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[x-firestar.livejournal.com]

Medusa finds Angel exhausted from a training session at the station house.



Angel thumped up through the main Xavier doors and managed to make her way into a TV room before falling face down on one of the couches. Everything hurt from the tips of her toes all the way to her hair. Her hair hurt and it was dead, how was that even possible? All she knew was that Paul had just grinned at her and told her he told her so before making sure she'd been okay. And then he'd laughed at her and gave her a ride home.

Medusa was heading back to the front of the mansion to meet her driver after visiting with Crystal when she saw an exhausted looking Angel walk past her and all but collapse in a neighboring room. Following the girl, she watched her for a moment where she had sprawled onto a couch before gently speaking. "Angelica? Are you alright?"

There was a muffled response from the sofa cushion before Angel groaned and flipped herself over so she was up right. "I hurt," she said, too tired to even whine properly. "Firefighters are mean and evil people with way too much time on their hands, Lady..." She frowned suddenly, looking worried. "Um. What do I call you now? With the whole...majesty part?" Now she was worried because she didn't want to be rude by using the wrong title...

Medusa smiled reassuringly at the younger redhead. She appreciated that Angel wanted to know her proper title out of respect, not to make fun of or tease the royal. "My current appropriate title is 'Queen'," she began, "though I am still getting used to it, even after all these
years."

Angel sat up with some effort and crossed her legs. "I'm sorry about your parents, Queen Medusa," she said softly, tucking a strand of red hair behind her ear. Becoming Queen might be awesome, if kind of weird, but she couldn't imagine losing her parents like that. Just the thought made her stomach hurt.

"Thank you," Medusa said, coming over to perch gingerly on the edge of a chair. While she appreciated Angel's condolences, she also knew she didn't wan to start a discussion about her parents, so casually changed the topic back in Angel's direction. "What were you saying about firefighters a moment ago?"

"My internship with the station has officially started," she explained, rubbing the back of her neck with a wince. "They're totally psyched about having someone who's fire proof but they are
riding on me hard. I think they wanna make sure I want this and also, without my powers, I'm still just a 16 year old kid with no experience." Angel grimaced but though she was exhausted and grumpy, it was clear she didn't mind one bit.

"Sounds like a grueling training program, but something tells me you enjoy it," Medusa said with a smile. "Something tells me they also reward your hard work...probably with ice cream."

Angel giggled happily. "And cake and subs and soda...man, you think mutants eat a lot? You should go down to the station! There's a lot of training involved but I'm really happy to be doing it -- I might even start trying to do stuff here, you know?"

Medusa smiled demurely. Her mutation didn't expend the level of energy that created a vast appetite, but she'd seen it's affects on others. "What type of activities would you be doing here?" she asked Angel, wondering why she would move her volunteering from the firehouse to the mansion. It always seemed to her like activities at the mansion were too interconnected and she wondered if the students and teachers realized what an asset diversity in training really was.

"Just a continuation of what I'd be doing at the station," Angel explained, growing more animated as she spoke. "I'm stronger when I'm using my powers but I can't exactly do a lot of that in a fire without being really careful. So I'm really just going to be making use of the gym once I figure out how the weights work. Breaking something – and by something, I mean me – would not be helpful. I'm already up at 5 to do my daily swims so it'd be easy to add in weight work. I think."

"You do appear to have the energy to spare and being prepared is always positive," Medusa said, her hair twirling in it's usual pattern. "Just do not forget to take time to enjoy your youth as
well." Medusa knew well enough what it meant to grow up to fast. Most people at Xavier's had done at least a little of it - she hoped they all didn't have to leave their childhoods behind completely.

"Between Kyle and Julio and the rest, I think I've got that covered," Angel agreed, rocking back on her hands. "I like being more mature but I totally don't want to act old or anything. Um. Not that you're...you know..."

"Old?" Medusa said, her eyebrow arching. "It is alright. I remember thinking that individuals my age were positively ancient when I was younger. One day, when someone calls you old, just remember this moment and smile."

Angel knew, for a fact, that she was never going to get old. Even when she was old. But that didn't make much sense so she didn't give voice to it. "When that day comes, can I also shake my fist and yell at them to get off my lawn? Or talk about how I had to walk both ways to school in the snow with no shoes? Despite the fact that, you know, I live here?"

"No one will be able to stop you," Medusa said with a wink. "And do not forget that you had to walk to school uphill in the snow both way, without shoes or mittens. No one ever needs to know the walk itself was five feet."

“It was a daunting, ever life threatening five feet!” Angel deadpanned and then fell backwards, giggling madly.