The Other Bellefonte Princess

[Elsa Bellefonte]

"And I'm afraid I'm not very skilled at French," admitted Elsa. She crinkled her nose for a few moments while she tried to think of an easier way of phrasing it, then said: "I'm usually better at hiding my presence than anything. It's sort of a gift, though not my power, obviously," Elsa smiled, waiting for a few moments. Given that she'd just addressed Franck's thoughts, well, there it was plain as day:

"I did, actually. I do that from time to time," she said, gesturing toward Franck. Elsa didn't sound apologetic about it in the slightest. It wasn't as if she didn't do this with nearly everyone she met; why should Franck get special treatment? She did want to admit that she'd just been skimming, but she fell silent as Franck defended himself. That made her blink, running over what she'd just said. "I didn't mean to give offense,' she said, surprising herself with the veracity of the statement; "it was less meant as that and more meant as a warning. If you keep associating with us, with Erika and Frank and myself, then eventually some of it's going to get on you. I just felt you should know."

Though she supposed that could be seen as a threat of some kind. Elsa wasn't about to go around spreading rumors about Franck though. She had enough to do without feeding the rumor mill or providing more dirty laundry for that stupid blog to air. Plus, she read his thoughts: she knew that Franck actually meant to be genuinely nice, that he actually cared for her sister without any ulterior motives. She was tempted to say as much, but she wanted to hold at least some of her cards close to the chest.

Physically? She looked down, then looked up, raising a brow. "Really? I look like this most of the time. Erika's the vibrant, lively one, remember? And I brought it up because I wanted you to know why all, well, why this conversation happened, sort of,' she sighed, rubbing at the bridge of her nose. that was what was bothering her: her sister and everything that happened lately. She couldn't help but feel like something big was about to happen to Erika, something that didn't involve her twin sister, and that alone terrified Elsa more than words could say. That terror actually slid into Elsa for a bit, pouring its chill into her veins, but she worked to shrug it off, or at least turn that chill into her normal hardened shell. It was only after she started that she realized that she was dealing with an empath. Wonderful. she looked him in the eyes, raising her brows, already figuring that he picked up her emotions and was about to ask about it. She gave him permission with that look, though it was a permission laced with at least a little note of challenge.

{sorry about the delay, Bobby. This thread somehow slipped off my dashboard. You know I wouldn't postpone one of our threads this long if I hadn't overlooked it v.v }

[François Laffont]

Franck chuckled as he looked down when Elsa admitted not knowing his language very well. Not that he could blame her. Why would she learn it? It was not like she would have many opportunities to speak it. Franck on the other hand was from France, it was logical he knew French. He nodded as she explained to him. “Discreet then?” he asked as he gave her a synonym. Well, now he knew a new word. “I’m sorry. I did learn English but I still struggle sometimes,” he added with a smile. She didn’t seem to mind much though. You couldn’t expect someone who had been speaking English only for the five or so years to speak it as well as one who always spoke only that.

Franck was a bit surprised how she casually admitted reading his thoughts. She was not apologizing in the slightest, she simply stated it to him and he had to deal with it. Obviously she didn’t mind and this was quite a contrast with Franck who always tried not to feel people’s emotions. Then again, her power might not act like his. If she could turn it off, unlike him, he could understand why she didn’t feel as guilty. “I would have thought you had the same power as your sister,” he admitted. But it was not like he was a reference in powers in mutant families. He nodded as she told him this was no offense but only a warning to expect something to come out about him should he keep socializing with the elite without being part of it. He shrugged at that. “They know the truth, it’s all that matters to me,” he replied. Franck was accepting who he was and it made him quite confident and strong, mentally speaking. He wouldn’t let someone drag him down because of who he was. He assumed his choices entirely.

“You just look like you’re having a headache,” he explained. He assumed much because why else would someone hold their head like that? He could tell any negative feelings that could make her act like this were not present enough. But he also could feel some worries so maybe she was just good at controlling her emotions and they were stronger than he thought. He frowned though as she let her guard down for a second. He had no idea what caused it as she tried to get a grip almost instantly. But Franck still perceived it. He hesitated a moment, weighing whether or not he had the right to ask her. “You shouldn’t worry so much for your sister. She’ll be fine, and she’s not alone in this, she’s got people to support her,” he said after a moment. He didn’t want to bluntly ask her what scared her but since they talked of her sister he decided to think it was because of her and so told her that. But he still kept an eye on Elsa, just in case.

[Elsa Bellefonte]

No, Elsa didn't feel the urge to apologize for reading thoughts. There were very few times when she ever thought of doing so, and most of those times she was simply thinking it the right thing to do, as opposed to something that she actually felt sorry for. As he mentioned her having the same power as her sister, Elsa clicked her tongue. "You're not the only one," she said, nodding. "Most people assume that because we're, well," she gestured, indicating that she matched her sister perfectly, which barely needed an indication at all. "We do share quite a bit though," which was rather obvious, hence why Elsa felt no qualms about sharing it with Franck. He didn't need to know that both Bellefonte twins had the ability to block other mental powers to some degree. He certainly had enough on his plate, though he didn't seem to be all that bothered by it.

In fact, he seemed to be more concerned with her. Elsa laughed dryly at his worries, shaking her head. "You don't need to worry over me," she reiterated, looking up to meet his eyes. Why would he? What was this young man's connection to people? It had to be his powers; his powers must make him want to help other people, feel what they were feeling and all. his next comment had Elsa chuckling again, shaking her head slightly.

"She's certainly got a lot of friends," Elsa didn't seem to put a whole lot of weight in the word as she said it. "Her friends aren't going to keep me from worrying about her though, especially with the way things have been lately," though she knew that the rumors were exaggerated... if only slightly. Too much truth to them, and it was that truth that weighed Elsa down. She studied Franck while longer, wondering if there was something she could... "do" with him. And yet again, she felt a slight pang of guilt at the thought of trying to use someone who just wanted to help people.

But wasn't that what they were asking for? "How astute is your ability?" she wondered, looking up at him. "Do you pick up nuance? I'm not feeling it as much in your mind..."

[François Laffont]

Elsa didn’t have to be so unapologetic about reading his thoughts. He did startle when finding out she entered his privacy like this. But he knew he was doing the same without meaning to. Besides, it was not like he thought anything too shameful. It was not like he thought of hot naked guys or anything of the like. He shared his concern and affection for Elsa’s sister. Regarding that kind of thought, she can read all she wanted. The rest, well he’d rather have some privacy for it. He didn’t want anyone knowing his every secrets and thoughts unless he chose to share them.

He nodded, not needing her to say twins to understand this was the reason everyone expected them to have the same power. It was the reason why he believed it after all. “Must be nice though, to have something that is just yours, not also hers,” he said as she admitted they shared a lot. Of course, it was only a guess. He never had a sibling, let alone a twin. But he assumed if they did a lot of things together, people associated one with the other. Were they dressed in matching clothes in their youth? That would be another reason why Elsa would be happy she had a way to dissociate herself from her sister, to be an individual and not one half of a pair. Wasn’t that the key to a relationship? Not to consider yourself mainly as one half? He supposed it worked with siblings as well as for couples.

He gave her a sheepish smile as she told him not to worry about her. He supposed he shouldn’t. But it seemed he could not help himself. He could feel when people were down, and just how down they were. Sure negative feelings brought him down a bit, but it mostly made him want to get past those feelings and show there was some positive also. It was not always easy and he supposed he annoyed a fair share of people by putting his nose in their business. But he was doing it with good intentions.

He could understand she would always worry for her sister. Because she was her sister, precisely. “I’ve tried to help. I hope I didn’t make things even more complicated. But she seemed to know what to do instead of just, you know, give up,” he said, shrugging as he tried to find the right words. Yeah, he did hope he managed to make things easier. At least put some weight off her shoulders for talking of it and giving her version of the story.

He had a tiny smile as she questioned his power. She just admitted checking up his thoughts again but he let it slide. “I can, to an extent. I mean, I can tell for example if you’re sad or happy, but I’ll need to know you better to tell the difference between what is being very happy and being overjoyed. I guess it’s all a matter of interpretation...” he tried to explain. He never felt like he was saying it right, to be honest. And even in French, he wasn’t certain he had the proper words to describe it perfectly. So he went with what he had of vocabulary. “It’s like waves, coming at me, from every people around. f there are too many people, it gets mixed up. And the more I know someone, the better I can pinpoint their emotions,”

[Elsa Bellefonte]

Elsa mostly dismissed the comment of having something that was just hers. True, that was something she enjoyed, but she saw herself as being quite distinct from Erika. They were two wholly different people who just happened to have the exact same face. Most people could tell them apart within the first five minutes of talking to them. True, Elsa sometimes wondered if she'd enjoy having as much attention as Erika seemed to, and she'd be lying if she didn't admit that some part of her desperately craved the kind of love that Erika created in people, but overall, she liked who she was and how she acted.

Worried, just seemed to be part of Franck being, well, Franck. He understood why she worried for Erika too, which... actually came as something of a relief to Elsa. Sometimes people didn't understand, or claimed not to understand. It was impossible to describe the bond Elsa had with her twin, and she certainly wasn't going to attempt it. Complications arose, sure, but it was all something she could deal with. more surprising wash is reaction about his power, that little charming smile. Plus, to Elsa's surprise, he pretty well explained how it worked. Could tell someone's emotions, but not sort through them, needing to pause for interpretation and all. Waves, so many people.

"That does sound familiar," admitted Elsa, smiling a little. "I swear, sometimes people think that it's all an advantage, being able to read people. I certainly use it that way, but there are times..." Elsa trailed off. That was already her opening up far more than she wanted. She looked to Franck, quirking a brow. "You're quite good at making people open up, aren't you? Perhaps I should be more concerned about you after all." Though she smiled as she said that. Didn't mean that Elsa wasn't seriously considering it; powers weren't the only reason people could be... interesting.

[François Laffont]

Smiling was something Franck always did. It was not a huge grin like another Frank in this school seemed to permanently have on her face, but he was still the smiling type. And he did think it was harder for him to put it on at times, since worries seemed to be nothing but water off a duck’s back. He however was more affected. But perhaps it was the reason why he always tried to smile. To make it seem not as bad in the end. Could even fool himself after a while.

He tilted his head to the side as she shared some details about her power. He nodded as he understood where she was getting at, even though she did not finish her sentence. “I know. I actually feel relieved people don’t come to me all the time to make me come near their crush and tell whether they like them as much,” he began to say, chuckling a little at the thought of it. Hey, he couldn’t even tell when his own crush felt ashamed for liking a boy, you couldn’t expect him to know exactly what yours thought. “And there’s always a chance you pick up something you wish you didn’t know,” he added, sighing. For a brief moment, his smile disappeared. That a friend envied a trait of your or something going on in your life though still loved you was fine. But try to deal with knowing your very own mother thought you were marked by the devil or something.

He forced himself not to think of it however. Didn’t want Elsa to pick that up if she could read his thoughts anytime. Instead he took a deep breath and smiled again as she, well he considered it a compliment. “Thanks, I guess?” he replied, chuckling a bit. He wasn’t sure why she should concern herself about him for but she did seem to have an interest at throwing him to the wolves or using him in any other way if that could help her sister. “It’s kind of easy, in a way. People don’t need to express their feelings, I already know. So I guess it’s easier to open up knowing that,” he said, shrugging a little as he wasn’t sure if any of what he said made sense. It was just a theory anyway.

[Elsa Bellefonte]

"You wouldn't have that problem if you weren't so nice," Elsa pointed out with all her usual tact and aplomb. "That's why people very rarely ask me to read someone's mind. Well, that and because I've no qualms about holding back what I find there," there was a slightly vicious tint to Elsa's smile then. There had been times when she'd very nearly ruined people's lives. She'd actually discovered that by accident a time or to, then found that she sometimes enjoyed it far, far more than she would ever care to admit. That smile melted as Francois continued, mentioning knowing something you didn't want to know. "Knowledge is power," she replied, as if that hadn't happened to her. People, even people like Francois, didn't need to see or know of Elsa's weaknesses.

Francois's thoughts dwelt on what could be uncovered for a moment, and Elsa wondered if his math was following the path of memory, poking at old occurrences in his life as everyone's therapist. His thoughts moved, and Elsa actually had to force herself to wait until he got out his thanks before offering her: "You're welcome," in return, nodding at the Frenchman. easy to know feelings, easier to open up. "I suppose that's so. People seem to almost become more guarded around me though, but perhaps that's because my own power is more direct?" Elsa waved it off, rising fully to her feet and gathering her things. "I'm not really one to think too philosophically about it. Is there anything else you needed to talk to me about?"

she actually didn't say it in an impatient way. That surprised Elsa, and she actually paused for a moment, realizing it. She wouldn't have minded if Francois needed to say anything else. He's useful, and even if he "weren't" you don't have what he's looking for.

[François Laffont]

Franck chuckled at how bluntly she talked to him. Well, she was not the first one to tell him that. But what could he say to that. He was like this, so nice as she put it. He couldn’t help himself. Didn’t mean he was really playing the matchmaker or something, checking on people’s love for each other. He had enough difficulty finding himself someone interested, he would not start looking for others. Well, he did play that role a little bit with Erika, or more like Felix, but that was not the same thing. The guy was a friend, not just some vague acquaintance. “I’m not saying I’m doing it,” he pointed out but he felt saying such a thing at this point was pretty useless.

He stared at Elsa as she stated knowledge was power. He supposed it was so. But he didn’t like the sound of that. Franck would rather not use his power if he could avoid it. Or at least, he would never use it in order to gain power on someone. He felt a bitter taste in his mouth at the thought of it. He didn’t want to comment on that but clearly they shared different views on their abilities. Elsa would more use hers for her benefit while Franck tried to make it helpful for the others. “Oh I got my share of people who are not comfortable into someone knowing how they feel all the time. But I’m pretty popular with the shy ones because of it,” he replied. He knew what she meant about that though. Some disliked having him around. But it was mostly because they tried to act tough and Franck could tell otherwise. He also agreed that hers was more direct, more specific. “I can imagine. I mean, I can tell someone is sad, but not why, you can. Can you block your power, or the thoughts just come at you without you able to do anything about it?” he asked. Somehow he felt like he could connect with her, even though their views were different. It felt good to have someone who would know how troublesome such a power may be.

He smiled and tilted his head, not really feeling like shaking it as she asked if he wanted to say anything else. “Well, considering it was not you I thought I was speaking to, I guess not. But I’m glad we met. And if you worry for Erika about the whole love triangle she trapped herself into, I think she made her choice. She seemed determined last time I saw her,” he said. Of course, he didn’t know more but she did tell him feeling better so it was a start. He smiled again to Elsa. “If you still want to feed me to that blogger though, could you please make it in some interesting, twisted love plot or something? I wouldn’t like to sound like some fame-hungry jerk,” he added, chuckling. He’d rather she wouldn’t do so at all, but if there was to be something written about him, he’d rather have it being entertaining.

[Elsa Bellefonte]

Popular with the shy ones? Well, Elsa certainly couldn't claim the same. Though, come to think of it, she really didn't talk to that many people who fell into the "shy" end of the spectrum. She dismissed the thought, instead focusing on the next bit, where Francois asked her about her power directly. Elsa hesitated a moment there, wondering how much she should give away. He was just so friendly, so open, and he certainly didn't seem the type to share any secrets that could possibly get Elsa into something like trouble.

"I have to willingly read people," she said, meeting Francois's eyes, wanting to communicate with her gaze the veracity of her statement. "I can sometimes skim across thoughts and the like, but for the most part, I have to willingly focus in on someone, and when I do, they often know," assuming she didn't simply continue skimming across their surface thoughts. She elected to keep that particular aspect of her power to herself though; Francois hadn't asked the precise details of how her ability worked, after all.

Smiles, risings, and movement to leave. Glad that they met, and Elsa found herself nodding in agreement to that. She'd always been somewhat curious about this Francois, whom so many people talked about, and it was nice to have a better picture of the young man. The love triangle business just made her chuckle, nodding in a distracted manner. Elsa too believed she knew what choice Erika had already made, or was going to make.

"If I find out who the blogger is, I assure you that I won't be feeding them information," she said, flashing that predatory, tight smile of hers again. "They'd better avoid me, in truth, because I'm not feeling overly generous to them, despite the entertaining bits they spread about Ellen Banks. But," she tapped her fingers to her chin, "I'm not the Laundress, as it were, despite the rumors floating around that it could be me. Until we meet again, Mr. Laffont," and she nodded, even dropping into a slight bow before turning, thinking that she had quite a bit to think on for the time being.

[François Laffont]

Franck paused to think about it when she admitted to him having to willingly read people’s thoughts to do so. So she did not inadvertently read his, she meant to. Sure there were times when Franck found his power useful and willingly used it on other people. But most of the time, he tried to keep it down as much as he could. Deciding to know what people thought as opposed to asking them, it wasn’t a notion he was particularly for. “I suppose we differ on that point. I have no control over things. I can’t turn it off, merely quiet it down,” he explained. He didn’t want to judge Elsa too harshly just yet. He wanted to cling onto the good aspects of her he felt as they talked, like when they mentioned her sister and everything. He was ready to give her the benefit of the doubt. But inside, he already chose his side between the twin sisters. And it obviously was not hers.

François remained polite, but it was no hard task coming from him. He hated conflict so much he would be ready to agree they disagreed on the use of their power and let it be. Besides, he knew Erika loved her sister and he didn’t want to anger his friend by pissing off her twin. Of course, her smile froze him again, giving him a feeling of discomfort. He suddenly pitied the Dirty Laundry. She looked ready to kill. “I wouldn’t have thought that,” he argued when she said not being the blogger. Just by the love he felt in her for her sister, he could tell. Never would she throw that much venom at her. Or he liked to think so, since he barely knew the girl. He nodded as she said goodbye to him. Well, that took an unexpected turn of event. He had much to think about.