Vex and Trowa (Feb 1)
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ax_mainTrowa let’s Vex patrol with him through the woods.
It was cold enough that Trinket protested when Vex tried to take him outside. He sat on the front step and refused to budge, rumbling disapproval. Having already climbed into 4 layers of clothing, Vex wasn't about to admit defeat.
"Darling, you have fur. Do I need to get you some of those little booties or something?"
Trinket's next rumble sounded affronted.
Vex sighed and touched a hand to her chest. Her empty gold chain was buried under her jacket, scarf, sweater, and turtleneck. "Fine, but if I find something really cool you'll be sad you missed it." She popped Trinket back into the necklace, nestled warm against her skin. Vex pulled her hat down more snuggly over her ears and headed for the woods. She looked for any signs that Laura might be out today. Getting to know the tracks left by other students was one of her new hobbies. Somewhere overt, while others were difficult to spot. If Laura didn't want to be found, Vex wasn't going to find her.
Maybe wandering the woods alone in freezing weather was stupid, but what was life without a little risk? Vex eyed one of the paths that showed signs of light tread and decided to follow. Based on the frost, whoever had passed through was still nearby.
It was a windless afternoon, which made stealth something of a challenge; every step brought with it the crunch and squeak of snow underfoot, with little ambient noise to cover it. Before long, the tracks came to an abrupt halt, save for a slight muddling before they vanished. Before that mystery could deepen much, a quiet voice came from the trees overhead.
"You're the girl with the bear."
Vex glanced skyward, taking a step back so she wasn’t directly below the voice. She spotted the boy in the tree. “That would be me. You’re Trowa, right? Think we share a few classes.”
The boy was lean, bordering on thin, with a stiff shock of chestnut bangs shading one eye. He stood upright on the thin evergreen branches, leaning back slightly so that the trunk of the tree took some of his weight. Save for a green knit cap and scarf, he seemed a bit under-dressed for the cold.
He nodded in response to his name, then leapt lightly to the ground, landing with a soft "thump".
"Yes, that's right. And some of the woods."
She watched his dextrous landing appreciatively. “I thought you one of our a frequent travelers. Catching the sights?”
"Patrolling," he explained. "I prefer to be as familiar with a potential battleground as possible."
Ominous, but not entirely shocking. “How is it looking? The woods are deep, but hardly unformidable.”
"I think it will depend on which of us stand and fight," Trowa said. "If any."
"Is this general preparation, or do you know something we don't?" Vex asked curiously.
"General preparation. My powers aren't particularly useful in an offensive capacity, and my training only goes so far against greater numbers. Or more impressive powers."
"So what makes a student sign up for school security? At a normal place I'd expect the kids to run free, and someone on staff to worry about border patrol."
Trowa shrugged. "I didn't like the look of the security here when I arrived. I thought I was one of the best people to keep an eye on it."
She studied him curiously. “Busy life before here?”
"By most standards," Trowa said. "I was with a mercenary company before I came here. I don't know where I was before that."
“The professor really is plucking kids up from everywhere, isn’t he?”
"It seems so," Trowa agreed. "But most of us had nowhere to be. Or nowhere to go, it seems."
Vex gave a small nod of agreement. “His timing is impeccable.” After all, he found Percy when he had no one else with him. And Vax once the police were aware of him. Vex fluctuated between thinking ‘fortuitous benefactor’ and ‘too good to be true’. It was a tiring habit. “How do you like it here?”
That earned her a slight smile. "Before this, I was attempting to make my way from Russia to Canada on foot. This place has fewer immediate hazards."
She arched a brow. “Like a good walk, do you?”
Trowa shrugged. "I had limited options and a very loose grasp of geography."
“Been there,” Vex said casually. She glanced at the woods. “Mind a tagalong while you patrol? You’ve known this place longer. I’d love to see points of interest from your perspective. I’ll do my best not to hinder.”
"I don't mind. And you won't be much of a hindrance. I've heard your footfalls. You know what you're doing." He straightened his scarf (which seemed made with attention, but by an inexperienced hand) and started into the woods again. "Besides, a fresh perspective can be useful."
She fell into step with him, following curiously.
Trowa's route wasn't terribly uniform; if anything, it seemed meandering, though he avoided taking them through the few points in the woods made impassible or dangerous by snow. He did occasionally point out some feature and it's potential tactical importance, but for the most part, he seemed content with the quiet between them.
Vex relaxed as the stillness settled between them. You could learn plenty about a person by asking questions, but sometimes there was more to learn in the quiet between moments. In one places they stopped for Trowa to point out a detail Vex commented. “You have a keen eye. Is this what you see yourself doing as time goes on? Security wherever you are?”
"I don't think I have a future," Trowa said with an easy shrug. "I suppose I'll keep doing this, unless Xavier finds another use for me."
Vex looked at him, biting her tongue so she didn’t pounce too vehemently on that statement. She knew about bleak situations. Life wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Thinking about tomorrow was hard when you were hungry or alone. Still, Vex couldn’t bear the thought of someone her age thinking he had nothing on the horizon. “Darling,” she said. “You are too sharp to be someone’s tool forever.”
"I'm used to taking orders," Trowa clarified. "The thought doesn't bother me."
She nodded thoughtfully. “Still not a bad idea to keep your options open. Have you made many friends since you got here?” Vex was fishing to see if anyone else was looking out for Trowa.
"Some." After a moment, he decided it wouldn't do any harm to name names. "Scott Summers, Sage, and Quatre Winner."”
People Vex should introduce herself to soon. “Good to have a crowd to fall in with. They don’t come out here, do they? I can’t say I’ve bumped into them.”
"Sage comes with me sometimes." He glanced over at her. "How do you get to keep a bear here?"
"Trinket's always with me," Vex said. "He's an enchanted bear, not a pet. Telling me I can't have him would be the same as saying I can't use my powers here. Pointless."
Trowa blinked. "Enchanted? Like magic?"
“Sort of. It’s what I do.” She touched her neck over where the necklace rested. “He’d be out right now, but he protested to the cold today.”
Trowa nodded, accepting the explanation. "There's a lot of magic here. How does yours work?"
Vex thought of how to explain it. “In some ways, I bring items to life or transform them in some way related to their nature. Turn a snow globe into a snowstorm, a hilt engraved in vines into a knife that grapples, the symbols seem important right now.”
"So you're only limited by your understanding of the world and your ability to draw connections?" Trowa's voice was still mild as milk, flat as a snowfield, but there was most definitely a feeling that he found such potential impressive.
“I guess so?” Vex tilted her head thoughtfully. “The obvious imagery helps. Mostly I’ve asked Percy to etch arrows so I can play with it, but I really don’t know the limits.”
"That's the reason we're all here, I guess." Their path was leading them more out of the woods than deeper in now, back toward the school.
“It is,” she agreed. She smiled at Trowa. “How about you, dear? What’s your magic trick?”
"I talk to animals. And I have a few enhancements. Sharp eyes, sharp ears. That sort of thing." He glanced back toward the school. "As I said, not very useful in an offensive capability. But good for keeping an eye on things."
“Ohhh, that is so much better! Anyone can learn to use a weapon. Tracking is so much more useful, and animals? Ohmygoodness. I’m almost afraid to ask if you could talk to Trinket.”
"I don't know." Vex's enthusiasm for Trowa's powers actually provoked a startled blink. "I haven't had any luck communicating with shapeshifters in animal form or anything like that."
Vex worried her bottom lip thoughtfully. She didn’t want to get her hopes up, and she certainly didn’t want to come on too strong. “Would you be willing to try one day?” If Trowa’s gifts included enhanced tracking and animal speech, he could easily become one of her favorite people. If Vex had to pick a power other than her own, that was the best example.
Trowa nodded. "I don't see why not. It hurts nothing to make the attempt."
Vex smiled. “Great. We do okay communicating, he’s a very expressive bear, but it would be nice to know I’m understanding correctly.”
Trowa extended a hand to help Vex over a slick patch. He was more self-assured than strictly graceful, but it amounted to very much the same thing. "Let's go someplace warm, then, if that's what it takes to coax him out."
Vex took Trowa’s hand for the assistance, and squeezed it before releasing. “I am glad I ran into you today.”
It was cold enough that Trinket protested when Vex tried to take him outside. He sat on the front step and refused to budge, rumbling disapproval. Having already climbed into 4 layers of clothing, Vex wasn't about to admit defeat.
"Darling, you have fur. Do I need to get you some of those little booties or something?"
Trinket's next rumble sounded affronted.
Vex sighed and touched a hand to her chest. Her empty gold chain was buried under her jacket, scarf, sweater, and turtleneck. "Fine, but if I find something really cool you'll be sad you missed it." She popped Trinket back into the necklace, nestled warm against her skin. Vex pulled her hat down more snuggly over her ears and headed for the woods. She looked for any signs that Laura might be out today. Getting to know the tracks left by other students was one of her new hobbies. Somewhere overt, while others were difficult to spot. If Laura didn't want to be found, Vex wasn't going to find her.
Maybe wandering the woods alone in freezing weather was stupid, but what was life without a little risk? Vex eyed one of the paths that showed signs of light tread and decided to follow. Based on the frost, whoever had passed through was still nearby.
It was a windless afternoon, which made stealth something of a challenge; every step brought with it the crunch and squeak of snow underfoot, with little ambient noise to cover it. Before long, the tracks came to an abrupt halt, save for a slight muddling before they vanished. Before that mystery could deepen much, a quiet voice came from the trees overhead.
"You're the girl with the bear."
Vex glanced skyward, taking a step back so she wasn’t directly below the voice. She spotted the boy in the tree. “That would be me. You’re Trowa, right? Think we share a few classes.”
The boy was lean, bordering on thin, with a stiff shock of chestnut bangs shading one eye. He stood upright on the thin evergreen branches, leaning back slightly so that the trunk of the tree took some of his weight. Save for a green knit cap and scarf, he seemed a bit under-dressed for the cold.
He nodded in response to his name, then leapt lightly to the ground, landing with a soft "thump".
"Yes, that's right. And some of the woods."
She watched his dextrous landing appreciatively. “I thought you one of our a frequent travelers. Catching the sights?”
"Patrolling," he explained. "I prefer to be as familiar with a potential battleground as possible."
Ominous, but not entirely shocking. “How is it looking? The woods are deep, but hardly unformidable.”
"I think it will depend on which of us stand and fight," Trowa said. "If any."
"Is this general preparation, or do you know something we don't?" Vex asked curiously.
"General preparation. My powers aren't particularly useful in an offensive capacity, and my training only goes so far against greater numbers. Or more impressive powers."
"So what makes a student sign up for school security? At a normal place I'd expect the kids to run free, and someone on staff to worry about border patrol."
Trowa shrugged. "I didn't like the look of the security here when I arrived. I thought I was one of the best people to keep an eye on it."
She studied him curiously. “Busy life before here?”
"By most standards," Trowa said. "I was with a mercenary company before I came here. I don't know where I was before that."
“The professor really is plucking kids up from everywhere, isn’t he?”
"It seems so," Trowa agreed. "But most of us had nowhere to be. Or nowhere to go, it seems."
Vex gave a small nod of agreement. “His timing is impeccable.” After all, he found Percy when he had no one else with him. And Vax once the police were aware of him. Vex fluctuated between thinking ‘fortuitous benefactor’ and ‘too good to be true’. It was a tiring habit. “How do you like it here?”
That earned her a slight smile. "Before this, I was attempting to make my way from Russia to Canada on foot. This place has fewer immediate hazards."
She arched a brow. “Like a good walk, do you?”
Trowa shrugged. "I had limited options and a very loose grasp of geography."
“Been there,” Vex said casually. She glanced at the woods. “Mind a tagalong while you patrol? You’ve known this place longer. I’d love to see points of interest from your perspective. I’ll do my best not to hinder.”
"I don't mind. And you won't be much of a hindrance. I've heard your footfalls. You know what you're doing." He straightened his scarf (which seemed made with attention, but by an inexperienced hand) and started into the woods again. "Besides, a fresh perspective can be useful."
She fell into step with him, following curiously.
Trowa's route wasn't terribly uniform; if anything, it seemed meandering, though he avoided taking them through the few points in the woods made impassible or dangerous by snow. He did occasionally point out some feature and it's potential tactical importance, but for the most part, he seemed content with the quiet between them.
Vex relaxed as the stillness settled between them. You could learn plenty about a person by asking questions, but sometimes there was more to learn in the quiet between moments. In one places they stopped for Trowa to point out a detail Vex commented. “You have a keen eye. Is this what you see yourself doing as time goes on? Security wherever you are?”
"I don't think I have a future," Trowa said with an easy shrug. "I suppose I'll keep doing this, unless Xavier finds another use for me."
Vex looked at him, biting her tongue so she didn’t pounce too vehemently on that statement. She knew about bleak situations. Life wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Thinking about tomorrow was hard when you were hungry or alone. Still, Vex couldn’t bear the thought of someone her age thinking he had nothing on the horizon. “Darling,” she said. “You are too sharp to be someone’s tool forever.”
"I'm used to taking orders," Trowa clarified. "The thought doesn't bother me."
She nodded thoughtfully. “Still not a bad idea to keep your options open. Have you made many friends since you got here?” Vex was fishing to see if anyone else was looking out for Trowa.
"Some." After a moment, he decided it wouldn't do any harm to name names. "Scott Summers, Sage, and Quatre Winner."”
People Vex should introduce herself to soon. “Good to have a crowd to fall in with. They don’t come out here, do they? I can’t say I’ve bumped into them.”
"Sage comes with me sometimes." He glanced over at her. "How do you get to keep a bear here?"
"Trinket's always with me," Vex said. "He's an enchanted bear, not a pet. Telling me I can't have him would be the same as saying I can't use my powers here. Pointless."
Trowa blinked. "Enchanted? Like magic?"
“Sort of. It’s what I do.” She touched her neck over where the necklace rested. “He’d be out right now, but he protested to the cold today.”
Trowa nodded, accepting the explanation. "There's a lot of magic here. How does yours work?"
Vex thought of how to explain it. “In some ways, I bring items to life or transform them in some way related to their nature. Turn a snow globe into a snowstorm, a hilt engraved in vines into a knife that grapples, the symbols seem important right now.”
"So you're only limited by your understanding of the world and your ability to draw connections?" Trowa's voice was still mild as milk, flat as a snowfield, but there was most definitely a feeling that he found such potential impressive.
“I guess so?” Vex tilted her head thoughtfully. “The obvious imagery helps. Mostly I’ve asked Percy to etch arrows so I can play with it, but I really don’t know the limits.”
"That's the reason we're all here, I guess." Their path was leading them more out of the woods than deeper in now, back toward the school.
“It is,” she agreed. She smiled at Trowa. “How about you, dear? What’s your magic trick?”
"I talk to animals. And I have a few enhancements. Sharp eyes, sharp ears. That sort of thing." He glanced back toward the school. "As I said, not very useful in an offensive capability. But good for keeping an eye on things."
“Ohhh, that is so much better! Anyone can learn to use a weapon. Tracking is so much more useful, and animals? Ohmygoodness. I’m almost afraid to ask if you could talk to Trinket.”
"I don't know." Vex's enthusiasm for Trowa's powers actually provoked a startled blink. "I haven't had any luck communicating with shapeshifters in animal form or anything like that."
Vex worried her bottom lip thoughtfully. She didn’t want to get her hopes up, and she certainly didn’t want to come on too strong. “Would you be willing to try one day?” If Trowa’s gifts included enhanced tracking and animal speech, he could easily become one of her favorite people. If Vex had to pick a power other than her own, that was the best example.
Trowa nodded. "I don't see why not. It hurts nothing to make the attempt."
Vex smiled. “Great. We do okay communicating, he’s a very expressive bear, but it would be nice to know I’m understanding correctly.”
Trowa extended a hand to help Vex over a slick patch. He was more self-assured than strictly graceful, but it amounted to very much the same thing. "Let's go someplace warm, then, if that's what it takes to coax him out."
Vex took Trowa’s hand for the assistance, and squeezed it before releasing. “I am glad I ran into you today.”
