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Post by Beriadan on Oct 14, 2024 11:48:33 GMT
The Braddock Mansion was a busy place these days. Excalibur members came and went, using it as an informal meeting grounds when they weren't in the Otherworld or off around Great Britain.
Betsy was still getting used to it. It was like being back with the X-men, except people started coming to her for advice and missions. Weird. She would never have seen herself in a position of authority. That was always Brian's thing.
"Okay, so we've got a newbie coming in from the other side of the pond. Ugh. He's a bloody kid. I'm no bloody good with talking to kids. Rupe, you'll have to help me out with this one, okay?"
Betsy nudged the man walking with her, grinning as she did so. She couldn't really imagine him being good with children, either. |
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Post by DornKoon on Oct 14, 2024 13:06:12 GMT
"Yes, I know," Rupert said, ignoring the nudge. He did not grin, nor did he smile, which for him was nothing unusual; if anything, smiling was a rare treat saved for special occasions. "And I don't tenk ked es wat I would call em; e's just a few years younger tan I am."
He shook his head; Rupert did not see why he would have to be present for this. He could have been doing many other things, but it seemed necessary for Betsy to have more members present for the new member's arrival. Still, maybe it was for the best that he was there.
"So, peraps tryeng to talk to em like anyone else would be a good start?" He glanced to Betsy, "And ef tat don't work, you could always use charades." Just because he did not smile did not mean he lacked a sense of humour, even if it was slightly deadpan and dry.
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Post by Beriadan on Nov 15, 2024 12:46:28 GMT
"Really? God. Youre making me feel old, I'm pretty sure there's at least an entire bloody decade between me and the new guy!"
Betsy groaned. She remembered a time where she had been the youngest of the X-men, and now she was the old leader of her team. Rupert might exude the energy of a cranky old man, but he had experience far beyond his years.
"Speak to him normally. Gotcha. Like he wasn't born after Lord of the Rings was released. Righto."
Betsy grinned at Rupert's entirely expressionless joke. She put her arms behind her head, walking with non-chalance despite the rising panic in her gut. This would be the first new member since Excalibur came together. Betsy was used to Americans; she had been an X-men for a while, after all, but... this felt official. It meant Excalibur wasn't just a rag-tag gang of LLARPers and magicians.
"How young are you, anyway?" Betsy probed, giving the man (boy?) side-eye. "Old enough to drink a pint? Drive a car? Don't tell me you're still in bloody school?" Betsy was grinning as she said it, trying to get a flicker of a smile on Rupert's face. That was her daily challenge with him. A flicker of emotion, or a reaction to one of her excellent jokes.
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Post by DornKoon on Nov 15, 2024 13:28:42 GMT
"We've faced all manner of evel, but welcoming a new member, tat's wat's getteng to you?" Rupert asked, suppressing the need to roll his eyes. "Meght e suggest something fancy, leke welcome to the team? We're glad to ave you. E'm the ediot en charge; e leke to run en screaming and blow people's eads up." He continued with the deadpan expression, even if the choice of words was meant as a joke, but with Rupert, it was hard to tell; he did have a penchant for sarcasm.
It was not that Rupert himself was not nervous; he had just mastered the skill of not showing it. Even if Betsy were to glance at his mind, she would catch nothing. She'd have to dig a little deeper than the surface to figure the truth out. They knew next to nothing about this new guy, but they could always use new blood, even if they were nowhere near the collective might of a group like the Justice League.
They had Superman, which hardly seemed fair...
"Not sure e sould feel ensulted tat you are waeting untel now to ask me tat," he replied dryly. "We've been drenking togeter before; e was best man at your broter's weddeng." He did roll his eyes this time, with the faintest of smile. "E'm 26, and e also work at te royal stables, took care of our Queen's orses, god rest er soul. So no, not been en school for ages." He did feel a slight pang of something at the mention of the former Queen of England. "Stell careng for the orses, but es not the same."
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Post by Beriadan on Nov 18, 2024 12:36:30 GMT
"Evil, I can handle. Put a werewolf or an evil witch in front of me, and I can just kick their arse. I cant exactly punch a new guy in the face to welcome them, can I?"
Betsy snorted at Rupert's emotionless interpretation of her. It was pretty spot-on, to be fair! She shrugged, as it didn't do much to eleviate her worry. Being in someone else's team was much easier, because someone else could make the decisions and deal with people.
"I'm just teasing, Rupe. Of course I remember... barely. There was a lot of ale that they served. Do you remember doing shots with the centaurs? Ugh. I think I was hungover for a whole bloody month."
Betsy sighed, frowning at the mention of the monarch. It had been a different world since the Queen had passed, especially for Captain Britain. God Save the King just didn't have the same ring to it.
"Well... I shouldn't be that worried, I guess. He did come from Xavier's, like me. It's just... I want to make a good impression, you know?"
Betsy sighed again, looking more forlorn than before.
"I still get imposter syndrome about this role. I still keep thinking of Brian as Captain Britain. It's... bloody weird."
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Post by DornKoon on Nov 18, 2024 14:18:08 GMT
"Betsy," Rupert said, interrupting her from speaking further. "We ave a duty to leve every moment as best we can, and e mean, really leve et. Leke et or not, te role of Captain Britain es yours now, and you need to make the best of et, and not let fear stop us." Rupert hesitated for a brief moment, but than he continued. "One of my orses went ento labour a few days ago, and the fowl ded not make et; she was dead by morneng, and noting e ded could have saved er." He shook his head. "Well e stop breedeng orses now? Or feel leke e faeled? Of course not. Lefe can be deffecult, and es only natural ef we feel leke we are not enough, and et well never get easier, but we do not ave the luxury of coice; we move forward."
Rupert paused, walking in silence with the hands tucked behind his back.
"Ded not mean to breng the mood down," he cleared his throat. "The moter's fene, and e managed to fend a fowl that lost hes mother, so her melk won't go to waste."
He glanced at Betsy.
"E ded no sots; you ded-" he corrected calmly. "and just, don't attack the new guy, e've got a feeleng tis es goeng to be awkward enoug wethout haveng to put our newest member back together on hes ferst day."
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Post by Beriadan on Nov 19, 2024 21:58:23 GMT
Betsy was unusually quiet for a moment before she smiled warmly. She nodded, her purple hair swishing around her neck as she did so, giving Rupert a curious sidelong look.
"Thanks, Rupe. Sometimes you give some really good advice."
Betsy went quiet again, frowning as she stared ahead. Sometimes it was easy to forget that her companion had a heart full of emotion. Rupert was just better at hiding it than most, especially her.
"Sorry for your loss. I know how that feels. It's... comforting, in its own way."
A smile returned to her lips before she gave a small sigh, pouting a little to herself. Betsy knew Rupert's words were true, and they did make her feel better, but she couldn't shake it. This feeling that it shouldn't be her greeting new members of Excalibur.
"I hope not. I want to make a good impression, and that's why you're here! Give me that good positive backup that I need."
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Post by DornKoon on Nov 19, 2024 22:10:44 GMT
"Sometemes?" Rupert cocked an eyebrow. "Well, e'll take et as a wen wenever you lesten to my advece. Besides, e'm also nervous; can't you tell e'm engulfed by nervosety?" he said the last with one of his most deadpan expressions. He then did one of his almost invisible smirks, which lasted for a second. "At least e hope you'll handle thes better tan when Meggan was en labour..."
He made a dismissive gesture with his hand.
"Et happens, E'll leve."
Rupert rolled his eyes slightly; well, he was making her feel better, which was a bonus. It would be bad if they made a poor first impression on their newest and youngest members.
"Well- he meght get to destracted by your aer to listen to watever nonsense you're goeng to say, so at least we ave that en our favour." He paused long enough for Betsy to have time to check her hair, in case she felt so inclined before he continued. "At least one of us ave the great aer..."
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