I2: Everyday Can't Be The Best Day

[Emilie]

Emilie had disappeared back to her room to pick up her things, and make sense of what little was hers. She had showered, and washed off the stench from the cafeteria. Really, there was only so much they could expect them to do in a day.

In the last four to five weeks she had lost her family and home, been displaced twice over (though she was preferring to ignore the in-between before now at the moment), arrived at a school which was hands down her least favourite place to be and stuffed into the small confines of a single room dorm with what she classified as a 'unique' (that being a person she had never met before, of course), had her worksite ruined beyond quick and easy repair, had what few possessions she had managed to collect scattered about the dorms (and some ruined), and to top it all off, one of the very reasons she hated working with younger Victors was already happening. Victor was already aware of his other options, which meant she was going to have to move again soon unless she was willing to get a little more than nutty to prevent it.

It wasn't the getting nutty part bothered her. In truth, Madness and herself had been close friends for some time now and while they'd diminished their relationship to pen-pal status over the last several Victors, all it took was a quick and pleading text message for Madness to rush to her side and assist her in bad decision making.

No, it wasn't summoning Madness that was the problem. it was that Emilie's Madness like everything else about her had long since matured beyond the petty bullshit it took to fight another female for Victor's attention. Madness was much more subtle now. No longer a clunky neanderthal throwing heavy rocks at any prey that wandered by, Madness had honed it's hunting skills and learned to stalk it's quarry quietly from the shadows. Well, until it went for the throat. Which was very much what Madness was coercing her towards at the moment, citing it as the only rational way to alleviate the tension from the past several weeks.

All and all, if everything that had transpired had happened with the previous Victor and not the current, at this point she'd be extorting him for the toonies in his pockets, citing this month as 'why mommy has to smoke to relax.' Second to previous. She reminded. You never looked for the last one....

I needed me time. Sue me. She rationalized to no one but herself.

Like any normal person, Emilie had vices which she used to placate Madness back to it's perch on 'Constant Vigilance Avenue' and away from it's jumping off point at the 'Homicidal Rage Boulevard Station'. Smoking being the primary, she'd been doing her best to cut back as much as she could despite the fact it wasn't actually killing her. Mostly it was for previous Victor. He was the one who convinced her to switch over to the vaporizer because it was cheaper and slightly less unpleasant to be near. And he wasn't fond of her smoking around the child at all. You can't even say her name anymore... How pathetic.

Fuck off. She told her nagging and self deprecating inner monologue.

It didn't matter much because after spending her 'last cigarette' over the cafeteria incident, all she had left was a low nicotine cartridge and a no nicotine cartridge for her vaporizer and she had no money with which to purchase more.

Her second was drinking, the kibosh there was the same as the smoking. Even if her student ID would get her clearance to purchase alcohol at the Student Union Bar, she'd have nothing to compensate them with. And while the school was being generous keeping a tab of essentials for her that she intended to pay them back for, somehow she didn't think a bottle of Maker's Mark would make it onto that list.

Third? Well, it was always 4:20 somewhere in the world and when home was Ontario at least Johnny Law didn't mind. Having said that, she always minded her manners and kept it to recreational alcohol usage in the States and she was pretty sure the U.K. looked similarly down on such things which meant unless there was some serious dimensional inconsistencies in place here, she'd have to continue to mind said manners as to not risk getting kicked out of school. And scratch still would have been a problem anyways.

Number four was snuggles. She had no platonic friends yet that would understand that what she needed was to get on the couch and lay down for a nap with someone's arms around her without it meaning anything but what it was. And if some other form of contact were initiated right now that was not what Emilie wanted, the outcome could be very dangerous when Madness decided to depart the train through the doors on the right and come to her defense.

The optional fifth vice was... Well, even if that was what Emilie wanted right now (which it was not), it would be difficult to engage in without the proper partner or the proper level of privacy which she had neither of.

So it left her down to her last possible vice as a stress reliever. Wanton and careless destruction.

Truly, this vice used to be higher up the list and actually was number one when she was a much younger being, but through maturity and experimentation with chemical aids both biological and discovered this was the one she had buried under layers and layers of what a very different Freud would refer to as 'super-ego', unearthing it only in the most dire of situations. Mainly, because it was the least socially acceptable. And also for other reasons...

But this situation was definitely dire. There was nothing else to satiate Madness. If she didn't break something, and soon, it wouldn't be something anymore but someone.

She had stopped by the communal equipment storage in the gym and was surprised and excited to find a wooden baseball bat. She hated the way tools simulated. They never seemed quite right to her. Maybe it was just psychological but to her, only the real would suffice.

Stepping up to the Danger Room's control panel and scanning her school ID she began messing with the console, and being more than familiar with the basics she thought for a moment on what she'd like to destroy. She knew she wouldn't have access to anything huge like a Hulkbuster (if that was even a thing here) because she wasn't on teams... So what would she have access to that would make a satisfying crunch?

Diplomatic Doombots was what she ended up finding, the kind Dr. Doom designed to go in his place on away missions when he was pretending to give a shit about getting along with the rest of the world. Not designed to take blows, which is why I can access them. Emilie decided indeed, this would do well. After a bit of adjustment, she reset the androids to flee from her and anything else that approached it in a threatening manner, and only on foot. She chose a local setting, Maldon itself, as her hunting grounds. What better way to learn her new environs than by destroying a small piece of it?

"And now for a soundtrack." She commented, bringing up a few songs stored into the Danger Room's database. Going completely fucking apeshit beserk was nothing without the apropos musical accompaniment.

Once she was satisfied with all the settings, she labeled the simulation she designed as 'Tag'. She set the program to shut itself down if anyone else entered so that no stupid students would wander in and accidentally get smashed in the face with a 'roided out ball bat, then started up her chase.

[Victor Freud]

Thanks to the delay of the tree incident, Emilie was given a fair bit of time to vent her frustrations before Victor made it to the observation deck to watch what was unfolding below.

[Emilie]

Victor came in well after she'd already downed most of them, and there was only one of them left hiding in her simulation, one which she had just cornered next to a trash can in an alley. As she approached it, she nodded her head in time with the song on the overhead.

Twirling the bat she'd brought casually in her hands, her force-field overtook it until it was acting as a reinforcement for the blunt object. The Doom Bot wasn't programmed to fight back against her and put it's hands over it's head, but that did it little good in the long run once she overtook it. Bearing down on it with vicious blows, the machine was decimated to a pile of rubble in a matter of seconds, all the while Emilie was smiling a cheshire grin.

For good measure, she flipped the bat from her left hand to her right, keeping her left enveloped in her field. She steadied her foot against it's chest, and pulled violently on the head, severing it from it's robotic neck.

Contented, she dropped the Doom-head aside and the simulation ended.

Basking in her own euphoria, she merely stood there, heavy lidded and unaware Victor was about.

[Victor Freud]

*ka-chunk* The speakers crackled with the tell-tale sound of the observation deck microphone cutting in.

"Alright, you all know the drill. When your number is called, step forward and repeat the phrase you've been given. Understand?

"Number one, step forward."

[Emilie]

Emilie recognized the voice and decided to ignore it for a moment.

She stretched her neck in one direction and then the other, loud pops emanating in either direction as her muscles tried to relax from the abrupt stress on them. She folded her arms over either end of the bat across her shoulders and swiveled around on her heel to stare up at the observation deck.

"I'm no Kevin Spacey." She commented, neither angry, nor amused. Just matter of fact.

[Victor Freud]

*click* "It's a shame, 'cause you missed a pretty good chance to call me a nasty name and get away with it.

"Is it safe to come down there yet?"

[Emilie]

"If I'm going to call you something terrible, I don't need the excuse of a movie script."

She probably meant that too.

"I'm done." She remarked casually. " I'll come up there unless you need to use the room for something."

[Victor Freud]

"Whatever works for you, but I won't be using the room today. I've had enough action already."

[Emilie]

Emilie cocked a brow. "I'm coming up then."

It took her a moment to get from the Danger Room into observation. When she got there, she stood in the door for a moment, observing her dimensional constant.

"You look like twelve miles of bad road... What happened, get a little too fresh with Haley?" She wasn't frowning, or glaring. Still matter of fact and all business.

[Victor Freud]

Victor thought about the best way to explain what happened. "Okay, this is going to sound weird, but... a leprechaun hit me in the head with an apple, so I climbed up a tree to chase him, and I got my ass handed to me and fell down the tree."

He tilted his head slightly. "Why would I get fresh with Haley? She's your friend and I just met her. Why did you decide to play Wreck it Ralph instead of joinin' us when your shift was over? I could've easily made room on the blanket."

[Emilie]

Emilie sighed, and set the ball bat down against one of the seats.

"Sit down." She commanded, going to break into the first aid kit in observation meant for emergencies and not answering his question. She took out two of the easy break chemical ice packs and a handful of wound wipes, antibiotic cream, and band aids. She also took a prepackaged swab so she wasn't using her grimy fingers to apply the cream.

[Victor Freud]

Vic pulled up one of the observation chairs and had a seat.

"I was gonna go visit the school nurse anyway, I just thought I should find you first."

[Emilie]

"You should have gone to the infirmary first." It wasn't quite a scolding, but it was as close to one as she was willing to give him. It was definitely a reprimand though. She was mom-voicing the shit out of him.

"Does it hurt anywhere besides the scratches and your head?"

[Victor Freud]

"Naw, I'm pretty tough." Vic rolled his shoulders. "Well, I am sore all over. So I've probably got a ton of bruises."

[Emilie]

Emilie frowned a bit as she broke the chemical ice pack. "Well, I did warn you I can't keep you safe from random attacks if you don't stay within ten feet of me." She smirked and leant into him as she held the ice pack against the back of his head where a knot was likely forming. She then grabbed his wrist in her right hand and brought up one of his.

"Hold it there." She replied, ripping open the wipe with her teeth so she could start cleaning him up.

[Victor Freud]

Victor did as he was told. He didn't like being fussed over, it certainly wasn't the worst tumble he'd ever taken... but then again those had been the ones where his mother started freaking out and he'd been taken to the hospital, so perhaps it was for the best that he just put up with it.

"Speaking of you not being within ten feet of me, you still haven't told me why you left."

[Emilie]

"Caught that didja?" She smirked, but it faded quickly as she thought about how to respond to his question. "I'm not in a good place right now, and I didn't want to bother you while you were enjoying the company of a girl. It wouldn't have ended well. Haley is...

I don't know her well but when I met her one of the first things she said to me was a complaint about another friend of hers who slept with her boyfriend. Went as far as to refer to her as a 'skank'. She then told me that the girl in question used to be her best friend. I tried in my subtle way to suggest that some of that anger should be transferred onto the male in this situation as well for betraying her, but she continued to refer to the female as a 'skank' while the male only received one admonishment for being 'douchy'.

I'm not trying to judge her for her behavior. I've been in that head space myself... but while an adult would be hurt by such behavior a grown up wouldn't tell a stranger such a thing in in such an angry fashion. Which means she has some growing up to do yet. I still count Haley as a friend. We all need friends in every age group and from all walks of life to survive. We help each other grow up together, that's the point.

But I was not in a good mood today already, and I don't know how things would have gone in my terrible mood with Haley sitting there. I refuse to fight a girl over your attention. If she wants it, and you want her to have it, then by all means... It's your life. You can make any decision you want in that regard. I don't own you."

[Victor Freud]

"Well, I guess that makes sense." Victor nodded his head. "I mean, if you didn't wanna eat with us that's fine. I just didn't want you to feel like you weren't welcome. But come on... fight for my attention? I can handle being around more than one person Em."

[Emilie]

"I saw you shrink." She stated, throwing out a spent wipe and opening a New one. "Was she threatening you?"

She was apparently giving Victor the benefit of the doubt they weren't flirting... But she highly doubted that was the truth.

[Victor Freud]

"Naw. She just caught me by surprise is all." Victor felt he didn't need to go much deeper than that. If Haley was like that with him then she was probably like that with everyone, Emilie included, so it wasn't anything special.

"I'm getting better at controlling it."

[Emilie]

"I'm sure." Emilie for her own part didn't feel the need to pry further into their conversation. She said herself She didn't own him. Even if she felt like she should, fate had taught her better.

" Someday it won't be a problem for you at all. I promise." She began applying the antibiotic cream next.

[Victor Freud]

Victor winced slightly.

"Oh I'm sure of it. I'm gonna be friggin' amazing, just you wait."

[Emilie]

"I don't need to. I have seen it.

Been there, done that, got the swag. Yawn." She teased.

[Victor Freud]

"So I'm the same all across the board? I never shake things up?"

[Emilie]

"You are always awesome no matter what you do. Even when you are a pill." Like today.

[Victor Freud]

"Well that's good, 'cause I aim to misbehave." Victor smirked despite having been beaten up by a tiny redheaded goblin man.

[Emilie]

"Well Malcolm, consider yourself fortunate that Professor Flitwick kicked your ass because I had a sound mind to do it myself. Nothing I could do to you now would emasculate you more than he already did."

Emilie was done applying all of the goop, and went to open up the bandaids, but paused, and set them aside, then began to dig in her satchel instead.

[Victor Freud]

"What did I do to deserve beatings from redheads today?" Victor whined.

[Emilie]

"I need an excuse to beat you? Did I not tell you I am your domme? I must have left that part out."

She said it pretty straightfaced. She may not have been joking.

[Victor Freud]

"You don't have the boots to pull it off." Vic retorted.

[Emilie]

"I got money coming." Victor would notice the band-aids coming out of her bag printed with Mickey Mouse.

[Victor Freud]

Victor couldn't help but laugh at the colourful bandages. "Well, I'm gonna look like a real tough guy." Still, he didn't stop her.

"Hey Em? Could I ask you a favour?"

[Emilie]

"Everyone can use a Mickey." She smiled.

"What is it?" She asked back, always hesitant to promise anything until she knew what it was.

[Victor Freud]

"Can you, like..." He hesitated for a moment. "Please don't spend money on me. I might not have a lot of money, but I've got some. And I've got a family I can ask if I need stuff. But you came here with just the clothes on your back. No job, no money, no family, nothing. I'd feel really guilty if you were buying food for me instead of clothes and stuff for yourself.

"I mean, Christmas and stuff aside. I want a present then."

[Emilie]

Emilie smiled that sad, 'knowing' smile. It was, again, something that had been asked of her before.

"I can accrue all the things in this lifetime I would want to, and in the end, it won't matter a hill of beans Victor. Because I can't take it with me unless it's on my back. It's better invested in you than it is in me.

And I am the one who earns it, not you. So if it makes me happy to buy supplies to make something for you, shouldn't I be allowed to choose how I spend my own money?"

[Victor Freud]

"Well what if this time it's different? What if you find a way to break the cycle? It sounds like you've already given up."

[Emilie]

"Unbridled optimism is your department Freud. I'm realistically optimistic." She stated, placing the last of the Mickey's on his cheek.

"Besides, it takes a lot of little plastic tubes of goop to reach my full womanhood potential. I'm practically naked right now, you just don't know it. I'll have plenty of things to spend my own money on when I have it. Being a boring stereotypical cisgenered boy, you have no idea how expensive 'chick shit' can get."

[Victor Freud]

"Mff, alright. So long as you're buying your chick stuff and clothes you like and good food, I guess it's okay."

Vic was silent for a moment and then wrinkled his brow. "I'm not stereotypical, am I?"

[Emilie]

"For a Canadian?" She grinned, brushing her thumb on the edge of his cheek, perhaps pressing down the band aid?

"No, I'm picking on you. I wouldn't like you if you were."

[Victor Freud]

Victor breathed a sigh of relief. "Good, 'cause according to Tumblr that'd make me the most terrible thing ever."