Xaviers!

For being on a ship, where space was usually at a premium, the admiral's quarters were relatively spacious (meaning not two steps up from a broom closet) and remarkably comfortable. Siberia motioned for Sam to take a seat in one of the two chairs in the room. "You seemed like the one in charge, by all accounts, so I wanted to speak to you, one leader to another."

"Well, that's... perhaps a bit charitable. The Headmistress was knocked overboard just before Conduit teleported the ship. I guess I've just been making do?"

"I mean, not to disappoint you or anything, but there's no point in lying to you when you're helping us out."

"Sometimes 'making do', as you say, is what gets you closer to the position you're meant to be in," she said, seeming to take whatever disappointment was there in stride. If Sam were in comparing this person to the roommate she knew, there was a distinct lack of any photographs in the room. Still, there was a familiar air about her that was hard to shake, "You've had quite the day." She went over to a cabinet, "Can I get you something to drink?"

"..God, you look so much like her," she mumbles before straightening up.

"Just... water would be fine."

If Siberia had heard the muttering, there was no indication that she had. "I can do better than water, you sure all you want is water?" It looked like she was pouring herself something involving vodka.

"Probably better to stay sharp," she says.

"Not that you're not... sharp, and all." She quickly covers.

"Tolerance," she said, "And that little something special." She pours Sam a glass of water from a container in the cabinet, freezing a bit of the water as well to add to the water. "So the world you're from, what's it like?"

"...well, more peaceful, I suppose."

"We're all students at a mutant university in London."

"Peaceful..." She offers the water to Sam, "Sounds nice. One gets tired of war, even war for the right reasons." She settled back into her chair, closer to Sam this time, "Your world is accepting of mutants?"

"Not... exactly?" She says as she takes a sip of the water.

"I mean, I'm not going to claim it's perfect, but there's progress."

"A pity. Here, those with ability are celebrated, at least in Russia. Mutants hold positions of power, as you can plainly see, and we get to openly use our abilities for the good of everyone." If Sam brushed Siberia's thoughts, she would get the sense that the statements were true... as far as they went. Getting a better read on Siberia was hard though. She'd felt resistance like this once before, but it was hard to place.

"Russia's trying something like that on my world. It's ah... not going so well, so far."

"Different worlds, though."

"The baselines tried something underhanded here, but we caught on to what was happening and took matters into our own hands. We made the system right and fair. There were... unpleasantries... but we were fighting a corrupt system. Once the world had seen what we'd done, some others tried to emulate it, but it hasn't turned out as well. We've had to step into a few places to protect our interests and mutants, but we can only move so far so fast in a prudent manner without risking what we've already built. But you don't want to listen to me philosophize about politics."

"...sounds like that at least shook out a bit better, here." She admits.

"We ah... had to rescue you from a program like that. I mean, not you, really, but... you know."

"You know me?" Siberia seemed honestly surprised.

"I know... someone who looks rather like you, who is from Russia, and has ice powers."

"I know her as Tereza Rozanov."

Siberia paused for a long moment, "I haven't heard that name in quite a long time. I used to go by it before the uprising. I haven't gone by Tereza since then."

"...ah. Mutant name now, I guess."

"My name," she said, leaning forward to brush a stray bit of hair back behind Sam's ear. "But you may call me Tereza if you find that easier."

"...good to know," she mumbles, blushing bright crimson.

That reaction seemed to please Siberia. "Are we... close in your world?"

"We're roommates. I mean, we're good friends, aye?"

"Does she know what she's missing out on?" Siberia took another sip of her drink and pushed a stray hair back behind her own ear.

"Well ah, you know, we never really..."

"I mean, she's already got a girlfriend."

"But you've wondered... haven't you?" She smirked.

"...little bit?" Sam admits, giving a pinching gesture in the air to emphasize.

The blush returns.

The smirk remained, "So find out." She leaned much closer to Sam.

"Are you... sure that's appropriate?" She asks, the blush deepening as she fidgets.

"My ship, my rules," Siberia says. "No one here to tell you not to except me and do you hear me telling you not to?"

"It's all just... very sudden, aye? Honestly I'm flattered, but..."

Siberia sat back, hiding her disappointment behind a mask of politeness, "I don't know how it is in your world, but here, you go after what you want. Hesitation can cost you your opportunity to have something good."

"It just doesn't seem very fair to either of us, aye?"

"That entirely depends on your definition of 'fair'," Siberia says as she stands, "Do you want some more water? I'm getting something more to drink."

Sam looks down at her glass, discovering that she's fully drained it to overcome a nervous parched throat.

"...ah. Yes, please."

"But really what I meant is... I'd have to leave. We're going to help you and all, but... this can't last."

Siberia took her glass and poured some more water in it, waving away Sam's concern. "You're right, of course, if you're successful, you'll leave. I was merely curious."

"I'm not... saying I'm not either," she says as she takes the glass either.

"I mean bloody hell, it's not that I'm not attracted to you."

Siberia held up a hand, "I made an offer, you turned it down. It isn't that complicated."

"...right," she says, exhaling slowly.

"Shouldn't overthink."

"Going back, you've determined you'll help us?"

"Whatever brought us here is in Order hands. If we're going to get back, we're fighting in the same direction, aye?"