1621/Valkyries and Horses,

Valkyries and Horses,
Date of Scene:	24 July 2017
Location:	Backyard - Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters
Synopsis:	Alexia and Dani meet up while the latter was taking Brightwind out for a flight
Cast of Characters:	Tendril, Moonstar, Magneto, Cypher

---

Tendril has posed:
    The lake is a nice quiet place to get away from the noise in the rec room, especially if you're one of those rarest of students, one who actually likes to read. It's a little overcast, but not quite in danger of raining yet, though there's a definite brisk breeze that winds through the area from time to time. Most students have retreated indoors, save for a few die hard joggers going around the like, but with most students home for summer, it's pretty serene over all.

    By the lake, Alexia is currently swinging idly from a tree branch, two long tendrils running up from her hips to curl around the branch securely to make a little U shaped seat under her...well, not really UNDER. More just into her hips, which appears to be comfortable enough for her. She has a book she's currently squinting at, frowning as she flicks back a few pages, then forward again, then back again, before letting out an annoyed huff as she rubs her face a little.

    She's somehow found an Australian style fedora she currently has perched on top of her head, which looks a bit out of place...unless you're an Indiana Jones fan, anyway.

Moonstar has posed:
    And it's a nice day for a horseback ride, particularly when your horse flies. Which is what Dani is doing with Brightwind, letting off a loud "YAHOO!" as she soars down over the lake, startling a few ducks that were gathered there as she buzzes the surface with the winged stallion. Then Brightwind gets some altitude, before descending again and coming to a landing not too far from Alexia's tree, trotting a bit as Dani affectionately pats the horse's neck, "Yeah, we both needed that Brightwind."

    Then she glances up, noticing Alexia, "Oh hey there. Didn't mean to disturb your reading." She smiles, wearing a simple black T-shirt and blue jeans, as well as black cowboy boots on her feet.

Tendril has posed:
    The mauve-skinned girl hanging from the tree jerks her head up at the sudden yell, blinking as the horse flies over the lake, her golden eyes widening a bit as she sees it bank then landing nearby. Well. That's WAY more interesting than trying to figure out column typology (not that she's making any progress with this). She closes the book, watching curiously now, then waves. "Hey...you're the new girl, right? The one who came on the horse the other day..." She certainly wasn't here when Dani was here previously, so she can't be expected to know that's the case. "It's fine, I'm sucking at figurin' it out anyhow." she admits with a grumble.

Moonstar has posed:
    Dani blinks at being described as the new girl, but takes it in stride as she grins, "Yeah, Dani Moonstar. But you can call me Dani." She waves and guides Brightwind over to stand by the tree. "And he's Brightwind. He says hi, too." The horse nickers a bit, and she smiles a little, "I'm... not exactly new, but it's complicated."

Tendril has posed:
    A silvery brow raises a bit at that. "...um, hi.." she says, looking a little nervously at the horse. Yes. She is soooo a city girl, and she still isn't sure how to deal with large animals like that. Despite Rogue trying to talk her into riding one, she hasn't quite worked up the courage yet.

    Her feet drop down flat on the ground as the tendril unwind from the limb above her, retracting as they slowly vanish into her mid-thigh where they sprout from, leaving an odd swirl of little purple marks on the pinkish skin. "...okay." The other girl says, idly tossing her book onto the messenger bag sitting under the tree as she looks you over thoughfully.

     "So you're new ta me, but not new ta the school? What, you're like...whaddyacall 'em...exchange people?" She tilts her head a bit. "Or ya mean you're just coming back from summer vacation or something?" Alexia herself is pretty recently arrived during the summer, so...she really hasn't met many people yet, as deserted as the school is.

Moonstar has posed:
    Dani hrms, then grins, "Yeah, summer vacation. And..." She blinks as Alexia comes down from the tree, "Whoa, that's cool. And I just have to climb the old fashioned way." She then nods towards Alexia, dismounting as she was riding Brightwind bareback, "Oh, Brightwind won't hurt you. He's a sweetheart." She tilts her head, studying Alexia for a moment as she says, "From New York?"

Tendril has posed:
    The other girl smiles a little sheepishly. "Thanks." Still getting used to people not thinking she's freaky, but...it's kinda nice, really. She eyes the winged horse, taking a few steps closer, still wary. "...um...sure. So, uh...that would explain why, I just got here." she admits. "And yeah, that's me. Born and bred. Um, pretty sure, anyway." she allows. Her voice is definitely native New Yorker, but with an odd accent to it. Dani has been around she probably has heard it before...from Morlocks she's met, if so.

    That encourages her to get a bit closer to the horse, reaching up to adjust her hat a bit. "So...um...winged horses. I didn't know they had those..."

Moonstar has posed:
    Dani smiles and offers Alexia her hand, "Well, they do in Asgard." She pauses, then winks at Alexia, "Long story. But come on, it'll be fine. He doesn't even bite."

    She then adds, "Well, thought I recognized the accent. I'm from Colorado, was raised on the Rez." Her head tilts back towards Alexia, and if she lets Dani do it, Dani will end up putting the hand on Brightwind's mane, letting the other girl feel the hair there.

Tendril has posed:
    Alexia tilts her head, her attention turning sharper, verrrry interested. "Asgard?" she says curiously. Her hands is strong; she doesn't squeeze, but firm. Up close, you can see very easily (because there's a lot of her uncovered at the moment) that she's very athletic, looking toned, though not the 'weights for muscles' sort of way. More just an animal strength to her.
    "Well..." she starts, looking at the horse, then back to you. "Oh? Like...which tribe...?" she starts to say, then blinks. "Oh! Dammit, sorry, I completely..." She smiles. "I'm Lex. Ah, Alexia Nemo, but I go by Lex mostly." She lets you slowly guide her hand up towards the main, then rests her fingers, curling them as she tries a tenative pet of Brightwing. "He doesn't mind, really?" she says, starting to relax a little bit.

Moonstar has posed:
    Dani grins, "Lex, then. And I'm Cheyenne. And he doesn't mind at all." Indeed, once Alexia starts petting the horse nickers a bit and nuzzles said hand, wanting MORE PETS. Apparently winged horses are also part cat, as Dani continues, "But Asgard... well, that was a long weird story. Basically, I rescued Brightwind from some hunters, and well... I became a Valkyrie." She grins, "Which sounds crazy when I say it, I know."

Tendril has posed:
    The other girl gets a shy smile as Brightwing doesn't seem to mind it, starting to pet a bit more. "He's really beautiful...I haven't seen a horse like him before, like...even without the wings. Just the police horses they have by parks and stuff." She cautiousy leans forward, then rests her cheek against his neck lightly, closing her eyes a bit. "Warm..." she says softly., then opens an eye, before she pulls away, getting a definitely flush. "...sorry. No, I don't think it's crazy at all! Did you really go to Asgard? I've read lots about it, what people think it's like, what artifacts here might be influenced by art from there, all sorts of things, but no one really knows a whole lot about it! I mean...Thor does give interviews on Asgard." she says, still petting as her flush starts to fade as she gets a bit more exciteable. "I'd LOVE to hear about that, if you've actually been there! Um, I mean, if you don't mind..." she says, pulling herself up short, looking sheepish.

Moonstar has posed:
    Dani nods, "Yeah, I went there, and no I don't mind." She smiles, "It was pretty amazing, really... it's definitely, well, different. I didn't see much of the city itself, though. When the Valkyries found me, we were staying mostly in the countryside, not the city itself. But yeah, it was pretty majestic, though I never did meet Thor." And Dani blushes a bit, as she really WOULD have liked to meet Thor, at that...

    Currently Dani and Alexia are chatting at a tree by the lake shore. Brightwind is with them, the winged stallion getting petted by Alexia, occasionally nudging her for MOAR PETS, and generally the two seem to be having a nice conversation.

Tendril has posed:
    The other girl smiles, reaching up to play with one of her braids. "Really? Why were ya there? I didn't think valkyries flew around except during battles or something..." Her hands continues to stroke Brightwind's mane, she's fairly obviously been distracted completely from her earlier nervousness about getting close to the winged horse. "And they made you one? Because you saved him? That's so cool! Do you have a helmet? Is it winged like the stories and stuff?"

    Alexia is almost bouncing on her toes a little bit as she rattles off questions.

Moonstar has posed:
    Dani grins, "Basically, it was a villain looking to get revenge on the X-Men, so they settled for some students instead because they were dull enough not to know the difference." She hmms, "Well, yeah, Brightwind and I bonded, and the horse picks the rider, not the other way around, so... they made me a Valkyrie."

    She then smiles and adds, "I do, actually, though I don't wear it that often. Armor too, for that matter. But not for a casual ride by the lake."

Magneto has posed:
A Valkyrie. Now there's a career path for a young lady-- it certainly trumps other options when it comes to responsibilities for the fallen in the aftermath of carnage, at least. While he possesses some experience with the... let's say darker side of that coin, there was no otherworldly choir to usher the Master of Magnetism to a new spiritual role or title. Even so, it's difficult not to see even Magneto's arrival as something uncanny, born of heaven and Earth-- a force of nature. He descends in a bubble of shimmering blue-white magnetic force that's remarkable for the raw power utilized all but casually. Second nature.

Magneto wears the finest of suits custom to his statuesque frame, the subtly shimmering cloth cast in deep blacks and rich, blood crimson. Battle armor is, after all, not for a stroll by the lake. Detecting the pair early, Magnus descends a polite but personable distance from that conversation and inclines his head in greeting, pausing a moment to cast an impenetrable gaze across the picturesque surrounds, lingering on the lake. "So many do prefer what they anticipate to be low hanging fruit." Erik observes matter-of-factly. "Good day to you both."

Cypher has posed:
Doug is jogging. Once around the lake. Of course, when he sees that sizzling orb of electromagnetic energy descend down to the treeline, he double-times it. And wonders, to himself, "How does he stop NORAD from picking him up?" He emerges from the treeline, shirt draped over his shoulder, before he swaggers to a stop and puts his hand on a tree. "Oh." He says, "Hey, Dani. Magneto. Brightwind." Then he nods to Alexia, "...Miss."

"Is something going on?"

Tendril has posed:
    Lex smiles excitedly at Dani. "That's so cool! I gotta see it sometime...um, if ya don't mind, I mean." she says more politely, catching self. For the moment, however, the flood of questions are cut off by the arrival of the imposing man in the suit, whom Alexia is guessing is a....teacher? Maybe one she hasn't met. One of her thin silver brows rises slowly, looking slightly confused. "Ah, hi?" she offers back, waving a little, then blinks at Doug as he arrives.

    And then he gets everyone's name right, except hers.

    She folds her arms under her chest, frowning at him. "...you forgot my name, didn't you!?" she accuses after a moment. Sounding more amusedly annoyed than really angry as she eyes the boy. "And after all we shared in that wonderful moment in the kitchen..." Back of her palm against her forehead. Drama at max. She's temporarily forgotten there's an adult there, but she can't resist anyway.

Moonstar has posed:
    Dani laughs a bit at Lex's melodrama, and looks over at Doug with a smile, "Well, it's good to know that some things don't change..." She winks at Doug, and looks about to say something more when she sees Magneto.

    And she blinks a little, looking a touch surprised as she says, "Um... good day." Yeah, she sounds a touch nervous, but then, who could exactly blame her considering the circumstances.

Magneto has posed:
It's not every day that Magnus runs into someone here who not only hasn't established a strong opinion about him one way or three others-- but doesn't know who he is. There's no offense to that lack of recognition, however, merely the ghost of a bemused half-smile. "I am Magneto, young lady." He introduces with practice politesse-- like some others in this world, his dual identity is as much or more the true name than whichever alias he's taken for himself in this or that cirumstance. The man named Eisenhardt died a long, long time ago.

Lensherr's demeanor does dull somewhat at Dani's anxiety, and he draws a deep sigh, "And I come here in the spirit of kinship, not conflict." He's drawn down against the X-Men more than thrice... but if there's deep-seeded animosity there, particularly to the students? It doesn't show now, in fact he seems vaguely affronted. After all, this place wouldn't be here without him. Just ask him!

Cypher has posed:
"Oooh. Erk." Doug visibly flinches. "I'm sorry! I was... half-awake." He looks sheepish, and then he approaches, and says, "It's my bad! Really it is." He walks over to Brightwind and then proceeds to nicker at the winged horse. Doug strokes his nose softly, and talks... in Old Horse, ha ha, that's a viking joke, "Brightwind would like an apple." He pauses, at a snort, "Two apples."

Tendril has posed:
    Alexia sniffs a bit at Doug, frowning at him still. I mean, she's bright mauve, for crying out loud! What's a girl got to do to be remembered?!

    "Alexia." she reminds him, then luckily for any further ire, Dani distracts her by her reaction to the teacher...and then Magneto introduces himself, at which point she is...thoroughly focused, her eyes getting a bit wide. "Oh. Hi." she squeaks a bit. Yes, she DOES know that name. She kind of looks between Dani and Doug, noticing they're not immediately screaming and running in circles, which keeps her from doing the same. "...so..not a teacher then." she manages, after she remembers how to talk again.
    She glances at Doug, as she irrationally suddenly wishes she had apples to give the horse, and isn't quite sure why. Horse mind control maybe!

Moonstar has posed:
    Dani actually blushes when he looks affronted, "Sorry, Magneto, I mean... it's nothing personal, really, just..." She shrugs, looking really sheepish. Of course, if any of the students would probably have a decent idea of what Erik went through with his history, it's her. And she then says again, losing the blush a bit as she says, "Really, I'm sorry. You're here as a friend and I should respect that."

    Then she looks sharply at Brightwind as Doug translates that, and she tilts her head, "Oh no you don't, if you eat too much you won't be able to fly! And don't give me the magic excuse either." She then ruffles the mane of the horse affectionately, then glances back to Magneto, her lips curling into a smile, "Though, you know, you /could/ be a teacher if you wanted. I think you'd be pretty good at it."

Cypher has posed:
...While Dani and Magneto are talking, Doug reaches into a bag that was slung over his shoulder, and he sneaks Brightwind an apple.

Munch, munch, smack smack smack.

Magneto has posed:
The explanation was perhaps unecessary, but seems to go some length towards appeasing the Master of Magnetism as he shifts his stance on the shore to face the other mutants more fully.

"It is understandable, if unfortunate." He accomodates rather quietly. "And yes, though I am no longer active faculty -here-, teaching our people to use and appreciate their powers is an ongoing passion." Amongst the man's myriad of other academic endeavors. He -is- quite good at it, and clearly aware of such. Pride goeth before a fall, perhaps, but he's as much experience picking himself back up.

"Things have changed a great deal since Charles and I started this school. And in other respects, not at all." A sidelong glance is paid to Doug, even as he helps cover the un-subtle munching. One doesn't need a linguistics power to read Brightwind's feelings on the matter.

Moonstar has posed:
    Dani tactfully ignores the apple being slipped to Brightwind by Doug, and nods over at Magneto, "Yeah, I can't even imagine what it was like, when you first started the school. Though, have you really thought about coming back to teach?" Her head tilts a bit, as she trusts Doug not to give Brightwind TOO many apples. But if he does... well, she'll put Brightwind through a few aerial laps later to make up for it.

Cypher has posed:
Doug Ramsey is the picture of innocence! He holds up his empty hands, and Brightwind flicks an ear, and then he says, "So uh, what brings you to the school today, sir?" He is... polite, slightly wary, but there is a regret -- guilt all the way around, it would seem, and it lingers. "Professor Xavier is out on the lecture circuit for awhile... or maybe he's in space? I don't know?"

Tendril has posed:
    Oh, so he...started this school? Alexia feels like she's going to have to go looking for a book on the school founding or something, if it even exists. Because that definitely wasn't in the welcome tour. She looks over to Doug thoughtfully as he speaks up. "The headmaster left?" She frowns a bit. "...space?" she says, a little confusedly. Because so no knowing about that side of things. "Um...well.." she says, opting for politeness. "I guess....they can always use more teachers here, if you did? Want to, I mean." She glances at Dani, a bit suprised she knows him, but she'll save any questions for later, perhaps.

Magneto has posed:
A frown of not entirely pleasant nostalgia filters its way into Magneto's features as Dani speaks, and he nods, "Of course." It's a deceptively simple acknowledgement to a far more complex conundrum. "But Charles does not entirely like the philosophy of what I teach, and the feeling is soundly reciprocated." Which is a polite way of saying he finds Xavier's dream dangerously naive. Whilst Magnus himself is oft viewed as little more than a terrorist by some here. "If I thought devoting my time to that cause would forge the peaceful future we desire, well. I would do so in an instant."

The ghost of a smile is somewhat sad, perhaps mirroring a portion of Doug's regret. "My daughter is a teacher here, Douglas. And the grounds are ever a distracting solace. Besides that, do I really have to explain my interest in those gathered here?" A number of the students, and at least the one teacher, are here -because- of his urging, after all. Alexia's confusion earns a quiet chuckle, perhaps somewhat at her expense. "Welcome to a much larger world than the one most manage to see."

Moonstar has posed:
    Dani hrms, 'Well, peace is something you have to work for." She says that without too much bitterness, but considering her background... she's well aware that treaties aren't worth the paper they are printed on, and she shakes her head a bit, shaking away those thoughts as she looks back at Magneto. "you don't need to explain anything, but friends normally don't mind talking about it anyway." She smiles a little, "It was... good to see you, Magneto." With that, she looks over at Alexia, "I'm going to walk Brightwind back to the stables, if you wanted to come with?"

Cypher has posed:
"Actually I wanted to talk to you about that trip to Genosha, sir," Doug says, moving to jog after Magneto. "I think I'd like to visit for a few days, and see what it's like, maybe do a little writing on it..."

Tendril has posed:
    Alexia hmms then moves to follow Dani, waving to the others. "Nice to meet you sir." she says, still so very polite to Magneto. Maybe a little nervous around. She wiggles her fingers at Doug as he runs past then walks after Dani. "...hey, um...do you like to dance, by chance? There's this place...' And then the girls walk out of earshot, heading for the stables.