om_ardere: (lannister red)
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Backdated to February 25th. Cersei searches out the man who she holds responsible for bringing her to the school.



Brian crossed his ankles, and leaned forward a bit as he graded. Though Xavier had certainly spared no expense when it came to equipping his school, Brian was hardly the size anticipated by most furniture-makers.

Each piece of work he surveyed indicated that either people had little interest in physics, or there was a serious flaw in the American education system. As Brian could not truly conceive of one ignoring physics, he was inclined to assume the latter explanation was the proper one.

He swooped the red pen in his hand down another page, and didn't quite manage to suppress a sigh.

A light knock of a delicate fist against the doorframe split the otherwise quiet air.

Standing just outside the classroom was a young woman with long blonde hair and bright green eyes, slender and pale - and clearly one of the more affluent students at the school judging by the designer back hanging off her elbow and red-soled heels on her feet.

"Brian Braddock, yes?" she asked in a voice lilting with an accent not quite French. "I was told I could find you here."

He glanced up briefly, giving her an assessing glance and then standing. It was clear he was in the presence of a lady. "May I help you?"

The golden head bowed slightly and she gave the older mutant a small smile. "I hope so. I am Cersei Lannister."

Ah, a Lannister. That might explain why she looked oddly familiar. If Brian recalled correctly, however, he'd never met the children personally. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Lannister. Please do make yourself comfortable."

"Merci," she replied and the click-clack of her Louboutins followed her into the classroom as she made her way to a seat. The bag remained resting in the crook of her arm but with spine straight and ankles crossed, she presented a picture of sophisticated perfection. "I hope I am not interrupting anything important."

"Grading." Brian reclaimed his seat. "How are you, Miss Lannister?"

"Cersei, please," the girl replied, the polite, distant smile still on her crimson lips. Lannister red. Her father had had it created just for her as a Christmas present one year; the matching nail polish had followed for her birthday. "And to be honest, I am well... but adjusting."

"I suspect that is the prevailing feeling for most who arrive here." It had certainly been true for him, after all. "Might I ask what you are adjusting to?"

The chuckle she produced might have been warm had it come from another person. Instead it was the same as her smile, born of social grace instead of true amusement. "You mean beyond my new abilities? Unlike most in our circles, I never received schooling away from home and most of my traveling has always been in the company of my father. Nor have I been away from my brother Jaime for any extended period before. We are twins, so I am sure you can empathize with that detail in particular."

He certainly could, though as he and Elizabeth had been schooled apart for a period of time he suspected that his feelings of displacement had been less acute. That said, they had never been negligible. "Indeed. I imagine this is not your first time to the States?"

"Non, it is not. I have attended Fashion Week here in New York for the past few years and have accompanied my father on his trips here and to California. We rarely ever spent longer than two weeks here, however," Cersei admitted.

"Mmm. Well, I assure you that it doesn't seem any less odd with prolonged exposure." Enjoyable sometimes, perhaps, but still not home.

The chuckle came again. "I thank you for that warning, Mr. Braddock. It is greatly appreciated it." She paused a moment, lips pursed in thought. "I would like to treat you to lunch some afternoon that you are free. A small gesture of gratitude. It is because of you that I am here, after all."

"Brian, if you will," he corrected. "And I'd not realized. How did I manage to accidentally assist?"

"Brian." His name dripped off her tongue like she was tasting it. "Your status as an 'out' mutant? I believe that is the correct phrase, oui? When my own abilities became apparent, my father reached out to yours. He, in turn, made contact with the headmasters and now, here I am."

It was rare that his father so involved himself in others' affairs. Interesting. "I see. Well, I am glad that it was of some use to you."

"As am I. I do not think my father would appreciate my destroying any further family heirlooms." This time, her smile bordered on something more sincere.

His eyes went up only slightly. "Might I ask what it is that you do?"

"Of course. I do not assume that to be a rude question given the circumstances, though you will forgive me if I merely tell you rather than give a practical demonstration?"

"Of course." He nodded, and smiled politely. "As it is I who is requesting information, I can hardly be particular as to its method of delivery."

Cersei's lips curled a bit higher and she held out both hands, palms up. "I am able to produce fire from my fingertips. Green flames, incredibly difficult to extinguish and this time, also hard for me to control."

Brian looked at her hands with interest. "Fascinating."

"I call it Wildfire," she said, her own gaze following his.

"Well, whatever its name, I am confident that you will be able to learn how to better make use of it here." That was, after all, one of the primary purposes of the school. Education and safety, being the others. "It is perhaps a change, but hopefully it will be a worthwhile one."

She nodded again and pulled her hands back into her lap, folding them primly. "I hope so, as well. I have not run into too many difficulties, yet, and the school is quite lovely."

"I am glad to hear it suits you, thus far. I do hope you will let me know if there is anything I can do to make your stay more comfortable."

"Of course. You have been most generous so far. Is there anything in particular you can recommend seeing around the school or nearby that I may have missed on my previous trips here? Or any advise you could share?"

Brian shrugged slightly. "I fear I am not particularly inclined to take excursions into the nearby town. The price of my mutation-related celebrity. However, should you ever lack for something to do in New York, I might be able to make some recommendations."

"Again, I appreciate your help. And owe you a lunch. Tell me, have you had the opportunity to dine at the Hellfire Club?"

"Indeed I have. The New York branch has some very talented chefs."

This time, the sincerity of her smile shown bright. "That they do. As my father holds a membership, I have found many of their services to be beyond compare when traveling. I take it dining there again would be acceptable, then?"

Brian nodded. "If you like. Though I feel compelled to inform you that I've not taken to wearing the period dress, unlike some of our peers."

"Oh, no! Nor would I ask it of you. Certainly not for lunch." Some of the stiffness had fled her body, the frigid politeness relaxing into something a bit more comfortable though it was clear the younger mutant was still keeping herself well within the social bounds dictated by their stations and the circumstances of first introductions.

"I appreciate it."

Once more, Cersei's head dipped in a nod. "Of course. I thank you again for you time and attention, Brian, but I am sure you would much rather get back to your work," she said with a gesture toward his desk as she moved to stand.

He did not particularly like grading, but she was actually right. Though Cersei Lannister was certainly well-versed in the social niceties he expected, she also set him just a touch on edge. "Have a good afternoon."

"You as well." Invisible wrinkles were smoothed from her skirt before Cersei offered her hand to him. "I will be in touch about lunch."

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