frostbite

Drake agreed silently. He was thankful the guy didn’t try to torch his face or kill him. Whatever his intentions were at least they weren’t in the murdering business, just severely harming people. “He was probably upset that even the resistance has rules. You know how it was to be a teenager. You want to constantly say fuck authority because you think you know everything. All because you had to grow up quickly…” Drake’s voice trailed off. He didn’t want to make excuses for the kid but he also understood his rationale. “If he ever tried anything with you I think you would freeze his hand off,” Drake snickered as he took another sip of his drink. 

A man sauntered over to the far end of the bar by the two of them. It was the most secluded part of the establishment. “I hate fire mutants always hot heads.” Drake commented as an off handed joke that the other overheard. The man snickered as he waited for his drink. “I hate them all. Don’t know why anyone tolerates those freaks. I’m shocked that they opened this place to the lot. There money isn’t any good you know. Can’t work a job, don’t pay no taxes, and if they don’t like ya they kill ya. Bunch of rats amiright?” The guy spoke. 

Drake’s back stiffened as he looked over at the guy. Unsure if he realized who he was talking to. He hadn’t got a clue. It was just a working class Italian who was holding onto the mainland with an iron fist. Yet, Drake surmised, he hasn’t left the states not even to go back to Italy. “Yeah whatever,” Drake tried to push him off hiding behind the rim of his drink. It kept him from saying something stupid in return. 

x

He was trying to justify the guy’s actions, perhaps pulling in from his own experiences to try and make sense of the guy’s mindset. Audrey listened and only nodded slowly. That could definitely have been the case. The kid could’ve been let down and irritated that the resistance seemed like just another rule-abiding group that had way too many restrictions. “I’d probably do a lot more than freeze his hand off,” she retorted jokingly in return, shaking her head as she continued sipping her own drink. The comment about fire mutants made her laugh under her breath, only for any air of amusement to fade once the openly opinionated man began running his mouth.

The remarks were uncalled for, though of course the man didn’t believe so. He believed he was in the right, as well as believed Drake and Audrey perfectly agreed with his important sentiment on the topic. Mutants were freaks, yada yada. Audrey tightened her jaw though tried to keep a calm and collected air, though as she held her glass, small ice particles began to form around it. Realizing this, Audrey sat the glass down. She shouldn’t have said anything.

“You make yourself sound like Methuselah.” Mei teased, playfully nudging her leg under the table at Audrey saying her thoughts of high school were already fuzzy. “Or maybe had I been your teacher, I would have been much more strict and forced you to finish the whole page before continuing to another.” She told her, raising a brow at her teasingly, obviously just joking. “Did you try French in school? Or something else?”

She knew Audrey barely understood what she’d said, but it was okay–one day she would if Mei had anything to say about it. She was as persistent and stubborn as she was patient after all. “I bet–but it’s nice to hear just the same.” She told her with a smile before the expression morphed into a laugh and she repeated the words fluidly in French, again saying it normally then slowing it down so Audrey could hear the words better. 

x

Audrey jumped a little in surprise when her leg was nudged and she furrowed her brow. “Wasn’t that the longest living man from the Bible?” She retorted, raising an eyebrow. “... Noted.” She got her point. Mei spinning it around to say she may have just been a really strict teacher instead made Audrey huff softly. She would’ve drowned if that had been the case, honestly. “French,” she responded with a nod. “Though it was oh-so long ago.” She joked came with a smile that turned into an amused grin when Mei indulged her and repeated that whole patient phrase in French. “Perfect. Just change you to I and that would be a fitting bio line,” she declared as she studied the page again.

Home. The word filled Ava with a soft of longing she’d never quite felt before. She’d lived her life in lies and fear, concealing her true self from the world. She’d barely had friends because of it, fearing that she might one day slip up. Not to mention the constant berating she had to endure from her father calling her her a monster, unnatural. It was always just..easier, to push it all away. To pretend. But here..now…maybe that could change.

“It must’ve been nice..having a whole school of mutants like you. Not having to hide who you are..living in fear…” she looked down as she said it, a sad little smile on her face, “You were lucky.” Family. Another word that gave Ava a pang. She had her father out there somewhere, but she doubted he even knew or cared if she was still alive. Sighing softly, she shook her head, pushing the thoughts away. “Hopefully one day I’ll feel a bit of that comfort you got to feel, being here. I…I don’t know where I’d even be right now if Octavian hadn’t saved me.”

x

Growing up, there hadn’t been much pretending on Audrey’s part, to be honest. Her full power never really manifested until she was eighteen, when she was trying to stop a fight between two other guys and ended up blasting them with ice. Before then, it was always minor things, mostly where the cold never bothered her and she preferred it. People never really saw it as anything more. But after her power was truly seen, one thing led to another and she was at Xavier’s school not long after. There, she didn’t have to pretend.

Drake nodded his head slowly letting his words sink in. “I’m fine Jules took care of it.” He waved it off. He was thankful to the healers in their group. Otherwise, Drake would’ve been dead ten times over by now. A lot of the time it was from the same mutants they saved. It was either accidental or they meant to cause harm. Both made him understand why there were so many laws in place. The mutants who couldn’t get their shit together are the reason no one can have a good life. 

“I didn’t do anything!” He exclaimed. “I thought we were good but next thing I knew I was walking away and the guy torched it. He claims it was an accident but I don’t know how you accidentally do that.” Drake wasn’t going to let himself dwell on the bullshit. “Doesn’t matter he’s going to be leaving in the next charter we can set up.” He glanced over at her. “Just be careful. If he’s starting shit he’s going to try to go through you.” 

x

Even if Drake was past it now, she couldn’t imagine how severe it must’ve been in the moment. The thing was, it’s possible that a wound like that on Audrey would’ve been worse. At least at the beginning. That, or she would’ve been able withstand it better. Again, it came down to ice and fire having the capabilities to harm each other or cancel each other out, depending on the situation. Perhaps it came down to experience too. Regardless, Drake seemed to be in good condition now, though. But maybe Audrey was just naturally concerned for her friend, and so when he tried to wave it off as nothing, she sighed.

“i’m sure someone else could punch a person in the eye and i’d somehow get blamed, like my anger is contagious or some shit.” thea rolled her eyes acknowledging the stupidity of it all.  “you are. kind of glad because if i’d started with you i would’ve been very let down by the end of my tour. you managed to give me the slightest bit of hope for humanity. mutant humanity. i have no hope for the regular ones. they’ll destroy themselves way before we could get around to it.” being told she could stick around was new for thea and it caught her a little off guard. generally people tried to find reasons to get away from her, which was exactly how she preferred it. “mmm, i guess i could stick around for a few minutes. make sure you’re doing your job efficiently or whatever.”

x

Not everyone got along with Thea. Or hell, perhaps it was more that Thea didn’t get along with most people. Audrey even remembered when they first met, back when they were younger and at the school. Like it seemed to be for most people with Thea, it wasn’t all smooth sailing like it seemed to be now. A bit of a natural rocky start here and there. Audrey came to see her as a comrade though. She wasn’t sure when Thea began seeing her as one in return, someone who Thea could depend on. Maybe it took longer for Thea than it did for Audrey. Either way, somewhere along the way, it apparently did happen. 

Riley didn’t expect Audrey to take the offer, but she hoped that maybe the woman’s muscles were feeling a bit stiff or something. Regardless, she shook it off and simply smiled. “Well, if you’re unwilling to go to the fun, I have to bring it to you,” she answered. “I mean, you can tell me to go away, consent and everything, but am I really so bad that you’d find it more preferable to spend the next few hours staring at an empty hall than with me?” She pouted and dramatically clutched her heart. “Because that would actually hurt.”

x

They clinked the shot glasses together careful not to let the liquor slosh out the edge. Drake knocked it back in one go. He grabbed the next shot and downed that equally as fast. The burn didn’t feel as nice from the second shot. It was like sandpaper in his throat. The upside was the warmth that began to spread all through his belly and up to his chest. 

The bartender returned with their actual drinks. Drake had ordered a Moscow Mule. The copper mug was cold to the touch. “I never minded your company.” Drake sipped on his drink as he eyed the crowd. “You’re not annoying or have a stick up your ass.” Drake spoke as if he didn’t have a stick up his own ass. 

The only takeaway was that Drake was able to balance both work and play. It’s only of the ways he was able to be calm all the time. “Mmm did you hear what that new kid who has fire did to me?” He rhetorically asked. “The kid torched my back. It was severe. I was with Juliana for a few hours while she healed me.”  Drake recalled the excruciating pain he went through as she pulled the healing cells to the surface. 

x

Audrey smirked under her breath as she watched Drake devour the next shot within seconds of the first. He did it as if he really needed it, like he really needed this evening to be away from work and to relax. She took her time with her own second shot, but finally followed suit. Thanking the bartender with just a sharp nod, she took sips of the next drink that was delivered. Turning more on the stool so that she was half facing the rest of the club, she let her eyes sweep the crowd too. So many mutants, so many strangers. Drake’s remark could’ve been met with various sarcastic comebacks but Audrey held her tongue, just smiling slightly.

The mention of the new fire mutant brought her attention back to Drake. She remembered hearing about their arrival near the start, since well, ice and fire. Ice could be susceptible to fire and fire could be susceptible to ice. Maybe the extent depended on various factors, but still. Audrey had always been careful around fire because of that. And so, hearing that Drake’s back had been torched by said fire made her eyes widen slightly. “They did what?” She said just out of initial surprise, furrowing her brow. “No, I didn’t-- Grayson... damn. Are you alright now?” It was genuine concern before she then just huffed.

Unable to resist, Riley teasingly gave another, “Yes, ma’am.” Audrey was far too serious and Riley knew that she was right about that. There was no denying that their situation was life-or-death, but they couldn’t live every moment anxious about the next. Life had to be about more than just surviving and it felt like too many people here had forgotten that. “Why don’t you take an early night then? I can even cover for you if this hallway really needs to be patrolled,” she joked. Riley’s offensive skills were limited, seeing as she needed to touch people to use them, but that didn’t mean she was completely useless. She was borderline invulnerable and could seriously maim if given the opportunity to. 

x

“ now i felt weak tonight cause i caught myself not being caught up with the times strangely you and i crossed the finish line but big hearts move slow, get left behind

Audrey’s smile was enough to double Riley’s. They were rather rare so she considered every one a personal achievement and a sign of a job well done. While Riley would be lying if she said that she was such a clown and joker for everyone else’s benefit, she liked to think her easy-going and fun personality lightened the load just a bit for the people around her. Their cause was no joke and a lot of their backgrounds were tragic, but being able to let go for even a few moments had to be worth something, right?

“Yes, ma’am,” she saluted. “As long as you don’t think that you can start neglecting your own well-being. When was the last time you took a break?”

Mei rolled her eyes at her, “And don’t apologize. I’m not your teacher. I haven’t been one for years. I’m your friend. Who’s helping. That’s all. There’s no pressure.” She assured the other woman softly, giving her a smile. “It’s a wonderful thing to want to learn a new language. But it doesn’t happen overnight–so don’t be so hard on yourself, alright? You’re doing great.” 

As Audrey spoke again, Mei just shrugged. She wasn’t going to lie and say she wasn’t busy..because well, she was- very much so. But that didn’t mean she didn’t want to help. She was always pretty good at time management, so if she could help a friend learn a new language while still getting her work done like she was now, why wouldn’t she? “Of course I’m willing. And don’t worry about it. I’m an excellent multitasker if you hadn’t yet noticed.” She teased, typing up another few lines before she pulled the workbook towards her that she’d given Audrey, skimming over all the basic French lessons and giving her a new one, “Here, try memorizing something different, might help clear up your thoughts.” she said the last bit easily in French, smiling still. “Okay?”

x

I’m not your teacher. She almost laughed at that. It was true, but the whole situation brought back distant memories. “Perhaps I’m getting flashbacks from high school,” Audrey retorted gently in a playful manner. “A bit of fuzzy nostalgia.” When Mei reassured her that she was doing just fine and encouraged her, she inhaled back a sigh. “I know,” she promised again in a murmur, letting the end of the pencil tap against the table again. But then she shrugged and smiled in light mirth. “To be fair, I believe my language courses would’ve gone much better had you been my teacher back then.” A light joke, mostly Audrey trying to make herself feel less insecure. Maybe that was the right word. 

“Of course, aren’t we friends after all?” Melanie said, she just truly wanted people to relax and enjoy themselves, if they were happy and relaxed, they had more chances of successful mission after all. “I will take it.” She said, Mel wasn’t expecting her to let go of everything and go out with her right now. She chuckled. “I promise, nothing too crazy, you can even plan the night if you prefer.” After all, mel had the power to turn everything fun.

“ and in the haze, you see colors and problems suddenly make sense but the way you've been going you'll be in an early grave