all is not lost

carefully, she pulls a knife from a hidden pocket on the side of her pants, weight shifting from one foot to the other.  “ let’s get it over with, pretty boy. ”

   “ well.  thanks again, then.  i’m not super concerned with the --- prettiness of it all, but whatever.  better than being called ugly, i guess.  what makes you such an anomaly, huh ?? ”

    “ i am, ” riley agrees, smiling just a tad.  “ i guess that’d mean that you are too ??  what do you do ?? ”

    “ yeah, guess i did miss that part.  i’m not going to get stabbed.  i’m going to do the stabbing.  don’t be such a fuckin’ pussy. ”

at a certain point, small talk starts to feel forced and stifling and suspicious.  and it’s hitting that point right about now.  “ no, i’m not a local.  and i’m guessig you’re not either.  not hungry, no. ”

“ i’ve been here a while, actually, ” riley concedes after a few moments of thought.  months.  it’s starting to feel like she’ll never, ever get to go home.  “ but i’m not from here. ”

    riley narrows her eyes a little, despite the smile he gives her.  it doesn’t put her at ease.  “ thanks. ”  unconsciously, she pulls them back a little, makes herself a little smaller in this space with wings pressed closer against her spine.  “ maybe they’re totally ugly in a world of having-wings.  you know, it’s just like -- pretty cuz it’s an anomaly.  like redheads. ”

   “ did you want something from me, or... ?? ” riley trails off, waits for the, frankly, creepy-looking dude to actually say something to her.  

   “ why the fuck do you think i care if you’re supposed to be here or not ?? ” riley demands, barely sparing the girl a glance.  she sure as hell isn’t supposed to be here either.  “ what the hell’s going on with the hip holes, lady ?? ”

    “ pretty decent moves you got there, ” riley says, leaning so her shoulder rests against the dilapidated stone wall.  she’s still in the process of working out who the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ guys are in this place, and how the hell she’s going to figure out where she fits in.  she’s got elia and lilith, but --- three girls do not a brotherhood make, really.  “ what’s your name ?? ”

   there’s --- something strange about this man.  riley finds herself wandering a little closer to get a better look.  there are so many kinds of -- non-humans in this world, that it’s hard to identify who’s what.  but something about him feels like the real world.  ( this world, of course, is very real, but riley can’t stand to think of it that way )  “ you’re not from around here, are you ?? ”

    i don’t really have any replies i owe on riley, so like for a quick starter !!

   sounds like a challenge.  she gives a sharp, sharp, almost manic smile.  “ you don’t think we can take them ?? ”

   “ correction, you can jump.  i can fly.  is there a way to the roof from here ??  window’s a little cramped. ” 

   who else do the avengers and x-men collectively hate ??  “ magneto. ”  she hesitates another moment before giving a hum in surrender.  “ fine, you can drive me back.  thanks, i guess. ”