She feels a little... observed for a minute, but her smile doesn't fade. This one might seem a bit more intent about it than most, but being studied feels like it comes with the territory sometimes.
The head tilting a moment before reminded her slightly of Vincent, and that idea doesn't go away.
It's the concise way of talking, she thinks... but more importantly, it's the first time she's actually been asked to provide food. She guesses she shouldn't be surprised -- they can't just put up a sign that says get your dinner elsewhere while the bar's taking a break.
"Want lettuce and tomato on it?" It's kind of exciting. It's just a turkey sandwich, but she likes being in the kitchen. "Is whole wheat okay?"
The milk she goes ahead and pours first, setting it on the bar.
Having just put two slices of wheat bread down on a cutting board, picked up a knife, and started hunting down a tomato, she looks across the bar with curiosity in her eyes.
"Scent trails?" she repeats. And then she almost smiles. "You must have one sharp nose if you that's how you know I'm not new."
Now Tifa's doing a little casual studying over the bar, tomato and knife in one hand and lettuce in the other.
"Are you telling me it's okay so I don't worry?"
The alternative is that it was meant to be self-affirming, and she doesn't think it really sounded like that.
She smiles a little, not bothered but kind of curious. "Somebody else I talked to here once mentioned mutants, but... if you're one, you're not at all what I would've pictured."
Her smile is small. "Humans are like that, aren't we?"
Slices of tomato and a little lettuce join the requested turkey on the bread put out a few minutes ago, and she moves the entire sandwich onto a plate, which she places on the bar and slides over.
"You heal? Fast?" Her head tips slightly to the side. "That's not worth being scared of. I have a friend who can do that. And one with a gun for an arm and another who looks a lot like a talking lion with a fiery tail."
She won't even get into the things Dr. Hojo did to Vincent and Cloud.
Everybody has their oddities. Some of them are just a lot more obvious than others.
She's fought a couple of monsters made out of rock, and it's almost a fresh perspective to think of someone made of rock who isn't out to kill anyone who crosses his path.
The word teammates catches her attention, and she's instinctively attracted to it.
X-Men. It's a mysterious name for a group of heroic teammates.
Her gut reaction is to wonder if Cyclops lives up to his name, but she decides to keep that question to herself for now.
"Like bodyguards?"
She shakes her head. "We do have monsters and magical creatures and people who've been..." She pauses, choosing her words carefully. "Scientifically engineered to be super soldiers. And the original inhabitants of our planet were a race that could communicate with it." She hesitates again. "I've never even thought of anybody as a mutant."
After a minute or two of that, she turns to study Tifa, as well.
Then--
"Hello."
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"Hello. Can I get you anything?"
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"I would like a sandwich."
Beat. She remembers to specify.
"Turkey. And a glass of milk."
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It's the concise way of talking, she thinks... but more importantly, it's the first time she's actually been asked to provide food. She guesses she shouldn't be surprised -- they can't just put up a sign that says get your dinner elsewhere while the bar's taking a break.
"Want lettuce and tomato on it?" It's kind of exciting. It's just a turkey sandwich, but she likes being in the kitchen. "Is whole wheat okay?"
The milk she goes ahead and pours first, setting it on the bar.
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"That is good."
Beat.
"Thank you."
She pulls the milk toward her immediately, taking a careful sniff before she drinks.
Blame 494. Being drugged will stick with a girl.
"You are not new here."
Chances are good X has caught her scent around the bar, even if they have not met. She tries to remember those, just in case.
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But the milk seems to pass muster, and she nods in agreement.
"You're right. You must've seen me behind the bar before."
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"No."
She is fairly sure of that.
"There are scent trails. Here."
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"Scent trails?" she repeats. And then she almost smiles. "You must have one sharp nose if you that's how you know I'm not new."
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X is watching Tifa a little more carefully now. Just in case.
"I am a mutant."
Beat.
"It is okay."
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"Are you telling me it's okay so I don't worry?"
The alternative is that it was meant to be self-affirming, and she doesn't think it really sounded like that.
She smiles a little, not bothered but kind of curious. "Somebody else I talked to here once mentioned mutants, but... if you're one, you're not at all what I would've pictured."
Like... green skin and three eyes.
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X's response is prompt.
"Humans are afraid of us. At home."
Beat.
"I heal."
Some of her teammates are made of animate rock. Or organic mercury. Or are green.
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Slices of tomato and a little lettuce join the requested turkey on the bread put out a few minutes ago, and she moves the entire sandwich onto a plate, which she places on the bar and slides over.
"You heal? Fast?" Her head tips slightly to the side. "That's not worth being scared of. I have a friend who can do that. And one with a gun for an arm and another who looks a lot like a talking lion with a fiery tail."
She won't even get into the things Dr. Hojo did to Vincent and Cloud.
Everybody has their oddities. Some of them are just a lot more obvious than others.
"Did you want anything else on that sandwich?"
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X's eyes are a little wide, even as she carefully picks up the sandwich, inspects it, then takes a bite.
"Thank you."
Beat.
"They are like my teammates. Santo is made of rock."
X has claws, too. Maybe she will even show Tifa. Someday.
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She's fought a couple of monsters made out of rock, and it's almost a fresh perspective to think of someone made of rock who isn't out to kill anyone who crosses his path.
The word teammates catches her attention, and she's instinctively attracted to it.
"What do you and your teammates do?"
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Beat.
"We protect people. When Cyclops will let us."
She doesn't sound sulky, just matter-of-fact.
"He is not magic. Your world does not have mutants?"
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Her gut reaction is to wonder if Cyclops lives up to his name, but she decides to keep that question to herself for now.
"Like bodyguards?"
She shakes her head. "We do have monsters and magical creatures and people who've been..." She pauses, choosing her words carefully. "Scientifically engineered to be super soldiers. And the original inhabitants of our planet were a race that could communicate with it." She hesitates again. "I've never even thought of anybody as a mutant."
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