Back To Our Roots

[François Laffont]

Franck understood she preferred to keep this for herself, at least for now. She knew she could always count on him should she wish to talk, at least he hoped she did. Sometimes, he thought people should feel lucky he wasn’t the Dirty Laundry. The things he could write! Either way, Franck was ready to let it slide for now. He didn’t want to force her to talk, at least not until she felt worse than this. Then, he would try to have her share some of her burden. For now, and for all he knew, it might have been a fleeting emotion that just washed over her and would vanish as soon as it appeared. He hoped so. He didn’t like sensing those he cared for were down.

He didn’t mean to surprise her so much as he brought the names of her past and present lovers. It was hard not to know, with that blogger making it their mission in life to ruin hers by exposing every tiny little thing she did. She was not the only one breaking up in this school, but it sure sounded that way. “I didn't mean to bring it like that. I mean, it’s your life and I knew you had unfinished business with Everett. You didn’t have the time to sort it all out before... well, everything else that happened,” he told her. He didn’t feel the need to talk of SPECTRE and what followed. She knew better than he did what followed. He didn’t know if she made the right choice but it wasn’t really for him to tell. He knew she loved Trevor and he loved her. But he also knew she had never been over Everett. In fact, she might have chosen him before everything happened as he said and she ended up with Trevor. In a way, he kind of preferred her to deal with this and be certain of her decision rather than spend the rest of her life wondering.

He didn’t want to go through the headmistress topic and she sure didn't seem in the mood to talk of this either. He also felt like he talked enough of her love life. It felt as if it was all they talked about sometimes. It was why he chose to switch the subject. And he knew this was a bit of information she not only would be curious about but could also chase away any negative feelings she had right now. They would come back but at least Franck would make it feel better for a little while.

He laughed at the way she called him. “Well, I was in the same cabin as the Emory twins. I don’t know if you know them, they’re... well twins and very pale and I’m sure you’ll hear about them causing mischief around the school,” he began to say, stopping himself only because he realised this clearly was not what she really was interested about. “They were challenging each other to do all sorts of things when I arrived. So we ended up playing together. And I think I might have been the one who first dared them to jump in the lake without anything on...” His eyes squinted as he tried to remember. Oh, he did remember but he also knew it happened because they started getting real close of him and he was not thinking straight. He chuckled, shaking his head and his thoughts at the same time. “One thing leading to another...” And at these words, he gave her a playful smirk.

[Erika Conner (Bellefonte)]

Flashbacks from the prom night and all the scenes surrounding it flashed through her mind, and the telekinetic wanted to groan. So many misunderstandings and misplaced feelings had circled through all of them that night and truth be told, those two months had been something Erika would rather forget. Not only because of what happened at prom, but because of everything that had happened the month before it. She didn't want to deal with it, so it was easier to simply push it aside and pretend it hadn't happened at all. "Unfinished business..." she laughed. "Yeah, I guess you could put it like that."

"The Emory twins," she repeated. No she couldn't say she'd heard of them, or even seen them, but considering how preoccupied Erika had been... Well, ever since before SPECTRE, she was out of the loop about almost everything. The past few months were hazy at best. "Played together?" she grimaced, trying her best to hold back the laughter. The way Franck portrayed it made it sound like they were five years old... Well, Franck had always been the adorable, innocent type, so that wasn't all that surprising. It made her happy though, hearing him get out of his comfort zone for once. However, when he cut his own sentence off, Erika's eyes widened.

"Wait, no you didn't?" she asked, clearly surprised. "Wow, really?" She wasn't surprised because she couldn't picture Franck ever having... Well, yeah, but this was Franck. Mr. Righteous. She had always pictured him having romance and flowers. Wow, to think he'd let himself go in a fleeting moment made her realize just how much they'd all grown. "Wow."

[François Laffont]

He thought the term unfinished business sounded appropriate. He knew they seemed to use it more when you had a score to settle or something like that but he couldn’t find anything else to explain why she had to go back to Everett. He ended up thinking she meant to choose Everett, before everything happened, when it was just the cook and her best friend that she kissed. Franck might have made things harder by telling Felix to admit his feelings. He knew the guy was too much like him and was likely to sit on his feelings for Erika if he thought she chose another, not even giving her the chance to know how he felt. But Franck also knew she told him not to wait for her and that even before SPECTRE and prom so it was easy to assume that if her heart might have still been hesitating, it was swaying towards Everett. He did wonder what that man had been doing all this time but Erika didn't seem to want to tell and he knew going to Everett and ask him in person might just result in Erika punching him in the face for meddling in her business.

In a way, he wasn’t all that surprised she didn’t know about the Emory twins. He wasn’t seeing them having the same circle of friends. Well, aside from him apparently. He nodded though as she repeated their names. “They’re... well, twins. And pretty pale and they kind of are for a more mischievous way of living than I do,” he explained. He supposed it wasn’t hard to be more into mischief than Franck since any that he might end up in was generally the consequence of following a friend. He shrugged as she seemed amused by the way he brought it. He knew there was something almost childish in calling it playing but that sounded like the most appropriate term that he knew of. “Yeah well, I felt more like their latest plaything that day. They do take very good care of their toys though...” he replied.

He laughed as the surprised kicked in now that he said what happened, or more like let her understand without saying too much. She wasn’t wrong to think he was more into romance and feelings. Saying clearly what they did sounded too cold and hard for him. He felt a blush tinting his ears as they suddenly turned burning hot. “I know right, not what you’d expect of me,” he pointed out. He still had a smile though. He didn’t care how surprised she could be about this, he didn’t regret it. “That’s still not something I’ll do every day but I guess I was tired of waiting, you know? I mean, I keep trying to get someone and it doesn’t work so why shouldn’t I have some fun with guys who want it, just because it isn’t serious? Besides, I think it isn’t a bad thing my first time didn’t involve too many feelings since, well, you know...” he added. He didn't know why he seemed to find it hard to explain it was the whole empathy thing but he figured she would understand anyway. She knew what he was.

[Erika Conner (Bellefonte)]

Listening to what Franck had to said, Erika nodded. He made a point, and she wasn't going to say much against it; It was his choice to make and as long as he was OK with it, she was OK with it too. After all, her "first time" had been with Liz, and then her "actual first time" had been with Everett, which made her own situation a little more confusing. "Wow," she laughed. "Well, as long as you're OK with what happened and you didn't do anything you didn't want to or felt ready for, that's what matters in the end. No one should be allowed to tell you otherwise because at the end of the day, it's your choice to make. It's your body." She smiled warmly at him.

She couldn't quite picture it though, sweet little Franck, getting it on in the woods. "But yeah, I see what you mean by having no feelings in the picture. That can work both ways." Could lead you to getting hurt even more, or it could do a 360 and go the other way. Either way, Erika wasn't going to judge him.

"How was it?" she asked then, and tilted her head as she looked in his direction. "I know you said they took good care of you and their... playthings... Wait, who even refers to their partners as playthings anymore? That sounds kind of creepy..." she said with a sheepish smile. Well, if it had been her, she wouldn't have liked being referred to as someone's plaything, but that didn't mean Franck felt the same.

[François Laffont]

A part of Franck still couldn’t believe what he had done. On the other hand, he had been close to one boy only before, that he thought he might have sex with and this guy turned out ashamed of being sexually attracted to another guy. In those conditions, doing it with twins who both desired him and were ready to be gentle with him, a promise they kind of managed to keep, didn’t seem all that bad. Franck knew he agreed not only because they wanted it. As much as other people’s feelings can affect him, he knew it didn't go that far. He wanted it too. There comes a point when you just want one person to want you, for once, and to act on it. To Franck, it was what happened. He smiled to Erika. “Don’t worry. It wasn’t exactly what I expected to happen at first, but it was more than me acting on their feelings. I doubt anyone’s lust can make me do anything against my will, otherwise I think I would have experienced love with a woman a long time ago,” he said on a teasing tone, chuckling even at his words.

“It’s not like I was looking for a long-term relationship, this was just this once. Or these two times? I mean, one was my first and the other second obviously...” he said but chuckled once again. He shook his head. This really didn’t matter. “You know, I think deep down it had more to do with me wanting to do something for myself for a change than who I did it with. Then again, it’s a good thing they were so turned on because it wouldn’t have been that great otherwise,” he let out. He really took it more as a way to let go of this image of the good guy he had. He would always be the sweet and helpful François he had always been but he wanted to do like everybody else also and indulge himself just because he could.

His eyes narrowed as he thought how he could answer her exactly. “New? I don’t really know how to explain it,” he told her, wincing slightly at his bad answer, almost asking her to forgive him for not knowing how to detail it. This expression washed away quickly, replaced by laughter. “Well, for their defense, they take really good care of their toys,” he began to say, bringing back the jest in his voice. “I think they took it as a game, mostly. It’s kind of hard to explain without them to sound like complete assholes,” he admitted.

It seemed pretty weird to François that he had been talking all this time about his life. He was usually the one who listened not the one who talked. But, he had to admit, it felt good. “You keep that to yourself, right? It’s not like I’ve told anyone else. I mean, I love Frank and she’s a very good friend, but I kind of worry what she could do if she found out...” he asked Erika. Since she knew Frank also, she could easily understand his concern.

[Erika Conner (Bellefonte)]

To think that someone like Franck had decided to take such a huge leap; Erika still couldn't wrap her mind around it, because he was one of the last people she had ever thought would do something like that without being in a relationship - and a serious one at that. Not that she was going to judge him regardless. As long as he was pleased and didn't regret his decisions, she was going to support him. "Well," she said, shaking her head as she chuckled, "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't surprised, but as long as you're happy, that's what matters in the end," she said, smiling.

It was still hard to imagine; Not that she really wanted to imagine it, mind, because that was kind of... Wrong; Imagining one of her best friends having se- wait, no. She'd simply leave it at that.

Holding her hand to her heart, she offered him a smile, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone, but you know how these things work," she said, sighing. She knew all too well how things she had considered a safe secret could easily enough come out into the light of day, without no real explanation as to how or why it had ended up being public knowledge. Of course, Erika wouldn't tell anyone; Why would she? She knew how much it hurt when all your secrets became public display. "And yeah, I know what Frank can be like, but she means well." What Frank did, was never done out of malice. That much they both knew, though Erika could understand where Franck was coming from.

"So, what's next for you?" she asked then, smirking. "Now that you've gotten that out of the way, what are you going to do next, or are you going to do anything at all?"

[François Laffont]

François was aware it was something very out of character for him. Truth be told, it was also something that threatened to happen at some point. Maybe not necessarily having sex with some random guys, but something. Franck had reached a point where everything he pulled back inside to be the kind hearted, helpful and positive boy he was wanted to come out all at once in one big scream. In retrospect, he could have done a lot worse than let the twins have some fun with him. It had been a mix of so many things; being tired of always being the one alone, frustration over feeling used sometimes, the letter he got from his mother... Something needed to be done before he blew up and it happened. Now, he could return to the kind heart, helpful and positive person that he was. Like he told Erika, he felt like he should stand up more and say no when he felt like it, but the desire to have random sex with the first guy he senses a bit of desire from left him. He didn’t think it was that bad of a thing.

He understood her surprise about this. Even if she could understand he needed a change, to break with his image for once before losing it, it was still something you wouldn’t expect him to do. “I’m not saying I’ll do that again but I needed it. I can do what I want to without something terrible happening because it might not have been the right thing to do,” he added. No hell opened before his feet to swallow him because of this. Obviously, it was not the end of the world if he thought of himself before others for a change.

“You mean the Laundry?” he asked. Franck didn't think he was important enough for anyone to write about it but he had been proven wrong in the past since the blogger already gave him a name. Lonely Boy. He had a little smirk at the thought of it. “They’ll have to change my name after that. I don’t sound so lonely anymore,” he tried to joke. “I’ll deal with it if it happens. I don’t know if people will really care for what I did though.” He hoped he wouldn’t replace Erika as the one that blogger loves to talk about. He doubted it, his life was too uneventful.

He gave her a smile as they brought up Frank. “Of course she means well. That doesn’t mean I want a parade because I finally did what she thought I was a master at,” he said, a chuckle in his voice as he looked down at his feet. He did love Frank and he knew she never meant to embarrass you or tell your secrets. It just happened at times. Franck also didn’t want the girl to hate him for not telling her. He’ll deal with that should she find out, until then he’ll keep this private.

He looked up as Erika questioned him. “You mean with the twins or my mother?” he asked. There was something in his tone, as if he was teasing her with his question. “I don’t really intend to do anything with them. I won’t avoid them but that’s not something I mean to repeat over and over. I mean, two all the time? That gets kind of awkward,” he answered, chuckling again. It was better to chuckle his embarrassment out than to turn red at this. “I think we talked of me enough, how are things with you?”

[Erika Conner (Bellefonte)]

Regardless of how Erika felt about her good friend losing his virginity the way he had, she had very little room to speak. After all, the brunette had lost her own virginity during a drunken stupor at the age of fifteen, with a girl she now considered to be her best friend -- then again, technically, she hadn't lost her virginity until sleeping with Everett, so really, it all depended on how you decided to view it. The point still remained though. As long as he was happy about it, she was happy about it too.

Because at the end of the day, that was what mattered the most.

"Well," Erika began, smiling a little as she continued, "As long as you don't let anyone do something to you that you don't really want to, which I honestly doubt you ever would, I'm happy for you. Really, if anything deserve to have some fun, it's you," she added with a shake of her head. "After everything you and everyone else have gone through, we should all stop acting like damn adults and actually act our own age for once. We're teenagers. We're meant to let loose and all, right?" It was easy to preach and not do the deed. After all, Erika had calmed down immensely over the past few months. Especially after Everett had returned and she'd become one of the two headmistresses. There was very little room for her to screw up, and oddly enough, she was actually fine with that.

"You might be right about that," she said, thinking about how little people would care about who lost their virginity to whom, though, after being in the spotlight for so long, Erika wasn't one to say much. "Just be careful, okay?"

Laughing at the image of Frank building a parade just to announce his news, Erika nodded. "I don't know, sounds like it could be fun. Could even make it the annual Franck day," she said, winking at him. "After all this time, I've kind of learned to take everything Frank says and does with a spoonful of sugar," she shrugged. After all, Frank rarely did anything out of spite. In fact, Erika wasn't entirely sure Frank even could do anything out of spite. She was far too good and kind hearted to purposely hurt anyone. Which was probably why she had too many people caring for her, even though some of them maybe didn't want to admit to it. No, Frank was very loved and dear to a lot of people. There was no doubt about that.

"Both of them, really," she said, smiling. She added a little wink to it too, before looking away, the smile still apparent on her lips. "Yeah, I see what you mean. Sounds somewhat exhausting too, if I'm going to be honest," she laughed. The conversation shifted then, putting the spotlight back onto her. Tilting her head to the side, Erika sighed. "Well," she began as she looked back at Franck. "I broke up with Trevor a few days ago. Everett came back and... I don't know. He's always... Been the one, you know? I couldn't let that slip through my fingers. It didn't feel right." She furrowed her brows as she once again looked away. "I'm a little confused by it all. I never expected him to come back and I really thought I had moved on, but.. Part of me is really happy that I didn't."

[François Laffont]

Franck couldn’t help but to laugh happily as she said he should simply not let anyone make him do something he didn't want to. “I know I can get turned on because of lustful feelings I get from others but they’ll need more than that to make me do something I don’t want to. Otherwise, I think the ladies here would have had a piece of me a long time ago,” he assured her. He didn’t want to admit he had the same worry at first. He realised that a girl having a major crush on him wouldn’t have him falling in love with them. He might be turned on, just not by her specifically. But a guy, that was different, since he could easily fall for one. Still, he didn’t think the twins really forced him into doing anything. They tricked him alright but he could have said no and moved away from them. In the end, he didn’t try so hard to get away from them.

He grinned at his friend. Franck knew he was sometimes pretty mature for his age. As for Erika, she had to give up being a teenager when she took on the position of co-headmistress. But they were still young and they couldn’t help acting as kids sometimes. They couldn’t even buy alcohol! “You’re right. You probably have to act even more as an adult lately. I’m still in high school, it’s not like I have as many responsibilities. It’s not too hard on you is it?” Franck wouldn’t mind suggesting Erika she can call him anytime she wanted, if she wanted to be a teenager again for a few hours or anything else. But he felt like being a teenager was not something he was necessarily very good at either. He definitely was not the type to take daddy’s car and drive around town, hoping to sneak into a club or something. Still, Franck was there and his question proved she could count on him if she wanted anything. He was ready to go a little out of character for her, if that could take some weight off her shoulders.

He nodded as she asked for him to be careful. “I will. But, I mean, I think people probably expected this to have happened a long time ago. I’m a guy, I’m gay and I’m French. One means I think of sex all the time, the other that I do it all the time and, if you listen to Frank, French means I’m pretty good at it,” he replied, assuring her he’d watch out. He didn’t think he would be worth more than a line or two though. He was not Erika, as awful as it sounded.

“Oh please, don’t give her the idea,” he said between two laughs at the thought of a parade and a commemorative day. “Yeah, I know. You know, I feel bad sometimes for Frank. I seek her out mostly when I’m feeling a little down because one minute with her and I get enough energy for the rest of the day but I don’t think she really minds...” he admitted. He was probably being paranoid there, assuming he spent time with her only to lift up his mood. She just naturally managed to achieve that, more than anyone.

Franck heard rumours about Trevor and Everett but he waited for Erika to tell him all of this. “You needed to see if the flame was still there instead of forever asking yourself ‘what if’,” he finished for her. At first, he had to admit, Franck thought she was causing unnecessary drama again and feared what people would say. She might claim she was used to it, he knew it was meant to hurt still. But he understood in the end. Besides, it was her choice. “Trevor happened pretty quickly, because you both went through something no one else could understand, and you just lost Everett and was pretty confused. Still, it must be hard, on both of you.” Franck reached out his hand to hold her wrist and he gave her a sympathetic smile, showing how he was there for her with this simple gesture.

[Erika Conner (Bellefonte)]

"Yeah," she nodded with a smile. "After all, it's easy for us to sit here and tell you not to let your power cloud vision, when it's you who know how your power works best." She smiled a little sheepishly at that. "After all, you're the empath." Just like if anyone gave her advice about her ability; Since abilities were different from person to person, it didn't work the same for everyone. No one was better at knowing their own ability than the one actually having it. Still though, she cared about him and she just wanted him to be happy. If having casual sex made him happy, then so be it. And if it didn't, then so be it.

A frustrated sigh fell from the brunette's lips before she finished it with a groan. "I mean, it could be a lot worse. It's fun and it's interesting, and I kind of knew that I would eventually end up in this position, I just expected it to happen much later." She bit her lower lip and closed her eyes for a few moments. "I don't want it, but I don't have much of a choice, so really, I just have to make the best of a shitty situation." At least she had other things in her life that was great. Everything wasn't all bad, so maybe, in the end, she couldn't really complain. She actually felt a little shitty about it too, knowing that there was people out there, having a harder time than what she would ever have.

"You shouldn't let stereotypes get to you. It doesn't matter if you're a he, an it or a she, or gay, straight or pan. We're all people with the same rights--" she stopped, another sheepish smile forming on her lips, "--but that's hardly a discussion we need to deal with now," she laughed. "I know what you mean though. I think."

When Erika had first met Frank, she had been taken a little aback from the hyperactive girl, but had quickly come to adore her. They had met during the S.S Anne trip, thanks to some very nice teachers making the two of them roomies. Erika didn't regret meeting her at all. In fact, she was glad that she had. "I don't think Frank is the kind of person who can mind anything as long as the people she cares about is happy. She is awfully giving, which is one of the reasons I love her so much. Nothing she does it out of malice, and I think more people should open their eyes and see that. Sure, she can be intense from time to time, but that's what makes her Frank, you know?" Erika smiled at that. The girl was wonderful, even in her most annoying moments.

"Exactly," Erika said with a quick nod. She didn't think she'd ever forgive herself if she let such an opportunity pass her by. Sure, the road here had been bumpy and all, and well, in the end, she didn't regret anything, because everything she had done, everything she had experienced, it wasn't all for nothing. She had been selfish, yes, but after everything, didn't she deserve to be happy? She liked to believe so. Besides, it would have been wrong of her to stay with Trevor when Everett owned her heart. "People say that a lot," she said, pursing her lips. "And... I don't know if it's true or not, but I think... I think that Trevor and I connected because we wanted to hold onto hope, and in some cases, that last longer, and in some cases it doesn't." 

She shook her head. "It was hard, and I do love and care for him, but... Not in the same way, you know? Everett was my first love and as sappy as that sounds, I don't think I could live with it, if I didn't give it a try." Leaning her head against Franck's shoulder for a brief moment as he took her wrist, Erika smiled. "Thanks."

[François Laffont]

It was so hard to explain mutations, as it seemed to be different for everyone. It was like asking people what love meant, or what the meaning of life was. There was no universal answer. “Sometimes, I don’t even know how my power works, let alone my feelings. But I like to think I’m able to cross the line. It’s one thing to cry with someone but I doubt I’ll get so angry I will kill somebody just because they felt that way. I get their emotions but I react in my own way, you know?” This was more than just a hope, Franck was convinced there were things he couldn’t do. Emotion was one thing but there was also the personality, his nature, and said nature wouldn’t make him do certain things. It apparently had no problem with casual sex. He wasn’t imagining himself roaming around town every weekend for a new guy to go in bed with but this was an experience he did not regret doing.

He had a sheepish smile as he heard her groan, feeling sorry he brought this up if this had to be her reaction about it. “I doubt anyone expected this to happen right now. If you really hate it though, maybe you should do something about it. That sounds harsh to your sister, it’s like tossing it all on her, but you also can’t let it destroy if really it’s too much,” Franck began to say. He wanted to be there for Erika, to tell her she should speak up and tell people what she thought of this, how it made her feel but, at the same time, he could guess what she’ll say in return, the responsibilities she has and her sister Elsa. She could also just tell him to mind his own business which was kind of true also. “Just don’t make it to a point where you can’t take it anymore.”

She could understand how she didn’t want to complain because there were others in worse situation than hers. He felt the same and it was why he rarely whined about anything, even when it was justified. He wouldn’t complain about his status or the stereotypes surrounding it though. “I assume who I am, as a whole. If I don’t tell everyone that I’m gay, it isn’t because of shame but more because I don’t want it to define me. If they think that makes me girly, it’s their problem. I’d say my power makes me a drama queen, not my sexuality,” he said with a playful smile to show he was only joking. Well, kind of. He did think he could act a little like a drama queen but he never meant to and that surely had nothing with the fact he was gay. That stereotype was so terrible. He was not a girl.

He nodded, totally agreeing with what Erika has to say about Frank. “I think people are sometimes mistaken about her intensity too. She’s very sensitive underneath,” he added. He recalled that sudden sadness that took her for a brief moment as she pointed out that no guy seemed able to deal with her more than a few minutes at a time. Being alone started to weigh on her and Franck could understand that. For some people, finding someone was extremely hard while others simply had to snap their fingers to get someone.

Like Erika. “You had each other to get through this and you were the only ones able to understand what you’ve been through. It created a bond. I get what you mean. How is Trevor taking all this?” Franck didn’t know the guy too well but he made a good impression on him and he didn’t wish the boy any harm. He nodded again. “He was the one you chose, right? After you kissed Felix and was so confused.” He muttered an anytime under his breath as she thanked him.

[Erika Conner (Bellefonte)]

Nodding, Erika smiled. "Yeah," she said then, biting her lower lip. "That sounds more like emotional manipulation to me," she added with furrowed brows, as if she was thinking hard about it. Technically, most empaths couldn't control emotions, or have someone else control theirs. Though, Erika wasn't going to say that for sure, of course, as mutations always found a way to catch you with your pants down and surprise you. "Either way, that doesn't matter in the end. As long as it was a conciou-- see, now, I'm doing it again," she laughed.

"It's not that it's hard..." she began with a sigh, her hands moving up to her hair, her fingers curling themselves around her voluminous curls. "It's more so... That I always thought that somehow, I'd get away from all of this. I never really wanted to be a part of the family legacy, but because I'm the oldest -- apart from Abel -- and the closest to our grandfather, this thing, it was always meant for me. I've always know that this was where I'd eventually end up, and well... Now I have." There was little she could do about it, that didn't mean tossing her family away. She had always claimed that doing exactly that would be easy. But now? It wasn't. At all.

Ah well. It didn't matter in the end. She was here. She couldn't very well just run away. She had done that too much already.

"Yeah," Erika said, her smile widening at the mention of Frank. "Well, those who don't care to stick around, don't deserve to see her good sides."

"He's.." she hesitated for a moment. "At first, he was okay with giving me some time, and then he was angry, which is understandable, then he told me that I should pursue what makes me happy." In the end, they had left on somewhat on a good foot. There was no point in staying by Trevor's side if she didn't want him, only to make him happy. That was unfair for the both of them. "No, I chose Everett back then," she said as she turned her head to look at Franck. "But he vanished without a trace, and then SPECTRE happened... and well. You know the rest."

[François Laffont]

Franck couldn’t control how one person think. At least, not by using his power. He could, of course, try to make them feel better the same way anyone else would, with the difference that he could tell precisely how they felt and adjust to that. Maybe his power was sort of lame. He could not spit balls of fire or change the weather to fit his mood. He didn’t have anything that was flashy and easy to show to someone. But he still found it useful. He laughed with her. “I promise you I did nothing I really didn’t want to do. The worst that ever happened to me was look like a human wreck after... well, you know. Everyone kind of felt down after this,” he said, not really wanting to bring back this ghost, especially to someone who suffered so much during that time. SPECTRE was a part of his life that, if he wouldn’t deny it happened, he preferred not to let it dictate the rest of his life.

He listened as she explained how this all fell on her. “Abel didn’t want any of this?” He knew Abel was the oldest. He pretty much knew the whole family, the children of course, not the parents. He nodded. He didn’t entirely understand because he was not going through that sort of thing but he wanted to show his support and try to understand. “Still, if you need to cool down or even rant so you don’t blow up when you shouldn’t, don’t hesitate. I know I prefer to do funnier things than hearing you complain on how everyone is being a pain but if you need to, I don’t mind at all,” he told her with a smile. She might be forced to deal with this stressful position but Franck would not let it kill who she was. The world had enough of one Elsa, they didn’t need to turn her sister like one too.

“I’d say he took it well in the end. He’ll get over it. It’s not like he won’t have any chance to meet someone else. Just don’t invite him to your wedding,” he said with a chuckle. It was meant to be a joke, Franck didn’t realise how close to the truth he was by saying that. As expected, she chose Everett. It made Franck feel slightly bad for pushing Felix to admit his feelings to Erika but at the same time, he thought it was best, even if she was not to return his feelings. At least he would have told her and be able to move on without this to constantly come back to him. “Yeah. But you’re back together. Your life sounds so much like a soap opera Erika,” he let out. He had a little smile, as he didn’t mean to insult her, but it was the truth. He bet if he was to write all that happened to her and sent it to a studio, they’d love it and make a show of it, in ten seasons at least, being a real saga.

[Erika Conner (Bellefonte)]

"I don't know," Erika replied honestly. "I've never asked. I don't think anyone has. It's always been me, so I guess everyone else just sort of..." She shrugged. She'd be happy to have given it all to Abel when she still had the chance, but that was no longer the case. She couldn't just back out now, even if she wanted to -- which she did. "Thanks," she smiled at him, nodding. She was thankful for having Franck as a friend. She always would be. He was amazing, and though his ability made it easier, she didn't doubt his intentions, nor did she doubt that his heart was fully in it.

"Sadly, that's not my decision to make," she grimaced. "Elsa is planning everything. Apparently, the wedding isn't for the bride or the groom, but the family. The honeymoon is for us, or something like that," she shrugged. "You know what Elsa is like," she added with another shrug. "I'm not going to argue it. I don't have the energy, but honestly? The big princess wedding deal? Not my thing. I'd be happy just eloping." And then Erika realized she hadn't told Franck about the wedding, and her face fell flat.

"Oh," she said, staring blankly out at nothing. Right. Crap. "I haven't told you about that, huh," she said, laughing nervously as her hand went through her hair. God, she wanted to faceplant right there and then. God. Keeping her mouth shut around Franck was harder than she'd expected. Ah well. There could have been worse people to tell, and she trusted him with her life.

[François Laffont]

It wasn’t like Franck really took the time to sit down and think about whom in the Bellefonte should take over. It seemed natural to ask Abel, since he was the eldest and all but he was not one to say it was crazy to ask the twin girls instead. He wanted to support his friend in any way he could however. He knew he couldn’t help running the school and he frankly didn’t want to but he could support her and help her change her mind when she needed it. He offered something quite similar to Elsa and was happily surprised when she agreed. It was a lot of responsibilities to fall on their young shoulders and even if he understood they were not entirely alone in this, he still hoped it would not be too much for them.

He frowned a moment when she said it was not her decision. He wasn’t quite sure what she meant, since she was the one who chose to break up with Trevor to be with Everett. He also didn’t get what Elsa had to do with it until she talked of wedding. His eyes widened at the mention of a wedding. This was something new to him. It wasn’t exactly how he expected to hear about it. “You’re... getting married?” he said once she was done with her monologue about it. She only then seemed to realise she never told him before. “Well.... congratulation for you,” he said after a moment. He really was happy for her, he was just taken by surprise. He struck him she might think his lack of excitement might sound like he was against it so he hugged her, putting a smile on his face as he did so. “At least she’s a good planner?” he said, referring to Elsa. “Why don’t you do it? A quick wedding somewhere, just for the two of you. If the big princess wedding is for the family, it sounds as if the fact you’re already married and simply renewing your vows doesn’t matter,” he suggested her although didn’t know how good an idea it was. Not like he thought he’d marry. He knew he could but it seemed cruel to have a union his religion did not recognize. “Or you can go along with it, for all of us who won’t have the chance for one.” He shrugged. To him, the most important was that Erika was happy and with the man she loved, the rest mattered little. He laughed although there was something a little nervous in it. “Getting married, I can’t believe it. I hope you’ll be very happy, the two of you.”