A meeting of minds (Birdy/open to BH)

[Emma Frost]

Emma Frost normally didn't concern or associate with those of a lower status than her oh-so-high-class self. But here she was, perfectly manicured nails and all, driving a silver convertible on her way to talk to what she could only consider a "junior member" of the Acolytes. Brotherhood? Give her a break, these were just Acolytes-in-training. Though she couldn't imagine them doing very well with training anything, not with any adults around, unless you counted the blue skinned one as a responsible adult.

After what Emma had 'accidentally' looked at, Ms. Butterfingers could barely take care of her own child, let alone a house full of mutant teenagers.

But of course when Eri- er, Magneto had told her of a new telepath joining the group Emma became quite intrigued. After all, she was always looking for new proteges. Telepaths were something of a commodity, and even untrained they still had potential... if trained correctly.

Emma parked the car on the side of the road. Getting out she lowered her sunglasses a little, nose wrinkling at the state of disrepair the house was in. Naturally, this girl needed her help.

Heels clacked against the wood as Emma climbed up the porch to the front door. <<Would a Miss Birdy please come answer the door?>> she sent out mentally through the house. After all, knocking on that door might chip a nail...

[Birdy]

Birdy was not expecting a visitor today. It was Sunday, her aunt and uncle were out of town (which meant no dinner at their place tonight), and the Pawn Shop was closed. This meant she was hard at work in the kitchen. She would have killed for a sander, but as it was, she'd been working at it on her hands and knees since the early morning, sanding away the scratches on the hardwood floor from morning until mid-afternoon, and now she was about halfway done adding stain and finish. Good thing Jim and Darla had so much leftover from renovating the house. They'd sunken some money into it thinking it'd be a good way for her to bond with them, feel less homesick, and they'd been right. From the new floors, to the granite countertops, to the custom cabinetry, new carpeting, and crown molding, there was not an inch in their home that Birdy hadn't improved upon somehow in the four months before moving to the Boarding House. And now she had a new fixer upper to sink her claws into.

Next she'd do the cabinets, she thought.

What she also had not expected was to hear a voice not her own enter her head. Now, she wasn't completely unaware of the abilities of other telepaths, but she'd certainly never held a silent conversation with one before, so it was a new experience for her.

She could sense where it had come from, noting the aura out on the front porch, and she rose and went to wash her hands. One thing she didn't get the impression of was someone who meant to do harm or didn't know what this place was. There was the same feeling of affiliation she got from Magneto and other people who worked for him. She shut her eyes and concentrated, trying to see if she could send a message back.

Actually, my hands are covered in primer right now. If you want to come in, you'll find me in the kitchen. Straight on through the entryway. You can't miss it, but watch your step.

[Emma Frost]

Emma smiled as she heard the message loud and clear. Good, the girl had potential. But... primer? As in paint primer? How charming... she was a down-and-dirty type girl. Probably working class. Wasn't that... something. If Birdy was in fact working on the delapidated house as Emma suspected, she should've at least hired a contracter to do it for her. She was a telepath for cryng out loud; mental labor was beneath her.

<<Very well>> Emma sent back before re-blocking her mind appropriately. After all, her thoughts could be rather scathing at times, no reason for them to be read by her pupil-to-be. Emma opened the door, and stepped inside, looking around at the "rustic charm" for a moment or two before walking into the kitchen.

"That door really ought to be locked, dear," Emma said casually as she entered the kitchen and took a seat at one of the barstools, "Wouldn't want someone getting in that easily."

She gave a classic 'oh-so-pleased-to-meet-you' smile, so as to skip the normal pleasantries.

"My name is Emma Frost, I work with Magneto. He mentioned you were a telepath as well, and I wanted to meet you," Emma said, extending a hand to the girl.

[Birdy]

With a little paint thinner and soap, Birdy's hands were just as clean as ever. She dried them on a towel and turned to greet the woman who had come in, but she hesitated at an immediate feeling of discomfort. It wasn't just the woman's appearance -- like Magneto, she looked very much like the sort of person "who never buys used", or would be caught dead in a place like this. Which was fine. To each her own.

But Birdy felt a distinct 'deafness' when the woman's mind closed off to her. That was something she'd been told to expect eventually. People who were as powerful or more powerful than her would not feel "normal" unless they let her in. She, being used to hearing certain thoughts and emotions without even trying, had to try to ground her understanding of this woman in some other fashion.

"I tend to know when someone's coming," she explained, "and if they're familiar I know that not too long after."

Birdy pushed her hair out of her face and took the woman's hand in a firm shake.

"Pleased to meet you, Emma Frost," she breathed, trying to look welcoming, though it was clear she was still uncomfortable. "I guess you already know my name. Birdy Chastane. Sorry if the place is a bit of a mess; I'm just keeping busy."

[Emma Frost]

"That's perfectly all right. At least you're trying to keep this place in good repair, something I can't quite say for the others here..." Emma replied. "And you don't have to say my full name. Emma will do just fine."

This took a lot of self control from Emma. Those who first met her usually fell into the pool of those only allowed to address her as "Miss Frost". But then again, this chirpy teenager was different; she was a telepath. That alone was good enough for Emma's standards. Emma returned the shake and casually grabbed a nearby towl to wipe off any paint residue that may have been lurking on the girl's hand.

"Hm, mind sensing, reading, and communication learned all ready? Impressive. I didn't learn those until I was-" Emma cut herself off. Her age was not a discussion item. "Older than you are, dear. You do have quite the potential. But of course practice makes perfect."

Emma raised an eyebrow and stood up from her seat. "Well, no sense in beating around the bush on the reason I cam here. I would like to help you perfect your mental prowess... if you'd let me," she offered.

"Of course if you'd like some time to think about it..." her voice trailed off.

[Birdy]

"Okay, Miss Emma." Birdy could be polite when she wanted to be, and since this lady in spite of hiding half herself from her was being nice to her, she felt quite willing to go that extra mile. Emma Frost looked like the kinda woman she'd like to be someday, once she hit it big. In fact it was the first time Birdy'd ever felt really underdressed. Simple jeans and a workshirt looked a bit pithy next to a pantsuit. She just hoped the lady didn't later find herself regretting the whole solid white part. She tended to keep herself clean but she didn't know her roommates very well.

The blonde teen smiled a little bashfully at the compliment. "Well, the communicatin' part I've never tried before. Havin' it done to you first kinda helps, though."

And then the offer came. Birdy blinked at her, partly nervous, partly excited by the prospect of getting some real training. She wondered if it was pending on her doing what Magneto had tasked her with, though, because she hadn't even met the guy he wanted her to glow yet.

To hide her mix of emotions, she set to cleaning up a little. "I'd really appreciate that, Miss Emma. Most of my training come from time spent with my Daddy and my Brother, and they did the best they could and all, but it'd be nice to work with an expert."

[Emma Frost]

"Ah yes, your father and brother. Too bad neither truly understood your full potential... although I must say the way you helped them with your 'glow' was truly... generous... of you," Emma said, searching for the right words and thoroughly pleased about being called an 'expert'. She was one of the best after all, but a little flattery went a long way. Emma did have a bit of an ego complex, she was fully aware of that.

"And we really must teach you about mental blocking, Birdy. It could save your life one day. Right now you're quite the open book," Emma said as a side note, casually leaning a hand against the newly painted wall. Feeling the paint squish on her hand, Emma's face turned into one of disgust as she pulled it away and quickly made her way to the sink to wash it off, heels clacking angrily all the way. She'd nearly forgotten about that part but at least none had made it to her suit. Dry cleaning them was simply annoying.

Emma flashed another smile as she scrubbed her hand under the sink. "Just Emma, dear. I like a first name basis with pupils. And we can get started right away if you'd like, I have ample time."

[Birdy]

Birdy tried not to visibly react when Emma Frost mentioned her father and brother. Her bottom line had always been that her family was off limits to Magneto, made clear by the fact that the first time he brought her brother up she tried to throw him out of the store. "Family's family," she said plainly, not thinking of her gesture as generous at all. "We take care of each other."

Emma mentioned mental blocking, and Birdy frowned, never having really considered it before. Emma was the first real telepath she'd ever met. As far as concealing herself, keeping an open mind was most effective around people who did not have powers like hers. "It's not really something I ever thought about," she admitted, eye catching what Emma was doing just seconds before she did it. "Don't touch th--!"

Too late.

You are brilliant, Birdy, she thought to herself.

Birdy winced as Emma moved to wash her hand. She couldn't read her mind, but body language was still enough; she wasn't pleased. She must not have really wanted to be here. The Texan handed her a bottle. "Use this. It's paint thinner, it'll help take it off."

[Emma Frost]

"Wouldn't know, never got along with mine," Emma said. It wasn't easy when your sisters made you look like the nice one, and when Christian got kicked out... well, she had nobody to turn to. Emma wondered where he was now... she'd search for him. Eventually. It wasn't important now.

What was important was removing this paint off her hand before it stained something!

"And thank you. No harm done, all clothes are intact. I hope I didn't get a handprint on the wall..." Emma said, doing her best to keep her self control. As if she cared about the wall. Her wardrobe was at stake! Emma scrubbed more and used the paint thinner until not do much as a speck was left. Paint stains never came out.

Emma sighed in relief, thorougly satisfied that she was now clean.

"Now," Emma said,"About that lesson, would you like to start? Because the whole open book thing is quite dangerous around other telepaths. You could get your limbs pulled around as if you were a marionette!"

A fun trick Emma thought to herself. She'd had her share of picking on humans back when she was learning herself...

[Birdy]

That...was a vivid mental image, she supposed. Birdy wasn't the absolute authority when it came to how her powers worked, or mutants in general. So as much as she wanted to object, she knew there was some merit in considering what Emma wanted to show her. Besides, part of her being here was contingent on her ability to improve. She didn't like the idea of people closing themselves off, and until recently had never been in a place where she was surrounded by people that could do that to begin with. It was like sharing a room with someone who refused to talk to her. Or spoke a different language in her presence only so that she wouldn't understand.

Of course this probably just meant she should learn how to do it without shutting off her own awareness. She didn't know why it bugged her so much, but she liked knowing people so well. She liked understanding them.

"So you want me to learn to close my mind off the way you're doing it now?" she asked. It never occurred to her that Emma, herself, might not have been aware of just how conscious she was of what the older woman was doing.

[Emma Frost]

Emma gave a small smile. "Ah, so you were trying to read my mind. You see how that might come in handy should someone try to mentally attack you. Of course mental shields can be broken, but we'll work on that later," Emma explained with the air that she knew far more than she was just 'casually' stating.

Emma put a hand to her hip and leaned on the counter, and took some of her shields down so she could track Birdy's progress. Of course she wasn't going to do anything dangerous... not physically anyway... but she may start saying some secrets out loud just to fluster the girl. Cruel? Maybe so, but it was better with something more harmless than a full psychic onslaught.

"Just pick a thought and concentrate on it. For example, I usually go over the current catalogue of whatever magazine I read earlier this morning. It will be hard at first, especially with distractions, but it becomes easier with practice. Just relax, and concentrate."

The two were mutually exclusive, but it made perfect sense to Emma.

"And don't forget to breathe. I don't need you passing out on me!" Emma ordered.

[Birdy]

Birdy shook her head at Emma's assertion. She had to try not to be insulted, but the fact was she never pried far into people unless she had permission. "I wasn't trying to read your mind," she countered. "I just do."

After that, she chose not to elaborate any further aloud. Emma did something -- she wasn't sure what as she couldn't pinpoint the source, but it was as though a window were thrown open and sunlight had come pouring in. It wasn't as though she suddenly had access to all thoughts, but there was that comfortable, familiar sense of surface emotions. She sighed with relief.

Her commands were simple, and Birdy leaned against the sink, watching her a moment as she acclimated herself to the new atmosphere. She shoved her hands into the pockets of her jeans -- carpenters, complete with a hammer hanging from one of the loops -- and concentrated as asked.

She thought about how her abilities worked, to her understanding. She thought about why it was she didn't try to read. How she "just did". It was like hearing someone talk. It didn't overwhelm her; it just was. Without it, she felt deaf. Without it, she felt like she was being lied to, moreso than a normal person lying to her face aloud.

[Emma Frost]

Emma casually looked at her nails, deciding whether she should get another manicure this week as she checked out Birdy's mind. She could tell the girl was trying, but obviously not getting it. Her thoughts were all bunched up in one area, but there were so many ways around the wall. It was more like a block swiss cheese than a mental block.

"No, no, not quite," Emma said, looking up from her nails and approaching Birdy. "I understand you're used to this as a sort of... security feature, that you feel 'deaf without it'. But in order for this to work dear, you have to trust me." Emma didn't bother asking if she was right. She knew she was right.

"Ok, instead of choosing something, I'm going to give you a thought. Picture... picture a brick wall. A very long and tall brick wall... picture it guarding all your thoughts..." Emma instructed. It was a basic idea for most beginner telepaths, the way Emma herself had first learned it. She'd never admit being at that stage at any point of her life, but it was the case.

"If you need me to help get you started, I'm more than willing to lend out my astral self to your mind."

[Birdy]

Her new instructor picked up almost everything she had thought, though she supposed she defeated the purpose because she thought those things fully expecting her to hear them all. Way to be productive, Birdy. The younger blonde sighed. She guessed she was just going to have to stop taking it personal -- Emma had a point. The people that were going to be able to read her the way she read other people could possibly go in and do real harm as well, and she certainly didn't want that. She was better than that, and not everyone was going to be as forthcoming about it as Emma Frost.

Picturing a brick wall? Easy. Emma offered to project herself astrally and Birdy held up a hand. "No no, I can do it." She was never one to ask for help until she absolutely had to, after all. Aside from that, the only astral travel she'd ever done was when she glowed somebody -- she had no experience with it beyond that and didn't much relish inviting the comparison.

So she concentrated, creating in her mind, as Emma instructed, a brick wall, covering not necessarily all her thoughts, but the things that she would consider off limits to others.

[Emma Frost]

Emma smiled, watching as the brick wall went up, hiding memories that were probably pretty important behind it. The girl was doing a good job. "Don't forget your motor skils, dear. Remember about the marionnette strings..." Emma reminded, knowing that since most didn't think about doing simple things like moving that many forgot to cover those thoughts. That often led to great fun when you could move around another telepath at your will.

Of course most learned after that first time but no matter. The point was the girl was doing quite well.

Emma gave a smile. "Very good," Emma said, taking pride in the girl's work as if it were her own. It seemed to be pretty sturdy, but of course there was only one real way to test that, and Emma wasn't sure she wanted to risk a full-on mental blast with parts of the girl's mind still exposed.

'You're still vulnerable with the thoughts you left out mind you, but you're in no real danger right now," Emma commented. "You're going to want to learn to put your deafness issues aside if you're ever in a real fight one day."