Xaviers!

Basil mostly let Haley do the same thing she'd been doing in her room by herself. He let her choose the music in his car as they drove through the country side of Essex. While the roads were a bit meandering, Basil seemed to know where he was going as his driving was not. Unless he was addressed he would remain silent to allow Haley her thoughts.

"I was caught somewhere between a woman and a child, one restless summer we found love growing wild. On the banks of a river, on a well beaten path, it's funny how those memories, they last.

Like strawberry wine, seventeen, the hot July moon saw everything. My first taste of love, bittersweet. Green on the vine, like strawberry wine."

Haley remained quiet for a while, but before long she was singing along with almost everything.

It wasn’t great. It was honestly pretty bad. But she seemed to be enjoying herself.

As the song finished she looked around. “It’s still really weird to be on this side of the car and this side of the road.”

"Bubbe says you get used to it.

Of course, I suppose that notion presumes you'll be here long enough to get used to it. I suppose you'll return home after uni, eh?"

“...I don’t know. America’s not real fond of us and Texas especially,” she replied pensively.

"So what then? Become a drifter like Lucky Luke, righting wrongs and then disappearing into the sunset?" He joked, then sang-

"~I'm a poor lonesome cowboy, I'm a long, long way from home...~"

Haley smirked. “I dunno what I want to do when I grow up. If I bust my ass I could maybe do chemical engineering and make a lot of money to fund my expensive tastes...and I really do enjoy science so. That or just be a superhero. Though...I mean. How do they get paid?”

"I have no idea. It's not something I've researched as it's not really an available option for me personally.

If I had to venture a guess based off Ms.Kinneys situation they aren't paid for the superhero bit per say, but in the case of the X-Men, their wages are probably astronomically higher than any normal teachers.

So as long as you can stand the antics of teens and young adults, you might make bank as the Institute's college level chemistry teacher." He stated, sounding a bit amused.

“And deal with assholes like me?” she scoffed. “God I’d rather fight a super villain.”

"Maybe you'll just have to work for X-Corp then." He joked while making a left turn into what seemed like an unmarked private drive.

"Tell me Haley, what's your opinion on fast cars?"

“Haley like.” she smirked, getting an inkling of what he was planning.

"Somehow I suspected that was the case." He replied, sounding amused.

Basil had pulled onto a gravel drive that lead to what would look like an empty field from afar, but as they got closer Haley could tell better that it was covered in poured tarmac. Given her flight training, Haley could easily ID a landing strip, even if it wasn't from above.

"Out in the country, Past the city limits sign, Well there's a honky tonk, Near the county line, The joint starts jumpin' every night, When the sun goes down, They got whiskey women music and smoke, It's where all the cowboy folk
Go to boot scootin' boogie.


"Do you have your belt fastened appropriately?" He asked.

Haley grinned, and flipped down a pair of sunglasses resting on the top of her head onto her face. “Oh hell yes.”

A few warning revs served to alert Haley once more to brace herself, and then it was off to the races. Once he figured she was sufficiently aware, Basil gunned it down the open strip of road.

As he quickly came up to the end of it, A deft shift change into a lower gear and a violent jerk of the wheel saw the two of them go into a short spin with the tires screeching loudly underneath them, and Basil's Volvo was now in what would be the opposite lane if they were on a surface street, facing the opposite direction.

Midspin Basil became visible, his side curtain of curls coming free from behind his ear at the sudden jerking motion. Behind it and a set of Wayfarers, Haley could see a self satified smirk, smug with the fact that he had just successfully performed a bootleg turn.

And with his visibility came the weak mental signal again. The one almost too quiet to hear.

Haley practically squealed with delight as she was thrown back into the seat of the car by the acceleration. She reached over to the radio and cranked the volume up just before she was pressed against the door by the spin.

She let out another giddy whoop and danced in her seat for a moment before noticing the change, and calming a bit, though her smile wasn't fading. "You go fast enough, you turn visible, cutie?"

"God I hope not. Being too fast seems like the opposite thing to be smug over." He joked.

"I've never tried that before.... Not too shabby for a bloke who read instructions for hours on the internet I think."

"You...what? You've never done that before? Damn! Could have fooled me."

"Thank you, thank you. Want to see if I can do it in reverse?"

“Hell yes,” she grinned devilishly.

"Alright, brace yourself love!" He replied, getting the car moving again, now in reverse. Still visible, he watched over his shoulder, and at just the right time he shifted the appropriate gear and swung the wheel hard to get the same effect as before, but backwards. It was much more rollercoaster esqe in this direction.

Haley let out another triumphant whoop, all smiles in the passenger seat. "You sure you've never done this before, stunt driver?"

"Yep!" He replied, then going into a trick he knew he could do alr easy, figure 8s.



Basil would do the same tricks a few times for the amusement and the practice. Not all of them as spot on as the first time, he'd gotten lucky.

It was only a matter of time in Britain for the rain to finally come and spoil their fun, forcing Basil to stop his tomfoolery.

"Welp....

Only so much fun to be had before Mother comes." He quipped, looking out through the windshield with a melancholy smile.

“Your mom is coming to visit?” Haley asked, not sure if he was being literal or not.

"God I hope not. I hope that moving Howard and Harold into Maldon is enough shadowing her for liking."

“Howard and Harold?”

"My minders.

Think Bodyguard and Nanny rolled into one. You've seen them before." He looks at her sidelong over his shades, then taps his temple.

“Right, them...but what do they have to do with your mom?”

Basil smirked at a thought he had, a way of answering Haley's question without words. She seemed to be the sort of person who had to be shown to learn.

"Let's make a bet.

Let's leave here. If we pass by a vehicle waiting near the drive of this property with their lights off, then we go home and you owe me a pint at the XUB when we get there.

And if there isn't anyone there, I will take you to Maldon and buy you something nice that Toshiro Narumi never would have thought of, let alone be able to afford.

Deal?"

Haley's eyes lit up in anticipation; presents were great, especially expensive ones. And really, even if she was proved wrong, buying her friend a beer didn't seem like a bad idea--she could use a drink herself.

"Deal," she smirked, holding out her hand.

Basil shook on it, something he had gathered was important to certain Americans.

He then put the vehicle in drive, and slowly rolled up the path back towards the main road.

As he predicted, a silver Mercedes was sitting in the rain, the car positioned in such a fashion as to have watched their shenanigans.

Basil stopped the car to let Haley register it's presence, then mock pouted at her.

"Mmmmm. Shame. Looks like you won't be getting those Uggs after all, Princess."

Haley grumbled, “Want me to pop all their tires?”

"Ah! No no." Basil replied. "Daytime shift is Howie. He's a good chap.

You can ruin Harold's day if you ever run into him in the evening." He smirks.

"But this is what my mother has to do with them. She pays them to still do this apparently. Learned that before the holidays. I presume they live in Maldon now, somewhere. They're too quick on the uptake to be based out of London anymore."

Haley looked out the window, lost in thought for a minute. "Weird. Once I turned 18 my parents were much more respectful of my privacy. We're still really close. Mostly my dad n'me. My mom and I are probably too much alike not to butt heads, as much as I fucking hate admitting that."

"All the words my father has spoken to me in my life couldn't compose a short story." He thought to himself... forgetting Haley could still hear him.

What came out of his mouth was- "It's too bad they couldn't come out during the holidays. It would have been nice to meet your family."

Haley frowned a bit as she overheard the thought, though she said nothing and continued to stare out the window at the passing countryside.

"Daddy's too proud to accept something that generous. I think they're gonna make it out here this summer though. If we play our cards right he'll make us all real barbecue."

"Madame will enjoy that, I think. She'll probably offer to help, make sure he lets her down easy." He mused, his inner emotions and outer expression stating he was slightly joking, but only just slightly. Any offer to help someone cook is something he knew she'd throw herself at if only for the experience of it, and he imagined not everyone would be as open to the idea of her around their food as he was.

"In return, I'll get him all the American pisswater beer your type enjoy." He added. Now he was definitely teasing.

“Ziegenbock is delicious, you take that back,” she laughed.

“And Daddy loves teaching people about barbecue, so I’m sure he’d take help and talk anyone’s ear off in the process. I’ve heard it all a million times but I just want the delicious brisket in my damn belly, don’t care how it gets from the steer to there. “

"Well thats good because if hes even remotely mutant friendly she will be certain to be underfoot asking a million questions."

It marked the first time he'd ever used that word, but he didn't mentally register that himself. He seemed to not even notice and just kept talking about food.

" Don't know much about barbeque brisket, Bubbe's braised brisket is alright.

I much prefer steaks."

“We’re from Austin. It’s pretty much the most liberal you can get in Texas. He loves everyone.”

"I was told if I tried to meet cowboys, I'd get shot.

Now I don't want to anymore. You Texans are scary."

“I’m the most dangerous one you’ll meet,” she smirked. “Most of the folks in my hometown are sweet as can be.”