PatientBean

P2e - Threshold of Knowledge - [Ended]

And I'll get something up then also

The Symphony: Modern Magic

_{April 14
Blake Motel - 2:32am}

---

chk....chk...chk...

The sound of the gun clicking resonated along the walls like they were taunting her.

The night had already been penetrated by the sound of the shot before. She felt warm. A mix of relief and the blood that was on her hands. Figuratively and literally. She fought off a chuckle at that thought. Right now wasn't a laughing matter.

Or was it? A monster was dead. Did the heroes not cheer in the stories of old when they defeated the Big Bad? Did they not rejoice and throw parties to celebrate the death? Surely she was allowed that much.

"Oh sweet pea.."

Belladonna froze. It was a nickname she dreaded despite its sweet nature. Only on person called her that and right now he had a bullet hole in his temple. She glanced over slowly to the chair he always sat in, glass of whiskey in his hand, the remote in the other. He was dead.

She felt the hands on her first. Then she smelled the breath, a mix of alcohol and bile. She fell back, but the force fell also on top of her. She looked into her father's eyes. No, this was not her father. It was someone else. Something else. Dark voids filled its eyes, black ooze out of his mouth. Sharp teeth that looked like it could clean an arm off. His skin was sickly, gray and worn.

"You killed me! You suffer!"

She fought hard. She tried to push him off to no avail. She reached for something, anything, to get him off but everything was out of reach. She tried to scream but only a choking sound exited her lips. The being laughed.

"Suffer...."

And it opened its mouth, black ooze pouring out and swallowing her whole.

---

Belladonna woke up with a start, shooting up in the bed the paid for. She felt her hands shaking so she clenched her fists five times like she was taught. She took some deep breaths, in the nose for five, out the mouth for five. She looked around the cheap motel room. The curtains made of itchy fiber, the carpet even worse. The TV that looked like it jumped out of a Sears Catalog from 1984. She was safe.

Or rather she was safe-ish. That's the word she used constantly. Safe-ish. It felt correct considering she wasn't safe anywhere really. What woman was nowadays? The nightmare felt so real. It wasn't the first time she saw him in her dreams. It was the first time he looked like that though. Sometimes her mother was there, a look of disappointment on her face. Sometimes her sisters were there, crying and screaming at her. Sometimes she was there and she saw her younger self, a creepy smile on her face afterwards.

Regardless, she was safe-ish. Sleep would be hard to gain back. But she had to try. She had to be up for work in three hours.

---

_{April 14
Twin Pines Diner - 6:49am}

"Miss, more coffee."

Belladonna leaned against the counter. She heard the words but it went in one ear and out the other. She felt the itchy uniform press against her skin. The skirt too short considering the amount of leaning and bending over she had to do.

"Miss, coffee!"

Belladonna glanced over at the voice attached to the man who looked like he had as much audacity as his tone suggested. She grabbed the coffee pot on her right and walked over. She tipped it into the man's mug slowly. She felt his eyes on her and inching ever so slowly downward. She felt a chill. "Anything else I can get you sir?"

The man smiled and showed his teeth, or lack thereof. God the amount of things going in his head. "Just a smile sweetheart." Belladonna felt her body retch. Did he take that from "How To Be a Douchebag: The Novel"? She imagine dumping the rest of the hot coffee on his lap, doing womankind a favor, but fought it. She needed the job. At least for a few more weeks. Enough to pay for another motel or bed and breakfast father away.

So she smiled. She hated herself, but she smiled. "That's a good girl."

She turned and felt a hand on her ass. She paused, thinking. Did that just happen?

She turned around and looked at the man who looked like a kid caught with his hand on the cookie jar. Appropriate imagery.

"Sir, please do not touch me again." Her tone was neutral despite the fire in her eyes. She didn't want to cause trouble and get fired, but something had to be done. A few other patrons looked over. She was sure they saw what he had done, but were silent. Perhaps because they didn't want to cause a scene. Perhaps because they agreed that a woman's body was not her own. Or perhaps they were all slimeballs.

"What are you going to do darling? Call the police?" His words held a thinly-veiled threat. 'Go ahead. Call them. I either have them in my pocket or they won't care one way or the other.'

So Belladonna turned around, ready to get back to dissociating the rest of her shift. Until she heard the man open his fat, fucking mouth again.

"That's right, bitch."

It was like everything went dark. She heard the sound of glass breaking. She heard the scream. But she didn't see it until her vision came back. The man was keeled over, grabbing his face, screaming like he had been stabbed. But no, he had not been stabbed. She saw the stains on his shirt, a new one joining the party. She saw the glass coffee pot on the ground. She knew what she had done.

"AHHH FUCKING BITCH I'LL KILL YOU GOD DAMMIT!"

She looked around, wondering what to do. Did she run? Did she wait to see what happened? She knew it was only a matter of time before the man got up and came at her. She grabbed the handle of the broken coffee pot, seeing the jagged edges of glass along it. If she had to, she would defend herself. She would leave quickly. She didn't have much with her anyway and she paid for a few nights at the motel.

The bastard deserved it. She knew he did.

Fuck.

The Symphony: Modern Magic

Belladonna Winter

"The future is calling and it's pissed."

_______________________________________________ Belladonna Beatrice Winter Human | She/Her | 26 | Mixed (Caucasian/Indian) | 5'7'' | 132 lbs _______________________________________________ Desire _______________________________________________ Skills & Talents "A woman of many talents." ___________________________________ [+] Tarot Reading ⫻ Belladonna is able to read Tarot cards and garner their meaning for people based on what they are looking for. Sometime Tarot predicts the future and sometimes it guides a person's decision and maps out certain areas like love and finances. Belladonna is skilled in understanding tarot and its history. Lockpicking ⫻ USed out of necessity rather than a want, Belladonna has learned to crack locked doors with ease and finesse. Eidetic Memory ⫻ For as long as she could remember, Belladonna has not forgotten anything she has read. A useful skill to have it is also annoying and, often, causes her to lose sleep. But it can be useful in getting what she wants. Chameleon ⫻ Belladonna is able to blend in when the situation calls for it. A safety measure for her she can fit in with a crowd and move easily within.

Appearance ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ "Each day a different mask, but at least my hair looks good." Belladonna changes up her appearance more for safety, though she is not afraid to play around with fashion choices. Standing at average height and having a thin build. Belladonna's natural hair color is black but she dyes it more often than not, usually in fantastic colors like blue and pink. Belladonna wears make-up in fantastic colors also. Her go-to is a black eyeliner with glitter eyeshadow. Belladonna takes great care in her appearance, especially her nails which, while long, are painted and maintained. Belladonna's clothing style can be described as "bohemian" or "preppy". Belladonna doesn't shy away from most colors but typically prefers light shades. A mix of flowy tops, peasant blouses, long skirts one day and a tank top and maxi skirt the next. Belladonna also widely prefers wearing boots, her favorite being a light pink pair of leather ankle boots.

_{Psychology
^{▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔}}
"I don't do the high road. I match energy."

MAIN GOAL ⫻
Belladonna wants to be able to stay put and set roots somewhere. Having been on the move since she was 18 she has never had a place to call home. She would also like to meet people and form bonds without having to lie or leave the following day, but that's hard when all you have ever known is images moving past a car window.

PHILOSOPHY ⫻
Belladonna maintained a healthy "realist" attitude. Life is not so black and white and there are plenty of instances of gray. She does not trust others easily and is often prickly and quick to sass back or be sarcastic. She does, however, have soft spots for women in drastic situations.

SECRETS AND FEARS ⫻
When Belladonna was 17 she murdered her father. As bad as it sounds, the bastard had it coming. For years he would be abusive to her mother and siblings and, being the oldest, she couldn't take it anymore. So she took one of his guns and blew his brains out. She attempted to make it look like he committed suicide but she didn't stick around long enough to find out.

Belladonna also entered a relationship when she was 19 that ended poorly, with him essentially keeping her locked up in the home. She managed to escape but is sure he is looking for her too. Belladonna is afraid she has too many people searching for her.

SEXUALITY ⫻ Belladonna is demisexual. Due to her history with relationships, Belladonna needs an emotional connection with her partner before things progress.

WHAT WAS THE FIRST DAY WITH MAGIC LIKE? ⫻ Some girls grew up wishing they had magic powers. Belladonna didn't ask for this. The first day being able to see images of the future that may or may not happen or be able to literally see something from the past that didn't happen to you can give a person nightmares. And it does!

FLAWS ⫻ Belladonna has a natural aversion to authority in all forms. She isn't afraid to put herself in a dangerous situation if it helps someone else and her mouth can often get her in trouble.

_{Backstory
^{▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔}}
"I hate it when history repeats itself."

Belladonna knew the back of a fist before she said her first word. Despite living well off, her father was an angry man who never seemed satisfied with his lot in life, always complaining about something or someone. Belladonna's mother often took the brunt of the force, but he made his way through her and her sisters. Until one night Belladonna had enough and shot him. She didn't have a plan after, but she cleaned up the scene as best she could, wrote a note, put the gun in his hands, and ran. She never looked back.

On the road she made the best of the situation, stealing food when she could. She slept on the streets a lot, but she taught herself skills to help, breaking into places to take money and clothes as needed. There were few people she trusted until she ran into Harvey. Instantly smitten he brought her to his home after a day and pined after her. Eventually, Harvey's interests got darker and darker and he would force herself to stay home, locking her in the bedroom. While he never got physically violent, he would be emotionally abusive and would withhold food and water from her. She escaped again.

Belladonna took on various odd jobs to pay for things, though they never lasted more than a few months. Belladonna would lie about her name, get fake IDs and other documents, or would lie and steal to get what she needed. And soon her path crossed into Twin Pines.

_{Magic
^{▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔}}
"For someone trying to forget her past, the magic is rather ironic."

MAGIC ⫻ Divination - Belladonna is able to perceive visions of the future and the past.

MAGIC DESCRIPTION ⫻ Belladonna can look into the future and see what may happen. The future can be in an hour or a matter of days, and typically, she is able to see situations that happen to her or to other people. Belladonna can also see images of the past, whether they are visions or seeing them through physical objects or places. Using these skills, Belladonna can predict the future, learn secrets long forgotten, find hidden things or people, or stop terrible things from happening.

LIMITS ⫻ Belladonna does not have control over this power. The visions come as they please. Belladonna can attempt to do so on her own but it may or may not work.

Belladonna also cannot move or see when she is having a vision. She stands still and her eyes grow cloudy. Visions can be instant or take a while, depending.

WEAKNESSES ⫻ The future is always changing, and Belladonna will need to account for this for possible fluctuation. As well, there can be situations where multiple paths lead to the same destination. So despite her best effort to change the future, she may end up there all the same.

^{Other
_{▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔}}
"You can't escape the past, no matter how much you try."

MISQ SECTION

• Her real name isn't Belladonna
• Belladonna has solved a crime before, but left before the police could thank her
• Belladonna is allergic to shellfish

The Symphony: Modern Magic

Belladonna Winter

"The future is calling and it's pissed."

_______________________________________________ Belladonna Beatrice Winter Human | She/Her | 26 | Mixed (Caucasian/Indian) | 5'7'' | 132 lbs _______________________________________________ Desire _______________________________________________ Skills & Talents "A woman of many talents." ___________________________________ [+] Tarot Reading ⫻ Belladonna is able to read Tarot cards and garner their meaning for people based on what they are looking for. Sometime Tarot predicts the future and sometimes it guides a person's decision and maps out certain areas like love and finances. Belladonna is skilled in understanding tarot and its history. Lockpicking ⫻ USed out of necessity rather than a want, Belladonna has learned to crack locked doors with ease and finesse. Eidetic Memory ⫻ For as long as she could remember, Belladonna has not forgotten anything she has read. A useful skill to have it is also annoying and, often, causes her to lose sleep. But it can be useful in getting what she wants. Chameleon ⫻ Belladonna is able to blend in when the situation calls for it. A safety measure for her she can fit in with a crowd and move easily within.

Appearance ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ "Each day a different mask, but at least my hair looks good." Belladonna changes up her appearance more for safety, though she is not afraid to play around with fashion choices. Standing at average height and having a thin build. Belladonna's natural hair color is black but she dyes it more often than not, usually in fantastic colors like blue and pink. Belladonna wears make-up in fantastic colors also. Her go-to is a black eyeliner with glitter eyeshadow. Belladonna takes great care in her appearance, especially her nails which, while long, are painted and maintained. Belladonna's clothing style can be described as "bohemian" or "preppy". Belladonna doesn't shy away from most colors but typically prefers light shades. A mix of flowy tops, peasant blouses, long skirts one day and a tank top and maxi skirt the next. Belladonna also widely prefers wearing boots, her favorite being a light pink pair of leather ankle boots.

_{Psychology
^{▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔}}
"I don't do the high road. I match energy."

MAIN GOAL ⫻
Belladonna wants to be able to stay put and set roots somewhere. Having been on the move since she was 18 she has never had a place to call home. She would also like to meet people and form bonds without having to lie or leave the following day, but that's hard when all you have ever known is images moving past a car window.

PHILOSOPHY ⫻
Belladonna maintained a healthy "realist" attitude. Life is not so black and white and there are plenty of instances of gray. She does not trust others easily and is often prickly and quick to sass back or be sarcastic. She does, however, have soft spots for women in drastic situations.

SECRETS AND FEARS ⫻
When Belladonna was 17 she murdered her father. As bad as it sounds, the bastard had it coming. For years he would be abusive to her mother and siblings and, being the oldest, she couldn't take it anymore. So she took one of his guns and blew his brains out. She attempted to make it look like he committed suicide but she didn't stick around long enough to find out.

Belladonna also entered a relationship when she was 19 that ended poorly, with him essentially keeping her locked up in the home. She managed to escape but is sure he is looking for her too. Belladonna is afraid she has too many people searching for her.

SEXUALITY ⫻ Belladonna is demisexual. Due to her history with relationships, Belladonna needs an emotional connection with her partner before things progress.

WHAT WAS THE FIRST DAY WITH MAGIC LIKE? ⫻ Some girls grew up wishing they had magic powers. Belladonna didn't ask for this. The first day being able to see images of the future that may or may not happen or be able to literally see something from the past that didn't happen to you can give a person nightmares. And it does!

FLAWS ⫻ Belladonna has a natural aversion to authority in all forms. She isn't afraid to put herself in a dangerous situation if it helps someone else and her mouth can often get her in trouble.

_{Backstory
^{▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔}}
"I hate it when history repeats itself."

Belladonna knew the back of a fist before she said her first word. Despite living well off, her father was an angry man who never seemed satisfied with his lot in life, always complaining about something or someone. Belladonna's mother often took the brunt of the force, but he made his way through her and her sisters. Until one night Belladonna had enough and shot him. She didn't have a plan after, but she cleaned up the scene as best she could, wrote a note, put the gun in his hands, and ran. She never looked back.

On the road she made the best of the situation, stealing food when she could. She slept on the streets a lot, but she taught herself skills to help, breaking into places to take money and clothes as needed. There were few people she trusted until she ran into Harvey. Instantly smitten he brought her to his home after a day and pined after her. Eventually, Harvey's interests got darker and darker and he would force herself to stay home, locking her in the bedroom. While he never got physically violent, he would be emotionally abusive and would withhold food and water from her. She escaped again.

Belladonna took on various odd jobs to pay for things, though they never lasted more than a few months. Belladonna would lie about her name, get fake IDs and other documents, or would lie and steal to get what she needed. And soon her path crossed into Twin Pines.

_{Magic
^{▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔}}
"For someone trying to forget her past, the magic is rather ironic."

MAGIC ⫻ Divination - Belladonna is able to perceive visions of the future and the past.

MAGIC DESCRIPTION ⫻ Belladonna can look into the future and see what may happen. The future can be in an hour or a matter of days, and typically, she is able to see situations that happen to her or to other people. Belladonna can also see images of the past, whether they are visions or seeing them through physical objects or places. Using these skills, Belladonna can predict the future, learn secrets long forgotten, find hidden things or people, or stop terrible things from happening.

LIMITS ⫻ Belladonna does not have control over this power. The visions come as they please. Belladonna can attempt to do so on her own but it may or may not work.

Belladonna also cannot move or see when she is having a vision. She stands still and her eyes grow cloudy. Visions can be instant or take a while, depending.

WEAKNESSES ⫻ (DO NOT FILL THIS OUT, I WILL PROVIDE IT FOR YOU)

^{Other
_{▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔}}
"You can't escape the past, no matter how much you try."

MISQ SECTION

• Her real name isn't Belladonna
• Belladonna has solved a crime before, but left before the police could thank her
• Belladonna is allergic to shellfish

Recollections: Primal Sinister

Interactions: Freya (@NoriWasHere), Mentioned: Varnan (@Blizz)

---

Quill waited what she thought was an appropriate amount of time. After disposing the corpse of the Doppelganger and ensuring the body of the female customer was appropriately taken care of for return to her family and loved ones, Quill made a stop at a nearby cafe to load up on caffeine.

It had been a day. She had thought, her first mistake, that it would be a simple thing to go into a bakery and ask the owner about one of her employees. Hell, the employee in question might have been working that day and that would have taken care of everything.

Instead she wound up in some….unfortunate business.Ha, business. Bakery.

Once she was satisfied with her caffeine intake (read: not at all enough), Quill made her way out and pulled out her phone, dialing then number she found. She waited, hoping the woman would pick up. She had some awkward questions and information.

Freya had remained in her bakery after everyone had left and had closed down while she cleaned up. The concussion to her head had not gotten much better but the family doctor was on his way to Freya to treat and monitor and would likely not leave her side until the following day. The fight had destroyed much of her shop, and her broom and dustpan would not be enough to fix it all, and instead, they would need to wait for the crew to arrive the next morning.

Freya’s phone began to ring, and her eyes slowly shifted to the charging stand that she had it on. She walked over and answered the call.

“Hello?”

Quill let out a small breath she had been holding. Their’s was the generation that didn’t answer phone calls, especially from unknown numbers. ”Hello Ms. Collins? My name is Quill St. Sebastien, I am a private investigator. I don’t know if you heard of me but I was in your bakery when certain….events happened. I wanted to see if I can ask you some questions.”

“Certain events?” Freya sighed as they rubbed their pain-filled head. “Yes. I don’t remember you but I don’t think I remember who was or wasn’t here. How can I help you?”

”We haven’t met Ms. Collins. I was in your bakery when it was attacked and I helped some of the people there. I am also the one that cleaned up the remaining…bodies and wiped the security from inside and outside. My questions pertain to one of your employees by the name of Varnan. I was wondering if I could talk to him. It pertains to a case I was assigned and I would very much prefer to speak in-person. I can give you my information if you want to check me out before disclosing any information.”

“I should thank you for that, the cleaning crew I was sent did not have to do much” Freya paused as she thought over the request, “but Varnan? I can’t give you his information without his consent but I’m happy to take a message that I can give him next time he’s in,” Freya paused as the thought of when that might be floated past her mind, “would that work?”

Quill knew there would be resistance. After all she was a stranger asking for information about someone. ”And I won’t even charge you for it.” The cleanup had been easy thanks to the help she had garnered. Though it was interesting to see the owner of a bakery have a clean-up crew. Something told Quill this wasn’t the first time something like a doppelganger attacking happened.

”That’s understandable. Can you tell him that I am looking into some recent activity for my client who owns some property that is experiencing a high level of threats? My client is interested in working with Varnan regarding this problem. You can let him know we can meet in person at a place of his choosing.”

“I can do that. Is there a number I can leave for him, or is this more of a ‘I have a certain set of skills, I will find you,’ kind of meet up” Freya groaned as her headache returned at full force. She would need to mind her steps the next time a monstrous entity tries to destroy her bakery.

”I mean, I do have that certain set of skills, but no you can give him my number and have him reach out to me.” Quill rattled off her phone number before continuing. ”And let me know if you need any help in the future. I don’t want to assume monster attacks are a normal thing for you, but I’ve lived here long enough to know it’s not totally uncommon.”

“Thank you I got it. Is there anything I can do for you to thank you” Freya asked genuinely.

”At the moment, no. But perhaps I’ll need a favor in the future. But please, pass on the message to Varnan and I’ll be in touch. Thank you Ms. Collins.”

“Likewise,” Freya responded as she ended the call and looked up in her office. “I am never going to financially recover from this.”

Avengers Academy: Junior Year 💥

---

---

Sabine & Leah

---

---

Sabine had left C.A.G.E and began walking to her car, unsure if Leah was behind her or not. She didn’t say goodbye to the receptionist who wished her a ‘pleasant day’ (the bitch!). Inside her head was a swirl of emotions. Anger ruled the day though.

Once Sabine got closer she paused and kicked the front of her car, setting off the alarm. ”Goddammit!” she screamed, alerting nearby people to her presence. She didn’t care. She hated herself, she nearly hated April and she hated herself more for even thinking she hated April. Sabine tried to take a deep breath and found it got caught in her throat.

She didn’t get broken up with, even for a good reason.

Leah halfheartedly kicked the front tire of the car, expecting the thing to shut up, and it didn’t. This day was going to get worse, she could already feel it.

”How the fuck do you shut this damn thing down?” She asked, a little withdrawn.

Sabine took out her key and shut the alarm off. She stood still for a minute. ”This sucks. Everything sucks.” Sabine then sat down on the curb and curled her knees up to her chest. She wanted to scream again, but figured if she did someone in C.A.G.E would come and grab her and throw her in a room.

”Fuck everything.”

Leah sat down next to her, swept her hair to one side and put an arm around Sabine. ”Yeah. It’s like we did something wrong and she just won’t tell us, isn’t it?”

”Did we? I mean we should know what’s going on with her, right? I know I felt a mental block when we were in the dorms when Danni set it on fire, but I chalked it up to what was happening then. She’s been like this for a while now and I couldn’t see it. Too wrapped up in my own shit.”

”Me either… Unless you come out and tell me something’s wrong, I’m not likely to notice.” Leah pulled her in close. ”I don’t understand how people do that.”

”I support her mental health journey, but it sucks. Like I was part of the reason she was suffering so much. When your partner goes through something like that you stick with them and support them, not leave them to handle it alone. And one of the worst parts of it is I find myself blaming Dorian and Danni to an extent, because she told them first. And I hate thinking that.”

”You heard what we were talking about. You were right there for it,” Leah noted. ”Some people feel weird about dating crazy people, don’t they? And April’s anxious as shit about a lot of things. I don’t know, maybe that scared her.”

”You don’t abandon people you care about though. I get it, I really do. Doesn’t mean I have to like it.” Sabine waited a moment before she stood up suddenly. ”I need to hit something that isn’t another person or my personal property. Any suggestions?”

”There’s a gym full of things meant to be punched. But we’re not abandoning anything, ‘Bine. She’s still our friend like she said, right?”

Right?

Sabine didn’t answer. ”Let’s go to the gym. I’ll drive.” Sabine then got in her car and turned it on, waiting for Leah before she peeled from the parking spot.

She knew deep down this wasn’t abandonment. She knew that.

She did, right?

”Some of the bags back at the school have adamantium in them, so don’t punch the ones that I punch,” Leah suggested. ”You’ll break your whole hands doing that.”

Gonna punch adamantium and watch it crumble,” Sabine mumbled to herself. She drove quickly, wanting to let off this intense energy exuding off of her. ”You seem relatively calmer compared to me. I don’t know if I like this dynamic.”

There’s a long pause as Leah wonders whether she’s going to make this worse.

”This is gonna sound stupid, but I don’t understand stuff like this,” She admitted. ”It’s not great. I mean- Fuck, Sabine, she’s in a… That’s a fucking psych ward full of people who don’t know her. Who she’s supposed to trust. That’s fucked up, and she can’t even leave- She’s basically in prison. And yeah, she just broke up with us, but- I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel about this, okay? I’m- It feels like I did something and she doesn’t want to admit that I’m the problem, you know that? Maybe she’s just lying and that shitty place is a perfect excuse to cover herself because she’s afraid I’d get mad. I’ve got this fucking- There’s a voice in my head all the time telling me shit like that. I don’t know why, there just is.”

Sabine hated to sound like the therapist so she stayed quiet for a bit. ”Psych wards are not a bad place Leah. Well, psych wards in most countries aren’t, but here maybe not so much. But she seems happy and the place appears like it is taking care of them. And you heard her, she made a friend here.”

“Maybe we are the problem. I can’t speak for you but…I don’t know with what happened with Arcade and the Contest, I’ve been reflecting on things more. I think I took her for granted and made it worse. I think I jumped in with her too quickly.”

Leah wondered if that was the case with her, too.

”...She meant a lot to me ever since I showed up. I never had friends before I met April. She’s great. She’s great to be around and talk to and-” She really was fumbling words a lot right now. ”I guess I’ve always loved her, not just for a few months. Is that a normal thing?”

”The heart wants what the heart wants or whatever the saying is.” Did Sabine feel the same though? She liked April. She even said she loved her, but didn’t you know the person you love and how they felt? ”Normal is subjective and overrated. We are literally people with superpowers. What’s normal?”

”I don’t know, that’s why I’m asking. I mean, shit, I’m dating you somehow, and I didn’t think that would happen. I’m the last person on Earth you should be asking what normal is. Especially when it’s something like this.”

”What the hell does that mean? Why wouldn’t that happen?” Sabine’s grip on the wheel tensed, why was she now getting angry at Leah? If anything, Leah was all she had at the moment. She took a deep breath and loosened her grip. ”Sorry, lots of feelings happening.”

”Yeah…” Leah was trying her hardest not to feel anything right now. If she did, she wasn’t going to stop. ”I’m just saying. It’s- Did you think it would happen? We were always at each other’s throats, and look at us now. You know what I mean, right? Am I making any sense here?”

”No one expects anything Leah. People become friends with the most random people, people fall in love and lose love, it’s all bullshit and we are just along for the ride. No I didn’t see it coming, but it doesn’t mean it’s any less wonderful to me.”

”Me either. I’m happy with you. And April. Well- You know. It sucks.” Fucking Rocks-For-Brains, of course it sucks. She knows that. ”It would suck without you, too… Sorry.”

”We are in uncharted territory. I honestly don’t know if I am going to be able to keep being friends with her. Obviously I want her to get better and I want to be supportive and help her. But it’s going to suck pretending like everything is fine when it isn’t.” Sabine felt her throat hitch again and felt the need to hold her wrist again, but she held firm.

”Damn, we do need therapy.”

Leah wanted to say she was doing perfectly fine without it. She didn’t. ”Who said we had to pretend everything is fine? We’re not at C.A.G.E. right now. Just punch something and beat the fucking brakes off of someone who says you shouldn’t. Seriously, fuck anybody else right now.”

”You’re right, fuck everyone else.” Sabine pulled over to the side of the road and put the car in park. Then she grabbed Leah’s neck and pulled her in for a kiss. She held it long and lingering. Once separated she leaned back in the seat. ”Now I want to punch something. Hard.”

That kiss was great. Rain in the fucking drought, the drought being the breakup. ”You could punch me and I wouldn’t even feel it, if you tried not to hurt yourself.” She leaned in for a second kiss. It felt a little hollow kissing Sabine right after April broke up with them, but fuck everyone.

Sabine returned it, savoring it for the moment. Fuck everyone else. ”I’m feeling destructive. Let’s go break things until we feel better. Whenever that is.” Sabine put the car back in drive and peeled away.

---

”That is not how you throw a punch. Look, watch me.”

Leah held her fist up, keeping it in line with her arm. She pointed it at the punching bag hanging from the ceiling and turned her upper body as it made contact. The whole damn thing swung up and nearly smacked Sabine on her blonde little ass.

”You don’t just hit it with your hand. You hit it with your arm, and your shoulder. And you keep your fist straight or you’ll dislocate it. Try again.”

”Do you not punch with your arm and shoulder? Isn’t that all attached to the hand?” Sabine hadn’t done this before. She took tae kwon do before, but that was mainly kicking. She tried again, aiming her fist at the punching bag and doing her best to mimic Leah.

Either way it felt good to hit something.

”Sure, but not everyone uses the rest of that to actually throw a punch. You can punch someone to punch them, or you can punch someone to actually do something. That’s better. See, I could throw a whole horse over my shoulders, and watch the difference.”
Leah swung her fist at the bag without moving her upper body, trying no less to pummel it. It wasn’t struck with nearly as much force.

”For one thing, not doing it properly can injure you. You’ll break fingers, split your knuckles open or even snap your wrist. And if your fist doesn’t hurt somebody, you’re gonna lose if you’re depending on them.”

Sabine listened, but fuck it if she took anything in. ”I just want to punch something dammit.” Sabine punched again, trying to listen and use her hand and not her elbow or whatever. She hit the bad, feeling the force come back at her. ”A lot easier to picture someone’s face on it, I’ll tell you that much.”

”Yeah. If that was someone’s face, you would’ve put them on their ass,” Leah commented. ”...Even if you can’t punch worth a damn.”

She was smiling. Sabine’s sassy, snarky energy was getting contagious.

Sabine stuck her tongue out. ”I can literally make someone revert back to a baby if I want or melt their brain from the inside, I don’t need to throw a punch, I just want to break something and this is better than actually committing a crime.” Though Sabine would not have minded some “be gay, do crime” shit.

”I don’t need to throw a punch either. You could ask anytime, and I’d help you figure out how to get good at it, though. I wouldn’t mind. I could teach you this…”

Leah jumped into the air, spun around in a circle and kicked the bag so hard the chain nearly snapped. She landed like a cat.

”It’s easier than it looks.”

Okay, that was hot.

Sabine marveled a bit. ”All right, show off. Teach me how to throw a hit and I can teach you something in return. But golly gee, what could I teach you?” Sabine asked, suggestively.

”Dunno… I still have the sword Nimue gave me,” Leah suggested, completely missing the suggestiveness of Sabine’s suggestion.

”Okay. Pick one, a punch or a kick.”

Sabine was not surprised over the obvious hint going over Leah’s head. ”A kick then. You know I got legs for days.”

”Yeah.” That, she knew.

”Okay… Let’s just do an easy one.” Leah stepped back and spun around on the heel of her left foot. Her right heel whirled around and hooked the punching back to demonstrate.

”You need to keep all your balance on one leg, and when you start spinning, the momentum will keep you upright,” She explained. ”Keep your arms close to your body, but not too close. You want to be able to catch yourself, and it makes it easier to keep yourself steady when you land. Swing your leg out, twist your foot sideways and swing down when you’re about to hit something.”

Sabine took the stance Leah showed her. She was better at kicking, but didn’t want to say it. She followed Leah’s directions as best she could. She spun on her left foot, holding her arms as close as was comfortable, before maneuvering her right foot when she was close to hitting the bag. She stumbled a bit, but she hit. ”Oh, I’m so dizzy.” She played it off, moving closer to Leah as she pretend stumbled. ”I need someone to hold me steady.”

Leah put a hand out, grabbing Sabine by the waist. ”Easy, right? Next time, pick a spot and keep your head turned in that direction. Like whoever it is you’re trying to kick. Help you avoid getting dizzy and it makes it easier to not miss.”

She was oblivious.

”Jesus Christ Leah I am flirting with you! I wanted to hit something, I hit something, and now I want to hit something else.” Sometimes you had to lay it all out there.

Leah stared at her.

And stared some more, blinking slowly.

”Why didn’t you just say so?”

”Trying to be sexy here! It’s not really hot if I just said ‘hey, let’s have sex’ and that be it. I often forget how thick-headed you are. Good thing you’re hot.”

Well, now Leah just felt stupid. ”You don’t have to try with me, you know that? I mean, it’s easy when you’re the one trying.” She tugged on Sabine’s waist, bringing her a little closer. ”Just saying.”

Sabine smiled, closing the distance. She no longer cared about punching or kicking, forgetting the day’s earlier moments. She was here and now. And sometimes, that’s all that mattered.
Leah bent down and kissed her. Knowing Sabine, they weren’t going to wait long.

”So… We are going back to the dorms first, right?” That was Leah trying to be funny again, implying Sabine would just lock the gym doors. But surely she wouldn’t. Right?

Sabine put up her pointer finger in a ‘just wait’ moment. She walked over to the doors to the gym and turned the lock. She came back.

”Dorms are easy mode. Let’s get wild.”

X-Men: Cosmic Crusades 👽

---

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Peregrine Mayfield

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---

Location: New Orleans, Gardens
Skills: Combative Summoning, Spiritual Energy Blast
Fit Of The Day

---

This Jesus freak was pissing Perry off. Despite her best efforts, Exodus had taken a hit and was still gunning for them. And he really liked using vehicles. "I do not accept Christ in my....wait..goddess?" Perry believed the world was women, but this was a first.

She had a moment's clarity as she felt the hurt in her arm heal. Ed had seemingly healed her. Before she knew what to do and who to thank she saw a car coming at her. Pietro had managed to pull her away in time, though the others were not so lucky. "Thanks man."

Perry had enough of this dude. Nodding at her spirits, Detective Ed pushed forward, grabbing on to Exodus' legs and freezing him in place. Adonatille summoned a curse on him, changing his luck. With two great feats done, Perry attempted to summon that nergy back and hit him, but her shot went wide, missing him. "Big talk from a man lobbing cars at us! Didn't Jesus preach love and kindness? Or does your goddess enjoy the pain of others hypocrite!"

Avengers Academy: Junior Year 💥

Sabine Bassard

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Location: Dr. Whitehall's Therapy Office, School
Skills: N/A
Fit Of The Day: Preppy Outfit

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---

Trigger Warning

This posts includes talk of self-harm.

Dr. Maeve Whitehall looked at the new folder on her desk. Sabine Bassard. Powers included memory alteration, psychometry, and memory enhancement. It was also noted that Sabine was the one to ultimately change Arcade. Other than that, standard faire.

Maeve closed the file and pondered how to approach the girl. She would be one of few clients assigned that had her guard up.

____________________________________

Sabine entered the office at the designated time, albeit a few minutes late. She hated this. Therapy was bad enough, but mandated was worse than that.

The office was filled with white walls accented with gold spirals and flecks. In the middle was a seating area with white, leather chairs and a light gold sofa. On the table had some magazines and some books, therapy related as well as fashion material. The rug underneath was gold as well. Pictures hung on the wall of, what she assumed was, the therapist and her family. The desk was organized and had some knickknacks on it.

Maeve sat in one of the armchairs and looked up as Sabine entered. "Hello Sabine. My name is Dr. Maeve Whitehall, but please call me Maeve or Dr. Whitehall, whichever you prefer. Please, take a seat where you want. And let me know if the room is to your liking. I can change it as needed."

Sabine walked forward and took a seat on the sofa. She stared hard at Maeve. "Dr. Whitehall, if you don't mind. We aren't on a first-name basis." Sabine chided herself being so rude at the start, but the entire room made her itchy. "And the office looks...fine. A bit on the nose though."

Maeve tilted her head slgithyl. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well it's clear you decorated it how I might like it. It looks fine, honestly."

Maeve nodded. "I'll admit I did tailor it, but only to make you feel more comfortable. I can change it as needed though." Maeve signaled this by altering the colors on the wall, now a mix of pink, blue, and silver. The color of the chairs and rug changed too. "That's my mutant power though. That and emotional empathy. So, Ms. Bassard, have you been in therapy before?"

Sabine watched as the good doctor changed the room like nothing. Sabine had to admit it was pretty cool, though she would never admit it. "Impressive." Sabine hesitated, briefly, at the next question. "Why, is that not in my folder?"

"It isn't, but even then I try not to know too much about the people I work with when I first see them. I want to hear from you."

"Well then, yes, I have been in therapy before."

Maeve nodded, "Good, then you are aware of confidentiality. I'll remind you that what we talk about in this room stays in this room unless you give me permission to. Also there are some other rules that, if they pertain, may mean I need to break confidentiality. Those include if you want to hurt yourself or someone else, if there is child or vulnerable adult abuse, or if the police get involved and even then I would fight them on it. Does that make sense?"

Sabine listened. She heard the spiel before and knew that information like what happened in therapy wasn't fully private. Her last therapist proved that. "Yeah, makes sense."

"Good, then let's get into it. How are you feeling about all of this? Being in therapy after recent events?"

Sabine shook her head slightly, "Well being forced to be here sucks, if I am being honest. Nothing against you, I'm sure you're great, but I don't really enjoy being forced to talk about myself if I do not want to."

Maeve held her hands up. "Well, I am sorry to hear that, but while I know Coulson recommended this, you do not have to stay if you do not want to. It won't be held against you. But if you do stick around I would like to talk more with you, see if we can come to an understanding of sorts. You don't even have to continue sessions after this if you do not want to. But since you are here, why not use this time?"

Sabine gave it some thought. She didn't fully trust this doctor. But she was here, so she may as well stick around. "Fine. You asked about how I felt? Lousy. The thing with Arcade was horrible. Hearing I technically died and have it played out so nonchalantly messes you up. So yeah, it sucked."

Maeve nodded and wrote something down. "Yes, I know what happened for the most part. I am sorry you and your friends went through that. What did you mean about how it was played out nonchalantly?"

"Well we were brought back to life, but Nemo made it seem so...cold. Like he didn't really care about us but more that the time field or whatever was out of whack now and other realities. Honestly, I tuned him out after that."

"Yes, Nemo doesn't have the most tact, though I do believe he cares. He just shows it a different way. I also heard that it was thanks to you that Arcade changed his ways and is getting help. How are you handling that?"

Sabine shrugged. "I'm glad he's getting help, I guess. It's weird how he went from being homicidal to remorseful, I don't know how I feel about having that power."

"I imagine that can be stressful, being responsible for that much change in a person. How are you handling the pressure of that on top of the other things going on like the contest?"

Sabine took a breath, but it hitched a bit. She instinctively grabbed her wrist. "It's fine. Comes with the territory of being a teenager and a superhero."

Maeve glanced down briefly before returning her eye contact. "Your anxiety spiked up heavily there when you grabbed your wrist. Are you feeling okay Sab-...Ms. Bassard?"

Sabine felt heat rise to her cheeks. How dare she read her without permission! Sabine let go of her wrist, "It's fine! I'm fine, it doesn't mean anything." Especially given the whole confidentiality speech, Sabine didn't want to bring it up.

"It's all right if you aren't feeling fine though. You all are, understandably, under a lot of pressure on top of dealing with the trauma of being attacked and killed. Lots of people wouldn't be so good about it. Pardon me for being so basic about it, but it is okay to not be okay. Even for brief moments."

Sabine rolled her eyes. "Right, should stitch that on a pillow." Sabine took a few deep breaths before she continued. "I'm doing okay compared to the others. Seems like everyone is either falling apart or holding it together for everyone else's sake, but I know if I do then others would follow, so I can't lose it."

"That's a lot of pressure to be adding to yourself. It sounds like you have people who care about you though, why not let them know how you are doing?"

Sabine lightly chuckled again. "April is like five seconds away of unspiriling. Leah has the emotional maturity of a cactus. Danni doesn't do hard feelings and I prefer keeping the nearby buildings standing and not on fire. Dorian lies to himself a lot about things. All of which is to say, no, I don't talk to them about anything. They have enough stuff to deal with than my B.S."

Maeve smiled, hearing some familiar names. "Still, keeping it all in and bottled inside doesn't do you good either. What about your parents?"

Sabine laughed out lout at that. "Right, my father prefers throwing money at me to keep me quiet, my step-mother hates my guts, and my step-siblings are annoying. My birth mother is dead and she was...she was the only one who listened to me."

"I am so sorry to hear that. How long ago was this, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Since I was very young. I don't remember a whole lot, but I can hear her voice sometimes. My father doesn't keep pictures of her around anymore. She...she was.." Sabine gripped her wrist again, feeling the pulse within.

"When was the last time you self-harmed Sabine?" Maeve reverted back to first names. It felt like time.

Sabine looked up, anger rising first, before she let go of her wrist again. The spike in anxiety, the feelings of sadness. "Not since I was very young. My last therapist informed my father of it and he sent me off to some resort or asylum, I still don't know what it was to this day. I don't want to go back there so I never did it again."

"I'm proud of you for fighting the urge. If you would like, I know of some tools to help with those feelings that rise up."

Sabine didn't meet Maeve's gaze, keeping her head low. "Yeah....okay.."

"You have a support system here from what it sounds like. How's that going?"

"Feels like things are getting out of control. I feel myself getting angry at them for things they can't help. Like for example, we were told the teams we had previously been a part of were now getting reformed and we were given the right to decide who is on what team. I happened to like the team I was on, though that started off weird, but I think we meshed well and then one of my friends, Danni, decided to take it upon himself to team up with Apil and Dorian without asking anyone else. Like I get it's been their dream to be a team together but they spend almost every waking minute together, like give someone else a chance! And then to top it off me, Leah, and Percy were included almost like an afterthought. The other person on our team, Zelda, she wasn't even considered by him and I felt angry on her behalf, even if she didn't want to be n our team, we could have asked."

"I understand where your coming from and I agree you have a right to be upset. Do you think he meant any harm by it?"

Sabine shook her head, "No, of course not. He's one of the sweetest people in the world. I know he has good intentions but sometimes that's not enough. People get hurt with good intentions."

"I imagine you would know better than most about that. I would encourage you to talk to Danni about your feelings. You should feel able to talk to your friends and partners about what you are experiencing. It isn't healthy to hold it all in."

Sabine scoffed, though she didn't fully mean it. She knew, deep down, Maeve was right. "I'll think about it."

"Good, that's all I ask. Since we are running out of time here, I wanted to see if you wished to continue this or not. You are, of course, allowed to say no and my door will always be open to you, but I think we can work through some of the feelings your having. If not, take my card at least and reach out if you need anything." Maeve pulled out a card and handed it over to Sabine.

Sabine took it and looked at it before putting it away. She still didn't like therapy. Still felt at any moment he good doctor would reach out to her father and spill everything she said, making it worse. "Maybe."

"That's fair. Why don't I set up an appointment for next week and you can come if you want and if you don't that's also fine."

Sabine nodded and stood up, making her way out of the office. She felt prickly still, like her own memories had been altered. But surely Maeve didn't do that, right?

Avengers Academy: Junior Year 💥

Sabine Bassard

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Location: Dorm Room -> Dorm Hallway
Skills: N/A
Fit Of The Day: School Uniform (Sweater Variant)

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---

Far be it from Sabine to ruin a good time. The fact Danni's egg hatched and it was an adorable baby dragon should be a wonderful moment. Social media worthy. Something to share with those he was closest to. And to his credit, he did. A beautiful moment shared with Dorian and April.

Not her. Not Leah. Not Percy.

Sabine felt heat rush to her head. She was angry? Why? A close call led to something marvelous. But it was hard to reconcile that it started off with...tragedy. Danni nearly set the building on fire. She kenw him well enough to know he didn't do so intentionally. No, it had to be an accident. An emotional outburst like what happened in his past. But what would have warranted that? And what upset her more was the sheer flip of emotions from panic to delight. How quickly he could turn on a dime, how quickly he could forget other people if their names didn't begin with D or A.

And that's really what burned her. One moment of tragedy and he turned it into something in his favor. They had died. Came back, sure, but died. And as soon as there was an option to redistribute the teams they had been assigned he jumped on it and immediately grabbed Dorian and April. And the rest were afterthoughts. And Zelda was thrown away with no regard. She would need to talk to Danni later, once things calmed down.

And April. God, what was even going on with her? A strong concoction of emotions and a buried deep force inside her mind. She hid it well, sure. But there was more there.

Sabine shook her head and turned to make it to her floor, to assure everyone she was okay. She had followed Leah, though she was a few steps behind. Still, once she made it she stood next to Leah, brushing shoulders. Despite it all, Leah was a foundation for her. "Yeah, we're here."

The Dead Don't Die.

Location: New York City, Repair Shop
Skills: N/A

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Sure enough their fears were recognized when the woman, clearly dead, began moving around. Verity glanced at the toolbox and grabbed a hammer, not wanting to be without protection this time. Verity looked at Gus as the man yelled in fear. Now was not the time to panic.

Flynn's idea was stupid, but what choice did they have other than attacking her again? Verity nodded and waited as Flynn baited the woman outside. Verity ran to the door and waited. As Flynn ran back, Verity clutched the hammer tighter. As soon as Flynn was inside, Verity would slam the door shut and lock it.

She hoped the dead woman was to dumb to know how to unlock a door.