Practicing sketches

[Aqua]

Heather walked to the lake, feeling the gentle breeze flow through her hair and brush her fair colored face. She breathed in deeply, smelling the fresh cool air. She smiled at the beautiful scenery.

She held her sketchpad under her left arm, with her pencils in the same side hand. With her right, a portable stool she always used for a place to sit when the area she was in, couldn't provide any. Her hair was tied to the side in a low ponytail, accompanied with a knitted white beret hat. Her matching knitted poncho hung over her shoulders and torso. She wore tight dark blue jeans and white stiletto shoes. She loved fashion, and everyday she made a new statement.

She opened her stool and sat down near the edge of the lake. Looking for inspiration around her for new clothing ideas, Heather bit her pencil eraser, hoping to get some her ideas soon.

[Ember]

After much urging, Aideen finally decided to leave her precious bike in the garage long enough to go out on a walk by the lake. She pulled her black motorcycle jacket tighter around her lean athletic frame as a strong gust of wind blew through the air, making her long dark brown hair whip her face. At least she was smart enough to wear her warm black jeans and warm worn in black boots.

As she walked along the lake, Aideen decided to sit down on a rock close to the edge. In the corner of her eye she spotted another girl maybe a year younger than her sitting not too far away with a sketchbook opened. She made Aideen wish she brought a book along to read. Instead she amused herself by taking a sticking and poking the water watching the ripples spread and disappear across the lake.

[Aqua]

Heather, lost in thought, chewed on the eraser until the fowl taste was too much to bear. She coughed and licked the inside of her mouth getting the microscopic rubber out of her mouth. She looked to her paper and noticed she didn't draw anything yet. She grabbed another pencil with a fresh eraser. She began sketching a head and neck, hoping to immediately invent a new outfit. As she began with the shoulders of her sketch, she saw a dark haired girl at the corner of her eye sit down by the lake. She was wearing all black and entertained herself with a stick.

Heather smiled at the image, and instantly thought of a new outfit. Leather was one of her favorite items to wear. She began sketching a leather corset tied with red ribbon. It would have sewn in short white bubble sleeves, the fabric she couldn't think of yet; maybe silk. She looked at the girl's pants and noticed they weren't anything special; just plain black jeans. However, many great outfits could be made with plain black jeans.

Allowing the rest of her inspiration flow from her brain to her arm and onto the paper, Heather couldn't help but smile at her creation. Now she needed to decide if a skirt or pants would compliment the corset more and of course what shoes and accessories would go with it.

[Ember]

Leaning back slightly to sit Indian style, Aideen amused herself with the stick as she swirled patterns in the water. After awhile she grew quite bored of it and picked the stick out of the water and studied it. With a blink of her eyes, the entire stick lit up in flame. Aideen watched the flames and reached her other hand out to take the flame from the stick, enjoying the warm tickling sensation it gave her. She moved the flames back onto the stick before she again took them. This patterned repeated until the stick became nothing more than a pile of ash.

Aideen looked around for another stick and found nothing more than a bunch of twigs. Bored, she got up and went to the tree behind her. Swiftly, she climbed up on the more protruding branch and stretched herself out across it, closing her eyes and relishing the protection of the wind.

[Aqua]

The skirt below the corset was perfect. It was a leather pencil skirt, with a matching red and white belt. It ended right below the knees and had a five inch slit in the back. Heather smiled as she held up her sketch. However winced when she realized something was missing. She bit her pencil, again unknowingly. An ascot! That was what the ensemble needed. She sketched it with a giant red rose on the left side of the figure's neck and then drew lace tied ankle boots. Again she held her sketch, not completely satisfied.

She glanced at the girl and noticed a flame emerging from her hands. Her first intention was to scream for help, but then she remembered she attended a mutant academy. Shaking her head, Heather observed the girl climb up the tree. She was interesting to watch and a great inspiration.

Heather looked at the vase lake. The ripples of water caused by the wind spread and overlapped each other. She felt the water in front of her and wanted so deeply to expose her own power. She looked at the lake, and concentrated deeply. She starred, imagining the water leave the lake and form around her. She closed her eyes, concentrating more. And then she felt it, the water was there, in the air suspended around her. Her heart rate increased and a wide smile appeared on her face. She finally did it, she could control her power!!

Heather opened her eyes and immediately frowned. The lake in the water was still there, undisturbed and calm. She sighed and kicked the dirt angrily, only to instantly clean her white shoes. She cursed under her breath and looked at her sketch again.

[Ember]

Aideen closed her eyes and allowed herself to doze off a bit in the tree. She missed her home a bit but knew it was no longer safe for her to be there. Ms. Frost assured her that this was the best place for her right now and she was forever grateful for Ms. Frost allowing her to have her bike. Now all she needed to do was earn enough trust amongst the staff so they will allow her to ride it off grounds.

Turning her lean body slightly, she spied the girl kicking the ground in frustration after she had closed her eyes trying to concentrate on something. A small smirk appeared on her face as Aideen watched the girl angrily return to her sketchbook. She smoothly swung down from the tree and landed with her knees slight bent in a crouching position like a cat. Seemingly bored with this walk she sat against the tree trying to think of a way to sneak back into the garage.

[Aqua]

Heather wiped her shoes eagerly, hating herself for making them dirty in the first place. She cursed again under her breath and then sat up straight. She breathed in the fresh air, and slowly let it out. She calmed down, sadly for being upset about shoes, and looked at her sketch again. Satisfied for now, Heather closed the sketchbook and looked at the lake again. She turned to the girl in the tree as she saw her jump off and gracefully land on the ground. Heather smiled, she never climbed a tree before. She turned into a real girly girl over the years.

She decided that it was time to go to her room and finish reading. She folded her stool and held it with her right hand. With her left, her book and pencils. She walked over to the mansion. Having to cross the tree that the dark haired girl inhabited eariler, Heather smiled. "Hi," she said walking by. "Nice power."

[Ember]

Aideen looked up as the girl walked past her and complimented her power. Keeping her face expressionless, she nodded. "Thanks," she said in a calm soft voice. Never being one for talking to people, she didn't continue with anything else. The only person she really spoke with was Haven, but that was only because Haven kept talking. Aideen didn't generally care for people. They caused too much headaches and heartaches.

She watched the girl walk by and turned to look at the lake, thinking of her old life in Boston.

[Aqua]

Heather kept walking and couldn't help but notice the girl's lovely figure. She would have made a perfect model. Her lips were big and full, and her slim figure was the sort of girl Heather drew and made clothing for. She wanted to make conversation without coming off strong, but she wanted to make another friend.

So far, Heather wasn't so lucky in that department. Haven was very antisocial, and Lian was so far a good acquaintance. This new girl seemed nice, but so did Haven. Heather slowed her walk and then turned around. "Sorry to bother you," she yelled slightly. She walked back to the dark haired girl. "I just wanted to ask you, have you ever modeled before?" It wasn't a great conversation starter with a complete stranger, however her question was truly genuine. It would be fun to have a body for her clothing. She hoped the girl would be interested in her idea, plus it would be an easier way to become friends or something.

Heather walked over to the girl and stopped several feet away, giving her some space.

[Ember]

Looking up at her question, Aideen raised her eyebrows in amusement and looked down at her boyish figure. Granted she was quite lean but not model worthy in any sense. Aideen adjusted her white tank top and looked back up at the girl. "Modeling eh? Last guy that asked me that was the fat guy with a Polaroid at the Deli by my school. I wouldn't say I'm the type," she said in her soft voice with a slight Boston accent showing through. Aideen smirked a bit, appreciating the fact that the girl gave her space. At least someone got it.

[Aqua]

Heather couldn't help but giggle. The girl's last encounter with the fat man was definitely an amusing story one would even hear in the city. Many times has she encountered homeless men in the subways, telling her she was gorgeous and could be a model. Not that it wasn't flattering, however bums on the sidewalk would say anything for someone to talk to them or give them money.

Heather controlled her laughter and smiled to the dark haired girl. "Well may I say, you have a perfect body for it." She believed to be a bit forward again, but it was the truth. You don't need a full figure to be a model. You don't need to be a stick either. Heather enjoyed having her friends model her clothing for her. Many of her outfits she wore herself. However ever since Ms. Frost came to recruit her to the Xavier Mansion, she lost a sense of inspiration to continue her work again. She was too confused and down at the sudden change in her life.

"I'm Heather by the way," she said changing the subject. "Heather McCarthy. They call me Aqua." She nodded instead of putting her things down and reaching out her hand for the girl to shake. To be honest, she wasn't sure this particular girl was into the whole formal greeting thing. It was a habit of Heather's since she grew up in the city. Trying to make herself a famous designer made her grow and mature early for her future. She needed to have manners and think like an adult to get ahead. That was how the fashion industry was after all.

[Ember]

Aideen smirked a bit more. "Aqua huh? I'm called Ember. The name's Aideen," she said with a nod. She released the girl's hand and leaned back against the tree again. "So what makes you so interested in modeling? Hoping to be an agent or something?" Aideen asked with a smirk. "Starting a bit early don't you think?"

Aideen was going against her social norms a bit but Ms. Frost had been urging her to make friends and the least she could do is make an effort after all the things Ms. Frost had done for her.

[Aqua]

Heather laughed. "Me a model? Oh God no," she said incredulously. "No I like to design clothing. She held up her sketchbook proudly. "And nice to meet you Aideen, or should I call you Ember?"

She wasn't sure whether to call people by their code names or real names. She believed you used the code names if that person truly identifies them-self as just that. But what did she think? Was she Heather or Aqua? She was Heather of course, but who was Aqua? She still couldn't even control her powers yet. So as of now she was still Heather, the fashion crazed city girl from New York City who wanted to be a famous designer. But that was all gone now. Now she was Heather, the fashion crazed girl from New York City who was a mutant. What did that mean? To be a mutant. She didn't truly fell like being a mutant except she now lived among them. But when it came to her power, she was still normal. But then what was normal?

She brushed the stressful thoughts away from her mind and smiled again. "So yeah, I'm called Aqua," she said uneasily.

[Ember]

Aideen nodded solemnly. "Well Aqua, no I do not model because I like to think of myself as something a bit better than a doll," she said the smirk leaving her face. She stood up and casually brushed her jacket off. She gave the girl a calm cool gaze and nodded a bit. "See you around Miss Model," Aideen said in her calm soft voice as she turned around to go back to the garage. She missed her bike and figured she had enough fresh air.

[Aqua]

Heather's frown left immediately as she realized she offended the girl. "No that wasn't what I meant-" she cut herself off. Aideen was clearly not in the mood to speak to her anymore. She was one of those tough girls who worked alone probably. They were all over New York and they were only several miles away from there. Heather wasn't surprised if she came from there.

Heather sighed and looked to her feet. Her shyness overcame her again. It was time to head back home anyway. Well at least what she was supposed to call home now. She head back to the mansion. "By Ember," she said softly as the image of the vast estate became larger and larger as she walked to it.