Adventuring in the Backyard!Friday afternoon, March 23rd, during the meet and greet...
There was too much going on inside! Students and teachers alike were milling around with their families, allowing for Nadia to get lost in crowds or be swept away in a totally different direction than where she had wanted to head. The small mutant felt like she was getting too much in the way of things. At one point, Leilah, her dragonette, had made an appearance on her shoulder to comfort the confused girl only to be greeted by a few startled screams. The poor creature vanished with an audible pop, leaving Nadia alone once more and what was worse was that she was tearing up!
It was then that a nice lady, saying her name was Elaina, took her away from the crowds and calmed her down. It turned out that Elaina was a teacher and though she didn’t know Remy, Nadia’s father, she was sure that it would be okay if Nadia played outside, away from all the excitement. The little fire-eyed mutant grinned then and nodded, promising to not go past the set parameters that Elaina reminded her of. It was then that Elaina promised to pass Nadia’s whereabouts on to her father.
With that said and done, Nadia headed out the nearest door and smiled as Bubbles the Baby Triceratops showed up with a soft pop right beside her right ankle. An excited giggle rose from the excited eight year old as she kneeled down and hugged her small companion.
“Bubbles!”, she exclaimed, “I was hoping you would show up! This place is so big…Its so much different from home.”
Bubbles tilted his head, listening, and blew a bubble in Nadia’s face when she had told him how happy she was to see him. He then nodded in agreement at her statement of how big the place was and bounded in a circle at her feet before looking expectantly towards the rest of the grounds and then back at Nadia. A laugh bubbled up from the little spitfire before she nodded in agreement.
“Yes, we'll go and play out here, m'petit!,” she said as she gave him a pet along his horns before standing up, “Now, if only there were other kids my age to play with…”
With that said, Nadia set off towards a nearby clump of trees to see if she couldn’t find one to climb.
Tags Chels and anyone else who wants to join in on the fun! Angie: I could throw Chris in! I'll let Chels reply first though and perhaps the girls can find Chris out on his own exploring...stuff! XD
Edit: That sounds good to me! *Looks to Chels* Your go, girlie!
Three Amazing Girls + One Super-Powered School = Countless Possibilities.
((ooc: ANGIE! Ooo company; Lily-Rose is up for it if Nadia is.))
Lily-Rose Warner knew that family day weekend was meant for families to get together, but if she was with her dad every day then why should she have to spend this family weekend with him like it was something special and new? In the mind of the seven-year-old Father's Day covered this base. Each Father's Day she made her dad somesort of craft and drew him a picture, making sure to colour inside the lines. She didn't have a mom anymore so dad was extra special. Special, but not so special that he deserved two days. Afterall, she only had one birthday!
With the crowds of people standing around it was very easy for a shorter person like herself to accidently get bumped into by grown-ups. If she wasn't being bumped she was getting lost and she didn't want to walk around the whole institute with a firm grip on daddy's hand. Instead Lily-Rose had made her way outside, hoping that nature would be kinder to her than the concrete and bricks of the institute.
She had been dressed up for the big day. Ryan Warner knew that a great many parents would be around and would be judging. As a teacher he had an obligation to fufill and his daughter had to be on her best behaviour. Lily was normally a very good child anyway but even she wasn't happy with the idea of wearing a pair of tights for the entire day. Her dress was more pleasing. It was a floral print that came down to her knees and had been made by her grandmother. Ryan was praying she didn't ruin it with grass stains and had been hesitant to let his daughter go outside as a result but in the end he had relented.
Lily had abandonned her spy diary since the last time she came to play outside alone. Spying was just too much work and the blonde child had lost interest since her father had finished reading her Harriet the Spy. Now she was fully engrossed in other novels and new characters like the mice of Pearl's Promise and the animals of Morgan's Zoo.
Sometimes Lily wished she had a mutant power. She knew alot of mutants didn't get their powers until they were older and that there was a good chance she would develop powers before adulthood, particularly given the fact that both her parents had had the X-gene. Sometimes though she wished she had these powers now. Without them how was she supposed to amuse herself? Lily-Rose looked around. It was nature, surely she could find something to do in this great expanse!
Of course she had been given very strict boundaries of how far she was to wander and not wander. This was a result of her escapades last time she had been adventuring in the outer grounds. That didn't mean she couldn't have a good time though. Ryan's daughter grinned at the few birds she heard singing but it wasn't enough to make her happy. A little frown crossed her face, wrinkling her brow in a way a grown-up would find cute, much to Lily's dismay.
It was just when she had decided that there was very little of consequence to do out here that she heard a voice and spotted a figure. Momentarily forgetting all about her dress and her tights Lily-Rose took off in that direction at a brisk pace, stopping near what seemed to be a girl about her age.
"Hello?" she said, an unsure greeting because Lily-Rose had never encountered another child on the grounds before. The trouble she had gotten into last time had led the pony-tailed blonde to caution and she wanted to make sure this time.
"I'm Lily-Rose Melody Warner. Who are you?" she asked, her face lit up with a mixture of excitement and curiousity. Blue-grey eyes peered out at the other girl, wondering if it was okay to ask if she wanted to play. It had been awhile since she had a playmate her own age.
Re: Adventuring in the Backyard!
Nadia was surveying the nearest tree to her. It was a nice big oak with a few other trees nearby. It occured to her that, with all these trees, it would seem reasonable to assume that someone would have built a treehouse in one of them. Then again, the little brunette didn't know how many times the school had been rebuilt!
It was then that she heard an unsure "Hello?" coming from behind her. Bubbles turned and shifted his stance so that most of his weight was on his back feet, his irridescent green hide sparkling in the sunlight as he surveyed this new person. Nadia turned also, her reddish brown hair flairing a bit as she did so. A curious gleam entered her fiery eyes as she surveyed the blonde. The girl looked about her age, maybe a little younger. She looked nice in her floral patterned dress. Nadia had on a dress too. It was a light blue sundress with white daisies on it (here and there at the bottom of the skirt) that came down to just below her knees. It buttoned up in the back and had a little bow tied in the back too. She wore nude sandals that were perfect for inside and outside play, but not too much. She also had on white cotton shorts underneath. Remy had wanted her to dress up a bit more, but she had told him that it was possible that she might play in it too and that he wouldn't want to have to try and get the grass stains out. He compromised by allowing her to wear the sundress.
"I'm Lily-Rose Melody Warner. Who are you?"
An eager smile touched the small mutant's lips at the fact that she was finally meeting someone her own age! Bubbles bounded around in a circle, blowing small bubbles as he shared her excitement. "I'm Nadia Michelle Mennes LeBeau. And it is very nice to meet you, Lily-Rose!" She wanted to shake hands with her, but was unsure as to whether or not the other girl would accept a handshake. So, instead she simply grinned. Most people who did handshakes anyway were grown-ups and she wasn't a grown-up yet. So, who cared if they shook hands anyway! It would just seem to formal.
It was then that she felt the onslaught of awkwardness coming on. The fun-lovin' eight-year-old hated that feeling. It was always soooo...unfun! So, she decided to pipe up and say something, anything! It was then that Bubbles butted his head against Nadia's shin, causing her to wince before she looked down at Bubbles. She found herself being given a reproachful glare, as if to say 'You forgot to introduce me!'.
"Oh! I almost forgot!," said the lovely brunette with a small giggle, "This is Bubbles, my baby triceratops. Bubbles, this is Lily-Rose." Bubbles did a little bow, much to Nadia's surprise, and circled around Lily-Rose, blowing big bubbles as he did, before coming to rest before Lily-Rose. The little triceratops waggled his little tail then as he looked up at her with those big brown eyes of his, as if to say, 'Pet me! Pet me!'. A giggle arose from Nadia's lips at this display before she said, "I think he likes you!"
Bubbles tended to be a good judge of character. At least, he was when no one could really see him. She was sure that it remained true now though. The little mutant had faith in her scaly friend. She knew that the only thing that had changed was people's ability to see them now that she had what the grown-ups called a 'mutant power'. She wasn't all that sure what they meant by that, but she was sure that it could one of the reasons why she had different eyes than most people. Right now she wasn't worried about that though. She was making a new friend and Lily-Rose had her undivided attention!
Re: Adventuring in the Backyard!
It was only after she had spoken and offered an introduction that Lily-Rose took in the appearance of the other girl. The first thing to draw her attention were the strange eyes. Someone else might have found them unnerving but Lily thought they were cool. She wished she had eyes more interesting than the blue-grey pair she possessed, not realising that many a person had commented to her father on her eyes.
She noticed that this girl too was wearing a dress and immediately felt better and not so out of place as she had felt in hers surrounding the teenage students in their jeans and t-shirts. Why was it? Lily wondered, that little girls had to get all dressed up and that after a certain age it stopped and they wore pants? She thought it most peculiar the rules these grown-ups sometimes made.
The next thing that caught Lily's eye was the sight of the little creature by Nadia. Lily-Rose gasped in delight at the sight of him, of this creature blowing bubbles and bounding in a circle. She had always loved animals and had wished that she could bring forth an animal from a book. Maybe that way she could have her very own Daemon, her very own Pan. One day when she was all alone she had closed the door to her room, taken out a book and read aloud while concentrating very hard. For a moment she was sure she had done it but when she openned her eyes the only thing before her was the book. Lily had taken this blow hard, at that moment wishing for powers of her own because what fun was it to only talk to characters when your dad was around? What if she wanted to gossip about school or something? Those weren't things for dads.
"I'm Nadia Michelle Mennes LeBeau. And it is very nice to meet you, Lily-Rose!" Lily had wondered momentarily about giving her full name but it had seemed somehow right so she grinned back at the newly introduced Nadia, who had a similarly long name. Lily had never been introduced to another girl her age though. She wasn't sure what to do or say! For a moment she stood there, her fingers clasped tightly together in front of her which was something she did when nervous or unsure.
"Oh! I almost forgot!" Nadia dared to break the silence with a giggle. "This is Bubbles, my baby triceratops. Bubbles, this is Lily-Rose." The little triceratops bowed and Lily-Rose beamed happily, giving an excited little giggle as the baby dinosaur finished and began to circle around her, blowing bubbles all the way around.
To the animal loving child he was irresistable and she felt like she couldn't stop grinning. His tail wagged and he looked up at her and Lily desperately wanted to pet Bubbles but it didn't feel right to touch someone else's triceratops without their permission so she reluctantly refrained.
"I think he likes you!" Nadia exclaimed. Lily's eyes lit up to match her mega-watt smile. Already she was enchanted by Nadia and her little friend and already her curious mind was swimming with questions to be asked.
"Really? Oh I hope so!" Lily-Rose exclaimed, glancing down at the triceratops. She flicked her head so that her ponytails would be behind her shoulder and out of her way then looked back up at Nadia slightly shyly now. She wanted the girl to be her friend and hoped she didn't say anything wrong.
"He's so cute! Can I pet him? Is he your power? My dad talks alot about mutant powers. I wish I had one but I don't yet," Lily said. Everything came out in a rush of commentary and questions and by the end she was breathless but the blonde didn't seem to care, so delighted was she in this discovery of what was potentially a new friend.
Re: Adventuring in the Backyard!"Really? Oh I hope so!"
Nadia could tell that Lily-Rose wanted to pet and even play with her little friend, Bubbles. It puzzled her when she didn't do so right away. It was then that Bubbles circled around Lily-Rose's legs again, a plaintive whine issuing from his throat before he layed a paw on her foot. He came up to Nadia's knee normally, but slightly elevated, he came up to just above the knee to Lily-Rose. He was careful not to put his full weight on her though.
"He's so cute! Can I pet him? Is he your power? My dad talks alot about mutant powers. I wish I had one but I don't yet."
'Ah, so that was why she'd refrained from petting Bubbles,' the little munchkin thought, 'Power? Oh! That thing that Papa talked about...Is it my power? I don't think I really caught all that he said about it...Do I really make Bubbles and the others appear? Meh, don't think about it too much. I'll just ask Papa about it later!'
A laugh bubbled up once more before the pint-sized mutant responded. "Oui, I think that's my power," she said, "I think Papa said that I'm able to 'animate my imaginary friends'. I'm not really sure what that means, but he said he'll explain a little more after I get tested. And you best pet Bubbles before he bowls you over. He's like a mix between a kitten and a puppy because he loves to be petted!"
It was then that Bubbles backed up and bounded towards Lily-Rose, before he launched himself into the air, aiming at her chest. One way or another he was determined to get his rightful pets from this new person. He was stubborn that way.
"Bubbles!", shouted Nadia in dismay. Usually it took much longer for him to get this excited or even determined to get pets. Usually, he came back to her, but he seemed to be stubborn this time and Nadia didn't want Lily-Rose to get scared..
Re: Adventuring in the Backyard!
The way the triceratops acted reminded Lily-Rose of a pet. Not her pet, of course, for the poor girl had never had one. Ryan didn't want to deal with a cat or dog and so Lily had taken care only of goldfish so far. Her dad said when she was ten he would consider it but ten seemed to very far away! In the meantime the girl was quite distracted by Bubbles. A paw on her foot as if begging to be petted. She squirmed in self-control, not wanting to pet the creature until Nadia said it was okay.
Nadia's laugh seemed like a good sign but Lily didn't understand the first word out of her mouth, at least not for what it really was. At seven she knew nothing of french and, for that matter, nothing of spanish. She spoke only english and felt there was no need for any other. The puzzling situation of someone saying 'we I' confused her completely and her little brow furrowed in thought. Why would someone say we and then change it to I? she wondered.
So Nadia had a power. For a moment Lily was envious, wishing she had one too. All in good time was what she kept being told but sometimes it was so difficult just to wait!
"I think Papa said that I'm able to 'animate my imaginary friends'. I'm not really sure what that means, but he said he'll explain a little more after I get tested. And you best pet Bubbles before he bowls you over. He's like a mix between a kitten and a puppy because he loves to be petted!"
Animate imaginary friends? The confused look on Lily's face turned to one of amazement. In one brief moment she was amazed and awed by Nadia. Lily hadn't had many invisible friends. There had been a horse a few years ago but then again every little girl went through a horse phase at one point in their lives. Lily had fuzzy memories of a white rabbit in magenta overalls as well. A girl didn't have so many invisible friends when she had her dad there to bring forth characters from any book she wanted!
Pet Bubbles? Her heart felt like it would explode of joy. Not only had she found a friend her own age but the girl had powers and was letting her pet the creature at her feet. She was about to bend over and pet him when suddenly he backed up and bounded into her, launching himself into the air. Lily was startled, Nadia's cry of dismay seeming to occur in slow motion to her.
Lily, for her part, was later impressed that she had managed to hold her arms up to catch him. Unfortunately the force of a creature coming at your chest could sometimes be overwhelming and Lily was a slender girl who weighed very little. She was bowled over, landing in the grass and thus likely ruining her father's hopes for a grass stain free dress.
There was a bit of an 'oof' sound as she landed but Lily was unhurt and smiled a little back up at Nadia to let her know things were okay. "I guess I had better pet you now," she said to Bubbles. In her sitting position she began to stroke the triceratops, rejoicing in each pat of the inivisible friend.
"I always wanted a pet but all I got were goldfish," Lily-Rose mused, now speaking to Nadia. "Are you new here?" she asked, suddenly realising that there had to be a reason why she hadn't met the girl who was so similar in age to herself before. "I don't know any people my age here."
Re: Adventuring in the Backyard!
Bubbles seemed to be enjoying himself as Lily-Rose stroked him. He nuzzled into her hands, his tongue lolling out and bubbles slipping out of his open mouth. A sigh of contentment could be heard as his tail started wagging. Looking back, Nadia wished she had a video camera to record the hysterical display. However, she had a feeling that there would be similar times like this in the future. The little Cajun girl was just glad that Lily-Rose was not hurt. She knew that Bubbles was unusually light, weighing about ten pounds (15 when he gorges himself on cookies!); however, she still sighed in relief when she found out that Lily-Rose was unhurt.
"I always wanted a pet but all I got were goldfish.”
A goldfish? That didn’t sound interesting at all! Well, maybe a little…But a goldfish had nothing on her little friends! Wait a minute..A pet? Well, Bubbles was more her friend than pet, but she couldn’t figure out how to explain why that was. So, she just didn’t correct Lily-Rose. After all, Bubbles didn’t seem to mind being referred to as a pet. If it was okay with him, it was okay with her.
“Are you new here? I don't know any people my age here.”
Memories of her first day at the Institute flashed in her mind, reminding her of just how new to this place she was. These past few days, her father and her had gotten to know each other slowly but surely. It was nice to finally spend time with her father. It was just a shame that it had taken the death of her mother to finally push them to a meeting. However, Nadia tried not to dwell on that sad fact too much. Her mother wouldn’t want her to dwell too much in the sad details of the past when there was so much good to enjoy in the present.
“I just got here this past week,” she said with a smile as she knelt down to add her own pets to Lily-Rose, Bubbles having turned over onto his back now, like a puppy enjoying the attention, “You’re the first kid, close to my age, that I’ve seen. Papa says that there should be a few more kids around here though. I’m eight, by the way…How old are you?”
It really didn’t matter to the small mutant how old the other girl was. Lily-Rose was nice and she really hoped that they were on the road towards a wonderful friendship. However, one never knew…not really. That didn’t matter to the munchkin though; she had faith that this too would be okay.
“Does your papa work at the school too?,” she asked as Bubbles started to fall asleep, lulled by all the lavish pets. Nadia shook her head at the little triceratops before the creature disappeared. The small girl blinked then and shrugged before yawning, feeling a bit tired. She then looked to Lily-Rose with an apologetic smile. “I guess he was tired,” she said as she stood up and held her hand out to help Lily-Rose up as well, “Don’t worry. I’m sure another of my little friends will show up soon!” A grin lit up her face as she said this, reaching into her pocket for a granola bar. “You want a piece?,” she asked as she unwrapped the chocolate chip flavored granola bar.
Re: Adventuring in the Backyard!
Lily-Rose didn't have a clue how much she actually had in common with her new friend. She didn't know each of them had lost their mother and that this had led to a place at the institute. None of this was common knowledge yet and Lily had lost her mother a few years ago and had since gotten used to being just with her dad and yet the young blonde felt a strange instant connection with Nadia that she wouldn't have been able to put into words if asked. Surely it was just the age factor but it seemed something deeper. Even her young mind could comprehend some part of this.
“I just got here this past week,” Nadia was saying, smiling as she began to pet Bubbles alongside Lily. The seven-year-old couldn't help but grin as well as she watched the little triceratops squirm for attention. “You’re the first kid, close to my age, that I’ve seen. Papa says that there should be a few more kids around here though. I’m eight, by the way…How old are you?”
More kids? Lily's grin disspiated slightly as she considered this carefully. She hadn't seen anyone else around but that meant very little, especially since her father kept such a close eye on her. Nadia had said she was eight. Lily-Rose was seven but closer to eight if her birthday was taken into account. "I'll be eight soon," she said. Lily had the habit most kids did of trying to make themselves sound older and more grown-up than they were, even if it was by measuring herself as practically eight when her birthday was another few months away. "In May," she clarified. "I'm seven now."
Nadia had just as many questions for Lily-Rose as she had for Nadia and the very curious blonde found this reassuring. “Does your papa work at the school too?” she asked.
Lily was about to answer, about to tell Nadia all about her wonderful father and his powers and her fairy babysitter but her eyes fell to the now sleeping Bubbles and suddenly he disappeared. She blinked, suddenly sure she must be dreaming. He couldn't just disappear could he? However Lily was a child with a child's imagination and it wasn't so hard for her to accept as it might have been for an older person. She blinked and she doubted and then she believed.
Nadia looked to her with a smile that spoke of an apology. “I guess he was tired,” she said, holding out a hand to Lily. “Don’t worry. I’m sure another of my little friends will show up soon!”
Somehow despite their brief conversation of powers Lily-Rose hadn't realised that there was more than one creature. 'Another?' she thought and excitement rushed through her. How many of these creatures did Nadia have around her and why did they seem to come and go so quickly like this?
Lily-Rose's face lit up and she almost completely forgot about questions, answers, and pets as she was offered a piece of the sweet treat. "Oh yes please!" the blonde said, her ponytails bobbing as she nodded yes along with her words. "You have more friends who show up sometimes?" she asked, forgetting the earlier question about her father working at the school in the haste for chocolate and furry creatures.
It was at that point in time when Lily was sure she had heard something, or someone, nearby. "Do you hear anything?" she asked, looking forwards Nadia in puzzlement. She could have sworn to it but perhaps she was wrong and had misheard.
(ooc: Katie, would now be a good time to let Angie know she can bring in Chris?)
Re: Adventuring in the Backyard!
The streets were a different world compared to the school grounds and Chris just needed time to adjust, but in such a pleasant moment the past trails seemed so far away. All the nine year old needed now was a chance to think and what better place to think then somewhere high and on his own! Connor got to think, and so did his sisters and his dad but Chris needed time too. The tree he had scaled wasn’t an easy climb, but for Chris it was just another obstacle to get beat, just like the walls he had to try and scale with his mum, the old buildings they had to break into were often locked and boarded up, but on occasions only the lower floors were so tightly sealed and a nearby tree could be used to climb up into the abandoned places and if you break the window properly you could get into the warm building for the night or however long was needed.
Even though Missy (that’s what everyone called his mother) tried to assure her son that it was alright and that everyone did it, Chris knew it had to be wrong, simply because of the way his mother acted, the anxiety that flared and constant worry of being caught was easy enough a sign. However the youth’s entire life he had always done as his mother told, always listened to the things she said and always tried to believe her, even when part of him somehow knew better.
The grass was glossed by the earlier sun showers, and with the rays still shinning that meant it wasn’t as cold as the other days had been but it was still cool, leaving the young boy with a cold face, though the rest of him was warm enough. Jeans and a green and white stripped collar t-shirt with long black sleeves from the shirt he wore underneath. To be honest, Chris was starting to feel guilty, his mind playing out scenes of what his mother may be facing now alone and it didn’t matter that she had left him on his own so often, she had always returned and she was his mother, it meant something to him and Chris wanted to help her. The only problem was that Missy didn’t want to help herself, all she wanted was to make it through each day, get her quick cash, buy her food, her cigarettes, and whatever hit she could find. At least Chris never saw her when she was high, or drunk, and he was too young to really realize that his mother was selling her body for the cash that sustained them. He knew the men paid her and it meant there would be food if she went off with them to do her work, but if he knew the truth he’d rather never eat again and have her stop doing the things she does.
As selfish as the 28 year old prostitute could be, she always returned to help Chris out, never perfect but Chris was always there to give her a strong hug every time she returned and he wondered what would happen now that he wasn’t there to hug her and keep his mother company when she got back. If Missy had been smart she’d have put her baby up for adoption, but charity had come a whole lot easier when she had a crying baby in her arms and as Chris grew part of her refused to let him go. It seemed to be a love hate relationship on her part, though Chris was torn between unconditional love and hurt betrayal, it was never easy dealing with a parent that had a nasty habit of lying, but Chris tried hard to ignore the hurt he felt and tried to see things from her point of view, at least how she tried to explain things, which usually was along the lines that she’d not make any money if he was there with her and so she had to leave in order to get the money to buy them food.
With parents weekend all Chris could think about was his mother, everyone talked about families and the buzz was around the school, people were either really happy or really sad, Connor even tried to talk to Chris about last night about family, and Chris hadn’t opened up so much but at the same time Connor hadn’t asked any direct questions. They wanted to know if he had family and Chris understood that they deserved to know the truth, lying was wrong and they’d been so kind to him, yet at the same time chris’s mother was very isolating and the risk of never seeing Connor against was too great for Chris to back away so easily.
The voices that came to break Chris’s thoughts were young, and the boy found himself glancing down at the two girls who were talking between themselves. Kids! Both a thrill and a fear to the young boy who grew up being told off every time he went anywhere within talking distance of children his age, sometimes Chris was allowed to talk to them, like Brian, from under the bridge, 14 years old so was still a bit of an age gap but still Chris liked playing chase whenever he and his mother were up in the area, though Brian got sick and after he went to hospital Chris never heard from the older boy again and it’s been nearly a year since then!
Kids though… some seemed pleasant, some were cruel, but even then the parents of the kids were the scariest, the way they’d often yell at Chris to get away as if something was wrong with him that meant their children couldn’t talk with him. Missy had told Chris off very harshly when he was younger and tried to be friendly with other kids… he wasn’t allowed to, and after some kids picked on his poor upkeep Chris wasn’t entirely shattered by keeping away from them. They got scary in groups, and the young boy never wanted to get picked on again, though this time he had fresh clothes and cleanly scrubbed skin that took away any city street odours and grim which had so obviously set him apart.
As Chris had leaned forward, no longer resting his back against the trunk and trying to get a better look at the young girls below, his shifting about make so noise, which Chris was alerted to by the blonde’s comment and he basically held his breath for the next moment to wait and see if he was spotted or not… He didn’t want to get into trouble! Chris never realized it was because he was dirty that other parents didn’t want their kids around him, that it was coz there were fears of germs and sicknesses that Chris might pass on, though Amlarie had now vaccinated Chris and given him a full medical work over.
Re: Adventuring in the Backyard!
Nadia was quite sure that Lily-Rose was about to answer her questions about the other girl's father working at the school. It would certainly be another thing they had in common. However, the sudden disappearance of Bubbles had seemed to disappoint the other girl. Then the prospect of Nadia's other friends' showing up seemed to delight the blonde. It was a lot to keep up with. She was just glad that she had time to relish her granola bar. She hadn't used to keep snacks in her pockets, but when other people started seeing her imaginary friends, she seemed to get awfully hungry faster. Of course, they came and went as they pleased, much to some people's surprise. However, that was just the way they were. Nadia didn't know why and she didn't question it. She just accepted it as the way her friends were.
"You have more friends who show up sometimes?" At this question, a grin slowly crept across the little mutant's face as she nodded after Lily-Rose had taken her piece of the chocolatey goodness that was oddly nutritious. Just thinking of all her friends reminded her of how her mother had read her stories of all the different creatures, sometimes suggesting a few imaginary friends after the child had started talking about her first one, Leilah the dragonette. Her mother had been quite instrumental for Nadia's development of her imagination. She had always encouraged her to reach for the stars and put them in a pocket for a later wish. 'Imagination is what makes the world go round, Nadia,' she would say, 'You just have to expand it and never ever lose it.'
A small noise nearby snapped Nadia out of her reverie. It was then that Lily-Rose said something about it. The brunette's fiery eyes widened ever so slightly as she listened, careful to pretend to not to have heard it. If someone was spying on them, she didn't want to alert them to her knowing. There had been plenty of instances back in Louisiana when someone had spied on her conversation and had alerted them, resulting in her being out of breath and the spy having gotten away without her getting a good look at them. Of course, it seemed to be a little game among the other kids in the circus because she had often done it too, but still...You always wanted to know who was so curious as to spy on you in the first place!
Meanwhile, the smallest of pops went off a few branches up from where Chris was perched overlooking the girls. A small gossamer winged pony fluttered down to sit on the boy's shoulder with a giggle. The turquoise little flutterby then circled around his head before she flew down to perch on Nadia's outstretched hand, her lavender streaked pink mane fluttering in wake of her.
"Blossom, who is it?" whispered Nadia with a grin at Lily-Rose. "It's a boy!", giggled the flutterby, "Look! He's up in the branches of that tree!"
It was then that Nadia looked up to the tree that Blossom had indicated while the flutterby circled Lily-Rose's head in delight. The young mutant then shielded her eyes to better see him. "Hey! Whatcha doin' up there?", she hollered so that she could be heard by the boy up in the branches
"Oh! I like this one! What do you call her?", said Blossom in her high pitched squeak as she examined the young Lily-Rose, circling around her from head to toe before finally fluttering eye level with the girl, her lavender eyes alight with curiousity as she waited for the girl's answer.
Three Amazing Girls + One Super-Powered School = Countless Possibilities.
Re: Adventuring in the Backyard!
The first noise Lily-Rose had heard was a sort of rustling that made her wonder if there was something, either person or animal, in the trees above them. The second thing she heard was a popping noise that easily startled the young blonde, making her jump. As kids often do she quickly pretended she hadn't been scared or affected at all as soon as she had recovered from her momentary scare.
Lily-Rose couldn't see the winged pony and had no way of knowing that another one of Nadia's creatures had appeared so she continued to stare suspiciously up at the tree, narrowing her blue eyes but not getting much of a result for her efforts. Then there was the realization as a creature flew down from the tree and perched on Nadia's hand. Lily's mouth was open wide again before she snapped it shut in order to smile in delight. Another one! she thought. Another one and it's a pony!
Lily's mother had once said that every girl goes through a horse phase at one point or another. With some it would be more than a phase and they would insist on riding lessons, breeches and helmets. With other girls it was simply a time where they would gladly pick a My Little Pony over a Barbie. In any case it was one constant in the world and Lily-Rose was currently loving ponies.
Not only was it a pony but it was winged, the brightness and beauty of the flutterby's colours only making her that much easier for Lily to love. The creature hadn't even spoken or acknowledged her yet and she was already half in love with it.
"Blossom, who is it?" Nadia said aloud. Lily-Rose deduced that she was talking to the winged pony. "It's a boy!" replied the now named Blossom.
A boy! Lily-Rose's eyes rose immediately to the tree as she hoped for a look. There weren't many boys around and certainly none that she was close to. The boy she knew best was probably Scott Freeman because he spent so much time with her babysitter, the half-fairy Tessa Macneil. A boy closer to her age though was just strange. Lily didn't believe in cooties and she wasn't afraid of boys but neither was she attracted to them. At this age of seven she simply found boys to be a great curiosity and the perpetually curious little girl made it a point to investigate all things mysterious and strange.
Her surprise at the boy was put aside when Lily-Rose noticed the flutterby circling her head. Nadia was hollering at the boy and Lily had to say she found him intriguing but the weighing of options in her head led the blonde to pick the pony over the boy.
"Oh! I like this one! What do you call her?" This time Lily-Rose recognized the voice of the pony and grinned. Blossom hovered at her eye level and Lily's smile of delight grew wider as she could fully take in the winged pony for the first time.
"I'm Lily-Rose Melody Warner," she said, introducing herself properly to the creature. "I like you too," Lily added shyly, blushing a little. "I've always wanted a horse, or a pony or a unicorn or a pegases," the girl confessed, confiding in Blossom and trusting her quickly. Briefly her mind flickered back to the boy in the tree but Blossom was still far more interesting to the little child and her eyes and attention returned to the hovering winged pony, hoping that they would be fast friends.
The pop nearby near on scared Chris out of the tree, he didn't like sudden surprises like that, surprises on the street usually ended up in the less the pleasant memories and it took a moment for Chris to quickly grasp hold of the branch in an attempt to regain his balance. Dark eyes lifted up in a startled reflex to see what it was that caused the noise. It didn't help calm him as the strange creature just startled him all the more even if it wasn't a frightening looking thing.
All the small things set Chris off and as the little creature departed he realized it was some sort of pet to the girls, just by the way one looked at it he could tell, like family stared at each other was how one of the girls looked proudly onto the creature. Chris crouched further to the branch, shutting his eyes and wanting nothing more than to hide.
"Blossom, who is it?" Although Chris currently had his face down trying to remain out of sight despite being seeing already he could still hear what the girls were saying beneath him. "It's a boy!" the giggles hardly made Chris feel secure, he didn't want to get into trouble for interacting with kids, his mother always said it wasn't his place to mix and whenever he tried he always ended up getting hurt, "Look! He's up in the branches of that tree!" Somehow screaming out 'no I'm not' didn't seem like it would work but that didn't stop the urge from rising.
"Hey! Whatcha doin' up there?" Voices continued to speak and Chris half hoped that they'd forgotten all about him since two voices continued to carry on despite Chris's silence. The youth peeked slightly over the branch and looked down at them with only one eye visible as he spied on them. Of course they knew he was there, Chris didn't think otherwise but that didn't mean he couldn't hope that he was going to get overlooked. Not that Chris liked being ignored, but this wasn't his old home and his mother wasn't here to protect him, only connor, and Connor was trying so hard to fit in and the last thing Chris wanted to do was spoil people's attitude towards Connor's return with Chris in tow by getting others angry.
"I'm allowed to be here," There was a certinity in Chris's announcement and yet an uneasiness in his appearance and the boy remained withdrawn in the belief that if someone caught him with children he'd just get yelled at again and that wouldn't bode well for Connor or his family who were looking after Chris. "You're not allowed to talk to me, your parents will be angry." Sometimes the kids didn't mind asking Chris questions, there was another young boy once who was interested in befriending Chris and every time he and his mother went to the cafe on the same street the alley Chris lived in was located he'd often sneak over to find Chris and only stopped after his mother caught them talking for the third time and she threatened to call someone to come pick Chris up and remove him from his mother's care. Chris always lied saying he had a home and a mother and a father nearby but it was easy for people to tell he was a street kid. Maybe if Chris explained this though, they'll leave him alone and he'll not get yelled at for disturbing them as he had been so in the past.
Re: Adventuring in the Backyard!
While Blossom was flitting this way and that around Lily-Rose's fair head in an excited fashion, Nadia was peering up at the new boy in the tree that looked like he was trying to become as invisible as possible. Could it be that he didn't want to be seen by the two girls? Nonesense. Everyone wanted someone to play with and boys were no exception. Besides, she was curious now and there would be no way he could shake her off now. Maybe he just was shy? "I'm allowed to be here,"
Well, there was no doubt that he was allowed to be there. It wasn't like the boy could get through the Institute's security all by his lonesome. No, he would have had to have been brought there and in which case, he was subsequentially, given permission to be there. It was just odd to here someone defend that right when she had assumed that he had been allowed up there in the first place.
"You're not allowed to talk to me, your parents will be angry."
There it was again. The 'allowed' term again. It seemed so odd to the young girl to have some other kid tell her what she was allowed to do or not do. It was actually quite annoying to her. She was tempted to tell Lily-Rose that they should go away and play somewhere else, but the stubborn side of her's was really rearing its head and she was actually about to become quite argumentative.
"Papa said I could play with any other kids that I find around here!," she said in a self-satisfied way, "I don't think he'd be angry after saying that. And who are you to tell me that my parents will be angry if I talk to you? My Papa is the only parent I have since my Mama died this past month!" Really, she hadn't meant to let out that her mother had died in this fashion, but it had sort of slipped out as a sort of angry explanation. It was just as well since it would have come out sooner or later though.
Briefly, Nadia wished that she was able to shimmy up that tree and argue to the boy face to face. She could actually get up there a better way, by simply letting Phillip to give her a ride on his back. However, she wasn't sure if she would get in trouble for flying and she really didn't feel like getting scolded for doing a stunt like that just to argue with a boy...No matter how interesting he was making things!
Re: Adventuring in the Backyard!
It was a well-known fact that every girl went through a horse phase at somepoint in her life. They imagined being a jockey aboard their own prize thoroughbred or they dreamed of unicorns with golden horns. The seven-year-old Lily-Rose Melody Warner was still well into her horse phase and had stared lovingly at the equine protagonist of 'Misty of Chincoteague' her father had brought forth for her. It was not hard to believe that when it came to Blossom and the boy she had hadn't hesitated in choosing the winged pony.
The blonde child matched Blossom's excitement stride for stride and her blue-grey eyes followed the flitting pony, seemingly oblivious to the boy in the tree above. When he spoke Lily tuned him out, not meaning to but not realising she was doing it either. His defensive defiance went unheard.
Lost in a world of imagination and magic Lily-Rose gave herself to her dreams and began imagining that she had a Blossom. In her mind she was playing with Nadia and each of them had an assortment of small unique creatures. Nadia's baby triceratops was making fast friends with her peach stegosaurus Munch and Blossom was flitting about with Lily's tiny ivory alicorn Fern.
Children have strong imaginations that allow them to believe in all sorts of magic and Lily's was stronger than most as a result of her father's ability to bring forth storybook characters as projections for her. It was not difficult for her to dream of flying with Peter Pan and Wendy or watching Charlotte spin her web. Images of her new friend and Nadia's animal counterparts were sucked gleefully in by her imagination and produced visions of a world in vibrant colour where the two girls could play, a world that was untouched by the sort of evil that had taken her mother from her. As the boy spoke again though Lily found herself pulled reluctantly from her dream world and her gaze rose upwards to the tree.
"You're not allowed to talk to me, your parents will be angry."
While Nadia felt annoyance at being told she wasn’t ‘allowed’ something Lily-Rose was curious. She was sure that her father would have told her if she wasn’t supposed to talk to this boy child, after all he warned her about everything else! She had been warned about talking to strangers but if the person was inside the grounds then they were friendly and he or she weren’t a stranger, surely. It didn’t seem like he fit under any of the many dangers her father had warned her about so what was wrong with him? Why wasn’t she allowed to talk to the boy?
"Papa said I could play with any other kids that I find around here!," Nadia was saying. Lily hesitated. Ryan Warner hadn’t been quite so loose with his little girl but she had overheard the gentle tail end of a conversation where he had admitted that it would be nice for her to find someone her own age to play with for once. At the time Lily hadn’t realised there was anyone her age but now she had met Nadia and now this boy. If she talked with both of them then she was only doing what her father wished of her.
“…My Papa is the only parent I have since my Mama died this past month!" Lily’s mouth fell open and she forgot about the boy all over again. This time she even forgot about the winged pony. Nadia didn’t have a mom either? Lily had lost her own mother two years ago, an event she sometimes had nightmares about still. So many people here at the institute had two parents that she sometimes wondered if it was wrong to have only one.
She couldn’t stop the words from coming out of her mouth even though she realised that this was hardly the time for them. “You don’t have a mom either?” There was a new sense of a bond between the two girls dawning as Lily-Rose looked at Nadia with something understanding in her expression. She knew that she should be thinking about the boy and asking why she wasn’t allowed or gazing dreamily at the pony but Lily was caught up in more serious thoughts and her attention was entirely on Nadia LeBeau.
Re: Adventuring in the Backyard!"Papa said I could play with any other kids that I find around here!," The retort was quick and sharp, almost making Chris cringe at the tone of voice she had towards him. Children who grew up in houses always seemed strange and hard to speak with, at least as far as Chris was concerned... he didn't understand them, and he couldn't always connect with their personalities and attitudes. Not that the young boy had been given that many chances to try. "I don't think he'd be angry after saying that. And who are you to tell me that my parents will be angry if I talk to you? My Papa is the only parent I have since my Mama died this past month!" The past month? that was recent.. Chris almost completely forgot about whatever it was that had been tugging previously at his thoughts as concern arose about his own monther. She hadn't appeared, and even though Missy didn't know where Chris was, the young boy had still held out hope she'd manage to find him.. after all, Connor's dad found them and had just as little of an idea where to look as Chris's mother was bound to have!
To be honest though, Chris didn't really see her point of only having one parent now, he only ever had one parent, and even then, sometimes it felt as if his so called 'uncles' would spend more time with him then her, she was always so busy! As long as you had a parent, then all was normal as far as Chris was concerned, but the fact that she lost her mother - the one parent Chris could relate too - made it easier for the boy to sympathize to the situation.
“You don’t have a mom either?”Either. The word, unlike possibly with most other kids his age, was actually caught and understood. Either. As in she too had lossed a mother somehow, the blond pig-tailed girl was just as motherless as the girl with flaming red eyes.
"I have a mother.." Chris started, his voice soft as he searched for safe footholds he could use as he began climbing down the tree branch by branch. "..... I think father's are different, they seem different." The assumption came from what Nadia had said her father allowed her to do, and what he had seen of Logan during the time spent at the school. "I just didn't want you getting into trouble, that's all. I never had a father before so I don't know much about them, but Logan's looking after me until my mother comes looking for me so maybe I'll ask him if it's ok." Earlier the girl had sounded... upset with him... all he could do was try to make nice, he didn't mean to upset her. Maybe some introductiosn would make thigns all the more easier! "My name's Chris."
Re: Adventuring in the Backyard!
Sometimes boys could just make Nadia so mad! They were always the first ones to pick on her back in New Orleans and it was because of that that she was a bit guarded around them. It wasn't fair to lump this boy in with those hooligans though. He was at this school, right? So he must not mind mutants too much. At least, that was going to be her reasoning once he got over this 'not allowed to talk to him' thing.
“You don’t have a mom either?”
It was said with such surprise that Nadia's eyebrows shot up. Had she said 'either'?! Later on in life, the red-eyed mutant would look back and decide that this was the moment when the two girls would become lifelong friends. Right now though, she couldn't get over the fact that this other little girl had said, 'either'!
"Y-yes, I said either," she said a bit uncertainly, "Mama was ill for a while an' died an' I came to live with Papa..." The little sweetheart hadn't even known her father until recently. Since then, it had been one interesting ride. Though she was young, she had discovered she had mutant abilities that made her imaginary friends come to life. Her eyes that used to make it so painfully obvious that she was a mutant now blended in around here with all the many obviously mutated people.
"I have a mother..... I think father's are different, they seem different."
As she watched Chris climb down, she couldn't help but smile. Fathers did seem different. So far, Remy LeBeau had been a model father. Albeit, he was easily manipulated by his newly discovered daughter, but he was trying. And that was all anyone could ask for. "Oui, they seem very different, she said slowly and with a small smile spreading as she went on, "Papa actually let me have ice cream before supper an' didn't say it would spoil my appetite!" Nadia giggled then and Blossom fluttered around her, giggling as well.
"I just didn't want you getting into trouble, that's all. I never had a father before so I don't know much about them, but Logan's looking after me until my mother comes looking for me so maybe I'll ask him if it's ok."
"Oh..I guess that's okay then..," she said a bit sheepishly, now feeling guilty for getting a bit vexed with him. It was true that she usually let her feelings run away with her, but she was honest that way. Her heart was on her sleeve and she was genuine. It could be a nuissance sometimes, but not everyone had to like her.
"My name's Chris."
"I'm Nadia Michelle Mennes LeBeau," she said with some pride as she pointed at her chest with her thumb, "An' this is my new friend Lily-Rose Melody Warner." She pointed to Lily-Rose with her thumb then and before she could forget she added, "An' this is Blossom, my flutterby friend." At the mention of her name, Blossom flit around Chris's head excitedly before eyeing him at eyelevel, her gossamer wings working furiously before she charged at his nose and blew in his face, good-naturedly I might add, and giggled before landing on his shoulder.
"So, what should we do now?," the young mutant asked now that introductions were over. The grown-ups were busy inside with their meet-and-greet and the outside was pretty much deserted...
Re: Adventuring in the Backyard!
Blue eyes, wide with the innocence only a child could possess were focused intensely on Nadia and had been since the second she had realised that she was not the only motherless child at the institute. Lily was capable of a fair amount of focus, for a seven year-old. Listening to her father read to her until his voice grew hoarse and he had to stop despite her begging for just one more chapter, just one more story had granted her the ability to focus on one thing for a period of time. Previously it had been her father's familiar voice as he sang her a song before bed. Ryan Warner was no musician but his slightly husky voice was good enough to sing a lullaby to his daughter. Now Lily-Rose focused only on Nadia's face and she caught the sharp rise of the other girl's eyebrows as her question sank in.
"Y-yes, I said either," Nadia affirmed but her voice sounded uncertain as she continued, "Mama was ill for a while an' died an' I came to live with Papa..."
This was something new to Lily-Rose. She knew that some people lived sometimes with one parent and sometimes with another. A girl in her kindergarten class had parents who lived separately and she had spent weekends with her father and the other five days with a mom. Ryan had told her the term for it and explained how some parents decided that they weren't as close to eachother and they moved apart but that they both would always love their child. Had Nadia's parents been like this?
The other thing that came to mind was Nadia's explanation that she had only lived with her father for a short time. This was harder to imagine. Lily-Rose had lost her mother in a terrible incident but she had always had her father. At seven, she believed her father was invincible and that he would never leave her but always be present by her side. He was a single parent but had tried to play the role of both mother and father as well as he was able to do. She tried to imagine living without her father and the thought furrowed her brow and made her frown before she heard the boy speak and cast a blue-grey gaze upon him.
"I have a mother.." Chris said and began to make the climb down towards them. "..... I think father's are different, they seem different."
Since she could not really remember her mother's care that well to protest Lily-Rose could not make the comparison. She remembered her mother more as a comforting presence and as softness and light more than she did an actual physical person. Ryan kept a picture in his bedroom drawer and sometimes he brought out an album and showed Lily-Rose pictures of the three of them. There was one of her in a cotton sundress with her arms around her kneeling mother and a bright smile on her face. Her dad blinked alot when he looked at that one and then he went to his bedroom quickly and closed the door behind him.
"Oui, they seem very different," Nadia said, seeming to agree with the climbing boy. Lily-Rose soaked in the opinions of the other children but didn't offer anything at that moment. "Papa actually let me have ice cream before supper an' didn't say it would spoil my appetite!" Nadia giggled and Lily remembered the presence of the imaginary friend creatures that she had forgotten in her surprise over Nadia's lack of a mother. Lily did find herself smiling as well. Her father only let her eat dessert first on very special occasions, like sometimes on a birthday. Otherwise he kept a close eye on what she was eating and when.
"I just didn't want you getting into trouble, that's all. I never had a father before so I don't know much about them, but Logan's looking after me until my mother comes looking for me so maybe I'll ask him if it's ok," the boy said. Lily-Rose knew she wouldn't get into trouble and that if she did it would only last briefly and only out of worry. The little blonde had knew her father well enough to be sure that he was only ever concerned and angry at having to worry. Once he cooled down he would be fine. Besides, she thought, wouldn't dad be thrilled that she had found not only one new friend but possibly two?
"Oh..I guess that's okay then..," Nadia told him sheepishly. Lily-Rose nodded a little shyly. Although she could be outgoing and talk to complete strangers she didn't know many boys 'cept her dad and maybe Scott.
"My name's Chris." Chris. It was such a short name, thought Lily. She was Lily-Rose Melody Warner and Nadia had a long name matching her own. She heard it again in her entirely as the red-eyed mutant introduced them both to the newly named Chris. She wondered if there was anymore to it than that. Did he have another name like she did? Another three like Nadia?
"An' this is Blossom, my flutterby friend." Lily forgot her shyness in an instant and a smile broke out on her young face as she looked at Blossom with open adoration. Blossom seemed to have decided it was her duty to look over the boy and decide if he was okay and she did so, landing on his shoulder in the end. Lily secretly wished that Blossom would sit on her shoulder instead.
"So, what should we do now?," Nadia asked. Lily had noticed that the red-eyed mutant was more talkative than she was and seemed to like to be in charge. Lily-Rose had no problem with this. She had a friend! She would go along no matter what the other girl wanted to do.
"I don't know," Lily told her honestly. "Usually I just go 'sploring but we could pick flowers or play a game. Only we can't wander too far or my dad won't be happy." She remembered what had happened the last time she had wandered the outer grounds and went spying. As a result she had very strict instructions not to go too far and even though she knew it would just mean a night without a bedtime story and a talk about how she could have been hurt and how she had made him worry it wasn't an experience Lily cared to repeat. Today she would be good. She had new friends! It didn't matter what they did, she just wanted to know everything about them. She was already sure that Nadia would be her bosom friend just like Anne and Diana.
Re: Adventuring in the Backyard!"I'm Nadia Michelle Mennes LeBeau," Chris stared at the slightly shorter girl, he couldn’t believe she had so many names! Which did he call her… or did he call her by all of them? Though Michelle was the name of Connor’s mum! "An' this is my new friend Lily-Rose Melody Warner." Another girl with more then one name? Was it maybe a girl thing? "An' this is Blossom, my flutterby friend." Well at least the little pet had one name, Chris’s mind was swimming with the previous eight mentioned names and trying to figure out which one was expected of him to call them by. However before he could ask anything about their names, the little flying horse drew its focus on Chris and the boy found himself staring in awe at the creature as it zoomed about him. Uncertainty settled as it seemed to hover directly in front of him at one point and just stare at him back, other then the kittens Logan brought back and Scruffy the little dog that spent most of his time in the park so he had access the hot dog stand and it’s ample supply of left overs, Chris hadn’t really had much contact with animals of any kind. There was an inquisitive nature that wanted to learn so much and yet had almost resigned to the fact he’d never be able to know all the answers just because he wasn’t as smart as all the other kids seemed to be. Though most he had met had at least done basic schooling, depending on their age, few were street-born as he had been, that never really factored into things for Chris though, he didn’t understand yet that lifestyle really did effect a person and their growth capabilities.
There was a snort and playful charge, which startled Chris a little and just had him all the more silently stare in wonderment towards the creature, a small grin surfacing though he really wasn’t sure how to act… or react. She had settled on his shoulder and Chris had wondered if that was ok, he’d noticed with Madison that the kitten which had become hers was virtually forbidden to interact with anyone else, even resulting in Madison stalking around the room and grabbing her up when she had started nuzzling Arisa.
"So, what should we do now?" Do? It was like a whirlwind and Chris was caught within, so many uncertainties, and so many questions, and yet the shorter haired girl was carrying on now as if they should think something else up to do. Chris was still lost back on the whole name thing. And he wanted to stare at the girls eyes but knew from Connor’s experience that it might seem rude or give the wrong impression if he stared in awe at how strange her eyes were… red and black, it was kind of cool! …And a little scary too, he wondered if they glowed, and if they did, he didn’t want to picture what it’d be like at night having this girl glaring at him, she could probably look really scary if she wanted to!
"I don't know," The blond one replied, Lily-Rose Melody Warner thought Chris trying to desperately not let himself forget any of their names, there was no understanding of middle names, nor did he understand where the last name came from, to him they were all just one jumbled up horde of first names. "Usually I just go 'sploring but we could pick flowers or play a game. Only we can't wander too far or my dad won't be happy." Perhaps that meant then that Logan wouldn’t be happy either, Missy never really cared where Chris seemed to go, as long as he was back when she was there so she didn’t have to go looking for him or worry. Having no idea what ‘sploring’ meant, Chris pondered it for a moment and wondering if she had meant exploring, some people had very choppy accents and while Lily-Rose didn’t appear to be saying her words funny it didn’t mean she was saying them all right either. Nadia on the other hand was with a very strange accent, but Chris found himself liking different accents… he wanted to try speaking like people who spoke differently, but his mother said it appeared rude for him to do it and so he resisted… but he really wished he could try seeing what it was like to speak like them.
Being a guy, Chris found himself never having considered spending time picking flowers as a cheerful pastime, sure he liked them, and he had gotten the occasional one for his mother when he thought there was a really pretty one that would cheer her up. The idea amused and interested him, he knew he’d get bored likely, but he could always just go for the company and they’d probably talk and they could end up playing games……Chris never really had friends he could play games with so freely, there was his group that did occasionally get together but they usually organized raids of some kind, like rushing a café that had a table or more with left over food yet to be cleared away and they’d charge it and grab what they could and bolt off. Chris was a good runner, very nimble on his feet and he was one of the two fastest runners, almost tying off with one of the other boys his age but Chris was shorter so it made weaving through tight places easier for him and so his rate of being grabbed was one of the lowest in the entire group.
"They have horses, and a pool, and a lake… and a garden, my brother Connor was reading it out to me," Surely if the girls wanted to play they had plenty of places to go play around in… and maybe it wouldn’t matter if he tagged along just to get more familiar with the school, surely that’d be ok? He’d be sure to talk with Logan about it later though, just to make sure so he didn’t get caught doing something wrong, the last thing Chris wanted was Logan deciding Chris wasn’t behaved enough to stay with them any more. "They have a graveyard too I heard," That’s where Michelle was buried, Connor’s mother and Logan’s wife, Connor had wanted to go see her but alone, Chris had gotten the feeling it was only because Connor thought he might cry and he didn’t want Chris to see and feel helpless. There was always that spooky appeal to graveyards though, and while Chris could take it seriously if he went there with Connor, he always wouldn’t mind looking around himself… maybe there would be ghosts such like his fake uncles would tell him stories about! "Though… I shouldn’t stay too long, maybe half hour or so, I haven’t told anyone I was out here." Half an hour was still long enough to wander around and set foundations for future friendships, though he had to admit he wasn’t sure about Nadia, she seemed snappish and moody and he wasn’t someone who would chase people like that if they didn’t relent, Chris was too passive at times and definitely too sensitive for that.
Re: Adventuring in the Backyard!"I don't know," Lily told her honestly. "Usually I just go 'sploring but we could pick flowers or play a game. Only we can't wander too far or my dad won't be happy."
Picking flowers sounded like something that would be fun. Somehow, though, Nadia didn't think that Chris would like that. Boys generally didn't sit around and do fun stuff like making daisy chains or flower crowns. Honestly, it was quite vexing that they didn't.
"They have horses, and a pool, and a lake… and a garden, my brother Connor was reading it out to me,"
"You have a brother?! Coooool!," Nadia said with a huge smile before spinning around a bit, "I've always wanted a sister or brother, but then Mama got sick..But now I have my friends to play with an' new friends an'-an' everything!" The little five year old clapped her hands then before turning her mind to serious things...Like what to do now!
"They have a graveyard too I heard,"
"A-A Graaaaveyaaard?," Nadia's eyes went wide at the mention of this. Back in New Orleans, she'd grown up hearing all sorts of stories about ghosts and the undead. Surely there weren't any ghosts around here?! "Are-Are there any ghosts in there?," she asked a bit scared, her hands covering her mouth while Blossom landed on her shoulder, a look of concern on her face as she looked to Nadia.
"Though… I shouldn’t stay too long, maybe half hour or so, I haven’t told anyone I was out here."
"Oh, okay..I-I guess we could go check out th' graveyard..I mean, its not like its night when th' ghosts come out..Or twilight when the boundaries between th' worlds are thinnest.....right?"
Re: Adventuring in the Backyard!
The horses Chris mentioned brought a smile to the blonde girl's face as she remembered her father taking her to see them and letting her feed the palamino a piece of apple. Her favourite had been the brown and black one that Ryan had patiently explained to her was called a 'bay'. She seemed to remember a pool too, having gone swimming once under Ryan's watchful eye. Even more familiar was the garden. Lily had smelled each flower and reluctantly refrained from picking too many of the carefully tended plants. She had to leave some for the other kids afterall. Yet only today had she actually met other kids. The school's mutant students were all older than her, many at least twice her age and a few tripled her seven years making her feel insignificant. Nadia though, Nadia was closer to her age and could properly be her friend. Having spent most of her time with Tess Macneil or Ryan, who she viewed not as a boy but simply as her father, Lily knew few boys and there was a certain amount of hesitation in her interaction with Chris even though he seemed nice.
Turning her attention back to the lone boy she caught his mention of a brother with a stab of envy. Lily-Rose was an only child. She might never know and only later in life begin to suspect that her mother's surprise death had subverted plans for a younger sister or brother. Often, she found that her father and her imagination were enough. When they weren't she would have Tessa, the half-fairy she looked up to in awe. Yet sometimes she didn't have any of the three on her side and she would watch older students play with siblings and wish for that closeness that only sisters and brothers can ever truly understand.
Other only children could understand the longing for a sibling though and Nadia expressed her wish for a sister or brother quickly. Lily favoured her with a shy smile, seeing the red-eyed girl's understanding of her wish as one more reason why they would be the very best of friends.
"I've always wanted a sister or brother, but then Mama got sick..But now I have my friends to play with an' new friends an'-an' everything!"
The tentative smile grew wider, blossoming into a true smile. It was as if Nadia had read her mind! While Nadia's thoughts seemed in sync with her own, Chris' were on an entirely different page. "They have a graveyard too," she heard him say and shuddered. Graveyards were not supposed to be scary the seven year old knew yet she found them unsettling all the same. Graveyards only reminded Lily of the absence of her mother and no number of visits could bring her back.
Lily's blue-gray eyes closed for a moment and she could see herself clutching her father's hand as tightly as if she thought letting him out of her grasp might mean that he too would leave her behind. The bouquet she had placed on the simple gray stone had been lilies and roses, all yellow and pink. They had been her mother's favourites. Yet after a few visits they had moved away and Lily hadn't been back to the gravesite. She didn't think she ever wanted to see it again.
Nadia's wide eyes and tone of voice told the young blonde that her new best friend was scared of graveyards. Had she never been to one? Lily's attention was drawn away from Nadia and to her pet though as Blossom landed on the girl's shoulder. Again Lily looked longingly at the creature, wishing she had mutant powers and that they were as satisfying as Nadia's.
"Though… I shouldn’t stay too long, maybe half hour or so, I haven’t told anyone I was out here." Chris' statement reminded Lily of the task at hand, deciding what to do and she looked to Nadia, sure that the outspoken girl would have something to add about what they could do.
"Oh, okay..I-I guess we could go check out th' graveyard..I mean, its not like its night when th' ghosts come out..Or twilight when the boundaries between th' worlds are thinnest.....right?" Nadia asked and Lily chewed her lower lip. She didn't really want to check out the graveyard but Chris seemed to find it interesting and now Nadia wanted to go and she didn't want to be left out. There would be other times for petting the horses and picking flowers... right? Yet Nadia was making Lily nervous. Boundaries between worlds were thinner at twilight? Where had Nadia heard that!? And what worlds exactly were she talking about?
"I guess we could go, you know, if you guys want to," Lily relented. She tried not to sound like the graveyard wasn't for her. She didn't want her new friends to decide that she was no fun or that they shouldn't go because of her. If Nadia and Chris wanted to see a graveyard then Lily would follow them there and she wouldn't be scared either...at least not much.
Re: Adventuring in the Backyard!"Oh, okay..I-I guess we could go check out th' graveyard..I mean, its not like its night when th' ghosts come out..Or twilight when the boundaries between th' worlds are thinnest.....right?" While Nadia replied, Chris didn’t entirely understand her question; he didn’t grow up with ghost stories or tales of other worlds. Mutants alone were strange and hard for him to grasp, sure he’d seen Logan’s claws, and Connor’s eyes and Arisa’s fur and tail, but that was all still really awing for the young child.
"I guess we could go, you know, if you guys want to," Now that was something Chris could decipher, saying one thing and meaning another, he’d grown up with that most definitely and could pick up on Lily’s hesitation quite easily. While perhaps most young boys would have seen her sign of weakness and gloated, Chris smiled slightly and tried to make the best of the situation, as was another thing he’d grown up being used to.
"Next time we’ll have more time, so we can spend longer with the horses." Kids weren’t allowed to ride on their own, and the horses were still amazing for Chris, despite Logan taking him to the stables on his first day here with Connor. "And maybe I could ask Connor or Logan to come and we could even go riding then… they have smaller ponies, I’ve seen them!" Chris walked towards the graveyard, which was completely surrounded by gardens and so hidden from view, "And there are flowers by the graveyard, really pretty smelling ones." If the girls loved flowers, then that’s just as good a place to pick them as any! He pointed over towards the collection of trees that some students were emerging from, the path well kept and easy to see. Xavier’s definitely had beautiful gardens, much better then any Chris had ever seen in the city! But curiosity nibbled away at the back of Chris’s mind till he turned his head towards Nadia and asked interestedly about what she had mentioned earlier.
"What are ghosts, are they like mutants?" He didn’t know twilight either, or anything about her going on about boundaries between worlds and thinner boundaries or the like, none of it made any sense to the street born boy.
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