It's Everything You Wanted

[Beth Young]

She had invited the young girl down to the lake. Earlier that day, she had left a note in her locker, telling her to come meet her down by the lake. She figured the girl would be a lot more comfortable somewhere her ability could act out without there being any issues with it. She had decked a small patch of grass with a blanket, a basket filled with newly baked cookies and iced tea.

It was a beautiful day for a picnic. And everyone loved cookies, right?

Folding her hands in her lap, Beth waited for the young girl to arrive, and to keep herself busy, she let her gaze wander over the beautiful lake. She really loved Montana. She always had. It was so different from New York; the busy streets, the traffic, the sounds... It was so quiet here. So serene.

Maybe moving here wasn't such a bad thing after all. This was exactly what they needed to get their life back on track.

Tag: Olivia Chance

[Olivia Chance]

Olivia had had a note left in her locker. Now normally, she might go for the whole 'stranger danger' thing. However, they were meeting at a lake. If this person wanted to harm her, Olivia thought they probably wouldn't invite a hydrokinetic to a lake. She walked down there and saw the woman. She was a fairly good judge of character, and this person didn't seem dangerous. Besides which, Olivia had seen her picture next to 'new counselor' She sat down beside the woman with a smile.

"So a counselor's finally found me. Only a matter of time, I knew." She chuckled.

"So you presumably know my name but you have me at a disadvantage 'cause I only really know you're a counselor."

[Beth Young]

Once Beth heard the approaching footsteps, her head turned, and she offered the younger girl a warm smile. She chuckled softly at the words she offered before shrugging her shoulders. "Don't think of it like that," she said, her head shaking. "I'm not here to psycho analyze you. Promise." No, that wasn't quite Beth's style.

It was important for the children to feel as if they were being heard by someone who really cared, and didn't feel obligated to. That was one of Beth's many motto's.

"That's quite alright," she smiled. "My name is Beth Young." She reached her hand out for the small basket and opened the lid. "I brought some cookies and iced tea in case you want." She pushed the basket towards the girl before resting her hands back into her lap.

"It's really beautiful here, isn't it?"

[Olivia Chance]

"It would be okay if you were. My situation's kind of irresistible to psycho analyze. Although my actual manifestation is as much a mystery to me as everyone else." She shrugged. She did like this woman's approach though. Beth Young. That was the name she went by. Cookies and iced tea. She looked at them just blinking for a moment. And then Beth commented on the beauty of the spot and Olivia looked around and nodded.

"Yeah it is. And...I have to admit the cookies caught me off guard. You aren't exactly like the other counselors who've tried to talk to me before." She didn't know quite about that. She...kind of liked that.

"Actually, forget the other counselors. Even my family wasn't exactly the 'baking cookies' type." She bit her lip before taking a cookie and nibbling it. Her eyes widened.

"Yum!" Oops. The food had still been in her mouth. She finished chewing the current bite and looked at Beth sheepishly.

"Sorry. Forgot my manners briefly." Hey, freshly baked cookies didn't really happen to her. And she wasn't exactly the baking type herself.

"And yeah. The lake's gorgeous. Thanks for asking to meet her specifically. I always feel more...at peace around bodies of water. I think it's something to do with my power."

[Beth Young]

"You'll get there," she promised. It wouldn't be easy, but she would remember eventually, even if that meant having to hire a mind walker of some sort, or maybe they could use a psychometrist. At least, if Olivia had some items from around that time - that had also been around when she'd manifested. Such as the clothes she wore. Ah well, they could worry about that later.

The next few words had Beth chuckling. In a way, she was kind of glad she wasn't. Because she didn't always agree with the way some counselors ran things. It often appeared so cold and impersonal. No, clearly, cookies was a much better way to go.

Another piece of information was shared, and Beth remained quiet, simply nodding at the offered words and smiled at the girl. There was also the part about the girl having little manners, which had Beth laughing. "Don't worry about it," she promised. "I don't mind." In fact, as long as the girl seemed to enjoy the cookies, that was the most important part. Reaching for a cookie of her own, Beth started chewing on it.

"It really is," she agreed with a soft smile once she'd managed to swallow the bits of cookies she'd been chewing. "I figured you'd feel a little more at ease around your own element," she admitted.

[Olivia Chance]

"I hope I will. I keep hearing and reading that a mutant's manifestation moment can tell a lot about their power. I don't have very good control a lot of the time. It tends to explode, which is a problem. Also seems tied to my emotions a lot. I kind of crushed a water fountain inwards the other day...froze spikes of water that penetrated the metal...it wasn't too good. I was angry at someone at the time. I don't lash out at the actual person, but the water around kind of seems to get volatile." She sighed, shaking her head before taking another bite of the cookie. This woman was easy to talk to, so there was that.

"I do feel more at ease. Despite its destructive nature lately. I like my power. I just don't like that I can't control it. But I respect it. It saved me so I kind of have to be thankful."

[Beth Young]

Nodding her head in an bopping motion, the 5'3" brunette's lips curled back into a soft smile. "I can imagine," she said honestly. "It seems as if most people's powers act as such when they're new." Especially with all the hormones and emotions flying around. It was only natural that people's powers got connected to their feelings in such a way. If you had no control over your emotions - you had no control over your power.

It seemed rather simple, really.

"You know," she began, her brows furrowing slightly. "My husband - he's a trainer... His power might be able to help you." She looked at the girl then. After all, Bradley's power focused on the control people had over their powers. Surely, he would be able to help, no?

Even though Beth could totally understand the frustration of not being able to remember on top of not having a lot of control.

[Olivia Chance]

"Umm...maybe. I don't know. I think control actually might come faster if I just learn to control my emotions better. Or purge them. No clue what to call that. I'm just wondering right now whether my file says anything about how screwed up I am. I didn't really say much when they were taking records." She bit her lip. She had no issue telling someone she barely knew what happened to her. The issue was the memories.

"Except...well I guess I do need to talk about it around a counselor though. Probably a better idea than having a nervous breakdown in the gym." She suddenly wasn't too hungry. Thankfully she only had a bite left of the cookie so there wasn't too much wasted.

"My brother...he...well I don't quite understand the meaning of the word, but people have said he abused me. I just know it hurt and scared me..." Connor's face popped into her mind and the effect was immediate. She started shaking and the water in the nearby lake started swirling at the shore a bit restlessly in response to Olivia's emotions.

[Beth Young]

Beth frowned at the girl's choice of words. "Screwed up? Hardly." Her head shook then. "What it says in your file matters little right now. I won't judge you, and I'd rather have you tell me what you want me to know. When you're comfortable doing so, of course." She wasn't going to push or prod the girl. All in due time. If the girl would rather them sitting here and talking about bands, Beth would happily go along with it. This wasn't about Beth. It was about the young girl.

Beth's brows furrowed again as she studied the girl. She remained silent and allowed for the girl to speak what was on her mind without any interruptions. Her facial expression softened slightly. "The word abuse stems from something being forced on you, be it sexual, violent or someone using hurtful words."

"And being hurt and scared are very common feelings that follows from such an event," she added, tossing the girl another glance. "Do you remember it?" She wasn't about to force the girl to talk, but she was ready to lend an ear if the girl chose to. That was, after all, what Beth was here for.

[Olivia Chance]

"I..." She listened to that definition.

"I guess Selina was right. I was. But...I just thought it was normal. And yeah I remember it. It isn't like I've forgotten a good chunk of my childhood." She looked at Beth with a somewhat unimpressed look. But she was still shaking from thinking about Connor.

"My...my brother. I remember the events leading up to my manifestation so let's start with that." She took some deep breaths to calm down a little bit.

"I remember my brother at the top of the stairs with me. And...I think he had a baseball bat. He had trouble controlling his anger a lot. And the rest of my family...they didn't interfere. Connor was dangerous to everyone. I was just the one he happened to pick." She shook a bit and the water seeped up the shore towards her. When it touched the tip of the finger laying on the blanket, she remembered a flash of the memory.

"I...I burst a water pipe. I don't know how that fits in."

[Beth Young]

"That's normal; thinking that it's meant to be that way, I mean. When you're young, you don't understand these things the same way you do when you're older. And forgetting is a defense mechanism too. It's often easier to simply forget, than having to deal with it." This was hardly the first time Beth had dealt with someone who had been abused in one way or another. It was sick just how many kids came from situations like that. It was also sick how someone could take advantage of a small child, but then, did they really realize what they were doing?

Remaining quiet as the girl started talking about what she remembered, Beth nodded sagely. "Well, his anger probably scared you, and your power might have manifested in an attempt to defend you. It's not the first time something like that has happened." In fact, she saw more cases of emotional trauma being the case of an manifestation than anything else. She supposed it made sense though.

"It's good," she began, offering the girl a warm smile. "That you're talking about it." She could see that it was hard, but she was also a little surprised just how easily the girl talked about this stuff. She had expected more of a fight, but in a way, she was glad it hadn't turned out that way.

[Olivia Chance]

Olivia gave a dry laugh.

"That might be the first time someone's referred to me as normal, I have to say." So her power HAD protected her.

"That's what I...I kind of had that figured that my power did that even without the memory. Because in any case, it manifested then and got me out of the dangerous situation. That's why no matter how much I can't control it, I can't bring myself to hate it. It saved me." She sighed.

"As for talking about it...I wasn't really inclined but then I came to this school. My friends suggested me talking to someone qualified about it. And much as I hate talking to new people, I can't argue with them. They only want the best for me anyways. And if something happened to them, I'd want them to talk to someone about it." By then, her shaking had subsided and she wasn't thinking about Connor as much as the woman in front of her. But then she realized she should probably give a bit of background.

"My manifestation was the last time it happened, but my childhood...I tried to make sure people wouldn't see the bruises. I stayed in the shadows and never really made friends because someone might find out. I'd go to school, not talk to anyone, come home. Sometimes I'd heal up there, but other times I'd just receive more bruises. It depended on..." She choked on his name and had to beat her chest briefly.

"It depended on HIS mood."

[Beth Young]

"That's good," she smiled. It was a good thing, that she didn't hate her own power. So many kids seemed to, so it was always refreshing to meet someone who didn't. After all, like she said, her power had saved her. "And yes, the lack of control can be tedious, but it's important to remember that it's only temporarily," she winked at the girl. After all, all bad things had to end eventually. And it had to rain for there to be rainbows.

She listened carefully as the girl continued, her brows furrowing slightly. She didn't dare to reach out just yet. The girl seemed to be in such a vulnerable state yet, even though she didn't shake nearly as much as she had in the beginning. Not everyone found comfort in a hug or a squeeze, and Beth wasn't going to try her luck just yet.

"Did you avoid telling people because you were ashamed, or because you were afraid he'd get madder?" she asked, her head tilting. "Or was there another reason behind it?" She wondered briefly, why the girl's parents hadn't done anything about it. Did they know, or did they simply look another way? Maybe they had been afraid of the boy too, or unsure how to handle the situation.

[Olivia Chance]

"I guess it was kind of a mixture. I was little. And little kids look up to their older siblings. Until recently, I didn't even really know what the word abuse meant. To me, it was just punishment. Discipline. Every time my brother hit me, he'd have a reason. I was too noisy. I did something he didn't like. He always had a reason, so I just thought it was because I was bad. I didn't tell anyone because...well because I was ashamed I was such a bad girl. But also because I didn't think it would do any good. After all, it was 'for my own good' right? Yes, him getting madder played into it a bit, but not as much as it might have in another situation." She sighed.

"My brother could basically do what he wanted. Sometimes I wonder if he was a mutant. He was scary enough, and strong enough. I think he was just a really strong human. But he was scary enough that he basically controlled the household. My parents looked the other way because if he hurt me, he wouldn't really hurt anyone else. I don't like to think about what happened to my sisters after I left and went into my coma."

[Beth Young]

Beth nodded; It made a lot of sense, that she as a young girl would think she was the problem and that she deserved it. Many kids did when put in situations like that. It was sad, but it was a lot more normal than what people thought. "You know," Beth began, running her fingers through her hair. "It's very normal to think that you deserve it and that you're the problem. Very few people actually blame the ones who do the abuse." She looked at the girl, her eyes narrowing slightly. "But now? Do you still feel that way?" It was a simple question, though, answering it might not have been nearly as easy.

But it was still important.

"Clearly, your parents should have acted. And even though I understand how hard that much be to do, they shouldn't have let you go through something like that." Beth sighed, her head shaking. It was horrible, really, that some parents could watch their kids go through that and not lift a finger to step in. Of course, she knew all too well that it was easier for some people to look the other way, but it simply made them into cowards who didn't deserve to have any children.