[SCT]Snow Covered Sketches

[Roxana Strix]

Roxana had known from the start that going on this trip was going to cause her a lot of problems. By a lot, mainly three that she knew she was not going to be able to avoid no matter how hard she tried. One was the fact that she had to now collect information, research, and map out the whole area that the events were going to be taking place. Two, it was going to feel like she was back at home with the cold weather and the whole winter wonderland look which was going to make her feel a little more on the soft side. Three, was the fact that she knew she was going to have to draw so much.

It was not like she had to for work or anything, it was just the artistic side of her refused to be shoved down long enough for her to fully do her job. She didn't really have a choice in the matter of coming on the trip or not. A few of her targets were her and while there were some that had remained back at the school, the priority ones were here so she was as well. The first problem of the three she knew she was going to have to deal with was mostly taken care of. She was still suffering from the second one as she looked around outside, thinking of home. Yet, the third problem was quickly taking over as she let out a deep sigh.

"Why does the snow make everything look so beautiful?" Roxana could not help but to ask out loud as she pulled out her sketch book and started to sketch away. She walked around, sketching building here, trees there, and a few students and staff in various locations. It was all so wonderful, so peaceful, yet almost sad on some levels. The sadness made her pause for a moment, leaving her to be a victim of snow falling down from a branch and hitting her on the head. This resulted in her dropping her sketch book and pencil.

"Not good." Roxana muttered under her breath and she shook the snow off of herself and quickly went searching for the two items. Once would think a sketch book would be easier to find then a pencil, but she found the pencil first just as more snow fell down from the tree and cover up where she was looking. The sketch book was more important. It had certain drawings in it that Rox didn't want anyone seeing in it.

[Olivia Chance]

Olivia had packed a cozy sweater, and so now she was wearing it. She had just been walking aimlessly enjoying the snow when she saw the woman looking for something. At least that's what it looked like. She made her way over.

"What's not good." Then she realized the woman was looking through the snow.

"Damn. If I could use my powers better, I'd be so much more help. But I'll help anyways. Dunno what I'm looking for, but I assume I'll know when I see it." With that, she looked through. Putting her hands in the snow was cold, but definitely not unpleasant. There was something with this. Maybe her water manipulating gave her an affinity of some sort with anything that was water in some form, because she honestly just felt so...so full of energy.

[Roxana Strix]

Heard the person approaching and did take a moment to glance up to see that it was, making sure they were not a threat. She knew of the girl right away, it was her job to know at least a little bit about the people that were around her. It was easier to look up information on those that were going on the trip since there were not a lot of kids who had signed up. A lot of kids went home, stayed at the school, or were on the trip. The girl was not a threat so she went back to her searching but still heard what was said to her.

"I dropped my sketch book. It's very important to me." Roxana said. It was the truth, it was very important to her in terms of she didn't really want anyone looking though it unless she was showing it to them. Even then she would only show them certain drawings, while the rest she would keep hidden. Yet, the notebook was not that important to her that if she had been ordered to get rid of it, she would not hesitate to toss it into the fire. She would regret it, but she would do it. The girl brought up how she wished she had better control over her power so she could help but that she was going to help anyway.

Roxana could not help but to chuckle slightly as she shook her head at the offer to help even with not knowing what she was looking for. "That is pretty dangerous to offer your services to someone you don't know and don't know what they are looking for." Roxana pointed out, but she was not going to stop the girl from helping. She just hoped the girl didn't go looking thorough it if she found it first. Not all the images drawn were PG and some of them were drawing of people the girl might have met at the school. "It's a sketch book. Tan cover." Roxana pointed out, figuring she at least let the girl know what she was looking for.

[Olivia Chance]

Olivia nodded and kept looking. When she said it was dangerous for her to offer her services to someone she didn't know and not know what she was looking for, Olivia shrugged.

"You looked upset. I hate seeing people upset. If I lost one of my favourite books, or my iPod, I'd freak out and wish someone would help me. I really have no business wishing that unless I'd be willing to do the same turn for someone else. Besides, I don't get a bad feeling about you. I'm generally a good judge of character. Practice makes perfect." When you'd been burned, you learned how to avoid the flame again. This girl wasn't that fire to avoid. Olivia smiled slightly.

"So you're an artist then? Cool. You any good?" Bluntness was kind of something Olivia had a habit of doing. If people were offended by it, that was their problem. She was just putting her opinions out there. She knew people weren't usually as chill as she was, but they should be.

[Roxana Strix]

Roxana raised an eyebrow at the words about her looking upset. She did suppose that she didn't look particularly happy, but she didn't really walk around looking like she was in a good mood. She was pretty sure she often looked like she was deep in through, busy with something, and when she was drawing yes she did appear to be in a good mood. Then again, theses were all what she thought she looked like to others but she could not be sure since she could not see herself unless she was standing in front of something that provided her with a reflection.

"I can understand wanting to help others in hopes someone would do the same for you." Roxana responded back, it made perfect sense. Do onto others as you would want them to do onto you and all of that. Roxana didn't agree with the part about feeling like Roxana was not giving her any bad feelings. It was the girl's own opinion on her so Roxana was not going to say anything about it. She didn't agree with it in any case, but her focus was on finding her sketch book. She did in fact spot the bindings of the book near the girl's foot and tried to oh so casually move closer to try and grab the sketch book before the other girl spotted it.

"Well...I minor in it at college and I enjoy it, but it is not my future profession." Roxana clarified. Yes, she loved art and wished that it could be all she did with her life. Yet, she was a Strix and she already had her career path and life planned out ahead of her. She was only allowed to deviate just a little bit from he set course that was mapped out for her. Art was something she was allowed to do for fun but not allowed to take it as serious as she did. She honestly did try to not love art the way she did, but it was hard to stop having a hobby.

"I like to think that I'm good, but that is a matter of opinion if you yourself think I'm good." Roxana said, yet by artistic standards she was in fact good. Art was a bit more complex than to say what was good and what was bad on some levels so she would leave it up to the other girl to decide what she thought. "I'm Roxana, by the way." Rox introduced herself, since she had not done that yet.

[Olivia Chance]

"I mostly just like to help people. Something about it. Some vibe or whatever." She rolled her eyes at how ridiculous she sounded.

"Shame. People should always do things they enjoy if possible. Living a life without the things you enjoy is like living without any confrontation of any kind. Neither situation is really living at all." She knew the feeling from her past. She was glad that was over and now she could focus on her books, her music and whatever else she set her mind to doing.

"Well, I'd have to see your work to have an opinion on it." That's when she spotted the binding near her foot and picked it up, dusting the snow carefully off of it. Her powers activated automatically without her permission and took the water from where it was soaking into the pages, whisking it away from the paper and floating it in the air a brief moment before letting it fall back to the ground. Olivia put a hand to her forehead as a small headache made itself known. She could ignore it though. She looked at the woman who'd introduced herself.

"Interesting to meet you. I'm Olivia."

[Roxana Strix]

“It makes you feel good about yourself?” Roxana asked. It was half of a rhetorical question since she was more so stating why the other girl liked to help people. Still, she asked it as a question because there could be another reason behind it. Sure there were people who liked to help people because they were nice but even then they had to like the feeling they got when they helped someone. Roxana was a firm believer that no one did something for nothing. Even if it was as small as that feeling you get when you helped someone, you were still getting something back.

“One could say that, but sometimes you have to make sacrifices in order to be happy.” Roxana responded back. She didn’t really go into detail or explain what that meant. She figured that was clear enough to understand. Roxana was satisfied with just being able to still indulge herself in art from time to time. Sure she could not put every bit of her being into it, but it was still enough to have it in her life compared to not having it in her life at all. Roxana went still for a moment when the girl picked up her sketch book.

She eased up however when the girl didn’t seem like she was going to look at it and instead seemed to be doing something with her power. Roxana watched and didn’t say anything as the girl used her power to get off any moisture on her sketch book. Roxana was not really worried about it being wet, that pages dried pretty fast and the pencil she used was wonderful in the fact that it didn’t bleed or cause that pencil residue to end up on the other pages. Yet, it was more of thanks to the paper then the pencil, but details. “Thank you.” Roxana said, giving the girl a small smile as she reached out to take her book back.

Once in her hand she turned through a few of the pages, finding a drawing that she was proud of a blue jay sitting up in a pine tree. It was a sketch so there was no color, but if you knew your bird breeds it was easy enough to know you were looking at a blue jay. Roxana was going to leave it up to the girl to figure it all out as she held the book out to show the girl the drawing. “Nice to meet you as well, Olivia. What is your opinion about my art?” Roxana said the pleasantries and then asked her question. She figured she might as well get the opinion now while she had her sketch book out.

[Olivia Chance]

"I haven't had to make sacrifices to be happy yet. Just sacrifices so that someone else got to be happy. No goodwill in that situation whatsoever of course. I try to help people. If people enjoy something, then they're more likely to reach their full potential. When they're reaching their full potential, they're changing the world. And that interests me to watch. And to know that I had some hand in that? I just think that would be cool." She shrugged. When she looked at the art, she smiled.

"Definitely classifies as art and not mere drawings. I've read enough books to know that looks exactly like a Blue Jay. And I've also read enough books on art to know you have it down. Shame you don't see it as having a future, but then again it's your life to do with as you please. No-one else should have any say in that."

[Roxana Strix]

Olivia pointed out that she didn't have to make sacrifices to be happy. Yet, then she brought up that she did sacrifices that were to make someone else happy. Roxana didn't say anything at first and let the girl finish what she was saying. Even if Roxana felt there were a few contradictions in what the girl was saying, she let her go on. It was her own views, her own opinion on what she thought of life, and Roxana did not really go out of her way to change someone’s minds. Unless she was assigned to changes someone’s mind or if she felt a large passion for a certain subject, then she would fight to change someone’s mind.

"A sacrifice to make someone else happy can bring you unhappiness as well. Yet, I understand what you mean and I hope that you continue to be able to do what brings you happiness." Roxana said, her tone simple and to the point. With her sketch book found she was pleased that she would be able to get back to drawing and enjoying the snow weather. Even if it was causing her a distraction from what she needed to do. She showed the girl her sketch and smiled a little more when she complimented her work and was able to tell what she was looking at.

"I'm fine with just being able to draw for fun." Roxana said as she took her sketch book back and closed it. Unless the girl wanted to see more she was just going to hold onto it and focus on what she needed to do. Yet, what was she supposed to do. Roxana didn't comment on the part about how no one should have a say in how someone should live their life. Clearly this girl didn't have parents that pressured her or if she did then she was too rebellious. "Are you enjoying this trip so far?" Roxana asked, figuring she should make conversation.

[Olivia Chance]

"The sacrifice wasn't by my own choice. It did bring me much unhappiness. It's one of the reasons I look for people I can help. If I can sacrifice by my own choice instead of having my free will ripped away, that brings me happiness. In other words, freedom." She was a million contradictions in one person. When Roxana mentioned just happy drawing for fun, Olivia shrugged. To each her own. Then the question was posed.

"It's a nice change of scenery for sure. And having a form of water around me...I don't know..." Her sentence's end drifted off as she looked around, spreading her arms on either side of her. Her palms reached to the sky as she closed her eyes. She could feel the peace flowing through her. It felt wonderful. Like a gentle power.

She didn't realize that the snow behind her was separating into small flakes and floating in the air behind her as a sort of sparkling backdrop. Her mind was combining with her gestures and automatically doing it without her consent. It had a sort of surreal feeling to it.

[Roxana Strix]

Roxana smiled a little as a small chuckle escaped her lips. "Then in a way you just contradicted yourself." Roxana pointed out. The girl had said that one should do what made them happy, that she had not had to make sacrifices to be happy yet. Just sacrifices so that someone else got to be happy, but then talked about how one that wasn't by her choice did bring her much unhappiness. Roxana was not going to pick apart all of that. The girl had said a lot, words repeating themselves, and canceling another part of what she said at another point.

Roxana figured the girl was more of the type to just speak instead of thinking about it at first. Which was fine since Roxana knew people like that and there was nothing wrong with it...not entirely anyways. When she asked how the girl was enjoying the trip so far, she got part of the answer that she expected but another that confused her. She understood enjoying the change in scenery, Roxana did as well to the point she was having a hard time focusing on anything but the scenery. She did not understand the bit about the whole having form of water around her.

She figured the girl was talking about her power but due to how she dropped off it left Roxana looking at her with a slight confused expression. Then the girl was stretching out and not saying anything more. Roxana assumed that meant that they were done then, since well there was nothing more to discuss. The girl dropped off in her speaking and Roxana took that as if she did not want to talk about her power or anymore on the environment. "Well, it was nice talking to you Olivia." Roxana said as she turned to leave, yet stopped when she saw the snow moving about behind the girl. It was enough to cause Roxana to pull out her sketch book again and start to draw the scene, not saying anything.

[Olivia Chance]

Olivia took some deep breaths and just enjoyed the feeling of serenity that welled up inside her. Silence and serenity. Peace. She figured that was what it was anyways. She hadn't felt it much before coming to Bellefonte Academy. Home had been anything but. However, in this place, people were pretty much all messed up in some way. She wasn't as weird as she'd thought she'd be. It felt...beautiful to belong. And the snow all around her? It made her feel even better. Rejuvenated. She sighed.

"Brother, I've finally escaped you. You will never find me." She smiled. Then she opened her eyes and realized Roxana hadn't left. Her eyes widened and the snow crystals fell from their place in the air to scatter on the ground.  Did that mean she'd heard what Olivia had said?

[Roxana Strix]

Roxana had not gone anywhere, not yet anyways. There was a beautiful scene before her to sketch out and she would be damned if she didn't get most of it down while she was here. She still had time; her targets should not have been too far spread out or too far to make the job of tracking them down and checking on them impossible. She told herself mentally she would get to in a little bit, but she honestly knew that being up here with all the snow and higher up in the mountains, she was likely going to get distracted several times.

For now she silently sketched, only looking up from her book when Olivia spoke. The girl seemed surprised that Roxana had not in fact left. She didn't understand why. Sure Roxana said words that implied that she was leaving, but the other girl had not said anything in return. Not that her not saying anything was what kept Roxana behind but she could use it for an excuse. Olivia's eyes were wide, practically communicating what Olivia was thinking. "Yes I heard you, but you don't have to worry. I don't plan on spreading around about you escaping from a sibling and hoping he never finds you." Roxana said in a simple tone.

Her blue eyes went back down to her sketch book, wanting to still completely the drawing, and that was the plan. "I will say, that such words should not really be said out loud if you are not sure someone is around or not. People might start asking questions or worse; if you believe in such thing, you would have just jinxed yourself." Roxana pointed out, finishing one last line and closed her sketch book. She tucked her pencil behind her ear and the sketch book into her jacket before looking to Olivia. "On one more note, the school is pretty good at keeping students safe form those who would want to hurt them. Well...they have gotten better." Roxana clarified since the whole SPECTRE things had happened, but they improved a lot since then.

[Olivia Chance]

"Let's hope. I should learn to use my powers better. If he manages to find me, maybe I can freeze him in solid ice to stop him." She sighed, tucking a loose tendril of her hair behind an ear.

"I know I shouldn't say such things aloud. I thought I was alone. And...well...if I don't share my pain with the great outdoors sometimes, I have no-one to share it with and I feel like I might blow up anytime. Not a good thing. I'm hoping the school's security is enough. Maybe the recruiter didn't tell my family where I was going. I'm hoping no-one knows where I am. Bellefonte...it's like a dream come true for me so far, it being a school aside."

[Roxana Strix]

Roxana could figure out a few things by those words. Not that she was going to ask into them, since it was none of her business. There were people in the school that handled such matters and Olivia was not on her list from SIGUARD. She did have a job with the school however, so she did care enough that she kept the girl in her mind to look into later. She already had a good idea and guess on the other girl's backstory. Her words gave away so much and added with the fact that she had said a lot on it without going into actual detail on the matter.

"Work with your trainer and try your best and I'm sure you will be able to defend yourself. Yet, it is recommended that you don't use your powers on or around those who are not mutants. If he is not a mutant that is." Roxana pointed out, it was her job to after all. That and her organization was very much mutants knowledge was on a need to know basis and those that didn't need to know needed to be disposed of. Roxana half understood what the other girl meant by having to just say thing out loud to get it off her chest. She didn't understand it personally since she didn't do such a thing, but she understood why someone would likely do such a thing.

"The recruiter would know of the proper way to handle a situation. If it was not safe for you to have you family knowing your location then they would not find out." Roxana assured her. The school was smart and they knew how to make people disappear. SIGUARD might have been in a way undermining BA on some levels but it was pretty obvious they respected what they school was able to do and pull off thanks to their money, resources, and those working for them. "As a member of the security, I can assure you that you are safe and that we will do everything in our power to make sure you remain safe while being a part of Bellefonte Academy." Roxana informed her, her voice a little more serious then it normally was.