Welcome to Gaia! ::

Despite her hopes that the flight to the new base would be uneventful, she should have known that Felix's presence would make it anything but boring. Confronting her Omega torturer after he tossed several spitballs at her head, the brunette couldn't help but scold him for his behavior, trying to impress upon the boy that there were more and mature and easier ways to get into Aurelie's pants. Almost as soon as she said it, she wished she hadn't - no doubt, she'd just opened a pandora's box of possibilities for the speedster.

At least it seemed to get a laugh out of some of the others on the plane, Aren joking with his fellow Omega about how listening to the brunette might give him the opportunity to score some girls of his own instead of trolling the native's leftovers. A flush came over her cheeks once more, hazel eyes turning down to the aisle flooring as she heard the magazine hurtle towards its target past her. They'd only gone to Prom together, and since then he hadn't seemed interested in pursuing things with her any further. That didn't make it any less of a sensitive subject. She couldn't let him see it, however. She had to preserve some dignity, after all.

Felix attempted to defend his manhood, the brunette rolling her eyes at the insinuation that her ladyparts were diminished to compensate. Aurelie emphasized the "unexaggerated" part, the brunette grinning at the girl, grateful that someone finally had her back against their resident jokester.

"Besides, that analogy doesn't even work. The ratio of a slim jim to a pinhole would be....well, I'd wager incredibly painful. You know that episode of Sex and the City where Samantha tried to sate a fireman who's too....endowed? Ok, well, you probably don't, but I'm sure Aurelie does." Her eyes moved over to the girl at that point, as if asking her to back the firefly up on this one. She did get the blonde to agree with her, however, that women didn't like immature men, Felix shooting back at he was at least an eleven on the scale, inviting her to check for herself if she didn't believe him.

"Oh good god," she muttered to herself, eyes rolling heavenward as she telekinetic retorted with the age-old maxim that 'it's not about what you have, it's about what you do with it.' Every retort from the Omega speedster got more and more ridiculous, both girls rolling their eyes. She caught the girl's look, responding with one of her own that suggested her relief that someone else was finally seeing the side of Felix she she always saw.

Spit balls started flying randomly from Felix at that point, a sigh escaping her as he seemed intent on involving the entirety of the plane in his shenangians. They tried to distance themselves from the situation, only to be met with a dramatic sigh and his offer to change the subject away from a threesome between all of them before he really let loose. Aurelie informed him of the difference between being Amish and being Catholic, so he was horribly misinformed. He was a master of taking one's words and twisting them around for his own amusement, and he did no less with Aurie's comment. The firefly had learned by now that sometimes, no matter how hard it was, it was best to just keep your mouth shut and let him think he won. Otherwise, they would be here forever.

The intercom sounded, telling the passengers to take their seats for landing. Honestly, she wasn't sure she had ever been happier to hear such news in her entire life. Excusing herself, she headed back to her seat, pulling her oversized sweater tight around her as she buckled her seat belt and waiting for the jet to arrive in their new home.

Once they were safe in the hangar, and everyone started to disembark, the brunette fell into line with Aurelie, Kat, Gabriel and Felix. Their resident shapeshifter ran into a man's back, to elicit a not unexpected reaction from Peyton. She didn't know the girl all that well, but she'd seen the tension between her and Tara - maybe she was just in a perpetually bad mood. The brunette grinned, however, at the telekinetic's comment regarding the Omega girl's mutation, hoping that it hadn't been overheard. It would be a shame to have to break up a girl fight within seconds of arriving at their new home.

The girls gave Gabriel a little bit of a hard time, the brunette chuckling along with them, though she couldn't help but feel a little bad for the guy. He was always so shy - they had to do something about that. So, as the boy stammered out his request that they try to get him to go out more, she masked her internal feelings of pity for the guy behind a friendly smile and confidence nod. "Absolutely! Consider yourself a social butterfly in training."

After an exchange with the man with a cane, Kat told them to find good rooms, Aurelie joking about needing a big closet for all of the clothes that she got sent home with. Raine started to grab her bag only to have it lifted for her, hazel eyes turning to the telekinetic with a grateful smile. "Now I remember why I like to have you around," she joked, actually thanking the girl before they made their way out of the hangar and into the hallways to find their rooms. She glanced over at the alteraction taking place between Roland and Leion, an intrigued expression overtaking her features. Her group, however, didn't stop, and she was going to go wherever her bags took her.

"Well, I say we take advantage of other people's inability to bypass a fight, and those that don't read the newsletters they sent around before the move to know that they uploaded maps to our comms so we wouldn't look like idiots the moment we got here," she stated simply, pushing a few buttons on her comm device to pull up a holographic map of the new base. A small, flashing red light apparently indicated where they were, the firefly tracing a route along the hallways indicated.

"Ok, I think we have to take a right here, then take the elevator up to the....fourth floor for the dorms?" She looked up at the group, then, motioning with her head towards the elevators. The sooner they claimed a room, the better - distractions wouldn't last forever.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxOmega - Unrested - Jet, hangar


He could feel her pulse quicken beneath his fingertips, her breath hitch in its cadence. The effect his silken tone had on her felt both glorious and painful at the same time. Glorious, for their link amplified everything they felt for one another. Painful, because there was little he could do about it. His mouth pulled upward in a smirk when his name passed her lips; her silent plea precariously on the edge of both asking for more and telling him to stop.

Sadly, the opportunity to find out what it meant evaporated with Gabe's presence. He bravely set about his pitch, but it fell on deaf ears - which Narcissa made perfectly clear by turning his flash drive into nothing but a pile of ashes.

Of course the native made a glib that she'd grown soft, as the alpha walked away from the exchange unharmed. A velvet chuckle emanated deep from within his chest when she gave a retort about not wanting to smell barbecued flesh for the duration of the trip. His eyebrow raised at that, the one gesture explaining exactly what he thought: "Excuses, excuses." She called him "Pocahontas" - not for the first time - and he merely shook his head, dark hair falling into his eyes. "I've told you, ki'somma... she was from the opposite side of the continent. Wrong tribe. And... I'm a savage, the very definition of that says I can't be civilized; it's all an act."

That thought made him appear as though he were pondering something momentarily. "Maybe I should go into Hollywood... there's always a call for hot ethnic men." He said, deadpan.

He chose not to take the bait when she made a sharp-tongued remark about Raine, mostly because he still considered the sparkplug to be a friend, even if his Omega queen didn't approve. Felix created a diversion, and the size shifter let the subject rest - and chose to instead join in on the fun behind them.

Even as distracted as he might have appeared, when the announcement came overhead to take their seats, his hand instinctively sought the warmth of Narcissa's palm. The little circles he traced there were a silent assurance that everything would be alright.

***

Because of the time they'd spent on vacation, Aren had nearly forgotten how heated Narcissa became when she got aggravated. Her temperature spiked, and for once he was a little grateful for the distance. Even still, he could feel her blood boiling in anger, and he deliberately spaced his breathing, hoping that it might placate her just so.

Cissa demanded to know why Roland had drawn a weapon when she had ordered him to stand down, and Aren lifted his chin in indifference, brows furrowed in mild confusion. "Another question of worth: who uses swords nowadays? Even the injuns have stepped up from that." He said not too loudly, feigning disappointment. While his query was one he considered deserving of an answer, a part of him had made it to ease the tension filling the air like smog.

She threatened him for disobeying, though if he had to guess she was more offended that Roland played the chivalrous gent to Kerri. He growled out a response to Narcissa, speaking about old habits, and Aren fought the urge to roll his eyes. Always when he screwed up, he seemed to blame his past - the size shifter lived under the impression that you had to live for the present and future, and not for the past. The more you looked back, the more the world left you behind.

Leion called the leader his sister, and instantly the native's head spun with confusion. Azure eyes searched his own chocolate ones, but he found no answers there - obviously, she was just as bewildered as he. Only half joking, he informed the owner of that lavender gaze that he'd been hitting the peace pipe too hard. Just when he'd been about to open his mouth and say something, Narcissa's examination interrupted. "And he was just about to say something funny..." Aren muttered, still partially teasing.

She took her time checking over Leion, and the frown on her face revealed little of her thoughts, but she ordered Blake to get a telepath to examine him. Gracie, their little slip of a hex manipulator said she was off to find some food, and Aren laughed when Cissa mentioned suicides as punishment if the girl didn't find her some chocolate. "Chocolate comes sugar free?" He asked, clearly puzzled on how that would work.

Obviously, he didn't eat a lot of sweets. Salty was where it was at.

Kerri was to take her beau to the infirmary, and Aren made no move to follow her - instinctively knowing that the blond wouldn't send him away. Just in case, he reached for that invisible tether, tugging on it gently so she'd get the message.

As they moved through the hallways, Aren chose to stay close to the center of his world, the feeling rejuvenated within him every time he caught her staring. Had they been alone, he might have made a bigger deal out of it, would have teased her for how much attention she paid to how he moved... But letting Leion in on the very personal story with is mind so damaged was a mistake - even if Cissa wasn't adamant about keeping it a secret.

Their walk fell silent, save the sound of the soles of their shoes slapping against the floor. Frankly, the native felt at a loss on what to say. Asking more about why the blond thought Narcissa was his sister would only feed his obvious delusions... small talk didn't belong.

Hallway, then Hangar, then the kitchen

The way he acted, it was no wonder that Roland didn't have too many allies amongst the academy. Ignoring a girl who'd been teasing in effort to lighten the mood for him didn't earn him brownie points where she was concerned. And he was in dire need of some friends instead of frienemies.

Once she might have shrugged off given the situation, but twice she wouldn't forget. Twice, simply put, was flat out rude and uncalled for. Plus, he'd responded to a few jabs others had made. The next time he ignored her she'd have something to say about it, pointed fingers and all. And her particular pointed fingers had earned her the codename "Jinx" for good reason. Surely he'd not make her take drastic measures in the future.

Katarina and her posse had passed through quickly, disassembling the guy's theory as to who Leion actually was. "Wrongfully accusing her might bite you in the a** later," Gracie warned, her tone serious - but she doubted he'd pay attention. Something told her that the shapeshifter wasn't one to be poked at. She wanted to tell him that her support for him was dwindling as well, but she'd be sure to point it out to him later. Considering his girlfriend happened to be one of her besties, they'd cross paths soon enough, and Emlen had never been one to hold her tongue.

Narcissa started berating him for not following orders, and Gracie's expression became smug before she could stop it. Even as sweet as he'd appeared earlier when greeting his girlfriend, she took an iota of satisfaction of seeing him grilled. Her bestie's boyfriend or not, he needed to acquire some manners.

Leion started to cry, and all eyes fell on him again. Wasn't he a little young for a nervous breakdown?

Even the junior X-men could have enough, she decided, her arms folded over one another at her chest. Jade-imbued eyes stared at Leion, wondering just when his mind had snapped. It seemed like the only logical conclusion, sad as it was.

Once things had settled down and she was sure she wouldn't be needed at all, the hex manipulator excused herself for a snack. She'd already started to round the corner when Narcissa called her by her last name, the tone of her voice beckoning as though they were on the field. Turning on heel, she stuck her neck back and looked toward the group she'd just been leaving, her focus snapped to the blond in charge, green eyes bright as she awaited whatever instructions she was about to hand out. She shot a dazzling smile toward her leader, deciding she rather liked the mission. "Got it." A flat hand went up to her eyebrow in a salute, and she darted off, dark hair flying behind her.

Of all the things Gracie had skills in, maneuvering through a new base apparently wasn't on the list. She'd gotten turned around several times and eventually found herself back at the hangar where she'd started. Though, she appeared to be in luck, as Daylia was there, bags dragging on the floor behind her. The hex manipulator took no time at all in filling her fellow Omega in on the fight. "Yeah... first day, and Leion's having a quarter-life crisis, and Roland who might have been innocent at first, ends up acting like a douche." She said, clearly still miffed at Roland's primitive behavior.

The Omega chameleon asked what kind of crazy, and Gracie shrugged, staring at her load on the floor. " Did you want some help with that?" She asked, distracted momentarily from the woman's question. Her attention snapped back like a rubberband, and she spread her hands out in front of her to show the scale of psychotic-ness. "Like, thinks Narcissa is his sister crazy." She said before laughing at how Daylia wasn't saddened at all from missing it. "Honestly, I could have skipped the whole fiasco... especially now because I need to be nice to Roland out of respect for Kerri, and I'm not sure I'm up to the task right now." The young woman admitted, wondering just how she was going to accomplish that.

Her fellow Omega said she hoped it wasn't a sign of what was to come, and Gracie nodded in return. "No doubt. Cabin fever when you can't even see the sun will make all of us bonkers at some point. Starting so soon can't mean good things are to come."

Someone new approached them, and Gracie smiled as he introduced himself. "I'm Gracie, the Omega hex manipulator." She said to the shy guy, taking note on how his eyes trailed the floor. "Don't feel too bad about being lost. I ended up back here by accident while trying to find the kitchen." She shook his hand, and green eyes softened a little from how nervous he appeared. "What team are you on?" She hoped it was the right question to ask; some mutants within the school hadn't been promoted to one, due to lack of promise with their abilities. But given his age... he should have enough control to be at least on one of the numerous teams within the academy.

Lyn bounced in as well, chipper in the way a hamster would be if someone fed it a little too much sugar. Daylia answered for them, saying that she had no qualms about the extra company. Gracie hadn't seen this side of her; the times they'd crossed paths her fellow Omega was often sarcastic (which admittedly, Emlen loved about her). But right now she seemed downright friendly.

Gracie giggled a bit at Lynette's bubbly personality, her enthusiasm catching. "Bribe accepted; it's nice to meet you." She said, not much for cooking herself. She knew how to, but the activity had never been something she enjoyed... rather she did it to survive. "I'm Gracie, and this is Luke." She said, tilting her head to the only boy in their group.

The molecular manipulator spotted a few teens and bribed them, threatened them and sent the pair off with her bags. Emlen snickered, and tried to hide the smile behind the back of her hand, but it shined in her eyes. She turned back to the small group, and announced what she wanted to find in the kitchen. "I'm on a mission to find chocolate for our overlord. If I don't find it, Narcissa has threatened me with having to do suicides." Her nose wrinkled as her petite features scrunched up in distaste.

"Personally, I'd go for some red velvet and cream cheese cupcakes... " Her mouth started watering, already imagining the rich taste. "Or some key lime pie..." Followed by a nice tall glass of some sweet tea.

They found the kitchen soon enough, and Gracie was the first to the fridge to check out the stock. "What kind of jelly did you want?" She asked Daylia, already pulling out eggs and milk for the cupcakes they'd undoubtedly have to make.

Tell me would you kill to save a life?
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxTell me would you kill to prove you're right?

At the very least, Peyton seemed pleased enough to see him at the moment. If he were to be honest with himself, he really could not have predicted that reaction. With Peyton one never knew when she would be receptive to teasing or if she would simply blow up. It was the unpredictability that made things fun for the thief, but that did not mean that it was particularly pleasant when the woman was upset, especially with him. At best, being acquaintances with Peyton was like rolling a pair of dice, except when the dice landed on an unwanted face, it would explode and all the onlookers would suffer severe burns, if not death, for it. Julian liked his odds. He flashed her a wry grin when she commented that he'd arrived at the right place at the right time. ”It is where I always am, my dear,” he said, posh English accent pretentious and just a little bit haughty, as always, ”Exactly where I am needed, when I am needed.” He knew she would find the notion ridiculous, as she always tended to do with his boasts, but whether she found him ridiculous or not, what only ever mattered was that it was amusing; to her, to him, to anyone else that would listen... it did not matter. The cane was ridiculous enough, as was his choice to only ever wear something as odd as a suit, so he might as well play the part if it was amusing.

She scolded him for using the word 'ma'am' to describe her, and that only brought an amused smirk to his face once more. She always did like mocking his sensibilities, and he was always more than happy to indulge her in such things. ”It shall be my genuine pleasure,” he said simply, reaching for her bags, ”ma'am.” Oh, how he was going to pay for that one, and probably quite dearly. But it was definitely worth it. She informed him that they would be waiting on another, and he obliged with a slight bow, bringing up his cane and holding it with his underarm. ”Very well, then.” It was then that his attention was called by... another Peyton? Or a twin? He was not quite sure, though. Perhaps he was more tired than he thought he was and it was only now just getting to him. Or maybe it was simply a shapeshifter pretending to be his friend, as there were at least a few he'd seen among the X-Men at some point or another. ”You've never told me you had a twin sister. Or have I already met her and not known it?” In any case, the sight of two Peytons was not exactly an altogether unwelcome one. The new one commented on the other's behind, commenting on Julian's motivations for offering to carry Peyton's things. While it was his intention to be chivalrous, he could not completely deny her words. It might be politically incorrect, but it was always easier on any man to be chivalrous to a pretty woman. ”Do I really look so old, little wolf?” he asked the first Peyton, clearly amused, upon hearing the newer one call him a senior citizen. Was it the cane?

He bowed his head to the newer Peyton. ”Please allow me to extend my sincerest apologies to you for any inconvenience you may have suffered as a result of my nonchalance. If there is anything I can do to make up for it, I could be by your side the exact moment my name is called, that name of course being Julian Wayne Delandy.” She went on about how she did not seem to think very highly of him, simply from first impressions, and truly it brought little more than a wry smirk. Most people could barely handle one person with Peyton's attitudes, but Julian was of the kind that could face all manner of banter without breaking a sweat. This one, however, was far different from the Peyton he'd known. Whereas his Peyton was direct in her insults, mockery, and other such abuse, this new one tended to be a little more elaborate with her words, and seemed to try harder to be more subtle. Peyton's words were blunt hammers, while this one's were sharpened daggers. He would have to remember that for future reference. ”Or perhaps it is just how I wish you to think of me. It is fairly difficult to disappoint someone if the expectations are already so low.” She left, then, commenting that two blondes were more fun than one. Peyton called after her, telling her to walk away, the rest of the threat being implied rather than spoken. He simply looked at Peyton, a silent chuckle escaping him. ”One blonde is more than enough for me, little wolf.”

Soon they were joined by the friend that Peyton had been waiting for all this time, a red-haired girl who seemed a bit out of place... or perhaps belonged all too well in this collection of misfits and all around strange characters. Peyton introduced him to the girl, and he nodded in response. ”A pleasure to a meet you,” he said to Aspen. He did not mind having to be the “pack mule,” as Peyton put it, for the women. He was strong enough to carry what was needed, and even if he wasn't it wasn't like he actually needed to carry anything. He could simply grab the things, blink out of existence and take the things with him to the ladies' dormitory, and then come back for them. All in all, it was no big issue to him, so he did as Peyton expected of him. But before he could do so, this girl Aspen snatched the bags away and demanded that she allow him to do so, proclaiming that his services were not needed. ”My apologies. I did not mean to imply that I was needed to take your things. I was merely looking for an opportunity to help where I can. From kindness, not necessity. But if it is as you say, I will oblige.” He briefly wondered if he'd done anything to offend the girl somehow. He highly doubted it, but one never knew; some people were just offended by the most trivial things. It wasn't a fact that could be helped, and not one he would try to correct. If Aspen had some kind of problem with him, that was all on her. He'd simply give her the same friendly smile he gave everyone and go on his merry way. Life was too short to worry about who one would offend simply by existing.

”But if you'll not allow me to carry your things, then I would ask that you at least allow me to show you to your rooms.” By this point he had enough of a working knowledge of the base to be able to work as their temporary tour guide, whether they wanted the walking tour or just a quick jump to the girls' dormitory. He'd prefer the use of teleportation, mostly to save time and to avoid the halls that seemed to be filling up with people by the planeload, as well as those who were already on base causing scenes like the one he'd walked in on earlier. He'd much prefer to avoid such nonsense, as the last thing he wanted now was drama, but sometimes it could not be helped. He had his own theatrics to worry about, he did not need others'. ”I can walk you to your rooms, or give you the shortcut in which you don't have to deal with infighting and hyperactive teenagers.” He let them make up their minds as to how he would guide them, if he were going to at all. ”If my services aren't wanted, then I shall take my leave of you, as I don't want to overstay my welcome.”





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Crashxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Crashxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Burnxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Let it all Burnxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
This Hurricane's chasing us all Undergroundxxx

“Favors as payment?”, Katerina mouthed back to Aurelie, gun metal blue eyes flickering between her favorite blonde telekinetic and Felix. It seemed as if her mind simply couldn’t wrap around the concept of such an unequal barter system. He was male. Lifting heavy things up and putting them down had been written into his DNA back in the days of the Neanderthal. “That is entirely absurd, amore.”

“No amount of time spent being a bus boy is worth that kind of favor. That strisciamento [creep] should simply accept the fact that he cannot afford either one of us.”, the Italian woman spoke flippantly, hoping that the speedster overhead. She knew a thing or two about being crass and inappropriate, but she didn’t like the way he spoke to Aurelie, even if it was supposed to be a joke.

“Gabriel would never dream of disrespecting us that way, would he?”

The shape shifter smiled when she glanced towards the blond boy in question, pearly white canines flashing for a moment. Her expression was not unlike what a fox might wear in a hen house. He was too soft to even think about manipulating them in such a way. There were days when he could barely manage a ‘Hello’ if she flashed too much ankle let alone ask for ‘favors’.

What Gabriel did ask for was simple enough; Periodic vacations from his self-imposed solitude. Raine immediately agreed to his request, though Kat didn’t respond. It appeared that he’d been speaking to Aurelie and Raine since he’d mentioned ‘two’ not ‘three’. If he wished for her presence in somewhere as mundane as a ‘workshop’ he would certainly need to grow a pair and ask clearly.

Katerina didn’t understand when others chose to dance around simple subjects.

It was then that something large and human rudely blocked her path. She found distaste flooding her veins as she took on Peyton’s form, the changes swift and precise. It was far easier to become other humans than it was to become creature features big and small. Physiologically speaking, everyone was mostly the same, with some minor cosmetic changes. A few extra inches of bone, a quick nose job, eyes a little higher, different hair color…Most would barely register the time it took for her to shift. “Assuming he can follow through, mini-me. He’s a cripple. And from the way he keeps calling us ‘ma’am’—He’s an old cripple.”

Aurelie chimed in, suggesting that they flip quarters off of Peyton the Originals a**, and Katerina allowed her eyes to go round—Biting her lower lip as she bounced to the balls of her feet. “Oooh…Can we? I’m sure someone has some quarters… We can make it a wager. Whomever can make a quarter bounce off the furthest gets a free bl—“

Peyton the Original brushed her away, and Katerina grinned. Honestly, she reacted better than most people when confronted with a doppelganger. She laughed lightly when the senior citizen asked Peyton if she had a twin, resting her hands on her hips. “Peyton doesn’t talk about me much. I’m the prettier one.”

Total bullshit, considering they were identical—But the notion amused the shifter enough to let the ruse play out. Honestly, she would have thought anyone worth their mettle would have jumped to conclusions and yelled ‘shifter, shifter’ the way bible thumpers used to yell ‘witch, witch’. So he was crippled, old, and deficient. Poor thing.

He asked Peyton the Original if he really looked that old, and she bit back a scathing reply—temporarily letting that one go. Hopefully the DNA match beside her would be a good sport and give the right answer. Her eyes narrowed faintly when the old man formally introduced himself, bowing his head, and apologizing at the same time. She took a step back, an appalled hand falling over her heart while she glanced at Peyton the Original. “Is he for real?”

Crippled, old, deficient, and crazy. Poor, poor, thing.

She stared at this, Julian Delandy, as if he’d suddenly grown two extra heads out of his shoulders. She didn’t return the introduction, nor did she accept the apology. He spoke prettily enough, but words were only words without any real return—He was still a cazzo [d**k] for not watching where he was teleporting. He went on to suggest that he wouldn’t be able to disappoint further because her expectations were too low and she chuckled, shaking her head. “Keeping up with appearances is a poor excuse to walk around like a senior citizen. My vote still stands with someone compensating for something.”

Looking back towards Peyton the Original she held up two digits, thumb and pointer finger, indicating something exceedingly small. For the first time she let her natural italian accent seep through, preferring her own language to describe Delandy’s reason for a cane. “Oh so piccolo [small].”

She didn’t linger long after that—But she did catch Peyton’s advice to keep walking, a mischievous grin dancing over shifting features. “I planned to. What better way for you to check out your own a**. Ciao, bella.”

Katerina wiggled her nose, trying to get her features to shift back to normal. It was always easier to shift, than it was to shift back. Sidling up next to Aurie she slid their arms together, a familiar action. “Now now amore…We can’t judge an Omega we don’t know by a first date. We at least need to let her buy us dinner, so to speak. Afterall, she didn’t try to kill me for walking in her shoes.”

The pan-were rather liked the blow hard. Short tempered, blunt. A hammer, used for hitting nails in a job where everything looked suspiciously like a nail.

Peyton reminded her of most agents in H.Y.D.R.A.





“We most definitely need a big closet.”, Katerina agreed with Aurelie, glancing back behind them at the floating luggage. Some part of her found it amusing. Gabriel was lucky that Aurelie was kind enough to assist with the heavy lifting, else he would have been buried under shoes and dry cleaning bags. Honestly, she might just claim her own room so they could use it for storage and closet space. “We had a ton of bags sent ahead too... I’m not sure where all of them are.”

She pretended not to care about what was transpiring in the hallway with the Omega’s, never missing a step, but it did have her a little curious. Her face had only just returned to its natural state, but it was time to push it again. The shape shifter was all about personal gain when it came to her ability…Few could convince her it was anything but perfect. Focusing briefly on an animal she was familiar with, with exceptional senses, she focused backward while Raine planned their route.

Trying a partial shift was frustrating and imprecise. Like trying to throw a bee through a wormhole, and hit a puppy on the other side of the world. She could feel her eyesight change and was suddenly bombarded by sounds and smells. Withdrawing quickly she scowled, her sneakiness having backfired. She needed the animal brain to interpret so many signals at the same time. A wolf hadn’t been the best choice, but an owl might have freaked someone out if her head started spinning nearly three hundred and sixty degrees while she tried to hear better.

Her eyesight reverted, but as par usual, something stuck for a few moments longer—This time her sense of smell. It was unfortunate. The base smelled wrong. Of metal and copper. Somewhere deep down she knew that the coppery scent was old blood that had been cleaned up long ago. “Technically I think we take the elevator down, not up.”, Katerina corrected Raine after a moment, content to lead the parade for the time being.

Whatever Signor Rollie had been talking about would simply have to wait. If it was important, she was sure she’d get an earful from Summers or her so called team leader. Though she honestly couldn’t think of anything she’d actually down wrong.

A scent that gave her a severe case of deja vu caught her nose. The further they walked, the more it seemed to get stronger. After a moment she spotted the source, gun metal blue eyes targeting a man pulling a trolley. They seemed to be headed in their direction, with one of the Gauge twins leading the way. Considering they’d been on the jet with Lynette—She was betting this was Charlotte. She slid her arm out of Aurelie’s temporarily, neatly side stepping the red head to block the barefoot man. She took in his state of dress critically, no socks, no shoes, no undershirt—Just a hoodie and shorts.

Her sense of smell was focused, tracking while she still could. It was waning quickly…But it was enough to double check what she suspected. It took her a moment to realize there was another student riding the trolley. He was handsome enough, but not quite as interesting as his friend. She stepped forward a little, breaking the boundaries of personal space to confirm her suspicion, breathing normally so as not to do the awkward ‘puppy sniffing’ action. It made most humans uncomfortable. Most shifters claimed that were-wolves smelled like a wet dog in human form, mostly out of spite, but that wasn’t true. It was simply an earthy scent, clean and somehow green. Now when they actually were a giant dog in a pond…Definitely wet-dog. She smiled after a moment, severely relieved that she wasn’t the only animal on base. “Wolf.”

“You can call me Katerina…”, Now that the elephant was out of the room, she lightly tapped him on the shoulder, before turning to catch up to her group in a swirl of auburn hair. Her accent was prevalent when she spoke her name, Italian influence easy to detect. “Tag— You’re it.”

“Which means at some point you have to come find me.”, the shape shifter explained with a mischievous wink, jogging ahead to once again link arms with her bestie. She really just expected Gabriel and Raine to keep going since the entire exchange had only taken moments.

Besides, they still had rooms to find before all the good ones were taken—And a ton of missing luggage to track down. Resting her head on Aurelie’s shoulder for a moment she sighed. “It is going to be a long day amore. All work and no play is going to make us very dull.”

“But at least we’re pretty girls with super powers.”, Kat reasoned, doing her best to look on the bright side. It was difficult for her. The bright side was often lined with sensitive land mines. “It really takes the edge off.”

Seeing at the end of the hall that someone had just gotten into the elevator she sighed and glanced towards the stairwell on the right. It wasn’t like their legs were broken, except that poor Gabe had been carrying several bags for quite awhile. “To the stairs!”

From there she led her troupe down to the proper floor, finding a certain wonder in how the facility seemed to wrap around itself—The smooth railings and obvious security systems a definite improvement over the X-Mansion. There was an empty set of Jack and Jill rooms in the North Corner of the 5th Floor that immediately caught Kat’s eye. There were two bathrooms, and the doors were close together. There was a little space between them and the other rooms.“How about here? Your room for sleeping—My room for storage.”, she asked Aurelie, poking he head into one of the bedrooms. They were pretty spacious and well decorated. “There’s empty rooms close by for Raine and Gabriel.”

It seemed like the Senior X-Men were finally treating the Junior X-Men with some dignity. That, or they were pressed for space. Either way--No more male and female dorms.

The only downside is that they had to share the floor with the tight assed Senior X-Men. Joy.

When the screaming had started from the fight between Roland and Leion, she’d reached for Leo instinctively. It wasn’t something she thought about, simply reacting to a scenario that she’d experienced many times before, often when he was at her side. Even if he was pissed at her, that didn’t mean she didn’t know him, couldn’t see how frazzled he was. He’d been one of her best friends for long enough that she would have been remiss not to notice. The Siren would have worried more if he hadn’t of tensed up. She let her hand fall away from him when she heard him breathe deeply and subsequently continued her conversation with Charlotte, giving her a hundred percent of the kindness she was known for.

That the animal mimic hadn’t pulled away from her…It was a small comfort.

Bella tried to keep her face from falling, a pleasant and welcoming smile threaded into her lovely features, hands clasped behind her back. She heard Blake’s voice slip through the various sound waves that flowed through the new facility, though it took her a moment to filter out the white noise so she could understand his message.

“Enjoy your time with Leo... we'll handle this here.”

Her lips thinned for a moment, a sharp pain echoing in the halls of her heart. Enjoy her time? The phrasing initially confused her…Did he mean to imply that it was more limited than she knew? Was Leonardo leaving again? He couldn’t, he’d only just arrived. He hadn’t even had a good meal or a decent night’s sleep yet.

Though if he wanted to, she’d learned her lesson the first time. Her stubbornness had thrown a good friendship into complete upheaval, to the point where he’d went off on his own—Without a word, without back up.

Isabella could only imagine what chaos trying to stop him a second time would provoke.

She knew that Blake meant well, that he only had her best wishes in mind, but how could she enjoy something when there was a sea full of silence between them with waves full of razor blades? Charlotte had provided a temporary buffer, the easy going commentary almost fooling her into thinking things were getting back to the way they should be… But the Siren knew better.

“Thank you Blake…I appreciate it.”, Bella responded out loud, trying to push a smile in to her voice. He had no idea how much she appreciated it. She would try her best to make the most of the opportunity he was granting her. For everything Blake had put up with since he’d arrived, she owed him that, and more. Especially since he was going out of his way to take care of things in her stead.

Charlie and Christian arrived, adding more layers of security to a very fragile situation. They talked about where the luggage should be going, and how they’d owe Charlotte an IOU. She smiled when it was appropriate, laughing when she ought to. She chuckled when Christian claimed that they were famous after she knew their names, choosing to let it slide instead of telling him the truth.

It was her job to know the names of all of the students, especially those on the Alpha and Omega teams. They were famous, only in that she’d gotten a copy of their paperwork in her inbox.

Leo made a crack about the pair landing in prison to Charlotte, and she shook her head, watching the banter between the pair. It was good for the animal mimic to speak to other people, to reintegrate. Not that he’d really had that problem in the past…She just knew he could be sensitive about his former status with SHIELD. The sentinel had announced it to everyone, so there was little point in hiding it now.

“The next plane coming in is definitely not full of tweens. There’s a few Alpha’s and a good sized chunk of Omega’s… Including your team leader.”, she reinforced what Charlie told Christian, trying to make up for bursting their bubble. Isabella was never one to be deliberately unkind, no matter the mood she was in. She thought it prudent that they know when Narcissa was arriving. No matter how she felt about the blonde bombshell personally, she ran her team like a well-oiled machine. She’d likely punish any cogs that were out of place.

Charlie thanked her for the heads up about the 3rd Floor and she smiled sweetly in response, resting gently against the wall while she waited for the elevator. It really was taking awhile… She adjusted the edges of her deep green blouse, making sure the long golden necklace she wore was situated properly out of habit. She supposed she’d have to get used to wearing pants in this weather, though they were under climate control. A pair of leather leggings tucked into a set of knee high boots was passable, but she was still a little chilly. “Anytime, amigo.”

She heard Blake’s voice again, the familiar combination of his Texan accent, pitch, and tone meeting a fundamental frequency that tugged at her psyche.

"The situation has been diffused for now, Leion has fallen victim to some sort of delusions and Narcissa is heading to have him checked out by Emma as we speak."

Isabella sighed, a little relieved that Narcissa had arrived in time to take care of her wayward hellions. The Alpha’s rarely caused her such problems, and team leader or not, she couldn’t say that all of the Omega’s would listen to her without applied force. “That poor boy… I hope he’s all right.”

Isabella remembered to cover her voice so she didn’t confuse those she was nearest to, but they would see her lips moving without issuing any sound. The elevator doors opened shortly after that and the group was a little startled to see a student with a tail about to press a few more buttons. So that was why it took so long. An amused smile crossed her features while Charlie reintroduced everyone, before letting them know they’d be parting ways. “It was good to meet you boys—And you’re welcome Charlotte, I hope you find Lynnette soon.”

Lyn was too sweet to be left to her own devices for long.

“It’s not awkward at all…”, Bella smoothed over with Esben, casting a charming smile to try and banish away any negativity. The students who had been in the facility for quite some time were no doubt climbing the walls. She glanced towards Leo as she stepped into the elevator, trying to gauge what he was thinking without asking. Without the others…The elevator was almost too small. “How are you doing?”

“Professor McCoy speaks highly of you. Have you met any of the other Alpha’s yet?” She didn’t bother introducing herself since Charlie already had. Reaching forward she pressed the button for the floor the Junior X-Men quarters were on, patiently waiting for the elevator to move.

Settling back beside Leo, she shivered as a draft blew through, arms wrapping lightly about her torso. “If you’re looking for them—I can tell a good place to check would be the kitchen. For some reason, they always go there first.”

“It’s nice to meet you by the way.”, their stop had almost arrived, and she could imagine Leo wanted to get his rooms picked out right away. He really looked like he could use a nap, and a shave for that matter. She didn’t think she’d ever seen him with that much scruff.

"I'm dying to catch my breath...
Why don't I ever learn?
I've lost all my trust
Though I've surely tried to turn it around.
Can you still see the heart of me?
All my agony fades away--When you hold me in your embrace."

OOC: This post is horrible, I am very sorry if I missed something please tell me.

▆▆▆▆▆▆ ▆▆▆▆▆▆ ▆▆▆▆▆▆ ▰ ▱ ▰ ▱ ▰ ▱ ⇡⇡ βehind these Ҫ A S T L E Шalls...
IT'S SO EMPTY LIVING BEHIND THESE CASTLE WALLS
IT'S SO EMPTY LIVING BEHIND THESE CASTLE WALLS
IT'S SO EMPTY LIVING BEHIND THESE CASTLE WALLS
XXXXXXXXX ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ ⋱⋱ On top of the world is ß E A U T I F U L ⇣ ⇣ but ☼ there's no place to fall ▱ ▰ ▱ ▰ ▱

☼- - - - - - - - - - 》 》
XXXXXXX IF I SHOULD TUMBLE; IF I SHOULD FALL; WILL ANYONE HEAR ME
XXXXXXX IF I SHOULD TUMBLE; IF I SHOULD FALL; WILL ANYONE HEAR ME
XXXXXXX IF I SHOULD TUMBLE; IF I SHOULD FALL; WILL ANYONE HEAR ME

NO BODY KNOWS I'M ALL ALONE
LIVING IN THIS CASTLE MADE OF STONE
I'M TRAPPED INSIDE IT ALL


◆ Team: Omega
◆ Codename: Solaris
◆ Location: New Crib

The small blonde felt the size shifter smirk beside her, and she cleared her throat in a lady-like fashion to try and change the subject. She’d made her first mistake trying to speak at all when he was so close. Every little thing she felt resonated within the man beside her and bounced back tenfold. Pleasure, pain… She didn’t always know what belonged to who. Narcissa didn’t trust herself to try again and tilted her head back, closing her eyes, placing her thoughts on ugly topics like Raine and the new Sax 5th Ave quarterly line. Aren would know that her efforts to distract herself were useless…Her heart hammered so hard in her chest that she feared the whole cabin could hear it.

“You’re a beast, just so you know.”, she breathed out after a moment, dulcet tones clearly insinuating that she felt otherwise.

She scowled when he tried to insist that she’d gone soft, rolling her eyes with an annoyed huff. The day she went soft on an Alpha that was as socially retarded as the monkey-faced-boy that had just interrupted them was the day hell froze over. Aren’s hair fell into his eyes when he shook his head and she reached out without thinking to fix it. Gentle finger tips brushed his forehead before she pulled away, glaring at his explaining away the nickname Pocahontas. ”It doesn’t matter how many times you tell me. I’m a pale face. You all live in little tents and sing about colors of the wind—it’s in my nature not to know anything about your culture.”

She sighed when he claimed that his civilized attitude was merely a front for his savagery, glancing away. “Just be patient. We’ll let you back out into the wild soon enough, Pocahontas.”

Narcissa used feminine nicknames for him on occasion for a reason. It was much harder to think about doing incredibly unmentionable things with a girly-boy named Pocahontas, than it was with a handsome man named Aren.

It was a trick that would work better if she didn’t already know what he was like.

“Hollywood isn’t all it’s cracked up to be…There are too many cameras. I need privacy.”, she responded, as if his statement was a viable option. Every so often he seemed able to forget that she was an heiress, and occasionally ended up in some magazine or another. The fact that she stayed out of the limelight only seemed to make the media-wolves hungrier.

She stayed entirely still as they landed, silently saying goodbye to the sky and the sun. Aren had worried that she’d be bored when she came home with him—There weren’t any malls, any fancy stores. But he was wrong… It was the sun she couldn’t do without. She’d been locked away from it once…

She wasn’t looking forward to doing it again.

==

Narcissa couldn’t believe how far the chain of command had degenerated in Roland’s eyes since he’d been privileged enough to play teacher’s pet for the past few weeks. They’d ruined him, absolutely RUINED him. Her eyes flared hellfire white, burning with disgust at his self-aggrandizing response. He would likely realize the folly in his line of thought when it was much too late. “Stop parroting lines like a cult victim fresh from a therapy session.”

“It’s not my fault, I was raised that way. Old “habits” die hard?!”, the blond bombshell all but snarled, her words taking her closer than her boundaries usually allowed. Always, she remained out of the behemoth’s immediate reach. “You’ve had a difficult upbringing. We get it. Most of us are in the same boat. But you’ve been with the X-Men long enough to know that it doesn’t excuse you.”

“Especially, not when you’ve been given a direct order. I thought we were past that.”

Aren made a joke that under different circumstances she might have laughed. She could feel something pulling at her, something calming, and for a moment it cooled the fire in her blood and left her feeling quieted. It was abrupt enough that she noticed the difference, and her glowing eyes snapped to size shifter, gaze littered with silent questions. Was that him? Did he even know he was doing it? <********.

If she could have stopped to examine the direct effects that their bi-directional bond had on them, she would have—But as it stood she had to take care of her team. The Omega’s desperately needed order and a singular voice to adhere to. They were wild…Without it, stupid stunts like this happened.

She could tell that her not so subtle threats hit home with Leion, and knew he wouldn’t try anything once Kerrigan released him. No one in their right mind would. Her voice had been filled with sharp ice, gaze cold and emptier than a barren wasteland. She meant to instill a sense of who was in charge, especially since he seemed to be confusing who was who. His eyes slid through a myriad of colors, and she inwardly sighed. There was something different about him, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

Aren complained that she’d cut Leion off before he could say something funny and her eyes rolled at his playful nature. “You’ll have plenty of time to horse around later. I’m sure he’ll still remember funny things then.”

The blonde woman often rode Blake as hard as she could; Just to see if and when he’d break. Unfortunately he always seemed able to withstand her demands and veiled insults. He was powerful in his own right, usually something she was proud to have in her arsenal… But he was distracted. Cluttered and clouded by what she could only guess was unrequited love. Scott and Emma had made a mistake in placing him on her side. Was she the only one who noticed he couldn’t take his eyes off the Alpha leader for more than three minutes at a time?

She could see the Texan fighting a smile when she requested diet phoenix, and she was more than a little annoyed he managed to suppress it. Blake sincerely made her want to pull her hair out. He should have snapped by now, but no. He just took it like a little poof.

Narcissa didn’t bother responding to Roland about what they would do next. He would soon have his orders—which wouldn’t contain anything to do with Leion. Besides… The mention of a telepath should more than tell him what she intended. Blake was right in thinking it was intrusive…But the sun queen took no chances, and didn’t believe in beating around the bush.

Kerrigan’s voice was what put her into gear, and she finally gave out rapid fire orders—expecting her teammates to follow her lead. There was no explanation…A simple expectation that they do as told. The Omega’s had pushed through some difficult situations in the past, and the Red Queen had more than earned her title. She could sense her second in command’s desire to move things along, and Roland’s embarrassment was more than palpable.

Her order to Gracie was simple enough, and a small smirk crossed her features when the raven haired hex manipulator dashed around the corner. Her salute was too cute to b***h at, so she let it go. Either she was that hungry, or the threat of suicides really got her a** in gear. Aren questioned whether or not they really made sugar free chocolate and she sighed, expression resigned. “They do. It’s...”

Narcissa didn’t bother explaining, and merely shuddered as Leion moved to stand beside her, knowing Aren would feel her distaste. She felt his assurances through the golden threads that bound them, silent whispers that he would remain nearby, and it caused her to relax a fraction of an inch. Leion gestured that she lead the way and she gave him a once over. Moments ago he’d been crying…Naming her his sister. Something was wrong, but she didn’t sense anything wrong with him. He still felt like Leion. Her expression softened as she started walking in the right direction. “You’ll be all right.”

The comm on her wrist crackled to life and Blake’s voice poured through, stating that Frost would be waiting for them. It annoyed her that he’d assured the White Queen’s compliance already. Not that she thought the woman would disagree with her line of thinking—Just that now she couldn’t b***h at him for being late. “Good. If anything else happens Tanner—Page me immediately.”

It was almost as if she didn’t know his first name—Tanner was all she ever called him.

It was easier for her to breathe when Aren remained nearby, taking her left side. Every so often she let her fingertips brush his, something one might consider an accident, but he would know better. Omega’s came first. The walk itself didn’t take that long, though she couldn’t help but wonder why Leion thought she was related to him. Their abilities had some similarities… But nothing that would explain it.

“Frost.”, Narcissa greeted as she opened the office door, having not heard much from the woman since she’d encouraged her to let the Shadow King possess her. She didn’t call her disrespectfully by her first name, but she didn’t bother with ‘Miss’. In her eyes, the ice witch was the furthest thing from a woman after that, so she didn’t deserve the title. It had been invasive and violating. “I’m sure Tanner filled you in.”

Glancing at Leion, she let him step forward while she kept her hand on the door handle. “We’ll wait outside.”

Just in case there were things that Leion rather not the whole world know, she thought it best that he discuss what he was going through alone first. Even if he thought she was his sister…That didn’t mean he wanted her to know. Emma could well protect herself, and they wouldn’t be more than a stones throw away.

Backing out she shut the door behind her, nearly walking into Aren. Uncharacteristically she let her forehead thunk against his chest, a long sigh escaping her. “What a mess. I told you going underground would be a nightmare.”

OOC: Leion is free to puppet Frost in his post.