Amanda & Illyana | Favors

[xp_magik]

(backdated) What Illyana needs is a few favors and access to the magic library. What she gets is a surprisingly helpful Amanda Sefton and the chance to start mending fences.


Illyana checked the address a third time and looked at the entrance to Betty's, wondering if she should purchase a pastry or two as starter bribes. It couldn't hurt. If they said no, Illyana would have more pastry to eat, a winning situation. She kept it simple, though, then trudged her way up the stairs.

She'd been expecting Artie at the front desk, so running into Amanda was... less pleasant. "Sefton," she greeted cautiously, unwilling to be completely rude to people she would later be asking favors of. "Have appointment with Artie, maybe talk to Topaz about magic library after if she is free?"

Amanda looked up from her tablet with a start of surprise at the voice. "Illyana!" she exclaimed, before checking herself and responding to the actual words. "Oh, I'm sorry, Artie's been called out suddenly. Maybe I can help?"

Illyana studied her for a minute. "Maybe," she finally said, voice a little doubtful. "Do not know what spy people do specific, just stories from Pyotr. Do not quite think you are same sort of spies as Russian state. We could sit, have discussion. If you cannot help, I will make another appointment but will not bring Artie pastry."

"That sounds fair enough," Amanda replied, smiling despite herself at the last part. "The boardroom's free right now, if you'd like to sit down and talk things over. I can make tea, if you like? English, not the Russian kind, sorry."

"That is fine," Illyana replied with a nod. "Am not snob about things being Russian, that is Pyotr's job." Her lips tipped into a brief smile, unable to resist needling her brother even when he wasn't there to hear it. She followed Amanda to the boardroom, taking a cautious seat in one of the chairs and pushing the pastry box into reaching range for both of them. "All pastry downstairs smelled good, was tempted to get one of each."

"From Betty's? Yeah, they make some really good stuff there. I've had to use the stairs instead of the lift to make sure I still fit into my pants." She disappeared for a few minutes before coming back with two mugs, wisps of steam drifting from the top, and a milk carton tucked under her elbow. "Here," she said, setting one down in front of Illyana and then the milk, before pulling a handful of sugar packets from her pocket and scattering them on the board table. "Sorry for the lack of niceties, but I couldn't find the tray."

"That is fine. Am grateful for tea, thank you." Illyana took a sip of the steaming hot tea, then added two packets of sugar and gave it a stir before helping herself to a muffin. "Help self to pastry, is least I could do for making work." There was no point in wasting time with endless small talk, so she took a few bites while the older woman got settled and then started talking. "Need help with two things, I think. First. Took Pyotr directly to Russia. May cause issue with government. Would like to trade favor to clear that, have him in Russia legally. Second, need papers for travel in Russia. Have documents made when younger, but need to be not Illyana Rasputina in Russia because she is dead child, yes? Something that could have tie to family, perhaps cousin on Mama's side. Will trade favor for that also."

Amanda didn't need to be asked twice - she reached over and helped herself to a raspberry and pistachio danish. "Right," she said, once she'd finished the bite she'd immediately taken, washing it down with a mouthful of sweet, milky tea. "We - that is, X-Force - have done this sort of thing for a lot of the mansion folks, me included." She tapped out a few notes on her tablet with one hand. "Pyotr will be easiest - Doug can hack into the immigration system's computers and add the relevant info. As for you, give us a couple of days to work up the proper identity and get you a passport with all the right stamps."

"Will appreciate assistance that can be given. Parents have enough trouble, do not need children adding more." She had never had rhubarb before, but the taste in the muffin was good. She might have to get another on the way out. "Other thing, was going to ask Topaz where magic library moved. Have research to do."

Amanda's curiosity was piqued by the mention of parents, but there was no way she was going to ask - this was the most she'd been able to talk to this version of Illyana... well, ever, and she wasn't about to fuck it up. "All the assistance - like I said, we do this fairly often, so we have a system and all." She tapped out a few more notes, carefully nibbling her way around the crust of the danish before treating herself to the fruity centre. "Okay, got that in the works... What was next... Oh, the library? Yeah, you weren't around when we wound up with a pocket dimension which then collapsed and turned into the wormhole. The books and stuff we salvaged and the books from the mansion are here. Made sense, since ninety percent of the magic users work here. But you're definitely free to check things out."

Illyana blinked. Started to talk, raised one finger, blinked again. "That is how portal in chapel appeared?" It made sense, weirdly. Unfortunately. "Did not happen to get awesome Valkyrie chick? No, would have seen by now. Unfortunate. Would like to browse library, yes." Her fingers wrapped around the locket at her throat almost unconsciously. "There is research I must do. Probably scrying, also."

"Yes to the portal in the chapel, no to the Valkyrie," Amanda replied, smiling at Illyana's wording. "I'm good with you coming by and using the books when you like. And offering any research help you might need? That's sort of my main job here, after all."

"Thank you." Illyana touched the pendant on her necklace, then decided in for a ruble... "Do not know what you might need to know, what Wanda may have told you." She let out a deep sigh. "What you might have known in time before, if there was other Illyana. I do not know what similarities might have been. Multiverse is... not kind, that way. So many things the same, such tiny things, sometimes, are different. But there have been other Wandas. A woman named Ororo, who taught white magic. Very different version of Kitty Pryde. Actual big cat."

Amanda's expression was sympathetic. "There was another Illyana, before M-Day," she confirmed softly. "We... weren't friends, not exactly. But we were teammates and we worked well together. Her history wasn't so very different from yours." She nodded at the pendant. "So you're looking for your bloodstones?"

"Yes." Illyana flipped open the pendant, one bloodstone gleaming dimly in the light. "There are two missing. One is... on planet, somewhere. Can feel it at times, but muffled. Other... do not know. Some demons can slip through time, dimensions. Could be anywhere." She snapped it shut. "May not be able to get soul back into body. May not want all of it back, even. Under own hands, own decisions. Not others. Soul magic is... can be. Terrible, dangerous." She raised one eyebrow at the older woman, her next words a careful reminder of the main reason she had such a problem with the other witch. "I prefer to not fuck with thing that may obliterate soul and self from existence."

"Point taken." Amanda looked abashed. "I'm sorry for that whole thing, with the Shadow King. I should have talked to you more about it, but things were complicated, tied up with the whole other dimension thing. And back then, we couldn't actually say anything without threatening to tear everything apart. That ritual... it wasn't the first time we'd done it, you and I. Well, the other you. The last time the Shadow King showed up, we managed to defeat him by flooding the astral plane with magical energy, using me and your Soulsword as the conduit. Haller and I figured it worked once before, so why not try again?" She shrugged a little as she finished her explanation. "It was easier the first time 'round. Everyone involved knew what was going on. But this time, Haller and I were the only original people left, which made explaining things a lot harder."

Illyana frowned in annoyance. "Multiverse shit, bah. Magic like that... easier when all are willing, aware." The ache when she thought about the women that had mentored her and ultimately sacrificed themselves to allow her to survive was still sharp, even so many years later. "Do not like, will not say is okay, because it was not. Will say understand, accept apology. Is too much to hope there will not be next time, just ask that I get explanation. Short then, long after, if necessary."

"If it doesn't mean the universe splitting apart, sure." Amanda met Illyana's gaze squarely. "Contrary to what you might have heard, I don't like using people and keeping secrets, but sometimes I don't get a choice. Some things are bigger than what we as individuals might want."

She heaved a huge sigh. Human magicians, truly the worst at times. "Can say 'universe might explode, please trust'. Easy enough. Do not have to be difficult. Opinion of you is based largely on own words and actions, not paranoia of brother. Could never have joined Rahne on Muir otherwise. Might change with time."

Illyana shrugged, keeping her shoulders loose. "Might not. Actions and time will tell. Have not run screaming yet, do not tell others to avoid stupid adult magic user. Best you will get for now."

"For now. We'll just have to see, won't we?" Amanda finished her tea and rose. "So, you want to come take a look at our library?"