention, biting deep into her bottom lip as she tried to find the right words as she quietly mumbled, “H-Hey uh… Farren, right? Um, look I… I wanted to apologize about earlier... I was nervous and scared and paranoid, and… And I didn’t mean to turn on you like that...”
Well, that was one way to put it. Ever since her pick up had been arranged, Chi-Chi had been a paranoid, high strung mess. She would normally stay away from highly populated areas to avoid being spotted, but Rogue said the airport was the best place for them to meet. It was dangerous to go out in public, so when she noticed someone else walking all the same paths as her, she went into a panic. Fearing she was being followed, she transformed into her demonic half and lunged at this complete stranger, flashing sharp fangs, dark eyes and claws like a scene from a horror movie. In public. Not her smartest move. She only intended to scare this girl off, but she would have been ready for a fight had there been one. She was just lucky Rogue showed up in time to calm her down and break things apart.
“A-Anyways, I’m really sorry. Could we maybe try starting over again?” She shifted her bag onto her shoulder and held out her free hand out to the other girl with a shy, apologetic smile, praying they could make things work.
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
((OOC :: Hello everyone! Sorry for being so slow, we had a major storm and our internet crashed out. Hope this was an okay introduction post, it's always hard to start up! Please let me know if I need to edit anything. Thanks!))
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 30, 2017 9:56 pm
|
|
|
|
❤ Ｔｅａｍ: ALPHA ❤ Ｌｏｃａｔｉｏｎ: Indoor Gardens - 7th Sub-Level ❤
“You didn’t endanger me. You endangered you.”, Isabella returned sensibly to Lachlan. She was touched by his concern and felt guilty for trying to avoid it. But, the more she involved teammates in this debacle, the more lines were drawn. She couldn’t have anyone choosing sides. It could never be ‘us’ and ‘them’. That was how it was between humans and mutants and it was an absolute disaster. He only had to look at the devastation that Sentinels caused to see her point of view.
She didn’t have the heart to tell him that she was always uncertain. She could be talking to the shape shifter right now and not know it unless she was able to hear her moving around somewhere else. She could be anyone. Flawlessly.
“There’s a difference between backing down and being smart. You won’t be any good to anyone if she turns on you. Your strength won’t save you. If you don’t believe me ask Christian. If Leo were here I’d tell you to ask him. You felt his strength when you saved her life. She's bested him many times. Even if he knew it was coming.”, the songstress responded to his words carefully. She could see how much he wanted to help. He wanted to do the right thing. Right in his eyes just didn’t exactly include moral correctness. “If we fought fair…”
“…I’m pretty sure that I’d lose to Katerina. You’re not the only one at a disadvantage.”
Eventually she gave in to his request of a secret password, handshake, whatever it was what he wanted. Isabella couldn’t keep turning someone away that was trying his hardest to care about her. It was just hard to trust it. Every kind word, every gentle gesture, every shoulder to cry on had invisible strings attached that led to inevitable consequences. The only close friend that had never abused her kindness, on purpose, or by accident, was no longer present. When Lachlan suggested ‘banana boat’ her eyebrow rose a she issued a small silvery laugh. “Are you serious?”
Of course he was. At least it would be easy to remember.
All levity disappeared when the conversation took an extremely dark turn. Isabella hadn’t expected it. He posited the notion that had come to her many, many times, in her weakest of moments. What if it was life and death? What if it seemed that they really had no other choice? She was silent throughout the impassioned speech he made. She listened, not interrupting, even when he paused and continued on. Eventually her gentle tones weighed in. Jade eyes remained soft, however distant. “You say you understand… But I don’t think you really do.”
“It doesn’t matter how hopeless things appear to be. It’s easy to justify the concept…But that’s not the same as committing murder. If you make that choice… You will lose something that you can never get back. You would destroy the life you took, your own, and each life connected to it. Do you know how much grief that is? It would swallow you.”, the small woman spoke softly, trying to give him understanding, versus simply demanding that he agree. “I’ve been close to people who have crossed that line. Very close. I’ve watched them wake up from nightmares that never stop. I’ve watched guilt eat them alive. I’ve watched them blame themselves to the point of self destruction. You don’t want that.”
“Please understand…That whatever your convictions are…I can never let you do that in my name.”
Lachlan rebuked her viewpoint on the kind of person she was. She expected nothing less. That didn’t make him right. It didn’t make it true. “It’s not just Katerina. I have my reasons…But I don’t necessarily think it’s accurate to call me good.”
“Or to call me a victim.”
Emerald eyes followed Lachlan’s movements when he sat down. She wasn’t afraid of him. His strength was impressive on standards that could have made Colossus green with envy. But, she didn’t fear him. In this moment she was merely afraid FOR him. She stood as tall as she could in her ballet flats with her arms crossed over her chest. She couldn’t tell if she was getting through to him or not. “I never said I wouldn’t be upset Lachlan…I never said you couldn't be.”
“I just know that there’s a better way. We will survive this—and we’ll be stronger for it.”
He began to apologize and the songstress could feel that this issue was coming to a close. She hoped, more than anything, that he realized what was at stake. That he realized the true gravity of this conversation. He didn’t want to lose anyone and was willing to sacrifice everything that mattered to keep that from happening. Everything, that made him human. He offered her a lovely daffodil and the sound user walked nearer to accept it. “You don’t need to apologize. I don’t need space. I know that you’re just worried and trying to help…I know that you mean all of this with the best of intentions…Just…”
She leaned down and kissed the crown of his head lightly. Isabella couldn’t think of anything to say that would carry as much weight. Gratitude, a blessing, and forgiveness. “…Don’t make me fight you too. Please.”
That was what it would come down to. Lachlan was too stubborn, and truth be told, so was she. She was fighting with Scott, with the Omega’s as a whole, with Blake, Alice, etc…The list went on. She was tired. She couldn’t deal with constantly battling her own team as well. It was too much.
Isabella pulled away and broke off part of the stem for the daffodil and pinned the flower in her hair next to the rose she’d picked. She smiled kindly for the seated man and seemed to tuck away the last bits of darkness away. “Now. For this fun you mentioned…I don’t know how much time I’ll have…”, she trailed off, swaying a little, expression innocent in a way only she seemed able of achieving without trying.
“But I’m open to suggestions. I’m already walking on thin ice with the Headmaster. This sim might have been the last straw. Might as well have a good time before I’m grounded.”
"...Everyone's pretty and hiding an ugly truth. Deception is all around. Watch out - Use caution now...."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
