Wanda and Madelyn, during the waterfight.

[x-scarletwitch.livejournal.com]

Madelyn is on the hunt for the elusive Captain. What she gets is not the Capitain, but more, an amused Wanda. After cleaning up the mess, the two take a moment amid the insanity to chat.



Madelyn crept down the hall, pretty sure that Scott was either in the staff room. Or possibly the medlab, hiding behind Hank. First things first, though... Ducking around the door, she glimpsed someone in the staff room, brownish hair... ah-hah! She hit the trigger, giving the small bit of the person she could see a thorough soaking. "Take that, Captain!"

It was probably to Wanda's credit that she didn't scream. She did, however, drop her cup of tea as a shot of cold water hit her in the head. And was promptly absorbed by the mass of curls. There would be no mention of the fact that the chair she was leaning on was now slightly wobbly and there really hadn't been a flash of red around her hands. Really. "What the hell...?"

"Oh crap." Madelyn lowered the water pistol. "Oh, hell, Wanda, I'm sorry, I thought you were... someone else?" Probably not a good idea to tell Wanda she'd mistaken her for Scott.

Lips twitching slightly, she reached up and shook out her hair. Considering where she'd shot from and where'd she'd been hit..."Remind me not to anger you when you're carrying a weapon," she said lightly. "Ah, I see the water war has spread?"

Coming in and closing the door behind her to avoid sneak attacks, Madelyn nodded. "Scott needed taking down a peg or two, since he has that Hank special. Only you're not the first person I've accidentally hit instead - with that monster water cannon of Scott's, it's best to shoot first and flee, so there's a tendency to misfire on occasion. Forgive me?" She gave Wanda her best 'I'm cute and I have access to cold medical equipment!' look. "I think the place needed a bit of silliness to release some of the pressure of the past week."

Laughing, Wanda settled into the chair and proceeded to clean up the spilled tea. "If it's for that cause, then certainly forgiveness is easy," she replied. "Besides, it wasn't that much water and my hair can certainly take that and much more abuse. I am always up for a bit of silliness, in measures of course."

"Here, let me help, seeing how I made the mess..." Grabbing some paper towel from the tea and coffee station, Madelyn set aside her water pistol and helped wipe up the spilt tea. Luckily the cup hadn't broken and it was an old carpet. "No doubt there are students frowning on the wacky hi-jinks and thinking teachers should have more dignity, but I think we need the break as much as anyone. And it's good to see Scott laugh. He needs to do it more often." Even if she had to sit on him and tickle him - Hank had divulged some of Scott's weak points during their beer and pizza session.

"The students can...what's that expression? Suck it up." Wanda snorted softly. "We all need to have fun and relax, young and old. Dignity is only good for when the situation calls for it. If you can't relax and enjoy yourself, I don't think you will be able to last very long in a stressful environment. And this is certainly a stressful environment." She made a mental note to go see Xavier that afternoon about some of the things she wished to speak to him about.

"Well, we have November as a classic example of what happens when it's all stress and no fun..." Finishing her task, Madelyn threw the soiled towel into the trash and took a seat opposite Wanda. She and the other woman hadn't really had a chance to talk, and no time like the present... although she did need to get down and relieve Hank in an hour or two. "So, we haven't scared you off yet? It's good to see."

"Thankfully, I am very hard to scare off," she replied, leaning back more comfortably in the chair. Just a little bumpy, no worries about breaking furniture then. "I do not believe I'll be _teaching_ mind you, but I am enjoying my time here. And enjoying the training as an X-Man. I rarely had the chance before to use my powers on a regular basis. It's a...nice feeling."

"Having your talents utilized to the best of your ability and to the greatest benefit?" Madelyn suggested with a grin. "It _is_ a good feeling." One she hoped she would have soon, once she got those files off to Alison. Hmm, she could do that when she got back downstairs. "And you not teaching will crush the students' book - they open one on every newcomer to see what they'll teach. I think you and Remy are the only holdouts."

She grinned at that. "I am sure they'll find something else to bet on soon enough. They're creative, I will give them that. But I think it's for the best. When I do lecture, it's normally for college or graduate levels. And I'm normally only a guest lecturer. Cambridge employees me mainly for my researching skills and they utilize the anthropologist more than anything else."

Madelyn nodded. "Oh, I can see that - maybe once some of our lot get to college level, you could help out with research techniques... if you wanted to, that is." With a snicker, she added. "And considering the other topic of choice for the betting pool are the staff romantic lives, I think I prefer what subjects newcomers will teach."

A look of pure amusement crossed her face. "They bet on their teachers love lives? And they get in a snit when we have a little bit of fun." She shook her head, laughing. "I hate to think if anything has been open on me."

"As long as it's all very abstract and there's no actual contact or lewdness involved, then yes, they will." Madelyn chuckled. "And my source has dried up for now - or is currently in cahoots with my little sister in setting me up horribly - so I have no idea if you've been added. Expect the funny looks soon, 'though - you've been here far too long without it being a consideration, at least in the eyes of hormone-ridden kids."

"Maybe I'm looking outside the mansion for companionship," Wanda said, far too innocently. "I am a natural flirt but I think I've learned my lesson about getting involved with someone I work with. Though there are some very _pretty_ men here and more than enough to flirt playfully with."

"That there are..." If Madelyn had known Wanda better, she would have pushed her on the look - that was the 'I'm being very naughty and enjoying it hugely' look. "I take it you've been exposed to the charm that is Haroun? If he asks you to belly dance for him, remind him he has a girlfriend with laser capability and that ought to put him back in his box. I think he forgets he has boundaries now."

She laughed. "I am far too scared of Alison on those accounts to agree to anything of that nature that Haroun suggests. But yes, I have met him--he went over with me to London. I think sometimes the best way to get to know someone is to be in a fight with them at your side. He does have a great deal of charm to back up those good looks. Alison is a very lucky woman." She glanced over at Madelyn and grinned. "What about you?"

"Not charming at all," Madelyn deadpanned. And of course Wanda had met Haroun - how could she forget the London trip, given the broken songbird he'd left behind. It was good to know Wanda hadn't encouraged that, by the looks of it. "But if you meant if there's any particular person... not really. I have a lot of flirty male friends, but that's all it is, friends. To be honest, I think I scare them off a bit." She felt a small pang at that. "Not that I'm desperately seeking my one true love or anything. Heaven forbid - I'm way too busy for a relationship, between the medicine and the research and the stuff I'm doing to help the team..."

Wanda tilted her head and studied her for a second. "You're brilliant--you would have to be, being on Xavier's Medical team--and beautiful. I can see why some men would be scared off, because men are stupid like that." And it sounded like Madelyn was making excuses for herself, something that wasn't all that unusual. "No true love--but companionship is always nice? I understand. I had my fiery, passionate fling that did not end well, so I am in no rush to fill that particular gap anytime soon."

Madelyn blushed and resisted the urge to hide behind her hair - it was down today, since she hadn't had the strength to argue with the Glitter Twins first thing in the morning. "You people and the compliments..." she murmured, sounding embarrassed but pleased. Maybe people had a point. "Companionship... yeah, it's always nice. I do miss it, sometimes. But still, I've got friends who are always happy to supply me with hugs and distraction, so it's not as bad as it was before I came here. The Bureau could get horribly lonely, sometimes." She blinked as she said it - it wasn't something she'd really articulated before, and definitely not in front of someone else, someone she didn't really know.

"I figure people need to hear more compliments, especially when they're true," Wanda commented. "They tend to start believing them if they're repeated. And I think I can understand about being lonely where you were before. I traveled a lot, part of my research. It's a part of who I am, I cannot imagine not doing it. But, still..." She got a wistful look on her face. "But with the traveling, I lost touch with the people at the University. So I never really had someone to go home to."

"I miss Cecilia," Madelyn admitted. "I haven't shared living arrangements since I was a trainee agent, and I wasn't sure it would work, but it did remarkably well, even if it was for a short time. I don't begrudge her moving out and moving on - it's great she's doing that - but I sort of miss having another presence around." She grinned wryly. "Of course, this past week I've had the Giggle Twins installed in the spare bedroom, so I haven't really needed for company."

"I've heard about Cecilia--I cannot say that I blame her for wanting out. This life is _not_ for everyone. Not with the levels of stress and not with coming in the way she did." Wanda gave her a look at said she was a brave, brave woman. "Now _that_ has to be interesting. In a scary kind of sense..."

"It's... entertaining. I don't think I've ever heard Jubilee laugh as much as she has the past few days. And the timing's great - poor kid would have been stuck in medlab on her own, otherwise. With Carlie acting as her hands, she's able to be around and contribute to things." Madelyn grinned. "It's sort of worth the lost sleep and the occasional makeover."

"At least Jubilee can't do anything to you during the makeover," Wanda pointed out wryly. "But the company is probably nice, even with the lack of sleep. Jubilee is...a good kid. Who I hope is getting the help she needs." She grimaced, remembering their own encounter.

"Not you too?" Madelyn asked, noticing the grimace. "She's got her problems, sure, and God knows it's a miracle she didn't cause more damage than she did with this feud with Amanda, but... I think having everyone and their dog screaming at her really didn't help. Not saying she should have had a pat on the head, but we nearly drove her away completely trying to compensate for earlier failures to deal with things. And I'm including myself in that one - I should have done more earlier. Maybe we could have avoided this whole mess with Manuel." With a wry expression, she added: "But she's coming along a lot better now. Like I said, Carlie helps - my sister might come across as a bit of an airhead, but she's got a good head on her shoulders, and a good heart. And Jubilee needs friends like that."

"No yelling, she simply--did not like what I had to say. I am very blunt about things, especially to someone who says they are an adult. It seemed like she needed to hear it and I think some of it did get through. My problem was that I have been around magic before coming here, so I know some of it's costs. And I was surprised at how much Amanda was pushing herself for things that would simply not have been healed in the caravan." Wanda shrugged slightly. "I sometimes say things that should be said but at the wrong time. I'm not sorry but I am glad she's getting herself straightened out."

"I think we're all guilty of pushing Amanda too hard - or letting herself do it," Madelyn admitted frankly. "We didn't _know_ the costs, and she isn't one to exactly point out that she's dead on her feet - you ask her how she is and she's always fine, even with daily nosebleeds. But that shouldn't have stopped us from keeping a closer eye on things. It's possibly late, but at least we've got something in place now."

"I think Stephen--Dr. Strange would be down here in a second if the Mansion had pushed her past her limits," she pointed out gently. She remembered his concern from their afternoon together all too well, and she couldn't blame him. "Magic is not something that's widely known, or excepted, especially among the scientific community, so you simply didn't know. And Amanda is--stubborn, to say the least."

"And then some - I think this place attracts stubborn types. It would have to, to keep as many as we do." Madelyn glanced at her watch. "Crap, I should go relieve Hank. You know, we really need to have a girls' night out for the staff. A chance to catch up and relax and poke fun at the boys..." She grinned. "Preferably with no bar fights - contrary to the trend, I believe it _is_ possible for us to go out and not get into trouble. I used to do it all the time."

"Me? Bar fight? Never." Wanda grinned at him. "I really like the idea. Betsy mentioned that to me a while back but with everything that's happened lately, it must have slipped her mind. A good night out for the ladies is a very good idea. Gives us a chance to talk about the men without them hearing."

"Exactly," Madelyn agreed, reaching for her water pistol. "Now, I've come, I've gotten you wet and we've gossiped, and now I have to run. See you around?"

She was suddenly glad she wasn't drinking anything. "Everything sounds in order," she quipped. "I will catch you later. Happy hunting!"