noteful | Birthday Party for Laura/X-23

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Birthday Party for Laura/X-23

It's a pretty low-key party, all things considered, and not significantly different than the one Parker or Meg would have thrown in a dorm room for a friend at home, not-exactly-traditional menu not withstanding.

There's music, low enough to talk over (and maybe with a little more folk in the mix than one expects to find a party). Balloons and streamers in purple and blue and red. A place to leave presents. People to meet or catch up with.

And, most importantly, a chance to wish X-23 (or Laura) a very happy birthday.

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A quick nod.

"We fought back and killed many, but the queen-commander escaped."

X frowns, very slightly.

"You cannot track her?"

"We've done our best," says Alanna, lifting her chin. "But we can't fly, and can't always follow where they go."

The last is just a suspicion.

"And you cannot keep them from leaving."

It seems logical.

"She will come back?"

"I think so. She wants vengeance on young Daine and Onua. They took her eye."

Alanna sucks in a breath through her teeth.

"Mel was there. I think she had fun fighting them." It's said with a bemused smile.

"She is very good," X says, after a moment. "Mel."

Beat.

"They could not kill her? Daine and Onua."

She pronounces those names very carefully. They are new.

"Or they did not try?"

"She is," Alanna confirms. Mel is someone she's long trusted in battle and it's evident in her voice. "Though explaining her rather unique talents has been interesting."

Where interesting means a pain in the ass.

"They tried. They killed several Stormwings that day, as well as at the palace. Daine can't be older than fourteen." Beat. "But she's better than me with a bow and arrow."

It's honest.

"I am not good with a sword," X offers, after a moment.

"It is okay."

Beat.

"You have a plan? For when the Stormwing queen comes back?"

"We've stationed archers high in the towers." A nod up and a finger gesture indicates they are very high, indeed. "And Daine has some sense of when they are nearby. It's..." hard to explain. "She's working with Numair. He thinks she has wild magic."

"Oh."

X's expression goes blank at that last part. And remains that way.

"I do not know what that is."

"Neither did Daine."

Alanna at least had experience with Bazhir magics, but several of her friends wore expressions similar to X's when Numair explained.

"In it's simplest, most easy to explain form: She can talk to animals and sense things about them."

X does not look particularly enlightened.

Because--

"It is not a mutation?"

What? It could be!

"Not in the sense you mean, no." Beat. "I think.

"My brother was always more adept at magical theory," she confesses. "I wanted to ignore it as long as possible."

"Okay," X says.

She is still a little confused.

"It did not work. Ignoring it?"

That's how it sounds, anyway.

Alanna shakes her head.

"You can't ignore such a gift from the Gods. It will eventually eat you up from the inside out, or spill over and hurt innocents."

That might be a touch dramatic, but she's seen the side-effects of untrained Gifts. It's messy.

"But I had so much. I was afraid I'd do more harm than good. Circumstances changed my mind and I learned to control it."

"Control is useful."

X is very matter-of-fact about that.

"Julian was working on it. Before. He is a telekinetic. At home."

This pause is longer.

"He could not pick up a pin. Without breaking the floor."

Beat.

"You do not do that."

Does she?

"No."

Although now she looks mildly curious, as sure a sign as any that her attitude toward her Gift has moved well beyond mere acceptance. She blames Numair's influence.

"I could probably break the floor other ways. But I dislike having to watch my step that much."

X considers this.

"You could climb. Here."

Beat.

"There are rafters. Downstairs."

"There are," Alanna acknowledges. "I've never quite managed it, myself. Alone. Climbing up that high."

Raven helped once, she recalls.

"Stacking chairs in an unreliable method."

"Oh."

X thinks about this, frowning slightly.

"You could use rope. Or someone could pull you up."

Beat.

"I do not think you are very heavy."

She laughs.

"I don't now what you mean. I'm built like a stock horse." Beat. "We could try sometime. With the rope."

Why not.

"Okay."

Beat.

"I am stronger than I look. It is useful."

And Alanna probably does not have bones of adamantium! That helps.

Sensing an entertaining disaster in the making, Alanna smiles.

It will be a good way to occupy themselves on a slow night.

"I'm sorry I didn't bring you a present. I didn't know what you might like. I thought... Are you fond of the sea?"

"It is okay," X says. She means it.

Stuff used to be a thing that happened to other people. Then she made friends. And got an apartment. She still isn't drowning in clutter, though.

Yet.

"I have been on boats before. For missions."

Beat.

"I like the water."

"I get seasick," Alanna confides, making a face.

That's probably irrelevant to her point, but she says it anyway.

"The Riders are heading to the coast for training when the king goes on Progress. I'm going, too. I could bring you for a visit, if you'd like."

After all she's heard about Tortall, Alanna feels like seeing it firsthand would be the best way to help X understand.

Birthday Party for Laura/X-23

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