8347/Just another day in the life

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Just another day in the life
Date of Scene: 16 July 2019
Location: Xavier's School For The Gifted
Synopsis: Illyana and Doug have a moment. Betsy shows up and they all three have a moment. Then Betsy and Illyana have a moment. Three moments.
Cast of Characters: Magik, Cypher, Psylocke




Magik has posed:
Illyana pushes through the backdoors out onto the porch and pads barefoot over to a lawn chair where she drops down without any preamble or fanfare. Her legs come up and cross with her arms braced on the arm rests. The coffee mug is brought up for a slurp. "I did not know you were bouncer."

Cypher has posed:
"Well," Doug says, sitting on a chair and putting one leg up to fold his arm around it, "I'm working on some fight training with a friend." He says, "...But yeah. After I came back, Sam got annoyed at me wandering around the house doing a ghost impression and gave me a job, and, well, I like a little spending money. Living here keeps my overhead costs low, and I had some things put by I've cashed out to help me pay for college. Some bitcoin, a few hard-to-find trading cards..."

Magik has posed:
Illyana listens. She's laying on a lawnchair set open on the back porch of the Mansion with her ankles crossed. Which are visible, because all she's wearing is a three sizes too small Slytherin t-shirt. There's a coffee mug in her hands. And she has bedhead. "I only understand about three things of what you say just now. It sounds like is good though, so I am very happy for you." She doesn't sound happy, but she says it, so it must be kind of true. She even reaches out and pats Doug's hand. "You tell Samuel to go to hell for me, da?"

Cypher has posed:
Doug looks over to Illyana, and gives her a little grin. "You could come out to the club sometime." He says. "Lot of cute boys there." He sips his coffee. "I'm told one of our bouncers is *adorable*. If a little stupid. Hey, I TRIED to teach you how to play Magic: the Gathering once, then you started summoning real creatures and how was I supposed to compete with that--"

Magik has posed:
"I do not like boys." Illyana brings her hand back to lay on the arm of the chair, sipping her coffee in an almost absent manner. It's there, so she drinks it. Might as well not waste it, right? "Da, you did do this. I maybe try pokemon go. Seems like perhaps this is for me? Walking around, collecting weird looking creatures for imaginary slave pen." She nods, looking to the yard. "Have to get phone." Her pale blue eyes roll up into her skull, "Also probably be in contacting with people by phone... this is sounding less like good idea."

Cypher has posed:
Doug tilts his head, and then gives a brief nod, before he rubs the back of his neck, and says, "I try not to think too hard about the whole pokemon go thing." Then he offers his out. "You can borrow mine right now and try it, if you want? The school has a Pokemon Center but the closest gym is all the way down in Salem Center, which is a pain, but I've caught a lot of Pikachu out here--"

Magik has posed:
"You say a lot more things that make no sense to me, Doug." Illyana points out, sipping her coffee with a casual roll of her head to look in his direction. "It is probably for being better that I do not. I have many things to keep me busy, do not need game?"

Cypher has posed:
"Everybody needs games." Doug says, with a sigh, "No matter how seriously we take life, we've got to find room for play, otherwise things just get... dour, and kind of thin. I mean," He says, "I get it? Our lives are spectacular and ridiculous, why would we need to escape into a game? But still... we do. Why do I read science fiction novels when I have actually been to other worlds? I still do."

Magik has posed:
Illyana makes a sound in her throat like a grunt, but swallows the last of her coffee before expanding upon it. The empty mug is set down on the arm of her chair near her elbow. "There are other things I could do that is doing for me what games do for you." Her hands drop together on her chest, watching him out of the corner of her eyes.

Cypher has posed:
Curiousity killed the Cypher, so he gives a liquid blink, and then says, "...Like what?" He takes another sip of his coffee. "You know me, I'm down for pretty much anything."

Magik has posed:
Illyana rolls her head fully to face Doug, "We are good friends, da?" How weird has this got to be coming from her. "Maybe best friends. I do not like labels. But definitely friends?"

Cypher has posed:
Doug gives a short nod. "Of course. We're tighter than tight, the Kitty Pryde fanclub's first and second members." He finishes his coffee, and dangles the cup between two fingers.

Magik has posed:
Illyana purses her lips, staring at Doug for a second. Then she looks back forward and nods, "Good." That's it. She drums her fingers the fingers of one hand upon the knuckles of the other and absently picks at a small fluff that settled near her wrist.

Cypher has posed:
Doug gives another slow blink. "...Good?" He asks. He looks puzzled, and scratches the back of his neck, and then sighs. "I work really hard to avoid studying my friends too hard Illyana, I need to give people their privacy-- but you are an enigma." That's not meant to be an admonishment, judging from his tone. "I'd follow you into Hell -- and I have."

Magik has posed:
Illyana turns to look over at Doug again, brow furrowed as if she's studying him for a moment, "I am not that enigmatic." She says matter of factly, opening her hands. "Pretty simple, really. I do not have much to say about myself, I guess, but this is not necessarily a bad thing? Sometimes people talk about themselves too much?" She reasons aloud, bobbing her shoulder, "I am counter balance... but..." She points at him with a slow moving finger until it might well tap him in the chest, "You. Who I have killed for... you.. do not get to be afraid to ask me question. Unless you are afraid of answer. So.. ask.. question."

Cypher has posed:
"I mean," Doug says, "You said you don't like boys. I respect that, I can't *not* respect it. And I guess I just--" Doug taps his fingers together, and then twists them together. "And I mean, I was dead for two years, that's two years of figuring out stuff that I *lost*-- and I am really trying hard not to take advantage of people while I figure it out. BUT..." He says, "...Figuring it out can... be... fun? I mean I WANT it to be fun." The Mutant Master of Language does have a tendency to babble, doesn't he.

Magik has posed:
Illyana slowly cants her head... realization settling in on her face. "Wait..." She brings her hand up as she sits up, a leg straddling either side of the sunchair. "Are you..." She squints at him, leaning closer to see his face clearly. "... Well this is taking very dramatic turn ... Maybe too dramatic? I do not know. I..."

Cypher has posed:
Doug squinches up his nose. "Wait. Wait. What were you getting at?" He says. "Because I know what I'm getting at, I'm just not sure what you--" He gestures at Illyana, and then to himself, "And then I--" He looks faintly annoyed. "Mutant Master of Language my *eye*." He snorts, decidedly annoyed with himself. "You first? Please."

Magik has posed:
"Nyet, no, nien..." Illyana motions with BOTH hands at Doug, "Is very important that you continue line of reasoning with words you speak right now." Tapping on the arm of the sunchair, "What is it you are thinking? What is it you almost say right now? And you know if you are lying or playing joke at expensive of me, it will be bad for you. Spit out of words."

Cypher has posed:
Doug raises an eyebrow. "I mean I just wanted to see if you wanted to go out sometime. Like -- to a restaurant. I mean, I can go to all the best restaurants, the ones where nobody speaks English-- heck, we could go to Moscow if you felt like it -- that's all." He holds up his hands. "I mean, we could do that anyway, I just-- you know... formality... but..."

Magik has posed:
Illyana sputters, like actually sputters, and blinks rapidly at Doug. It's a good thing she's not any coffee, or really anything in her mouth. Looking, for all the worlds, like she's struck stupid by that answer... or about to flay Doug alive with her mind. Either is potentially accurate. Maybe both. "Doug..." She cants her head a little, opens her mouth, and then closes it. "I..." Her nose twitches. "In complicated relationship." Her chin wrinkles, not at all sure how to define things. "And also, should.. maybe is good we take a day? Maybe until tomorrow.. you know, let time heal things we thinking are good things to say, but are maybe not so good things to say?" Waving her hands. "I love you. You are best friend of mine." She pats his hand. "So... I see you in two days. Maybe four. Give me a week, I think that is good."

Cypher has posed:
Doug looks somewhat nonplussed. "It's okay to say 'No', you know. My feelings won't REALLY be hurt." He gives a sigh, and a shrug of his shoulders. "It's not like I woke you up outside your window by singing to you or reciting poetry." He says, before he raises an eyebrow, a question still on his mind. He spills it. "So what were you getting at."

Magik has posed:
"That is true..." Illyana doesn't do social very well, clearly, and settles back into her chair. "I do not think is so good to tell you now, maybe.." She squints at him, "Not that I do not tell you ever, just.. bad timing."

Cypher has posed:
"Timing could be good, or it could be bad." Doug says, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Look... I'm made of some fairly stern stuff. I wasn't *pining* for you, I just wanted to go to dinner. Heck, we still could, it's just holding hands and then looking out over the Moskva isn't on the menu. So just..." He puffs out his cheeks and huffs out a sigh. "Just tell me now. If it's a bad time I promise I'll just eat it, okay?"

Magik has posed:
Illyana pushes up with her elbows, feet once more straddling the sunchair, "Was going to tell you about relationship." She shakes her head slowly and hefts up to her feet with a little push of her hands. "I know you can handle it. It is okay. I joke with you a little.. like I am saying, just because I do not say now, does not mean I do not say at all."

Cypher has posed:
Doug scratches the back of his neck again, and then says, "Ugh. Now I feel awkward. Even more awkward than normal. Listen, 'Yana. If you have a relationship with somebody, that's *wonderful*, and I am *so happy* for you. Please believe that. I learned a long time ago that if you care about somebody you don't sit there and pine for the relationship you *don't* have with them, you've gotta embrace the one you *do*... cause tomorrow it might all come to an end. I learned THAT one the hard way." He sighs, and drops back down into his chair. "So it's OK. I promise. Tell me when you're ready, but not until you're ready."

Magik has posed:
"You speak about awkward like these words mean anything to me." Illyana stands up from the seat fully and steps over towards Doug only to lay a hand on his shoulder, "I am..." Her lips purse, patting his shoulder again. "If I tell you and you are telling anyone... you do know what is going to happen?"

Cypher has posed:
Doug stares straight ahead with half-lidded eyes. "Well, since I know you'd never actually hurt me, the right answer is 'It'd damage our friendship' which is enough for me to shut my mouth, unless you're dating Mystique." He's quiet, for a long time. "Please tell me you're not dating Mystique."

Magik has posed:
"I am not dating Mystique." Illyana assures him, nodding.. though she glares at him when he calls her bluff about hurting him, "Do not be smug, nobody likes smug... looks not so good on you." She murmurs, settlings down again on the edge of the sunchair with her knees together and her hands around them. "Betsy." She settles straight as if issuing a silent challenge when she speaks the name. "I like her."

Cypher has posed:
Doug blinks once, twice, liquid, and then says, "Well. Wow." He pauses, drawn out, before finally finishing with, "Okay." He is quiet, and then he says, "What to say to *that*. ...You have excellent taste?" Doug says, before he adds, "I can see why you thought I might have a difficult time assimilating that." He falls quiet, his gaze far away.

Psylocke has posed:
"Run faster!"

A familiar, aristocratic, and British voice calls out from the doorway that leads back into the Mansion. As she shouts, a pair of students in Xavier's School phys ed attire run past Doug and Illyana huffing and panting. Muttering to one another: 'Ms Braddock is fine but she is a pain in the ass!' 'Shut up! She reads minds, idiot!'

"I heard that!" Betsy comes to a stop alongside Doug and Illyana, looking at them both warily for a moment. Her eyes linger on Illyana perhaps a second longer than would seem normal, a clenched fist raising to her mouth as she clears her throat and ceases with the upper crust drill sergeant tone to become more conversational.

"Illyana. Douglas. Good, uh, good afternoon."

She frowns slightly. Two minds she can't read. One so fortified it is an effort to even try to get close to it telepathically, and the other one rattling on in indecipherable, dead languages. The frustration shows on her face despite herself.

Magik has posed:
"I do." Have excellent taste. Illyana nods and watches him prosses through it at his leizure. She's a supremely patient woman when she needs to be or maybe she's just knows Doug's processing speed and accomodates. Then there's the shouting of a rather familiar voice and an unmistakably amused grin on Illyana's face. "She let me scream at children." This should explain, in no small way, precisely how this whole deal started. "Dasvedanya Betsy." Looking after the children, "Can I scream at them again? I enjoyed that."

Oh right, she looks up at the Phys Ed instructor, "Oh, I told Doug we slept together." It isn't shouted. Point of fact, she's quiet about it. If not for her own sake, then for Betsy's. She's the one teaching a class right now.

Bouncing up from her seat to skip up towards the railing to stare at the students doing laps. "Actually I do not think I did tell him that part..." She closes her eyes for a second, then turns around to face Doug. "Doug.. I am having something else to tell you..."

Cypher has posed:
Doug doesn't make much of the fact that he encrypts his thoughts, and that just to be safe, every now and again he flips the language that he thinks in, but it's there. For all his open expressiveness, the sanctity of his own mind is something he jealously guards... but then again, someone who's been possessed by the Shadow King, even for only a few minutes, will shun the further violation of the inside of their own mind.

He glances up at Betsy and says, "Hey. Still causing whiplash when you walk down Broadway, Betts?" Seeing her discomfort, he relaxes his thoughts, switching to English. He is... surprised by this, and still taking it in.

"No, you didn't tell me that." He adds, before he looks up to Illyana and says, "Well, you *just* told me that... so I guess now you did tell me that."

Psylocke has posed:
"I - "

Betsy opens her mouth to respond, but stops dead. It is not often that Betsy seems to be at a loss for words, and even less often that she loses her composure. Her cheeks redden noticably and she exhales, everything about her body language suggesting this is not exactly what she had planned to discuss. It takes her a moment to even form a sentence, violet eyes darting from Illyana, to Doug, and back.

"Well," she clears her throat again, "Ahem. Well, just the - just the one head at the moment, as ... as, uh, as Illyana just said."

There's nothing about her reaction that seems ashamed, and she even moves over to the railing to lean against it alongside Illyana while still facing Doug.

"I'm ... well, I apologize. I rather didn't expect to be talking about this with anyone."

Magik has posed:
"Oh good. I do not have to tell you again." Illyana clips her head foreward in a nod and spins right back around towards the railing. Her hair flares out around her like the enitrely too big green Slytherin shirt she's wearing. Looks like she just crawled out of bed, except she doesn't sleep at the mansion. Maybe people ask less questions about freeloading coffee if it looks like someone just woke up?

It's hard to tell with Magik.

She certainly seems delight, in so far as she ever seems delighted, that she need not repeat herself though! That's likely a weight off her elegantly squared shoulders. Clearly more at ease when Betsy leans upon the railing beside her. She turns her head a little, squinting both at Betsy and slightly into the sun. "He is my best friend." She says by way of explanation as to WHY they're having this conversation now. "Did not know you were coming out of house with students... that was probably bad timing, but I am Queen of Limbo, not Queen of Time." She bumps her shoulder lightly against the Telepaths and turns to lean her back up against the railing as well. Both hands running along it, now facing towards Doug.

"So something is having happened to Lorna. Wanda is saying that.. maybe someone attacks Genosha? I was having snippy cat fight with Megan and missed many details." Bang, just like that. There is no such thing as awkward moments for her.

Cypher has posed:
Doug puts his finger over his mouth, and then says, "...Listen. Like I said, I learned a long time ago, you embrace what is, not some... fancy of what might be. So the two of you are. And I am *so happy* for the both of you, and I will be in your corner no matter what." Doug shrugs, once. "I'm still good for any restaurant where either of you can't read the menu."

"As for my *dating life*... well... I'm in a weird place right now. An amazingly weird place right now. For reasons I can't fully disclose, myself. So, there you go." Doug gives a faint smile.

"...Mmm. Have you told Kitty and Scott yet? There's some sort of big expedition going on, but I've been pouring most of my focus into school and working on the Sentinel stuff, that's the clear and present danger. But that sounds like something the X-Men ought to check on. I mean if you want I can borrow some satellites and take a look, but Magneto creates a lot of EM interference in the atmosphere over the island."

Psylocke has posed:
"Scott ... knows," Betsy says pointedly, glancing sidelong to Illyana, "But only Scott. I don't quite feel ready to ... justify to everyone. Not yet. I don't feel I should have to, if I'm honest, and if someone puts me in a position where I feel compelled to do so I may not be able to resist melting their brain."

The Telepath smiles, only half-joking.

" ... but you, uh, you aren't talking about telling Kitty and Scott that, are you?"

She sighs, shaking her head as though some cobwebs need to come loose. She pats Illyana on the hand lightly nodding her head, "I'm not ashamed or regretful. I hope you know that. Just ... not quite ready to hear all the platitudes and warnings."

Magik has posed:
Illyana nods at Doug, "Maybe we go to Paris sometime. I get us there very easily, but you do all of talking. People.. especially humans." She wiggles her hand, frowning ever so slightly. More so at the mention of Sentinels. That's definitely ONE reason she has a problem with them. Her frown deepens, much like the plot. "I have not told them yet no. Only find out before you come into kitchen." She points towards said room, "Just before we are coming out here."

Her hand drops back down on the railing behind her so she can lean upon it, smiling a little when Betsy pats it, and turning just a little to look at her from the corner of her eyes. "Okay." She says of Scott knowing. She takes it all in stride, really. "I know." She says as well about Betsy not being ashamed or regretful, though her smile be a little shadowy and a hint on the dark side, it doesn't faulter.

Looking back to Doug, "I will find Kitty later and let her know what little I know. Could be I am completely mistaking... I was being very snide with Megan. It required much of my concentration."

Cypher has posed:
"Oh, no no, I meant telling them about *Lorna* and what happened." Doug interjects. "What goes on between the two of you is nobody's business but your own. I'm kind of flattered you chose to tell me at all." He admits. "A little surprised, but I love you both, so what the hey."

He rises from his chair. "Okay. This has been mind-blowing. But I have been riding rein on a club full of mutants bigger and stronger than me all night, I smell like cranberries and vodka, and my pits *reek* to high heaven. So I am going to take a shower, put on my jimjams, and curl up with my Kindle till I pass out. You two..." He says, "Well, it's a lovely time for a romantic walk. Just sayin'." He turns, to stick his hands into his pockets, and walk away into the school.

Psylocke has posed:
"Goodnight, Doug," Betsy calls in a cheery tone, buoyed a little by exchange, "Enjoy your jimjams!"

"That was rather churlish of me, wasn't it?" She turns her head to look at Illyana, her eyebrows tilting in apology, "I seem to forget how reasonable he actually is ... I probably shouldn't have come out on the defensive. I'm glad you told him. I wouldn't want you keeping secrets from your friends on my behalf."

Magik has posed:
"Wanted you to know I am taking advice you are giving me." Illy says to Doug, "Live more. I am doing this. I like it so far.. maybe not so ready to go clubbing and still want to murder people who are looking at me with judging in eyes, but it is like taking steps of baby." Magik nods with a firm finality, a jerk of her head forward that flutters her hair across her brow. "Now you can tell Samuel to go to hell for me? I do not think you are doing this even though I am saying to do it."

Jimjams. Illyana croaks a single laugh and pushes off the railing to give Doug a rather stiff hug. "Do not ever change. Also, stop forgetting to tell Samuel." Slipping back, she turns so as to slip back up near Betsy on the railing. Her toe absently curls and runs along the wood grain.

"Doug is ... he is ... what is word?" She flicks her hand a little, "Good. That is not it, but it is good enough for meaning. I trust him completely. Nothing he say is awkward for me... at least not for longer than a week." There was the thing.

She turns up with a long look up at Betsy, "Besides, you see look on his face?" Grinning so that all of her teeth are showing. Like a shark.

Psylocke has posed:
"I think he was a bit stunned, yes," Betsy answers, watching after Doug in silence for a moment before adding, "If I'm honest, that probably won't be the last time you see that look as people find out about this. This isn't the sort of connection one expects to be made. I thought Douglas took it remarkably well, all things considered."

The Telepath pauses again, drumming her fingers absent-mindedly on the railing before crossing her arms over her torso and staring off into the middle distance. Lost in thought. Whatever weighs on her mind, she opts to leave it unspoken.

"I need to warn you about something," she says quickly, the sudden gear shift in her head a welcome one and she latches onto the train of thought, "If we continue to make something of this? You're going to be seen by people. Photographed. You need to understand that and, well, not stab them or eat their souls."

Magik has posed:
Maybe Illyana didn't understand the implications of what she said and glances after Doug, "Not people... Doug." She furrows her brow and rubs the top of her ear with thumb and index finger. Strands of white blonde hair pushed back behind it after, "People already look at me this way." Her shoulders bounce in a shrugs of absolute indifference. "I do not think it would matter who I say it is, but that I say I am seeing someone... Maybe not, who can know? It is not someone else, its you." She lays her hand down Betsy's hand upon the railing until it's slipped up to cross over the Phy Ed teachers chest.

Pale blue following th emotion with a little tilt of her head backwards, very clearly considering the thousand yard stare. At no point does she press, but neither does she look away from Bets. She just fixes her blue eyes on the other woman and waits.

When the source of that stare is voiced, Illyana considers it genuinely. "I spend a lot of time not stabbing people... or eating their soul." That last part has her nose wrinkling, "Not that I would eat a soul." Important point, "If price for that is being seen by people... I just pretend not to speak English. I am Elizabeth Braddock's attractive Russian arm candy. Queen of some far off land, no doubt they will say, and be right..." She lifts her hand up and boops Betsy's nose.

"If price for you, is being seen by them, and some how managing not to destroy them all in of hellfire..." She shrugs, "So far, you are being worth it." Glancing back after Doug, then turning completely around to lean forward against the railing.

"We do not have to think about crossing bridge yet, though, do we? Are we at this point? Do I need to up my wardrobe game as I heard one of students say?"

Psylocke has posed:
"No," Betsy shakes her head, her voice quiet and still thoughtful as though she hasn't quite found the reliefe she was looking for, "We don't have to do anything. Like I said, it's just the pair of us. There'll be questions eventually, but I trust Scott not to talk about it until we do. I think he may have an anuerysm if soneone tried to make him, with or without telepathic intervention. And if you trust Douglas? I trust him, too. It was ... refreshing to see someone happy for us, when I'd prepared myself for the worst."

She gives Illyana's hand an idle squeeze, her violet gaze returning to her: "Time is on our side, after all. Yours especially, seeing that it doesn't seem to apply to you unless actively forced."

Magik has posed:
Illy does seem aware that whatever is bothering Betsy, is still bothering now and looks back at her with one eye closed and the other squint against the setting sun. "Questions. Everybody always is having questions... Seems all people have is questions." She blows out a rather exasperated sigh from a jut forward bottom lip, "I do not mind if Scott is knowing. I do not mind if anyone is knowing, but aside from Doug-" Cutting her head to the side, "-I do not see why to volunteer? I do not lie though. Deception is ugly and leaves long lasting scars that do not heal well. It makes something beautiful into something not beautiful anymore."

She bends forward and rests upon her elbows, pushing her hip backwards while balancing on the heels of her feet, toes hooked beneath the bottom of the railing to keep her from falling. "I like you, Betsy. This is not something I just throw around. I would show you anything.. I would answer your questions. I would take scornful looks and smile through anger. I would wear pretty things or..." She flicks her hands out, "I do not know. More things. Lots of more things. You bring me a sense of peace that only Piotr is ever able to give me... but he still looks at me like precious doll. Something that can break... you dont do this at all.. I think, maybe, you see me better than anybody sees me.. You know of the ugliness and all the pain of who I am and here you are, still squeezing my hand." She does the same and blinks a few times, rubbing at her eye with the knuckle of her left hand for a second. A random gesture to clear something from her eyelash.

"I am utterly unafraid of people or their judgement, I do not want or need approval or acceptance. All I want from this... is you."