At least her clothes were dry now she thought gratefully as she heard Garnet tell them they’d be resting here for the night. Her eyes looked around her a little dismally, she’d hoped that they’d have somewhere to sleep that wasn’t the open ground… couldn’t they have been allowed to bring some tents? In her eyes it looked like the whole team exercises hadn’t been planned very well, they had no shelter and no food … not that she was hungry, she had been before but now she didn’t feel much like eating at all. Her joints had begun to ache slightly, especially her injured shoulder, she put it down to all the walking they’d done that day. She wasn’t used to doing exercise like this and her eyes now peered out of a rather peaked white face, she just needed to sleep for a bit and she was sure she’d feel better in the morning.
Her eyes flicked over towards Max who’d slumped to the ground, rolling himself over onto his back and lacing his fingers over his chest. She sat down, cross legged on the floor still looking over at him. She wished she knew what he was thinking about at the moment but she next moment she decided she’d rather not know. He was probably thinking about Garnett. Paige glanced over at their leader … how comes some people got everything.. good looks, wealth, style it wasn’t fair on people like her who were just run of the mill everyday type people.
"Considering there are so many people crammed on this island, I would have thought we’d at least run across someone else by now…" She saw she wasn’t the only one looking at their team leader, Max’s eyes were fixed on Garnet. Paige looked away, a few months ago he’d looked at her like that.. her eyes fell on Casey who was standing looking around him. She sensed the same sense of loneliness in him that she felt herself, it amazed her that even surrounded by people at the institute she could still feel alone. There was a sense of comfort in knowing that she wasn’t the only one who was lonely at the school.
"I doubt they have arrived at the Meeting Place yet. Although we did indeed start off with the extreme handicap of not even being on this island, every single team will have to face difficulties." She listened as Garnett talked, using her right hand to massage her shoulder slightly, hoping that they’d be allowed to rest for a while, perhaps even stay here for the night. A sudden thought struck her, making her pause in her attention to her shoulder, they didn’t have any blankets or anything .. she wasn’t feeling overly warm at the moment and she was sure the temperature would drop further as the evening progressed.
"So? We might at least need a small fire to grill our meal. Is this another of those things you are desperate to be asked to do or may I lend a helping hand?" Grill? That didn’t sound optimistic, she didn’t eat meat.. but then she didn’t feel overly hungry at the moment. The thought of the fire was far more appealing to her.
There was a small thud and Paige looked over in time to see something fall out of the sky and land in the short grass, it lay still and Paige responded by looking up into the sky. She glimpsed the outline of a small bird of prey against the darkening sky before it flew off again. Her eyes moved back to the still shape on the floor, realising that it was a rabbit, she shuddered slightly and looked away. It took a couple of minutes for her to realise that the rabbit had probably been brought by Rachael.
"It's raining hares," Jess’s voice rang out mockingly through the darkness as several minutes later a second rabbit flopped down to join it’s companion. Paige did wish that Rachael could have found something else to hunt. She liked rabbits with their soft eyes and silky fur. She ignored his further comment on fiver and Hazel, she knew the reference but she didn't think it was appropriate or funny.
"If I find any twigs of doom bent on our destruction and plotting for island domination, I’ll be sure to call for help." The voice belonged to Max, Paige watched as he moved off towards the tree line, a moment later Casey got up too as he volunteered to go and find some wood. Paige didn’t feel much like tramping off into the woods to look for twigs, she’d much rather sit quietly here, she could feel her feet aching from walking and her hands were trembling slightly with tiredness.
Re: Stage 1 Cleared - Welcome to Level 2 (Exiles)
What.. no kicking and screaming? No under hand comments or sly remarks? Feral was thoroughly surprised by the seemingly neutral reaction to the rather abrupt appearance of the double meal. True, in her mind, they wouldn’t provide much meat for the group really, but they were better than nothing. One wing spread slightly, absent-mindedly turning her head to quietly sort through her flight feathers. There was no need for her to, but the action was instinctive of the bird, a good hunt, if lacking the feed, and the scene held nothing to fear. She must therefore ensure that the following hunt would be as efficient, her flight as smooth.
”Thanks.” Her head turned once more to the group, harsh gaze landing on their fiery leader, a silent gratitude at the recognition failing to show in the huntress’ eyes. Her wing lowered once more to the side of the lightly framed bird. It was odd, how people assumed that because such a beast’s bones were supposedly hollow, they would assume them weak. But, in comparison to body size, they were just as strong, and if anything a little more resistant, than a mammals, the complex matrix which made them so light increasing the strength for their size. Her head bowed slightly, showing her acknowledgement, eyes kept upon their leader as she requested the hunt for firewood.
The comment about it raining hares did cause a slight distraction for the Feral, those almost constantly staring eyes turning to Jess briefly. Hares? What… oh.. the other meant the rabbits. In any other form, the animal morpher may have snorted at the idea of those two corpses being the swift form of the hare. A slight indignation came from the kestrel at the thoughts running through the mutant’s mind. Of course she was capable of catching the swift footed beast… but a rabbit made a better meal for less effort.
”… so I’ll go fetch sticks." … "If I find any twigs of doom bent on our destruction and plotting for island domination, I’ll be sure to call for help." Oh… the Feral thought with a silent sigh, if only she had the energy to comment on that! So, the boy was perfectly capable of fetching wood after all.. despite his previous hint. Racheal was, in all honesty, a little ignorant of the ways of people, but even she saw this attempt to impress. And although if she had had the strength, and facial features to smirk, she would have, it would have been accompanied with a slight sigh of despair. Of all the places and times. Oh well, at least it made the boy useful for a change.
"Um I can..that is I'll find twigs," If she could have, she would have happily softened her gaze as her eyes once more changed their focus, turning now to one of the quieter members of the team. Sure, she felt that Max going to fetch twigs hit the same level of irony as herself hunting rabbits, but the fact another team member stepped forward and volunteered was a happy surprise for her in some ways. Not that she felt any happier about being part of the team at this moment in time, but it was always nice to see people trying honestly to do something.
One thing Racheal had a habit of forgetting occasionally was that her morphs were, primarily, hunters, and that it could disturb some people. And the eyes of a hawk staring at you is no gentle experience. And so, she forgot to regularly turn her eyes from the group, giving the impression she was staring harshly at the small gathering.
"So what's for dinner, Hazel and Fiver?" Those said eyes turned back to Jess in confusion. Who were Hazel and Fiver? Although Racheal loved her books, she had discovered she was not as good a reader as she had thought, and for her age was actually well below average. If that had not been the case, no doubt she would have understood his reference. But, as it was, the names did little but ring a very tiny bell. A single children’s book was easily forgotten, so the cartooned book based on an episode of the children’s series of the popular novel did not come to surface in her memory. So her eyes remained fixed on him for a moment, as the mutant rejected the ‘offer’ of finding twigs, part of her wondering if he had actually done anything useful whilst she had been hunting.
The thought brought her mind from the negative mutant, eyes turning once more to the group. Had they actually done anything but walk? She doubted they had in some ways, and although she wasn’t disappointed in this, part of her had hoped that they may have collected something else to eat. Her eyes turned to her two prey beasts once more. They were young, that was good, but there was seven of them to feed, and normally one rabbit would only barely feed two. Of course, she was unaware of Paige’s distaste for meat, or her current lack of appetite. The hawk wasn’t the most sympathetic of animals, and so didn’t pick up the state of the young mutant.
Talons seemed to test the bark beneath them, digging the sharp weapons into the branch as her eyes turned to the forest, the full extent of her exhaustion hitting her. Racheal quietly moaned at herself. Three months... three measly months and look at her. She couldn’t even morph a few times without becoming exhausted. Sure, the day had been stressful, both physically and mentally, but she had felt some tiredness after the first morph. And two of her morphs that day had been felines, ones that rarely sapped her energy like this. How would she survive the streets again in a state like this? Her mind had been made up, no doubt, she thought, she would leave. But not yet. She needed to at least build her strength again, readjust her body for the world outside. Even if the team work thing had shown her little except she was an outsider, the team missions had shown her something. She had become slack in her powers, happy to go even a couple of days without morphing. No wonder the beasts within her screamed now.
But now, all the morphing mutant really wanted was sleep. Her wings opened again, moving silently through the air as she flapped once before releasing the branch, a little ungainly in her lift off as she flew across the group, keeping above their heads, entering the woodland again on the other side of the group. Landing awkwardly on the forest floor, the earth un-comfy beneath her talons, she started to demorph slowly. She had flown into the woodlands in an attempt to keep out of sight from the others, though of course with the two wood-hunters wandering around, she couldn’t be sure of no-one seeing her.
Despite her exhaustion, it turned out to be a very smooth transition, the feathers almost elegantly melting back into her skin, giving it a moulted brown appearance for a moment as the transition moved ahead smoothly, her clothing seeming to re-emerge from her skin/feathers. Which was why she had flown a short distance from the group to demorph. The last thing she wanted was to try and morph in front of them with their eyes on her. Admittedly morphing clothing was a strange sensation, but one she had grown used to over the years. Trainers though would always feel strange to the morpher, and she preferred when possible not to morph foot wear. The sensation of talons changing to feet was odd enough without the added appearance of rubber and leather. But like everything else other the years, the Feral had slowly grown adapt to the odd sensation, and although discomforting even now, it was nothing that striked her as odd.
Instead, it was the pain that shot with a new intensity which made her cringe with a sharp intake of breath, managing to stop her from cringing out loud. Still mid-morph, her ‘hand’ lowered to her hip instinctively, now fully formed fingers tenderly testing the sore bone, causing her to cringe again, muscles tensing as she silently tested the invisible wound. Eyes cast down at it as she bit her lip, her iris’ turning back to their softer feline green shade, long brown hair once more rolling over her shoulders as she completed her morph. Gingerly, she lifted her foot, testing the amount of weight she could happily put on to it. No, she refused to limp. She would not let them see her pain. Part of the though came from Racheal, part from the feline instinct. Closing her eyes briefly with a cringe as she placed her weight on it, the pressure in her hip aggravating the bruised bone. Nothing she believed she couldn’t handle though.
In silence she turned, forcing herself to walk normally, forcing any sign of pain from her eyes. She even managed a slight smile and nod to the group, though at this point the tiredness was clear in her eyes and smile, she sat slowly beneath one of the trees with a quiet sigh. Careful not to move her legs enough to aggravate her left hip, she pulled her right knee towards herself silently as she leant against the tree, eyes once more quietly watching the others. With her feline senses returning to her, her eyes turned briefly to Paige. Something seemed wrong, though she wasn’t sure what. Most animals have a six sense, something telling them when something is wrong in someway. And Racheal felt the feline stir in her as she watched the younger mutant for a moment. Perhaps the girl was just exhausted.. or a minor cold. Not that she could do anything really. The healing mutant was scared of her, she knew that, so Racheal had no plans of aggravating that fear by actually communicating.
So her eyes turned to her prey. At least it had been a clean kill. A slight smile played on her lips at that thought, letting her gaze drop slightly to the grass instead, getting lost in thought for now.
___________________________________________________ OOC: *glances at post* Hmmm... and that was me with nothing to say. Be Afraid... Be Very Afraid lol..
"Would you risk your all for those who need you? No matter who?"
Re: Stage 1 Cleared - Welcome to Level 2 (Exiles)
It was a struggle she lost, the attempt of hiding her surprise to see Max of all people making his way into the woods to free-willingly follow an order that had merely been a request. That Casey did the same, however, was less astounding – which didn’t mean Aurora couldn’t value his initiative, yet it seemed to match the picture she had of him. An – as she hoped – encouraging smile was sent the shy boy’s way as Max had already disappeared among the surrounding trees, the look of amazement probably having been written in large, bold letters all over her face for him to see.
Inwardly, she was cursing herself. There had been more than but just a subtle hint revealing that he wanted more than a badge and positive comment in the diary from her… and apparently she was falling for his obvious tactics like some generic bimbo of the type that was proud to know the Top 30 of America’s most stylish women by heart. There was no point in lying to herself, no sense in pretending he was witty, charming, more than just handsome and, on a side note, the heir of an empire effortlessly keeping up with her own family’s. Not that the last one was overly important to either her or her parents, yet Circe knew that her father would be less anxious about her just being dated for her money if the boy was well off himself.
Still, those thoughts didn’t belong there but into the mansion, far away from duty and responsibility. On mission, she couldn’t afford being herself. She couldn’t afford being too human. This wasn’t only a training weekend, it was also a test; a trial to see whether Aurora was up to leading a team, taking over responsibility and for her, the outcome meant so much more than just that. She didn’t want to fail them, disappoint the people that had given her a second chance – short: show that she was more than a pretty face, daddy’s walking investment that had no clue of the real world. And if they ever went on a real mission, she couldn’t waste time with flirting either, could she? While improving her love life, such self-indulgent behaviour could easily mean their end and contrary to what false picture TV sometimes portrayed, there would be no second chance. Storm had always said that they were preparing for a war that, no matter what some of this new generation of X-Men thought, was more theirs than anybody else’s. And Aurora was inclined to believe her.
Jess’ comments didn’t pass unnoticed by the fire-elemental, despite her intrinsic argument. His allusion to “Watership Down”, however, caused nothing but confusion for at the time that book had been subject in class, she had been more concerned with make-up, cheerleading and how this would get her the High School’s best-looking jocks to care about what school was really about. Aurora Garnet Ferelle had always been well aware of what was “in” and what “so totally out”; after all, most of those trends she had set herself. Times had changed, but some things hadn’t and while she had stopped regarding everyone with a horrible taste in fashion as below herself, fables were not and would probably never be her kind of literature.
Faintly, Aurora thought to remember the names from what her clique had sneered at as a children’s book with talking bunnies but that was about everything her memory could offer – though enough to get an idea of what Negetive was on about. Her grades had never been bad; in fact, she had always been regarded as a top student since most teachers had just been oblivious to the fashion in which she had been treating those whose families were not part of the upper 10,000, the manipulative ways that had always got her what she wanted – including the correct answers in tests and A+ essays to hand in for subjects that she was not interested in the slightest. It had been a hard fight to get out of this self-defeating cycle of pretence kept up by blackmail and bribery and the resulting high expectations… it had been even more difficult to find the girl behind the façade, to become someone she could genuinely call herself.
Yet hardly anybody knew. Only those who had already been at the Institute four years ago when she had made quite an impression on whomever she came in contact with. Not a positive one that is to say. After only one week, Aurora had had more enemies than there were students since even most teachers and the caretaker couldn’t stand her self-absorbed, money-orientated attitude which quickly got her the byname “material girl” she stayed stuck with even after those times of rejection had long past. Then again, how would you call someone who possessed every possible Platinum Card?
The short glimpse of puzzlement had turned into realisation followed by some sort of disapproving resignation. A reply was delayed a little by human Racheal’s return, her nod returned with a small smile. Why was it that some were so cooperative despite their lack of actual interest in the whole team issue while others could do nothing but be counterproductive? Something about the way the animal morpher moved was strange, yet maybe it was normal for someone who had been a bird just some moments ago. Aurora would not know and didn’t want to offend the girl by asking, yet made a mental note to keep an eye on her in case it was indeed any sort of disguised injury.
”No Jess, they are here to decorate the place. You know, to make it more homey?” With a slightly irritated yet somewhat tired shake of her head, Exiles’ leader picked up the animals that probably (hopefully) had died quick and painless and took them closer to what she thought to be the strategically best spot for the fire. All too natural disgust was silenced with sheer willpower as she wondered how they were supposed to get those beasts into an edible shape. Determined to make the trip as realistic as possible, they had not been given any equipment other than what they had used to build the raft. Of course Aurora had not left without her nail nécessaire but before humiliating herself by getting it out and trying to prepare a rabbit with tiny nail scissors and a matching file, there was at least one thing she could try.
”Anybody brought a knife, dagger of something equally useful?” , she asked innocently, the subtext of looking for someone who would actually know how to do what needed to be done intentionally included quite obviously.
"Being my own sensible and grown-up self I will go and make a stand saying that we are SO going to lose... starting farther off than anyone else, being a bunch of loners and all. Yet looking at the upside, at least we will never have points taken for cooperating with other teams."
Re: Stage 1 Cleared - Welcome to Level 2 (Exiles)
For the first part of the walk Max was content in the thought he would be alone, until the other boy was heard trailing being him… what’s-his-name, Paige’s male counterpart. At least the wimp was a mutant, that got him some points on the scale of lowlifes not worth noticing. For some reason the thought of powers dragged his mind back to Paige, poor kid just kept getting thrown into unpleasant situations. Well she did deserve some hardships in life, little runt can’t just slide through life all merrily and throwing hissy-fits when things don’t go her way.
Still a part of him couldn’t help but feel the tiniest bit bad for making fun of the fact she wasn’t so lousy in bed. Sure she hadn’t been with a guy before but she was whining about her parents and then not even interested in helping please him when he finally got to show her what she was missing out on. As if showing her what to do wasn’t enough of a hint, he’s been with many first timers who have at least been curious enough to respond to him, to try out new things… to DO something. Additionally he’d been pissy over a few things with his personal life and that hadn’t made his mood any better, and later when she saw him with that shape shifter who accidentally mimicked Garnet since she mimics the person Max thinks about whenever they are together. Granted Max took more delight in the shift which focused on his current interest, but Paige wasn’t at all thrilled to see who she was convinced to be Max and Garnet fondling in the hall outside his room after being with him just the night before.
"Oh, Jesus." The realization only now struck Max, Paige has been going through the whole ordeal thinking Garnet… well not that it mattered really, if Max had it his way they’d do more then kiss right here in front of all of them if he had the chance. Well Paige didn’t seem to care at all, girls, fly into fits one day and sweep it under the rug the next – at least that’s how it often appeared to Max who cared too little to realize the truth. If girls had issues they’d kick up a storm about it and if they didn’t Max didn’t give them the light of day and went on with his sheltered hollow and dismal existence that he has never realized was as bad as it truly was. The entire trail of thoughts however were swept aside as he happily amused himself with thoughts of Garnet and ways he may… approach her.
Collecting sticks wasn’t so hard.. of course he had no idea what sort of sticks Garnet wanted so Max was picking up a few various thicknesses though managed to collected them at a decent length at least. The entire time utterly ignoring Casey, more of the time it wasn’t intentional… an honest fact that if they didn’t make noise Max usually forgets anyone is around. After all, the party-going late teen is used to being surrounded by loud mouth fanatics that scream for one reason or another, and usually it was to get his attention, be it for an interview or a more personal nature… the last one being that which Max enjoyed far more for obvious reasons. Magazines tended to use his image heavily and they rarely every enjoyed photos of him ‘natural’ because heaven forbid he be seen in jeans and a casual wear, the big money was always with him wearing as little as possible. And more often then not they’d really go overboard with the sexual innuendos, so it was hard for the developing young teen NOT to realize that he was something woman found attractive. Of course his personality had something to do with it back in the early days, a charmer of true nature and not the often false smile and rehearsed lines that he threw around these days.
His father may have had a large hand in shaping Max, but the Magazines and relentless attention he’s been given from the media have done nothing but disillusion Max in many aspects of his life. Sometimes the best days of his life were wasted on his bed after a night of alcohol and sex and nothing else that mattered or concerned him other then if the bed partner would still be around by day break or not.
By the time Max snapped out of his thoughts he had collected more then enough wood and wondered if it would be easier to just discard a third of it since he remembered he wasn’t the only one out here. Then again the boy was puny, maybe a twig per hand was all he could carry. Max gave a mild grin at the thought but turned around, and without caring to pay any attention towards anything and anyone, made his way back towards the others. The arms of the youngest Chadstone now stone skinned to hold onto the sticks more comfortably, he wasn’t used to out door activities and wasn’t keen on getting splinters or bug bites or whatever else may or may not occur when doing these sort of activities.
Re: Stage 1 Cleared - Welcome to Level 2 (Exiles)
Casey would have been happy to get away from the group he thought, if he hadn't been so worried. Maybe it was what came of watching too many of his parents' old horror and science fiction movies, but going out in the woods when trapped on an island and being hunted like prey would never make his 'list of things to do before I die'. Not that many of those goals would ever really be accomplished. Yet there were some desires that stood a chance even in the mindwarping mutant's pessimistic mind, those being the items such as 'have photographs published professionally' and to 'gain complete unwavering control over telepathic flashes'. As it stood now his flashes were more a threat or an attribute that made him strange rather than a true weapon of any sort and while they did succeed in discouraging some bullies not all were so easily turned away.
Max, as it turned out, seemed completely content to ignore Casey entirely and the blue-eyed mutant was fine with putting contact and conversation on an emergency only level. What it did mean was that there was a half unnerving, half comforting prescence of a teammate nearby and although Max would never be the ideal choice in Casey's mind for a person to trust with your life it was better to have someone than to have no one. He had been alone far too long now and even the silent company was enough to reassure Casey while at the same time giving him the peace and quiet he so desperately desired right now. The telepath mutant was used to hours in his dorm room and before that in empty classroms or his bedroom and he was used to being able to hear himself think without having to listen and respond to the voices of several other people.
Absently Casey gathered sticks, his attention only half on the job at hand. Even with his mind unfocused though he was managing, filling his arms slowly but surely with a gathering pile of twigs and sticks that he hoped would be useful for the fire to come. Despite his jacket Casey felt a slight chill and was glad that he at least had brought something warmer to wear, he couldn't even imagine how horrid it would be for some of the mutants who had been caught off guard by the training sessions or who had underestimated the cold of night.
On the more positive side of things collecting firewood was a mindless task and was one that could be completed with relative ease and in a short time span, even by a person as unfit for lifting and activity as he. Max finished before him and by the looks of it had collected more wood but that didn't really bother Casey for one of the few pluses to being as ignored and teased as he was that little was expected of him in any way other than academically. Even still the blue eyed mutant didn't think that the pile of wood he held within his grasp was too shabby, it certainly could have been worse and he was relatively pleased with himself and relieved that the task was over as he made his way back to the group some thirty seconds behind the stone mutant.
~
Underneath his rebel without a cause exterior Jess did have something resembling a heart, however many layers one had to peel back to get there and he noticed the tiredness on the feral's face as she returned to the group in once glance up from his novel.
”No Jess, they are here to decorate the place. You know, to make it more homey?” the somewhat delayed reply from Aurora rang out. She seemed irritated as she shook her head before moving towards the fallen creatures. Jess himself bit back a comment that went even too far for him about the rabbits being perfect for easter or a spring festival. He may have an image to maintain and a facade to hold up but despite his comments Jess didn't have a problem with animals. That is he didn't have stuffed animals or fight for endangered species but he wasn't the type to hunt for fun or to encourage the eating of all sorts of animals. He ate what was put on his plate and tried not to think of where it came from since doing that would ruin even the very best hotdog.
"Anybody brought a knife, dagger of something equally useful?” their team leader asked in what seemed to be a hopeful tone. Jess certainly didn't have any experience with skinning a creature but he did have what was required for the deed. A part of him hated the thought of getting his pocketknife covered in animal blood but that quality, in his mind anyway, belonged to someone materialistic and vain and Jess wasn't fully either one.
"Got a knife," he offered after a moment, pulling the pocketknife from his bag and flipping it open. In a way it was a peace offering, a sort of indicator that maybe he wanted to contribute in some small way even if it wasn't much. Jess still wouldn't openly volunteer like eager beavers of the team but maybe he wouldn't try and stand in the team's way at every crossroads. Besides what was a knife really, help sure but it wasn't like he planned on doing any of the work involved. In case Aurora had any sorts of ideas Jess made sure his face had a look note quite as dark as his usual brooding expression but with facial features that at the very least indicated he didn't have any idea and had no intention of following through. Logically perhaps the feral mutant, the one who was less squimish than most of them when it came to the dead rabbits, would be best suited for the job but even in Jess' sarcastic heart he thought that she'd done a fair bit and that maybe someone else should step up. As long as that someone wasn't him. Jess would content himself with an ofference that would at least make sure his godfather stayed out of his hair for a day or so after they returned to the institute.
Re: Stage 1 Cleared - Welcome to Level 2 (Exiles)
...and the missions' barely started *cackles evilly*
There comes an age when people have to take over responsibility. It remains the question whether there is also a time when they can get rid of it again.
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