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At knifepoint in twilight; Any of Lauren's roster
Topic Started: Sep 22 2015, 02:40 PM (442 Views)
Wind Dancer
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Wind Manipulation/Flight
Date: 9 September
Time: 7pm




Hope was turning 18 in a couple of days. Well, nine days, to be exact. Back home, 18 was not a big deal. At fifteen, girls would celebrate their quince, but Fia had missed hers. Even if she hadn't, she doubted it would have been anything else other than a mention at Sunday Mass.

But the 18th birthday was a huge thing here in America, and while they didn't have plans to celebrate, Fia had wanted to get Hope something to mark the occasion. Fibbing to her friend that she was going to town to post out her forms for ABT -- non-existent, but Hope didn't know that -- Fia caught the bus off the end of the street to Salem Center. It was small, compared to the shopping mecca that was New York City, but there were a few high street stores that Fia was sure she could find something Hope would like.

She also placed in a cake order a the local bakery, and asked for 18 candles. Taking her time, Fia had meandered through the shops, finally deciding on a cute, black lacy romper and a few bottles of pop coloured nail polish. Mission accomplished, Fia made her way out of the mall, intending to grab a bite, before heading back to the bus stop and back to school.

There was a Mexican place down the street that sold good (well, good enough) tacos, and Fia knew it well, having made a beeline for it each time she came to town. Her takeout in hand, she was on her way back to the bus stop when a whimpering sound stopped her footsteps. Curiously, she turned about, slowly searching the waves for the source of the sound. Her aerokinesis gave her heightened sensitivity to sound, but it was not so specific as to pinpoint the source of the disturbance at a moment's notice. The ambient noise from the traffic was a huge distraction, and she had to focus to find the cry.

She stood where she was, her eyes scanning the surroundings for a hint, when she heard it again. The same whimper, this time accompanied by a soft, distressed, 'No, please...'

Two streets down, to the left. An adjacent alley.

More curious than cautious, Fia moved briskly in the general direction, forcing herself to remain grounded -- it was clear she wasn't allowed to fly while out of the School's grounds.

As she approached the alley, she peeked around the corner of the brick building, and peered inwards. Though the sun had set a while ago, the street was still enveloped in a dusky purple twilight.

She wasn't sure what she expected, but what greeted her eyes surely wasn't it.

"Please, I'll give you whatever you want!"

A young girl, who couldn't possibly be much older than Fia herself, was pushed against the wall. An older man had his arm braced against her shoulder, holding on to a fistful of her blonde hair.

Fia's eyes widened, and she debated for a moment, just what was happening.

Then she caught the silver of a blade in his hand.

Three things happened almost one on top of the other-- The man raised the knife, intending for the girl's throat, Fia cried out in shock, alerting them to her position, and his attention, shifting from his intial victim to Sofia.

"Curious child, eh?" he snarled, and in a swift motion, threw the blade straight for her head.

Not even thinking, Fia reached out a hand and the knife was halted in mid air by a burst of air that seemingly came from her open palm.

"Mutant!" he growled, releasing his target and instead turning on her. "I'll teach you to mind your own business."
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Betsy Braddock
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Telepathy (I'm not a bloody ninja)
“Oh for goodness sake…” Betsy muttered under her breath and removed her cropped blazer. Depositing her bag on the ground, she neatly draped the article of clothing over it. Due to extensive practise over the years, the White Queen had the uncanny knack of noticing trouble when it was occurring, no matter where she was. While her ‘spy skills’ was one part of this, her telepathy was mostly to blame. But there were just some things one could not ignore when ‘heard’.

“I’m quite sure I don’t care to know what your business is, but if it involves young girls then I am going to take a very specific stance on that,” in the time it had taken her to move to the alleyway, another girl had appeared, this one almost certainly one of Xavier’s. That could be beneficial or the young lady might be endangering herself. The man did not seem best pleased to see either of them, but especially seemed riled when the brunette had revealed her capabilities. Oh if he didn’t like that

Only sometimes, it was far more satisfying to not use powers…

“And this is your business because?” The man seemed thrown by the sudden appearance of a markedly more adult female and for a moment his attention was torn from Sofia. His eyes settled on the purple hair (ironically dye of course) and his expression narrowed.

“Oh, it’s not. But sadly Spider-Man doesn’t come out this far.” That was about as much talking as she was willing to do for the moment. Putting one hand on Sofia’s shoulder, she cast a quick glance to her. ::Stay put.::

Moving around her instantly, Betsy brought her foot up with a very solid kick into the man’s abdomen and as he doubled, she grabbed hold of his wrist and twisted, hard, causing him to drop his knife with a clatter and a shriek. “I don’t exactly have time nor care for men who hurt little girls. Nothing but brutes who need a smack. If you believe in God, he put women like me on Earth for that exact reason.” Her knee came up into his groin with a very audible thud. “So, not only are you going to leave this alleyway before I give you your own teeth to use as pocket change, you are going to forget this ever happened. And if you ever touch a girl again in such a manner, you are going to have the immediate compulsion to slam your hand in a car door. Now get out of my bloody sight. At once.” Sighing, she stepped back, just a little.

“Are you two alright?”
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Wind Dancer
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Wind Manipulation/Flight
If she had been the sort that were inclined to the dramatics, Fia might have fainted straight out. Aside from the Danger Room sessions, this was the first time she had used her powers offensively, and it was a little bit nerve-wreaking. While she was confident in her abilities and fairly proficient, the stress that came with such a situation was naturally overwhelming to her.

Betsy's well-timed arrival saved the day, and Fia had no problems listening to instructions and staying put. She hadn't been able to tell from her voice, but the purple-hair was a dead giveaway. Everyone at school knew that Warren was dating the Hellfire Club's White Queen, but aside from Hope pointing her out in the magazines, Fia had yet to meet her.

Released from her assailant's hold, the girl ran towards her, and Fia caught her in a hug, holding her upright as Betsy effectively put herself between them both, and the man.

"You're alright," Fia whispered to the blonde, smoothing her hair back and patting her. "It's fine now."

And it proved to be, as he was subdued in a few minutes. The White Queen was obviously much more familiar with such situations, disarming him in flash, and hurting him so much that had to choke back a scream. Very quickly, the man recognised that he was better off listening and doing as he was told than fighting back. "Mutant freaks!" he spat, before bolting from the alley, clutching his wrist.

"Oh, thank you, thank you! He's been tailing me for weeks; I waitress at a restaurant down there..." said the girl, pointing towards the Black Square. "Last few days he's taken to following me to work before I start my shift..."

"Well, after what just happened, I don't think he'll be bothering you, or anyone else anytime soon..." Fia said, with a small smile, then turned to the telepath. "Thank you, honestly, I didn't really think through what I was going to do, I only intended to see what had happened..." She shook her head, "If you hadn't intervened..."

If Betsy hadn't intervened, Fia didn't know what she could have done, or even if she would have reacted in time to do anything at all.
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Betsy Braddock
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Telepathy (I'm not a bloody ninja)
Betsy allowed the brunette to comfort the girl, keeping an eye on them as she gathered her own things. “No, I’d not worry anymore,” pulling her blazer back on, she made a mental note on hearing where the girl worked. It wouldn’t be difficult to make the security in that part of town aware of the situation. “Men like that don’t tend to have the balls to stand their ground once challenged…he certainly doesn’t anymore.” Distractedly, she wiped her palms on her jeans.

It was getting late, not quite school curfew late but late enough that she was not going to allow these two girls to just go on their meandering ways into the night. “My car is around the corner. I can drive you home if you direct me,” Betsy nodded to the blonde. “And I think I know where you live, so I can drop you off afterwards. Warren would be disappointed if I didn’t do so much as that.”

Shouldering her bag, the telepath put a hand on Sofia’s shoulder. “It’s alright, sometimes, to jump in, it’s very brave. But you always have to think too. Anything could have happened. You could have blown him clean off his feet for one,” her words were kindly meant, though spoken with a small smirk of amusement. “You’re learning though, aren’t you. So, let me give you one little bit of advice that will help you for as long as you choose this path. You will always be learning something. About fighting, about people. It’s nothing to be discouraged by, but…” realising that an alleyway was likely not the best place to impart words of wisdom, she gave Sofia’s shoulder a squeeze. “How about I buy the two of you a hot chocolate before I drive you home.” They weren’t old enough for a brandy which was a shame.

“You can call me Betsy, by the way,” at this stage it was the polite thing to do to make a proper introduction, especially if she was going to be driving the young ladies about. It was only right as she did not even feel entirely comfortable with depositing either of them into a taxi home.
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Wind Dancer
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Wind Manipulation/Flight
And just like that Betsy had easily sorted the situation out, and made it clear she knew where Fia was from, if not who she was exactly. It was either the telepathy, or honed skills of observation. Either way, Fia bit back a giggle -- the other girl was still in shock -- and smiled instead.

Warren was her flight instructor, and while he didn't explicitly discuss his love life with her, there were just some things one couldn't keep out of the grapevine.

If the blonde had found it odd, this talk about choosing lives, or Fia's powers, or even the man's accusation of being mutants, she said nothing, but instead smiled tremulously at Betsy's offer of a ride.

"Thank you, but I'm not going home. I have to start a shift at the restaurant now... Well, it should have started a while ago, but I was... caught up," she said.

She looked from Betsy, with her nice clothes and purple hair, to Fia, dark, friendly, and already bouncing back from their encounter with a cheerful smile, and made the connection that somehow, they knew each other. "Thank you for the offer of a drink, but I wouldn't like to intrude. I'm Ariel, and if either of you are ever at The King's Court, look for me."

Fia nodded, introduced herself and gave Ariel a hug before the other girl went on her way. Turning to Betsy she said, with a smile. "I know who you are. I'm one of Warren's students."

The White Queen mentioned learning and bravery and not being discouraged, and Fia shook her head with a tiny smile of her own. "I hope so. It's just that, it's so different in the Danger Room. What's the worst that could happen in a steel simulation? I mean if things go wrong, it'll just be turned off. But just now..." she trailed off, suddenly remembering who she was talking to and ducked her head with a bit of embarrassment.

"Sorry, I'm not what anyone would call 'quiet' and I tend to ramble when I'm nervous," she said with a chuckle.
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Betsy Braddock
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Telepathy (I'm not a bloody ninja)
“Ah, I see,” responding with a nod, Betsy smiled at the young blonde and slipped her phone out of her bag. “As long as you’re sure you’ll be alright, Ariel. I’ll be sure to ask for your section if I’m dropping in,” finishing the text she was sending regarding security, the telepath stood so she could watch her walk out of the vicinity, into a much better lit street that had plenty of people around. Tilting her head back to Sofia, her smile widened slightly. “You are? Wonderful. I’m sorry if I assumed, but a young teenaged mutant in this neck of the woods often is. Rather like a little new York City…the locals have rather gotten used to the…unique aspect of living in such a place.”

Nodding as Sofia wisely spoke about the false security that could come with artificial environment training, she put her hand on the teenager’s elbow to gently steer her along. “But on the upside, if you make a mistake, the next time you can be sure not to do it again. Making mistakes isn’t so bad, the important part is the learning. You’re very lucky, you’ve got good teachers,” Betsy smiled not meaning just Warren, but Scott and Jean Grey-Summers. They might not play on the same side of the field always, but that did not change the respect she had for them and what they did for the children in their care.

“And rambling isn’t so bad either. You’ve had a bit of a shock after all. I insist on taking you back to the school; don’t worry, I hardly expect you to be in any sort of trouble. But it would do well to think about such things as consequences and responsibility in case the subjects come up,” Betsy’s smile became wicked and she gave Sofia’s arm a squeeze. “I probably wasn’t much older than you when I started to learn how to fight, properly. My elder brother had taught me a few sly tactics when I was younger as he didn’t like the thought of me being defenseless if I ever went out alone. But there’s a difference between knowing to jab your fingers in a mugger’s eyes and keeping a cool head in a bad situation, hmm? Now, did you want some hot chocolate or maybe a pumpkin spice? My car isn’t far off. Although you’ll have to excuse the mess; I’ve been at the stables today so it’s quite cluttered.”
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Wind Dancer
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Wind Manipulation/Flight
Blame it on her youthfulness, or her simple, unassuming personality, but Fia didn't feel intimidated by Betsy at all. Well, a little, in the beginning, when Betsy effectively took care of a potentially dangerous situation, but Fia wasn't so well-versed to know exactly what being a White Queen meant. Betsy's openness, caring and general niceness was enough to have Fia warm up to her quickly.

And also enough that Fia ventured a joke, saying with a smile, "Yes, Warren's pretty cool for a teacher. He doesn't teach math, at least." There really was no way anyone could make flight class uncool, really.

She caught Betsy's grin and laughed herself, getting over her fears and shock relatively now that she was with someone she trusted -- Well, someone her teachers trusted, and therefore, must be trustworthy. "I'm sure I won't be in trouble," she already broke curfew once, stupidly, and wasn't keen on repeating the experience. Just in case though, she slid out her phone and texted Network, not a teacher, but someone who'd most definitely get the text message immediately, and just let her know she was with Betsy.

"I really should think about; learning to fight properly," Fia continued once the text was sent. "I mean, most of my classes are centered around skills training, and of course, control and precision, but I suppose you are right, that I can't always be... so unprepared in these situations.

Fia didn't expect to be scared. As far as opponents went, a man with a knife was hardly any threat at all. Not against Sentinels, and evil mutants, and whatever simulations her instructors cooked up. Wolverine was scarier on a good day, not to mention when he came out of a bad mood.

The mention of hot chocolate and dessert did not evade her, and Fia agreed readily. "Hot chocolate sounds great," she agreed, and let Betsy steer her down the street and towards one of the brightly lit cafes with their enticing display cases of cakes and pies.

Once they ordered and were seated, Fia propped her face in her hands and looked at Betsy curiously. In her usual honest way, she asked, "You had to learn how to fight when you were young then, why? Wasn't it safe then too?"
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Betsy Braddock
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Telepathy (I'm not a bloody ninja)
Finding it funny as Sofia enthused that Warren was a ‘cool’ teacher, Betsy made a mental note of it to tease her beau later on. But on a more serious note she also appreciated how Xavier’s could give its students that level of normality. When she had been at school, she’d hated some subjects, loved others and the teachers had come under the same scrutiny. It was all a part of growing up and the freedom of opinion that a balanced education should provide.

“Oh I never really liked maths all that much either. Though it was physics I had problems grasping at first. I used to have to sneak into my twin’s dormitory at night through a window so he could help me out. Putting things on paper was always tricky for me. I could physically put things together with my own two hands, but writing how?” scrunching up her nose, Betsy made a face at what she thought about having had to do that.

“Well, the school is there to teach you how to fight, but you don’t always have to. Sometimes talking works too. I’m sure they teach you that. Sometimes, some people are better at one or the other, but there’s no shame in that…” They walked and she mused on just what to tell the girl. It wasn’t as if she really needed her advice, as the school was full of many competent X-men from all walks of life. But even though they had only just met, the telepath found the young lady hard to dislike and if she was a student of Warren’s, the Englishwoman did want to ensure her wellbeing, even if only for the evening.

Settling down at a cosy table close but not by the window, Betsy casually seated herself with an easy view of all exits. Plopping down with the fluidity of teenager, Sofia got herself propped up before asking her question, clearly interested in the tale behind Betsy's earlier words. “I started modelling when I was a teenager, so I worked in London regularly. My family had an apartment there so I often stayed alone. Jamie couldn’t always take me back and forth between jobs so he'd fret when I was going solo."

Pausing for a second, she watched Sofia before going on to the spot where her life as it was now had begun. “But, I was a late bloomer mutant-wise, and I didn't even manifest until after I had left school. That was a shock, I can tell you. Soon after that I got recruited to work for the British Government, for STRIKE. It sounds almost silly to say now that I was a spy, but I think I can trust you, hmm?” she winked before continuing. “They mostly just wanted me for my telepathy, but I was taught how to fight as well in case things got bad, which, well, there were times they did. And even as a telepath you learn that sometimes you just can’t tell what’s going to happen or how bad things might get. I didn’t know for sure I could take that man down so easily, but I knew I should. I’m lucky that I know how to fight, that I don’t always have to use my powers at once, but it’s something I’ve learned over years and there have been times when I’ve not won…But I have some very good friends. If anything, that’s even more important than just knowing how to fight, because if you don’t have people to fight for then what’s the point?”

Sipping her hot chocolate, she looked about the interior of the coffee shop. “So, I assume you like it at the school then? It's a good place.”
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Wind Dancer
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Wind Manipulation/Flight
"I'm trying to like math a little more, since Mr Summers teaches it, but despite that, I can't seem to muster interest in the subject," Fia deadpanned. She hated math homework, and while she tried her hardest to be motivated -- mostly because the headmaster taught the subject, and she didn't think it was smart to fall asleep in class. Fia could understand exactly what Betsy was saying, except that for her, it was Trigonometry and Algebra. She could count money and numbers, but once it was numbers and letters... Oh boy.

Fia didn't think she liked fighting. But then she also didn't like losing. In a match of which would matter to her more, she thought not losing certainly came out on top. It wasn't like she got a high from combat, it was just... Failure wasn't an option. She was getting better in the Danger Room sessions, but she really didn't know just how she'd get better outside the Danger Room without actually being in danger.

Their chocolate was served and Fia held the mug with both hands, inhaling in the sweet, comforting scent. Chocolate was life to her sweet tooth, and it did well to soothe the senses. Betsy started her story, and like an engaged teen, Fia made all the right noises at the right spots.

"A spy?!" Fia whispered in awed surprise, her eyes widening as she leaned forward with interest. "How exciting!"

Wow. Warren had the coolest girlfriend, Fia couldn't help but think. Betsy was just that though -- with her purple hair, her modelling, being a spy and going on missions. Caught up in the romanticism of such a story, Fia completely disregarded the fact that most of her instructors were heroes themselves. It further reinforced the great environment in which Scott and Jean Grey-Summers created for their students, to be able to see their teachers as just that, teachers, and not figments of life that were so distant, they might as well have been fiction.

It was obvious by the look in her eyes that Betsy had surpassed Warren in terms of the 'cool' factor, and Fia would have gone back and blabbed to Julian and their friends all about sharing hot chocolate with the Hellfire White Queen who was also a spy. For a British Government Agency. Who went on missions. Who singlehandedly made a knife wielding man cry. Who protected girls. Who modelled in London, And who had purple hair.

"Well, Telepathy is a good skill for a spy to have. But wouldn't you be able to avoid those dangerous situations?" She asked now, going into her curiosity of the technical skill. She'd never had a conversation like this with Mrs Grey-Summers or Miss Frost. Mrs Grey-Summers was busy, and Miss Frost was... Not the most approachable person around.

It was sweet, the way Betsy put it. And she was right. You had to have a cause to fight for. Some people had greater causes, she supposed, like Cyclops and the X-Men. They fought for humanity and planet Earth, but she didn't know if she'd ever be that noble. She did have people she'd fight for though -- at least now she thought she did. Absently she wondered who the White Queen considered friends, and who'd she fight for.

"I do like it at the school. It's a safe place I suppose. And there, you don't have to... Pretend." Ironic, considering her own lying habits, but it was still partially true, at least for her mutant powers. "The first day I got there was the first time I flew in almost three years. I don't think people of the world... Understand how horrible it is to have to hide."
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Betsy Braddock
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“Well, maths is awfully useful but sadly it doesn’t make it fun,” Betsy had never been bad at it, but her mind wasn’t naturally attuned to the subject in the same way Brian had found such things as easy as opening his eyes of a morning. Blinking her own bionic eyes and smiled a little as Sofia started to get carried away with her story. Oh, dear. Hopefully she’d not get in trouble for encouraging the young lady, but there were worse things in the world than the desire to stand up for oneself.

“Yes, a spy,” the White Queen laughed. “But it was a little more complicated than that. Covert operative might be a better word. I did a lot of undercover work, so you see, I was often in dangerous situations, or occasionally just sitting in the next room to a dangerous situation. It depended what was happening and even with precognitive powers, we sometimes just didn’t know. It was our job to find out, as fickle as psionics can be,” hopefully as a student of Xavier’s, that made sense to her. “And anyway, even if it was dangerous, that was a risk we knew we were taking…so other people didn’t have to,” now that would make sense. Of course it had not always been so black and white, but that was something that Sofia too would learn with time, just had Betsy had herself. There was no use in making the poor girl jaded so early on.

Nodding as Fia shared how the school was freeing and being able to fly again after so long, Betsy sipped her hot chocolate, listening carefully. “I have a twin brother who can fly, but he’s rather the proper sort of superhero, so people seem to not think about the fact he’s a mutant. It’s funny that, isn’t it. How people can be special by accident or hard work and people love them, but as soon as you’re born that way, suddenly it’s not the done thing,” she shook her head but the smile remained to reassure Sofia that she was not on some anti-human rant. “But for people who never experience that sort of thing, it’s rather scary. It’s no excuse, it’s the same as being racist or homophobic, but these too once existed within societies and sadly still do, as people just aren’t educated. You can’t help your powers any more than you can help how your nose came out, or the size of your feet and to try and change those things would just damage your body, your own self. Sadly, some people can’t understand that unless they experience it first-hand. But that’s why the school is there…so at least you can have a haven until hopefully they do,” Betsy hoped the girl didn’t think she was some kind of angel for all of this…There was plenty of darkness in her, but enough light that she did care for future generations and that there were young people who did not have to go through what she had, not with STRIKE, not with any of it. Betsy wished her past on no one.
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Wind Dancer
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Wind Manipulation/Flight
"that was a risk we knew we were taking…so other people didn’t have to.." Betsy said, and those words resonated with Fia as much as what Rahne and some of her other instructors had said to her earlier on. It seemed, right there and then, that no matter which side one stood on, the dark or the light, when their kind were threatened, they came together anyway. It reassured her, in a way that blood was thicker than water. Perhaps Mr Summers would have a different take on things, but at the moment, Fia thought Betsy's logic was pretty flawless.

"Can I ask..." Fia's voice trailed off for a moment. Betsy said she worked for a government agency before, and she was a spy, and all in all she sounded like she fought for the good guys. She was dating Warren, which meant... Well, which meant she had to be a good person, so why did she leave working for the government, especially a government organisation that sounded like it supported mutants, and accepted their abilities? It confused Fia; wasn't that better than living in hiding, or being tucked away in a school, with no family?

"It's really none of my business, but why did you leave being a... covert operative?" she paused for a moment as she searched for the right words. "I mean, it sounded like you were saving the world, and from what I know so far, that's what everyone seems to want to work towards..." When Fia said everyone, she was referring to people at the school. It seemed like everyone learning there -- or almost everyone -- aspired to move up to Legacy Squad, and then hopefully, to the main field team. The boys, they wanted to go on missions, to save lives...

She wanted to ask what being a White Queen meant, but she didn't know how to phrase the question so it didn't sound offensive. There was really no polite way to ask someone -- especially your teacher's girlfriend -- what she did for work now. Furthermore, Fia wasn't even sure being a Queen counted as work. She wasn't even a hundred percent sure what the Hellfire Club was, just that it was a club for the rich and famous, and it was in the city. Betsy couldn't simply be an owner of a bar, not after doing so many exciting things in the past, Fia just didn't think it matched.

But without a way to ask, that question hung between them.
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Betsy Braddock
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Well, that was a small hole she had gotten herself into. Betsy pursed her lips in near-amusement for a moment as she wondered how to explain this part of the story. After all, it was a reasonable question, but the blunt answer was far from nice. “I didn’t leave, I was deactivated,” which was true. “A lot…a lot of bad things happened with my unit, we were targeted. Eventually we got who was behind it all, but it was enough of a mess that they had to issue me an honourable discharge from my position. I had filled a specific role, and occasionally I had filled in with another, but at the time they felt I was best off…inactive,” Betsy gave Sofia a smile, hoping to convey that as bad as it sounded, it hadn’t been terrible (it had been terrible, but the poor girl had only just met her and really didn’t need to know that.)

Picking up her cup, she held it on her lap for a moment to just enjoy the warmth in her hands. “Sometimes, bad things happen and it’s almost impossible to stop it. Sometimes, you have to be on a slightly different side to be of the most…use,” not everything that she had ever done while with the Hellfire Club had been good, but Betsy had as sure as hell done some very unpleasant things to some very unpleasant people. The city was the bigger picture; they just controlled the shit in it where they could, where was relevant. And when need be, they’d stand with the light before slipping back to some very grey shadows.

“So, are you liking living around here? Where did you have to move from?” it was a very natural question to her, having spent a great number of years in British boarding schools. Being in class with someone from Southampton was as normal as someone being from Osaka. Part of the privilege of top boarding schools really, but it meant the question was broadly wondered as it had to be the same at Xavier’s and the children could all come from literally anywhere. Even America was a huge country in itself, with vastly different areas that just moving from one state to the other could provide a huge shift. Betsy also knew there were a few Europeans around the place, having met a couple and how big the change had been for them.
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Wind Dancer
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"My mother used to tell me that behind every mountain, lies a green pasture you've never seen. If you didn't climb the mountain, you'd never know how green the pasture was," Fia replied with a gentle shrug. Above all, she understood that change would not be dissuaded and it was much easier to go with it, than to resist. After all, one never knew if change was for good, or bad.

Perhaps with a sort of wisdom that she didn't know she possessed, Fia instinctively nodded at Betsy's words. The ends justified the means -- sometimes they needed to do what was best for the greater good, even if it meant they were morally unprincipled decisions.

The conversation moved on and away from the dark and shadowy parts, and back to Fia. She swallowed a sip of chocolate, before replying with a grin. "Oh, I've been in New York for a couple of years now. Before that, I lived in Venezuela. Have you been?"

The light in her eyes showed just how much she missed South America. Everything here was much too cold, much to grey. She missed the sun, the sand and the wide blue skies. "But it's not too bad here; the school's not a bad place to stay. I was so afraid I'd get claustrophobic just being confined to the grounds, but the staff are actually really nice, and they let me get a ride into the city from time to time. As long as I get to head out, grab some half decent Mexican, I've got no complaints."

"It's looking for the good Mexican food that's troubling," she finished with a laugh.

Fia's favorite place in NYC was central park. She'd spend hours just walking, or sitting on the benches, staring up at the blue sky, framed by the park's towering trees. The quiet gave her a sense of stillness, and in those early days, stillness was what she needed.

"I used to just sit in Central Park and feed the ducks. It was such a mind-numbingly boring activity, that it became therapeutic."
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Betsy Braddock
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Telepathy (I'm not a bloody ninja)
“I’ve lived here since 2009 myself, but it’s never quite the same as home. I suppose that’s why I come up here when I can rather than just staying in the city all the time. I have a horse stabled a couple of miles out from here so I ride when I can, my own little bit of home,” Betsy smiled. General hadn’t been bred and reared in England, but it had long been a pastime of hers, one that her whole family had been supportive of as for a while it had been the most ‘respectful’ and ‘ladylike’ of her hobbies.

Laughing as Sofia bemoaned the lack of good Mexican food, she nodded her purple head in agreement. “Oh I can sympathise with you there. I still find it exhausting to explain what I want when I ask for tea and while I appreciate the great variety of things on offer in New York, occasionally what some peoples idea of ‘English Food’ is at best…amusing,” especially when it came down to something so simple as fish and chips. Once she had been presented with a rather nice battered piece of fish but literal chips – crisps as she called them back home. Betsy hadn’t known what to do such was her bemusement and she hadn’t dared ask for any mushy peas to go with it. Thankfully although the point of the meal had been missed by a cultural reference or two, it hadn’t been awful.

Thinking back though, the telepath mused on the girl’s earlier question. “Once, though it was a very brief visit and I was working. Model work, I mean,” she laughed, realising that whenever such a subject came up now between them that she would need to make the distinction. “Have you travelled much? Beyond up to here for school of course, as that’s never quite the same thing although often a wonderful experience,” her time at boarding school had been long and while most of her trips had been landlocked, they had gone on two skiing trips and a visit to Auschwitz for history, a sombre affair of respect and learning rather than enjoyment. Even on family holidays it had been to places her parents went for conferences and they were dragged around museums and heritage sites, not beaches. Still, it could have been worse.

Betsy’s smile became a little haunted as her young companion mentioned the Park however, and she nodded. She had almost died a bloody, violent death in that park and now mostly avoided it when her mood was dark as it was not a good thing to dwell upon. But ducks never hurt anyone. “I like going to see Alice myself,” the White Queen admitted. “And when the skating rink goes up, I always go with Warren for a date night. I should go and see the ducks though, we had some on our estate when I was growing up, geese too, though geese can be rather nasty little buggers when they want to.”
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Wind Dancer
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Wind Manipulation/Flight
"Oh horses are beautiful, beautiful creatures," Fia nodded in agreement. She didn't know how to ride, but horseback riding was a popular sport and pastime where she was from. It was not uncommon to see horses on the beach or streaking across the fields -- Fia admired their sense of freedom, it was not unlike her own. "You are an... Equest... Equal... Equestera..." Fia's words faltered. She knew what she was thinking off, but could not remember what it sounded like. Waving it away, she continued, "You have been riding for many years then?"

Fia supposed that it was convenient Warren was so close by, though it must be difficult being apart. She knew her instructor went in missions with the team, and on top of that, had his own business commitments. Betsy didn't seem like the overly leisurely sort, and it was doubtless, she too had her ow priorities.

At her question, Fia shook head head. "No, I've only lived in Caracas, and then moved up here to study. One day perhaps I will travel far, but not to anywhere too cold. The cold and I don't do well together..." she said, tilting her head in a quirk, then taking a sip of her drink. It was marvelous, this relaxing turn of events. What had started out as a stunned attack had turned into a rather comforting tete-a-tete with a rather amazing woman.

"Date night? How romaaaantic," Fia's eyes went wide and a silly grin hung on her lips. She couldn't imagine Warren being all sweet and nice to a girlfriend. With Betsy's warm conversation, Fia had almost forgotten her attack. It was two for two at the moment -- two rescuers, two comforting endings. On hindsight, she would really need to be more careful.

Geese and ducks and Alice statues didn't matter to Fia now. She had stars in her eyes and she was almost sure she would go up to Warren and giggle at him, teasing him about his gorgeous purple-haired girlfriend.

"Are you going to come up to the school to say hi to Warren then?" she asked cheekily, the combination of Betsy's down-to-earth sharing, hot chocolate and her own cheerfulness combating her earlier wariness. Fia's natural confidence allowed her to find comfort wherever she went, and she was happy enough in her own skin to even hazard a teasing question to the White Queen.

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