Natalie Gleason & James/Vanessa | Friday morning

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In hopes of getting some information on where Nick may be Vanessa finally enters the Purifier church where Natalie Gleason is after weeks of watching it and getting to know the girl's schedule. Of course, she isn't going in wearing herself and she's got back up outside if she needs it.

It was a church. She was pretty damn sure it wasn't just a church, but the fact of the matter was there happened to be a pastor type person and worshipers along with scheduled mass. That didn't mean Vanessa came in her blue suit or alone, however. She was pretty sure Aoife would have been more well received than the people suit alt she'd been using when she needed to pass for baseline. Aoife was demure, shy, soft spoken. Aoife screamed doormat. Which is why it was James, not Aoife, Vanessa or her peach people suit that walked through the door of that church. It was also why she had backup waiting for her outside should anything go pear-shaped.

James had an easy, non-threatening feeling to him. Sure, he was tall and broad but he came off as personable and friendly instead of intimidating. The guy just didn't scream violence. In fact, the moment he smile he sort of screamed charm. Charm could backfire on a person in its own special way, Vanessa was aware of that. She was also gambling that Natalie wasn't instantly suspicious of men, but if the chick couldn't get along with James then Vanessa walking in anyone short of Aoife would have sent her to the hills anyway.

The girl was easy enough to spot in the church. Vanessa had been staking it out for days watching her through open doors, windows and sneaking in during crowded services wearing mimics that were one time use throw aways. James was surprisingly light on his feet for a man his size and strode up to the girl quietly with his hands in the pockets of his trousers and his suit jacket undone just like the top button of his collared shirt. It was careless, haphazard disarray to further disarm her. And Vanessa knew it looked good on him, too.

Natalie remained with her head turned down and her eyes closed. Over the past few months, she had done exactly what Father Risman had told her, repent. Day in and day out, she spent her days in one of the Purifiers' churches, listening to the word, and hoping to find some form of forgiveness. After all it was her brother, and his devil spawn friends who had caused several of her church brothers to be placed in jail, and had given that horrible mark to Father Risman's face. As she found herself lost in her thoughts, her hands again rose up to her arm, scratching at her skin, directly over the place that she knew the tracker had been placed. If only she could find a way to work it out, she could rejoin father Risman on the front lines...

But as the man approached her, Natalie was still lost in her thoughts, and as she looked up, she was in for a bit of a shock. Jumping up in the air slightly, she quickly clutched her hand to her chest. "Heavens..." As she continued to breathe heavily, she was able to calm down. In her head she had to run down the same thoughts she had every time she met a new person. Not everyone you meet is a threat. Not everyone is a mutant. And the man in front of her couldn't be more vanilla. No reason to be threatened at all.

She forced a smile on her face as she rose up and moved to the side of the man. "Pardon me sir, I didn't notice you were there." She rose her hand up, and swept it across the front of the church. "Welcome to our humble, little church. I'm Natalie. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Hi, Natalie, I'm James." He wore an easy smile indicative of his mellow demeanor, but James didn't extend a hand to shake. The smile was obviously forced and she was a little spooked. It was best to handle her with kid gloves as much as possible. "I'm new in the area and I've been looking for a church to join. I was hoping someone could show me around and tell me something about this church and it's congregation? If no one's available I could always come back another time."

Natalie was still a little shaken as she moved to the side of the man, but kept the half smile plastered on her face. "Of course." She tucked her arms around her back as she began to pace forward ever so slightly, hoping that the gentleman at her side would follow in tow. "I guess I'm as good of a welcoming crew as our little church can muster." She forced her eyes to the side. "So what is it exactly you're looking for James?"

"What anyone looks for in a church, I guess," he replied sotto voce in order to be polite in the quiet, cavernous building. "Good people, a dedicated leader, somewhere...warm. A home in a way, I suppose." Vanessa kept a half step behind Natalie so that the girl could lead and so she couldn't turn and surprise Vanessa easily without the metamorph being able to see and adjust accordingly.

Natalie let out a small giggle. "Well I suppose I should have seen that one coming." She continued on, gesturing her hand towards the now empty lectern at the front of the room. "Well if you're looking for a dedicated leader who's warm and willing to provide you with a place away from home, this is the place." She turned back slowly. "All of our pastors are here to provide you with a spiritual guidance that's different than any other." Her smile grew as she continued on. "And if you're lucky enough to come on a day that our church's leader, Father Risman is here, you will be provided with all of that and so much more."

"Father Risman?" James' head tilted to the side, expression overcome with one of contemplation. Vanessa would love to get her hands on Risman for many reasons, but it was really better for everyone if she didn't since she'd hit her quota for hiding bodies this year and didn't fancy prison much. "Would that be Father Matthew Risman? Hm...I'd thought I remembered hearing about him being further west than here. And something else but I can't remember what. I know the name though." He seemed to be lost to his attempts at recollection once more.

Natalie blinked her eyes several times in shock, but quickly recovered with a small smile and a laugh. "Yes, it is Father Mathew Risman." She shook her head from side to side for a bit. "Sorry for my behavior, I'm just a bit shocked that his message has spread so quickly..." She couldn't help it, even though she shouldn't really be surprised. After all, her foster parent was brilliant, and was obviously years ahead of his time. "How did you hear about him?"

"Oh, well, I'm a midwest boy. I've heard a bit about him before I moved out here. He's notorious in some circles back there, of course." James spoke with an easy, casual tone in an attempt to disarm the girl from what he was saying. Most people didn't quite seem to know that notorious wasn't an especially favorable way of being known and Vanessa waited to see if Natalie understood the meaning of the word.

Natalie has a warm smile as she turns back. "Well a lot of minds seem to be misunderstood in their time. I doubt that his infamy will last long at all." Her biological father's position as a college professor had done wonders for the girl's vocabulary. "But I suppose you've already agreed with that, or else you wouldn't be here."

"I'm not sure I'd exactly call it agreement," James replied, almost philosophical. "I don't like liars. The Lord frowns on it, you know. Calling yourself a Father when you're not ordained, now that's lying, isn't it?"

Natalie's smile quickly dropped as a scowl formed as its replacement. "The definition of what is a Father of the church isn't exactly closed to interpretation." As she swung her hips around, and crossed her arms in front of her chest, her hips instinctively cocked to the side. Almost all teenage girls developed an attitude when you questioned something they believed in, and Natalie was no different. "So tell me, James, what exactly is it that brings you here other than questioning Father Risman's position?"

"Risman can keep his deceptive position for now, that's not why I'm here," Vanessa replied, James' voice sounding nonchalant. "What I want to know is what he or you did with your brother. The one who is genetically and biologically related to you. The mutant who was stupid enough to love you despite what you were. Where is he?"

She quickly swerved her head to the side as she talked. "My brother is sick. But as far as where he is, I would assume that he's with the rest of the devil spawn he's been around recently." A scowl pulled up the corner of her lips. "But I suppose you would know all about them wouldn't you?"

"Can't say I know anything about devil spawn, sorry kid." The smile that spread across James' face was affable, and surprisingly genuine looking. "What I do know is that you helped your 'people' crash a high school graduation where your brother was knocked out, maybe killed, and him or his body haven't been seen since. I think your people took him to do whatever it is you'd do with so-called devil spawn if you could get your hands on them."

"Killed..." Natalie whispered the word. Despite what Nick had become, she still had hope for him. Maybe there could be some cure found later. Something that could get the sickness that had taken over him. But she couldn't show her feelings to this... thing... whatever it was in front of her. She would be alone with her thoughts and prayers soon enough. Shaking her head, she returned the defiant smirk to her face and cocked her hip to the side. "Think what you will about our teachings, I would have no reason to lie to you about my brother's whereabouts. If I knew where he was, I'd be trying to help him deal with whatever it is inside of him. In case you had forgotten, Father Risman's people weren't the only ones there that day."

"No, but the mole working from the inside was his or are you going to pretend there was someone other than you orchestrating?" Natalie had fallen apart just long enough for Vanessa to see it. She'd spent too much time studying people to not catch the way the girl's expression had changed before she'd reasserted that superior little smirk of hers. Whatever twisted doctrine she was falling now didn't change the fact that deep down she apparently cared about her "devil spawn" sibling. "For the record, those people you helped be attacked are good people. And they care about your brother. They love him. And luckily for you they've got this thing called morals so they don't do too well harming others who they deem innocent and misguided and confused."

The pair were out of sight of anyone else in the church and so for a moment Vanessa let her mimic go. James' skin bled to blue, his eyes slipping from brown to solid red and, in a water-like transformation, Vanessa's body emerged from his. A hand made sure his pants didn't fall down her hips because James was wider than she was and his clothes were too big. The look on her face was wicked and unkind as she leaned down within inches of Natalie's face. "But I'm not one of them. If I find Nick dead I'll come looking for you and no number of promises I make otherwise will stop me from taking you apart piece by piece to even the destruction your hate has caused. Do you understand me, child?"

Natalie shuttered slightly at the sight of the mutation. But it was still just confirming a suspicion that had already been running around in her head, it helped her at least act tough for now. "If he turns up dead, don't be so sure we won't come looking for you and your friends." Her lip curled up. "I still haven't given up on finding a cure from my brother's problem in the future.

Vanessa only smiled and curled a finger around the lock of hair in her pocket. Her body bled back to James'. "Sure, come find me. You and yours don't scare me," she said, the voice starting as her own and transitioning back to her mimic's along with the body. Vanessa took a step back from Natalie. "The only problem your brother has is the unfortunate circumstance of to whom he's related. Hide behind your false prophet, girl. He might be wide enough to take some of the comeuppance you're all due." With that the metamorph turned her back on the misguided Gleason and headed for the door. Natalie didn't prove enough of a danger to worry about giving the girl her back.

Natalie stuck out her chin defiantly, although there still was a small quiver in her stance. "Your time for judgment will come. Just wait and see." She raised her voice only slightly, although she didn't make a point to insure that the mutant heard her words. Despite her best efforts to keep a cool face, Natalie would always be uncomfortable around mutants after the graduation ceremony had gone astray.