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 Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2011 12:32 am
✖▐ A C A D E M Y: Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The Asperity of Endurancexxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxx▃▃ ✖ ▐ S t o r y ↓ ▃▃▃▃▃▃ ▃▃▃▃▃▃▃xxxxxxxTo be filled out
xxxxxxx▃▃ ✖ ▐ C h a r a c t e r s I n v o l v e d ↓ ▃▃▃▃▃▃ ▃▃▃▃▃▃▃ xxxxxxxBella Stone - Angel Reaver
Blake Tanner - A Primrose Path
xxxxxxx▃▃ ✖ ▐ D e v e l o p m e n t s ↓ ▃▃▃▃▃▃ ▃▃▃▃▃▃▃ xxxxxxxTo be added
Coding done by The Bunit, Pics edited by Selena Lucania, Concept for thread approved by AX moderator, Angel Reaver, Vai Vedrai
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Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2011 12:36 am
Location: Random Mountain Side/Field - Flag Football
Team: Paragons █║▌│█│║▌║││█║▌│║║█║█║▌│█║▌│║║█║█║▌│█│║▌║││█║▌│║║█║█║▌│█║▌│║║█║ The sun was shining bright, and though it had been quite possibly the longest week ever… They were allowed one field day during survival training. One day where they didn’t have to worry about Logan throwing them into potentially awful situations… Or off of cliffs. Or into fights with wild animals. Or into fights with each other… For days, they’d eaten only what they’d could catch… And drank what only what fresh water they could find. Gambit and Rogue had come up the mountainside to supply them with fun things, like fizzy drinks and peanut butter and jelly.
Bella never thought she could ever appreciate a simple peanut butter and jelly. And heavens alive—They’d brought soap and shampoo. Granted…Bathing happened in the lake…But she would sooner freeze her buttocks off for a half hour, than smell like one of the boys.
She ran through the high grass in the midday sun— Sending a high pitched whistle through the air as she moved—Signaling to the other Paragons that she was near… And had the football. One of the green flags had been taken from her belt already, the members of the Excelsior’s not taking anything at all easy on her… She laughed as she twisted away from grabbing hands and fluttering wings. Her long hair waved behind her, and it wasn’t until she felt something wrap around her ankle that she was stopped—Just before the other teams goal line.
She went down, landing on her stomach with an ungraceful ‘Oomph’—And she curled around the ball as she felt an invisible force try to pry it from her fingers. “Hellion! You’re such a cheater—Pesado*!”
“Hey princess—You’re the one who said powers were fair play.”, came the gruff voice of her friend as he tried to pry the football from her without hurting her.
Isabella grinned as she clutched the ball to her chest, realizing that indeed she had… “I did, didn’t I?”
Her mouth opened, and the screech that left it was short lived—But it made the dirt on the ground vibrate, and from afar she heard Logan swear loudly. It wasn’t enough to cause any damage, but it was enough for the Excelsior’s close to her to clamp their hands over their ears and feel a little nauseated as she scrambled away laughing—The ungodly noise ending abruptly.
She ran by two of her teammates and passed the ball to one of them sneakily, and kept sprinting towards the goal line…Emerald eyes flashed over her shoulder as Pixie breathed her dust at her—And Isabella dropped, rolling out of the way with her arms crossed to keep moving. Never stay in one place when the enemy is coming.
She smoothly slid to her feet with the grace of a ballerina—Only to smack right into the Excelsior leader, managing to steady herself without grabbing hold of him...Instead she raised her hands abruptly, showing with a grin that she didn’t have the ball… And that Jackson Ranger was already sitting on their goal.
“Got you, Dulzura**”, she spoke lightly, the Spanish lilt to her tone entirely indecent as she walked around her fellow team leader, Blake Tanner, with a playful laugh—Hips twisting as only she could, while she did a small victory dance. Which…Wasn’t really a small victory dance at all—Considering the party the Excelsior’s had thrown last time they’d scored. “That’s five for the Gons—To the Cels four…Ready to admit defeat?”
“I’m mostly sure that Mr. Logan won’t pick on you…Too badly for losing to a girl.”, she taunted lightly, the natural grace that the Columbian seemed to possess making her seem almost as if her feet failed to touch the ground. But the tiny teen seemed to dance everywhere anyway—It was one of her passions. At home…In Barranquilla, she’d participated in every festival humanly possible… And when she went home in the summer, she still joined in, loving the culture and life she’d left behind. “Mostly, don’t quote me.”
She smiled at him again, her flirtatious nature letting it linger before she laughed and slipped away—Jogging back to her team, that greeted her with high fives and more smiles. It was good day… And though they ragged on each other, both teams, giving the other a hard time…It really was a lot of fun, just to goof off and be…Normal.
A bunch of kids…With super powers… Playing flag football. It was normal, for them.
“Mira aqui!***”, she called to her Gons, causing them to huddle up around her as she reattached the green tags at her hips. They were used to her shooting out random phrases in her native tongue they might not fully understand… But they got the gist of what she meant. She often spoke a mix of spanglish…Mostly out of habit. She’d been raised in a very bilingual household.
She lovely face, pink tinged cheeks seemed to sober up and become entirely serious for a moment—And her teammates looked at one another, and immediately grew serious as well. They knew when the Siren changed expressions, it was usually best to follow along, because she usually wore her heart on her sleeve. Though this time she threw them for a loop and started to laugh—Shaking her head, “They won’t give up.”
“So we won’t either.”, she returned with one of her easy going smiles, breaking the team huddle to walk towards the middle of the field again. The tall grass in some area’s made it easy to hide—But harder to run. The paragons met each other at the line that separated the field, five of them on either side.
“It’s your ball…”, she tilted her head, nodding towards Jackson—Who tossed the football to Blake, grinning as they all seemed to tense, getting ready. The Paragons were very…Organized, without losing the spark that let them laugh at the end of the day… It might have been because Bella pushed them just hard enough…Or because they were just that much of a good group. They got into trouble for pranks, disobedience, just like the other teams… But nothing seemed to bring them down. █║▌│█│║▌║││█║▌│║║█║█║▌│█║▌│║║█║█║▌│█│║▌║││█║▌│║║█║█║▌│█║▌│║║█║ *Pesado-“Meanie”
**Dulzura-“Honey”
***Mira aqui-“Look/Come here.”
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Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2012 6:01 pm
“You will not be making walnuts, neck ties or paperweights. You won't be enjoying potato sack races or picnics. Instead, you'll be taking twenty-mile hikes, maneuvering dangerous cliff diving, catching and preparing your own food...” The speech had droned on during their first day. This... survival “camp” was something that no one in the academy looked forward to. And why would they, considering it was “Old Man Logan” who instructed it.
Which, to be honest was arguably not fair. Logan could survive nearly anything, given his mutation. He had a handicap... But Blake thought better than mentioning it. After all, he'd not gotten the position as the team leader from being carelessly stupid. Faintly, he heard the worded “dismissed” drug out and then snapped off with the flick of Logan's tongue. The man raised an eyebrow, a sly little grin curving his mouth upwards. “Listen up.” He started. “Logan may have dismissed you, but I've not.”
“We're going to be paired up against the 'Gons through the class... and I want you guys to give them a run for their money. We can't have them get the upper hand.” Because they'd likely be pitted against each other in the future as a team rivalry thing to encourage team members to become closer. “Naturally, we gotta show we're the better team. Make Bobby proud.” He said in a slow, southern drawl. The team nodded their heads enthusiastically – their morale was always pretty high.
And the Texan would have to hope.. that it'd remain that way. Logan's survival course wasn't going to be easy.
* * *
It'd been a long week. An agonizing, painstakingly long seven days. The team had done well, better than Blake could have asked for. In truth though, his endurance was waning... the lack of basic hygienic products had forced him to give each member a pocketful of pine needles after they dipped in the lake, just to ensure that nothing stale would sour their stomachs – more than the awful food. Bluegill, no matter how it was cooked... was not good for eating.
Graciously but still in a hurry, the cowboy threw back the contents of the canned soda, savoring each gulp more now than he'd ever thought he would have. He'd sorely missed the bubbling effect that it had as it slid down his throat.. and the sugar... was like to send him into a coma after having a full week without it. Today was their fun day – something everyone up there needed.
And their way of expressing relief... was to play a friendly, power-aided game of flag football. Jullian tried to pry the ball from Bella's hands, and Blake shook his head at how the little Spanish woman held on, and then used her power to gain the upper hand. The screech was grating... distracting enough that when Bella slammed straight into his chest, he'd not exactly seen it coming. “Easy there, doll.” He said, a smile cracking any serious expression he might have mustered as a rival.
She didn't have the ball, and Blake searched skyward while she danced.. trying for now not to get distracted by the sashay of her hips. “Next time you run into me like that, I'll take it as an invitation for you to be stuck to me for a while.” He teased, unable to help himself. The cowboy snorted one huff of hair in an undignified way when she asked if he wanted to give up. “Not a chance, sweetheart.” He said, shrugging casually as he backed away, footsteps taking him towards his team. “We're just warming up.”
The Colombian pranced around, taunting him about Logan giving him a hard time, and Blake shook his head. “He'll probably not go too hard on you when we make our come back.” The cowboy said, taking a hand to his jaw to tilt it enough to pop. “We'll see who the victor is. And tell you what.. Loser takes the other out to dinner when the course is over.” He said, upping the stakes to make it much, much more personal than a simple team rivalry thing.
“I always liked a girl who could pay her own way.” That lopsided grin came back, white teeth gleaming in the sunlight. This could be fun. Blake moved in a way that was similar to a feline... grace all on his own without all the fancy moves that Bella seemed prone to.
It was a good day. By far the best they'd had since being dragged out to the wilderness, and doing as Logan instructed. A game of fun and laughs between the teams seemed to be heaven in the midst of all the trials they'd faced.
“See you in a few.” He said, making it sound like more of a promise than a threat. “Excelsiors! Round up!” Blake called out motioning a wide circle with his arm, and they all came front and center – far enough away that the Paragons wouldn't hear them.
Blue eyes rounded on each of his team members, formulating one of his easy plans. “We're going to get them... Tag – stick with me,” No pun intended, truly. “We'll pass the ball to Dust. If they get too close, Hellion, you know what to do. Pixie,” She grinned devilishly, as if knowing her part already. The plan, after he'd gone through the basic route over the field like the star quarterback would with his offensive players, was admittedly fool proof. The Excelsiors were Bobby Drake's pride and joy of the student teams. All power houses in their own way, and all on a steep enough learning curve to continue to better themselves.
Yes, they too got into their fair share of trouble. What group of teenagers didn't? Granted, Hellion brought more trouble than the rest of the crew combined. But he was dead useful, and had a good heart. If Blake were to ever step down, he'd be the one promoted to leader.
He also gave them a plan... using Colton's ability to adapt their senses. Bella was the one thing that on the defense side of things, they would have trouble with. Her sonic scream was enough to bring a whole fleet of navy men to their knees. But if, they were deaf...
Sapphire eyes glinted with the genius of it.
“Alright.. let's show them what a real team is.” He said, no actual malice in it. To be fair, the Paragons were a really organized team. Something he could compliment them on when they weren't pitted against each other, even for something as simple as flag football.
“Thanks; this will be the last that you see of it until we to the other side.” Colton stated, grinning as he charged... serving as a distraction to that Pixie administer her hallucinogenic dust, flying over head so that they'd never see what was coming. Dusty took the ball with her, and disappeared into nothing but particles. Blake moved forward, cementing everyone to the ground as he tagged them just to make sure they'd not be going anywhere, and then Tag ran backwards, keeping his eyes on them so that they'd not run after.
It wasn't long before Dusty was yelling a cry of triumph. They did their victory dance, and Blake “unstuck” them from their places, tossing the ball to Jackson as he did so. “I think the score is even again, doll.” He teased. “And, I think you'll look might nice in a little black dress when new go to dinner.”
“I'd like to go to a steakhouse.” Blake stated, as if he were already sampling the menu.
Another slow grin touched his lips, and he returned onto his side of the line, giving Colton the go ahead, and Jullian a knowing smirk. Everyone else, was to rip the tags off of their sides in an assembly line feature. Pixie threw another bout of dust at them, and Jullian lifted the ball from Jackson's hands as soon as he crossed the line.
“Interception!” Blake yelled, knowing his team wouldn't be able to hear him... but they needed to play it off like they had.
It was a few more tricks later, when the ball was on the other side of the field. The Paragons put up a good fight – two of his men were “down” and another two had lost one flag a piece. But Pixie had taken the ball, all the way down to their goal... and there was another goal made. After another round of victory dances, Blake raised an eyebrow at Bella, taking in her lovely face with all the teasing he could muster. “It's not too late to give up.”
“Now... I'm confused on how the rest of this goes, is it my ball again.. considering we stole yours, or do we have to give you a chance to redeem yourself?” Amarillo asked, chuckling the entire way through.
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Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 12:16 am
Location: Random Mountain Side/Field - Flag Football
Team: Paragons █║▌│█│║▌║││█║▌│║║█║█║▌│█║▌│║║█║█║▌│█│║▌║││█║▌│║║█║█║▌│█║▌│║║█║
“Doll? …Doll?”, Isabella questioned incredulously… The Excelsior leader had actually called her doll? In a real conversation, with words, and everything? Shaking her head at the occasionally dicey term, she simply attributed it to his clearly southern heritage. It wouldn’t be the fist time she’d heard a phrase from the south that left her wondering. For example, when she’d cut her finger, one of the younger girls from Mississippi asked her how she got her hickey. Bella, immediately covered her neck—Thinking the girl meant hickey…When she meant ‘boo boo’. This one, she’d never actually heard outside, of the movie ‘Scarface’. His smile brought her own, and she winked… “Easy? I think it’s a little soon for you to be telling me to be easy…”
“If you value your hearing… You’d know I’m not always fun to be around.”, she returned to his comment, his easy going nature seeming to prompt her to keep teasing him. If he’d asked anyone that knew her… They’d likely tell him the opposite. Isabella rarely used her powers in ways that brought harm to her friends…Not lasting harm, anyway. During games like this? A little nasty sound wouldn’t injure anyone…Though they might end up with a headache if they listened too closely. “But… Depending on when I run into you next… I might like the company.”
She chuckled and grinned when he affirmed that in no way would his team be giving up, tossing her long hair over her shoulder confidently when he mentioned that Logan probably wouldn’t take it too hard on her—And she smirked. “Of course not. I’m a girl. All innocent and helpless…”
Wolverine had one, solid weakness that she knew of… And it revolved around a woman being in trouble. He’d likely give her the same punishment as any of the boys… But let her out of it, if she looked too exhausted. What a secret softy.
Her hand came to press to her forehead dramatically, her eyes closing for a moment in the summer heat… “Oh—Whoever will save me from the mean mean cowboy?”
Isabella didn’t expect any reply to that—Nor did she need any. She was a damsel that firmly believed in saving herself… Though when it came to little things… She may, or may not allow it, depending on the who, what, where, when and why. Leading a team gave her a sense of…Responsibility that the Columbian dancer wouldn’t have otherwise had. She’d spent years being the second in command on the New Mutants… But her best friend, Evelyn, had always been the one to take the brunt of the hard choices and decisions.
But the Paragons had so far, been a very pleasant, learning experience.
The songstress cringed when the Excelsior leader made something pop… Her hearing let her hear it loud and clear, like a shot. That was something that always made her squeamish… Strange joints popping, bones breaking, teeth grinding…They were just hard on her senses. Though his offer piqued her interest, and her head tilted, this way and that—As if deciding… With a delicate nod of her head, accepting. “You’re on, dulzura.”
They both headed back to their teams, and the game re-started… And Isabella had been taken out early on in the second play by Pixie. Having heard the flapping of wings, she’d moved out of the way—But her fellow mutant had anticipated this and moved with her…Giving the songstress a lungful of hallucinogenic dust in the process. The hallucinations weren’t…Bad, at first… And certainly weren’t as bad as the tricks Pixie played with their enemies… But colors were brighter…Sounds echoing that shouldn’t have been.
One moment, someone was in front of her—The next, they were gone.
Her hand came to her head for a moment as she waited for her senses to clear… And that was all the time that was needed, considering she wasn’t the only one under the effect of it, for the Excelsior’s to score a point to tie them. She was, for the most part—Unaware that the other team couldn’t hear her… Her ability acted not only through the ear canal, but via bone conduction…So if she threw enough force into it, the vibrations would lead their equilibrium astray, make them dizzy--Nauseated. But that was part of her ability that she reserved for a real fight… It felt intrusive to her. Too intrusive, to use on friends.
Shaking the last vestiges of pixie dust out of her head, she turned in time to see her team members become unstuck from the ground… Blake passing her, back to his side of the field, her ears catching the comment about what she ought to wear. “Really? I was going to say the same about you.”
Indeed, she knew that wasn’t where he’d been going with that—But there was a grin on her face that spoke volumes, of how she hadn’t been able to resist the retort. “I’ve got a place you can go…”
She trailed off, letting him fill in the blanks with a tarty grin as they filled the line again. It was moments into the game, when Julian snatched the ball from Jackson—Not quite as gentle as he’d been with her. She gave chase, this time not impeded by Pixie—Managing to snag one of the flags from the ball holders before it changed hands… She had tried her quick, harmless screech, the way she had before…But was utterly perplexed as to why no one seemed to really react to it…It was an auditory assault… It just didn’t make sense, why it wouldn’t connect with any of the Excelsior’s. Her eyes narrowed for a moment as she glanced towards her half-brother… Who seemed to be concentrating terribly hard.
Colton was an arrogant little nerd that didn’t really like sports. Or team events. What in this game, could he possibly be focusing so hard on? Oh.
“Hey Blake! Your mother’s so fat she had to go to Seaworld to get baptized!”, she yelled after the Excelsior team leader, throwing her ability into her tone so that it should have carried easily to him. But nothing…He didn’t acknowledge that he’d heard her at all…He didn’t move, stop, or pause-- Though several of her team members turned to stare at her in surprise.
“Nice…”, she spoke with a faint laugh as the other team made a goal on the interception—Her face schooling itself back together as she patted her Paragons on the back. They really did give it their all, but the Excelsior’s were all power houses in their own right… They were a difficult team to come up against. Especially, it seemed, when there was something in it for their captain.
Blake raised an eyebrow to her, and Bella half expected him to comment on the ‘yo mama’ joke, only to hear that it wasn’t too late to forfeit… She cast him a coquettish glance, batting her eyelashes as she turned back to her team, “Practice what you preach, amor.”
“It’s our ball—Whomever scored last is always –gracious- enough to let the other team take a shot…”, she continued on, entering a quiet huddle that she wrapped a silence barrier around. No eavesdroppers, or using Colt.
Their team huddle broke a moment later, and the Paragons came back to the game line… One of the members on her team was a plant manipulator… Dryad. As soon as they broke, the girl sent several vines from nearby brush towards Colton Stone—And several plays later efficiently dragged him far enough away that his ability to dampen the senses of others would be interrupted. Her half-brother could do many things, but only within range. Pinned to a tree some many yards away, the songstress released her ear piercing scream as Jackson tossed the ball from himself to Hector Dominguez, a teleporter that operated in short controlled bursts.
Isabella’s mouth closed, and the scream stopped once Hector appeared on the other teams goal line. She chuckled, and looked towards Blake… “You almost had me with that one…”
“Though, I’d shy away from using my family members against me. I know my little Colt too well.”, she trailed off…glancing towards their worn team members. They were going to have another early morning… Maybe they shouldn’t push themselves so hard today.
“Well...Our teams look beat...", she trailed off, running a hand through her hair..."In no way, am I conceding anything…"
"But if we came to a mutual agreement that a tie is acceptable… I’d say we can pay dutch at a steakhouse, cowboy.”, she trailed off lightly, turning about to go check on Sykora… She’d twisted her ankle abit in their last play. Her head turned, and she looked back at him with her usual dazzling smile. “I’ll even throw in that little black dress.”
█║▌│█│║▌║││█║▌│║║█║█║▌│█║▌│║║█║█║▌│█│║▌║││█║▌│║║█║█║▌│█║▌│║║█║
*Dulzura-“Honey”
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Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2012 1:19 pm
________________________________________________________________________________
She seemed more incredulous at him calling her 'doll' than anything else he had said. “Yes, doll... as in what small little girls tug about, pretty little figurines. Doll.” He returned, grinning as he tried to get her to wrap her head about it. Bella winked when he told her to be easy, insinuating an entirely new topic underneath the one they were having. “What can I say, as a leader I have to move fast...” His eyes searched the horizon as he made the off-handed jibe, his hands shoved in his back pockets. “And it carries over pretty well into other aspects of my life.”
Are you saying I'm going to make you scream? The sentence had been at the tip of his tongue, just waiting to be dispersed into the air, but with his southern gentleman's nature... Blake somehow restrained it from ever becoming sound. But Bella didn't seem to be one who would cause bodily harm for the sheer fun of using her mutation – actually, she was the opposite. “I'd make sure that you enjoyed any company I give ya, darlin'.” He returned just as easily as she'd dished out, without being overbearing about it. Were he a lesser man, he could have started quoting Big 'N Rich's “Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy” song, but he'd not play the cad so soon.
Especially, when this was just a friendly game, a reprieve from Wolverine's idea of fun.
“Helpless is right.” Blake said with a toothy smile, eyes sparking with his amusement. “I'll send in a cavalry. Fair warning, though... they'll likely be on my side.” And it was just as well – Bella wasn't some princess in a high tower, waiting for a man to come save her. That much was obvious.
And she had the experience on the student teams, to know better than to wait around on some man. She was perfectly capable of saving herself. But Logan was a softie when it came to the softer sex.
Blake offered a higher stake to the game, and was just slightly elated to see her accept the challenge. It made things all that more interesting, made him work harder to put the Paragons in their place – just behind the Excelsiors. And his team followed suit, always able to rise to the challenge. They were Bobby's pride and joy for a reason, and the Paragons would at the very least, be able to appreciate an equal team.
“I'll leave the dresses to you... considering none of my curves would do the outfit justice.” He teased, a smile cracking any serious features he might have tried for.
Blake's mouth watered at the mention of steak – something he'd get himself just as soon as this whole crash course with Logan was over. But as Bella made the retort laden with innuendos... the cowboy shook his head in disbelief, shoulders shaking with laughter. “Well, I knew Spaniards were hot blooded... given all the kids they have, but a gentleman doesn't usually try to score on the first date... However, if you're offering...” His grin widened from ear to ear, “A gentleman can't refuse what a woman wants. It'd be the opposite of chivalrous.”
The play started, and Blake tried to not look in Bella's direction to catch the befuddled look on her face – no doubt her commanding them to drop the ball having no effect would merit that. Instead, he focused on the orders he'd dished out... his team members executing it flawlessly.
Blake tipped his chin in the air when she remarked that the play was nice, a gesture of mutual respect. Paragons were about even with his Excels... Bella made a good leader to them. Her team put forth the effort – but Blake had strategically ensured their point in the game... football, was just like tactics – predict the number of outcomes, prepare for as many as you can. And he was extra good at it, if there was a prize at the end of said task.
“Oh, was I preaching?” He asked, appearing somewhat shocked at her response. “I'm fresh out of Bibles, darlin'... Maybe I can borrow yours?”
He asked who's ball it was, and Blake merely backed into his own, dishing out his own orders. “Naturally, I won't deny that to you then, pretty Miss.”
She made an impressive feat – taking away Colt from the team, while bouncing the ball around on waves. “Ah, but it worked the first time didn't it?” Truly the fact that Colt had made the Excelsiors deaf had thrown her for a loop. If anything, she'd learn to expect anything from Blake Tanner. He'd always be versatile, and always... had worked on working the team so that they only had assets, and few weaknesses.
“On the flip side of that, Colt knows you really well... and has so many stories to tell us.” His bright eyes flashed with his humor, as though he could read her diary without any opposition at that moment. “And can tell us what your favorite moves are on the field.” Because off the field, Blake was pretty sure his brother wouldn't want to know that.
The teams looked worn – Bella was correct in that. And had it been just an ordinary school day, the Excelsior leader would have insisted they finish. But they weren't out of the water yet with Logan's course. It'd be best for them to rest, enjoy their day off relaxing and giving themselves a much deserved breather.
“I think a tie is acceptable today. But of course – an actual game of flag football is in order when we get back to the mansion.” Besides, he got what he wanted out of the deal – dinner with a stunning woman. Who was willing to pay her own way... not that he would have let her either way the game went, but it was fun to keep up the appearances.
“Especially if the little black dress is involved.” He said, cheesing it up for her.
The pending date was all the more reason for this week to be over with already.
“Good job guys – We're going to call it a tie until we're back at the mansion, and we know that the survival course isn't going to kill us. Truthfully, after the s**t they'd been put through, Blake thought a day and a half would have been completely acceptable. But, as it were... they'd just kick the Paragons' asses when they didn't have to worry about what the next day would bring.
* * *
Colton trailed along Blake, who had tailed Bella off of the field, if only to get her perspective of the teams on campus as a whole. Bobby had asked him to mentor once the Excelsiors no longer needed him, and he was curious to see who else had received an invitation.
Grabbing a can of soda, Blake popped it open and took a drink before segueing into that conversation. “Have you heard of the mentor program they are going to start?” He'd leave it there, because stating that he was likely a future mentor would only come off as boasting.
With that, he took a seat against the tree – the grass no longer dewy from the night. Rather it was a cool sensation, one that took off the edge from the heat they were in. Colton followed suit... for someone who was normally not so willing to hang around Blake, he was quite the little attachment now. Blake eyed him warily, just to make sure he'd not changed any molecules on the surface of Colt's skin. Being around the cowboy, when he wasn't paying attention... could get a little sticky.
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Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 3:40 am
Location: Survival Class Campsite
Team: Paragons █║▌│█│║▌║││█║▌│║║█║█║▌│█║▌│║║█║█║▌│█│║▌║││█║▌│║║█║█║▌│█║▌│║║█║
Isabella mock glared at Blake, topping off an adorably sassy expression with a sultry wink over her shoulder as he so eloquently defined the word ‘doll’ for her. She laughed outright, her voice naturally carrying all the charm and allure of a Colombian entertainer, hips rolling in their usual sway. It wasn’t deliberate, or meant to send any signal at all… But simply the way that she moved. It was with the grace of a dancer, something that was clearly in her blood… She’d been raised in a culture that loved to celebrate, find happiness in all things, even though Catholic, promoted the freeing of most inhibitions.
“And what other aspects of your life, does it carry into—I wonder…”, she drawled, tone tinged with just a brief taste of her accent. It wasn’t heavy, as it used to be. Living the past several years state side had taken some of it away from her. Her eyes flickered as he stuffed his hands into his pockets, emerald orbs glittering teasingly in the sunlight like jewels. “If you could make sure of it—You’d be more enlightened than any other boy here. Been taking notes from Mr. Drake?”
“On your side?”, she questioned with her usual dazzling smile, flashing pearly whites at him, as he had done to her. The proverbial bearing of ‘fangs’, “We’ll just see about that, mi amor.”
Logan was a good teacher—A very good mentor. Isabella had spent most of her school years under the wing of either Scott or himself… And while most of her peers hated Cyclops with a passion, she found him...Kind. Gentle, even. She shuddered to think what it would have like to learn under someone like Emma or recently returned from the White Room Jean. She’d heard from the Cuckoo’s that she was twice as moody as she’d ever been as the darker part of the Phoenix.
Which really…Really wasn’t saying much.
But both male professors—Scott and Logan, had one viable weakness. And that, was a damsel in distress…Especially one that They tried not to let it show, because afterall, they wanted to be fair. Or rather, Scott demanded that all the mentors be fair…But they still slipped on occasion. Still thought with the hearts they’d acquired over the years, over their heads.
But that small quirk didn’t meant that they both didn’t still train all of their students with an iron fist… Logan had pushed Isabella during fitness sessions to the point where she thought she’d fall over and never get up… But it was worry that made him do so. That made him push those that he taught.
He wanted them all to be ready for the day when he might not be there to protect them.
“Of course. A man would shun a dress…How typical…”, she returned, letting her eyes roll in her head—Though her amused smile shattered the feministic air of her comment.
Though as they realigned on the proper sides of the field after the first point was scored, her head tilted to the side…Utterly befuddled by the retort that came out of the Excelsior leader. Somewhere… Deep down, the bit about the kids threw her off…Wounded her, just a tad. But she knew he couldn’t have possibly meant it the way it sounded… He was too…Nice for that. Her caramel colored cheeks did take on a tinge of color… But she was a fighter, and she’d give as good as she got. “I think something got lost in translation, amigo.”
“First of all, Spanish is the language I speak—Not my nationality. I’m Colombian. So…Perhaps I should take the money I get from welfare, from one of my many…many b*****d children, and hire you a tutor.”, Isa returned without missing a beat, tossing her long hair over her shoulder with a gentle sweep of her hand and she smiled seemingly innocently. “The place I was referring you go to—Was hell.”
“And since a gentleman can’t refuse a lady-- I’m endlessly curious to know where you –thought- I wanted you to go…”
It was Bella now, who grinned ear to ear—Mirroring the look he’d given her moments before. From the nature of ‘hot blooded Spaniards’ comment… She could only think, he’d pulled a typical male brain fart. “Because at the moment… I’m thinking your mind went south of the border—And no, I don’t mean Mexico.”
At least he hadn’t called her Mexican.
Isabella complimented her team on their efforts… It was always sobering to have another team beat them in something—But Bella would simply encourage them to try better next time. She could only ask them for their best… And if they gave it their all, she was satisfied. Tactics was never something Bella had excelled at. She’d taken the course, and had learned the way things worked—Learned to expect the unexpected, look for entrances and exits… But Isabella made plans best, when in the thick of it… There was always a heartbeat, a second to have that moment of frozen, crystal-hard vision, when adrenaline and violence seemed to slow everything down… As if she had all the time in the world to make her decisions, to see something coming that the others didn’t.
It was an illusion, of course. Time didn’t stop for anyone that Isabella knew of…If she saw the same moment later on film, it would run in real time…Everything moved so fast…But it was a state of mind that allowed her to suddenly see the important bits of things incredibly clearly, allowed her to focus so everything else fell away.
She thrived in the heat of the moment, and luckily her team had figured out long ago that the plans she drew up before missions were simply…Guidelines.
His comment about a preacher made a lovely smirk dart over her lips, and still a little fired up, and responded as any ‘hot blooded’ woman would. The songstress leaned forward, her hands resting just above her knees, ebony lashes dusting against tanned cheeks as … “My bible? Come and get it, dulzura.”
Now that, was a comment—Filled with innuendo and a come hither overtone.
The only move she made that could have been considered impressive, would have been to remove Colt from the area. Her sonic scream was intended to disrupt the Excelsior’s… But neither her scream, nor her power had anything to do with the ball. That was all her teams effort, it never touched her hands. Her head tilted when he mentioned that Colt had oh so many stories to tell them, and she chuckled, shaking her head slowly. “There are a few things you should know… One, Colt knows where his Christmas presents come from. His only loyalty, is to his X-Box 360. Another is that he’s family…And while blood is thicker than water… He knows he can only repeat about half my secrets, because the only half will cause him to suddenly become deaf and mute for a month. And for future reference… I love all my moves equally.”
Her hands moved, framing her hour glass figure as she cocked her hips to one side—Hands sliding up her neck, resting in her hair on the sides of head for a moment—Before drawing them free with a naturally flirty wink. “Don’t you?”
She hadn’t expected anything less from the Excelsior leader when he demanded a rematch when they got back to the Academy, and she nodded her head with an amused smile. Boys. “Deal, Walker Texas Ranger.”
The Paragon leader headed over to check on Sykora, wincing when she realized that her ankle looked like someone had stuffed a large red apple where her joints should be. It looked like she might be heading home with Rogue and the others that had brought up treats, food, bottled water, and sports equipment… They had a medic tent but… Bell feared that something might be broken. And they despite the nature of the beast, they wouldn’t leave a student in so much agony. Jackson and Hector both helped her up to carry her back to their makeshift camp, and Bella sighed…Hoping that Sykora’s ankle would be the worst of the injuries.
***
Isabella walked along the dirt trail, arms above her head for a moment as she stretched—Listening to Colton complain about her tying him against the tree. She tilted her head and shook it in a amusement as he fumed, the tips of his ears turning pink. He was a paler tone than she, because they had different mothers…But they were still family. And as such, she reserved the right to pick on him as it suited her. “You used your ability, I let my team use theirs and vice versa…Turn about is fair play. You aren't hurt, are you?”
“No...But it’s not fair Isa, you knew.”
“And you knew how to circumvent me… It would be fair regardless.”, she responded evenly, reaching up to pick a pink colored blossom from a tree. Thoughtfully she checked it for creepy crawlers, before tucking it behind her ear. “If I were your enemy and realized what you were doing… Would you complain to them later on, about fairness?”
Colton didn’t respond, but huffed and shifted his form to bump into Bella’s shoulder… His expression still set in a frown, but there was something in his eyes that signaled he forgave her. He would likely agree with his half-sister later…But at the moment, his pride was a little wounded, and his ego just slightly deflated. He didn’t like his flaws being pointed out…Even one so small as a limit on his powers. Everyone had their limits…. But he just didn’t like anyone else to know.
They made it back to the campsite, and she headed over to the water cooler—Ever one to prefer water over soda. Unless it was root beer…And then all bets were off. She kept walking for a moment, until she realized that both boys had remained with her, and she paused to allow them to catch up. The songstress had every intention of settling down somewhere for some well deserved R & R. She nodded her head evenly when he mentioned the mentor program. “I’ve heard of it…”
“But I’ve also heard that the Paragons may be dissolved to add more fighters to the New Mutants and the Hellions. Too many have gone A.W.O.L.”, she trailed off after a moment, unscrewing the cap of the water to take a long drink. She hadn’t realized how thirsty she was until the ice cold water hit her tongue…It was things like bottled water that she took advantage of at home—That suddenly felt like the most wonderful thing in the world. It bothered her…That they would seek to disband her team… But it wasn’t punishment. It was because they had some of the best, and often times the blue and gold—Not to mention the red and black team was often on the front lines. “To which…I’d likely go back to being a NuMu.”
Bella watched Blake take a seat against a tree, and took it as an invitation to stop walking, and she sank gracefully to the ground in a way that would have made any prima ballerina turn green with envy. It may have been unusual for Colt to hang around Blake—But it was the exact opposite for Bella. He might have loved his video games… But he loved his two sisters. Even if, Bella had only known him part of her life. But staying around to discuss leader matters?
That was odd. For a moment...She wondered if he was playing the part of a protective brother... It wouldn't be the first time. She shook her head faintly, a chuckle leaving her...Surely not. Colton wouldn't have to protect her from the Excelsior good ole' boy... The thought was laughable. He was too... Too much of a southern gentleman. Though she put it from her mind then, thinking that it was one of the last things she needed to worry about.
“Professor Summers mentioned the mentor program to me…But… If I go back to the NuMu’s I’d be on a team with Thorne again—And she’s looking for a new second in command.”, Isabella explained thoughtfully, not at all minding sharing her thoughts with the two boys near her. It wasn’t as if they were her innermost secrets… It was shop talk. Though, her decision certainly wasn’t exactly… Discouraged—By the fact that Evelyn Reed had been her best friend for years… And that she’d practically begged Bella to turn it down.
The songstress looked down at her hands, a fond smile crossing her lips. How could she say no to a friend that needed her? That routinely had to go up against the Hellions—Who, for teenagers, could be a ruthless pack of man-eating wolves. Some of them were down right terrifying. “I think… I think that being an Assistant Captain might be…Better suited to my schedule.”
It was a generic reason… But there were other reasons that she’d not say aloud. There were things she’d seen… Things she’d done as the leader of the Paragons that didn’t sit well with her. There were hard, horrible decisions that she’d had to make over and over… And it was wearing her thin. Isabella was a fighter—That was true. But more than that, she was gentle… She had compassion, and believed in mercy…There was no room for that on the battle field.
All of the violence that she’d done in the name of the Academy—That she’d ordered others to do… Made her sick. Somehow, if she took the order from someone else… It gave her the illusion that she was…Less responsible. Less culpable.
It was a lie… It was an unsettled young woman, preferring to lie to herself for the time being…Just until she could accept it. Cope with it…She knew and understood that there wasn’t anyone else…That she’d been given her powers for a reason—Some reason, she didn’t yet understand… So she would fight as it became necessary…But she didn’t revel in it. Not the way Evie did. Or Derek, the Hellion leader. She wanted to believe that there was good in everyone, that lives didn’t have to be put in jeopardy by her command. That several of the Paragons hadn’t gotten hurt or worse when they’d been sent into the thick of it…
A dark thought made her shiver in the heat, and her bottle green eyes were just a tad darker when they returned to Blake…More solemn. A seventeen year old shouldn’t have to think about these things… But she did. Every day. She’d never wanted to be a Captain… But she wouldn’t let those around her suffer, because she was being picky about what she did and didn’t want to do. Moral quandaries aside… She would do anything she could, anything at all, to keep those she cared about safe.
“How about you? Seeing that you mentioned it… I’m assuming they asked you?”
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*Dulzura-“Honey”
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